140 - - Episode 29 The Sword of awe

It is late at night, when the sun has completely set.

Most of the bars are closed, but there is a faint light leaking from some of the establishments where spirited drinkers gather.

The laughter and chatter of dwarves can be heard.

However, the main street, which is so noisy during the daytime that it hurts the ears, is not popular at this time of night and is quiet.

There was not even moonlight because the sky was covered with clouds, and it would have been too dark for a race of people to even walk properly.

Dwarfs are suited to the dark, and unlike their race, they could move around in this level of darkness without problems.

............"

One of the exceptions to this rule, Nano, a dwarf species, looks out from a back alley to the front street, as if he is prowling for prey again tonight.

He wears a hood over his head to hide his face and gazes inside his cloak at the "Forbidden Sword" treasure class "Artifact Class" that he created himself.

Nanno strokes the sheath of the "Forbidden Sword" Artifact Class in his hand with an entranced expression.

（Wait and see, Fear Sword that I created. I'll make you suck delicious living blood again tonight.)

For the past few days, Nano has been targeting and killing racial adventurers and dwarven species who wander around alone at night. He then feeds their blood to his sword.

It is common sense to avoid going out and about alone at night for safety reasons, but some people do not abide by this rule.

Usually, these people are either not thinking straight, young and conceited, drunk and incapable of making sound judgments,......, or they are skilled.

In the past few days, Nanno has been targeting and killing adventurers who are out alone at night.

On those occasions, he has been killed by the "Fear Sword," a treasure class "artifact class" sword he holds in his hand.

The reason why Nanno named the sword "Fear Sword" is because everyone is in awe when confronted with the "Forbidden Sword" artifact class that he created.

The actual "forbidden sword" has the power to give a strong sense of "awe" and "fear" to those who are in contact with it.

How dangerous it is to have a strong sense of awe and fear in the midst of an exchange of life.

The usual brilliance of the technique disappears, and you can't step in and your aim goes awry. Even magic that can be chanted normally will not be able to be chanted properly.

This is why NANO named the sword he created the "Fear Sword.

The more blood he sucked, the stronger the effect of the "Sword of Fear" became.

In order to further strengthen his sword, Nanno would lurk in the back alleys and spy on the main street in search of his prey.

（The most important thing to remember is that the best way to get the most out of your sword is to use it. (But even if there were, they are moving in groups, so I can't get to them.)

Recently, because of the "murders targeting those who act alone," there are even fewer people going out at night, and fewer people acting alone.

Occasionally, the only people who pass through the main and back streets are the security soldiers on patrol or those in groups of two, three, or more.

No one traveling alone has been seen tonight.

（I can't wait to ...... give the Fear Sword a taste of lifeblood. And let it grow to be closer to the legendary sword. ...... Tonight, I'm going to target a slum hobo, worst-case scenario.)

But his fears are unfounded.

(...... Oh, a 12 or 3 year old racial child?　(No, the dwarf kind?)

A figure wearing a black hooded cloak and holding a cane in his hand was walking casually along the edge of the main street.

There was no moonlight, yet there was no hesitation in his steps, and his gait was firm.

Nanno himself is an adventurer who has fought many battles with monsters and gone through the gauntlet of battle.

His level is around 300.

The target in the black cloak has a taste for some kind of martial arts and is confident that he can handle a surprise attack under the cover of darkness. Nano observed this from his own experience.

At first he thought it was a racial child of 12 or 3 years old, based on its height. Dragonites, demons, and beasts have distinctive silhouettes even when they wear cloaks because of their horns and tails. Furthermore, it is impossible for an elven child to walk in the capital of a dwarf race at night.

There is no such thing as a skilled racial child, so the only ones left are dwarves.

Perhaps it was a Dwarf adventurer returning from a night of drinking.

Nanno made this judgment and licked his thick lips with a tongue too red and sticky.

(Hihihi, hihihihi ....... It seems we have decided on tonight's sacrifice.)

He does not immediately follow behind the black cloak, but hides once into the darkness of the alleyway.

He followed him through the alleyway, not missing a single sign.

The black cloak stops.

After a slight hesitation, the target steps into the slum.

(?　Why go to a slum in the middle of the night ...... No, this route is in the direction of the inn district!)

The Black Cloaks did not enter the slums.

More precisely, it was going to pass through the border of the slum and go out to the inn area.

That would be a shorter route than continuing down the main street.

Nanno's caution was suddenly lowered, and he became more aware that he was a reasonable prey.

The border line in the slum area separates ordinary people from slum dwellers, so basically neither resident will approach carelessly, even during the daytime.

The reason is that they don't want to get into trouble with each other by approaching each other.

Nanno suppresses his mouth from laughing out loud.

（How convenient!　Maybe it's because the goddess is encouraging me, the genius blacksmith!)

He kills his breath and footsteps and lets his level 300-ish physical abilities take the lead.

Since he is a local, it is easy to get ahead of him.

He quickly overtakes them and blocks their path.

He draws the "Fear Sword" from its sheath, which has a racial skin attached to it, and waits for it.

The blade of the "Sword of Fear" is now redder and darker than before, even in the dark.

A few minutes later - a black cloak walks by and stops a few meters away.

At this point, Nano opens his eyes lightly in surprise.

I thought it might be a Dwarven adventurer out late for a drink, or returning from a late night out because he couldn't stand the booze. ...... Are you a child of your race?"

............"

Although Nano was taller, he was able to learn more about his opponent by facing him head-on.

The target wore a black hooded cloak, a cane in his right hand, and a mask over his face. Although it was difficult to see through the cloak, the target's body was slender and did not appear to be of the stout, thick-boned dwarven build.

It was the physique of a child of his race.

Nanno stroked his beard with his free left hand and thought about it.

The actuality that a child of the race is out this late at night ...... is it because the senior adventurers asked him or her to do some shopping?　If so, the race is really stupid. They don't even know how dangerous it is to go out alone late at night. ......"

While skipping caution, his mouth starts to distort into a grin.

My tastes swell as I imagine the one-sided slaughter that is about to begin. Emotions run high as he imagines his own "Fear Sword" growing even more as it sucks blood.

He is a second-rate adventurer, or even a third-rate one, for letting his guard down just because he is in town. For example, ...... even in the city, there may be people like me who will attack you!

With the last word, Nano kicks the ground to break the pause.

The black-coated racial child is surprised at the speed, which is unimaginable for a Dwarf species, but takes a defensive stance with both hands gripping his staff.

Nano almost laughed out loud again at this attitude.

The ability of the "Fear Sword" - the power to inspire a sense of awe and fear in those who are in contact with it. Just by being hit by a sword at close range, the opponent is consumed with fear by the power of the sword.

The only thing left to do is to easily slay the opponent who has lost his footing due to fear.

Nanno has killed several racial adventurers and dwarves with this technique.

(Above all, the artifact-class sword I have created is impossible to defeat with mere weapons and armor!　I will slay them as they are and feed them tonight!)

Nanno swings down his "Fear Sword" with his level 300-ish arm strength!

......?

However, unexpectedly, the opponent's staff firmly caught the "Fear Sword".

And just as NANO is startled, a kick from the black coat enters his abdomen.

Uggghh!

Nano himself, having dived many times in life-threatening situations, immediately moves out of range, but is met with a shallow kick to the abdomen.

The length of the black coat's legs outstripped the speed at which it moved away.

Nano frowns while holding his stomach with his left hand.

(d*mn!　It seems that the class of the opponent's wand was higher than expected if they couldn't cut him in half. And to think that they would counterattack without fear even after being hit with the "Sword of Fear" ability,....... The most important thing to remember is that the person you're talking to is not a person of your race, but a person who is stronger than he or she looks.)

I was surprised at the class of the cane that the black coat held, but most of all, I was frustrated that he was not frightened by the ability of the "Sword of Awe (Fear Sword)".

I thought he was confident in his own strength from the way he walked. ...... The most important thing to keep in mind is that you should not be afraid of the sword.

If you are high level and strong, you can naturally resist and nullify the ability of the Sword of Fear.

Nanno's head was cold.

He was afraid that, contrary to appearances, it might not be that simple.

He worries that if he lets him go, his information will be leaked to the outside world and he will be less likely to let the Fear Sword suck his blood in the future.

-but such worries were blown away in an instant.

But that worry was instantly dispelled. "Aside from your blacksmithing skills, your combat skills seem to have hardly changed since the old days.

What?　That's a stupid voice!　You're alive!

............"

The black coat, while listening to Nano's astonished speech, removes its clownish mask to reveal its true face.

It's been a long time, Nano. I've come back from the ...... abyss to take revenge."

Wright comes face to face with Nano, a dwarf species, one of his avenging partners, for the first time in about three years.