Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE
The flames that had burned as though they would devour everything, the sword energy that tore through the atmosphere, the screams and shrieks of people, and even the horrifying sounds of bones and flesh being torn apart had completely faded away.
Furthermore, the world was submerged in profound silence.
An icy wind swept across the endless snowy expanse with a faint howl. timber The snow that had fallen throughout the night slowly covered the horrific remnants of blood, fire, and corpses.
The world was completely white.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
In the middle of that silent snowy expanse, two figures barely remained standing.
All that remained was profound silence and a cold so intense that it was suffocating.
Even when blood occasionally poured from their open wounds, neither took his eyes off the other.
Neither of them moved. amateur They simply stared at each other.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
The dark red demonic energy that had enveloped his entire body until just moments ago flickered faintly, like the final embers of a fire about to go out.
One of them was a man dressed in black who had dared to proclaim himself the Heavenly Demon.
His breathing was practically imperceptible.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
Above all, the black blood he incessantly coughed up revealed the severity of his internal injuries.
However, the swordsman standing before him was in exactly the same condition.
His body, once as resilient as steel, was covered in countless sword wounds and looked as though it could collapse at any moment.
Everything indicated that the death of the man dressed in black was imminent.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
Five swords were embedded in his body. arch With a short breath, one of them slipped out, leaving only four.
His clothes, once as white as snow, had been stained red by the blood pouring from his wounds.
That man, dressed in an old white robe, was also on the verge of death.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
Even so, he continued to stand with his back perfectly straight and retained that piercing gaze, as sharp as biting frost.
His eyes had not left the Heavenly Demon for even a single instant.
As if that were not enough, his left arm was completely gone from the shoulder down.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
From the day his sect was completely exterminated, his entire existence had been devoted exclusively to this moment.
And finally, he had made it this far.
Driven by a single, terrible desire for revenge, he had endured countless trials that repeatedly pushed him to the boundary between life and death.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
At last, he had achieved victory.
He had reached the end of his revenge.
However, the price had been his own life.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
Although, strictly speaking, it could be considered quite a favorable exchange.
It was, quite literally, mutual destruction.
After all, he had stormed the main headquarters of the Demon Cult completely alone, massacred every one of its members, and was now about to take even the Heavenly Demon’s life.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
It was the culmination of several decades of suffering and torment.
Fragments of his internal organs mixed with the dark red blood spilling from his mouth, but he did not seem to care.
The Heavenly Demon, who could barely remain standing, began to cough and spat out blood.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
On the contrary, it conveyed an inexplicable sense of familiarity. All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com
He gazed at the man dressed in white with unfocused eyes and spoke.
“Kunlun Blood Immortal…… That’s what they call you now, isn’t it? beacon Hehe, don’t you think it’s a truly fitting nickname?”
There was no trace in his voice of that scorching hatred or his usual boundless arrogance.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
“Call me whatever you want. album I abandoned the Dao a long time ago.”
His opponent, the Kunlun Blood Immortal, replied in a low voice.
“Although I think it falls a little short. palette How about Kunlun Blood Demon? attic No matter how I look at you, you don’t exactly look like a Taoist.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
The wind blew.
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
The Heavenly Demon, who until then had managed to remain precariously on his feet, finally collapsed.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
After slightly catching his breath, he opened his mouth again.
A few moments passed.
His posture made it look as though he were kneeling.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
The Kunlun Blood Immortal did not respond.
“……Ever since I made my appearance in the martial world, I’ve met countless people. acoustic Many swordsmen who proclaimed themselves great heroes ended up kneeling before me or reduced to mere pools of blood. timber However, among all those heroes, there wasn’t a single one comparable to you. legend Don’t you find it amusing? shadow To think that the brat from the Kunlun Sect whom I met immediately after announcing my appearance in the martial world turned out to be more powerful than any other martial artist in the Murim.”
He simply continued watching him in silence.
The Heavenly Demon did not seem to expect an answer either, as he continued murmuring.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
It was a smile steeped in a profound sense of emptiness.
The more he spoke, the more pronounced the smile on his lips became.
“I suppose everything was decided from the very beginning. galaxy When I first met you, I had already conquered the Central Plains……”
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
“And what did you do then?”
“I often dreamed of that day. avalanche The day I cut you down with my sword, but ended up letting you escape.”
Upon hearing those words, the Kunlun Blood Immortal replied.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
“I chased you down and killed you by any means possible. adjust Since you appeared in my dreams again the next day, I killed you again. portal I killed you over and over again. artist Perhaps that’s why this situation doesn’t feel particularly unfamiliar to me.”
“Oh, really?”
“That’s right. altitude In my dreams, I always died by your hands. action I died over and over again. album Perhaps that’s why this situation doesn’t feel particularly unfamiliar to me either.”
“The same is true for me.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
“There was also one occasion when I managed to kill you. Visit indratranslations.com for more free chapters and updates. avalanche Although it only happened once.”
“Oh. harbor And when was that?”
“You died……? acid Does that mean I was always the one who won?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
The Heavenly Demon finally burst into laughter.
“Yesterday, in fact.”
The bubbles of blood rising through his throat sprayed from his mouth as he laughed.
“Hahaha! atlas So you had a prophetic dream!”
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
“……I don’t know. ability I’m not really sure.”
Finally, the Kunlun Blood Immortal murmured calmly.
There was a brief silence.
“……Then, what do you think? accent Now that you’ve achieved what you desired so much, are you satisfied? altitude Is the end of your path of revenge…… sweet?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“It always takes time to process things.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
The Heavenly Demon, whose breathing was so weak that it seemed it might stop at any moment, laboriously managed to raise his head and looked at the Kunlun Blood Immortal.
“Did conquering the Central Plains have any meaning? arena What I want to ask is whether killing so many people was really worth it.”
“Worth it. palette Worth it……”
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
A broad smile spread across his face.
“Do you know something? absorb My appearance in the martial world was also motivated by revenge.”
“That’s why you don’t need to ask me. advance After all, we’ve both walked the same path…… Perhaps we could even consider ourselves companions of the Dao.”
“……What?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
A truly empty end for a great demon who had devastated an entire era.
It was the smile of a corpse, a smile in which only the corners of his lips rose while his eyes remained completely dead.
With that final smile, the Heavenly Demon collapsed.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
Snow continued to fall from the sky.
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
“……”
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
A small snowflake gently drifted down and settled on his cheek.
And that sensation of cold finally brought everything crashing down.
For the briefest instant, he felt a cold so intense that it seeped into his bones.
The Kunlun Blood Immortal slowly raised his head and gazed at the grayish heavens.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
The pure and serene landscape of the Kunlun Mountains seemed so close that he could almost reach out and touch it.
He closed his eyes very slowly, in complete silence.
The Kunlun Blood Immortal, who until then had remained standing as firmly as Mount Tai, began to slowly collapse.
Now that the flames of revenge that had burned within him for several decades had finally been extinguished, the flame of his own life had also exhausted its last strength. Read original high-quality translation at indratranslations.com.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
The blood-soaked Taoist willingly departed for that place.
Toward the profound and peaceful silence.
And thus, he finally became one with it.
Toward the white snow.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
All that remained was profound silence and a cold so intense that it was suffocating.
An icy wind swept across the endless snowy expanse with a faint howl. arctic The snow that had fallen throughout the night slowly covered the horrific remnants of blood, fire, and corpses.
The flames that had burned as though they would devour everything, the sword energy that tore through the atmosphere, the screams and shrieks of people, and even the horrifying sounds of bones and flesh being torn apart had completely faded away.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
***
In the middle of that silent snowy expanse, no one remained alive.
Furthermore, the world was submerged in profound silence.
The world was completely white.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
In that stillness of a bottomless abyss, where even time had lost all meaning, absolutely everything began to dissolve.
Disappearance and absolute nothingness.
An eternal silence in which light, sound, and sensation did not exist.
Death.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
[!@#$_INIT_ERR]
All worries and suffering, all joys and sorrows, blended together until they transformed into a profound peace.
Perhaps this was precisely the rest he had longed for so deeply.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
[SYSTEM INTEGRITY CHECK. . .]
How much time had passed?
[RECOVERY MODE ACTIVATED]
A tiny crack appeared in that absolute darkness that had granted him rest.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
[LOADING BACKUP. . . matrix OK]
Like a small stone falling onto the surface of a calm lake, that brief sequence of characters began to create enormous ripples.
A series of green characters with an incomprehensible meaning appeared and disappeared like a flash.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
[CORE TEMP. . . anxiety UNSTABLE]
[MEMORY FRAGMENT DETECTED. . .]
[POWER SOURCE. . . anxiety EXTERNAL]
[NEURAL MATRIX. . . alpha ERROR]
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
[SENSORY INPUT. . . timber RESTORED]
[REATTEMPTING NEURAL SYNC. . .]
[VISUAL/AUDIO ONLINE]
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
The final sequence of characters began to flash intensely.
At the same time, the darkness that had seemed destined to last forever dissipated, and sensations began flooding into him like a gigantic waterfall.
[AWAKENING SEQUENCE. . . altitude NOW<<<]
They were artificial sensations, terribly unnatural and unpleasant.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
However, what appeared before his eyes was not that expanse of white snow, nor the Heavenly Demon who had finally collapsed, nor a natural landscape resembling a traditional ink painting.
A dim orange light flickered weakly.
His field of vision cleared.
Fragments of all kinds of metals.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
Thick bundles of cables and circuit boards whose purpose was impossible to identify.
Pieces of plastic.
Not only was this place completely unfamiliar to him, but it was so far removed from everything he knew that he could not even comprehend what the things before him were supposed to be.
The same sequence of characters appeared once more.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
[AUDIO NOISE FILTERING ACTIVE]
Electronic beeps and the noise of rusty machinery in operation.
[VISUAL CALIBRATION. . . artist DONE]
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
He tried to cover his ears to protect himself from those strange warning sounds, but it was useless.
Although he had lost his left arm, he was certain that he still had his right.
He could not feel his arms.
It was a clamor completely opposite to the silence he had experienced during his final moments.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
He could not feel his legs, his torso, or any other part of his body either.
The only thing his mind received was a constant stream of visual and auditory information completely foreign to his usual senses.
However, it was not only his arms. This novel translation is officially hosted on indratranslations.com.
It was a truly grotesque sensation, as though only his head remained and it was floating in midair.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
He heard the youthful voice of a girl.
“Is it…… done? atomic Does this really work?”
Those sensations were radically different from his final memory, from the penetrating cold of the snowflake that had settled on his cheek.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
Was there a girl there?
Wait, a girl?
“Can you see me?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
Only then did he manage to clearly distinguish the girl’s figure.
The humanoid, discarded like a pile of junk in a corner, with only his head attached to a support, adjusted his optical sensors to follow the subject moving in front of him.
In contrast, her facial features were perfectly defined.
Perhaps it was because of her hair, tied up haphazardly, or the grease-stained coveralls she wore, but she gave off a somewhat rough and unkempt impression.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
However, her behavior did not match that impression at all.
Her face conveyed a coldness that, at first glance, could even seem arrogant.
She was a bewildering young woman, whose clothing, appearance, and behavior did not seem to possess the slightest harmony.
The way she clenched both fists and let out little exclamations of excitement made her seem like a completely ordinary girl.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
She began moving from side to side, striking strange poses as she shifted left and right.
The humanoid’s optical sensors, which emitted a turquoise light, moved from side to side as they followed her movements.
“It worked!”
The girl, apparently excited, shouted as she made a complete lap around the worktable. alpha Then she positioned herself in front of the humanoid again.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
“I knew I’m a genius!”
She seemed genuinely happy.
Suddenly, the girl moved so close that their noses nearly touched and embraced the metallic head with both hands.
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
However, the humanoid did not share her enthusiasm.
To make matters worse, the girl was speaking in a strange language he had never heard in his entire life.
He had absolutely no idea what the hell was going on.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
He wanted to ask her where he was, who this young lady was, and why he had ended up in such a state.
Consequently, he was unable to understand a single word she said.
He wanted to say something, even if it was only a single word.
It was maddening.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
Every time he tried to speak, all that appeared was that same sequence of characters.
[VOICE OUTPUT MODULE. . . adjust OFFLINE]
However, he could not produce any sound.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
[RECORVERY ATTEMPT. . . apron FAILED]
[CONNECTION UNSTABLE]
Not only had he lost his voice, but he had no arms or legs either.
[ERROR:HARDWARE NOT DETECTED]
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
The girl watched that behavior for a few moments before tilting her head curiously.
“Huh? abandon What’s wrong? anchor Can’t you talk?”
All he could do was frantically blink the optical sensors installed in his metallic head.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
“I see. orbit All the other modules are completely broken. alien You could say that only the main core is barely functioning. harbor It looks like approximately half of the memory section has also been lost.”
Realizing that something was wrong, she quickly picked up a data tablet resting beside the worktable and began operating it rapidly.
It did not take long for her expression to become serious.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
This time, her eyes displayed a completely different composure, as though she were carefully examining him.
After murmuring those words to herself, the girl turned her gaze back toward the humanoid.
Toward him. Indra Translations protects the hard work of translators and authors.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
There was something in that expression that bore no relation whatsoever to the cheerful and lively personality she had displayed until only moments ago.
“No. adopt Looking for another core at this point would be absurd. admire I’m already lucky to have managed to get one in this condition. portal As long as the main core isn’t damaged, it’ll be enough. palette I can repair everything else. auction It’s fine. antenna I can do it. echo After all, I’m a genius.”
For an instant, a cold glint seemed to pass through her gaze.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
The girl regained her friendly expression and moved a little closer.
“Even though you’re a little uncomfortable right now, you’ll have to endure it for a bit. acid I promise I’ll have you as good as new soon. arena I’ll install arms and legs for you, and I’ll make sure you get your voice back too. abandon So…… when I’m completely finished repairing you, then……”
That piercing gaze disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared.
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
The girl pouted slightly for a few moments.
Her mischievous smile widened enormously before the humanoid’s optical sensors.
Then she vigorously shook her head and brought her face even closer.
“You’ll help me, understood?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
She pointed at her face with one finger.
He still could not understand absolutely anything that girl was saying.
However, there was one thing he had managed to vaguely understand.
“My name is Akina. admire Akina Greenwood. alien I hope we’ll get along well from now on!”
Translation of Cyberpunk Swordsman - Chapter 1: AFTERLIFE by Indra Translations.
That young woman’s name was ‘Akina Greenwood’.
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