Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 124

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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 124

 

Episode 124. The Anvil of Solitary Fire (5)

 

* * *

 

‘How interesting.’

 

Hiss—.

 

A smile crept across the Tyrant Dragon’s lips as he looked down at the arena.

 

As if excited, his vertically slit pupils flickered back and forth.

 

The scene unfolding before his eyes.

 

This held meaning far beyond a simple trial.

 

And for good reason—that doppelganger facing off against Gaon was the ‘past Tyrant Dragon.’

 

A being that perfectly reproduced the memories, experiences, and skills from when he had challenged the trial, without a single error.

 

For Gaon to clash with such a doppelganger meant…

 

‘…It’s essentially no different from me directly crossing swords with that fellow.’

 

Yes.

 

The result of this confrontation would serve as a measure to gauge the superiority between himself and Gaon.

 

‘I’m dying of curiosity.’

 

The brief encounter in Labyrinth Village.

 

And that overwhelming sword strike that had subdued Jark von Haibrunn in a single blow.

 

It had certainly been impressive, but that alone wasn’t enough. It was far too fragmentary to grasp Gaon’s true level.

 

‘But now is different.’

 

A true sword duel facing off directly against his past self.

 

A pure life-and-death battle would unfold with nothing left to hide or hold back.

 

Just as the Tyrant Dragon’s gaze fixed on Gaon.

 

Kwaaaaang——!

 

The doppelganger moved first.

 

The moment it kicked off the ground, an explosion occurred that created the illusion that space itself was twisting.

 

‘As expected…’

 

The Tyrant Dragon, watching from outside the arena, was impressed.

 

‘…Though it’s my past self, truly perfect movement.’

 

A charge that pushed the overwhelming physical abilities of the Dragon Clan to their limits. Its speed was such that even lightning couldn’t catch up.

 

In an instant, dozens of meters of distance became nothing.

 

But Gaon didn’t even twitch.

 

Without blinking even once, he simply stood quietly in place as if time had stopped.

 

As if the opponent’s attack posed no threat whatsoever, his appearance was far too serene.

 

“…!”

 

Flinch—.

 

At that moment, the Tyrant Dragon’s pupils shook greatly.

 

He felt an eerie sense of déjà vu creeping up his spine.

 

‘That’s…!’

 

Kaaaaaang——!

 

And his expectation became reality.

 

Gaon blocked the doppelganger’s attack far too easily.

 

It was exactly the same as that strange defensive technique he had seen in Labyrinth Village.

 

“…!”

 

Tap tap tap—!

 

The doppelganger hastily retreated.

 

Its appearance clearly showed confusion as its full-powered first strike was neutralized.

 

However, Gaon remained in his unmovable stance, quietly watching as the doppelganger created distance.

 

As if waiting for the opponent to display their true power.

 

…And as if responding to that expectation, the doppelganger’s aura began to transform.

 

Kwagwagwagwa——!

 

Space trembled.

 

The explosive energy emanating from the doppelganger’s body shook the surrounding atmosphere.

 

The overwhelming pressure unique to the Dragon Clan began to weigh down the entire forge.

 

The next moment, the scenery of the forge distorted.

 

Crackle—!

 

Cracks formed in the solid stone floor, and red lava flowed out through the gaps.

 

Yes.

 

It was real ‘lava,’ not molten metal.

 

The hammers and weapons hanging on the walls disappeared without a trace, replaced by volcanoes.

 

This place was no longer a forge.

 

In the middle of the Legendary Mountain Range where the primordial dragons were said to have been born.

 

The ceiling vanished and was replaced by a blazing sky, while lava flowed like rivers from all directions.

 

——『Transcendent Spirit』

 

The ultimate technique that only Sword Masters could manifest.

 

The ability to project one’s lifelong sword philosophy and combat principles into real space.

 

A realm that brought absolute dominion, previously possible only in imagination, into reality.

 

“…”

 

Yes.

 

The doppelganger had realized it from a single clash.

 

That the opponent before its eyes was not someone to be taken lightly.

 

That without using full power, it wouldn’t last even a single exchange.

 

“…”

 

Hiss—.

 

A smile appeared on Gaon’s lips for the first time.

 

An expression as if things were finally getting interesting.

 

Slowly—.

 

Gaon began to change his stance.

 

After resheathing his feather sword, he stepped his left foot back and lowered his center of gravity.

 

His left hand gripped the scabbard while his right hand rested lightly on the handle. With his head slightly bowed, he raised only his gaze to look at the doppelganger.

 

An all too obvious sword-drawing stance.

 

It was a simple and quiet movement, but at that moment, time seemed to stop in the space transformed by the Transcendent Spirit.

 

Of course, the doppelganger wouldn’t just stand there watching. The moment it saw Gaon take his stance, it immediately began charging.

 

The Tyrant Dragon’s pupils contracted as he watched all of this.

 

The doppelganger’s movement, blessed by the Transcendent Spirit, was several times faster than before. The strike wreathed in lava’s heat contained tremendous energy.

 

‘This time for sure…’

 

The Tyrant Dragon concentrated all his nerves. With eyes wide open and breath held, he fixed his gaze on Gaon’s every movement.

 

‘…I won’t miss it.’

 

Until now, there hadn’t been a proper opportunity to see.

 

In Labyrinth Village, during the Haibroon subjugation battle, and just moments ago in the workshop, Tyrant Dragon had failed to capture Gaon’s true strike that unfolded in an instant.

 

But this time would be different.

 

Even if it meant staking the honor of a Sword Master, he would witness that moment clearly.

 

And….

 

Rustle──.

 

…Gaon had disappeared.

 

“…?”

 

He who had been in a drawing stance was now somehow beyond the doppelganger.

 

There was no process in between. Only a beginning and an end. The middle was empty as if deleted.

 

However….

 

A single white line.

 

Only a pure white trajectory connecting where Gaon had been and where he had arrived was carved into space.

 

That line was far too perfect. An absolute straight line without even an inch of wavering or a trace of hesitation.

 

And with that line as the boundary.

 

The world began to split apart.

 

Crrrrrrrack──!

 

The lava earth manifested through transcendent spirit was divided exactly in half.

 

The blazing sky tore apart left and right, and the volcano spread in the background also separated into two sides along that line.

 

…Of course, the doppelganger was no exception.

 

From the moment the pure white line penetrated his body, his form was already severed in two.

 

Wobble-.

 

The scale-covered body lost its center.

 

His two eyes, split vertically, wandered through emptiness while rolled back in shock, and molten metal dripped down between his gruesomely split body.

 

Kuuuung-!

 

Before long, Tyrant Dragon’s doppelganger lost its strength and collapsed to the floor.

 

“…!”

 

Tyrant Dragon unconsciously gaped his mouth open.

 

He saw it.

 

He definitely saw it.

 

He had mobilized all of a Sword Master’s senses to capture that instant.

 

Yet still, he couldn’t understand Gaon’s strike.

 

‘What was… that….’

 

─0.01 seconds.

 

At that very moment.

 

A conversation with Heukgol from several weeks ago flashed through his mind.

 

─Every fight ended in 0.01 seconds.

 

The test that determined the qualifications of the Thirteenth Sword Master.

 

The thousands of branching battles that unfolded within Heukgol’s mental image ultimately converged to a single conclusion.

 

An overwhelming strike.

 

An absolute ending.

 

And now… that conclusion had finally become reality.

 

Hissssss──.

 

The doppelganger began to scatter as it turned into molten metal.

 

At the same time, the torn world of “Transcendent Spirit” also returned to the original forge.

 

Clink-.

 

A clear metallic sound rang out.

 

It was the sound of Gaon returning the Feather Sword to its sheath.

 

It was such a natural and calm motion.

 

As if the strike from moments ago was as routine an act as taking a single breath for him.

 

“….”

 

“….”

 

“….”

 

A suffocating silence descended upon the forge.

 

Eyes wide open in shock.

 

Pupils trembling as if unable to believe.

 

Even faces that had turned pale from being unable to breathe properly.

 

In that instant, the single sword strike Gaon left behind had stopped even the time of everyone present.

 

* * *

 

Thump, thump-.

 

The battle was over.

 

I sheathed the Feather Sword while feeling the blood flow ringing in my ears.

 

My heart pounding madly. My breathing barely calmed. Even my fingertips trembling slightly.

 

‘Whew….’

 

…The afterglow of using the Soul of the Sword Master was still enveloping my entire body.

 

Slowly-.

 

I slowly raised my head.

 

My consciousness, honed to infinite sharpness, gradually returned to reality, and my senses immersed in battle slowly surfaced.

 

Hissss-.

 

The forge was shrouded in silence. No one moved, and no one opened their mouth.

 

As if time itself had stopped.

 

Ding-!

 

Just then, a familiar notification sound broke the silence.

 

〔Your killing intent has consumed the battlefield.〕

 

〔Under that absolute pressure, the witnesses have frozen as if time itself had stopped.〕

 

〔Reward: You have acquired the active skill [Ultimate Killing Intent].〕

 

“…?”

 

At this completely unexpected reward, I couldn’t hide my surprise.

 

‘…What is this now?’

 

It was an extremely unfamiliar skill.

 

Ultimate Killing Intent?

 

To check that reward, I immediately opened the skill window.

 

━━━━━━━━━━━━

 

[Ultimate Killing Intent]

 

Grade: ★★★★★★★★★(9-Star – Legendary)

 

Type: Active Skill

 

Cost: None

 

Cooldown: 12 hours

 

[Skill Description]

 

Killing intent is not mere anger or hostility.

 

It is pure will, converged toward death.

 

Among hundreds of millions of Sword Masters, you possess the most outstanding talent, and now you have reached a realm where you can dominate the battlefield without even swinging your sword.

 

Your single-minded focus on death alone shall become your ‘sword’…

 

No matter what enemy it may be, they will have no choice but to kneel before your very existence.

 

[Usage Effect]

 

Inflicts the status ailment「Heart Destruction」on the designated target.

 

━━━━━━━━━━━━

 

‘This is…’

 

I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

 

Well, the situation was similar to when I acquired【Ultimate Auto Parry】.

 

Killing Intent.

 

A skill that inflicts status ailments on enemies with lower levels than myself. Originally, ‘Advanced’ was the highest tier, but this time, just like with Auto Parry, it gained the modifier ‘Ultimate’.

 

This was no coincidence. It meant that the results I was producing were breaking through the framework established by the system.

 

And this also meant that I was successfully walking the path of an irregular who could change the tide.

 

‘…By the way, Heart Destruction.’

 

It was a status ailment I had never seen before in my life.

 

But as I read through the skill description, I was quickly able to grasp its true nature.

 

A technique I had already used several times. The killing aura that had subdued opponents with【Soul of the Sword Master】… had been completely reestablished as a ‘new skill’.

 

‘…This is ridiculous, isn’t it?’

 

It was an incredibly useful reward.

 

Now it meant that even without consuming【Soul of the Sword Master】and MP, I could subdue opponents once every 12 hours.

 

I had gained a useful tool that could be utilized in various ways.

 

If I could advance the「True Name Release」of the Feather Sword at the Ruins of Rashutku, the synergy with ‘that’ ability would be tremendous.

 

Swoosh-.

 

Having finished that line of thought, I looked at the avatar and organized my contemplations.

 

“So what’s the result of the trial?”

 

[…]

 

The Guardian’s eyes, which had been blankly looking down at me, wavered slightly.

 

[What’s the point of asking.]

 

A short remark.

 

And the declaration that followed.

 

[Congratulations.]

 

“…”

 

[This is unprecedented. Two people passing this trial in a single day.]

 

Rumble-!

 

As soon as those words ended, the wall at the back of the forge began to slowly split apart.

 

Blazing light pushed back the darkness, revealing a new path leading inside.

 

[To craft the divine weapons most suitable for you two… let us head to the「Forge of the Single Flame」.]

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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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