Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 74

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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 74

Episode 74. The Beginning of Great Change (2)

* * *

Having finished all our business, we headed out of the Forest of the Heavenly Sea.

Isaac Beriloff, Adelia, and Dorico Shiro followed behind me in order.

“Hup-cha…!”

Just then, Dorico Shiro suddenly began acting strangely.

She started hopping forward with both arms stretched stiffly in front of her.

It was the typical pose of a jiangshi you might see in movies.

“…?”

Pause-.

Adelia and Isaac Beriloff looked at her with bewildered expressions.

Then Dorico Shiro hastily spoke as if making excuses.

“I, I’m out of stamina.”

“…”

“I don’t know the exact reason either… but ever since I became immortal, when I run out of energy, I can only move like this.”

Of course, I knew the reason.

Though she might look like an ordinary person normally, Dorico Shiro was a jiangshi.

When her power was exhausted, she inevitably had to revert to the form of a ‘primitive jiangshi.’

“By the way…”

Adelia looked around and spoke up.

“Is it really okay to just leave the Forest of the Heavenly Sea like this?”

I followed her gaze and examined the forest.

Though the bloody aura had disappeared, traces of corruption still remained throughout the forest.

The water-soaked leaves had a dark reddish color, and an uneasy energy still lingered in the ground.

Still, there was no need to worry. This forest would recover quickly.

“Haewolsumo is practically one body with the Forest of the Heavenly Sea, so as long as the offspring exist, the forest will naturally restore itself.”

Actually, this was my first time experiencing this situation too, so I couldn’t say for certain…

But hadn’t more than ten Haewolsumo offspring been born?

As they grew, the forest’s vitality would surely strengthen along with them.

In the past, there was only one Haewolsumo, but now multiple offspring would protect the forest together, so there was even a high probability it would flourish even more.

“But Lord Gaon.”

Adelia turned around with a slightly bewildered expression.

“This one keeps following me around.”

Bobble bobble bobble-.

One Haewolsumo offspring was persistently following her.

All the other offspring had returned to the lake, but only this one wouldn’t leave Adelia’s side.

The offspring was closely trailing behind Adelia like a chick following its mother.

“I, I’m jealous…!”

Dorico Shiro muttered childishly, but Adelia looked quite troubled by this situation.

That was understandable.

It would be quite burdensome to have such a sacred being like a divine beast constantly following you around.

“Leave it be. Divine beasts are spiritual beings that follow the will of The Great Ones.”

“…Ah.”

“Their actions all have reasons, so there’s no need to worry.”

Adelia nodded repeatedly. She seemed reassured by my words.

‘One should be fine.’

This was also an unprecedented situation, so I couldn’t be certain, but well. If this situation continued, I thought that small being might become Adelia’s excellent pet later on.

‘Adelia handling a mature Haewolsumo as a pet…’

Adelia was powerful even with just her own strength alone.

But if she gained Haewolsumo’s protection on top of that, no one would be able to take Adelia lightly.

Anyway.

While walking and having various conversations, we were able to reach the exit of the Forest of the Heavenly Sea before we knew it.

“Hehe! Well then, see you next time, friend!”

Dorico Shiro gave a farewell greeting with a bright smile.

“You know what? ‘They’ told me to get along well with you too!”

“…”

“Fortunately, they really liked the fact that we’re friends.”

Hearing Dorico Shiro’s following words, I couldn’t help but be slightly flustered.

What?

The Evil Gods were also pleased that I had formed a friendship with her?

‘…What on earth are they thinking?’

But I didn’t have time to think more deeply about it.

“Bye! I’m really going now!”

“…”

Hop, hop, hop-!

Because Dorico Shiro stretched both arms forward and disappeared deep into the forest.

I stared blankly at the spot where she had vanished and shook my head.

‘Well, it’s not a problem I need to dig into right now.’

Whatever the Evil Gods’ intentions were, I had more urgent matters.

I hurried to prepare for departure.

“Let’s head to Wintershield now.”

* * *

The Forest of the Heavenly Sea was located in a remote place, making it difficult to find a carriage.

In the end, we had to return to Central City Centerium to arrange transportation.

‘Unfortunately, Dano isn’t with us this time, so unexpected events might occur…’

Well, there probably wouldn’t be any major problems anyway.

Since level 85 Adelia and 7th-tier mage Isaac Beriloff were with me.

Step, step-.

Even while walking toward Central City Centerium, my mind was constantly working.

Among my thoughts, the biggest portion was naturally occupied by this notification window that had appeared a few hours ago.

〔Strawberry Latte has started their 200th playthrough.〕

〔A second player is entering the world.〕

‘Another Possessed One has appeared.’

With this, everything became certain.

My speculation had been correct after all. The Saintess had been trying to warn about more players possessing characters in the future.

‘I’m not flustered.’

Was it because I had somewhat expected this situation? Or was my maxed-out mental strength helping me even in a situation like this?

Even after seeing the notification that a new Possessed One had appeared, I was able to maintain my composure.

To be honest, I was even somewhat pleased. It meant I had gained a companion who shared the same circumstances as me.

‘Strawberry Latte.’

Ranked 2nd in the Hall of Fame.

She was my closest junior among the players and the one I had shared the most information with.

We’ve known each other for over ten years.

We’ve met several times at offline community gatherings, and we’ve met one-on-one quite a few times too.

‘Strawberry Latte will be a great help to me.’

There were many ways I could utilize him as an ally.

I didn’t know his detailed specs yet, so I couldn’t make concrete plans, but at least one thing was certain – we would have to share the same goal.

He, like me, had to survive in this world, and ultimately had to save the world from its end.

That was the fate of players who had possessed characters in this world.

‘Just having someone with the same goal as me is beneficial. Especially when we both know Lost Elder well.’

Moreover, Strawberry Latte was someone who only played mages.

If he had created his character normally, he would have possessed a mage with tremendous magical power and various talents.

‘The existence of an excellent mage would be a great help to me.’

That’s why confirming Strawberry Latte’s safety was most important right now.

I had finally gained a companion to navigate through this damned world together – there would be nothing more terrible than him suddenly dying.

Having made that judgment, I sent a message to check on Strawberry Latte’s situation.

[The Protagonist (me): Congratulations on your possession.]

[The Protagonist (me): Wintershield Magic Academy?]

One of the newly activated ‘Community’ functions.

Namely, sending messages.

* * *

“….”

Swoosh-.

The young man who opened his eyes surveyed his surroundings with a cold gaze.

A narrow, dark prison cell. Rotten straw was scattered on the floor, and a candle hanging on the wall dimly illuminated the area.

Clank-.

He reflexively tried to move his body, but iron chains binding his wrists and ankles restricted his movement.

The musty, rotten smell penetrating his nostrils. Screams and groans coming from beyond the walls. Rough, anxious breathing sounds.

All his senses were too vivid for this to be a dream.

“Damn it….”

The young man cursed under his breath.

A helpless smile hung on the corner of his lips.

It had already been half a day since he was trapped in this damn prison. He could no longer deny this absurd reality.

“…Of all things to experience in life, I even get to possess a character inside a game.”

He could only let out a hollow laugh at the absurd situation. It was so ridiculous that he didn’t even feel fear.

‘Unless….’

〔Trait: Cool-headed Mind〕

…he was barely maintaining his sanity thanks to the trait he had added when creating his character.

Just then.

“Have you come to your senses, slave.”

Thump, thump-.

Approaching footsteps. A man wearing a loose robe stopped in front of the iron bars, holding a plate in one hand.

His appearance, with a pointed hat pulled low over his head, was familiar.

The young man quietly muttered the man’s name in his mind.

‘Lugwin, the Magic Academy Assistant.’

An NPC that anyone who played Lost Elder would know.

Rugwin Instructor was the first person a mage character would encounter at their starting point.

“Eat.”

Slide-.

Rugwin Instructor pushed a bowl into the prison with an indifferent expression.

“It’s oat porridge. It tastes like shit, but it’ll be enough to stave off hunger.”

“….”

The young man silently stared at the oat porridge that gave off a disgusting smell.

Just yesterday he had been sitting in front of his computer enjoying crispy chicken, but now this terrible food was his only option.

But what could he do?

Realizing there was no other alternative, the young man reluctantly brought his face close to the plate.

Then he began lapping up the oat porridge like an animal.

“Wise choice.”

Rugwin Instructor watched this scene with a somewhat satisfied expression.

“The ‘ritual’ will take place in five days. If you want to live, you’d better conserve your strength until then.”

The young man’s expression turned cold.

‘…I know.’

The Magic Academy’s ritual.

No.

To be precise, the ceremony conducted by the Holy See hidden in the shadows of Wintershield Magic Academy.

This was the first gateway that every mage character had to pass through.

Just as warrior characters faced Barbarian the Slayer of Men at the Underground Arena, mages would begin their real journey after going through this ritual.

‘The general framework is as I know it.’

The Dungeon of the Magic University.

Rugwin Instructor’s meal service and conversation. And the ritual that would unfold in five days.

‘But….’

The young man couldn’t shake off a strange sense of unease.

The overall flow was similar, but something was subtly off in the details.

“Listen carefully, Prisoner 32.”

…Just like now.

“If you want to live, keep your wits about you from now on. Especially make sure to prove your worth in the ritual.”

“….”

“You seem to have more grit than the others, so I’m giving you advice.”

Pause-.

The young man who had been lapping at the oat porridge bowl froze.

‘Something’s wrong.’

Players who opened their eyes in the Magic Academy’s underground prison were always called Prisoner 7. Not 32.

This had been the case without a single exception during nearly 200 gameplay sessions.

‘It’s different from the original story.’

Actually, he had noticed several other strange things.

There were always 5 slave NPCs in the prison besides the player.

But no matter how much he looked around, he couldn’t find them. All he could see were unfamiliar slaves.

From the circumstances, it was certain he had possessed a character in Lost Elder. But somehow the flow didn’t match the original 100%.

In this confusing situation, the young man couldn’t help but frown.

‘What the hell is going on….’

Ding-!

[The Protagonist: Congratulations on your possession.]

[The Protagonist: Wintershield Magic Academy?]

“…!”

A system window suddenly appeared before his eyes.

Upon seeing this, The Young Man made an expression as if he had seen a ghost.

Drip drip—.

Oat porridge began to drool down from between his gaping mouth.

“What the hell?”

Witnessing this sight, Rugwin Instructor frowned deeply, then shook his head from side to side as he walked away.

“Damn it. I thought maybe a somewhat decent kid had come, but this bastard’s condition is no good either.”

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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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