Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Solo Play
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Solo play.
Ahead of me, three goblins came into view.
I charged forward while swinging Whisper of the Wind.
Serack.
One goblin's head was cleanly severed. At the same time, as I scaled the labyrinth wall, I hurled the Blood-Soaked Dagger at it.
Thud.
I kicked off the wall, spun around, and slashed at its neck with my sword.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Skill: Martial Arts level has increased.] -Clean work.
Rishiel's admiration followed.
But I couldn't afford to bask in it. Another goblin behind me was gunning for me.
'Let's test this out.'
Aura Control (B).
Rather than the mana in my body draining away, it felt like something else was leaking out.
'Release.'
Thoom!
"Kek...!"
One goblin foamed at the mouth and passed out.
At the same time, my head throbbed a little.
'Did I overdo it?'
Ugh, but now that I've tried it once, I should be able to control it better next time.
I slit the unconscious goblin's throat.
-Y-You... Did you just use aura?
'Yeah, starting to get the hang of it.'
-What... You can wield aura freely like that?
'Not quite that good.'
I'd just brute-forced it out.
Rishiel was exaggerating a bit.
If anything, it felt more like emitting mana like that monkey she mentioned last time.
'I want to handle it more delicately.'
For now, aura would do at this level.
Next up: mana control.
'Like wrapping mana finely around my body.'
I spread mana into every corner. The blue power inside me amplified my abilities.
"Kieek...!"
Luckily, this was the labyrinth.
Plenty of opponents. I gripped my sword and stared ahead.
'Ten goblins.'
I thought it might be too much solo...
'But I can level up the Blood-Soaked Dagger.'
I grinned and leaped forward.
*
'He's a monster.'
Rishiel thought as she watched Han Yuseong fight.
A monster.
Not wrong at all. Even she, raised as a child of the World Tree and constantly hailed as a genius...
'The world is vast.'
To think such a monster existed.
Learning by watching someone else's swordsmanship? No big deal on its own.
She could do that much herself.
But learning a sword art developed by another race—and dissecting its essence to boot?
'Impossible.'
Yet right before her eyes was a being who could do just that.
Han Yuseong.
What in the world was he?
'At first, it caught my eye because of that.'
Then, one astonishing thing after another kept piling up.
His swordsmanship was a notch below hers, but his archery surpassed her own. He even wove martial arts into it.
And at some point, his mana control grew precise.
'Now even aura...'
Aura.
Simply releasing mana was something even talentless commoners could do once they entered the labyrinth.
But not this aura.
A power only the rarest geniuses could wield.
Even searching the entire world, only a tiny handful could use it.
To wield it so casually...
'Absurd.'
And yet he was ridiculously good at stealth too. Perfect concealment, like he was cloaked in shadows.
He was the world's deadliest assassin.
An absurd monster.
Swordsmanship at an elite level, and assassin skills that were downright terrifying.
Especially that sniper shot he'd detonated like a bomb last time...
'...The elves could be in danger.'
Her own kin might be at risk.
Leading him astray could be good for her, but bad for the elves.
However...
'Thinking of your kin now?'
More than that...
A more selfish thought crept in.
Dark Moon.
A secret technique of Dark Moon that had vanished.
Han Yuseong wielded it casually.
Then...
'The true secret of Dark Moon too...'
Rishiel chose selfishness.
She wanted to see the complete Dark Moon.
*
'Something's up.'
After I swung my sword, Rishiel's gaze changed. More intense, like it was burning hotter.
'...Didn't mess up anywhere.'
I was confident in my swordplay.
Mixing in martial arts made it flow well. Maybe she didn't like my swordsmanship?
'Well, she'll say something when the time comes.'
Call it intent.
She could ruin my path if she wanted.
Pretending to correct a few techniques, for instance.
But Rishiel didn't. She even helped.
I shook the blood off the Blood-Soaked Dagger and pressed on.
'Around thirty.'
About five magic stones.
Not a great haul.
'Getting the hang of it.'
How to handle aura.
How to handle mana.
While slaughtering goblins to stack the Blood-Soaked Dagger...
I noticed the dagger had grown oddly longer.
'About 10cm?'
Rogue Mastery gave me extreme dexterity. Even with sharp present wires, it was like wearing gloves—no injuries.
"Kieeek!"
I sliced the approaching goblin's throat.
The Blood-Soaked Dagger's stacks hadn't built up yet.
But why the length?
'Not now.'
Focus on the goblin.
"Kieeeek!"
Five goblins rushed me.
The Blood-Soaked Dagger traced a red arc. Whisper of the Wind drew a green one.
Those arcs sliced through goblin necks. Red and green trails severed them clean.
'...Kinda boring.'
Hobgoblins might be better.
Thinking that far brought the champion to mind.
He'd be different.
'But challenging him solo now...'
Would be suicidal.
Honestly, I might win a fight...
'But I'd have to brace for at least one broken bone.'
I'd told the party to stay quiet while I looped the labyrinth alone.
No needless injuries tanking my condition.
After hunting goblin packs for a bit...
The Blood-Soaked Dagger evolved.
It had been a dagger until now, but...
⚔ ITEM ⚔ Blood-Soaked Sword (B) A sword that grows stronger the more blood it absorbs. ◇ Unlocks abilities every 100 living beings killed.
◇ Can use Blood Spirit Energy with absorbed blood.
◇ Agility +4
◇ Shape Shifting
Shape shifting?
I stared at the sword that had become the Blood-Soaked Sword. It was longer now, about the length of my usual shortsword.
'Let's try making it longer.'
It extended with a shh. Too slow for combat...
'But it could confuse their senses sometimes.'
More than that, it still had unlockable features?
Already way better than Whisper of the Wind or the champion's sword.
'Up to A-rank?'
I gripped the transformed sword in my right hand.
Until now, I'd held Whisper of the Wind there.
'Gotta practice with this too.'
My dual-wield so far had mismatched lengths.
To advance Dark Moon, the blades needed to match. Or at least, that's the feeling.
In the vision from Rogue Mastery, the dual-wield blades were equal length anyway.
Slaughtering goblins and hiding in shadows to dodge people...
Before I knew it, white star-dust particles hovered around me.
'Finally.'
Level up.
*
Mission accomplished, I exited the labyrinth.
Right after leveling up, my body felt light as if it could float away.
The level-up effect.
Leveling up greatly boosts overall physical abilities and grants skills.
And very rarely, gifts.
'Got lucky.'
I fell into that rare category.
Though, like a vessel overflowing...
My insides felt stuffed to bursting.
Heavy and bloated.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Gift: Violet (A) acquired.] '...What even is this?'
It said I got a color.
No clue what skill this was.
-Yuseong?
'Yeah?'
-Did you get another gift on level up?
Rishiel asked me that.
Anything change much?
-You have changed. Your appearance stands out more now.
What changed?
I left the labyrinth.
'Settlement...'
Not much haul.
Carrying loot cuts my mobility advantage, and Hidden Space isn't that big.
But I had to report.
Death reports—my whole party wiped, unavoidable.
Reluctantly, I lined up in the shortest queue amid the crowds.
Then...
'Something...'
Gazes from all sides. Not weird ones. Strangely favorable, full of goodwill.
'Not staring at me, right?'
I'd call it paranoia, but they really were looking.
'...Rishiel, how do I look now?'
-More attractive.
'...?'
-For starters, your eye color changed. To violet.
'Violet?'
I scanned around for a mirror. Spotted one, far off but visible.
About 30m away.
My marksman vision showed the changes.
'Violet eyes.'
Shaggy black hair, violet eyes.
But how to put it...
'Attractive?'
Like it held a bewitching magic. Even seeing myself, hard to look away.
'...Not great.'
Check the gift first.
⚔ GIFT ⚔ Violet (A) ◇ Infuses the user with the power of violet. Power of violet? What?
I narrowed my eyes at the description.
That was it. End of explanation.
'But it looks good...'
From the gifts I've gotten, simple descriptions like this had vast potential.
Bound to come in handy someday.
"Ah, hello..."
The settlement clerk said shyly. Weird—Ermé said they're all gruff, irritable, rough types.
Heard it over dinner often.
'Why so friendly?'
I got polite guidance and finished settlement.
Unlike Ermé's four-person haul, mine was quick.
Inside, Volkan was pacing.
This old man's got nothing better to do?
"What're you up to, kid? You..."
"What're you doing, old timer?"
"You leveled up?"
"Yes."
"Seems like a pretty unique gift."
"...Looks that way."
"Eh, you look fine, so no issue?"
What issue?
I headed inside. Unlike the old man, the kind woman Hilda guided me in.
'My power infused with violet.'
Time to figure out what this ability does.