The Final Boss Has Returned - Episode 118
“It was a meaningful encounter.”
“The pleasure was all mine.”
“I hope we can work together again next time.”
“If the opportunity arises.”
Drakan and Yujin!
The unprecedented collaboration between the two concluded with a scene of them returning through the dimensional gate and shaking hands in the ‘Wolf Den,’ where the dungeon had been.
People were ecstatic over the heartwarming and perfect ending that the majority had wanted, and the viewership ratings of the broadcasters that had live-streamed the content soared into the heavens.
Even Verda felt his stomach twist at Drakan’s image improving even further, but since Yujin hadn’t come away empty-handed either, he was, for now, satisfied with the immediate results.
It was truly a happy ending where everyone smiled!
But there was one person who couldn’t smile at this situation.
It was none other than Sin Jeong-hyeok, Vice Chairman of Simseong Group.
“Damn it all!”
Seocho-dong, Simseong Town.
An ashtray flew across Vice Chairman Sin Jeong-hyeok’s office.
Crash!
The ashtray collided with a flowerpot, creating a racket, but Vice Chairman Sin Jeong-hyeok paid it no heed.
With trembling hands, he took out a cigarette, clamped it between his lips, and lit it.
“Huu.”
As the cigarette smoke dug deep into his lungs and nicotine spread throughout his body, the rage that had flared through Vice Chairman Sin Jeong-hyeok’s entire body finally cooled, if only for a moment.
‘Drakan.’
Vice Chairman Sin Jeong-hyeok exhaled smoke as a single player’s username came to mind.
Drakan!
Sin Jeong-hyeok could never tolerate the bastard who had twice brutally defeated Spear King Rio—who had been both Sin Ha-yeon’s pawn and his own pawn—trampling his pride into the dirt.
Because of that bastard, Spear King Rio had disappeared from Arth World, and Simseong Milky Way Guild, having lost its Over Ranker, was stripped of its position among the Ten Great Guilds, forcing Sin Jeong-hyeok himself to terminate the contract.
And in that process, Sin Jeong-hyeok had tasted humiliation.
Arth Saga was just a game, but his towering pride, trampled by that mere game, was not something that could be simply dismissed as ‘just a game.’
Sin Jeong-hyeok.
He was not the type to leave those who trampled his pride alone.
Until now, there was only one person who had trampled his pride and remained unscathed!
Sin Ha-yeon alone.
‘How do I screw that bastard over?’
His pride wounded, Sin Jeong-hyeok felt rage boil up to his very marrow.
No matter how little he knew about games—barely scraping the surface—Sin Jeong-hyeok knew full well that he couldn’t hire random riffraff to go up against Drakan.
Simseong Milky Way Guild had been a massive guild counted within the top ten in Arth World, yet they had lost to him twice.
Ten Great Guilds!
They were ten massive guilds bound by that name, but in truth, there was a clear difference in power between them.
Five Eyes!
There was an insurmountable gulf between the top five guilds centered around Yujin’s Lightwing Guild and the bottom five that could not compare.
However, Sin Ha-yeon’s JDG, having swallowed the remains of the fallen Simseong Milky Way Guild and the cooperative guilds in the North in the aftermath of the last Northern War to become the ruler of both the Northern and Eastern territories, had already far surpassed the level of the bottom five guilds and was now closer to being one of the top five guilds—the Five Eyes.
And Sin Jeong-hyeok knew this situation all too well.
In such a situation, to defeat Drakan, and furthermore, to kill him and deal a blow to JDG to ruin Sin Ha-yeon’s image, he would need military strength exceeding that of the former Simseong Milky Way Guild.
Having thought that far, Sin Jeong-hyeok raised his bloodshot eyes.
As the successor to Simseong Group, he possessed wealth nearly akin to infinity.
And in a capitalist society, there was nothing money couldn’t solve.
A smile crept onto Sin Jeong-hyeok’s lips as his thoughts reached that point.
Having found the solution, Sin Jeong-hyeok picked up his phone.
Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring.
The dial tone rang out over the smartphone’s speaker.
* * *
The broadcast had concluded successfully, and the Lycanthrope Apostle’s Path quest had also reached its final stages.
Snow Castle.
This massive northern metropolis, now serving as the capital of the Ironblood Kingdom, was bustling with enough activity to melt the cold despite the perpetual winter weather.
This was because human users wishing to change their class to the ultra-popular Necromancer were continuously flocking to the North.
Inside Snow Castle, crowded with users.
Among the buildings drawing attention within the castle walls, which had completely changed compared to the past thanks to the massive construction Drakan had carried out, was the Dark Council.
The Dark Council was a massive stone building with an impressive dome made of black marble, functioning as the facility overseeing the Ancient Alliance and possessing the ability to unlock the unidentified content known as the ‘Dark Alliance.’
Inside the Dark Council.
In the giant hall decorated entirely in black, Drakan was now greeting the chieftains of the allied races, including Wolf King Robo.
Excluding the Undead King, who was still sealed and unable to move from the Skeleton Citadel, having sent an Arch Lich in his stead, the chieftains of all six races were gathered!
Drakan looked over the sight of all of them gathered—including the Fishman King and the Arch Lich who had come in the Undead King’s place—then looked at Robo kneeling before him and took out an item from his inventory.
It was the Moonlight Stone Necklace.
Unlike its previously tainted appearance, it was now radiating brilliant silver light, its corruption completely removed.
[Purified Moonlight Stone Necklace]
[Grade: Legendary]
[The royal symbol passed down through the generations of the Wolf King’s royal family, rulers of the Lycanthrope race. Containing the power of the full moon, it strengthens the abilities of the Lycanthrope race and is a sacred relic that allows them to borrow the moon’s power to return to their original forms even under the curse of the sun.]
[It had been tainted after exposure to an unknown force following the Cataclysm, but by receiving the energy of the Twin Moons, it has regained that power.]
[Item Effects]
[Mana +100]
[Strength +300]
[Agility +200]
[Attack Power +100% while in Werewolf Form]
[HP Regeneration Rate +100% while in Werewolf Form]
[Mana Regeneration Rate +100% while in Werewolf Form]
[Usage Restriction]
[Wolf King]
Drakan gazed at Wolf King Robo, who was kneeling before him, and spoke at the sight of the dizzying options that would make anyone’s eyes spin with greed.
“The purification of the Moonlight Stone Necklace is complete.”
At Drakan’s words, Wolf King Robo’s pupils shook.
Drakan smiled as he watched the scene.
Finally.
The time had come to place the final piece of the Apostle’s Path quest.
“I shall bestow this necklace upon you. Acknowledge me as the Apostle and join the Ancient Alliance.”
Ancient Alliance!
As those words were spoken, mana surged from the bodies of the various chieftains inside the Dark Council.
“I understand.”
Having heard Wolf King Robo’s answer, Drakan placed the Moonlight Stone Necklace around Robo’s neck.
The instant the necklace fully settled around Robo’s neck.
Clear silver light bloomed from the Moonlight Stone Necklace, and Wolf King Robo’s frame swelled up in an instant.
He had transformed into the form of a giant werewolf with silver fur.
“Your subject, Wolf King Robo, representing all the Lycanthrope race, hereby acknowledges you, Lord Drakan, as the Apostle of Darkness and shall join the Ancient Alliance.”
The resonant voice ringing from Wolf King Robo’s mouth!
At the same time, a notification window popped up before the eyes of all users currently connected to Arth Saga Second, including Drakan.
[A new race, ‘Lycanthrope,’ has been unlocked.]
[Lycanthrope]
[The Lycanthrope race hid themselves in Monster Land after the failed reconstruction of the Dark Empire two thousand years ago and have lived in seclusion in their sanctuary, the Wolf Den.]
[However, the tempest of the Cataclysm that engulfed all of Arth World over a decade ago was inescapable even for the Lycanthrope race, and they were swept up in its aftermath and forcibly cast into the other world, the Broken World.]
[But thanks to the exploits of Drakan, the Demon God’s Contractor, they were able to safely return to Arth World, and the king’s sacred relic, the Moonlight Stone Necklace, has also regained its brilliant radiance.]
[Lycanthropes possess various and unique racial characteristics, including the widely known werewolf transformation, regenerative abilities rivaling those of trolls, tremendous physical strength, and an excellent sense of smell.]
[Furthermore, they receive buffs at night including stat bonuses, and the level of the buff varies depending on the phase of the moon in the night sky. On the night of the full moon, they receive the maximum buff.]
[From now on, you can select Lycanthrope during character creation.]
[Lycanthrope is a race that supports race-change quests.]
[If you complete the race-change quest bestowed by Wolf King Robo, existing users can also change their race to Lycanthrope.]
[However, if an existing user changes their race to Lycanthrope through the race-change quest, it is impossible to return to the race before the change.]
[The starting location for the Lycanthrope race is Wolf Den in Monster Land.]
[A new possibility has opened in Arth World. Participate in the new history.]
Lycanthrope!
The final race among the Six Races of Darkness had finally been liberated.
While users were buzzing about the Lycanthrope race unlock, another notification window appeared before Drakan’s eyes, seeming to cover his entire field of vision.
[You have completed the quest ‘Apostle’s Path.’]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[All stats have increased by 434.]
[You have acquired the title ‘Apostle of Darkness.’]
[The Demon Lord of Destruction begrudgingly acknowledges you completely.]
[The Demon Lord of the Sea lets out a cheer.]
[The Demon Lord of Hatred lets out a gloomy laugh.]
…….
[The Dark Demon God is greatly pleased.]
The completion of the Mythic-grade quest ‘Apostle’s Path’!
The quest that had dragged on from the liberation of the Black Ring Society until now had finally ended here.
[The Dark Demon God wishes to bestow the contract skill ‘Wings of Darkness’ as the quest reward.]
[Will you learn the contract skill ‘Wings of Darkness’?]
The third contract skill bestowed by the Demon God, following the Demon God’s Seal and Dark Chain!
Drakan looked at the notification window and spoke in an indifferent voice.
“I acquire it.”
[Wings of Darkness]
[Grade: Legendary]
[Proficiency: Beginner Level 1]
[Summons black wings made of the power of darkness.]
[You can fly while the wings are maintained.]
[The summoned wings bestow random debuffs and curses upon enemies facing the user, and grant the user a +10% Attack Power buff.]
Drakan smiled upon seeing the skill’s description.
Yujin!
It was because this skill was at the exact opposite end of the spectrum from the Wings of Light that bastard possessed.
Moreover, the skill’s performance wasn’t bad either.
You could never have too many buff skills.
‘If I link it with Incarnation of Iron Blood, it should make for a fairly usable combo.’
Just as Drakan was conceptualizing a skill combo including Wings of Darkness in his head.
[The Dark Demon God delivers an oracle.]
[A quest has occurred.]
A meaningful message appeared before his eyes.
It was another oracle quest.