WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

Wizard of the Abyss

[Translator – Aren]

Chapter 93 - Hunt (6)

I had never been inside my manifested Realm for very long.

Naturally, it took me some time to realize what this actually was.

'I’m seeing my opponent's movements before they happen.'

Between 1 and 3 seconds in advance. Sometimes even less than that.

The Lump’s phantoms—motions formed from bubbles—would attack me first.

The real attack would follow that exact path not long after.

'...Why?'

I wasn’t using this intentionally. I had never even imagined something like this being possible.

I started by analyzing this phenomenon. While narrowly dodging the Lump’s sword by a hair’s breadth, I gathered information.

"Tsk."

Watching the Lump growing irritated at its repeated failure to land a clean hit on me, I finally understood the difference between this phenomenon and Tide Sense.

Predicting my opponent’s attack using Tide Sense was, in the end, just sensing their movements by reading the currents and reacting afterward.

All I could do with Tide Sense was read their muscle tension, trace the path of their blade, and then choose the best way to respond using that information.

Its weakness was that if the movement was too fast for my currents to reach, or if the opponent used some technique exclusive to high-tier Knights, it could be blocked.

But inside my manifested Realm, things were a bit different.

This place was nothing but a space filled with extremely dense currents.

When I used Tide Sense here, my focus shifted away from my opponent and moved it toward the sea itself.

Even if I couldn’t perceive the individual called the Lump, it didn’t matter.

If one threw a punch underwater, a small cluster of microscopic bubbles, not even a millimeter wide, would form in front of one’s fist for a split second.

However, for a first-rate Knight, those clusters were far larger and longer.

That was the true nature of those bubbles.

When Tide Sense was activated inside my manifested Realm, the movements of individuals made inside this world were made visible in the form of bubbles for me.

Now that I could see them, I was practically invincible when it came to evasion.

With that thought in mind, I dodged every sword strike with movements that bordered on acrobatics.

"Just what the…?”

In the end, the one who had to give up was the Lump.

It raised its sword, clicking its tongue in clear dissatisfaction.

"I wanted to take you in with all your limbs intact. You brought this upon yourself.”

The next moment…

The world turned completely white. Or that was how it felt, at least.

When I came to my senses, bubbles wrapped around my entire body and my surroundings.

Gritting my teeth, I realized it. I wasn't invincible after all. I couldn’t dodge the attacks of someone a lot faster and stronger than me.

The Lump moved to finish me off.

"...Purge."

0.1 seconds, or even less than that. I had to give up something.

I had to make a decision this instant.

-Crunch!

"...!"

Using ‘Purge’ to shut off the pain, I decided to give up on my right arm.

Maybe it was because I hadn’t practiced it much recently. I couldn’t completely shut off the pain, so my vision felt like it was spinning.

Gritting my teeth, I clutched my broken arm and staggered backward, preparing for a follow-up attack.

"You’re not right in the head.”

But the Lump didn’t attack again.

Instead, it stared at me as if I were some kind of lunatic after I willingly let it break my arm.

"You broke your own bones just to get out of my sword’s path?”

"If you broke my legs, I wouldn’t be able to move after all.”

"...A correct judgement. A viable one, indeed.”

"...?"

The Lump stopped attacking and nodded slightly.

What the hell was wrong with this bastard all of a sudden? As I forcibly put together my shattered arm with my currents, he continued.

"Fast and precise. Any other Knight would have reached the same conclusion.”

"What are you trying to say here?”

"But if you’re really the original prince, you should be barely over 10 years old, right?”

"...Yeah."

"Haha."

The Lump let out an incredulous laugh.

"What kind of hell did you live in?”

"What?"

"No 10-year-old in this world would even consider snapping their own arm just because there was no other way to escape a sword strike. Even if there was one who would, they most certainly wouldn’t reach that conclusion in a single instant. To make that kind of call, you’d need experience. For example, knowing from experience that having your arm severed hurts a lot more than just having it broken.”

"..."

There was no way this shameless bastard was suddenly sympathizing with its enemy, nor would it show mercy just because I was a little kid. As I tilted my head, wondering where it was going with all that, it raised its sword again.

"To be honest, after seeing that judgement of yours just now, I realized I can’t do this myself. If it were Decay, he might be able to freeze you and haul you off, but I don’t know how to do that. And I just learned that breaking your will and dragging you away won’t work either.”

"So what are you trying to say?”

"I’m going to kill you.”

I was shocked.

By the Lump’s intelligence.

"Really? I had no idea. I thought you were trying to kill me all along. Thanks for telling me. How considerate.”

"Up until now, I was holding back a little because I wanted to take you with me alive. For me, the best solution would have been to capture you and extract your secrets. But if that’s not possible, then killing you is the next best thing. And that’s far easier than taking you alive.”

I could tell that those weren’t just empty threats.

If it repeated that last attack a few more times and forced me to give up more of my body—I would most certainly die.

"But you still have another choice.”

The Lump extended the hand it wasn’t holding a sword with, as if offering a handshake.

"Join us.”

"I’ll say this in advance. I already rejected the same offer from one of your comrades.”

It wasn’t even worth considering. But the Lump seemed genuinely intent on persuading me.

"I know. But think about it, how much did your master torture you in the process of making you fall into the Abyssal Sea?”

"?"

"In that crazy mage’s eyes you’re not a disciple. You’re just a lab rat. At least we’d treat you as a colleague. It’s not much. I’m just saying that you’d do better choosing the lesser of two evils.”

The Lump was gravely mistaken.

It believed that Dercia had done something to me to make me fall into the Abyss.

If one thought normally, it seemed pretty much impossible to even imagine a Great Realm manifesting out of nowhere without anyone’s interference.

"Hmm..."

It was easy to fall under such misconceptions. One I could use.

As I let out a hum, pretending as if I was pondering over the Lump's offer, I asked one question.

"Let me ask you just one thing.”

"What is it?”

"You stole Illusory Flower’s ability last time and controlled Elisia, didn’t you?”

"Elisia? You mean that brat I possessed for a bit?”

"Yeah. Can you do that again?”

"...No idea why you’re asking, but no. If I borrow a Fallen’s body, I inherit their burden as well. Illusory Flower’s burden is way too dangerous for me. I used it once for fun, but doing it again would be suicidal.”

"I see."

I let out a sigh of relief.

Judging by the Lump’s steady heartbeat, it wasn’t lying. The possibility I had feared the most has proven to be nonexistent.

With that out of the way, there was no more reason for me to hesitate.

I raised my middle finger.

"Then go die. I’m not joining you even if it kills me.”

"...It seems I misjudged you. Do you still not understand the situation?”

"No. I understand it perfectly.”

I smirked and glanced at it.

"You started the fight aiming to capture me, then suddenly switched to trying to kill me, then tried to recruit me. Anyone can see what that means.”

"What are you getting at?”

"You’re starting to have trouble breathing, huh?”

"...Heh."

The Lump smiled.

Its lips were twitching violently, looking genuinely amused.

As I gradually backed away and straightened my posture, I continued.

"The seawater keeps catching on your body, making it hard to move. You’re feeling pressure pressing down on you. Your vision’s getting darker. At this point, you probably can’t even see me clearly anymore. And every so often, unknown monsters swim around you in that darkness, right?”

"Yeah. You sure live in a damn shitty place. At least the Grand Sea has light.”

"Thanks for the compliment. As a longtime resident, here’s some advice—you won’t last.”

I calmly stated the truth.

Even Dercia had said so. That she herself wouldn’t be able to hold on for very long in the Abyssal Sea.

This wasn’t a place where a Scarlet Abyss executive could possibly survive.

"Surrender? Let me throw that right back at you. If you want to live, surrender. Once it’s come this far, that means I’ve already won.”

"...Do you know how the Fallen of Great Realms fight?”

The Lump suddenly changed the subject, a wide grin on its face.

"They meet, manifest their Realms and then do nothing."

"What?"

"They just stand there. I mean, they have no reason to do anything. Each side’s burdens are their greatest weapons after all. And eventually, when one side can’t endure the other’s world anymore and collapses… That’s when the victor is decided. Long fights take about 12 hours. Short ones are about 6. Quite boring, right…?”

The Lump slowly raised its trembling hand.

"Only five minutes, or less, have passed. You were right. I can’t endure this any longer. Do you know what that means?”

A sudden sense of unease crept up inside of me.

The Lump calmly continued.

"Your world is outside common sense, you bastard. How am I supposed to beat this? I did everything I could.”

Then it raised its sword and placed it against its own throat.

"You win, brat. I can’t kill you or capture you. At best, all I can do is report this.”

"..."

I hadn’t expected that.

That battle-crazed maniac was admitting defeat so easily and stepping back?

If I let it end like that, the only thing I would have done was hand over pretty detailed information about my ability.

"But the next time we meet, I’ll come prepared. I look forward to our remat–”

The Lump suddenly widened its eyes.

"...Hmm?"

It seemed like I had no other choice.

I had to throw out some bait.

I released my Realm. While that bastard seemed quite bewildered by the sudden sense of freedom it felt, I collapsed onto the ground, vomiting blood.

"Kgh, ugh...Agh..."

"?"

After a moment of confusion, the Lump narrowed its eyes.

"Did you just lose to your own world?”

"...Cough."

I didn’t answer and only vomited out more blood.

I wasn’t acting here. I had deliberately crushed my own organs using water pressure as I dismissed my Realm.

This bastard was an executive of Scarlet Abyss. Someone who had tortured and killed countless people.

If I only pretended to be in pain, it would immediately notice.

In other words, I needed to feel real pain, obvious enough for the Lump to notice.

Judging by the way its expression changed from confusion to irritation, my prediction was right.

"...What? So that’s how it ends? Kind of hard to accept.”

"Kgh…haah…”

"Tsk… How boring.”

Shaking its head, the Lump let out a frustrated sigh and walked toward me.

"Being crushed by your own world must have been unbearably painful. You endured all that with sheer willpower? You really are something else."

It didn’t doubt me.

It couldn’t.

Even if I were acting, letting the Lump approach me this much would mean my immediate defeat.

There was no reason for me to pretend to lose.

"Let’s see, Decay will be fine on his own. I’ll just take this guy with me and leave…”

-Tap.

"Hmm?"

As the Lump grabbed the back of my neck, pondering over various things, I clutched its grotesque shoulder.

Before it could react, I whispered in a croaking voice.

"Th-this world…”

"Tsk. He’s about to die.”

It didn’t pay it any mind, assuming that it was just the mad ramblings of someone about to die.

That was how I managed to smear my blood onto its shoulder.

All the blood I had shed during the fight had remained within the Water Partition up to this point. That was why the deep-sea creatures hadn’t been able to detect it.

But I knew better than anyone else what would happen if I applied it to something outside of it.

I continued to whisper into its ear.

"This world is the Abyssal Sea.”

"-!"

My Abyss Realm unfolded itself again.

In that fleeting instant, the Lump realized that I had been faking my injury.

At the same time, I saw the side of its hand swing toward my head.

The world around me turned pure white. Just before the burdens could intensify, the Lump unleashed its strongest attack at maximum output.

I couldn’t avoid it at this distance. Even when it attacked me from further away, I strongly doubted that I could have dodged this blow.

Unable to escape my inevitable end, I shut my eyes tight.

It would take about 0.02 seconds for its hand to reach my head.

-Tap.

I felt something making contact with me.

However, it wasn’t a strike and felt more like a gentle pressure. I let out a sigh of relief, feeling that.

"...What the—”

The Lump stared in disbelief at its own body, both of its arms torn away from its shoulders.

0.01 seconds.

In that span of time, two-headed eels had arrived here and severed its arms as clean as if cutting meat with a cleaver.

That was all they did. The Lump’s blood was spreading through the Abyssal Sea.

Seeing that it was now armless, the Lump started to panic. It seemed this was its first time experiencing the terror of the deep sea creatures.

"Wait—this is…!”

I could see bubbles spilling from its mouth as it tried to speak.

Fortunately, the burdens stacked.

It slowly started to suffocate. No matter how great a Knight was, without air, they would eventually lose consciousness.

This was my victory.

"Kgh—”

Having understood what was going on, the Lump gritted its teeth, trying to kill itself somehow.

It opened its mouth, trying to bite off its own tongue.

I had heard somewhere that biting off one's tongue to die wasn’t actually that easy—but looking at those sharp teeth, common sense didn’t really apply to that thing.

"I won’t let you take me…!”

Ignoring the pain that seemed about to crush my abdomen, I stopped him with water pressure.

"Ghk...!"

The Lump desperately tried to end its own life.

And I tried my darndest to keep it from doing that.

I could feel the Water Partition gradually thinning.

"...!"

Bite force versus water pressure.

This struggle dragged on for quite a long while.

But then when the Water Partition finally reached its limits—

"...Uugh."

I watched the Lump slowly sinking to the ground. Only then did I manage to let out the breath I had been holding in.

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