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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuzio
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“Sword energy, huh? Is that what you’ve decided to call it?”
“I’m just calling it that for convenience. There must be another name for it, right?”
“There isn’t. The one I created is a fake ultimate technique. You’re the first to actually manifest the sword energy that Dakia pursued.”
The first, huh?
I had roughly named it ‘sword energy’ based on what I remembered from martial arts novels…
But I wasn’t sure if it actually possessed the characteristics of sword energy as depicted in those novels.
“Hmm…”
I drew my sword and held it out in front of me.
The energy flowing through the blade… No, at this stage, should I call it vibration?
I could feel the vibration resonating with the trembling in my hand.
Of course, it wasn’t just a simple matter of matching frequencies on a physical level.
It was a process of aligning my spirit with the sword’s resonance, turning it into truly my sword.
If I had been told to ‘resonate with the sword’ while trying to learn the secret technique, I would have struggled even longer.
‘Resonating’ was just a convenient term.
It wasn’t the essence of it.
I focused all my concentration on the feeling in my fingertips and the sword.
As I slowly, gradually resonated with the sword, the tip of the blade felt like an extension of my hand.
The sensation on the surface of the blade felt like the sensation of my own skin.
In that sense, it was perhaps similar to the Unity of Body and Sword.
My magic power control and base stats weren’t helpful at all during this process.
In fact, they could even be a hindrance.
All that mattered for the Dakia Style’s ultimate technique was the ‘sword’ and ‘me’.
I felt myself, and I felt the sword.
Everything else was either a minor help or completely useless.
Still, once I got used to sword energy, strengthening my body with magic power control might be helpful.
“Hup!”
I swung with my body strengthened by Guardian Knight and magic power control.
Whoosh…!
Beyond the reach of my blade…
White sword energy extended from the blade, shooting forward.
The sword beam, thicker and more defined than before, struck the tree, and a thick branch snapped off, falling to the ground.
If Rex had been hit by that, his limbs would have been severed.
But it still wasn’t powerful enough to slice through the tree trunk.
“It’s become more powerful. Does it matter what kind of sword you use?”
“As long as it has the form of a sword, probably.”
“What about a wooden sword?”
“Hmm… I’m not sure.”
The shape of the sword wasn’t important.
The sword was just a tool.
I was the one who generated the sword energy.
“I think I might be able to use a tree branch after more practice, but… I don’t think it’s possible with anything other than a steel sword right now.”
However, perhaps because I hadn’t fully grasped the concept yet, it was difficult to resonate with wood.
I picked up a branch, but I couldn’t infuse it with my energy.
It was difficult, but not impossible.
It might be possible in the distant future.
I had a feeling.
“What about a spear, instead of a sword?”
“Hmm… I think it would be difficult to focus the energy on a single point while thrusting.”
“Then what about a glaive?”
“That might be easier than a wooden sword.”
Transylvania kept peppering me with questions.
Answering them, I realized that the Dakia Style’s ultimate technique truly didn’t discriminate based on the type of medium.
Of course, it was easier with a long, straight, well-sharpened steel sword.
That’s why the frequency was stable, making it easier to resonate.
In fact, I had only achieved enlightenment after putting down my chipped sword and picking up Dakia’s well-maintained sword.
But things were different now.
Perhaps my proficiency had improved, but I could now do it with my chipped sword.
I had found the trick.
It didn’t matter if it was a single-edged or double-edged sword.
Assuming infinite proficiency, I could generate sword energy with anything I held in my hand.
If it didn’t matter what I held…
Then could I do it with my bare hands…?
It didn’t seem impossible.
The problem was that I would probably die of old age before I reached that level of mastery.
Even those who mastered the ultimate technique weren’t all on the same level.
If I could shoot out sword energy from the edge of my hand… I would be a living weapon.
“What are your thoughts on mastering the ultimate technique?”
“Thoughts?”
“Your honest thoughts.”
Transylvania looked at me expectantly, and I paused for a moment, choosing my words carefully.
My honest thoughts, huh?
I could guess what kind of answer they wanted to hear.
“All humans look like ants.”
“Right! You feel it too! When you master the ultimate technique, all humans seem weak and inferior, like you’re looking down at ants from the sky-”
“No, not to that extent. I just… feel like I could defeat anyone, even if they came at me in groups, as long as they weren’t superhuman.”
I had to interrupt Transylvania before they got too carried away.
When I said humans looked like ants, I didn’t mean I was looking down on them.
Just like how hundreds of ants were no match for a human’s footwork…
Hundreds or even thousands of ordinary soldiers wouldn’t be able to stop me.
I had always been somewhat confident in one-on-many battles.
But my limit had been three opponents at most.
After mastering Telekinesis, I was confident I could handle up to five experienced mercenaries simultaneously.
But if the number increased beyond that, if I was surrounded… I had no confidence in winning.
But things were different now that I had mastered the Dakia Style’s ultimate technique.
The power of sword energy was enough to pierce even an elf who had burned their entire lifespan.
No matter how many enemies surrounded me, they would all be cut down before they could even get close.
“Hmm. Our perspectives are slightly different, but… the sentiment among those who have entered the realm of the superhuman is generally similar.”
“I hate to admit it, but…”
“Human lives seem insignificant. You can decide their life or death with minimal effort.”
This was the world of the superhuman.
An insurmountable wall for ordinary people.
I was also an ordinary person, but I had managed to overcome that wall by regressing over and over again, monopolizing opportunities.
And I could feel my perspective changing as I climbed over that wall.
I couldn’t help but see people differently.
Human lives seemed as insignificant as those of flies.
‘This is the weight… and the terror… of power.’
I could feel my true nature slowly surfacing.
The morals I had believed in were fading.
My primal instincts, suppressed by mere logic, were reawakening.
“That’s why you need to think carefully. I didn’t think much, nor did I put in any effort. I just killed anyone weaker than me who tried to challenge me. Most problems could be solved by killing, so I chose the easy path. And the result of that is this monster, Transylvania, the Murderer.”
“…”
“Never stop thinking. Never stop questioning. I stopped thinking a long time ago. I could have maintained a human heart in this monstrous body, but I threw that opportunity away. How do you intend to live? With a monster’s heart in a human body, or as a human? The choice is yours.”
Transylvania’s words hit me like a blow, their expression heavy with regret.
They burdened me with the dilemma they had abandoned long ago.
They had crossed the point of no return.
Their body and mind had both become monstrous.
The thought that their fate could be my own sent chills down my spine.
If Undecided or the main heroines died before my eyes…
Would I be able to maintain control of this power?
Would I be able to remain human?
‘I need to get stronger.’
My conclusion was always the same.
With overwhelming power, I wouldn’t have to lose anything.
I had to get stronger.
Besides, I had the Mental Fortitude trait.
The stronger I became, the stronger my willpower would be.
I wouldn’t have to worry about my mind being corrupted by the power I wielded.
“Well! The mood’s gotten a bit gloomy! But isn’t getting stronger a good thing?! So, how about we spar? We can’t cause a commotion, so… no magic, just our bodies and swords.”
“Sure.”
Transylvania drew their sword and pointed it at me.
In the past, I would have panicked and run away…
But now, I could handle it.
I had mastered the ultimate technique of a swordsmanship style and unlike Transylvania’s, mine was the original.
Mine was clearly superior.
Besides, restricting the use of magic power would be advantageous to me.
I could maintain my boosted stats with Guardian Knight.
“…Ready.”
Undecided raised her hand, acting as the judge.
Transylvania and I walked to opposite ends of the clearing, creating distance between us.
And then, we drew our swords.
Mine was chipped from the duel with Rex, but it didn’t matter.
This was just a spar, I wasn’t planning to behead them.
I could just sharpen the blade later.
“…Begin!”
Undecided signaled the start, and…
A tense aura filled the air as Transylvania and I simultaneously kicked off the ground, sending tremors through the earth.
I expected a grand clash, but…
“Hmm…”
Unexpectedly, it was quiet.
We had kicked off the ground, but neither of us moved forward.
We were both frozen, unable to make the first move.
‘Damn it. No openings.’
The Dakia Style’s ultimate technique greatly expanded the range of a sword’s attack.
Swordsmen who hadn’t mastered the ultimate technique had to close the distance and clash blades to fight…
But both Transylvania and I had mastered the ultimate technique.
No matter where we stood, we were within each other’s attack range.
So, I had to be wary of not only their charge, but also a long-range sword beam.
If I charged first, a sword beam would fly towards my neck.
We maintained a tense standoff, searching for openings in each other’s defenses.
“This is going to take forever. We’ll die of boredom at this rate! I hate these staring contests!”
Swish!
Transylvania struck first, swinging their sword and generating wind.
A thin gust of wind, extending from the tip of the blade, sliced through the undergrowth and rushed towards me.
It was definitely worthy of being called a Dakia Style ultimate technique, even if it was different from the original.
In the sense that you had to deduce the direction and form of the attack from the opponent’s posture, as the flow of wind was difficult to track with the naked eye, it was superior to my ultimate technique.
But it had one fatal flaw.
Since it had to use wind as a medium, its speed was greatly limited.
‘I can react to that.’
Transylvania’s sword strike itself was as fast as lightning.
Too fast for my eyes to follow.
But I could see and react to the wind emanating from the tip of the blade.
Whoosh…!
A diagonal downward slash.
My blade, infused with my spirit, sliced through the air, and sword energy erupted.
My sword energy, flying at lightning speed, collided with Transylvania’s sword beam midway.
Crackle…!
“What?!”
As expected, my sword energy won.
It pierced through Transylvania’s wind, scattering it as it continued forward.
Its power was greatly weakened by the impact, but it was still dangerous.
Transylvania parried the weakened sword energy with their own sword and stepped back.
“Huh… It seems that even though wind is sharper, strength makes a difference. It’s a bad matchup.”
Transylvania’s wind could slice through a whole tree, but mine could only cut off branches.
However, it seemed my sword energy was stronger.
Even when using the same Dakia Style ultimate technique, Transylvania had to swing their sword again to block it.
I couldn’t lose.
“Matchup disadvantage?! I shall overcome it!!!”
At that moment, Transylvania kicked off the ground and charged, creating a new variable.
They were losing in both the strength and speed of their sword strikes, so they had decided to engage in close combat.
It was a perfectly valid decision.
Even their physical speed was faster than mine, enhanced by Guardian Knight.
If I let them get close, I would have no chance.
But conversely…
Of course, I had no intention of letting them get close.
“Dakia Style ultimate technique.”
Huff.
Taking a deep breath, I modified the Dakia Style 0th form.
I couldn’t use magic power control, so I pushed my body to its limits to maximize my speed.
I strained my muscles, prepared to twist my joints and crack my bones.
And then, I swung my sword…
Releasing the energy embedded within.
“Iron Blood Storm Slash!”
Whoosh…!
I unleashed a barrage of attacks, linking the Dakia Style forms at maximum speed.
My blade danced in all directions…
And the sword energy extending from it overlapped, dyeing the space before me completely white.
A true inescapable net.
An inescapable net of sword beams.
Transylvania was already charging at high speed, so there was no way they could change direction and dodge now.
I got them.
“Haaaaaaaaaaah!”
…Or so I thought.
Instead of dodging the net of sword beams…
Transylvania jumped into the center of it and started counterattacking.
They parried and sliced through every single sword beam, one by one…
Unable to distinguish what came first and last, what was front and back.
The sword beams, their momentum broken, quickly dissipated…
But right before they disappeared in front of Transylvania, their edges grazed their arms and legs, leaving cuts.
Despite this, Transylvania didn’t stop, continuing to press forward and slice through my sword beams.
“Haa…”
I was so dumbfounded that I couldn’t help but sigh.
I had cast an inescapable net…
And they had ripped through it.
This was insane.
If they were using magic power, it would have been understandable… but with no magic, just their bare body…
This bastard had no right to call themselves mediocre.
What a crazy talent monster.
“Iron Blood Storm Slash, huh? I like the name. Should I write an article for the newspaper? ‘Dakia Style successor masters the ultimate technique and names it Iron Blood Storm Slash’…”
“Shut up, will you.”
We exchanged pointless banter and checked each other’s condition.
Transylvania’s wounds were minor.
Their arms and legs were covered in shallow cuts from the fragments of my sword beams.
It looked strange, since no blood was flowing from the open wounds.
‘I’m not unscathed either.’
I had also suffered recoil from unleashing Iron Blood Storm Slash with my bare body.
My wrist and shoulder, unable to withstand the strain, had dislocated…
And my ankle was twisted.
I felt like an 80-year-old man after using the ultimate technique once.
“You look exhausted! Can you keep going?”
“Are you sure you’re alright? One mistake, and your head’s coming off.”
“I never make mistakes!”
Transylvania waited patiently as I popped my wrist and shoulder back into place.
And the moment I finally regained my stance, they lunged at me again, a manic grin spreading across their face.
Swish…!
It was impossible to unleash Iron Blood Storm Slash again with my messed up arm.
I linked two forms of the Dakia Style and fired off a three-hit combo infused with sword energy.
“Hahaha! It seems you’re running out of steam!”
Transylvania, who had effortlessly parried dozens of consecutive attacks, could deflect a three-hit combo with their eyes closed.
Their single-edged sword easily deflected the sword energy, shattering it.
But this time, it would be different.
“Kuh?!”
I knew that the fragments of sword energy could inflict damage, so I had to use that to my advantage.
The sword energy, flying at a precise angle, broke in half, scattering fragments.
The fragments flew behind Transylvania’s ankle, severing their Achilles tendon.
Their eyes widened in surprise, as if asking if I had calculated even that…
But…
“I won’t back down!!!”
…They immediately kicked off the ground with their injured foot and charged again.
I stepped back and unleashed a two-hit combo.
Unlike before, when they had simply shattered the sword energy without thinking…
This time, Transylvania carefully neutralized the sword energy, taking into account the trajectory of the fragments.
The same trick wouldn’t work twice.
“I’ve caught you…!”
The distance between us closed in an instant.
Transylvania, their red eyes glowing, finally managed to trap me within the range of their sharp, single-edged sword.
Clank…!
“They blocked it with their foot?!”
Cornered, the Dakia Style was useless.
I switched to a Frost Style technique, more suited for defense.
I blocked their sword with my steel-plated shoes, and Transylvania’s eyes widened in astonishment once more.
“What kind of hybrid combo is this…!”
I followed up with an upward slash from the Merida Style.
I exploited the weakness of the single-edged sword, which could only block with one side of the blade, and thrust my sword tip forward…
But Transylvania, despite their surprise, skillfully dodged with a single step back.
I had gained some distance and Transylvania’s posture had been broken by the hasty dodge.
‘I knew I was slower. I have to finish this with the unpredictable combination of three sword styles!’
It was my turn to attack again.
I had to finish this during this turn.
I immediately activated the Weak Point trait…
“Huh…?”
…Activated it, and… I had to attack immediately, but…
I couldn’t see Transylvania’s weakness.
Or rather…
There was a weakness, but it kept shifting, never staying in one place.
When I found their weak point and focused on it, Transylvania’s posture shifted subtly, moving it…
And when I aimed for another spot, it shifted again.
There were openings, but no matter where or when I attacked, I could only see a future where my attacks were blocked.
I couldn’t break through.
At least, not without using magic power.
Even with their Achilles tendon severed…
“I give up. I surrender.”
“What?! That’s no fun!”
Transylvania was angry when I lowered my sword and raised my hands in surrender.
Of course, they were just about to get to the good part.
There were things I could only know after clashing with them.
Transylvania was undoubtedly the strongest in close combat.
‘A monster is a monster.’
Transylvania wasn’t using any particular swordsmanship style.
Over their long life, they had mastered countless styles, integrating them into their body and becoming one with them.
‘I had no chance against them with the element of surprise, especially with only three sword styles under my belt.’
They were the ultimate form, taking the best of every swordsmanship style and eliminating their weaknesses.
They had reached a level where they could counter any unconventional movements.
They had compensated for their lack of talent by learning through experience, accumulated over time.
Transylvania was the embodiment of the history of the sword.
“Aah… That hurts.”
“Blood ghouls feel pain?”
“Of course. If I didn’t feel pain, I wouldn’t know if I bumped into something or got injured. That would be a disaster.”
“…I… don’t really… feel it…”
“That’s just because you’re insensitive.”
As I applied potions to Transylvania’s arms and legs, we chatted about various things.
Of course, these weren’t just any potions.
Low-grade potions only increased the body’s natural healing abilities, so they didn’t work on blood ghouls, whose bodies were already dead.
High-grade potions, which directly healed wounds, had to be used.
I had already used three bottles.
I wondered if I should bill them for it.
“It was impressive. I wonder how much stronger your sword energy would be if you added magic power. Maybe I wouldn’t be able to block it, or even if I did, the fragments might be fatal enough to sever my limbs. If we fought with all our strength, I’m sure I would lose.”
“…”
“Why are you silent? Do you disagree?”
“Yes. I believe if we fought with all our might, you would win.”
“Hahaha! We’re both far from modest! How strange!”
Transylvania burst into laughter.
We actually disagreed on this.
If we fought with all our might, I naturally thought Transylvania would win.
And they thought the opposite.
There were so many variables in a real fight that we would only know for sure after actually clashing.
But of course, that wouldn’t happen.
We were both already battered just from sparring.
If we used our full power, one of us would end up crippled.
“It’s such a shame. Normally, I wouldn’t care if I died or the opponent died, and just charge in. But the problem is, you’re my opponent. I don’t want you to die, and I don’t want to die and miss out on seeing the future you’re trying to create…”
I felt the same way.
I wanted to fight a life-or-death battle, to test our limits.
I had never understood those who felt exhilaration in battle, but…
I never imagined I would come to understand their feelings after clashing with Transylvania.
It felt like our souls connected as our blades intertwined.
“I think you got cut on your side too. Stop talking nonsense and lift your shirt.”
“Ah, that? It’s just a graze.”
“It’ll leave a scar. Lift it.”
“What’s wrong with a scar on a swordsman? Don’t tell me you’re one of those girly types who’s afraid of getting scars-”
“Damn it. I don’t care, but your skin is so pale. It would look weird to have a scar on such flawless skin. Just lift your shirt, will you.”
“Hmph…”
Only after my scolding did Transylvania obediently lift their shirt.
Their abs gradually revealed…
I expected to see a well-defined six-pack…
But surprisingly, they had an eleven-line ab.
“Oh.”
They were quite nicely shaped.
Their lower abdomen looked soft, and I had to suppress the urge to poke it.
‘What am I doing, thinking these thoughts about a man?’
This is a man’s stomach.
This is a man’s stomach.
This is a man’s stomach.
I closed my eyes tightly and chanted it three times before opening them again.
But what I saw before me was a completely unexpected sight.
“Huh? What? What is this?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Do you have gynecomastia?”
Transylvania’s chest was tightly wrapped in bandages.
They seemed to have applied quite a bit of pressure, but their chest was still bulging.
That was definitely fat, not muscle, right?
“Gynecomastia? What are you talking about? A woman’s breasts are naturally supposed to be this big.”
“Ah.”
After a brief pause…
I understood what they meant.
I…
…Wasn’t gay.
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[T/N: I’ll explain the shit show the author did with the gender pronouns, basically author wrote Transylvania in gender neutral pronouns like they because Transylvania is a woman but yoo Jin doesn’t know that and thinks she’s a man but now it’s revealed she’s a woman. Thanks for coming to my TED talk]
What is that title
LMAOOO