Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 49

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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 49

Episode 49. Middletemple, the Holy City (3)

Whoosh-!

As soon as the Chairman finished speaking, golden flames surrounded me.

Flames burning in a triangular shape.

The “Sacred Fire of Aither” that judges the truth and falsehood of the speaker.

Since it took decades to gather enough for a single use, it was a resource reserved only for the most important trials.

─I shall ask about the first charge.

Soon after, the Chairman’s voice began to echo.

─For what reason did you kill the divine beast Celestial Dragon?

I closed my mouth for a moment.

If I told a lie here, the “Sacred Fire of Aither” would immediately judge me.

Therefore, what I could speak now was only the truth.

‘But…’

That was exactly what I had hoped for.

The reason I came to Middletemple, even claiming to be the thirteenth seeker.

It was to inform them of the calamity befalling this world as quickly as possible.

I spoke the answer I had prepared long ago.

“The old ones have declined.”

─What did you…?

─H-how dare he speak such blasphemy…!

Murmur murmur-.

Instantly, voices filled with indignation could be heard from various places.

It was understandable. ‘Old ones’ was a derogatory term mocking the ancient god Elder.

I had become someone who insulted Elder in the sacred sanctum.

─Silence.

But the Chairman silenced them all.

Flicker, whoosh─.

The Sacred Fire of Aither does not tolerate even a single falsehood.

It meant that my words about Elder’s decline were true.

It was the sacred fire’s role to determine the outcome of divine trials. The other council members could not dare to argue about this.

─…Continue your statement.

As the atmosphere in the sanctum became quiet again, the Chairman resumed the trial. I continued with the words I had prepared.

“Those who once governed the world have long been forgotten. The blessings they left on this land are also gradually fading.”

─…

“The blessing that once covered the entire continent now protects only some lands under the name ‘Silk Road’.”

─…

“The lands that prospered under Elder’s protection have now all become the Evil God’s domain, except for the vicinity of four major cities.”

A suffocating silence flowed through Middletemple’s sanctum. Only my voice echoed quietly.

“Long ago, humanity that freely roamed the continent under Elder’s protection lost their territory ages ago. They live calling their former lands the ‘Uncharted Wilderness’ and the underground where blessings once flowed the ‘Abyss’.”

All of Middletemple’s council members looked at me with their mouths tightly shut.

The fact that Elder’s influence was declining day by day.

The fact that the blessing that once filled the continent now remained only in narrow regions.

And the fact that the prosperous lands of the past had become monster territory.

Among those seated in the sanctum now, there was no one who didn’t know this.

‘Everyone knows.’

It was a change that had progressed slowly over hundreds and thousands of years.

This world had already been racing toward its end since ancient times.

‘They were just afraid to speak that fact aloud.’

Middletemple was turning away from the reality before their eyes.

Because they thought the end wouldn’t come during their lifetime anyway.

They were passing on the responsibility that had grown beyond control to future generations.

‘This is why Adelia grew sick of Middletemple and the Noble Families.’

They were aware of the problems but had no intention of improving them.

They feared change and avoided reform.

They only prayed that the end wouldn’t begin in this generation.

While being complacent in the system that had been maintained for ages.

Whoosh-!

But I revealed all the problems everyone had ignored.

Thus, statements that no one dared to utter poured out in the middle of the sanctum.

Only the golden flames surrounding me burned quietly, supporting all my statements.

“A divine beast severed from its bond with Elder is no different from a monster. As long as the old ones decline uncontrollably, their existence will also return to us as calamity.”

I continued speaking in a calm voice.

“Such situations will repeat in the future, and the divine beasts that were once humanity’s guardians will transform into synonyms of doom in less than ten years.”

Swoosh-.

Having finished speaking to that point, I slowly raised my head.

Then I clearly concluded my answer to the question the Chairman of Middletemple had asked me.

“Therefore, what I killed was not a divine beast.”

─…

“I merely eliminated the first beginning of the end that would drive this world to destruction.”

Fizzle-!

As my answer ended, the flame at one vertex lost its power and disappeared.

One of the three questions the council could ask had been consumed.

The moment it was revealed that all my statements were true, the council members could no longer say anything.

─Your words… were all true.

The Chairman spoke with a heavy voice.

In fact, Middletemple would have already grasped all the information.

That the Celestial Dragon had attacked us first, and that it had destroyed the Silk Road while causing a monster wave.

Yet the reason they asked such questions was none other than this.

‘…It was to gauge my qualifications.’

They definitely wanted to confirm whether I had killed the Celestial Dragon not simply for self-defense, but for a greater purpose.

─Then let us move on to the second charge.

The Chairman spoke again.

─You called yourself the thirteenth seeker.

“…”

─Do you have any evidence to prove this?

Actually, this charge could be resolved very easily.

I didn’t need to list all the achievements or accomplishments I had made.

I just had to acknowledge before the Sacred Fire of Aither that I myself was a Sword Master.

If it were a lie, the sacred fire would immediately impose severe punishment.

‘But…’

Others might not know, but this method wouldn’t work for me.

‘…Because I’m not a Sword Master.’

That’s right.

I wasn’t a ‘true’ seeker of the sword chosen by Elder.

I was merely borrowing the power of the 【Soul of the Sword Master】 to act like one for 0.01 seconds at a time.

What if I affirmed that I was a Sword Master?

The sacred flame would immediately see through the lie and judge me.

So then….

“I slayed a fallen Celestial Dragon, and in less than a week, helped Adelia von Goldhart grow into a swordsman recognized by the Tyrant Dragon, and obtained the Heart of the Tolong in the deepest layers of Labyrinth Village.”

─….

“The very next day, I purged the corruption of the Eastern Merchant Guild of Bertas, killed the immortal Camillo von Taribas, one of the Five Nightmares hiding in Merirose, and then slew the new undead that appeared in Bertas with a single strike.”

Let me not lie, but reveal only the truths that favor me.

“All of this happened in just two weeks.”

Instead of directly saying I was a Sword Master, let me guide them to acknowledge it themselves.

“Unless one is a Sword Master, could such feats be accomplished?”

No.

It’s impossible.

Not even any of the twelve Sword Masters existing in this world could leave such achievements in just two weeks.

And as soon as my words ended, Aiter’s second sacred flame was extinguished.

Whoosh-!

Once again, it was proven that my statement was true.

─My, my goodness.

─So it was really true that you killed Camillo….

─But wait, what did you just say? You helped Adelia von Goldhart grow into a swordsman recognized by the Tyrant Dragon?

─And what’s this about slaying a newly appeared immortal? Have you heard anything about this?

The sanctum began to grow noisy once again.

─Quiet.

The Chairman who silenced them continued speaking in a much calmer voice.

─Your words were all true.

“….”

─Then let us proceed to the final third question.

The word had changed from ‘charge’ to ‘question’.

Though still unofficial, it meant they were acknowledging me as a Sword Master.

The process of the divine trial was gradually nearing its end.

Now only the final question remained.

Of course, I knew what it would be and how I should answer.

─What is the reason and plan for the Great Elder choosing you as the thirteenth disciple?

All Sword Disciples are chosen for the Elder’s purpose.

The twelve Sword Masters learn their role through the ‘First Revelation’.

This was the oracle that determined the reason for a Sword Disciple’s existence and the destiny they must fulfill.

‘Of course, I couldn’t possibly have such a thing.’

As I said before, I never received the Elder’s selection.

‘However….’

〔An unprecedented talent that amazed the Hall of Ten Thousand Gods! The forgotten Harmonizers bless your path ahead!〕

〔Reward: You have acquired the hidden skill 【Soul of the Sword Master】.〕

…Certainly, when I finished character customization, such a notification window had appeared.

“Unprecedented swordsmanship talent.”

Whoosh-!

Along with my brief answer, the final sacred flame was extinguished.

At the same time, unrest began to stir among the council members once again.

─What, what…?

─The reason for being chosen as a Sword Disciple was because of unprecedented swordsmanship talent?

─What does that even….

Murmur murmur-.

It was such a short and simple answer.

Moreover, my response had nothing to do with the world’s greater cause.

However, Aiter’s sacred flame proved it was the truth.

The council members who heard this truth fell into great confusion instead.

‘With this, the divine trial is over.’

Of course, not everything was resolved yet.

In this trial, I failed to reveal any justification as a disciple, or even any mission whatsoever.

But that’s fine.

That could be sufficiently supplemented in the next stage.

‘Therefore, what I need to worry about right now is….’

Swoosh-.

I looked at the level window visible beyond the hazy mist.

It was the thing that had been capturing my attention since the first moment I set foot in this place.

‘…dealing with that guy.’

【̃̔̓̕L҇͆͗v̅̂͆͋̀̕.̍̑̒̃͡ ■̈́̀̀͑́͡■̿̿̕】̑̂͡

The translucent window was filled with noise.

Just like Camillo von Taribas, it was impossible to determine his exact level due to ‘censorship’.

It had to be that way.

That guy was also one of the immortals who had overcome death through a foul contract.

─What? It ended faster than I thought?

Just then, his voice came from beyond the mist.

His voice was filled with excitement, as if he was quite thrilled.

─So now that the trial is over, we can proceed with the test?

Swoosh-.

The human silhouette visible beyond the mist began to draw closer.

I could see people who had been sitting hurriedly making way for him.

Along with the rattling sound of ornaments, his figure began to approach closer and closer.

“Hahahah!”

And as his body smoothly passed through the hazy mist….

Ding-!

〔Part of the hidden message is revealed.〕

〔Causality is being twisted.〕

〔The encounter with the Swordmaster of the Black Bone is being accelerated.〕

…Once again, a hidden message began to cover my vision.

“Hello, friend!”

A knight in black armor wearing a skull helmet faced me.

In his hands was a massive sword as tall as himself.

“I heard you’ve already killed two immortals?”

Death Knight.

The Swordmaster of the Black Bone.

He raised his massive sword. The red glow within his helmet shone even more intensely.

The air in the hall froze. The council members watched our confrontation while holding their breath. No one dared to speak.

“….”

The second procedure.

Passing the ‘test’ given by an existing Sword Master.

This was a trial that must be passed in order to be recognized as a seeker of the sword.

“You know what? I suffered for 7 years because of some idiot’s test before I was barely recognized as a seeker.”

“….”

“But don’t worry! I’m not that cruel!”

The Death Knight shouldered his massive sword and took a step closer.

As the distance narrowed, the crimson light within his helmet flickered.

“I’ll give you a very simple test.”

The massive two-handed sword that had been resting on his shoulder cut through the air toward the ground.

The marble floor of the Holy Sanctum sparked. An eerie metallic sound consumed the hall.

Kiiiiiing─!

The black knight’s crimson eyes blazed fiercely.

The playful atmosphere had long since vanished.

The imposing voice of an immortal who had lived for hundreds of years echoed throughout the Holy Sanctum.

“Right here, prove that you can kill me.”

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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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