Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Death Knell? Striking the enemy’s death knell with every shot? I like this name… Klein controlled his facial expressions as he went forward without any anticipation or excitement on his face. He reached out to receive the iron black revolver with a slightly long barrel.
He was originally very worried that Ukfa would raise the price if he showed any strong desires for it. This was common in any transaction, but on second thought, with Gehrman Sparrow’s reputation, and with Anderson, the Strongest Hunter of the Fog Sea, as a witness, it was unlikely that Ukfa Connerchris would offend him despite possibly being a Sequence 5 Beyonder. After all, he had quite the adventuring circles and had hoped to lead a quiet and settled life. He definitely had reservations that the crazy adventurer might sneak into the manor in the middle of the night despite not flaring up in front of him.
Therefore, his attempts to maintain his calm and composed attitude became one of simply maintaining his persona.
Realizing that Gehrman Sparrow was seriously inspecting and studying Death Knell, Ukfa gave a detailed introduction.
“Its powers are rather uniform: to reap the lives of others. There are three methods:
“First is Weakness attack. There’s no need to meet any conditions. Just directly inject your spirituality and pull the trigger. It will allow you to discover the target’s weaknesses from a mysticism angle. In other words, it would be the aspects where defenses are weaker, and it will provide you with the corresponding accuracy; thus, resulting in extraordinarily terrifying damage.
“The second is Lethal attack. You have to cock the hammer before shooting. Its distinguishing feature is that wherever you hit the target, it will be equivalent to an attack on their weak spot. And if you really do strike the true weak spot, it will be capable of dealing a lethal blow to an enemy without overly strong defenses. To targets who are good at defending, three shots would be able to resolve the matter. This includes Guardian. Of course, that is under the premise that the three lethal blows aren’t spread too far apart. It’s best not to exceed five seconds.
“The third is Slaughtering. On the foundation of a Weakness attack, providing more than twice the spirituality on top of that will imbue ordinary bullets with grapeshot effects. Simultaneously, when aimed at a group of enemies, it will result in area-of-effect damage. To increase the damage, it will need to meet the conditions for Lethal attack, as well as provide more than thrice the spirituality. This drain will be quite a burden on the user.
“It can also be combined with bullets with different characteristics, allowing you to target different kinds of enemies.”
This sounds like it corresponds to a Sequence 5 Reaper of the Hunter pathway… Klein glanced at Anderson and asked, seemingly in thought, “If the target’s physical condition reaches that of a Sequence 4 dragon, how many strikes of Lethal attack will kill it?”
Ukfa was taken aback as he shook his head in a daze.
“I’ve never met a dragon before.”
Much less a dragon whose physical condition has reached that of a demigod!
Does Gehrman Sparrow plan on using this gun to slay dragons? And a demigod dragon at that? Isn’t that way too crazy? Ukfa suddenly felt that the adventurers these days were completely different from the ones he met back when he was active. He didn’t even consider the possibility of death.
Anderson coughed before clearing his throat.
“That will depend on your luck. For real, trust me, luck is extremely important!
“If you encounter a dragon that has been beaten to a state close to death, then one shot would be sufficient. Otherwise, I suggest you to run. Yes, it’s more important to stay alive.
“Of course, if the demigod dragon doesn’t defend and stays there for you hit it, five shots of Lethal attacks should be enough to kill it.”
Ukfa looked at Anderson before looking at Gehrman Sparrow. He decided not to pursue the topic as he changed topics.
“Anderson has told you about the negative effects of Death Knell, right? You will receive a weakness that originally didn’t exist, or it will enhance an already existing weakness, making it become more extreme. This effect will be maintained for six hours. There was once a time when I became extremely afraid of cats. There was one when I had just hunted a famous pirate, but I ended up going limp in the legs in front of a newborn kitten. I knelt before it, wailing and crying for it to spare me.
“If you carry it around, the problems aren’t great. It will only make you easily thirsty. Just drinking more water and heading to the washroom more often would solve the problem.”
Why does it feel like the negative effects of an additional weakness will bring me more trouble… However, it is something acceptable… Klein deliberated and said, “Name your price.”
“9,000 pounds. Anderson should’ve mentioned it. That’s my bottom line.” Ukfa looked at Death Knell in Gehrman Sparrow’s hands and said, “This is already cheap enough. If it wasn’t because I was worried that getting to know more Beyonders would affect my present life, I would’ve actively promoted it. I’m sure I can sell it for 12,000 pounds.”
Indeed, a mystical item at this level can be sold for sky-high prices if the negative effects aren’t too serious when meeting a suitable buyer… Normally speaking, 10,000 to 12,000 pounds is a reasonable price… Although Klein had the intention of bargaining, the price was already low enough that he felt embarrassed to try and take advantage of him. With a terse acknowledgment, he said, “I’ll give it a run. I’ll complete the deal if there aren’t any problems.”
Of course, he didn’t really try the gun, as it would give him a weakness for nothing. His method for inspection was to use his spirituality to probe the gun, along with testing for the credibility of Ukfa’s words via divination. He did it rather openly, without minding Ukfa’s and Anderson’s gazes.
I’ll make confirmation later above the gray fog… However, Ukfa likely doesn’t dare to lie to me. He’s definitely afraid of a crazy adventurer seeking revenge on him. After all, he has already obtained a settled and quiet life. He has a wife and children… Klein placed Death Knell on the table, lifted his suitcase, and took out 9,000 pounds from it. The money had been removed from above the gray fog to “air” it ahead of time.
After Ukfa received the money, he did a quick count and confirmed the authenticity of the money.
“As expected of a recently famous adventurer. Few people can produce 9,000 pounds in cash at once. Even a tycoon doesn’t have that much liquidity,” he said poignantly as he put away the stacks of cash.
I even spent 5,000 pounds to buy a key not long ago… Klein felt his heart suddenly turn empty as he saw the 9,000 pounds enter Ukfa’s drawer.
I’ve been out at sea for so long, saving up so much money, but in just moments, it’s all gone… Now, I’m left with 2,683 pounds and 6 gold coins. I can’t even afford a relatively decent manor… Klein sighed as he took out the ordinary revolver from his underarm holster, removed the bullets inside, and stuffed them into Death Knell.
After Anderson watched the entire transaction, he said with a tsk, “Ukfa, you’ve changed. In the past, you would’ve checked the authenticity of each note. If you find it troublesome, I can help you!”
“It’s totally fine, but I’m worried that Gehrman will shoot you.” Ukfa clearly knew the Strongest Hunter’s talent at provocation.
He could imagine the scene of Anderson posing in a way that was begging to be beaten—counting each and every note while verifying them against the light in slow motion.
Well said! Klein silently praised him. He then stuffed the iron black, long-barreled revolver into his underarm holster.
The original revolver was thrown inside the suitcase.
“Thanks to you, I no longer have to fret over this matter,” Ukfa said with a smile as he pointed at the door. “I’ll get my valet to send you out.”
Anderson opened his mouth as he chuckled.
“Ukfa, aren’t you going to keep us here for dinner?”
“When you’re married with kids, I’ll treat you to the best food at the best restaurant,” Ukfa said with a smile, completely unfazed by his accusation.
Out of the manor, Anderson looked up with squinted eyes. At the sight of the setting sun, he chuckled.
“Back when I knew Ukfa, he was a doctor who was good at planting all kinds of strange plants on the ship to improve everyone’s lives. I thought he would die early on during our adventures, but to my surprise, he was always lucky. He even became a Druid later.”
Why are your poignant words also so deserving of a beating… Klein deliberately said, “He does have good luck.
“As your companion, luck is needed to survive.”
Anderson turned his head in surprise as he scrutinized Gehrman Sparrow.
“You know how to mock others? Or have you been infected by me?”
He wasn’t too affected by it as he straightened his clothes, took off his hat, and said with a smile, “Alright, you’ve gotten the mystical item you need. If there’s nothing else, it’s time I embark on my own journey.”
“Don’t forget that demigod’s mission.” Klein succeeded in using a single sentence to crumple Anderson’s expression.
“I already have an urge that compels me to finish that matter as soon as possible. Alright, there’s no need for goodbyes. Perhaps we might really meet again one day.” Anderson gave a self-deprecating laugh, waved the hat in his hand, and turned to head towards another path that left to Bayam.
As he watched the Strongest Hunter depart, Klein slowly heaved a sigh. Holding his suitcase, he followed the path he took to get here and headed for Bayam under the red evening sky and the shelter of unique palm trees.
…
Inside Bayam City.
After finding an ordinary inn to stay in, Klein began considering his subsequent plans.
I’m finally free. I can attempt to act as a Marionettist. I have to figure out the corresponding principles. That’s the most pressing issue for now.
Yes, Marionettist. The focus should be on the marionette. I haven’t actually created a marionette and controlled it in battle. I should start from there.
This matter can be completed before returning to Backlund. Not only do Beyonders have to stay hidden there, making it difficult to encounter one, but no matter what one does, it’s easy to get on the bad side of the Church or some important figure. I need to be careful. It’s not a good place to select and create marionettes. The sea is better. I’ll go make my rounds at the bar later. I’ll find a pirate who deserves death to give it a try.
With this in mind, Klein immediately got up and left his room. As though he was bringing his certificate of deposit to a bank to withdraw the money, he headed for the nearby Seaweed Bar. Famous pirates often showed up there.
Soon, he arrived at the bar’s entrance. After straightening his clothes, he pushed open the heavy wooden door.
Gazes subconsciously swept past his face before they moved away as though it wasn’t anything extraordinary. Following that, someone shouted with a suppressed voice, “Gehrman Sparrow!”
In a blink of an eye, several figures in the bar ran for the back door. Before Klein could figure out what was happening, the bar was left relatively desolate and empty.
