Dragon Tribulation of All Realms

Chapter 142 World Champion (Deterioration)
—【Having defeated all Players in world-class competitions, do you wish to immediately assume the title of 'World Champion Lv1'?】

—[Note: This class is degraded due to incomplete necessary conditions. Until you actually defeat your Player opponent, your 'World Champion Lv1' will be temporarily downgraded to 'World Champion (Degraded) Lv1'.]

The sword hung down in front of Feifei's chest.

Wu Chen heard the echo of the Voice of the World in his mind.

Even with the combined blessings of the entire Holy Kingdom and the painstaking arrangement of this predicament that put Ainz in a difficult position, this was all he ultimately gained.

World champion.

World champions possess three characteristics similar to other high-level professions.

—[The world champion will acquire two of the strongest offensive and defensive skills, 'Dimensional Slash' and 'Dimensional Divide'. These can be unleashed by consuming stamina or mana.]

—[The world champion will receive an indestructible set of armor and weapons that can be recalled at any time. This equipment will possess top-tier buffs and will gradually increase in effectiveness over time.]

—[The world champion will receive 'World Blessing,' granting a significant boost to all stats and a certain degree of increase in all Special Attack and Special Defense in the world where they win the tournament. In other worlds, the level of 'World Blessing' will decrease to some extent.]

Very strong.

It even surpassed the strength originally set by Yugutrasil.

The original Champion Armor was actually a custom product created by the game's organizers. However, it has now been integrated as part of the class's stats, further enhancing the class's power. This allows this already overpowered class, which was already considered slightly stronger than other high-level classes, to receive an even greater boost.

however……

—I'm actually degraded...

It wasn't entirely unexpected, considering that, strictly speaking, this world-class event had too many shortcomings. Other aspects were secondary; the most crucial point was that he had only defeated 'Flyff' in his perfect warrior form, not 'Ainz Ooal Gown' who went all out and used every trick in the book.

Using a stricter algorithm, it's called match-fixing.

The only way to remove the 'deterioration' prefix seems to be in the future, to have a proper, life-or-death battle with Ainz Ooal Gown at his full power.

Regret.

Even the degraded World Champion is still useful. It can still be upgraded to Lv5, and the attribute bonuses it provides per level are still higher than those of a regular high-tier class. The difference between it and the original is that a regular high-tier class gains one trait at Lv1, Lv3, and Lv5. However, this degraded World Champion can only choose one of its three original trait at Lv5.

Now, only one problem remains: the path to becoming stronger.

—Not enough experience points.

The cleansing of the south did yield a considerable number of souls, but they were too weak, and Wu Chen wasn't keen on expanding his diet to include mortal souls. The Regent's sustenance should consist of demi-humans, monsters, and dragons; fortunately, he wouldn't have to wait long.

The thought suddenly changed.

The time for thinking is only a fleeting moment.

Wu Chen removed the sword that was pressed against Fei Fei's chest and nodded at him.

"That's fine," he said.

The moment he turned to leave, Nabeur in the audience let out a piercing scream.

"Lady Feifei!" She seemed to want to teleport, but found that the spell that prevented teleportation had been activated at some point. So she rushed towards Feifei, who was lying in the self-repairing rift, and didn't forget to glare fiercely at the Regent along the way, almost cursing him out.

"Are you alright?" Its concern for Ainz saved its life.

“I’m fine, Nabe.” Ainz placed his hand on Nabeul’s arm. At the same moment, the entire arena erupted in a deafening roar of cheers and shouts.

"World Champion! World Champion!"

"His Majesty the Regent is invincible!"

"That's real power! That's real overwhelming strength!"

The excited shouts of the people transformed into a boiling tide, their intense passion washing over every beating heart. Everyone knew that humanity was about to enter a new era, for humanity had acquired it—acquired the power to dominate any region.

Beneath Ainz's armor, a faint green light silently rose.

The immortals are forced to remain calm.

The anger of being knocked down, the humiliation of being forced to surrender, and the embarrassment of misjudgment all vanished in an instant under the radiance of forced calmness—it silently rose, its damaged armor slowly repaired, and with Nabeul's support, feigned exhaustion, because since it had already lost, it should make good use of this defeat.

"Lord Feifei, should we..."

The great tomb is ready.

The fury of the floor guardians echoed through the communication channels. Their revered supreme ruler had been defeated by a 'despicable and shameless' native. This disgrace could only be washed away, if the blood of every living creature in the entire Kingdom of Lobul was drained.

"Give the order, Lord Ainz! I'll come right now and crush all these insects that dare to offend you!"

On the other end of the communication line, Albedo was already fully armed.

But— "Don't act rashly. Duster is stronger than expected."

Ainz had regained his composure. He reached the front row of the audience under Nabeul's cover—the Regent had not declared the match over. And when Dust returned to his throne, everyone waited quietly for his next words.

Because he truly surpassed everyone, and the weak should respect the strength of the strong.

“Then…” Albedo’s anger instantly turned to worry. “Please at least return to the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Pandora is ready. These reptiles are not worthy to pay homage to your noble body. Please return to the throne room, and leave the rest to us…”

"Are you questioning me, Albedo?"

"Your subordinate! Your subordinate knows his mistake!"

Ainz glanced at the Regent on the throne and saw the king lazily raise his hand.

The magic shone brightly. And the next moment, a sumptuous feast appeared on all the seats of the audience. The rich and enticing aroma was secondary; the most important thing was the vibrant energy overflowing from the dishes.

"This, this is a sixth-tier hero's banquet! To create so much in one go—" The old mage Fluder suddenly stood up, then carefully sat down again. He gazed at the fine wine and delicacies before him, his eyes filled with intoxication. "Such powerful magic, such exquisite skill. This, this is godhood!"

The regent lowered his raised hand.

The next moment, Kalja, sitting in the passenger seat, announced to the audience inside and outside the arena in a clear and gentle voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy your meal. His Majesty Dusteau has some further arrangements for you later."

The responses were resounding. At this moment, no one had the right to say 'no' to a king, a champion.

Ainz might have been able to, but it remained silent. It simply made a cautious judgment and thought things through.

—It must be some kind of secret treasure.

—A world-class item…the kind I’ve never heard of before.

The forced calm did indeed work. The previous fear and dread had silently faded. And now it could observe closely—the invisible ripple around the Regent had disappeared, and the strange feeling of 'making a wish upon the star' had also diminished. The person on the throne had undoubtedly returned to a life strength of around level seventy, and perhaps this was the true meaning of Dust's power.

It can only be a world-class item.

If not, then it must be some kind of treasure equivalent to a world-class item.

This regent, who calls himself Dust, must have unearthed some player's legacy and acquired the most valuable and rare treasure. And indeed, as a warrior, I am no match for a legendary warrior possessing world-class items.

—We underestimated the local natives… We must remember this lesson.

The sense of crisis vanished once again. Ainz, skilled in rematches, already knew the appropriate countermeasures. The biggest reason for this defeat was incorrect equipment. Let's assume the opponent possessed a World Rank item that allowed continuous use of 'Wishing Upon a Star'. With the right countermeasures, he could easily defeat them.

and……

—You don't seem to take me seriously, Dust.

In PvP, losing is common. Ainz's anger mainly stemmed from losing face in front of the floor guardians. However, upon reflection, it wasn't such a big deal. It did have its advantages, at least preventing the other side from being wary of his 'Feifei' identity. However, aside from that, given his previous plan with the Green Dragon King, it would be difficult to force out Dust's hidden power that hadn't yet been revealed.

—Next time, we must strike with a single, decisive blow. But before that, we need to gather as much intelligence as possible.

A surge of fighting spirit rose within him; in Ainz's eyes, Dust had transformed from a promising native warrior worthy of recruitment into a dangerous target that needed to be defeated. So…

It silently opened Demiurge's communication, but hesitated for a moment before connecting.

—As I said before, I wouldn't contact him at this time…

The communication system has been adjusted.

—Albedo.

"I'm here! Lord Ainz!"

—Inform Demiurge to put more pressure on the Holy Kingdom.

"Yes, Lord Ainz! I will make sure to keep a close eye on Demiurge, who is not doing his job properly!"

Fate was thus stirred into ripples.

Excessive delegation of authority when issuing orders will naturally come at a price.

The guardians of the Great Tomb sensed, or rather believed they sensed, their master's wrath. And sending in reinforcements was, naturally, the only thing that would happen next.

The transmitted light suddenly shone inside and outside the great tomb.

And this, naturally, was reflected in the Five-Colored Council, which was constantly monitoring the dense forest covering the outside of the Great Tomb.

The thrones of the kings could only conceal the interior of the great tombs.

The evil minions were thus prematurely exposed to the watchful eyes of the world's guardians.

(End of this chapter)