WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈
Chapter 167: Rain, Mud and Fire (4)
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-Lime! I'll slice off your nose in one stroke!
The noble soldier charged in swiftly.
"Oh?"
But this was quite fascinating.
She wasn't using a single or double sword like a Pure Human. It was the Quadruple Sword Style. Displaying swords in all four directions: up, down, left, and right, she swung them around.
The diversity of attack patterns was something that primates with only two arms would find hard to mimic.
"Interesting."
It was a feat that only the many-tentacled Mountain Snail Tribe could perform.
Despite numerous battles I've encountered, I had never seen this kind of swordsmanship from [such] a race.
'The vertical strikes are feints. A bluff.'
I quickly assessed the enemy's sword movements with my eyes.
'The horizontal strikes are real... The left is the supporting attack, and the right is the true main attack. The sword on the left is a little faster. Okay. If I block the left, she plans to drive in immediately from the opposite side.'
"Hmm."
Guardian Spirit sighed as if deeply moved.
-They say even a dog at a noodle shop can cook ramen after three years. Kim Zombie. Finally, you're starting to make sense.
'I am the Vice-lord of the Demonic Cult, sir.'
-Who are you calling sir?
Anyway... what should I say about this?
'It's a bit strange how simple racial differences lead to variations in swordsmanship.'
-What? Isn't that obvious?
'Yes. But the obviousness only really hits you when you face it head-on. Hmm. This really is martial arts of the demonic unorthodox path. Maybe it could help me refine the Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven...'
-Oh, are you planning to study the snails' swordsmanship now?
'We'll see.'
I skillfully ducked under the feints and used my left and right paws to lightly kick away the Mountain Snail Tribe soldier's swords.
-Lime?!
The noble was shocked, her antennae spread wide.
'Sorry, kid.'
There was no need for a power struggle.
'It's an issue of the engine before skill.'
The Mountain Snail Tribe soldier either didn't know how to use aura, or hadn't learned to extend it to the blades held in her tentacles. The Guardian Spirit had judged me talented specifically at circulating internal energy. The soldier simply couldn't keep up with me.
No matter how superb their horsemanship or how fine the steed they rode, they could never be faster than an airplane flown by a novice pilot.
Moreover, I was no longer at the level to be considered a novice.
-You, evil god! Lime! Grant me strength!
The noble swung her swords more fiercely, but it was futile. She couldn't even cut a single hair of my mane. I enjoyed the rhythm of the fight, kicking away her swords with a thud, thud.
-Kerup?! Keru!
Of course, this was my relaxed commentary.
To Gorke, swords were whizzing by right in front of him.
-Save me! Somebody save this goblin! Kekerkker, save me... Wait, isn't this demon Kekerkker himself?! I'm doomed! Gorke is doomed!
"Tsk, tsk."
He was utterly pathetic.
I had even set up a stage in his dreams and bestowed aura upon him. Even if he was scared of dying, shouldn't he show some spirit? Let's say he was really in danger of dying. Wouldn't I help him out?
-Hey, Zombie.
'Yes?'
-The way you've been treating this goblin called Gorke is really...
'Really? Really what?'
-It reminds me of the way someone taught someone else... And those two someones seem awfully like the two people right here. I'm imagining it, right?
'I don't know what you're talking about. If you're going to spout nonsense, just watch.'
-Yeah... I guess... It's just me feeling sorry for the goblin. I've hardly felt sorry for humans, but here I am, feeling sorry for a goblin.
What nonsense was this ghost talking about?
"Krrung."
I focused on defense, parrying the noble's sword attacks with my claws, never attacking the soldier myself.
The one to defeat this noble is not me.
'That is Gorke's task.'
'It is the goblins' task.'
I patiently waited.
-Ker. Kerr...?
After some time, Gorke seemed to realize that [he was not in immediate danger of dying] and started to relax. He stopped begging and began watching the combat unfolding before him.
-...Gerup...
'Right.'
Facing it head-on.
The first step is to face the challenges that have come upon oneself directly.
'That's it.'
I more aggressively parried the snail noble's sword attacks. Chaang! My claws strongly pushed away the swords.
-Lime?!
Momentarily, the noble's body was wide open.
If I swung my claws just once more, it would be over. The noble would be cut in half without a chance to defend.
But, I didn't.
I just stood there.
-...!
The noble's face turned red. The Mountain Snail Tribe's skin was somewhat transparent. When blood rushed, it was quite noticeable.
The noble soldier swung her swords even more furiously.
-Don't insult me!
No, that's not it.
-Don't humiliate my family! Lime!
If someone must be humiliated here, it's me.
'Gorke was a slave until recently and is now facing nobility. You are a brave soldier fighting against an evil god. Both of you deserve praise.'
As for me?
I'm practically a god in this world, toying with a noble soldier.
For the strong to mock the weak like this violated the teachings of the Demonic Cult and was unbecoming of an adult.
'Sorry.'
But it's necessary.
'I'm responsible for these kids.'
A good parent doesn't mind taking humiliation for their children. A good teacher swallows humiliation for their students. Those who believe in something more honorable than themselves willingly accept disgrace.
And what about a god?
'Now I'm a Constellation looking after an entire race.'
What did it matter if I endured a little insult and disgrace to care for these children? For those who had been imprisoned as slaves, I could readily bear even the humiliation of setting martial arts aside for a while.
'Now, Gorke!'
I cheerfully did something that would earn me abuse.
'And you young goblins! Look! This is the Mountain Snail Tribe you feared. A member of the nobility that ruled over you. How is it?'
Once again, I forcefully pushed away the noble's swords. Chaang! Once again, an opening leading directly to the noble appeared. The same gap as before that Gorke just stared at blankly.
'Are you still not confident enough to confront her one-on-one?'
This time was different.
'If you lack confidence, I'll create it for you.'
As if possessed, Gorke moved his arm.
Red aura blossomed from the young goblin's hand.
Thump!
-Huh?
A moan, origin unknown, leaked out.
The Mountain Snail Tribe noble stared blankly down at her body, while the young goblin stared vacantly at his own hand.
A fist mark.
A red scar on the noble's torso, clearly imprinted like a stamp.
'Nice shot.'
I smiled inwardly.
'That's it.'
The next moment, the noble bent over and vomited.
-Blargh! Blugh, blargh... Wheeeck!
The noble's digestive fluid poured over the head of the hunting dog. Luckily, the Mountain Snail Tribe seemed to consume a lot of soup, so the vomit was free of solids, but the hunting dog didn't seem to appreciate it much.
-Woof! Kiging, woof!
The giant hunting dog, its struggles as immense as its size, shook like a mountain during an earthquake and ran towards the Mountain Snail Tribe's camp, carrying the noble clinging to it.
-Blargh!
Even while being carried away, the noble kept spewing rainbow-colored vomit.
Gorke looked at his fist in disbelief, opening and closing it.
-Gorr...
After her, more challengers came forth.
Not just the nobles, but also the noble’s private soldiers, superior soldiers brimming with confidence, and even the lowly soldiers seeking a quick fortune, a total of eleven Mountain Snail Tribe members challenged me.
But none of them could surpass my claws.
As I said, this was a fight in which keeping up with me had been impossible from the outset.
-......
As the fight dragged on, Gorke spoke less.
-Gorke! Gorke! Gorke!
And as the victories piled up, the Earth Spirit Tribe went wild with excitement.
'How about that.'
I intentionally took breaks between fights, not immediately accepting each challenge. Instead, I leisurely walked in front of the Earth Spirit Tribe.
Gorke, the victorious warrior, was on my back.
'Impressive, right?'
I captivated the eyes of the Earth Spirit Tribe.
'Aren't you envious?'
I tickled the hearts of the Earth Spirit Tribe.
'Don't you also want to become like this?'
I splashed red paint into their minds.
'Blood Fire is not the only beautiful thing in this world. Not just the fragrance of mud. The beauty of victory in battle. Accepting and overcoming challenges. These are as beautiful as fire and as fragrant as mud.'
The Earth Spirit Tribe was clearly intoxicated by the beauty of the duel and the fragrance of victory.
Otherwise, why would their eyes sparkle?
To those who look at the world and sparkle, I wanted to offer nothing but a smile.
'Accept envy as envy. Long for it! Dream. Life only comes alive when it flows somewhere. Envy will whisper to you the direction to flow. Be the water that whispers dreams, not wine that stagnates and rots.'
I felt it when I saw the sword-slave fighting in the Colosseum.
There's a dormant fighting spirit in the Earth Spirit Tribe.
The Earth Spirit Tribe considered their fellow goblin Gyari, who had died in the Colosseum, an oddity. They regarded Gyari as a peculiar child and held a funeral for her. But if Gyari loved the fight, other members of the Earth Spirit Tribe could love the same thing.
"Krruk!"
I kicked away the eleventh challenger's sword.
'The White Lion is by your side.'
Though I was only a superstition, a false Constellation.
I wanted to be remembered in the name of the God of Beauty who had whispered beauty to you.
Probably.
「Could this one be remembered by you as a single flower?」
Certainly.
The Master must have wished for only that.
If one person sharing life with another is a bond of fate, and passing one's will to another is a stroke of fortune, then teaching these children to aspire must be inevitable.
I parried the twelfth challenger's sword.
[The Earth Spirit Tribe awakens to the aesthetics of dueling.]
The Tower whispered in my mind.
[The Earth Spirit Tribe desires the honor of victory.]
[The Earth Spirit Tribe longs for the glory and disgrace of challenge.]
Perhaps the Tower has its own aesthetics and procedures, always sending notifications, but at least in this case, it was unnecessary.
[The Earth Spirit Tribe's trait 'Greed' changes!]
Just by looking at the dumbfounded faces of the Earth Spirit Tribe, I could tell.
[The Earth Spirit Tribe gains a new trait 'Competitive Spirit!']
Letters appeared before my eyes.
+
[Competitive Spirit]
Category: Cultural, Collective Unconscious.
Origin: [Greed (B)]
Description: The Earth Spirit Tribe is greedy. Greed is born not from an inherently base nature, but from deprivation in life. The Earth Spirit Tribe looks ugly in the eyes of every race, so they opened their eyes to the world burdened by deprivation from birth.
'Life is only life when it flows through the world.'
From now on, the Earth Spirit Tribe will not blame the world for this deficiency, but instead, challenge the world.
'If it must flow, let it be a torrent.'
The Earth Spirit Tribe believes they can become strong. They believe they can achieve their desires! The sword is a symbol of belief, dueling is the procedure of belief, and victory is the proof of belief.
'More fiercely!'
The Earth Spirit Tribe will endlessly crave.
For more honorable battles. For more glorious victories.
The Earth Spirit Tribe will continue to seek the symbols of belief, and perhaps this will be an endless tragedy. But what does it matter? The Earth Spirit Tribe will willingly shed tears for this tragedy and applaud the failed heroes.
May dreams accompany the flowing water.
*However, aura users may be treated as a privileged class.
*This trait can change depending on historical developments.
+
Drip.
It was after defeating the thirteenth challenger.
Drops of water fell on my lion's mane.
-Gorr, krrr. Gorr.
At first, I thought it was sweat from Gorke. He had fought 13 consecutive battles for the first time in his life, drenched in sweat. Before reaching his physical limits, he was pushed to the brink of his mental endurance, unable to use aura any longer.
But it wasn't sweat.
It was rain.
-Gorr?
-Kerr?
The Earth Spirit Tribe looked up at the sky in astonishment.
Drip-drop, drip, drop…
Rain fell. Raindrops hit the Earth Spirit Tribe’s beak-like noses, bouncing off. The drops that couldn't bear the weight flowed down as rainwater.
-Rain.
-Kerrkeda...
-Rain.
-It's really water from the sky...
The Earth Spirit Tribe opened their mouths to catch the rain. They looked more ecstatic than when they first saw the Blood Fire in the cave or the sunset after leaving the cave for the first time.
-Gorlup. Gorr, gorr!
-Kerrke! Kerrke!
The Earth Spirit Tribe spread their stubby arms and stamped their feet. Little splashes burst beneath their soles, flinging sticky mud. Some goblins rolled across the ground, coating their bare bodies in rain and mud.
It was too chaotic to be sacred.
Too sacred to be chaotic.
-......
The Mountain Snail Tribe's general put away the snail horn.
-This is troublesome. We hastily formed a unit to pursue them here, but now a monsoon has started, causing the river to overflow. The dirty Earth Spirit Tribe has already crossed the river... It’s too rough to make the hunting dogs swim. Lime. How can we, born as mortals, stand against immortal nature? Is this the curse of the evil god?
The general muttered and turned their dog's head around.
-Or perhaps this too is the will of Lime.
They shouted to their troops as they went among the hundreds of canine cavalry.
-Stop pursuing the Earth Spirit Tribe across the river!
-Tentacle of the Canyon, but...
-Lime. This is my decision. We cannot let ourselves be the only casualties caught between immortals. We will join White Mountain City's pursuit force and chase the Pure Race instead. All troops, move out!
Bwoooooo-
The trumpet sound pierced through the rain. The Mountain Snail Tribe tapped the dogs' waists with their tentacles. The hunting dogs panted and pushed off with their hind legs, soon disappearing into the downpour with long shadows trailing behind them.
Boooom...
The trumpet lasted a little longer than the shadows before cutting off.
The sound of rain filled the surroundings.
"......."
I watched the direction where the canine cavalry disappeared for a while. They were an army swift to arrive and quick to leave. Seeing that army, I understood why the Heretic Inquisitor had been so confident and why he had smiled even while losing to us.
“Grrr.”
I turned to the Earth Spirit Tribe.
The kids were enjoying the rain and mud.
'I've done all I can.'
Leading them to Guru will end all my duties.
'It's time to wrap up this stage.'
But before that.
I watched the Earth Spirit Tribe playing in the rain a little longer.
'Adorable little ones.'
Smiling inwardly.
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