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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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“Hey, what’s the date today?”
“If I’m remembering correctly… it’s January 27th.” The guard sitting atop the watchtower answered.
January 27th…
I had left Libero around the end of November.
So about two months had passed?
‘Not as long as I thought.’
Before diving back into those 100 playthroughs, I had estimated, based on the flow of time within the Trial, that at least a year would have passed in the real world.
But it seemed like time within the Trial didn’t perfectly align with real-time.
‘Time to go back to Libero.’
Thankfully, some of the swordsmanship I had learned during those 100 playthroughs remained, even if it wasn’t perfect.
It was a significant improvement compared to my pre-Trial skills.
But I still felt a pang of regret. The Trial had ended sooner than I expected. I wished I had more time to train with him.
‘I think I had something to tell him…’
The memory was hazy. I couldn’t remember the exact words.
But I knew it had been something important.
Maybe talking to him again would jog my memory.
As I entered Sak, I noticed something was amiss.
The city was eerily quiet.
It was as if everyone was holding their breath, frozen in fear.
‘What happened?’
As I walked through the streets, I saw damaged buildings everywhere.
Judging from their state, they had been destroyed about a month ago.
‘What in the world happened here?’
I hurried toward Libero’s basement, my unease growing with each step.
As I stepped onto the stairs leading down to the basement, I sensed something.
I probably wouldn’t have noticed before.
But after training with Libero, my senses had sharpened.
I was more aware of my surroundings, more attuned to the subtle signs of danger.
I could even roughly estimate the number of people inside.
Of course, I couldn’t pinpoint their exact locations like Libero.
I descended the stairs quietly, muffling my footsteps.
The last time, they had detected my presence because I hadn’t been careful enough.
But I was better now. I could move silently, even if I couldn’t erase my presence completely like Libero.
“Hey,” I said, my voice low.
The men inside were startled. They scrambled to their feet.
One of them, still half-asleep, blurted out,
“We’ve been diligently working as you instructed! We haven’t done anything bad! We swear!”
Then, he opened his eyes and saw me.
“Huh? It’s the monster kid!”
“Damn, I thought you were the old man.”
I finally understood. There was some kind of connection between these men and Libero.
“The old man… you mean Libero? What happened?”
“You don’t know? We were just trying to get our hideout back. But the old man showed up, waving his creepy sword around.”
He gestured to the empty pizza boxes scattered across the floor.
“He told us to get real jobs and stay out of trouble. And he said he’d let us keep this place, but if we weren’t working honestly when he came back… he’d kill us all.”
“He might have been bluffing, but he was pretty damn scary. Like, seriously scary. We wouldn’t dare do anything stupid after that.”
It didn’t make sense. A Demon King like Libero… there was no reason for him to spare them.
And yet, he had given them his hideout, ordered them to get jobs, and threatened to kill them if they didn’t reform.
So it was true…
‘He’s an incurable justice addict.’
His true nature, his inherent sense of justice, had been suppressed by his identity as a Demon King, by the Council’s influence.
But it was still there.
‘He kept saying it was just a hobby.’
It couldn’t be just a hobby.
If it was… every hero in the world would be out of a job.
A sudden thought struck me, a chilling realization.
‘The current state of Sak… it’s as if…’
Libero was gone.
The city was in ruins, the streets eerily quiet.
Everyone was living in fear, as if all semblance of justice had vanished.
“Do you know where he went?” I asked the men.
“No, we don’t know. We saw him occasionally, until about two weeks ago. But we haven’t seen him since.”
It was unlikely that they would know the whereabouts of someone as elusive as Libero.
“Then why is the city in this state?”
“Well… we’ve only heard rumors, so we’re not sure. But apparently… it’s because of the Masked Man.”
The Masked Man?
That was Libero.
Maybe these men could provide some clues about his whereabouts.
“What did the Masked Man do?”
But a part of me was afraid to ask, a sense of dread growing within me.
This strange atmosphere, the fear that permeated the city…
What had Libero done?
“The Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise gangs were destroyed overnight. That was… kind of a good thing, actually. But apparently, the guy everyone was calling a hero of justice… he’s actually a Demon King.”
“What?”
Of course, I knew he was a Demon King.
But what mattered was how his true identity had been revealed.
“He slaughtered a bunch of heroes, then headed straight for the Company headquarters. He’s holed up on the top floor, killing any hero who dares to approach him. The Sak government finally realized how serious the situation was and asked the Order to send reinforcements.”
This was bad.
Very bad.
I knew Sak’s political landscape.
The Company, a massive corporation with ties to the Sak government.
The Four Symbols gangs, the Company’s enforcers, their ruthless methods keeping the city under their control.
Libero had been targeting those gangs.
But dealing with the gangs wouldn’t solve the root of the problem.
He had to go after the Company, but their leader… Gineus, was a Demon King.
Libero couldn’t attack another Demon King. He was bound by the Council’s rules.
Or at least, he had been.
Something must have changed, something that pushed Gineus over the edge.
Those ruined buildings scattered across the city… they were her handiwork.
And Libero, unable to stand by and watch… he had snapped.
‘It was a reckless decision.’
Charging at Gineus head-on was one thing. But he had slaughtered countless heroes in the process.
It was suicide.
‘Why would he do something like that?’
Maybe if I still had the memories of my Trial playthroughs, I could understand his actions.
But those memories were gone, faded like a distant dream. I was left with nothing but questions.
One thing was clear: he was in deep trouble.
‘If he had successfully killed Gineus, he would’ve fled Sak. Gone into hiding.’
But he was still there.
There was only one explanation.
‘Could he have fallen victim to Gineus’ ability?’
Her ability didn’t work on other Demon Kings.
But if Libero was in an irrational state, as he clearly was, it might have been effective.
‘If that’s the case…’
What should I do?
The Sak government had requested assistance from the Order.
Knowing that they were dealing with a Demon King, the Order would send a full-fledged expedition, including a Saint-ranked hero.
It was only a matter of time before they arrived and subdued both Gineus and Libero.
‘But Gineus hasn’t left Sak either… which means…’
The possibilities were narrowing.
Gineus was likely injured, unable to escape.
She was probably holed up in her headquarters, focusing on healing while waiting for reinforcements from the Council.
If Gineus was incapacitated… there might be a chance.
But only if…
‘Only if I can restore Libero’s sanity.’
I couldn’t afford to hesitate.
If I didn’t act now, whether it was the Council or the Order who arrived first…
Libero would die.
I had to save him.
I still had things to learn from him, words I needed to say.
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Swoosh.
Libero’s sword sliced through another hero’s neck, ending his life.
He had been holed up on the top floor of the Company headquarters for a week now.
At first, heroes eager to slay a Demon King had flocked to the building.
But their numbers had dwindled significantly.
Word had spread. Those who entered didn’t return.
Gineus watched Libero from her hiding spot. He stood there, sword in hand, his gaze distant, his body a whirlwind of death.
‘Poor thing,’ she thought, a flicker of pity in her eyes.
She was the one who had driven him to this, but her own situation wasn’t much better.
She had managed to control him using her mind control ability. His fragile mental state, his suppressed rage, had worked in her favor.
But she was gravely injured.
‘Damn it, my regeneration is slow inside the barrier.’
For an entire week, she had focused solely on healing, leaving Libero to fight off the heroes.
But she had only managed to regenerate up to her knees.
Libero’s attacks had been relentless, tearing through her flesh, shattering her bones.
She couldn’t leave Sak in her current state.
And she couldn’t force Libero to take her out of the city. Her mind control had limitations.
‘I convinced him that staying here would allow him to fight stronger opponents.’
His obsession with reaching the pinnacle of swordsmanship was well known among Demon Kings.
He had been a legend even before he became a Demon King.
That’s why he had willingly taken on the task of eliminating powerful heroes.
‘He’s already crossed the point of no return.’
He was ready to die.
Trying to convince him to flee was futile.
“Violet! Did you ask them again?”
(Gineus, I’ve tried everything. They won’t budge.)
“It’s not too late! Tell them they can still save me! The Order reinforcements haven’t arrived yet!”
They should have been here by now.
The Holy City of Hailen wasn’t that far from Sak.
They were probably taking their time assembling a team.
“You said they were considering it before. Tell them to reconsider! I’ll give them anything they want! All the Company’s assets!”
She meant it.
She would give up everything to survive.
Though she wasn’t sure the Company would even be worth anything once word got out that its leader was a crippled Demon King.
But Violet’s reply was unexpected.
(They weren’t considering rescuing you. It was Libero they were concerned about.)
“What?”
(You’re not worth the risk. But Libero… he’s one of the original thirteen, an invaluable asset.)
That didn’t make any sense.
“Then why haven’t they come to get him?!”
(They initially planned to rescue him. Even though he attacked you, it’s clear you provoked him. But after careful consideration, they came to a decision.)
Violet’s voice, usually soft and gentle, was cold, her words laced with a chilling finality.
(Libero is beyond saving. He’s broken.)
Gineus stared at the masked man’s back as he stood there, his body twitching slightly, a puppet controlled by her will, his sword dripping with the blood of countless heroes.
A broken man, driven to madness by a lifetime of contradictions and regrets.
‘We’re both the same, aren’t we? Trapped here, with no one to save us…’
And then, she saw him.
A figure emerging from the stairwell.
She hadn’t sensed his approach, hadn’t even heard his footsteps.
He was young, his blonde hair slightly dull in the dim light.
But there was an undeniable air of dignity about him, a quiet confidence that belied his age.
He still had traces of boyish innocence, but he was no longer a child.
‘Who is he?’
She couldn’t sense any significant power from him.
He was probably just a hero candidate, at best.
But he was confidently approaching Libero, his steps unwavering.
‘Another foolish hero, come to die a meaningless death?’
He ignored her, his gaze fixed on Libero. He stopped at the edge of Libero’s sword range.
And then, he spoke, his voice clear and unwavering.
“I’ve come to save you, Master.”
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YES
Combat entre le maître VS élève !!!