Chapter 315 The Real Ones Have Returned
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 315
Chapter Title: The Real Ones Have Returned
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Dietrich grabbed his longsword and looked around.
"Th-This is...!"
A hemispherical shape surrounded all sides like a glass bowl.
The outside was dotted with a drab gray color and looked as if it had lost all life.
On the other hand, the inside was the same as before. It was a park, spring flowers were in full bloom, and life was thriving.
He immediately noticed it.
"Barrier magic?"
"Correct."
At the mystic's answer, Dietrich's eyes widened as if they would pop out.
"...!"
Did this even make sense?
Barrier magic was very difficult. Moreover, it also ate up an enormous amount of mana.
But this robed barbarian skipped the incantation and deployed the barrier magic just by snapping his fingers.
Meaning he had either received a top-tier imprint or was a considerably high-ranking mage.
Dietrich's question deepened even more.
'Why have I never once heard of this man?'
And…
What kind of question did they want to ask for such a great mage to bring him to a place like this?
"But the magic’s a bit so-so. It's drab and dark."
TS Skar muttered while crossing her arms.
The mystic, who had been maintaining a gloomy smile, made a reluctant expression.
"Seriously?"
"It is, isn't it? Should I say that it's a bit evil? The mana feels unpleasant?"
"I did all this for you guys and you're picking a fight with me like this? Big-breasts, if you act like this, I'll be really sad."
The two bickering again.
At that time…
The middle-aged Skar stepped up instead.
"The reason we called you here is none other than this. If you answer just a few of our questions, we’ll send you back as you are."
"What do you want to ask?"
Dietrich said in a polite tone.
The middle-aged Skar looked at Third Brother.
The wolf beast-person Skar's lips parted.
Hundreds of questions circled in his head.
But he soon realized…
That the Dietrich in front of his eyes was different from the person he knew.
The Dietrich he knew hadn't come to Labyrinth City this quickly in the first place.
Rather, that man had wandered every corner of the Eastern Alliance with the mercenary group for several years first.
Since his actions weren’t the same, his experiences would also be different.
If his experiences were different, it was hard for the wolf Skar to see the two as the same person.
If so…
His questions would be meaningless.
While the wolf beast-person guy was agonizing over what to ask, Jeong Yoo-shin stepped forward.
"You seem to be very interested in the red orb, I'm curious about your reason for that."
Dietrich's face hardened.
The mystic looked into Dietrich's eyes and made a deep smile.
"Hehe. The youngest hit the nail on the head."
Dietrich raised his longsword and took a middle stance.
"I cannot answer that."
Grand mana shimmered from the mystic's hands.
"Then you have to get hit. I already didn't like your face, so this works out well."
The wolf beast-person Skar took a step forward.
"I’ll be his opponent."
The mystic looked at the wolf guy's face, then he shrugged and stepped back.
"Do as you please, Third Brother."
When the 'Skars' stepped back, the wolf beast-person and Dietrich faced off in the middle of the barrier.
Jeong Yoo-shin worried briefly, and then his eyes flashed.
'This is an opportunity.'
It was a chance to expand the diversity of his Sacred Weapon.
Like the Snow Bringer he had shown in his fight with Johannes, he thought that there would be something that would stimulate his inspiration in this battle.
The wolf beast-person Skar loosened his body and took a step forward.
Dietrich remained quiet while maintaining his posture, but his pupils quickly scanned the 'Skars'.
The mystic guy immediately understood what Dietrich was thinking and waved his hand.
"You bastard, letting your eyes roam like that... We won't interfere, so don’t worry."
Dietrich turned his head and looked at the middle-aged Skar instead of answering.
"Can you keep that promise?"
The middle-aged Skar made a bitter smile.
"Since Second Brother said it, then we won’t interfere."
The mystic guy stared blankly at the middle-aged Skar.
"No... First Brother, I was going to interfere, though…"
A profound silence briefly fell inside of the barrier.
"..."
TS Skar poked the mystic's side.
"Hey, just stay still. You think Third Brother will lose?"
The mystic frowned and let out a deep sigh.
"Hoo. It's not like we came to duel all of a sudden. This is the room of truth... Very well, I'll hold off for now."
"I'm coming."
The wolf Skar spat out just one phrase and slowly walked toward Dietrich.
"..."
The latter raised his sword without answering.
White light overflowed from Dietrich's sword and rose up.
Jeong Yoo-shin's eyes widened.
Aura Blade.
The eyes of TS Skar, who had come up next to him at some point, sparkled.
"Ah! That's it. The White Caliburn imprint."
White Caliburn?
What kind of cheat imprint was that?
He knew that other Aura Blades existed.
Because Dalmong had mentioned it in passing in the past when he got the Sacred Weapon imprint.
TS Skar glanced at Jeong Yoo-shin's face and continued.
"White Caliburn, among the Aura Blade imprints, is an imprint that boasts decent performance. When it draws out the aura from the sword, it increases the caster's physical abilities, especially defense and agility. Moreover, as befits an Aura Blade, it allows for spiritual attacks and guarantees a certain degree of cutting power. Of course, their attack range also widens."
"Does it cut through steel and stuff like that?"
"It might be possible if the imprint grows, maybe?"
Jeong Yoo-shin swallowed dryly.
He coveted it.
Aura Blade is a man’s romance.
"Still, I like the Sacred Weapon our youngest has better."
So suddenly?
She didn't have to force herself to comfort him.
TS Skar smiled and patted Jeong Yoo-shin's back.
"Youngest, I want to explain it to you in detail, but just watch the battle for now. That’ll be more helpful for you."
Jeong Yoo-shin looked at the two men with a dubious expression.
Honestly, he was very curious.
How would the wolf beast-person guy overcome the reach difference between a sword and a fist?
Reality wasn’t a game.
Unless you had a real cheat imprint…
It was hard to overcome the difference in physical specs and reach.
The wolf beast-person Skar, who had approached Dietrich from the front, slowly raised his foot.
Dietrich frowned and raised his sword.
'What’s this?'
It was the start of the fight, but Dietrich couldn't carelessly launch an offensive. Because he didn't know what this wolf beast-person's ability was.
The wolf Skar, who had grasped the situation, grinned and stomped the ground.
Kra-booooooooom!!!
His foot broke concrete, creating a small crater.
And dust and stone powder exploded and shot up into the air…
Dietrich lost his balance and staggered for a moment.
It was a brief moment, but the wolf beast-person immediately clenched his fist and charged in.
A simple combo.
One-two low kick.
A jab like a ray of light struck Dietrich's face.
Smaaaaaash!!!
Dietrich's neck snapped up.
"Kuuuuuuk!!!"
Dietrich let out a groan and twisted his body.
Whoooooooosh!!!
A straight punch grazed past his head.
He dodged it, but he couldn't dodge the low kick that followed.
Kra-boooooom!!!
The wolf Skar's leg struck Dietrich's like a blunt weapon.
Crack!!!
The thigh part of the latter’s plate armor was slightly dented.
It was a blow that would have torn an ordinary person's leg right off.
But Dietrich was also a superhuman.
Because his defense had increased while the Aura Blade was manifested by the effect of the White Caliburn imprint, he didn’t back down easily.
He immediately swung his longsword.
Zwerchhau*.
Swoooooosh!!!
The technique of raising the sword above the head and cutting the opponent's head with the front and back edges was repeated several times in an instant.
However…
As if the wolf Skar had already guessed it…
He immediately lowered his body and threw a body blow.
Kra-booom!!! Kra-booom!!! Kra-booom!!!
Three liver shots landed. Dietrich staggered and stepped back.
He, while frowning with a pained expression, briefly looked down at his plate armor.
The belly part was terribly dented.
'Terrifying.'
If it weren't for the plate armor made of top-grade mithril and adamantite ore and the ability of White Caliburn, the power of those punches would have immediately damaged his internal organs.
Meanwhile…
Jeong Yoo-shin watched the fight between the two men with sparkling eyes.
The legs of Dietrich, who was hit with three body blows, were slightly trembling.
It was a situation where it was clearly visible who had the upper hand.
As expected…
No matter if you’re a superhuman or not, if you get hit in the liver, you’re bound to lose strength.
"Yeah! Third Brother, that's it! Oraoraora!!!"
TS Skar, who was standing next to him, excitedly swung her fists around.
Naturally, her breasts jiggled and tapped Jeong Yoo-shin's side.
Jeong Yoo-shin pretended not to notice and looked around.
As expected of ‘hims’ from different parallel worlds, they had forgotten about the room of truth and were all watching the fight with excited faces.
Despite Dietrich's disadvantage, the fight continued.
Jeong Yoo-shin exclaimed inwardly.
'Amazing.'
Dietrich's swordsmanship was truly outstanding.
He poured out sword strikes at a speed that was hard to see with the eyes. Jeong Yoo-shin could only follow the afterimages of the aura.
However…
The wolf beast-person guy dodged all of the sword strikes by a paper-thin margin, as if he had grasped all of Dietrich's moves.
The latter’s eyes opened wide.
'Is that even possible?!'
Why in the world were all of his attacks being read in advance?
Did he by any chance receive an imprint that read minds?!
Grind.
Dietrich ground his teeth as his eyes burned.
'I won’t give up here!'
The white aura on his sword grew even larger, and his movements also became increasingly fierce.
The fight gradually intensified.
Dietrich's sword strikes that were like rays of light tore through the air.
And the wolf Skar's fists and legs broke the ground.
When the sword and fist collided…
Craters were created here and there along with the sound of cannonballs exploding.
Jeong Yoo-shin watched the battle of the two men in the midst of flying stone fragments and raging storm-like winds and was amazed.
'This is the fight of those who have repeatedly leveled up.'
At that time…
The wolf Skar's straight landed on Dietrich's face.
Smaaaaaash!!!
"Kuhuuuuuk!!!"
The latter grabbed his nose and stepped back.
Even while doing so, he was still able to raise his sword, aimed for the wolf Skar's neck, and thrust it forward.
The wolf Skar stepped to the side and dodged the sword thrust, then he swung his fist.
Left hook.
Claaaaaaang!!!
A shockwave burst out as the fist and the flat of the longsword collided.
Dietrich's eyes widened.
'He deflected a sword imbued with an Aura Blade?!'
Even if the White Caliburn imprint was an Aura Blade specialized in defense and agility, to deflect a sword with his bare hand…?!
That didn't make sense.
However…
Dietrich's thoughts stopped there.
The wolf Skar's left hook exploded on his chin.
Smaaaaaash!!!
Dietrich's jaw turned, and his brain was shaken.
Naturally, he stepped back as he lost his balance.
However…
The wolf Skar turned his head and looked at Jeong Yoo-shin.
'Watch.'
He was thinking of gradually showing his techniques to the youngest.
If the youngest could create a similar technique through his Sacred Weapon's property infusion, it would be a gain for him.
The air around the wolf Skar began to stir.
At the same time, his arms bulged and emitted heat.
An unprecedented great force. An enormous power that could even crush mountains began to gather in the wolf Skar's arms.
The 'Skars' opened their mouths slightly.
The mystic muttered quietly.
"Is that pretty boy going to die?"
Dietrich opened his eyes wide.
Putting aside whether he could block that attack…
If he continued to fight, he would have to reveal all of his moves here without a choice.
Moreover, there were three more terrifying figures remaining.
Dietrich decided to take a step back here.
"Stop!!!"
The middle-aged Skar also intervened.
"Let’s stop here."
The wolf beast-person relaxed the strength in his arms.
The unusually churning air settled down.
TS Skar made a disappointed face.
"What? It ends so blandly like this?"
"Th-Thank you."
Dietrich politely expressed his gratitude to the middle-aged Skar.
Jeong Yoo-shin also smacked his lips.
'A shame.'
He could have observed a useful ability for his Sacred Weapon's property infusion.
Still, if there was one thing he gained…
Before the start of the battle, the technique where the wolf Skar stomped and shook the ground…
He captured in his eyes the martial art that made even the estimated level 35 Dietrich show an opening for a moment.
If he did it well, couldn't he use it as a Sacred Weapon's property infusion?
"Youngest, what's wrong?"
"That technique the third used. I was impressed by the martial art that made the opponent lose their balance by stomping the ground."
"You're greedy. Don't tell me you're thinking of taking all of our martial arts?"
TS Skar asked with a grin.
Perhaps because she was quite excited by the fight a moment ago, her large breasts were tapping Jeong Yoo-shin's chest, but she didn't seem to care.
The wolf beast-person looked at Jeong Yoo-shin and smiled.
"I was planning to teach you a few techniques before leaving anyway."
Dietrich's expression was colored with bewilderment.
'Wh...at is this?'
The atmosphere of the wolf beast-person, which had been very sharp until a moment ago, changed into a soft one.
Watching that, his heart strangely stirred.
Envy.
And annoyance.
In fact…
When he met the wolf beast-person's eyes, he felt a bizarre emotion.
It was hard to describe.
At first, he was interested in the half-barbarian named Skar, but not now.
He became more curious about the wolf beast-person.
If he said that he wasn't bothered by the wolf beast-person who had read all of his sword strikes, wouldn't that be a lie?
Dietrich fell into thought while looking at the wolf beast-person.
'I think we’ll get along. Can I talk to him?'
Looking at the wolf beast-person's eyes, he wanted to open his heart to the guy.
He couldn't explain the reason at all. It was fine to say that it was irrational.
Dietrich made up his mind and lowered his sword.
"Are you curious about the reason I'm interested in the red orb?"
"Yeah."
The wolf beast-person replied briefly.
Dietrich sheathed his longsword and let out a deep sigh.
"Hoo. I’ll tell you everything. I was just thinking about it, so it wouldn't be bad to ask for an opinion."
The mystic guy grumbled.
"Is this how it ends? It's too bland. Shouldn't we cut off his arm and mess up his face a bit? Then if he collapses, we tie him up and massage his brain a bit."
"..."
Dietrich's face turned pale.
Perhaps stopping the fight early was a good choice.
"Second Brother, release the barrier."
"Yes."
But when the middle-aged Skar said a word, the mystic immediately released the barrier.
Fwaaaat!!!
The dome disappeared, and the ‘Skars’ and Dietrich returned to their original place.
However…
The park wasn’t the same as before.
Because elf soldiers and the White Night Mercenary Group were surrounding the place like ants.
"Leader-nim!!!"
The adjutant, Dina, shouted at the top of her lungs.
An elf who looked like a captain took a step forward.
"A rumor spread that the barbarians appeared in the southern park and kidnapped the leader of the White Night Mercenary Group. And in the middle of the night at that. What’s going on here?"
The elf demanded an explanation.
The mystic shrugged his shoulders.
"We just had a little chat."
The elf turned his head and looked at the leader of the White Night Mercenary Group.
The man looked like a wreck.
His armor was dented here and there as if it had been hit by a blunt weapon several times.
His face was swollen, and his nose was bleeding too.
"...How do you talk, for the mercenary leader's face to end up like that?"
The mystic stuck out his chest.
"Do you have proof that we hit him?"
"..."
The moment the elf captain was about to open his mouth…
The mystic turned his head and looked at Dietrich.
"Greasy-looking bastard, did we hit you?"
"..."
Dietrich's expression changed profoundly.
"You just fell while walking down the street. Right?"
Dietrich's lips trembled slightly.
"...Yes."
The elf captain looked at Dietrich with a worried face.
"By any chance, is your body okay? Ahem. By any chance, did the barbarians thrust their genitals or...?"
"No. There was nothing of the sort."
Dietrich quickly shook his head and replied, but…
Ting.
Clatter.
The tightening straps of his plate armor broke, and Dietrich's armor parts fell to the floor one by one.
Because his arming doublet and pants were also torn due to the internal shock…
Dietrich's bare body was revealed.
"..."
A heavy silence lingered for a moment in the park packed with onlookers.
"N-No way, even the l-leader of the White Night Mercenary Group!"
"G-God...! The real ones have come back."
"Th-The cock outlaws have returned! A-And there are 4 of them!"
Someone frowned.
"One of them’s a woman, though?"
Another person answered.
"Are you sure that beautiful woman doesn't have a cock? You’re quite naive."
Under the moon high in the sky, the murmur of the people began to burst forth.
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T/N - Lol! It’s the return of the cock outlaw barbarians. The MC seemed destined to not shake off that rumor (I mean, it has some truth to it), and unfortunately for the other Skars, they got dragged into it too. 😂
Also, is it me, or are Dietrich’s thoughts about the wolf Skar a bit… gay? Though that was a pretty good fight, and it shows just how broken the Behemoth imprint is when fully evolved.
*The Zwerchhau is a horizontal "thwart-strike" or "cross-strike" from the German school of longsword fencing.