Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 242

—————
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 242

Episode 242. Zahhar (5)

〔You have inherited the characteristics of the Dragon Heart.〕

〔Your mana organ has been strengthened.〕

〔The growth rate of your magic power stat has been accelerated.〕

When I first obtained the Dragon Heart.

These were the notification windows that had appeared in the corner of my vision.

‘The Dragon Heart and Dragon Body… these two essentially share the same mechanism.’

The only difference was that the stat being enhanced was ‘magic power’ rather than physical abilities like strength, agility, and stamina.

The Dragon Heart significantly boosts the user’s existing stats and even overcomes innate limitations.

Thanks to the fundamental change in constitution, the growth rate also becomes dramatically faster.

‘I enhanced the Dragon Body through the 「Corrupted Holy Grail」 but…’

The item I obtained by defeating Camillo von Taribas had already been consumed.

‘So this time, I need to enhance the Dragon Heart with the 「Growth Essence」.’

Crack—.

The moment I shattered the crystal in my hand.

A notification window appeared in the air once again.

Ding—!

〔Item: ‘Growth Essence’ has been consumed.〕

〔Please select a trait/skill to enhance.〕

Whoooosh—.

Countless lists poured down like a waterfall from the system window.

All the abilities I possessed were neatly organized, filling the entire screen.

There was no need to deliberate.

I immediately found and selected one particular trait from among them.

〔Trait: Dragon Heart will be enhanced.〕

〔Please select one of the augmentations offered by the ‘Growth Essence’.〕

The Corrupted Holy Grail was a simple and crude method that unconditionally doubled the effects of all elixirs.

In contrast, the Growth Essence diversely develops skills and traits already possessed by the player through a special system called augmentation.

And the Dragon Heart had much higher growth potential when using this augmentation system.

Ding—!

Just then, the augmentation options began appearing one by one in the notification window.

━━━━━━━━━━━━

【Dragon Heart: Trait Augmentation】

① Over-clock:

Overdrives the Dragon Heart to accelerate magic power stat growth. However, growth limits arrive faster in proportion to the overdrive level.

② Elixir Addict:

Enhances the Dragon Heart’s sensitivity, doubling all effects of magic-related elixirs. However, toxicity and side effects are also doubled.

③ Wave Condenser:

Dramatically compresses the density of magic power.

━━━━━━━━━━━━

A total of three options appeared. Each was a special enhancement system that added individuality to the Dragon Heart.

‘But…’

Among the three options, there was one particularly distinctive choice.

The first and second augmentations had clear explanations with obvious benefits and costs.

In contrast, the last option 「Wave Condenser」 had an ambiguous description.

So vague that first-time viewers wouldn’t be able to grasp what its effect was.

However.

I selected the third option without hesitation.

This was exactly the trait I had been wanting.

Ding—!

〔Augmentation: ‘Wave Condenser’ has been selected.〕

〔Magic power density will be dramatically compressed.〕

Magic power density being dramatically compressed… while this might not be immediately understandable, the meaning was actually quite simple.

It meant that another person’s MP ‘1’ and my MP ‘1’ would have different weights.

For example, even if we used exactly the same magic with the same amount of magic power, my spell would demonstrate more powerful effects.

Why?

Because the density is different. My magic power is in a condensed state.

‘In other words…’

From the moment I selected the Wave Condenser augmentation, it was equivalent to strengthening all skills that operate based on magic power.

━━━━━━━━━━━━

【Soul of the Sword Master】

Consumption: 100 mana per second

━━━━━━━━━━━━

Naturally, 【Soul of the Sword Master】 was no exception either.

‘Now then…’

Having successfully enhanced the Dragon Heart, it was time to use the second Growth Essence.

Crack—.

As I shattered the crystal in my hand, all the skills and traits I possessed appeared in my vision once again.

〔Item: ‘Growth Essence’ has been consumed.〕

〔Please select a trait/skill to enhance.〕

No.

To be precise, it wasn’t ‘all’ skills.

I had noticed this fact when I searched through the list earlier…

For some reason, only 【Soul of the Sword Master】 was not present among the options.

‘…That’s somewhat disappointing.’

I had been curious about it. What would happen if I enhanced an already overpowered skill with the Growth Essence.

But the option didn’t even appear at all.

Was it because it was a 12-star mythic grade with no room for additional traits? Or was there some systematic restriction in place?

I didn’t know.

There was no way to find out the reason for now.

‘And…’

Even if 【Soul of the Sword Master】 had been on the enhancement list, I wouldn’t have selected it.

This skill was essentially an ability I had obtained for the first time in this playthrough. In other words, it was difficult to predict what results would come from enhancing it with Growth Essence.

More importantly.

I had already decided on the next skill to enhance.

Ding—!

〔Skill: 【True Ritardando】 will be enhanced.〕

〔Please select one of the enhancements offered by ‘Growth Essence’.〕

…I could guarantee that this was the best build I could currently choose.

* * *

Early the next morning.

The cold air of dawn filled Bilopongi Gorge completely.

The time Zahhar had announced for his attack was afternoon. Roughly three to four hours remained now.

“…”

Thud, thud—.

I walked toward the entrance of the gorge.

The others were already busy preparing for battle.

Adelia was gazing at the horizon of the stretched-out unexplored territories together with Tyrant Dragon. I quietly approached her.

“How are you feeling, Adelia?”

“Ah, The Protagonist. You’ve come… huh?”

Pause—.

The moment Adelia turned to look at me, her expression changed subtly.

She slightly furrowed her brow and tilted her head.

“What, what is it? Your aura seems to have changed slightly…”

“Hmm?”

At those words, Tyrant Dragon beside her stared at me. After looking at me intently for a while, he shrugged his shoulders.

“What are you talking about? Nothing seems particularly different.”

“No.”

Adelia shook her head firmly.

“It’s very subtle, but something definite has changed. There seems to be a change in your magical wavelength…”

“Ah, what are you going on about.”

Tyrant Dragon answered indifferently.

“It’s because he swallowed a Dragon Heart.”

“What? That doesn’t explain how different it is from yesterday. This isn’t a change caused by the Dragon Heart…”

“Change, my ass. You’re always stuck to Gaon, so you just feel strange seeing him with a Dragon Heart.”

Tyrant Dragon glanced at me sideways.

“Besides, it’s impossible for magical wavelengths to change overnight… well, yeah. Gaon might be able to do it. But not today. Nothing particularly changed.”

Whoosh—.

Having finished speaking, Tyrant Dragon turned his back.

Unlike usual, his shoulders held a subtle tension.

It seemed the pressure of the upcoming battle with Zahhar was considerable.

“Hmm…”

A contemplative sound from beside me. When I looked, Adelia was still staring intently at me.

Soon she shot a sharp glare at Tyrant Dragon’s retreating figure. She was confident that her judgment wasn’t wrong.

Chuckle—.

At that sight, I couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

‘The girl who couldn’t even breathe properly in front of a Sword Master before… has now grown enough to show subtle defiance.’

It was a change in just four months.

What was more impressive was Adelia’s sharp senses.

As I’d mentioned several times before, Adelia’s magical detection ability was considerable.

Excluding Tristan’s special cloak, she could see through almost all stealth techniques, so that said it all.

Was that why?

This time too, she had instantly caught the subtle change from the 「Tsunami Condenser」 enhancement.

Having finished that thought, I took a few steps closer to Adelia. Then I lowered my voice to a whisper so Tyrant Dragon couldn’t hear.

“You saw correctly, Adelia.”

“…What?”

“You’re right that my magical wavelength changed overnight. I unlocked a new power for this battle.”

Pat pat—.

I lightly patted Adelia’s shoulder.

“To have sharper senses than a Sword Master who inherited dragon’s blood. I really made the right choice taking you as my disciple.”

“…!”

At that moment, Adelia’s eyes sparkled and widened.

Hmm, hmm—.

Laughter that leaked out despite trying to suppress it.

Joy at being recognized by her master was clearly displayed on Adelia’s face.

With a pleased expression, Adelia looked at Tyrant Dragon and let out a giggle. Then Tyrant Dragon, who happened to meet her eyes, asked with a disgusted look.

“What’s with that unpleasant look…?”

“It’s nothing.”

Grin—.

Adelia answered innocently while still keeping the corners of her mouth raised.

Her voice carried subtle superiority and satisfaction.

Tsk—.

After meeting that gaze for a while, Tyrant Dragon shook his head and clicked his tongue. Like someone who had witnessed an incomprehensible phenomenon.

“Damn it. The disciple is starting to resemble her master.”

He glanced at me and muttered.

“The girl is getting stranger and stranger. She used to be pure and humble… I must never raise my disciple like that.”

At those words, I tilted my head.

“You have a disciple?”

“That’s…”

Tyrant Dragon, who was about to answer something, looked at my face and made an ‘oops’ expression. Panic flashed momentarily in his eyes.

Well, if he got on my bad side, he wouldn’t be able to get help connecting with the Hooded Girl as priest and disciple.

After hesitating for a moment, he awkwardly cleared his throat and answered.

“Adelia isn’t strange. As a Sword Master’s disciple… she’s growing very admirably.”

Right.

Your obedient appearance is quite nice to see, Tyrant Dragon.

“Now let’s stop the small talk and focus on battle preparations in earnest. I’ll go over the strategy I explained yesterday one more time, so listen carefully.”

* * *

“Ugh, ughhh…”

In the unexplored wilderness outside the laboratory.

Black Mage Hodupayi was making a regretful expression.

In front of him stood dozens of chimera units in rows. They were grotesque creations made by stitching together different monsters.

At their center was the latest work completed through the collaboration of three people.

A massive skeleton made from dragon bones.

It was a Bone Dragon.

“I, I wanted to make a Thunder Zombie Dragon…”

Hodupayi muttered.

“There should be flesh and organs remaining, but the Ancient Dragons only have bones left. That’s why there’s no heart, making the brain core synchronization incomplete too….”

“It’s a process for perfection, Hodupayi.”

Zahhar spoke calmly.

“First, we secure the test subject from Project Seraphim, then we can create a Thunder Zombie Dragon to contain the Apostle’s vessel. For now, this alone is sufficient.”

Having finished speaking, Zahhar checked his pocket watch.

“The appointed time has arrived.”

Kugugugu-!

The ground trembled.

The chimera horde and bone dragons began moving all at once.

Before long, Vilopozy came into view. At the entrance of the gorge was a temporary defense line the dwarves had constructed overnight.

Stone walls built up with rocks, catapults, and even archers on the watchtowers.

At the very front of that defense line stood one person.

Dark blue hair and golden eyes.

A Sword Master holding his sword with an infinitely relaxed demeanor.

“What?”

Zahhar suddenly stopped.

His face, which had always been leisurely and bored, twisted for a moment. The look in his eyes behind his glasses wavered for the first time.

Before Zahhar, who had perfectly calculated and predicted everything his entire life, an completely unexpected variable had unfolded.

“That bastard… why has his aura suddenly changed?”

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