WeTried Translations
Translator: Joy
Editor: Joy
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Damned Transmigration ◈
Chapter 73: Plump
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Thankfully, the sky was clear on the day of the promised duel.
The Sword Dragon woke early that morning. In high spirits, he checked the weather outside the window and broke into a broad grin.
Even if the sky had been overcast or it had rained, he would not have postponed the duel.
For the entire month Thunder Cloud had stayed with the Orsia Family, the Sword Dragon had counted down the days in his heart as he waited for this day. He had waited for it so eagerly. There was no way he would delay the duel.
If it rained, they could simply fight in the rain. If Thunder Cloud did not want that, the Sword Dragon would have grabbed Jeydolph Selvis, the Wind Calamity and master of the Selvis Mage Tower, and begged him to clear the sky somehow.
“What a wonderful day.”
Not bothering to suppress his ever-widening grin, the Sword Dragon sat on the floor and crossed his legs.
The moment he entered meditation, his smile vanished. His mind filled with the image he had imagined dozens, hundreds of times over the past month.
He used Thunder Cloud’s movements from the battle against the Withered Crone underground as a base. Then he added the internal energy and physical abilities enhanced by the Elixir. He added Thunder Cloud’s training, which he had been permitted to observe at the mansion’s training ground, and imagined the duel.
The process differed every time, but the result was always the same. Thunder Cloud won, and the Sword Dragon lost.
He could win if he forced it. But victories achieved that way involved too many contrivances to serve as useful references.
For example, Thunder Cloud might eat something bad the day before and suffer from an upset stomach...
Or the duel might turn into a fight to the death.
In those cases, the outcome changed. He would win roughly three out of ten fights to the death.
‘Will it be one now?’
His better odds came in a fight to the death. Only if he used the Light Sword from the very beginning and pressured Thunder Cloud did he have a thirty percent chance of victory. But after watching Thunder Cloud spar with the Fist King two days ago, that thirty percent had vanished, dropping to ten percent.
It was a happy thought.
He imagined a fight to the death, and the image ended with Thunder Cloud’s fist blowing his head apart. The Sword Dragon opened his eyes, his entire body trembling with exhilaration.
“A chance like this is rare.”
The intense image had drenched his entire body in sweat. The Sword Dragon rose on trembling legs and grinned.
“Reality will be different from imagination. That will make it even more fun.”
He had lived a life where being hailed as a genius was only natural. From childhood, he had learned the sword from the Sword Emperor, the man who stood opposite the Heavenly Demon. He had consumed dozens of spiritual medicines that some people could not obtain even once in their lives, and he had drunk an Elixir as well.
He knew there were many strong people in the world. But the Sword Dragon never doubted that he would one day become as strong as them, or stronger.
He naturally accepted that he was weaker than the Martial Supremes who currently ruled the world. After all, there was a gap of several decades between them.
But there was no such gap between him and Thunder Cloud. If anything, the Sword Dragon held an overwhelming advantage in terms of time and environment. That was why this duel and defeat held such great value for him.
A frog that had spent its entire life as a genius in the well of Panteleon would finally learn about the real world and be shattered. It was a precious experience that could not be bought with money.
After washing and dressing, he knocked on the door to the family head’s office. There were guests inside.
The Fist King, who had suddenly arrived two days ago.
And Jeydolph Selvis, the Wind Calamity. The Wind Calamity held a cream-topped dessert in his thick fingers and beamed at the Sword Dragon.
“Ah, young Estor. Are you well?”
“I’m always well.”
The Sword Dragon bowed as he greeted him.
“Master of the Selvis Mage Tower, you look even more imposing than when I last saw you.”
“Ha ha! Imposing, my ass. I’ve just gotten fat.”
Jeydolph laughed as he patted his thick belly with his other hand.
“Have you also come to observe my duel, Master of the Selvis Mage Tower?”
Jeydolph nodded as he chewed the dessert he had popped into his wide-open mouth.
“To be honest, I have little interest in either Thunder Cloud or Dark Blossom. Ahem, Heavenly Thunder sent me a personal request.”
“Heavenly Thunder? Of the Dersia Mage Tower?”
“Mm, that’s right. Orca Dersia. When was it? Long ago. Mm, yes. I formed a connection with Heavenly Thunder when we erected a barrier at the Uzra Rift.”
Mage tower masters were not all on good terms simply because they were mage tower masters. Mage towers were broadly grouped together, but they pursued different forms of magic, so most operated independently.
The Rudella Mage Tower was disparagingly called a corpse lover by other mage towers. The Habert Mage Tower and Reper Tower had an old feud, while in Oxibel, the Lucionell Mage Tower and Casward Tower fought and killed each other as though they were mortal enemies. Many other mage towers were entangled through interests and grudges.
Unlike those mage towers, the Dersia Mage Tower and Selvis Mage Tower were peaceful towers that maintained amicable relations with the others. In particular, Jeydolph, who had inherited the Selvis surname twenty years ago, had firmly stood with the moderates in accordance with the previous tower master’s wishes.
“Heavenly Thunder contacted me and asked me to take a look at Thunder Cloud.”
“Heavenly Thunder is an unpleasant woman,” the Sword Emperor muttered.
He shot Jeydolph a displeased glare.
“But why does Heavenly Thunder know about the duel?”
“Ahem...”
“Jeydolph, I asked you beforehand to prepare a barrier in case something happened during the duel. I never thought your mouth would be so loose.”
“F-Family Head, it wasn’t exactly something that needed to be kept secret, was it?”
“That may be true, but I find it unpleasant that you passed it along as you pleased.”
“Our tower suffered greatly while capturing and killing those heretics in Foul Village... Since the Sword Emperor did not step in personally, I had to drag this big body of mine there...”
“What reason would you or I have to personally go after a few rats? And you look like you need to move that body of yours a little more.”
Sweat trickled down Jeydolph’s forehead after the rebuke.
“My apologies. If that is what you wish, Family Head, I will, ah, make sure Heavenly Thunder does not hear about today’s duel...”
“Then your position would become difficult. Forget it. As you said, it is not something that needs to be kept secret.”
The Sword Emperor answered, then glanced at his grandson.
“Or would it be better to keep it secret?”
“Why are you asking me?”
“You have a rough idea of how the duel will end, don’t you? I do as well. Unless you gain some tremendous insight during the duel, it will be difficult for you to defeat that boy, Thunder Cloud.”
“I’m not so pathetic that I would care about appearances enough to hide a defeat.”
The Sword Dragon answered proudly, puffing out his chest.
“You may even issue a statement like last time. Thunder Cloud breaks the Sword Dragon’s sword!”
“What are you bragging about? You may not care about appearances, but the Orsia Family must. We are the pride of the Cartel.”
The Sword Emperor grumbled, then turned his eyes to Jeydolph.
“So why is Heavenly Thunder interested in Thunder Cloud?”
“You know, Family Head. Before Thunder Cloud became a wanderer, he was particularly close with Heavenly Thunder’s disciple, Gwang... Ahem, Marigold.”
“She must be fond of her disciple, for Heavenly Thunder to concern herself this way.”
“Oh, she has every reason to be fond of her. In terms of talent alone, she is likely Estor’s equal.”
Jeydolph hurriedly changed the subject.
“The Dersia Mage Tower has a promising younger generation. Not only Marigold, her disciple, but there is another outstanding child. Ahem, though she is no longer at an age where she can be called a child.”
“Lacey Yuzha?”
“Yes, yes. I naturally thought she would become Heavenly Thunder’s disciple, but...”
“So? She asked you to bring back news of Thunder Cloud for her disciple’s sake?”
“Cough... That is not all. Heavenly Thunder herself is interested in Thunder Cloud. Two years ago, she gave him a lightning-aspected martial art. She is curious whether he is using it well.”
The Fist King burst into snickering laughter at that answer.
“I see. The Fist Wolf never learned that sort of martial art, so I wondered why that brat’s alias was Thunder Cloud. It seems he received a martial art from Heavenly Thunder as well.”
“If you have talent, people are bound to favor you. Even I gave Thunder Cloud an Elixir.”
“Elix...!”
Jeydolph, who had been swallowing dessert, was so startled that he clutched his throat. He barely managed to swallow the lodged dessert and catch his breath.
“An Elix... an Elixir! You gave him something so precious?”
“Why? Are you jealous?”
“How could I not be? I have never even seen one in my life!”
“Try asking Heavenly Thunder for one.”
Even if he asked, there was no way he would receive one. Their relationship may have been friendly, but Heavenly Thunder was a difficult person for Jeydolph, who was practically the youngest among the various mage tower masters.
Jeydolph stared blankly at the ceiling, then let out a hollow laugh.
“An Elixir... An Elixir!”
The Ascard Family maintained connections in many places, but those connections did not extend to the Selvis Mage Tower. Jeydolph secretly found that disappointing.
“Family Head, I ask out of pure curiosity, but was the Elixir you gave Thunder Cloud the latest model?”
“Yes. Alfreon made it himself.”
“Uuuugh...”
It was not one of the older Elixirs stockpiled by the Ascard Family, but a new Elixir made by the genius alchemist Alfreon Ascard.
As far as Jeydolph knew, only powerful collaborators such as Heavenly Thunder and the Orsia Family had received the new Elixir as a gift. Even if Jeydolph and the Selvis Mage Tower formed ties with the Ascard Family now, the best Elixir they could receive would be an older model. Yet Thunder Cloud, who had only just gained fame, had received a new Elixir...
“So, how is your condition?”
Ignoring Jeydolph’s pained groans, the Sword Emperor looked at the Sword Dragon. The Sword Dragon was massaging his joints and muscles when he grinned in response.
“I slept well. I’m perfect.”
“You will have no excuse if you lose.”
“Yes. If I lose today, it will be entirely because I am weaker than Thunder Cloud.”
“What a thing to be proud of, you brat.”
The Sword Emperor clicked his tongue, but his expression was not bad.
His grandson had grown without setbacks. But no matter how great a genius someone was, they would eventually encounter a wall. It might be a wall raised psychologically, one concerning achievement in martial arts, or one created by another person.
Encountering a wall and falling once at a time like this was a necessary experience. The Sword Emperor had once despaired before the Heavenly Demon of the Demonic Cult. It was from his immature days, when he had been trapped by his awareness of his own genius and the stubborn pride that came with it.
Because he was unaccustomed to defeat and despair, the despair he felt then had been painfully terrible. How many years had he wasted because of it? The Sword Emperor did not want his beloved grandson to follow the same path.
Fortunately, his grandson was so positive that it could be a fault. He could be arrogant, but he also possessed the humility to acknowledge someone stronger than himself.
Best of all, Thunder Cloud was not an enemy. In fact, his grandson seemed to like Thunder Cloud very much. Beyond learning something through defeat, the two might even grow closer.
That would be a good thing for the Sword Emperor and the Orsia Family. Thunder Cloud already fully deserved to be called a dragon, and he even had the potential to one day be exalted as a Martial Supreme. There was no reason to make an enemy of him.
“Then I will go prepare.”
He had come to pay his respects. Since he had greeted them, the Sword Dragon bowed and left the room.
An invisible barrier stood in the still-empty training ground. It was a safety measure in case the duel grew intense. The Sword Dragon grinned, sat down heavily outside the barrier, and closed his eyes.
After suffering several defeats in meditation, he opened his eyes and looked to the side. At some point, Thunder Cloud had arrived and sat a short distance away, while Dark Blossom stood behind him.
“Even if this is your own courtyard, aren’t you being too defenseless?”
“So you stood guard for me?”
“I meditated too. Haryeong-nim stood guard.”
Haryeong, who had been standing with her hands behind her back, brought one hand forward. The Sword Dragon saw the V sign aimed at him and chuckled.
“How is your condition?”
“Good.”
“That’s a relief.”
It was time. The Sword Emperor, the Fist King, and the Wind Calamity emerged into the training ground. Hundreds of Orsia knights and family workers also surrounded it.
“Does having so many spectators make you uncomfortable?”
“Not really.”
As the two rose to their feet, the Wind Calamity stepped forward and waved his wand. The transparent barrier opened wide.
“Wouldn’t it be more fun to have a light wager instead of merely dueling?”
It was the Sword Dragon who spoke. He drew the sword in his hand from its scabbard and grinned.
“The loser grants the winner one request, as long as they are capable of fulfilling it. What do you think?”
“Isn’t that disadvantageous for you?”
Yuri had no weapon to draw. Instead, he shook out his wrists and ankles as he answered.
“You’re the young master of the Orsia Family, and I’m someone with no social backing. Even if you win, there aren’t many requests you could make of me.”
“I don’t mind.”
The Sword Dragon answered with a smile.
“You may have no social backing now, but that won’t always be the case.”
“So even if you win, you won’t make your request immediately?”
“You don’t have to either. If you win, don’t make your request right away. Save it until ten years from now, until I become the head of the Orsia Family.”
“Shouldn’t you get the Sword Emperor’s permission first?”
“He’s not the one dueling in my place, so why would I need his permission?”
Naturally, the Sword Emperor heard that answer as well. He had nothing to snap back with, so he merely swallowed a deep sigh.
Yuri did not answer immediately. He thought it over.
He would have to fight to know for certain, but by Yuri’s estimate, he had a seventy percent chance of winning. That was his estimate without using Sacred Flame Release. If he used Sacred Flame Release, which aimed for a single killing blow, Yuri believed he could win without fail.
But he could not use Sacred Flame Release. Its power was difficult to control. It was a technique he could not use against the Sword Dragon, whom he absolutely could not kill. And martial artists like the Sword Emperor and the Fist King had a considerable chance of recognizing Sacred Flame Release.
‘A request...’
As Yuri had pointed out first, that condition put the Sword Dragon at a severe disadvantage. But the Sword Dragon had been the one to suggest it.
‘If the Sect of War finds out I’m a transmigrator and hunts me down someday... could I ask the Sword Dragon for help?’
He did not know whether the Sword Dragon would remain favorable after learning that Yuri was a transmigrator. But the Sword Dragon Yuri had observed over the past month was not the sort of person to dismiss a prior promise because of personal feelings.
“Alright.”
The Sword Dragon smiled at Yuri’s answer.
“Then, shall we begin?”
The duel would end when one side declared defeat or could no longer fight. Neither was an inexperienced martial artist, so the ideal outcome would be for the victor to pull back before things grew too heated and obtain the other’s concession.
Fwoosh!
Golden light wrapped around the Sword Dragon’s extended blade.
‘Could that be the Light Sword?’
It was too extreme to use in a duel. Its power was one thing, but the Light Sword took too long to form. As Yuri had confirmed underground, it took the Sword Dragon three minutes to form the Light Sword at his current level.
Naturally, there was no reason to wait for that. If the Sword Dragon tried to prepare the Light Sword from the beginning, it would be a terrible misstep. Yuri was confident he could kill the defenseless Sword Dragon a hundred times before it formed.
‘No, it isn’t the Light Sword.’
Yuri quickly moved forward.
Could it be called a simplified Light Sword? Golden sword aura that did not overflow was fixed to the Sword Dragon’s blade.
‘So this is what he completed after training with the Sword Emperor for a month.’
The cohesion of the internal energy could not be compared to ordinary aura. If Yuri clashed with it recklessly, his own aura would be destroyed.
That would be true of ordinary aura. Yuri’s Heavenly Art of Annihilating Evil did not fall into that category. The flames of the Heavenly Art of Annihilating Evil burned everything they touched as fuel.
The Sword Dragon could not possibly be unaware of that.
‘I see, he wants to test it.’
Yuri wanted to test it too.
Could the simplified Light Sword resist the flames of the Heavenly Art of Annihilating Evil?
Crackle!
Lightning energy coursed through Yuri’s foot as he pushed off the ground.
‘I’m curious, but throwing a fist at sword aura would be madness.’
The foundation of a martial artist’s fighting style was to evade the enemy’s weapon, close in, and strike the body. Sticking out a hand toward a blade simply because one had something to rely on was foolish.
Simply put, if a fist were stronger than a sword when both wielded the same level of aura, there would be no reason to learn the sword. Breaking a blade with bare fists was a strongman’s trick used only against a far weaker opponent.
The Sword Dragon was absolutely not that kind of opponent.
Footnotes:
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