The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 231

175. Opening the Box (2)

[A human has entered this place.]

Caryl slowly opened his eyes at the voice he heard.

[And a time regressor at that… The one who woke me up from my slumber is quite interesting. It’s amazing that someone like you still exists.]

“……”

Another person waving at him.

It was like looking in a mirror.

The only difference was that even if he didn’t move, the person who looked exactly like him in front of him was moving freely.

[I see. You climbed the tower. So ‘that’ still existed? I thought it had completely disappeared after the Dimension Spiral was destroyed…….]

He was saying things he couldn’t understand.

Caryl looked at the actions of his doppelganger with a disapproving expression.

[Ah……. Yula must have obtained one of the many fragments as a reward for her victory. That’s right. That’s what happened. The Blader of this dimension was defeated by God.]

“Hmm…….”

He smirked at his doppelganger.

“Have you finished talking? I can’t understand a word you’re saying. The age of mythology ended thousands of years ago. I know you’re happy to see someone after a long time, but you need to explain it in a way that I can understand.”

[Are you asking me because you don’t know? If you’ve climbed Pharel, you should know what the game of God that took place in this dimension means.]

Caryl’s eyebrows twitched slightly at the doppelganger’s words.

[And surely……. You don’t think God doesn’t know about your existence as a time regressor, do you? Time is absolute and eternal. If you go against time, all beings in time may not know you. But the only exception is God.]

“……”

[Kill God? That’s absurd. Right now, Yula is looking down at your antics from above, like watching a play. How the tragic hero struggles.]

Words like daggers.

He had expected it to some extent from the moment he regressed. The Pharel structure itself was something related to God.

But hearing those words directly made even his steel-like heart tremble a little.

Knowing about the regression meant knowing about his past life.

If they knew what he had returned with, it was like having to hide a dagger while being completely naked.

‘I can do it.’

But Caryl didn’t change his expression even at the doppelganger’s words.

“You dare say such things with my face. Is it because it’s a relic from the age of mythology before the magic era? Your actions are so boring that I can’t even yawn. Even Yula wouldn’t do something like this.”

Caryl pointed at his doppelganger and said.

“If you know that I’m a time regressor, you should also know how I feel about Yula – that she can’t be a threat.”

Crack-!!!

As soon as he finished speaking, he gnashed his teeth at the doppelganger with anger.

“Whether Yula knows or not is not important. It’s enough that I’ve been given another chance.”

Then his doppelganger’s face hardened. Caryl chuckled again at the sight.

“Do you think those who died by my hand didn’t know why they were dying? Even if you know, you can’t avoid death.”

He slowly scanned his surroundings.

All he could see was darkness.

Beneath his feet, the rippling water shimmered as if he were on the surface, creating ripples with each step.

“There’s really no progress. Every single background is the same…….”

He lightly tapped the doppelganger’s shoulder and said.

“Having a guy with my face in front of me means I know what’s going to happen. Is there some kind of trial or test given? What is it? Can I just kill you?”

[…….]

Whoosh—!!!

Caryl grabbed the doppelganger by the collar with all his might and pulled him down. With the eyes of a beast that seemed ready to devour him, he warned.

[Keuk?!]

“Where do you think you’re hiding without even showing your face properly, daring to wear my face? I am only me. I’m the one who stabbed a sword into the face of God. Do you think I can’t do it to my own face?”

He pushed the doppelganger away with all his might.

As the guy staggered and fell backward, the water on the surface splashed everywhere from the impact.

Swish-

He drew Ice Claw and aimed it at the doppelganger who had collapsed.

The pure white cold air flowed down as if mocking him.

“If you’re going to attack, then attack, and if you’re not, then don’t. Stop this foolishness. If you were me, wouldn’t you draw your sword instead of rambling on?”

Caryl pointed to the Ice Claw that the doppelganger was wearing on his waist and said.

Swish-

The doppelganger slowly got up.

The sharp metallic sound of the blade echoed in the darkness. The surface of the water that the blade touched instantly froze.

Caryl slowly raised the corners of his lips at the sight.

He then spoke to his other self as if he finally understood.

“Yeah, that’s it.”

* * *

Clang—!!

The two blades collided.

With the sound of metal grinding, the two identical people faced each other.

As the doppelganger opened his mouth while looking at Caryl, a thin, long tongue that could not be called human trembled and moved as if mocking him.

The long tongue brushed against Caryl’s cheek.

“……”

A coldness that felt like no warmth at all.

Caryl nonchalantly wiped the guy’s sticky saliva from his cheek with the back of his hand.

At the same time, he released the force on the sword that was touching him, and the doppelganger’s body staggered.

[!?]

As he lost his balance, the guy’s face came a little closer to Caryl.

Thud—!!

Without missing the moment, he punched the guy’s waist with all his might.

But rather, Caryl’s expression hardened as he launched the attack. As if he had already anticipated his attack, the guy dropped his sword and grabbed his fist with both hands.

He lifted his arm over his head and rotated it once, breaking Caryl’s arm, and then grabbed the sword that he had left floating in the air with his remaining arm.

Everything happened in a flash.

Clang—!!

Clang-!!

The moment the guy swung his sword down at his neck, Caryl kicked off the floor and jumped to the other side, releasing his arm in the air.

Barely avoiding the guy’s attack, he pushed his sword forward with all his might, and the distance between the two widened with a sharp tearing sound.

“Seriously, I was supposed to find a clue to the Queen of the Hail being sealed, but some random guy comes out and interferes.”

Caryl stuck his sword into the floor and tilted his head from side to side as if loosening his neck.

“It’s not enough. If it’s only this much, I don’t think Nar Di Maugh would have bothered to hide it.”

He shook his head as if he wasn’t satisfied.

[Are you saying you’re weak yourself?]

“No. It’s true that I’m the strongest on the continent. I mean that you don’t meet my expectations. You have my face, but you’re not me, are you?”

[……Full of arrogance.]

“It’s neither arrogance nor confidence.”

Caryl’s sword began to hum lowly.

“I’m just stating the facts as they are.”

[…….]

“If it’s a Mythic-grade relic, shouldn’t there be something more? If there’s something beyond what I’ve done, something that surpasses me, then I’ll be attracted to you. Don’t you think?”

Caryl took a stance.

“If not, I’ll do it first.”

On the first day he broke through the wall of the 6th class, when the magic felt from the magic blood vessels wrapped around his whole body, he sensed it.

“Did you see my past life too? I’m using this for the first time here.”

That he would now be able to reach the final stance of the sword that he had not yet achieved.

“Well……. If you were me, you wouldn’t die without even being able to block your own sword, would you?”

Tap-

As Caryl jumped up, stepping on the surface of the water, the initially weak wave instantly turned into a fierce roar like thunder.

Quaga Gaga Gagak……!!!!!

The roars rained down one after another, and the air around Caryl, who had lowered his stance, was compressed around him as if it were being sucked in.

[Keuk?!]

The doppelganger hurriedly raised his sword.

But he had already lost his balance, and the guy’s body staggered and bent.

5th Spirale Serpent Posture

Caryl lowered his sword even further and flashed his eyes between the blades. Like a crouching predator just before aiming for its prey, he did not take his eyes off the enemy who had entered his range and gave strength to the handle of the sword as it was.

Keeyang!!

Clang- Kaang–!!!

With the sound of swords colliding, Caryl’s sword grazed the doppelganger’s shoulder.

With the sound of the air exploding, black smoke billowed from the part where the blade grazed.

[…….]

The doppelganger’s body, which had been wielding the sword, stopped.

Pak……!! Papapak……!!!

Pajajajajak—!!!

Even though it was only a single sword strike, sharp sword wounds began to erupt belatedly on the guy’s entire body from his shoulder to his feet at the same time as the end of the battle.

[Eeek……!!]

The doppelganger wore an unbelievable expression.

It was as if he was embarrassed by the situation that far exceeded the standard he had assumed.

He swung his sword with all his might.

But the attack he launched with his body in such a mess could not possibly reach Caryl.

“Am I that weak?”

Deflecting the sword, Caryl instead rushed at him.

“No way.”

Crack-

Instead of answering, the doppelganger bit his teeth and waved his arms with all his might. But even faster than that, Caryl grabbed the guy’s face and slammed it into the floor as it was.

Quaaaang……!!!

It wouldn’t be a pleasant thing to see his face distorted, but Caryl’s expression didn’t change at all.

“Will your real face come out if I peel off your skin?”

[Keok…… Keokeok……!]

“Or should I just cut off your head?”

The doppelganger felt fear for the first time at Caryl’s appearance.

There were no tricks.

There was only the result that he had overwhelmed himself with pure strength before his eyes.

Thud–!!

He shook off the head he had been grabbing as if throwing it away roughly.

Then he stepped back and said.

“Draw your sword.”

[…….]

“Or it would be more beneficial to spend time talking about why you’re sealed in the box and what your identity is than this meaningless fight.”

Instead of answering Caryl’s suggestion, the doppelganger drew his sword.

With an expression that said, “I knew it,” he also readjusted his stance.

“I guess we still have to share our conversation with swords rather than words.”

Black energy rose around the doppelganger as if an aura was spreading.

Caryl knew what that power was.

It was dark power.

The blade of the sword that the doppelganger was holding began to turn black. He raised one eyebrow slightly at the transformation he had never seen before and said.

“It’s a power that I can’t even use properly yet. There’s something better than me.”

But instead of answering Caryl’s words, the doppelganger drew his sword.

Flap……!!

The 5m gap between the two was instantly narrowed.

The water droplets splashing from both sides left irregular ripples instead of footprints.

“But it’s neither spirit power nor magic power. Could it be that darkness is your inherent power, like corruption?”

Caryl put magic power into both feet.

Quaga Gagagak—!!

After reaching the ranks of the 6th class, he was now able to perfectly control some of the magic power of the magic blood vessels.

Rather than relying on auxiliary magic, it was more effective to circulate the magic power itself within the body, so he was able to fight as he wished for the first time.

It was the way of the swordsman.

Zzzzzang……!!

Ice Claw began to spew sword energy in all directions as if dancing.

Cheaaang……! Chegang!! Kagagagagang……!!!

When the aura blade created by Caryl and the doppelganger’s dark sword collided, a fierce roar erupted.

Whoosh—!

In a flash,

Caryl’s sword bent in a strange direction and pushed the sword in with all his might.

Colorless Sword (無色氣劍) – Form 4.

2nd Unicorn Posture.

The two one-point attack sword techniques erupted at the same time. His body was one, but in a short moment that he couldn’t even react to, he rushed to both sides of the doppelganger as if his body had become two.

Quaaaaaaaaa……!!!

But the doppelganger reacted to the continuous attacks that unfolded in that instant. No, rather than reacting, it was as if he knew it from the beginning.

Should I say that the space itself was the same as him?

Without even giving a glance, the doppelganger zigzagged his sword and blocked Caryl’s sword strikes.

A bitter smile.

The doppelganger rushed at Caryl at the same time and drew his sword.

1st Crown Posture.

Flap……!!!

It was then.

[……!!!]

The dark sword that had come right in front of him abruptly changed direction vertically just before beheading Caryl’s neck, and his body disappeared.

Once, twice, three times.

Caryl’s figure appeared and disappeared in the darkness as if lightning was flashing.

Zzzzzang……!!

The doppelganger’s sword drew through the air, and conversely, the arcane blade that soared on Caryl’s blade mercilessly cut through the doppelganger’s back.

[Kaaack……!!]

With a scream of pain, the doppelganger’s body bent backwards. Caryl stepped on his waist, which was falling forward, with all his might once again.

Cooong!!

“Hmm, it’s a bit difficult because it’s the first time……. But it’s as expected.”

[That’s…….]

“It’s nothing. It’s a minor technique to erase your presence. Are you stupid? Your abilities may be better than mine, but everything you use in terms of technique is what I know. There’s no way that would work on me. But it seems you can only use techniques that you’ve learned separately from what I know.”

Caryl lifted his foot and stepped on the back of the doppelganger’s head again as if he were trampling on it.

[Keu…… Keuek……!!]

“It was helpful to hear it from Aidan.”

The technique he had used a little while ago was the secret art of the dark night, Inbo (忍步) [a stealth technique], which erases one’s presence.

But Caryl not only used Inbo, but also used the teleportation magic Blink (Blink) together to erase his presence and teleport, avoiding the doppelganger’s eyes.

Chuck-

Caryl’s sword touched the doppelganger’s neck.

“If it works on you, it means it will work on other strong people. Thanks to you, I’m learning something good.”

He sharpened the Ice Claw and stabbed the sword into the side of the doppelganger’s neck, which was lying face down.

“Now, shall we find out what your identity is?”

[Keo…… Keok!!]

Caryl put more strength into the foot he was stepping on so that the doppelganger couldn’t struggle, and the doppelganger groaned.

“Uh……?”

It was then.

The moment Caryl lowered his head towards the doppelganger, he frowned slightly as if something was strange.

He hurriedly drew his sword and slashed the floor, and the black smoke that was spread on the floor disappeared along the path of the sword, and was quickly filled again along with the splashing water droplets.

‘There’s something inside?’

The floor, which had only appeared black, was actually transparent, and the smoke and black water on top of it were covering it.

The smoke and water were like a curtain to hide something.

As if,

Looking down at the bottom, which was so deep that it was difficult to see with the naked eye, like the abyss, Caryl frowned slightly and said.

“That is…….”