WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Damned Transmigration ◈
Chapter 117: Fist Wolf 1
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“Don’t smile. It’s annoying.”
“Going off to have fun?”
Yuri skipped breakfast and came out ready to leave, only to be greeted with immediate scolding.
The other two would still have to suffer under Lorelia while he was gone.
It was a valuable experience, one they should be grateful for, but it was painful all the same. And with three people instead of two, their breaks were longer. Perhaps that was why neither of them looked at him kindly.
“I’ll be back soon.”
If he openly rubbed it in, harsh words might fly instead of mere glares. So Yuri said something he didn’t mean.
Even if he hurried, the journey there and back would take three days.
Fist Wolf might arrive in Dunjung a little late, and if they met, talked, and shared a drink, it could take five days. No, perhaps an entire week.
Which meant he wouldn’t have to be beaten by Lorelia, roll around on the ground, and throw up for a whole week. Yuri forcibly suppressed the smile threatening to spread across his face.
“Come straight back if he isn’t there.”
“Don’t get sidetracked.”
It was possible he might go all the way to Dunjung and fail to meet Fist Wolf, but Yuri considered that unlikely.
If they truly couldn’t meet, Faceless Killer wouldn’t have told him to come back in ten days.
“Then I’ll be off. Please give Lorelia my regards too.”
Lorelia had been meditating in Sharp Sword Valley since dawn. Yuri had said goodbye to her in advance yesterday, and he didn’t want to disturb her.
He waved and headed for the gates of the Uicheon Sword Gate.
“Ah, Young Hero!”
One of the gate’s disciples stopped him along the way.
“Are you leaving now?”
“Yes.”
“Good thing you didn’t miss each other.”
“What?”
“A guest has just arrived.”
They hadn’t missed each other?
A guest?
Yuri’s eyes trembled.
In the guest room sat Fist Wolf Bakerd, looking almost exactly as he had two years ago.
“...”
Yuri fought the urge to collapse on the spot and composed his expression.
Thinking about it calmly, Fist Wolf was the person who had properly taught him martial arts after Lorelia. This reunion should have made him happy.
He would have been much happier if they had met as planned at an inn in Dunjung.
“What’s with that expression?”
Bakerd blinked at Yuri, who stood stiffly at the door instead of coming in.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Uh... Well...”
There went his guaranteed three days of rest.
Why did you have to come here yourself?
Yuri wasn’t enough of an asshole to ask that outright. He quickly smoothed his expression and bowed.
“It’s been a long time.”
Bakerd nodded and examined Yuri.
The Yuri he remembered was from before he had gained titles such as Thunder Cloud and Cloud Dragon, when he lacked not only martial arts but even the basics of physical combat, and bore the malicious label of Marigold’s kept man.
But what about now?
Two years could be endlessly long or painfully short. For a martial artist, it could be enough time to overcome a single wall.
But Yuri hadn’t crossed just one wall.
None of the countless rumors surrounding him had been exaggerated. If anything, Bakerd felt the rumors didn’t go far enough.
“Excellent.”
Bakerd smiled broadly.
He knew Yuri’s genius well. Two years ago, he had personally taught Fist of the Rending Cloud to Yuri, who had said it was his first time properly learning martial arts.
Bakerd still remembered that absurd rate of growth. Yuri had grown not day by day, but minute by minute.
“It’s fortunate we didn’t miss each other, isn’t it?”
“I was just about to leave for Dunjung.”
Yuri gave an awkward smile and sat across from Bakerd.
“I had planned to wait in Dunjung as well. But when I heard you were staying at the Uicheon Sword Gate with that renowned Calamity Star, I couldn’t resist coming.”
Lorelia, the Calamity Star. To martial artists, she was someone second only to the Heavenly Demon in approaching their ideal.
“I heard of the Calamity Star’s fame long ago. Even the Fist King I met before said that title should have gone to her rather than him.”
The Fist King Yuri remembered had been an eccentric martial artist brimming with confidence in his own arts.
If even the Fist King had said that, he had probably been punched by Lorelia before.
“Did you come all this way to see the priestess, not me?”
Yuri spoke as though hurt, and Bakerd answered with a hearty laugh.
“You were the one who came looking for me first.”
“Ah, I thought so.”
Yuri’s eyes lit up.
“You came to Dunjung after hearing I was looking for you.”
At first, Faceless Killer had said Fist Wolf was in Dunjung. Yet when Yuri went there, he couldn’t find him, nor had he heard even a rumor that Fist Wolf had come to Dunjung.
That meant Faceless Killer had lied at first. Still, the result was that Yuri had been able to meet him.
If Lorelia hadn’t suddenly appeared, Yuri and Bakerd would have reunited as planned at Jeongyeon Inn in Dunjung.
“I borrow the eyes and ears of the Salhomun Lord. He told me you wanted to meet.”
‘Faceless Killer, whose movements aren’t even known? Hmph. How am I supposed to acknowledge someone whose tier is unknown?’
When Yuri first met Bakerd in Rutlan, that had been his assessment of the Salhomun Lord. At the time, Bakerd and Faceless Killer couldn’t have had any connection.
‘What happened over those two years?’
Yuri had heard through the Fist King that Bakerd, who had entered the mountains and devoted himself to training, had broken through the wall of the sixth tier and reached the seventh before returning to the world.
“So, why did you wish to meet me?”
Don’t die.
That was how they had parted. They hadn’t promised to meet again. If they didn’t die, they would meet again someday.
Still, Yuri had wanted to follow Bakerd then.
At the time, Yuri had begun to realize that he couldn’t grow accustomed to living at Elena’s estate.
If he became used to a comfortable life, he couldn’t become stronger.
The longer that life continued, the more lies would pile up.
In the end, he hadn’t followed Bakerd. Yuri knew that following someone driven by revenge would only make him a burden.
“Did you hear that I encountered a Saint of the Evil God in Alderan?”
“Of course I did. His name was Agwi, correct? They said he was strong enough to kill every hostage, including you, if Heavenly Thunder had arrived even a little later.”
“I heard your name from him.”
Bakerd’s body stiffened. Beneath his thick, dark eyebrows, his eyes gleamed with a chilling light.
“I heard the name of the Raspion Family too.”
Crack.
Bakerd’s hand resting on the table clenched into a fist. Yuri could clearly see the suppressed fury distorting the air around him.
“Tell me in detail.”
Bakerd’s tightly closed lips parted, and a growl slipped from his throat. It was the reaction Yuri expected, so he steadied his voice.
“I didn’t hear much. But Agwi said the name ‘Bakerd Raspion.’ He sneered that it was quite a connection, since he would get to kill that man’s disciple with his own hands too.”
“His disciple too?”
Bakerd’s lips twisted.
“Then Agwi is one of the bastards who massacred the Raspion Family. Did he say anything else?”
“No. He said there was no need to explain anything to some bastard who was about to croak.”
Everything after that was Yuri’s own conclusion.
“Agwi seemed to be a Transmigrator.”
His build was an exact recreation of the Blade Storm Druid that had once been popular in the community. Yuri considered it nearly certain that Agwi was a Transmigrator.
Since he wore no items beyond robes, accessories, and underwear, he might also have recreated a penalty skill through Geas.
“I know there are quite a few Transmigrators among the cultists serving the Evil God. Those cultists with particularly great power are called Saints. There are likely other Transmigrators among the Saints besides Agwi.”
“Yuri, do you know about the tragedy of the Raspion Family?”
“I know they were a family massacred in a single night decades ago.”
“Yes. They were a sword clan in a city called Sairan. They were one of the more historic families affiliated with the Cartel. And I...”
“You are the illegitimate son of the Raspion Family.”
Bakerd’s expression froze.
“I don’t know the details. But I know you’re the Raspion Family’s illegitimate son.”
“Did you guess?”
Yuri had heard Bakerd’s name from Agwi. It wasn’t something that required much thought. If someone had not received the family name, it usually meant they were illegitimate.
“I knew from the beginning.”
“From the beginning?”
“Yes. From the first time I met you, I knew your surname was Raspion.”
Yuri rose from his seat and bowed deeply to Bakerd.
“I am a Transmigrator. I’m sorry for deceiving you.”
He thought this was for the best.
Though he had received Bakerd’s teachings as part of a deal, Bakerd had helped him.
And that wasn’t all. The teachings had been sincere, going beyond their deal, and Bakerd had given him Whirlwind Cloud Steps without asking for anything in return.
Bakerd remained seated, staring at Yuri. In that brief moment, many emotions passed through his eyes.
“Yuri.”
After a short silence, Bakerd stood.
“The Yuri I knew was a greenhorn who couldn’t even properly use footwork. Yet in two years, the world began calling you Cloud Dragon, the finest among the younger generation.”
It was abrupt. Before Yuri could answer, Bakerd’s large hand landed on his shoulder.
“Show me how strong you’ve become over the past two years.”
* * *
Thanks to Lorelia’s forceful demands, they had been staying at the Righteous Sword Pavilion and using the practice grounds behind it, but the land belonged to the Uicheon Sword Gate.
That meant they couldn’t casually spar with Bakerd, a guest who had come to visit. So they went directly to Gongsun Myeong and asked for permission.
“I don’t mind.”
Even without Lorelia standing behind them, Gongsun Myeong readily agreed.
“Still, since you’ll be using our practice grounds, this gate’s leader would like to observe. Is that acceptable?”
“Of course. I can only thank you for allowing it, even though we showed up without warning and caused trouble.”
“We aren’t strangers, are we?”
“You know each other?”
Yuri asked in confusion, and Bakerd answered with an embarrassed expression.
“We exchanged greetings at the Chivalry Assembly three years ago. Why, didn’t I mention it before?”
“Ah... The event where you challenged Moonlit Reveller to a spar?”
“It’s a major event held every few years, attended by many sects, families, and martial artists of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance. Invitations are also sent to anyone qualified enough. The date for the next Chivalry Assembly hasn’t been set, but an invitation will certainly be sent to you as well, Young Hero.”
At the practice grounds behind the Righteous Sword Pavilion, Estor and Haryeong were warming up in advance so Lorelia would beat them less painfully. Lorelia herself was nowhere in sight.
Haryeong’s eyebrow rose in the faintest curve as she looked at Yuri. It seemed she had heard beforehand that he wouldn’t be leaving as planned.
Yuri sensed the mockery in that tiny curve and pressed his lips together.
After exchanging brief greetings, Yuri and Bakerd faced each other in the center of the practice grounds.
“Have you learned any other fist arts?”
“I’ve added this and that through fighting, but I haven’t formally learned any other fist arts.”
“Let me see, then.”
Bakerd clenched his fist and took a stance. He was telling Yuri to attack first. Yuri steadied his breathing and raised his fist.
Though Bakerd had given him the first move, Yuri had no intention of taking it easy. They both roughly knew what martial arts the other used.
‘Seventh tier.’
The chances were slim, but Yuri decided to seize the initiative. Under these conditions, he chose his fastest move, Purple Lightning Flash.
Yuri’s foot pressed hard into the ground, and he became a streak of lightning. Dozens of paces vanished as his fist drove toward Bakerd.
Purple Lightning Flash was the martial conversion of Piercing Flash of Lightning, the third formula of the Heinderga Magic Formula. It linked into Thunder Cloud Dragon Fang, the swift move of Fist of the Rending Cloud.
Pow! Pow! The fists that had struck Bakerd’s solar plexus in rapid succession withdrew.
Bakerd had always been a huge man, more than a head taller than Yuri. At this distance, where their fists could reach each other, Bakerd felt even larger. Yuri felt as though he stood before a massive boulder.
‘Pressure.’
Intent worked through that feeling as well, weighing down on Yuri with even greater force. The moment he tried to continue his attack, Bakerd’s fist moved.
The slowly moving fist swayed. Yuri knew what attack it would be before it came. Roaming Floating Cloud, the first move of Fist of the Rending Cloud.
Yuri immediately reacted, but then, bang!
His body was pushed back by power beyond his expectations.
‘It’s not just Roaming Floating Cloud.’
Its form changed midway through.
Bakerd had originally mastered Diamond-Shattering Fist in addition to Fist of the Rending Cloud, and he had sought to unite the two fist arts into a new one.
‘Did he complete it?’
Bakerd had said he found a clue while sparring Moonlit Reveller. Two years of devotion had carried Bakerd’s fists far beyond the Bakerd Yuri knew.
Crackle!
Sealing Thunder at the Gate of Death linked to Yuri’s expanded awareness.
‘Eternal Thirst is still impossible to use in real combat.’
Bakerd took a large step forward. That alone caused immense pressure to tear through Yuri’s lightning energy.
Don’t be crushed.
Yuri didn’t retreat. Instead, he moved forward.
That fist held both softness and power. It flowed freely and calmly like wandering clouds, then unleashed strength capable of shattering the sky.
‘First.’
For that, he linked his senses and Intent to Sealing Thunder at the Gate of Death. The enormous fist stopped being mere pressure and approached as a definite attack. The instant lightning energy crackled through him, Yuri’s body moved.
Before the fist could fully extend, Yuri’s hand slipped inside. He tried to grasp the pulse of its flow and sever it cleanly, but it didn’t work. The attack was too solid and heavy to cut apart.
‘The Fist King?’
Though he had failed, Bakerd felt the Fist King’s Ten Thousand Waves Severing Fist in Yuri’s attempt. Yuri lacked the strength to sever it, but the timing of his entry had been exquisite.
‘As expected.’
A smile spread across Bakerd’s lips.
He had been a little surprised to hear that Yuri was a Transmigrator.
The thought had crossed his mind, but he had never harbored a suspicion close to certainty. Bakerd had seen Yuri himself two years ago.
That talent, which could only be called genius, was completely different from the talents of ordinary Transmigrators. In terms of growth speed, Yuri seemed to surpass other Transmigrators by an impossible margin.
It was absurd, but Yuri was so talented that Bakerd had even thought he might not be a Transmigrator after all.
‘These are not fists forged from an infatuation with talent.’
To understand a martial artist, one must ultimately face the martial path they had built. In the fists Yuri showed him now, Bakerd sensed countless repetitions and brushes with death. Whether Yuri was a Transmigrator hardly mattered before fists like these.
Two years ago, Yuri had frowned because he couldn’t smoothly link even four forms of Fist of the Rending Cloud. Now he had become a dragon soaring far above them.
‘Still, I never expected him to tell me himself.’
Bakerd could tell Yuri hadn’t revealed it lightly. To reveal something he didn’t need to reveal meant he possessed that much sincerity.
‘Even so, it’s a little irritating.’
Bakerd smiled and drew back his fist.
Moonlit Reveller had told him what Bakerd Raspion had been like in the game. Yuri had known from the beginning that Bakerd was the illegitimate son of the Raspion Family, and he had known about the revenge Bakerd sought.
[Since it irritates me that you pretended not to know until the end, I’ll hit you hard just once.]
Yuri had deflected, redirected, and blocked his attacks several times, but his bones still tingled. He was also soaked in sweat from maintaining a sense he had not yet grown used to. Then Bakerd’s Voice Transmission reached him.
[Will you forgive me with this one blow?]
[Yes. You may evade it if you can, redirect it if you can, or block it if you can.]
His words carried the confidence that Yuri could do none of those things. Yuri didn’t answer, focusing every shred of attention on Bakerd’s fist.
Did it begin with Fist of the Rending Cloud?
It was neither Roaming Floating Cloud, Dance of Wind and Cloud, Dark Cloud Connecting the Moon, nor Thunder Cloud Dragon Fang.
The trajectory that began as though it pierced through all those forms was accompanied by immense strength capable of shattering diamond. It became a massive fist that drove back all of Yuri’s Intent.
If he evaded or redirected it, the force would sweep him away. If he blocked it, he would be utterly shattered.
That was a storm born from an ordinary cloud.
Yuri knew it, but he extended his fist without hesitation. If nothing would work, he wanted to respond with what he most wanted to do, what he did best.
Boom!
Had he stopped it for an instant when their fists collided?
No. He had simply been swept away.
Yuri thought as he flew backward.
Bakerd smiled and began, “That settles it clea...”
“Who the hell are you, you bastard?!”
With a lion’s roar, the Calamity Star came crashing down.
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