n

n

n10…9…8…

nTravel Completed.

nAfter the world slowly collapsed and reconstructed.

nI found myself standing in front of a huge temple.

n“This..”

nYou became an adventurer who came to Barette Temple.

nSuddenly, I heard loud noises around me.

nLooking around, a medieval European-style city came into view.

nBeautiful streets made of bricks, lively people, towering walls, and strange flying objects.

nOn a flying carpet people were lying down and enjoying the view, and from a crystal ball floating in the air came the sound of something.

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n

n“Crazy.”

nA whole new world.

nCivilization on a different level.

nThis was my first reaction.

nTurning his head with a puzzled look he saw a man riding a horseless carriage with a blue crystal.

nInstinctively moving aside, the carriage passed by.

n“What are you doing standing in the middle of the road?!”

n“…”

nThe carriage quickly disappeared.

n“…Is it a festival?”

nFirecrackers and pollen were flying everywhere, but I don’t know what the festival was for.

n“Like last time, how come I can understand what people are saying?”

n< It’s the effect from the skill Protagonist Hunter. >

n< Linquist (B), grant you the ability to understand the language of the other worlds. And Terra Physique (S), grant your body the ability to adapt to the strange ecosystems. >

n“…What?”

nAn S-Rank skill?

nWith my mouth agape I couldn’t help but think it was absurd.

nAll my life I’ve been hoping to get at least one E-Rank power, but now that I had a S-Rank and B-Rank skill I didn’t feel much excitement.

n“By the way, where is the protagonist?”

nLast time the protagonist was right in front of me.

n< To kill the protagonist you must ride the river of fate. >

n“The plot of the protagonist can’t be suddenly interrupted, can it?”

n< You became a character in the plot, and is the only existence that can break the plot. >

n“Oho…”

nWell, I think I’ll be dumbfounded if a cartoon character I was watching dies of a heart attack.

nEvery protagonist must have a reason to be killed.

nPreviously, I was lucky to be the challenger of a tournament and faced the protagonist right away, but this time I just seemed to have become an adventurer.

n“Don’t you have a protagonist location finder app or something?”

n< No. >

n“Useless fellow.”

n< … >

nI had no choice but to find the protagonist myself.

nThen someone tapped me on the shoulder.

nWhen I turned my head a muscular man was looking at me with strange eyes.

n“I’m Akilion, a Temple Guard. There were reports of a suspicious man loitering around here. So I came to check. Are you an adventurer?”

n“…I guess?”

n“Hmm. Looks like you’re not from here judging by your outfit. But try not to wander around the temple.”

n“Why?”

n“The ‘Sacred Emperor Ceremony’ is currently underway. To elect the next Emperor numerous warriors are now challenging the temple.”

n“Oh, wow.”

nIt was quite an interesting plot.

n“I’m an adventurer, so I don’t know much about it. What’s this ceremony about?”

n“Huh! You’re a real country bumpkin. Living in the empire and not knowing about the Sacred Emperor Ceremony!”

nThen he pointed to the temple.

nThe high temple, which seemed to pierce the sky, was reminiscent of a football stadium.

n“There’s a ‘Holy Sword’ stuck in there. And a ‘Guardian’ who stands guard at the center.

n“Holy Sword?”

n“Yes. The Holy Sword, Barette. He who pulls it out will be crowned Emperor of the Kevilon Empire!”

nOh.

nThis was rather novel.

nIt was a very different method of electing the Emperor from what I knew.

n“It doesn’t matter who. A nobleman, a slave, a commoner, a merchant. A man, a woman, an old man, an infant. Anyone is fine. Just come and defeat the Guardian!”

nAkilion pointed his finger at the temple.

n“Including this city, the whole world will be within your grasp.”

nImmediately, I became a ‘challenger.’

nThe ceremony to gain the recognition of the Guardian was an event that only took place when the current Emperor stepped down.

nApparently it attracted prominent warriors from all over the world.

nHe who pulls out the sword will be crowned Emperor!

nOne thousand years ago Holy Sword Barette suddenly appeared in this world.

nIt granted whoever unimaginable powers strong enough to make them Emperor, and since then its history has been passed down from generation to generation.

nOne of the most known abilities of Barette is its growth.

nIf someone wielded the sword it would transform into a suitable sword to boost the person’s swordsmanship to its fullest potential.

nI don’t know how good it’ll be, but it was enough to make my mouth water thinking about it.

n“What sin did the protagonist commit?”

n< Excessive possession. >

n< The protagonist has repeatedly possessed the body of former Emperors and used their body until it was tired of them. >

n< Now that the current Emperor has aged and lost all his powers, the Holy Sword is also fairly sealed. >

n“Oho…A sealed Level 40?”

nThis was a huge handicap.

nAfter observing for the last few days, there weren’t as many challengers as I thought.

nBecause, the Guardian killed the challengers who failed without mercy.

n“Kueuk, P-please spare…!”

nCrack!

nA challenger’s neck broke and he flew away.

nThud, Thud!

nI gulped, looking at the back of the Guardian returning to its place immediately.

n“Ah, what kind of dregs was this challenger?”

n“Right. If you want to kill yourself you should go somewhere else. I was wondering if there was going to be a good show.”

nThe Guardian was nearly 5 meters tall and covered in silver armor.

nIt was a kind of “golem,” which is said to be virtually impossible to neutralize because the nucleus is located deep in the armor.

nIt may be possible to subdue it if a combination of a very good mage and an excellent warrior were formed.

nHowever, the challenge was impossible because it had to be done alone.

nMages are weak in a head on fight, and warriors cannot damage the Guardian’s armor because they couldn’t use magic.

n‘Mage…’

nMagic seems to exist in this world.

nWhile staying here for a few days I watched the challengers sitting in the stands (amazingly, more than 100,000 seats were occupied), and most of them were very powerful.

nIn terms of hunter rank the average was between B and A.

nOccasionally a warrior equivalent to S-Rank came, but it was rare.

nTo be honest they didn’t have super strong abilities.

nI thought the S-Ranks on Earth were stronger.

nHowever, the ability was not important.

nIt was control.

nThe warriors, who used a similar technique to the rigid body method from Earth, knew how to push their bodies to the limit.

nAnd they also used their weapons in a very unique way that is not seen on modern Earth.

nBrandishing their swords like the blossoming of flowers, the falling of autumn leaves, and the storm of winter.

nIt is not just my imagination or description.

nSuch fantasies really appeared and disappeared.

nThe swordmanships of modern Earth were so rugged that everyone just floats around as if they were dancing; fluttering like butterflies, wielding swords loosely, and posturing.

nAnd what about magic?

nAs if they were a ‘multi-talented person’ who could not exist on Earth they freely used fire, water, ice, wind, and other magic.

nThey had extreme control over mana to protect their body without aether shields while buffing themselves and debuffing the target.

nIf it was Earth it would take three to five superhumans to do what mages can do here by themselves.

n“It’s really crazy.”

nAll the hunting I’ve seen on Earth now seems comical.

nEarthlings had better abilities than the people of this world, but they only knew how to swing it senselessly, and never understood how to control it.

nMagic.

nI really want to learn it.

nSadly, although I could understand the language of this world I couldn’t read the letters.

nAlso it’s impossible to pick up items here and bring it back, so I can’t even steal a magic book.

nAnd when I asked around I found out it would take 20 to 30 years for someone of my intelligence to become a mage at that level.

nI couldn’t learn magic here because I only had a year left.

nBut there will be plenty of opportunities.

nLet’s not be impatient.

nThis world view and existence of magic was developed and thriving.

nSomeday I might be able to come back here, and if I’m lucky I might be able to learn some magic.

nKnowing the merits of magic I didn’t want to give up.

nBut for now I should focus on killing the protagonist.

nI wanted to shoot the Holy Sword with a sniper rifle right here, but unfortunately there was a layer of translucent mana between the stands and the stadium and I was afraid of the aftershock.

nPerhaps my poor equipment won’t even penetrate it.

nBut, it’s no problem.

nOne week.

nThe amount of time I spent watching the duel between the challengers and the Guardian.

nI’ve completed all preparations.

nWaaaa!!

nCheers came from the stands as Yoo Seodam entered the arena.

nThe Emperor was also sitting and staring at the arena with an expressionless face, but Yoo Seodam didn’t care about them at all.

n“Who’s that guy?”

n“I don’t know. Looks like an adventurer.”

n“That’s a peculiar outfit.”

nAs people began to chatter the Guardian came out to meet the challenger.

nBoom! Boom!

nThud.

nThe sound the Guardian’s armor made when it moved and the sound of Seodam unloading his gun produced a symphony of metal.

nIt was quite a pleasant sound to Seodam who loves tools.

nSwish!

nThe Guardian aimed its greatsword forward.

nA mindless body with tremendous destructive force.

nA monster with an agile body.

nFacing it, Yoo Seodam took a deep breath and asked.

n“Guardian, I can only pull out the Holy Sword that is stuck behind you once you’re defeated?”

nYes.

n“What happens if I try to pull out the Holy Sword without defeating you?”

nIt won’t budge.

n“Hm…·”

nA simple exchange to ask questions is one of the few things a challenger is allowed to do.

nNo one has ever asked such questions, so there were jeers from the stands.

n“Why would you ask such a question!”

n“Where is your honor…!”

nIgnoring the jeers, Seodam rushed toward the Guardian.

nChikchik!

nThe shotgun was loaded and at the same time the distance from the Guardian was narrowed.

nSeodam fired a shot at its groin.

nKwang!!

nThe reaction caused a small shock which knocked Seodam backwards.

nImmediately after, Seodam avoided the Guardian’s greatsword swinging down, and threw a black ball from his pocket.

nIt quickly separated into ten spheres and clung to every part of the Guardian’s body.

nThe spheres were magnetized and attracted each other as if to kill it by constriction, but the Guardian wasn’t fazed and swung its greatsword at him.

n‘As expected, this level of agileness.’

nThung!!

nThe aether shield was gravely damaged when the Guardian’s greatsword brushed past the side of Seodam.

nObviously the swing was fierce, but Seodam was familiar with the sword thanks to his Swordsmanship (A ) talent.

nJust by looking at the posture, form, and trajectory of an opponent’s sword, he can see where it is headed.

nThen, he can prepare his next move.

nAs he rolled aside to avoid the greatsword he raised his right hand and pressed a red button.

nThe spheres attached to the Guardian’s body exploded simultaneously.

nBoom, Boom!

n‘Now!’

nHe tried to run past the agile Guardian, but it endured the explosion and was rushing towards Seodam first.

nHe did not intend to get hit by it, so he took out two aether shotguns and fired it in succession.

nBoom, Boom!

nIts shoulders flinched and its legs swayed, but the Guardian didn’t stop.

nHowever, the power of a golem is not infinite.

nThere was a limit to its energy each match.

nWhat Seodam is doing is depleting its energy.

nUsing up all the bullets from the shotguns Seodam threw them to the ground without hesitation.

nThen, he ran to the side pointing his pistol at the spot where he was standing before.

nSparks shot from the pistol and hit the ground.

nThe moment the Guardian walked over it.

nPoof!!

nThe steel tiles melted, flipping the Guardian upside down.

n“W-what…!”

n“What the hell is that magic?”

n“That man, he’s a mage from which school?!”

n“Quickly find out!”

nThe mages went wild.

nIt was a kind of magic they have never seen before.

nIs it really possible to cast such a devastating spell like that without chanting?

nThe mages stomped their feet.

n‘If we could make that mage join our side!’

nThe landscape of the mage forces could change dramatically.

nThey wanted to jump into the duel right now and bring that man in, but they couldn’t do that because of the barrier.

n“It’s like I’m watching a battle of a mage only told in legends…”

nJust as Seodam was amazed by magic, the mages were also thrilled to see science.

nHowever, whether he was aware of it or not, Seodam sprinted with all his might.

nHe also did not forget to lay a bean-sized marker on the floor as he ran.

nHuut!

nWhen the Guardian ran towards the west wall with one limped leg, the marker on the ground exploded after being stepped on.

nBang, Bang!

nDespite its legs being damaged it didn’t stop.

nBut in the end it was just a little faster than the average person, so Seodam quickly outran it.

nHuong!

nThe moment before the greatsword could hit him.

nReading its trajectory he quickly rolled to the side, and fired a small blue bomb at the predicted path of the Guardian.

n‘’Magnetic Field.’

nAn electromagnetic bomb that’s a very powerful magnet, and once it sticks to iron becomes an enormous field of magnetism.

nPachichi!!!

nWhen it hit the Guardian’s greatsword the steel floor and the greatsword clung together.

nWhen he threw another blue bomb into the Guardian’s body its armor was crushed and its arms and legs crumpled.

nGugugu!

nA possible method to deal with something made of steel!

nBut it was obvious that it wouldn’t last long either.

nIt was a ridiculously short amount of time to try and defeat it.

n“What a strong holding magic!”

nHearing the nonsense of the mages shouting, Seodam ran with all his might towards the Holy Sword.

n“What…”

n“What is he doing?”

n“He’s not attacking the Guardian!”

n“Doesn’t he know he can’t pull it out unless he defeats the Guardian?”

nHowever, the original purpose of Seodam was not to remove the Holy Sword.

nFrom the start he had no intention of defeating the Guardian, nor was he capable of doing so.

nHe has only one purpose.

nHunt the protagonist.

nBeep, Beep, Beep!

nAfter installing the ‘E-4 Composite’ from his arms he quickly ran away and widened the distance.

nThe Guardian, who had already escaped from the electromagnetic field, shot towards Seodam.

nKuklunk…!

nThe Guardian looked at Seodam menacingly.

n“During the sacred duel…what did you do?”

nHowever, without answering, Seodam pulled out a sniper rifle.

nThe gun called EK-49, is a monster specialized in long-range attacks and each bullet is super expensive, but the destructive power of one of its shots was enormous.

nSlowly aiming it at the Guardian, it continued to look at him because it doesn’t know about guns.

nMaybe it thought it could stop it.

nYeah, honestly, even if it’s blocked or did hit it could withstand it.

nBut in the first place, Seodam was not aiming for a Guardian.

n“…!”

nChikchik!

nSeodam, who was aiming for the Guardian’s head, quickly changed his target and fired at the Holy Sword.

nSoon after, the Emperor feeling something was amiss jumped out quickly and shouted, “Stop right now!”

nBut it’s too late.

nBang…!!

nA tremendous explosion occurred.

nYou’ve successfully hunted a Level 40 protagonist.

nYour Level has risen by 3.

nThe Holy Sword broke, and at the same time the Emperor screamed.

n“Ah, nooooo!!!”

nHe was none other than the Emperor who was being manipulated by the Holy Sword.

n

n

n“Grab him right now and bring him to me! Now!”

nWhen the Emperor who managed to hold on to the broken string of consciousness shouted loudly, 100,000 spectators rose from their seats at the same time and began to head for the stage.

nMeanwhile, Yoo Seodam looked up leisurely and made eye contact with the Emperor.

nAt the same time the resentful eyes trembled, a ‘roulette’ appeared in his mind.

nA roulette containing the talents and skills of the Holy Sword.

nSoon a message appeared.

nBarette’s talent White Swordsmanship(S) has been absorbed!

nRaising his middle finger at the Emperor he spoke.

n“I’ll use the skill well.”

nBy the time the enraged warriors arrived at the arena, Yoo Seodam had already disappeared like a mist.

n