Chapter 760
Chapter 760
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 760
Chapter Title: Merchant's Ill Fate
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“I came here to see the lake, so why the hell is this unlucky old geezer standing in my way? It's pissing me off.”
“Yekaterina. I'm not going to let you run wild any longer. You'll face a fair trial in the Republic.”
Viktor's eyes gleamed. Mana poured from his body—heavy mana, dense as rock.
“...”
Yekaterina wiped the expression from her face and turned to me and Park Su-ho. Her eyes burned with anger and irritation. Her acting was flawless. Even I, who'd coordinated with her in advance, felt a flicker of doubt.
“A trap, huh?”
Yekaterina's gaze turned icy.
“This is all on you—you brought it on yourself. And it's not too late yet. If you come back to the Republic quietly with me right now, your crimes will be taken into account, at least to some degree.”
Pfft. Yekaterina let out a mocking laugh at Viktor.
“Taken into account? Cut the bullshit you don't even mean. You're planning to kill me anyway, aren't you?”
“You've been nursing this deep misunderstanding for far too long. I'm not going to kill you. You are the future of the Solit Republic. You think I'd snuff out a talent who's meant to light the Republic's path with my own hands?”
“If you really gave a damn about the Republic, it wouldn't be the mess it is right now. The more I look at you, the sicker your hypocrisy makes me. Hell, bandits look cute compared to you.”
“...You're beyond reason. Persuasion can wait. Yekaterina, first face justice and pay for your crimes!”
Boom!
Viktor stomped the ground.
His magic activated. Chunks of earth gathered from the ground, hardening into stone to form golems. Ten stone golems rose in under ten seconds.
“I always say it, but your magic is so damn dull and pathetic. It just reeks of stale old bullshit!”
Yekaterina pressed her index and middle fingers together and swung her arm. Water whips erupted around her, lashing everything in sight. Trees splintered, golems crumbled. But at Viktor's gesture, the fallen golems hauled themselves back up.
She reared back for another water whip, then flinched. Viktor's lips curled.
“Yekaterina. Seems like you're off your game today.”
“...Damn you, old man. What the hell did you do to me?!”
“Even for me, subduing you at full strength without killing you is no easy feat. But I couldn't just let you be... It was unavoidable—for the Republic's future.”
“You spineless coward. What makes you so damn smug about it?”
“Call me whatever you want. I've long steeled myself to bear the shame for the Republic's sake. ...Speaking of which, your mouth is getting filthier by the minute. I've told you time and again: as the Republic's Archmage Marshal, carry yourself with some dignity.”
“Dignity? You preaching that? Hilarious.”
Slap!
The serene lake churned like an ocean, swelling and overflowing. Magic's influence.
“This is the lakeside. Massive water right in front of us. Picking this as the battlefield... You got dementia or something?”
“Don't get cocky over a single lake. Earth is everywhere.”
“...Mana's getting harder to channel. Mister's Water, huh? An Archmage Marshal casually breaking a taboo... Can't think of many more nauseating hypocrites like you.”
“It's all for the greater good.”
A water spout erupted from the lake, targeting Viktor's back. A wall of earth surged up, blocking it.
Their magical duel dragged on—Yekaterina on the offensive, Viktor hunkered in defense.
Viktor’s banking on Mister's Water. But it's sitting in my inventory.
With her condition perfect, Yekaterina held the edge. Lakeside meant vast water at her fingertips.
Boom!
A massive roar shook the air.
A gigantic boulder plummeted from the sky. A deep crack split its center. Beneath it stood Yekaterina, utterly unscathed—an umbrella of water shielding her head.
Three minutes later, Viktor's face twisted in horror.
“...What the hell?”
He'd realized she wasn't weakening. Even a hundred-plus stone golems rose only to get swept away in water blasts. Mister's Water wasn't sapping her—instead, she'd triggered weather magic, summoning dark clouds overhead. A drizzle began to fall.
“Why aren't you weakening! Yekaterina!!”
She laughed. A sinister grin that mocked him outright.
“You think you've gotten the drop on me once or twice? I saw this coming a mile away.”
“...You're immune to Mister's Water...?”
Viktor's face drained of color. His refined features aged twenty years in an instant—no trace of neatness or benevolence left. Just wretched ruin, petty jealousy, and raw fear.
“Park Su-ho! Sung Yu-jin! Don't just stand there—help me! If we lose here, it's over for everything!”
Viktor bellowed.
Park Su-ho's face hardened as he turned to me.
“Hyung. Viktor's not wrong about a single thing. If Yekaterina wins here... we're finished.”
“...You're right. No clue how much we can do... but we have to take her down here.”
Park Su-ho gripped his sword. I drew Hwaryeonbido from my waist. The rain was picking up.
“Let's go.”
“Yes!”
We charged. Predictably, Yekaterina didn't sit idle. Water horses and wolves lunged to intercept us. We cleaved through the aqueous beasts, closing in on Viktor.
“Viktor-ssi!”
“Mayor Park Su-ho! Sung Yu-jin! No time! I'll clear a path to Yekaterina—you two land a fatal blow! Even if you can't, buy me time to weave the spell!”
“Got it! We trust you, Viktor-ssi!”
Park Su-ho shouted back with vigor.
Viktor unleashed magic straight ahead. Towering rock spikes erupted from the earth, carving a lane straight to Yekaterina.
“Now!”
“Yes!”
Park Su-ho leaped forward bravely.
I feigned pursuit—then wheeled around and plunged my blade into Viktor's gut.
Squelch.
A sickening tear of flesh, blood spraying red. I tsked in frustration. I'd aimed for the heart, not some side stab. Viktor hadn't fully trusted me—he'd evaded the kill shot.
“Sung Yu-jin...! You! You were the traitor!”
No need for words.
Lightning!
Crackle-crack!
Red lightning arced through Viktor's body. I'd meant to fry him—but it fizzled. His form had hardened like stone.
Thump!
A stone fist burst from the ground, slamming my gut. I flew back, crashing to earth.
“Y-Yu-jin hyung?! Why, hyung...?!”
Park Su-ho's face contorted in shock. His sword wavered.
I kept my face blank, selling the act.
“Th-this isn't me...! Get out of the way! Park Su-ho!”
“What?!”
Lightning crashed down on Park Su-ho. He staggered from the hit but stayed on his feet.
“Hyung! What the hell?!”
“N-no! My body's moving on its own...! Damn it!”
I swung at Park Su-ho. Side-eyed Viktor—he was prepping something massive. To throw him off, I called lightning on him too. A nearby golem body-blocked it.
Strikes piled up, useless. Even soaked, my lightning couldn't penetrate. Total mismatch.
“Hyung! Stop it! Yu-jin hyung!”
“Heh heh heh. Park Su-ho. You think I didn't know you'd thrown in with Viktor?”
Of course, Yekaterina had no hold on me. Attacking Park Su-ho was all me.
“Yekaterina...!!”
“Su-ho! Dodge!”
Lightning hammered down again. Park Su-ho's guard slipped. I darted in close—aiming to lop off an arm.
Clang.
Park Su-ho parried with his sword. Shocked me. I'd held back, sure—but I'd never dreamed he'd block.
“Don't kill him. Park Su-ho's still useful.”
Yekaterina soared upward. Viktor was her mark.
“Su-ho! Get away! Run!”
I howled desperately, pressing the assault on Park Su-ho. Arm-severing was off the table. Now I was just testing his limits.
...Upper C-rank hunter level already? Grown this fast?
No talent alone explained that leap. And he wasn't hiding shit from me.
Tattoo ability. Way more broken than I figured.
A bluish sword aura flared along my blade.
“Park Su-ho! Why aren't you running?!”
“Not running—you can't land a hit! Blocking's all I can manage!”
Clang!
Blades crossed. Shockingly, a sword aura shimmered on his too—faint, unstable, on the verge of winking out, but real.
Physical stats all mine... Swordplay's improved a ton but still lags. Moment skill, and he's dead.
I dropped lightning on Park Su-ho. He countered with tattoo magic a few times, but fatigue cracked his defense.
“Urgh... Yu-jin hyung...!”
Punched his temple—lights out.
I sheathed Hwaryeonbido and glanced skyward. Absurd scene. A rock colossus towering fifty meters clashed with a tidal wave. The surge didn't quit after one hit—churning, slamming the giant over and over.
Yekaterina lashed water whips and rings from above, pounding Viktor. He stonewalled defense for ages, then bolted at the first opening.
Yekaterina touched down, face sour. The clouds overhead were thinning.
“Let him slip away? Shame.”
“...Not a total loss. Took his right arm as a souvenir.”
“We should prep for payback. What if he rallies forces...?”
“We're good for now. If he could've brought backup, he wouldn't have shown solo. He'll zip it—other Archmage Marshals are watching, and airing this just tanks his rep.”
“Spreading word costs more than it gains, huh.”
“Damn right. Same for me.”
Her eyes drifted to the unconscious Park Su-ho.
“Kid'll try to off me next chance he gets. I'd love to gut him... but Velloprin City needs him.”
“Your call?”
“Can't let it slide. Time to collar him.”
Yekaterina turned to me.
“And you deserve a reward. Anything you want?”
“Isn't my reward already set?”
“Without you, Viktor might've finished me. Want something extra? Speak now.”
“Then...”
I glanced between the knocked-out Park Su-ho and Yekaterina. A hilarious idea hit. Very hilarious.
Park Su-ho and I were locked in the basement detention cell of the mansion annex. Originally a storeroom, servants had jury-rigged it into a cell on Yekaterina's orders.
“Urgh...”
Park Su-ho groaned from his stupor and cracked his eyes. Panic set in.
We were about five meters apart—both buck-naked and shackled. Staring down another dude's junk was gross, but I endured. His tattooed torso was at least easy on the eyes.
“Y-Yu-jin hyung?!”
Clank, clank.
He strained against the bonds, but chains pinned his arms and legs. Mana sealed tight.
For the record, Park Su-ho was sprawled on the floor. I was strapped to a rigid chair. Restrained either way.
“...You're up?”
“What the hell happened?”
“What else? Yekaterina's handiwork.”
“That bitch again...! ...Viktor! What about Viktor?”
“Ditched us and ran when the tide turned.”
“No way! Viktor-ssi? He wouldn't...!”
Creak!
The cell door swung open. We clamped our mouths shut and whipped our heads toward it.
Click-clack. Yekaterina strode in—high heels, black stockings, micro-miniskirt, sheer white blouse hinting at a black bra underneath. Riding crop in hand.
Park Su-ho glared daggers.
“Yekaterina...! Release us now!”
She halted, eyeing us both—zeroing in on our crotches. Then she openly sneered at Park Su-ho.
“Park Su-ho. Why's your dick so goddamn tiny? I figured, but this is a letdown. Needs to be at least this big.”
Yekaterina grabbed my cock and shook it like a trophy. The stimulation bulked it up impressively. She flicked her tongue out lewdly, licking her pink lips.
“This is a dick.”