WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Episode 25: The Monster in the Cave (1)
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I was so shocked that I even forgot to offer my thanks.
The strange person's appearance was so horrifying that it defied description.
Their gaunt face was nearly skeletal. Perhaps they had not seen sunlight for a long time, but their skin was so pale that even their veins stood out clearly.
They did not have a single hair, not even eyebrows.
- Song WooHyun wouldn't even be competition.
Even the SoDam Sword clicked its tongue at the strange person's appearance.
It was a face that would intimidate anyone.
When someone like this looked at me, bared yellow teeth, and grinned, chills ran down my spine.
‘Huh?’
But there was something even more surprising.
I had been too distracted by their face to notice, but the strange person had no legs.
Their right arm ended at the elbow as well. Did that mean they had pulled me from the rapids with only one left arm, despite such a crippled body?
“Kehehe.”
The strange person gave an unusual laugh.
Their hoarse voice sounded like grinding metal.
After vomiting up the valley water, I felt somewhat better and hurriedly bowed.
“Thank you for saving me, Elder.”
The wrinkles covering their forehead and cheeks made them look at least sixty.
They seemed to be around Evil Heaven's age.
Then the strange person raised the hand resting on my shoulder.
- Look at those nails.
The SoDam Sword made a fuss.
The nails on the strange person's sole left hand were terribly long, like weapons.
They appeared to have grown them out and sharpened them.
Swish!
Fearing I would be stabbed, I tried to evade, but the strange person opened their palm and felt my cheek.
Then they smiled brightly.
“You've got such plump flesh on you.”
‘!?’
What had this person just said?
As I stood there flustered, the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword spoke in a grave voice.
- Un Hwi. Do not be startled. Look below you.
At those words, I cautiously lowered my gaze.
The instant I saw it, I nearly leapt in shock.
Countless bone fragments were scattered across the cave floor. No matter how I looked at them, they were human bones.
There were fish bones scattered among them, but they did not even catch my attention.
- We should get out of here. This place is dangerous.
- Aren't you going to get eaten at this rate?
I thought the same.
No matter how much I wanted to think well of them, the circumstances made it seem as though this person ate human flesh.
Otherwise, those bones would not have been so messily stripped apart.
The strange person looked at me and licked their lips.
“Delicious.”
Damn it.
My ominous expectation had been right.
Thinking I might be eaten alive, I urgently swung my sword at the strange person.
It was fortunate that I was holding the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword.
Smack!
That instant, I could not contain my shock.
It was nearly a surprise attack, yet the strange person caught the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword with a bare hand.
The strike carried ninth-level Force of ki from the Central Dantian, not the Lower Dantian.
“Kehehe.”
Whack!
“Urgh!”
Then the strange person struck my wrist with an unusual technique and took the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword from me.
They threw it toward the cave wall.
- Damn it!
Thunk!
Half the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword's blade sank into the cave wall.
It was astonishing Force of ki.
But that was not the end of it.
The strange person grabbed my wrist and tried to twist it.
‘Ghk!’
I urgently aimed the SoDam Sword in my left hand at their neck.
The strange person slightly tilted their head back and avoided the SoDam Sword. Then, with the stump of their right arm, they suddenly pulled something.
Snap!
My left arm, which held the SoDam Sword, was jerked forward.
“What?”
Something was wrapped around my wrist.
I had been too distracted to notice earlier, but it was an extremely thin thread.
- Un Hwi, cut it!
At the SoDam Sword's cry, I slightly twisted my wrist and tried to cut the thread.
Twang!
‘What?’
But the thread did not break.
There was not much force behind the swing, but I had still infused it with Force of ki. Instead, the Short Sword bounced away.
How could such a thin thread possess this much resilience?
“Kehehe.”
Smack!
Then the strange person seized my throat.
They yanked me toward them.
I tried to resist, but their Force of ki far surpassed mine.
“Ghk!”
The strange person pulled me close and opened their mouth wide.
Then they sank their teeth into my left shoulder.
Crunch!
“Argh!”
As their teeth tore into my flesh, it felt as though my entire body had frozen.
Terrified that I might be eaten by this strange person, I flicked the SoDam Sword into my right hand, hoping to exploit an opening when they let their guard down.
But this person's reactions were as swift as a ghost's.
They pulled their teeth away, evaded, then twisted the right hand holding the SoDam Sword.
Crack!
“Aaargh!”
My wrist bent the wrong way.
Judging by the swollen bulge, it seemed broken.
“Don't resist, meat.”
The skeletal strange person smiled chillingly.
Was I really going to die as human flesh for some bizarre monster I had never even heard of?
The strange person opened their mouth again and tried to bite me.
It was then.
- ...Un Hwi!
A faint voice reached me.
It pierced even the roar of the valley water echoing through the entire cave.
- That crazy old fool!
The SoDam Sword recognized the owner of the voice.
- ...You damned disciple!
A shout followed from outside.
Without time to think, I tried to shout and reveal my location.
“Ma...”
Smack!
The strange person struck my head.
I could not lose consciousness, but my vision was turning black.
* * *
- Un Hwi! Un Hwi!
- Hey! Wake up! Wake up already!
Noisy voices rang through my head.
They were the voices of the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword and SoDam Sword.
Had I been unconscious the whole time?
- You're awake!
As I tried to open my eyes, the SoDam Sword urgently shouted.
- Don't open them! Keep them shut.
At its words, I stopped myself from opening my eyes.
I could not understand why it wanted me to keep them closed.
‘Ah!’
I suddenly thought of my master, Evil Heaven.
I should have let him know I was alive, but the strange person had struck my head and knocked me out.
The place where I had been hit throbbed.
Something sticky was on my head, so I must have bled as well.
That damned bastard.
My broken wrist hurt terribly too.
- We need to wait until the strange person lets their guard down. Stay still.
‘...All right.’
For now, I had to follow the SoDam Sword's words.
The cave echoed with the sound of rapids, so I could not tell where the strange person was.
Why was such a monstrous person in a place like this?
- After you passed out, that strange person behaved oddly.
‘What did they do?’
- They dragged you deeper into the cave, then kept hiding in that corner, holding their breath and trembling as though they were terrified.
‘Even now?’
- Yes. They're still in the corner.
‘Why?’
I could not understand it.
Were they afraid the cave's location would be discovered?
There was no other reason to hide.
Yet what could a person who was strangely powerful, even with such a damaged body, possibly fear enough to make them tremble?
- I don't know. They've been like that for half a day.
Half a day had passed?
That was why it was so dark when I kept my eyes closed.
Even through closed eyelids, one could tell whether it was light or dark.
‘What about the old fool?’
That was what mattered.
I still hoped he was looking for me.
- ...Do not be disappointed. For nearly two two-hour periods, cries could periodically be heard from nearby. After that, they stopped.
At the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword's words, it felt as though my heart were rotting away.
In the end, I had to escape this situation alone.
Had I not faced even more desperate situations and experienced death itself, I would not have been able to remain calm.
Let me sort this out.
The strange person had only one left arm, but they were a supreme master.
It was difficult to judge accurately, but if their body had been whole, they might have been a monster comparable to Evil Heaven.
However, they did not seem mentally sound.
Their speech was clumsy, and they hid and trembled merely because they heard shouts outside. They clearly did not possess a sound mind.
- That strange person will surely try to eat you.
- Strike then.
The two swords thought the same as I did.
For now, that was the only way.
The tough thread the strange person had tied around my left wrist was still there.
‘Hoo.’
Calm down.
I carefully steadied my innate life energy.
I checked in case the strange person had sealed my blood pressure points and chi, but surprisingly, they had not.
Why had they only knocked me out?
A master of this level would have been safer sealing my blood pressure points and chi as a precaution.
I did not know why, but it was fortunate.
‘One strike.’
I had to bring them down in a single blow.
For that, I needed to target a fatal point.
The most effective fatal points were the Celestial Spirit acupoint, Ki Gate acupoint, Zhangmen acupoint, and Jemun acupoint.
I would have to strike a different point depending on how they approached.
- Wait. I will tell you the moment they move.
Thus began a nerve-racking wait.
Fifteen minutes, half an hour, forty-five minutes, an hour, then two hours...
Staying still in that state of tension made my entire body stiffen.
Then, at that moment.
- They're moving!
The SoDam Sword alerted me.
Since they had no legs, I heard a dragging sound as they felt their way forward with one hand.
They were getting closer.
My heart raced.
If I missed this one chance, I would become human flesh.
- They're almost here.
I could clearly sense them as they drew near.
Tap!
They clambered onto my chest.
Perhaps because they were so emaciated and lacked limbs, they were not very heavy.
Still...
“Meat... meat...”
Goosebumps rose all over my body.
This was the first time I had experienced something so horrifying, both before and after my regression.
Their breathing was clear in the darkness.
“Haah... haah...”
- They opened their mouth. They're going to bite.
The SoDam Sword shouted.
Not yet.
If I struck now, they might notice.
Bite!
Then their teeth sank into the area above my right collarbone.
The pain was terrible, but I drew up my innate life energy to its limit and targeted their right ribs.
The strange person noticed like a ghost and grabbed my right hand.
‘Ghk.’
My broken wrist hurt terribly.
But this had been my aim.
The instant they seized my right hand, I clenched my left hand as though I had been waiting, then struck the Celestial Spirit acupoint at the center of their crown with all my strength.
Smack!
“Aaargh!”
The strange person screamed madly and thrashed about.
Damn it, what was going on?
I had struck a fatal point exactly, yet they did not die.
“Gaaah!”
The screaming strange person shoved me away with one hand, flung themself toward the cave entrance, then rolled around while clutching their head.
Now was my chance.
‘Where are you?’
- Here.
The Southern Heavenly Steel Sword revealed its location.
I launched myself to the wall, swiftly pulled out the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword lodged there, and slashed at the strange person in a single stroke.
It was then.
Smack!
‘Damn it!’
The strange person suddenly moved their right elbow. My balance shifted sideways, and the sword missed.
Knowing that would not work, I gathered Force of ki in my foot and tried to kick their face.
Then the strange person caught it with their left hand.
Smack!
They roughly shoved my foot away.
My body flew into the cave ceiling and collided with it.
Crash!
“Ghk.”
I struck the ceiling and fell to the floor. Then the strange person climbed onto my back.
They grabbed the nape of my neck.
Damn it, was this truly going to end in failure?
Then I heard the strange person's voice by my ear.
“What are you? How did you learn innate life energy?”
‘!?’
Their speech was no longer clumsy like before.
Rather, they were speaking clearly.
But how did this person know I had learned innate life energy?
Innate life energy was not something that could be sensed through internal energy.
Grip!
“Ghk.”
The strange person tightened their grip around my neck.
“Speak at once... No? That sword... Isn't that the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword?”
What?
Who was this person?
Despite its rust, they had recognized the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword.
If the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword had known this person, it would have told me long ago. But perhaps it did not know them either, as it remained silent.
Still, this might be my chance to live.
As long as I was not dealing with someone beyond reason, could we not talk if they had regained their senses?
“I... I am the successor of the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster.”
“What? That bastard's successor?”
‘That bastard?’
Could they be an enemy of the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster?
If so, even if they were sane, this place was no different from certain death.
Was this the end?
Then I heard sobbing from behind me.
“Sniff.”
What?
Could this person be crying?
- Uh... They're crying.
The SoDam Sword spoke as if it did not understand.
I had thought they were the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster's enemy. Why were they crying?
Overcome with emotion, the strange person continued sobbing.
This was driving me mad.
How long did I have to stay like this with my neck being held?
After sobbing for quite some time, the strange person seemed to regain control of their emotions and finally spoke.
“How strange. How very strange.”
“Junior... does not understand... what Senior means...”
“Perhaps this too is fate.”
Smack!
Then the strange person released my neck.
They climbed off my back.
They no longer seemed to intend to harm me.
Without lowering my guard, I cautiously rose.
Though they had no legs, the strange person sat neatly as if seated in meditation and looked at me.
If they had seemed like a madman before regaining their senses, now they seemed like a great master.
I became curious about their identity.
“...Junior, if it would not be discourteous, may I ask Senior's honored name?”
At my question, the strange person sighed and replied.
“I am Han JiSang.”
‘Han JiSang?’
The name felt familiar, yet it did not.
Who were they?
As I wondered, the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword spoke in a shocked voice.
- No! How is that bastard alive?
‘What do you mean? You know them?’
Until just before, it had spoken as though it did not know this person at all, but its reaction was far from ordinary.
The Southern Heavenly Steel Sword spoke through gritted teeth.
- The Flying Dagger Assassin King.
‘...The Flying Dagger Assassin King? The Flying Dagger Assassin King!’
I could not contain my shock.
The skeletal strange person before me was the Flying Dagger Assassin King?
- Why are you so surprised?
The SoDam Sword apparently did not know that name and asked curiously.
It claimed its owner two generations ago had been a martial artist, yet it knew nothing about martial artists.
The Flying Dagger Assassin King.
They were called the king of assassins.
- That sounds impressive. Are they really that great?
Was it merely impressive sounding?
As far as I knew, they were a legendary assassin said to have surpassed the limits of an assassin.
- Surpassed an assassin's limits?
They were no ordinary assassin.
Their Martial Arts were also known to be extraordinary, but the incident that made them famous was, ironically, their only failed assassination.
They had boldly targeted Fierce King Tyrant's Road Jin Gyun, one of the Eight Great Masters of the Central Plains.
The Eight Great Masters were not called superhumans for nothing.
Naturally, the assassination had failed.
Yet the Flying Dagger Assassin King was the only assassin to have exchanged ten-odd techniques with Fierce King Tyrant's Road Jin Gyun and returned alive and unharmed.
That story made them famous as the king of assassins.
- Un Hwi. This bastard... is a coward who only targets people's backs. Never trust them.
Then the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword warned me in a voice filled with anger.
What could have happened for it to react like this?
As I wondered, something unexpected happened.
Tap!
Suddenly, Han JiSang, the Flying Dagger Assassin King, prostrated themself before me despite their impaired body.
Then they spoke in a resolute voice.
“Successor of the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster. Please allow me to repay my debt.”
I could not understand why they were saying this.
Perhaps because of the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword's warning, I could not lower my guard.
No matter how they looked now, were they not once called the king of assassins?
“Senior. Junior truly does not understand what you mean. If you would explain the circumstances...”
“I do not have much time left. I will repay the debt first.”
“What?”
At that instant, Han JiSang pulled their elbow back.
The thin silver thread wrapped around my wrist forcibly brought me to my knees.
Startled, I urgently tried to move away from them.
But...
Smack!
Han JiSang's hand was suddenly gripping the crown of my head.
‘!?’
That was the location of the Celestial Spirit acupoint I had targeted while Han JiSang was out of their mind.
Could this be revenge?
“Ghk!”
I circulated the Innate Divine Art and tried to shake off their hand.
“Even if you refuse, I must repay my debt.”
Smack!
Strength entered their palm.
“Argh!”
In that instant, a hot energy flowed from Han JiSang's hand into my Celestial Spirit acupoint.
But this energy was not internal energy.
‘...This is?’
It was innate life energy.
Astonishingly, Han JiSang could wield innate life energy.
As I stood shocked, Han JiSang spoke to me.
“The Celestial Spirit acupoint is also called the Baihui acupoint. It is the acupoint most suitable for receiving innate life energy. Concentrate.”
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