Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 304

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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 304

Episode 304. Imperial Palace Strategy (1)

‘No, why aren’t they suspicious at all…?’

Of course, it wasn’t a bad thing.

After all, I had built up multiple layers and laid the groundwork for this kind of situation.

The problem was that it had worked at this point.

‘I never thought I’d gain their trust this quickly.’

If it had been Pean or Adelia, I would have understood.

They had spent quite a long time with me.

Hadn’t we built trust by overcoming life-and-death situations together and enduring countless trials?

That’s why I could somewhat understand how those two followed me blindly like cult fanatics.

…But I never dreamed that the Relic Investigation Team and Jeungmu, even the prideful Balhwan, would accept my words without any resistance like this.

It hadn’t even been that long since I’d gotten to know them.

‘Well, whatever.’

Heh-.

However, I soon laughed off these useless thoughts.

What mattered was the result.

The fact that my words were taken at face value. That fact alone was enough…

Urgh─.

“…!”

Right at that moment.

I unconsciously covered my mouth due to the sudden wave of nausea.

It felt like my stomach was turning inside out.

The feeling of something rising up to my throat. Even when I tried to swallow it down, it wouldn’t subside easily.

‘This is…’

The cause was clear.

It was because of the avatar active in the “Realm of the Dead.”

A space where time doesn’t flow unidirectionally. A dimension where past and future are mixed together.

The sensations from the avatar there were synchronized, affecting even my main body now.

‘…I need to hurry.’

If I dragged this out, the side effects would only get worse.

It seemed better to finish the strategy as quickly as possible.

Whew-.

I let out a short sigh and regained my composure.

Adelia looked at me with a worried expression, but I lightly waved my hand to signal that I was fine.

Then I slowly looked around at those gathered in the office.

Jeungmu and Balhwan, Adelia, the Koshat Siblings and Captain Yaakov, and nearly thirty members of the Relic Investigation Team.

Their expressions were varied.

Some were calm, others looked anxious. Worry about their missing comrade. Fear about the trials to come.

Even if they said they would follow me, there were surely those who still harbored doubts inside.

“I know how unreliable it sounds to ask you to believe without any evidence.”

“…”

“Some of you may doubt me. Wondering if we should just move on when our comrades have gone missing. Whether we can proceed with the strategy normally without the strength of one Sword Master, and so on.”

Silence flowed. The eyes of several members wavered. It was probably because I had accurately pinpointed their inner thoughts.

“These are natural questions. And as the leader of this strategy, I have a duty to answer them accordingly.”

“…”

“However, I cannot explain everything here and now. Revealing the full scope of my plan could actually be harmful.”

I slowly looked around at the group.

“Therefore, all I can say is to please trust me. I know full well that these are unreliable words.”

“…”

“…”

Silence flowed.

Everyone was waiting for my next words.

“Still.”

I paused for a beat before continuing.

“I can guarantee one thing.”

I put strength into my voice.

“We came here for a greater cause. To liberate the souls bound to Rashutku and lift the curse of the Imperial Palace. This is the mission given to us.”

“…”

“And this isn’t simply about cleaning up remnants of the past. It’s also about opening horizons for a new future.”

Lost technology blueprints for building defenses at Wintershield Magic Academy. Plus ancient relics and artifacts that would be of great help in future endeavors.

Thus, the legacy left by the empire that prospered most in ancient times would bring us immense value.

“And.”

I continued while looking directly at each member of the group.

“Those in the Heavenly Realm also know this fact.”

“…”

“Would heaven turn away when those who follow the greater cause are in danger?”

I spoke the final words in a resolute voice.

“Even if we’re driven into a corner, heaven will protect us. I can guarantee this much for certain.”

“…”

“…”

Silence continued.

But within that quiet, something was changing.

The eyes that had trembled with anxiety gradually regained stability, and tense shoulders slowly relaxed.

“Now.”

I said while moving toward the office exit.

“I mentioned all the important points yesterday, so I’ll skip any further explanations.”

Creak-.

I opened the door and stepped into the corridor as I concluded.

“Now, let’s begin the strategy.”

Rumble-.

As soon as those words ended, the group began moving in perfect unison.

Just as decided in yesterday’s meeting.

They were scattering toward their respective assigned trials.

Seeing this, I smiled with satisfaction inwardly.

‘Actually…’

The speech I just gave was prepared in case someone objected.

It was an oration I had planned to use if anyone raised objections to my decision to force the strategy forward.

But.

‘…It seems it wasn’t really necessary.’

Even without me having to persuade them, everyone followed along on their own.

* * *

Following Gaon’s instructions, the strategy began.

The group split into three teams and moved toward their respective trials.

“….”

Swish—.

Balhwan looked around.

A situation where she had to tackle the “Trial of Two Paths” together with the Koshat Siblings and 4 Relic Investigation Team members.

‘Tch.’

The Girl in Black Robe clicked her tongue inwardly.

Honestly, she didn’t like it.

Hundreds of years.

For such a long time, Balhwan had lived alone in the domain called Ravenhil.

No, to be precise, as a pair.

Beings who served as each other’s only support.

That was the Bunhon Clan.

As such, the Bunhon Clan had strong independence. They thought it far more efficient to move as just siblings rather than working together with many others.

‘But….’

Now she had to work together with strangers.

Because that was Gaon’s order.

“….”

Balhwan bit the inside of her lips.

It was an extremely unpleasant command, but having been defeated in battle against Gaon and deciding to follow him this time, the option of disobeying his words didn’t exist.

“This way.”

Thud, thud—.

Natalya Koshat took the lead, checking the map in her hand.

The dark and damp underground waterway.

The musty smell and stench of rot stung their noses, but no one complained.

“If we go left here….”

Natalia muttered as she scanned the map.

It was a map that the Relic Investigation Team had drawn directly based on Gaon’s advice during last night’s meeting.

Most of the Imperial Palace corridors were sealed off. The passage leading to the “Trial of Two Paths” was the same.

But the underground waterway was different.

And Gaon knew its structure perfectly.

Which drain led where. Which passage connected to which area.

Even the locations of traps installed throughout the waterway.

“….”

Balhwan shook her head.

The more she knew, the more amazing he was.

No.

Just calling him amazing wasn’t enough.

…According to other Sword Masters, Gaon was the only great one remaining in the Lower Realm.

Then it would be natural for Gaon to show such omniscient and omnipotent behavior.

“…?”

Startled—.

Just then.

Balhwan’s eyes flashed sharply.

A subtle sense of unease felt from somewhere.

Her sixth sense was warning her.

“If we turn this way, there should be one trap… Kyaah!”

Whoosh—.

Natalia was about to turn the corner while looking at the map.

Balhwan roughly grabbed her hair.

Pababababak—!

Almost simultaneously, several arrows poured down where Natalia was about to step.

The arrowheads embedded in the stone wall made dull sounds.

If she had been just a moment later, her whole body would have become a honeycomb.

“I, I could have… dodged it too….”

Natalia muttered while stroking her pulled hair.

She looked slightly hurt.

However, Balhwan didn’t care and glared at her with an annoyed expression.

“….”

She knew.

Even without her, Natalia would have reacted to the arrows.

The trap was marked on the map in the first place, and the moment Balhwan grabbed her hair, Natalia’s gaze turned toward the arrows.

But that was the problem.

‘Dodging only after the trap activates?’

It was utterly pathetic.

A true strong person should notice before crisis strikes.

Sixth sense should move before the body.

‘…I have to tackle a trial with greenhorns who can’t even do that?’

Of course.

Balhwan felt this way because she herself was a transcendent.

Senses honed to the extreme over hundreds of years. Instinctively detecting danger was a realm only transcendents could reach.

No matter how veteran they were, it was nearly impossible for mortals to reach that level.

But Balhwan didn’t care about such circumstances.

‘Damn. I can already see the hardships ahead.’

Whew—.

A sigh escaped.

Thinking that she had to clean up after them made her head throb.

If it weren’t for Gaon’s order. If ancient language interpretation wasn’t needed. And if it weren’t for the trial’s characteristic that those who entered the crossroads had to transfer prohibitions to each other….

Balhwan would have already abandoned them and gone to tackle it alone.

* * *

Balhwan’s prediction wasn’t wrong.

As they moved along the drainage channel and the “Trial of Two Paths” finally began in earnest, the limitations of the Relic Investigation Team members began to be clearly revealed.

Clang, claaaang—!

Of course, they were helpful in combat. They swung swords, blocked attacks with shields, and watched each other’s backs.

But that was only in ‘normal situations.’

When real crisis struck, they repeatedly exposed weaknesses.

It was the same now.

“Graaah…!”

Battle with a horde of skeletons.

Undead with bluish ghost fire flickering in their empty eye sockets pressed in from all sides.

The sound of bones clashing and rusty swords cutting through the air mixed together from all directions, creating chaos.

The monsters overwhelmingly outnumbered them.

“Damn it…!”

One member screamed.

It seemed he had been pushed into the middle of the horde while frantically swinging his sword.

Skeleton Swordsmen were closing in from all sides, their blades glinting as they tightened the encirclement.

‘Tch.’

Balhwan clicked her tongue.

She hastily smashed the skull of the skeleton she was facing.

Then, just as he was about to turn around to save the robed member.

Thud-.

“…?”

The head of the skeleton that had been the core axis of the encirclement fell off by itself.

No one had touched it. Not Balhwan, nor any of the other robed members were near it.

Yet the skull’s neck had been severed.

As if an invisible sword had sliced through the air.

“Kugh…!”

The robed member who had been in crisis didn’t miss that opportunity. He squeezed through the collapsed encirclement and hurriedly moved to a safe position.

‘…What?’

Balhwan’s brow furrowed.

This wasn’t just once or twice.

This kind of thing had been repeating continuously since earlier.

Whenever the robed members were in danger, supernatural phenomena helped them.

Enemy formations suddenly collapsing.

Fatal attacks suddenly missing their mark.

Luck rolling in at inexplicable timing.

It seemed like someone was watching the battlefield from an unseen place and intervening.

Thanks to this, Balhwan no longer needed to clean up after them, but….

‘…What the hell is this situation?’

It was when Balhwan was making a confused expression at the incomprehensible phenomenon.

“…!”

Right then.

A voice suddenly came to mind.

The words Gaon had said in front of everyone before starting the strategy.

─When those who follow righteousness are in danger, would the heavens turn away?

─….

─Even if we’re driven into a corner, the heavens will protect us. I can guarantee this much for certain.

‘Could it be…?’

Balhwan’s eyes narrowed.

Those words.

They weren’t just simple encouragement?

* * *

“…?”

Balhwan seemed to have noticed something strange.

He furrowed his brow, then began looking around rapidly despite being in the middle of combat.

Sharp eyes swept through the air. The ceiling. The walls. Every corner where shadows fell.

However.

He didn’t notice me standing right next to him… more precisely, my avatar.

‘Of course.’

The Realm of the Dead within the Imperial Palace was a dimension thoroughly separated from the present world.

A structure where they existed in the same space but couldn’t perceive each other.

No matter how much of a transcendent Balhwan was, detecting a being in another dimension was impossible.

“Phew….”

Right now my main body was in the Room of Necessity.

1 AM.

In a space where all the mirrors had been shattered to pieces, with my eyes closed, completely focused on the connection with my avatar.

I was using my avatar to freely move along the timeline, helping all three divided groups of our party.

Balhwan, who was conquering the trial of the two diverging paths.

Jeungmu and Adelia, who were moving toward the aquarium.

And even my ‘future self’ who would have to face the Mukgyeon Lord.

‘…Let’s focus.’

That’s right.

Intervening and helping whenever the party was in crisis.

That was the role I had taken on right now.

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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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