[10…9…8…]
[Travel Completed.]
After the world slowly collapsed and reconstructed.
I found myself standing in front of a huge temple.
"This.."
[You became an adventurer who came to Barette Temple.]
Suddenly, I heard loud noises around me.
Looking around, a medieval European-style city came into view.
Beautiful streets made of bricks, lively people, towering walls, and strange flying objects.
On 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.
"Crazy."
A whole new world.
Civilization on a different level.
This was my first reaction.
Turning his head with a puzzled look he saw a man riding a horseless carriage with a blue crystal.
Instinctively moving aside, the carriage passed by.
"What are you doing standing in the middle of the road?!"
"…"
The carriage quickly disappeared.
"…Is it a festival?"
Firecrackers and pollen were flying everywhere, but I don't know what the festival was for.
"Like last time, how come I can understand what people are saying?"
< It's the effect from the skill Protagonist Hunter. >
< 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. >
"…What?"
An S-Rank skill?
With my mouth agape I couldn't help but think it was absurd.
All 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.
"By the way, where is the protagonist?"
Last time the protagonist was right in front of me.
< To kill the protagonist you must ride the river of fate. >
"The plot of the protagonist can't be suddenly interrupted, can it?"
< You became a character in the plot, and is the only existence that can break the plot. >
"Oho…"
Well, I think I'll be dumbfounded if a cartoon character I was watching dies of a heart attack.
Every protagonist must have a reason to be killed.
Previously, 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.
"Don't you have a protagonist location finder app or something?"
< No. >
"Useless fellow."
< … >
I had no choice but to find the protagonist myself.
Then someone tapped me on the shoulder.
When I turned my head a muscular man was looking at me with strange eyes.
"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?"
"…I guess?"
"Hmm. Looks like you're not from here judging by your outfit. But try not to wander around the temple."
"Why?"
"The 'Sacred Emperor Ceremony' is currently underway. To elect the next Emperor numerous warriors are now challenging the temple."
"Oh, wow."
It was quite an interesting plot.
"I'm an adventurer, so I don't know much about it. What's this ceremony about?"
"Huh! You're a real country bumpkin. Living in the empire and not knowing about the Sacred Emperor Ceremony!"
Then he pointed to the temple.
The high temple, which seemed to pierce the sky, was reminiscent of a football stadium.
"There's a 'Holy Sword' stuck in there. And a 'Guardian' who stands guard at the center.
"Holy Sword?"
"Yes. The Holy Sword, Barette. He who pulls it out will be crowned Emperor of the Kevilon Empire!"
Oh.
This was rather novel.
It was a very different method of electing the Emperor from what I knew.
"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!"
Akilion pointed his finger at the temple.
"Including this city, the whole world will be within your grasp."
Immediately, I became a 'challenger.'
The ceremony to gain the recognition of the Guardian was an event that only took place when the current Emperor stepped down.
Apparently it attracted prominent warriors from all over the world.
He who pulls out the sword will be crowned Emperor!
One thousand years ago Holy Sword Barette suddenly appeared in this world.
It granted whoever unimaginable powers strong enough to make them Emperor, and since then its history has been passed down from generation to generation.
One of the most known abilities of Barette is its growth.
If someone wielded the sword it would transform into a suitable sword to boost the person's swordsmanship to its fullest potential.
I don't know how good it'll be, but it was enough to make my mouth water thinking about it.
"What sin did the protagonist commit?"
< Excessive possession. >
< The protagonist has repeatedly possessed the body of former Emperors and used their body until it was tired of them. >
< Now that the current Emperor has aged and lost all his powers, the Holy Sword is also fairly sealed. >
"Oho…A sealed Level 40?"
This was a huge handicap.
After observing for the last few days, there weren't as many challengers as I thought.
Because, the Guardian killed the challengers who failed without mercy.
"Kueuk, P-please spare…!"
Crack!
A challenger's neck broke and he flew away.
Thud, Thud!
I gulped, looking at the back of the Guardian returning to its place immediately.
"Ah, what kind of dregs was this challenger?"
"Right. If you want to kill yourself you should go somewhere else. I was wondering if there was going to be a good show."
The Guardian was nearly 5 meters tall and covered in silver armor.
It was a kind of "golem," which is said to be virtually impossible to neutralize because the nucleus is located deep in the armor.
It may be possible to subdue it if a combination of a very good mage and an excellent warrior were formed.
However, the challenge was impossible because it had to be done alone.
Mages are weak in a head on fight, and warriors cannot damage the Guardian's armor because they couldn't use magic.
'Mage…'
Magic seems to exist in this world.
While 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.
In terms of hunter rank the average was between B and A.
Occasionally a warrior equivalent to S-Rank came, but it was rare.
To be honest they didn't have super strong abilities.
I thought the S-Ranks on Earth were stronger.
However, the ability was not important.
It was control.
The warriors, who used a similar technique to the rigid body method from Earth, knew how to push their bodies to the limit.
And they also used their weapons in a very unique way that is not seen on modern Earth.
Brandishing their swords like the blossoming of flowers, the falling of autumn leaves, and the storm of winter.
It is not just my imagination or description.
Such fantasies really appeared and disappeared.
The 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.
And what about magic?
As if they were a 'multi-talented person' who could not exist on Earth they freely used fire, water, ice, wind, and other magic.
They had extreme control over mana to protect their body without aether shields while buffing themselves and debuffing the target.
If it was Earth it would take three to five superhumans to do what mages can do here by themselves.
"It's really crazy."
All the hunting I've seen on Earth now seems comical.
Earthlings 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.
Magic.
I really want to learn it.
Sadly, although I could understand the language of this world I couldn't read the letters.
Also it's impossible to pick up items here and bring it back, so I can't even steal a magic book.
And 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.
I couldn't learn magic here because I only had a year left.
But there will be plenty of opportunities.
Let's not be impatient.
This world view and existence of magic was developed and thriving.
Someday I might be able to come back here, and if I'm lucky I might be able to learn some magic.
Knowing the merits of magic I didn't want to give up.
But for now I should focus on killing the protagonist.
I 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.
Perhaps my poor equipment won't even penetrate it.
But, it's no problem.
One week.
The amount of time I spent watching the duel between the challengers and the Guardian.
I've completed all preparations.
Waaaa!!
Cheers came from the stands as Yoo Seodam entered the arena.
The Emperor was also sitting and staring at the arena with an expressionless face, but Yoo Seodam didn't care about them at all.
"Who's that guy?"
"I don't know. Looks like an adventurer."
"That's a peculiar outfit."
As people began to chatter the Guardian came out to meet the challenger.
Boom! Boom!
Thud.
The sound the Guardian's armor made when it moved and the sound of Seodam unloading his gun produced a symphony of metal.
It was quite a pleasant sound to Seodam who loves tools.
Swish!
The Guardian aimed its greatsword forward.
A mindless body with tremendous destructive force.
A monster with an agile body.
Facing it, Yoo Seodam took a deep breath and asked.
"Guardian, I can only pull out the Holy Sword that is stuck behind you once you're defeated?"
[Yes.]
"What happens if I try to pull out the Holy Sword without defeating you?"
[It won't budge.]
"Hm…·"
A simple exchange to ask questions is one of the few things a challenger is allowed to do.
No one has ever asked such questions, so there were jeers from the stands.
"Why would you ask such a question!"
"Where is your honor…!"
Ignoring the jeers, Seodam rushed toward the Guardian.
Chikchik!
The shotgun was loaded and at the same time the distance from the Guardian was narrowed.
Seodam fired a shot at its groin.
Kwang!!
The reaction caused a small shock which knocked Seodam backwards.
Immediately after, Seodam avoided the Guardian's greatsword swinging down, and threw a black ball from his pocket.
It quickly separated into ten spheres and clung to every part of the Guardian's body.
The 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.
'As expected, this level of agileness.'
Thung!!
The aether shield was gravely damaged when the Guardian's greatsword brushed past the side of Seodam.
Obviously the swing was fierce, but Seodam was familiar with the sword thanks to his Swordsmanship (A+) talent.
Just by looking at the posture, form, and trajectory of an opponent's sword, he can see where it is headed.
Then, he can prepare his next move.
As he rolled aside to avoid the greatsword he raised his right hand and pressed a red button.
The spheres attached to the Guardian's body exploded simultaneously.
Boom, Boom!
'Now!'
He tried to run past the agile Guardian, but it endured the explosion and was rushing towards Seodam first.
He did not intend to get hit by it, so he took out two aether shotguns and fired it in succession.
Boom, Boom!
Its shoulders flinched and its legs swayed, but the Guardian didn't stop.
However, the power of a golem is not infinite.
There was a limit to its energy each match.
What Seodam is doing is depleting its energy.
Using up all the bullets from the shotguns Seodam threw them to the ground without hesitation.
Then, he ran to the side pointing his pistol at the spot where he was standing before.
Sparks shot from the pistol and hit the ground.
The moment the Guardian walked over it.
Poof!!
The steel tiles melted, flipping the Guardian upside down.
"W-what…!"
"What the hell is that magic?"
"That man, he's a mage from which school?!"
"Quickly find out!"
The mages went wild.
It was a kind of magic they have never seen before.
Is it really possible to cast such a devastating spell like that without chanting?
The mages stomped their feet.
'If we could make that mage join our side!'
The landscape of the mage forces could change dramatically.
They wanted to jump into the duel right now and bring that man in, but they couldn't do that because of the barrier.
"It's like I'm watching a battle of a mage only told in legends…"
Just as Seodam was amazed by magic, the mages were also thrilled to see science.
However, whether he was aware of it or not, Seodam sprinted with all his might.
He also did not forget to lay a bean-sized marker on the floor as he ran.
Huut!
When the Guardian ran towards the west wall with one limped leg, the marker on the ground exploded after being stepped on.
Bang, Bang!
Despite its legs being damaged it didn't stop.
But in the end it was just a little faster than the average person, so Seodam quickly outran it.
Huong!
The moment before the greatsword could hit him.
Reading its trajectory he quickly rolled to the side, and fired a small blue bomb at the predicted path of the Guardian.
''Magnetic Field.'
An electromagnetic bomb that's a very powerful magnet, and once it sticks to iron becomes an enormous field of magnetism.
Pachichi!!!
When it hit the Guardian's greatsword the steel floor and the greatsword clung together.
When he threw another blue bomb into the Guardian's body its armor was crushed and its arms and legs crumpled.
Gugugu!
A possible method to deal with something made of steel!
But it was obvious that it wouldn't last long either.
It was a ridiculously short amount of time to try and defeat it.
"What a strong holding magic!"
Hearing the nonsense of the mages shouting, Seodam ran with all his might towards the Holy Sword.
"What…"
"What is he doing?"
"He's not attacking the Guardian!"
"Doesn't he know he can't pull it out unless he defeats the Guardian?"
However, the original purpose of Seodam was not to remove the Holy Sword.
From the start he had no intention of defeating the Guardian, nor was he capable of doing so.
He has only one purpose.
Hunt the protagonist.
Beep, Beep, Beep!
After installing the 'E-4 Composite' from his arms he quickly ran away and widened the distance.
The Guardian, who had already escaped from the electromagnetic field, shot towards Seodam.
Kuklunk…!
The Guardian looked at Seodam menacingly.
"During the sacred duel…what did you do?"
However, without answering, Seodam pulled out a sniper rifle.
The 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.
Slowly aiming it at the Guardian, it continued to look at him because it doesn't know about guns.
Maybe it thought it could stop it.
Yeah, honestly, even if it's blocked or did hit it could withstand it.
But in the first place, Seodam was not aiming for a Guardian.
"…!"
Chikchik!
Seodam, who was aiming for the Guardian's head, quickly changed his target and fired at the Holy Sword.
Soon after, the Emperor feeling something was amiss jumped out quickly and shouted, "Stop right now!"
But it's too late.
Bang…!!
A tremendous explosion occurred.
[You've successfully hunted a Level 40 protagonist.]
[Your Level has risen by 3.]
The Holy Sword broke, and at the same time the Emperor screamed.
"Ah, nooooo!!!"
He was none other than the Emperor who was being manipulated by the Holy Sword.
"Grab him right now and bring him to me! Now!"
When 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.
Meanwhile, Yoo Seodam looked up leisurely and made eye contact with the Emperor.
At the same time the resentful eyes trembled, a 'roulette' appeared in his mind.
A roulette containing the talents and skills of the Holy Sword.
Soon a message appeared.
[Barette's talent White Swordsmanship(S) has been absorbed!]
Raising his middle finger at the Emperor he spoke.
"I'll use the skill well."
By the time the enraged warriors arrived at the arena, Yoo Seodam had already disappeared like a mist.