Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 265

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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 265

Episode 265. The Relic Investigation Team and the Assembly (5)

* * *

Clang, clank-!

The sparring match between Jeungmu and Adelia had already become intense some time ago.

Both were exchanging sword strikes at a level no different from actual combat.

Everyone in the Training Ground watched the battle as if mesmerized.

Among all of it, the most impressive thing was….

‘How ever-changing.’

…precisely, Jeungmu’s fighting style.

Hissssss─!

Click, clatter──!

Along with the sound of white steam erupting, Jeungmu’s body transformed moment by moment.

The Iron Spirit Tribe.

A race that had replaced most of their bodies with metal.

Among them, Jeungmu was one who had lived for an incredibly long time.

He was also a Sword Master who had spent hundreds of years collecting rare metals and implanting them into his body.

As a result, most of Jeungmu’s body was composed of a special metal called “Proteum.”

The same material that comprised the Thousand-Change Weapon.

A rare metal that could freely change its form.

‘Which means….’

Jeungmu was one of the few Shape-shifters in this world.

Hissssss─!

Steam erupted explosively once again.

Jeungmu’s form distorted within the mist, and in an instant, his arm stretched out long.

A sword protruded from its end and flew toward Adelia.

Clang-!

The Meteor Sword blocked Jeungmu’s attack.

Click, click-!

But Jeungmu didn’t stop.

The Thousand-Change Weapon’s form changed wildly. From sword to axe, from axe to spear, from spear to whip.

Simultaneously, Jeungmu’s body also transformed into the optimal form for each weapon.

Endless change.

Of course, Adelia didn’t panic either, responding to all of it moment by moment with defensive swordsmanship.

And so….

【Lv. 93】

Adelia was finally able to leap up one level.

‘Good.’

I nodded inwardly.

It was as expected.

The sparring with Jeungmu had definitely brought growth to Adelia.

‘I think it’s about time to end this sparring match….’

Hisss-!

A lull arrived just in time.

Jeungmu stopped his attack and stepped back.

Hidden within the mist, he spoke in a calm voice.

“Interesting.”

Jeungmu’s voice carried genuine admiration.

“This is different from the Goldhart Family swordsmanship I knew. Your ancestors pursued orthodox sword techniques based on thorough fundamentals, where offense and defense harmoniously meshed together.”

“….”

“But you have created a new path. I’ve never seen swordsmanship so extremely focused on defense before.”

Click, click-!

The sound of Jeungmu’s body transforming could be heard from within the mist.

Adelia lowered her stance and stared at the hazy steam. Her eyes held wariness along with quiet concentration.

“I acknowledge that composure. Your will and sword are as solid as if they would not allow any attack right now.”

Jeungmu’s voice became even lower.

“However.”

Click, clatter-!

Along with rough metallic sounds, Jeungmu’s form writhed within the mist.

Some great change was occurring.

“A sword is not a shield. A sword doesn’t exist to block, but ultimately exists to pierce through the opponent.”

“….”

“If you insist only on defense, what you’ll face at the end is nothing but inevitable limitations.”

Jeungmu continued speaking while offering advice to Adelia.

“Of course, I understand your intention. A strategy that maximizes the characteristics of a divine weapon where shadow swords increase over time, enduring as long as possible while aiming for assured victory….”

“….”

“Excellent. Theoretically, it would be invincible swordsmanship.”

“….”

“But that’s sword technique premised on that divine weapon, isn’t it? If you lose your sword, or if a situation comes where you must wield a completely different weapon, what kind of performance will you show then?”

Adelia didn’t answer.

She simply stared silently into the mist.

“A true Sword Master….”

Click, click, clatter-!

The metallic sounds grew faster and faster.

The transformation of the dimly visible outline rapidly accelerated, and the surrounding steam swirled even more violently.

That sight created the illusion that Jeungmu might be dancing within the mist.

“Must be able to freely handle all weapons and deploy sword techniques suited to each moment on any Battlefield to subdue enemies.”

Whoooosh-!

A fierce wind blew, and the mist cleared in an instant.

At that moment.

The Paladins held their breath and opened their eyes wide.

“Th-that’s…!”

“Good heavens.”

“He can transform his body to that extent?”

Murmur murmur-.

Voices mixed with admiration came from all directions.

And rightfully so.

Jeungmu’s appearance had completely changed.

His lower body was no longer in human form. Four legs supported his body, and the muscular metal legs were reminiscent of a warhorse galloping across a Battlefield.

Like a centaur from mythology.

Shing-!

And the Cheonbyeongi in Jeungmu’s hands.

Had already transformed into a long and heavy lance.

The most primitive and brutal weapon of slaughter, used by charging cavalry to pierce enemies in a single strike.

“Now.”

Swish-!

Jeungmu aimed the tip of the lance at Adelia.

“Try to block this properly.”

His voice was utterly calm. Rather, that composure created an even greater sense of intimidation.

“This will be the final strike of this sparring match.”

Kwaaaaaaaang-!

Before he even finished speaking, the ground exploded.

The moment Jeungmu kicked off the ground, his body shot up like an arrow and began charging toward Adelia in the blink of an eye.

Clatter, clatter-!

It was a terrifying speed. Each time his four hooves struck the training ground floor, the stones shattered into pieces and scattered like fragments.

Whoosh-!

Aura blazed from the tip of the lance.

Red fighting spirit wrapped around the spearhead, then covered his entire body.

Kugugugugugu-!

Jeungmu began rushing toward Adelia like a comet breaking through the atmosphere, drawing a red tail.

“Lord Gaon!”

Arwen shouted in an urgent voice.

He gripped his sword hilt tightly, as if he would leap into the training ground at any moment.

“We must stop the sparring immediately…!”

“No.”

Thud-.

I extended my arm to block Arwen’s movement.

Certainly, Jeungmu’s strike was threatening.

A charge where the Cheollyeong tribe’s body and spear seemed to become one. The red aura blazing from the lance tip. All those elements were perfectly converging and focusing toward a single ‘point’.

An attack that would inevitably pierce through if faced head-on.

‘However.’

I could be certain.

The instinct carved within my MAX swordsmanship talent. And the future a few seconds ahead that [Super Intuition] showed me like an afterimage gave me firm conviction.

‘Adelia will block that attack.’

Above all, Jeungmu was also operating under the premise that his strike would be blocked.

Through the sparring that had continued until now, he had accurately assessed Adelia’s abilities.

The strongest strike she could withstand.

The maximum pressure she could endure.

After finding that boundary line, Jeungmu had prepared a strike to open the final threshold Adelia needed to overcome.

It wasn’t an attack driven by emotion, nor a simple charge of momentum. This was an attack completed through thorough analysis and calculation.

Yes.

What Jeungmu sought to break through with this strike was…

Precisely the ‘limit’ blocking Adelia’s path.

Kaaaaaang──!

The next moment.

A clear metallic sound shook the entire training ground.

An illusion as if time had stopped.

The exchange that occurred in that brief instant was vividly etched in my retina.

“…!”

I could see Adelia’s eyes.

Blue pupils trembling finely. A transparent gaze that seemed to see through everything.

In the silence where even breathing had disappeared, her consciousness was fixed on only one target.

The target point where Jeungmu’s strike was converging.

Having viewed the world through Jeungmu’s perspective via the reflective water surface, Adelia had perfectly read the exact spot her opponent intended to pierce.

And.

She swung the Meteor Sword toward that point.

Whooom-!

It was a strange trajectory.

The Meteor Sword moved as if alive. Rather than wielding a weapon, it looked like her body was reacting instinctively.

It could truly be called swordsmanship where body and sword had completely fused.

‘That is…’

For a moment, an indescribable thrill ran down my spine.

‘…Ultimate Auto-Parrying.’

That’s right.

Adelia was.

That future Sword Master who would later be evaluated as the greatest genius in history was…

【Lv. 94】

Through pure talent alone.

She had perfectly replicated my 10-star skill.

Whiriririk─.

Crack─!

“…!”

The Cheonbyeongi was deeply embedded in the floor.

The lance tip dug into the stone floor, creating a massive crack.

Only then could people belatedly grasp reality.

“Wh-what…”

A bewildered exclamation escaped from Arwen’s mouth.

The other Paladins were the same.

They were all looking at Adelia with shocked expressions.

Adelia had defended against a Sword Master’s strike. No, she hadn’t just blocked it but had perfectly deflected it as well.

Murmur murmur-.

Admiration burst out from here and there.

However.

‘Something’s wrong.’

I alone couldn’t feel any admiration.

Because Adelia’s eyes weren’t normal.

Her pupils were still trembling finely, and her focus was fixed somewhere far away.

Even though the sparring had ended, she was still lost in her own world.

‘That is…’

A state of erasing the self and recognizing only the sword and enemy.

A realm of abandoning all distracting thoughts and focusing purely on combat alone.

Because she had entered that state, Adelia was able to break through her own limits. It was also thanks to that immersion that she could replicate [Ultimate Auto-Parrying].

The problem was.

‘That immersion is too deep.’

Adelia had reached that realm for the first time, and in the process, she had sunk herself too deeply into it.

Right now, her subconscious was still mistaken, thinking she was engaged in a life-or-death duel.

Not a sparring match, but a situation where she would die if she didn’t kill her enemy.

Sring-!

Adelia raised her meteor sword.

Her movement was different. Not the defensive stance from just moments before…

It was an attack posture.

Wooong, woooooong-!

The spirit swords that had been gliding behind Adelia’s back, waiting for an opportunity, also vibrated fiercely.

Adelia was preparing a finishing blow to end the enemy before her.

Thump─.

The remnant of super intuition showed me the future.

Attacks pouring down like rain.

A bombardment of spirit swords.

Jeungmu, having lost his defensive means by losing the Heavenly Transformation Technique, was caught up in it…

‘Damn it.’

…I bit my lips tightly. There was no more time to delay.

Tiring, tiring, tiring, tiring-!

〔You have used the Authority Skill: 【Super Sense Remnant】 engraved in the Silent Chest.〕

〔You have used the Authority Skill: 【True Ritardando】.〕

〔You have used the Authority Skill: 【Avatar Manifestation】.〕

〔You have used the Active Skill: Formless Sword.〕

…

Before I could even finish making my judgment, my body moved reflexively.

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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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