Mod7 Translations

I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 209

Added 2024-11-27 01:45:34 +0000 UTC

Chapter 209: Those Who Rage (9)

Kugagagagak—!

“Ugh!”

Talfon’s heavy first strike sent a jolt through my entire body.

I managed to channel mana into my sword and deflect the blow, but… the fabric of my shoulder was torn to shreds.

And what happened behind me was even more spectacular.

“…”

Three fissures, carved into the earth by his sword qi, spread out like claw marks.

A cold sweat trickled down my back.

‘…He wasn’t kidding.’

I was lucky to have deflected the blow. If it had landed, I wouldn't be standing here right now.

So his warning about fighting with the intention to kill… was serious.

‘Damn it. I thought he was just bluffing.’

I finally understood.

This wasn’t some petty threat. This was a fight to the death.

▶ Achieve 80% or higher Completion Rate in the duel with Talfon. ◀

▶ Failure will result in death. ◀

[ Talfon ]

[ Lv. ??? ]

[ HP: ■■■■■■■■■■ ]

This UI, displaying his level and HP…

This was an enemy status window.

I took a deep breath, adjusted my stance and breathing, and began to think.

The final condition for recruiting Talfon as an Agent.

This wasn’t in the game. I hadn't anticipated this at all.

I had assumed it would be a simple spar.

But was it really just a spar?

No.

Absolutely not.

I had all the information I needed.

From the moment I saw his status window, I had sensed his intent, his bloodlust.

An overwhelming pressure, a heavy, oppressive aura, radiated from him, pressing against my skin.

Just like the system message had indicated, what he was emanating wasn't fighting spirit, it was killing intent.

And finally…

My Completion Rate was currently at 0%.

‘This isn’t a test. This isn’t a spar.’

I finally understood.

This game was never that straightforward.

This was an obstacle, a trigger designed to prevent the player from progressing.

And if that was the case… I had to find a way to overcome it.

-Clang!

“…!”

I wouldn’t die here.

***

After deflecting the first blow and momentarily startling him with his swift reaction, their swords clashed again as he launched his second attack.

Carsen boldly closed the distance, pushing into his space, ready to fight.

‘So he’s finally taking this seriously.’

Talfon knew Carsein wasn’t like those weak, pathetic Imperial nobles who fainted at the mere sight of his aura.

The fact that he was standing here, sword in hand, meeting his gaze, proved that slaying the Scorpion King hadn’t been a fluke.

But that wasn’t enough.

-Crack!

“…!”

Their crossed blades shifted, the balance of power tilting as Talfon put more force behind his attack.

Carsein sensed the change, but it was too late. Their swords separated.

Talfon’s blade lunged forward, its speed blinding, aimed directly at Carsein’s throat.

Fwip!

‘Hmm?!’

A moment too late, but he had dodged, twisting his body and leaping back.

‘But you’re not out of danger yet.’

Talfon released his grip on his sword with one hand.

And then, he channeled mana into his free hand, bringing it down with a resounding crash.

-Boom!!

A cloud of dust erupted from the ground.

The impact crater spoke volumes. A direct hit would have been devastating.

But Talfon’s hand hadn’t connected.

“…Nimble. You managed to slip through.”

Brushing the dust and debris from his empty hand, Talfon straightened up.

Carsein stood a few paces away, catching his breath.

It wasn’t hard to guess what had happened.

Startled by the sudden surge of power, he hadn't tried to match it. He had retreated, using Talfon’s own momentum against him, twisting his body and slipping out of the way.

He might have lost his grip on his sword, but it had been a calculated move, a way to lower his center of gravity and prepare for the next attack.

He had dodged at the perfect moment, escaping a potentially fatal blow.

‘Impressive. Almost as if he calculated it.’

It had been a long time since he had encountered such a worthy opponent.

Talfon smiled inwardly, a surge of excitement coursing through him.

But this wasn’t enough.

His smile faded quickly.

Raising his sword again, Talfon asked,

“Why did you dodge? Why didn't you use your mana?”

“…”

“The difference in our strength isn’t that significant. You could have blocked it.”

Carsein, who had been silent, finally spoke, his voice quiet.

“I have to conserve my strength. Even the smallest amount.”

“Hmm?”

Conserve his strength?

What did he mean? Was he saying he had to conserve his strength for later?

But Carsein didn’t elaborate.

Instead, he adopted a strange, unfamiliar stance.

‘…That’s not an Imperial sword style.’

He had never seen such a peculiar stance in any of the Empire’s noble families.

And it wasn’t a Western style either, nor did it resemble any of the lost kingdom’s techniques. It wasn’t the Wederos Kingdom style.

And then, Carsein moved, his sword flashing like a hummingbird’s wings.

-Clang! Clang!

He still wasn’t using his mana.

And his attacks weren’t particularly powerful. But…

-Clang! Clang! Thwack!

After exchanging a few blows, Talfon realized…

‘…This is annoying.’

His attacks, while weak individually, were relentless, a flurry of swift, precise strikes that kept him off balance.

If he kept blocking passively, he would be at a disadvantage. If he didn’t want to lose face by being defeated without using his full strength, he had to counterattack.

-Parry! Thwack!

He deflected a powerful blow, and then Carsein, using the momentum, kicked him in the side. If he hadn’t blocked with his arm, it would have been a significant hit.

And through that exchange, Talfon finally caught the scent.

A scent that made him frown.

‘What is this… unsettling odor?’

Carsein’s swordsmanship and his physical abilities were both exceptional. He had clearly honed his skills through rigorous training and countless battles. He wouldn’t be outmatched even against the Lilpet Tribe’s warriors.

But there was a chilling coldness emanating from him.

His precise attacks, his calculated movements, the way he danced on the edge of danger… It was the scent of someone cornered, desperate.

Why would Carsein, who was clearly in control of the fight, have such a scent?

He had finally found a worthy opponent, but there was no time to enjoy the fight.

He had to understand the source of this contradiction.

Talfon charged at Carsein with all his might.

Dust clouds erupted as the ground cracked and shattered beneath their feet.

‘You’ve managed to deflect my attacks so far, but you can’t dodge this.’

If he didn’t use his mana, he would be caught in a perfect counter.

Show me your mana, Carsein!

Just as Talfon’s blade was about to cleave through Carsein’s left shoulder, severing his arm…

Carsein’s mana finally surged into his sword.

Talfon grinned and met the attack head-on, creating a burst of energy.

And then…

‘What… What is this…?’

The scent that reached him filled him with shock.

***

All humans possessed mana, whether they realized it or not. And just as no two humans were exactly alike, no two mana signatures were identical.

The reason was simple.

Mana contained a person's life experiences, their memories.

No matter how similar two lives might seem, they could never be truly identical.

The same applied to memories. Even shared experiences were remembered differently.

That’s why mana, containing a person’s personality, values, beliefs, and everything that made them unique, could be used to distinguish individuals.

But the most prominent component of a person’s mana signature was their emotions.

The most intense emotions, the most vivid memories, shaped a person's being. Therefore, it was no exaggeration to say that emotions formed the core of a person’s mana.

The Lilpet Tribe, with their exceptional sense of smell, could perceive a wide range of scents, but their specialty was mana, the scent of intense emotions.

And Carsein’s mana… emitted an unsettling odor.

It was clearly the scent of someone who had lived a life of loneliness and pain.

The metallic tang of blood, the salty scent of tears, the unsettling aroma of something rotting, the cloying sweetness of some unknown fruit, the acrid stench of… was that stomach acid?

Ostracized by one group, isolated by another, falsely accused, betrayed… Talfon, a Lilpet tribesman, recognized the scent.

It was the chilling coldness of someone trapped in an abyss of ice.

Judging by the intensity of the scent, he had likely endured such abuse since childhood.

That much, Talfon could understand.

A life filled with loneliness and pain. Misfortune wasn’t a stranger to him.

But why… Why was there no trace of resistance? Of defiance?

Such intense suffering should be accompanied by other emotions.

A longing for connection, a desperate desire for freedom from pain.

But chillingly, Carsein’s mana contained no such emotions.

Had his emotions been completely extinguished?

Impossible!

Humans were inherently emotional beings.

It couldn’t be true.

But… that scent of loneliness and pain, that chilling coldness… that was all there was.

No matter how many times their swords clashed, no matter how much mana he infused into his attacks, the other emotions were absent.

Was this your scent?

Was this a fragment of your life, a shard of your memories?

Had you become so numb to pain and loneliness that you couldn’t even feel them anymore?

It was ominous.

It felt like he was being consumed by something, a dark, unsettling presence.

“…!”

-Clang!

Even as he analyzed Carsein’s mana, the fight continued.

Carsein kept parrying Talfon’s attacks, occasionally pushing him back with surprisingly powerful blows.

He hadn't launched a full-fledged counterattack yet, but it was all part of his plan.

During an exchange of blows, Talfon lost his footing and was forced to retreat.

And now, Carsein’s sword was at his throat.

“Is this the end?”

He asked, his voice strained, his body exhausted.

“…Yes. I yield.”

It was a clear, undeniable defeat.

Talfon, who had never lost to an Imperial, had been defeated by Carsein.

But he didn't feel any resentment, any desire for revenge. No, he couldn't.

“You’re worthy of my allegiance. No, I should say, we are now indebted to you. Because of my defeat.”

But…

“I have one question. Carsein. Why are you so… apathetic?”

While mana could reveal a person’s emotional state, it couldn’t provide specific details.

He had to ask Carsein directly.

Why wasn't he reacting? Why wasn’t he showing any emotion after enduring such hardship?

But Carsein simply collapsed.

“…”

So he wouldn’t answer.

Or perhaps… he couldn’t.

“Carsein! Are you alright?! Are you hurt?!”

Harnie rushed over, her face pale with worry.

“He’s just exhausted. He’ll be fine after some rest.”

“…Is that so?”

“Don’t look at me like that. I had to assess him, to make sure he was truly a survivor of the Wederos Kingdom.”

“The Wederos Kingdom…?”

“I’ll explain later. Let’s get him to bed.”

“O-Okay.”

There was no doubt that Carsein was connected to the Wederos Kingdom. The swordsmanship he had used after awakening his mana was undeniably the Wederos Kingdom's magic sword style.

No one in the West, not even the most skilled warriors, could deny it.

But there was one thing that bothered him.

‘It’s strange that he doesn’t seem to realize it himself.’

If he was truly a survivor of the Wederos Kingdom, he should know his connection to the Bagrand Duchy. But Carsein had shown no such awareness.

And that wasn't all. There was something different about his swordsmanship, even though it was clearly the Wederos Kingdom style.

His precise movements, his calculated use of angles and momentum… It seemed more like a highly refined form of physical combat, not the typical mana-infused swordsmanship of the Wederos Kingdom.

Carsein's fighting style was more akin to someone who had mastered conventional swordsmanship and then learned how to incorporate mana into it.

‘I won’t get any answers from him, so I’ll have to ask Pollux.’

But one thing was certain.

He would follow this man.

His doubts had been dispelled, the past grievances forgotten. Carsein might be the key to Lilpet’s survival.

If a man like this was governing a territory… That territory would surely flourish, just like Lusmire.

‘They say Shatrain is blessed land. It seems to be true.’

Despite its current state, a lord like Carsein was a blessing.

He would have to visit Shatrain himself to understand the situation, to see how he could help.

-Ding!

▶ Current Completion Rate: 92%. ◀

▶ All conditions met. Talfon will be registered as your third Agent. ◀