Book 18 Chapter 17
- Appearance, Muchen Ryuminique (2)
Nils snorted.
“What kind of neighborhood dog is a legend that it just pops out of nowhere! Do you Manuki humans not even know the meaning of 'legend'?”
However, Frede was already drooling.
“Wait… if that really is the legendary sea turtle, then eating it means my skin can return to my teenage years!”
As the sea turtle began swimming towards the Lanoa Grand Bridge, Nils shook his head wildly.
“No, that is a treasure born of nature! It must be dissected and reported to the biological academic community! For progress!”
“What nonsense! They say if you brew alcohol with its testicles, your virility will explode, and just by selling them, I could live lavishly with handsome guys for 10 years!”
“How can there be such consistent trash!”
While Frede and Nils bickered, Rista watched the railing intently and spoke.
“Is that, by any chance, trying to crash into the bridge?”
Indeed, people were panicking and fleeing. Frede laughed leisurely.
“Let it crash and pass out! This place is protected by the Grand Witches’ barrier. It’s nothing, just messing around.”
The sea turtle swam at super speed and collided with the bridge!
A crack appeared in the translucent barrier, in the gap between the sea surface and the bridge.
“Eh.”
Strong!
Because it's a legend! Nod!
“Hmph, hmmph, hmmhmhmhmhmhmmph!”
Unlike Frede, who was flustered by its strength, there was a madman smiling contentedly; there’s no need to explain it now. It was Rin.
“You pass, legendary sea turtle! Shall we test your [Strongest] against my [Strongest] here? Of course, a lowly creature like a bug has no veto power.”
Frede hurriedly stopped Rin, who had climbed onto the railing and proudly crossed his arms.
“No! You're going to use that lightning strike again, aren't you? No! You'll turn it to ashes again, just like last time. You stay still, got it?”
Rin listened carefully to Frede’s words and nodded as if he understood.
But just as Frede let go of the back of his neck with relief, he suddenly raised his left hand and began forming hand seals!
“No! Damn it! I told you to stay still! I'm thinking of a plan right now! Everyone can be happy. Nils can dissect it, and I can sell those testicles to become rich and get my skin back to my teenage years! Got it?”
Rin quietly listened to Frede's words, nodded, and seemed to be withdrawing his magic, but as Frede stepped back with relief, he suddenly raised his left hand again and deployed the Osarius rosary.
“Are you making fun of me right now? You son of a bitch!”
Iron Fist's Retribution!
“Kkuaaaang!”
The next moment, the boy who dreamed of being the [Strongest] became a child screaming, with his head dangling from two fists.
“No matter if it's a legendary creature, if it commits evil that terrifies people like this, I, Rista Alter Schirfain, as a hero, cannot tolerate it.”
However, there was another madman Frede should have stopped.
She had missed the madness that should have been controlled first.
“No, don't, stooop!”
Rista had already positioned Schirfain’s blade, with her unique reverse grip stance, intersecting the trajectory of its blade with the horizon. On that trajectory, the sea turtle was precisely located.
““Nooooooo───!””
Rin and Frede screamed desperately, each for different reasons.
A rift in spacetime, cruelly and massively crushing those cries!
“─────Spacetime Annihilation (時空殲)!”
That powerful slash, which traversed even the sea, naturally obliterated the sea turtle above it without a trace, except for its two fins, and had power to spare.
“Woah, amazing!”
“Th-that's the hero!”
“Now there's nothing to worry about!”
As people cheered, Rin slumped to his knees on the bridge and began to cry, shedding large tears like chicken droppings.
“Ugh… my dream of becoming the [Strongest]… why are there always… so many obstructors…”
Frede, frothing at the mouth, fell backward and fainted!
“Y-you're too much… I, I just wanted to… look a year younger… that's not a crime or anything…”
At that moment, Rista formed a magic foothold on the water's surface!
As if it were natural, she ran across the sea…!
She swiftly snatched something trying to hide from the ‘light’.
‘Schirfain, I wondered why you were howling so fiercely, and as expected… you ate the [King's Flesh].’
What would such a beast know to eat the [King's Flesh]?
It must have been a product of coincidence.
The [King's Flesh] was not only disturbing civil order but also polluting the natural world. This catastrophe must be put an end to as soon as possible.
‘Before my allotted time runs out, I must complete my mission.’
Just then, someone quietly approached and placed a hand on Frede's shoulder.
“Oh my, oh my, beautiful young lady. Instead of crying like this, why not confide your sad heart in me and let me comfort you during a nice time… *cough*!”
A Pi-Pi Kick that sent that man's jaw flying!
Frede irritably bit on her pipe and stood up.
“Well done, Pi-Pi. There's no trash whose sneaky intentions are as obvious as men who approach crying women… Huh? No, you, you are!!!”
The man, bleeding profusely from his bitten tongue, coolly gave a thumbs-up.
He had a well-balanced muscular physique and a cleanly shaved head, making him look cool even in this southern tropical climate.
“Umha-hat, it's been a long time, Frede. Your punch tastes spicier than last time. Or perhaps? Should I say, 'It's been a long time, Shrine Maiden'… do I have to greet you that way? I don't, do I?”
The man greeted Frede very intimately, but when Rin actually asked, “Who is this bald guy?”, Frede's reaction was utterly cold.
“Ryuminique. If there’s a [Strongest] among trash, it would be this guy. He’s a Demon King. The Great Demon King of the Swallow Tribe. Should I call him the enemy of all women?”
“Oh, the strongest Demon King…?”
“No, I said enemy of women, not your enemy, so don't form hand seals, you lunatic!”
As Frede jabbed her pipe into Rin's crown, Ryuminique started in surprise, grabbed Rin's wrist, and stared at his palm for a long time.
“No, this palm… unbelievable! Oh, oh-oh-oh-oh! To think such a palm line really exists! I’m moved! I might have lived until now just to see this palm line!”
“What is it?”
“Heavenly Martial Body! A body granted by heaven! You have a good foundation, so with a little training, you'll quickly gain muscle and become a muscular powerhouse!”
Rin tilted his head.
‘Was I a vessel destined to become the [Strongest] not only in mind but also in body?’
If so, wouldn’t the world be too unfair?
“Do you want to become like that? To do so, you need appropriate exercise methods. If you want to know those methods, contact the Murim and request me, Ryuminique, as an exercise instructor. For your information, the lesson fee is 50 gold coins per session.”
Frede’s pipe was jabbed down onto Ryuminique’s crown this time! Very painful!
“Ugh, you consistent trash! Don't be fooled, Rin. This bastard is just a con artist. He just says such things to everyone he meets for the first time. The problem is women easily fall for that face and body.”
“Who pays 50 coins in the first place? He seems out of his mind. Is he a lunatic with no concept of economics?”
“No, but I'm Muchen (舞天)? This kind of price is natural, isn't it?”
The moment the cocky Ryuminique saw Link standing in the back, the playfulness completely vanished from his eyes.
“This is a type of man I've never seen before. Let’s shake hands.”
Ryuminique quickly stripped off his upper uniform and extended his hand to Link.
The moment Link grasped his hand, Ryuminique’s body wildly expanded, and his muscles emitted magical light! A master of magic use!
Link tilted his head, likewise exerted force, and his muscles and tendons swelled up nearly twice their size without exaggeration.
Without any help from magic! Crazy master!
“…!”
“…!”
The test of strength ended only after a considerably long time, and a smile played on Ryuminique’s lips.
“Hmm, perfect. You're a real man. To tie with me, Ryuminique, in a [real man's greeting]. Such a man, perhaps the first.”
Rin narrowed his eyes and spoke.
“Sir, aren’t your hand bones crushed right now? Is it really a tie? Link's hand is fine though?”
“Hmph, broken bones tend to heal stronger… I suppose I deliberately backed off a step for such growing pains. Don't look at the trees, look at the forest, boy.”
“Huk.”
Ryuminique coolly refuted Rin's factual point and looked up at Link again.
“But your method of using power isn't yet organized. If you want to know that, contact the Murim and request me, Ryuminique, as a martial arts instructor. For your information, martial arts lessons are 200 gold coins per session.”
Link didn't know if he understood those words, but he smiled happily.
“Link, Link, Link.”
Just like that… truly, it was an utterly pathetic and ludicrous encounter to explain to future generations.
Muchen Ryuminique.
One of the five adventurers who accompanied our party to the ends of the earth during that horrific summer…
“Oh, are you saying you'll register? However, male members have to pay an advance. I'm usually the type who adds a lot of extra fees if they're not female members, but if you pay an advance, you won't have those. What do you think? Tempting, isn't it?”
The time spent with that incurable lecher…
Even now, like this…
It is carefully preserved amidst the faint light on this side of the horizon of memory…
“You always claim you don't want to teach male members and then just take the advance payment and run off, you crazy con artist!”
It was around that time that Rista returned, holding the [King's Flesh].
When they stored the [King's Flesh] in the golden tent, entrusted to Rin, Ryuminique even took a sharp breath and made a fuss.
“No, these palm lines…!”
He had just been looking at Rista's palm.
“Truly a Heavenly Martial Body! A body granted by heaven! To see such palm lines in my lifetime!”
“Oh my, is it a good thing?”
“Of course it is! But to obtain the Heavenly Martial Body, correct training methods are essential. Even with a small mistake, you won't be able to awaken!”
“How could that be!”
“Therefore, I, Ryuminique, the symbol of righteousness and chivalry, called the most Murim-like among Murim people, will have to guide you. It just so happens to be a New Year's event, so if you register today, the lesson fee is 1 silver coin per session.”
“1 silver coin? That’s completely free!”
“Right! Will you register? Hahaha!”
“But now is a time of turmoil! I shouldn't spend even 1 silver coin carelessly for my own personal desires!”
“Then how about 50 copper coins!”
“50 coins won’t do either!”
“Then it's free!”
Rin's eyes narrowed even more than slits, almost to a straight line.
“Why is the price so different from mine? You said 50 gold coins? Why don't I get the event discount?”
Frede, who had already jabbed her pipe into Ryuminique's crown dozens of times, replied with a sigh.
“Why do you ask? Because this guy is trash. For men, it starts with gold coins, for women with silver coins, and the discount rate is decided based on appearance. I'd say Rista and I are the only ones that trash offered 1 silver coin to.”
Nils Blantz shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.
“The sudden self-praise, unnecessarily added as an aside, makes me laugh because the intention is too obvious.”
“Shut up, you ugly dwarf!”
“This despicable Manuki Shrine Maiden makes racist remarks whenever she gets a chance!”
Leaving behind the struggle Frede and Nils had begun, representing humanity and demi-humans, Rista spoke.
“I understand the situation. Could you explain why you, who can be called the trashiest of trash, waited for us here?”
“That’s because I waited for you all who possess the Heavenly Martial Body, to accept you as members…”
“If you talk nonsense one more time, you could really die. Fireball.”
A fireball rippling with immense heat right before Ryuminique's eyes! At that, Ryuminique grabbed Rin's hand again.
“What in the… the rumors were true! The rumor that the Heavenly Martial Body applies even to mages!”
“?”
“I need your help, Rin. To completely subjugate the Bloodline! This is different from the jokes I've made until now. I am utterly serious.”