WeTried Translations
Translator: Joy
Editor: Joy
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Damned Transmigration ◈
Chapter 26: Duel
──────
“This guy...”
Orca trailed off and looked up. Chuk-sin-doo did the same. Yuri followed their gaze.
Fwoosh...
Harabel Ushia was descending, embers scattering around her as wings of flame fluttered at her back. It was obvious why she was called the Crimson Wing.
“You’re in this city too?”
“You mad bastard. Don’t act familiar with me.”
Harabel’s red eyes flashed as she glared at Chuk-sin-doo.
“If you keep acting friendly, people will start suspecting that I’m a transmigrator too.”
“If you’re not, then you’re not. You worry about the strangest things.”
“Setting that aside, I don’t want to be acquainted with a bastard like you.”
“That really hurts. This isn’t even our first meeting.”
Chuk-sin-doo remained unbothered despite the open rebuke. Harabel paused in the air for a moment, then frowned deeply beneath Orca’s steady gaze and sharply turned her head away. In the end, she did not descend to the wall, instead hovering far away from Orca.
‘I heard Orca subdued her before.’
That had entirely been Harabel’s fault. From the looks of it, Harabel still felt uncomfortable around Orca.
“So who is this guy?”
Chuk-sin-doo’s attention returned to Yuri, and Orca answered calmly.
“He is the childhood friend of my prospective disciple.”
“What? He has nothing to do with this. Why did you bring him?”
“Fist Wolf is something like his master.”
“Fist Wolf?”
Chuk-sin-doo blinked.
“What does he do?”
There was no reason for Chuk-sin-doo to mock Fist Wolf, who was not even here. He genuinely looked as though he did not know who Fist Wolf was.
“I heard you met in Rutlan and promised to duel. Was that a lie?”
“No, wait...”
At the mention of their promise, Chuk-sin-doo furrowed his brow and fell into thought. Meanwhile, more and more people gathered around the city wall. They murmured as they watched Chuk-sin-doo and Harabel hovering in the sky, then burst into cheers when they spotted Orca on the wall.
“Why are they cheering for you?”
Chuk-sin-doo, still trying to remember Fist Wolf’s name, suddenly voiced his complaint.
“To the people of Rutlan, you are an unidentified madman. I am the Master of the Dersia Mage Tower.”
“I am Moonlit Reveller, Chuk-sin-doo!”
Rooooar!
His shout became a lion’s roar that shook the air.
“Death Realm of the Martial Apex Venerable! I am Moonlit Reveller, Chuk-sin-doo!”
Before the crowd could react, Chuk-sin-doo hurled the Madorido behind him. At the same time, he kicked off the air, caught the Madorido against his chest, and linked it into a splendid kick. The Madorido flew through the city gate as before, then stopped above the crowd’s heads.
“Hoooh!”
An even louder celebratory cry erupted.
“Waaaaah!”
The crowd cheered at his sharp half-turn in the air and the disciplined pose he struck with both arms stretched wide. Only then did Chuk-sin-doo return to his former position, looking satisfied.
“That’s more like it. Hearing that finally clears my head.”
He nodded along to the continuing cheers, then looked at Yuri.
“So, you are something like the disciple of this Fist Wolf fellow?”
“Yes...”
“A disciple is a disciple. What is this ‘something like’ nonsense?”
“I have only received some light instruction.”
“Really? You look fairly well trained. So why are you here?”
“I came to watch the duel. Do you truly not know Fist Wolf Bakerd?”
“No, I remember now.”
Chuk-sin-doo made a strange expression. He was a transmigrator.
Although he had lived in this world for decades, for Yuri, or rather Lee Su-hyeok, Chuk-sin-doo was the person he had often talked with in the community just a few years ago.
‘Does Chuk-sin-doo still remember FS, who kept slaughtering Bakerd of the Sairan Guard to learn Raspion Swordsmanship?’
“Right. Fist Wolf’s name was Bakerd...”
After murmuring quietly, Chuk-sin-doo nodded.
“If my memory is right, Fist Wolf is a sixth-tier unarmed fighter. Correct?”
He tucked the returning Madorido beneath his arm and scoffed.
“So you came to watch your master-ish fellow get beaten senseless by me?”
“...”
“Masters like me do not duel carelessly. Especially not against someone weaker than me. Winning would be as easy as my brother scoring a goal. What could I gain from something so easy?”
“You have... a brother?”
Yuri asked while desperately keeping his expression under control. Chuk-sin-doo nodded with a solemn expression.
“He is not in this world, and we are not related by blood, but there is someone I sincerely regard as my elder brother.”
“I see...”
“Are you curious what kind of person my brother is?”
‘What am I supposed to say?’
“...Anyone whom Moonlit Reveller, Chuk-sin-doo, reveres as an elder brother must be extraordinary.”
“Hahaha!”
Chuk-sin-doo burst into laughter.
“Of course he is. What is your name?”
“Yuri.”
“Yuri. Go tell that master-ish Fist Wolf of yours this. Beating him would be easy, and his defeat is inevitable, so why should I duel him? I do not have the nasty hobby of trampling the weak, so tell him not to trouble me any further...”
“That cannot be allowed.”
A voice suddenly rang out behind them.
Bakerd leapt over the crowd and landed beside Yuri on the wall.
“Moonlit Reveller. I came to this city to duel you.”
Bakerd did not spare Yuri, Orca, or Harabel even a glance. His gaze was fixed squarely on Chuk-sin-doo.
“A year ago, you promised to duel me in this city.”
“Now that I see your face, I remember it vividly.”
Chuk-sin-doo looked down at Bakerd without losing his smile.
“Fist Wolf. I think I said the same thing back then, did I not?”
“This duel is for me, not for you.”
“Hahaha! What a selfish thing to say. Do you wish to grasp a thread of enlightenment by duelling me?”
Chuk-sin-doo’s smile changed slightly.
He was not merely an attention-seeker obsessed with a cultivated persona. He might have received the advantages of being a transmigrator, but the tier he had attained was real. A Martial Apex Venerable. A seventh-tier martial artist. A profound gleam befitting a martial artist of such a high tier flashed in Chuk-sin-doo’s eyes.
“I will guarantee you one thing, Fist Wolf. The insight gained from duelling an overwhelmingly stronger opponent mostly concerns your own powerlessness and despair.”
“...”
“Of course, a very small number of martial artists add desperation to that and break through the wall. Fist Wolf, are you one of those few?”
“I do not know.”
“Are you standing before the wall of the seventh tier? Talent, determination, perseverance, effort, ferocity, brushes with death... There are countless things needed to attain enlightenment. And you do not need to duel me to gain them. Take this as sincere advice.”
Chuk-sin-doo lightly tapped the Madorido tucked beneath his arm.
“My respected brother once said this. I still want to learn, and I will continue learning throughout my life. But Fist Wolf, it does not seem that you can teach me anything.”
“Did this elder brother of yours also say that it is acceptable to treat promises lightly?”
The instant Yuri heard those words, he bit his tongue.
“Moonlit Reveller, I know that you are not refusing this duel because you fear me. But you made a promise, and now you are trying to smooth it over? What sort of conduct is this?”
“...”
“Answer me, Moonlit Reveller. Is the elder brother you respect someone who takes promises lightly?”
“No.”
Chuk-sin-doo’s smile vanished.
“My brother does not break his promises.”
The duel between Moonlit Reveller and Fist Wolf was decided.
* * *
Outside Rutlan’s eastern gate, Moonlit Reveller and Fist Wolf stood facing each other. The gathered crowd lined the city wall to watch the duel, but Yuri stood close enough to call his place a prime seat. He was something like Fist Wolf’s disciple, and Orca and Chuk-sin-doo had allowed him to watch from nearby.
“What is going on all of a sudden?”
Elena had arrived late, and her confusion was plain. Orca personally bringing Yuri here shocked her far more than Moonlit Reveller arriving today and duelling Fist Wolf.
“To be able to witness the martial prowess of a Martial Apex Venerable from such a fine seat. Thanks to Yuri-nim, the 3.5-billion man, I am sharing in this good fortune.”
Haryeong raised a finger as she enjoyed their prime view.
“And the referee is Azure Sky Sword Lord, Namgung Ju-won? As expected of a Martial Apex Venerable. He has made the head of the Namgung Family serve as referee.”
The head of the Namgung Family had arrived late and been selected by Moonlit Reveller as the referee for the duel. Aside from Moonlit Reveller, Chuk-sin-doo, Namgung Ju-won was the most distinguished martial artist present.
“Namgung Ju-won does not look particularly displeased.”
“Of course not. The Azure Sky Sword Lord has been blocked by the wall of the seventh tier for a long time. Among the Five Great Families of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance, only two martial artists have crossed that wall and reached the seventh tier.”
The two were the Righteous Heavenly Alliance Leader, Swordless Crane Moyong Hyeon-rak, and The Silver Empress of War, Yeonri Sangah.
The Namgung, Zhuge, and Hwangbo Families had yet to produce a seventh-tier martial artist.
“Though not participating personally, one can sometimes gain martial insight from an observer’s perspective. The Azure Sky Sword Lord likely feels fortunate right now. As do I.”
“What tier are you, Haryeong-nim?”
“Do you know the most important thing for an assassin?”
“Secrets?”
“Yes. The more secrets an assassin has, the better the assassin.”
In other words, Haryeong had no intention of telling him.
“What did you talk about with the Tower Master?”
Elena leaned close and whispered. Orca was speaking with someone from the Ascard Family who had arrived late.
“Orca asked whether I was learning martial arts well.”
“Liar. There is no reason to call you over and ask only that. It was about me, right?”
“Yes.”
“Why tell a lie that obvious? So what did Orca say?”
“Orca said it would not be good for either of us if I kept staying at your mansion.”
Elena’s eyes trembled. She glared briefly in Orca’s direction, then clutched the hem of her robe and muttered.
“Why would Orca call you over just to say that?”
“Orca must be worried about an adopted daughter.”
“Ha! Adopted daughter? You heard about that too?”
Elena let out a startled sound, then quickly lowered her voice.
“That is only on paper. The Tower Master and I are not like that.”
“I heard that too.”
“Anyway... I’ll speak to the Tower Master about it again. I’ve thought everything through, so you don’t need to worry, Yuri.”
“There’s no need.”
Yuri had already made up his mind. Orca had even given him a secret manual called the Art of the Violet Lightning Flash. Ignoring Orca’s advice and continuing to stay at Elena’s mansion would be awkward.
“There’s... no need? What does that mean?”
“I can’t keep relying on you forever.”
“I-it hasn’t even been that long. It’s only been a little over a month...!”
“Let’s talk later.”
It would be difficult enough to persuade Elena, and there was something more important to focus on right now.
‘Sigh.’
But Elena’s expression beside him looked deeply troubled. Her blue eyes shook like waves in a storm, and even her slightly parted lips trembled.
‘There’s... no need?’
Those words echoed in Elena’s mind.
“...?”
Elena felt a tickle on the back of her hand. Wondering what it was, she looked down and found Yuri’s fingers gently stroking it.
“What are you doing?”
Elena gave a hollow laugh and lightly shoved Yuri with her elbow. Yuri’s expression remained calm. He glanced at Elena before looking ahead again.
“What an idiot.”
The echo no longer lingered in Elena’s mind. She chuckled softly and turned her gaze in the direction Yuri was watching.
Bakerd, who had been sitting cross-legged in meditation, was rising to his feet.
“It is fine if you need more time.”
“No, this is enough.”
He had meditated for around ten minutes. It was not long, but any more would have been meaningless. His tingling skin made him keenly aware of that fact. No, he had known it even before sensing such signs.
This was an opponent he could not defeat. No matter how much he calmed his mind through meditation and contemplated all the martial arts he had learned, his defeat was already predetermined.
He had not realized that today. He had known it from the moment he first saw Moonlit Reveller a year ago. Bakerd took a deep breath and assumed the opening stance of his fist technique.
“I am Bakerd. I am known by the title Fist Wolf.”
The Madorido tucked beneath Chuk-sin-doo’s arm fell downward. Chuk-sin-doo caught and steadied it on the top of his foot. He stood on one leg in an unstable pose, yet there was not the slightest disorder or opening in his stance.
“Death Realm of the Martial Apex Venerable. Moonlit Reveller, Chuk-sin-doo.”
It was a quiet declaration, but Chuk-sin-doo’s voice resounded heavily in everyone’s ears.
Chuk-sin-doo spread his left hand wide. Bakerd frowned at the sight of the five fingers.
“Five moves?”
“No.”
Chuk-sin-doo shook his head.
“My roots are not in martial arts fiction, so I dislike vague things like five moves or ten moves.”
“Then what do those fingers mean?”
“Five minutes.”
Chuk-sin-doo answered with an indifferent expression. He lowered his hand and grabbed his jacket.
“If you are still standing after five minutes, I will count it as my defeat.”
“...Very well.”
Bakerd nodded.
“But if you think I might die before the five minutes are up, do not stop your attack for that reason.”
“This is not a fight to the death.”
“Five minutes. I will endure it.”
“How arrogant.”
Chuk-sin-doo clicked his tongue, unfastened his jacket, and took it off. No, it looked less as though he had removed it and more as though he had flung it aside.
Flap!
The jacket flew through the air, fluttering loudly like a cape.
‘Shit.’
Yuri could not let his guard down for even a moment. He bit his tongue desperately to keep from laughing.
The white short-sleeved shirt Chuk-sin-doo wore beneath it was not an ordinary T-shirt.
‘Where did he get that?’
There was no way football uniforms were sold in this world, so Chuk-sin-doo must have ordered it himself. Yuri tried hard to ignore the number 7 emblazoned across Chuk-sin-doo’s back.
“What is that number?”
“I do not know its precise meaning, but it is a number that symbolizes Chuk-sin-doo.”
“And the writing above it? Is that his name?”
“Perhaps it is his real name from before he transmigrated.”
“Was his real name not Chuk-sin-doo?”
The sounds Yuri heard were just as painful as what he saw. Yuri felt the urge to cover his ears at Elena and Haryeong’s conversation right beside him.
“I’ll hold back appropriately.”
“It is an honour to experience the famed Full Moon Killing Art.”
Namgung Ju-won, standing as referee, looked back and forth between Chuk-sin-doo and Bakerd.
“It does not seem I will have any room to intervene. Is a referee truly necessary?”
“Just count the five minutes accurately.”
Thump.
The Madorido bounced up from Chuk-sin-doo’s foot.
Rumble!
White force aura covered the Madorido.
The moment he saw it, Bakerd lunged forward. Moonlit Reveller’s martial arts were extremely famous. He coated the Madorido, made from orichalcum with excellent mana conductivity, in force aura and kicked it with his foot. That was Moonlit Reveller’s style of combat.
And Moonlit Reveller’s signature technique, the Full Moon Killing Kick, did not simply involve kicking a metal sphere coated in force aura. It manipulated the force aura itself with exquisite precision, creating countless variations.
‘I cannot give him distance.’
That was Bakerd’s judgment. Kicking the Madorido to drive a heavy blow into a distant enemy was Moonlit Reveller’s favored tactic.
Bakerd was an unarmed fighter. He was not particularly skilled at facing distant opponents, nor did he enjoy it.
‘If I can just get close, maybe...’
The instant the thought formed, Bakerd realized how crude and arrogant his plan was. The distance between them had not been great to begin with, only a few dozen paces. Yet before Bakerd could cross even half of it, the Madorido wreathed in white force aura left Chuk-sin-doo’s foot.
The sphere reached Bakerd in an instant. Rather than seeming to have been kicked toward him, it felt as though it had been there before his eyes from the very beginning.
‘My fist...’
He must not throw a punch. The experience and instincts of a martial artist accumulated over decades warned him against it. Bakerd opened both hands wide and received the force-aura sphere.
Crack.
The moment he heard the sound of his bones breaking, Bakerd’s body flew backward.
“Hoooh!”
A cheerful voice reached him through his fading consciousness.
Footnotes:
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