WeTried Translations
Translator: Joy
Editor: Joy
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Damned Transmigration ◈
Chapter 20: Introduction
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Bakerd was impatient.
That was the only reason he had come a day early. He had no interest in Seven Thunders, the grimoire he had won at auction in exchange for sharing the Fist of the Rending Cloud.
So he had hurried out of his lodgings. There was the minor problem that he did not know where Marigold’s estate was, but he did know the location of the Dersia Mage Tower.
He did not worry that an unexpected visit might be rude.
That was the kind of man Fist Wolf Bakerd was.
He went to the Mage Tower, asked them to call Marigold, explained the situation, and came to the estate with her.
‘I’ll just teach him the basic movements, then be done with it.’
That was what Bakerd had thought until the moment he opened the estate door and stepped inside.
On the way there, Marigold had briefly told him about Yuri.
A man who had never properly learned martial arts. Someone who had only begun cultivating inner power yesterday through a heart technique that was nearly first-rate, the Art of the Untainted Heart.
He had taken one of the Namgung Family’s Azure Heaven Pills and even obtained the Fist of the Rending Cloud simply because he had a good childhood friend. Compared to his background and talent, his luck was outrageously good.
‘He is impossible to like.’
Bakerd had rarely been lucky.
Though he was the son of the head of the distinguished Raspion Family of Sairan, he had never been acknowledged by the family because he was illegitimate.
It was a common enough story. Before becoming the family head, a young man had fallen for a plain but lovely girl who carried food at a small tavern.
The child born from that union could never be a blessing to the young man. Instead, the child was a burden. So he gave her money, and the girl tearfully forced herself to accept it.
Bakerd had grown up outside the family from a very young age and had not even been permitted to use the Raspion surname.
He had not inherited the Raspion Family’s famed swordsmanship either. Rebelling against the bloodline and fate that would never acknowledge him, young Bakerd took up a spear instead of a sword. Rather than beg the family for pity, he joined Sairan’s city guard.
‘I have nothing to do with the Raspion Family.’
He lived with that thought and never went near the Raspion Family.
That was how he lived until twenty years ago.
The tragedy occurred overnight. The Raspion Family, a prestigious Sairan family renowned for its swordsmanship, was annihilated. None of the dozens of main-family members survived. More than a hundred servants who maintained the vast estate and knights who served the family were all killed as well.
The only survivor of that tragedy was Bakerd, who had not been permitted to use the Raspion surname.
The city guard handled crimes within the city.
As a guardsman, Bakerd witnessed the devastation at the estate. The culprits had not acted alone. Sword, magic, and spear. The investigation identified three causes of death, and the family head, Bakerd’s father and the Raspion Family’s strongest member, had been killed by sword, magic, and spear alike.
As a city guardsman, Bakerd carried the bodies from the massacre. He carried a torn-apart child in his own hands and personally dug his father’s body out from beneath the collapsed floor of the estate’s central hall.
When he was young, he had met his father exactly once.
A man hidden beneath a robe so no one could recognize him had come to the tavern, which had become more prosperous than before, and drank alone.
After drinking until late at night, the man spoke with the tavern owner for quite some time. Then he called the young boy, who had been dozing over an empty table, and seated him before him.
“Do not take up a sword.”
“Do not come to the family estate.”
“But if there ever comes a time when you truly need help...”
That was when Bakerd received the Raspion Family crest.
He granted the earnest request of the father he had seen for the first time in his life. He did not take up a sword, nor did he visit the family estate.
A time when he truly needed help? Such a time had never come in Bakerd’s uneventful life. Even if it had, he had not intended to go looking for them.
His father had trailed off unfinished.
All the bodies that could no longer be called whole were laid to rest in the Raspion Family cemetery.
That day, Bakerd took the Raspion Family crest, which he had kept buried in a drawer and never taken out, and held it against his chest.
The moment he entered the cemetery, he felt the crest vibrate.
Visiting the cemetery alone late at night, Bakerd followed the crest’s guidance and reached a hidden room within the graveyard.
Several letters filled with miserable apologies.
A great deal of money.
The Raspion Family head had not expected to die like this. He had simply thought that someday, when he died, his illegitimate son Bakerd might visit the cemetery at least once. This room existed as an excuse and comfort for the sins the family head had turned away from.
Who had massacred the Raspion Family?
He did not know the culprits, but he did know that every secret sword technique of the Raspion Family had disappeared.
That was the day Bakerd quit the Sairan city guard.
He put down the spear he had chosen instead of a sword.
The fact that the Raspion Family members he had never considered family had been stabbed to death with spears unsettled the young man.
Bakerd still did not attach the Raspion surname to his name.
But if he ever met the culprits behind that tragedy, he wanted to introduce himself as Bakerd Raspion.
He had wandered for twenty years, saying he sought revenge for people he had never regarded as his father or family. Bakerd still could not give an exact answer as to why he wandered like this.
But those twenty years spent wandering as the Fist Wolf had become a massive obsession.
That was the life he had lived.
A life that could not be called fortunate.
That was why Bakerd disliked Yuri. He thought Yuri was someone without madness or obsession. He did not know how Yuri had lived before, but Yuri had come to Rutlan and was enjoying luxuries beyond his station simply because he had a good childhood friend.
Bakerd still did not like Yuri.
But none of his earlier thoughts remained in his mind now.
His gaze had been captured for a moment by Yuri’s fists. Not a trace of inner power was contained in those fists, yet Bakerd could not call them shallow.
‘Footwork...’
The reason Bakerd had wanted the Fist of the Rending Cloud so badly was the footwork he had learned.
Whirlwind Cloud Steps. The footwork of Prism Fist Yang Ilsu, the creator of the Fist of the Rending Cloud. Bakerd had obtained Whirlwind Cloud Steps twenty years ago but failed to obtain the Fist of the Rending Cloud.
‘There is no way he knows about Whirlwind Cloud Steps.’
Yuri had only entered the martial path yesterday.
Yet Yuri had used footwork while performing the Fist of the Rending Cloud. In truth, it was little more than clumsy footwork, too rough to call proper footwork, but that only shocked Bakerd further.
‘He created the footwork he needed through instinct and intuition alone?’
It was absurd.
‘Could this bastard be a transmigrator...?’
The suspicion surfaced, but Bakerd immediately denied it. The transmigrators summoned by the Evil God possessed affinity for and understanding of mana. Such talent was not suited to martial arts.
There were transmigrators who had learned martial arts and attained greatness.
Among the Martial Apex Venerables, Moonlit Reveller, Chuk-sin-doo and Cruel Mayhem, Elleia Yudel were confirmed transmigrators. Tide of Carnage and Zenith Star were only suspected.
But those four shared the same trait.
They were masters of Ganggi Art. Ganggi Art required one to perfectly control vast inner power and was close to magic, so affinity for and understanding of mana were indispensable.
Of course, as Martial Apex Venerables counted among the Four Guardians, their martial arts were exceptional even apart from Ganggi Art. That was only natural, considering their standing.
The man before him was not one of the Four Guardians. Yuri was a first-tier fledgling who had only just entered martial arts. Given that Yuri had only managed to gather half the Azure Heaven Pill’s inner power, he could not be a transmigrator...
“You said you were coming tomorrow. Why are you here?”
Yuri could not stand upright without Elena’s support. His body was too heavy, his legs trembled, and he had no strength from his back and shoulders down to his arms and fingertips.
It was the backlash from throwing punches for so long. Yuri did not know how much time had passed, but since Elena had returned from the Mage Tower as usual, it did not seem to have been a short time.
“Why I am here is not important.”
Bakerd opened his stiff lips.
“Your name is Yuri, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Yuri. What were you just doing?”
‘He was clearly watching. Why ask?’
“I was practicing the first form of the Fist of the Rending Cloud.”
“The first form. What is its name?”
“Drifting Cloud.”
“The Fist of the Rending Cloud should contain only fist techniques. Why were your feet moving as well?”
Yuri blinked at that. His memories became hazy partway through because he had entered a trance, but he did remember moving his feet.
‘Right. That was where it began.’
He had not been satisfied. Something was lacking. Something did not fit. Yet he felt as if he were getting closer little by little. Then there had been a moment when the missing puzzle piece snapped into place, and from then on, he moved his fists, legs, and body without thinking.
That missing puzzle piece had been his feet.
Yuri considered his answer briefly before speaking.
“A fist technique is ultimately for hitting other people, isn’t it?”
“All martial arts are.”
“The other person will not stay still. Wouldn’t it be stupid for me to stand still and only throw punches?”
“That... is true.”
“So I moved my legs too. It seemed strange to stand there like an idiot and only throw punches.”
Bakerd stared wordlessly at Yuri’s face.
It was a simple, obvious answer without any profound depth. Yet countless people could not put that simple, obvious truth into practice.
“It is foolish to insist on forms just because you have learned martial arts. A man who uses a thrust when they should swing and cut simply because thrusting is their specialty dies quickly.”
“...”
“You are not that kind of fool. As you said, a fist technique is for hitting others, and the person you want to hit will not stand still. Even if they are an idiot who does stand still, you must approach them to hit them.”
“Are you complimenting me?”
“Yes. I heard Heavenly Thunder Orca acknowledged you. You are indeed worthy of that recognition.”
As a martial artist, Bakerd sincerely acknowledged Yuri’s talent.
“But that talent is regrettable right now. Your body cannot fully keep up with your talent.”
“I train my external arts rather diligently.”
“Diligence is not enough. You must train until your muscles tear and your bones break.”
Bakerd strode over and grabbed Yuri by the shoulders. He took Yuri from Elena as though taking a doll and lifted him with both hands.
“A man should not be this light...”
“I do not think I am that light...”
Yuri muttered with an awkward expression. He did not carry excess fat, but Yuri had been in street fights since childhood and had even been part of a gang. His build was fairly solid.
But compared to Bakerd, he looked meager. Bakerd’s forearm alone was as thick as Yuri’s thigh.
“You are thin, but your frame is good. Your muscles are suitably firm and elastic too. It is an excellent body for learning martial arts. You only need more training.”
“Are you saying I should build muscle like you, Sir Bakerd?”
“No. There is no need. The fist technique I practice is called the Diamond-Shattering Fist, and it contains the principles of weight and dominance. I shaped my body to suit it.”
Yuri’s feet returned to the ground.
“The Fist of the Rending Cloud contains the principles of softness, quickness, and change. A martial art like this does not require you to build your body in a hurry.”
“A smooth bowel movement...”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
Yuri quickly shut his mouth. Bakerd tilted his head, then continued.
“Softness and quickness are difficult to reconcile. But as you demonstrated, the Fist of the Rending Cloud is fundamentally a fist technique that uses both hands. Even I have not seen its manual yet, but I heard many stories about Prism Fist while wandering in search of it. They say Prism Fist’s left fist moved softly and created changes, while his right fist was fast enough to cut through light.”
Bakerd crossed his arms and looked down at Yuri. Yuri, who had listened silently, spoke after a simple question came to mind.
“You said you shaped your body for your current martial art. Is it alright for you to learn the Fist of the Rending Cloud?”
“It is true that I excel most at weight and dominance, but that does not mean I cannot do anything else.”
Bakerd snorted mockingly.
“And I seek to learn the Fist of the Rending Cloud so that I can combine it with the Diamond-Shattering Fist and create a new fist technique.”
“That is impressive. Will you teach me the Diamond-Shattering Fist too?”
“Why... would I teach you that?”
“If you combine the two and create a new fist technique, then only use that one, the Diamond-Shattering Fist will feel left out.”
Bakerd could not answer and merely blinked.
His expression looked as though it might twist at any moment, so Yuri quickly added another word.
“If you do not want to, that is fine.”
Yuri discreetly placed a hand behind his back and wiggled his fingers hard. It was a hand signal for Elena, who stood awkwardly behind him. Elena had no idea what Yuri was trying to do, but could not ignore those desperately wiggling fingers and approached him.
“I am too tired and worn out today. I think I need to rest a little.”
Yuri immediately grabbed Elena’s arm like a support.
“R-right.”
Elena quickly went along with him. She glanced at Yuri’s hand linked around her arm as though they had locked arms, then composed her expression.
“Alright.”
Yuri had thought Bakerd would not leave easily after coming here without waiting even one day, but unexpectedly, Bakerd nodded without insisting.
“I will come here every day at noon for one month, starting tomorrow.”
“A... a month?”
Yuri asked in surprise. He had thought it would be a week at most. A month?
At yesterday’s auction house, Bakerd had openly worn an expression that said he did not want to do this. But now Bakerd’s face was brimming with motivation.
As Yuri had thought, Bakerd had originally intended to teach the Fist of the Rending Cloud perfunctorily and be done with it. But the talent he had happened to witness in Yuri was so exceptional that Bakerd sincerely wanted to teach him.
Besides, Bakerd himself needed to learn the Fist of the Rending Cloud. The greatest danger when learning a new martial art was becoming trapped in the perspective formed by one’s existing martial arts.
If he taught Yuri, who was entirely new to martial arts, Bakerd would be able to focus purely on the Fist of the Rending Cloud. He thought it would not be bad to make use of Yuri in order to master the Fist of the Rending Cloud quickly.
“Does that seem insufficient?”
“No, it is not that. I just feel sorry that you are spending an entire month on me.”
“There is no need to think that way. I would have stayed in this city for a long time even without you.”
“Do you have an appointment in this city?”
“An appointment.”
Bakerd murmured with a bitter smile.
“I do not know whether he considers it an appointment, but I do.”
Bakerd had not come to Rutlan solely because he had heard that the Fist of the Rending Cloud would be put up for sale.
“Do you know who Moonlit Reveller is?”
“Y-yes.”
“I requested sparring matches with him several times because I wanted to experience his Full Moon Killing Kick, but he never accepted. Then, last year, I met Moonlit Reveller in person at an event held by the Righteous Heavenly Alliance.”
“...”
“He found me very bothersome, but when I earnestly requested a sparring match, he finally accepted. He said he would have business in Rutlan a year later, and that if he had not forgotten by then, he would spar with me.”
Yuri listened to Bakerd’s story with his mouth open in surprise.
“I do not know exactly when he will come to Rutlan, but I intend to remain in this city until he arrives.”
Having said that, Bakerd turned around.
“I will come tomorrow, so rest well today.”
“Yes...”
Yuri held on to his fading consciousness.
Footnotes:
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