Chapter 351: Dragons, O Dragons! Part Sixteen

Someone punched me in the gut with, "You settings nerd, quit holding back the lore and spit it out already!" So here I am updating with a disgusting grin. Tomorrow's update is a little uncertain, so forgive me.

Supplement: The Extend-state stats I posted last time were only the stats from the period when he used that state the longest, not his latest stats. Then why were the weapons from the latest period? I simply forgot to update the rest. In short, he still has around a hundred million Mani saved up.

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PN: Sunraku
LV: 136 (385)
JOB: Avenger (Dual Wielder)
SUB: Arcanum: The Fool
Special State: Guiding Light
194,781,000 Mani
HP (Health): 80
MP (Magic): 50
STM (Stamina): 100
STR (Strength): 100
DEX (Dexterity): 100
AGI (Agility): 100
TEC (Technique): 80
VIT (Durability): 1 (5320)
LUC (Luck): 129

Skills
· Unbroken Lightdance → Hecaton Slash
· Mind Over Mountain → Sharpening Completion
· Formula Drift Lv.1 → Selectable
· Moment Sight → Quantum Gaze
· Agatram Lv.1 → Selectable
· Trial Traverse Lv.1 → Selectable
· Possessed by the Great Asura King → Secret Art of Mount Kurama
· Gravity Zero Lv.1 → Lv.MAX
· Flit Float → Hermes Boot
· Mánagarmr Pride → Wolf Fate Sign
· Lethal Secret Art: Mirror of Fading → Lethal Secret Art: Improved Mirror of Fading
· Burnout Lv.1 → Selectable
· Riot Axel Lv.1 → Selectable
· Bloody Ideology → Full Spirit Awakening
· Lethe Vanisher → Hypnock Out
· Dirty Sword Lv.1 → Lv.MAX
· Sword Breaker's Havoc → Asura Kagura
· Lethal Sword Art: Half Moon Cut, Third Form → Lethal Secret Art: Severing Divide
· Warrior's Ultimate Manifestation Lv.1 → Lv.MAX
· Sword Dance: Spinning Blade → Sword Dance: Endless Spinning
· Persistence → Indomitable Will
· Melostic Foot → Atlas Toughness
· Clear Sky Style: Gale → Clear Sky Style: Whirlwind
· Clear Sky Style: Thunderclap (New)
· Clear Sky Style: Raging Waves (New)
· Taslam Fist (New)
· Meteor Fall (New)
· Guardian Heart (New)
· Dead Horizon (New)
· Slash Ignition Lv.1 (New)
· Double Up Edge (New)
· Revenger's Analyze (New)
· Revenger's Call (New)
· Revenger's Fatality (New)

Equipment
Right: Areadbhair Rebuild
Left: Dis Pater, Nether King’s Mirror Shield
Head: True Eye Bird Mask (VIT+20)
Body: Lycagon's Contusion
Waist: Lacedaemon Girdle (VIT+5300)
Feet: Lycagon's Contusion
Accessory: Inventoria
Accessory: Levin Trigger: Hazard
Accessory: Lapistella’s Star Mantle
Accessory: Goblin Doll
Accessory: Skeleton Doll
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I dedicate this victory—this level-up—to my departed friends, the scorpions.

I gained 37 levels. The experience I had accumulated without lowering my level even once erupted like a supernova in that instant, carrying me well into the latter half of the climb toward the next level cap.

Because I had been unable to level up, I had kept honing my skills all the way to the moment of emergence. Now those skills transformed into new forms, and brand-new skills I had never seen before awakened alongside them.

Most importantly, there were skills that clearly seemed deeply tied to my current Job—and a Lethal Secret Art hinting at something beyond the Unique Scenario.

Sunraku: "Yes... at this moment, I am a god."

Emul: "Sunraku-san is a person, wa."

Sunraku: "It's a mood thing."

Not the omniscient-omnipotent type. More like the specialized deity you find in polytheism. The enormous pile of status points came not only from the level-ups themselves, but also from bonuses for encountering and defeating Unique Monsters. It really was the culmination of everything I had done so far. I can put points wherever I want. I’m practically drooling.

Sunraku: "Ahh, I can't get enough of this..."

This feeling. How do I put it... The thrill of making overwhelming "power" my own. And I quietly realized something: instead of forcing a level-cap unlock, wouldn’t it be more efficient to keep the Extend state active and kill monsters that way...? Damn. Should I tell the Library? But that annoys me for some reason, so I’ll keep quiet.

Emul: "S-somehow, Sunraku-san... you've got a face that says your Vorpal Soul's running low, wa."

Sunraku: "What're you talking about? I'm about to go meet an enemy whose Vorpal Soul is already at full throttle, y'know? And of course, you're coming along too..."

Emul: "Th-that's right, waa—!?"

Alright. Time to check performance and allocate stats.

............

........

...

Sunraku: "Ah! Shit!"

I got so absorbed in fiddling with my stats that Tottori and the others being in the middle of combat completely slipped my mind!!

Sunraku: "If I show up this late, I won’t escape being called the one who threw the fight...! Get on, Emul!!"

Emul: "Hai na!"

The need to use Levin Trigger: Hazard? Hmph. I'm not sensing any necessity.

Sunraku: "Faraway—farther away!"

Without even activating a skill, just through simple body movement, I run up the claws of the Awakening Altar and from there leap back across the buildings, retracing the path I came. The shortest route: sprinting across the rooftops!!

Sunraku: "Emul! Once we're back at the front, you move to roaming support!"

Emul: "Wouldn't it be better if I stayed on your head, wa?"

Sunraku: "Hmph... You think you can keep up with my speed?"

Well, that was a joke. Truth is, I can't fully gauge what I'm capable of right now. Riding on my head can wait until I've got a handle on that. Plus, taking a break gave my thinking back some flexibility. There are a few things I want to test out... and even though I'm not crazy about it, to squeeze out maximum performance in this situation, I've got no choice but to use that.

I can see it now. The bright-red monster, and the monster cloaked in black smoke fighting against it... Sorry, but I'm gonna need you to play punching bag.

Sunraku: "Let's go, Emul! Formation B!!"

Emul: "B-Bee! ...Wait, what's that, wa?"

Sunraku: "Well, you see..."

B is for breaking away.

Just like a rocket launched into space jettisons its boosters along the way, Emul is hurled off my head and streams behind me.

Emul: "Wha—... pyaaaaaaaaaaa!!?"

Sunraku: "Now... let's leave my past self in the dust!!"

The evolved form of Possessed by the Great Asura King—Secret Art of Mount Kurama! The motion enhancement buff is the same as before, but the boost value is massively improved. On top of that, it also adds correction for standing in unstable places! For example, on a thin branch. For example...

On the back of the rampaging "Scarred," right now.

Sunraku: "Hello, monsters. The star performer's arrived."

I can leave "Scarred" alone for now. Think of it as an object that rampages on its own. And at the very least, it'll prioritize the Great Red Devourer over insects like us... It'd be a problem if it didn't, so I'll make sure it does. And as for you, Great Red Devourer — I've got about two or three things I need to verify regarding you.

Sunraku: "Anti-dragon weapon, Areadbhair Rebuild... and anti-aquatic weapon, Blue Predator, Sea-Eater Sword... If anything, this combination should hurt you the most, shouldn’t it? Right, Eldranza the Blue Dragon?"

Great Red Devourer: "Qyaraaararaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!"

Oh, good, good. So happy you couldn't help but fire a beam at me, huh. Then I'll make sure you get a nice big taste of it, right down to the marrow!! And also! I didn't really want to use this, but!! If my guess is correct!!

Sunraku: "This is the optimal solution, goddammit!!!"

I hurl both swords into the air and use the Holy Grail! I switch my avatar from male to female, use Shakkotsu Breaker to temporarily neutralize Lycagon’s Contusion, and equip a full set of gear at the same time. The Crystal Dress series, made on a whim from the huge excess of Crystal Scorpion materials I had! The male version uses the same written name but is read Crystal Armor! Either way, for me right now, they’re consumables!!

Sunraku: "Aaargh! Don't look at me with those creepy eyes, you pervert!"

No good. Even cussing him out with a female voice just makes him enjoy it more. Man, why can't a meteor just fall and kill everyone!!

Sunraku: "Yes, yes, transformation, transformation!"

Clad in a gleaming silver-white battle dress, I leap from the back of "Scarred," who by now is dying to shake off the bug clinging to it. At the same moment, I grip a jet-black crystal and visualize its activation.

Cracks run through the silver-white dress. That's material damage, and also a more conceptual loss made visually clear... As the shattered crystal crumbles into tiny glittering grains like snow, a pitch-black shadow coils around my whole body, tightening like a vise.

Deep Throater: "Magical girl! A lewd magical girl transformation! I'm getting perfect footage here, Sunraku-kuuuun!!"

Sunraku: "Delete it! No, I'll delete it! I'll absolutely delete your existence, you hear me!!"

Damn you, Great Red Devourer! I’ll never forgive youuuuuuu!!!

Sunraku: "I'll fillet you into three pieces, then hack you to bits, and grind you to dust...!"

Right on cue, I catch the blazing Black Blade and the surging blue sword as they fall from above. Now in a jet-black mourning dress, I level both swords and glare straight at the crimson monster.

Sunraku: "I'll hold a funeral for you. So go ahead and die plenty."

Deep Throater: "Catchphrase Foooooooo!!!"

All right. First, let's kill that guy.

[After arranging everything, it looks like this.]

————————————
PN: Sunraku
LV: 136
JOB: Avenger (Dual Wielder)
SUB: Arcanum: The Fool
Special State: Guiding Light
194,781,000 Mani
HP (Health): 80
MP (Magic): 70
STM (Stamina): 160
STR (Strength): 150
DEX (Dexterity): 160
AGI (Agility): 160
TEC (Technique): 115
VIT (Durability): 1 (37,700)
LUC (Luck): 229

Skills
· Hecaton Slash
· Sharpening Completion
· Limit Over Axel
· Quantum Gaze
· Sawildanah
· Exceed Gravity
· Secret Art of Mount Kurama
· Space Charge
· Hermes Boot
· Wolf Fate Sign
· Lethal Secret Art: Improved Mirror of Fading
· Bloodburn Burst
· Limit Maximize
· Full Spirit Awakening
· Hypnock Out
· Dirty Sword Lv.MAX
· Asura Kagura
· Lethal Secret Art: Severing Divide
· Warrior's Ultimate Manifestation Lv.MAX
· Sword Dance: Endless Spinning
· Indomitable Will
· Atlas Toughness
· Clear Sky Style: Whirlwind
· Clear Sky Style: Thunderclap
· Clear Sky Style: Raging Waves
· Taslam Fist
· Meteor Fall
· Guardian Heart
· Dead Horizon
· Slash Ignition Lv.1
· Double Up Edge
· Revenger's Analyze
· Revenger's Call
· Revenger's Fatality

Equipment
Right: Areadbhair Rebuild
Left: Blue Predator, Sea-Eater Sword
Head: R.I.P. — Lamentation for Black Death: Requiescat in Pace (VIT+9000)
Body: R.I.P. — Lamentation for Black Death: Requiescat in Pace (VIT+9900)
Waist: R.I.P. — Lamentation for Black Death: Requiescat in Pace (VIT+9300)
Feet: R.I.P. — Lamentation for Black Death: Requiescat in Pace (VIT+9500)
Accessory: Inventoria
Accessory: Levin Trigger: Hazard
Accessory: Lapistella’s Star Mantle
Accessory: Goblin Doll
Accessory: Skeleton Doll
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What's that? Defense numbers inflated? Don't worry. No matter how sturdy the container you put it in, if the inside's pudding, hitting it hard enough will kill it from the shock.