Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 220

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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 220

Episode 220. Mute Sisters and Muwolcha (3)

* * *

There’s a moment that makes every true gamer’s heart race.

It’s when the fourth wall comes crashing down.

Properly placed metafictional devices tear down the boundary between creative works and reality.

This is true for all creative works, but the impact is especially amplified in games.

Under■ale, Nier ■tomata, Doki Doki Liter■ture Club, Eternal ■arkness, and so on… countless masterpieces have proven this fact.

[Muwolcha]: You got it, Pakgyu? Those games are must-plays, right?

[The Protagonist]: …What?

Of course.

I hadn’t actually played each of those games myself.

They were just information that Muwolcha had passionately shared with me.

[Muwolcha]: Take a breather with some other games.

[Muwolcha]: Playing only Roel will seriously drive you insane, you know?

[Muwolcha]: Oh wait, are you already insane?

[The Protagonist]: ;;;

Looking back now, there was no need to actually play those masterpiece games.

Roel had presented the ultimate metafictional device that made all existing games look ordinary.

It was throwing a player starting their 200th playthrough straight into possession within the game world. Damn it.

‘Haah…’

But anyway.

Actually, Roel had been cleverly utilizing meta dialogue from much earlier.

Most of it came from conversations with divine beings or NPCs with transcendent abilities.

The first time I encountered truly metafictional script was around my 120th playthrough.

Shortly after learning about the Shadow Conclave’s existence, I had my first chance to converse with the Mute Sisters.

The exact same situation had unfolded back then.

I said I needed the Mute Sisters’ future sight, and The Girl had a brief silent conversation with her aunts before answering like this.

『The aunts don’t understand. They’re asking why someone who has already seen the future 124 times would need future sight?』

I can never forget the chills from that moment.

An in-game character directly mentioning the player’s playthrough count!

It was truly a shocking experience at the time. Like a chill running down my spine?

The same dialogue repeated every time I met the Mute Sisters afterward. Only the number changed according to the playthrough count, but the script was always identical.

‘So naturally I expected the same thing to happen this time.’

I planned to use this to my advantage.

There was buildup I had intentionally created from the moment I first met Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword until now.

─You’ve used this authority hundreds of times? How could someone who just made a contract do that?

─And how do you know I like that kind of management? We just met, but you’ve been so skillful from the start…

I had seen the future 199 times.

Despite just making a contract, I used the 【Avatar Manifestation】 authority too skillfully, then claimed I’d used it hundreds of times.

Even though we’d just met, I knew her preferences far too well.

And finally.

At the point when the Mute Sisters’ statement completed all the foreshadowing…

Feather Sword would have no choice but to reach one conclusion.

[…Regression?]

Yes.

This was exactly it.

If Feather Sword misunderstood me as a regressor, all the situations so far could be interpreted from a new perspective.

All my actions and knowledge from our first meeting would be perfectly explained within the framework of ‘hundreds of experiences.’

There would be endless opportunities to utilize this misunderstanding going forward.

[C-could it be that everything up until now was…?]

Feather Sword, lost in her own delusion, would form a bond with me much faster.

And that would immediately lead to a massive increase in 【Avatar Manifestation】 proficiency.

‘It’s actually a multi-playthrough exclusive QOL system used in the game.’

It was a device designed for player convenience to quickly skip past Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword’s prickly reactions and immediately utilize Avatar Manifestation.

Of course, some players found Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword’s prickly reactions cute and deliberately chose not to take this route…

‘No need for that.’

Above all, Avatar Manifestation’s proficiency was crucial at this point.

There was no time to enjoy Feather Sword’s finicky personality as part of the content.

Besides, her prickly personality wasn’t my type anyway.

[But the forbidden art of reversing spacetime has already been attempted and failed by various gods…?]

Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword’s trembling voice echoed in my head.

A voice mixed with shock and bewilderment.

It was a reaction as if all the common sense she’d known had been overturned in an instant.

[Hey! Answer me properly! What do you mean you’ve seen the future 199 times… Mmph, mmmph!]

Woom, wooom-.

But Feather Sword’s interrogation ended there.

I had quickly activated the silence function of the Mute Chest.

‘This should be enough for now.’

Thud-.

Before long, Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword’s voice quieted down.

Now only the Mute Sisters and I were ‘truly’ left in this room.

[Myu myuu…?]

Of course, there was Mukyoo squirming in my chest, but since it was directly connected to Elder, it didn’t matter at all if it heard the conversation I had with the Mute Sisters.

『Future Sight』

It was the Mute Sisters’ unique ability.

You might think it’s similar to Super Intuition in that it sees the future, but the two have completely different natures.

Super Intuition is the ability to see a few seconds into the future. It means an intuitive reaction practically limited to ‘combat.’

In contrast, Future Sight is a much broader and more comprehensive ability. It can see weeks, months, even years into the future.

However, those prophecies aren’t absolute.

The visions seen through Future Sight are variable and can change depending on present choices.

‘That’s precisely why it’s such a necessary ability.’

The butterfly effect had already begun when I survived the Underground Fighting Arena.

〔Causality is being twisted.〕

Messages that pop up whenever I’m bored.

Future sight was essential to block variables that would arise in the future.

‘In the actual game, the existence of the Sisterhood of the Forsaken is very important.’

They also served as a breakwater that warned of sudden events that could explode at any time.

It’s a kind of warning system.

Having finished thinking that far, I continued my explanation step by step.

“It’s true that I’ve seen the future 199 times. But a single trivial action today could change tomorrow.”

“….”

“The future I’ve already experienced is likely no longer valid. No one knows what branching point the split timeline will lead me to.”

“….”

“That’s why I need your ability to foresee new futures.”

The Sisterhood of the Forsaken fell deep in thought.

Dozens of identical faces began looking at each other and engaging in silent conversation.

It was a silent communication that only they could understand.

After some time passed, the girl spoke for everyone’s will.

“We’ve had this kind of conversation in the past too, haven’t we?”

“This is the 76th time.”

“Then among those 76 meetings, have you ever killed us?”

“….”

I remained silent for a moment, then gave an honest answer.

“38 times.”

“….”

“That’s the number of times I killed you.”

Thud-.

Once again, deep silence flowed.

I couldn’t tell if it was real silence, or if the Sisterhood of the Forsaken was continuing their wordless conversation even within this.

How much more time passed like that?

The girl who had been staring at me with an expressionless face opened her mouth again.

“The aunts are saying something.”

“….”

“They say future sight is our precious ability.”

The girl continued speaking.

“Using this, we can know the timing of monster waves in advance in Vilopozy and prepare for them. In exchange, they said we can live here, be protected, and enjoy all conveniences.”

“….”

“Then what can The Protagonist offer in exchange for future sight?”

Swoosh-.

Having finished speaking, she quietly approached me.

Then she whispered in a very quiet voice.

“I know too. They’re really stingy aunts, aren’t they?”

“….”

Stingy.

I felt the same way when playing the game, but I thought her vocabulary was really not like that of a 7-year-old.

Meanwhile, it was ironic that she had blatantly criticized the Tyrant Dragon for not knowing the word ‘disciple’.

‘And Roel was originally a stingy game.’

No.

More precisely, it would be more correct to say it was a world where give and take was certain.

To receive something, you had to give something.

Conversely, it was a place with a solid system of equivalent exchange where losing something meant gaining something.

That’s why I always pursued high risk, high return. I thought that was the only way to escape from the predetermined future of apocalypse.

But.

At least now, it was time to approach from a different perspective.

“If you give me future sight, before considering what you’ll gain….”

“….”

“Shouldn’t you first think about what you’ll lose?”

The Sisterhood of the Forsaken’s gaze focused on me once again.

“The reason I cut you down thirty-eight times was ultimately one thing. Because you never gave me future sight in the end.”

The girl’s expression hardened slightly.

“In all those futures, you ended up following the Evil Gods.”

“….”

“The choice not to give up future sight always led you down that path.”

Silence flowed.

This time it was definitely real silence.

Even the Sisterhood of the Forsaken seemed to have momentarily lost their words.

* * *

“Groan….”

The Tyrant Dragon was pacing anxiously in the corridor outside the room.

He was extremely curious about what conversation his prospective disciple and Gaon were having. But he didn’t dare try to eavesdrop.

The prospective disciple’s firm voice still echoed in his ears.

─Only that brother stays, everyone else get out.

The girl’s expression when she said that and slammed the door shut left no room for negotiation.

If he got caught eavesdropping in this situation?

That would be game over.

He’d be branded as a pathetic male lizard who couldn’t even keep a simple promise.

‘Damn it, what the hell are they talking about….’

The Tyrant Dragon had gone to the end of the corridor and was anxiously shaking his legs. Leaning against the wall, gnawing on his nails.

He was at a crossroads of whether he could get a disciple or not, but he had no idea what the person in question was actually doing.

That’s when it happened.

“V-Village Chief!”

Suddenly some dwarf came running in urgently, shouting.

His face was pale white, gasping for breath.

“A-a suspicious person has broken through the defense line alone…!”

“What?”

Thud-!

At this absurd situation, the Village Chief hastily got up from his seat.

Vilopozy’s defense line was an iron fortress built up over hundreds of years.

Even a considerably skilled expert would find it nearly impossible to break through alone.

“Guide me.”

At the same time, the Tyrant Dragon grabbed Pokryeomdo and got up from his seat before anyone could say anything.

“I’ll face them.”

There wasn’t any particular reason. Fighting with the suspicious person seemed much better than waiting anxiously like this.

Thump, thump-.

So he followed the Village Chief all the way to the main entrance….

Pause-.

A completely unexpected scene was unfolding.

All the dwarves who had been operating the watchtowers had collapsed, completely limp.

Some had fallen off the cliff with their limbs twisted in grotesque ways, while others lay unconscious and bleeding beside the watchtowers.

In the midst of it all.

There was a woman standing alone at the main entrance of the village.

‘That bastard is….’

A woman standing with the evening sunset at her back.

Her rustling antique clothing and long hair swaying like a ghost created an eerie sense of intimidation.

The smile visible beneath the talisman on her forehead was so bright and innocent that it formed a bizarre contrast with the horrific scene around her.

“Hehe.”

The Jiangshi Queen.

Dorico Shiro.

She spoke with a gentle smile.

“It’s been a while, half-lizard.”

“….”

“Could you go and call Gaon for me? I don’t want to smell reptile stench.”

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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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