Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 119

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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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One-Strike Kill Swordmaster Episode 119

Episode 119. Midnight Secret Meeting (4)

I looked at Pean.

He was still trembling, unable to escape from his fear, his hands shaking violently.

The reason he was so terrified was none other than this.

─…For such a grand oath to save the world, the reward seems a bit lacking, don’t you think?

The impression Amond von Goldhart had given when he first encountered Istereg.

Like this, others cannot sense Istereg’s aura.

This is because the “shell” that blocks external perception completely cuts off its presence.

‘But Pean is different.’

For Pean, who pushes his senses to the extreme, Istereg’s “shell” was meaningless.

His super-senses had reached a level where they could pierce through any veil and see within. He could even see through “Tristan’s Cloak,” which said it all.

When such a Pean detected the Istereg in my arms, he must have felt a presence beyond imagination.

‘Well, Istereg is a life form created with the direct devotion of The Great Ones.’

Even dozens of divine beasts gathered together couldn’t match Istereg’s species value. The class was that different, meaning its presence was equally overwhelming.

‘So when he senses the life form hidden within Istereg, he naturally gets overwhelmed by that intimidating aura.’

That’s not all.

As I’ve said many times, Istereg is still like a blank slate.

What you get when it hatches varies tremendously depending on the picture the player draws on it.

Infinite possibilities that cannot be defined as anything. A completely unknown life form that hasn’t even taken shape yet.

No matter how strong a Sword Master who has lived for thousands of years, they couldn’t help but tremble in fear before such an existence.

Originally, all fear comes from ignorance.

“You….”

Swish—.

It was while I was having such thoughts alone.

Pean, who had barely regained his composure, asked me a question in a trembling voice.

“…Don’t tell me, you weren’t from the Dragon Clan?”

Pause—.

At those unexpected words, I blinked for a moment.

‘Wait a minute.’

What is he talking about now…?

“My senses cannot be wrong.”

“….”

“I definitely sense traces of a ‘Dragon Body’ from you. Heukgol and Tyrant Dragon showed the same reaction as me.”

Right.

The Heart of the Toryong I obtained in Labyrinth Village. And the trait “Dragon Body” I gained by combining it with the corrupted chalice.

Those who are Sword Masters wouldn’t fail to see through such physical characteristics of mine.

Not just Pean, but Heukgol and Tyrant Dragon would naturally know that I possess a dragon body.

But….

“That egg was definitely laid by you personally. I can feel a deep bond between you and that being.”

“…?”

“Seeing how you always keep it preciously in your arms, you seem to have special affection for that child.”

…I never expected the misunderstanding to spread this far.

“However, the aura I felt from your ‘child’ was definitely not that of the Dragon Clan.”

“….”

“Rather, it possessed an aura beyond that.”

I was so dumbfounded that words wouldn’t come out.

‘What is this.’

I was suddenly mistaken for the father of the monster Istereg.

It was an absurd situation, but what was even more astounding was that Pean’s reasoning wasn’t completely groundless.

‘When I think about it, it’s a reasonable misunderstanding….’

If I, who possess Dragon Clan characteristics, was preciously keeping an egg that emanates powerful aura in my arms?

And if there was even a sense of bond between the two?

Right.

Anyone would think Istereg was an egg I had laid.

“Gaon.”

“….”

“What… exactly are you?”

Just then, Pean looked at me and asked in a trembling voice.

I kept my mouth shut and paused for a moment.

Actually, there was no particular reason to correct Pean’s misunderstanding about my identity.

Rather, it was a good thing.

If Pean mistook me for Istereg’s parent, he would be more wary of me, which would definitely benefit me.

The more he feared me, and the more he perceived me as an unknowable existence, the better it was for me.

Especially in situations like now where I needed to firmly grasp the initiative.

“My identity….”

I spoke in a meaningful tone.

“You ask useless things.”

“…?”

“It’s not something you can know anyway, and even if you knew, it’s not something you could handle.”

Flinch—.

Pean’s body trembled slightly.

Seeing that reaction, I gained one certainty.

‘The bluff worked properly.’

Sometimes this kind of primal fear was much more effective than any threat or persuasion.

‘So then….’

…Now it was time to drive the nail in.

“@̸̛̛͚̮̼͉͖͇̫̭̜̏̆̑#̸̧̨̘̻͚͍͘!̵͔̕͝$̶͚̰̪͚̥̺͋͆̊̎̅̎̇̃̕͜.̴͙̙̇̅̅.”

Kuuuuuung—!

Along with the ‘sound’ that flowed from my mouth, the world began to shake.

At the same time, Pean’s face turned pale.

Ding—!

〔True Name: @̸̛̛͚̮̼͉͖͇̫̭̜̏̆̑#̸̧̨̘̻͚͍͘!̵͔̕͝$̶͚̰̪͚̥̺͋͆̊̎̅̎̇̃̕͜.̴͙̙̇̅̅ has been spoken.〕

〔The ‘True Name’ echoes through the Hall of the Great Ones.〕

“What on earth….”

Pean muttered in an endlessly trembling voice.

“H-how do you… that….”

* * *

My mind went completely blank.

What flowed from Gaon’s mouth.

It was certainly language, yet it was not language. It was sound, yet it was not sound.

Something that etched itself directly into Pean’s mind.

…It was his true name.

A name he had possessed since birth, yet had never been known to anyone.

A secret and source of existence that had never been exposed to another soul throughout thousands of years of life.

Countless possibilities flashed through Pean’s mind in this incomprehensible situation. However, none of them could provide an answer to this circumstance.

“You seem to be mistaken about something.”

It was then that Gaon’s voice rang out coldly.

“The one showing favor is not you, but me.”

“….”

“You’ll wait until I grow old and sick? You seem to believe the choice of battle lies with you?”

A brief silence.

And then a low voice resonated.

“Don’t be presumptuous.”

“…!”

Pean’s breath trembled shallowly.

Even without raising his voice, each word Gaon uttered carried an indescribable firmness.

“You are merely standing upon the mercy I am currently bestowing.”

Clink-.

Gaon set down his teacup.

Even that simple motion carried an undeniable heavy pressure.

“You said you’ve lived through eons of time?”

Gaon spoke mockingly.

“Such time is nothing but an instant to me.”

“….”

“Before discussing the eternal life granted to elves, consider whether you’re qualified to stand on the same level as me.”

A trickle of cold sweat ran down Pean’s forehead.

Knowing his true name buried in the sands of time.

Harboring an overwhelming life form that surpassed even the Dragon Clan.

And on top of that, treating him like a mere insect despite his thousands of years of life.

‘What in the world…’

His head spun dizzily.

The pressure he felt for the first time in his life made even breathing difficult.

“I’ll say this one last time.”

Then, Gaon spoke in an utterly indifferent voice.

“In two weeks, an auction will be held at the black market in Dungarrd, the Dark City.”

“….”

“And you will accompany me there.”

Swoosh-.

Gaon delivered his one-sided notification.

As soon as he finished speaking, Gaon rose from his seat with the dawning window behind him. The crimson twilight’s shadow completely enveloped Pean.

What Gaon had done was not a ‘request’. It was a command… no, it was tantamount to notifying him of an already determined fate.

So there was no way Pean could have the right to refuse.

Heavy silence flowed. How much time passed like that? Pean finally bowed his head deeply.

“…I shall meet you in Dungarrd in two weeks.”

Gaon, who had been looking down at Pean for a while, turned around without a word. Then he left the guest hall and began heading somewhere.

“….”

Creak, thud-.

Alone in the room.

Pean couldn’t lift his head for a long time.

Though Gaon had already left, the presence he left behind was deeply settled in the room.

“Haa, ha…”

He gasped for breath as if squeezing his lungs.

Even the air seemed to press down heavily. Even exhaling breath felt cautious.

Pean suddenly realized.

He was still being overwhelmed by the remnants Gaon had left behind.

* * *

“….”

Step, step-.

My footsteps walking through the corridors of Middle Temple were light.

I had gained clear dominance in my relationship with Pean. This had meaning beyond simply making one strong person my ally.

‘Ambiguous relationships don’t exist among Sword Masters.’

If the hierarchy isn’t clear, positions can be reversed at any time.

The reason I put on all sorts of airs before revealing Pean’s true name was exactly that.

I needed him to perceive me not as an equal collaborator, but as a superior being.

‘Pean must be mistaking me for an 「ancient being」.’

That misunderstanding would never be cleared up.

Even if other circumstances shook him, he wouldn’t be able to withdraw his belief based on the single fact that I knew his true name.

At least in my relationship with Pean, it meant I could always maintain the upper hand.

‘Anyway.’

Looking up at the dawning sky, I reviewed my future plans.

‘This is my first time participating in the Dungarrd auction at this point.’

Even through 200 cycles, I had never experienced a black market auction held at such an early point.

It was practically an event that had never existed before.

The flow would proceed similarly, but there would inevitably be many unexpected situations that hadn’t existed before.

My abilities and Adelia’s escort alone weren’t enough to feel secure. That’s why I had dragged even Pean into this to ensure safety.

‘Actually, with this level of force…’

…there would be no need to worry even if any ordinary opponent appeared.

“….”

Still, I needed to be more certain. I needed to become stronger.

Only 2 weeks remained until the auction.

‘For that time, I need to acquire new abilities.’

And I had already laid out all my plans.

Inhale, exhale-.

The cold dawn air filled my lungs.

The place I headed after leaving the guest hall was the Goldhart Family Mansion.

Knock knock-.

Creeeeak-.

The door opened as soon as I knocked.

Beyond the door stood Adelia, fully armed, and Arwen in relatively comfortable attire.

“We have been waiting, The Protagonist.”

Armor, sword, and various auxiliary equipment. Adelia’s eyes were already filled with resolve.

“How is your physical condition.”

“Excellent.”

Hearing those words, I nodded and began walking.

“Then let’s move immediately.”

“…Yes. This way.”

Step, step-.

Arwen von Goldhart stepped forward first and began to guide the way.

Now it was time to pursue growth once again.

The one and only Sacred Piece managed by Middle Temple.

By challenging the “Trial” left behind by The Forge and the Flame.

* * *

A dark room.

As flickering candlelight made the shadows cast on the walls dance, the Five Nightmares sat silently in their respective places.

Crack—!

Just then, with a spine-chilling sound, the black sphere positioned above the knight’s neck slowly split open.

A hideous mouth formed in the torn opening. Soon after, a deep voice began to echo throughout the room.

“The Second Apostle has returned.”

“….”

“In two weeks, we will make contact with them in Dungarrd, the Dark City.”

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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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