Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 42

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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 42

Episode 42. Immortal Slayer (1)

[Ah, ahhhhh…!]

Camillo’s screams began to echo throughout every corner of the exhibition hall.

[…This, this is impossible. This absolutely cannot be happening.]

12 hours.

During that long period of time, surviving the trial prepared by ‘that person’ was absolutely impossible.

Over the past hundreds of years, countless strong warriors and transcendents had challenged this trial.

However, they all failed to overcome the ordeal and fell to their knees.

[How, how did this happen…! You promised this would never happen…!]

That person had also guaranteed it.

Not to worry. That no being capable of breaking your immortality exists, at least not in this world.

This trial was designed with a structure that becomes harsher for the strong.

So anyone would inevitably meet a miserable end.

[But why…!]

Whoooosh-.

Despite Camillo’s screams, the Life Vessel emitted an even brighter light.

The nature of that ‘light’ gradually changed.

The Life Vessel, once filled with dark red energy, began to be dyed in a brilliant golden light.

…The demonic energy was fading.

This was practically proof that the challenger had passed the trial.

[No! No #̓͊̀͒̕$҇͐̆̉̍̀@͆̈̔̂̃͞%̏̐͋͡…!]

As the power maintaining his immortality weakened, Camillo’s voice also began to fade.

Crackle-!

Soon after, with a sound like breaking glass, cracks appeared in the Life Vessel.

Crash-!

For a moment, the fragments scattered in all directions and began to flutter like dust.

And….

“….”

…In the place where everything had disappeared, a man stood.

“G, Gaon.”

Adelia called his name with a trembling voice.

Sikan Bauer also could only stare at him blankly, unable to say anything.

‘The condition of his body….’

What on earth had he experienced in the trial for half a day?

Gaon’s pale skin was covered in dirt and dust. His dark blue hair was also matted with sweat and blood.

Through his torn clothes, dark bruises were visible everywhere, and bright red blood was dripping from those wounds.

“….”

But why was it?

Only Gaon’s eyes remained as sharp as ever.

Just then, a metallic voice leaked through his slightly parted lips.

“Somehow it took half a day instead of one hour.”

“….”

“You all worked hard waiting.”

At those words, Sikan Bauer couldn’t help but shudder.

His body had reached its limits and it wouldn’t be strange if he collapsed right now. Yet Gaon showed no signs of weakness at all.

Even with his entire body battered and broken, he only maintained his proud and noble appearance.

“….”

Sikan, who had been watching the scene with a stiff expression, unconsciously muttered to himself.

‘How can he be like that….’

Inside the exhibition hall where silence prevailed.

Only one person’s overwhelming presence filled the entire space.

No energy could be felt from that man, but now such things didn’t matter at all.

The one who turned the impossible into possible. The one who accomplished what Middle Temple had challenged for hundreds of years but failed to achieve.

The one who overcame all of this not only with overwhelming force, but with noble will and conviction.

─Lord Gaon is more noble and sublime than anyone else. I know this well, having watched him closely.

‘…Ah.’

Thump-.

Only then did Sikan Bauer realize.

That his heart and mind had begun to truly respect Gaon.

It was the moment when he finally began to understand the blind faith and loyalty that Adelia had shown all this time.

‘Without a doubt.’

Only then could Sikan finally accept the fact he had been denying to the end.

Although the council’s approval had not been given, no more doubt or confirmation was necessary.

What more proof could be needed here?

‘Gaon.’

…He was truly qualified to be called a seeker of the sword.

* * *

“…?”

Stop-.

The black-robed figure walking through the wasteland suddenly stopped.

A skull helmet, armor decorated with bones, and a black robe with blood-red patterns.

The Veteran Gamer let out several hollow laughs as if in disbelief and then slumped down on the spot.

“Is that really true?”

Looking up at the night sky, he asked back with a suspicious voice.

“…Camillo’s Immortality has been destroyed?”

Camillo von Taribas.

He was one of Middle Temple’s 「Five Nightmares」 and the worst lich who had plagued the continent for hundreds of years.

But to think that a high-ranking undead who had lived for eons like himself had met his end.

He couldn’t believe that guy’s futile demise.

“Hah….”

The Veteran Gamer muttered in a deflated voice.

“…I really wanted to kill him with my own hands, what the hell is this.”

Destroying immortality.

This was an achievement that not even Middle Temple, let alone the Twelve Sword Masters, had ever accomplished even once.

And for good reason, as killing an immortal required going through an extremely complex and difficult process.

But among those, the most troublesome stage was precisely….

‘…Passing the 「Trial」 designed directly by the evil god.’

The Veteran Gamer had also challenged Camillo’s trial hundreds of years ago.

But he ultimately failed.

The trial designed for the purpose of killing the challenger could not be passed by any method.

‘It really was a terrible trial.’

For the first time since becoming a Death Knight, he faced death.

How long did it take to fully recover his body from the aftermath of that failure?

Since that day, the Veteran Gamer never challenged the evil god’s trial again.

He had no intention of even thinking about it until his preparations were perfectly complete.

‘But…’

To think someone broke through that trial and even destroyed Camillo’s Immortality.

It was completely incomprehensible.

Who on earth could have passed through that trial filled with sticky malice?

‘…I’m really curious about this.’

It was just as he was harboring such doubts.

Thud-.

Right then, the world became quiet.

The Veteran Gamer, who had been sitting silently, slowly turned his head.

As if he was receiving some important whisper from someone.

“Aha.”

Before long, the corners of the Veteran Gamer’s mouth twitched.

“So that’s how it was. I understand.”

Swoosh-.

The Veteran Gamer rose from his seat with a grin.

Pulling his robe’s hood over his head, he began trudging across the barren wasteland once again.

To answer the call from Middle Temple that had summoned him.

“Haha, he was a friend I was going to meet soon anyway!”

* * *

“I’ll heal you. Please don’t move and stay still.”

Woom, woong-.

Green light flowed from Sikan Bauer’s hands.

As that warm energy touched my body, small wounds began to heal one by one.

Before long, all the minor external injuries were completely healed.

Befitting a holy knight who received the title of “Paladin” from Middle Temple, Sikan’s healing ability was truly outstanding.

“It’s finished.”

Sikan Bauer, having completed the treatment, continued speaking.

“I took care of the external wounds simply, but I couldn’t do anything about the internal injuries. It would be better if you rested for a while…”

“This much is sufficient. You’ve worked hard.”

“…Uh, wait a moment!”

I brushed off Sikan Bauer’s restraint and stood up from my seat.

My head was throbbing from extreme fatigue, but… what could I do? There was still a mountain of work left to do.

Rest could wait until I returned to Bertas, the Free City.

Whoosh─!

I began cleaning up together with Adelia.

We continued the “memorial service” by lighting sacred fires throughout the Corpse Exhibition.

Since this was a place where countless lives had been sacrificed to Camillo’s twisted hobby, the work took quite a long time.

“This is…”

Hesitate-.

When we came out of the workshop and arrived at the end of the Special Gallery.

Adelia froze with a shocked expression.

She could see a massive sculpture bizarrely woven from dozens of corpses.

…And the form of that sculpture was remarkably similar to the work I had created in the yard.

“This is Camillo’s greatest masterpiece that he takes pride in.”

I began a brief explanation. It was Camillo’s artwork that I had encountered many times while playing the game.

“It’s also the original of the sculpture I imitated in the yard.”

“…Ah.”

Reproducing Camillo’s representative work, even crudely.

That was the most reliable way to gain entry to the exhibition hall.

As proof that I understood his artistic sensibility.

Of course, I couldn’t empathize with his artistic vision at all. I had merely ‘mimicked’ such a thing.

In that sense…

“Continue the memorial service.”

“Yes.”

…Such a horrific sculpture deserved to be erased from this world.

Whoosh─!

As soon as my command ended, Adelia continued the memorial service once again.

Before long, flames that would mark the end of the terrible gallery began to engulf the entire building.

I came outside together with Adelia and Sikan Bauer, then quietly watched the building burn down.

Hee-haw─!

How much time had passed like that?

The sound of a donkey’s cry could be heard from far away.

Clatter, clatter-!

The old cart that would safely transport us back to Bertas, the Free City, slowly revealed itself.

* * *

Inside the rattling cart.

Adelia and Sikan Bauer, sitting in the opposite seats, were dozing off.

I wanted to close my eyes for a moment too, but I held back for now.

There was something else I needed to do right away.

“Phew…”

I let out a deep sigh and looked at the notification window covering one side of my vision.

It was time to check the rewards I had gained from the Corpse Exhibition.

Ding-!

〔You have cleared the trial arranged by ‘■@■#!?■%’.〕

〔You have destroyed Camillo von Taribas’s ‘Immortality’.〕

〔An unprecedented Achievement that no one has accomplished! The forgotten Harmonizers support your progress!〕

〔Reward: You have acquired the Authority Skill 【Immortal Slayer】.〕

‘…I finally obtained it.’

Immortal Slayer.

It was the only means to deal with the “undead” whose very existence greatly accelerated the point of apocalypse.

At the same time, it was also an ability to prepare for the ‘insane Sword Master’ I had mentioned before.

Continuing such various thoughts, I opened the skill window once.

━━━━━━━━━━━━

【Immortal Slayer】

Grade: ??

Type: Passive Skill, Authority Skill

Cost: None

Cooldown: None

[Skill Description]

You who severed the lifeline of one who transcended death and restored order to this world.

The Harmonizers sleeping in the whispers of stars cheer your progress and have granted you a unique authority.

Now you have been granted the qualification to pass judgment on the insolent desires of those who seek to surpass even death.

All life cowering in the shadow of immortality will kneel helplessly before you.

[Usage Effect]

•All attacks nullify the target’s immortality.

•Nullifies all types of undeath/regeneration abilities possessed by the target.

━━━━━━━━━━━━

Heh-.

A smile unconsciously spread across my lips.

The skill description was exactly the same as what I had seen inside the game.

Now that I had obtained this unique authority, I could worry less about disruptions to my plan.

‘And…’

Rustle-.

As I unwrapped the bundle from my chest, another reward revealed itself.

It was a golden chalice tinged with black light.

The eerie patterns covering the entire cup writhed as if they were alive and moving.

‘…The Corrupted Chalice.’

The vessel that had contained Camillo’s immortality.

At the same time, a magical cup that doubled the effects of consumable items.

This was the biggest reason I had sought out the Corpse Exhibition.

‘With this, all preparations are complete.’

The moment to dramatically increase my ability stats had finally arrived.

* * *

“Ber… tas…”

Step, step-.

Barbarian the Slayer of Men muttered as he moved his feet.

Below the high hill, fortress walls stretched endlessly beyond sight.

The vibrant scenery of Bertas, the Free City, was captured in his eyes.

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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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