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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Was the creator of this place obsessed with traps?
I clicked my tongue, looking at the arrows embedded in the walls around me.
A trap within a trap.
Had the Three-Step Sword King designed it this way, or was it the whim of whoever built this place? I stepped off the pressure plate and surveyed my surroundings.
A space roughly the size of a small house.
There seemed to be something placed against the far wall, but I couldn’t see it clearly.
“Mister! Are you alright?! I heard a strange noise!”
“I’m fine, don’t worry.”
It was fortunate I had entered first. If it had been Mokgyeong or Hye-ryeong…
I shuddered at the thought and picked up one of the arrows that had bounced off my Aura Armor.
It was old but still intact. Was the arrowhead made of steel?
…Without Aura Armor, I would have been a pincushion.
“Benefactor, are you alright?”
“I’m fine. It was nothing. But…this Three-Step Sword King, or whoever he is, sure loves his traps.”
The remaining distance was about fifty paces. But I was certain more traps lay hidden within those fifty paces.
‘This must be the final trial.’
While I felt a bit cheated for having bypassed the previous trials, I quickly composed myself and took a step forward.
One…two…three…four…five.
This time, the floor rumbled, and spikes shot upwards.
Fortunately, they couldn’t penetrate my Aura Armor, only momentarily disrupting my balance. I carefully navigated through the steel spikes.
…Who was this guy?
Was there any reason to set so many traps? Was this Three-Step Sword King secretly a Demonic Cult member?
…Or perhaps Brother Kang was mistaken or lying.
Though, judging by his condition, I doubted he had the strength to deceive me.
So, how could I get past this?
It wasn’t an insurmountable obstacle, but if there was poison gas or something, it would be a major inconvenience. This was a wuxia world, so there could be all sorts of deadly traps.
Since aura and internal energy were essentially the same, I would be vulnerable to poison. I had to proceed cautiously.
Or…should I just brute-force my way through?
I found a small safe spot and adjusted my stance, shifting my weight to one side.
This technique, which was supposed to be a movement technique, was starting to feel more like an offensive maneuver. I extended my left leg back and channeled aura into my foot, preparing to launch myself forward.
Would the traps trigger even if I was airborne?
And…could my Aura Armor withstand them?
There was only one way to find out.
I took a deep breath and kicked off the ground.
My body shot forward with a shockwave.
One unexpected aspect was that my speed had increased significantly due to my improved aura control.
As if anticipating it, I slammed into a rising wall.
Ouch, that stung.
It was fortunate I hit it shoulder-first.
I caught my breath, looking at the wall, which now bore a human-shaped indentation.
There were some markings on the wall, likely indicating a pattern of some sort, but the impact had distorted them beyond recognition.
“…Arrows, spikes, and now rising walls.”
It seemed like he had crammed every possible trap into this final trial.
I drew my sword.
And unleashed Aura Blade.
My target was the wall in front of me.
The Three-Step Sword King had likely intended for someone to use a specific technique to bypass this obstacle, but that was irrelevant to me. I slowly raised my sword above my head.
A single strike.
Like an executioner beheading a condemned prisoner, I swung my sword at the wall.
Just as the Captain had cleaved the castle gate, the steel wall parted effortlessly.
This was definitely not what the creator of this place had intended, but I wasn’t going to play by his rules.
I dodged the falling debris and stepped through the opening.
Beyond the wall lay the object the creator had so desperately tried to protect.
“…A secret manual?”
I picked it up.
The second volume of the Three-Step Sword Technique…
There was supposed to be a first volume, but it wasn’t here.
I opened the manual.
‘My successor, having overcome my trials and reached this point, I bequeath to you the latter half of my ultimate technique, the Three-Step Sword Technique. Mastering the latter half alone is no easy task, but since you have already learned my Thunderclap Three Steps and the first half of the Three-Step Sword Technique…’
Three-Step Sword Technique?
Thunderclap Three Steps?
I had never learned those techniques.
It seemed the creator of this place had envisioned a self-learning program for his successor. The problem was, he hadn’t anticipated a transcendent expert breaking in.
Was this unfortunate, or simply the consequence of his poor planning? I tucked the manual into my pocket and turned away.
Since there seemed to be nothing else of value here, there was no reason to stay.
I turned to leave, but my eyes fell on the night pearls.
Weren’t night pearls valuable?
People in wuxia stories always seemed amazed by them.
It should be fine to take a few, right? I deserved some compensation for my efforts.
I jumped and plucked a couple of night pearls from the ceiling, tucking them into my pocket.
Now, it was time to leave.
I strode out of the secret chamber.
“Mister!? Are you alright?! I heard a loud noise!”
“Benefactor, are you okay?”
Worried voices greeted me as soon as I emerged. I reassured them and approached Brother Kang. He looked up at me.
“You’ve returned…did you find anything?”
I pulled the second volume of the Three-Step Sword Technique from my pocket and showed it to him.
He sighed.
“Keep it. It’s yours.”
“You went through so much to obtain this…aren’t you disappointed?”
“Disappointed? Perhaps. But what good would it do me? In my condition, I can no longer practice martial arts.”
He looked down, likely at his missing leg.
…It was true that a missing leg would severely limit one’s ability to practice martial arts.
Most techniques relied on a firm foundation, making legs essential.
While there might be some unconventional techniques that could be used while sitting, they were unlikely to be readily available.
I approached him and said,
“Let’s go. Back to the surface.”
“You’ll take me?”
“Do I look like I would abandon you?”
“…I see.”
I hoisted him onto my back. He had looked frail, but he was surprisingly light.
“You should put on some weight.”
“Indeed. I should. I can’t do anything in this condition.”
“Mister, I’ll light the way.”
“Alright, there shouldn’t be any more traps, but be careful.”
“I’ll guard the rear.”
“You must return the way you came. All other paths are blocked.”
We carried Brother Kang out of the secret chamber.
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“Oh, the sun…! Praise the sun!”
He wasn’t another transmigrator like me, was he?
The unexpected exclamation made me suspicious, but I dismissed the thought and looked at Brother Kang, gazing at the sky with teary eyes.
“Let’s wash up by the river. I’ll give you some spare clothes.”
“I’m indebted to you…”
“It was simply an act of kindness between fellow martial artists. Don’t mention it.”
I planned to drop him off at the nearest town with some money and let him fend for himself.
I had too much to do to worry about him any further.
“Thank you. Truly, thank you…”
“Let’s wash up. There’s a stream over there.”
We watched him head towards the river, then moved a short distance away and began preparing a late lunch.
“The sun is already setting. We were in there longer than I thought.”
“Our sense of time must have been distorted in that lightless passage. It was a strange experience…”
Why were you closing your eyes?
Did you have some kind of epiphany?
I stared at Mokgyeong, and Hye-ryeong followed suit. Mokgyeong blushed under our scrutiny.
“It’s nothing. My eyes just hurt from being in the dark for so long…”
I see.
I turned my gaze away from Mokgyeong and looked towards Brother Kang.
He must be filthy after years without bathing. He was probably as dirty as a Beggar Sect member.
It would take a while.
“Hye-ryeong, gather some firewood.”
“Okay~”
“Mokgyeong, help me prepare the ingredients.”
“Mister, can’t I do that…?”
“Hye-ryeong, be honest with yourself.”
Don’t actually put your hand on your chest.
I glanced at Hye-ryeong’s hand, bent at a 45-degree angle, and looked away.
“You know your cooking skills.”
“…Fine.”
Hye-ryeong dejectedly went to gather firewood.
Mokgyeong and I pulled out the ingredients from our bags and began preparing dinner.
“We’ll need to cook more with another mouth to feed.”
Small talk.
It was a strange feeling.
Another eventful day was coming to an end. I had even acquired half a secret manual. It should be helpful. It was created by one of the Ten Great Masters, after all.
I began chopping vegetables, pondering how to utilize this newfound knowledge.
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