The God-Possessed Swordsmanship Genius - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Sword Genius Who Was Blessed by a Spirit, Chapter 13

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The carriage that had dropped Meiran off at the city raced toward the dungeon.
The dungeon sat on a cliff far from Villerman Territory. The mountainside, where no one traveled, was too steep for a horse to climb.

“I think this is as far as I can take you.”
“Thank you for your trouble. And the meal was excellent. I see that the places drivers frequent really do serve the best food.”
“Oh, don’t mention it. I’m the one who owes you a debt I’ll never fully repay.”
“If our paths cross again, we’ll talk. Be careful on the way back.”

Allen exchanged farewells with the driver. Once he saw the carriage turn its reins and disappear, Allen began to climb the mountain at an unhurried pace.
Finding the dungeon was not difficult.
The trails of monsters that had poured out of the dungeon pointed the way.
Above all else.

“…we have to go…”
“The numbers are…”

As he drew closer, voices reached his ears.

‘There are people here?’

Had someone from the territory come out to hunt?
If so, there weren’t many of them. Only a few voices carried, and there were few signs of anyone nearby.
When he came close enough to see, only three people stood before the cliff where the dungeon’s entrance yawned.

“Isn’t it a bit reckless for us to try clearing this by ourselves?”
“What good are numbers? I’m here, aren’t I?”
“We’d like to find more party members, but that’s not easy. Mercenaries and adventurers alike are full of cowards.”

From what he could tell, they were adventurers who had gathered to conquer the dungeon.
Allen knew how these adventurers’ stories would end. He couldn’t say who would die and who would survive, but one thing was certain: none of them would be the one to unravel the dungeon’s secret.
Because the dungeon’s secret would only come to light three years from now.
Allen hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward.
He let his presence show as he approached, and the three adventurers soon spotted him.

“Who’s that coming?”
“Is he alone?”

The three adventurers were both intrigued and suspicious of Allen.
They did need new party members, but the sight of a lone figure approaching the dungeon struck them as odd.
Allen stepped forward first and greeted them with a smile.

“Good to meet you. Are you all gathered here because of this dungeon?”

The one who answered Allen’s greeting was a burly man who stood a good head taller than him.

“That’s right. I’ll say this upfront: the right to clear this dungeon first belongs to us. Do you have companions?”
“Unfortunately, I’m alone.”
“Alone?”

The man studied Allen with narrowed, doubtful eyes.
He came to this dungeon alone? Who do you think you are?
The man’s gaze raked over Allen from head to toe. The youthful face gave off an impression of being easy to handle.

“Can you even wield a sword?”
“It’s not just for show, you know.”

At Allen’s reply, the man who had been deliberating turned his head. He glanced back at the others in the party.

“What should we do?”

A polite question.
He was passing the decision about Allen onto someone else.
Allen followed the man’s gaze. The one he was seeking an opinion from was the narrow-eyed man of the two.
A tall man wearing a sword nearly as long as himself.
He was the one who held the reins of this party.

When the narrow-eyed man gave a nod, the man blocking Allen’s path spoke up.

“If you want to enter the dungeon, join our party. Of course, if we find treasure inside, it’ll be divided according to Contribution Points.”
“Sounds good.”

He had stepped forward with exactly that in mind, so Allen’s answer came without a moment’s hesitation.
Of course, that didn’t mean he intended to share every treasure in the dungeon with them. Allen absolutely needed the Star Flower that grew in this dungeon.

“Let’s exchange names, at least. I’m Baudon.”
“I’m Yusia.”
“Mikel Gargia.”

The narrow-eyed man, who had given his name last, carried a family name.
Meaning he was no ordinary adventurer.
Just then, the hulking man who had introduced himself as Baudon added an introduction for Mikel.

“Mikel here is a swordsman from Bishuken, no less.”
“…?”

From Bishuken?
Allen looked at Mikel with a puzzled expression. Mikel still wore his haughty face, arms folded across his chest.
An expression brimming with confidence and pride.
Allen began to understand why these three would venture to clear a dungeon with only three people.

‘So they’re banking on that guy.’

It was the power of the name Bishuken. A swordsman from such a prestigious house would surely find a backwater dungeon like this to be nothing at all.

‘The other two seem fairly capable, too.’

Yusia was a young woman who looked to be around Allen’s age. She held a staff instead of a sword, and a faint, well-composed aura emanated from her.
Two swordsmen and one mage.
Few in number, but a party with a respectable makeup.

Once all three had given their names, Allen introduced himself.

“I’m Allen. Pleased to work with you.”

Allen greeted them with an affable smile. At the same time, he looked at Mikel, the swordsman who had been said to come from Bishuken.
Just then, Mikel, who had been watching Allen, met his gaze.
After holding eyes for a while, Mikel turned his head away. His attention drifted back toward the dungeon.
Watching him like that, Allen wore a meaningful smile.

‘A swordsman from Bishuken, huh…’

Well, now. Is that so?

* * *

The four of them formed a party and entered the dungeon at once.
It was Yusia’s magic that lit up the depths of the cave.
Light, a basic 1-Star spell.
A sphere the size of a fist appeared and pushed back the darkness of the cave.

Leading the way were Baudon and Mikel.
Baudon, especially broad in build, held a large shield in one hand and took the front position.
Yusia, a mage, and Allen were at the back. Baudon played the part of party leader and ordered Allen to cover the rear.
Allen, following slowly behind Baudon and Mikel, asked a question.

“How did you three come to meet?”

It was Yusia who answered Allen’s question.

“I was hired by these two. They said they needed a mage to light up the way if we were going to clear the dungeon.”
“And what about the two of them?”
“They knew each other before me, of course. From what I heard, Baudon was so taken with Sir Mikel’s skill that he decided to join the expedition.”

At Yusia’s words, Baudon, who had been walking ahead, snorted and spoke up.

“It’s only natural for a swordsman to admire a stronger one, isn’t it?”
“Didn’t I tell you to stop laying it on so thick?”
“Ha, there’s no need to be so modest. A Bishuken swordsman isn’t just anyone who can call himself one.”

Judging by the look of it, Baudon seemed to be following Mikel simply because of the Bishuken name. Mikel, for his part, seemed to quietly enjoy Baudon’s praise.

“Hey, kid. It’s Allen, right?”

Mikel, on the other hand, looked down on Allen in a subtle way.
He was young and had joined the party last, so to him Allen seemed like an easy target.

“Keep this in mind. Your job is to protect the mage. Got it? If you go running around getting in the way and the mage gets hurt, then the split or whatever else doesn’t matter, I’ll just…”
“That’s enough. Don’t go stirring up trouble.”
“Yes, sir!”

Baudon shut his mouth at Mikel’s words. At this point, he was hardly a party member at all; he was practically a subordinate.
Then, for the first time, Mikel showed interest in Allen and asked him a question.

“So, young friend. Where did you learn the sword?”
“At home.”
“Home? Was your father a swordsman, perhaps?”
“Yes.”
“He must have been a fine man, to teach his son the sword so early.”

Mikel clearly had no idea that the father in question was Axion Bishuken.
Remembering that Mikel was a swordsman from Bishuken, Allen asked a question of his own.

“When did you leave Bishuken?”

For just a moment, Mikel hesitated before answering.

“About two years ago.”
“That’s not very long. Which unit did you belong to? Eun Ryong Dae? Bi Geom Dae?”

At Allen’s question, Mikel’s eyes turned cold.

“Why do you ask that?”
“You said you were from Bishuken, so I’m curious. Is there a swordsman anywhere who doesn’t admire the Bishuken swordsmen?”
“You’re curious about pointless things. I belonged to Yeol Geom Dae. Satisfied?”
“Ah, Yeol Geom Dae. I’ve heard plenty about your reputation.”
“Hold your idle chatter. It’s bad manners to ask about the past of someone you’ve only just met today.”

Mikel reacted sharply to Allen’s words. Seizing on the opening, Baudon glared at Allen and let out a growl.
The look in his eyes was enough to suggest he might kill someone right then and there.

“You. Watch yourself.”

For a while Baudon kept growling at Allen before he jerked his head away.
Perhaps troubled by the reactions of the two men, Yusia tried to soothe Allen.

“Don’t let it bother you. Both of them are on edge because we’ve entered the dungeon, that’s all.”
“It’s fine. I don’t really mind.”

Skritch.

Just then, Mikel drew his sword and halted in his tracks. He stared into the darkness beyond the reach of the magical light.
Blood-red eyes appeared up ahead, right after that.

Grrrrr.
Grrr, yip, yip-yip!

Where the light touched, wolf-like monsters emerged.
Dorvi.
Wolf-kin monsters that roamed in packs of at least five or more.
Not especially large, but strong and quick on their feet, lesser monsters all the same.
Mikel shouted.

“Eight Dorvi. Here they come!”

Kkeong!

The pack of Dorvi lunged. Baudon braced his shield firm and drew his sword.

“Come on, you sons of bitches!”

Bang!

Baudon slammed his shield into a Dorvi. He was the sort who fought with brute bulk.
While Baudon held the front against the Dorvi, Mikel leapt up toward the cave ceiling.
It was a light jump, yet it carried him well above Baudon’s height.
Allen kept Yusia protected at the rear and watched the two of them fight for a moment.

‘That big guy is more about defense than offense, and that Mikel fellow…’

Swish!

Mikel’s long sword flashed. A Dorvi’s body, cleanly split in two, dropped to the floor.
Swinging that long blade without hesitation, and twisting its arc toward the next target, both showed considerable skill.

‘He’s the real deal.’

I could see now why Baudon trailed after Mikel so devotedly.
He was clearly several times stronger than Baudon.
He wielded that long blade as though it weighed nothing, and a Dorvi’s body was cut clean through in one stroke. He looked light on his feet, but it meant the strength behind his sword was considerable.

Still, there was one odd thing.

‘I’ve never seen this swordsmanship in Bishuken.’

Allen called up the swordsmanship of Bishuken that he carried in his memory.
For one thing, Bishuken rarely used a long sword like that. There were a few who did, but they were an extreme minority.

‘The closest might be the Soa Sword of the Baekho Dae. But its form is far too open for that.’

Allen recalled Mikel’s answer from earlier.

“You’re asking pointless questions. I was with the Yeol Geom Dae. Satisfied?”

As far as Allen knew, the Yeol Geom Dae had no swordsmanship like this. Their techniques belonged mostly to the strong-sword school, built on explosive force.
Had he named the Baekho Dae, Allen might have wondered. But the form of this style was nothing like the Yeol Geom Dae’s, not even close.
The conclusion was simple.

‘A fake.’

An adventurer trading on Bishuken’s name.
It wasn’t the kind of thing one ran into every day.
If word got out that he had passed himself off as Bishuken, then no matter how skilled he was, the moment he was caught, death was the only outcome.
Yet he didn’t look foolish enough to be unaware of that.

‘What could he possibly gain by risking the danger of impersonating Bishuken?’

Before Allen knew it, Mikel had cut down a pack of Dorvi and turned his head.
When his eyes met Allen’s, there was a faint, strange displeasure in his expression.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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