Chapter 170: Tavern Keeper! Another Bowl Here! (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 170: Tavern Keeper! Another Bowl Here! (2)
Weapon and Kane were in the middle of a heated argument. Suddenly, Kane received a phone call, and after hanging up, he asked hesitantly,
"Um... Mr. Geomma, would you be willing to have a subspace sparring match with All Mute...?"
What kind of nonsense was this? When I let my displeasure show, Kane quickly added more details.
He didn't even know the reason himself. However, All Mute insisted on sparring with Geomma. He promised a handsome reward as well. Hearing this only made me frown.
Since Kane's business card clearly stated he was 'All Mute's Manager,' I had already figured out she was with him.
But to show up out of nowhere, spout embarrassing, grandiose nonsense, and now offer money to fight All Mute? Was he insane?
And it wasn't like I was a mercenary. Just because someone offered money, did I have to go and trade blows? It was utterly ridiculous.
Still, true to Lancelot Company's reputation, the sum was astronomical. One billion won for a single subspace sparring match. For a teenager, it was an unimaginable fortune—almost too difficult to refuse.
But regardless of the money, I didn't want to point my blade at an innocent person. All Mute and I were complete strangers with absolutely no connection. There was no reason to fight her.
Only the reporters would rejoice at the fresh firewood for their stories, not to mention the unwanted attention it would draw to me. Weighing the pros and cons, it was a clear loss.
'I should just scare them off.'
If I released a bit of killing intent, they would probably tremble and leave. I wanted no part of any more annoying hassles.
"Let's do it, Prez."
Weapon, who was standing next to me, spoke up in a firm voice.
"From what I can see, this sparring match is to decide the next Seven Stars seat. It seems things fell through during her talk with the Academy Principal, so she hastily changed her course."
Weapon was one of the few people around me who knew I was the successor to the Sword Emperor. Perhaps that was why his words carried more weight.
Weapon continued.
"To put it in terms you'll understand, Prez, if you refuse this match, things will get even more annoying. The media will be flooded with articles criticizing you."
Come to think of it, he was right. There was no way the US, with its mastery of media manipulation, would let such juicy bait slip by. They would go around blabbering about it everywhere.
'So it's better to nip it in the bud with a single match.'
Still, I really didn't feel like doing it. Ever since my Humanity Rank rose, I wanted to avoid unnecessary fights as much as possible.
But at that moment...
* * *
[EVENT! Sudden Event Triggered.]
Use the Blessing of Borrowed Power in tandem to teach your opponent a true lesson!
◆ Rewards:
1) You will learn the 'location' of the third Memory Fragment of 【???】.
2) You can increase your proficiency with the Blessing of Borrowed Power.
◆ Conditions:
1) The more thoroughly you defeat your opponent, the faster your proficiency will rise.
[※ This event is optional.]
[※ However, refusing may delay the acquisition of the third Memory Fragment.]
* * *
Well, in that case...
There was no need to think twice.
* * *
This subspace sparring match was held in a quiet, private atmosphere. Not much time had passed since the Joaquin Disaster. If another major incident erupted, the Academy's image would suffer terribly. Thus, only those directly involved gathered at the training ground.
Kang Geomma looked at All Mute. She wore a skin-tight costume emblazoned with a flashy American flag. Watching her stretch and warm up in that outfit, he sighed inwardly.
'Isn't she embarrassed to wear that?'
He had thought so from the start, but the design was truly over the line. If it were cosplay, it might be one thing, but since it was a functional suit, the sense of incongruity was doubled.
What if he had fallen for a blank check and eagerly signed a contract? A costume with the Taegeukgi? Would his epithet have become something like 'Kimchi Warrior'? Just imagining it made his knees tremble.
Kang Geomma sighed and drew his Sashimi. Conveniently, Wieland had delivered the newly reinforced Murasame just yesterday.
Sssring—
His face was reflected clearly on the pure white blade. Looking at it as if it were a mirror, his mind felt completely cleared. His beloved weapon was evolving day by day. A smile spread across his face before he knew it.
Though he had been pushed into this sparring match, it wasn't a bad opportunity to test its performance. Geomma took his eyes off the blade and looked back at All Mute. More precisely, he looked at the armament she was wearing.
A pair of bracelets on her wrists. The Gemini Ring—an armament that ranked among the very best of S-rank armaments.
It also paired flawlessly with All Mute's blessing, the [Blessing of Sensory Shutdown]. It was often cited as a perfect example of compatibility between a user and their armament.
As he stared, All Mute turned her gaze toward him. Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she spoke.
"Before we begin, I sincerely apologize for this sudden request. I heard you initially refused, but if you change your mind, you may request the payment at any time."
Her extremely polite tone caught Geomma off guard. He had expected a bloodthirsty expression, but she seemed genuinely apologetic instead. Geomma gave a casual nod.
"I was a bit taken aback, but I don't want to spar for compensation. Besides, I'm sure you have your own reasons. Let's both do our best."
Only then did All Mute offer a faint smile. Then, her expression hardened into a cold, serious look.
"...In that case, I will truly show no mercy and do my absolute best."
All Mute murmured coldly. A sharp, keen light flickered in her eyes.
[Deploying the Subspace Barrier now.]
[May the Blessing of the Hero be with you.]
Whoosh.
An artificial current of air swirled between the two. All Mute squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them.
And immediately activated her blessing.
Sss.
In an instant, the pupils vanished from All Mute's eyes, leaving only blank whites. Veins webbed out around her eyes like spiderwebs.
The Blessing of Sensory Shutdown. A blessing that stripped away one of her own senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, or taste.
At first glance, it seemed more like a curse than a blessing. However, by sacrificing one sense, the other four senses were vastly amplified.
The more she shut herself off, the stronger she became. This was the reason Kahn Elizabeth was called 'All Mute.'
For this sparring match, Kahn chose to sacrifice her 'sight.' It didn't matter if she couldn't see. Her hearing, expanded to its absolute limit, would map out her surroundings in detail.
She didn't stop there. She struck her bracelets together as if clapping. A resonant clang-clang chimed, sending out ripples that quickly enveloped Kang Geomma.
"...Ha, the white eyes and even the Gemini Ring? Ellie is completely serious about this."
Medea, who was watching the match, let out a dry laugh. Mao Rang, sitting next to her with her legs crossed, chimed in.
"Indeed. The Gemini Ring is a mutual-destruction armament that forces the opponent to sacrifice the same sense the user has shut down. But for Kahn, her sensory perception is so far beyond normal that losing her sight isn't even a disadvantage. It's practically a buff for her. On the other hand, her opponent..."
"Humans rely on sight for over ninety percent of their daily lives. To suddenly have that stripped away? It's practically a death sentence in combat."
Cutting herself off, Medea turned her gaze to Kang Geomma. He was standing blankly in place. A milky haze had clouded his eyes, indicating that his sight had also been shut down.
Mao Rang uncrossed her legs and asked,
"Principal, doesn't his vibe feel completely different from usual? He always had a stiff impression, but standing there like that, he looks..."
There was not a single tremor on Kang Geomma's face. He was so calm it was hard to believe he had just been instantly blinded.
"Yes... It's like... he's deploying his Mindscape Domain in reality. That's what it feels like."
Medea groaned softly as she replied.
Meanwhile, Kang Geomma was experiencing a sense of déjà vu. It felt remarkably similar to the dream he had had before, where the God of Sword appeared.
"Ha."
A short laugh escaped his teeth. All external stimuli had been cut off. He couldn't even tell if he was standing or sitting. Yet, there wasn't a shred of anxiety in his mind. On the contrary, it felt as refreshing as a cool breeze sweeping through.
Kang Geomma closed his eyes. Keeping them shut, he gathered his scattered senses.
With his eyes closed, things finally began to register. As external interference faded, new stimuli arose from within.
Touch: even the gentle breeze brushing his cheek felt as sharp as needles. Smell: the scent of earth was as thick as if he had buried his face in a sandy beach. Taste: the taste of cellular tissue lingered in his mouth. And finally, hearing...
Boom! The scene of the ground being crushed pierced his ears. The sound of All Mute kicking off the ground transformed into a vivid visual in his mind.
Kang Geomma did not move. This sound had traveled not from the present, but from the future.
The Blessing of Borrowed Power. An ability to cross timelines, even if only for a fleeting instant. It was a blessing truly worthy of being obtained through the Monolith.
[Blessing of Borrowed Power Proficiency - 8%]
Kang Geomma took his stance. Preparing for the future he had glimpsed through the blessing, his muscles primed themselves for the optimal movement. It was truly bizarre. It felt like grading a test while looking at the answer sheet. He could make decisions without having to choose.
Boom!
Once again, the sound of tearing air rang out. Reality and the future converged at a single point.
Kang Geomma swung his Sashimi, held in a reverse grip, from bottom to top. The high-speed blade drew a diagonal line, slicing through space not as a mere line, but as a plane.
It was a bizarre sight. Even if he had predicted the attack, it seemed incredibly hasty. It looked as though he was simply slashing at empty air.
However.
All Mute, whose feet had only just left the ground, stumbled. She barely managed to screech to a halt mid-stride using her leg strength. She immediately fumbled at her left flank. It was empty. Her left arm was gone, as if swallowed by something.
All Mute's eyes widened in shock.
'H-How...?'
She had intended to target Kang Geomma's temple with her left fist. Yet, before she could even get close, the very arm harboring that intent had been severed. She didn't know how to process this bizarre phenomenon, let alone put it into words. Her mind was bleached as white as her vision.
[Blessing of Borrowed Power Proficiency - 12%]
Just then, the sound of steady footsteps pinched her back to reality.
All Mute tried to take a step back. Kang Geomma lightly swung his Sashimi. Instantly, her feet felt glued to the ground, unable to budge. She couldn't muster any strength.
A moment later, her upper body tilted. Only then did All Mute realize: her ankles had been slashed by his previous strike.
[...15%]
She tried to scream. But as a silver thread curved through the air, the strength drained from her vocal cords. Instead of a voice, a spray of blood belatedly erupted from her throat.
[...17%]
Her limbs were being sliced off one by one before she could even form the intent to move them. She was stripped of even the freedom of thought.
Kang Geomma wasn't reading her mind. If it were that kind of blessing, she would have understood.
All Mute saw the entity striding toward her. The sheer pressure of his presence froze her brain. Even though she had lost her sight, his figure was vividly clear.
She had been well aware of Kang Geomma's strength. Had she not watched his battle with Mao Rang?
Back then, it was a swordsmanship where cause and effect were reversed. But what about now? He swung his sword before she could even form an intention. It was as if he was looking directly into the future.
All Mute's eyelashes trembled. Her heightened senses relayed the information of the scene to her brain.
The Sword Demon is coming.