Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 199

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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 199

Episode 199. Summons (2)

* * *

Clatter, clatter-.

The carriage ran along the bumpy road.

On one side sat me, Adelia, and Mangnyeom side by side.

On the opposite side, Pean and Sikan Bauer had taken their seats.

“Hmm…”

Mangnyeom had been staring intently at Pean for a while now.

Like someone desperately trying to recall something.

A faint hint of concentration began to seep into those vacant eyes.

“Ah, I remember now.”

Clap-.

Right then, Mangnyeom clapped her hands.

She pointed at Pean with a confident voice and said.

“Tyrant Dragon, you’re the Tyrant Dragon, right?”

“…”

“…”

Pause-.

For a moment, the carriage was once again enveloped in silence.

Pean let out a deep sigh and shook his head wearily as if tired.

“No.”

“…Huh?”

“I am Pean. This is already the third time I’m telling you this.”

Blink blink-.

Mangnyeom wore a blank expression.

Her eyes showed surprise as if hearing this for the first time.

Sigh-.

Pean sighed again and muttered in a low, sunken voice.

“Why on earth do you keep confusing a hybrid human-dragon with an elf…?”

“Hmm. They’re both two syllables so I got confused. Sorry.”

Rustle-.

Mangnyeom answered while pulling something out from the pouch at her waist.

It was a small notebook that fit in one hand, and a pencil.

The notebook was already filled densely with all sorts of writing. Memos written in crooked handwriting packed tightly without a single margin.

“I’ll write it down. I won’t forget now.”

Scratch, scratch-.

Mangnyeom carefully wrote down letters in one corner of the notebook.

Pean watched Mangnyeom’s actions and asked with a worried voice.

“Mangnyeom, your forgetfulness seems to have gotten worse…?”

“I’ve been forgetting things more often lately.”

Mangnyeom put the notebook and pencil back into her pouch. Then she looked at Pean and answered indifferently.

“But it’s not particularly inconvenient.”

“…”

“I end up forgetting the fact that I forgot something. So there’s no reason to feel stressed.”

Those words contained a strange sense of ease. It was the detachment that only someone who had completely accepted their situation could possess.

I nodded inwardly.

The principle of the Sacred Covenant was cruelly clear. The heavier the constraints one accepted, the greater the power received in return.

Mangnyeom was a case where this principle had been pushed to the extreme.

She had placed countless shackles on her own memory. She had intentionally blocked her ability to store new memories and even interfered with the process of retrieving existing ones.

The result was her current disastrous memory.

However.

What she gained in exchange was tremendous.

‘Super Intuition.’

A prophetic ability to see through the future, a power that could vividly foresee situations from several seconds to several minutes ahead.

“It’s my first time meeting you, Lady Mangnyeom.”

Just then, Adelia cautiously offered her greeting.

In fact, she had been looking for an opportunity to greet her ever since first seeing Mangnyeom.

She wanted to show proper respect before a Sword Master, but had been hesitating because of the chaotic atmosphere that made it difficult to interject.

‘Adelia has admired Mangnyeom since childhood.’

After all, Mangnyeom was the Twelfth Sword Master, the most recent heretic to receive the choice of The Great Ones.

Though it was hundreds of years ago, she was still a figure from a much closer era compared to other heretics.

So to Adelia, she would have felt like a relatively realistic existence.

‘Of course, now I’ve become the Thirteenth Sword Master and taken that position.’

Swish-.

While I was having such thoughts.

Mangnyeom slowly turned her head to look at Adelia.

Though that expressionless face was still full of drowsiness, somehow a curious light flickered across it.

“You’re a descendant of Goldheart.”

“…!”

Adelia was startled.

Regardless, Mangnyeom continued speaking in an indifferent voice.

Breaking through her constraints, her eyes began to wander through the distant past.

“Blue eyes and blonde hair. And even the sacred bloodline flowing through your veins.”

“…”

“Yes. I definitely remember. You look exactly like that child.”

While Adelia was blinking her lips, not knowing how to respond.

“4 seconds.”

Then, Mangnyeom suddenly uttered something out of nowhere.

At those words, Adelia became even more flustered.

She couldn’t understand the meaning of the number that had suddenly popped up.

“That’s how long you could last against me right now.”

“…Pardon?”

“For reference, your ancestor’s limit was 8 seconds.”

After being puzzled for a moment, Adelia seemed to realize something and belatedly let out a small exclamation.

“Ah.”

She had realized that Mangnyeom had foreseen a battle between them through Super Intuition.

I was inwardly amazed watching Mangnyeom’s ability.

‘Impressive.’

Mental combat was merely a simulation after all. Just a virtual confrontation based on experience and reasoning.

But Super Intuition was different.

‘This power shows the actual future.’

Since I too possessed Super Intuition, I understood its principle better than anyone.

Super Intuition could be actively manifested. Just harboring the will to do something would show the resulting outcome as a vivid afterimage.

For example, if I harbored the desire to thrust my sword at Pean? Super Intuition would vividly show how Pean would defend.

Of course.

For Super Intuition to properly manifest, a certain degree of sincere will was necessary.

Simple curiosity alone had its limits, and it required strong will to accompany it. At the very least, killing intent had to manifest for the afterimages of the future to appear clearly.

‘But Mangnyeom is…’

Like a transcendent who had honed this ability for hundreds of years, she could freely wield her super intuition as naturally as breathing, even without harboring killing intent.

“…?”

Right at that moment.

I felt Mangnyeom’s gaze staring intently at me.

She tilted her head with a contemplative expression.

“That’s strange.”

Swish-.

Mangnyeom pulled out her notebook from her pouch again and began flipping through it.

She was searching for something, running her finger through the densely written memos.

Turning page after page.

After being lost in thought for quite a while, Mangnyeom wrote something new in a corner of her notebook and asked a question.

“Are we… meeting for the first time?”

Nod-.

I silently nodded my head.

Then Mangnyeom answered briefly as if she had expected as much.

“I thought so.”

Snap-.

She closed her notebook.

Then, looking out the window, she muttered in a low voice.

“Well, there’s no way I wouldn’t have written down 0.01 seconds in my notebook.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

Heavy silence filled the carriage once again.

0.01 seconds.

It didn’t take long for everyone to understand what that number meant.

Pean, Sikan Bauer, and even Adelia. They had all witnessed my single strike firsthand.

“By the way, Tyrant Dragon. Where are we going now?”

“…It’s Pean.”

* * *

Clatter, clank-.

The desolate scenery of the Uncharted Wilderness passed by beyond the carriage window.

Rough rocky mountains and barren wastelands, with winding roads stretching endlessly between them.

Mangnyeom’s eyelids began to grow heavy as she stared blankly at the scenery for a while.

“…”

Slowly-.

Eventually her head tilted to the side.

She had fallen into a deep sleep.

Steady, peaceful breathing softly filled the carriage.

“It’s fascinating.”

Adelia quietly spoke up.

“When I was young, I thought I’d want nothing more if I could just see Mangnyeom even once.”

“…”

“No, not just Mangnyeom… I thought it would be enough if I could meet a Sword Master even once in my lifetime. In my childhood, Sword Masters were like legendary beings to me.”

That wish was understandable.

Sword Masters were beings that even those in Middle Temple might see once in a lifetime, if at all.

They rarely revealed themselves to the secular world in the first place.

“But I never knew I’d get to see the Heretics so often. And I never imagined I’d even have one as my master.”

Adelia’s eyes still held a light of disbelief.

Chuckle-.

She let out a small laugh and concluded her words.

“If I had told my past self about this, I would have definitely laughed it off as nonsense. Even now it feels like I’m dreaming.”

Pean, who had been watching her for a moment, turned his head toward me. A somewhat mischievous smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

“I’m envious, Miss Goldheart.”

“…Pardon? Which part do you mean?”

“I told you before, didn’t I? That I’d really like to have a master like Gaon.”

In a half-joking tone, Pean brought up an unexpected request.

“Since we’re on the topic, let’s just talk straightforwardly.”

“…?”

“Gaon, this is a rather sudden request, but… don’t you really have any intention of teaching me swordsmanship?”

Startled-.

Adelia jumped in surprise and looked at Pean with sharp eyes.

What’s this?

I think something similar happened once at Puppet Master Batu’s hideout.

“Wait a moment. Pean.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t understand why a Heretic who has already reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship would need another master…”

Adelia hurriedly interrupted and checked Pean. Anxiety seeped out as if her exclusive territory was being invaded.

Pean smiled seeing Adelia’s reaction.

Of course, Pean wasn’t being serious about such words. He was just trying to tease Adelia out of boredom.

“Ahaha. But if it’s someone as excellent as Gaon, naturally I’d want to learn a thing or two, right?”

“…”

“I’m also a Sword Master, but I can’t subdue another Heretic in 0.01 seconds. Moreover, defeating an Outer God is even more impossible.”

“Th, that’s…”

As Adelia became flustered, Pean paused and tilted his head slightly. Then he added with an expression as if he had just remembered something.

“Ah, come to think of it, Miss Goldheart didn’t get to see that miraculous scene directly. I’m talking about the strike where Gaon defeated the Outer God in Rashutku’s trial.”

“…!”

“What a shame. To miss such a magnificent sight.”

Adelia’s shoulders trembled slightly. The fact that she alone had missed that crucial moment seemed to hit her like a blow to the back of the head.

Her fists began to clench tightly.

Pean watched Adelia’s reaction with satisfaction and continued speaking nonchalantly.

“Skilled masters usually have multiple disciples. Especially someone as outstanding as Gaon.”

“…”

“Rather than monopolizing such a person’s teachings, wouldn’t it be much more meaningful to share them? While honing each other’s skills.”

“B, but…”

Clench-.

Adelia was about to rebel fiercely but bit her lips tightly.

Pean’s words seemed logically irrefutable.

In reality, most renowned swordsmen had multiple disciples.

But Adelia wasn’t one to back down meekly.

Inhale, exhale-.

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she opened her mouth with a much more serious and heavy expression.

“To become Gaon’s disciple…”

Adelia declared in a resolute voice.

“You must risk your life!”

“…?”

Pean’s eyebrows twitched slightly at the completely unexpected words.

“Pardon?”

Regardless, Adelia began to speak passionately.

“The Protagonist’s sword doesn’t aim for something like an opponent’s arms or legs! It only targets the opponent’s life! There are no exceptions even for disciples!”

More and more emotion filled her voice.

“A life-or-death real sword duel! That’s the only training method The Protagonist acknowledges!”

“Oh?”

The corners of Pean’s mouth curved up strangely. He seemed interested in the situation unfolding much more entertainingly than expected.

“Wait a moment. Are you saying Gaon presented such terrifying conditions when he took Miss Goldheart as his disciple too?”

“Of course!”

Adelia straightened her shoulders and answered confidently.

Her voice overflowed with pride about what tremendous resolve she had become a disciple with.

Her slightly raised chin seemed to ask if he was prepared for such things too.

And.

I, who had been watching this entire conversation…

‘Aaaaargh.’

Could only scream inwardly, unable to bear the embarrassment.

─If you spar with me for one bout, you’ll surely be able to overcome the wall. No, perhaps you might gain even greater enlightenment.

─….

─But my sword doesn’t aim for an opponent’s arms and legs. It only takes lives.

─….

─So I’ll ask once more. Are you prepared to risk your life to see my sword?

At the time, it was bravado I spouted to somehow act strong.

But looking back now, I don’t know how cringeworthy each of those lines was.

‘Please don’t proudly bring up my dark history like that, Adelia…’

Fortunately, the conversation trampling my dignity didn’t last very long.

Because Central City Centerium had come into view in the distance.

“We should be arriving soon now.”

Clatter, clank-.

Sikan Bauer muttered while looking out the window.

Various complex emotions were mixed in his voice.

Relief at safely arriving at their destination.

And even worry about what would happen when the Sword Masters gathered at Middle Temple.

“I do hope nothing has happened…”

He muttered with an earnest expression.

* * *

“You’ve really worked hard coming all this way, Director Bauer.”

“What about the other Heretics…”

“Ah, they’re fighting right now. Please hurry.”

“….”

Sigh-.

After arriving at Middle Temple.

Having heard the priest’s words, Sikan Bauer let out a deep sigh.

Why are ominous premonitions never wrong?

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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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