How a Two-Life Scoundrel Lives - Chapter 123
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Chapter 123】
Strength.
Not simply being strong, but possessing overwhelming power capable of dominating anyone they might encounter.
This was the fundamental quality and virtue that anyone with the bloodline of House Sigmund must possess.
By all rights, any Sigmund should have acquired enough martial prowess to cut down a barbarian warrior in the blink of an eye by the time they underwent their coming-of-age ceremony and received their Inheritance Sword.
Just look at Frey—wasn’t he tremendously strong?
From that perspective, Carlisle was far too weak to become House Sigmund’s Killing Sword.
Such a role could only be fulfilled with great martial strength, and with Carlisle’s current abilities, it was an unthinkable dream.
“Listen here, Head of House.”
“Yes, Aunt.”
“Temperament is something one is born with, so the boy being a scoundrel is unavoidable. He’ll just become a bit more docile.”
“That does seem to be the case.”
“But no matter how much of a scoundrel he may be, he must at least possess enough martial strength to be recognized as a member of our family. Being a scoundrel can be forgiven, but being weak cannot—that is our house’s tradition.”
“Your words are correct, Aunt.”
Grand Duke Guntram completely agreed with Gorbad’s statement.
If nothing else, a weak Sigmund could not be tolerated.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that such a half-baked existence had no place in House Sigmund and should never exist.
The main reason Carlisle was despised by the family’s retainers and elders was precisely because he was weak.
“I’ll take responsibility and draw out that boy’s potential. So don’t worry yourself, Head of House, and focus on your duties. This old woman will take responsibility for that boy’s strength. You have heavy responsibilities as head of house—how could you have time to worry about a scoundrel son?”
“Aunt…”
“Well then, I’ll be going.”
Gorbad left those words and immediately began walking.
And the place she headed toward was where Carlisle lay bedridden.
* * *
When I opened my eyes, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling.
“Ugh… ughhh…”
Instead of wondering where I was, pained groans flowed out first.
‘What happened… ah.’
Searching my memory, I remembered getting hit in the head by that damned old hag’s staff.
It seemed that the moment I took that blow directly, my Berserker State was released and I fainted.
“That damned old ha…”
“Did you call for me?”
“…!”
“Cursing this old woman the moment you wake up?”
“Why is that old hag there…”
Swoosh!
Carlisle saw the staff flying toward him and desperately threw his body aside.
Crack!
The staff not only split the bed in half but also cracked the floor in two.
If he had taken that blow directly, his head would have burst like a smashed watermelon—that went without saying.
“You have absolutely no manners. Cursing this old woman the moment you wake up. Hohoho.”
Carlisle couldn’t even respond.
“Ughhh…”
His entire body hurt too much.
There wasn’t a single spot from head to toe that didn’t throb, and with every step he took, his entire muscular system screamed.
“Tsk. What a pathetic weakling. Can you call yourself a Sigmund when you’re groaning after just taking that much?”
“Sigmund or whatever, give it to the dogs.”
Carlisle gritted his teeth and growled.
“Why are you doing this to me…”
“You brat!”
“…!”
“There’s an opening here!”
Whack!
“Gah!”
Carlisle got hit in the side with the staff and coughed up blood.
And that was just the beginning.
Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack thwack!
Gorbad’s staff mercilessly pounded Carlisle’s head, shoulders, arms, legs, and more.
“Guh, guhhhh!”
“Full of openings! Hohoho!”
“You damned old ha… agh!”
“When will that foul mouth of yours learn to speak nicely!”
“Gahh!”
Carlisle rolled around screaming in pain from the senseless beating.
And at the end of it all, finally…
“Grrrowl!”
Crack, crackle!
His Berserker State automatically activated and beast-like sounds flowed from Carlisle’s mouth.
“I’ll kill you… I’ll kill you…”
“Tsk.”
Gorbad clicked her tongue.
“Losing your reason after just a few hits. What a hopeless fool.”
“I’ll kill youuuu!”
At the same time, the Authority of Grasim, 1st Army Commander of Hell, activated and black blades targeted Gorbad.
“Oho.”
Gorbad didn’t lose her composure even within Blade Hell.
Rather, her eyes gleamed with interest at the authority Carlisle possessed.
“There was no one in our family with this kind of power. It’s a new form.”
“Dieeeee!”
“However, there’s nothing more unsightly than being dominated by the power of Berserker State. Power that cannot be perfectly controlled will eventually devour its user.”
Gorbad’s staff transformed into a thin, long sword.
It was Gorbad’s Inheritance Sword called [Zarze].
“No matter how great the potential of an authority may be, if you cannot use it properly, it’s nothing more than clumsy tricks!”
For a moment it felt as if time had stopped, then Gorbad’s Inheritance Sword Zarze pierced through the black blades of Blade Hell at the speed of light.
Clang!
In the blink of an eye, the domain of Blade Hell shattered into pieces.
“Won’t you come to your senses!”
Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab!
Zarze pierced through various parts of Carlisle’s body.
“Gahh!”
Severely wounded, Carlisle coughed up blood and collapsed.
“You monster of an old ha… gah!”
“Such a foul temper. Tsk.”
Gorbad looked down at Carlisle and clicked her tongue.
“Instead of growling at this old woman, focus on recovering. Otherwise, you’ll get beaten again the moment you wake up.”
Carlisle couldn’t answer.
“…Damn it.”
Carlisle left those words and fainted again.
It had only been 5 minutes since he woke up.
* * *
Gorbad’s discipline continued after that.
Carlisle fainted and woke up, got beaten, fainted again, and got beaten as soon as he woke up.
It was like days of eternal hell.
It would be less painful if he could just die, but when he fainted and woke up, his body would be mysteriously recovered, which was maddening.
About 5 days had passed.
“…Could it be that I’m completely healed.”
Carlisle sensed that something was strange about his body.
The last time he fainted, he seemed to have been pierced through the stomach by Gorbad’s sword, but when he woke up, he was perfectly fine as if it were a lie.
If it were an ordinary person, it would have been at least a serious injury, or even a fatal wound…
“Did someone feed me a potion…?”
“Who would feed expensive potions to a scoundrel like you?”
“…!”
Carlisle immediately jumped up at Gorbad’s voice from right beside him and grabbed Grimgand first.
“Even a single drop of potion would be too precious to waste on a scoundrel like you. Ho ho ho.”
“If you didn’t use potions… magic?”
“Tsk. What a stupid and foolish fellow.”
“…?”
“The great blood flowing through your veins is itself a natural potion and healing magic.”
“Regeneration…?”
“Now you finally understand. Tsk tsk.”
Gorbad slowly got up and picked up her staff.
“The blood of our family is strong. For Sigmund, such wounds are nothing. A wound that pierces through the stomach heals after a good night’s sleep.”
“That’s not human, it’s like saying…”
“Correct.”
Gorbad replied as if it were the right answer.
“We, Sigmund, are monsters. Have you forgotten that the power of ancient supernatural beings flows in the blood through our veins?”
“Ah.”
“The body of Sigmund, tempered ten thousand times, is not lacking to be called truly immortal!”
Gorbad threateningly swung her staff and approached Carlisle.
“However, if you can only use that immortal power unconsciously, how can you be called a true Sigmund!”
“This is crazy!”
Carlisle hurriedly threw his body.
‘This is really like hell.’
After being beaten, fainting, waking up and getting beaten again for the past few days, he was so frustrated he was going crazy.
But Gorbad wouldn’t show mercy for Carlisle’s situation.
Swoooosh!
Gorbad’s sword slashed past Carlisle’s left thigh.
Puhwaaaaak!
Bright red blood spurted up.
“Kreuuk!”
Even in the midst of this, Carlisle had to limp and move his body to avoid getting hit, and each time he did, the bleeding became worse and more blood burst out.
“Can’t you concentrate!”
“…!”
“If your leg is cut, shouldn’t you just recover it!”
“Recover… you say?”
“Are you planning to give first aid in the middle of a life-or-death battle! Are you thinking of asking the enemy for understanding and stopping the bleeding! Do you expect the enemy to wait for you to get yourself together!”
“Who would do that…”
Puuk!
This time Gorbad’s sword pierced through the wrist holding Grimgand.
“Kreuk!”
Carlisle almost dropped Grimgand.
‘The, the sword won’t hold. Ugh. I can’t put strength into it.’
Since his wrist was pierced, just holding the sword was remarkable, but that alone wasn’t enough.
To fight an enemy, you need enough strength to hold and swing a sword.
‘Recover.’
Carlisle concentrated his mind.
Then something amazing happened.
Slowly…
He could see his pierced wrist, which had been bleeding profusely, recovering.
Not only the severed tendons and muscles, but the bones quickly mended and strength returned to his grip on the sword.
Grip, clang!
As soon as his wrist recovered, Carlisle gripped Grimgand tightly and deflected Gorbad’s incoming sword.
“Good! Yes! That’s how you do it! Bringing potential from the unconscious realm to the conscious realm!”
“Ah.”
Carlisle recalled when he went to the Forgotten Treasure Vault of the Sigmund Family Estate with Frey.
The memory of Frey’s palm, cut by a dagger, healing in the blink of an eye.
He had wondered how that was possible, but it seemed Frey was already able to use his regenerative power at will.
‘Is it possible for the thigh too.’
Carlisle concentrated his mind and tried to regenerate his left thigh.
However, the thigh regenerated more slowly, perhaps because the wound area was larger.
And Gorbad didn’t give Carlisle time to recover.
“How can it take forever to regenerate just that!”
“Kreuk!”
“Limping around, what a sight! Can you block this old woman’s attacks with such movement!”
“I, I need time to recover!”
“Excuses are nothing but sin!”
Whack!
Gorbad’s staff struck Carlisle’s crown vertically.
“Kerhuk!”
“Regeneration must happen in the blink of an eye! Combat and regeneration must be able to be performed simultaneously!”
“That, that’s too unreasonable…”
“You fool!”
“Agh!”
Thud!
Carlisle, kicked in the stomach, screamed and fell backward.
“If you can’t do it simultaneously, you have no choice but to die.”
Shing, Gorbad’s sword touched near the throat of the fallen Carlisle.
“The enemy won’t wait for you. They’ll see you wounded and dazed as a golden opportunity, and attack even more persistently to take your life.”
“…I know that much too. Kreuk. I’ve rolled around on battlefields.”
“Then you should also know well that your chances of survival increase if combat and regeneration can happen simultaneously.”
“That can’t be as easy as it sounds…”
“You fool! Your mind has rotted away! You should be saying you’ll somehow manage it no matter what!”
Gorbad changed her sword back to a staff and began beating Carlisle mercilessly.
“….”
In the end, Carlisle fainted again in less than 10 minutes after waking up.
3 hours later.
“Are you awake?”
Gorbad welcomed Carlisle as he regained consciousness.
“Ah, fuck….”
Carlisle squeezed his eyes shut tightly and cursed as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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