Ch.141141. Demon Slayer Sword (SS+)

To reach SS-rank in mana power, you first need to clear the main quest.

Then, after learning SSS+ abilities that boost mana power, such as magic or summoning, you need to raise your stats by at least two more levels through stat-boosting effects to achieve SS-rank.

“The glass stone ring is really useful.”

Though it’s only a B-rank ring, perhaps because it’s made of glass stone, it unconditionally increases mana power by +1 rank, and when combined with the Corrupted Ring, I can see a +2 rank increase in mana power.

If my mana stat gets adjusted to a base S-rank like when I learned close combat weapons, the stat increase from items could reach as high as SS-.

“I just need to find one more rank boost somewhere.”

It won’t be easy, but for someone with money like me, it’s not a particularly difficult mission.

I could either farm for an item in the Rift Dimension or sit at the auction house in the real world and purchase any legendary or higher accessory with a mana +1 rank option.

Of course, it would cost billions, but I’ve already sold items worth billions and now have trillions in my possession.

The amount I spend isn’t important. What matters is being able to fully experience the complete effect of this Light Demon Sword made from light demon stone, which Kukum brought as something like a keepsake for his friend.

“With mana skill effects doubled and mana consumption halved, it’s time to retire the Sewer Sword.”

If there’s a perfect, perfect, perfect upgrade to the Sewer Sword, this Light Demon Sword might be it.

It feels exactly like a combination of my Sewer Sword and the Greatsword of Madness.

I used the Greatsword of Madness because its raw attack power was extremely high, making it efficient with [Leap Slash], while I used the Sewer Sword for its mana reduction effect on [Leap Slash].

Switching between the two was a bit annoying, but each had its advantages, so it wasn’t a big deal. Now that I have the Light Demon Sword, there’s no use for the Sewer Sword anymore.

I should either enhance it a bit and sell it or just store it in the warehouse.

“Ah. I wish there was another Corrupted Ogre somewhere.”

By now, I missed the Corrupted Ogre, the only living being that could take my attacks like a punching bag and endure.

It seemed like only something like a Corrupted Ogre could withstand this insane sword with its +130 raw attack power.

While high raw attack power doesn’t solve everything, the synergy with my [Close Combat Weapon Master] effect of +1000% attack power made the combination ridiculously powerful.

Flop, flop.

Blood eels fly toward me but get split in half by the Light Demon Sword and flop around.

I’ve now acquired enough attack power to dispatch blood eels without even using skills.

“I might be able to do a normal attack challenge up to level 2 biomes now.”

A-rank monsters are formidable, but level is important for monsters.

This applies to hunters as well—just as hunters can invest points gained from leveling up into stats, monsters naturally increase their skill ranks and stats as they level up.

So even if A-rank or S-rank monsters appear in a low-level biome, it’s not a matter of “how can I possibly defeat this?” Rather, if their level is low, the difficulty is just a bit higher, and they’re more likely to have higher-grade skills, making them challenging to deal with, but not impossible.

From their perspective, I might look like a boss monster in the current level biome—a calamity.

My level itself isn’t high, only 20 since I haven’t grinded much, but I’m wearing two SS-rank items that are ridiculously powerful.

Especially my weapon.

Although the rank of all equipment items is important, nothing influences damage as much as a weapon.

A sword made from the finest SS-rank ore, crafted with great care by ancient dwarves.

It’s only natural that even monsters filled with chaotic energy from a level 1 biome would find it difficult to handle.

If they could endure and still threaten me, that would truly be a broken balance.

“It’s getting darker.”

So today, while happily testing the Light Demon Sword, I planned to complete the conquest of the Forbidden Swamp.

I remain vigilant, watching the thickening fog to ensure I’m on the right path.

No matter how strong I am, I can’t let my guard down.

My defense isn’t as high as my attack power.

Plus, I’m currently wearing the Insulated Leather Armor set, which has significantly lower defense than my previous Gray Wolf Leather Armor set.

Swoosh—

I have to swing my sword sensing only the presence of something flying toward me.

As I get closer to the center of the swamp, the blood eels’ movements become faster and more numerous.

Among them are swamp alligators as well.

They look like alligators but have a slightly different appearance from the ones I’ve seen outside.

[Monster]

– Name: Corrupted Swamp Alligator

– Rank: A+

– Level: 35

– Stats: Strength (S-), Agility (S), Vitality (S-), Mana Power (C)

– Body: 250CM / 170KG

– Abilities:

1. Current Absorption (A+)(P)

2. Swamp Swimming (S-)(A)

Originally, only blood eels could survive in the black swamp.

Aside from being hostile to other monsters, the natural electrical current these eels emit is so strong that other monsters entering the black swamp would be electrocuted, continuously taking damage until they die, leaving blood eels without natural predators.

For a predator to exist, it would need immunity to electricity, and there weren’t any such creatures in the swamp.

So the Corrupted Swamp Alligator was a mutant variant that had absorbed two types of energy.

Chaotic energy and electricity.

They had adapted to this environment so well that they even developed a new passive skill called Current Absorption, and judging by their corruption, they had absorbed a lot of chaotic energy, resulting in significantly higher stats.

Alligators and eels.

Neither has special attacks, so dealing with either isn’t much different, but they did show aggressiveness that somewhat answered my perpetual question of “What the hell was the previous owner doing to play so poorly?”

High agility. A faster teleportation skill like Leap Slash.

Without those, I might not have fared much better than Lulu’s previous owner.

The previous owner was also a chosen one like me.

They must have had talent in some other area to be chosen, but in a situation like this, without a leap ability, it would be difficult to even move in the endlessly sucking swamp, let alone catch, dodge, and kill these corrupted alligators with their quick movements and buffs.

Grooowl—

I could do it.

At first, I wondered if I had made a boring choice. Should I have chosen something with more future potential?

I had many doubts, but this holy magic, which is extremely effective against chaotic energy along with close combat weapons, was very helpful in conquering the Forbidden Swamp.

Woong—

Although my mana power stat was insufficient to draw out its full effect, the Light Demon Sword absorbed mana and emitted a cool dark light that illuminated the darkness with each skill use.

Dark light.

It sounds quite contradictory, but it was the first term that came to mind and fit quite well.

In the ink-like darkness that absorbs all light, only the bluish mana light shines brilliantly.

Even the chaotic energy cannot extinguish the holiness imbued in that mana and retreats.

Holy power combined with blue mana.

As the Light Demon Sword cuts through the air, the chaotic energy splits momentarily, revealing the vast swamp lake.

“Wow.”

And there, the swamp flower garden Chunbong had mentioned was spread out.

Chunbong hadn’t been lying or repeating hearsay.

There were dozens of flowers blooming in the middle of the swamp lake, not just one or two.

What was strange was that even though a huge dragon-like or worm-like earth dragon was emerging from among them, the flowers weren’t shaking or breaking, but proudly displaying their brilliant red light.

“That must be it.”

The boss monster of this Forbidden Swamp.

[Monster]

– Name: Corrupted Ancient Blood Eel

– Rank: S(BOSS)

– Level: 45

– Stats: Strength (S), Agility (SS), Vitality (S+), Mana Power (S+)

– Body: 597cm / 450kg

– Abilities:

1. Swamp Waterfall (S)(A)

2. Swamp Recovery (S+)(A)

3. Blessing of the Swamp (S)(P)

“Damn. Look at the size.”

As if mocking my confidence, a massive dragon-like earth worm was writhing, flaunting its presence.

Its level is high, and its stats, at least within this swamp, form an S-party that would devour a Corrupted Ogre.

Moreover, this creature is a mana-focused character with high mana power.

Crackle-zzzzt—

Electricity surged through the swamp lake as if lightning were raining down.