NOVEL NEXT Chapter 167 - Purgatory (4)
Chapter 167
Purgatory (4)
In the history of the Bern Continent, the movements of Demon Church were sparsely covered.
From the existence of the Apostles.
To their whereabouts.
Important things were left completely unexplained.
If it weren’t for the named NPCs, one would never have been able to conclude with any certainty that the Apostles were the ones responsible.
“Hmm…”
What to do.
He thought about it for a long time.
He couldn’t come to a definitive conclusion.
Besides the fact that he had no idea what they were trying to do here, there were so many other things he needed to do right now.
He needed to learn swordsmanship.
To learn magic.
And to visit a place that specialized in manipulating shadows.
There was simply not enough time to chase after the Apostle.
“…..”
“Let the match begin.”
Snapping out of his thoughts, he turned to face his opponent. A man with a black hood covering his face.
Was he copying the Demon Church’s Apostle?
He calmly assessed the man’s movements before raising his sword. The other man tilted his head and spoke.
“You look like someone I’ve known somewhere before…….”
It is possible that his face is quite common.
It didn’t look that way to his opponent.
“…Ah, where have I seen you before?”
He didn’t give the man more time to think. Stomping his foot on the ground, he lunges forward and swings his sword.
*Whoosh*
The other man dodged the slash with ease.
*Translator Note: Shoutout to Chereads Site, Howl_Howl for stealing and copy/pasting my Translation.*
Shifting his body to prevent his opponent from gaining time.
A series of sword strikes, forcing the opponent to concentrate on the battle.
*Clang!*
*Skkrrr!*
*Clang!*
While exchanging swords with each other, Redin used his aura blade, and his opponent produced one as well.
*Whiirr*
A gleaming black aura blade.
It could only mean one thing.
That the other person was someone who used demonic energy.
It seemed that the person who had crossed over from the Demon Church faction wasn’t just one of the apostles.
“Ah…. Where? Have I seen you before….”
Since he had killed an apostle before, he was likely a threat. They must have been informed of who he was through word circulating within the Demon Church.
He is aware of his opponent.
And this fellow still hasn’t figured it out yet.
“Look at the power he uses. It’s the same power as the one who ascended to the Central League today.”
“Because they came together.”
Any further delay seemed like it would reveal his identity. He had to cut his head off even if it meant using his special move, so that his information wouldn’t be revealed to the Apostle.
He used a half moon strike to drive his opponent back.
*CLANG!*
*Whooosh!*
“Haaa!”
He roared urgently and used a slash as his opponent blocked the attack.
A swift slash decapitated his opponent.
*Thud!*
The cultist disappeared, dropping an experience orb. Devouring the experience the man had, Redin was able to gain information.
How to fight off the Demon Church.
“Match Over.”
An idea came to him, a way to deal with the Apostle.
Just like he had just dealt with this fellow.
If he could get to the Central League and kill Apostle, he could stop whatever they were plotting.
“First of all, the Master’s Wall.”
Gathering his thoughts, he exited the arena and set off on foot, heading straight for the village where the academy was located.
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A residence provided in Purgatory.
Among them, there were special accommodations granted only to those who reached the Central League.
A more lavishly built house.
Inside were various tools for personal training.
“Hmm….”
A man stood on the magic circle while touching the scar on his cheek. At that moment, the magic circle emitted a glow and the surrounding scenery changed.
A special space made of white appeared.
As the person moved their steps on the white space, imagining the sword, the sword they had envisioned appeared in their hand.
“Is this how it’s supposed to be used?”
This time, he thought of the opponent he would fight in this space.
*Translator Note: Shoutout to Chereads Site, Howl_Howl for stealing and copy/pasting my Translation.*
A transcendent who was active in the upper leagues.
When he thought of the one who was called Sword Saint, a middle-aged man with graying hair appeared. His eyes were dull and his face emotionless.
It was like a puppet in wood.
“Let’s see….”
The man kicked the ground and charged toward the sword saint. Drawing in as much energy as he could, he launched it towards the Sword Saint.
But the Sword Saint remained rooted in place. With a light gesture, he lifted his index and middle finger and seized the man’s sword.
*Snap*
The man smirked, imbuing his sword with energy. The sword produced a black aura blade and cut down the Sword Saint.
*Chak!*
Or at least, that’s what it looked like.
The Sword Saint twisted his body slightly to dodge the man’s attack and channeled mana into his fingertips to form an aura blade.
A light swipe.
*Kwang!*
The man’s black aura blade was shattered to pieces and sent him flying backwards.
Along with the shock felt in their chest, something flashed and the sensation of their neck being slashed.
“Keuck!”
The man coughed and opened his eyes, only to be met with the white space again.
As if nothing had happened.
There was nothing but silence in the white space.
Breaking out in a cold sweat, the man shook his head and smirked.
“I won’t be bored while I’m here.”
Just as he was about to summon the Sword Saint again.
With a sense of someone’s presence, the white space disappeared. The glow of the magic circle faded, revealing the interior of the original house.
Turning their gaze, they looked at the person coming up the stairs.
A person wearing a black hood.
The person in the black hood approached the man and bowed low.
“Apostle, I have something to report to you.”
“Go on.”
“Of the five people who infiltrated Purgatory, two are now dead, which leaves us with three remaining active personnel.”
“Two people died?”
“Yes.”
“Who is it?”
“I judge him to be good enough to advance to the Central League in the near future, and I have something else to tell you about him.”
“What is it?”
“One of the men who killed our people looks exactly like a man named Redin on the Watch List.”
The man referred to as an apostle let out a deep breath and furrowed his brow.
A prison guard at Burning Hell.
Redin.
The man who revealed the identity of the First Apostle as the Pope of the Holy Empire and killed the First Apostle.
He was the most dangerous threat to the Demon Church.
“He looks exactly like Redin?”
“Yes. He had the same facial features.”
It was impossible to make a conclusion based on a mere face.
*Translator Note: Shoutout to Chereads Site, Howl_Howl for stealing and copy/pasting my Translation.*
It was common for faces to be identical in Purgatory.
“Just watch it for now.”
“What if it’s the real thing?”
“Then it means that the people who went to Burning Hell have successfully opened the Demon Gate….”
“…..”
“We’ll have to sacrifice him then.”
There was one reason the man had come here.
A plan that had spanned years in preparation.
The scholars of the Demon Church have already succeeded in experiments where they transfer souls into other people’s bodies.
*Heh*
If they could just take five central league talents here, five more master-level talents would be added to the Demon God Church.
“We’ll be busy starting tomorrow, so go back and finalize the preparations.”
“Understood.”
* * * Support the Translator by reading it in GalaxyTranslation97 Website, and NOT IN Aggregator Site * * *
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Walking back toward Harungel’s swordsmanship academy.
Sam, who was already outside, saw his face and came up to greet him with a grin.
“Looks like you won the match.”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t schedule the next match, did you?”
“I put it on hold for a while, like you instructed.”
“Good. Come on in.”
Following Sam, he stepped into the academy.
They stood facing each other in the open space, then Sam motioned for him to sit on the floor with a wave of his hand.
He sat down, facing Sam.
“Before I start teaching in earnest, I need to do some quick background check.”
“Okay.”
“Where did you learn to fight using a sword?”
“I happened to obtain an opportunity and ended up learning the sword of a dead person.”
“Hoo. You must be quite talented to have gotten to such an advanced level with a dead man’s technique.”
“It’s probably because the swordsmanship left behind was exceptional.”
“Shall we start by practicing mana manipulation?”
Following Sam’s instructions, he used Harungel’s breathing technique to mobilize his mana.
Mana flowed along the predetermined paths within his body. Watching this, Sam furrowed his eyebrows.
“Interesting….”
Catching his breath, he asked feigning ignorance.
“What’s so interesting?”
“It’s that the breathing technique you’re using is so similar to what I know.”
Sam stood up.
He followed suit.
“Would you mind showing me some of your sword skills?”
“Yes.”
Redin grabbed a nearby wooden sword and began to demonstrate Harungel’s sword techniques.
Starting with a slash.
From gust slash to storm slash.
He finished the demonstration with a slight mana boost, shaping it into a half moon slash and a full moon slash.
“This is crazy.”
“…..”
“The sword skills you’ve acquired are the Sword Master’s sword skills.”
“Huh?”
“What a coincidence. Somehow, I sensed it the moment I saw your face.”
Sam laughed weakly, the corners of his mouth twitching upward.
“That’s good. It won’t take you long to work your way up to master, given what you’ve already learned.”
“I can’t believe my master is a…… sword master.”
“I suppose such luck is also a skill.”
Sam pulled out the wooden wooden sword next to him and stood opposite him, holding it up.
“It’s best to exchange swords to determine your true skill. I want you to put everything you’ve got into it.”
“Are you sure that’s okay?”
“I’ve been living for three years in the Central League without dying, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
“Understood.”
Redin bowed his head slightly before raising his sword.
“Then let’s start.”
The moment Sam nodded.
With a quick stomp of the foot, he lunged at Sam, his sword aimed at Sam’s neck.
*Thwack!*
Sam lightly blocked the attack.
Already anticipating it.
Redin rotated his body, creating a gust of wind.
With a strong spinning motion, he followed it up with a storm slash.
*Thwack!*
*Clang!*
*Clang!*
Sam parried the attack with ease.
He distanced himself and took a moment to compose himself.
“Like I said, I want you to give it your all. That’s the only way I can get a clear idea of your skill.”
“Yes.”
Calling up all his mana, he turned to face Sam.
As he took his stance, he mentally visualized the mid-tier of Harungel.
Mid-Tier 1st Skill.
Half Moon Wave.
The aura blade from the wooden sword flew at Sam in a crescent arc, prompting Sam to use the same half-moon attack.
*Boom!*
The two forces clashed and exploded.
But the academy and wooden sword remained intact.
Now that he knew he could go wild, it was time to put his all into his attack.
After all, there was only one sword technique he had mastered that was the most powerful.
A technique that required all of his strength.
Taking a deep breath, he channeled all his mana into the sword. The mana emanating from the sword formed a circle, forming a moon.
A full moon of blue light.
Sam’s figure was layered behind it.
Still, perhaps because he had used it once, his body had gotten used to it, as opposed to the first time.
“Haaaaab!”
Redin swung his sword with a fierce intent.
With two swift swipes, a cross was drawn on the full moon, followed by a violent mana storm that swept through the surroundings.
*Whiiirrr*
Having poured out all the energy in his body, his legs gave way. He barely managed to maintain his posture as he hit the ground.
Lifting his head, he stared in Sam’s direction.
With a nod as if he’d figured something out, Sam raised his sword toward him.
“It would be quicker to experience it yourself.”
As Sam raised the blade, his body sent a warning.
A tingling sensation.
This time, the full moon Sam had created was reflected in his eyes. It was the same moon created by the same sword technique, but something about it was different than his.
The moon shone with brilliance.
A feeling of being its own.
*Ooooh!*
While Redin was mesmerized by the full moon.
The sword strike from Sam’s sword fell on his head.
*Thwack!*
The wooden sword struck his head, and the full moon in front of him disappeared.
“You probably got the idea, right?”
“Yes.”