Chapter 293 Danse Macabre
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 293
Chapter Title: Danse Macabre
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Jeong Yoo-shin sat on the bench, took out the note Jern had handed him, and read it thoroughly.
[Thunder Heart]
An imprint that changes the mana in the body to lightning attribute.
[Overdrive]
An imprint that strengthens reflexes, speed, and strength by increasing mana consumption.
[Lightning Blade]
An imprint that amplifies the lightning infused into the sword.
[Fastest Hand]
An imprint that helps swing the sword quickly.
[Sword Mastery]
An imprint that charts the optimal sword path.
Lastly…
Level 20.
Jeong Yoo-shin closed his eyes.
Jern wasn't an old man stacking imprints or anything.
He had refined only a few of them and quite well at that.
"This won't be easy."
He stood up, immediately went to the monster dismantler shop, and met Aldein.
Aldein, who was sitting in his office, scratched his head after hearing Jeong Yoo-shin's story.
"Jern?"
"Do you know him?"
"I saw him in the past. Isn't he the guy who retired right after being promoted to high rank?"
"I'm going to fight him."
"So suddenly?"
"Yes. For now, this is the note that guy handed me, is it correct?"
Aldein glanced over the note and nodded.
"These are Jern's personal details, aren't they? It's accurate."
"How’s his fighting style? It's just my thought, but that guy looks like someone who uses extreme fast sword techniques."
"That's right. Most swordsmen who handle lightning-attribute mana fight like that. They don't drag things out. They usually swing their sword once, at most twice."
Jeong Yoo-shin stroked his chin.
"To finish off the opponent with a single sword swing. It's impossible without confidence."
"That's right. But Skar, you shouldn't step into this duel. Even if you fight really well with good luck, you'll at most die together."
"Really?"
"His level is 20. It's been a long time since he retired, but he was once a high-rank explorer. He's a guy who has at least one hidden move. His Imprint Synergy might look flimsy, but if you look closely, they’re organically well-intertwined. You fall behind in both weight class and experience."
Jeong Yoo-shin scratched his forehead.
This was baffling.
Aldein had never stepped forward to stop him from fighting before.
'I'm level 10 now too.'
Of course…
His body was currently mutating in real-time, so his level-up wasn't complete yet.
Leveling up in this world didn't instantly change the body like in a game.
It took a little time for the mutation to finish.
"It's an unavoidable fight. Did he say Pantheon? The 2nd-ranked clan is holding my stuff and openly insulting me, how can I hold back?"
"I have a way…"
"I’ll take care of this."
"...Do you really have to fight this duel? I have a better way."
"Let's stop here."
Skar stubbornly refused. Aldein had a premonition that he wouldn't be able to break this barbarian guy's stubbornness and quickly gave up.
"Tsk. I understand. When is the duel?"
"A week later."
"This is driving me crazy."
'More than me?'
Jeong Yoo-shin avoided Aldein's gaze and glared at the ceiling.
What method would he need to bring down a giant who had once helped establish a clan in Labyrinth City?
Would it be a grand method?
Or…
Would a single small sling stone be enough?
Jern.
A man who had come to him, revealed all his personal details, and even told him all of the Pantheon Clan's plans and inner thoughts.
It would be an impossible action without confidence bordering on arrogance.
Jeong Yoo-shin stroked his chin.
Jern's words and actions were direct.
His sword path would probably be similar.
He thought that it might have been a huge mistake for Jern to have met him.
His proudest weapon…
'Confidence. This duel will be easier than I thought.'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Deep inside the Eastern District.
A building of the Pantheon Clan.
An old man with a deformed large head slammed the table.
Bang!!!
"Jern! What in the world does this mean?!"
Jern, who was sitting opposite him, shrugged his shoulders.
"Is it such a big problem? Desmond."
The old man called Desmond huffed and puffed.
"I have the item! Let's duel! You just had to say this! What’re you doing by meeting him, telling him all your abilities, and even leaking all of our plans?!"
"He looked like a guy barely between level 6 and 7, though? Desmond-nim, aren't you overreacting?"
"No!!! That guy is..."
"Ah, yes. Well, the rumors are flashy. But if you look closely, isn't that great deed just him tagging along with strong people and lending a hand? Hearing it 'roughly', it didn't seem like his own power, right?"
"Hoooooo."
Desmond shook his head, as if he didn't want to argue anymore.
"Don't try to find out more about that guy in detail anymore."
"I'm not really curious either."
"Stay quiet for a week, swing your sword once, and go. I'll give you a hefty sum of money."
"Let's do that."
Jern left the office.
Desmond, one of the executives in charge of the Pantheon Clan, grabbed his deformed large head.
"N-No, right?"
Skar.
The half-barbarian.
Putting aside his body…
This was a man whose mind was already a half-step on the threshold of a superhuman.
And he had grown this much in just one year.
A bizarrely fast growth rate.
Moreover, he had a terrible grudge against the underworld.
It was obvious what would happen later.
'Now is the right time! We have to step on him now at least once!'
As time passed, his friendship with the high-ranking people of Labyrinth City grew thicker.
If he climbed to a position where they could no longer touch him, it would be too late.
However…
The plan he had painstakingly squeezed out was distorted by that man named Jern.
'No. It's still okay.'
Desmond soothed himself.
He was a retired high-rank explorer. He had also achieved the Imprint Synergy Thunder Blade.
This was an excessive worry.
If Jern acted calmly like this in the upcoming duel, it was a fight they would win.
"Please."
A quiet office.
Desmond's earnest muttering echoed quietly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Jern smacked his lips.
'Was Skar the reason why he's overreacting like that?'
As he had said in Desmond's office…
He had 'roughly' heard the rumors about the half-barbarian.
'Is there something I don't know?'
Wasn't it something that would end easily with a single swing of his sword?
Jern, who had been thinking deeply, moved his steps.
'Should I find out in a little more detail?'
His curiosity about Skar deepened, and he couldn't hold it back.
He planned to meet the guys staying in the Eastern District and hear the detailed story.
'It works out well since I’m bored.'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A monster brothel filled with acrid cigarette smoke.
"Th-That guy’s a terrible deceiver."
The middle-aged man with a protruding belly and a haggard complexion spoke, his hands trembling continuously.
"Tell me in detail."
Jern, with his arms crossed, tilted his chin.
The middle-aged man clicked his teeth, shook his head back and forth like crazy, and then looked at Jern.
"I-I-I’ll only tell you this. Be careful when that guy smiles."
"..."
"Th-Th-The moment that guy smiles, you're finished."
"...Do you know who I am?"
"I-I don't know. I don't need to know who you are either. The moment you become enemies with that guy, and that guy has your information in his hands, y-your fate’s as good as finished."
Clatter!
The wooden door opened, and a slime woman came in while smiling.
"Darling! Stop talking now and come in."
"Hooooo."
The man's face contorted miserably.
"Smoking while carrying our child. That's not good."
The slime woman patted the man's shoulder as if she was really angry.
"Hey mister, you should go now. Darling’s busy♥"
"Hoooooo. Haaaaaaak!!!"
The middle-aged man let out a bizarre scream as he was dragged away by the slime woman.
Jern stood up and left the brothel.
'Did he say his name was Gibson?'
He had met the man because he was the guy most recently defeated by Skar.
'He's not normal?'
Jern moved his steps elsewhere.
'I need to find out more details.'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
One day. Two days. Three days.
Time flew by.
Jern used a prominent informant clan in the Eastern District to obtain and read documents detailing Skar's whereabouts, and then clicked his tongue.
"Tsk."
It was exactly as the man named Gibson had said.
Skar.
His fighting styles were so diverse that it was impossible to figure him out.
"Why is it so complicated?"
It was like looking at the darkness of a labyrinth with no end in sight.
If there was a notable point…
It was that he had defeated strong people using such bizarre moves.
Jern stopped reading the documents and raised his head.
"What is that Skar guy doing right now?"
The clerk of the informant clan standing right next to Jern answered.
"He's spending time sitting on a park bench, waving his hands around."
"Hmm...?"
"Yesterday, he went to the dwarf smithy and sharpened his sword so sharply that it emitted 'light'."
"What kind of sword does he use?"
"It's a normal longsword. The blade’s wide to make it easy to cut."
"What else? What did that guy do yesterday?"
The clerk scratched his head with a troubled expression.
"How about you stop here? Didn't Desmond-nim tell you? It's burdensome for us to get information about him like this..."
"Tell me."
"He entered the Eastern District."
Jern's eyes widened for a moment.
"...Why?"
"I don't know."
"What did he do?"
"..."
"I asked about what he did."
Jern's voice naturally rose.
The cat beast-person couldn't help but open his mouth.
"We don't know either. He looked around here and there in the Eastern District and then looked at the sky."
"The sky...?"
An eccentric behavior that was completely incomprehensible.
'Why?'
Jern's expression crumpled.
Crack.
His firm confidence cracked.
However…
Jern tried hard to ignore it.
"He’s just a crazy guy, right?"
"...Yes. That's right. You don't need to pay more attention to it. By the way, Jern-nim."
"What?"
"Are you sleeping well?"
Jern rubbed the dark circles that had shown up under his eyes.
"I sleep well. Don't worry."
The clerk swallowed a sigh.
'Hoo.'
A complexion that had started to become haggard day by day since Jern started investigating Skar.
'Don't tell me this person too? N-No, right?'
The clerk shook his head and erased his negative thoughts.
Another 4 days passed, and the time for the duel arrived.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Deep inside the Eastern District.
A vacant lot owned by the Pantheon Clan.
In a quiet vacant lot with not many people.
Desmond and a few subordinates of the Pantheon Clan…
Along with Jern were standing inside.
The time was slightly past midnight.
A few days ago, they had already sent a subordinate to inform Skar of the duel location and time.
It was a time when Skar should have already arrived by now.
The people crossed their arms and glared into the darkness.
3 hours passed.
Jern frowned.
"What is this? Desmond-nim, did you tell him the exact duel time?"
"Th-That's right. I definitely sent it."
Desmond replied.
Jern bit his lip.
"This crazy bastard, 3 hours have quickly passed, how can he not show himself until now?!"
"C-Calm down. Calm your mind. From what I've heard, a swordsman who uses fast sword techniques..."
"Desmond, do you know anything about swords?"
Sarcasm full of thorns came out of Jern's mouth.
Desmond was silent for a moment and then looked back at his subordinates.
"Go and search. Skar might have mistaken the duel time."
"Yes!"
1 hour passed.
The subordinate came running back out of breath.
"He's coming now. He said he thought it was tomorrow!"
"Hah."
The people gathered in the vacant lot let out a sigh resembling a lament.
Jern ground his teeth, then he was startled and came to his senses.
'Wait a minute! Let's come to our senses.’
He had to be calm.
This could all be that guy's trick.
Another hour passed.
"What in the world is that guy doing?! Where is he?!"
Desmond, unable to bear it any longer, also ended up yelling.
5 hours had already passed!
It wasn’t long before dawn. This was practically the same as them staying up all night with open eyes.
Jern rubbed his bloodshot eyes.
No matter how trivial a duel it was, it was still a one-on-one match.
It was inevitable that his nerves would be gnawed away little by little while waiting.
Moreover, he had heard not only ominous rumors about Skar, but also about several incomprehensible eccentric behaviors of the barbarian during this past week.
The fatigue that came from staying up all night tense with open eyes…
A dizzy head due to bizarre rumors and fighting styles…
Dark thoughts stealthily popped up in his mind.
Jern hurriedly shook his head.
'Let's come to our senses. He's a nobody.'
Another 30 minutes passed.
Desmond shook his head.
"Let's stop for today..."
"He's over there!!!"
Someone shouted.
Under the brightening sky.
A black-haired young man slowly walked over with a longsword slung over his shoulder.
He was wearing a shirt and pants, as if he deemed that armor wasn't even necessary.
He had his arm around the shoulder of a middle-aged man who looked like a pig.
And he brought an old mage along who was behind him.
"Skar!!!"
Desmond yelled.
Skar grinned and approached them.
"Sorry. Am I a bit late?"
"No matter how recklessly you act, how can there be a case like this?! The duel is next time..."
"I said I'm a 'bit' late. Why are you getting so angry? And you're just canceling the duel? Don't tell me you're scared?"
A bit?
Scared?
Veins bulged on Jern's forehead.
"Skar, let's finish this quickly."
"Good."
Skar replied with a 'smile'.
Jern's heart sank chillingly.
'The moment that guy smiles, you're finished'
Gibson's voice poked his heart.
'Bullshit.'
He had already achieved an Imprint Synergy.
No matter how long it had been since he retired, he had even been promoted to a high-rank explorer.
'There is no possibility of me losing.'
Skar raised his hand.
"Wait. Before the duel, won't you show me the item first?"
"Hand it over."
At Desmond's instruction, a subordinate took out a small compass and brought it to Skar's hand.
The barbarian fiddled with the compass he had received and handed it to the old mage behind him.
"Matthias, check it."
"Right. It's definitely the magic tool we were looking for!"
Jern grabbed his sword.
"Let's finish this."
"Shall we? Oh right! Here's a survivor of the Red Storm Clan. His name’s Dobby. He's a member of the Vaisis Clan that was disbanded this time. Take him."
"Dobby?"
When Jern looked back and asked, Desmond nodded.
"That's right. It's the hidden mercenary group of the Vaisis Clan."
Jern just tilted his chin with a reluctant expression.
"Come."
"Yes... Yes!"
The fat, middle-aged man hurriedly came running.
At that moment…
Skar opened his mouth.
"Dobby."
"Yes?"
"Your shoelace is untied."
"Oh my!"
Dobby stopped near Jern, bent down, and tied his shoelace.
"..."
Jern tried to ignore it, but he couldn't help but be bothered by Dobby's actions.
'Skar, what in the world are you planning?'
He tasted the feeling of gradually getting caught up in the pace of the man in front of him, but he didn't take his hand off his sword.
Dobby tried hard to tie his shoelace, but because he was so nervous, his hands trembled and he couldn't tie it properly.
Jern, unable to bear it any longer, waved his hand.
"Dobby! Get lost over there!"
"Pardon?"
"I said step back and tie your shoelace then!"
Jern yelled.
"Yes... Yes! I-I understand."
Dobby hurriedly stood up, ran, and fell.
"O-Oops!"
Jern let out a deep sigh.
"Hoooooo."
He couldn't do this anymore.
He had to finish this fight quickly.
He didn't want to admit it, but he had spent several sleepless nights thinking about Skar.
In addition to that…
Because he had stayed up all night waiting, his concentration was starting to hit rock bottom.
Skar approached Jern, grabbed his longsword with both hands, and raised it.
"Shall we start?"
High stance.
Jern's brow furrowed once again.
A stance that completely looked down on the opponent.
A wretched guy who hadn't even achieved an Imprint Synergy…
And whose level was low…
Strength surged into Jern's grip.
The two men glared at each other in the wide vacant lot.
If either one swung their sword, someone would definitely die.
A suffocating tension dominated the space.
Jern looked into Skar's eyes.
'He's different?'
He wasn't the man he saw a few days ago.
The energy exuding from his body was different from before.
He leveled up in the meantime?
It was a situation that didn't make sense.
Crack.
His confidence cracked once again.
'Concentrate!'
A drop of cold sweat rolled down Jern's forehead.
On the other hand…
Skar was looking into Jern's eyes with a relaxed smile.
"..."
The very moment the terrible tension was about to reach its peak…
Skar's pupils narrowed.
And moved somewhere else.
Thump.
Right behind Jern.
Dobby.
'A t-trap?'
Was there a reason Dobby tied his shoelace just now?
He hurriedly lowered his gaze to the floor.
'Nothing.'
Then…
Did he slip a hidden weapon into that Dobby guy's hand?
However…
Dobby, who was standing behind him, was just trembling in place.
'What in the world is it?!'
After his nerves were momentarily drawn to his back and were just about to return to Skar…
Beyond the city wall over yonder…
The dazzling dawn 'reflected' off of Skar's sword and covered Jern's eyes.
Flaaaaaaaaash!!!
In that moment of realization…
Clang!!!
His confidence shattered completely.
'No!'
Jern let out a scream inwardly and drew his sword.
[Lightning Blade]
The place he was aiming for wasn’t Skar's arm.
The heart!
He had to kill this man!
Jern's sword was drawn like lightning.
At the same time…
Jeong Yoo-shin slashed down with his longsword.
Swoooooooooosh!!!
The swords of the two men flashed along with the dawn.
"..."
A death-like silence flowed.
A moment later…
Jeong Yoo-shin staggered and stepped back.
Jern stood with a stiff face and looked at Jeong Yoo-shin.
"I-I definitely cut your heart. Ah!... Y-You achieved an Imprint Synergy."
Nod.
Jeong Yoo-shin just nodded his head silently.
A stream of blood flowed from Jern's mouth.
"A t-terrifyingly meticulous scheme. Y-You’re a man like a labyrinth. D-Driving people crazy... Cough!"
Thud.
Jern fell to his knees and dropped his head just like that.
Squirrrrrrt!!!
Blood spurted like a fountain from Jern's chest and soaked the ground of the vacant lot.
Exchanging a single sword strike…
And dying just like that.
It was an absurdly hollow death for a retired high-rank explorer to meet.
Jeong Yoo-shin swung his sword and shook off the blood.
'That was close.'
He died once.
Even though Jeong Yoo-shin had laid all sorts of traps, Jern had still swung his sword and cut the former’s heart.
'Fortunately', Jeong Yoo-shin’s sword was a step late, so Revenger, Death Reprieve, and finally Last Stand activated together, allowing him to survive.
'It's not like I'm a barbarian who has to die to live.'
Jeong Yoo-shin swallowed the blood rising up his throat and looked at Desmond.
Smirk.
A smile with no words.
Desmond fell to his knees.
"H-How? This doesn't m-make sense...! How could a low-level intermediate-rank e-explorer...!"
"Are you curious how I won?"
"Ah— Tell me!"
"That's a difficult thing for me to do."
"T-Then!!! A-At least tell me your Imprint Synergy! I’ll never touch you again! I swear!!! Please!!!"
Jeong Yoo-shin looked around without answering.
The moment of his death…
When Last Stand was activated to the limit and his five senses were sharpened…
He noticed the gazes of those hiding in the city watching him.
Aldein.
Astaroth.
Vlad.
And many other 'superhumans'.
It felt as if the gazes of the monsters living while hiding in Labyrinth City were stinging him.
He knew it without seeing them…
They must be curious.
The ability of a person who was half a step on the threshold of a superhuman.
'My Imprint Synergy, my thorns, my light, my hope.'
The signature move of a madman tap dancing on the threshold of death.
‘Since my Imprint Synergy’s like the name of a twisted fate…’
"Danse Macabre*."
"...!"
Desmond's mouth dropped open.
Danse Macabre?
What kind of ominous Imprint Synergy was that?
It was impossible to even imagine what kind of ability it was.
Jeong Yoo-shin slowly approached Desmond and squatted down.
"By the way. I've been feeling angry and heavy-hearted thinking about you guys lately. I pondered why that was and realized something."
"Wh-What did you realize?"
"It was because I treated you guys like people. When you're beast-like bastards."
"..."
"I was really foolish."
To think that he had only realized the uselessness of questions and answers now…
Jeong Yoo-shin continued.
"So I asked the previous chief. In the unlikely event that I go missing or die, to crush your Pantheon Clan first."
"D-Do you think that's even possible..."
"I offered the keepsake of the previous chief's son, so he has to listen to my request."
"..."
"And tell the Pantheon Clan leader clearly. Seeing the 2nd rank clan rolling the mud like this changed my mind too. If you want to play dirty, let's play like that. Just try touching me one more time."
Jeong Yoo-shin gently patted Desmond's shoulder.
Pat, pat.
"Be careful on the night streets. You never know when old man Ragna will pounce on you."
"Haaak!!!! Haaaaak!!!"
Desmond breathed roughly and trembled.
Jeong Yoo-shin turned around and slowly left the Eastern District.
The brightening dawn of spring.
The old superhumans of Labyrinth City…
Witnessed the sprout of a newly emerged superhuman.
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T/N - Well, damn. Lots of stuff to unpack here. First off, this is quite the long chapter. I hope you enjoy it! 👍
Another is that the MC’s Imprint Synergy finally has a proper name, not that Honey Badger BS. 😅 And it’s quite a badass name at that, if a bit edgy.
Lastly, wow. How many mind games did the MC play for that duel? Even in the end, he threatened a nuke on their asses. I fully approve though. If your enemies fight dirty, why shouldn’t you?
*Danse macabre, or the "dance of death," is a medieval artistic and literary allegory depicting skeletons or corpses leading people from all social ranks—pope to peasant—to their graves, highlighting the universality of death.