Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: This Victory to the Great Ancestor (2)
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BOOOOM!!
"Gunhahahaha!!! You look so damn scrawny, but you've got some real grit!!! Gunhahhahahaha!!!"
"Dunhahhahaha!!! Hey, hey, big bro!! Save some for me too!! I wanna go up against Number 17!!"
"Are these guys... really human...?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
Ancestor 'Eternal Teacher of the Fairies' smiles in delight! Ancestor 'The Creating Mortal' cheers you on!
Two burly foes towering over two meters tall, rippling with muscle.
The Gun-Dun Brothers.
The older brother, Gun, wielded a shield, while his younger brother, Dun, slung a massive greatsword over his shoulder.
With their bare upper bodies on full display, their massive muscles were impossible to miss—and Elisis was clearly thrilled by the sight.
True to her muscle fetish, she didn't seem to care about their faces.
'The axe... good, this'll work...!'
Thankfully, crafting a sturdy axe ahead of time had been the right call.
The older brother, 'Gun of the Shield.'
His attacks were blatantly aimed at destroying weapons.
No doubt their signature combo was Gun smashing foes' gear while Dun cleaved them apart.
But that wasn't a problem.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
Ancestor 'The Creating Mortal' sees your weapon and wipes his nose proudly!
A battle axe blessed by Morduin.
True to its 'Durability A' trait, this axe wouldn't break easily.
"Dunhahahaha!! Alright, my turn now!! Number 17!!"
"Hup...!"
⚡ TRAIT ACTIVATED ⚡
'Quartet of the Wind'
WHOOOOSH—!!
SWISH!
"Wha, what?! You slippery little—!!"
The passive skill of Quartet of the Wind: 'Curtain of the Wind.'
Luckily, Dun's greatsword strikes—pure power slams—were easily dodged with the wind barrier.
'Finish this quick—!!'
Ten-minute time limit.
About two minutes had already passed since the match began, by his gut feel.
No point dragging it out.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡
'Thread of the Wind'
—SHWOO.
"Guh...?! Killing intent...!!"
The instant Dun's greatsword slammed into the ground.
I locked Thread of the Wind around his neck.
His beast-like senses must have picked up the aura.
"Hraaaah—!!!"
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH—!!!
Too late.
——SLICE.
"D-Duuuuuuun—!!!"
The flying axe cleanly severed the younger brother Dun's head.
Gun freaked out and bellowed, raising his shield high.
"Y-You bastard!! How dare you!! How dare you to my little brother!!!"
THWACK!
The thrown axe rode the Thread of the Wind back to my hand like a boomerang.
And the moment I gripped it.
——THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD!!
Gun charged with his shield out front, mad as hell.
Planning to ram me flat, it seemed.
'Thread of the Wind won't catch this guy...!!'
Even if I tried, he'd block it easily with his shield.
So no throwing the axe from range.
Of course, clashing head-on with that shield wasn't smart either.
"Dieeee—!!!"
⚡ TRAIT ACTIVATED ⚡
'Quartet of the Wind'
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡
'Silent Gale'
THWOOOM—.
"Wha...?!"
BOOOOM!!!
In an instant, I vanished from his sight. Gun panicked but kept charging, slamming into the wall.
"Kuh, heuk...!"
The impact made him stagger for a moment.
'Now—!!'
Seizing the perfect opening, I focused wind into my legs.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡
'Silent Gale'
An active skill from 'Quartet of the Wind' granting explosive mobility in bursts.
'Silent Gale.'
Used offensively, it allowed strikes at speeds too fast for reaction.
Of course, its straight-line nature left me open too.
'But if he's groggy from the wall—!!'
With him reeling from smashing into the wall.
THWOOOM!!
I kicked off the ground, shooting toward him like an arrow.
——SLASH.
Thud, plop...
The axe's sharp blade cleanly decapitated Gun.
Silence fell over the arena for a moment.
"“WAAAAAAAAAH—!!!”"
The crowd erupted in frenzy.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The match ended.
He'd planned to leave right away, but the announcer grabbed him for an interview.
Incredible!! What an outstanding performance from a mutt like you!! Not just the quarter dwarf Barkain, but even the brute-force Gun-Dun Brothers!! Now, the rookie gladiator Number 17 everyone's hyped about!! Share your thoughts with the roaring crowd!
[Uh..., um...]
"“WAAAAAAAAAH—!!!”"
Caught off guard by the sudden interview, he tensed up and scratched his cheek.
He never imagined a mutt gladiator slave would get cheers like this.
'Well..., to them, it's like a ten-year-old kid beating a pro fighter.'
Mixes were weak unless thick with Chaos blood—that was common sense here.
Their reaction made sense.
'Still, this is a good chance.'
He hadn't expected it, but addressing all these spectators from myriad races was a golden opportunity.
The sole advantage of a hidden-race mutt.
'Feast of the Stars'
This trait drew more and more ancestors' interest as achievements piled up.
His task now was clear.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
Ancestor 'Eternal Teacher of the Fairies' gazes at you intently! Ancestor 'The Creating Mortal' glares at Ancestor 'Eternal Teacher of the Fairies'. Ancestor 'Eternal Teacher of the Fairies' flips off Ancestor 'The Creating Mortal'! Ancestor 'The Creating Mortal' watches you expectantly!
'These guys are dying for it.'
These great ancestors he could contact.
What they craved most was, naturally, 'their own glory.'
A descendant's fame elevated their own legacy.
Purebloods lived fiercely for that honor.
'A special mutt in the spotlight..., dedicating glory to which ancestor? A feast for them.'
Purebloods hated mutts invoking their ancestors lightly.
But they loved it when a mutt publicly deemed theirs superior among all races.
So.
Sorry, but.
—He chose neither the elf nor the dwarf ancestor.
[I dedicate this miraculous victory to one of my ancestors—the great First King of the Beastkin, Arkan!]
[Oho! So you've got beastkin blood in you!]
[Yes, haha..., as a mutt, I have blood from many fine figures, of course.]
"Aaaah...!! Beastkin...!!"
"Tch!! Dwarves are great too, you mutt!!"
"Idiot! Beastkin are obviously the strongest!!"
"Hey!! Number 17!! No heavenly winged blood in you?!!"
Normally, purebloods would be offended by a mutt gladiator slave offering glory.
But right now.
This mutt slave had pulled off an unimaginable miracle.
Mentioning their race here would puff their chests with pride.
And.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
Ancestor 'Eternal Teacher of the Fairies' sticks her tongue out at you! Ancestor 'The Creating Mortal' spins his hammer dejectedly.
It worked on the living.
And the dead too.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
……It's here!
As expected.
The one whose fame he'd boosted responded.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
Ancestor 'First King of the Beastkin' regards you.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Hmph, beastkin, huh. ...Well, a mutt wouldn't appreciate elven nobility anyway."
"Grrgh...! This win was clearly thanks to Lord Morduin's blessing!! Stupid mutt!!"
Elena and Nikia, hearing Number 17's match result and statement, both scowled at the mutt gladiator in dissatisfaction.
They dismissed him as a mutt.
But deep down, they'd been certain he'd praise their own races.
Of course, they couldn't openly lament a mere mutt's words.
Beyond that.
Elena glared at him for another reason.
'Just now..., that magic at the end...'
The spell Number 17 used to fell Shield Gun.
Ultra-high-speed acceleration via wind magic.
She could mimic it with wind magic herself.
But that speed, that precision.
Especially paired with techniques evoking 'Curtain of the Wind' and 'Thread of the Wind.'
'He really uses... Quartet of the Wind?'
The suspicion in Elena's heart was turning to conviction.
'Even the lost Curtain of the Wind and Thread of the Wind for elves...?'
Conviction dawned, but she didn't want to believe it.
A filthy mutt wielding a great ancestor's lost arts that elves had forgotten.
What greater humiliation?
So even with conviction, Elena couldn't accept it easily.
"Kyle."
"Yes, miss."
But she couldn't ignore it.
Elena decided to confirm personally.
"Have that battle slave come to my room at once."
"Understood."
Meet him, confirm.
Then decide how to handle the mutt.
But someone nearby wouldn't let her plan slide.
"Hah?! Taking that battle slave now?! To your room?!"
"...Is there a problem? He's just a mutt."
"Don't tell me you're punishing him for not dedicating glory to an elf ancestor? Wow..., the pettiness of elves...'
"That's not it. I just... have questions."
"All the more reason you can't! Sorry, but us dwarves have questions too?!"
"Wha...?! Wh-what business could dwarves have with a mutt like that?!"
"Plenty!! Lord Morduin's blessing is on that mutt's weapon right now!! You think I'll let backstabbing elves like you whisk him away?!"
"B-Backstabbing...? Excuse me, Miss Nikia? We're really just going to ask...'
"You expect me to believe that?! After what you did to us!!"
"And your kind to us elves...!!"
Over a mere mutt, the noble pureblood elf and dwarf ladies glared daggers and raised their voices.
Their initial veiled barbs, cloaked in elegant poise, were long gone.
"No way!! We get first dibs!! Or it's war!!"
"As if you wouldn't sneak him to your lands!! Don't make me laugh!! That mutt is ours...!!"
Amid the two pureblood nobles' shrill spat.
The mediator stepped in.
"Kyahaha! No fighting, kids. You thorny ones."
"Huh...?"
"Lady Taira...?"
Silver hair, silver eyes.
A girlish look belying her pureblood beastkin lineage.
Unlike busty Nikia, her slim build made her seem even more youthful.
But the bear pipe in her hand proved she was no child.
Taira Pendrack, pureblood beastkin—and ruler of this gladiator city Parion.
She exhaled smoke and grinned.
"Besides, that Number 17 servant over there? He's my slave now, kids. ...Honestly, he politely dedicated glory to our great ancestor. You've got my interest too."
"W-Wait! Lady Taira!"
"That mutt has something our fairy folk must ask...!!"
Even Taira's words didn't back them down.
But their persistence made Taira straighten up and clamp her pipe in her teeth.
"Nope. I'm priority one. Do as you please in your own lands."
No concessions.
This unique mutt with Arkan's blood had piqued her curiosity too.