WeTried Translations
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Editor: Abstract
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 59: Ki-Restraining Bracelets (2)
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Ki-Restraining Bracelets (2)
Barely half a period earlier. The corridor of one of the academy buildings. A man standing in the shadows beside a window spoke.
[What does Master Yang think about the new cadet possessing an artifact?] [By artifact, you mean an object with some strange power?] [Exactly as you understand it.] [......Just who is supposed to have such an artifact?] [You've probably heard already, Master Yang. That a cadet who never trained in Martial Arts at all passed the entrance examination.]
How could he not know? Every master at the academy had been stunned by this fact. Passed the entrance examination on raw muscle alone, or so it was said. And most of the examiners who'd overseen that test had showered praise on that cadet named "Mumu," so if anything, people were now looking forward to just how outstanding his talent might turn out to be. And now all of that wasn't even true?
[Then are you saying this cadet took the entrance examination using the power of an artifact?] [That much we still don't know for certain. But if a cadet at the great Changcheon Martial Academy, the academy responsible for the future of the force of justice, passes the entrance examination through an artifact's power and uses it to earn high marks, who can say what kind of trouble that might cause down the road.]
At these words, Yang Baek-jeon couldn't hold back his anger. If this were true, it was something he could never allow to stand.
[I'll go verify it myself right now.] [And once you've verified it, what then?] [If it turns out he's relying on an artifact's power, then confiscation, expulsion, whatever it takes, has to happen.]
If it wasn't talent but the power of an artifact, then that was only right. The man cloaked in shadow gave Yang Baek-jeon a careful warning.
[Then be careful, Master Yang.] [Careful?] [From what I heard from Elder Hang, manager of the Changcheon Martial Archive, the power of that artifact is no ordinary thing. The boy might react violently, intoxicated by its power.]
If anything, this only pricked at Yang Baek-jeon's pride and stubbornness.
[If he comes at me like that, I'll show him even less mercy.]
He'd made up his mind, and hardened his heart to match. But this turned out to be something he never expected. Following that man's warning, he'd expected fierce resistance, and had even brought along his personal blade, the SoYang Sword, just in case. Instead, this kid spoke as if he'd been hoping for exactly this.
"You said you'd take them off for me? Please, please take these off."
'!?'
At Mumu's reaction, Master Yang Baek-jeon's confusion gave way to suspicion.
'What's this kid playing at?'
A natural thought to have. An artifact was as good as a treasure. Even under the pretext of academy rules, he'd been ready to confiscate it by force, and yet the boy was giving it up this easily. However he looked at it, that made no sense.
"What are you playing at?" "Playing at what? If anything, this is exactly what I wanted to ask you for." "You wanted to ask me for this?"
He meant every word of it. From Mumu's perspective, he'd wanted these Ki-Restraining Bracelets off more than anything. Not only did they suppress his strength by force, but the more he turned the adjustment screw, the higher the pain they inflicted on him. Of course he wanted them off—by any means possible.
"Master. Please, take them off."
At Mumu's words, Yang Baek-jeon spoke in a suspicious tone.
"Why ask me to take it off when you could just take it off yourself?" "It won't come off." "......And you expect me to believe that?"
Was it even possible for the owner of an artifact to be unable to remove it himself? Master Yang Baek-jeon said, as if the whole thing were absurd.
"Enough nonsense. Take it off right now." "It really won't come off." "Show me yourself." "You want me to try it myself?" "Yes."
He suspected Mumu might be up to some trick. Maybe the boy meant to ambush him the moment he tried to remove the bracelet. With that in mind, Yang Baek-jeon told him to try it himself. At that, Mumu let out a short breath, then grabbed the Ki-Restraining Bracelet on his left wrist with his own hand and tried to pull it off.
Grip!
"Hup!"
As Mumu strained, Yang Baek-jeon couldn't hold back an inward gasp. He'd already thought the muscle looked considerable when the sleeve was rolled up, but now, as Mumu strained, the veins bulging out and the forearm swelling even further was something else entirely.
'......What incredible muscle.'
If he hadn't known this was the power of the artifact, he might have genuinely admired it. Yang Baek-jeon clicked his tongue inwardly. But something felt off.
'What's this kid doing?'
The forearm was swollen enough from the strain, and yet the bracelet wasn't coming off. Veins stood out across his face from the effort, so why couldn't he pull the thing free?
"Are you messing around right now?"
At his words, Mumu answered as if wronged.
"I'm not." "Not what? Are you acting this out?" "Acting?" "Then why can't you take the bracelet off?"
Yang Baek-jeon was convinced Mumu was performing. That he was only straining his forearm and pretending to try pulling the bracelet off. Mumu let out a sigh and said,
"I've tried so hard to get this off myself, and it really doesn't come off. If you don't believe me, try it yourself, Master." "You want me to try?" "Yes."
Mumu held out both wrists. Seeing this, Yang Baek-jeon frowned.
'This kid......keeps telling me to take the bracelet off. Is he up to something?'
He felt there was some hidden intent behind it. But did the boy think he'd fall for such a clumsy act? Yang Baek-jeon said,
"Kneel down, put both arms behind your back, and cross them at the elbows." "Sir?" "Didn't you hear me. Kneel down and keep your hands from coming together, turned toward your lower back, I said."
Puzzled, Mumu nonetheless did as he was told. Then Yang Baek-jeon fetched a black rope from the wall. This rope, used by the Discipline Bureau, had been made by the Master of Ten Thousand Wisdoms, woven from black iron mixed with some peculiar substance, twisted into strands so tough even a Master-level master would struggle to break it.
"What are you doing?" "Stay still."
Yang Baek-jeon was preparing for any possibility. Not content with binding Mumu's arms tightly to his body with the special rope, he also sealed Mumu's blood pressure points and chi.
Tak-tak-tak-tak!
'Hm. Still no resistance, though.'
Thinking Mumu might try something underhanded, he'd sealed off every possible avenue. This much, he figured, would keep the boy from doing anything no matter how powerful the artifact was. According to that man, Mumu couldn't operate the artifact if his hands were kept apart, unable to come together, so he'd done exactly that.
'Now then, let's take it off.'
Yang Baek-jeon gripped the bracelet on Mumu's right arm. And tried to pull it free. But,
Grip!
'!?'
He strained, but the bracelet wouldn't budge. Suspicious, he glanced at Mumu's wrist, but there was no strain in it at all. Well, of course there couldn't be, bound like this with his blood pressure points and chi sealed.
'What in the world?'
Still straining, Yang Baek-jeon decided this wasn't working and drew up his Force of ki. If brute strength wouldn't do it, he'd pull it off with internal energy if he had to. But,
"Hup!"
Even as he drew up his Force of ki, the bracelet on Mumu's wrist didn't so much as twitch. It clung to the wrist as if fused there, refusing to come loose. He couldn't make sense of this at all.
'Let's see about that.'
Creak!
Yang Baek-jeon gritted his teeth and drove his Ki up to the eighth level in an instant. As someone who just became a Master, pushing his Ki to its limits sent a ripple of life energy through the air, strong enough to make his hair flutter.
Kwaaaaaak!
'What is this?'
Ki of this level could shatter solid rock. The bracelet, however, far from coming off, only clamped down tighter on Mumu's wrist, holding fast. Yang Baek-jeon pushed to the ninth level trying to pull it free, then finally let go of the bracelet and stared at Mumu, dumbfounded.
"Did you do something to this artifact?" "Do something? Like what?" "Then how in the world......"
He couldn't make sense of it at all. At his words, Mumu sighed and said,
"I didn't do anything." "And yet it won't come off?" "Right. I tried with everything I had because I wanted it off too, and it didn't budge. Would I really be asking you to take it off if I had any other choice?"
At Mumu's words, Yang Baek-jeon's eyes narrowed. Judging by the boy's tone and the look in his eyes, this didn't seem like a lie. Then was it really true the artifact wouldn't come off?
"You're saying you truly can't remove it by your own strength?" "That's exactly why I'm tied up like this."
'No... this kid supposedly used the artifact's power freely to pass the entrance examination, so why can't he release it by his own will?'
None of it made sense. But judging by his reactions, it really did seem like he couldn't take the bracelet off through his own strength. Yang Baek-jeon stared at Mumu for a long moment, then said,
"You said with your own mouth that you wanted this artifact off, didn't you?" "Yes. Please take it off."
At that, Yang Baek-jeon picked up the sheath he'd propped against the chair. And drew his personal blade, the SoYang Sword, from its sheath.
Shing!
Mumu frowned at the sight and asked,
"What are you doing?" "If it's really true you want the artifact off like you said, then it shouldn't matter if I cut it apart, should it?"
Yang Baek-jeon decided to test Mumu once, directly. If the boy was truly desperate to have it off, he wouldn't show much objection even if the artifact got destroyed. But if he protested at the idea of the artifact being destroyed, then his true feelings ran the opposite way. That would expose him as lying. Just then, Mumu, who'd been frowning, seemed to reach some decision and said,
"Um......then go ahead and cut it off." "What?"
Cut the artifact off? Even so, an artifact was supposed to be a precious thing, and it was strange that he'd agree so readily to have it cut apart. Mumu, smacking his lips, said to him,
"I'd like to keep it in one piece if I can, but it's still better than wearing it for the rest of my life, so just cut it off."
To Mumu, the Ki-Restraining Bracelets were a kind of clue. They might be connected to his real parents somehow, so he wanted to keep them intact. But his desire to get them off outweighed that by far.
'......Does this kid really want this bracelet off?'
Given everything he'd heard, Yang Baek-jeon had held onto nothing but suspicion until now, but he suddenly felt a flicker of doubt. Even under suspicion, it was hard to casually agree to cutting apart something as precious as what might as well be called a treasure.
'Strange. Is it really true this boy abused the thing?'
Something didn't match what he'd heard from that man. If the boy were really so cunning and rotten as to depend on an artifact like that, shouldn't he be desperate to protect it? And yet, even though he said it was a shame, he showed no real hesitation.
'Could there be some misunderstanding here?'
He couldn't tell what was true anymore. But the surest way to find out was still to remove the artifact from Mumu's body. If it came off, he could confirm once and for all whether Mumu had truly depended on it. With that, Yang Baek-jeon raised his sword and asked again.
"You're really certain I can cut it?" "Yes." "Fine. Since you asked for it yourself, don't go blaming this master if the artifact gets destroyed." "Right. Just don't cut into my wrist while you're at it." "What do you take this master, the one responsible for teaching sword art at this academy, for?"
Whoom!
A white light shimmered like heat haze along Yang Baek-jeon's SoYang Sword. This phenomenon, ki given form, was the manifestation of a ki sword. With a ki sword layered onto the SoYang Sword, already ranked among famous blades, its edge could cut through black iron and diamond alike.
'One Sword, Two Halves!'
The most honest strike carries the greatest power. Yang Baek-jeon took careful aim and swung his blade straight at Mumu's Ki-Restraining Bracelet.
Swish!
The blade cutting through the air looked ready to slice through anything. But,
Chang!
'Huh?'
The instant the blade touched the artifact, something unbelievable happened. The edge of the SoYang Sword, wrapped in a ki sword, bounced upward on contact.
'The SoYang Sword, carrying ki, just got deflected?'
What kind of hardness was this, defying all sense? Even more provoked now, Yang Baek-jeon gritted his teeth and swung his ki-wrapped blade at the bracelet again and again.
Chang-chang-chang-chang-chang-chang-chang!
The blade clashed madly against the bracelet, sparks flying with every strike. It stayed a hair's breadth from Mumu's wrist the whole time, a genuinely dangerous business. After striking down with his sword for a long while, Yang Baek-jeon finally stopped.
"Hah... hah..."
Yang Baek-jeon stared at the bracelet, at a loss for words. He'd gone all out to cut it apart, and yet there wasn't even a scratch on it. Just what kind of artifact was this?
'No... why won't it cut? Even for an artifact, this is too much.'
Thunk!
Overwhelmed by bewilderment and frustration, Yang Baek-jeon drove his sword into the ground and took the unmarked Ki-Restraining Bracelet in both hands, examining it closely.
'What in the world is this made of, that it won't come off and won't cut either......'
That was when Yang Baek-jeon's eye caught the adjustment screw on the Ki-Restraining Bracelet. It had the character for eight carved into it, and something about it seemed to hold a secret. Come to think of it, that man had told him this fact, him, Yang Baek-jeon, the one overseeing the first-year Discipline Bureau, that Mumu manipulated the artifact by adjusting something on the bracelet.
'Maybe......'
This might be the way to remove the bracelet. Studying it closely, Yang Baek-jeon turned the adjustment screw on the Ki-Restraining Bracelet.
Kreeeek!
"Huh? Master......" "Hold on. Turning this might loosen it, mightn't it." "That's not how you release the bracelet......" "Just hold on, I said. We don't know for sure, do we."
Despite Mumu's protest, Yang Baek-jeon kept turning the adjustment screw.
Eight. Seven. Six.
The screw kept turning. Before long, it had turned all the way down to one. With his hands bound behind his back and his blood pressure points and chi sealed, Mumu had no way of knowing how far he'd turned it.
Click!
Having reached one, the adjustment screw stopped, as if catching on some kind of locking mechanism.
'What's this? Feels like it's caught on something.'
At that, Yang Baek-jeon drew up his Force of ki and tried to force it further. It felt like whatever had caught was about to give way.
"Hup!"
He drew up every last bit of Force of ki he had. Then the screw, stuck at one, made a grinding sound unlike anything before, and then,
Kreeeeeek!
From the one, the character for Opening emerged. At that very instant,
Clang!
The Ki-Restraining Bracelet split open and slid free from Mumu's wrist.
"It came off!"
After all that struggle, Yang Baek-jeon's face lit with triumph at finally succeeding in removing the bracelet. Mumu, still bound, asked in a startled voice.
"It really came off?" "See there. I told you this had something to do with removing the bracelet from your wrist. Now I'll untie the rope and release your blood pressure points and chi, and you can......?"
Krrrrk! Shhhhhhh!
Yang Baek-jeon couldn't finish his sentence. It was because of the change happening to Mumu's right arm. Something like steam rose off it as the muscle rippled, flushed red, then darkened completely to black.
'!?'
Startled by the bizarre transformation, Yang Baek-jeon clutched the bracelet and flung himself backward.
Snap-snap! Craaack!
At that very moment, the rope binding Mumu's body tore apart.
'What!?'
Yang Baek-jeon couldn't hide his shock at the sight. Mumu had been bound with his blood pressure points and chi sealed, wrapped in that special rope, so why would it suddenly snap like that? That was when Mumu rose to his feet.
"Y-you... what's happened to your arm?"
Sensing danger in this change in Mumu, Yang Baek-jeon hastily drew the SoYang Sword back up from where he'd driven it into the ground. The muscle of the right arm had compressed into something dense and tightly packed, and turned entirely black besides, an unsettling sight. Mumu looked down at his own right wrist.
'Wow! It really did come off.'
His wrist felt impossibly light. No, his entire right arm felt a sense of liberation unlike anything he'd experienced before. With that enormous weight that had bound him until now finally gone, his right arm alone felt like it might just fly off on its own.
Shudder!
Yang Baek-jeon, on the other hand, felt anything but that. Even though it was only the freeing of one arm, the overwhelming pressure radiating off Mumu left him breathless, his legs trembling. It wasn't quite ki sense being provoked, more like pure instinct. He felt like prey standing before the most savage apex predator at the very top of the food chain.
'Dangerous. Dangerous. Dangerous.'
That was the only thought in his mind. Gripped by a primal fear, Yang Baek-jeon barely managed to part his lips.
"Wh-what... is that arm? You released the artifact, so how......?" "Ah! This arm?"
Mumu unconsciously raised his right arm lightly. At that very instant,
Boom!
'......'
Yang Baek-jeon's body froze in place. What had just happened? What was that short, thunderous sound that had struck his eardrums? Yang Baek-jeon swallowed hard and slowly raised his head.
'!!!!!!'
What his eyes took in was an unbelievable sight. The roof of the three-story Discipline Bureau building had vanished entirely, and the blue sky lay open above. But what was even more shocking,
'W-what in the world......'
was that a hole had been punched clean through the middle of the clouds in the sky.
Footnotes:
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