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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Thump!
‘Is that all…?’
The moment Li Chingwei’s delicate hand struck him, Vellus smirked.
The force behind the blow was surprisingly light, a stark contrast to the earth-shattering power she had displayed moments before.
Of course, it was likely due to the ‘Law Nullifying Unarmed Attacks’ he had just enacted. Regardless, he had neutralized her attack.
There was no longer any need to be wary of her.
Or so he thought.
Thud!
A black lotus mark bloomed on his chest where Li Chingwei’s hand had landed. One of its petals detached, sending a dull ache through his chest.
And that was only the beginning.
Thump, thump, thump!
“Ugh?!”
With each falling petal, the black lotus deepened, the pain intensifying, his organs twisting, his joints creaking.
When the eighth petal finally detached, the black lotus fully imprinted itself onto his flesh, sinking deep into his body.
KABOOM!
“Gah!”
Vellus collapsed, coughing up blood.
The eight petals, embedded within him, resonated, creating a massive internal explosion. Li Chingwei had amplified her psionic power through resonance, detonating it within his vital points.
If his body hadn’t been reinforced by ‘Constellation Descent,’ if the ‘Law Nullifying Unarmed Attacks’ hadn’t absorbed most of the impact… his organs would have been ruptured, his body torn apart.
“Hmm, perhaps the Five Secret Techniques weren’t enough. Should I have used the Six?”
Li Chingwei mused, her expression calm, as if she hadn’t just unleashed a devastating attack.
Vellus, spitting blood, glared at her.
“You… monster…!”
“Monster? That’s a bit harsh for a delicate girl like me.”
Li Chingwei smiled sweetly.
Vellus shuddered.
It wasn’t just the terrifying power she had displayed. It was the chilling emptiness in her eyes, belying her gentle smile. He realized that this victory was nothing to her, a foregone conclusion.
He had never stood a chance.
‘No, not yet!’
Before despair could consume him, a jolt of pain cleared his mind. He was a Specter of the Liberation Brigade, blessed by a great power. He wouldn’t be broken so easily.
‘This was within my calculations.’
Given the Seven Dragons Association’s reputation, he had anticipated this possibility.
That was why he had meticulously targeted their affiliates, weakening the Leviathan before launching his attack. Killing Li Chingwei was the ideal outcome, but if that proved impossible, he had a backup plan.
‘So, what I need to do is…’
He coughed up blood, his mind racing. He quickly prioritized his objectives and acted.
“‘Law of Public Transportation, enacted!’”
Whoosh!
It happened in a flash. Vellus grabbed a nearby banner and activated his skill. The banner lifted him into the air, carrying him away from Li Chingwei like a gust of wind.
[Huh?!]
Na-kyung’s eyes widened.
Vellus, riding the banner, reached out and snatched something from the ground.
The case containing the Black Abyssal Violin, dropped by Li Chingwei during the fight.
He didn’t look back.
[Is he… running away?]
Na-kyung stared in disbelief as Vellus, clutching the case, soared upwards, escaping the Subterranean Dragon Palace. She couldn’t believe the arrogant Specter was retreating like this.
“Oh dear, I didn’t anticipate that.”
[Princess! We have to chase him! What if he teleports away!]
“I would, but I can’t move quickly right now.”
[What?]
Na-kyung, frantic, urged Li Chingwei, who was leisurely hopping after Vellus. She hadn’t realized Li Chingwei’s slow movements were due to a restriction.
“I’m still under the ‘Law Prohibiting High-Speed Movement.’ Along with the others.”
[But you’re moving! And the ‘Law Prohibiting Bipedal Locomotion’ is gone too, isn’t it…?]
“No, it’s still in effect. That’s why I’m not using two legs.”
[What?]
Na-kyung blinked, confused.
Then she noticed Li Chingwei’s peculiar gait. She had been hopping on one foot.
[Wait, you’re avoiding the restriction by hopping on one leg?!]
“Indeed.”
[That’s ridiculous!]
Na-kyung couldn’t believe it. ‘Rule of Law,’ a skill comparable to an Absolute Skill, was being circumvented by such a childish loophole.
“It’s perfectly logical.”
Li Chingwei replied nonchalantly. It was precisely because it was ‘Rule of Law’ that such a trick worked.
“‘Rule of Law’ is a powerful skill, capable of various effects, and it can impose those effects on others.”
Few skills offered such versatility in offense, defense, support, and recovery. In that sense, ‘Rule of Law’ had a distinct advantage over other Unique Skills.
“But it also has significant weaknesses.”
[Weaknesses?]
“For one, why did he let me hit him?”
[Because… you hit hard?]
“Normally, yes. But I’m currently restricted. My movements are slow.”
[Now that you mention it… why didn’t he block it?]
Na-kyung tilted her head. With Li Chingwei’s movements restricted, her attacks shouldn’t have been difficult to block.
“Perhaps for the same reason he’s been floating in the air.”
Na-kyung’s eyes widened. She recalled Vellus floating, and a thought struck her.
[He was restricted by his own ‘Law Prohibiting High-Speed Movement’ and ‘Law Prohibiting Bipedal Locomotion’?]
“Laws are meant to be applied equally.”
Unless one could bribe the skill itself, laws applied to everyone.
[So, he didn’t use ‘Law Prohibiting Teleportation’ when he chased me because it would have blocked his own escape route. And he flew away because he couldn’t run.]
“Exactly. And that leads to the second weakness.”
If he had to abide by his own rules, and if he couldn’t easily deactivate them… it was a significant disadvantage.
[…I didn’t realize ‘Rule of Law’ had so many loopholes.]
“It’s inevitable.”
Na-kyung was surprised by the unexpected weaknesses of the legendary Lawful Grand Duke’s Unique Skill, considered near-cheat level.
Li Chingwei explained calmly,
“Laws, no matter how well-crafted, always have loopholes.”
[Coming from you, that’s very convincing…]
One of the seven princesses of the criminal organization, the Seven Dragons Association. And one of the owners of the Seven Dragons Group, which controlled a vast fortune.
An expert in legality and illegality. Na-kyung couldn’t help but be impressed.
Not only had Li Chingwei exploited the loopholes in ‘Rule of Law,’ but she had also deduced its weaknesses based on a few observations. Vellus, manipulated and forced to flee, almost seemed pitiful.
But Na-kyung quickly snapped out of it.
[Wait! We don’t have time to analyze his skill! We have to catch him!]
“Do we?”
[Of course! He has Team Leader’s violin! What if we lose him?]
Na-kyung was frantic. After all this, losing the violin would make them look foolish.
“I don’t think anything will happen.”
[That’s what I’m saying! Nothing will… huh?]
Na-kyung blinked, confused by the nonchalant reply.
Li Chingwei smiled.
“Have you forgotten? This is the Leviathan.”
Li Chingwei looked up, watching Vellus escape the Subterranean Dragon Palace on his makeshift banner.
“It’s easy to get in, but not so easy to get out.”
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“‘Emergency Welfare Support Act, enacted.’
‘Medical Protection Act, enacted.’”
Vellus, coughing up blood, activated his healing skills. The bleeding subsided, and he regained some mobility, but the searing pain in his mangled organs remained.
Li Chingwei’s attack had been devastating.
‘Damn it all.’
He cursed inwardly. He could accept being injured by a Monarch, but to be brought to his knees by a Seven Dragons princess, a relic of a bygone era… If Ryu Kang-chul saw him like this, he would die of shame.
‘But the mission isn’t a failure yet.’
The case clutched in his hand was his only consolation. As long as he escaped with it, he could endure the humiliation.
For the Specters of the Liberation Brigade, blessed by a great power, the mission assigned by ‘above’ was paramount.
‘All that’s left is to escape…’
He assessed the situation. With Li Chingwei still restricted by the ‘Law Prohibiting High-Speed Movement,’ he had time.
Enough time to escape the Leviathan.
The problem was what came after.
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Thanks Fusion!