[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 719: The Price of a Beating (1)
A duel against Eroom Salzeo, the young lord of the great Salzeo family and also a Grade-4 existence.
Though Eroom was effectively on the verge of death after having just finished his battle against Sezark, Yeongwoo couldn’t help but feel tense.
He knew very well just how incredible the position of a Grade-4 existence was, a status that was practically the gateway to becoming one of the Great Ones.
And above all else, hadn’t Eroom passed the Gatekeeper’s second-stage power release state?
Meanwhile, Yeongwoo had been knocked unconscious in a single blow against a power-released Gatekeeper.
‘But I’ve also gotten way stronger compared to before. He’s not an opponent I absolutely can’t beat.’
Of course, that still didn’t make it any less dangerous.
Before being a Grade-4 existence, the opponent was also a kind of victim whose younger sibling had been kidnapped.
And now, he was about to be given the opportunity to brutally beat up the perpetrator behind it all.
Thus, it was obvious that Eroom Salzeo intended to beat him with everything he had.
-You’d better hurry. If you give me more time, there’s no telling how much strength I’ll recover.
Staggering forward, Eroom Salzeo came to a stop without even drawing his sword.
In response, Yeongwoo also strode toward the center of the trading hall.
“No plans to arm yourself? Fine by me if that’s the case.”
Yeongwoo asked while glancing at the sword hanging from the man’s waist, and Eroom stretched both hands out before clenching them tightly.
-To educate a brute like you, I figured it would take quite a long time.
If he used a sword, the match would end too quickly, so he intended to beat him down slowly with his fists.
“Yeah? Don’t regret it.”
Yeongwoo loosened up his body while tilting his head side to side.
And seeing this, Dots Salzeo asked Sevio in a voice full of worry.
-S-surely my older brother isn’t going to lose, right?
At that, Sevio subtly tried to fish information out of Dots.
-That depends on the Planetary Vessel Lord’s true might. Do you happen to know? What level is that bastard?
“Level of might…? I don’t really know.”
-Then what about his existence grade?
At the continued questioning, Dots once again made a face that said he didn’t know, causing Sevio to let out a deep sigh.
-If you don’t know anything, then shut up and just watch. I can’t even begin to guess myself.
That Planetary Vessel Lord’s actions were far from ordinary.
And on the other side was a Grade-4 existence entering a duel after being beaten to the brink of death.
Who would win?
Of course, according to Sevio’s common sense, it was obvious the half-dead Grade-4 existence would win.
That was just how immense the wall of existence grades was.
But then again, who exactly was that shameless bastard standing over there openly wielding a weapon?
A lunatic who had been collecting courtesy reduction rates while declaring he would one day succeed in overthrowing his superiors.
In truth, Sevio had been mocking Jeong Yeongwoo until just a few hours ago, but with events continuing to spiral into complete absurdity like this, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
If it was a freak like that, wasn’t it possible he really could cause an enormous disaster?
There was a reason Planetary Vessel Lords were called the wonders of the universe.
Sevio had never once seen a Planetary Vessel Lord in his entire life, which meant he neither dared define what one truly was nor recklessly predict their capabilities.
To him… no, to the vast majority of existences, a Planetary Vessel Lord was mystery itself.
“Young lord of the Salzeo family! Come at meeeeee!”
At last, Yeongwoo let out a vicious battle cry while fiercely raising the mythical demonic sword Bastard, and upon seeing this, Eroom Salzeo calmly spoke while clenching both fists.
-I am Eroom Salzeo. First son of Tasankish, and the one who shattered the Rock of Meoras. Who stands before me?
As expected of a scion of a prestigious family, he intended to uphold formality even in a crude brawl like this.
In response, Yeongwoo wiped his nose with a swipe before spinning Bastard once in the air and speaking.
“I am Jeong Yeongwoo, a human born on Earth and owner of the free celestial body Earth Vessel.”
This was not a background determined by the system, but an introduction Yeongwoo improvised himself on the spot.
And hearing it, Eroom slowly nodded before raising a finger and pointing at his opponent.
-Good. Human born on Earth, I accept your challenge!
Then he burst forward with speed akin to lightning itself.
Straight toward his opponent for this duel, Planetary Vessel Lord Jeong Yeongwoo.
Kwaaaaaaaah!
‘What the hell is with this bastard?’
It felt as though he could use Lightning Steps as naturally as breathing.
Just moments ago, Eroom had looked half-dead, yet now his presence had swelled to an overwhelming degree—and that was literally what had happened.
《Return to your true duty!》
Silver-white light flowed from his eyes while an intensely concentrated might erupted forth.
From the beginning, Eroom had never intended to feel things out with probing attacks.
He planned to crush him through overwhelming force.
And understandably so.
To him, reclaiming his younger sibling as quickly as possible mattered far more than some “wonder of the universe.”
The only problem was—
“…Khgh!”
Planetary Vessel Lord Jeong Yeongwoo’s courtesy reduction rate was a staggering 60%.
It was as though his courage had been severely tested by standing alone before a pitch-black mountain, yet he wasn’t anywhere near so overwhelmed by the pressure that he couldn’t even move.
《……!》
Realizing something was going strangely wrong, Eroom hurled a punch at the Planetary Vessel Lord.
Swaaaaaaash!
A flash-like punch that anyone affected by might would never be able to evade.
And what followed was a massive incident that left every witness in utter shock.
Bbaaaaaak!
Before Eroom’s fist could land, Yeongwoo’s fist brushed Eroom’s jaw first.
《……?》
Of course, Eroom’s punch also immediately slammed into Yeongwoo’s face, so outwardly it looked as though the two duelists had exchanged blows simultaneously.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
However, Sevio Fonta of the Twelve Sword Association, whose martial prowess was considerable, along with the thirteen private soldiers Eroom had brought, could clearly sense it.
There had been a time gap between the strikes exchanged by both sides.
-W-wait… just now, did that crazy bastard really hit first?
Sevio muttered in disbelief, and Dots Salzeo, standing beside him, jumped in shock as though the notion were absurd.
-What are you talking about? Just now, that was obviously…….
Hadn’t the hits landed simultaneously?
Of course, that fact alone was already a huge problem, but if the Planetary Vessel Lord truly had succeeded in striking first, as the ratman inspector claimed, then it would be nothing short of a catastrophe.
-Y-you didn’t see it wrong?
The moment Dots spoke in a voice full of fear, his eyes filled with the sight of his older brother wearing a deeply flustered expression in the distance.
-…Brother!
A cry containing countless emotions and meanings burst from Dots Salzeo’s mouth.
Yet that voice failed to reach Eroom Salzeo.
Because the Planetary Vessel Lord who had successfully pushed through the opening exchange was now swinging the mythical demonic sword at him.
“Die—!”
Kwaeaaaaaat!
Together with Yeongwoo’s sharp shout, Bastard carved a vicious dark-red trajectory through the air.
For an instant, Eroom felt fear and instinctively stepped back to widen the distance, only to see the blade tear through the exact spot where his head had been by a hair’s breadth.
《You bastard……!》
Having felt fear toward a lower-ranked being, even for a moment, fury erupted from the depths of Eroom’s heart.
Enough for him to draw the weapon at his waist, something he had never imagined he’d need to use.
Shwaaaaaak!
At last, Eroom held a sword in his hand, and seeing this, Yeongwoo let out a mad grin as though he had been waiting for it.
“See? It’s harder than you thought, right?”
《I admit your skill is considerable. As expected of a wonder of the universe.》
The moment Eroom Salzeo drew his sword, he rapidly regained his composure, which instead caused Yeongwoo to tense up.
“You talk big about being some master of hand-to-hand combat, but aren’t you actually more confident in your swordsmanship?”
At that, Eroom twisted his sword at a strange angle and pointed it at Yeongwoo.
《Martial arts and war are not the same thing.》
In other words, he intended to fight like it was truly war now.
And immediately after—
《You stake your life as well!》
Spitting out those savage words, he swung his sword with that same monstrous movement.
With genuine killing intent.
“This crazy bastard, he’s seriously pissed.”
The attack speed was absurd, but since Eroom was carrying it out in a body already close to death, Yeongwoo could still read his movements well enough.
And on top of that, the hologram guide was also calculating the opponent’s predicted trajectory.
Meanwhile, Yeongwoo’s own movements—
「Illusion」 - Unique Shoes
【30% chance of detection evasion.】
「Karuga’s Rib」 – Legendary Curved Sword
【Reduces damage by 15% when blocking.】
【20% chance to evade detection.】
【25% increased damage against beasts.】
A full 50% chance of being impossible to discern.
Unless the opponent possessed some special discernment ability, one out of every two attacks couldn’t be predicted in advance.
Of course, at its core it was still merely ‘probability,’ so it was entirely possible both attacks could still be read.
But on the other hand—
‘Doesn’t that also mean neither attack gets read?’
At last, Eroom Salzeo’s blade flew diagonally toward Yeongwoo’s neck, and Yeongwoo barely managed to block it with Bastard.
Kaaaaaang!
Another “exchange” was formed.
Through this, Eroom, along with Sevio and the thirteen soldiers, became convinced that Yeongwoo’s swift counterattack earlier had not been luck.
If one was a Planetary Vessel Lord, then even if only conditionally, they could contend evenly against a Grade-4 existence.
And Yeongwoo’s eyes widened just as much.
Because merely blocking the opponent’s sword had activated the might system.
「+0.4 for beholding the pinnacle of Meoras」
“The pinnacle of Meoras……?”
While Yeongwoo muttered this, Eroom Salzeo’s eyes had likewise become filled with strange light.
His own might had also increased through the duel against the Planetary Vessel Lord.
-As expected… you truly were someone listed among the Tasks.
The might peeled away from Eroom Salzeo’s voice.
And then the silver-white glow flickering around his eyes vanished as well.
Meaning he had stopped using might.
“What’s this? Why the sudden change of heart? Weren’t you saying you’d kill me a second ago?”
Freed from the influence of might, Yeongwoo tilted his head and asked, causing Eroom Salzeo to drive his sword into the ground as he replied.
-Let us fight fairly and honorably. I no longer wish to use might.
It meant he had finally acknowledged Yeongwoo as a proper duel opponent.
At that, Yeongwoo stared fixedly at the sword Eroom had stabbed into the floor, then tightened his grip on Bastard.
“There’s already a difference in existence grade to begin with, so what’s fair and honorable about this? I refuse barehanded combat.”
-…What?
While Eroom wore a dumbfounded expression at the unexpected response, Yeongwoo placed the whistle hanging around his neck into his mouth.
“I’ll show you what a ‘real fight’ actually is from this point onward. Looks like today I might really manage to take down a Grade-4 existence.”
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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