by Park Saenal
Puk!
“Ahat!”
Asuka cried out as she was hit in the forehead. She was hit twice by the hand plow and her health was now at the bottom. It was truly absurd. She gritted her teeth. Then she lifted the sickle again and pushed on with her increased physical abilities. But her lacking control skills couldn’t deal any harm to Piaro. She attempted to take his bones and flesh as a last resort, but Piaro wasn’t easily hit.
The hoe and hand plow barrier only gave Asuka despair. In the end, she also died. It was the moment that embarrassing rumors about ‘dying from a hand plow!’ spread.
The Snake Guild’s chief of staff, Box, quickly grasped the situation.
‘We can’t beat him.’
Piaro was an absolute existence. The perfect combat ability combined with high stats was a wall that couldn’t be crossed with the users’ current level. Box bet that even if the 1st ranked Kraugel was in this place, he wouldn’t be able to hurt Piaro.
‘The user’s level must be at least 360 in order to compete with him. Then…’
He gave up on killing Piaro. Box made a decision and shouted to Seuron and Hao, “We will tie up his feet! You must smash Reidan during that gap!”
Yes, they couldn’t go back with only losses. Their initial purpose was to devastate Reidan. They had to slow down Grid’s expansion. For that, Box would sacrifice anything. Box’s decision made Seuron and Hao laugh.
“Good judgment.”
To be honest, Seuron and Hao were reluctant to deal with the NPC called Piaro. They wanted to retreat, but they no longer needed to thanks to the Snake Guild’s decision. The Snake Guild would tie up Piaro’s feet while they headed towards Reidan.
So what if three farmers were blocking their way? Were named NPCs so common? The other three farmers were clearly weaker than Piaro. Maybe they were just ordinary farmers.
Soul Predator Sueron led the way. He had already recovered the souls of the Snake Guild members who died, and summoned and fired three soul spears.
“Get lost.”
The unique skill, Soul Spears, had the ability to deal a deadly blow. It was difficult for even top rankers to deal with the attack power, so the three farmers would be killed instantly. However.
Peeng!
One farmer biting a potato summoned magic and destroyed a soul spear.
“What?!”
The eyes of Seuron and the 211 Golden Guild members widened. However, that wasn’t the end. Another farmer took out a shield and gently blocked two soul spears.
“W-What are these guys?”
The named NPC called Piaro wasn’t the only one! Seuron had to find a hole. He targeted the only farmer among the three who hadn’t moved.
“That fellow!” He must be an ordinary farmer! Break through him!”
“Yes!”
The Golden Guild vigorously replied. The farmer, Kraugel, faced them and laughed.
Chapter 252
Chapter 252
Sueron jumped with surprise. Rather than the farmer panicking…
‘Laughing?’ Why was he acting so freely? ‘It can’t be!’
He was a named NPC as well?
“Stop!”
Seuron sensed something and urgently shouted. But it was too late. Three vanguard members came close to the farmer and brandished their swords. The ominous prediction was true.
Kwakakakang!
A small sickle that was less than 40cm long. The farmer blocked the attacks coming from three directions with a single swipe of the sickle. He predicted where the opponent would attack and easily responded. The Golden Guild members were baffled. It felt like their minds were being read.
Chaaeng!
The farmer pushed away the three swords that were in contact with the sickle. Then the owners of the swords had both arms thrown into the air, exposing a gap. One farmer overwhelmed the strength of three people alone.
No, it wasn’t just that. This was just a trick. He maximized his strength by exerting the enemies’ original strength.
‘Does this make sense?’
The Golden Guild members were confused. The farmer’s palm… No, it felt like they were dancing on Buddha’s palm. The farmer attacked them.
Puk!
“Kuaaaak!”
The sickle precisely entered the gaps in their armor and injured the Golden Guild members. However, it didn’t cause any fatal damage. The attack power was minuscule compared to Piaro, who was furiously killing the enemies.
“This isn’t a match for my skills.”
Kraugel complained and abandoned his sickle. Then he pulled out a silver sword and cut the necks of the Golden Guild members. It was the moment when Kraugel showed no mercy to his enemies. The dying Golden Guild members felt resentment towards Seuron.
‘Calling him a hole…’
‘Master, how is that a hole…? Damn…’
“Crazy!”
The three people lost their lives and Seuron cursed. He couldn’t understand it at all. What the hell was this area? Why were the farmers so strong? It was frustrating. It felt like this was Alice in Wonderland. He lost his sense of reason and shouted curses.
“How rotten! What is this farmer? Does this mean soldiers can be dragon slayers? Dammit! Does this make sense?”
What magic did that bastard Grid have to attract all these talented people? And why were they working as farmers? He couldn’t understand it, no matter how much he thought. He couldn’t make heads or tails of it. It felt like his heart was going to explode.
His eyes became bloodshot as the farmer suggested to him.
“The damage will only increase if you send out your members. Isn’t it better for the master to go out directly?”
That’s right. The three vanguard members were level 230. They were higher than the average level of the guild members. There would be a tremendous loss if he made his members face this man. But how could he retreat?
It wasn’t possible. Their enemy was in front of them. If the guild master showed his back, he would lose his dignity and sincerity. Seuron had to go. He was confident that he could bring down that farmer. This farmer was definitely weaker than the monster Piaro.
Seuron responded to the suggestion. “Come, I will kill you myself.”
First, he would strip the farmer of the straw hat. Then he would watch him die! He took the souls of the dead guild member with Soul Exploitation, and summoned Soul Arrows.
Pepepeng!
Three soul arrows emanated a green light and were fired. It was a formidable speed. However, it didn’t reach the speed of Jishuka’s arrows. It wasn’t at a level that could threaten Kraugel. Kraugel moved his head to avoid the arrows.
Sueron didn’t panic. Rather, he smiled.
“Soul Explosion!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The three soul arrows that passed by Kraugel exploded. It was the moment when a unique skill that inflicted damage in proportion to the caster’s attack power and magic power was activated.
Sueron anticipated that the farmer would be torn to rags. However, the smoke from the explosion dispersed and the farmer only suffered minor damage. The farmer advised Seuron, “Your skill linkage is delayed. So it’s easy to react. Would you like to practice so you can link it faster?”
“Nonsense!”
It was impossible to speed up the linkage of skills. It was fast enough right now. And the timing was perfect. The other opponents normally died from this combo.
‘You are the strange one!’
Seuron barely swallowed back the words.
“What are you trying to teach me?”
Seuron’s pride was wounded. He summoned a weapon from the inventory.
[Brutal Heavy Sword]
It was the weapon he obtained after clearing Vasco’s labyrinth with his guild members. It was a legendary one-handed sword that increased the wearer’s strength and intelligence simultaneously. It was good since a Soul Predator’s skills were affected by both attack power and magic power.
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br /> Sueron wielded the sword firmly. Kraugel defended with White Fang.
Kaaang!
Sparks flew as the two men’s weapons collided.
Chaaeng! Chaeeeeeng!
The two people exchanged 13 blows on the ground and in the sky. Seuron’s cloak and Kraugel’s straw hat crossed several times as a brilliant battle was staged. Kraugel’s eyes shone.
‘He is a good swordsman and his Sword Mastery level is high.’
Soul Predator. The skill tree seemed like a magician type, but it was closer to a magic swordsman type. Seuron strengthened himself with Soul Transference.
Chaaeng!
The enhanced attack power increased Seuron’s momentum. The sword became much heavier than before. Nevertheless, he couldn’t overwhelm Kraugel. Kraugel taught himself how to handle steel. He moved like water and subdued Seuron.
“Eek!”
Seuron became angry as the fight didn’t proceed the way he wanted. But it was a basic thing to not lose consciousness during a battle. He tried to be as calm as possible. There was a conflict between reason and emotion. In that moment, reason barely triumphed.
Seuron’s sword regained its tranquility.
“I will win! Soul Plundering!”
[Soul Plundering]
Takes away some of the soul of the living target. The opponent who lost a part of their soul will find their body hard to control for a certain period of time.
‘A good skill.’
Kraugel admired it as the heavy sword struck his shoulder. It was originally a blow to the heart, but Kraugel minimized the damage.
‘Moving without a soul!’
The farmer felt stronger the more Seuron thought about it. Seuron started to shake.
‘I thought I was stronger…!’
Soul Predator was a combat specialized class that had a variety of useful combat skills.
Kraugel and Agnus weren’t involved in external activities, so they were excluded. However, if he was compared to the current Overgeared members and Grid, Seuron was convinced that he was the strongest.
But now he realized he still had a long way to go. An NPC was grabbing at his ankles. Maybe he was weaker than he thought.
‘I need to focus on levelling up for a while.’
Sueron decided, while Kraugel became more thrilled after seeing his injury.
‘It is more than rumored.’
Kraugel highly appreciated the Soul Predator class and Seuron’s swordsmanship. It was enough to say that Seuron was one of the strongest among the users he met.
‘Fun.’
Originally, Kraugel wasn’t interested in PvP. His only concerns were adventuring, hunting, and raids. But living with Piaro changed this. It was fun to battle the strong. PvP had a different flavor from raids. This process was clearly connected with becoming a sword saint. Next year, it might be good to participate in the National Competition.
“Kukukuk.”
‘What is this?’
Seuron looked at the farmer who seemed crazy because he started laughing at his blood. Kraugel approached him. The sky above the sky. This title referred to the person with true talent who reached this infinite ground.
“Moonrise Sword.”
“…!”
At this moment. Seuron realized it. The farmer in front of him hadn’t used any skills until now!
Susuk. Sususuk.
Two moons were in the night sky. Kraugel activated the stealth function as he stood under the moonlight. Seuron had to concentrate in order to not miss the disappearing Kraugel. But how could he detect Kraugel, when even Piaro couldn’t?
Kraugel completely faded away. Seuron was frightened as he consumed the souls of five Snake Guild members and activated Soul Armor.
Pahat!
A transparent green armor was laid over Seuron’s armor. Seuron was prepared for the attack that he knew he would face.
Jjeejeeeong!
“Ku…heok!”
Sueron received a strong pressure from an unseen place. He would’ve been dealt a fatal blow if it wasn’t for Soul Armor. He barely withstood the offensive and started sweating.
‘My Soul Armor was destroyed!’
The damage that Soul Armor Lv. 2 could absorb was 17,300 damage. It was destroyed with one blow and he was also damaged.
‘This monster!’
Seuron was stumbling with agitation when a straw hat appeared. The eyes shining under the hat was enough to cause a chill to go down Seuron’s spine.
“Mole Ascension.”
Pahat!
White light soared from the ground. Seuron was astonished but he couldn’t react. Had he ever felt this helpless since becoming a Soul Predator? Absolutely not. This was the first time.
“Sh…it! You! Who the hell are you?”
Seuron questioned Kraugel as he coughed up blood. Then Kraugel was reminded of Piaro’s introduction and replied, “I am a farmer of Reidan.”
“That term…!” It was spoken like it was the same as a knight or magician. “You can’t just be a farmer!”
Kraugel nodded at Seuron’s question.
“That’s right. I am a farmer.”
It was true. For the next two weeks, Kraugel was a farmer. He was provided three meals a day and a snack, just like other farmers. Accommodation was provided because it was a short-term contract. However, there was no salary.
“Dammit!”
Seuron was tired of the joke and used 11 souls to activate Soul Prison in an attempt to restrain Kraugel. This was the strongest binding skill that could trap even a level 280 boss monster for 5 seconds.
“Taste inevitable death.”
Seuron squeezed out all his mana and created 39 Soul Spears. Then he launched it towards the farmer. Once he linked Soul Explosion, the farmer was destined to be scattered to pieces. At that moment.
“White Light Sword.”
Kraugel’s White Light shone with an intense light. The light was glorious enough to eradicate the darkness for a moment.
“Kuk!”
It was like a flash shot. Seuron couldn’t open his eyes at all. It was difficult to control the Soul Spears. The 200 members of the Golden Guild tried to help Seuron, but they couldn’t move. They stopped in place. Hao and the Hades Guild members watching the battle were also forced to bow their heads.
After a moment.
Seuron was dead when the white light faded away and everyone opened their eyes. His heart was pierced by the farmer’s sword and he screamed as he turned into grey light.
“Run away.”
Hao’s judgment was quick.
Chapter 253
Chapter 253
The peak of two billion users, Kraugel.
Hao had met him before. It was one year ago in Elgad Forest.
Elgad’s Forest. At the time, the users in the top 100 rankings had to form a party of at least seven rankers to hunt in the forest. Kraugel was playing solo there. He slaughtered the killer spiders and butterflies in Elgad’s Forest alone, and Hao realized it.
‘This is a mountain that can’t be climbed.’
The dimensions they were in were completely different. The battle sense that perfectly used the terrain, as well as the godly control skills. Hao couldn’t even think ‘I want to be like that.’ Kraugel was an awe-inspiring figure and a wall that couldn’t be surpassed.
Him.
Hao was praised as a genius, and this was the first time he got a sense of inferiority.
‘Why?’
He was in Reidan. The mysterious farmer fighting Seuron. He was Kraugel. Hao could see it. He had repeated Kraugel’s moves that he saw one year ago over and over in his head. He was able to match Kraugel’s movements to the farmer.
“White Light Sword.”
A large-scale attack skill that caused blindness was triggered. Hao stood still as he closed his eyes. Then he opened his eyes to see Seuron turn into a grey light.
“Ha… haha.”
Hao could only laugh. Kraugel easily handl
ed Seuron, who was on the same level as Hao. Indeed, the sky above the sky. Kraugel was still strong. No, he became stronger. His legs trembled as he felt a thrill again.
“Run away.” He commanded the guild members.
Invade Reidan? It was impossible. As long as Kraugel was here, it was an impregnable fortress.
“Run away!”
The Hades Guild retreated.
***
“Should we just let them go?” Damian asked.
Kraugel replied, “Then should we chase them?”
“Um… There is no need.”
There was no reason to pursue those running away. They were farmers, not Reidan’s guardian knights. They just needed to protect the fields.
‘I don’t need to fight.’
That’s right. Reidan’s defense was left to Grid and the Overgeared Guild, not their problem. They became involved in the battle in the first place due to Piaro. Reidan was unharmed. It would’ve been big if they hadn’t moved.
‘Anyway, it’s okay now.’
He was also a bit proud at helping protect Grid’s estate.
“By the way, who are you?”
Damian was well aware of Seuron’s fame. He was evaluated to be stronger than Grid. Damien wondered about the identity of the farmer who easily defeated him. The straw hat that hadn’t been taken off over the past week was especially annoying today.
Kraugel smiled. “You aren’t the type of person who will be interested.”
“That’s right.” Damian didn’t deny it. Damian was only obsessed with Rebecca’s Daughters.
“Shit! You damn bastards! They’re running away!”
“Let’s go!”
“How rotten! I won’t step foot on this land again!”
Once the Hades Guild quietly escaped from the farmer, the Golden Guild also started to run away. They knew they weren’t in a position to defend the guild’s honor.
Bland, who was eating his third rainbow potato, expressed his anxiety. “Isn’t dinner time over? Do we have to starve this evening?”
“…”
Damian and Kraugel felt sorry for Bland. They heard he was from a prestigious noble family, but the stress of being taken hostage must be quite large.
