Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 163

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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 163

Episode 163. True Name Release (3)

* * *

Crack, crunch-!

A terrible sound like bones being crushed echoed from somewhere.

Not far away, someone’s human form was being torn to shreds by the Mukyeonjiju’s tentacles.

Though I could only see a blurry outline due to the ink obscuring my vision, that figure seemed strangely familiar.

The height and build.

Even the faintly visible appearance.

Everything resembled me.

No, it went beyond simply resembling…

‘…It really is me.’

To be precise, it would be more accurate to say it was a doppelganger created by a skill.

【Avatar Manifestation】

A new power obtained through the Feather Sword’s true name release.

Avatar Manifestation.

This was an ability that created a doppelganger of the user for a certain period of time.

Naturally, this wasn’t just any ‘ordinary’ doppelganger.

There was no way the ability of the Feather Sword, rated as the absolute best among all sword-type items, would be limited to such a level.

Since I had some spare time, I skimmed through the skill description.

Ding-!

━━━━━━━━━━━━

【Avatar Manifestation】

Grade: ??

Type: Active Skill, Authority Skill

Creation Cost: 5 Sword Energy

Maintenance Cost: 1 Sword Energy per second

Cooldown: None

Proficiency: 1%, Lowest

[Skill Description]

“I am not ‘singular’.” ─ Ȟ̶͎͒■͚̅̓n̵̻̕d̷̤͖͌̕r̸̜͘■̠̮͆■̴̞̏ę̵̱̺͂̌

Mortals live trapped within their flesh. In a prison woven of blood and flesh, only a single ego is permitted.

However, you who have chosen the path of ■■ are different.

You are no longer ‘singular’.

Having shed the limitations of your shell, you can contain one will in two vessels. This is the first step of ■■ and manifestation that only those who have overcome existential limits can master.

But remember this. New dangers that did not exist when you were ‘singular’ await you.

■■ expands infinite possibilities, but there is also the risk of losing your way in that vast expanse like an endless ocean.

Your ego will become as blurred as your divided existence. In the end, you may wander through an unfathomable abyss and lose yourself.

[Usage Effects]

• The main body enters an “Untargetable” state for a certain period.

(※The maximum duration of this state varies according to skill proficiency.)

• An avatar is created at the main body’s last position. The avatar automatically disappears when all sword energy is depleted.

• The avatar acts according to the main body’s will.

(※The lower the skill proficiency, the more limited complex movements or precise instructions become.)

• The main body respawns at a nearby point according to the user’s will.

(※Maximum respawn distance varies according to skill proficiency.)

━━━━━━━━━━━━

“…”

The most complex and verbose description among all the skills I’d obtained so far.

But there was no need to struggle to understand it.

I already knew everything through the game.

Ah, of course…

‘…The game and reality are strictly different.’

An ability I used to activate simply with mouse clicks and keyboard shortcuts now had to be operated directly with my body.

Using skills through actual flesh and mind, nothing could be the same as before.

‘That’s why I tried using the skill once as a test…’

Was it because it was such a familiar technique?

Or was it thanks to the correction from my increased physical stats?

Fortunately, the skill wasn’t as difficult as I thought.

I was able to grasp the usage and sensation of 【Avatar Manifestation】 in just one attempt.

Whooom─.

I reflected on the situation from earlier.

As soon as I used the skill, my consciousness floated up.

As if I had experienced an out-of-body experience.

In that state, I could move the avatar from a third-person perspective, like controlling a character in a game.

However, was it because my proficiency was still lacking?

Crack-!

I couldn’t properly dodge the Mukyeonjiju’s attack, and in the end, the avatar was pierced straight through by the tentacle.

‘…Performing detailed movements is still impossible.’

Something that happened in the game too.

It was a phenomenon that occurred due to low skill proficiency.

Well, at least it seemed possible to induce the enemy’s carelessness.

If necessary, I could use it like an emergency escape and utilize it as a spare life.

Most importantly…

‘…The higher the proficiency of 【Avatar Manifestation】 becomes, the more its versatility increases exponentially.’

And if perfect control like in the game becomes possible?

Then 【Avatar Manifestation】 would evolve into an ability close to invincible.

[Wh-what was that…?]

Just then, a voice echoed in my head.

It was Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword.

Her voice was trembling endlessly.

She seemed quite flustered after seeing me use the skill.

[I-I didn’t even explain it to you separately… How did you use the ability right away…?]

For reference, ego swords were mentally connected to their contractors.

As long as there was the ‘will’ to communicate, conversations could continue without having to speak aloud.

So I answered Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword’s question in my mind.

‘Well, it’s an ability I’ve already used hundreds of times.’

[…Pardon?]

I was being sincere.

During my gaming days, the Feather Sword was one of my main builds.

As such, 【Avatar Manifestation】 was also a technique far too familiar to me.

However, upon hearing my response, Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword only asked back with an even more bewildered voice.

[What do you mean by that?]

“….”

[You’ve used this power hundreds of times? How could someone who just made a contract do that?]

“….”

[Hey! No, why aren’t you answering! Please answer my question… Mmph, mmmph!]

Woom, wooom-.

This should be enough.

Having subtly dropped the hint, I activated the silence function of Mukgwe.

At the same time, her voice immediately became quiet.

As expected of a scabbard made by “The Owner of the Flame and the Blacksmith,” its performance was certainly reliable.

“This is….”

As the Feather Sword became quiet, this time Pean spoke up.

Swoosh, swoosh-!

With a pale face, he began alternately looking between the Avatar being pierced and dying from the tentacles and me.

‘I wonder if there’s any point in a kid who can’t see turning his head like that….’

Thinking that, I answered calmly.

“There’s no need to be surprised.”

“…?”

“It’s just that one ‘vessel’ has fulfilled its mission.”

Pean’s expression became even more confused.

“#̷̨̼͈̱͎̭͖͖̙̋̅̽@̸͈͐͑̉͂͆̄͊͠͠͠%̸̢̛̳͖̮̖̽́̎͌̽̉͜͝@̴̯̫̟͕̦͔͈̺̤͎̫̒͐̿̂͑͠$̴̮̻͉͖̬̭̻̯͋͌̏̋̍#̷̬̯̭̙̖͈͙̺̲͉̇͌̉̈́͐͊͊͑̅͝──?”

Right at that moment.

Once again, a strange cry covered the Underground Shrine.

An incomprehensible roar to human ears, the terrible howl of the Mukgyeon Lord echoed.

Ding-!

〔Sword Energy : 0/10〕

〔’Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword’s’ mana has been completely depleted.〕

〔Insufficient consumption value.〕

〔Skill : 【Avatar Manifestation】 will be deactivated.〕

Sizzle-.

Along with the notification window that appeared at the right time, my Avatar disappeared.

Sword Energy… that is, the ‘mana’ possessed by the Ego Sword had been completely depleted, causing the Avatar to vanish.

‘5 Sword Energy to create, 1 Sword Energy per second to maintain… roughly I can maintain one Avatar for 5 seconds.’

For now, that was sufficient.

Anyway.

The tentacles that had lost their target began flailing around in confusion.

With their prey suddenly disappearing, they wandered around having lost their objective.

Thud-!

Then the tentacles paused.

As if they had eyes, they began staring intently at Pean and me.

Right.

It was about time to end this boss battle.

‘I’ve obtained almost everything I need.’

No.

To be precise, there was one more thing left, but….

‘I can only get that by defeating the Mukgyeon Lord.’

Shing-!

Having finished that thought, I drew the Feather Sword from its scabbard again.

And….

[No!!]

…the Feather Sword that escaped from Mukgwe began chattering as if it had been waiting.

[A-a-are you crazy? Where did you sell that cozy original scabbard and bring this hideous scabbard from!]

She shouted in a very flustered voice.

[And why is it so terrible inside there? In a space filled with nothing but darkness, unable to make a sound and hearing nothing! It was really creepy! P-put me back in my original scabbard right now….]

‘I threw away the original scabbard.’

[…What, what did you say?]

‘And this new home was personally gifted by “The Owner of the Flame and the Blacksmith,” your creator.’

[….]

‘You’ll be going in there often from now on, so it would be good to get used to it.’

[Wh-what… N-no, wait a minute.]

Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword asked back with a trembling voice.

[Wh-what exactly are you?]

“….”

[What you said earlier about using my ability hundreds of times, and being acquainted with my creator, what kind of person are you exactly….]

‘Should I put this back in the scabbard.’

[….]

Thud-.

Before my warning even finished, Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword became as quiet as a dead mouse.

The fear of being trapped in Mukgwe seemed still vivid.

‘I’ll talk with the Feather Sword later….’

Swoosh-.

In the much quieter world.

I closed my eyes and began to compose myself.

‘…First, I need to quickly deal with this guy.’

Inhale, exhale-.

Slowly breathing out, I took my stance.

Kwaaaaaa-!

At that moment, a blurry afterimage flashed before my eyes.

【Ultra Intuition】 had activated again.

Dozens of tentacles poured down all at once toward where I was standing.

Evasion seemed impossible. The attack area was too large, and the density was too dense.

It felt like a massive wall of unknown height was rushing to crush me.

‘…However, there’s nothing to worry about.’

I had completed the Feather Sword’s true name release, and tested 【Avatar Manifestation】 as well. If I kill the Mukgyeon Lord too, I can fill all the stacks for ‘that thing.’

There was no more reason to delay.

I had to cleanly end this boss battle and quickly clear this trial before the Rashutku Empire fell.

And….

For cleanly killing someone, there was no method better than ‘this.’

〔MP : 1/1〕

Tick-.

〔MP : 0/1〕

[…Huh?]

Right after activating the skill, I heard the Feather Sword’s bewildered voice.

An exclamation that escaped without my knowing.

Of course, I was just as surprised inwardly.

I had only blinked once, yet the opposite wall of the temple that had been dozens of meters away was now right in front of my nose.

Kwaaaaaaang-!

A belated gust of wind struck. My hair and clothes fluttered wildly.

I slowly turned around.

The massive barrier that had been blocking my view began to slowly split apart.

Only after seeing the sticky bodily fluid flowing from the cut surface could I belatedly realize that this ‘barrier’ had been Mukyeonjiju’s tentacle.

However, unlike during the battle with Pean, the severed tentacles did not regenerate.

Because….

━━━━━━━━━━━━

【True Eternal Slayer】

Nullifies all types of immortality/regeneration abilities possessed by the opponent.

━━━━━━━━━━━━

…All types of regeneration are completely ineffective against me.

Kuwoong, kung-!

The split tentacles fell to the ground one by one like falling trees.

Water splashed in all directions with dull sounds.

In the distance, beyond the splitting tentacles, I could see Pean’s dazed expression.

Soon, an even more astonishing sight began to unfold.

The underground shrine… no, this entire space that had ‘appeared’ to be an underground shrine began to break apart piece by piece.

Jjeojeojeojeojeok-!

The walls, ceiling, and even the floor I was standing on began to crack like broken glass and collapse.

That’s right.

This entire space had been Mukyeonjiju’s body from beginning to end.

And the Soul of the Sword Master….

Had slain that massive divine beast in just 0.01 seconds.

This time, I particularly regretted not being able to use True Ritardando. In that fleeting moment, how had it managed to cut through all of that?

Kwagwagwagwang-!

The fake temple began to collapse with an eardrum-splitting roar.

Ttiring, ttiring, ttiring-!

Notification sounds rang loudly in my ears. And messages that covered my vision.

〔…’s life force has reached its maximum.〕

〔… is stirring.〕

〔… is being prepared.〕

〔The hatching of Istereg….〕

‘Done.’

With this, all preparations were complete.

The perfect clear of 「Rashutku’s Nightmare」 that no one had ever achieved.

Only one step remained until accomplishing that impossible Achievement.

—————
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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