161 - 24 Hearts

Chapter 4. The Land of Indulgence and Culture, Uroon. Blood from the severed head spurted upward, hitting the ceiling and then dripping down. The expressions of the soldiers watching it froze, as if they were witnessing such a spectacle for the first time—blood gushing so forcefully out of a human body. Yuda, observing their reactions, felt a droplet of blood, which had gathered on the ceiling, fall onto his wooden mask. "Huh?" Looking at the soldier's terrified voice emanating from behind the decapitated sorcerer's corpse, Yuda swung his sword immediately. Slashing through the soldiers, paralyzed by fear, was not particularly challenging. With the additional power of a magical blade, no matter how well-armored the soldiers were, it was only a matter of time before they were slaughtered. Shwick! The sensation of flesh being carved at his fingertips reinforced his certainty of striking his opponent but evoked no sense of guilt. Unfazed by their screams, Yuda glanced back. It seemed one sorcerer teamed up with several soldiers. As he watched them charge toward him, Yuda summoned an Artemia, embedding it beneath his feet, and activated 'Guide,' sprinting down the corridor. "Stop him!" "Kill that bastard!" Perhaps driven by the immediate sight of their comrade's death, they dashed across the blood-drenched corridor without fear, making squelchy noises echo every step they took on the blood-soaked ground. 'Fearless, indeed.' Yuda glanced at them with a hint of pity and activated the Artemia he planted on the floor. Just a trickle of mana caused the blood pooled on the ground or splattered nearby to surge like pufferfish spines when threatened, shooting spikes in all directions. Swish! Thud! Thud! The soldiers and sorcerers, spewing curses as they rushed forward, were unexpectedly met by the blood-red spikes rising. They were mercilessly impaled, leaving grotesque scenes behind. "......" Even the desensitized Yuda, typically unphased by murder, turned his head at the grotesque sight. Guided by 'Guide,' he ran unimpeded toward where the stairs descended underground. Be it soldiers or sorcerers, none could block Yuda wielding fragments. The moment an Artemia pierced a soldier's body, he became a living bomb. Having no qualms about using the power of the fragments repeatedly, the mansion became reminiscent of hell. Thanks to that, Yuda was able to kill everyone gathered in the mansion in record time and descend to the underground. "Hmm." The stench of blood rankled his nostrils beneath the mask. Looking down at himself momentarily before descending the stairs, he noticed his black coat was drenched in red blood—not the most pleasant sight. "Dried blood is still blood, isn't it?" He attempted to shed the blood clinging to him using Artemia's power, but it didn’t budge, having either been fully absorbed or dried from its liquid state. Resigned to it, he descended the stairs, automatically illuminating the magical lights embedded in the ceiling as he did so. Vrrrmm! As his foot hit one of the steps, a vibration surged, accompanied by a flash of blue light, current tingling up to his toes. Though it seemed like a trap spell intended to incapacitate an intruder, it scarcely affected Yuda. "......" Not painful at all. It felt only as if some special effect had enveloped him, like in a gaming event. Various other traps triggered—confinement spells among them—but they felt like he was attending a mere performance. Having descended the entire staircase, Yuda was faced with a spacious room and a door leading inside. The door was immensely sturdy, appearing to be made of thick iron, etched with various protective runes. As he touched it, sparks leapt up. "They've prepared thoroughly, it seems." Tapping the door, the sound was notably heavy. While sound alone couldn’t reveal much, he deduced its thickness from the iron door's placement and protective runes inscribed on it. Testing it lightly with his broadsword suggested slicing through wouldn't be feasible. Artemia's blade was far too short for the task... "Then I’ll just use Yakhal." Nonchalantly sheathing the broadsword, Yuda pulled out a long, crimson-bladed greatsword. It dawned on him that Yakhal took the form of a Flamberge, a two-handed sword. It was amusing how the name had eluded him for so long. As he grasped the greatsword with both hands, readying his stance, illusions started to engulf him—not quite yielding yet. "Unsettling. Isn't it time to accept me already?" No response ever came from the blade. Looking down at Yakhal, which constantly attempted to devour his being, Yuda sighed in dissatisfaction. Though the player's trait granted him absolute defense against mental skills, the disturbance remained unavoidable. 'Just a single swing will do it.' Enveloping the blade with mana, he activated the shadow sword technique. Rapidly tracing an 'X' with the crimson, mana-coated blade, he easily sliced through the unidentified material iron door, even with its engraved runes, as if it were mere tofu. With cleanly etched marks, Yuda lifted his foot and kicked the door, sending it toppling backward in pieces. Thud, Thoom! Preparing to enter, Yuda's eyes caught a foot lunging straight at him, compelling him to urgently raise Yakhal. "!" Bracing the blow with his blade, the impact coursed through his fingertips, hurling him backward. Reeling from the powerful jolt against his back, Yuda instinctively raised his head. "Now!" What? From inside the shattered iron door, a barrage of spells flew towards Yuda. A spear of ice wrapped in electricity, a fireball on the brink of explosion, beams of light, blades of wind... The variety seemed endless. All of these spells held enough power to kill, and there was a concern that the underground stairs might collapse under such a fierce assault. Boom! The icy spear shattered against Yakhal's blade, and the electricity clung to the blade, coursing into Yuda's body. As explosive fire magic ignited around him, the sharp blades of wind attempted to slice his flesh. Among the magic unleashed, some were high-level spells, and though not completely nullified, they inflicted damage. Leaning against the wall, having absorbed the barrage of attacks, Yuda coughed harshly. "Whoo—" Even though it was underground, they used explosive magic with reckless abandon. Clearly, they were sure it wouldn't collapse, which is why they unleashed such spells. The thick dust didn't settle, possibly because it was underground. Crack. The wooden mask he wore cracked along the left eye, fragments falling to the ground. Through the dust, he could see the charred remains—signs that the explosion had swept over him. He extracted himself from where he was partially buried in the wall and walked through the dust, hearing the whiz of something sharp slicing through the air. 'A sword?' His assumption was correct. A distinct, silver line streaked toward him. As Yuda raised Yakhal to deflect the strike, the tingling sensation surged up his fingertips. The attacker was a man, retreating with a wary, clean-cut appearance and a short sword in hand. He smiled as he addressed Yuda. "Amazing. To walk out unscathed after being hit by all those spells." "Hmm." Yuda deduced this was the one who attempted to kick him when he entered earlier. The man readied his sword again, and with a spring-like agility, charged at Yuda once more. "Let's see if your skills match your resilience." As he charged again, Yuda, with an irritated expression, summoned Artemia and hurled it at him. The man, attempting to parry the incoming dagger, watched as a crimson line shot from it, swirling violently. As he hastily tried to retreat, the line from the dagger grazed past his body faster than his retreat. Slice! The instant the line cut through, his body falls into countless pieces, each thudding to the ground. Blood, vigorously pumped by his now still heart, splattered with a nauseating stench. "Unfortunately, it seems we won’t be confirming your skills." Passing by the heap of flesh, Yuda murmured. Within the iron chamber, murmurs of alarms rose, as light dimmed and brightened, signaling a second wave of magic about to be released. "Futile…" After crossing the threshold, Yuda sliced through a serpent of fire slithering along the floor, absorbing the sorcerer's lightning magic without flinching, then kicked the sorcerer with all his might. Crack! With a single blow, the sorcerer's leg snapped as he stood firm, his posture rapidly deteriorating. As the sorcerer screamed, Yuda drove Artemia into his forehead, then turned to his side. A hexagonal shield resembling a honeycomb structure shielded another sorcerer. Smirking, the sorcerer doggedly taunted Yuda as if daring him to attack. "If you wish, your wish is granted." Using the second form of the Shadow Sword Technique, he slashed through, cleaving both the shield and the sorcerer in two. Yakhal's blade, sharp beyond all measure, effortlessly separated the upper and lower halves, unleashing a torrent of blood like a fountain. It was a one-sided massacre, akin to hunting game monsters. Having slain the sorcerers as if in a game, Yuda stood amidst the gore, releasing his breath. "Hoo—" Momentarily gazing vacantly at the ground, Yuda closed his eyes. The overwhelming stench of blood was dizzying. Despite attempting deep breaths, the smell was too intense for any relief. Opening his eyes again, Yuda flicked his sword to shed the dripping blood, letting it splatter across the floor. As he stepped forward, the squelching sound of blood clinging to his soles accompanied him as he moved deeper inside. There, a lavish room appeared. ---------= Author's Commentary ---------= The answer to the riddle is: 1. Did I get him? This is the correct answer. Even spells that revive the dead are justified. 2) It's my victory, you fool! -This could be seen as correct but it's a trap. This isn't the top priority; it only serves to empower your opponent! 3) Once this battle is over, I’m going back home. -This is something said before the battle begins. Although it ranks high on the list of things not to say, it's irrelevant during battle and not the answer. 4) It's a beautiful night. -This has no particular meaning. The significance may vary depending on the context. 5) Honestly, one hit is all it takes to kill me! -It doesn't hold much meaning. ...Honestly, I’m not sure why these riddles were created. Haha.