Chapter 634

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 634: Toward the Unknown (6)

“A massive explosion…? No, did you seriously burn through all my myth with this?”

When Yeongwoo spoke with a wronged expression, Phaemong frowned.

—Why is that your myth in the first place?

“If you hadn’t overdone it so much, there’d be a pile of myths here right now, wouldn’t there?”

Only then did Yeongwoo finally understand why Rieke, Paima, and Phaemong’s planet-ship were all shattered to pieces.

That insane planet-ship master had used myths as fuel and set off explosions recklessly, and everything ended up blown apart.

‘Wait, there was a myth that consumes myths? This is ridiculous.’

And that wasn’t all.

This myth also carried an effect that increased unpredictability.

「Primordial Universe」 – Myth One-Handed Mace

【Great Explosion】

【Unpredictable】

【Great Explosion】

| Consumes a myth to cause an extremely powerful explosion.

【Unpredictable】

| All unpredictability increases.

“I need to take this at least for my myth catalog. It’s not like I’m going to go around blowing up myths unless I’ve lost my mind… but filling another slot in the catalog is huge.”

At that, Phaemong flicked the spinning ‘Primordial Universe’ in midair and said,

—If you can launch a planet-ship in just a few days, you already have unpredictability gear, don’t you? And you’re planning to stack another one on top of that?

“…So what?”

—Unpredictability is directly tied to sudden situations. Having too much of it isn’t necessarily good.

In reality, Yeongwoo was already under the effect of unpredictability.

The effect called ‘Hothead’ attached to his heart, processed into a talisman, was increasing his unpredictability.

『Heart of Jeong Yeongwoo 07』 – Epic Talisman

【Destiny Roll】

【Troublemaker】

【Phase Material】

【Destiny Roll】

|Every time you reach a turning point in destiny, the probability of the lowest outcome increases by a threefold multiplier.

【Troublemaker】

|All challenges increase in difficulty. All unexpected variables are amplified.|

【Phase Material】

|When refined into a Phase Body, its effects are greatly enhanced.|

Of course, Yeongwoo’s perspective differed somewhat from Phaemong’s.

“Unpredictability might manifest in bad ways, but it can also bring good things, right? For example, me meeting you in the first place was ultimately the result of unpredictability, wasn’t it?”

—Probably. But doesn’t meeting Tesache in the process feel like misfortune? If you’d met that guy a few hundred years earlier, you’d have been trapped in there for life.

“But in the end, that didn’t happen. And I didn’t even exist a few hundred years ago to begin with.”

Besides, filling another slot in the myth catalog was something he really couldn’t give up easily.

“Just give it to me. When I’m old and gray, I’ll come back and tell you what happens when another layer of unpredictability gets added.”

If things went really wrong, he could always come back here and return the problematic item, couldn’t he?

—You can’t become a planet-ship master without being stubborn, I suppose.

At last, Phaemong waved the white flag and stepped back, conceding the ‘Primordial Universe’ to Yeongwoo.

And the moment Yeongwoo touched the new myth weapon—

Paaah!

Both his weapon catalog and myth catalog collection counts increased by one.

[Weapon Catalog]

〔178〕

Now Yeongwoo’s sword archive had reached 178 swords, and as for the myth catalog—

[Myth Catalog]

〔5〕

The collection count had reached a staggering five.

Since the previous collection effect had activated at ‘3,’ the circumstances suggested that collecting just one more would unlock the next effect.

[Collection Effect : 3]

|Prestige Reduction Rate +20% acquired.

‘The next unlock should be at 6, right? If that’s the case, I’m basically almost there.’

He currently possessed five myths.

If someone else had a myth map, he would inevitably stand out.

And coincidentally, Phaemong voiced the same concern.

—You’ll be shining quite brightly on the scanner now.

Then he pulled out a myth map identical to the one Yeongwoo had and unfolded it.

Whaaaat!

“Ah.”

Seeing the myth map projected into the air, Yeongwoo couldn’t help but flinch.

He hadn’t thought this map would exist as a single unique item in the universe, but actually seeing another physical copy gave him a strange feeling.

“How many of these maps even exist in the universe?”

—I wouldn’t know that either.

Meanwhile, the universe projected in midair spun rapidly and then showed Phaemong’s location set as the reference point.

A spot where no less than five dots were shining.

—Do you see? That is how you appear on other maps.

“It looks like something you’d want to rob immediately.”

Five brightly glowing dots.

Of course, the weak would probably avoid that sight, but would those who had obtained myth maps really be weak?

—And now you’ve stacked another layer of unpredictability… the future should be quite a show.

Phaemong seemed to think countless challengers would come after Yeongwoo.

On the other hand, Yeongwoo scratched his cheek while remaining optimistic about the future.

“If things are going to happen anyway, I hope I get one myth each time. If I gather around ten, no one would even dare challenge me, right?”

After all, since the very first day of the reset, there hadn’t been a single ordinary day.

So unpredictability was practically everyday life to Yeongwoo.

—Anyway, you already have five myths… what are you planning to do now?

“I’ll look at the map and go searching for other myths. The faint ones here are forgotten myths, right?”

When Yeongwoo pointed at the dots on the map and asked, Phaemong tilted his head.

—Forgotten myths… you could put it that way. Most of them stopped external activity hundreds of years ago.

“Then did you also use the map to gather myths, senior?”

At that, Phaemong gazed into the air as he recalled the past.

—Once, I did.

Then he looked back at Yeongwoo and continued,

—You don’t actually think you can easily obtain myths just by looking at the map and going there, do you?

“Uh… isn’t that the case?”

—Short-sighted. Why do you think myths suddenly stop being active?

“Well…?”

Come to think of it, there was no reason for myth-grade equipment with outstanding abilities to be left to rot on purpose.

Now that he thought about it, Yeongwoo had never really considered this point.

He had simply assumed they were myths from too long ago, buried somewhere.

—In your terms, they’re forgotten myths, but in my terms, they’re also hidden myths.

“Hidden myths…?”

—Every myth had an owner. If they haven’t been active recently, it means they were hidden for some reason.

“Then in cases like yours, where you retired, is that also considered hidden?”

—You’d have to see it that way. Retirement is no different from hiding myself from the universe.

“Ah. Then… most hidden myths must still have owners.”

—The majority, yes. Someone went into hiding while holding a myth.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

“Then what about the rest? Doesn’t that mean there are cases where you find one and it truly has no owner?”

—If you’re lucky, you might find a myth buried somewhere on an ancient battlefield. Though most of the time you’ll end up facing an old royal vault or a private dungeon.

In any case, it meant that among what the map pointed to, there were indeed myths without owners.

“Still, that’s not too bad, is it? If I focus on places where there’s only one myth left, the risk should be relatively low, right?”

—Whether things will unfold according to your wishes is another matter.

With that, Phaemong snapped his fingers again and summoned a simple chair.

Then he sank into the chair and shifted his gaze to the horizon spread out in the distance.

—Anything else you’re curious about? If you’re done with your business, how about giving me some space? It’s been a while since I entertained a guest, and I’m a bit tired.

“You’re already telling me to go? Don’t you get lonely?”

At that, Phaemong laughed quietly.

—Lonely? This place is filled with nature and residents I have to care for. It’s far too bustling to feel lonely.

‘Residents…?’

Yeongwoo’s gaze turned toward the ash-gray fortress visible far away.

Meanwhile, Phaemong continued speaking.

—Still, I do get curious about outside news sometimes, so stop by here whenever you go to meet Tesache.

“I can come straight here through Tesache anyway, so that’s not difficult. By the way, may I ask one more question?”

—Speak.

At that, Yeongwoo took out the whistle hanging around his neck and handed it to Phaemong.

Swoosh.

「Amber Whistle」 – Legendary Necklace

【Calls friends.】

|Yeongtae, Taejoon, Younghyeom, Geumhwa, Hongtae

“I want to free the friends inside this. Do you know how?”

Phaemong examined the whistle from different angles and let out a thick laugh.

—A concern unworthy of a planet-ship master. Are they important to you?

“They’re my kin, and comrades who helped me survive a lot. It’s just complicated… they became mutants during the reset, so they’re not human right now.”

—Is that so? I’ve never personally experienced a reset, so I can’t advise much. But I do know there’s a way to dismantle equipment of this type.

“Really?”

Yeongwoo’s eyes widened.

A senior was truly a senior.

—There’s a legendary tool called the Liberation Sphere. If you can obtain it, you should be able to get them out of that item.

However, Phaemong added that he didn’t know whether the ‘friends’ would be able to return to being human.

“Is the Liberation Sphere rare?”

—It’s one of the ancient tools, so yes, you’d have to consider it rare. It’s an item that’s no longer produced.

Then Phaemong spoke again.

—But in this universe, there’s not a single thing you can guarantee. So you never know. Look well—somewhere in this universe, it certainly exists.

“Nothing is easy, huh.”

—That’s the universe for you.

Phaemong sank deeper into the simple chair.

Then he stared intently at Yeongwoo with an expression that clearly said it was time to leave.

“Um… senior.”

—You talk a lot for a junior.

“Lastly, I have one more favor to ask.”

—…And what might that be?

At that, Yeongwoo drew the Bastard from his waist in a flash of light.

Shaaang!

“Please have a duel with me! I need to raise my Prestige Level!”

Against the strong, nothing works unless you give it your all.

“Senior, please forgive my rudeness…!”

So Yeongwoo thrust the Bastard forward with genuine killing intent.

Swoooosh!

In response, Phaemong dyed his left arm purple while sitting in the chair and casually blocked the Bastard.

KRAAASH!

Red sparks burst between the blade of the Bastard and Phaemong’s forearm.

“Huh…?”

【Contempt for the weak】

|This sword's attack can only be blocked with mythic or higher equipment.

It was supposed to be impossible to defend against unless it was myth-grade equipment or higher, yet Phaemong had blocked it with his bare body.

—Foolish brat, you finally crossed the line.

“N-No, senior? How are you blocking the Bastard with your bare body?”

—Idiot. This body itself is a myth.

“What…?”

Just as Yeongwoo’s jaw began to drop, Phaemong grabbed his neck.

Like gripping a chicken by the throat.

“Ghk!”

As Yeongwoo flailed, feeling like his neck would snap at any moment, Phaemong’s pure white pupils flashed as he spoke.

—Now then, answer me. Was it worth staking your life?

Crunch.

The pressure on Yeongwoo’s neck intensified.

And at that moment, lines of Prestige messages appeared before his eyes.

「+1.1 from a duel with a Planet-Ship Captain」

「+0.4 from a duel with a Martial Arts Tournament Champion」

「+0.2 from a duel with a Second-Class Escapee」

「+0.2 from a duel with a Special-Class Wanted Criminal」

「+0.6 from a duel with an Emperor-Slayer」

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]