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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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Phase Shift. A skill that was both active and passive. In the game, it was depicted rather simply.
Alberich’s sword would change shape with every swing, and all his attacks ignored defense.
With his already monstrous stats, amplified by his equipment, Alberich was practically invincible in melee combat. But seeing Alberich’s Mark in action in the real world… the game hadn’t done it justice.
Whoosh!
Alberich’s Phase Shift was far more broken than I had anticipated. I raised my sword to block, but it passed right through. Alberich’s sword had transformed into a whip, wrapping around my holy sword and nearly piercing my chest.
I barely managed to dodge thanks to my enhanced senses. If I hadn’t, the spar would have ended then and there.
“Phew.”
I took a few steps back and caught my breath. Alberich’s sword had transformed back into a reverse-grip dagger.
“…This is difficult.”
A battle between swordsmen was a clash of spaces, each swordsman wielding their own unique space. And the clash of those spaces created the music of battle. But Alberich’s Sword God’s Mark… it defied the very concept of space.
His sword could transform into anything, as long as it retained the shape of a blade.
The length of the blade, the direction of the edge, the shape and size of the pommel and hilt, the presence or absence of a crossguard… And the transformed blade’s strength surpassed that of most legendary swords.
He could use it as a whip for long-range attacks, or as a katana for quick draws. And…
Clang!
I barely managed to deflect the dagger, and another sword materialized in his other hand. Dual wielding. Phase Shift could even increase the number of blades.
A flurry of attacks. A cut on my shoulder.
I swung the holy sword with all my might, but it passed right through him. A miss. Alberich hadn’t dodged. My attack simply… didn’t connect. Even with enhanced physical abilities, I couldn’t land a hit if my senses were being toyed with.
My sense of distance was completely distorted.
‘This is broken.’
Alberich’s sword had returned to its original form. Phase Shift. I had been prepared, but it was far more troublesome than I had anticipated.
It wasn’t just the number of weapons; it was the speed at which he could switch between them. And this was only possible because of Alberich’s superhuman swordsmanship.
Having multiple weapons was useless if you couldn’t use them effectively. Alberich was the most talented swordsman on the continent. He had mastered every type of sword, so there were no weaknesses in his technique.
“Ha.”
I stepped back, observing Alberich’s stance. I couldn’t predict his next move from his posture. Even if I could, even if I guessed correctly, the moment I moved to counter his attack, his sword would transform into something else.
“Damn it.”
I cursed.
“This game is rigged.”
Azar de Albrecht, the Golden Lion, arrived in the capital as the spar was reaching its climax. He was led to a seat in the stands, and he watched the destructive display unfolding before him.
“Hmm.”
Azar had seen countless battles and faced many powerful opponents. But even he was impressed by the spar before him. Elliot, the hero, charged forward relentlessly, swinging his sword. Each swing sent shockwaves through the air, distorting space itself.
Alberich, the Sword Saint, was a master of his craft, using various sword forms and techniques to counter the hero’s brute force.
“Impressive.”
Azar had come to the Imperial Capital not only because his duties in Lavre were finished, but also because of the announcement of Elliot being the hero.
He had heard about the spar between the hero and the Sword Saint upon arriving.
‘He’s… getting used to the Mark. He got stronger since I last saw him.’
Azar knew he couldn’t defeat Elliot. But Elliot’s opponent was the Sword Saint, the bane of all warriors. And in a spar where a single decisive blow meant defeat, he couldn’t use his usual strategy of trading blows.
“….”
As Azar watched, a man sat down beside him. He would have normally ignored it, but his senses were sharp. He had spent months surrounded by the stench of demons and the dark mage.
“What’s a pawn of the Demon King doing here?”
Azar, without even looking, reached out and grabbed the man by the throat. The man didn’t make a sound.
“…A chimera?”
“Ahahahaha. As expected of the Golden Lion. Your senses are sharp.”
The man spoke clearly, despite being choked. He was being controlled by a chimera mage. Azar knew one such mage in the Demon King’s army.
“Idmien? Have you developed a new hobby? How… distasteful.”
“Don’t get the wrong idea.”
“Are you here to observe the hero? A commander personally scouting? You must be bored.”
“Haha. Thanks for the compliment, but I’m quite busy, you know.”
The chimera, or rather, Idmien, watched the spar between the Sword Saint and the hero, his expression unchanged.
“Well, I expected this, but it’s still surprising. Geldmere will be delighted.”
“What do you mean?”
“Did you know that Elliot… is a transmigrator?”
“What does that matter?”
“Tsk. Show some surprise, will you?”
Idmien clicked his tongue and continued, his voice laced with amusement, “What do you think will happen if the Saintess and the Sword Saint find out that the hero is a transmigrator?”
“….”
“You might not know this, but the Sword Saint has already lost comrades to transmigrators. And the Saintess… I’m sure she’ll be devastated to learn that the man who saved her was one of them as well. What do you think?”
“…How trivial.”
“Hm?”
“A coward’s tactic.”
“Ahahahaha. You’re right. I dislike direct confrontations. I prefer to avoid… unnecessary bloodshed.”
Azar grimaced.
“Get lost.”
He tightened his grip, and the chimera’s neck snapped. The body vanished into a puff of black smoke. No one around them reacted. Their attention was fixed on the spar.
“….”
A transmigrator. Azar didn’t care if the hero was a transmigrator, but he wasn’t naive enough to believe that all the Mark bearers would welcome the news.
Transmigrators were cunning. They would approach powerful individuals, trying to recruit or eliminate them, on the Demon King’s orders. The transmigrator Richard, who had approached Azar, was no different.
“…How amusing.”
Azar chuckled dryly. It wasn’t something he needed to worry about right now. He would inform the hero later…
Roar!
A deafening roar, followed by cheers from the crowd. Azar looked down at the arena and his eyes widened. Elliot was… terraforming. Empowered by the Hero’s Mark, he was tearing apart the ground.
“…Interesting.”
Alberich was stunned. Elliot’s sword struck the ground like lightning. It would have been a fatal blow if it had connected, but he wasn’t aiming for Alberich.
The holy sword, embedded in the ground, unleashed a torrent of sword aura, sending dust and debris flying. It wasn’t just to obstruct his vision.
“This is…”
Alberich frowned. The carefully maintained training ground was shaking. The ground itself was cracking and shifting. He was losing his footing. Elliot charged forward and swung his sword.
Alberich tried to transform his sword to block, but Elliot struck the ground beneath him.
BOOM!
Alberich’s feet left the ground. Elliot twisted his sword mid-swing and attacked again. An impossible technique for an ordinary human. But the hero, with his enhanced physical abilities, could defy the laws of physics.
It wasn’t human swordsmanship; it was more like a demon’s. He was rewriting the rules of combat with brute force. And Alberich’s own space, his footing, had been destroyed.
‘I see…’
He finally understood. Elliot had attacked the ground to disrupt his senses, just like Alberich had done to him earlier. To counter an unorthodox style, you had to break the rules. And Elliot had done just that. Crudely, but effectively.
“….”
Alberich tried to regain his footing and counterattack, but…
“…Ugh!”
His vision tilted. One of his feet slipped on the uneven ground. It was his first mistake, and Elliot wouldn’t let him recover. It was a fatal error.
Thwack!
The flat of Elliot’s sword struck Alberich squarely in the chest.
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Hi Lord Fourth here!
I’m still new to translating as this is my second novel to pick up, so if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.
