Chapter 161
Chapter 161
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 161
Chapter Title: Chapter 4. Uruun, the Land of Entertainment and Culture
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Blood spurted from the severed neck, slamming into the ceiling before dripping down in heavy drops. The soldiers stared at it as if seeing human blood spray like this for the first time, their faces stiffening rigidly. Judah watched them for a moment, then felt a droplet plop onto his wooden mask from the ceiling.
"Huh?"
Judah turned toward a soldier behind the headless mage's corpse, who let out a voice thick with terror. He swung his sword without hesitation. Slicing through them, frozen in fear, was no great challenge. With the bastard sword's sharp edge enhanced by a blade of mana, it was only a matter of time before they were carved apart, no matter their armor.
Shaaak!
The sensation of flesh parting under his fingertips brought only certainty—no guilt whatsoever. Ignoring their screams with detached calm, Judah glanced back. It seemed each team consisted of one mage and several soldiers.
As they charged, Judah summoned an Altemia, stabbed it into the floor beneath his feet, and activated as he dashed down the corridor.
"Stop him!"
"Grab that bastard and kill him!"
Having witnessed their comrade's death right before their eyes, they charged fearlessly down the blood-soaked hall. The moment their feet hit the pooling blood on the floor, it squelched.
'No fear at all.'
Judah eyed them with pity, then triggered the Altemia embedded in the floor. With just a trickle of mana, the blood on the ground boiled up, and like a pufferfish bristling with spines under threat, the pooled and splattered blood erupted into spikes in all directions.
Pooook! Puk! Puk!
The soldiers and mages, cursing coarsely as they rushed forward, were skewered by the sudden blood-red thorns without any resistance, reduced to gruesome heaps.
"......"
Even Judah, numb to killing, grimaced and turned away from the grotesque scene. Checking , he sprinted toward the stairs leading underground. Nothing in his path—soldier or mage—could stop him as he wielded his fragments.
The instant an Altemia pierced a soldier's body, he became a living bomb. Using the fragments' power without restraint after the first throw turned the mansion into a vision of hell. Thanks to that, he effortlessly slaughtered everyone gathered inside in record time and descended underground.
"Hmm."
A nauseating stench of blood wafted up beneath his mask. Before heading down the stairs, he glanced at himself—his black coat was soaked in crimson. Not a great look.
"Isn't dried blood still blood?"
He tried shaking off the blood with Altemia's power, but anything fully absorbed in liquid form or dried solid wouldn't budge. Resigned, he descended the stairs, and the magical lanterns embedded in the ceiling flickered on automatically.
Wooong!
The moment his foot hit the first step, it vibrated, blue light flashed, and electricity surged up from his toes. It looked like a trap spell to incapacitate intruders, but unfortunately for them, it had little effect on Judah.
"......"
Not even a sting. It just felt like a game event draping effects over his body. Other traps triggered too—binding spells and more—in a dizzying variety, but it was like watching a show. At the bottom of the underground stairs lay a spacious chamber with a door leading further in. But it was a thick iron gate. Up close, it bore intricate layers of magic circles. Touching it sparked with electricity.
"They've prepared thoroughly."
Tapping it, the thud was heavy. He couldn't tell the thickness by sound alone, but the gate itself plus the defensive spells suggested it was massively thick.
A light tap with the bastard sword didn't seem like it'd cut through. Altemia's blade was too short...
"Then Yakal will do."
Casually sheathing the bastard sword, he drew the elongated greatsword with its red blade. He suddenly remembered—Yakal took the form of a flamberge, a two-handed sword. The name had eluded him for so long, only now crawling back. Gripping the greatsword two-handed and assuming position, an illusion lunged at him—still not giving up.
"Annoying. Isn't it time to admit defeat?"
No answer from the sword, of course. Judah sighed down at Yakal, which ceaselessly tried devouring his flesh, unsatisfied. <Player>'s trait granted absolute defense against mental skills, but the irritation lingered.
'Just one swing anyway.'
He channeled mana into the blade and activated Shadow Sword Arts. The red blade, cloaked in black mana, slashed twice in an X. He didn't know the material or the magic circles etched on it, but the blade sank in like tofu. Seeing the clean incision, he kicked the door—it toppled backward, shattering into pieces.
Thud, crash!
As Judah moved to enter, a foot flew at him from straight ahead. He hastily raised Yakal.
"!"
He blocked the kick with the flat of the blade.
Bam!
A jolt shot through his hands, hurling his body back. Grimacing from the impact against his back, he started to look up.
"Now!"
What?
From inside the shattered gate, a barrage of spells rained down: lightning-wreathed ice spears, fireballs on the verge of exploding, beams of light, wind blades... No discrimination in types.
Just enough to kill someone—and so many he worried if the underground stairs would collapse.
Kwarung!
An ice spear shattered against Yakal's flat, its lightning arcing along the blade into his body. Incoming fire spells exploded everywhere as wind blades sliced keenly at him.
Some were high-rank spells that didn't fully cancel out, dealing damage. Leaning against the wall after weathering the volley, Judah coughed, "Cough."
"Whew—"
Even underground, they unleashed explosive spells without hesitation. They must have been confident it wouldn't collapse. The thick dust hung in the air, refusing to settle.
Drip.
The left eye of his wooden mask cracked and fell to the floor. Through the dust, he saw it was charred—caught in the blasts. Pulling himself from the wall, he pushed through the dust, only for something sharp to whistle through the air.
'A sword?'
Spot on. A silver streak extended—a clear sword thrust. Raising Yakal to parry sent a sting up his arm. The attacker retreated cleanly: a man in neat attire wielding a short sword. He grinned at Judah.
"Impressive. Walking out unscathed after all those spells."
"Hmm."
This was definitely the kicker from earlier. He thrust his sword at Judah and charged again, kicking off the ground.
"Let's test that skill of yours."
Judah summoned an Altemia and hurled it at the advancing man, who swung to deflect it—then saw a red line erupt from the dagger, swirling. He twisted away in panic, but the line sliced past far faster.
Pshuk!
His body split into dozens of chunks, raining to the floor. Heart-pumped blood sprayed everywhere, reeking horribly.
"Unfortunately, no skill check for you."
Muttering as he passed the meat pile, Judah pressed on. Murmurs rose from beyond the gate, multicolored lights flashing for a second wave of spells.
"Useless..."
Beyond the gate, Judah cleaved a fire serpent crawling from the floor and tanked a mage's lightning bare-handed before closing in and kicking hard.
Crack!
The mage's thigh snapped under the kick, stance crumbling. As the screaming mage's forehead met Altemia, Judah glanced beside him.
A honeycomb of hexagonal shields protected another mage. He sneered, daring an attack.
"If you insist."
Shadow Sword 2nd Form - Slash cleaved through shields and all. Yakal's supremely sharp blade bisected him at the waist—upper and lower halves flailing separately, gushing blood. It was a one-sided massacre. Hunting the room's mages like game monsters, Judah exhaled, drenched in hot blood.
"Hoo—"
Staring blankly at the floor for a moment, he closed his eyes. The blood stench dizzied him. Deep breaths for recovery breathing did nothing against the overwhelming smell. Opening his eyes, he flicked Yakal to shake off the blood.
Splatter. Glancing at the scattered droplets, he stepped forward—squish, the pooled blood clung to his soles. Deeper in, a lavish room appeared.
========== Author's Note ==========
The correct answer to the question is:
1. Took care of it.
That's number 1. The language of magic that can revive even the dead.
2) My victory! You fool!
-Close enough for credit, but it's a trap. It's secondary, not primary. Only strengthens the enemy!
3) Once this battle ends, I'm going home.
-Said before the fight starts. Top taboo, but not during combat, so not the answer.
4) What a beautiful night.
-Means nothing special. Depends on context.
5) Truth is, one graze and I'm dead!
-Not much meaning.
...Honestly, I don't even know why I made this quiz. Haha.