Chapter 251
Chapter 251
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: One Empire, Three Legends (10)
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“Ughhh.... My head. Why the hell do they feed someone about to fight in the arena that much booze? Hyde, we’ve got insane regen, so why can’t we beat a hangover?”
[Maybe because growing your body and your liver working are two different things? Could be we’re doing it wrong. What if we chug booze like crazy, then rip out the alcohol-soaked liver and grow a fresh one? It’d literally decompose alcohol like new.]
“Ooh.... That makes sense. Wanna try yanking it out?”
The Professor hiked up his shirt and glanced at his rock-hard abs before looking away. Ripping it out wasn’t the issue—what about the maid who had to clean the room and stumble on a freshly extracted raw liver?
[Anyway. More than the booze, isn’t that rotgut we poured down our throat pretending to be crazy yesterday the prime suspect?]
“Rotgut? There wasn’t any strong stuff last night.”
[Not that. Actual poison booze.]
“Ughhh.... Oh, right. That’s a thing.”
Memories from the night before flashed through his pounding head like hammer strikes.
Smashing up the arena in a frenzy and winning the third prelims.
Coming back to find Lucilla loaded with gold, jewels, top-grade hides, potions, and such, twirling her pinky like some cartoon nouveau riche noble lady, declaring she’d buy them whatever they wanted.
To celebrate advancing, they had dinner with a drink, but Borca warned the booze smelled off, and then...
“....Why the hell did I drink that?”
[You spotted those two temple-smelling hulks chugging in the corner of the first floor, figured it was good booze laced with poison to screw them over, and downed it in one go.]
“Oh....”
Right. Then he puked blood, and half the customers drinking nearby jumped up pretending nothing happened, blasting him with purification spells.
He’d been drunk on booze and poison fumes, half-asleep hearing flashes and crashes outside.
“Man.... They reeked of temple agents from a mile away, and they still pull that amateur crap. Poison? Please.”
[Not amateur. Our bodies are fully adapted to mutation factors, so we’ve got cellular-level chemical resistance. If we’re still dizzy till morning, it wasn’t ordinary poison.]
“Hmm.... Worked out fine. Guys cocky enough to use that are probably all rounded up for saint-assassination attempts by now. Ugh, stomach hurts. Gotta grab some food.”
Shaking his throbbing head, he headed downstairs to the inn’s dining hall, already bustling with morning noise. The rest of the party was gathered.
The inn’s first floor had changed a lot in a day. Crowded from early morning, the counter listed the eight teams that advanced, with their affiliations and names. Folks chattered about matches, placing small bets.
Amid the sidelong glances, Notum waved.
“Hey. Morning.”
“Gruk. Professor no look good.”
“Ugh.... Yeah. Must’ve drunk too much. What an idiot.”
“Professor smart head. So smart sometimes rest it. Ogre no live like that—do dumb thing regular.”
“Ask a silly question, get a silly answer.”
“Gruk. Eat food.”
Notum handed over a steaming whole turkey leg he’d just ordered. The innkeeper’s face soured again as the Professor scarfed it down. Looking closer, four more empty plates sat under the turkey dish.
“Where’s everyone else?”
“Horn.... Gruk. Redhead courtship girl, two mages sleep. Werewolf out. Elf out check something. Notum nothing do here. Feel useless, sad.”
“Huh.... What kinda talk is that? You’re the one I’ve known longest in the party. And you’ve got plenty to do. Keeping me company eating like this. You know how lonely it is eating alone? Sprawled on a ratty couch, blankly chewing a calorie bar, and suddenly thinking ‘fuck it, should I just die?’”
“Gruk. Then good. Keep eat food.”
After that, they just ate in silence. He was starving, and the chef was damn good. As the fear of the innkeeper’s woes got overshadowed by the ravenous troll and scarred brute chowing down, a cold gust blew in with Yggdrasil.
“Hey. Where you been?”
“Needed meal taken. Everyone still stuck in last night heat, so enjoyed hobby short while.”
“Hobby? Oh, right, you do bonsai and stuff? Makes sense. Haunumman borders dry plains, so wild bonsai over ten years old possible. But it’s winter now? You got a special place for that?”
As he wondered if the 3 Worlds lore had greenhouses, Yggdrasil shook her head and pulled up a chair.
“Here. Rosters, affiliations, rough descriptions, combat records of eight surviving teams from last matches.”
“....Hobby?”
“Yes. Fun, rewarding time.”
The Professor alternated looks between the elf’s innocent smile and the paper. High-end intel—way above street rumors, the kind bookies might flash for big bets.
“Uh.... Thanks, but.... For fun?”
“Yes. Bit hard explain. Left forest, learned much, habit record organize. Even unneeded info gets noted. Sharing what I learn helps others, feels rewarding. Big events make tension, chases thrilling fun. Hehe.”
“Uh.... I-I’m sorry, Yggdrasil....”
“Gruk.... No words find....”
Notum and the Professor were speechless. The elf—branch of the forest, most peaceful race—found spying enemy intel, sneaking among them, pursuits ‘thrilling fun’? She was broken.
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- Jokass: That means job change complete. No joke, for real. If system existed, [Companion Yggdrasil job-changed to ‘Fallen Stalking Maniac Elf’!] would pop.
- Deer Drug Please: You done ruined the kid.
- Speed Wagon: Traits look solid for strong companion growth, but.... Cynthia showing violent tendencies at school makes sense now.
- Soy Sauce Gaybar: Don’t go near kids till you grow proper good values. Professor’ll infect ‘em.
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This time, even silver-tongued him couldn’t argue.
Yggdrasil’s scribbled notes screamed obsessive pursuit.
“Yggdrasil....?”
“Yes. Professor.”
“Later.... I know someone named Senadis? In church.... specializes this stuff....”
“This stuff meaning hobby ‘non-cooperative intel acquisition and sharing’?”
“Yeah. Uh.... Introduce later. Ways not get caught, make spill secrets easy....”
“If expert, please. Much to talk.”
First time seeing Yggdrasil’s eyes sparkle like this post-forest, the Professor turned from her innocent face. What could he do? Already like that. Elves don’t listen anyway—teach her not to die on the job.
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Shock was shock.
But Yggdrasil’s hobby intel was hugely useful.
Mammoth Claw -
[Benard Pang / Human Professor] team. All other 7 teams eliminated.
Red Axe -
[Marcheta Tagiz / Gundira Tagiz] team.
[Takula Tagiz / Garuda Bu] team.
True to Kun Tagiz blood, axe-wielding powerhouse orcs. Takula Tagiz’s spouse ‘Garuda Bu’—influx orc, but shaman hugely respected.
Bildrant Marquis House - [Gillian Linus / Pure Neisis] Knight who secured 8 Tribes seat. Last tourney, split sword, shield, armor with insane aura. Uses Empire Sword Clan techniques.
Three Fingers (goblins) - One team advanced to finals, but branded heretics last night, dragged by church. Tusan, Marka team walkover.
Plains Fangs (orcs) -
[Adalkana / Gelmaura] team.
Spear-throw breaches city end to opposite wall—tribe famous, javelin duo advanced. Folks say six spears limit weakness, but no match used over three in three bouts.
Brown Beards (orcs + nomadic beastkin, human tribe) -
[Senya Sword / Defis Tool] team.
[Tahidi Burhan / Fade Pakka] team.
Frequent exchanges with plains tribes—most new nomads this year registered under Brown Beards.
Picked strongest, two teams advanced against odds.
Open Ribcage (goblins + arena slaves) -
[Tusan Dalun / Marka Dalun] team.
Haunumman arena star gladiators—wolf beastkin siblings. Beast ferocity, unknown power survived years—traditional powerhouses.
“Guh.”
Finalists had eye-catching names. Kun Tagiz orcs, Bildrant Marquis obvious master knights, all sorts....
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- Soy Sauce Gaybar: Why she here?
- Jokass: Never heard name, but Sword.... That one?
- Take a Look: Yeah. That unique surname? Argalian Sword. His daughter?
- professor: So why’s the monster uncle—like Lu Bu plus Xiang Yu—daughter repping nomad tribe?
- Deer Drug Please: World’s strongest farms kids strong too, wild.
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Argalian Sword. World’s top swordsman, probably warming up Lordric West Front.
System nailed ‘strongest at swordplay’ in name—Empire Sword Saint, certified world strongest hero unit past two-three ages.
True to rep, women trailed trucks wherever; didn’t block comers—hoarse philosophy seeded kids worldwide. True he-man, only NPC punked Thousand Stream Emperor.
Senya Sword as nomad champ meant he hit plains, made ties—gave Professor headache.
“Next match?”
“Next match.”
“Damn. Luck ends, bad luck sticks.”
Argalian ignored kids famously.... But handed swords personally. Half the genes’d make monster swordswoman.
“Borca’s in for pain.”
“....Gruk? Strong foe, strong Professor fight no?”
“I gotta stand same front as that uncle in Lordric? Don’t want rumors I hit his girl, sliced day one.”
“Then.... Wolf?”
“Him? Same midlife dads, talk nice. Borca spills tearjerker backstory, must-win reason—might spare? Probably?”
“Grua. Woo.... Professor. Professor. Woo.”
Ten AM. Finals first match two hours off. Professor stood.
Outside, arena’s lavish four-horse carriage waited.
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Twing!
“Oooooh! Hit! Clean shot!”
“No! Werewolf broke through! Traded arm, dove in!”
Crunch!
Short sword pierced needle-eye gap amid sword-flurry rain. Shield smashed stunned foe’s gut—match decided.
“Winner.... Benard Pang, Professor team!”
『WAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!』
“Whew, tired. Finally over.”
Professor, lounging on first-fallen brute, watched Borca barely win, then rose.
Tall woman covered in ritual tattoos, freakishly broad-shoulder man.
Professor underestimated, struggled hard.
Tool wielded two wall-like metal shields, Senya Sword thin slightly-curved saber—linkup unreal.
[Weird ritual. Hit shields, plainsfolk in stands puked blood, dropped.]
‘Linked shields to tribe rituals somehow. Didn’t expect full tribe stakes embodied like that.’
Caught off-guard. Man’s strength, shieldwork no joke—had to smash mutation-crush hard to breach, but he wouldn’t drop, just tribesfolk keeled over.
Post-match talk pending—couldn’t hospitalize whole tribe.
So took silent-curving saber on body with Borca, brute-forced couple apart.
Then suplexed shield-hug charging wall-man, Borca struggled his way to win.
Perfect pictorial teamwork—couldn’t shake brutish win feel. Technically outclassed Professor.
[Train church martial arts hard. Matrix jams experience brain—can’t use?]
‘Wrist twist punch, recoil spins waist, opposite hand thrusts. Sounds good on paper, body different? Head knows, body doesn’t.’
[Delusion. Normal player, maybe. You? Skills mastered, body like game NPC. Martial arts soaked head AND body. See! I can! Why not you? Mindset! Free decades training unused! Insane!]
Professor scratched head watching Hyde air-punch lightning-fast in mind-space. Divine power aside, Hyde flowed perfect [Radiant Fist Strike]—skillbook etched memory. Spec-ops CQC glossed, body specs alone wouldn’t cut now. Felt it skin-deep. Even edged Edeorna tech-wise, out-teched by nomad quarterfinalist.
[Body doesn’t know? One fix. Switch with me awhile! Engrave direct!]
‘Later. Handle this first.’
Professor headed opposite entry—not theirs.
Where foes’ stretchers went. Probably mourning now.
Shoved protesting goblins with soft threats, entered: old woman stroking unconscious Senya Sword’s hair, scattered bodies.
Eyes full unease, wariness. Plains-raised knew might-makes-right—loser insult victor’s right. Faced door-busting terror warrior, resolved to fate. Lost home, warriors/shamans crippled, fortunes gone feeding tribe. Scars-deep fighter with big backers vents post-battle? Take it.
Bloody, sweaty face scanned tribe appraisingly. As he bared teeth, reached past blocking woman to Senya—some shut eyes sensing tragedy.
Thwack!
“Aigoo~ Nice meet mother-in-law! Daughter’s swordplay fierce—got hit, warmed my heart! Ah, I’m.... sorta work buddy with your husband, Argalian Sword.... Uh.... Knows he’s honor noble, hero most nations? Me too, hero. Heroes conference, glimpsed from afar~! Like honorable Argalian, daughter grew fine. Hahaha!”
So when terror warrior who shield-smashed house-sized Defis shook old woman’s hand goblin-chattery, they suspected new insult form.
“Uh.... Th-thanks kind words.... But Senya engaged long to Defis, matched hands-feet.... Can’t give you....”
“Hahahahaha! Plainsfolk think wild horse-fast! Not that—know fat unowned inland land piles? Argalian kin suffer no home—can’t ignore! Wahahahaha!”
Lordric empty lands poured from Professor smooth. Tribesfolk groaning wary eyes lit hope.
“How? Inlanders buy sell gift land—good chance? No free lunch—pay with blood of those emptied it, but Argalian Sword, heroes flock there. Tough, but winnable trial.”
“Th-that.... Irresistible offer....”
Dazzled by eloquence, woman pondered grave, half-nodded.
“Talk.... with daughter. Lifetime matter, careful decide, but land for tribe as dowry.... Hmm....”
“Huh? Oh, sure. Send word Lordric. Finish Empire stuff, back Lordric—more help settling then.”
“Yes. Return safe.”
“....?”
Professor felt convo off, but shrugged—plains nomads’d spread word fast, all to grayfoot orcs. Lordric front get hungry zealous cavalry horde.
Mood lifted, missed middle-aged woman’s meaningful gaze. Battle-foe praises foe’s daughter, solves woes, brings priceless gift—plains eyes?
“Not outsider—knows Argalian, crushes rock strength, inland-respected warrior.... Sturdy, not bad. Hm. Fine.”
Unwittingly stole fiancée, in-law’d Professor missed it—all smooth, strutted out oblivious.
Chat saw meaningful gaze, rioted—but by late chat-check, tribe gone grab spots fast.
- Speed Wagon: Looks fun.
In next-match carriage, chat’s pyre blazed at shivering Professor.
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