Chapter 16
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: About My Disciple Being a Genius (7)
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Suddenly Helia showed up, and I panicked. But I stayed calm and used time stop to save her. Somehow, it ended up looking like I was the one who rescued Helia.
That wasn't the important part right now. Even though I'd saved Helia as quickly as possible and deactivated the ability, it still took about ten seconds. In other words, the time stop cooldown was roughly twenty seconds at the moment.
Meaning, without the time stop ability, I'd have to hold out against the Fighting Ghost for about twenty seconds. Obviously, there was no way I could do that. So I immediately opened my mouth.
"Let's not rush things."
Please.
"There's still plenty of time, right?"
I need that cooldown to reset.
At least it was a silver lining amid the misfortune—the Fighting Ghost hadn't shown any interest in me earlier. If it lost interest, it might just leave. If I could use that to send the thing packing...
I focused all my senses on watching the Fighting Ghost warily. That's why I couldn't comprehend what it did next. The Fighting Ghost suddenly bowed its head to me.
"I apologize sincerely."
"???"
"It was my mistake to judge based on appearances alone."
This Fighting Ghost had bowed its head? My eyes went wide in a situation I hadn't anticipated at all. But for some reason, a bad premonition crept in. And soon enough, the Fighting Ghost explained the reason.
"A speed my eyes couldn't even perceive."
"Huh?"
"And sword ki capable of wounding this body."
"???"
"You're undoubtedly a true warrior. More than worthy to face!!!"
I'm screwed. Had it bowed its head just to build momentum for a charge?! The Fighting Ghost let out a roar and charged straight at me. I clicked my tongue and leaped to my feet.
I wanted to run, but I couldn't right now. Because Helia was still nearby! If she died here, I'd have no future at all.
So, I had no choice but to meet it head-on! The Fighting Ghost closed the distance in an instant, swinging its fist with the momentum of a raging flood. Fear froze my body solid for a moment.
Fortunately, I had insurance.
Thanks to the Fighting Ghost's earlier blunder, the time stop cooldown had fully reset. Just before its fist reached me, the world around me turned gray. I moved alone.
There was no time to waste. One thing I'd learned while saving Helia earlier: the Fighting Ghost's body was tougher than I'd imagined. Tougher even than the Gourmet Eater.
Of course, the Gourmet Eater Iniestar I'd faced before had been incredibly durable as a demon. But unlike her, this thing didn't even flinch from fangs. In short, my previous methods wouldn't work.
And this Fighting Ghost hadn't even earned a demon rank yet. Despite that, its specs surpassed the Gourmet Eater I'd fought before. Clashing head-on would be suicidal.
"So, I'll have to resort to tricks."
The downsides of time stop were its massive stamina drain, the cooldown, and my own below-average skills. Honestly, if my skills were superior, those first two issues would have been solved long ago.
But since I couldn't fix them right now, tricks were my only option. As I'd said before, time stop activated automatically when my life was in danger, even during cooldown.
I exploited that. I deliberately held back from using time stop myself, waiting for the auto-activation when my life was truly at risk. And then I released the stop.
Whoosh!!!
It felt like a train rushing right over my head. It gave me chills, but I somehow dodged the attack. It took about 1.5 seconds to spot and evade.
That meant the next cooldown was three seconds. But my opponent needed that much time too. I'd read somewhere that battles between masters were decided by tenths of a second.
Fortunately, this Fighting Ghost wasn't quite at that level yet. It took it one second to locate me after I dodged, one second for me to strike during that gap, and one second for it to react.
A bit of blood trickled from where my sword met the Fighting Ghost's neck. Another fact I'd learned saving Helia: its scars were vulnerable spots where blades could bite in somewhat.
In other words, minimize time stop use. Activate only in mortal danger. And slowly whittle it down during the moments its reactions slowed. That was the best I could do right now.
"Impressive. Fighting while protecting your young one behind you."
"What?"
"No need to pretend otherwise. I have my pride too."
"???"
Oh, crap, it was true—Helia was still behind me. Damn it, I told her to go back. What the hell was she doing here?! Irritation surged, but I forcibly swallowed it down.
"Splendid. Warrior, now with full power...!!!"
"No, the fight's already decided."
"What nonsense...?!"
A thud echoed. Like an anvil crashing down. But it wasn't an anvil—it was the Fighting Ghost's knee. It dropped to one knee and collapsed right there.
"Did you think I was just defending?"
"...No way."
"That's right... exactly."
"In that split second, you severed my tendons."
"...???"
No, not at all. I'd just coated my sword with paralysis poison. Fortunately, as a low-grade demon, this Fighting Ghost had no poison resistance. So I'd slathered the pre-prepared paralysis toxin on my blade.
Then jammed it into one of its scars, forcing it deep inside. And now, the effect was kicking in. But why was it assuming something so dramatic?
"You don't think I used poison?"
"Foolish talk. You're a warrior I've acknowledged."
"..."
"A warrior who stands firm against me to protect his young wouldn't stoop to poison."
She's not mine. And I didn't stand firm—I was half-assing it, planning to bolt if it looked like I was losing. Not that protesting would help. I just wanted to survive.
Of course, being human, I intended to give it my all at first. But if death loomed for real, I planned to run without looking back.
My goal was survival and returning to my original world, after all. And beating the hell out of that damn Time Stop Breeding Uncle or I'd die of rage.
"Kill me. As the victor, you deserve my head."
"I'm not going to."
"...What?"
To be precise, I couldn't. Instead of answering, I sheathed my sword. I couldn't kill it anyway. I'd realized that during our clash. With my current swordsmanship, I couldn't behead it.
Killing it would require stopping time and sawing away. Odds were, I'd collapse from exhaustion before severing its neck.
And if I failed to decapitate it cleanly in one go, it might catch on to my power and counterattack. Better to let it go than risk that.
Sure, with the soldiers behind me, we might take it down together. But would the Fighting Ghost just sit there? Plus, I'd used up all my prepared paralysis poison.
"Are you pitying me now?"
"There's no rule saying the loser of a duel must die."
"Ridiculous nonsense."
"..."
"Kill me. Spare me your pointless pity."
The Fighting Ghost was relentless. No, I can't kill you anyway! I couldn't exactly say that. This was maddening—what should I do? No choice but to talk my way out.
Let's see, what line would work here...
[If they charge like that, they'll all die. So why do they all go?]
That was the first doubt it harbored. Though they were mere accessories without shared blood, those bound by the name of species were undoubtedly akin to family.
Yet all but that one had died. The next day, and the day after, new family appeared—and all died. Only that one survived. It couldn't understand.
Why charge forward knowing death awaited? Why obey orders without question? And that doubt was resolved only by slaying demons.
[Because they were weak, in the end.]
From then on, it craved strength. Strength so immense no one could command it. So it tore apart the demon that created it.
Afterward, it killed all who approached to slay it. In that process, it grew ever more enamored with power. Meaningless unless they were worthy warriors. Just trash otherwise.
It culled the trash. Devouring only the flesh of the strong it deemed worthy. Magical beasts, demons, humans, elves, dwarves. Race meant nothing. It became a true predator.
"Let's not rush things."
"There's still plenty of time, right?"
And the predator met one even stronger. At first, it saw him as mere meat. But upon clashing, he proved a transcendent powerhouse.
He dodged attacks by a paper-thin margin on purpose. Inflicting wounds bit by bit. Just that much, and now its body wouldn't move. Strength beyond imagination.
But it held no grudges. The strong devoured, the weak perished. It had taken lives until now; losing its own was fair play. So it thought.
"You can grow even stronger than this."
"..."
"Return once you're stronger. Stronger than now."
A feeling it experienced for the first time. Something black boiling inside, dominating its mind—the urge to rise and beat that guy to death. A horrific emotion.
It was humiliation.