Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 287
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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 287
Episode 287. Ruins of Rashutku (6)
* * *
As a game developer, Muwolcha couldn’t help but admire the game called Lost Elder.
An open-world dark fantasy RPG.
Within that massive framework, countless sub-genres coexisted.
Moreover, all those elements didn’t feel disconnected but were organically intertwined within a single world setting.
However….
‘I hate horror!’
No matter how much the game’s main genre was dark fantasy.
Muwolcha extremely disliked the horror elements mixed into Roel.
Among them, the Ruined Palace of Rashutku was one of the dungeons Muwolcha hated most. Almost as much as Camillo’s Chamber of Corpses.
A palace eroded by the curse of Evil Deities.
A dungeon concept that combined Neapolitan ghost stories with cosmic horror.
‘What even is this, seriously!’
It was completely incomprehensible.
Why did Gaon choose this particular tower when there were so many other options available?
‘There are quite a few towers that skip the palace entirely and lead straight to the village!’
That way would naturally allow for faster dungeon clearing.
It would save time and reduce danger.
‘Isn’t the standard strategy to quickly go down to the village, clear the dungeon, and then return to the palace to farm rewards after the Evil Deities’ curse is lifted?’
The safest, most efficient, and above all, least scary method.
‘You even posted that strategy in your guide, didn’t you!’
Muwolcha looked at Gaon with eyes full of resentment.
A gaze so intense it could be felt even through the silver jelly.
Sigh-.
Meeting that gaze, Gaon let out a small sigh and began explaining the situation through a private message.
Ding-!
[Middle Finger] : Sis.
[Middle Finger] : I have something to confess now….
[Middle Finger] : Actually, there’s one hidden piece I didn’t tell you about.
“…?”
Pause-.
For a moment, Muwolcha’s mind went completely blank.
‘…What?’
There’s information he hid from me?
[Middle Finger] : The Ruins of Rashutku also has a ‘perfect clear’ hidden within it.
[Middle Finger] : It’s a condition that can only be unlocked by going through the palace….
Muwolcha stared blankly down at the message.
[Middle Finger] : Since you hate horror themes anyway, sis.
[Middle Finger] : I thought you wouldn’t even try it, so I only told Strawberry Latte.
“….”
Muwolcha’s mouth fell open.
And words involuntarily spilled out of that mouth.
“Then what about the strategy guide?”
“…?”
“…?”
Silence-.
The surroundings became quiet.
Everyone’s gaze turned toward Muwolcha in unison. Their expressions seemed to ask what she was suddenly talking about.
Gaon also blinked in confusion, showing a flustered expression. It was the first time he’d seen such a face since Muwolcha’s possession.
Ding-!
[Middle Finger] : The strategy guide I posted back then was a smokescreen to keep my rank 1 position from other users….
[Middle Finger] : But sis
[Middle Finger] : Even so, you can’t just blurt that out loud;;;
Regardless.
Muwolcha paid no attention to the surrounding gazes.
‘…Are you insane? You posted a fake strategy guide to maintain your rank 1 position?’
She never imagined that Gaon would be hiding something from her.
She had always thought he was an honest and upright person.
“Master monk?”
It was then that Natalya Koshat, who was beside her, carefully asked a question.
“I’m sorry, but… what does ‘goryakgeul’ mean?”
Muwolcha didn’t panic and immediately made an excuse.
“That wasn’t me, it was a sound Mukyoo made.”
“…Ah, yes. I see.”
Natalia’s gaze wavered subtly.
Her expression clearly showed she didn’t believe it.
“Oh, your babbling has improved. Congratulations, Mukyoo.”
[Myub myub…?]
Natalya Koshat stepped back with an awkward smile.
Swish-.
Muwolcha stared directly at Gaon again.
It was silent pressure demanding he clearly explain the current situation.
Sighing inwardly at this, Gaon put his hand into his pocket and began rummaging around for something.
‘That’s….’
Soon Muwolcha’s eyes widened.
Tristan’s cloak.
It was a top-tier artifact possessed by the Shadow Conclave.
‘…How on earth did you get that?’
Ding-!
[Middle Finger] : Sorry I couldn’t tell you beforehand.
[Middle Finger] : But when conquering the 「Ruins of Rashutku」, if I said we’d go through the palace, I thought you wouldn’t come along, so I kept it secret.
“….”
Muwolcha bit her lips tightly while reading the message.
Honestly, it wasn’t wrong.
If Gaon had said he was going to explore the Ruined Palace of Rashutku, Muwolcha would never have come along.
Even while climbing Ravenhil, my knees were shaking, so how am I supposed to wander around this terrifying place?
…Of course, the biggest problem was that I had hastily assumed we would skip the Imperial Palace, as Gaon had mentioned in his strategy guide.
Ding-!
[Middle Finger] : Anyway.
While Muwolcha was having such thoughts.
Gaon continued sending messages.
[Middle Finger] : Please trust me. This method is the route that can maximize rewards the most.
Ding-!
[Middle Finger] : And.
[Middle Finger] : Please pay close attention to the messages I send from now on.
* * *
Murmur murmur-.
A restless atmosphere filled the room.
Someone was staring at the stone tablet hanging on the wall, while someone else looked around anxiously, unable to hide their unease.
The rules that Markus Koshate had read aloud numbered over ten. Each one was chilling and directly related to life and death.
“Now, now.”
It was then that Pean began to organize the situation with a calm voice.
“First, I think we need to know the time.”
“…Time?”
Captain Yaakov asked back.
“Yes.”
Pean nodded and said.
“Look at the rules. We can only eat at noon and midnight, and we must lock the doors at 10 PM. After that time, only 5 or fewer people can stay in one room.”
“…”
“As you can see, there are many rules related to time. So before we start exploring, we need to know the exact time first.”
“Ah, fortunately, I have a watch for that…”
Captain Yaakov was about to take out a pocket watch from his pocket.
“No. The watches we have won’t work.”
“…?”
“This is a space governed by Rashutku’s rules.”
Pean continued firmly.
“We haven’t simply come down underground, but have entered a kind of parallel world. We can’t assume that the time outside and the time here are the same.”
“Then how…”
Someone was muttering a question.
“Over here!”
Just then.
One of the robed members in a corner of the office raised his hand high.
His fingertip pointing at the desk.
“There’s a clock!”
Everyone’s attention turned there at once.
Tick, tick-.
An ordinary desk clock.
Though old, the still-functioning second hand moved regularly, making sound.
“10 o’clock… 14 minutes…”
Captain Yaakov muttered while looking at the clock.
But soon he frowned.
“…But we can’t tell if this is morning or evening.”
This was an imperial palace buried underground.
A space with no windows and no sunlight coming in.
There was no way to check whether it was bright or dark outside.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Swoosh-.
A moment later.
Everyone’s gaze turned to one side in unison.
Because there was always someone who provided answers in situations like this.
“Gaon.”
Pean spoke calmly.
“What should we do now?”
* * *
‘Not surprising at all, really.’
I muttered to myself.
The sight of my companions always looking to me at times like this was becoming familiar.
“Let’s wait for now.”
“…Wait?”
“Yes.”
I nodded and answered.
“It said that after 10 PM, we’ll hear knocking sounds on the door. And if someone calls your name at night, only respond after the third call.”
I continued speaking while slowly looking around.
“If either of these two things happens, we’ll know it’s past 10 PM.”
“…Ah.”
Pean and the members of the Relic Investigation Team nodded.
They all seemed to understand my explanation.
“But Gaon.”
Jeungmu looked around with a somewhat reluctant expression.
“If it really is past 10 PM right now…”
Knock knock-.
Right at that moment, knocking sounds came from outside the door.
Everyone’s movements stopped in unison. The room became instantly quiet enough that not even breathing could be heard.
Click-!
One robed member standing right in front of the door quickly reached out and locked it. It was remarkably quick reflexes.
Rattle-.
The door handle turned.
Rattle, rattle, rattle-!
Sounds of repeatedly trying to open the door. The dull metallic noise filled the room, but the locked door didn’t budge at all.
Knock knock-.
The knocking sound echoed.
And.
“Captain Yaakov!”
Someone’s voice was heard.
It was an endlessly trembling, desperate, and earnest voice.
“Please let me in! Please!”
The members all held their breath in unison. Someone’s hand gripped a weapon handle, and someone else took a step back.
“I only went outside for a moment, but the door closed!”
The voice continued. The tone grew increasingly desperate.
“Please open it! Director!”
Director Yaakov’s eyes wavered. His lips trembled as if trying to say something.
At that moment.
Stop-.
I quickly extended my arm to restrain him. I slowly but firmly shook my head and warned him with only lip movements.
‘Don’t answer.’
Gulp-.
Yaakov swallowed dry saliva and quietly nodded. His face had turned pale.
“Director Yaakov!”
It was the second call.
Clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter-!
The door handle shook frantically along with desperate crying. The entire door rattled and shook. Violently, as if it would break at any moment.
“Please! I’m so scared right now! Please!”
Sobbing mixed into the voice. It was a cry close to a scream.
The members’ faces all turned pale alike. Someone covered their mouth with both hands, and someone else began trembling while leaning against the wall.
Clatter, clatter, clatter-!
The door handle shook even more violently.
And then.
“….”
“….”
“….”
Stop-.
Suddenly all sounds ceased.
The door handle, the knocking sounds, the crying.
Perfect silence as if nothing had been there from the beginning.
Only someone’s trembling breathing echoed through the room. The members looked at each other for a long while, holding their breath.
No one dared to open their mouth.
Only the Sword Master observed this situation with an indifferent expression.
“It’s 10 PM.”
I muttered in a calm voice.
* * *
Wandering around outside was dangerous.
Wasn’t it clearly stated in the rules? That all room doors must be locked after 10 PM.
Moreover, since there were many rules to understand, gathering in the room first to discuss future plans was the priority.
“Gaon.”
Jeungmu approached me cautiously.
“I was trying to say this earlier, but there’s a rule like this.”
“….”
“After 10 PM, only 5 or fewer people should stay in one room. If 6 or more gather, one of them won’t be someone we know.”
“….”
“Then haven’t we already violated that rule?”
The air in the room grew cold.
People’s gazes began scanning the surroundings. They were looks of mutual suspicion.
I also carefully observed the surroundings.
Director Yaakov. The Koshat siblings. Veteran members of the Relic Investigation Team. Pean. Jeungmu. Adelia. Balhwan. And even Muwolcha.
‘Nothing has changed.’
The number remained the same. Exactly 33 people. The same number as before.
Realizing this, Markus Koshat muttered.
“Strange. We clearly violated the rules, but nothing happened.”
I answered briefly.
“Because we entered the Imperial Palace after 10 PM had already passed.”
“…?”
“The rule activated before we gathered in the room. In other words, the curse’s trigger itself didn’t occur.”
It meant we were safe for now.
Until the first day.
“Then what should we do from now on?”
Director Yaakov asked.
I fell into thought for a moment. Just as I was about to mention the method I had in mind.
“First, I’ll go around the Imperial Palace tomorrow and break all the mirrors.”
“…?”
Pean declared with a bright smile.
“Looking at mirrors is dangerous, right? But I can’t see anyway, so it’s not a problem for me, haha.”
“….”
“Just wait a moment tomorrow, and I’ll break them all.”
…Now Pean was finding things to do on his own without me having to instruct him.
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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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