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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
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Chapter 80
Sssss… Paaah!
The faintly radiating aura suddenly erupted explosively.
The aura circulating through the body underwent an enormous transformation in an instant, altering its form, structure, and density.
Breaking through the wall that had been put off for so long, I fully pioneered the realm of a Sword Master.
The overwhelming rise in physical abilities and everything that had only been imitated until now emerged naturally, as if they had always been possible.
Ideally, I would have taken more time to train my body before surpassing the wall, but at this point, that was impossible.
The wall of the Sword Master.
In truth, the birth of a single Sword Master is only somewhat threatening to a Sea King-class Kraken but not fatal.
But I am not a typical case.
The Kraken has yet to fully realize that the realm of the Sword Master I have transcended is vastly different from that of ordinary Sword Masters.
As a golden, high-heat beam fires from the tip of the Kraken’s tentacle, I immediately face the signal.
"Now!"
At the same time, an immense concentration of sword energy tore through the air from behind me.
Its target was beyond the barrier—a massive concealed magic circle barely visible above the Kraken's head.
The Kraken does not use magic because of knowledge; the magic circle is merely an embodiment of its instinctively wielded power.
Crash!!!
The sword energy ripped through the barrier and shattered the magic circle in an instant, leaving a massive scar in the air, proving that its wielder is no mere swordsman but the Sword Saint.
As if that weren’t enough, the attack leaft an enormous, irreparable wound on the Kraken’s body.
-Kyaaaahhh!!!
Its power interrupted, the Kraken staggered in agony, and the scorching beam it fired burned the sky, its trajectory shifting upward into the heavens.
A black scar remains in the sky, as if a massive line had been drawn across it.
Once again, he folds space and closes in on the Kraken in an instant.
Sensing its impending doom, the Kraken raised its tentacles for a final counterattack.
But it is not the only one with hidden tricks.
"Muyeong."
At my call, a black misty swamp forms beneath my feet, and wraith wolf emerged, tearing into the Kraken.
From six magic circles that instantly materialize in midair, black spears rained down, piercing the Kraken's tentacles and pinning them to the ground.
-Kiiiek?!
Its limbs restrained, the Kraken looked up at me in desperation.
But it is already too late—the moment it looked up, I had already drawn out my aura blade, stretching several meters long, and closed the distance completely.
"Hooah!"
What is the most familiar action when wielding a sword?
A downward slash.
The most basic, fundamental movement found in every sword technique.
The blade descended, carving through the Kraken’s body with an aura-infused strike.
-Kyaaaahhh!!!
In its agony, the Kraken ripped off one of its own tentacles in a desperate counterattack.
But the Kraken was already on the brink of depletion.
Its attack failed to land.
Seeing how quickly my body was regenerating, the Kraken's eyes widened in shock.
Swoosh!
Moving fluidly, I fiund another opening and delivered yet another downward slash.
As my speed increases, so does the power of my strikes.
The overwhelming force of my aura blade, combined with the natural sharpness of the cursed sword Elekstra, was a fatal blow to the Kraken, which had abandoned defense in favor of regeneration and offense.
Of course, the Kraken, enraged over the loss of its offspring, attacked with extreme fury, but I, trusting in Luna’s healing abilities, swung my sword recklessly like an unyielding warrior.
Swoosh!
Swoosh!!
Swoosh!!!
The Kraken thrashed desperately, trying to escape, but it was already drained of life force—there was no strength left in it.
In its eyes remained emotions of hatred, fury, and—
Fear.
Fear of a land-dwelling human who dares to laugh in the face of the ocean’s apex predator.
"Are you scared?"
Leon asked in an eerie voice, gazing at the Kraken.
Just like my parents must have been.
-Kyaaaaah!!!
However, the Kraken’s attack is not completely meaningless.
Even at death’s door, a Kraken’s venom is still potent.
Despite Luna’s healing and the Soul Shackle spell, my body momentarily overloaded, disrupting my sword flow.
Seizing the opportunity, the Kraken sacrificed its tentacle to wrap around Elekstra, holding it firmly in place.
My sword is stuck.
But Leon’s expression showed no sign of distress.
"You caught me? So what?"
Rather, I sneered at the Kraken.
At that moment, an aura blade erupted from my sword—far denser and larger than before.
A technique that no ordinary Sword Master could imitate.
Just as I had mimicked Sword Aura as an Expert, now as a Master, I imitated the techniques of a Mind Master.
It’s not impossible.
After all, I had already warmed up with countless strikes.
[Overdrive: Transcendence]
[Acceleration]
[Void Severance]
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion echoed as the Kraken’s tentacle was utterly annihilated, scattering in all directions.
* * *
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
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Its last means of resistance now gone, the Kraken stared at Leon.
Was it resignation in its eyes?
Or something else?
It didn’t matter.
What mattered was that its weakness was now completely exposed.
Without hesitation, Leon stomped his left foot down with immense force.
Kwaaaang!!!
A massive crater formed where his foot landed, sending fractures tens of meters across the battlefield.
Raising his sword high, Leon swung it down like a bolt of lightning.
A radiant slash swept through the entire space in an instant.
The Kraken, unable to resist any longer, was torn apart as though shredded by massive claws.
* * *
No matter how powerful a Sea King was, survival was impossible after its body was shredded.
Its pupils began to dilate rapidly, and the strength it had been holding onto slowly faded.
At the same time, the endless stream of poison it had been releasing gradually dissipated.
The death of the Sea King, feared as a catastrophe of the ocean for centuries, was quiet and pitiful.
I didn’t particularly care if someone was watching.
If I had intended to hide my abilities, I wouldn’t have acted so openly even within the Cascadia territory.
As I sat down against the now-silent Kraken, exhaustion overwhelmed me.
Crossing the threshold of a Sword Master accelerated the transformation of my body.
Most of the changes had already taken place as planned, but some parts were still incomplete.
Even if I wasn’t entirely sure, I probably needed some rest.
“Leon.”
Luna calmly looked down at me, her voice cutting through the lingering poisonous mist.
“Did getting revenge make you feel better?”
What exactly was the meaning behind Luna’s question?
I closed my eyes in silence before letting out a soft chuckle.
“It did.”
Then, I leaned back and shut my eyes.
“I'm gonna sleep for a bit.”
“Get some proper rest.”
With those words, Luna’s gentle touch brushed against my hair, and I drifted into slumber.
* * *
Even though I had used Soul Shackles for recovery, I couldn’t deny that I had pushed myself too far.
Moreover, the strange emptiness that followed successful revenge kept me lounging in bed for several days.
It wasn’t that I felt hollow about avenging myself against the Kraken.
Rather, it was the backlash from surpassing the threshold of a Sword Master much faster than expected.
Lying in bed, I raised a hand.
Tzzzt!
A blade of dense aura formed at my fingertips.
A fully manifested Aura Blade—the symbol of a true Sword Master.
I was already prepared to break through completely, but I couldn’t help feeling a little regret.
Still, wouldn’t it be a waste to let the final blow go to the subjugation force?
Come to think of it, I hadn’t sent any updates to Melissa since I left to hunt the Kraken.
She was probably fuming by now, but there wasn’t much she could do about it.
Knock, knock.
“Leon, food.”
“I’m not hungry. I’ll eat la—”
BANG!
The door was kicked open, and Luna stepped inside, holding a small tray.
On it sat a bowl of suspicious-looking porridge.
“Hey, are you paying for that door?”
“Quit whining and eat.”
She strode toward me, grabbed me by the collar, and hauled me upright.
She was always strong, but maybe because my body had grown exponentially stronger after breaking past the Sword Master threshold, her strength didn’t feel as overwhelming anymore.
Not that I resisted.
She propped me up, grabbed a baguette, and shoved it straight into my mouth.
“Guhk!”
“Hurry up and eat. Who skips meals for three days?”
“…It’s been three days already?”
“Are you sick? You don’t look it.”
“No, just… no appetite.”
“Is it that hard to eat?”
She took a small bite of the bread and chewed it thoughtfully.
“Do I need to chew it for you and feed you myself?”
“What’s with the flirting all of a sudden? Anyway, what about Melissa? No word from her?”
“Nothing yet. And that wasn’t flirting. Now shut up and eat.”
As soon as I swallowed the bread, she poured the soup straight into my mouth.
The hot liquid burned my tongue.
“Pwah!! Hey! You should never be anyone’s caregiver.”
“Caregiving? This isn’t caregiving.”
“Ugh… You lunatic.”
“But I’m charming, aren’t I?”
Her flirting was seamless.
She struck a strange pose, acting coquettishly right in front of me.
“……”
I had seen her antics before, but this time, she was being unusually bold.
I knew she held some affection for me, but I had no idea why.
“My apologies, Young Master. Lady Luna insisted on bringing the food herself…”
I didn’t need to look to know what was going on.
The joy on her face from successfully teasing me said it all.
“What’s the situation?”
“Most of the cleanup is done, but due to the Kraken’s attack and two consecutive storms, many residents will have to stay in temporary shelters until the village is rebuilt. The family is covering most of the costs.”
“I see.”
“…Young Master.”
“Yes, Head Maid?”
Misha, the head maid, bowed her head deeply.
“Thank you for saving the Lord.”
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
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