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High unit price quote
Suddenly.
Erosion completely covered my face, accompanied by a strange sound.
It was a dark place with no light visible.
It was warm rather than stuffy.
I no longer felt the pressure of the old man that had been weighing me down.
– Why would you take the difficult path when there is an easy path?
This time the tenant’s presence was fully felt.
‘Okay, just give it to me.’
When I answered like that, the guy’s laughter rang out loud.
– Okay, just hang in there.
Despite his blunt words, his voice was filled with genuine satisfaction.
Grumbling and being satisfied.
He was such a strange kid.
As I thought about that, something came up from inside.
I didn’t think complete erosion would be that simple, though…
‘This… hurts a little.’
A sharp pain similar to that experienced during the Park brain transplant occurred.
A pain that feels like the soul, not the body, is being torn apart.
– That’s why I told you, it’s a difficult path.
The tenant scratched me nonchalantly. No, he seemed to enjoy it. He was like a dog.
‘···Less than before?’
It definitely hurt less than when I had Park’s head shaved.
– Well, I built up your reputation, so the remnants of what you received from that stupid young lady remain.
With the following answer, the second heart that had not adapted began to beat.
The second heart beat furiously, as if it was disappointed that it was only now pumping blood into him. The excruciating pain was slightly reduced.
It was still at a terrible level, though-.
‘I can bear it to this extent.’
If it was pain, I was already used to it.
– Then I guess I can do more.
As my heart began to beat a second time, fueled by the excruciating pain, an indescribable sensation passed through me.
The tenant’s presence overlapped. Now, beyond the level of our thoughts matching, the bastard’s presence had passed over to me.
His body seemed to be growing. His soul seemed to be swelling. He seemed to be breathing in and out without exhaling.
It felt like it was going to explode at any moment-.
[I’m going to name my child Aaron.]
Of all things, the devil’s name-.
I muttered softly and strained my eyes.
The sharp pain in my mind, shattered by vivid memories, was a complete mess, but I somehow managed to keep my balance.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the old man still staring at me.
The old man’s slightly wrinkled face was quite pleasant to look at.
As I exhaled deeply, gray smoke rose beyond the erosion. The air was filled with the smell of ash.
“You are the king of demons.”
The old man spoke in a low voice.
To him I-.
“Has the rumor already spread?”
He answered in a voice that was full of cracks and like scraping iron.
“You must have known the difference in level, so do you really believe in prophecy?”
The old man spoke with a frown.
“Only uncivilized people believe in prophecies.”
I giggled and waved.
The completely eroded body was somewhat awkward, but it was more powerful than ever before. It was more confused than ever before.
The old man’s face became even more wrinkled, as if he was not satisfied with my answer.
I forced myself to focus on the old man.
‘You still have some sanity left. That part, I guess.’
Through the increasingly intense black and white vision, the old man’s central part was visible. The only place that had not been consumed by the black filth – that must have been the old man’s last stronghold.
Judging from the fact that he left that part, it seemed like the old man also knew what transcendence was.
In the end, it’s just something that God eats.
‘I guess I won’t use that part.’
That was some good news.
As I spun my right hand around, a black blade popped up. No, my right hand itself was a black blade. It was quite a nice sight. And practical, too.
As I let out a deep breath, the smell of ash filled the air. The shells attached to my body clashed against each other, making a strange sound.
[So this is how you open the door. Like this!]
I did not deny the confusion that memories brought. The accumulated and vivid memories were a reason and a milestone for me.
At that moment, the old man waved his hand lightly.
It was a horizontal slash. There was no shape to be seen, and not even a sound.
I focused on the old man’s movements with my black and white vision. As soon as I saw the old man’s movements, I remembered them.
Then I desperately recalled what I remembered twice more.
He understood the flow and predicted the direction the sword would go.
It was his neck. He immediately bent down and raised his right arm. A heavy, silent impact was transmitted.
A sharp pain came over me, shaking my mind. Blood welling up from inside flowed out to the corner of my mouth. Black blood poured out from the eroded corner of my mouth.
I only blocked one move, but it felt like my insides were shaking.
However, complete erosion quickly restored him.
“It wasn’t a fluke.”
The old man spoke calmly. I kicked the ground without answering. I had to close the distance.
Tsk-.
The old man clicked his tongue and swung his sword diagonally.
I watched him till the end and remembered. Then I recalled it.
[Bam!]
In the middle, Kanna swung an ice club and got in the way, but I was able to do it somehow.
‘heart.’
I twisted my waist and put my right arm forward. My right arm shook as a heavy impact hit me. Even though I had let it go, my muscles were torn.
The torn flesh was repaired before the next step could be taken.
It was a simple matter of just enduring the pain.
[Tch! I curse myself for being so stupid as to trust you! I will cast you and everything you have into hell. I swear to the stars.]
He stepped forward, smiling bitterly at the cursing Ethan.
As the distance narrowed, the old man waved his hand twice.
A series of sword strikes – As always, I focused on the closest one.
Remember, disassemble, and acquire.
‘waist.’
I desperately shed the first one and took a stance.
The power contained in the second sword strike that followed was even stronger. While muttering curses at the clever method-.
[···Aaron is now 50 Cooper.]
Okay, I have hands too.
I thrust my left arm into the sword. There was a considerable amount of pain in my left arm as it was cut off without a sound, but it was bearable.
Thanks to that, I was able to take advantage of the gap in the sword fight.
‘I have no hands now.’
As he muttered and applied force, the terrible arm grew back quickly. He then advanced again.
“How ignorant.”
The old man muttered and waved his hand. Even though the distance had narrowed, there was no significant change.
The old man just stood there, waving his hands as if swatting away bugs.
As the distance grew shorter, there was less time to remember and react.
His wounds were getting worse, but he could still endure it. If he could just endure the pain, he would recover quickly.
He quickly reached in front and swung his claws.
The old man raised his hand nonchalantly.
My toenail was cut cleanly and flew away. It was cut off with just a brush. It was a bit absurd, but it was within the expected range.
[Nod. Call. Nod.]
Without hesitation, I spun my right arm around, and before the old claw could fall off, a new one grew. Black blood poured out, and the rising pain forcibly took hold of my sanity.
As I thrust my claw into him, the old man clicked his tongue and wiggled his hands.
I predicted the path repeatedly while remembering him. I turned my body so that I could slightly deviate from the sword’s path.
It could be seen as perfect, but-.
‘crazy.’
The old man distorted the composition by twisting his wrist.
The front part was cool. The vertical line drawn long and deep was quite deep, but not deep enough to cause a fall.
‘···how?’
I put strength into my feet and looked at the old man. All I could see was a slightly crumpled expression on his face.
Before blood could spurt from the wound, the old man swung his sword again. It was clearly slow, but it was faster than anything else.
I gritted my teeth and remembered the old man’s movements again. I analyzed and learned them, and anticipated the sword’s path.
He dug his claws into the sword, but-. The old man easily knocked it down by twisting his wrist again.
It was a reaction that could not have been possible without knowing my sword perfectly.
‘······Is he a genius?’
Just like I felt with Hendrix, it seemed like he was destroying me just by looking at me. But it didn’t stop there, he came back with even better swordsmanship by riding on the bastard’s hand.
It was an absurd talent, though-.
However, the results were similar for me. Although I was a total idiot on the inside, what I saw on the outside was similar.
He remembered the old man’s transformed sword again, disassembled it, and acquired it. He predicted the sword path with it-.
There was no sound, but the rainwater behind the old man burst out. The old man’s eyes widened slightly.
The falling raindrops pounded my head. The torn toenail fell off slowly, but it didn’t matter because it grew back.
I quite liked the solid line drawn around the old man’s neck.
“What a strange talent.”
The old man spoke in a still flat voice.
I let out a sharp breath. Gray smoke rose and the smell of ash filled the air.
“Yeah, but you know.”
I didn’t like the way the old man had been nagging me for a while.
The old man stared at me as I muttered.
“That guy who got bitten by Hendrix is really good at holding weight.”
Let’s keep talking like that-.
The old man’s face crumpled in an instant.
At the same time, the black sticky area on the old man’s back became somewhat smaller.
‘This was it.’
As his emotions grew, his ego seemed to grow stronger and his transcendence seemed to weaken.
That is, the more you scratch, the weaker it becomes.
[Kuhh!!]
Kanna’s scream broke my spirit that was about to break apart.
“You ran away ugly, but you pretended to be strong.”
The old man swung his sword at my provocation, but-.
It was just a little slower than before.
The old man’s sword cut deeply into my abdomen. However, in the meantime, my claws cut the old man’s wrist.
At first glance, my wounds seemed deeper-.
I put strength into my stomach and repaired my torn abdomen.
The old man’s wrist wound was still there, so it wasn’t a bad deal.
The estimate was slowly being made.
However, the unit price was higher than expected.
***
‘This is···,’
The sword master frowned as he looked at the man in front of him.
The claws that were poking straight at him were taking the form of a sword.
That swordsmanship was very familiar.
‘···It’s Hendrix’s sword.’
The master of the sword ground his teeth at that.
He was the master of the sword with the talent that was blessed by God. That was why he had never experienced defeat in his life.
He was the master of the sword, whose victory was a given.
Hendrix was the only defeat suffered by the master of that sword.
Of course, since the guy was possessed by a god, we can’t say that he was defeated by him.
Thanks to this, he was the master of the sword who achieved enlightenment and progressed further.
However, there was no place to release him. Hendrix was clearly dead, so there was no way to repay him.
But then I came across a guy with a face that looked like him and who used his sword.
The swordsmanship he wielded was clearly Hendrix’s, but it was of a higher level.
That means-.
‘If we catch him, it’s like we’ve beaten Hendrix.’
The sword master raised the corners of his lips and straightened his sword.
I was annoyed because I had no way to avenge that defeat, but then this guy showed up. I was very lucky.
‘A simple defeat is not enough.’
The master of the sword had no intention of going easily.
It took a brutal win to erase the only blemish.
‘With his swordsmanship – I will destroy him.’
The master of the sword could grasp the entirety of any swordsmanship he saw once, and further develop it.
At that moment, the bastard swung his claws wildly. As soon as I saw the bastard stick out his claws, I saw the entire swordsmanship.
The swordsmanship was completely off-track, crooked, and full of twists and turns. It was the kind of swordsmanship that suited a fool who couldn’t find the right answer and just wandered around.
‘However, his swordsmanship is higher level than that guy’s back then.’
The sword’s owner gave a small exclamation of admiration. I don’t know what happened, but it was definitely of a higher level than what the bastard had used.
However, there were still many unsafe places.
As always, the master of the sword understood the entire swordsmanship, and did not stop there, but improved it by filling in the gaps.
That series of events took place before the bastard took a stance and swung.
I faced the bastard’s claws with the sword technique I created.
However, contrary to expectations, the sword’s owner was pushed back.
‘···hmm?’
Although it was clearly perfectly complementary, the power of the swordsmanship disappeared. His own sword was pushed away.
‘···Why?’
The sword master narrowed his eyes as he kicked away the bastard’s claws.
The guy continued his actions as if nothing had happened.
The sword master focused on the sword again. It was a sword that had more than one or two problems.
It was a swordsmanship so unstable that it felt like an insult to swordsmanship. It was blunt like a demon’s sword and it wavered without any sense of direction.
But, strangely enough, its power was real.
The sword master calmly examined him, supplemented him, and then unfolded his sword.
However, this time again, the power did not come out. I was pushed back by the bastard’s sword.
If you fix the problem, its power disappears?
It was an incomprehensible flow.
The guy who took advantage of the opportunity aimed for the sword master’s shoulder. In response, the sword master once again displayed his swordsmanship.
However, the power still didn’t come out. After crossing it a few times like that, I started to get pushed back.
‘this···.’
I clicked my tongue at the sword of the guy who came right up to me and displayed my swordsmanship.
The situation that had been pushing disappeared in an instant, and the guy’s front leg was deeply cut. Black blood sprayed into the air, and the guy’s body shook violently.
‘That’s it. Useless swordsmanship.’
It was an unstable sword anyway. Wanting to use Hendrix’s sword was just a mockery of him.
It would be enough to just brutally defeat that guy who uses that sword.
The sword master clicked his tongue slightly and swung his sword deeply.
The guy’s carapace was scattered around, and black blood sprayed from the gaping wounds, staining the floor in long lines.
For an ordinary person, it would be a fatal wound that would kill them instantly.
The guy rather advanced.
The sword master swung his sword again. At that moment, the guy lowered his shell towards his face.
A face that looked exactly like the young Hendrix had a bright smile on its face.
“You gave up. Why can’t you follow along?”
The guy was making a fuss.
The sword master was hotly aroused. It was a vulgar provocation, but when combined with his appearance that was just like Hendrix’s, it was extremely irritating.
Even more so because it was something Hendrix would never say.
“It’s just some worthless, crude swordplay.”
The sword master gritted his teeth and swung his sword. The bastard’s carapace was cut open and black blood poured out, but the bastard was still smiling.
“You can’t even imitate my crude swordsmanship. You look so pathetic, like you were defeated and ran away in shame! Hehe.”
The bastard even imitated Hendrix and laughed. The sword master clenched his teeth at the sight, which was so disgusting.
It was a crude and childish provocation, but-.
“How dare you.”
That’s why the fire got even hotter.
The sword master unleashed his sword again. However, it was still in a different form. It had no power.
“Look, you can’t do it. Give up.”
The bastard started yapping again.
The sword master then slashed the bastard’s claws diagonally and unfurled Hendrix’s sword again. It still had no destructive power.
‘I just can’t understand it.’
How can it be that it has been perfectly polished, but its destructive power has disappeared?
If I had just given up and drawn my sword, I could have easily dealt with the guy-.
“You can’t even use a sword.”
The bastard’s strange babbling grated on my nerves. And with Hendrix’s serious face like that, it grated even deeper.
It was true that Hendrix couldn’t unleash his sword. That was an area beyond my understanding.
But I couldn’t give up. I couldn’t tolerate that, because I was the master of the sword.
Even if you rip him apart with another sword technique, the unpleasant feeling will still follow you.
Like the memory of losing to Hendrix-.
“Give up. It’ll be easier if you give up. You might not be able to use swordsmanship at all.”
No, it would be even worse.
The sword master thought differently.
It would be possible to completely change Hendrix’s unstable swordplay.
The sword’s owner nodded slightly and adjusted his grip on the sword.
At that moment, a small line was drawn on the sword owner’s shoulder along with a small sound.
“Oh… Should I tell you?”
Then the face of the guy who was laughing loudly was revealed again.
The guy’s creepy laughter grated on my nerves.
‘This guy······. I’ll show you a complete defeat.’
The sword master narrowed his eyes and adjusted his grip on the sword.
***
“Die a little!”
“···You are the one!”
Mercenary Gibson gasped for breath and put strength into his sword. The Imperial soldier who had his sword overlapping shouted and fought with his strength.
Probably, the one who loses strength first will die.
at that time-.
Kwaaaaang! Kwaaaaang! Kwaaaaang!
A loud noise erupted from somewhere. I couldn’t look away because I was facing each other with my sword, but the sound was so loud that it was deafening.
How much of a power struggle must have been going on?
“Wait a minute! Don’t you think we don’t need to do this?”
The Imperial soldier glanced behind him and said.
It was a welcome offer for Gibson, who was also feeling weak at the time, but he couldn’t believe it since they were trying to kill each other.
“You’re trying to make me let my guard down and stab me!”
Gibson shouted and clenched his fists. The Imperial soldier shook his head in horror.
“That’s not it-. Look at that!”
“Shut up! You coward! Do I look that foolish?”
“Damn it! I swear on my mother!”
Gibson hesitated for a moment at that honest cry. Judging by his clear eyes, he seemed like a filial son…
Kwaaaaang! Eww!
Then, I was startled by a loud noise coming from closer and fell backwards. My posture collapsed and I became tense, but fortunately, the Imperial soldier, being a filial son, did not stab me with his sword.
Let’s turn our heads to him-.
‘···Is that person really the same as us?’
Mercenary Gibson gaped and blinked.
The old man I saw in the plaza earlier was fighting the devil, and the sight was rather shocking.
The old man’s sword cut down two or three buildings at a time, and the buildings were blown up by the demon’s fist that confronted him.
Every time the two got entangled, the terrain itself changed. Flat roads collapsed and the dirt rose up, and neat buildings collapsed and became ruins.
The capital was literally falling apart.
I felt embarrassed that I had just been fighting with my sword and sweating profusely in a fight that was beyond the realm of humanity.
There were guys like that, so why were you fighting with such effort?
The winner among them will decide tonight.
The old man swung his sword lightly, and the demon rushed at him instead. Black blood sprayed out, and the buildings behind him split open in an instant.
The demon’s arm was blown off, but the demon seemed to feel no pain and instead moved forward.
“···Who is that devil?”
The Imperial soldier asked, panting. A deep sense of emptiness was visible on his face.
Perhaps because they had just exchanged swords, Gibson felt a strange sense of kinship and handed over the water bottle he had been drinking from.
“He must be the king of demons.”
“Ah, that… rumor? Thank you.”
“Yeah, I saw you sweating a lot earlier.”
“Ahem···.”
At that moment, the demon roared. The buildings around it were all torn apart, and the demon was covered in black blood.
‘···Then are the devils on our side?’
The sword’s owner was clearly the royal family. There was also a prophecy that the king of demons would destroy the empire, so Gibson must be on the side of that demon.
When I thought about it that way, something felt off.
Its appearance, with its entire body covered in a carapace like a giant insect, spitting ash from its mouth and its entire body covered in yellow eyes, was so terrifying that it seemed like it might appear in my dreams.
He was literally the king of demons.
I dedicated myself to the great cause of rebellion, and yet I have such a devil as my representative. Doesn’t this person seem like the villain?
It also seemed like the devil would lose.
Even though the sword’s owner seemed to have accumulated quite a few wounds, he still had a dignified demeanor. However, his face was red and distorted, as if something had happened.
On the other hand, the devil’s entire body was torn apart and covered in black blood. It was in a state where it wouldn’t have been strange if he collapsed at any moment.
“Why are we fighting among ourselves when there are such monsters?”
The imperial soldiers muttered as they emptied their water canteens and shook themselves.
Gibson felt the same way. It wouldn’t make much difference if a few hundred of us rushed in.
There was a huge pile of imperial knights with white wings. Their faces were hidden by their helmets, but they were dead men who had risen from the dead.
Even the knights who miraculously rose with white wings stood still and watched.
On the other side, there was a coalition of religious orders, rebels, and nobles.
Everyone was just watching quietly, as if a ceasefire had been reached.
Probably everyone is feeling it.
The winner of that battle will determine history.
Gibson observed and then quietly said a prayer.
It was a bit awkward because it had been a while.
‘Please, let the king of these horrible demons win!’
Then suddenly, I wondered if it was okay to pray to God like this.
Kwaaaaaaaah!
That thought was suddenly shattered by another loud noise.
“Shall we go back a bit?”
At that moment, the Imperial Army soldier asked with an embarrassed face. Gibson nodded and suddenly became curious.
“By the way, is your mother in the capital?”
“Oh, I am an orphan.”
Gibson cursed quietly inwardly at the shameless imperial bastard’s answer.
***
[If that’s the case, why did you take it away?]
Berman grumbled after having his umbrella stolen. It’s annoying. He tried to push the guy away while answering-.
Oh, I was playing with the master of the sword.
He corrected his posture, spitting out the blood that had risen up.
‘I think I’m starting to get hungry.’
I tried to hold on to my mind, which was clouded by the confusion caused by vivid memories and the excruciating pain caused by the tenants.
The old man’s patience was better than I thought. Every time I scratched, there was a reaction, but it didn’t go away easily.
At that moment, my arm flew lightly. I waved my hand familiarly.
The severed arm did not grow back.
Even though I shook it irritably, there was no change.
– Arms don’t grow back if they’re cut off.
He chuckled at the tenant’s joke. His concern was conveyed, and he seemed to sense that he had reached his limit.
I looked at the old man with gloomy eyes.
The old man’s condition was not good either, as he had fallen for the provocation and was using poor swordsmanship instead of his ‘perfect’ swordsmanship.
There the body was trembling.
It seems like the question I asked earlier, which one do you like better, ‘Master of Fuck Food’ or ‘Sword’s Fuck Food’, got through.
···We’re almost there.
It was a problem that I only had to endure once.
– It’s already the limit. Here’s more······.
In fact, I didn’t need the bastard’s consent. The tenant’s shock was overwhelming, but I ignored it and gathered my strength.
It was not the tenant’s power but his very existence that was taken over.
The bastard was heavier than I thought.
It wasn’t excruciating pain. My very existence was fading away.
It’s way beyond what I can tolerate.
I understood why those eroding, glowing guys were like that. My demonic sensibilities were rising.
– You fucking punk! How can you be so arrogant···.
The tenant swore at me. The emotion completely came over me.
Was it because the tenant’s presence had passed over? I could feel him completely. He came to mind clearly.
The more it happened, the more I became pale.
To him I-.
[Bam!]
[Do you feel it?]
[Kanna also said she wanted a younger sibling! A younger sibling!]
[Me as a sex slave…. Why are you looking at me!]
I desperately held on to my memories and held on. I somehow managed to keep my balance.
If I was going to be eaten by a mere devil, I would have done it a long time ago.
[Strength comes from awareness.]
I suddenly became aware of Hendrix’s muttering.
‘Ah…, you were arrogant.’
A very late statement-.
The guy didn’t answer.
Now that I think about it, it seems like I’ve been making an appeal in my own way.
‘It felt a bit thick.’
It was a name that suited him well.
As he muttered and shook his arm, an even more handsome and huge arm grew back.
There wasn’t much time.
He grabbed the old man’s sword with his newly grown arm, turned the blade, and stabbed deep with his claws.
For the first time, confusion crossed the old man’s face.
His face was disfigured, but it still looked good on him.
Perhaps realizing his mistake too late, he gave up Hendrix’s swordsmanship and used his own swordsmanship.
It felt a little late.
I looked at the hole in the old man’s shoulder and licked the blood from his toenails. I was imitating Dylan, but he surprisingly responded well.
“Hendrix-! How dare you!”
The old man, his eyes rolling back in anger, took a stance.
That pose was very familiar. It was the pose Hendrix had taught me.
[I’ve been here longer than I thought. This must be his favorite sword technique.]
I nodded to Hendrix’s words.
[This is a dot. Do you know what it means to beat a dot?]
[Strong body and mind.]
They chuckled and faced each other.
I’ve packed my supplies.
Now it was the end of the quote.
