WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: DereKimchi

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Abandoned Tank is a Disaster-class Awakener ◈

Chapter 9

──────

“W-What?!”

Eric’s flustered voice rang out.

“An Additional Trial?”

“The Tower has a system like that?”

Sofia and Mei could not take their eyes off the throne either.

“...”

Marcus silently prepared to summon his Launcher again.

Soon, everyone’s attention turned to me.

But.

“...”

I was just as bewildered.

‘Additional? A hidden trial?’

It was a message I had never seen before.

Before I regressed, I had conquered up to the 70th floor.

I had entered and left the Tower for over ten years, but the existence of an Additional Trial was unfamiliar to me.

‘...Well.’

Thinking about it, the reason was simple.

Wiping out a Lizardman village within five minutes.

Easy to say, but it was a condition that was practically impossible to fulfill.

Normally, one would enter from the outskirts of the village, gradually whittling away at their numbers.

If they faced hundreds at once, even a strong party would inevitably have its formation broken.

Using a Retry Ticket did not change the situation much either.

Retry Tickets had a floor limit.

In other words, it was impossible for an overwhelmingly high-level Awakener to come down and sweep everything away to fulfill the condition.

But we had accomplished that impossible feat.

We had achieved something no one would manage in the next ten years.

Rumble.

The vibration grew stronger.

Then.

Sssss!

The darkness scattered around us began to gather toward the throne.

It was neither smoke nor fog.

The space around the throne turned black, as though light itself was being sucked into it.

Hummm.

A strange pressure spread.

The flames burning in the huts bent to one side, and even the smoke rising from the swamp split apart to avoid the throne.

“...It’s coming!”

At my warning, everyone tensed.

The darkness swelled atop the throne.

Crack.

The first things to form were two enormous feet.

Thud.

Thick claws pressed down on the stone platform.

Above them, scaled legs and a massive torso emerged.

It clearly shared the basic form of a Lizardman.

But it could not be compared to the creatures we had fought just moments ago.

Even seated, it was larger than most Lizardmen.

Every dark blue scale overlapped like armor, while countless old scars covered its shoulders and forearms.

Thud!

Its thick tail stretched down beneath the throne and struck the ground.

And finally.

Shhhh.

Its head emerged from the darkness.

Horns extended from either side.

A lower jaw jutting out like an axe blade.

And two eyes that slowly opened.

Flash.

Golden pupils looked down at us.

At that moment.

Boom!

No one had moved, yet the swamp water was pushed away in every direction.

It felt as though the air itself had been crushed.

Mei swallowed.

“That’s... the Guardian?”

As we stood there completely tense, Karganon declared,

「I am the first to open my eyes in the Black Swamp.」

It was not language.

It was a kind of will transmitted directly into our minds.

「The ancestor of all scaled races, and the first ruler to ascend the Blood Throne.」

Hummm.

Black energy rose around it.

「I brought countless tribes to their knees beneath one banner and soaked my crown in the blood of innumerable warriors.」

Then it rose from the throne and took a step forward.

Thud.

The giant Lizardman, a being truly worthy of being called the Lizard King, looked down at us.

「My roar heralds the beginning of war, and my footsteps are an omen of destruction.」

Its enormous fist slowly clenched.

Then it raised its head.

Its golden eyes seemed to burn.

「I am the first Lizardman. The progenitor of the Black Scale Clan. The king of all swamps and the calamity that guards the twenty-fifth throne.」

Rumble!

The ground shook.

「I am Karganon, the Lizard King.」

The moment that will ended, a black wave burst out from its body.

Boom!

Energy dense enough to see spread in a circle, engulfing me and the entire swamp.

“What is this?”

Eric reflexively gripped his greatsword.

Sofia raised her curved blades as well.

But.

[The authority of the 25th-floor Guardian activates.]

[Throne Law: Disarmament]

[Until the Guardian Battle ends, all entities participating in battle are forcibly disarmed.]

“?!”

My hands suddenly felt light.

Pshhh.

The Black-Iron Greatsword scattered into light.

My shield, helmet, armor, gloves, greaves, and boots followed.

The Black-Iron Armament vanished in an instant.

[The Black-Iron Armament set effect is deactivated.]

It was not only me.

Eric’s greatsword disappeared as well.

Sofia’s twin curved blades vanished without a trace.

“What is this...?”

Sofia stared at her empty hands.

“It gets rid of all our equipment?”

But we were not the only ones whose equipment had disappeared.

The enormous axe hanging at the Lizard King’s waist vanished as well.

The black shoulder guards covering its shoulders and the metal ornaments around its waist scattered into light.

It, too, stood beneath the stone platform unarmed.

And seeing that, Eric muttered.

“...It doesn’t look fair at all.”

That was the signal.

“We can’t do this.”

It was Marcus.

His usually calm face had hardened.

“We should give up.”

“I agree with Marcus.”

For once, Sofia spoke without a trace of humor.

Her gaze was fixed on the Lizard King standing before us.

Karganon had been disarmed as well.

Yet it did not look weak at all.

Rather, with its armor and weapon gone, it became even clearer what kind of being it was.

A huge body several times the size of a human.

Muscles like layers of piled-up rock.

Its black scales looked thicker than metal armor, and the claws at its fingertips were daggers in themselves.

Even when it opened its mouth slightly, rows of sharp fangs were visible.

That was not an unarmed body.

For a monster, its body itself was a weapon.

On the other hand, we were truly unarmed.

“Damn. I love fighting too, but this is different.”

Eric cursed as he looked down at his empty hands.

He pointed his chin at Karganon.

“How are humans supposed to fight something like that with their bare hands?”

He was right.

The comparison itself was unfair from the start.

When we lost our armor, skin was exposed.

When Karganon lost its armor, scales were exposed.

When we lost our swords, only our fists remained.

It still had claws, fangs, and that massive tail.

Even Mei spoke in a low voice.

“The standard trial is already over. They said our record and rewards would remain even if we give up here.”

“That’s right.”

Marcus immediately continued.

“Kang. There is no reason to take such a risk. Especially when we know nothing about our opponent’s abilities.”

The four of them looked at me.

Every one of them was sincerely trying to stop me.

It was not strange.

Rather, that was the normal and most rational judgment.

Forced disarmament.

And a giant monster whose very body was a weapon.

There was no reason to put the entire party in danger for one reward.

But.

“...”

I looked at Karganon before me.

It had not shown its ferocity yet.

It looked as though it were waiting for our decision.

The emotion in its golden pupils was composure.

Its gaze seemed to say it knew all too well what humans became once their weapons were taken away.

A laugh escaped me.

“Kang?”

Marcus looked at me anxiously.

I stepped forward.

“It’s fine.”

“What do you mean, it’s fine?”

“You all stay out of this.”

“What do you mean by that...?!”

Eric tried to grab my arm.

I shook off his hand.

Then I looked back at the four of them.

“Watch closely.”

“...?”

I tilted my neck to one side.

Crack.

The stiff bones loosened.

Then I did the same to the other side.

Crack.

I rolled my shoulders, then clenched and unclenched my fists several times.

I no longer had the Black-Iron Armament.

The 30% increase to my stats and the increased final defense were gone as well.

All I had left was this body.

But this body was that of a Super Novice.

I turned my gaze back to the front, toward the Lizard King.

“I’ll show you what kind of person your leader is.”

Then I walked forward.

Whoosh.

Wind passed over the swamp.

Black ripples trembled across the water, and the lingering flames burning in the distance tilted to one side.

There were around ten meters between Karganon, the Lizard King, and me.

I drove my right foot deep beneath the mud.

Then I stomped down.

Boom!

The swamp exploded.

Before the mud could rise into the air, the distance disappeared.

Karganon’s golden pupils shifted sharply, and almost at the same time, its massive right arm swung around.

Whoooosh!

It was closer to a mace than a fist.

The pressure struck my face before the fist could reach me.

I stepped half a pace inside.

The black fist passed by, tearing out a few strands of hair, but my body was already pressed close to Karganon.

Thud!

I drove my fist beneath its ribs.

The enormous body swayed.

Its claws immediately aimed for my throat, but I lowered my body and deflected them.

When its tail followed, I pushed off the ground with my toes and slipped half a step to the side.

The thick tail tore through the swamp.

In that instant, I closed in again.

Karganon’s attacks were terrifying.

Every swing cracked the ground and overturned swamp water.

But large attacks also meant the movements were easier to read.

Its shoulders moved first.

Its waist turned first.

And whenever it was about to release its strength, its center of balance always shifted to one side.

I could see all of it.

Thud.

I deflected its claws and struck its abdomen, then dodged its tail and drove a blow into its side.

When its fist grazed over my head, I stepped in closer and struck up at its jaw.

Thud! Crack!

Whenever the sounds of impact rang out, black scales shook.

But it deliberately took those blows.

「Hngh!」

Then it wrapped both arms around me.

I drove into Karganon’s embrace and wrapped my arms around its waist.

Grrrk!

Karganon’s claws immediately dug into the ground.

The force it used to brace itself cracked even the hard layer beneath the mud.

I gripped the ground with the soles of my feet as well.

Strength rose from my legs, passed through my waist, and ran through my back and shoulders.

The muscles and tendons that had been scattered through my body connected in an instant like a single chain.

Then.

“Hup!”

I lifted.

Karganon’s two feet left the ground.

The moment that massive body rose into the air, I heard someone gasp behind me.

I twisted my waist.

Heaven and earth flipped.

Boom!

Karganon’s back slammed into the swamp floor.

The ground sank, black water split to both sides, and the impact traveled up to the throne, cracking the stone platform in several places.

Whoosh!

The fallen creature’s tail aimed for my waist.

I twisted away, then grabbed the tail as it passed.

「...!」

This time, it hesitated.

I spun my body.

On the first turn, its upper body rose.

On the second, its entire massive body lifted from the swamp.

On the third, I let go.

Whoooosh!

Its black body cut through the air before slamming squarely into the stone platform beneath the throne.

Boom!

Half the stone platform collapsed.

Chunks of stone flew everywhere, while dust and swamp mist mixed together and rose like a massive curtain.

Rumble.

The collapsed platform shifted.

Karganon walked out again.

Its scales were shattered in places, and black blood flowed from the corner of its mouth.

But its waist remained straight to the end.

Only its earlier composure had vanished.

Its golden eyes still held the fighting spirit of one who owned a throne.

This time, it charged first.

Thud!

The swamp beneath its feet caved in as its giant body shot forward like a cannonball.

I ran toward it as well.

Human and monster collided head-on in the middle of the Black Swamp.

Boom!

A shock wave erupted in every direction.

The swamp water was pushed away in a circle, exposing the ground beneath our feet.

Strength against strength.

A direct contest without any tricks.

But.

Scrape.

Karganon’s feet were pushed back first.

One step, its claws scraped across the ground.

Two steps, the ground beneath the mud could not endure and tore apart.

On the third step, its balance finally collapsed.

I pressed the attack on the fallen creature.

Bang! Boom!

I unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks.

Crack! Crack!

Beneath the swamp water, the ground shattered and formed a crater.

The impacts broke its scales.

Black blood sprayed out.

「Hah...!」

Karganon’s breathing grew rough.

The massive body that had looked like a mountain just moments ago was gradually collapsing before me.

Whoosh!

It thrust its tail like a spear.

I shifted aside to avoid the sharp attack.

Tap!

It opened the distance.

「Krrrk!」

The Guardian that had arrogantly conveyed its will moments ago was gone.

It had become a creature seized by Lizardman instinct.

Thump!

The moment it stepped deeply backward with its right foot, the ground sank in.

Its shoulder and back muscles swelled greatly, and I saw all the strength in its body gather into one fist.

Then came its final strike.

Boom!

A fist that filled my vision fell toward my left side.

In that instant, I turned my body halfway.

Thud!

The fist struck my left shoulder squarely.

My bones rang, and my upper body spun hard.

It was a heavy impact that made the feeling in my left arm fade for a moment.

But in return, Karganon’s chest was completely open.

The first proper blow I had allowed in this fight.

Then I had to make it pay dearly.

I wound my twisted body back.

Crunch.

My feet pressed into the ground, and the strength rising from my legs wrapped around my waist, passed through my back, and surged into my right shoulder.

My entire body became a bow.

My fist was the arrow set at its end.

‘Give up a patch of flesh.’

I clenched my fist.

‘Take a bone.’

I threw it forward.

BOOM!

This time, its scales shattered first.

The black scales covering Karganon’s chest burst apart in a circle, and only then did the impact pierce deep into its body.

Its enormous body lifted into the air.

Then it flew.

Ten meters.

Twenty meters.

Thud! Thump!

It bounced once over the swamp, sending up a massive pillar of water.

Only after plowing through the ground again and pushing black mud into a mountain did it stop.

Rumble.

The entire swamp echoed for a long time.

I rolled my left shoulder once.

It hurt.

But I could still move.

I checked my condition.

Splash.

Then I slowly walked toward Karganon.

「Krrk...」

It was trying to rise again.

It raised one knee and placed a trembling arm against the ground.

Most of the scales on its chest were broken, and black blood continued to drip from its chin.

Yet it kept its head raised to the end.

As one who guarded a throne should.

I stepped onto its chest.

Karganon’s hand moved with difficulty.

I pinned its wrist.

Then I raised my fist.

“...”

「...」

Our eyes met.

There was neither its earlier composure nor rage in those golden eyes.

Instead, they were strangely calm.

They were the eyes of a warrior accepting its end.

I looked into those eyes for a moment before bringing down my final fist.

BOOM!

The entire swamp shook violently.

The collapsed stone platform could not withstand the final impact and sank down, while black water became circular waves that rolled far into the distance.

Thud.

At the center of it all, Karganon’s enormous arm slowly fell.

Its tail went limp as well.

Thus, the huge body of Karganon, king of the Black Swamp and Guardian of the twenty-fifth throne, completely collapsed.

“...”

I stood atop it for a while.

My left shoulder throbbed, and a little blood seeped from the knuckles of my right hand.

But that was all.

After taking one deep breath in and out, my heated body quickly calmed.

I turned around.

“...!”

Marcus, Eric, Sofia, and Mei.

The four of them had barely moved from where they had first stood as they stared at me.

Eric could not close his mouth, and Sofia’s usual smile had vanished.

Mei looked back and forth between the fallen Karganon and me several times.

Marcus, too, seemed to have forgotten how to speak for a moment.

Just a little earlier, everyone had said the same thing.

How could a human fight a monster like that with bare hands?

It was not wrong.

For an ordinary human.

I stepped down from Karganon’s body and walked toward the four of them.

I stopped before them and lightly shook the black blood from my right hand.

“Remember this.”

“...”

“From now on, if I am standing in front, do not worry about how big the enemy is. You do not need to judge how strong they are.”

There was only one thing they needed to do.

“Follow my decisions and orders. Understood?”

Everyone was silent.

But it was not a silence of refusal.

It was acceptance.

Eric, in particular, looked at me as though beams of light might shoot from his eyes.

From now on, they would never again be dissatisfied with my orders or decisions.

And one more thing.

[You have defeated the 25th-floor Guardian.]

Now it was time to check the reward for defeating such a powerful Guardian.

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried