The Duke's Son :Re-Chapter 283
If Ji Cheon-Myeong was the hyena—moving in the Yaksha’s wake to feed on the Kang family’s remains—then Yamamoto was a tiger. He, alongside Qilin, had crippled the Yaksha with his own hands.
“Yamamoto, or should I say Sword Master!”
Jae-Hyeok arrived like a bolt of lightning and slammed Iyarugt in an overhead arch. Sword met sword, and a metallic wail split the air.
Yamamoto’s clone—the Sword Master—twisted his wrist. Sparks sprayed between Iyarugt’s glassy edge and the sword breaker’s serrated teeth. Behind the tengu mask came a bleak voice: “Even with that sword, your strength is meaningless before me.”
So far, Jae-Hyeok had cut through throngs of enemies, mithril door plating, and even black iron composite—his sword preserving a pristine edge all the while. Such a feat could only be achieved by a legendary-rated item with the “unbreakable” modifier.
However, Yamamoto’s third sword, Samekiba, was also legendary-rated and unbreakable, and it was even of the sword-breaker class, having an aggressive design that excelled in direct clashes.
“Hmph.”
Pressing hard, the Sword Master dragged Samekiba horizontally. The Samekiba’s serrated teeth locked against Iyarugt’s edge and pulled it along, threatening to disarm Jae-Hyeok or snap his wrist—before it could, Jae-Hyeok angled the flat of Iyarugt forward and slipped free.
Sweat trickled down Jae-Hyeok’s temple, and he narrowed his eyes.
“I’ll deal with him!”
Theodore sensed Jae-Hyeok’s intent and rushed forward, yet Yamamoto’s original body kept pace.
“Oh no you don’t.”
Yamamoto’s two swords weaved tight arcs around and across Theodore, blocking its path to Jae-Hyeok while also slashing at its waist.
“Hmph! Oh yes I do—”
Theodore fell into a low stance and charged forward like an angry bull.
Yamamoto’s expression changed. He could hold his ground—but if he did and failed to stop Theodore in one strike, then it would be too late for regrets; Theodore would be on top of him.
Eyes flickering, Yamamoto side-stepped and brought his swords around in a double cross cut. Theodore’s chest rang like a bell, but its steps didn’t falter.
Theodore tore past Yamamoto and thrust toward the Sword Master.
The Sword Master tilted his head and spoke behind the tangu mask.
“I said, I won’t allow it—Shadow Swap.”
As the words rang in the air, the Sword Master and Yamamoto apparently vanished and reappeared in each other’s positions.
Yamamoto smoothly deflected Theodore’s thrust, while the Sword Master struck at Jae-Hyeok’s back.
Jae-Hyeok spun and deflected the Samekiba, but—
Bang!
The Sword Master withdrew his scabbard, the end of which dripped with Jae-Hyeok’s blood.
Jae-Hyeok wobbled but maintained Guard. His ears rang, his cheek burned, and the ground spun around him—the bones of his cheek were shattered, he was sure.
The Sword Master spoke.
“‘Iaijutsu traces its origins to the samurai of Japan.. You can’t surpass me with your Kang-style swordsmanship.”
From tone to posture, the Sword Master was entirely at ease. What’s more, his comments on Jae-Hyeok’s sword technique brooked no doubt; after all, it wasn’t his first time dealing with a master of the Kang’s sword arts.
“It was the same for your father.”
The Sword Master’s indifferent words carried no venom or gloating, only fact.
A beat of stillness followed the Sword Master’s remark, and then—
“You.”
Jae-Hyeok pointed.
“Shut up.”
Jae-Hyeok’s eyes glowed, reflecting brilliant crackling light gathering at his gloved hand.
The Sword Master’s tengu mask tilted slightly before realization struck, but it was already too late; a beam of tribulation thunder tore from Jae-Hyeok’s finger and pierced through the Sword Master.
“G-g-g!”
“Ag-g-g!”
The Sword Master convulsed, and so did Yamamoto.
Shadow clones had the same stats as the main body and were an undoubtedly powerful Skill. However, it wasn’t invincible; the damage taken by the clone applied fully to the player’s original body as well.
“You don’t have the right to evaluate my swordsmanship. Sword Master? You’re nothing but a puppet.”
Having reached this point, Jae-Hyeok saw through the essence of Yamamoto’s Skill.
Just a few days ago, he’d obtained some information from his sister about the Eclipse Remnants, one of the few SS-grade gates in the world.
The gate connected to a place that had once been an assassin league’s basecamp. The league’s history went back hundreds, no, thousands of years, and, as fate would have it, the assassin ghosts lingering there all shared a Skill in common: Shadow Control—the very same Skill that Yamamoto was using now.
“How dare you discuss the limits of the Kang-style swordsmanship?”
“Grrrrruk! This isn’t real swordsmanship e-either!”
Yamamoto’s voice shifted from near to far as his shadow clone rapidly faded under Jae-Hyeok’s lightning.
“Shit! Gale Sword!”
Yamamoto lost his composure and played his trump card.
Dozens of wind blades rushed from his sword and swept toward Jae-Hyeok at terrible speed.
Unmatched in range and speed, Yamamoto’s wind-attribute Skill was indeed impressive. Had Yamamoto not acquired Shadow Control and instead focused solely on Gale Sword, he may well have become the Sword Master himself.
Jae-Hyeok couldn’t dodge all of the wind blades, and he didn’t bother to try.
Slash!
With a sweep of Iyarugt, Jae-Hyeok cut the Sword Master’s neck. The semi-transparent shadow clone betrayed no reaction, but Yamamoto...
“Ack!”
Yamamoto clutched his neck, but the blood flowed freely between his fingers. His mouth moved in a silent scream, and an instant later, the roar of wind took its place.
Gale Sword, Gale Sword, Gale Sword.
Yamamoto called upon his transcendental mana affinity to entirely bypass Gale Sword’s cooldown. The result was an exercise of limitless power—but there came a price. Mana escaped his dantian[1] like water from a firehose.
[Your dantian has been damaged due to excessive Skill usage. All stats have permanently decreased by 10.]
[Your dantian has been damaged due to excessive Skill usage. All stats have permanently decreased by 20.]
[Your dantian...]
It wasn’t just his throat and mouth—soon blood was welling from Yamamoto’s every orifice. His knees wobbled, his hands shook, and his vision clouded.
Nevertheless, his mind was clear.
I have to kill this guy first. The injuries can be handled later.
The dantian was incomparably sturdier than an ordinary organ.
In particular, the dantians of high-level players were as solid as if they had been assembled from ultra-high-strength metal; he’d learned that fact while destroying the Yaksha eight years ago.
Yes, I can bear this much. I won’t die here, not when I’ve yet to become the strongest...
Who in this world didn’t have their own story?
Yamamoto had known the cold touch of loss, and he’d spent decades hardening his heart, devoting himself to training, slaying, and scheming until finally, he’d achieved his revenge...
He’d softened quite a bit in the years that followed, even earning himself the title Chivalrous. But in truth—no amount of charity or good deeds would absolve his sins.
His hands were steeped in blood, more than he could make up for...
Still, though it weighed on his heart, he never regretted his choice.
He’d promised her, after all.
I must keep my oath. I swore it, swore to become the strongest, swore to change the world! I—
Red and gold flashed. Yamamoto’s vision shook, and a terrible crunch filled the air.
Then came the pain.
“Y-you.”
Jae-Hyeok withdrew Iyarugt from Yamamoto’s abdomen. At the same time, he lifted his other hand off Yamamoto’s scorched and ruined chest. Having pumped a tribulation bolt through his heart, there wasn’t much left to look at.
Sparks flickered in Jae-Hyeok’s black eyes, and Yamamoto felt as if he were peering into a starry abyss.
That gaze. That emotionless gaze...
Yamamoto realized it then. When it came to reaping lives, he’d never hesitated. Now, the butcher had become the cattle, and he was met with a gaze he recognized all too well.
It serves me right.
Yamamoto humbly closed his eyes as his head flew into the air.
Flash!
The light of a level-up rose from Jae-Hyeok’s battered body.
“Finally... Father, do you see? I’ve... I’ve avenged you.”
“Thank you. Now go. Live your life from now on.”
Jae-Hyeok’s eyes widened.
“Father?”
Was he hallucinating?
No, it couldn’t be. He’d never once thought of living for himself. He was Kang Jae-Hyeok, a born aristocrat and proud son of Duke Kang. His duties were his to bear. Not even in his dreams would he consider abandoning them.
“Father... is that you?”
It was an era full of miracles. Perhaps he really had heard his father’s voice?
Trembling, Jae-Hyeok turned his head toward the west, in the direction of the Kang Estate. He needed to hurry back.
[You have defeated Yamamoto, a candidate for the world’s strongest.]
[Legendary achievement! All stats have increased by 10.]
[Your level has risen by 3.]
[The Firebird’s Essence has absorbed Yamamoto’s mana.]
[Through the Firebird’s Essence, you have mastered the Skill Shadow Control imbued in Yamamoto’s mana.]
[The Skill Shadow Control has been unlocked.]
The Firebird’s Essence radiated warmth.
Jae-Hyeok pressed a hand to his chest, and his hope grew.
1. Both here and in the subsequent System messages, the author uses the term “mana core,” not “dantian.” This seemed like a mistake, so I changed it. ☜
