Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 87

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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 87

Episode 87. Emergency Strategy Meeting (1)

Pfft-.

I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Strawberry Latte’s appearance as he spoke his inner thoughts without any filter was just too amusing.

Well, it was only because we were close enough that this kind of conversation was possible.

‘That straightforward way of speaking is still the same.’

Seeing his unchanged appearance even after being possessed into this grim dark fantasy world made me feel strangely glad.

‘Still, it puts my mind at ease.’

I had been exhausted from constantly putting on airs, pretending to be strong, and acting arrogant like any other Sword Master…

But temporarily dropping the act and behaving as my complete ‘self’ rather than ‘Gaon’ finally made me feel like I could breathe.

Is this why people are so happy to meet fellow countrymen in foreign lands?

Moreover, since we met in a different dimension, this was literally a ‘dimensionally different’ kind of joy.

Hahaha.

“No, but seriously, hyung.”

While I was having such trivial thoughts.

Strawberry Latte looked at me and asked a question.

“How did you manage to accomplish all this in just one month?”

Actually, Strawberry Latte’s reaction was completely natural.

After all, the achievements I had accomplished would take several months even when playing the game.

But now that Roel had become reality, accomplishing all this in just one month was truly impossible.

‘Ah, of course…’

…That was only the case for ‘ordinary characters.’

“It’s all thanks to a hidden skill.”

Dumping all my stats to commemorate my 200th playthrough was a stroke of genius.

What if it hadn’t been 【Soul of the Sword Master】?

I guarantee there would have been no dreams or hope.

I wouldn’t have even survived against Barbarian the Slayer of Men at the Underground Arena in the first place.

But hearing my answer, Strawberry Latte frowned slightly and asked back.

“A hidden skill? You mean that 【Soul of the Sword Master】 thing? What exactly does that effect do?”

“…Didn’t I explain it to you?”

“Other than saying it was a skill you got from dumping points into sword talent, not really.”

Ah, right.

Come to think of it, I got possessed into the game right after taking a screenshot and sending it.

After Strawberry Latte came in, I was busy sending other information within the message limit and had no time to explain my situation.

‘No wonder he doesn’t know.’

Having thought that far, I roughly explained the effects of 【Soul of the Sword Master】 to him.

“Wow, shit…”

And hearing my explanation, Strawberry Latte let out a quiet exclamation.

“…That’s really fucking overpowered? No wonder it was classified as 12-star mythic grade.”

Exactly.

Honestly, even I thought it was a really ridiculous skill.

Of course, to desperately survive in this grim world, you’d need at least this much ability.

“But… now that I think about it, even with that skill, I don’t think I could have done what you did, hyung.”

“Why?”

“Well, where else would you find someone who could utilize a 0.01-second instant kill so well.”

Strawberry Latte continued speaking.

“There’s no one but you, hyung, who could plan such a meticulous growth route as a glass cannon with average base stats of 1, right?”

“…”

“And even if someone made a perfect plan, I think they would have failed midway due to lack of guts and decisiveness.”

Hearing those words, I fell into silent thought.

‘Yeah, well…’

I’ll admit it.

Though it’s awkward for me to say this myself, no one else could have succeeded with this plan.

Looking back at my journey so far, I had chosen only recklessly dangerous paths.

Moments where a single mistake could have turned everything to nothing.

Yet the reason I could stubbornly survive like this was more due to the experience and knowledge accumulated over 200 playthroughs than simply the skill 【Soul of the Sword Master】.

And having such decisiveness and guts was… probably just thanks to the MAX mental strength stat bonus.

“Anyway.”

Then, Strawberry Latte looked at me and said.

“Thanks to you, I’m alive. If it hadn’t been for you, hyung, I would have died helplessly.”

“…”

“I’m really grateful. I mean this sincerely.”

Swoosh-.

I also looked at him silently.

Though many changes had occurred to his body while passing through The Adversary’s ritual, his pinkish hair remained the same.

A hair color that strangely suited the nickname Strawberry Latte.

It was the character customization he insisted on every time he played the game.

‘Yun Jeong-ho.’

That was Strawberry Latte’s name.

A study bug who graduated from science high school, completed bachelor’s and master’s courses in mechanical engineering at Y University, then moved to MIT to pursue his doctorate.

A gamer who relieved academic stress by playing Roel in his spare time and ended up reaching 2nd place in the honor rankings.

And now…

A companion who had become someone I could completely open my heart to, when I had felt isolated and alone in this world.

“I’m grateful too.”

“Huh? For what?”

“Well, now I have a partner to suffer together with from now on. Thanks to you, I can reduce my suffering a bit.”

“Uh, umm…”

Strawberry Latte made an uneasy expression.

“…Suffering together? What exactly is your next plan that makes you say such things?”

I stared at him intently without saying a word.

Did he sense something strange in that gaze?

Strawberry Latte flinched and asked back with an anxious look.

“Wait. Why aren’t you answering? What exactly are you thinking about…”

“Jeong-ho.”

Strawberry Latte.

No, Yun Jeong-ho blinked his eyes.

“You know what the most comfortable way to proceed through Lost Elder is, right?”

“That’s…”

After hesitating for a moment, he answered.

“…Planting one of my people in each major faction.”

As expected of Strawberry Latte.

Befitting his 2nd place ranking, he readily provided the answer I wanted.

“Exactly. And I’ve already secured two factions.”

“…”

Lea de Karayan of the Ruin Guild.

And Adelia, Sikan Bauer, and Arwen of Middle Temple.

They had all become my allies.

“But Wintershield Magic Academy doesn’t have anyone I can truly trust yet, does it?”

But tada.

Coincidentally, the perfect person has appeared here.

Someone well-versed in mage characters, who knows the entire storyline, and can perfectly understand my actions.

And above all, someone who has walked the elite path since high school, dedicating himself to ‘study’ and ‘research’ – someone with a background that suits a magic academy more than anyone else.

“Jeong-ho.”

“….”

“This is really an embarrassing request.”

Tap-.

I placed my hand on Yun Jeong-ho’s shoulder.

There was only one way to develop him into a key figure at Wintershield Magic Academy.

“You’re going to be a graduate student here too.”

“Fuck hyung what the hell are you saying I finally escaped from being a graduate student after possessing this game and even got out of my slave status at the magic academy so why are you suddenly trying to make me a slave again.”

* * *

Hop, hop-.

In the heart of the Abyss, a dark corridor where not a single ray of light penetrated.

“Hmm~ Hum~.”

Dorico Shiro hummed a tune as she cheerfully ran through the hallway.

Soon entering a crypt, she greeted everyone energetically.

“Hello! It’s been a while, everyone….”

Pause-.

But Dorico Shiro had to lower her voice.

For some reason, the atmosphere in the room was unsettling.

Of course, the Round Table Meeting always proceeded with a serious atmosphere, but this silence felt distinctly different.

Should I say there was a more sticky and eerie tension in the air?

“….”

“….”

“….”

A room shrouded in darkness.

Three silhouettes sat silently around the round table.

Though their outlines were blurry, Dorico Shiro could immediately identify them.

They all had very distinctive silhouettes.

Rustle-.

Among them, the knight in dark red armor turned his body.

The knight had no head above his neck. In its place floated only a black sphere.

Part of the sphere suddenly tore open.

A hideous mouth was revealed, taking up the entire face. Through that grotesque gap, dark red fangs protruded in rows.

“You’re late.”

“….”

“Hurry and take your seat, Dorico Shiro.”

“…Y, yes.”

Thud-.

Dorico Shiro cautiously took her place in the empty seat.

Even she, who had encountered all sorts of terrible curses and bizarre rituals as part of daily life, couldn’t help but feel chills in front of that mysterious knight.

The black sphere writhed once more.

When speaking, the hideous mouth would tear open and appear, and when listening, twisted ears would protrude from the sides of the sphere.

When looking at someone, bloodshot eyeballs would pop out.

The eerie sight of each organ appearing and disappearing only when needed was something she could never get used to, no matter how many times she saw it.

“Now that everyone has gathered, let’s begin the meeting.”

The knight led the meeting on behalf of everyone.

“You know why we’ve been summoned today, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

The woman sitting across from him answered with a seductive voice.

Where her hair should have been, several tentacles could be seen writhing.

“‘They’ already told us everything. Camillo is dead, right?”

“…Yes.”

Nod-.

The knight heavily nodded his head.

His gaze turned to the empty seat at the round table.

Including Dorico Shiro, four people occupied seats, but only one seat engraved with a skull pattern remained empty.

It was the seat where Camillo von Taribas sat at every gathering.

“Taribas’s empty seat feels particularly hollow today.”

“….”

“Though he has left our side, his art will remain forever in our memories.”

Hearing those words, Dorico Shiro pursed her lips and snorted.

‘Hah! Art my ass…!’

Camillo von Taribas.

To Dorico Shiro, he was nothing more than a bizarre pervert.

That perverted lich had invited her to his exhibition hall several times.

He thought that as a necromancer, she would understand his ‘art.’

─You’re also an expert in handling the dead, so you should be able to properly appreciate my work, right?

─… U, uh. It’s, it’s wonderful. The best. Wow.

Naturally, Dorico Shiro had never once truly liked Camillo’s art.

His works were just grotesque and cruel.

‘I, I was just scared so I pretended to like it….’

How could she understand a mindset that praised the dead and made them objects of amusement?

For Dorico Shiro, necromancy was merely a means to an end.

In contrast, for Camillo, corpses themselves were the purpose.

‘…Gaon’s sword was far more artistic.’

That strike she witnessed that day in the Forest of the Heavenly Sea.

Even as her consciousness was fading, she couldn’t forget that beautiful sword strike that simultaneously cut through Haewolsumo’s spirit and the barrier.

She thought it might have been a hallucination before fainting, but when she later asked Gaon about it… that strike was real ‘reality.’

Truly, it was a beautiful sight on a completely different level from the perverted lich’s disgusting art.

“No, so.”

The tentacled woman across from her spoke up.

“Camillo being dead is one thing… but why exactly did you call this meeting?”

The knight answered.

“They told us.”

“….”

“The Thirteenth Sword Master who killed our dear Lord Taribas also killed The Adversary last night.”

“What…?”

Gasp-.

The other three were shocked to hear this.

The Adversary. A genius mage who had achieved immortality through his own power alone.

None of the Five Nightmares were unaware of his existence.

Even if they weren’t particularly close, immortals inevitably had some degree of interaction with each other.

“If, if that’s true….”

The Third Nightmare, who had been quiet until now, opened his mouth. Trembling all over, he began nervously chewing his nails with an anxious expression.

“…He, he’s not planning to hunt down all the Immortals, is he? Am I next? What should I do? If he’s strong enough to kill Camillo and The Adversary a month apart, he must be incredibly powerful!”

“Calm down. That’s why I’ve gathered everyone here—to discuss how to deal with this.”

Swoosh-.

The Knight, having calmed the coward, turned his gaze toward Dorico Shiro.

Three bloodshot eyeballs and one elongated mouth protruded from his black sphere.

“Dorico Shiro, I heard you recently encountered the Thirteenth Sword Master in the Forest of the Heavenly Sea.”

“…Mmhm.”

“Tell us what kind of person he is. You’re the only one among us who has directly faced him.”

“Uh, umm….”

Dorico Shiro fell into thought for a moment.

The other three began staring intently at her.

“Well, I guess? He was really kind and nice though?”

“…?”

“We became best friends right away, hehe.”

Pause-.

For a moment, the meeting room fell into complete silence.

Everyone looked at Dorico Shiro with bewildered and dumbfounded expressions.

Regardless, Dorico Shiro just giggled with a bright expression.

“It would be super fun if you guys became friends with him too! I’ll introduce you later!”

“….”

“….”

“….”

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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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