Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: The Twenty-Fourth Fragment, Carpe Diem
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[You have resurrected.]
His vision brightened once more, his consciousness reconnecting seamlessly to the moment before death. Before he could even read the message window floating before his eyes, Judah had to suppress the rage boiling up from the depths of his heart. Right in front of him, Ea smirked as she drew her blade upward, activating the fighter's technique <Abyss>. Reflexively stopping himself from thrusting his dagger, he instead used an evasion skill.
—Shadow Sword Arts 4th Form
—Phantom Sword
With a slight expenditure of mana, a shadow sprouted from Judah's body. The real him was flung backward while the innocent shadow stayed in place, only to be shredded by Ea's blade.
"What kind of freakish technique is that?!"
Her triumphant strike had failed, and Ea scowled as she shouted. But when her eyes met Judah's as he rolled on the ground and pushed himself up, she flinched hard. The guy who hadn't had particularly sharp eyes just moments ago now glared with the intent to kill. For an instant, that gaze—like she was looking at her mortal enemy—made her feel afraid. Shaken by the unbelievable emotion, Ea glared sharply back at Judah.
"Who do you think you're looking at…!"
She tried to yell to shake off the fear, but Judah charged, cutting her off. He kicked off the ground in a low stance, closing the distance at an incredible speed.
'What the hell?'
Was he even human? His eyes gleamed like a beast's. Afterimages lingered in the air, revealing the path of his movements. Ea raised her blade.
Clang!
"Urk!"
The sword felt so heavy that a groan escaped her lips.
'To think I'd be pushed back by a sword like this!'
Grinding her teeth and furrowing her brow, Ea deflected the blade but had to retreat under the relentless follow-up attacks. Perhaps because her body was already exhausted from fighting the Blue Spear Knight, she seemed to have hit her physical limit.
Splat—!
The moment she jerked her head aside, a dagger grazed her cheek by a hair's breadth. She felt a stinging pain, and blood sprayed into her view. Ea's eyes narrowed as she drove her knee into the close-range Judah. A solid impact and his grunt of "Ugh" brought a smile to her face. As he swung his dagger to create distance, she leisurely pulled back. She'd thought she'd struck his solar plexus, but he seemed surprisingly unharmed. She swung her blade again.
Shwick!
Whether because she'd caught her breath during that brief retreat, or because seeing Judah's pained grimace energized her, her swing was sharper than before. But for all its power, the result wasn't good.
Judah, who had lowered his stance to dodge the sword, kicked off the ground to evade the second thrusting blade, soaring into the air like an acrobat. It was an unexpected move. In midair, Judah stepped on Ea's shoulder and flipped behind her back.
"Huh?"
She unwittingly widened her eyes in bewilderment. She hurriedly turned and swung her blade.
Clang—!
The unpleasant screech of "Ching!" rang out as her blade met Judah's sword and snapped. Fragments of the sword flew through the air. She tried to pull back to defend against the next attack, but instead, it was Judah who retreated.
'What?'
It had been a perfect opening to strike—why throw it away? He didn't charge right in either. Instead, Judah stood there, slashing at empty air as if she were there.
"Ha, getting scared now?"
The fighter curled her lips into a sneer and charged. Just as her blade was about to swing toward Judah, a black shadow burst from his body. It was that shadow from before—a mere punching bag that did nothing.
But this time was different. It mimicked Judah's exact motion of slashing at empty air. Yet it was still shredded by her blade, just like before. Behind the shadow dissolving into the air stood Judah.
"!"
Black particles gathered on the bastard sword in Judah's hand, reforming it into a conical lance. Her dual blades were currently dangling low from shredding the shadow—too late to dodge, and lacking the power for a swing. Frowning, she yelled.
"Don't mess around—!"
Judah saw the red aura swirling around the fighter Ea's dual blades. He remembered it clearly.
The sword technique where the blades crossed in an X from a lowered position, momentarily amplifying their sharpness—the fighter's <Abyss>. No way he could forget. He'd just been killed by it minutes ago.
Slice!
The <Abyss> she unleashed not only shattered Judah's [Shadow Sword Arts - Single Point] but also cleaved his bastard sword in two. Incredible attack power. He'd already poured in extra mana considering how his previous Single Point had been broken, yet this was the result.
'Ah, damn.'
To think he'd even lose the sword bestowed by the lord. Clicking his tongue, Judah let go of the bastard sword's hilt. Immediately, he activated a heresy art.
—Shadow Heresy Arts 4th Form
—Lesser Black Artifact Creation
Mana particles surged from his palm at tremendous speed, forging two swords.
Judah dangled the swords in his hands downward and assumed the exact same stance Ea had used for <Abyss> moments ago. A technique usable only after blocking or taking that attack head-on.
"I told you, didn't I?"
Judah's eyes met Ea's. Her lips, curled in a smile after cleaving the bastard sword, drooped as her eyes widened. Seeing her pupils contract in shock made him want to laugh.
—Shadow Sword Arts 5th Form
—Mimicry - Abyss
Black mana swirled at the tip of the shadowy bastard sword formed from darkness.
Looking at her incredulous expression, Judah drew his blade upward.
Shwick!
"You're dead."
Her leather armor's meager defense couldn't block it. Just as Judah had experienced, her wound split open, blood spraying as her organs spilled out. This was his second time cutting down a person. Unlike the countless beasts he'd slain, his heart raced—but it calmed soon after. She crumpled to her knees with a thud, her eyes losing focus.
"You little... shit, to think I'd lose to a brat like..."
She couldn't finish her words and pitched forward. A massive pool of blood formed around her. The heresy-forged swords in Judah's hands dissolved into the air. The black silhouettes covering the ground were sucked back into his shadow.
[Your level has increased!]
Staring blankly at the fighter Ea's corpse, Judah snapped to attention at the message. A level up— all he could do was let out a hollow laugh. He'd wasted a precious save point here.
'Trouble.'
Judah clenched and unclenched his empty hand absentmindedly.
"Hoo..."
He'd somehow taken her down, but he wasn't exactly thrilled. Gazing down at the fighter's body, Judah narrowed his eyes and retrieved an intact blade and the ring from her finger.
[Acquired Fighter (Novice) Longsword.]
[Acquired Chaeya Family Ring.]
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[Name: Fighter's Longsword for the Glory of the Clan (Novice)]
[Grade: Rare _ Fine Sword]
[Equipment: Longsword]
[Durability: 26/40]
[Attack Power: 60]
[Effects]
Strength +1, Agility +1
[Description]
A longsword used by novice knights of the Baekje Empire's Imperial Knight Order Fighters.
Fighters are divided into Novice/Mid/Advanced/Left Councilor ranks, with materials varying by rank.
Forged by the imperial blacksmiths, its quality is exceptional, and they come in pairs.
A Fighter's sword holds great value on its own, and returning a found one to the empire earns a reward.
-Fighter (Passive): Increases skill activation speed by 10% when using Fighter sword techniques.
-Craftsman's Skill (Passive): Exceptional craftsmanship adds bonuses to durability and attack power.
-Code 前: For the Glory of the Clan
└HP and MP recovery speed +10%, Attack Power +15, Equipment durability consumption -50% when using techniques.
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[Name: Chaeya Family Ring]
[Grade: Unique]
[Equipment: Ring]
[Effects]
Magic Defense/Resistance +10%
[Description]
A ring proving membership in the Baekje Empire's Chaeya family—a form of ID.
Made of silver with subdued patterns, it doesn't seem to signify direct lineage.
-Chaeya Family (Passive): A martial house famous for swordsmanship, producing Fighters generation after generation. Grants swordsmanship proficiency bonus.
-Purification (Passive): Neutralizes poisons in the body. The ring's color changes first upon poison ingestion, warning of danger.
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The intact blade bore a code. He'd wondered if the broken one did too, but disappointingly, nothing. Judah stored the ring and blade recovered from the fighter in his <Bag>. Then he turned and approached Jeanne.
"Impressive. To defeat a fighter."
Her voice sounded a bit weary as she praised him. But the blood dripping steadily from the gaps in her right arm's armor made him frown—it was hard to accept the praise happily. He couldn't gauge the wound's severity under the armor, but leaving this level of bleeding untreated seemed dangerous.
"Lady Jeanne, let's talk later. First, treat that wound. Can you release the armor? Take it off."
Jeanne peered at Judah's face through the slit in her helmet's visor. She tried to nod, but dizziness overwhelmed her, forcing her eyes shut. The arm wound, neglected too long, had caused severe bleeding. Clutching her fading consciousness, she released the mana sustaining her armor.
Her spear, shield, armor, and helmet all dissolved into silver particles and vanished into the air. The artifacts inscribed with lightweight magic and more disappeared. Relieved of the pressure, her tension eased, and her legs gave out. She sank down, leaning against something for support.
========== Author's Note ==========
Ta-da, uploaded one more chapter.
Hope it rains.
It's hot as hell.
No stock left now.
Hoot hoot, damn it....