Chapter 172
Chapter 172
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 172
Chapter Title: 39. Sleeping with the Enemy (7)
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“Are you deaf? What about eight?”
As Youngwoo strode boldly toward the center of the arena, Gameta wore an expression like he’d never seen such a fool before.
―How insolent. To dare treat this body...
“Who the hell are you?”
―What?
“Who are you? No, I’m seriously asking because I’m curious. We’ve never met before.”
Slash!
Youngwoo swung Sasenga experimentally in preparation for battle, and Gameta, who had been watching him intently, widened his eyes.
Then, to Youngwoo’s utter disbelief, he uttered something unimaginable.
―Sasenga...!
“…What?”
This time, Youngwoo was the one with the shocked face.
He had expected some kind of reaction from the monster, but he never dreamed it would recognize the name of the sword he’d just swung.
“What did you just say?”
When Youngwoo asked again to confirm, Gameta pointed his blunt finger precisely at “Sasenga.”
「Sasenga」 - Mythic One-Handed Sword
【Authority Interference】
【Contempt for the Weak】
【Challenger】
―That is the Challenger, ‘Sasenga,’ is it not? How did that sword end up in your hands?
“Is this sword that famous?”
Well, Sasenga was a mythic-grade weapon that Youngwoo never would have obtained in his lifetime without his connection to Dogo.
「You have become the owner of a Myth.」
「You can now maintain its majesty even before Transcendents.」
「Your existence can no longer be shattered.」
Just looking at the permanent buffs he gained the moment he acquired a piece of mythic gear made it clear.
Mythic grade was pan-galactic equipment designed for those who wished to stand equally against beings called ‘Transcendents.’
‘But still, even a monster locked away in some dungeon knows it?’
So Youngwoo couldn’t help but ask again.
“This is the second time I’m asking—who are you? How do you recognize this sword?”
Only then did Gameta fully spread his enormous wings, which resembled hands, casting a bizarre shadow over the arena.
―I am the Colossus of Kmonis, the traitor of the Besedel Royal House, Gameta!
‘...Isn’t “traitor” a bit of a tough sell as a brag?’
Youngwoo thought to himself but let it slide for now.
Perhaps in the cosmos, even daring to rebel against the royal house was considered an ‘feat.’
“So, you’re imprisoned here as punishment for your rebellion? You don’t exactly look like the master of this dungeon.”
―How arrogant, owner of the Myth.
Gameta scolded Youngwoo, then glanced up at the three beams of light on the arena ceiling.
It seemed the three-stage weakening effect applied to him was really getting on his nerves.
―Sasenga. I saw it once during the final battle on Besedel.
Then, he made a motion as if grasping something with his massive hand.
―To see a myth again... Even eons feel like a handful of sand now.
It was the感慨 of unexpectedly laying eyes on Sasenga, one of the mythic pieces of equipment.
But Youngwoo had no intention of listening to some monster’s nostalgia trip.
“What bullshit. So in reality, it hasn’t been that long.”
―You...!
At Youngwoo’s apathetic response, Gameta folded his wings like clenched fists.
Crunch!
―I don’t know how a worm like you obtained the stature of a Challenger, but that sword appearing here must be for my sake...!
“Guess it’s time for the fight scene.”
At that moment, Youngwoo noticed the ‘Challenger’ tooltip on Sasenga glowing red.
【Challenger】
|Combat abilities greatly increase when fighting beings of higher grade than yourself.
‘Since I’m legally a 7th-grade under cosmic law... that guy’s at least 6th-grade or higher.’
As Gameta himself had said, Sasenga was a sword for challengers.
In other words, in this situation, the most fitting owner of Sasenga was Youngwoo, who had come to challenge a higher being.
―Finally, the wheel of karma catches me! Worm, hand over that sword. It shall be the key to my remaining mission.
Crouch.
Gameta hunched down like a beast moments before the hunt, glaring at Youngwoo.
And at the same time.
「Sensory stat temporarily increased from 1,500 to 4,500.」
The golden flash brought a whopping 3,000 to his senses.
‘...What?’
This meant Gameta’s base sensory stat was 6,000.
And that was even after being weakened by three stages from the unlit braziers.
‘If the braziers hadn’t been lit, he’d be untouchable.’
As Youngwoo watched Gameta charging at him, slicing through the air ferociously, he gripped Sasenga with both hands.
Grip.
‘Just one exchange. I want to clash properly at least once.’
Could he truly fight on equal footing with a superior being like Gameta even in this state?
Seeing Youngwoo standing stock-still with the sword in hand, Jeong Gu sensed something off and screamed almost hysterically.
“W-What are you doing? You said you’d alternate between sword and bow!”
At this, the experts from the other three countries watched with faces like “No way...” as the distance between Gameta and the Joseon Supreme Swordsman shrank to mere meters.
And finally.
“You mad bastard...!”
Before the eyes of Jeong Gu and everyone else, Jeong Youngwoo and Gameta clashed.
Baaaaam!
Gameta’s right-hand swing tore through the air itself.
Youngwoo’s Sasenga looked frail in comparison.
Kwaaaaaang!
But when the two collided, a shockwave so intense it made their ears ring swept through the arena.
“Urk!”
“Euk...!”
Gameta’s attacking power was visibly immense, but Jeong Youngwoo’s strength in blocking it was no joke either.
―This bastard...!
Gameta let out a surprised voice upon seeing his opponent withstand the blow without crumpling.
Of course, he attributed it solely to the power of ‘Sasenga.’
―As expected of Sasenga! A fitting mark of the Challenger.
In response, Youngwoo shoved back Gameta’s hand that had met Sasenga, then lightly slashed just above his own left knee.
Splash!
He induced bleeding to boost his strength by 25%.
―Hoh. You know some tricks.
Gameta instantly guessed the reason for his opponent’s self-harm and immediately swung his left hand to press the attack.
Baaaaam!
Another heavy presence ripping through space.
At the same time, Youngwoo swung his sword straight at Gameta’s left hand in retaliation.
Kwaaaaaang!
Their second clash already.
And at that moment, Youngwoo felt tremendous exhilaration.
‘This world really can do anything now.’
Who could have imagined a mere human engaging in a contest of strength with such a being.
And right now, he was.
-Weeeeng!
Watching the auto-combat greatsword ‘Golden Trajectory’ flying in to target Gameta’s back.
If that attack landed, it would be the first time he ever wounded a superior being.
“Die!”
Youngwoo launched a preemptive strike to draw Gameta’s attention, and the monster flinched, baring his teeth.
―I admit you’re an impressive worm.
Then he reached back with his arm and seized the Golden Trajectory just as it was about to attack.
Crunch!
“......!”
A scene that left Youngwoo and all the other ‘worms’ watching the duel in shock.
-Weeeeeng...!
The Golden Trajectory desperately ramped up its output in an instant, but it couldn’t escape Gameta’s grip.
―Now vanish.
Gameta then charged at Youngwoo while clutching the Golden Trajectory.
Kwa-kwang!
He really meant to end the fight.
The sight of an 8-meter colossus swinging both arms was pure terror incarnate.
‘He’s really pissed this time.’
Instead of counterattacking, Youngwoo launched himself backward.
Flash!
The ‘Climber’ amplified his leap distance threefold, aiding an explosive jump.
‘Ah, I thought it was just for climbing, but it’s anti-colossus gear.’
Fwoosh!
Youngwoo narrowly dodged as Gameta tore through the air, belatedly realizing the true value of the Climber.
Then he quickly sheathed Sasenga, slung it over his upper body, and drew the epic bow ‘White Saturation,’ nocking the string.
Creak!
―A bow?
Gameta, whose body was made of rock, had no reason to fear mere arrows.
But the problem was.
Fweeeee!
The arrows fired from this bow were made by Dogo.
◇ Dogo: Stealth Arrow
◇ Dogo: Ability Damage
The presence-concealing stealth arrow was hard for even Gameta, higher in legal grade than Youngwoo, to react to.
He only noticed something after the arrow was nearly at his forearm.
―......!
Boom!
With a purple explosion, a faint crack appeared on Gameta’s right forearm where the arrow hit.
Naturally, since Gameta was positioned as a dungeon boss, he wasn’t an existence that ‘worms’ could never kill.
“You’re done now.”
Confirming the purple crack, Youngwoo uttered another insolence, and Gameta, his anger finally boiling over, spread his wings wide and floated slightly into the air.
If Youngwoo tried to leap again, he’d snatch him from the sky this time.
But unfortunately for him, Youngwoo’s next move was.
Flick.
Playing a whistle.
Preeeeee!
The whistle pierced the 500-meter-diameter indoor arena, echoing clearly.
And soon.
Shwaaaaa...
The saturation of the surroundings dimmed as an ominous aura enveloped the arena.
“W-What is this? Suddenly?”
Miyagi Sword Emperor Tomiko looked around fearfully and asked Jeong Gu.
“What did he summon...?”
Even Jang Ja-ham, who had intuited this was a ‘summoning’ through sheer instinct, stared up at the ceiling with bloodshot eyes.
These were experts from various countries who had seen all sorts of things, yet this was beyond their wildest imagination.
That the Joseon Supreme Swordsman possessed a mutant squad.
Crack!
Soon, space near the arena ceiling tore open, and screams or roars began pouring out from within.
「Kyaaaaaaa!」
「Uuuuu!」
「No, fuck...!」
Youngwoo’s three friends. Youngtae, Taejun, and Youngheum were returning to this world.
A 3-meter hyena beastman.
A similarly 3-meter granite golem.
And finally.
[Friend of Jeong Youngwoo07 - Kim Youngheum]
A white tiger 6 meters long and 2.5 meters at the shoulder.
Unlike what they’d seen on TV from the Returnee’s Room, the three had regained their mutant bodies.
And.
Kwang, crack!
The moment they arrived in this otherworldly arena one after another, they bared their teeth while guarding their three sides.
They had probably practiced their landing formation in preparation for being summoned like this.
But the being they had to face was.
―What the hell are these mutts.
An 8-meter-tall rock colossus.
In response, Youngtae opened his long snout and pointed brazenly at Gameta.
Pop!
「This time it’s for sure! That guy’s a total newbie!」