Chapter 102
Chapter 102
Ch. 102 .｡.:✧ Dakia's Sword (6) ✧:.｡.
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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Change skill name! Change skill name! Rename the Dakia Style ultimate technique!”
It was no use.
This was the first ultimate technique I had ever mastered, and I couldn’t let it have such a cheesy name.
Iron Blood… what was it? Invincible Slash?
“…Iron Blood Storm Slash.”
“Yeah, that one. So long.”
Undecided, who had approached me at some point, shrugged.
I resigned myself to the fact that once a skill name was set, it couldn’t be changed, and roughly ruffled Undecided’s hair.
It was a skill name only I would see anyway.
It didn’t matter since I wasn’t going to show it to anyone else.
For some reason, everything from Longinus’ Spear to this skill name was getting infected with chuunibyou…
“Y- You, no. Heavenly Michael Jackson-nim. I sincerely thank you. For sparing High Warrior Rex…”
Mia bowed before me.
She was using my alias, afraid Rex might overhear, but her voice was filled with genuine gratitude.
“G- Guh… Ugh…”
Rex was alive.
I had used Iron Blood Whatever Slash with the intention to kill, but perhaps because it was right after achieving enlightenment, the sword beams weren’t that powerful.
They only inflicted cuts on Rex, not fatal wounds.
Of course, that just meant they weren’t instantly fatal.
Countless muscles, ligaments, and nerves had been severed in an instant.
It was enough pain to make even Rex, who had the mental fortitude to burn away his lifespan, pass out.
He would have died from blood loss without immediate treatment.
It was fortunate that a healer was waiting nearby.
‘No. Was it really fortunate?’
Would Rex have preferred to die?
He had lost the duel, so he would have to swear in front of the World Tree not to harm Yulia.
But his murderous intent towards Transylvania would remain.
I had never cared much for Transylvania’s life, but the thought of my benefactor, who had helped me master the secret technique, dying at the hands of a crazy elf was a little unsettling.
‘Well, it’s their own fault.’
My ultimate technique was just a cheap imitation.
I had tried to mimic Transylvania’s, but it ended up being slightly different.
Transylvania, who knew the original, would easily defeat Rex.
As always, worrying about Transylvania was pointless.
“We can deal with the reward for the duel later. Shall we head out for now?”
“Yes, let’s.”
It was impossible to make Rex swear an oath in his current state.
Sick of the metallic scent of blood, I left the cavern with Mia and Undecided.
“You human bastard…!”
As if waiting for us, a blinding light shone from outside the tunnel, and a pale-faced blood ghoul with wild, black hair charged towards me.
I thought they were just happy to see me…
“What have you done to me?!”
“Hey! Hey, hey! Fangs! Put your fangs away!”
“I’m suddenly overwhelmed with thirst! I’m going crazy wanting to suck your blood!”
“Don’t take it out on me! Just drink a blood pack!”
“Ever since I met you, all of the blood packs taste terrible! Give me your blood!”
I was terrified.
Transylvania suddenly grabbed my wrist and pounced on me, trying to bite my neck.
I desperately tried to push them away with my foot but my legs were weak, and I could only helplessly bend my knees, allowing them to get closer.
“Okay! Okay, I’ll give you my blood! Just… put your fangs away and let’s talk!”
Hearing my desperate plea, Transylvania finally closed their mouth and sat up.
They were still drooling, but… I had just exhausted all my energy, and I would have been turned into a blood ghoul if I hadn’t surrendered.
“Haa… Like I said, it’s hard to resist. Give me your blood.”
“…Yoo-jin. You were… giving it away… for free? You pushover?”
“Hey, don’t say it like that. It sounds weird.”
Undecided looked at me, dumbfounded.
This was a different situation!
If I didn’t give them my blood, I would be the one getting hunted!
I quickly made a cut on my inner elbow and offered my arm to Transylvania, who was fidgeting on their knees.
They seemed impatient, trying to bite my arm directly, but…
“…Hey.”
“What are you doing?!”
“…Only those… who are patient… can eat.”
“Ugh!”
Fortunately, Undecided intervened.
In the end, Transylvania obediently sucked on my finger, drinking my blood little by little.
As my blood flowed into them, their trembling gradually subsided, and the glow in their red eyes dimmed.
Their thirst seemed to be quenched.
The scene was quite bizarre – Transylvania, the strongest swordsman and a proud blood ghoul, sucking on my finger like a baby with a bottle…
‘Do all the blood ghouls I meet act like this?’
Undecided and now Transylvania… I could understand Undecided, since she had tasted my blood… But Transylvania hadn’t even tasted my blood, yet they lost control.
Could blood ghouls predict the taste of blood just by smelling it?
This was dangerous.
I had to avoid getting close to blood ghouls from now on.
Of course, aside from these two, finding a blood ghoul with reason was as rare as finding a star in the sky…
“H- Hmm! It’s quite delicious! I apologize! I lost control!”
A moment later, Transylvania coughed and let go of my hand.
They couldn’t blush, being a blood ghoul, but their face was clearly red with shame.
They knew they were being embarrassing, huh?
I glared at them with a slightly contemptuous look, and they silently turned their head away.
“Don’t look at me like that…”
“You almost turned a perfectly normal person into a blood ghoul. And you’re talking back to me?”
“Becoming a blood ghoul is a good thing! You can enjoy eternal youth and accumulate power!”
“How do you know I would become a blood ghoul with reason and not a mindless monster, idiot?”
“That’s true… I apologize…”
Transylvania’s outburst was short-lived.
They quickly backed down and apologized.
I wanted to punish them by making them do a puppy-dog eyes three-combo, but I was worried about my eyesight, so I decided to let it slide.
“Anyway, you’re walking out here just fine, so that means you mastered the secret technique, right?!”
“Do I look fine to you?”
“You’re in pretty good shape, considering you fought an elf who was burning away his lifespan. What’s the big deal?”
“Wait, how did you know Rex was burning his lifespan?”
“It’s obvious. What else would a vengeful elf use as a weapon?”
I thought they were talking nonsense, considering I was covered in wounds… But it made sense.
I wouldn’t have gotten away with just minor injuries if I hadn’t mastered the secret technique.
“How many years did he burn? About 100? It must have been tough.”
“No, he burned about 800 years straight.”
“…?”
It was almost all of his lifespan, considering the flames had turned blue at the end.
Rex probably had less than 100 years left to live, but Transylvania’s expression was strange.
“S- Stop joking. There’s no way you could have beaten him with just the Dakia Style’s ultimate technique if he burned 800 years. Even I would struggle against an elf who burned their entire lifespan.”
“You’re the one who’s joking. The strongest swordsman, the infamous murderer, struggling against a single elf?”
“Don’t underestimate elves! They’re a long-lived race! They’re on a completely different level from short-lived races! Of course, elves who burn their lifespan so recklessly are rare throughout history, but once they do, warriors can easily surpass Sword Masters, and mages can overwhelm Archmages!”
“Come on.”
They were overreacting.
I knew that elves looked down on short-lived races, boasting about their long lifespans.
But to say that elves and short-lived races were on completely different levels?
That was too much.
“You were right. I did awaken to the secret technique. But unlike yours, it’s a cheap imitation…”
“Show me! Show me right now!”
“I’m so embarrassed. Demonstrating a fake in front of the creator…”
“Just show me, damn it! I can’t stand the suspense!”
Transylvania suddenly shouted.
It felt like showing an elementary school drawing to an art student.
I reluctantly drew their sword…
Whoosh…!
…and casually unleashed a sword beam.
A white line extended from the blade, hitting a nearby tree and leaving a deep gash on its trunk, as if it had been struck by an axe.
I was embarrassed.
Transylvania’s secret technique could slice through thicker trees in a single stroke… I could only leave a scratch.
“Mr. Yoo-jin…”
“Ah, uh. I apologize.”
Mia’s expression turned sour, and I lowered my head.
I had forgotten we were in Elvenguard… I almost cut down a tree without thinking.
But Transylvania’s state was strange.
They were staring at the spot where the sword beam had passed, their mouth agape.
“W- What did I just see?”
“That’s a bit harsh. It can’t be that bad.”
“I’m not saying it’s bad! How did you manage to grasp it like that?”
“It was pretty weak, though.”
“Who cares about power?! You can strengthen it with practice! I’m surprised about something else! You awakened to a completely different ultimate technique than mine!”
Transylvania was right.
They looked similar at first glance, but the essence of the ultimate techniques was completely different.
Transylvania’s secret technique created wind with the blade, and that wind cut through objects… but mine was just… some strange white line.
I called it sword energy for convenience, but… wind seemed to be stronger.
“I told you, the Dakia Style’s ultimate technique isn’t just a simple ranged attack. My secret technique, the incomplete result of systematizing Dakia’s swordsmanship, is merely a ranged attack. It’s just a variation of wind magic, creating a wind blade shaped like a sword.”
“What? Your ultimate technique is a fake?”
“Nonsense! Dakia would be rolling in his grave! I’ve tainted his swordsmanship. I tried to inherit it, but I ended up systematizing the ultimate technique in a completely different direction. You’ve recreated his sword. Your ultimate technique is the true Dakia Style ultimate technique. Sword energy, born from the blade and the wielder’s spirit, shoots out in a straight line, unaffected by wind, magic, or anything else.”
It sounded quite plausible.
My ultimate technique was the real deal?
My gloomy mood instantly brightened…
“Ah!!!”
“What’s with the sudden outburst?”
…And then I remembered that I had named that amazing ultimate technique Iron Blood Whatever Slash, plunging me back into despair.
I glared at Undecided, who oblivious to my misery, simply flashed a peace sign.
If you weren’t so cute, you’d be a corpse by now.
Ah, she was already a corpse…
Anyway…
“I’m tired. I need to rest. Ah, we have to leave Elvenguard today. I just want to sleep all day and relax. Thanks to you, I got into a fight in a foreign country. What a mess.”
“But you mastered the secret technique thanks to this. Why are you giving me the sword?”
“To return it. It’s yours.”
“Keep it. It suits you better. You understand Dakia’s sword…”
Transylvania looked a little disappointed as they pushed the sword back towards me.
It had become mine.
It was true that I had achieved enlightenment thanks to this sword, but…
“I don’t want it. It’s old and musty. Just take it back. It’s your friend’s heirloom, isn’t it?”
“…”
Now that I had mastered the ultimate technique, I could use it with any sword.
This ancient sword would just be a burden.
When I returned the sword, Transylvania stared at me blankly for a moment, then carefully held it close to their chest.
It seemed they had been quite close to Dakia.
“And about what you said earlier… I remembered it.”
“What?”
“The reason I killed Rex’s brother.”
Ah.
That story was coming up now.
I didn’t want to hear about the massacre of innocent elves, especially in front of Mia.
“Let’s talk about that later-”
“Listen. It’s not a long story.”
“I said let’s talk about it later.”
“Rex’s brother was the one who killed Dakia.”
“What…?”
An unexpected name suddenly popped up.
Dakia? The creator of the ultimate technique I had just mastered? Rex’s brother had killed him?
“I want to hear more about this. Let’s go somewhere quiet-”
“Tell me here! Tell me right now!!!”
“…?”
A booming voice echoed from the tunnel behind us.
Rex, his entire body wrapped in bandages, limped out, leaning on a tree branch.
I couldn’t believe it.
He had regained consciousness so quickly, despite those injuries?
“M- My brother… killed who…?”
Rex’s pupils were shaking wildly.
His eyes were like those of someone whose entire world had been shattered.
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[Damn i kinda feel bad for him ya know like its what he believed in and shi but oh well ig yoo jin got laser beams lmao]
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