The Duke's Son :Re-Chapter 270

[Traces of Thunder Tribulation.

Rating: Legendary.

A memento of someone who endured nineteen thunder tribulations but was burned to death by the twentieth thunder tribulation. It contains traces of the thunder tribulation.

*Attack speed increased by 20%.

*Lightning-attribute affinity and resistance increased by 10%.

*Remnants of Thunder Tribulation—imbued with lingering tribulation lightning, these gauntlets have a high chance to become excited when using Skills.

*Once excited, Traces of Thunder Tribulation resonates with the sky and calls down lightning.]

Jae-Hyeok had cherished Traces of Thunder Tribulation from the day he’d acquired them. Their utility in training was bar none.

Of course, the pair of white gauntlets wasn’t without its quirks. Namely, anyone using active Skills while wearing these gauntlets was asking to become a lightning rod, making them useless in combat—or so other players thought, even including Blake Borus.

Only Jae-Hyeok, with his high lightning resistance, was qualified to think differently. He’d honed his familiarity with the lightning, perfectly grasping its speed radius before employing it in live combat.

Since then, Traces of Thunder Tribulation had served as a trump card on more than one occasion.

It was the same today.

The boy was about to go through the thunder tribulation and put on the white gloves first. He naturally relied on Traces of Thunder Tribulation, which increased his affinity and resistance to the lightning attribute by 10%.

Besides, the effect of Renments of Thunder Tribulation only had a chance of triggering upon Skill use, something which Jae-Hyeok had no intention of doing.

Indeed, unlike most others, who relied on protective and offensive Skills to withstand their tribulation, Jae-Hyeok had intended to rely on pure swordmanship from the beginning.

The Kang family’s sword technique excelled in exploiting fleeting openings with extreme speed and coordination.

As it happened, this emphasis on speed and coordination was a well-matched counter to tribulation lightning.

Jae-Hyeok had no Skills that could keep up with the speed of lightning as well as his sword-drawing technique could. So he really had no reason to use Skills.

Moreover, with his Thunderbolt Sword passive active—

Slash!

The edge of his blade was particularly effective at splitting the congealed lightning energy.

[Electrocution resisted.]

Scattered lightning energy swept over him and charged the air, but that, too, was no concern. The Thundercloud Pills had pushed his lightning resistance to a new high, so he barely felt a thing. Rather, with the pills boosting his affinity by the same amount, Jae-Hyeok’s focus was elsewhere.

He bent the scattering lightning to his will and guided it with his sword toward the groups of players belonging to Black Dragon.

Others feared and revered tribulation lightning as a manifestation of divine wrath, but for Jae-Hyeok, rather than punishment, he only seemed to grow stronger.

And then it happened—

[Traces of Thunder Tribulation has absorbed a remnant of tribulation lightning.]

[Traces of Thunder Tribulation has absorbed a massive amount of thunder energy in succession and evolved into Thunder Vessel.]

The cursed legendary artifact, Traces of Thunder Tribulation, evolved.

[Thunder Vessel.

Rating: Legendary (Growth).

* Attack speed increased by 30%.

* Lightning-attribute affinity and resistance increased by 20%.

* Absorbs and stores up to five lightning bolts.

Born from a swordsman’s tribulation and shaped by his indomitable will, these gauntlets can bear heaven’s wrath. ]

It was a perfect evolution!

Jae-Hyeok reached toward the descending lightning, whereupon it coursed into his gauntlets. His eyes flashed with golden lightning.

[Thunder Vessel has absorbed the thunderbolt (1/5).]

“You!”

Just then, Qilin charged over like a mad bull and unleashed a furious barrage of palm strikes. His energy was ablaze and his speed was such that after-images trailed his arms, making him look like a thousand-palmed Buddha.

Jae-Hyeok had his eyes on the sky. And only when Qilin came within arm’s reach did Jae-Hyeok shift his gaze, looking to his slim white guantlet.

“Interesting. Let’s see what you can do.”

[You have released Thunder Vessel’s thunder tribulation.]

Jae-Hyeok’s eyes again flickered with lightning. Then a lightning bolt tore from the tip of his fingers—and not just any lightning but real, genuine tribulation lightning, its power and speed no less than the lightning bolts falling from the sky.

[Thunder Vessel has released the thunderbolt (0/5).]

Lightning crashed with lightning, and everything faded to white.

Just before the searing light consumed him, Qilin’s charcoal lips cracked open.

“Thunder... god..."

A moment later, the blinding light receded to reveal Qilin, burnt black and kneeling weakly before Jae-Hyeok.

The crowd and broadcasters exchanged glances, their silence a sharp contrast to the thunder still rumbling above.

Had the arena’s microphones malfunctioned, or had they heard right?

Qilin, a man who stood at the peak of China, had, of his own accord, actually addressed a foreign boy with a title bearing “God.”

Be it in Korea or China, the viewers watching from home sprang from their couches and chairs, their mouths opening and closing in stunned disbelief.

[Before a large crowd, you’ve driven a contender for World’s Strongest to his knees.]

[Legendary achievement!]

[All stats increased by 10.]

Qilin was still alive and well, having only been briefly paralyzed by the lightning, and yet the System assessed this as a Legendary achievement. That went to show just how powerful Qilin was.

Jae-Hyeok maintained his composure and returned his focus to the sky.

Fifteen—that was the number of lightning strikes for a level 150 tribulation, so Jae-Hyeok still had seven more lightning bolts to go.

He’d only overcome half the trial.

Were it any one else, their mana and stamina would’ve been greatly drained by this point, and the prospect of enduring eight more lightning bolts would have their minds churning with doubt and fear.

In contrast, Jae-Hyeok felt disappointed.

It’s a pity there’s a limit to the number of lightning bolts Thunder Vessel can absorb. With a capacity of five, I’ll have to use them wisely until I’m close to my level 160 tribulation... Well, the Vessel’s growth type, so hopefully one day I can increase its capacity.

As Jae-Hyeok was thinking, three lightning bolts fell in tandem. Each aimed for Jae-Hyeok, but they bent and followed different paths.

Two of the lightning bolts followed close to each other, so Jae-Hyeok absorbed them with one hand while cutting through the third lightning bolt.

[Thunder Vessel has absorbed a lightning bolt (2/5).]

Baang!

Another three lightning bolts fell, and Jae-Hyeok followed the same method again, absorbing two and scattering one.

Only one more to go...

Jae-Hyeok’s heart pounded with excitement—he was about to cross into the realm of transcendence, and, as if it were a complementary service for his troubles, his new Thunder Vessel had even been fully charged.

He nearly pumped his fist, but thought better of it with everyone watching.

Just then, the sky roared. The charcoal thunderclouds darkened and expanded. And the lightning flickering within grew five times as dense.

What?

Jae-Hyeok’s eyes were wide with doubt.

“Stupid brat.”

Qilin muttered. The paralysis had worn off and he slowly rose to his feet.

“Did you think such tricks would work against the thunder tribulation? Avoiding tribulation with items won’t cut it—if it did, this world would be full of transcendents.”

Rumble!!

Thunder roared deafeningly as the final lightning bolt split the sky, streaking toward the top of Jae-Hyeok’s head.

Jae-Hyeok got goosebumps; the power converging toward his head dwarfed the previous lightning bolts by five times over.

There was no cutting through this one.

“Die!”

And if that wasn’t enough, Qilin surged toward Jae-Hyeok, clearly intending to strike a lethal blow just for good measure.

In the distance, Seol Su-Ah’s brows sank, and she arrived before Jae-Hyeo with a step.

“Enough.” Her tone was flat, but the power contained within rattled the air. “Qilin, act with the grace expected of your age.”

“White Night, it’s still too early for you to tell me how to behave!”

Seol Su-Ah’s frown deepened.

She’d already drained most of her mana using Absolute Zero to freeze the arena, and even if that weren’t the case, Qilin’s stats and level dwarfed hers.

Yaksha...

The face of her teacher and benefactor, a man who’d been like a father to her, flashed through her mind.

Qilin’s fist was going to blow away half of her waist.

I’m sorry, I’ll be leaving your son early.

Regret crossed Seol Su-Ah’s face before she smiled faintly

Yaksha, if only you could see him now... I’m sure your son will do just fine without me.

Just as Seol Su-Ah faced death with open eyes, a figure arrived at her side while striking the side of Qilin’s palm, causing Qilin’s palm to skim past Seol Su-Ah's slender waist.

“Is this how the face of a nation should act? I won’t stand for it!”

It was none other than Gate Hunter Blake Borsus.

Having given his promise to “Thunder Emperor,” he couldn’t stand by as Qilin interfered at a critical moment.

That said, Blake’s expression was gloomy.

A promise was a promise, but...

He’d glimpsed the lightning headed Jae-Hyeok’s way; even without Qilin’s interference, Jae-Hyeok would certainly die.

I can’t believe I’m facing death for a ghost... Even worse, there’s no way Thunder Emperor will be in a mood to help me after his successor dies under my watch.

Sensing Qilin’s tyrannical aura, sweat beaded on Blake’s brow and he swallowed a sigh.

I should’ve just turned away.

Qilin recovered his palm, spared a fleeting glance at Blake, and harrumphed.

“Send two; then I’ll kill two.”

Qilin’s palms blurred, and hundreds of palm after-images struck toward Blake and Seol Su-Ah.

At the same time, lightning crashed behind Seol Su-Ah and Blake; Seol Su-Ah's eyes flickered with worry, while Blake’s flickered with defeat upon sensing the unadulterated lightning energy.

Ah, I guess he’s dead, Blake thought

“You’ve gone too far.”

“What..."

At the sound of that voice, Blake froze.

“Kid..."

Seol Su-Ah’s eyes flickered with emotion.

“Impossible..."

Qilin’s face paled.

Standing before Seol Su-Ah and Blake, Jae-Hyeok dropped a hand to his hilt. The lightning crackling in his eyes flared.

“See for yourself.”

Iyarugt flickered in its sheath.

[You have defeated China’s representative player, Qilin.]