Chapter 425

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 425: Sole Candidate (7)

CRACK!

With Yeongwoo’s sword mountain spell, a sharp rupture tore through the air, and at the same time, the chairman’s expression stiffened.

■ Th…!

In that instant, he instinctively realized what was about to happen.

And the choice he made next left Yeongwoo utterly dumbfounded.

Thud!

Suddenly, the chairman wrapped his left arm and upper body around the signing board, gazing into empty space.

‘No way.’

It looked like he intended to block Twenty Sword Mountain with just one arm, solely to protect the signing board.

‘That’s just a steel plate, though. What’s the point of going that far?’

Whether it was due to the chairman’s infamous reputation or his mastery of extreme political maneuvering was unclear.

Regardless, blades were already shooting through the air like bullets from the rift.

KWAKWAKWAKWAK!

From Early Bird to Lightning Rod, the weapons bearing Yeongwoo’s strange and storied past tore through the void.

And in the blink of an eye, the chairman identified the composition of Twenty Sword Mountain and let out a bitter chuckle.

■ What a troublesome bastard.

Then, he twisted his body to dodge Lightning Rod—which bore the seal of Lemu—and began parrying the remaining weapons with his sword.

PIPIPING!

Movements so fast and precise they were almost unbelievable.

Even more so considering that he was still holding the signing board with one arm.

“Wh… What…!”

But Yeongwoo’s eyes widened not because of the chairman’s overwhelming martial prowess.

‘No way… was that on purpose…?’

Yeongwoo’s gaze was fixated on Lightning Rod, the only weapon embedded in the ground.

The legendary spear crafted and gifted to him by Lemu.

Judging by the circumstances, it seemed the chairman had deliberately refrained from deflecting the weapon out of respect for Lemu.

In other words—

‘What… Is he a complete moron? What is he, some kind of caste-obsessed slave?’

Yeongwoo had encountered his fair share of cosmic beings, but none as absurdly hierarchical as this one.

For a moment, he forgot to continue his assault and simply stared in disbelief as the chairman deflected the last of the flying weapons.

“You… What the hell are you? If you’re going to be so reverent to high-rankers, shouldn’t you be backing me, the one who’s rapidly ascending in status?”

After all, with the establishment of his family, Yeongwoo’s rise signified the rise of the entire planet.

■ …….

Yet, the chairman’s expression remained indifferent.

■ I am |l||I—Chairman of Earth, Nezra.

Then, Nezra handed the signing board to the board members.

It was a declaration that the real fight was about to begin.

He then swept his gaze over the ceremonial hall adorned with the sigils of Dogo.

■ I acknowledge your exceptional achievements.

“…And?”

■ But you are a poison to Earth. You will inevitably plunge this planet into peril.

“Inescapably? Who the hell do you think you are? You’re not some divine editor of fate—how dare you talk like that?”

Yeongwoo countered with sharp, extraterrestrial logic.

“And with 73% board support, isn’t that basically unanimous approval? Who the hell are you to decide whether I’m a threat or not?”

As he said this, Yeongwoo grabbed Bastard.

Recognizing the artifact’s mythic nature, Nezra subtly adjusted his stance.

Tsszzt.

■ The board members only know a narrow sliver of the universe. That is the primary reason why the chairman was not designated as a human.

“That’s exactly why I emerged—to take us beyond that tiny universe. The planet should be grateful.”

■ Ridiculous. You should know what happens when you fly too high with fake wings.

He was alluding to the myth of Icarus, whose wax wings melted when he flew too close to the sun, resulting in his fall.

It was a warning—an outer rim planet like Earth shouldn’t overreach.

And yet, despite not being human-born, Nezra had opted for a human metaphor.

However, Yeongwoo, a native human, responded with alien terminology.

“Shut up, you alien bastard! My future spouse is the Princess of the Sun, for crying out loud.”

■ Wha…?

At that, Nezra’s eyebrow twitched in reaction to the revelation of Yeongwoo’s future, which was evidently recorded in the records.

And almost simultaneously, Yeongwoo made his move.

TAAAT!

Though Nezra was technically an ally by virtue of being Earth’s chairman, the direction of the conversation made it clear that they wouldn’t get anywhere without a fight.

“Let’s see if you’re really fit to be Earth’s last line of defense!”

Earth’s greatest threat, Jeong Yeongwoo 07, charged with two mythic weapons in hand.

KWAAAT!

No longer suppressing his power, golden lightning-like rays burst from his eyes.

■ So, you’re finally revealing your true nature!

Nezra met him head-on, gripping a pitch-black greatsword with both hands, his eyes now emitting a cold, blue radiance.

And at last—

SSSHWEEEEEET!

With a violent shockwave, the first official clash between the two monsters took place.

KWAAAAANG!

Nezra’s blade swung first, slicing down toward Yeongwoo’s neck.

But of course, Yeongwoo—

“…Huh?”

Almost instinctively, he raised Aratubank and blocked the strike.

It was an attack he would never have been able to react to under normal circumstances, but thanks to the item Sinister Eye, a blessing of Mara’s Axis, his reaction speed had greatly increased.

「Ominous Eye」 – Void Eyeball

【Insight ability increased by 50%.】

【Sensory stats increased by 40%.】

【Ashen Gaze】

With a 50% boost in perception and a 40% increase in sensory stats, his defense was flawless.

Nezra’s face briefly registered astonishment.

The chairman, the last bastion of the planet, had just been parried.

And worse—

SSSHWEEEEEAK!

His opponent’s weapons were also mythic.

■ Ugh...!

Feeling the terrifying presence, Nezra twisted his body in desperation, but a crimson blade still stabbed into the spot where his chest had been.

"Chairman! Next time, it'll be your body that gets pierced! So just resign already!"

Yeongwoo, speaking like a villain, prepared for his next strike, but Nezra swung his sword first.

Hwaaaak!

■ You still don’t seem to understand what kind of beings are appointed as directors.

"What?"

Even as he instinctively blocked the incoming attack, Yeongwoo’s expression tightened.

Kaaang!

Blue flames flared beyond the Aratubank barrier as Nezra’s next words shot out.

■ For me and the other directors, resignation does not exist. This is our final cycle. There is nothing beyond this.

"Cycle...?"

From the context, it was clear that he meant cycle in the sense of a period, such as a life cycle or an orbital cycle.

"What the hell does that mean...?"

As Yeongwoo pondered Nezra’s words, his eyes suddenly widened.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Now that he thought about it, the directors observing the duel in the background were all ghosts.

Beings whose lifespans had ended but were deemed valuable enough to be recycled by the planet.

'But they’re nothing more than the dead, merely existing as planetary directors.'

In other words, they were wraiths whose lives had already ended once.

If Nezra was the same as them...

"Are you saying you’re already a dead man, too?"

Yeongwoo asked in disbelief, but in that brief opening, Nezra’s blade slipped past the side of the Aratubank barrier.

Tchiiiaaat!

"Damn...!"

The holographic guide’s emergency alert flashed before Yeongwoo’s eyes, but he didn’t have time to read it.

Instead, he twisted his body and threw his right shoulder forward.

If he didn’t, the strike would pierce his heart directly.

His only chance was to block it with his shoulder.

Hwaaet!

But Nezra’s sword, already empowered with enough force, skewered Yeongwoo’s right shoulder on a diagonal line and pushed through to his left chest, where his heart was.

Kwaa-gwa-gwak!

"Khuek!"

■ You insane bastard, you're the curse of this planet and of us all! Just die already, I beg you!

At last, Nezra, having landed a decisive blow, spat out his true feelings in a frenzy.

But the sound that came from the blade piercing Yeongwoo’s chest was...

Kaaaanng!

A strangely clear, metallic ring.

■ ...?

Nezra, confused, stared at Yeongwoo’s chest where the unexpected sound had originated. Yeongwoo glanced at the notification message that popped up in the corner of his vision.

「‘Gambler’ has activated.」

'What?'

【55% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25% during defense.】

'Ah...'

In that critical moment when both his shoulder and chest were about to be pierced, Gambler activated, deflecting the sword’s edge just enough to stop it from fully penetrating his heart.

'So... I was just 45% away from death?'

The realization sent a chill down his spine.

"Just now... you missed your last chance. You had a 45% success rate."

■ What?

Sensing impending doom, Nezra tried to drive the sword in deeper.

However, his blade, having lost its momentum, wouldn’t budge.

That was because Yeongwoo had already gripped the middle of the sword with his right hand.

Kwiiiigik!

■ What... then...

Where the hell did Bastard that had been in Yeongwoo’s hand go?

Just as Nezra’s pupils quivered with confusion, a familiar rupture sounded above his head.

Kwoooojak!

■ ...!

The Twenty Blades were summoned once again.

Nezra desperately tried to yank his sword out from Yeongwoo’s chest, but he was too slow. The torrent of blades descended faster than he could withdraw.

■ Shit.

In his bleeding state, Yeongwoo’s strength surged even further.

"Consider it an honor to meet your end in mythology."

With that farewell, Bastard —now part of the Twenty Blades—cascaded down like a waterfall.

Chwaaaaaaat!

■ Kuaaaagh!

Nezra swung his arms wildly, trying to deflect the storm of weapons, but there was one thing he couldn’t block.

The mythical strike.

■ Eek...!

The moment Nezra sensed the presence of something among the barrage of blades, a crimson arc pierced his forearm, his forehead, and finally his chest in succession.

Kwoooaaak!

—Ack!

∴ Huh?

Seeing the vertical red line split across Nezra’s body, Jiseon and Jungho gawked with their mouths agape.

Meanwhile, the seven directors who had been silently observing the duel exchanged disbelieving glances.

Of course, with Yeongwoo’s approval rating among the directors at a staggering 73%, they had refrained from interfering in the duel on purpose.

Yet, none of them had expected the chairman to actually lose.

But that was exactly what had happened.

Kuuuuung!

Nezra, his body impaled by Bastard, staggered and collapsed awkwardly, his body splitting in two from the center.

On the other hand, Yeongwoo, whose chest and shoulder were riddled with holes, pulled Nezra’s blade from his chest and threw it in front of the remaining directors.

"The chairman is dead. The board is now entirely yours."

The seven directors all nodded in unison.

"Then, grant me direct access to Earth for negotiation. Open the path to him."

As Yeongwoo stared at Bastard, still embedded in the ground, something astonishing happened.

Hwaaaaaaah!

Countless semi-transparent human silhouettes appeared behind the seven directors—far more than anyone had expected.

There were thousands, at least.

"......!"

That must have been the true form of the board.

‘Shit... so those seven weren’t the only ones.’

As Yeongwoo blinked in disbelief, a system message appeared in the air, visible to everyone on Earth.

「The board has initiated a new vote.」

≪On the matter of granting Earth negotiation rights to the thief king, Jeong Yeongwoo 07.≫

「Please consider this vote carefully.」

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]