24 Hearts

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Chapter 3-1. ‘Black Tree’ Tribe

The message in front of him disappeared automatically after a certain period. Judah’s gaze, who was still staring at Quake, fainted. Judah sighed, returning to the point where he had his eyes on Kain.

‘Hah, that’s crazy.’

His moment of death came to his mind. He thought he stepped into the scene at a good time as Isabel and Quake faced off quickly. Instead, his timing was perfect, that he wanted to compliment himself for it. He struck a surprise attack on Quake, avoiding the arrows from Isabel’s shot and hitting them with force, as he wielded Yakal and triggered Altemia.

—!

He was astonished to see Judah approaching rapidly, not expecting he would get into their fight. With him holding the Yakal meant that Kain, whom he believed would win, was dead. Judah’s unexpected appearance astounded him. Still, he stepped back from Judah’s attack, but Isabel’s arrow, the one he missed, landed in his forearm. He hurriedly pulled out the arrow while Judah attacked again, all the while dealing with Isabel’s arrows flying precisely from his blind spot.

They could do it.

Or so he thought, foolishly.

Quake’s skills were never easy to deal with. Although he missed Isabel’s arrow once, his skill was too high for Judah to face it head-on. His strength, stamina, and skills were all lacking. Isabel was the only one who was able to face him with agility, but thanks to his high luck, he was able to face an almost fatal attack.

-You’re good. Surprisingly, you killed the King’s Apostle… But do you think that I, who had been playing with swords all my life, will be defeated by you as if you lived for tens of years?!

When his sword hit the Yakal, Judah was set to fail. At that significant impact, Judah lost the sword within his grasp. The sword bounced off into the air, and as if he accepted it, Quake stretched out his arm and took it away. The moment its original master caught it, the sword gave him power that Judah couldn’t have.

He summoned Altemia to fight against the great sword, but he couldn’t overcome its power, and his arm was cut off. In terrible suffering, Judah activated Altemia’s ‘Immortality’ ability and used up all the vitality he had accumulated. With a monster-like regenerative power, his arms grew back, and he tried to fight him again, but in no time, Quake lacerated him again.

He could see him.

He even predicted what kind of attack he would do with his Spreading Shadows skill.

But, despite knowing, he couldn’t stop it.

-Die.

Just as Kain died vomiting blood, Judah suffered the same by coughing up blood as well. He was cut off and killed in the attack that followed.

‘I died brutally… Should I go and try again?’

One death could change his mind. Judah thought about it for a while and then concluded that he should try it again, and so he had the same conversation with Jeanne and Arhil as before and went back into the battle. And he died with ease.

[You are resurrected.]

The message displeased him.

[You are resurrected.]

He really didn’t want to see it. However, even though he didn’t want to see the message, he had to see it. While moving against Quake and his sword, in an accident, he was hit by Isabel’s arrow and died like the first time due to the difference in strength. His neck was cut and broken, his body was cut in two, and he died in various ways.

People could die in ways.

And with death, there was a mental illness or trauma. But to him, it was nothing strange. Because of the characteristics of -player-, after death, he was just numb.

But it wasn’t just dying. Over and over again, he learned something little by little, and he got a sense of how to fight. He used a shadow sword to dodge Quake’s attacks and counterattacks, and was resurrected under the protection of the 6th Lord and could even inflict fatal injuries. When he returned to his point of resurrection, the cooldown of the 6th Lord’s protection was also reset, so he approached his attack ways.

Knowing Quake’s skill in the game, if only he could control himself like a character in a game, he would clear the battle smoothly.

His number of resurrections reached a number of 15 times.

It was one of the biggest fights so far, and Isabel’s support attack hit Quake precisely, giving him a chance. From Altemia, which Judah left on the grounds, its thorns rose, and arrows from Isabel would make Quake lag and stagger as Judah attempted to hold the man.

It was a situation that he judged to be an opportunity, but he did not approach it lightly because there have been several things that he had encountered so far. He could almost get to the last minute, but in a moment’s mistake, Quake would get him and send him to the ground. He died with a sword in his heart, and soon his consciousness would clear and return to his checkpoint.

[You are resurrected.]

Like a printed message, it felt like shit to have it thrown and fisted into his face. Quake always won, but he was so close to killing him in that last round! With that thought, he bit his teeth and faced the challenge again.

And it was after about ten deaths that such an opportunity came again.

When he tried to save at that moment by thinking that he didn’t want to experience death anymore, Isabel’s arrow straight at Quake’s eyebrows. It was when he defeated Altemia, thrown by Judah, and picked up the Yakal he just snatched from the boy. An arrow flew past Judah’s face from behind and hit Quake’s forehead.

“Get back!”

As soon as he heard and recognized the voice coming from his back, Judah stepped back. At that moment, exactly when his feet hit the ground from stepping back, arrows made of magical power rained down from the sky like a shower. From the very second her arrow pierced his forehead, Quake’s death was already sealed in fate. He tried to cover his face with the great sword. And yet, the rest of his body was exposed. There were his hand, shoulders, chest, abdomen, and thighs. His body was full of arrows.

“Yes… you….”

Struggling to breathe, he glared at Judah with bright, bloodshot eyes. He didn’t know what he was trying to say as his lips quivered. He didn’t want to hear his dying voice.

“Shut your mouth and just go to hell.”

Judah, exhausted and gasping for breath, said so. He approached him, shook the Yakal away from him with both hands, and cut off his neck. The unpleasant sensation he felt in his fingertips turned into excitement at that moment.

Quake’s neck detached as if his neck had been cut off quickly. Judah felt glorified when his enemy’s blood-stained on him. Twenty-two times. If he added all the times he died, he died precisely forty-four times. After all the times he struggled with death, they finally struck Quake. Without Isabel, it would have been almost impossible.

“AAAAAAH!”

Judah shouted in the middle of the ruin of countless fallen trees, surrounded by dust in the air. From the bottom of his heart, he mustered every feeling to scream. And, to congratulate him on his victory, the message window was quickly updated in Judah’s sight.

[You defeated the chieftain of the Red Bear tribe, Quake. It is an outstanding achievement to beat the Wielder of the Spirit Sword despite his overwhelming skills, experience, and abilities.]

[Although there was help from ‘Isabel’ of the Black Tree tribe, it cannot be said that your abilities did not contribute at all.]

[Level is increased by 4, and all stats are increased by 1.]

[Shadow Justice/Swordsmanship proficiency increases by 2.]

[Shadow Justice: Part of the spirit of Quake, the Wielder of the Sword, is the 9-style dancing ghost knight, and it is absorbed.]

[Because of your current lack of skills and qualifications for the Shadow Justice, the characteristics of the 9-style dancing ghost knight are hidden.]

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「Status Window」

[Name: Judah Arche]

[Title: Little Hero of Serenia Castle (2)]

[Level: 42]

[Job: Black Claw _ Shadow Magic Swordsman (Hidden_A)]

[Number of resurrections: 25]

[Strength: 51(C) / Potential A]

[Health: 47(C) / Potential S]

[Agility: 61(B) / Potential SS]

[Magic Power: 45(C) / Potential B]

[Magic Resistance: 58(C) / Potential S]

[Charisma: 12(F) / Potential A]

[Knowledge: 21(D) / Potential B] ◀ Special

[Luck: 85(A) / Potential S] ◀ Special

[Remaining points: 6]

──────────────────────

[Shadow Justice/Swordsmanship]-Rank: A / Workmanship: 9/10

──────────────────────

Judah laughed, looking down at Quake’s slumped, dying body with his chest shaking. Judah was killed in every attempt, growing determined to kill him next time. He thought, should he quit in the middle? But he couldn’t do that, even though it was unfair that he needed to suffer for it. And since he finally won after all that, he didn’t even have the time to read everything that popped up before his eyes.

“Good work.”

Isabel came to Judah’s side, looking down at Quake’s body, slapping his shoulder and patting him on the head. Her whole body was covered with sweat, whether she suffered quite a bit too. Her wet hair was full of dirt and dust. Judah saw a purple color leaking over Quake’s body. The light, which soon took complete form, was the code for his class.

“Go.”

Isabel picked it up and handed it over to Judah. Even if she lived in a place like this, it didn’t mean that she didn’t know that it was a code, but Judah was amazed at her knowledge.

“I think this is not enough of a price to be given to you for fighting at the risk of your life, but will you take this?”

She gently stroked his hair as if praising a child. Judah did not shake away her hand. He pretended to be shy, and although it was acting, he still didn’t feel the feeling of victory in his heart.