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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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At the Black Dragon Construction headquarters.
In the Leviathan’s lobby.
And deep within its subterranean Subterranean Dragon Palace.
Few were aware of the earth-shattering distortions and colossal explosions of light emanating from distant stars.
It was a phenomenon beyond the realm of natural law, imperceptible to ordinary humans.
However, those who existed outside the ordinary, possessing senses beyond human comprehension, whether through psionics or other means, felt it.
They felt something shift.
The world’s natural order warped, impossibilities manifested, and a sickening dissonance arose as reality was eroded by an alien ideal.
Yet, separate from this unsettling sensation, there was a change even ordinary humans could perceive.
“…Well, now.”
Limon, whose heightened senses had initially made him oblivious to the visible changes, wore a look of incredulity.
“So much bravado, I wondered what you were planning… but really.”
Limon’s gaze swept over Ryu Kang-chul, from head to toe.
“What are you, some kind of Power Ranger? Pulling out a transformation suit because you’re losing?”
Ryu Kang-chul now towered nearly three meters tall. Brown metal encased his entire body. Scythe-like blades extended from both arms.
It wasn’t so much a suit of armor as a grotesque, oversized exoskeleton, more akin to a transformation suit, as Limon had suggested.
He was now a steel giant, a monstrous hybrid of man and mantis, Ryu Kang-chul’s original form barely recognizable.
[Go ahead and chatter while you can]
Ryu Kang-chul said, unfazed.
His voice, now metallic and chilling, resonated with a newfound confidence.
[You won’t be able to once you’re dead!]
Ryu Kang-chul crouched low, then kicked off the ground.
KABOOM!
The air tore apart as a tremendous shockwave rocked the building. Limon had blocked the supersonic scythe blades with his sword.
But that was only the beginning.
[Where’s all that bravado now? Keep talking!]
Ryu Kang-chul’s scythes became a blur, a whirlwind of steel aimed at Limon’s head, neck, heart—every vital point.
The precision of the attacks, combined with their supersonic speed, transformed him into a human threshing machine, designed for utter annihilation.
There was just one problem.
Not a single blow landed.
Clang! Kagang!
Limon deflected the scythes with his sword, parried the slashes, and forced the blades to collide, his movements calm and precise.
Amidst the storm of steel, he murmured,
“Hmm, this puts you at Level 90… no, at least 95, specializing in speed. You’ve certainly gotten faster.”
Limon readily acknowledged the improvement.
Ryu Kang-chul was undeniably faster, fast enough to face a Grand Duke-level expert one-on-one without resorting to clones.
“But what does that change?”
[What…!]
Swish!
“You’re still no match for me.”
Limon’s sword flashed, severing Ryu Kang-chul’s head.
Thud!
“Tsk, such a fuss over a single fool. The Black Dragon Clan has truly weakened.”
Limon sheathed his sword and clicked his tongue, seemingly disappointed by the anticlimactic end.
“Wouldn’t you agree, you fool?”
Thwack!
[Urk?!]
Another Ryu Kang-chul clone, identical to the one just slain, appeared behind Limon, a knife plunged into his chest. The clone wore a look of disbelief.
[H-how…!]
How? You were practically radiating killing intent. How could I not notice?
Limon twisted his sword, crushing the clone’s heart.
“So, why don’t the rest of you come out and save yourselves the trouble?”
Drrrrrr!
At that moment, Ryu Kang-chul’s face, frozen in a grimace of death, twisted into a sinister grin.
A violent tremor shook the building as windows shattered, and countless brown figures emerged from every corner of the Black Dragon Construction headquarters.
[Well, well.]
[You’re certainly not easy to deal with.]
[But your arrogance ends here.]
[I alone may not be your match.]
[But that’s only because I’m alone.]
[Let’s see how you fare against us all!]
Like vines bursting through concrete, engulfing the building, hundreds of brown steel giants filled the space.
A high-ranking member of the Liberation Brigade. Number twelve of the Twelve Specters. Codenamed Fool.
The wielder of the Unique Skill ‘Infinite Proliferation,’ Ryu Kang-chul, surrounded Limon with a hundred clones, each possessing Grand Duke-level combat power, and laughed savagely.
[Can you handle us all?]
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[Princess, did you know?]
“Know what?”
[It’s a common trope for characters to get stronger when they transform.]
“Is that so?”
[Of course! How many stories have you read where the protagonist powers up when cornered?]
“Is that even possible? Maybe for a Sword Master, but humans can’t just magically increase their power.”
[Well, humans can’t, but players can. That’s why those ‘I Alone Level Up with My Absolute Skill’ novels are so popular.]
“I see. That makes sense.”
Li Chingwei nodded, seemingly understanding, as she gracefully retreated, shrouded in black mist.
Na-kyung, perched on her shoulder, continued earnestly,
[So, Princess,]
“Yes?”
[Let’s run away, okay?!]
“Should we?”
[Of course we should! Don’t you see him? Him?!]
Another section of the hallway crumbled under the increased pressure from Vellus’s skill.
Na-kyung pointed a wing at the center of the Subterranean Dragon Palace’s inverted pyramid hallway, where Vellus stood, casually unleashing devastating attacks.
[He transformed!]
Vellus’s transformation wasn’t as dramatic as Ryu Kang-chul’s. He now wore ornate, mechanical armor reminiscent of ancient Greek warriors.
Even his small law book had changed, now a bulky tome adorned with gears and cogs, larger than a child.
[And he’s gotten ridiculously strong!]
The problem was that Vellus’s power had increased proportionally to the size of his law book.
[Even if it’s a common trope, it’s practically cheating to get this much stronger just by transforming!]
“That’s a rather accurate assessment.”
Li Chingwei calmly agreed.
The pressure bearing down on her had intensified, making movement difficult even with the black mist dispersing the force. And the increased power wasn’t the only change.
“‘Law Prohibiting High-Speed Movement, enacted.’”
“‘Law Prohibiting Bipedal Locomotion, enacted.’”
“‘Law Protecting Instruments of Execution, enacted.’”
Li Chingwei faltered.
As Vellus spoke, her movements slowed, her legs locked in place, preventing her from walking. Vellus seized the opportunity.
“‘Hanging, proposed.’”
[Princess?!]
A white noose materialized around Li Chingwei’s neck and tightened, yanking her upwards.
Combined with the immense pressure already crushing her, it was a life-threatening situation.
Thud!
But Li Chingwei reacted instantly. She flipped backwards, hooking one leg around the rope, and used the momentum to loosen the noose.
Landing gracefully, she removed the rope as Na-kyung stared at her, dumbfounded.
[…Princess, have you worked at a circus before?]
“No. But we have a few such establishments under our control, so I’ve had plenty of opportunities to observe.”
[You can do that just from watching?]
Na-kyung briefly wondered if she could have replicated that acrobatic feat in her previous life, then immediately dismissed the thought.
[A-anyway, Princess, we need to run! It’s too dangerous to stay here!]
This wasn’t the first time they had been cornered. Vellus’s skill had repeatedly thwarted their attempts to escape. But Li Chingwei remained unfazed.
“I’d like to, but I doubt he’ll let us.”
[We have to try…!]
“‘Law Permitting Flight, enacted.’”
Na-kyung fell silent.
As Vellus’s voice echoed through the hallway, he soared through the air and landed before Li Chingwei.
“Hmm, the accumulated pressure of my judgments is enough to sink a battleship… yet you persist.”
“I’m accustomed to carrying burdens.”
Li Chingwei replied calmly. Vellus sneered.
“Surrender the case now. I’ll spare your life.”
“Amusing.”
“What’s so amusing?”
“In our clan, offering to spare someone’s life means you have no intention of keeping your word. It’s an invitation to a fight to the death.”
Vellus was momentarily silenced by the Black Dragon Clan’s unorthodox euphemism.
Then, his voice turned colder.
“…So, you intend to continue this futile struggle?”
“No, I still intend to kill you here.”
“You fool.”
Vellus scoffed.
“I am a being beyond even Monarchs, an absolute ruler. Do you honestly believe a mere half-breed lizard like you can defeat me?”
“An absolute ruler… you’re serious?”
“Of course.”
Vellus stated firmly, as Li Chingwei tilted her head, seemingly perplexed.
“Humans are governed by laws, and I control the laws here. Therefore, I am the absolute ruler. It’s simple logic.”
Li Chingwei could sense his sincerity. That was why she said softly,
“You’re arrogant.”
“It’s not arrogance. It’s an objective and absolute assessment.”
“Believing your subjective judgment is objective and absolute is the very definition of arrogance.”
Perhaps annoyed by Li Chingwei’s continued defiance, Vellus said coldly,
“Don’t bother stalling. No one is coming to save you.”
“You think so?”
“My comrades may be fools and madmen, but they are excellent killers.”
Although they differed in rank, they were all Specters of the Liberation Brigade. Now that they had invoked the forbidden ‘Constellation Descent,’ no one could stop them.
“Especially with my mad comrade on a rampage, the Leviathan’s defenders are likely already dead.”
He spoke with cold certainty, crushing any lingering hope. But Li Chingwei remained calm.
“Even if your comrades are formidable killers, it won’t be that easy.”
Her confidence wasn’t based on blind faith in Yo Ouin and the Silent Dragon Unit. It stemmed from something more concrete.
Li Chingwei smiled faintly.
“I have a little insurance.”
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[Your Text Here]
Thanks fusion!