Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 231

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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 231

Episode 231. The Ancient Dragon’s Spring Water (4)

* * *

‘Damn it.’

Tyrant Dragon slowly took a deep breath.

He tried to untangle the jumbled mess of threads, but the more he touched it, the tighter the knots seemed to become.

‘What the hell is going on here?’

When he first met Gaon.

Tyrant Dragon had only regarded him as ‘a strong person bound by restrictions.’

Certainly skilled, but for some reason unable to properly display his true power – that kind of person.

‘But…’

When they subjugated Corrupted Zack von Haibrunn, the skill Gaon displayed completely shattered Tyrant Dragon’s expectations.

It was overwhelming.

Swordsmanship that was on a completely different dimension from ordinary Sword Masters.

Only then did Tyrant Dragon realize that Gaon wasn’t simply a skilled fighter, but a being who had reached a completely different realm.

And a few days ago.

When the Sword Master assembly was held at Middle Temple.

A single remark thrown out by Pean completely shook up Tyrant Dragon’s mind.

─The very concept of a physical body is meaningless to Gaon.

A being for whom the concept of a physical body was meaningless.

A life form of such a dimension that the shell of a mortal was unimportant from the beginning.

Pean had even put forth the hypothesis that even Gaon’s soul might be bound by the curse of the Evil Deities.

‘But now…’

Gaon had revealed himself to be a Primordial Being.

Right.

A Primordial Being.

For Gaon, who possessed the aura of the Dragon Clan, to say such a thing was tantamount to confessing that he was one of the ‘Primordial Dragons.’

‘…Why is this so complicated?’

Tyrant Dragon’s mind fell into chaos.

Gaon was a fighter who surpassed Sword Masters, a transcendent who had cast off the limits of the physical body, and also one of the Primordial Dragons whose soul was bound by the curse of the Evil Deities.

That wasn’t all. Gaon was knowledgeable. He knew countless things that Tyrant Dragon didn’t know.

Every passage of the Abyss. The principles of the blessing and curse waterways flowing beneath it. Lost technologies. Ancient languages. Even the identity of the ancient dragon remains buried in Vilopozy.

But…

‘…Right now, such things aren’t important.’

Tyrant Dragon’s gaze fixed on Gaon.

Countless thoughts filled his mind, but what made Tyrant Dragon most concerned was something else entirely.

If this being standing before him now was a dragon who had lived in the Primordial era.

If.

There was even the slightest possibility that he was his ancestor…

“I! Cannot accept this!”

At Tyrant Dragon’s sudden outburst, Gaon frowned.

Regardless, Tyrant Dragon continued to shout loudly.

“I absolutely cannot accept that you are my ancestor!”

* * *

“So…”

Tyrant Dragon, who had listened to my explanation to the end, carefully opened his mouth.

“…All of this was a misunderstanding?”

Nod-.

When I briefly nodded my head, Tyrant Dragon stared at me silently for a while.

The agitated emotions from just before had subsided, but there was still a suspicious air lingering somewhere in his eyes. It was an expression that showed he couldn’t completely believe my words.

‘Haah…’

I sighed inwardly.

There was definitely a lesson I had learned from the recent incident of Adelia’s terminal illness misunderstanding.

‘Namely, that misunderstandings with no strategic value are much better nipped in the bud from the start.’

Of course, deliberately inducing misunderstandings was itself effective.

Like how Pean followed me while mistaking me for one of the great beings, there was no need to correct misunderstandings that had many useful aspects.

The case of Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword was the same. Her mistaking me for a regressor led to rapid formation of bonds, and the proficiency of [Avatar Manifestation] also increased dramatically.

But.

‘Misunderstandings that have no utility value and only complicate situations…?’

They should be uprooted the moment they’re discovered. If left alone, it would unfold into Adelia’s terminal illness misunderstanding development season 2.

[Myu myuu?]

…Or bizarre situations like becoming Mukyoo’s father would unfold.

‘Anyway.’

Since I had scattered so many hints up until now, people often interpreted them in strange directions on their own.

If such misunderstandings were left alone, they could later develop into uncontrollable chaos. Growing like a snowball until there was ultimately no way to handle it.

‘Therefore…’

This situation where Tyrant Dragon was mistaking me for a Primordial Dragon and ancestor was also a top priority task that needed to be resolved immediately.

Having finished thinking that far, I continued explaining to Tyrant Dragon.

“Dragon Clan constitution can also be acquired through acquired means.”

“…”

“The Ancient Dragon’s Lair we found is also one of such places.”

“Is that so?”

Tyrant Dragon, who had been nodding obediently, made an expression as if he had remembered something and frowned deeply.

“No, wait a minute.”

“…”

“Then when we met in Labyrinth Village, the reason I couldn’t properly sense the Dragon Clan traits from you was…”

“I hadn’t acquired the traits yet at that time.”

“…?”

Pause-.

Tyrant Dragon’s brow furrowed even deeper.

Before long, he began getting furiously angry.

“You bastard!”

Kwaang-!

Tyrant Dragon struck the side wall with his fist.

The basalt gradually cracked and powder fell down with a pattering sound.

“So you’ve been pretending to be a dragon all this time trying to deceive me…!”

“When did I ever say with my own mouth that I was a dragon?”

“…”

Tyrant Dragon’s words cut off abruptly.

“Why are you getting angry at me after making assumptions on your own?”

Standing tall-.

Hearing my words, Tyrant Dragon fell into deep thought.

He seemed to be recalling something while staring into space for a while. Soon his expression began to change subtly.

“Th, that’s right…?”

That’s right. I had never once said with my own mouth that I was from the Dragon Clan. Though I had said I was one of The Primordial Beings.

“…”

Tyrant Dragon still stared at me intently with a dissatisfied expression. It seemed like he was trying to piece together various circumstances in his head.

Nod-.

Soon after, he slowly, slowly nodded his head. It seemed like he understood my words to some extent.

“Phew.”

Tyrant Dragon let out a short sigh.

“Fine. I’ll let it slide for now. It’s not what’s important right now anyway.”

It meant he wouldn’t press the matter further.

He still didn’t seem to completely believe my words, but at least he seemed to judge it as an acceptable explanation.

‘This much is enough.’

I nodded inwardly.

There was no need to explain everything right now. As we progressed through the dungeon, Tyrant Dragon would naturally come to realize it anyway.

‘Because…’

This dungeon was a place where one could manifest the characteristics of the Dragon Clan and change one’s constitution itself.

A place where even a body with the terrible ability score of 1 Mana stat could be fundamentally remodeled.

Before long, Tyrant Dragon would also witness that process with his own two eyes.

* * *

“So.”

Tyrant Dragon glanced at the stone monument and asked.

“This Nest is a space permitted only to those who inherited the bloodline of the Dragon Clan? Can we pass through?”

We.

Though Tyrant Dragon himself wouldn’t have realized it, that single word revealed his inner feelings completely.

That he didn’t consider himself a complete Dragon Clan member. That while proudly claiming to be from the Dragon Clan, deep in his heart he still doubted himself.

‘Half-breed.’

That derogatory term was a shackle that had followed Tyrant Dragon his entire life. It was also a trauma he could never cast off despite living for hundreds of years.

‘Of course…’

…Because of me, he would overcome everything completely in this scenario.

Thud, thud-.

Instead of giving Tyrant Dragon an answer, I walked past the stone monument. It was a silent response that it was fine to pass through.

“Hmph.”

Tyrant Dragon let out a small snort and began walking behind me.

As time passed, the air became even hotter. The sound of magma heard from afar was also getting closer and closer.

How much further had we walked like that?

【Lv. 70】

Pause-.

In the distance, someone was standing in the middle of the passage.

A knight in armor covering his entire body. Though old and rusted, it was still armor that exuded intimidation.

The form visible between the helmet was clearly that of a human.

But…

‘How alien.’

…My sense stat immediately detected the sense of wrongness flowing from that being.

Right.

That knight was not human.

“What’s that?”

Tyrant Dragon also frowned.

After staring at the knight for a while, he finally opened his mouth as if he had remembered something.

“Don’t tell me… is that a Dragon Knight?”

Dragon Knights.

Knights made from dragon’s teeth.

They were guards protecting the Ancient Dragon’s Lair, and combat weapons created to eliminate intruders.

Thud, thud-.

The knight who discovered us began slowly approaching.

The creaking sound of armor echoed lowly. With each step, heavy metallic sounds reverberated through the passage.

“…”

Grip-.

Tyrant Dragon grasped the handle of Pokryeomdo and took a defensive stance.

Though he didn’t draw his sword, he lowered his posture so he could respond at any time.

However.

Stop-.

The knight came to a halt at a point three or four steps away from us.

A moment of flowing silence.

Thud-!

The Dragon Knight knelt on one knee and bowed his head deeply.

“I pay deep respects to the two who have found the lair of the Great One.”

The voice leaking through the helmet was cracked and hoarse, perhaps due to the weight of years, but the politeness contained within was clear.

“As a Dragon Knight who has guarded this place for long years, it is an honor to welcome the noble ones who have inherited the bloodline of the Dragon Clan.”

The knight placed one hand on his chest while keeping his head bowed.

The formal etiquette of a knight.

Even through the rusted armor, there was dignity in that movement.

“I shall guide the two of you to my master.”

“…!”

Tyrant Dragon, having received such respectful treatment as a Dragon Clan member, seemed pleased as his nostrils began to flare.

* * *

Abyss.

In the endlessly continuing darkness.

Bloodlust took the lead and moved forward.

“Here it is.”

Following her guidance, the Investigation Team arrived at their destination.

The path to get here was absolutely not smooth. Attacks from monsters dwelling deep in the Abyss never ceased, and they had to cross treacherous terrain where one wrong step could lead to a fall.

But Bloodlust and Arwen easily overcame such dangers.

The Robed Members who accompanied this investigation were also elite among elites, so they could reach the target point without great difficulty.

“…”

Swish-.

Arwen slowly looked around the surroundings.

Sword marks deeply carved into the floor here and there.

Spider web-like cracks crossing the wall surfaces.

Rock fragments scattered everywhere.

Traces of fierce battle remained vividly. At a glance, one could tell it had been a confrontation between practitioners of extraordinary skill.

Swish-.

Arwen carefully took out a blue-glowing eyeball from inside her clothes.

Memoirs of Aiter.

Sacred Artifacts that recreate scenes from the past.

Whoosh-!

The eyeball thrown into the air defied gravity and floated in mid-air.

Wooong, woooong-.

Blue light began spreading in all directions. Like ripples spreading through water, the light gradually colored the entire space.

Soon, hazy and blurred forms appeared before their eyes.

Remnants of the past.

It was a scene of Heukgol and an unidentified assailant fiercely exchanging sword strikes.

“This is…?”

Arwen’s eyes widened.

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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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