Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 84

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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 84

Episode 84. The Adversary (6)

“How utterly pathetic. To struggle this much against mere minions of mine.”

“….”

“With such pitiful skills, you thought you could kill me? How disappointing.”

Tsk tsk-.

The Adversary clicked his tongue while mocking us.

The bastard swept his gaze over our incapacitated companions before turning his attention to me.

“Well, at least all the bothersome flies have disappeared and it’s just the two of us now….”

“Not yet!”

Thud-.

A cry came from somewhere.

Adelia, shouting as if squeezing her throat, cut off The Adversary’s words.

Adelia tried desperately to raise her trembling body, but her legs gave out and she collapsed with a thud.

Even so, the will burning in her eyes remained unbroken.

“Not yet… I haven’t fallen! How dare a bastard like you touch Lord Gaon… Urgh!”

Adelia tried somehow to steady her swaying body.

Toward her, I commanded in a firm voice.

“Stay still, Adelia.”

“But….”

“If you step forward now, you’ll only get in the way. That bastard is not an existence you can handle.”

“….”

Clench-.

After hearing my words, Adelia bit her lip and hung her head low.

She must have already known. The fact that The Adversary was not a ‘wall’ that could be easily overcome.

At this, The Adversary burst into a snicker and added mockingly.

“That’s right. Listen obediently to your master’s words. A creature less than an insect would only spoil the fun by interfering.”

The bastard dismissing level 85 Adelia.

But this was absolutely not arrogance or insolence.

The archmage who achieved immortality through his own power alone could kill Adelia with just a gesture.

However….

“That aside, you killed Camillo von Taribas?”

…Even this Adversary began looking at ‘me’, who was merely level 33, with wary eyes.

Slither-.

Snake-like vertically slit pupils turned toward me.

“Seeing how you severed the Living Armor’s regeneration earlier, it doesn’t seem like complete nonsense… Explain properly. What trick did you pull?”

The Adversary growled in a threatening voice. Our companions flinched again at that eerie presence.

Swish-!

But I paid no mind and gripped my feather sword tighter.

The bastard’s expression turned coldly grim as he quietly watched the sword tip.

“Oh my. You have no intention of explaining.”

“It would just waste my breath talking to someone who’s going to die anyway.”

“Ha.”

The Adversary let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded.

Making an expression like he was too flabbergasted to even be angry.

…Of course, I knew.

The real emotion hidden behind that fake composure.

‘Fear.’

That’s right.

The bastard was now inwardly afraid that I might really be able to kill him.

If that weren’t the case, he wouldn’t be running his mouth so uselessly like that.

Originally, scared dogs bark continuously and loudly.

“I’ll ask one last time. How was Camillo’s end?”

The Adversary growled in a low voice.

The reason he asked such a question was none other than this.

‘According to the original setting, The Adversary had a relationship with Camillo von Taribas.’

Hundreds of years ago from now.

Before both became immortals, that is… when they were human.

These two exchanged knowledge as mages pursuing immortality and gave each other advice on research.

Though The Adversary who dreamed of ascension and Camillo who pursued artistic immortality had different purposes, they felt a kind of kinship in their attempts to transcend mortal limitations.

It was natural in a way for such an Adversary to be curious about Camillo’s end.

Of course….

“It was an ugly and filthy end.”

…That didn’t mean I had any reason to honestly convey his final moments to the bastard.

“He was no different from any other ‘coward’ who clings to immortality out of fear of death.”

Twitch-.

Coward.

The Adversary’s mouth corners twisted unpleasantly upon hearing that word.

As if properly provoked by my words, the bastard began spouting off in a highly agitated voice.

“Coward? Isn’t that a word meant for Sword Masters like you lot? Despite having the qualifications to become an ascendant, you’re content playing the role of loyal lapdogs to the old ways….”

“Why is your tongue so long.”

“….”

Thud-.

Silence flowed at my brief remark.

The Adversary, whose words were cut off, began looking down at me with an enraged face.

Regardless, I continued what I had to say.

“I don’t know why immortals all have so much they want to say. Don’t tell me the reason you avoided death was to endlessly run that light mouth of yours?”

“….”

“If you sidestepped death for a lifetime of chatter… Yes. That too would have been a truly worthless life.”

The Adversary’s expression turned eerily cold.

“You bastard, you’re dying to die. Are you desperate to end your short remaining life early?”

Kugugugugugu-!

Black mana began condensing above his palm.

I knew well the identity of that ‘attack’.

Lethal magic that annihilates life itself.

The first pattern signaling the start of Phase 2.

“Fine. I’ll personally grant your wish.”

With those final words, the full-scale battle with The Adversary began.

* * *

Inhale, exhale-.

I breathed rapidly and concentrated.

My mind raced quickly. Though I wasn’t using 【Ritardando】, the world seemed to slow down.

The first pattern of the second phase.

The 「Black Downpour」 that The Adversary fires takes 100% of the player’s HP in one hit.

‘An attack that kills just by grazing.’

A wide-area instant death skill commonly found in other games.

Usually, you had to endure this attack by bringing a high-ranking Cleric NPC as a party member to deploy protective barriers.

Of course, I didn’t have such allies available right now…

‘…But there’s an even better method.’

Kuguugugugu-!

The black mana flowing from The Adversary’s hand condensed tightly.

That mana began to take the form of a fist-sized sphere.

“Die.”

Peoeoeoeng-!

Along with The Adversary’s domineering voice, the sphere exploded.

A deafening roar that seemed to tear at the ears.

Simultaneously, fragments of black mana scattered in all directions.

Kwagwagwagwagwa──!

Black torrential rain pouring from all sides.

The ultimate spell that only transcendents like The Adversary could manifest.

In order to receive the seal from the Crimson Empress, I had already used 【Ritardando】.

But that wouldn’t be a problem.

Thanks to the Dragon Body’s characteristics and my high Sense stat relative to my level, I could react to that attack sufficiently.

‘I’ve already tracked Dorico Shiro’s attacks with my own eyes once before.’

Dorico Shiro’s “Talisman Throwing.”

And The Adversary’s “Black Torrential Rain.”

The projectile speed of these two patterns was almost identical in the game system.

Which means…

‘…I can react this time too.’

Swooooooo-!

Heavy downpour comes crashing down.

Pitch-black mana imbued with the aura of death began striking down without leaving any room to stand.

But I could see it clearly.

Even within the densely packed intervals of the rain, there existed ‘gaps.’ Their direction, speed, and even the regular intervals—I could read it all with my eyes.

‘Familiar.’

It was something I had already done in the not-so-distant past.

A similar sensation to when I visited the Forest of the Heavenly Sea and navigated through the swirling school of Spear Fish.

However, if there was a difference from that time…

Unlike then, when I had to twist my body to find gaps.

This time, it was my turn to directly create ‘gaps’ using my sword.

‘Huu.’

Didn’t I say it before?

The Adversary, who achieved immortality through his own power alone, cannot be killed with ‘one-dimensional attacks.’

Even if he lowered his own status for direct interference, ordinary attacks couldn’t even touch a hair on his head.

This was only natural.

After all, The Adversary was the being who reached the highest realm among mortals born with the fate of death.

Therefore, to kill him, a ‘lethal’ move was necessary.

〔MP : 0/1〕

However, the 12-star mythical skill that had helped me overcome countless crises was unusable.

Indeed, I had already used 【Soul of the Sword Master】 to threaten the Crimson Empress.

‘But there’s nothing to worry about.’

I still had one more lethal move available.

Seureung──!

I tilted the sword tip slightly, just slightly.

Yes.

That alone was sufficient.

“…”

Tuk-.

The black rain streaks flow along the blade.

Tuk, tututul-.

But the droplets didn’t fall. They only formed and reformed along the sharply honed edge.

Just as the droplets were about to fall.

Hwirik-.

I reversed the sword’s direction, controlling the droplets as if defying the laws of gravity.

“What the…!”

The Adversary’s eyes widened in shock.

This wasn’t some trick you could pull off just by having high stats and level.

Overwhelming swordsmanship talent that even made the gods of the Pantheon admire.

I utilized this to its utmost limit, blocking each falling raindrop with my sword.

Juryeok-.

The water droplets that remained at the sword’s tip, unable to scatter, gradually increased in density.

Condensation, accumulation, compression.

‘And then…’

━━━━━━━━━━━━

【Ultimate Auto-Parry】

(Cooldown : 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds)

━━━━━━━━━━━━

…Finally, reflection.

Chaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeng──!

I controlled the Auto-Parry that had evolved to 10 stars according to my will.

Heavy vibration wrapping around my hand.

At the same time, the black droplets that had been lingering on the blade began returning toward The Adversary all at once.

Kwagwagwagwa-!

The torrential rain of death that had changed direction struck the immortal archmage.

* * *

Saaaa-.

The second phase.

Returning the first attack of that phase, “Black Torrential Rain,” right back to The Adversary.

This plan of mine returned as a complete success.

“Keu, keuhuk…!”

Of course, The Adversary didn’t just stand there watching my attack either.

He hastily deployed defensive magic.

However, perfectly blocking a ‘lethal’ spell was a difficult situation even for such an archmage.

The Adversary’s body, struck by the “Black Torrential Rain” he couldn’t fully defend against, had long since become completely battered.

“D-Damn it…! How could this…!”

Thud, thud-.

I walked toward The Adversary.

In contrast, The Adversary crawled pathetically toward the altar.

His body was melting away like liquid…

Thwang-!

“…?”

That’s when it happened.

An unknown barrier blocked my path.

A transparent wall refused to let me advance any further.

“Keh, kehahaha!”

The Adversary burst into laughter. He had already climbed onto the altar.

“Yes. I acknowledge your skill. You’re more skilled than any Sword Master I’ve ever encountered.”

“…”

“Thank you for providing such good entertainment until the very end. But… this amusement ends here.”

Swoosh-.

The Adversary reached his hand over The Young Man’s body.

Soon after, a crimson light illuminated the crypt.

The ritual to insert a soul into a new shell was beginning.

“No!”

Selena screamed.

“W-We have to stop it right now! If that ritual is completed…!”

Everyone in the party wore grave expressions.

But having already reached their physical limits, they couldn’t mount any response.

Everyone watched The Adversary performing the ritual with growing anxiety.

However…

‘Perfect.’

Grin-.

Instead, a smile spread across my lips.

My final plan was proceeding far too smoothly.

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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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