Chapter 147
Chapter 147
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: Thief Hero
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Thief Hero.
Dark Thunder.
Darkness came crashing down.
Unlike anything before.
It transformed into black lightning, striking like an abyss itself—a bizarre sensation.
Silbern, struck by the Dark Thunder, bulged her eyes wide.
'Whoa, she survived that?'
One leg charred by lightning, her right wrist gone.
Yet Silbern endured.
-That's why you need to achieve Unity.
'Her defense must have skyrocketed.'
-Something like that.
Well, nothing to be done about it.
I steadied my breathing quickly.
I was exhausted from using Dark Thunder moments ago.
'No choice.'
I extended my hand and unleashed Steal Strike.
"You bastard..."
Eyes filled with murderous intent glared at me.
My body was intact, but it wasn't a clear advantage.
More than that.
'Not sure if Cheong Yurang will show up, or that woman Loran.'
So, I needed to end it right now.
In that case.
I leaped back and hurled a throwing knife.
"Such petty tricks...!"
Shadow Dance · Mirage
Split.
A technique that originally worked only on arrows.
But with Thief's Divine Domain, I forcibly shaped the mana pattern.
'The downside is I can only imbue it with one concept.'
Squeak!
The flying knife split into hundreds in an instant.
Thud thud thud thud!
Several embedded into Silbern's body.
"Such petty...!"
Silbern's eyes widened as she stepped forward, swinging her sword—
Thud.
She collapsed face-first.
-Whoa...
The holy sword gazed at me with a voice full of dismay.
'Should've done this from the start.'
No point in clashing swords head-on.
Was I too heated?
'Well, stripping her mobility was the key.'
I kept my distance and drew my bow and arrow.
"Wh-what the hell is...?"
Silbern stared at her leg in disbelief.
A tiny pit.
A trap from Thief's Divine Domain and Steal Strike.
'Don't be too down about it.'
Even Volkan fell for it once.
In other words.
'Even a level 9 can fall if they're careless.'
A feat possible once Thief's Extremity advanced to Divine Domain.
'Maybe learn trap specialization.'
Having a teacher like Volkan would be ideal.
But saving my teacher won't be easy.
Of course.
'After the hero tournament ends, I can meet the Thief Hero, they said.'
Not that I'm expecting much.
The Thief Hero isn't exactly trustworthy.
But if it's a deal...
That might change things. Plus, I have negotiation masters Volkan and Ermé.
-Aren't they more masters of intimidation than negotiation?
'Volkan, sure, but...'
Ermé's got talent there too, it seems.
Oh, am I getting sidetracked?
I aimed my bow at Silbern, who wore a vacant expression.
Her strong will to live, perhaps. She forced herself up, trying to swat the arrow.
Cough.
She spat out a clump of dead blood.
Silbern looked at me with trembling eyes.
-You didn't...
'Poisoned it.'
Sorry, but my poison craft is top-notch. I even make antidotes and potions with it.
'...No, since it's elven alchemy, maybe the causality is reversed.'
Anyway.
I used Shadow Dance · Mirage once more.
Penetrate Double Stack.
Unlike the throwing knife, my form rose from the shadows.
Whoosh!
The arrow pierced straight through Silbern.
-She's dead.
The holy sword stated it flatly.
*
Part of me wanted to rush to help Cheong Yurang right away.
Munch munch.
But I crammed recovery potions into my mouth, focusing on healing.
If I went to help and got taken hostage, it'd be pathetic. Recovery first.
So, using the hero's orthodox breathing to restore mana, I rested slowly.
After a while.
A question struck me.
The new sword art I named Dark Thunder.
I suddenly wondered about its origins.
'Why is a technique only certain races can use a sword art?'
About that.
The holy sword kindly explained.
-Heh, obvious. Why do you think there's a "Sword" Hero among heroes?
'Because you're a holy sword?'
-That's part too... But the first hero implanted different sword arts into the seven races.
'Seven races?'
Human, elf, beastkin, dwarf, orc.
That's only five... Ah.
Come to think of it.
'The guild master was a dragonkin, right?'
Golden reptilian eyes.
A woman with an inhuman aura.
She was fond of me, but sometimes eerie.
Where's the other one...?
A gift came to mind.
Storm Giant's Heart.
Did this gift teach me the sword art?
-No.
'Eh?'
-Because the sword art you used is metal attribute. Among the Seven Luminaries races, only dwarves match metal.
'Seven Luminaries?'
-Yes, but... your sword art is oddly twisted somehow.
'Twisted?'
-Normally: beastkin worship the moon, dragons control flames, giants lift seas, elves love trees, dwarves handle metal, barbarians stand firm on earth... and humans born of the sun.
'Wait, what's a barbarian?'
-A race cursed entirely for angering the gods. Now called orcs.
'...'
-That's why orcs get so much talk. Labyrinth monsters, pre-Labyrinth era monsters too. But cursed, they weakened.
'Weakened?'
-Yes. The first hero bundled them into Seven Luminaries Sword Arts. Even now, a millennium later, most sword arts don't touch it.
'Then.'
-As you think. Master Seven Luminaries and hero orthodox sword arts properly... and no one in this world threatens you.
Master sword arts to reach world's strongest.
But something odd.
What kind of being was he?
No one surpassing him in a millennium?
I pondered that.
But.
Not important now.
Compared to full condition.
'Half... no, generously half.'
Aftermath of fierce battle.
Still, enough not to hinder.
As I thought that.
"Master!!"
Cheong Yurang's presence approached strongly from afar.
Carrying Loran's head, looks like she won too.
-Well, no way she'd lose. Not Unified, but level 7, and awakened her own blood akin to Unity among beastkin.
'Fenrir?'
-Yes, awakening the blood of the wolf that slew a god—superior to most Unity.
I awkwardly waved back at Cheong Yurang, who beamed and waved at me.
"As expected of Master. I hit level 7, used Unity, still struggled against that weakened archer..."
"I fought dirty too."
-You were really dirty. Absolutely not something to repeat.
Is that why they call my gameplay filthy?
Well.
'Kinda embarrassing.'
-Not praise.
'War has no fair or foul.'
Win and done.
They did dirtier stuff anyway.
Level 7 ganging up on level 6.
If not Cheong Yurang, I might be the dead one.
"Then I'll cut off her head."
"Head?"
"Yes, Master has many admirers who trust you... but others obsess over proof."
Cheong Yurang approached Silbern, severed her head, and boxed it.
-Good at supporting too.
'...Yeah.'
-Regret letting her go?
'...A bit.'
Should've tried recruiting.
As I thought that, I scanned Silbern's body.
'...No incriminating evidence, huh.'
Even with Thief's Divine Domain, nothing suspicious.
"What's wrong?"
"Thought there might be a clue."
But nothing.
In that case.
'We gotta investigate.'
Plop.
Something fell from my body.
Huh?
Something dropped?
I picked it up in a daze.
[Soul Stone of ??] ...?
I'd seen this a few times.
When I stole Lucia's obsession.
Saintess's chastity.
And Rishiel's soul.
Meaning.
'Something weird got caught in that Steal Strike trap earlier.'
Headache made sense.
I stashed it in sub-space first.
*
Back at the arena, the fierce battle raged.
Opponents: none other than.
'Rishiel and Ermé.'
Rishiel: speed-focused swordswoman like me.
Ermé: the orthodox type.
Solid basics, counters anything easily.
Great at offense, defense; Labyrinth's sturdiest ally.
"Heh heh..."
Cheong Yurang smiled contentedly beside me.
-Unbelievable.
'...Yeah. Is this worth grinning that much?'
I held hands with Cheong Yurang.
Reason? Simple.
"Just holding hands brings this joy. Truly my master."
"..."
"Even offer a platinum coin per second, lines would form to hold Master's hand."
No, really.
I'm handsome, but just for a face?
Anyway, holding hands to suppress presence with Thief's Divine Domain.
We attract eyes everywhere with our looks, so muting it.
'Still.'
Seeing her happy doesn't feel bad.
-You look like you're grinning too.
'Well...'
I'm not a eunuch.
Physical contact with a pretty girl is good for health. Mental mostly.
Chatting with the holy sword, watching the arena.
"No, pointing a blade at a thousand-platinum face is cheating!"
"Who has a thousand-platinum face?!"
"Ugh, really?! Drop the ladylike act without Yuseong and swing swords?!"
"You tried kicking my face first!"
"..."
Were they always this fiery?
-Because you're gone. As clan leader, mind your conduct more.
'...'