WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Dionysus

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◈ Xianxia Cultivation with a Dragon Heart ◈

Chapter 25: Sensing Something Amiss

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Han Yujin could not properly make out how the battle between the two was unfolding, aside from its aftereffects.

It was like watching a fight from the perspective of some supporting character in that manga about gathering dragon balls to make wishes, someone who appeared briefly at the beginning before being relegated to the background.

Light flashed, and dozens of afterimages traced trajectories whose nature he could not identify.

Before the continual shockwaves and sky-shaking phenomena had even subsided, a pitch-black tower appeared above the pterosaur's head, emitting an inscrutable light. Then a crude stone sword appeared, struck the tower, and shattered it into light, while the pterosaur unleashed its breath attack.

The instant it seemed that breath attack had been split in two by something, the pterosaur let out an enormous shriek, beat its wings, and crossed a tremendous distance in an instant. Then a clear metallic ring scattered from somewhere unknown, canceling out its roar.

All he could properly tell was that their battle was fierce and evenly matched, and that the ripples of spiritual energy and yao energy suggested every exchange held enough power to split mountains.

'If they gathered their strength and attacked properly, they could split not just a mountain, but even Mount Tai.'

Unfortunately, Han Yujin could not watch the battle between those Spirit Transformation Stage powerhouses for long. Separate from their fight, countless members of the yao tribe were attacking Thousand Origin City.

"Hold the city walls!"

Someone's voice, amplified through a spell, rang across the battlefield. A city wall might seem useless in a war between cultivators and the yao tribe, but it made immediate sense once one knew it was the medium that activated a defensive restriction.

The sense of danger that had arisen when the citywide art-formula restrictions first deteriorated had lessened considerably with the arrival of Gu Sobo, a Spirit Transformation Stage cultivator and the city lord.

The grand battle high in the sky naturally bolstered everyone's fighting spirit, and Han Yujin, swept along by the mood, felt his courage rise as well.

'This is a good chance to see how far my abilities go!'

With that thought, he climbed the city wall. The sight of members of the yao tribe of every kind surging in like a tidal wave from the horizon beyond the city wall made his mouth fall open and sent a shiver down his spine.

Only now did he feel he had glimpsed the true scale of a great war waged across an entire world as its front line.

Kiyaaaaah!

Just then, a member of the yao tribe resembling a bird of prey flew low through the air and passed through the citywide restriction barrier, which was riddled with holes. Han Yujin and the cultivators nearby launched attacks at it all at once.

Most used magical artifacts, while Han Yujin manipulated the Five Elements Sword's inscribed spell restrictions and fired a stream of golden energy.

The birdlike yao that had charged in so boldly could not withstand the force of numbers. It was sent tumbling beyond the wall in a pitifully mangled state. Yet in the meantime, several other yao had infiltrated through different points.

Khehihihik...!

A monster with three heads and six arms had broken through. It resembled a cyclops from a fantasy novel, except it was one-eyed, had three heads, and possessed three pairs of arms. It began swinging all six of its weapons.

Its toughness was astounding. It simply endured most spells with its body.

Since Han Yujin happened to be nearby, he had no time to watch the yao infiltrating elsewhere. He focused completely on working with the surrounding cultivators to kill or drive away the monster.

Kwakwakwa-boom! Crack!

"Urgh...!"

A sinister, gold-flashing weapon battered the barrier formed by one cultivator's magical artifact like a storm. It moved so quickly that fierce winds blew and afterimages scattered. A single graze looked capable of tearing away flesh and shattering bone.

As the female Dharma Soul Stage cultivator inside struggled to hold on, blood bursting from all seven orifices, the other cultivators attacked with all their might. They had to save their ally and prevent themselves from becoming its next target.

Attacks from every kind of magical artifact and spell flew in, gradually covering the three-headed, six-armed monster in blood. One attack shot forth with a thunderous boom, like lightning, and finally severed one of its arms.

Yet despite that grievous injury, it finally shattered the barrier it had been pounding on. It skewered the cultivator inside with its sword and brought them to one of its mouths. No one had time to stop it.

Crunch!

A human head was crushed like fruit inside the mouth of the one-eyed, three-headed, six-armed monster. Blood and brains dripped from its lips as it tore apart and ate the rest of the cultivator's body like pulp. At the same time, it deflected and swept aside every incoming attack with the weapons in its remaining hands as it rapidly retreated.

Despite its astonishing physical abilities and weapon skill, Han Yujin felt sick at its cruelty rather than impressed. It felt even more horrific because the cultivator who had died was in the Dharma Soul Stage, a realm Han Yujin had yet to reach.

His own attacks had not even properly scratched the monster-like yao's skin. They were all blocked by its bronzelike gleam, as though he were striking a rock with an egg.

The fighting spirit that had briefly flared up after the Spirit Transformation Stage cultivator's appearance, the mentally transmitted words that had rung out, and the magnificent battle went cold.

'People who cultivate for immortality... are dying like ants everywhere!'

Before he realized it, he was looking around with a stunned expression.

It was the brutality and madness of a battlefield unlike anything he had ever experienced.

The yao were terrifying, but the human cultivators who showed no sign of retreating against them looked just as monstrous to Han Yujin.

They were allies now, but he could not help imagining how ruthless they would be if he ever clashed with and fought people like them in the future.

Perhaps it was because he looked so pale.

It seemed weak-looking targets caught the enemy's eye more readily than their allies'.

A yao that looked like a cross between a mantis and a scorpion had infiltrated the citywide restriction barrier and was flying through the air. Suddenly, like a hawk spotting prey, it plunged toward him.

Han Yujin instinctively cast the Jade Skin Art and formed a bell-shaped barrier with the Five Elements Sword. The instant he blocked the attack, he intended to detonate the barrier and shred the enemy.

The moment that thought crossed his mind, its scythe-like arm had already torn through the bell-shaped barrier as if it were paper and flown straight before Han Yujin's nose.

'Fuck.'

Before he could even voice the curse, he felt an immense impact strike him, and his vision went dark.

- You have died.

Han Yujin stared at the mysteriously floating silver letters, feeling somewhat hollow.

- Select your harvest.

* * *

Naturally, the harvest he needed to choose was the alchemy primer Won Baengnyeong, a Core Formation Stage cultivator, had given him. Things like jade tokens were nearly useless in reality.

After waking in bed, he picked up the alchemy primer that had appeared beside him and sank into thought for a moment.

He had died rather pointlessly, but this visit to another world had nevertheless fulfilled his original goals extremely well. It had even satisfied his wish not to stay there too long.

'Yeah... Now that I think about it, I died at a pretty good time.'

His plan to test how useful the Yeon Biwon identity was had failed, but he had made excellent use of the moment when the citywide restriction was disabled.

'It didn't even hurt much when I died.'

Other than the damn helplessness of not managing even the slightest resistance, it would have been difficult to die more cleanly. At least his head had not been chewed up while he was still alive, unlike someone else.

The memory of that scene made his stomach churn again, but not unbearably so.

'I've died in all sorts of ways myself.'

One time, some terrifying ghost had turned him into a whole pile of cube steaks.

As he thought, he roughly planned what to do next.

He had gained a decent profit from the alchemy lecture this time, so it seemed best to spend two or three days organizing what he had learned before returning to Thousand Origin City and attending lectures on the other Four Cultivation Arts.

'Just learning the contents of Thousand Origin City's public lectures should be enough to get by until the Dharma Soul Stage.'

He also wanted to learn more spells.

That was because he had keenly felt the importance of strength in the final battle at Thousand Origin City. He had also seen several cultivators at the same realm as himself who displayed better offensive and defensive capabilities.

But after thinking a little longer, Han Yujin shook his head.

He had not died because he lacked spells or proficiency in the ones he knew. His opponent had simply been so strong that he could not resist by any means.

'If I do learn spells, I think I should first learn how to hide and run away.'

The more he thought about it, the more obvious it became that he had stood out too much in that battle despite being only in the Entry Stage. It was a time when he should have been doing everything possible to conceal himself.

That did not mean he should only run away. If he survived first, would he not be able to hold off the enemy longer and ultimately make a greater contribution?

It had been his first experience of the chaotic melee of a large-scale war, completely unlike any battle he had experienced before. He could not call himself entirely foolish. Fortunately, he would have many chances, and he could do better next time.

'I just need to avoid doing anything stupid in reality.'

Having finished sorting through the gains from this adventure, he began recalling the things he needed to do in reality and setting their priorities.

* * *

There was much to do.

Organizing his spell knowledge separately was not difficult, but it required a great deal of time. The Special Ability Management Bureau had also sent over a sample contract, and he searched for a capable lawyer to review it.

Separate from his trust in the Special Ability Management Bureau, it was too important a matter not to do everything possible. Once the legal expert's review was complete, he felt much better.

Meanwhile, absorbing the alchemy knowledge he had gained from Thousand Origin City's lecture and Harvest Selection took longer than expected. The fact that he was integrating it with the Bloodwood Spirit-Fruit Brewing Art was part of the reason.

Naturally, time passed quickly, and the preliminary training for the Hunter vocational school's night class began.

Just over twenty people attended, more than he had expected. It seemed some people had awakened quite a while ago but were only now receiving training due to one circumstance or another.

The curriculum was not lacking in the slightest.

Only four days had passed, yet they had learned an immense range of topics. It covered the common knowledge a Hunter should possess, how to operate as one, and how to handle every kind of dangerous situation. They also learned some legal knowledge and obligations they needed to keep in mind.

The curriculum seemed compressed as much as possible into a short training period. Far from inadequate, it even felt slightly excessive.

There were still at least ten days of training ahead, with strict exams in the middle and at the end. It reminded him of his final year of high school, especially since he had so much knowledge to organize and absorb on his own.

In any case, the most memorable part was what they had learned about the points to watch out for while carrying out Rift Clearings.

'They say every safety rule is written in blood.'

Each guideline came with relevant examples, making it easy to understand why those precautions existed.

Though it was a little unfamiliar, his days were very busy and fulfilling. There were no particular incidents.

Except for the reports from the private investigation he had commissioned, which had strangely stopped arriving two days earlier.

Late at night, after class ended that day, Han Yujin thought as he rode home in a taxi.

'Today is the last day of the one-week contract...'

He wondered if he had been cheated, but considering the detailed reports had arrived steadily before then, it felt as though something else must have happened.

That was why he had already waited two days. He had thought a delay of a day or two might occur depending on the circumstances.

But he could not wait any longer. If he kept waiting quietly after this, he would be a complete sucker.

'If it still doesn't arrive today, I'll call during business hours tomorrow.'

As he thought that, he wondered what could possibly have happened.

South Korea's ability-related crime rate was among the lowest in the world, competing for first or second place. Its clearance rate, meanwhile, ranked among the world's top three.

The high clearance rate was probably due to fewer crimes requiring investigation, allowing personnel to focus more intensively. Still, that did not diminish the significance of such a high rate.

As Han Yujin watched the nightscape pass beyond the taxi window, he suddenly recalled Wonhui, the powerful ghost he had encountered at that school on Earth After the Apocalypse.

A slight chill rose on his skin, followed naturally by a single concern.

Could it really be that nothing had happened?

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