Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 26

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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 26

Episode 26. Earth Dragon Subjugation (3)

‘The Upper Layers don’t need a guide.’

Step, step-.

The Upper Layers of Labyrinth Village had simple paths.

Even when forks appeared, you could somehow reach the Middle Layers by just following the downward slopes.

It meant that as long as your sense of direction was intact, you wouldn’t get lost.

‘But from the Middle Layers onward, a guide is absolutely necessary.’

The complexity of the labyrinth wasn’t the problem.

From the Middle Layers onward, the terrain of Labyrinth Village constantly changes.

When the Earth Dragon coiled in the Deepest Layer twists its massive body, the aftershocks cause ceilings to collapse and new paths to form.

Therefore, reaching the Deepest Layer without a guide was nearly impossible.

Only they could read the subtle patterns created by the Earth Dragon’s movements.

‘Of course, I did study the patterns in my own way…’

I had accumulated countless data playing Roel for nearly 200 playthroughs.

Thanks to that, I could navigate the Lower Layers of Labyrinth Village sufficiently without a guide.

I’m confident my pathfinding skills are superior to most guides.

On average, out of 10 explorations of the Lower Layers, 9 were safe, so that says it all.

‘But what if, during this exploration, I encounter the cave-in accident that occurs once every 10 times?’

What’s there to say?

In the game, you could just say you were unlucky and press the Retry button, but here, one mistake leads directly to death.

In that sense, even a 10 percent risk factor couldn’t be ignored.

By any means necessary, I had to find a safe method to definitely reach the Deepest Layer.

‘…We’ve arrived.’

And the place I sought to secure that ‘safe method’ was right here.

“What is this place…?”

Adelia looked around with wide eyes, turning her head left and right.

Graves and tombstones erected on all sides.

Following the boundary between the Upper and Middle Layers, you’d come to Labyrinth Village’s “Old Cemetery.”

‘It’s much more desolate than what I saw through the monitor.’

Whooooo-.

True to its name as the Old Cemetery, it was clearly neglected for a long time.

Spider webs covered the tombstones, and weeds grew wildly over the graves.

‘According to the game’s setting, this place had constant visitors until just 10 years ago.’

The reason this cemetery was abandoned was simple.

The barrier’s influence had weakened, making monster attacks frequent.

Eventually, the residents of Labyrinth Village had no choice but to abandon this place with tears in their eyes.

‘And as a result…’

Groooooan─.

‘…the Old Cemetery became a paradise for the undead.’

Hissssss-.

In places where the ancient god Elder’s touch disappeared, evil energy easily gathered.

Unmanaged graves and abandoned corpses. And even the filthy remnants of “those things” hovering above them.

There couldn’t be more perfect conditions for undead to swarm.

“Adelia.”

Black forms crawled out from graves everywhere.

Rotted flesh barely clung to bones, flapping about, and empty eye sockets flashed with blind murderous intent toward the living.

Corpses returned from death began slowly approaching us.

Rummmmmble─!

The ceiling and ground shook.

An endless wave of the dead surged forward.

However, I spoke without batting an eye.

“Clean them all up without missing a single one.”

“Yes.”

…Adelia’s sacred aura was like their natural enemy, after all.

* * *

‘They were cleaned up in an instant.’

I looked at the corpses piled up like a mountain.

No matter how numerous, they were ultimately just low-level monsters moving on primitive instincts.

The undead that surged like waves were easily torn apart like paper before Adelia’s blue-green aura.

Murmur murmur-.

Having finished the battle, Adelia began her memorial service as usual.

It was to console the souls of those who had unjustly become undead.

How much more time passed like that?

Adelia, having finished her prayer, slowly turned her gaze toward me.

“It’s all finished.”

“…Right. Good work.”

With this, all preparations were complete.

Confirming the situation was settled, I took the lead and began walking through the cemetery.

Now it was time to search for ‘that thing’ in the quiet graveyard.

‘Adventurers have no reason to come near this area.’

Undead were extremely troublesome monsters.

Even if you cut off their arms, legs, or even their heads, they’d persistently cling to you.

If you couldn’t handle sacred aura, you’d have to fight an eternal battle with endlessly surging corpses.

For this reason, adventurers avoided the Old Cemetery.

‘That’s why people don’t know what treasures are hidden here.’

Labyrinth Village’s environment was absolutely terrible.

No sunlight reached it, the air was murky, and the smell was stifling.

Despite this, there was one more reason besides the ‘barrier’ why residents settled in Labyrinth Village…

That was because of Labyrinth Village’s fertile soil.

‘The Earth Dragon’s secretions and bodily fluids contain special components.’

Every time it writhed, underground nutrients were pulled upward, and even the Upper Layer soil became rich with abundant nutrients.

Thanks to this, any crop grew well in Labyrinth Village’s soil.

This was why Labyrinth Village’s agricultural products were sold at high prices in markets under the name of specialty goods.

‘And what grows well in such fertile soil is precisely…’

Stop-.

I halted my steps.

Then I smiled broadly and thought to myself.

‘…things like those.’

Just then, Adelia, who had discovered something in the soil, sparkled with both eyes.

“Huh?”

Soon she let out an exclamation close to a scream.

“Ma, Mandrake…!”

As expected of someone from a noble house, she recognized at a glance the spiritual herb that others might never see once in their lifetime.

That’s right.

Mandrake.

A monster that grows by absorbing the energy of death, and an herb treated as the highest grade spiritual medicine in the game.

There were as many as three of them taking root here.

‘And they’re not just ordinary mandrakes either.’

Not only had they grown in the fertile soil of Labyrinth Village, but they had also absorbed plenty of negative energy constantly emitted by the undead.

This meant they were truly top-grade products that couldn’t be obtained anywhere else.

Adelia couldn’t help but marvel at the unexpected appearance of the mandrakes.

“How did you know that mandrakes were hidden here… Ah!”

Soon she looked at me with an expression of admiration, as if remembering something.

“This time you truly received a revelation.”

“That’s right.”

I played dumb without changing my expression at all.

A revelation?

Why would I need such a thing when I have game knowledge?

‘And aren’t game knowledge and revelations essentially the same thing anyway?’

Both result in gaining knowledge of the future, so there’s no real difference, right?

“…”

…That thought lasted only briefly before I had to shut my mouth tight.

Damn.

Is it just my imagination, or is my way of thinking becoming increasingly shameless?

‘Anyway.’

I planned to use these mandrakes to explore the deepest layers of the labyrinth.

More precisely, it would be more accurate to say I’d use them as ‘bait’ to lure a guide.

* * *

Even after hearing my explanation, Adelia still looked half-convinced.

But she didn’t question me further.

She had already witnessed several situations that defied common sense, so that was probably why.

“Make sure to plug your ears properly. You could suffer mental collapse if you’re not careful.”

Kwaaaak-!

Just before pulling the mandrake, I grasped the leaves with both hands and warned Adelia.

Though it might look like an ordinary herb at first glance, the mandrake’s root was a monster in human form.

The scream it let out the moment it was pulled from the ground could drive people insane. In the worst case, it could even lead to death.

That’s why thorough preparations like earplugs were absolutely necessary.

“Huh?”

At that moment, Adelia looked at me with surprise.

“Wait a moment. Then what about you, Lord Gaon…?”

“It’s fine. The scream of a mere monster like this can’t affect me at all.”

Hearing my answer, Adelia frowned slightly and asked back.

“What did you say?”

“…”

Looks like she did the soundproofing properly.

I saw earlier that she had stuffed cotton tightly even inside her earplugs…

Well, then I can pull it out without worry now.

“Hup.”

Taking a short breath, I used my entire body weight to pull out the mandrake.

Puhwak-!

The root that had been buried deep in the ground revealed itself.

Instantly, a scream that seemed to tear the sky echoed through the air.

The sharp cry characteristic of mandrakes.

That horrible sound shook the entire dungeon and reverberated as an echo.

“Kkeuheuuk…!”

Thud-!

Adelia fell to her knees and collapsed.

Despite having done such thorough soundproofing, she was letting out pained groans.

That was understandable.

The mandrake’s cry was among the highest tier of mental attacks.

Ttiring-!

〔Mental Power ‘MAX’ resists the mandrake’s roar.〕

Ah, of course…

Unlike Adelia who had collapsed on the ground in agony, I was completely fine.

This was thanks to the passive effect of 【Soul of the Sword Master】 blocking all mental attacks.

‘…It’s bearable except for my ears feeling a bit stuffy.’

I grabbed a handful of soil, then wrapped the mandrake tightly with the finest silk I had prepared.

I packaged the second mandrake in the same way. Then I put them in a chest and locked it.

Click-!

With the sound of the chest closing, both mandrakes became quiet. They had been fooled into thinking they were in an environment similar to underground.

‘And the last remaining one…’

My ears hurt a bit, but I have to wait.

Until that guy comes.

■̓̓̊̓͝&͂̾͞■̛̄̐@͗̃̈̃̀́͞͞#̎́͐͠■■҇̾̌̒̑́─̐͒̉͡─́͂̾͐̓̕─́́͋͡!͌̊̾͛̿͝

The mandrake’s scream echoed endlessly through the dungeon.

It was loud and sharp enough to be heard not only in the upper layers of Labyrinth Village, but also the middle layers, and perhaps even the lower layers.

But I didn’t need to worry about drawing aggro.

In the first place, there weren’t any adventurers bold enough in a ‘field’ like Labyrinth Village to come looking after hearing such a terrible scream…

‘…And most of them probably wouldn’t even know that this was a mandrake’s scream.’

But there are exceptions to everything. Even with this commotion, there would definitely be beings that would come looking for us.

‘For example…’

Kweeeeek─!

‘…Just like that guy.’

The sound of a donkey’s cry could be heard from far away.

The faint sound of hooves gradually grew closer, followed by the urgent voice of an old man panting heavily.

It was the moment when the ‘guide’ who would lead us to the deepest layers finally revealed himself.

* * *

Dano’s expression, who had come running while panting, rapidly contorted.

His gaze was alternating between the donkey and me.

“Haak, haaak…”

Chomp chomp-.

The stupid-looking donkey was chewing on the remaining leaves as if nothing had happened.

The sound of the supreme-grade mandrake being crushed in its mouth echoed through the silence of the graveyard.

“N-no way….”

After a long silence, Dano opened his mouth.

“No way, that stupid donkey ate the mandrake you found…?”

The old man’s eyes gleamed with resentment toward the donkey and fear of the consequences this situation would bring.

I nodded and drove the nail in.

“You know well how much a supreme-grade mandrake is worth, don’t you?”

“…Ah.”

Thud-.

Dano’s face turned pale upon hearing my words.

A supreme-grade mandrake that grew in the soil of Labyrinth Village and even absorbed the energy of the undead would be worth an astronomical amount.

Just the single plant that donkey devoured would be equivalent to several months’ profit for an ordinary merchant guild.

Ah, of course….

‘…It’s ridiculously cheap for hiring the best guide.’

Heh-.

I smiled victoriously in my heart.

I had created the perfect excuse to force Dano to guide us to The Depths of Toryong.

‘And perhaps….’

This debt might allow me to keep him bound until the latter part of the game.

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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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