Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 39

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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 39

Episode 39. Corpse Exhibition Hall (5)

* * *

“Haa, ha.”

Adelia gasped for breath heavily.

Before her eyes lay a flesh golem with a horrifying appearance.

A dirty apron stained with bloodstains, and massive double-edged saws held in both hands.

The crude stitching marks scattered across its skin reminded one of tattered rags.

‘…Brute the Flesh Dissector.’

That was the name of the golem The Protagonist had told her.

Befitting a gatekeeper guarding the exit of the first room, the battle with that creature was incredibly troublesome.

Adelia, who had been quietly looking down at that horrible corpse, steadied her breathing with effort and asked a question.

“Is it really over now?”

Nod-.

Gaon nodded his head.

Only then did Adelia let out a sigh of relief and collapse to the ground.

“…Haa, thank goodness.”

It had been such a difficult fight.

The chimera was manageable enough to deal with, but the various complex traps installed throughout were the problem.

Really, how mentally confused had she become due to the devices that threatened her life at every moment?

‘Especially when the hooks hanging from the ceiling aimed for blind spots…’

Adelia bit the inside of her lips tightly.

Just imagining the urgent situation from that time made her feel dizzy.

Shaking her head to dispel the unpleasant thoughts, she looked at Gaon and continued thinking.

‘If The Protagonist hadn’t been there, it would have been an even more difficult fight.’

The Protagonist had not directly participated in combat.

He had only given commands from a step away.

But no matter what anyone said, the person who had contributed the most in this battle was precisely him.

‘As always, each and every judgment was sharp enough to give me chills.’

The movements of the complex devices installed in the room.

And even Brute the Flesh Dissector’s next attack patterns.

The Protagonist gave precise instructions at every moment as if he could see through all of this at a glance.

Like someone who could see a future that others couldn’t.

‘Is this also the influence of divine revelation?’

Whether that was right or wrong, either way it was an amazing thing.

Usually revelations only told of the world’s macroscopic flow.

But for The Great Elders to give such detailed revelations and prophecies that they could teach every single movement of the enemy?

This was tantamount to meaning that The Protagonist was receiving tremendous favor.

‘Even if it’s not revelation, that would be amazing in its own way.’

This would mean he had solved all these situations perfectly using only his own abilities.

Had Sikan Bauer also realized this fact?

He too was looking at The Protagonist with eyes that seemed newly amazed.

‘Of course…’

…there were still parts that couldn’t be understood.

‘For example, the commands he gave when dealing with Brute the Flesh Dissector.’

─Be careful not to damage the corpse. You must kill it in as intact a state as possible.

Don’t damage the corpse.

How complicated had the situation become due to this difficult condition to understand?

If she could have swung her sword freely, the battle would have been several times easier than now.

She could have restricted the opponent’s movements by severing arms or legs.

‘But The Protagonist prohibited such methods.’

It was because Brute the Flesh Dissector’s corpse needed to remain as intact as possible.

‘Because of that, I suffered several times more trying to aim only for the enemy’s vital points.’

Nevertheless, Adelia followed the orders without complaint.

As always, there would be reasons for Gaon’s such eccentric behavior.

“Phew…”

Having finished thinking that far, Adelia let out a sigh.

“…Do we have to face three more guys like that from now on?”

According to Camillo’s explanation, the Special Gallery consisted of a total of 4 rooms.

This meant they would have to fight several more battles similar to the one just now.

To make matters worse, considering that mental torture like the 「Slaughterhouse Maze」 was waiting in between…

‘…Ugh.’

Just imagining it made her feel hopeless. Beyond simply physical burden, mental pressure was beginning to set in.

“No.”

Swoosh-.

Just then, Gaon answered calmly and looked up at the ceiling.

The endless connections of hooks and rails intricately intertwined.

The transport device that covered the ceiling like a giant spider web gleamed ominously in the darkness.

Gaon’s eyes sharpened as he looked at this.

“There’s no law saying we must follow the path Camillo intended.”

* * *

Ding-!

[Strawberry Latte] : Sigh…

[Strawberry Latte] : I’m just going to give up on the Merirose dungeon.

The Corpse Exhibition had brought frustration to countless players.

Its vicious difficulty level played a part, but for those who couldn’t stand gruesome things, the entry barrier was far too high.

Among them, ‘Strawberry Latte’ was especially a friend who couldn’t endure gory things.

It was questionable why such a person had started Lost Elder, the epitome of dark fantasy RPGs, but anyway.

[Middle Finger (Me)] : Did you get stuck on the 2nd floor?

[Strawberry Latte] : Yes.

[Strawberry Latte] : I can somehow endure the 1st floor by gritting my teeth, but from the 2nd floor on, I really can’t bear to look around.

Around this point, you might start to wonder.

Why try to clear the Corpse Exhibition Hall while enduring such disgust?

They could just enjoy other content in Roel during that time instead.

Well, actually the reason was very simple and clear…

[Strawberry Latte] : It’s a shame.

[Strawberry Latte] : I really wanted to get that item… ha;;;

[Strawberry Latte] : Why did they put it as a reward for this kind of dungeon?

…because the item that could be obtained right here brought tremendous rewards depending on how it was used.

‘This is also why I’m looking for the Corpse Exhibition now.’

Like any game, the Corpse Exhibition had hidden easter eggs.

This meant there was a shortcut to conquer this vicious dungeon more easily and quickly.

Of course, to make this work, two difficult prerequisites had to be met.

[Middle Finger (Me)] : Latte.

[Middle Finger (Me)] : Can you get through the 1st floor maze in 30 minutes?

First, break through the Slaughterhouse Maze within 30 minutes.

‘And the second is…’

[Middle Finger (Me)] : And can you kill Brute the Flesh Dissector with less than 5 percent damage?

…namely, to defeat Brute the Flesh Dissector with as little damage as possible.

[Strawberry Latte] : ?

[Strawberry Latte] : Is that even possible? lololol

[Strawberry Latte] : You might as well tell me to kill Barbarian the Slayer of Men lolololol

Naturally, Strawberry Latte didn’t take my advice seriously.

He stubbornly chose the direct approach.

As a result, he was only able to clear the Corpse Exhibition for the first time about two years later.

‘…Even when I give him good tips, this bastard doesn’t listen.’

This must be when you use the saying that if your head is bad, your body suffers.

If he had used the method I told him, he could have cleared the dungeon much faster.

Anyway.

I, who had been recalling old memories, soon organized my thoughts and spoke.

“Hang Brute’s corpse on that hook.”

Swoosh-.

I pointed at the ceiling.

I could see a massive iron hook connected to the central rail.

In the sturdy basket hanging beneath it were corpses in much better condition than the others.

“We’re going to ride that to the Final Room.”

“…?”

“…?”

For a moment, Adelia made a puzzled expression.

“Lord Gaon? What do you mean by that…?”

“Camillo’s art uses corpses as materials. And this rail is a device to supply him with materials.”

I recited the information I had gained from clearing the Corpse Exhibition multiple times.

“Then isn’t the destination of that iron hook obvious?”

Pointing underground, I looked at Adelia and Sikan Bauer as I finished speaking.

“The place where corpses are needed most.”

“…”

“Precisely, the Lowest Level where Camillo resides.”

* * *

Kwaaaaaaaa-!

With an ear-splitting roar, the hook began to descend.

The second room of the Corpse Exhibition, and then the third room, passed by in the blink of an eye, drawing red lines.

We headed deeper into the Special Gallery, using Brute the Flesh Dissector’s corpse as a foothold.

“Th, this is impossible…”

Adelia muttered to herself in disbelief.

“…To think we can really pass through this way.”

Hearing this, I chuckled and thought to myself.

‘Success.’

This transport device was a system for delivering materials that Brute had gathered to Camillo.

When a certain weight is reached, the rail operates automatically.

It could be called a logistics system connecting the 1st floor slaughterhouse where corpses are stored to the Lowest Level where Camillo’s workshop is located.

‘However, like an artist, Camillo set demanding standards.’

He designed the device to automatically filter out corpses that had been left too long and rotted, or were excessively damaged.

‘That’s why the two prerequisites are necessary.’

If more than 30 minutes pass, the corpses in the basket begin to decay.

Moreover, Brute’s corpse needs to be loaded to reach the weight required for the rail to operate, but what if even this is excessively damaged?

It would simply be automatically disposed of according to Camillo’s demanding standards.

‘Of course, we satisfied all the conditions.’

Thanks to this, the transport device headed toward the Lowest Level as expected.

Kwaaaaaang─!

Before long, with a sound like the ceiling collapsing, we were able to reach the Lowest Level.

A massive Underground Workshop lit by reddish magical lamps.

Countless blades and dissection tools hung on the walls, and eerie diagrams drawn in blood were carved into the floor.

Amid the thick dust completely covering the surroundings, I lightly landed on the ground, stepping on Brute the Flesh Dissector’s corpse, and looked at Camillo…

“What a truly pathetic gallery.”

…and so we were able to face the current situation.

“You, you…!”

Gooooo-!

Dense killing intent covering all directions.

Along with it, Camillo’s voice trembled with rage.

“How dare, how dare you desecrate the art I painstakingly prepared in such a manner…!”

Camillo’s furious voice shook the entire exhibition hall.

“Every floor, every room, and every single device contained my artistic intention! You should have followed the path I prepared and leisurely appreciated my works!”

From his expression looking at me, I could somehow sense a sticky feeling of betrayal.

“But you… you…!”

Sring-.

Looking at Camillo who was crying out as if wailing, I drew the Feather Sword from its sheath.

Then I slowly became lost in my own thoughts.

‘Camillo von Taribas.’

He was a boss with such a notorious reputation that he ranked among the top five in Roel.

A full five phases.

Not only did you have to face the undead minions he created along the way, but you also had to pass through a 「Trial」 at the end.

Killing an immortal lich who had lived for hundreds of years was just that difficult and arduous.

“Why did you commit such an act! You were the only being who understood my art! You were my first comrade I met in hundreds of years…!”

Kugugugugugu-!

Camillo’s anger materialized and the surrounding air pressed down in all directions.

Adelia and Sikan Bauer were crushed by that energy and couldn’t move a muscle, but…

I paid no heed and slowly walked forward.

“Why did you ignore the intention I prepared!! Why on earth!!”

Ding-!

〔Mental Power ‘MAX’ resists the opponent’s tremendous pressure.〕

Thud, thud-.

Moving one step at a time, I recalled Camillo’s patterns.

Summoning undead legions, calling forth corpse chimeras.

Curses and magic circles, and activating all sorts of barriers while spamming instant-kill attacks…

Right.

Really, even thinking about it now, each and every one of them was an attack designed to make players rack their brains.

“Your intention?”

But to me right now, such things weren’t important at all.

“Why should I follow something like that.”

〔MP : 1/1〕

Tick-.

〔MP : 0/1〕

…As I said before, there was no law saying I had to follow someone’s intentions.

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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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