Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 308

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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 308

Episode 308. Imperial Palace Strategy (5)

Slowly—.

I opened my eyes.

The scene of the aquarium with its churning rotten water was nowhere to be found.

‘This place is…’

An endlessly sprawling white void.

Fragments of broken pillars. Cracked floor materials. Even pieces of shattered statues.

A surreal sight of them slowly drifting while defying gravity.

Corrupted Sanctuary, Jeongmyeongcho.

It was the very place I had visited during the first Jinmyeong Geopbang.

And.

[…]

Before my eyes stood a woman.

A pure white dress. Silver hair flowing down to her waist. Amber eyes without pupils.

Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword.

This was the first time I faced her true form since the first Jinmyeong Geopbang.

‘But…’

When I met Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword last time, she exuded a refined and calm atmosphere.

Though it was an act, she had the noble dignity befitting a divine weapon that had lived for thousands of years.

However, the current Yeonwoo showed no such signs at all.

Her face was pale with shock, and her pupilless eyes trembled violently.

[Are you insane!?]

She suddenly screamed. It was a cry that seemed to tear eardrums.

[Someone of your skill level could have easily avoided it!]

“…”

[So why did you deliberately enter that monster’s mouth? You know you can’t use Avatar Manifestation right now!]

Yeonwoo’s voice cracked.

[You knew that you wouldn’t survive a fatal injury… What were you thinking…!]

Soon the Feather Sword trailed off. An emotion that could be anger or fear flickered in those amber eyes.

─However… I don’t particularly want to experience that again.

The remark Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword had made when facing the doppelganger last time.

Before I knew it, she had come to fear losing me.

I looked at such Yeonwoo indifferently.

Then I opened my mouth with a deliberately calm expression.

“Let’s think about that problem later.”

[…What?]

“For now, hand over the second Jinmyeong Geopbang ability first.”

[…]

The condition for the second Jinmyeong Geopbang.

Just like the first time, it was to defeat a divine beast.

‘And…’

The Abyssal Mound.

A monster born after being trapped in the aquarium for thousands of years, repeatedly devouring and absorbing each other.

Inside its body were four spiritual beings tangled together that had reached the level of divine beasts.

The moment I was sucked into the monster’s mouth, I activated Soul of the Sword Master.

By simultaneously defeating four divine beasts, I fulfilled the second opening condition.

[Is this really the time to be calmly talking about new abilities!?]

Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword screamed again.

Her silver hair rippled following her agitated emotions.

[If I unlock the second authority here and you get expelled from the corrupted sanctuary… you’ll die immediately!]

“…”

[You suffered fatal injuries! Your arm was torn, your leg was crushed, your ribs were broken! You can directly feel what state your main body is in right now!]

“That would be right.”

I answered calmly.

Hearing my words, Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword seemed to lose her words and closed her mouth.

In fact, there was nothing wrong with what she said.

The moment I receive the second authority here, I will die immediately.

‘I was on the verge of death right up until arriving at Jeongmyeongcho.’

That moment when my entire body was being torn apart by hundreds of teeth.

If it weren’t for the combination of True Ritardando and Soul of the Sword Master, my life would have ended long ago.

Of course.

‘I intended such a situation from the beginning anyway.’

Having finished that thought, I looked straight at Yeonwoo and opened my mouth.

“What are you so worried about?”

[…What?]

“Don’t you have a way to overcome this situation among your authorities?”

[…]

Hesitation—.

Yeonwoo’s expression became subtly distorted.

She seemed quite bewildered by the fact that I knew her yet-to-be-unlocked authorities inside and out.

However.

[Ah.]

Soon she let out a sigh.

Yeonwoo made an expression as if she had realized something herself.

─The aunts don’t understand. They ask why someone who has already seen the future 199 times would need ‘Future Sight’?

She seemed to belatedly recall the fact that I was a regressor repeating the 200th cycle.

Of course, all those ‘cycles’ mentioned by the Sisterhood of the Forsaken referred to game rounds.

─It’s a bit embarrassing to say this myself, but the abilities you can gain from Jinmyeong Geopbang are truly tremendous. It’s the power that hundreds of masters have desperately desired until now.

Anyway.

Those were words Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword had said in the past.

A statement made to desperately appeal her abilities when I said I wouldn’t make a contract.

‘Originally, there were no special conditions to awaken the Feather Sword’s ego.’

Before the enraged Owner of the Flame and the Blacksmith set up safety measures, one could immediately unlock abilities just by contracting with the Feather Sword.

Nevertheless, the Feather Sword didn’t unlock all her abilities from the start even for past masters.

The reason was simple.

Because she possessed so many abilities.

‘To use an analogy…’

It was like giving an F1 machine to a novice driver who just got their license.

No matter how excellent the car’s performance, it’s useless if you don’t know how to handle it.

Rather, uncontrolled output could drive the driver himself to death.

Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword’s authority was the same.

If I hand over everything at once, the master won’t be able to handle it.

So she had chosen the method of gradually unlocking abilities.

However.

“I’m different, Yeonwoo.”

I already knew all of Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword’s abilities.

Not only the effects of each power, but also how to utilize them in any situation.

“I know what you’re worried about. But for me, it’s all just needless concern.”

[….]

“So release your abilities. You know it too, don’t you? What ‘power’ I absolutely need in this current situation.”

At that moment.

Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword’s expression twisted into a complex mix of emotions.

Anger. Bewilderment. And indignation.

After various emotions tangled together, she shouted again.

[Then you should have just said so from the beginning!]

“….”

[What kind of mindset is it to use death as leverage to extract a specific power? If you had just asked with words, I would have given you that power as a gift! You didn’t need to go this far…!]

“Really?”

I interrupted her words.

“Would you really have obediently given me the ability?”

[Of, of course…!]

Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword’s voice rose higher.

[How could I not follow the words of a regressor who has repeated 200 times? If you had asked for the power you wanted, I naturally would have given it to you!]

I didn’t answer.

I just silently looked at Yeonwoo.

“….”

[….]

A long silence continued.

Yeonwoo’s expression, which had been confidently defiant at first, began to gradually waver.

Eventually.

[Don’t tell me….]

She furrowed her brow and muttered.

[Did I refuse your request in the previous cycle? Is that why you devised such an extreme method?]

I answered calmly.

“That’s right.”

[…!]

Yeonwoo’s face turned pale.

I knew Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword’s personality well.

It was useless even if I showed her I was a multi-cycle player.

Even after learning the fact that I had repeated cycles, Yeonwoo would arbitrarily choose and give me an ‘enhancement’ for【Avatar Manifestation】.

‘While proudly boasting that she could match the skill tree the best.’

Of course, that judgment wasn’t wrong.

As a divine weapon that had passed through hundreds of masters over long years, Yeonwoo’s choices were close to optimal in most situations.

The problem was.

‘…That it doesn’t apply to me.’

I had my own method of operation.

The optimal choice Yeonwoo thought of was different from the optimal choice I needed.

The problem was that she wouldn’t acknowledge that fact.

Perhaps due to pride in the experience accumulated over thousands of years, Yeonwoo didn’t easily bend her judgment.

So there was no point in trying to persuade her with words.

Only by putting my life on the line like this would she finally consider taking a step back.

[….]

Yeonwoo’s lips trembled.

Her pale face. Her shaking amber eyes.

After hesitating for a long time, she finally opened her mouth.

[I won’t do it again.]

Her voice trembled thinly.

A tone close to pleading.

[I was wrong… From now on, I’ll do as you want….]

“….”

[Please.]

Yeonwoo bowed her head.

[Please don’t throw yourself away like this.]

Hearing those words, I smiled with satisfaction inwardly.

‘Success.’

Everything went according to plan.

Now I could obtain the power I wanted.

“Good.”

With a short answer, I got to the main point.

What power I needed.

I explained everything one by one while conversing with Yeonwoo.

[Huh…?]

After listening to my words to the end, Yeonwoo tilted her head.

[Just this?]

“….”

[Can you really escape the current situation with this?]

Doubt was contained in her voice.

[Among the powers I have, there are much more powerful ones. Rather than what you want….]

“I understand.”

I calmly nodded and cut off the Feather Sword’s words.

“Then I’ll just die.”

[…!]

Yeonwoo was startled and bowed her head.

[I’m, I’m sorry….]

The momentum she had when expressing her opinion just moments ago had completely disappeared.

Snicker-.

I burst into laughter inwardly.

See?

As expected, communication doesn’t work without this method.

“Watch.”

[….]

“I’ll show you a utilization method that past masters couldn’t even imagine.”

* * *

Ding-!

〔The Feather Sword’s 2nd tier power is unlocked.〕

〔Skill: 【Avatar Manifestation】 is enhanced.〕

Ding-!

〔Your bond with Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword deepens significantly.〕

〔Skill: 【Avatar Manifestation 】 proficiency has greatly increased. (25%→40%)〕

〔Skill: 【Avatar Manifestation 】 proficiency rises from ‘Lower-Middle ‘ to ‘Middle ‘.〕

〔Reward: 【Avatar Manifestation 】 is enhanced.〕

Ding-!

〔A total of ‘2’ enhancements have been added.〕

.

.

.

━━━━━━━━━━━━

【Avatar Manifestation : Skill Enhancement】

① Incarnation Inversion / Incarnation Inversion :

Instantly swaps the positions of the avatar and the main body. At the moment of exchange, inherits the opponent’s current state (injuries, buffs, debuffs) as is.

② Aura Transfusion / Aura Transfusion :

Burns condensed sword aura to forcibly repair the avatar’s damage. Recovery amount is proportional to the aura consumed.

━━━━━━━━━━━━

* * *

Crunch-!

Gaon was sucked into the monster’s mouth.

“G-G-Gaon!”

Adelia reflexively screamed.

Her heart sank with a thud. She couldn’t breathe. Her vision turned white as panic surged up.

However.

‘Wait a minute…’

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Adelia’s mind.

‘…How many times has this been?’

Adelia had already witnessed Gaon’s death several times.

Perhaps because of that?

The shock was less now.

‘Surely, this time too…’

Crunch, crackle-!

The sound of bones being crushed could be heard from inside the monster’s mouth.

The sound of flesh tearing and blood splattering.

Adelia’s face turned pale, but…

‘…No! I mustn’t think anxious thoughts!’

She still had to believe.

If it’s Lord Gaon.

If it’s Lord Gaon… surely…!

“…!”

Right at that moment.

Craaaaaack-!

Cracks began to form on the Deep Sea Monstrosity’s body.

As if something was trying to burst out from within, the grayish-white skin split apart and brilliant light leaked through the gaps.

Boooooom-!

Explosion.

A tremendous gust swept through the entire aquarium.

Adelia reflexively raised her arms to cover her face. An aura so intense she couldn’t open her eyes devoured her vision.

Eventually.

The light subsided.

“…?”

Adelia slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was the dismembered corpse of the monster. Chunks of flesh cut into dozens of pieces floated on the putrid water.

And in the center of it all, a fist-sized essence was emitting a brilliant light.

“Huh?”

Adelia looked around.

The essence was there. The monster was dead too.

But.

“…He, he disappeared?”

Gaon’s figure was nowhere to be seen.

Adelia stood there blankly, staring at the empty space.

Several seconds passed.

Eventually.

‘Ah, he must have taken care of himself and survived somehow…?’

Adelia forced herself to maintain a composed expression.

Surely if it had been Pean, he wouldn’t have batted an eye even in this situation.

Believing that Lord Gaon had some plan, he would have silently carried out his own duties.

‘If that’s the case.’

This time for sure.

She would show that level of strong faith.

“Ha, haha…”

Swoosh-.

Having finished that thought, Adelia smiled softly and turned around.

Jeungmu and Muwolcha stood with stiff expressions.

“Lord Gaon has defeated the monster.”

Adelia continued speaking, trying to act as if nothing had happened.

“Let’s quickly collect the essence and move to the designated location…”

“Miss Goldhart.”

Whoosh-.

Jeungmu interrupted Adelia’s words.

“Your master disappeared into the monster’s mouth and then vanished with an explosion, yet you’re not worried at all?”

“…”

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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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