Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 8

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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 8

Episode 8. Adelia von Goldhart (1)

“Phew….”

Fortunately, I was able to quickly escape from the Underworld Arena.

At first, I was confused by the gap between the game’s graphics and reality, but as time passed, I gradually became accustomed to finding my way.

Having exited the Underworld Arena, I immediately began walking toward my next destination.

‘By now, Karayan must have realized that Seorineul is a fake, right?’

Well, that’s probably highly likely.

After all, the appraisers of the Ruin Guild are exceptionally skilled.

Their precision appraisal accuracy was on par with the “Relic Exploration Society” that professionally excavated items while traveling across the continent, which said it all.

Most importantly, if Karayan examined Seorineul once more in detail with his 【Golden Eye】 skill….

‘…No, wait.’

Come to think of it, Karayan’s abilities are unstable at this point in time.

He hasn’t completed his awakening yet.

Rather, the limited information provided by his skill might cause confusion in his appraisal work.

Perhaps Karayan’s unwavering belief that Seorineul was genuine was also due to this reason.

‘I’m sure there was a story where he suffered greatly from trusting his unstable skill too much….’

Ah, whatever.

My head hurts, so that’s enough about Karayan’s situation.

Anyway, I won’t have to face her for a while.

‘I need to rest for now.’

Is it because I experienced too many things at once?

I was really tired. I felt like I could collapse from exhaustion at any moment.

My vision was spinning dizzily and my head was throbbing.

…It was admirable that I had endured this much with a frail body whose stats were all plastered with 1s.

‘I’ve finally arrived at my destination.’

Step by step-.

Having arrived at the city center, I slowly looked around.

A dark and stuffy city where not a ray of sunlight penetrated.

There were many people wandering the streets, but it was rare to find anyone among them who looked decent.

Those who staggered and grinned as if intoxicated by drugs. And those whose lost body parts had been replaced with magitech machinery.

It was a place that clearly exuded an illegal and sinister atmosphere.

‘Dungarrd, the Dark City’

That was the name of this place.

The stronghold of the Ruin Guild located on the outskirts of the continent’s southwest.

It was a lawless zone formed as vicious criminals exiled from other cities gathered one by one.

Due to the nature of the region, various criminal groups had once coiled up here, but after bloody battles between organizations, it was ultimately the Ruin Guild that seized control.

At this point in time, it was safe to say that this entire city was practically under Karayan’s grasp.

‘Here it is.’

Standing tall-.

While walking the streets with various thoughts, I stopped in front of a building.

Unlike other shabby structures built haphazardly, this was a lodging facility that was fairly neat and stylishly decorated.

Above its signboard, the following name was written:

【Ruins Royal Stay】

One of the few top-class hotels within the worldview of Loel.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say this was the safest place in Dungarrd, the Dark City.

‘The accommodation fee is ridiculously expensive, but it guarantees security and service worth that price.’

For me, who needed a place to rest comfortably right away, it was a perfect location.

The expensive accommodation fee could be solved with the money Karayan had given me.

Having walked to the hotel lobby, I immediately reserved a room. Then, following the staff’s guidance, I moved through corridors and stairs toward the guest room.

Before long, I was able to arrive in front of my room.

“Please have a comfortable rest.”

Creak, thud-.

I closed the door behind the politely greeting staff member.

Had my stamina reached its limit? Even climbing the stairs just now had made my legs tremble.

I wanted to quickly lie down on the bed and soothe this exhausted body.

“Phew….”

I collapsed onto the blanket.

The soft mattress enveloped my entire body.

As tension released, drowsiness rushed over me.

This was the first comfort I had felt since falling into this world.

“….”

Slowly-.

With my face buried in the pillow, I slowly turned to look to the side.

Before I knew it, the sky visible through the window had grown dim. It meant that this long, long day had finally ended.

Only then could I truly realize it.

…The fact that I had survived and emerged from the Tutorial Point, the Underworld Arena, which was called a living hell.

‘I really survived.’

Clearing the tutorial without dying.

It was an Achievement that many veteran gamers had attempted, but no one had ever succeeded in achieving.

Of course, since the system was designed so that players would inevitably die.

But not only did I survive the tutorial, I even killed Barbarian the Slayer of Men.

On top of that, I had also extorted the Feather Sword and 100 million shillings from the Ruin Guild.

Achieving such accomplishments in the early part of the game, and with a body whose average stats were 1, was encouraging.

‘If I had made even the slightest mistake, I would have lost my life.’

I recalled everything that had happened during the day.

The battle with Barbarian the Slayer of Men, the meeting I had with Karayan on the upper floor of the Underworld Arena, and so on.

My life and death had hung in the balance in each and every one of those situations.

It felt like walking a precarious tightrope.

Perhaps that’s why this comfortable moment felt even more precious.

“….”

On the other hand, I was also worried.

Since I had fallen into this damned world, I would have to continue facing dangers like today’s.

No matter how much I had the 【Soul of the Sword Master】, surviving in the world of Loel with a body whose average ability scores were 1 was never going to be easy.

‘So….’

I need to make a plan.

A plan to somehow survive in this damned world.

* * *

Step, step-.

The next morning.

Having left the hotel, I walked through the city streets while reviewing the plan I had made last night.

‘First, I need to build up my strength.’

Strength.

In this primitive world, strength was more important than anything else.

Of course, I have the trump card called 【Soul of the Sword Master】, but…

‘…There are some issues with entrusting my safety and well-being to this one ability right now.’

First of all, the skill’s duration is only 0.01 seconds.

In a situation where I don’t know what kind of crisis might strike, it would be dangerous to act carelessly relying only on that brief moment.

‘More importantly, the skill’s cooldown time is quite long too.’

Actually, the skill itself is an on/off type, so there’s no separate cooldown like that, but…

〔MP : 0/1〕

…Because both the mana pool and mana regeneration stats are 1, a forced cooldown was created.

Look.

Even after sleeping through the night, my MP is still 0, isn’t it?

‘Since my magic stat is 1, it should probably recover around now…’

〔MP : 0/1〕

Tick-.

〔MP : 1/1〕

‘…There we go.’

Actually, the solution to this problem is very simple.

Without any need to worry, I just need to continuously raise stats related to magic power.

Then I’ll be able to kill all enemies before me with just a ‘click’ of the skill.

‘But…’

Swoosh-.

I stopped thinking for a moment.

Then I looked up at the translucent window floating above my head.

【Lv. 1】

Originally, my level should have been much higher than it is now.

After all, I had defeated Barba the Slayer of Men, who was Lv. 71.

Having killed him while at level 1, it should have been a situation where tremendous experience points came in.

…That is, if this were a ‘game’, that would be the case.

‘But this isn’t a game, it’s reality.’

Well, from this I can deduce one more fact.

The system visible to my eyes now was merely a tool that visually showed my current state.

It means convenient growth through leveling up to raise stats like when playing a game is impossible.

‘Besides, considering the ‘setting’ of Lost Elder…’

Actually, getting stronger easily through leveling up was impossible from the start.

‘…Therefore, I must become stronger through other methods.’

And last night.

The first method that came to mind was this.

【Sacred Piece】

Sacred Piece literally means ‘sacred fragment’.

It’s set as remnants of ancient gods scattered throughout the continent…

Well, simply put, you can think of it as rewards players get for clearing specific 「trials」.

‘The types of rewards are varied.’

Skills, traits, potions, resources.

From minor items to high-tier equipment including divine artifacts.

Whatever they were, they were sufficient items to make the current me more powerful.

‘Of course, with this pathetically weak body, I can’t go get Sacred Pieces.’

Going around stirring up trials with a body that has average stats of 1?

That’s nonsense. It would be no different from suicide.

Therefore, the clever plan I devised was as follows.

‘First, let’s get carried.’

Getting carried.

The act of riding on the back of an NPC with high stats.

These days, the expression ‘taking the bus’ is also frequently used.

I planned to recruit an NPC to clear trials in my place and then assign them the dirty work. Of course, I’d gulp down the rewards.

“…”

Then the problem that arises here.

Where exactly would I find this bus driver?

And even if I found a driver, how on earth would I make them work for me?

Finding a skilled person who wouldn’t backstab me and would obediently listen to my words was definitely not an easy task.

Especially considering the hopelessly grim worldview of The World of Loel.

‘Of course…’

Fortunately, I didn’t need to worry about this problem.

That’s because since yesterday, a ‘suitable candidate’ had been following me around.

Step-.

An alley in Dungarrd, the Dark City.

Having entered deep into its interior, I stopped walking.

Standing blankly for a moment in the narrow, dark path, I muttered to myself.

“How long do you plan to keep following my tail?”

No answer came back.

Only cold silence flowed.

Nevertheless, I continued my monologue without concern.

“I’m not the patient type.”

“…”

“So I’ll ask one last time. How long do you plan to follow me?”

Silence flowed again.

But this time, that quiet didn’t last long.

Step, step-.

After some hesitation, the sound of someone carefully moving their feet could be heard.

Before long, a woman revealed herself before me.

【Lv. 77】

Lion.

Yes. At first glance, she was a woman who brought to mind a lion, the king of beasts.

Long, disheveled platinum hair and blue eyes. Even small scars visible here and there on her snow-white skin.

I quietly recited in my heart the name of that character I had become familiar with through the monitor while playing Loel.

‘Adelia von Goldhart.’

She was one of the bus driver candidates I had in mind.

“…”

Of course, level 77 isn’t an incredibly powerful expert that could be counted on one hand in this world.

She’s just a skilled person known only in the region.

This vast, vast continent was overflowing with monsters stronger than Adelia. This was evident just from the fact that Roren, the Shadow Knight I met yesterday, was level 84.

Nevertheless, there was only one reason why I wanted to take Adelia von Goldhart with me.

‘Adelia is the character with the highest growth potential among all NPCs in the game.’

In the future, she would kill one of the Twelve Sword Masters and take their place, becoming one of the strongest characters in the world.

I was planning to recruit her as my ally from now on.

It wouldn’t be particularly difficult.

Having played Roel for 12 years, I knew almost everything about Adelia von Goldhart.

‘Including what she truly desires.’

Now it was time to start acting again.

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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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