Chapter 80 Showdown
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Showdown
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A rain-soaked clearing.
Kuelin Calheid, the dark elf, frowned.
She was frustrated. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't recall anything about this clown's name.
But one thing was clear.
He wasn't ordinary.
Kuelin drew her rapier.
"Karl, hand over Kundal, and I'll spare you one arm."
"Bullshit."
"Fine. Leave Kundal there. I'll let you live."
"No."
"What do you want?"
"Your heads."
Jeong Yoo-shin took a magic scroll from his pocket.
The assassins immediately placed their fingers on the triggers of their crossbows.
The dark elf shouted.
"Karl, what are you doing?! Don't do anything stupid and just leave or surrender!"
"Fireball!!!"
Jeong Yoo-shin yelled as he tore the scroll.
Instantly, all eyes in the clearing focused on the scroll in Jeong Yoo-shin's hand.
'They fell for it.'
The scroll contained a spell completely different from the one Jeong Yoo-shin had shouted.
[Light]
A blinding light erupted, filling the clearing.
The assassins, hit directly by the light, squeezed their eyes shut.
"Kyaa!!! Light magic!"
"Fire! Fire!!"
Twang! Twang! Twang!
The assassins fired their bolts in unison.
Jeong Yoo-shin hid behind Kundal.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Ugh!!!"
Five or six bolts pierced Kundal's body.
Jeong Yoo-shin emerged from behind Kundal and charged towards the assassins.
The temporarily blinded assassins were in disarray.
'Good.'
He rushed at them, arming sword in hand.
One of the assassins dropped his crossbow, drew his sword, and swung wildly.
Jeong Yoo-shin moved behind him and whispered in his ear.
"What are you doing?"
"Haaaa!!!"
The man screamed.
Thud.
His arming sword pierced through the man's back and emerged from his chest.
"Gah!"
The man's death rattle. He was already dead, his heart pierced. Jeong Yoo-shin quickly moved on to the next one.
A man shouting while swinging a mace.
Jeong Yoo-shin charged at him and swung his sword down.
Swooooosh!!!
A severed hand fell to the ground. Blood spurted from the stump.
"Kyaaaack!!!"
The assassin screamed while clutching his severed arm.
Sswaak!!!
Jeong Yoo-shin swung his sword horizontally, severing the assassin's neck.
His sword flashed, and assassins' heads flew through the air.
Twang!
The sound of a crossbow string. Jeong Yoo-shin reacted instantly.
Clang!!!
He swung his arming sword and deflected the bolt.
More and more assassins were regaining their sight.
Jeong Yoo-shin moved faster.
He aimed for vital points.
"Kyaaaack!!!"
"Gah!!!"
Even as the assassins screamed, the dark elf stood silently, her eyes closed, her rapier raised.
Ignoring her, Jeong Yoo-shin circled around her, slaughtering the remaining assassins.
"Kyaaaack!!!"
"Gah!!!"
"S-Spare me!!!"
Jeong Yoo-shin darted among the assassins while swinging his sword. Screams and pleas echoed through the clearing.
He severed wrists and pierced hearts.
He sliced open stomachs, ripped out intestines, and plunged his sword under chins, tearing through brains.
Jeong Yoo-shin was an indifferent butcher, and the blinded assassins were squealing pigs.
He meticulously killed each and every one of them.
Sswaak!!!
Jeong Yoo-shin's sword flashed, cutting through the air.
Thud.
The headless assassin's body fell to the ground.
This was the last assassin.
The severed head rolled to the dark elf's feet.
"..."
The dark elf didn't move.
Jeong Yoo-shin swung his arming sword, shaking off the blood clinging to the blade.
Pitter-patter.
Red blood mixed with the rainwater on the ground.
Jeong Yoo-shin slung his arming sword over his shoulder and circled the dark elf. He wasn't trying to find an opening. He walked slowly, as if taking a leisurely stroll.
He enjoyed the scent of blood and grass as he breathed in the summer rain and looked around.
Jeong Yoo-shin stopped and looked towards the carriages.
There were three carriages, the middle one being the largest.
Jeong Yoo-shin approached the largest carriage. A large padlock secured the door.
Knock, knock.
Jeong Yoo-shin knocked on the carriage door. He heard the sound of someone holding their breath from inside.
'There you are.'
Jeong Yoo-shin turned around and looked at the dark elf.
"Enough with the meditation, darky."
At Jeong Yoo-shin's words, the dark elf opened her eyes.
"Kundal... is dead."
At the dark elf's words, Jeong Yoo-shin turned his head and looked at Kundal.
Kundal, riddled with five or six bolts, lay motionless on the ground.
Jeong Yoo-shin spoke.
"Kuelin Calheid, you killed him."
"You knew my name?"
"It's a name that will soon be forgotten."
Jeong Yoo-shin took his arming sword from his shoulder and adopted a low stance.
It was one of the stances he had learned from Ashur while being beaten up at the Swordsman’s Guild. In his original world, it was called Alber, but the name didn't matter.
The essence of the stance was to confuse the opponent and disrupt their concentration.
In short, it was a stance for psychological warfare.
It had a drawback. If the opponent was skilled in psychological warfare, his head would be the one smashed or blown off.
But what did it matter?
He had tap-danced on death's door so many times that he had practically worn away the threshold.
'She's hesitant.'
Jeong Yoo-shin sighed while holding the stance.
"Hoo. Come on."
"A swordsman?"
The dark elf's eyes widened slightly.
"Yes. Let's fight fair and square."
Jeong Yoo-shin replied.
The dark elf made a dumbfounded expression.
"Weren't you just using poison and magic just now? You're crazy."
"A swordsman speaks with his sword."
Jeong Yoo-shin straightened his back, planted his feet firmly on the ground, and retorted.
"...You're a shameless madman."
The dark elf, as if she didn't want to waste any more words, charged at him.
Swoosh!!!
The rapier's blade, thrust forward, pierced the rain and aimed for his shoulder.
Jeong Yoo-shin remained motionless, calmly watching the rapier.
Just before the rapier hit his shoulder.
'Now.'
Jeong Yoo-shin quickly twisted his body, dodging the rapier, and thrust his sword. An upward thrust from below.
The dark elf retreated slightly and dodged the attack.
Jeong Yoo-shin clicked his tongue inwardly.
As expected of Crow’s Sight. Her vision was so wide that she had no blind spots.
Whoosh!!!
The rapier moved even faster, aiming for his head.
Jeong Yoo-shin quickly turned his head. The blade grazed his cheek by a hair's breadth. Blood trickled down from the shallow cut.
[Revenger]
His imprint activated.
Jeong Yoo-shin's eyes blazed with blue flames.
'Psychological warfare doesn't work on her.'
He immediately abandoned his first plan.
A prolonged fight was extremely disadvantageous to him due to Kuelin's Fast Weapon imprint. He was forced into a short, decisive battle.
'I'll have to give some flesh to take the bone.'
Clang! Clang!
Jeong Yoo-shin adopted a mid-stance and swung his sword. The dark elf's rapier started to gain speed.
Whoosh!!!
The rapier pierced the air and thrust forward.
Thud!
The sword pierced Jeong Yoo-shin's shoulder.
"Shit!"
Jeong Yoo-shin stepped closer. But the sword was quickly withdrawn from his shoulder.
The dark elf retreated slightly and scoffed.
"Give some flesh to take the bone? I see your skill."
"..."
What followed was a one-sided attack from the dark elf. She maintained her distance and thrust her rapier repeatedly.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
His shoulder, ribs, and thigh.
Blood flowed from each wound inflicted by the rapier. Jeong Yoo-shin's flames burned brighter.
Kuelin, the dark elf, was inwardly astonished.
'This crazy bastard. He should have collapsed by now.'
The crazy clown continued to swing his sword without flinching.
Jeong Yoo-shin, oblivious to the dark elf's thoughts, swung his sword frantically.
'Bolts. Think of them as bolts.'
Jeong Yoo-shin's vision blurred.
Moments of suffering.
The hand axes flying at him on the circus stage.
The dozens of bolts flying at him in the labyrinth.
They had become a trauma, but he hadn't drowned them in alcohol. Nor had he talked them away.
He had simply…
Relentlessly swung his sword every morning while reliving those painful moments.
And now, at this moment…
The hardships he had endured had become fertilizer through training, allowing his skills to blossom.
Clang!
The dark elf's eyes widened.
"What?!"
Had this clown just parried her rapier?
Even she could barely control the speed of her attacks that was already amplified by Fast Weapon.
A chill ran down her spine. Impatience welled up inside her.
Whoosh!!!
The rapier pierced the air and embedded itself deep in Jeong Yoo-shin's chest.
"Ugh!!!"
Jeong Yoo-shin gritted his teeth.
'Here it comes.'
He had dodged the blow to his heart. He stepped closer. The dark elf's eyes widened.
The sword…
The sword embedded in the clown's chest didn't move.
'What the...?!'
Suddenly…
Crack!!!
She felt excruciating pain in her right shin.
The pain, amplified by her Hyper Sensitivity imprint, shook Kuelin's mind.
"Kyaaaack!!!"
The dark elf stumbled back, limping, and fell to the ground.
Jeong Yoo-shin's walker boot had a concealed switchblade.
Jeong Yoo-shin grinned.
He had pestered Boron for the past three days for it until he had finally installed a switchblade in his boot.
"You cowardly bastard!!!"
The dark elf shouted in rage.
Jeong Yoo-shin pulled the rapier from his chest and threw it to the ground.
Clatter.
He spat out the rising blood from his mouth.
"Ptooey!!! I-I'm flattered by the sudden praise."
"You crazy bastard!!! You son of a bitch!!! Aren't you ashamed as a swordsman?!"
"I won, didn't I? I broke through your precious Fast Weapon."
The elf was about to shout again, but then her eyes widened.
Jeong Yoo-shin's green hair was turning black.
"Y-You're a half-blood barbarian?! You weren't Karl!!! You're Skar, the Butcher!!!"
Jeong Yoo-shin ran a hand through his hair.
'It's back. My black hair.'
The magic hair dye Oswald had given him must have worn off, so she recognized him at a glance.
He clicked his tongue in disappointment.
He didn't like the ominous moniker "Butcher," but it couldn't be helped. It was better than "Child Lover."
He had tried to subtly pass on a good nickname to the deceased Karl, but his plan had failed.
Jeong Yoo-shin sighed and raised his sword.
"You mediocre dark elf, inferior to me in virtue, skill, and wisdom. I shall put an end to your wretched life."
"D-Don't fuck with me!!!"
"Go peacefully."
Jeong Yoo-shin raised his sword and plunged it into the dark elf's stomach.
Thud!!!
His arming sword pierced through her intestines and embedded itself in the ground.
"Kuh!!!"
Jeong Yoo-shin watched the dark elf's face as she coughed up blood, then he stood up and walked around the clearing.
All ten assassins were dead.
Kuelin Calheid, the dark elf, was mortally wounded.
He walked among the scattered corpses, picked up a mace, and approached the middle carriage.
Clang!!! Clang!!!
He struck the padlock a few times, and it shattered.
Knock, knock.
"Is anyone there?"
Creak.
He opened the door, and a foul stench assaulted his nostrils.
Monsters, animals, and humans, some with missing limbs, huddled together in the corner, trembling. The regular animals were unharmed.
A few of them saw Jeong Yoo-shin's face and hair and fainted while wetting themselves.
"Ahiman, I've come to get you."
"Chirp!"
A small lizard quickly crawled towards him.
Jeong Yoo-shin held out his hand, picked up Ahiman, and examined him.
He didn't seem injured.
"Ahiman, you've been through a lot."
"Chirp!"
"You're saying I'm the best? I know. Thank you."
"Chirp."
Jeong Yoo-shin turned his head and looked at the other captives.
"Oh, fuck."
The captives had something in common: the bandages around their ankles were stained with dried blood.
Jeong Yoo-shin handed a potion to a kobold sitting nearby.
"Treat everyone with this."
"Y-Yes, King. King."
The kobold cautiously approached Jeong Yoo-shin and took the potion from him.
Jeong Yoo-shin left the carriage and quickly approached the dark elf.
The dark elf was coughing up blood.
"You inhuman bastard. Just die already."
Jeong Yoo-shin drew his sword and plunged it into the dark elf's heart.
"Gah!"
The dark elf's breathing stopped.
Jeong Yoo-shin stood up, walked a short distance away, and sat down on the carriage steps.
After waiting blankly for a while, two people emerged from the bushes.
Snout and Maya.
"Master!"
Maya, her eyes filled with tears, rushed towards Ahiman.
"Chirp!"
Maya carefully took Ahiman from Jeong Yoo-shin's shoulder and hugged him tightly.
"Sniffle. I'm sorry, Master. You suffered so much because of me. I'll never let you go again."
Maya cried while rubbing her cheek against Ahiman's face.
"Chirrup."
The lizard flicked its tongue.
Maya, regaining her composure, bowed deeply to Jeong Yoo-shin.
"Thank you, Skar."
"You're welcome. We should help each other out."
Jeong Yoo-shin waved his hand dismissively.
Thanks to Maya's help, he had been able to successfully seal the Female Virgin Corruption imprint.
He was the one who should be thanking her.
"Skar."
Snout bowed deeply and handed him a towel.
"Thanks."
Just as Jeong Yoo-shin was about to wipe his face with the towel.
Rustle.
Five people wearing masks emerged from the bushes.
Jeong Yoo-shin looked at the masked figures.
'Those are Oswald's subordinates.'
He could tell at a glance.
They were wearing silver bracelets on their left wrists, just as Oswald had described.
The masked figures were dragging five corpses.
He had wondered where five of the 25 assassins had gone. It seemed like they were here.
The mercenaries Oswald had hired approached Jeong Yoo-shin and bowed their heads.
"Skar, you've worked hard."
Jeong Yoo-shin, sitting on the carriage steps, looked at the mercenaries.
Suddenly so polite?
Strange.
He asked cautiously.
"Who are you, and why are you suddenly so formal?"
"My subordinates."
A man emerged from the bushes and walked into the clearing.
An elf with an eyepatch.
Aldein Ashwood.
The head of the monster dismantling shop.
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T/N - The MC has grown up so much. He fought here so cleanly. Not even one neck biting or tearing people’s jaws open with his bare hands. Also, I liked how the MC basically took all his trauma and trained them all away.
Lastly, I’m not really surprised that Aldein’s here. He seems to still be semi-active in the underworld despite supposedly retiring.