Chapter 282 The Black Haired Hero
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 282
Chapter Title: The Black-Haired Hero
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20th floor.
The central plaza of Dwarven Hold.
People stared blankly at Skar.
He was going to plug the hole the Outer God Changeling had made?
It was true that it was what they needed to do, but…
Hearing it from a barbarian's mouth gave them a strange feeling.
"You're quite confident with just one artifact. As expected of a mortal. Die."
Changeling's voice shook the city once again.
The slimes that had stopped charging began to move again.
Six slimes rushed at Jeong Yoo-shin from all directions.
But the latter plunged his broken greatsword into the ground.
Thump!!!
He then aimed his crossbow at the slime rushing at him from the front.
Thwack!!!
A bolt flew, pierced the slime's body and hit its core.
Crack!!!
Jeong Yoo-shin twisted his body to avoid the scattering slime fluid and reloaded his crossbow.
Clack
This time, slimes were rushing from his front, back, left, and right.
Jeong Yoo-shin raised his crossbow again.
Point-blank shooting. Precise aiming wasn’t necessary.
Thwack!!! Thwack!!! Thwack!!! Thwack!!!
Jeong Yoo-shin instantly shot out bolts and dropped the slimes rushing at him from all sides.
But he had no time to rest.
Dozens of slimes were rushing at him again.
Jeong Yoo-shin threw his crossbow into the air, took back his greatsword, and swung it.
A cross slash.
From left to right.
From top to bottom.
Without stopping, he then spun around and did a horizontal slash.
Swoooooosh!!!
The black iron greatsword smashed the slimes' cores and tore their bodies apart.
Splatter!!!
The slimes' acidic fluid splattered.
Sizzle!!!
They burned his clothes and flesh while emitting steam.
Despite the immense pain, Jeong Yoo-shin's expression didn’t change.
However…
[Revenger]
The blue flame of the Revenge imprint dwelling within Jeong Yoo-shin's eyes began to burn blue.
He slung his greatsword over his shoulder and raised one hand.
[Sacred Weapon]
A huge war hammer was created in his hand.
"Hup!!!"
He moved forward and struck down with it.
Kra-booooooooom!!!
The golden hammer burst a slime and was embedded in the floor.
Once again.
[Sacred Weapon]
[Multiple Casting]
He spun his body like a top, created three golden daggers, and threw them.
Thud, thud, thud!!!
The daggers accurately smashed into slime cores and embedded themselves in them.
The slimes trembled and melted.
Jeong Yoo-shin didn’t stop, grabbing his greatsword with one hand and swinging it.
A diagonal slash.
Kra-booooooooom!!!
The heavy greatsword burst a slime and shattered the floor.
Cian's eyes widened as she stared at Jeong Yoo-shin.
The barbarian sweeping away the slimes like a storm.
A golden weapon flashed in his hand.
With his other hand, he swung the broken black iron greatsword and crushed the slimes.
Goosebumps ran down her spine.
Up until now…
She had thought that Skar was a warrior who pushed through with muscle strength.
But it was a misunderstanding.
Instead, he was the type of warrior who swept away enemies based on overwhelming skill and weapon mastery.
Cian's eyes widened even more. She caught a glimpse of her own posture in Skar's swordsmanship.
"What...?"
No way.
'He's imitating my swordsmanship?'
It was absolutely not an easy swordsmanship to copy. Because it was the technique of the knight commander who had once commanded the Empire’s knights.
She had barely been able to perform it comfortably after devoting herself to training day and night with it since childhood.
To think that he could use it in actual combat just by learning it through observing her.
She got goosebumps at Skar's talent, but on the other hand, she was also proud.
'Enough of this.'
Cian shook her head and came back to her senses.
Her heart pounded at Skar's new appearance, but this was a battlefield where life and death intersected. She shouldn't let her guard down here.
There were others who were surprised too.
Luther and Sebastian.
"Hah."
Luther stopped chanting and looked at the half-barbarian.
As expected…
His intuition was right.
When a crisis came, he finally revealed his true colors.
A single wolf who had thrown off the mask of an honest warrior.
Sebastian opened and closed his mouth as he watched Jeong Yoo-shin fight.
Putting aside his skill in cutting down slimes…
'Crazy! He's fucking handsome.'
"Sebastian-nim, we have to go over there!!!"
Luther shouted.
Sebastian turned his head and looked at Luther.
"How are we going to get over there?"
"Somehow!!!"
Sebastian looked around to find Gibson. Because this was a matter they needed to discuss with their guide first.
"Hmm? I don't see Gibson though?"
The ranger had been a little further away just a moment ago, but now, he had disappeared somewhere.
The succubus Zevella, who was standing next to Luther, shrugged.
"That guide ran over there just now."
Sebastian and Luther's heads turned at the same time.
The place Zevella pointed to was…
The transfer stone.
Sebastian's face immediately contorted.
"Ah, shit. He abandoned us and ran away?! That crazy gambling addict bastard! I knew he would…"
Seti, who was swinging her axe in front, shouted.
"Sebastian!!! What are you doing!? Hurry up and use your magic!!!"
"A-Alright!"
At Seti's fierce shout, Sebastian hurriedly got into a stance and looked at Luther.
"P-Priest-nim, let's watch for now."
"Sebastian-nim? W-What in the world does that...?"
When Luther made a dumbfounded face, Zevella quickly linked her arms with Luther.
"Priest-nim, the barbarian and the Hero-nim are fighting well, do you really have to intervene? I'm a rear guard, so the dependable Priest-nim has to protect me."
"L-Let go of me!!! People are watching!!!"
Luther was greatly shocked and shook off Zevella's arm.
"Hmm?"
Zevella hummed and stared at Luther.
"..."
Luther frowned, agonized, and barely managed to open his mouth.
"I-I'll watch for now. But if the Hero-nim's condition becomes strange, I'll run out immediately."
"Yes. It's just my thought, but since that barbarian’s with the Hero-nim, I'm not that worried. Look. He's fighting incredibly well."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Jeong Yoo-shin crushed the swarm of slimes rushing around the golden coffin.
'This is useful.'
He had engraved Cian's swordsmanship that he had seen in his mind and refined it little by little whenever he had time.
It was difficult to copy someone's swordsmanship, but Cian's swordsmanship was similar to that of his master, Sword Master Ashur.
However…
Cian's swordsmanship wasn't everything.
The basics built up by his master…
Actual combat experience honed through several life-or-death crises…
And…
Jeong Yoo-shin's arduous efforts combined to blossom into a brilliant skill.
Jeong Yoo-shin swung his greatsword and freely swept away the slimes.
It was a truly divinely inspired sword dance.
It was like watching a black wolf dancing alone in a blue wave.
Meanwhile…
Torgel, who was guarding the front line in the north, opened his eyes wide.
"T-That's...!"
Although it was broken in half, he still recognized it.
How could he forget?
It was the greatsword of the next chief who had disappeared in the labyrinth.
Hellblade.
The treasure that burned the magic of the abyss began to dance in the hands of the half-barbarian.
Torgel's heart pounded.
Where in the world did he get that greatsword?
He wanted to run out of the formation right away, grab Skar, and ask him, but he held back.
If he retreated from here, the front line would collapse, and not only the explorers, but also Labyrinth City would fall into danger.
'Skar, please survive.'
Torgel muttered inwardly with an earnest prayer.
"Cian!!!"
Skar's shout rang in her ears. Cian, who was swinging her sword, looked back at Jeong Yoo-shin.
"Go!!!"
It was a contextless word, but Cian immediately understood him and nodded.
As expected of Skar…
'It means to trust him and leave this place to him.'
When they were sitting on the bench, she had finished talking with the barbarian.
The way to restore Ezdras's seal was…
To add the holy power of Lux Aeterna to it.
Cian cut through the blue slimes and advanced toward Ezdras's seal.
A huge pit came into her view.
Cian immediately threw herself into the pit and landed on the floor.
The swarm of blue slimes didn’t follow her in.
Cian stared at the bonfire as if bewitched.
The flame looked weaker than a few hours ago.
It was an urgent moment, so she couldn't delay, but a strange sentiment arose in her heart.
'It's beautiful.'
It wasn’t just an ordinary bonfire.
Saint Ezdras's seal.
It was made to lock away the evil that had been rampant in the world long ago.
It was the proof and covenant of the story about humans and Spirit Gods joining forces.
Was this Lux Aeterna-nim's will?
Or was it her own?
It didn't matter.
Just as lovers grew to resemble each other…
A believer was bound to resemble the nature of their god.
Cian reached her hand into the bonfire.
She knew it instinctively…
To put her hand into the bonfire and pour in her holy power…
At that time…
Changeling's voice flowed from the air.
"Kuhuhu. It's all useless."
"..."
Cian remained silent and reached out her hand.
"Child who has received the grace of Lux Aeterna. I swear on my divinity, if you use that power sleeping inside you, you will die on the spot."
Cian's hand stopped in the air.
Death.
An Outer God had spoken while staking his honor.
So it wouldn't be a lie.
However…
She had been prepared for death for a long time.
Hers was originally a body that had lived by the sword.
When she received the divinity of Lux Aeterna-nim and the title of hero, she was somewhat certain…
The worried and admiring gazes of her comrades…
The cold gaze of His Highness the Crown Prince…
She had even heard the Emperor's calm message in the audience chamber.
'Dedicate your body and soul to protect Labyrinth City.'
She hadn't told anyone about her meeting with the Emperor.
Because she didn't want to worry her party members.
Looking back, it was a life without regrets.
However…
The half-barbarian flashed through her mind.
While getting a massage from him, she had fallen for him at some point and had given him her virginity.
Even when he made lewd jokes, she didn't hate him that much, and whenever she heard his hearty laugh, she naturally smiled.
'What a shame.'
She had wanted to hold hands with this man and walk the streets with him normally.
When autumn came, they would admire the golden wheat fields together.
If possible, she had wanted to introduce him to her mother and her knight comrades.
To be more greedy, she had wanted to have two children and live quietly in the countryside with him.
But everything was just a dream and a vain illusion.
It was nothing but a mere delusion.
'Enough.'
Cian reached out her hand.
If she retreated from here, it would affect not only Labyrinth City, but also the Empire.
She didn't want to see her precious people get hurt.
'Could I live in a world without you?'
Impossible.
For the first time, Cian harbored ambivalent feelings toward Lux Aeterna.
Although it was a short time, she was happy to have met Skar, and she was grateful to have gained the power to protect him.
On the contrary…
She resented the reality that she had to leave him behind.
Cian put her hand into the brightly burning bonfire.
The seal would be restored.
She closed her eyes and murmured inwardly.
'The eternal light of humanity, Lux Aeterna.'
‘Please brightly illuminate his path ahead.’
Cian bit her lip tightly.
The enormous holy power that had been dwelling deep inside her body surged out like a wildfire and flowed into the bonfire.
Fwoosh!!!
The light of the bonfire shone brightly.
Cian felt it clearly. Her life force was also being drawn out.
Her head was dizzy.
Strength drained from her body.
Cian collapsed, but she didn't take her hand out.
'H-Here is my end.'
A single tear flowed down from Cian's eye.
At that moment…
Someone fell to the bottom of the pit.
Thump!!!
Cian's pupils widened.
"S...kar?"
The barbarian, who had landed on the floor, grabbed Cian's hand, his eyes burning with blue will-o'-the-wisps.
"Cian, leave it to me."
"T-That's...!"
The barbarian grinned and opened his mouth.
"Just for today, I'll be your black-haired hero."
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T/N - Hot damn! When did the MC become so smooth?! “Just for today, I'll be your black-haired hero”? Holy shit man! All he needs is to sweep Cian off her feet in a princess carry, and the scene would be complete.
Also, I find it funny that both Luther and Sebastian are being henpecked by their respective lovers. From being a racist priest and arrogant noble to being dominated by monster women they once hated. The irony. So this means that probably only Gibson is going to die. I’m alright with that.