Solo Swordmaster – Chapter 134

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“‘Stoning, proposed.’”

A cold voice echoed, and a torrent of pebbles rained down from all directions. Though small in size, each carried the force of a cannonball, a deadly baptism.

But death couldn’t touch her.

The girl, Li Chingwei, deflected the pebbles with the back of her hand, crushed them underfoot, flicked them away with her palm, and plucked them from the air with her fingers.

She stood her ground, effortlessly handling the barrage with a single hand, her movements fluid and graceful, like a dancer amidst falling flower petals.

“‘Burning at the Stake, proposed.’”

As if anticipating her defense, the pebbles were followed by a raging inferno.

Flames erupted from the ground, engulfing the space, threatening to melt flesh and bone.

But the pain was stifled.

Li Chingwei stamped her foot, and a cloud of black mist erupted, suppressing the flames. A flick of her wrist extinguished the remaining embers, like a breath snuffing out a candle.

“‘Decapitation, proposed.’”

A blade flashed, aiming for her neck, seeking a swift end.

But the execution failed.

Li Chingwei effortlessly evaded the blade with a graceful backbend, her head nearly touching her heels. She placed a hand on the ground and flipped backwards, landing gracefully on her feet.

Vellus, observing Li Chingwei, unscathed despite his relentless assault, spoke softly,

“Persistent, aren’t you, for a half-breed lizard.”

“You’re not very decisive for a self-proclaimed absolute ruler.”

Li Chingwei’s taunt didn’t faze Vellus. He simply smiled coldly.

“Talk all you want. You can’t win.”

“You’re confident.”

“Your current state proves otherwise.”

“That’s…”

Li Chingwei’s expression turned troubled. Her clothes were torn and singed, a testament to the close calls she had endured.

“How ungentlemanly of you to criticize a lady’s appearance.”

Instead of arguing, Li Chingwei launched a counterattack.

A blast of dark energy shot towards Vellus, a silent, deadly attack that could bring down even the most resilient high-level player.

BOOM!

But the attack failed. The dark energy dissipated mid-air, blocked by an invisible force.

“It’s useless. Your attacks can’t penetrate my law book.”

Vellus sneered, gesturing towards the pages torn from his law book, now swirling around him.

Na-kyung shuddered, watching the thin sheets of paper move independently, intercepting Li Chingwei’s attacks.

[Ugh! Not only a cheat skill, but cheat items too! You dirty cheater!]

It was a frustrating situation.

‘Law Prohibiting High-Speed Movement.’

‘Law Prohibiting Bipedal Locomotion.’

‘Law Protecting Instruments of Execution.’

Three restrictions already hampered Li Chingwei, effectively binding her hand and foot.

She was also enduring hundreds of tons of pressure and carrying a heavy case with one arm. It was a miracle she was still standing.

And now, thanks to that damned law book, her attacks were useless. As Na-kyung had said, it was a rigged game.

“A cheat, you say?”

[You think he’s being unfair, right, Princess?]

“No, I think it’s not quite a cheat.”

[…Are you joking?]

“It’s my honest assessment.”

[How can you possibly say that in this situation?!]

Despite the dire circumstances, Li Chingwei remained calm, observing Vellus with a steady gaze.

“A true cheat would be unbeatable. But I believe there’s a way to counter his skill.”

[That’s not what I…!]

“Interesting nonsense.”

Vellus interrupted their conversation, inserting himself into their exchange.

Na-kyung, silenced by the terrifying cheat player’s intervention, could only watch as Li Chingwei calmly asked,

“You think it’s nonsense?”

“Isn’t it?”

“No, I have a basis for my assessment.”

Li Chingwei met Vellus’s gaze, placing a hand on her chest.

“The fact that I’m still alive proves that you haven’t reached the level of a true absolute ruler, like a Monarch.”

A cheat skill was a Monarch’s power, proof of absolute authority. If Vellus truly possessed such power, she would be dead already.

Therefore, as long as she lived, he didn’t deserve to call himself an absolute ruler.

Li Chingwei’s calm, reasoned argument, delivered with such conviction, made Vellus scowl.

“Save your provocations for when you can back them up, you foolish girl.”

“I wasn’t trying to provoke you. I was simply stating a fact.”

“What fact?”

“Even if you escape this place, you will never survive the wrath of the Seven Dragons Association.”

Li Chingwei spoke calmly. Vellus was strong, and his comrades might possess power beyond even Grand Dukes. But they were only three.

The Seven Dragons Association had seven princesses like her, each capable of rivaling a Grand Duke, and dozens of Grand Duke-level experts. And with the vast resources of the Seven Dragons Group at their disposal, the Liberation Brigade couldn’t possibly win.

“So, I have a proposition.”

Li Chingwei’s obsidian eyes, deep and unwavering, locked onto Vellus.

“Retreat now. And if you promise to never oppose the Seven Dragons Association again, I will not pursue you.”

[What?! Are you serious?!]

Na-kyung’s beak dropped open.

It was an unthinkable offer, a surprisingly peaceful request for a truce from the notoriously bloodthirsty Seven Dragons Association.

“That’s… a generous offer.”

Vellus, recognizing the unprecedented nature of the proposition, briefly expressed his admiration.

Then he laughed coldly.

“So generous it’s laughable.”

KABOOM!

[Princess?!]

It happened in an instant.

While listening to Li Chingwei, Vellus had been quietly scanning his law book.

As his finger stopped on a specific page, a cart wheel materialized out of thin air, slamming into Li Chingwei.

She coughed up blood, stumbling back, as chains erupted from the ground, binding her limbs and hoisting her onto the wheel.

“…Attacking during a negotiation? How rude.”

Li Chingwei, her limbs bound, the case she had been carrying now lying on the ground, glared at Vellus, who sneered,

“I’m surprised you considered that a negotiation.”

“I don’t recall begging for my life.”

“Don’t lie. Your proposition was nothing more than a pathetic plea, begging me to retreat because you’re afraid of the Seven Dragons Association’s retaliation.”

Vellus scoffed.

First, she threatened to kill him, and now, with the tables turned, she resorted to childish threats, relying on her clan’s reputation.

The strongest warrior of the Seven Dragons Association? Nothing more than a sheltered princess, after all.

“You don’t seem afraid of our retaliation.”

“I’m not.”

“Why? Even if you’re strong, you can’t possibly think you can face the entire Seven Dragons Association with just three people.”

“That’s a foolish question.”

Vellus smiled coldly, amused by Li Chingwei’s apparent delusion.

“Did you really think there were only three Specters of the Liberation Brigade?”

“You mean there are more of you?”

Li Chingwei’s obsidian eyes widened in surprise.

Vellus laughed.

“There are twelve Specters in the Liberation Brigade. All of us blessed by a great power.”

“That’s… certainly a threat.”

“More than a threat.”

Twelve players on par with him, each capable of wielding absolute power? Even the Seven Dragons Association would struggle against such a force.

“If we were to mobilize in earnest, we could crush the Seven Dragons Association within five years.”

“Impossible. Even if the Liberation Brigade had such power, the Ten Great Guilds wouldn’t allow it.”

“Ha! You think the Ten Great Guilds would side with you?”

Vellus couldn’t help but laugh. Li Chingwei’s gaze deepened.

“Because if the Seven Dragons Association falls, the global economy will collapse.”

“If that’s what you’re relying on, you should reconsider. Because…”

Vellus suddenly stopped mid-sentence, a sense of unease washing over him.

‘Why?’

Li Chingwei was already captured, completely at his mercy.

Why was he wasting time explaining this to her?

“Why should I reconsider?”

But as he met Li Chingwei’s gaze, he understood.

She had asked.

That was all the reason he needed.

“Because… ugh?!”

A sharp pain pierced his head. He clutched his temples, stumbling back, and frantically opened his law book.

“‘Law Prohibiting Mental Manipulation, enacted!’”

Crack!

Something shattered.

The agonizing pain subsided, and the fog clouding his mind cleared, replaced by a surge of rage.

“You, you primitive mongrel! How dare you!”

He abandoned all pretense of civility, his eyes burning with murderous intent. But Li Chingwei remained unafraid, her lips curving into a smile, more alluring and dangerous than ever.

“So, there are only twelve Specters in the Liberation Brigade?”

Her eyes, deep as the abyss, dark as a swamp, beautiful as the moon, yet dangerous as the night, held a mesmerizing allure.

Vellus gritted his teeth, blood trickling down his chin.

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