novelraw Chapter 242: Dragonblood Edge, the Legendary Dragon Sword Masamune
Chapter 242: Dragonblood Edge, the Legendary Dragon Sword Masamune
[You have discovered the Fire-Worshipping Heartless Ninja Master!]
[The Fire-Worshipping Heartless Ninja Master gazes at your body hidden beneath the Phantom of the Night Cloak, their eyes seemingly able to pierce the cloak’s concealment.]
[It seems to have noticed something. Its eyes widened in anger, and just as it was about to scold you, it could not help but break into a violent coughing fit.]
[You know well that this is because your teacher was so enraged that it aggravated an old illness.]
[Only after quite some time did it manage to stop coughing. You explained to your teacher that you had indeed been stationed at the dojo on Tisi Island all along, but upon hearing that Senior Sister was calling for help, you became restless, unable to eat or sleep, thinking only of coming to the No-Illusions Shrine to assist your teacher in rescuing her.]
[The Ninja Master’s expression remained impassive as he spoke, “So you secretly went to the rear mountain and took the Golden Roc Raptor Claws?”]
Lin Xun’s ninja shell was still equipped with that weapon. He had no idea what means the ninja teacher had used to see through the cloak’s concealment.
[Without waiting for your reply, he continued slowly. He knew you had always admired Murasakiyo. But why was it that even though he was willing to drag his sick body here to rescue her, he still refused to bring you, his most loyal disciple?]
[The Golden Roc Raptor Claws were the weapon he had wielded best in his youth, but why had he kept them hidden in the rear mountain rather than passing them down to you?]
[You knew it was because your strength was too low. You had yet to pass the Jonin assessment, and your ninja martial arts were still unrefined. Using the Golden Roc Raptor Claws, such a vicious weapon, would be less effective for you than wielding a hidden blade or an ordinary ninja sword.][If you went to rescue Senior Sister with such meager strength, you would only drag your teacher down.]
[The old, hoarse voice was full of anger. Since you understood all of this, why did you still come here? Had you forgotten that the most important part of being a ninja was endurance?]
[Though the Ninja Master’s reprimand was merciless, you knew your teacher’s temperament well. He only wanted you to return to Tisi Island so you wouldn’t throw your life away here. All the care and concern were hidden beneath the scolding.]
[What should you do?]
[1. Shout, “You old fool, drop some loot already!” and slay the Ninja Master on the spot, taking both equipment and shell in one swoop.]
[2. Respond meekly, “Yes, Teacher, I will return to guard the dojo,” and obediently leave the inn to return to the Heartless Ninja Dojo on Tisi Island.]
[3. Smile proudly, “Teacher, three days apart, and you must look at me anew.” You are no longer that powerless Chunin.]
Lin Xun’s mouth twitched.
The hidden storyline reward hadn’t been obtained yet. Clearly, the first and second options were out of the question.
As for the third option, how was he supposed to display strength with a Chunin shell?
If Lin Xun switched shells in front of the Ninja Master, it would probably be game over on the spot, and not a good ending, but a bad end, maybe even a dead end.
“If I’d known this would happen, I’d have switched to the President’s shell before meeting the Ninja Master. Maybe that would have triggered a different plot.”
The Ninja Master had appeared without warning, leaving him no time to prepare. Now it was basically impossible to swap shells.
Lin Xun scratched his head, racking his brain.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he decisively pressed the third option.
[You put on a serious expression and solemnly told your teacher that you were no longer the weakling you once were. Now you were confident that you could rescue Senior Sister.]
[The Ninja Master looked at you suspiciously, thinking you were still stubbornly dreaming of saving Tsukishiro Murasakiyo.]
[Apostle, please demonstrate your strength to dispel your teacher’s doubts.]
Lin Xun smiled faintly and opened the inventory to click on an item.
[You took out the Refined Copper Sand Maraca and slowly shook it…]
[The Battle Angel – Valkyrie, clad in armor and carrying a longbow, stepped forth from the void.]
[She removed the golden longbow from her back, drew an arrow, and nocked it, faintly aiming at the Ninja Master.]
[The Ninja Master was utterly shocked, demanding to know how you had obtained such a powerful shikigami.]
[You gestured for the Valkyrie to lower her guard and not attack. You explained to your teacher that while traveling to the No-Illusions Shrine, you had the fortune of encountering a foreign mage. The two of you hit it off instantly, feeling as though you were old friends.]
[The foreign mage had treated you as a close companion, your bond so strong that you were only a step away from sleeping foot to foot every night.]
[This mage generously gifted you the summoning artifact of the shikigami to keep you safe, asking for nothing in return. You had wanted to repay the kindness, but unfortunately had nothing of value to offer.]
[However, with this powerful shikigami’s aid, you were confident that rescuing Senior Sister would not be so difficult.]
[You were full of confidence, but to your surprise, the Ninja Master slowly shook his head and explained that the power within the No-Illusions Shrine was not to be underestimated.]
[This shikigami you had obtained was indeed strong, but compared to the hidden forces within the No-Illusions Shrine, it was still insignificant.]
[In recent days, he had been investigating the divine power near the shrine’s torii gate, and discovered that it surpassed even that of the great shrines.]
[As long as the shrine’s clergy remained within, their strength would receive a terrifying enhancement. Even he only had a thirty percent chance of success in rescuing Murasakiyo.]
[Now, even with your shikigami, there was at most a forty percent chance… If the shikigami could act independently of your control, perhaps that chance could rise to fifty percent.]
“…So basically, I’m just dead weight?”
The Ninja Master clearly intended to have the Valkyrie carry out the rescue with him, leaving Lin Xun, this little Chunin, behind so as not to cause trouble.
How could that be acceptable? While the Valkyrie could indeed operate autonomously, even a fifty percent chance was still too great a risk.
If the rescue failed, the Valkyrie could be revived, but where could he find another powerful plot character like the Ninja Master?
[The Ninja Master suddenly seemed to remember something and hurriedly asked you, “Since this shikigami that was given to you so casually was so powerful, then your so-called ‘foreign mage’ companion must be even stronger, no?”]
[If your close friend were willing to take action, we would definitely be able to rescue Tsukishiro Murasakiyo.]
“Actually, if my foreign mage brother fought the Valkyrie, it’s hard to say who would win…”
[Seeing the troubled look on your face, the Ninja Master assumed you were still brooding over the matter of repaying the favor, too embarrassed to ask for help.]
[He let out a carefree laugh and promised that as long as your close friend was willing to lend assistance, he would offer the Dragon Sword Masamune in his hand as your return gift.]
[With that, your teacher drew the blade from its sheath. In the unseen depths, it was as if a dragon’s roar echoed, and a brilliant flash of sword light filled your entire vision.]
[Dragon Sword Masamune (Legendary Weapon): A legendary divine weapon said to have slain a true dragon. This strange ninja blade resembles a cross between a tachi and a katana, the blade has the profile of a katana but is longer than a typical katana, and its curvature is slightly straighter than a tachi.]
[At the end of the hilt is set a mysterious gem known as the Dragon Jade, further elevating this divine weapon’s quality.]
[Equipping this weapon will greatly enhance your attack power while in Stealth (Invisibility) state.]
[Weapon Trait – Dragonblood Edge: This weapon possesses blade-breaking and armor-piercing properties against other lower-quality equipment (weapons and armor), with a high chance of destroying the target’s gear. The greater the quality difference, the higher the chance of destruction.]
“Holy crap! Awesome, this is the legendary one-strike stripping blade?”
Lin Xun couldn’t help recalling the ‘clothes-shredding’ mechanics in many naughty games.
The weapon trait didn’t just work on armor, it had the same destructive effect on other weapons.
Whether in PVP or PVE, it was truly a divine weapon.
Clearly, this legendary weapon was meant to be the reward for rescuing the Senior Sister.
Which meant that infiltrating the No-Illusions Shrine was going to be extremely difficult.
[You still looked troubled and explained to your teacher that it wasn’t embarrassment stopping you from asking. For the sake of Senior Sister, you would gladly lay down your life, what did pride matter?]
[It was just that your friend, the foreign mage, had recently been invited by the Iya Palace and was now a guest at the onmyoji’s stronghold, exchanging magical techniques between the two nations.]
[Though they called it an exchange of techniques, in truth he was being placed under house arrest by the Vice Palace Master of Iya Palace, losing his freedom.]
[Your foreign mage companion had come alone to Sakura Falls, only to be imprisoned by the Iya Palace.]
[On the one hand, he couldn’t break free outright without risking diplomatic conflict. On the other hand, even a fierce tiger can’t fight a pack of wolves, and two fists couldn’t fend off four hands, so he was unable to escape.]
[Therefore, if you wanted your friend’s help, you would first need to slay the Vice Palace Master of Iya Palace and rescue him…]
[The Ninja Master let out a cold laugh. Onmyoji, people who relied on external forces, were themselves extremely weak. If it weren’t for their shikigami, he could destroy the Iya Palace in a single night.]
[They were nothing but worthless, self-important scum. That pitiful Vice Palace Master actually dared imprison the friend of his beloved disciple, they clearly had no idea what death meant!]