Author Romeru
patreon
Chapter 53: Well, This is A Bar Fight
🕑 Added 2024-11-09 17:12:00 +0000 UTC“So… how many do you think there are?”
“A lot.”
A small grunt whispered in the air as Cyrus joined Julian and Juliet behind a wall of large crates and barrels. They weren’t alone, however—the dead eyes of rotten fish, along with their maggot and fly companions, were also listening to their quiet conversation.
Julian was the only one who seemed bothered by the smell, trying his best not to cover his nose and instead concentrating on Cyrus, who had just returned from scouting Dasaki, the saloon which had the same emblem as the tattoo of the two corpse puppets they fought back on the mansion.
“But… it feels just like a normal saloon.” Cyrus sat down, resting his back against a damp fish barrel, which squelched unpleasantly, making Julian’s head tilt to the side instinctively.
“Nothing out of the ordinary—people go in, spend a bit of time inside, then leave.” Cyrus shook his head and sighed, “The conversations I overheard sounded normal, too. I think there’s an upper floor, though, so, as we already guessed earlier…
…we need to go inside.”
“Why do you think those two aristocrats we buried had tattoos from this… gang?” Juliet asked, peeking out from behind the crates to look at the saloon. “Did they have the tattoos before… or were they marked after they died?”
“Maybe they weren’t aristocrats at all,” Julian whispered. “The mansion was probably abandoned a long time ago, and the only metals I sensed were the weapons they were holding. The mansion was likely abandoned and looted long before, and they just used it to lure us in.”
“Oh…” Juliet blinked a few times, taking in his theory. “...You can be really bright sometimes, Boss.”
“No,” Julian quickly replied. “It was MEGAN who figured it out.”
“Whoa, you can read her chat now?” Cyrus’s eyes widened in surprise. “It’s only been a week since we started teaching you how to read.”
“Just some bits and pieces.” Julian smiled, humming slightly. “Enough to understand what she’s saying… or at least what I think she’s saying.”
“The Chat’s going wild with that, Sword Junkie,” Cyrus said, blinking as messages poured in. “Most of them can’t wait until they can chat directly from your POV.”
“Hm.” Julian merely breathed out in response before asking, “And what about their levels? Since we’re going inside the saloon, do you think we can handle them?”
“Is MEGAN this asking again?” Cyrus glanced at him.
“No, it’s me.” Julian replied, finally adjusting to the smell of the decaying fish as he peeked out to look at the saloon’s exterior.
“I wouldn’t be able to tell you their exact levels,” Cyrus sighed, shaking his head. “But if the two aristocratic puppets from earlier are any indication, then I think we’ll be fine. Well, at least you two will.”
“You know, you never really ever fight…” Juliet narrowed her eyes, eyeing Cyrus with suspicion. “But don’t think I haven’t noticed how you just brush off attacks from monsters whenever they lunged at you. What level are you, exactly?”
“Tut, tut.” Cyrus wagged his finger in front of Juliet’s face. “This isn’t about me.”
“He’s level 82, Juliet,” Julian answered, ignoring Cyrus’s attempt to dodge the question.
“What!?” Juliet nearly knocked over one of the crates in her shock but managing to catch it, “What are you even doing here and not out in the high-level areas? And wait—you said you’ve only been technically alive for a few years here! How are you so strong!?”
“Heh…” Cyrus smirked. “I used to be a hardcore gamer, all about min-maxing. But when I met Kitty here, I realized I enjoyed streaming other people’s adventures more and interacting with people. Besides, my class… isn’t really built for direct combat.”
“Okay… I didn’t understand any of that,” Juliet replied, squinting at him. “But who’s this Kitty? Some lost lover?”
“Nope! I have a loving wife and husband.” Cyrus waved her question away with a grin.
“Huh? Did you just say you have—”
“Shh. Not important.” Cyrus put a finger in front of her lips—unfortunately, one smeared with rotten fish juice. “We’re here for Julian, not me. Everyone’s already sick and tired of me. So…
…Sword Junkie, your call. Should we leave this for tomorrow or head in now?”
“W—” Juliet nearly swung at Cyrus’s head for brushing rotten juice on her lips, but Julian spoke up before she could act.
“No, we should do this now,” Julian stated firmly, without hesitation. “If they know about us, there’s nothing to stop them from attacking us while we’re back on Earth. It would be too dangerous for Juliet to be left alone, guarding our bodies.”
“Hm… Right.” Cyrus sighed and nodded, rising to his feet along with the others. “But, technically, she could just run and leave our bodies if things got dangerous.”
“I’ll kill you right here if you want.” Juliet scoffed, glaring at Cyrus. “You really think I’d leave you guys? Even if the gods struck me down, I wouldn’t abandon you.”
“And that’s exactly why…” Julian turned his shoulder to Juliet, his gaze steady, “...I need you to stay here, Juliet.”
“W…what?” Juliet chuckled in disbelief, brushing off his words. “What do you mean, stay here? I’m part of the party.”
“We don’t know how dangerous the people inside are,” Julian whispered, his voice calm. “There’s a real chance we might not make it out.”
“And that’s exactly why I need to go!” Juliet’s grip on her axe tightened. “You need me in there.”
“If we die, it’s only our bodies here in Artemia that die, Juliet,” Julian sighed. “We’ll still be alive in our real bodies.”
“Not for me.” Juliet’s voice was low, almost a growl, as she leaned in close, her gaze fixed on his.
“Not for me,” she repeated, her voice trembling. “If you die here, I’ll never see you again. So please, don’t say that—not to me. Never.”
“Hm…” Julian glanced at Cyrus, who simply shrugged in response.
He then turned back to Juliet, and, seeing the fierce resolve glistening in her eyes, the only response he could muster was a quiet hum.
“Okay,” he relented with a sigh. “Let’s just get this over with.”
***
“Howdy, boys.”
Cyrus was the first to enter the saloon, the doors swinging behind him as he made his entrance. His arrival was met with glares and scowls—some patrons even spat on the wooden floor before completely ignoring him.
“Huh. Tough crowd.” Cyrus shrugged, striding over to an empty table in the corner. And not even three seconds after he sat down, a barmaid approached with a warm smile.
“Can I get something for you, love?” she asked, her tone friendly and inviting.
“Soup, bread, and your finest booze,” Cyrus replied, his gaze subtly tracking the next person through the door—Juliet. Unlike him, she drew lingering stares, most of the saloon’s patrons looking her over from head to toe.
Instead of sitting like him, however, Juliet made her way to the far corner of the saloon where a board displayed various quests and tabloids. No one dared approach her even with all the gazes, and the large war axe beside her likely played a role in that.
A minute later, Julian entered, ignoring the stares directed at him as he walked straight to the bar.
“What’ll it be?” the barkeep grunted as Julian sat down in front of him, barely glancing up as he continued wiping a glass that was already spotless.
Julian set Searadyn’s Veil beside him, once again wrapped carefully in cloth so that no one would take a second look at it.
“I’ll have water,” he said, looking the barkeep directly in his eyes.
“...That’s it?” The barkeep snorted.
“Water…” Julian added, holding his gaze steady, “...with ice.”
“Huh?” The barkeep stopped wiping and stared at Julian as though he were insane. “Listen here, boy. We don’t serve—Hm!?”
Before he could finish, Julian’s hand shot to Searadyn’s Veil, causing sparks to fly as he split it apart—not into rapiers, but into twin shields, deflecting two sudden strikes from his left and behind.
A loud clang echoed through the saloon as Searadyn’s Veil rang out like a gong—a gong signaling the beginning of chaos. All around, patrons sprang into action—even the barmaid who had taken Cyrus’s order lunged at him with a concealed blade.
“All hail Orpuk!” The patrons shouted in unison, their roars filling the room as they chanted their praises over and over.
“Hm.” Julian pushed away from the bar, transforming his shields into twin rapiers mid-motion before stabbing his attackers in the neck—all without breaking eye contact with the barkeep.
“Everyone but the bartender is already dead!” he announced, raising his voice. As he did, a chair smashed into his back. Julian could have dodged, but he didn’t bother, knowing he could handle it.
He tilted his head to the side and stepped away, dodging an attacker who leaped from the upper floor of the saloon. Unfortunately for this would-be assailant, Julian transformed Searadyn’s Veil into a longsword, swinging it upward to meet and cleave the attacker cleanly in half before he even landed.
“D… Die! All hail Orpuk!” The barkeep joined the fray, lunging over the bar with a dagger aimed at Julian. Julian spun, kicking the dagger away before thrusting Searadyn’s Veil toward the barkeep’s neck, stopping just short of severing it.
“Gkh…” The barkeep could only grit his teeth, frozen in place, as he stared at the near-invisible blade held inches from his throat. Julian held his gaze for a moment, then abruptly turned and thrust his sword toward a stool behind the barkeep, hooking it with his blade and flinging it at a crazed woman charging toward him.
The woman staggered from the impact, trying to recover only to find Julian upon her in an instant. With swift precision, he pierced her neck with the twin rapiers, then split it apart cleanly with a single fluid motion.
Meanwhile, Cyrus captured every moment, his grin widening as the Chat went wild with donations. He glanced at Juliet to ensure she was holding her own, then turned his full attention to Julian, thrilled by the unfolding scene.
Of course, Cyrus wasn’t free from attackers either, but he dispatched anyone who rushed him… using only a fork.
As for Julian, he seemed to be dancing—each step deliberate and elegant as he wielded the twin rapiers like extensions of his own body. A large man charged at him with a greatsword nearly the size of his torso. Julian didn’t dodge; instead, he let the greatsword slide down the length of his rapier, noting the difference in weapon quality from the sound alone, and that the glacivyr could take it.
Guiding the greatsword downward, Julian deflected it to the ground. In that instant, a cold fire erupted from Searadyn’s Veil, surging toward the large man and forcing him to stumble back as his clothes began to crumble under the freezing flames.
It was one of Searadyn’s Veil’s skills, [Glacial Rebound]. Sadly, the 5% chance of freezing the attacker was not triggered at all… but it didn’t matter.
Julian seized the moment, stepping on the large man’s foot before transforming Searadyn’s Veil into a longsword and driving it up through the base of the man’s chin.
“Wait… Julian!” Cyrus shouted in warning as he spotted someone aiming a crossbow at him. It was already too late, however, as the bolt has been fired—but Julian moved seamlessly, withdrawing Searadyn’s Veil from the man’s skull and slicing through the bolt midair, splitting it cleanly in half.
“What the… fuck!?” Cyrus clutched his hair in disbelief. “Did… did anyone else see that, Chat!?”
Julian was only level 15—a level known as a soft cap for the people of Artemia, and advancing beyond it required intense training and relentless monster hunting. Some of these corpse puppets were definitely above level 15, but Julian moved with uncanny precision to overwhelm them all.
He wasn’t necessarily the fastest, but he was precise and efficient—each movement perfectly timed, with no wasted energy.
If it were an official term, Cyrus would probably call it, “Chat… chat… he’s doing consecutive [Perfect] dodges!”
Those don’t exist as far as Cyrus knew, but it didn’t matter.
When the guild master had said Julian was blessed by the gods, Cyrus thought it sounded a bit cheesy. Impressive, yes, but cheesy. Now, seeing him in action, he couldn’t help but agree wholeheartedly.
…And the Chat felt the same way.
<TLF: I’m new here but… what am I even watching!?>
<JWeber: you’re watching the sword god in action>
<JWeber has just donated 600 Credits!>
<pigeonin: this is getting crazy…>
<RockyT has just donated 600 Credits!>
<WWWalther has just donated 600 Credits!>
<GreenSteve has just donated 600 Credits!>
<iLuvUnicorns: donation bomb!? Are we getting a donation bomb!?>
<SChotsiri has just donated 600 Credits!>
<M.Laswell has just donated 600 Credits!>
<PicklePirata: Sword Junkie is rich! Congrats!>
<TLF has just donated 600 Credits!>
<PicklePirata: even the new fans are donating!? WTF!?>
[LAST CHAPTER] <-----> [NEXT CHAPTER]
AUTHOR NOTES
By the way, if you've noticed throughout the story, Julian always "turns his shoulder toward someone", or "hums" in response. He barely nods and just hums, and he really only looks at people in the eyes or the face when he is trying to check something--I just thought it was a nice habit as a blind person even when he could see whenever he's on Artemia. I don't know, the little things. I don't know if you've noticed lol. Also, thank you for reading!!
Comments
Manpapper
Thanks for the chapter
Rommel Sabido
Yes. Just little bits and pieces hehe. Which is really weird now, since Artemia is basically bleeding into Julian's world, and Julian's world is bleeding onto ours. Whooott.
Rommel Sabido
Thank you for noticing, and thank you for reading! You know who else has an excellent touch, though? Julian. lol
ReadingObsessed
I definitely noticed! An excellent touch.
TLF
TFTC! I think putting the patreon subs as some of the chatters is a really cool idea so I don't mind at all
Rommel Sabido
Do message or comment if you don't want your usernames displayed lol
