Volume 3 - CH 2.2

Translator: DarkHeartedAlchemist  Editor: Weasalopes 

Chapter 2: Let’s Get Back What Was Stolen From Us, Part 2

[Sarnak… is the ruler of The Bottom , known as the {Steel Shield}.]

Nagia, who was ordered by Aur to tell them everything about her boss, says so.

[{Steel Shield} you say?] [As far as I was able to tell, it’s a Skill that [Renders all physical attacks innefective]. No normal attack will ever reach him as long as he has it in his possession.]

She was surprised when Aur used {Identify}. In other words, usually there is no Skill that allows to hinder the appraisal process, and normally the opponent cannot even notice that he was appraised in the first place. That means that she must have checked this Sarnak’s abilities, and by doing so, she realized that she will never be able to win against him, which led her to accepting her position as a slave.

[Hmm… what else?] [W-What else? Well… besides that, he is also a master swordsman thanks to his {Sword} Skill being at Lv5.]

Aur recalled that Nagia herself had that Skill, but she was at Lv2. Usually with such things it’s that the higher the number, the better, or stronger the ability, but he does not know if that is the standard here.

For example, if he were to compare the three swordsmen he’s aquainted with: Yunis, Nadja and Hoderi, based on their sword skills alone, then Yunis would be the weakest of the three. But if all three of them actually fought against each other, then Yunis would be the winner every time, hands down, and that’s because there is a big difference between those three. Not in the raw physical strength, but in their abilities.

TOP ARTICLES1/5Mercenaries in Apocalypse Volume 1Chapter 29

As far as Aur was concerned, strength was not something that could be classified with something as trivial as numbers. But for Nagia, it was the exact opposite.

[Umu. What else?] [This again?! Just how much do you want to know about him?!] [Exactly, how much….]

Aur glanced down at Froro, who was at his side all thetime by clinging onto his waist.

[How long are you going to keep that up? You’ve been like that for a while now.] [I think she’s doing that because she’s worried about you, Lord Aur. Sarnak is a ruthless and unforgiving man, and involving yourself with him will not be the safest thing to do.]

Since someone like Nagia says so, then there has to some measure of truth to her words.

[Aur, no! No attack can pass through Sarnark’s {Steel Shield}. There is no way you can win against him…] [I agree with that. I understand that you are strong and have more than one trick up your sleeve, but everything is meaningless in front of Sarnak.]

The words of the two girls overlapped with one another, making Aur grumble in annoyance.

[Does he have any other special abilities?]

Steel Shield: the ability to invalidate any and all physical attacks. The exact details of this Skill might remain unknown until he examines it personally, but the impression that Aur got from Nagia and Froro’s words was that it sounded terribly incomplete. If it really invalidates only physical attacks, then it should mean that this Sarnak could still be hurt by non-physical attacks. Also, while steel is undoubtedly a strong and durable metal, it is by no means indestructible. Also, in order for it to take effect, it probably has to be deployed manually against each and every attack, so in that aspect it is a far cry from Aur’s own invincibility.

At the very least, it doesn’t sound like it will be in the same league as the {immortality}, {omnipotence} and {omniscience} that Aur was dealing with up to this point.

[An undefeatable shield and unparralelled sword technique. That’s a scary combination that makes him pretty much undefeatable, so he doesn’t need anything else.]

Nagia proclaimed. She has been instructed by Aur not to hide anything from them, so it really looks like he does not have any other abilities at his disposal.

[Well, that’s fine I guess.]

Whether that is true or not, Aur doesn’t see that as a reason for him to be on alert.

[In any case, let’s go have a little business talk with him, shall we?]

For now, they just have to do what they have decided on doing.

[Business talk, you say?]

A beautiful man who was sitting in a leather chair turned towards them with a  grimace as if he smelled something foul. That man, was Sarnak.

His shiny golden hair and delicate features could very well get him mistaken for a woman, if it wasn’t for his muscular upper body and sharp look in his eyes that were giving off a strong and fearless expression.

Around him were various slaves of inhuman races, including the ones with horns just like Froro, winged ones and furry ones, but Sarnak himself had no horns or wings whatsoever, and no tails or scales. He looked just like your regular human.

[That I do. And I come here bearing an ability fit to rival you, Sarnak {The Steel Shield}.

Standing in the middle of a spacious room located in Sarnak’s quarters, Aur took a stone cube about the size of his hand from beneath his robes.

[Now, I wonder what that might be?]

Even though he glanced at the grey cube with shining bluish lines on it, it was obvious that he had no interest in it, since he believed that nothing could rival his {Steel Shield}.

[Let’s see… if I were to give it a name, it would probably be… {Stone Wall Armor}.]

It was a Dungeon Cube, but since this new language apparently has no word for [Dungeon], then Aur had to come up with something different.

[A stone wall?!]

Immidiately after hearing the name, Sarnak stood up in his chair and leaned forward.

[Yes, indeed. Why don’t you try attacking me?]

Despite being a little confused by his sudden reaction, Aur places the Dungeon Cube on the palm of his opened hand and makes such a declaration. In the next moment, a stone wall appeared directly next to Aur’s throat, scattering a myriad of sparks.

[Hou?]

Top, botto, left, right, diagonally, upfront. Sparks are scattered in all those directions in succession, and each time the Invisible Labyrinth Labyrinthos sealed withing the Dungeon /cube prevents Aur from being hit by the attacks he wasn’t even able to see.

[Let’s see how you’ll block this one!]

Sarnak looks like he’s genuinely excited. With each attack, the speed of his slashes only increased, but each time the wall managed to extend from withing the Cube just in time to prevent Aur from getting injured. Perhaps he was testing which was faster: His offense or Aur’s defense.

But it was a futile attempt. That is because the stone wall does not materialize itself at the exact moment of damage prevention, but it is there even before the attack takes place. Yet even despite that, Sarnak was still getting faster. He released countless slashes trying to aim for the moment before the stone wall materializes itself, almost hiding Aur behind a wall of solid stone at one point.

[To think that there would be a Skill able to surpass my swordplay! Looks like this is a real deal!]

Sarnak declared with a tinge of irritation in his voice, after which he has sheathed his sword.

[This [armor] of mine is not only effective against slashing attacks, but it can also protect me against non-physical threats such as fire and poison.] [Hm? I see.]

However, Sarnak didn’t show much of a reaction to Aur’s elaborate explanation, which was strange, since Aur’s bet was that once he heard that his ability can block that which his own {Steel Shield} cannot he would get interested in it.

[I want to exchange this ability of mine for Froro’s eye which you have received from Nagia.] [Sure, I don’t mind such a trade… is what I would like to say, but I feel like I should ask about one thing first.]

Sarnak directs his sharp gaze at Aur and asks.

[Will I be able to use it in the first place?]

Aur expected such a question, but he squinted his eyes nonetheless.

[You will be able to use, but using it effectively will undoubtedly require some training.]

He cannot allow himself to lie here. If he doesn’t want to end like Nagia, he needs the entire deal to be fair from start to finish.

[You say [some training], but how long would that be, exactly?]

Sarnak continued to drill him for the information.

[It depends entirely on you. I can’t say for sure because I don’t know the full extent of your abilities…]

Aur’s magic control is one of the best in the world after he’s devoted most of his life to create the ultimate Dungeon. The Dungeon Cube it a magic tool that he can freely manipulate. In other words, if anybody else wanted to use it the same way as he does, he would have to get on his level in controlling his magical power….

[But it should take around 70 years, give or take.]

… which would undoubtedly take the most of an average human’s lifespan.

[Ha! 70 years! Did you really thought I was going to fall for such an obvious scam?!]

Even though Sarnak spoke such words, his tone was not an angry one. Instead, he sounded amused, and smiled happily.

All of his question are dangerously fatal, Aur thinks to himself. He was shown a completely unknown magical tool, and he was able to not only confirm that could be able to use it himself, but also got to know how long would it take him to do so. That was far beyond Aur’s expectations of him.

In the first place, no ordinary human could just look at the Dungeon Cube and determine that it is something that [he will be able to use himself]. The part where Aur blocked all of Sarnak’s slashes was fully automatic, and didn’t require Aur to do anything manually at all. However, putting the matter of how he realized it aside, it looks like he won’t be able to make a successful transaction with it. He has to think of another way.

[Very well! Our business talk is over. Bring it to me.]

Aur was amazed at Sarnak who said so. One of the slaves brought abox with him, and Sarnak took a stone from it. It was a jet-black stone that looked exactly like one of Froro’s eyes. It looked different from both Aur’s magic protection Skill, which was shaped like a sphere, and the language knowledge Skill which looked like a rough quartz. This one looked like a beautifully cut gemstone.

[Here, the eye.]

Sarnak received the Dungeon Cube from Aur and threw the eye into the air randomly. Aur caught it with his right arm, which fell to the ground in the very next moment.

[… What is the meaning of this?]

Aur asks in a low voice, gazing at his arm, which now rolled onto the ground after being cut off at the elbow.

[I told you that the time for business talk is over, didn’t I?]

Sarnak replied as he held a sword which was stained red with blood in front of him.

[Now, it’s time to plunder!]