Chapter 208
Chapter 208
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 208
Chapter Title: The Emperor's Wish Sword
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“Da… damn it! I’ve seen cases where someone’s entire awakening vanished, but this is a first!”
“What a ridiculous situation.”
“…Yeah. Totally ridiculous. Haha. If only I’d known about this sooner and picked Martial Talent as my compensation…….”
Clack! Stagger!
Yoo Seongwon was currently experiencing the bizarre sensation of his own body not feeling like his own.
If he’d tried to adapt to the overstats from the start, maybe it wouldn’t be like this. But since he’d relied on the Martial Talent skill to control his body all this time, now that it was gone, he trembled all over like an astronaut who’d just landed on Earth from space.
“Damn… even trying to move just a little…….”
KABOOM!
Unable to control his strength, he flinched for a moment, and one foot sank knee-deep into the ground.
Then, struggling to pull it out, he exerted force—and suddenly his body shot up about three meters into the air before crashing back down without any landing technique.
Yucheon stared at Yoo Seongwon, who was sprawled in the dirt, looking utterly dumbfounded.
“…….”
“Ugh… damn it… losing the most crucial skill leaves me like this…….”
“What a ridiculous situation. I don’t know the principle behind it, but to think the guy who moved like that earlier ends up like this once it’s gone. Are you perhaps a machine?”
“I’m a… pure… human! I got caught in those constellation bastards’ schemes!”
Clack!
He seemed to have adapted a little, at least, as he barely managed to stand using the Titan’s stake as a cane.
But without proper control, fighting was obviously out of the question.
He’d just get swept away by his uncontrolled power, making any real battle impossible.
Watching Yoo Seongwon, the constellation Dragon-Phoenix King behind the curtain on the platform burst into maniacal laughter.
[Look, Overlord Knight Yucheon. That’s the human’s true face—his pure talent and ability. Even with power beyond his station, without the talent to control it, he’s like a pig wearing a pearl necklace. Now do you understand why I called him lowest of the lowest?]
“No, I don’t.”
[What?]
“Anyway, I still have a job to do. Shall we continue?”
Ignoring the constellation Dragon-Phoenix King’s words, Yucheon declared with an expressionless face, pointing his sword at Yoo Seongwon.
Right— the fight wasn’t over yet.
It had just paused briefly due to this freak accident.
Realizing that, Yoo Seongwon carefully gripped the Titan’s stake again and faced Yucheon.
“…Yes!”
“Good.”
Flash!
With Yucheon’s response, a sword gleam flashed, and Yoo Seongwon’s limbs were severed clean off, armor and all.
The fight ended in a single instant, a single breath. It had never been a real fight to begin with.
Lying limbless on the ground like a ragdoll, Yoo Seongwon gazed at the sky in agony.
“Guh… cough! Ah… damn it!”
[That’s his true nature. Pathetically empty, a mere thief. No matter how much he gilds himself with what isn’t his, it ends like this. Now I feel relieved. The lowest of the lowest, oblivious to his place. He should just quietly serve as the foundation for the greater cause.]
The constellation Dragon-Phoenix King’s laughter echoed through the palace from behind the curtain.
No matter the gilding, his essence was that of a commoner! The lowest of the lowest, talentless trash! For such a wretch to command SSS-class knights and hoard top-tier skills—it made him the worst kind of human in the Dragon-Phoenix King’s eyes.
Worse than any heinous criminal.
[Behold! That’s the end for one who grasps beyond his talent and station! First Guard Captain! You’re recording this, right? Spread it across the nation every morning, noon, and night from today onward…….]
“I never imagined the gap would be this wide. Quite surprising, actually.”
“Gah! How… I was going to try a last-ditch Paehwang Heavenly Sword Style, but it ended before I could even speak.”
“Paehwang Heavenly Sword Style?”
Yucheon flinched at the words Yoo Seongwon spat out while lying there so pathetically.
Paehwang Heavenly Sword Style—the ultimate martial art possessed only by Overlord Knight Yucheon, so powerful that he’d intentionally sealed it without passing it down.
So why did some stranger from another time, space, and star—with no connection, no ties, no blood—possess it?
Stunned, Yucheon placed a hand on his chest to confirm.
“This aura… it really is Paehwang Heavenly Sword Style… How…?”
“How…? Just like how you were summoned back here… I took it from the Star’s Records or whatever. Something those constellation jerks prepared. That’s how I could use it too.”
Hearing that, Yucheon shot a glare toward the Dragon-Phoenix King.
He’d personally sealed and discarded that power himself, yet now it was being toyed with by the constellations’ whims—infuriating.
Then, as if changing his mind, he gathered the severed limbs and pulled a scroll-like item from his bosom, unfurling it and tossing it to Yoo Seongwon.
“…Take it.”
“What’s… this…….”
“Regeneration, stamina recovery, restoration. A scroll with three spells. I carried a few just in case during my life. Unifying a continent isn’t something you pull off without contingencies.”
The scroll landed on Yoo Seongwon’s chest and erupted in blue, green, and silver flames, burning up in an instant and restoring his body to normal.
The pain vanished immediately, and with his stamina back, he could move again right away.
Though controlling his stats was still impossible due to the Dragon-Phoenix King’s restriction.
“What’s this sudden change of heart? Ugh! This… has some nasty side effects!”
“You think reattaching limbs is easy? Suck it up… You’re an emperor too, aren’t you?”
At the unexpected remark from Yucheon—like thunder from a clear sky—Yoo Seongwon waved his hands frantically in denial.
“No! No! What are you talking about? I’m just the leader of a small guild at best! Emperor? Absolutely not!”
“Yucheong… said so?”
“I just let him call me that casually. I’m no emperor. Ugh!”
During their brief exchange, as Yoo Seongwon slowly moved to adapt again and again, the curtain shuddered— the Dragon-Phoenix King clearly shocked.
He’d thought Yucheon would finish it after severing the limbs and subduing him completely. So why revive and heal him, then chat amicably?
[Yucheon! What is this? I summoned you. Finish off this wretch who doesn’t know his place!]
“I answered your call, but that doesn’t mean I obey your orders. I just showed up.”
[W-What?]
“To begin with, this man is the one my chosen knights selected and serve of their own will. They’re my old master, sure, but they chose him—so what right do I have to interfere?”
Overlord Knight Yucheon glared at the Dragon-Phoenix King, boldly declaring as he pointed his sword at him.
The curtain and shadow concealing the Dragon-Phoenix King began to writhe.
Not content with insolent humans, now the one he’d summoned personally defied him—unbearable for an absolute being.
[…You worm!]
“I just played along to see this friend’s vessel for myself.”
[But he’s lowest of the lowest scum! He has nothing! For such trash to lead SSS-class knights with legendary prowess is…….]
“Doesn’t matter. Even I’m honestly an idiot outside of swinging this sword and fighting. For the record, I’m illiterate! Well, I can write my own name, but that’s it! Hahaha!”
The shocking confession from Overlord Knight Yucheon, delivered with booming laughter, left the Dragon-Phoenix King, the guard captains, and even Yoo Seongwon stunned.
Sure, Chinese history had figures who said, “A man need only know how to write his own three characters.” But they never ascended the throne due to their brutality.
Yet this Overlord Knight Yucheon had ruled as emperor for decades after taking the throne before dying—hard to believe he was illiterate.
“Yucheong tried teaching me, but I spent my life on the run instead. Hey! Yoo Seongwon! Can you write anything beyond your name?”
“Yes. I know some characters.”
“See? I’m worse than the lowest-of-the-low commoner you mentioned! Can’t read or write! Obviously couldn’t handle state affairs. I just stamped the imperial seal on whatever papers came across my desk and passed them on.”
A far too undignified truth for a hidden anecdote of the great emperor dubbed Overlord.
Of course, it didn’t diminish his achievements or legends.
If anything, accomplishing so much despite such flaws—and with such humanity—made him even greater.
“And you think it’s just me? Jinseok’s a tactical genius but a total blockhead with women, all bravado from a lifelong bachelor! Yucheong’s a workaholic who seems cool and superhuman but lacks humanity—a psycho! Junghan’s great at his job too, but he blows money at host bars to relieve work stress! And… anyway, no one’s flawless and perfect!”
[Don’t make me laugh. You became ‘legends’ and ‘myths’ precisely because of undeniable talent and ability. That power made you what you are!]
“You really think so? What do you think bound our talents and power? Me, who might’ve rotted as a thug in the boonies with no proper education, chased out over a single drop of imperial blood! Yucheong, the scholar who blamed the world and buried himself in books! Junghan, who nearly had her wings clipped for being a woman! Jinseok, the bandit boss with strategy and organizational talent!”
Their pasts before etching names as legendary knights. They’d all had humble beginnings.
Overlord Knight Yucheon had gathered them, waged grand wars and rivalries to forge a world’s legend, and built a unified nation to usher in a new era.
“You think a sword-swinging brute like me conquered and ruled them by force like you? Think that’s how we built a nation? What bound us? Know why we could give our all to become legends?”
[That’s…….]
“Because it was our shared aspiration. A world free of war, a unified nation, fair taxes and justice! That aligned dream let us unite, fight, and write legends. Dragon-Phoenix King! That’s why I reject you. Your nation denies human aspirations.”
[You worm!]
As the Dragon-Phoenix King roared in fury, the guard captains sensed the dire mood, gripped their weapons, and advanced to surround Yoo Seongwon and Yucheon.
The situation teetered on the brink of combat. Yoo Seongwon, still struggling with his body, gripped the Titan’s stake to fight somehow—when Yucheon seized his shoulder and met his eyes.
“And Yoo Seongwon! I hear you bear the mission of ‘Star’s Guardian.’ But is that truly your aspiration? Do you really want the constellations gone from this ‘star’? Or is it something you’re forced into?”
“Well… someone has to do it. And if you’ve received something, you owe a duty. My real wish? Just live quietly and peacefully with my family. After sorting all this mess.”
“Thanks for the honest answer. That’s enough. They seem to have kept quiet about Paehwang Heavenly Sword Style on purpose… but to fight those annoying bastards, no choice. Successor met across distant time, dimension, and stars! I permit it!”
Having spoken so bluntly against the constellations, Yucheon grinned and authorized Yoo Seongwon’s use of Paehwang Heavenly Sword Style.
Amazed by his audacity in trash-talking them freely, Yoo Seongwon thought this was the caliber worthy of the Overlord title.
Then he spotted Yucheon’s fingertips starting to fade.
“W-Wait, your hand!”
“Ah~ Guess defying the summoner has consequences? Makes sense. No matter what, my presence here is thanks to that Dragon-Phoenix King’s power.”
[Vanish! Vanish! Vanish! Guards, what are you doing? Eliminate them!]
Natural that the Dragon-Phoenix King would send back his summoned Overlord Knight Yucheon for defying him.
At the same time, the guards opened fire and charged.
But Yucheon remained unfazed, calmly telling Yoo Seongwon.
“No need to worry. This Yucheon won’t submit. But looks like time’s short. I wanted to give some emperor advice if we had more…….”
“No need.”
“Nothing tough anyway. An emperor’s just a symbol of the nation and its dreams. Meet those expectations. Haha, wait… can’t fight without a sword… Hup!”
[Barrier?]
Yucheon pulled another scroll from his bosom, unfurled it, and tossed it—erecting a triple-layered barrier around him and Yoo Seongwon.
Then, sword aimed at the Dragon-Phoenix King, he began gathering power.
He planned to land one massive blow before the summoning release fully dispersed him.
And incidentally help Yoo Seongwon, the new master his subordinates chose.
“The final chapter of Paehwang Heavenly Sword Style I never finished in life… Who’d have thought I’d use it like this.”
“Fi… final chapter?”
A chapter even Yoo Seongwon, who’d learned the skill, didn’t know.
An ultimate secret art that remained solely in Overlord Knight Yucheon’s soul, unrecorded in the Star’s Records since only he created and never used it.
“If I use it now… it’ll immediately enter the ‘Star’s Records,’ and you can too. So… before the barrier breaks, shall we?”
“Ah…….”
“Now, I reestablish this place’s laws. Blood-soaked earth, chaos-darkened sky—beneath this sword gleam, the world shall be pacified. With this blade, I swing our aspiration!”
[Paehwang Heavenly Sword Style Final Chapter—Sword of Aspiration]
Overlord Knight Yucheon then plunged his swung sword into the ground, unleashing a massive explosion of light that engulfed the entire palace grounds, including him and Yoo Seongwon.
Within it, Yoo Seongwon saw Yucheon—having expended all his power—vanish just before the light burst.
From his smile, Yoo Seongwon realized the help he’d given. Once the light faded, he pocketed the Titan’s stake, pulled Yucheon’s sword from the floor, and gripped it.