Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 176

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

One-Strike Kill Swordmaster Episode 176

Episode 176. Secret Auction (4)

* * *

Puppet Master Batu.

No matter how many of his puppets I killed, it would be meaningless.

While I could inflict pain by directly striking his soul, to completely eliminate him, I had to find his main body.

‘It was really troublesome in the game.’

Batu’s hideout located within the labyrinth was filled with all sorts of traps and dangers.

Moreover, since the location of that labyrinth constantly changed, tracking alone required enormous time and effort.

However.

I had a feeling that things might be different with Pean.

Because he had supersensory abilities.

‘I couldn’t be certain since I had never tracked Batu through him in the original game, but…’

If I used his supersensory abilities, it seemed like new possibilities would definitely open up.

Batu would surely approach me during the auction, so I would exploit that opportunity for Pean to trace back the ‘threads’ and locate Puppet Master Batu’s main body.

That was precisely my first plan.

A clean and efficient, truly ideal method.

But…

“I failed. Ahaha.”

“…”

As expected.

When dealing with the Five Nightmares, things couldn’t possibly go that smoothly.

Pean began explaining in a calm voice.

“At first, I could clearly sense Batu’s traces. But gradually the ‘threads’ became blurry, and from a certain point, tracking became almost impossible.”

“…”

“Recognizing Batu’s puppets isn’t particularly difficult. I just need to find entities connected by magical strings. However…”

Pean paused briefly and shook his head slightly with regret.

“The process of reverse-tracking was the problem. Especially when Batu was intentionally hiding the ‘threads,’ tracking became much more difficult.”

Right.

You can smell a foul odor immediately. But tracking exactly where that smell originated from is a separate matter.

Batu’s puppetry seemed to work similarly.

‘Well, there’s no need to be disappointed. I expected this to some extent.’

Batu is a coward. And cowards are naturally cautious. He would have thoroughly blocked any possibility of being tracked from the start.

In the end, it meant that directly pursuing Batu’s main body was realistically difficult for now.

Right. For ‘now.’

Which meant…

“You’re not saying it’s impossible.”

“That’s correct.”

Nod-.

Pean nodded repeatedly while presenting a hopeful possibility.

“If the number of puppets increases a bit more and the movement of the threads becomes more intense, I’ll be able to find the main body quickly.”

“…”

“The stronger the flow of magical power becomes, the easier reverse-tracking becomes.”

Hearing those words, I fell into thought for a moment.

‘Increase the number of puppets or induce passionate movements…’

This meant exactly one thing.

Tsk-.

I clicked my tongue unconsciously.

My brow furrowed automatically.

‘In the end, it means a full-scale battle with Batu is inevitable.’

Suddenly, a thought I had in the past came to mind.

─…It would be more troublesome if I just openly caused a ruckus instead.

I had the same feelings then as now.

A full-scale battle with Puppet Master Batu was quite burdensome.

He was the type who had more talent for combat than psychological warfare.

‘Even in the game, boss battles with Batu were particularly tricky.’

Fighting against endlessly surging puppets was no easy task.

Moreover, it was common for my character to move on its own when arms and legs got caught in ‘threads,’ and it was frequent for allied NPCs fighting alongside me to be controlled by him.

‘In those cases, I had to subdue them without killing, which gave me even more headaches…’

Whew-.

I let out a short sigh.

If I had my way, I would have wanted to eliminate Batu cleanly without direct combat.

While he was mistaken about having the upper hand, Pean would pinpoint the main body’s location, and I would exploit that opportunity for a surprise attack.

But since that proved impossible, a head-on confrontation with Puppet Master Batu seemed inevitable.

‘I must eliminate Batu with this opportunity.’

The same situation as with Corrupted Zack von Haibrunn.

The difficulty of subduing Batu increases exponentially as time passes.

Setting aside the increasing number of puppets, from the moment he seriously joins hands with 「Atalaxia」, their sophistication exceeds dangerous levels.

‘Later, he’ll even control people in power and gain political influence.’

From that point, it enters a complex phase that cannot be resolved through simple combat alone.

The entire society becomes entangled in Batu’s web.

So…

‘…I’ll have to go with the second plan.’

There’s no reason to panic just because the first plan is impossible.

I always make plans with multiple possibilities in mind.

Always.

* * *

Before long, the fierce bidding competition finally came to an end.

The curtain was still drawn.

While the outside couldn’t see the inside, we could grasp all the sounds and situations from outside.

─Congratulations! The Seorineul prototype has been sold for an incredible 210 billion shillings!

The auctioneer’s booming voice echoed throughout the entire auction hall.

210 billion shillings.

It was truly an enormous amount.

Of course, if it was a prototype of a legendary weapon, it would be worth that much recognition among collectors, but even considering that, it was a considerable sum.

Snicker-.

Then, Pean let out a short laugh.

“Do you know something? Actually, that Seorineul isn’t just a simple prototype.”

“…?”

“To be precise, it was a failure.”

His voice recalling the past carried a strange sentiment.

“At that time, the Owner of the Forge and the Flame attempted to create a sword that would suit me.”

“….”

“However, the first attempt failed, and it was only on the second try that he was finally able to complete the current Seorineul.”

Sring-.

Pean slowly drew his sword.

A mysterious blade with intersecting red and blue light gently illuminated the inside of the curtain.

“Isn’t it fascinating? A sword that was once nothing more than a failure is now packaged with the plausible name of ‘prototype’ and sold at high prices.”

“….”

“Failure doesn’t remain failure forever. With time, it can be reborn with different meanings and new values.”

At that moment, Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword interjected mockingly.

[Are you packaging your failure to track Puppet Master Batu with such wordplay? Your shamelessness is admirable.]

I answered in my mind.

‘No.’

The words Pean was speaking now didn’t have that meaning.

“Gaon.”

Just then, Pean opened his mouth again. His voice became even softer.

“When you passed all the trials in Rashutku’s Nightmare and even achieved god-slaying, you must have felt emptiness.”

“….”

“You must have regretted it. Thinking that you could have saved the Empire in the past in this way too.”

Pean looked toward me and concluded his words with confident momentum.

“However, that doesn’t mean it was a ‘failure.'”

“….”

“You said there’s still a world left to save, didn’t you? Your past experiences will become the foundation for that future. That’s why your resolve will never fail.”

His voice contained sincerity. As if he understood all the frustration and despair I had experienced.

“….”

That’s right.

Pean was saying those words to comfort me.

After defeating the Outsider in Rashutku, seeing me standing there blankly for a while, he must have given it his own meaning.

‘But….’

…Again, I wasn’t lost in any particular afterglow at that time.

I was just looking through the status windows that had suddenly poured in, one by one.

‘This is getting embarrassing now.’

Why is that guy so earnestly sincere about taking care of my mental state?

“Ahaha, and this is just a side note….”

Pean smiled and opened his mouth again.

“Please make sure to teach me how to distinguish the genuine Seorineul later.”

“…?”

“I’m curious too. How you were able to identify Seorineul so instantly when even the Owner of the Forge and the Flame had difficulty distinguishing it.”

Pause-.

I frowned slightly and asked back.

“Did the Ruined Guild Master tell you that too?”

“Yes, well.”

Pean shrugged his shoulders.

“When you briefly stepped away, we had various conversations.”

“….”

Now I’m starting to worry.

What other strange misconceptions did he fall into while having ‘various conversations’ with Karayan?

Just then.

Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, muttered.

[Wait a minute. What is this about…?]

Bewilderment began to seep into her voice as well.

[Not only do you have a friendship with my creator, but you have even more accurate judgment than that person?]

“….”

Somehow the Feathered Sword’s misunderstanding seems to be deepening too….

Ding-!

〔Your bond with Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword deepens.〕

〔Skill: 【Avatar Manifestation】 proficiency has increased. (7%→9%)〕

‘…Well, this isn’t bad though.’

I don’t know what you’re thinking, but go ahead and misunderstand all you want, Yeonwoo.

* * *

The next morning.

The midday sunlight seeped through the windows, warmly illuminating the luxurious reception room of the Ruin Guild headquarters.

Puppet Master Batu sat elegantly on the sofa in the form of Harten Ryu.

His expression was relaxed.

Having completely fooled even Gaon yesterday, his confidence was sky-high.

‘My acting skills are indeed perfect!’

Batu snickered inwardly as he looked at Karayan sitting across from him.

Today’s purpose was clear.

To finalize the cooperation between Cheonghae Trading Company and the Ruin Guild using the brain core.

And in the process, to get his hands on the Celestial Dragon’s brain core.

Now only the very last stage remained.

“I was truly amazed by the auction.”

Batu lifted his teacup and spoke in a refined voice.

“The special treatment in the VVIP room, the auction process, and all the items put up for sale were excellent.”

“You flatter me.”

Karayan humbly bowed his head.

Smiling at this, Batu continued speaking.

“Having witnessed the Ruin Guild’s capabilities firsthand, my desire for cooperation has grown even stronger.”

“….”

“Well, in that sense… I’d like to ask what you think about ‘that thing’ I mentioned before.”

As Karayan remained silent, Batu keenly observed his reaction and continued.

“Guild Master. The uncertain variables called the Five Nightmares are still moving. Wouldn’t it be wise to complete the transaction quickly and safely now?”

“….”

“No one can predict what might happen at the auction house, so there’s no need to take unnecessary risks….”

“No.”

Stop-.

At that very moment, someone cut off Batu’s words.

A chilling voice from behind.

…It was Gaon.

‘What, what? I didn’t sense any presence at all?’

Batu was deeply flustered inside, but outwardly pretended to be calm. He slowly turned around and smiled.

“Ha, haha, Sword Master! How long have you been there? I didn’t notice at all….”

“I’m sure I told you.”

“….”

“The Five Nightmares, Puppet Master Batu, none of them are a match for me.”

Gaon stood with his cloak draped over one hand and his arms crossed. His eyes were as cold as ice.

“Rather, since they’re the ones who fear me, there’s no reason to rush the deal. There’s even less need to cloud my judgment over something like the Five Nightmares.”

“Ha, hahaha! Of, of course! As long as the Sword Master is here, I believe no major problems will arise!”

Batu began making excuses frantically.

“However, no matter what, underestimating the Five Nightmares like that could be dangerous. Because of them, the entire auction could turn into chaos…”

“How many times are you going to make me repeat the same thing?”

Gaon coldly cut him off once again.

“I said it clearly. I’m not afraid of something like the Five Nightmares at all.”

Sharp eyes pierced through Batu as they stared at him.

“If that’s not it then…”

Sneer-.

A cynical sneer appeared at the corner of Gaon’s mouth.

“Do I look scared in your eyes right now, Batu?”

“…!”

A moment of silence passed.

Batu’s face turned deathly pale as he froze, then suddenly shot up from his seat.

“Sh, shit! I’m getting out of…”

The moment he tried to flee in a hurry.

“…Gah!”

Squelch-.

His foot got caught on something squishy and he stumbled.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————