Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 325

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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 325

Episode 325. Exterior Circle (1)

There was no reason to be anxious.

Pean repeated that thought to himself in the darkness.

“Huu…”

In truth, he wasn’t really that worried.

After all, he already trusted Gaon completely.

When Gaon had ordered him to die, hadn’t he shown not even a moment’s hesitation?

Even while being chased by the Gravekeeper of Rashutku, he had opened the door and stepped into the corridor without any doubt.

‘The Protagonist has perfect control over the palace’s curse.’

He had liberated hundreds, thousands of souls from the Realm of the Dead.

He had even forcibly teleported three Sword Masters to safety in the blink of an eye.

‘If it’s Gaon…’

He would be able to freely manipulate the palace’s curse, command the Gravekeeper of Rashutku like a subordinate, and eliminate the Intruder.

Right.

That’s why Pean was already certain of victory.

He simply wanted to witness that miracle with his own eyes.

Dong, dong, dong, dong, dong, dong, dong─.

It was at that moment.

Seven bell tolls filled the entire palace.

Seven in the morning.

It was time when they could venture into the palace corridors again.

Click-!

With the sound of the door opening, Pean rose from his seat.

He hadn’t slept a wink all night, but he wasn’t tired. Rather, the tension seemed to fill him with vitality.

“Let’s go.”

“…”

“…”

Pean took the lead. Jeungmu and the Bifurcated Siblings silently followed behind him.

Murmur murmur-.

Other Expedition Members were also emerging from their rooms one by one. Anxious whispers echoed throughout the corridor.

They too must have heard the noise from last night. That tremendous roar that had shaken the entire palace.

“Pean…!”

It was at that moment.

A familiar voice came from the other end of the corridor.

It was Adelia.

Thump, thump-.

Her heart was beating rapidly as she hurried over.

She seemed to calm down somewhat upon seeing Pean, but traces of tension were still clearly visible.

“Y-you’re safe. I was very worried when I heard the roar and the Heretics’ shouts last night.”

Adelia’s voice trailed off. From the way her voice trembled slightly, one could imagine how anxiously she had spent the night.

“What about the Golem Knight…”

“It retreated.”

Pean answered briefly.

“However, an Intruder burst in.”

“A-an Intruder?!”

Adelia’s heart gave a loud thump. Realizing her mistake after crying out loudly, she hastily covered her mouth.

After glancing around nervously, she muttered in a much quieter voice.

“What happened? Come to think of it, where is The Protagonist…”

“I’m not sure either.”

“…?”

“I think we’ll have to see for ourselves. Follow me for now.”

Step, step-.

With those words, Pean began walking again. Through the corridor, down the stairs, along the long passage.

The Expedition Team Members, looking around with confused expressions, naturally followed behind the Heretics. Only footsteps echoed through the quiet palace.

And.

The moment they arrived at the entrance to the cloister.

“Ah…”

Pause-.

A short sigh escaped from someone’s lips.

The sunken floor. Sword marks carved everywhere. Debris from broken pillars and scattered metal fragments. And even bloodstains painted over it all.

Traces of fierce battle remained intact throughout the entire cloister.

And in the center of it all.

A massive form knelt collapsed.

Wooong, woooong-!

The Feather Sword was embedded in the Intruder’s chest.

As if singing of victory, the sword’s resonance echoed softly throughout the cloister.

And in front of it.

Gaon stood quietly.

His clothes were covered in dust, but he had no injuries. He was simply scanning the dead Intruder with a bored gaze.

“…”

No one could continue speaking. Everyone held their breath for a moment.

Everything before their eyes looked like a scene from a cold and beautiful myth painted in a picture.

Saaaa-.

Morning sunlight flowed between the cloisters. The light rays turned the floating dust golden as they illuminated the Intruder.

The dust scattered like faded gold leaf, and the pouring sunlight became crimson paint coating the defeated Intruder’s metal surface.

A giant collapsed on its knees.

And a Heretic standing before it.

It was a strangely perfect scene. So much so that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the most dramatic moment had been preserved in a frame.

“…”

Swish-.

While everyone was having their breath taken away by that overwhelming sight, Gaon slowly turned his head.

His calm and quiet gaze began to survey the group.

“All threats have now been eliminated.”

It was an indifferent yet calm voice. An attitude as if everything had been predetermined. However, the weight contained within held the power to overwhelm the audience.

“So continue exploring the palace with peace of mind.”

* * *

While the group leisurely toured the Imperial Palace of Rashutku, I began to organize my thoughts step by step.

‘The Intruder scenario is over.’

The reason for the Sword Masters’ assembly, and the cause of the world’s accelerating destruction. I had finally eliminated the being at the center of it all.

The variable I was most worried about had disappeared.

Now I no longer had to worry about the Heretics dying one by one. I wouldn’t have to be anxious about when that thing might intrude while progressing the main story either.

‘It feels like I’ve pulled out an annoying cavity.’

Which meant it was quite refreshing.

‘And….’

After clearing the Intruder and Imperial Palace of Rashutku scenario, there were additional benefits that followed.

‘Specifically, a significant increase in my bond with Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword.’

Swoosh-.

While others were freely exploring the palace, I sat in the library.

The previous afternoon.

The records discovered by the Relic Investigation Team.

I read them together with Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword, continuing our private conversation.

The records were written in ancient language, but reading them posed no problem. As I mentioned before, among the eight languages I could speak, ‘simple ancient language’ was included.

[Aurellius Tarosk.]

Just then, Yeonwoo quietly spoke up.

[Now better known by the name ‘Intruder,’ he was… my former master’s closest friend and the second strongest seeker among the old generation Sword Masters.]

The second strongest seeker.

However, the records stated that they had concentrated the divine artifact’s power into the ‘strongest Sword Master.’

That was also the background of the Intruder’s birth.

─My last master was the strongest swordsman of his era. But the moment he faced an Outsider, he was annihilated on the spot without being able to do anything.

─….

─Not killed, but annihilated. Literally, his very existence was erased from this world.

─Actually, he was such an ugly person that I was looking for opportunities to deal with him from time to time… But I never thought he would go so futilely before I could even act.

The reason was none other than this.

Not killed, but annihilated.

It literally meant his very existence was erased from this world.

That’s why the Feathered Sword’s former master disappeared from people’s memories as well. Even the fact that there was a strongest Sword Master.

However.

Except for those who made contracts with Evil Deities, like the Golem Knight and the Intruder.

[Aurellius was handsome. Unlike my previous master.]

“….”

[I wanted to make him my new master, so I kept whining to my previous master about it. I was actually held in his arms a few times too. Well… perhaps he was the closest existence to me after my master.]

This would be why the Golem Knight, changed by his contract with Evil Deities, couldn’t recognize him, but the Intruder could recognize him immediately.

Chuckle-.

Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword laughed softly. I wasn’t insensitive enough to miss the loneliness contained within it.

[After my previous master died and the 「Laws of the Heavenly Realm」 were established, I was sealed.]

“….”

[So I don’t have proper memories. I can only speculate about what happened during that time.]

Yeonwoo paused briefly, then let out another hollow laugh.

[Well… but I wonder if there’s any point in saying this. You already know all of this content, don’t you?]

Nod-.

I nodded my head.

As the Feathered Sword said, I already knew all the circumstances.

Even the parts that Yeonwoo didn’t know, everything.

‘A dismantling facility that decomposes divine artifacts to extract only their powers.’

I recalled what the Golem Knight had said at the forge.

─A dismantling facility that decomposes divine artifacts to extract only their powers. Some succeeded, others ended in failure.

Among the ancient divine artifacts, only two succeeded in power extraction.

The Feathered Sword and the Heavenly Transformation Artifact.

However, since Yeonwoo the Feathered Sword was sealed by the Great Ones for ‘certain reasons,’ her power wasn’t perfect.

When Aurellius Tarosk used 【Avatar Manifestation】, his body split into two but couldn’t merge back together due to side effects—this was also because of that.

‘That’s the background of how the Intruder came to be.’

Before the 「Corruption」 began in earnest, Aurellius left descendants, and as that blood gradually thinned, the Balhwan tribe was born.

And as the Balhwan tribe’s blood thinned further, it eventually reached the Kochat family.

─To think… even the remnants of the Twin Emperor would find their way here.

This was why the Ghost Prime Minister said that while looking at Balhwan.

Since it was Tarosk who both forced the divine artifact power extraction and became its subject.

It wasn’t wrong to call the Balhwan tribe the remnants of the Twin Emperor.

‘Anyway.’

Swoosh, thud-.

I closed the records.

Now that information about the ancient era had been unlocked this far, the scenario would accelerate even more.

The five nightmares had already collapsed, after all.

Of course, there were still many unanswered questions. Like why the Golem Knight massacred the Balhwan tribe. Or the ‘real’ reason the Feathered Sword was sealed.

The reason the Intruder hunted Sword Masters. And the full story of the incident during the first summoning.

Above all.

Even the whereabouts of the very few old generation Sword Masters who barely survived and continued living in quiet seclusion.

‘Not only that….’

There was also a mountain of things I had to do going forward.

After securing the Lost Technology crafting manual, I had to proceed with the Vilopozy Great Migration.

I also had to go to the Sunken Temple to find Muwolcha’s customization voucher, and use the Heavenly Transformation Artifact’s power I extracted this time to strengthen my forces.

‘There’s also the political fighting within the Reform faction.’

The political strife at Middle Temple that would intensify in earnest.

Meanwhile, I also had to search for traitors.

‘I even need to start dealing with the conflict between Adelia and Balhwan soon.’

Complicated.

The situation was truly far too complicated.

‘But….’

Swoosh-.

Setting all of this aside.

There was something else I needed to focus on right now.

Ding-!

〔Beings from another world are attempting to make contact with you.〕

〔You have received an invitation to the Exterior Circle.〕

One of Lost Elder’s most important branching points that activated when the first information was unlocked.

Finally.

The Outsiders I hadn’t seen in a while began making advances toward me in earnest.

“Phew.”

Just as I confirmed that notification window and let out a sigh.

Crash bang-!

At that very moment.

Someone rushed frantically into the library.

“G-Gaon…!”

It turned out to be Yakov, the Captain.

“Please help! Right now Meister Zengmu is saying he’ll find more Proteum and is smashing all the palace walls! At this rate, there won’t be any ruins left!”

“Ah.”

Right.

I need to calm down that crazy machine human too.

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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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