Chapter 189: Say You Want To Live - 5
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 189: Say You Want To Live - 5
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Hughes: top of my class in secondary school, supernova of the host club scene, a bespoke private tutor and matchmaker, a legend among pickpockets and an undefeated gambler. An idol to children, a benevolent caretaker, and a magician with one shining prior conviction.”
A grand introduction, but if you picked it apart, each title was utterly trivial. Every one of them was based on a true story. The pathetic life of a petty criminal, with nothing worth exaggerating even if I wanted to.
Wolfen, who had guessed my identity, slowly nodded his head.
“The magician. I've heard of you. The legendary petty criminal of the back alleys, they say.”
“You’re making me blush.”
“Seeing as even the Shadow couldn't find you, I thought the reputation might not be entirely baseless…”
So I haven’t lived my life in vain. To think even an escapee from Tantalus has heard my name.
In any case, rumors are like shadows or echoes, always bound to be exaggerated. Wolfen must be overestimating my skills, right?
“How strange. Back when I was with the Umbra, a legend was not a title so easily bestowed. Has the Military State become so lacking in Arcane that it must revere even a petty criminal?”
Was that a backhanded compliment?
Sorry, but if we’re fighting with trash talk, you’d lose a hundred times out of a hundred. If words were weapons, I’d be the one true god.
Allow me to demonstrate how a mind reader can really get under your skin.
“I find it strange, too. I always thought the Shadow of the Kingdom, despite being a bit pretentious, were at least a competent bunch.”
I paused, letting out a deep sigh and muttering as if in disappointment.
“But to think you were just a rat who tucked his tail and ran even from Tantalus. It really cheapens the ‘Tantalus escapee’ brand, don't you think? How am I supposed to go around bragging about my own Tantalus escape now?”
Trying to take me on with provocations? You have a long way to go. Mind-reading is a useful skill for winning favor, but it’s even better at inciting hostility.
At my mention of Tantalus, Wolfen’s eyes widened slightly as if he’d heard something unexpected.
“…You know of Tantalus?”
“I’ve been there myself. How could I not know?”
Ah, that’s right. In a way, he’s my senior.
I gave a short salute to my senior, who had been imprisoned in Tantalus before me, and replied.
“Nice to meet you, Senior. I'm from the second generation of Tantalus inmates. I had a peaceful time there after you all left, stayed for about three months, then broke out by smashing the Abyss. It was no big deal. How'd you end up stuck there for nearly twenty years?”
“…Your bluffing is excessive. Is surviving in an empty Tantalus such a great accomplishment?”
“Does it really look like I’m bluffing?”
Get scared. Cower before my bravado. The more of a monster I become in your mind, the more power I can wield.
I took a light step to the side, as if on a stroll. I dragged out the time as much as possible with meaningless steps, choosing words that would pique Wolfen’s curiosity.
“Have you ever faced the dark knights of the Progenitor Tyrkanzyaka? Or bickered with the Dog King? Have you ever resurrected an Undying left for dead with its limbs torn off, or clung to the earth as an Earth Sage flipped it upside down?”
I don’t tell lies. However, I also don’t mention truths that are too absurd. I stick to things that are at least plausible.
If it’s beyond the other person’s imagination, a bluff is just empty air. If I told him I’d stuck a skewer in Tyrkanzyaka’s heart and smacked the Earth Sage on the back of the head, it would only arouse suspicion.
‘The Progenitor, the Undying, the Beast King. Those were in the Abyss. It doesn't sound like something he just heard about… Only someone who saw it with their own eyes would know that the sorcerer tore the Undying’s limbs off.’
His judgment was swift. Wolfen accepted the fact that I had been to Tantalus. At the same time, he raised his guard against me, his focus sharpening on my every move.
Still, he had no intention of turning tail and running.
Wolfen may have had foolish subordinates, but he wasn't as foolish as them.
‘Now that we’ve met, a fight is unavoidable. No matter what.’
Right. I expected this.
Logically speaking, now that we’ve come face to face, fighting is the correct answer. Even if I was bluffing, he’d have to fight to find out, and even if I wasn’t, he’d have to resist with all his might.
Even setting that aside, a man confident in his own skills wouldn't back down out of fear.
‘An opponent I’d have to face eventually for hegemony over the back alleys.’
Hegemony? Over the back alleys? Should I call that modest or grandiose?
I get it. You want to live large. You want to live in wealth and glory without having to answer to anyone.
Then you should be everyone’s friendly neighbor, like me. Why do you have to rule by killing people? What a waste.
“Was it you who interfered with the Umbra’s plans, magician?”
“That’s right.”
“Why did you resist the Umbra?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
He was already a humorlessly serious person, but Wolfen asked with the utmost gravity.
“Magician. I heard you haven't built any power base of your own. If so, shouldn't the ousting of the existing powers be what you wanted?”
“That’s absurd. Let me ask you a question in return. Why are you trying to clean up the back alleys? Why are you messing with people who have nothing to do with you?”
“How strange. To build a new foundation, is it not natural to first tear down what was already there?”
In Wolfen’s world, he saw no reason to bow his head or be cautious for anyone’s sake. After all, he was the strongest in the back alleys.
I was reminded once again that Wolfen was a man from the era of the Kingdom.
The Kingdom was a harsh world of survival of the fittest, where the strong took everything through duels.
For Wolfen, who was born, raised, and reigned in such a place, the strong taking from the weak was as natural as the sun rising in the east.
I was so dumbfounded I had to ask.
“And yet you learned the Qi Art of a coward? Hiding when you see someone stronger, trying to win with sneak attacks when you meet your match?”
“That is the law of the world. The strong take, and the weak lose. For the weak to survive, they have no choice but to hide. However, the Umbra is stronger than them, and they did not hide. Therefore, the Umbra will take everything from them.”
There’s no getting through to him. Ugh, people like this are so…
Boring.
“So one-dimensional. You’ll only learn your lesson when the Military State smashes your head in.”
“Unfortunately, that opportunity will not come. Not for you, and not for the Military State.”
The moment he finished speaking, a dagger flew at me without any warning. In the alleys of the Military State, lit only by a faint streetlight, a fatal blade, unseen and unheard, cloaked in thick darkness.
‘Well, shall we test it?’
The target was my right foot. The human eye is slow to react to things not coming straight on, and his intent was to exploit that blind spot.
‘First, the right foot. An invisible dagger. How will he respond?’
But it didn't matter, since I had already read his mind. I slightly lifted my right foot, then brought it back down just before the dagger hit the ground.
Thunk. The dagger, embedded in the ground beneath my right foot, vibrated faintly. I leisurely spread my arms and shrugged, as if to say, Is that all you’ve got?
Standing there, lightly stepping on the dagger, I must have looked as if I’d caught the flying blade with my foot.
Seeing this, Wolfen grew a little more cautious.
‘He’s no simple petty criminal. I must be careful. Treat him as I would a knight, and crush him thoroughly.’
The time for talk was over.
From now on, buying time depended solely on my abilities.
“Wolfen Fenshtein, legend of a bygone era. Isn't it about time for a changing of the guard? Please, disappear into the annals of history.”
“If you have the right to make me.”
Wolfen drew his main weapon, a shortsword. Its ambiguous length, longer than a dagger but shorter than a longsword, seemed to symbolize his very identity.
The moment he drew up his Qi, a dark energy surged from the blade, enveloping it until it became invisible.
The symbol of the Shadow, and the ultimate close-quarters technique: the Shadow Sword, which conceals its range from the opponent.
Even though I knew the sword was there thanks to my mind-reading, I couldn't help but feel a surge of tension. One wrong move and that invisible blade would be digging into my flesh.
“You will have to perform some grand magic to survive this, magician.”
Against him, all I had was a single deck of cards.
I fanned the cards out. For a moment, over fifty cards fluttered through the air. Then, pretending to shuffle, I clapped my hands, and the dozens of cards vanished without a trace.
In their place was the single short spear I had swapped in earlier.
I gripped the short spear with both hands and faced him.
“Let’s dance, you has-been.”
Wolfen’s form vanished. Immediately after, an invisible blade flew toward me.
The shortsword of indeterminable length aimed for my shoulder. If I didn't have mind-reading, the fight would have ended here. There was no way to know how far the blade had reached.
‘A close-range attack to test his reaction. Magician, can you perceive the range of my sword?’
However, his intentions were crystal clear to my mind-reading. It was a light slash from a distance, designed so he could pull back at any moment.
No need to be afraid, then. I twisted my shoulder slightly and thrust the spear forward. The spearhead shot straight toward the approaching Wolfen.
‘Sharp. His reaction is fast. But…’
Ting. The shortsword easily deflected my spear. For a moment, I felt as if someone had grabbed my spear and yanked it away.
A shortsword versus a spear. Despite the overwhelming difference in length, my weapon was the one that shook more violently. Just from being deflected, my grip throbbed and the spear tip trembled weakly.
As if this too were a trick, I steadied the quivering spear and thrust again. But Wolfen no longer overreacted to my attacks.
‘For all his sharpness, his strength and speed don't feel that impressive? In that case, shall we have a contest of strength?’
The thought had barely formed when a black, viscous energy clung to his shortsword. The energy, like black mud, touched my spear, then wrapped around it, refusing to let go.
He intended to transition into a pure contest of strength.
Tch. He has a damn good nose for weakness. If we compete in strength now, my pathetic power will be exposed.
No choice. It’s a waste of a spear, but…
I let go of the immobilized spear and pulled a card from my sleeve.
The 9 of Diamonds, a hatchet.
A hatchet, perfectly shaped for throwing, appeared in my left hand. As I kicked the stuck spear upward with my knee, I threw the axe, concealing it in the spear’s shadow.
The wickedly sharp axe spun through the air, flying as if to split Wolfen's chest. Wolfen reacted to the sudden appearance of the weapon.
‘A card turned into a weapon. Alchemy?’
Should he deflect it with Qi Deflection, or dodge it?
The deliberation was short. Wolfen didn't gamble with his own safety. A spinning axe thrown from close range was tricky to deflect with his technique.
‘Dodge.’
Wolfen spun his body sharply. His cloak billowed, and both the spear and the axe vanished harmlessly over his shoulder. He landed lightly and his sharp eyes scanned my hands and feet.
‘The spear isn't his main weapon. Alchemy? Or another weapon?’
None of them are my main weapon. I don’t have a main weapon to begin with.
I’d already used two cards. It would be nice if I could pick them up, but I doubted I’d have the chance.
This was my opportunity. Taking advantage of his retreat, I bolted down the alley. As I fled with my back wide open, an undeniable question appeared on Wolfen’s face.
‘Running? I can’t make sense of his tactics. Surely he knows how disadvantageous it is to show your back in a fight?’
The reason showing your back in a fight is a disadvantage is because you can't see what's behind you. If you can't see behind you, you can't react to your opponent's attacks, making a retreat disadvantageous on the battlefield or in a duel.
But for me, with my mind-reading, it makes little difference whether I'm facing him or not. I can read his attacks either way.
In fact, showing my back might even be better, lulling him into a false sense of security.
‘I’ll approach cautiously while throwing daggers.’
Where does he keep getting all those daggers? It’s not like he’s making them out of cards like me.
My grumbling was cut short as two daggers shot from Wolfen’s hand, flying straight for my back. The moment they left his hand, I rolled forward. A cold sensation grazed my back. A small part of my cloak was torn away.
I’d had it made with pretty expensive materials, but Wolfen’s Qi was especially sharp. It seemed I couldn’t expect much in the way of protection.
‘He sensed the daggers coming from behind. His Qi Sense is good. In that case, what if I spread my Qi in all directions? Let’s see if he can still sense it.’
In an instant, darkness bloomed. The Qi he spread out filled the street like a fog, closing in on me. If an unknowing person happened to see this, they might have thought a landslide somewhere had kicked up a cloud of dust.
Riding the surging shadows, his body hidden within, Wolfen was about to rush me when he hesitated.
He had seen the revolver I had hidden in my cloak.
‘A gun? Can alchemy create guns, too?’
The 6 of Diamonds, a revolver.
I’d fired one shot before, leaving five diamonds. Now, with his Qi Deflection weakened from being spread out, was my only chance.
Click, clack. I brought the secretly transformed revolver to my hip. Holding down the trigger, I fanned the hammer, firing all five bullets in a single burst.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat.
In rapid succession, I fired, aiming precisely at his body even in the darkness. Arm, leg, chest, forehead, leg. Bullets slammed into Wolfen’s limbs.
Hit by a series of impacts in a short time, Wolfen staggered for a moment.
‘I don’t understand. I can’t get a precise read on his skills. One thing is certain: his Qi Sense is unnaturally excellent.’
However, even his weakened Qi Deflection easily stopped mere bullets. The rounds failed to penetrate even his black clothes, let alone his body, and fell uselessly to the ground.
Wolfen gathered his Qi. The energy that had spread out in all directions flowed back into his nose and mouth.
It looked as if Wolfen was swallowing the darkness itself.
‘In that case, I will abandon stealth. A brutish, frontal confrontation… It is not my specialty, but it seems I have no other choice.’
Finally realizing his advantage, Wolfen decided to stop thinking and start being stupid.
Black Shadow Qi Arts was an assassination technique that used Qi to swallow light and sound, allowing the user to hide and strike at an opponent’s openings. Therefore, the normal way to use it was to scatter it in all directions to deceive the enemy’s senses, just as Wolfen had been doing.
But Wolfen boldly abandoned that method.
He redirected the Qi he had been clumsily emitting back into his body. Instead of scattering it to obscure my vision, he focused it inward to amplify his power.
A brutish application that ignored the technique's original purpose. But.
‘I will settle this with pure strength and Qi.’
For me, that was poison.
Ah, I’m screwed.