Chapter 245
Chapter 245
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 245
Chapter Title: 55. Bean Flour (5)
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Handshake.
It originated from extending the right hand to prove neither side was armed.
This gesture, which actively demonstrated a lack of intent to fight, had evolved in modern times into an act signifying cooperation, favors, greetings, and other friendly relations.
And it was clearly the same even now, in the world that had unfolded after the reset.
Otherwise, there was no way a mutated being's method of abandoning its role as an avenger would be a handshake with a human.
—
… .
Song Tae-ho stared blankly at the hand his nephew extended.
—
If I shake this, I'll go to prison… ?
Young-woo furrowed his brow slightly in response.
“It's not prison—it's becoming my friend. But since you can't stay in this world as a mutated being, you'll be sent to another space.”
As Young-woo added that in the 'other space,' one could live in human form, Song Tae-ho twitched his steel upper lip.
—
I prefer this state right now. In a world like this, living as a human seems more disadvantageous. Humans are weak.
This was the polar opposite of someone like CEO Kim Tae-jun, who desperately wished to regain his human form as soon as possible.
CEO Kim Tae-jun's purpose for returning was solely 'family,' whereas Song Tae-ho's goal was to live once more as a privileged elite—even if it meant ruling through fear in a dragon's body.
“…Still, it's better than dying. You must have learned about the return function before coming here.”
Young-woo said this while teaching him how to shake hands, but Song Tae-ho responded with something entirely different.
—
You don't understand at all.
“…Understand what?”
Even as Young-woo replied, he instinctively sensed that negotiations with his uncle had broken down.
Perhaps because he had sat at the negotiation table with countless mutated beings by now.
He could now gauge their intentions just from their tone.
—
For someone like me, mere survival holds no meaning.
“Then what does have meaning?
—
Being the protagonist.
“……?”
—
I've lived my entire life as the protagonist of this world, leading everything. Everyone bowed to me, under my control. Do you think someone like me could exist as your 'friend' under you?
“Ah.”
Young-woo thought he understood what his uncle meant, but that only made it harder to agree.
“But weren't you never the protagonist in the previous world either?”
—
What?
“If the glamorous life you call being the protagonist is what Uncle wanted, you were already living it before.”
Young-woo glanced up at the sky again.
This was partly because he figured it was time to request another barrage, but also to vaguely gaze toward wherever his mother might be.
“The image I have of Uncle is the tragic eldest son of a chaebol family whose younger sibling stole the business rights. Sure, as a second-generation chaebol, you never lacked materially… but it doesn't seem like that satisfied you.”
As Young-woo said this, Song Tae-ho predictably widened his eyes and flew into a rage.
—
You fucking bastard… !
“See? That hit a nerve, didn't it? What did you say the moment you saw me earlier? Where's Song Ji-seon? Isn't that right?”
The world had fallen into ruin, and even Song Tae-ho himself had lost his human body to become a dragon.
Yet amid all that, his deep-seated feelings toward his youngest sister proved he was still tormented by a sense of defeat.
“Seeing you show up today means Mother's appearance is imminent too. So if you really want to see your sister, shake my hand. You have to stay alive first to settle scores or reconcile with your enemy, right?”
For his 'friend' to function properly, the mutated being absolutely needed friendly feelings toward Jeong Young-woo, the whistle's owner.
A prime example was CEO Kim Tae-jun.
To him, Jeong Young-woo was the indispensable bridge to reuniting with his family—something beyond mere friendliness.
Now, Kim Tae-jun needed Jeong Young-woo to stay alive just so he could keep seeing his family.
‘But this guy's a wild card. If his sense of privilege is that ingrained… I doubt he'd work properly even in the returnee lounge.’
Young-woo glanced at his own right hand, still extended toward his uncle.
“…….”
Perhaps that was a trait of dragonkin—or rather, of people who mutated into dragonkin.
People with bloated egos, arrogance, and lives steeped in entitlement.
Did that apply to his mother and second uncle too?
‘Well… and even if we don't become friends, I can still keep him with me.’
This time, Young-woo's gaze shifted to his left chest.
Killing a dragon directly granted its unique heart as a reward.
So in a way, burying his uncle in his chest might be the truly dutiful thing to do.
‘Guess dragon friends will have to wait for next time.’
Young-woo thought this as he looked up at his uncle, who was beginning to exude a threatening aura.
“Made your decision, huh.”
—
Ha, crawling under you was never an option.
“Then you'll never see my mother, and you'll just vanish.”
—
Shut up!
At Song Tae-ho's bellow, steel breath erupted from his mouth, and Young-woo hurriedly dodged while calling out coordinates.
“482! 183! 4405! 36!”
These were coordinates for a barrage aimed straight at Song Tae-ho's head.
He truly intended to kill him in one strike.
However.
Whoooosh!
No sooner had Young-woo recited the coordinates than Steel Dragon Song Tae-ho's entire body turned blindingly white, radiating dazzling light.
“W-What the—?”
Startled, Young-woo fell back and drew Sasinsa.
And soon.
Fwooooosh!
A laser cannon fired on Young-woo's command pierced the clouds and descended.
Right onto the spot where his uncle, who had been emitting massive light just moments ago, had stood.
KABOOOM!
Toma's planetary-scale barrage struck the heart of Gwangjin District.
But Young-woo had already realized Song Tae-ho was no longer there.
“Uncle? Where'd you go?”
Young-woo shouted this, Sasinsa poised to stab, when a purple hologram appeared before him.
“……!”
A flash-like thrust from the left.
“No, what the—…!”
Young-woo reflexively blocked with his sword following the hologram, then turned toward the attack's origin.
There stood a knight clad head to toe in dragon-shaped armor.
“Oh?”
Judging by the armor's texture matching Steel Dragon Song Tae-ho's hide…
“Uncle…? You can polymorph too?”
Polymorph. Also known as transformation magic.
It was typically used by mages to turn enemy targets into weak animals or summon stronger beings.
But it could also be used on oneself, with dragonkin polymorph being a prime example.
Dragonkin who wanted to meddle in human society or whimsically tour the world often chose to transform into humans.
That was why dragonkin disguised as humans frequently appeared in stories across East and West since ancient times.
‘Of course, that's all just fantasy novel stuff. But seeing it for real…’
At this point, maybe everything humans had dismissed as mere 'imagination' actually existed somewhere in this universe?
Anyway, the important thing right now was…
—
Perhaps you're the trial prepared for me. The test I must overcome to return to my rightful place!
His uncle, now a 3-meter-tall black-armored swordsman, was still deluded.
Screeech!
Of course, given the raw power transmitting through Sasinsa's blade right now, his uncle had good reason for his delusion.
‘Dragonkin live up to their name—freakishly strong.’
But this was the post-reset world.
As decreed from the start, past status and fate meant nothing here.
Not even for one who returned bearing the lofty status of dragonkin in this reset world.
“Sorry, but if Uncle were truly this world's protagonist, I'd know better than anyone!”
—
What? What nonsense is that?
Even as Song Tae-ho retorted, he pressed his blade to smash Young-woo into the ground.
And in fact…
Crack!
Young-woo's ankles were sinking bit by bit into the earth.
Yet…
[Ending Maker]
|Discover the protagonist after the reset.|
The achievement Young-woo was eyeing showed no sign of completion.
Contrary to Song Tae-ho's hopes, he wasn't this world's protagonist—far from it.
“I won't forget you, Uncle! Live on forever in my heart… !”
—
……?
“Die!”
Up to now, Young-woo had only been parrying Song Tae-ho's sword, but as killing intent flared, crimson demonic energy surged from the mythic demonic sword Sasinsa's blade.
Fwoosh!
Then…
Whoosh!
As Young-woo swung with all his might, Sasinsa's blade passed through Song Tae-ho's sword and drove into the gap inside.
Krrunch!
Into the interior of Song Tae-ho's armor, made of steel dragon hide.
It was the activation of Sasinsa's unique effect, 'Contempt for the Weak.'
—
Wha? Wh-what?
Witnessing the unbelievable, Song Tae-ho let out an ambiguous noise from within his pitch-black helmet—not quite a scream or shout.
He was shocked that his nephew's blade had ignored his sword and penetrated, but it had also allowed his own blade to deeply slash the other's torso.
Mutual destruction.
—
Y-You idiot! If we both die, what's the point?
As Song Tae-ho spat in disbelief, white steam began billowing from inside his pierced armor.
Likely, his time of dissolution was near.
And Young-woo appeared to be dying too.
His lower chest had been diagonally slashed by the massive greatsword, sending his mangled upper body sliding off at an angle to crash into the ground.
Thud!
—
Fucking moron.
Seeing his nephew's body split in two, Song Tae-ho spewed steam continuously and staggered back.
Then…
Thump!
His legs gave out, and he collapsed.
Hiss!
He could see his life force scattering into the air in real time.
—
…….
After waiting some time for death, his nephew's voice echoed again from the ground nearby.
“Uncle.”
—
……?
“Before you go, give your nephew one last tip. What's second Uncle like personality-wise?”
—
What?
No matter that Song Tae-ho hadn't been in the post-reset world long, he was quick on the uptake.
Unlike himself, nearly dead, this crazy nephew had no intention of dying—he grasped that instantly.
—
You… what the hell are you?
As Song Tae-ho demanded, he watched his nephew—who had lost everything below his solar plexus—prop himself up with both arms and rise.
“You can't even imagine what I've been through, Uncle. Reborn as a dragon doesn't hold a candle to my saga.”
Step, step.
Song Tae-ho blankly watched Song Ji-seon's son, Jeong Young-woo, stride forward on his arms.
And the moment he rejoined with his lower half on the ground.
Splat!
As flesh met at his solar plexus and navel, there came a sound like slapping freshly made sticky rice.
“Handshake—want to do it now?”
Young-woo, lying down, casually raised his right hand.
Song Tae-ho flinched involuntarily, then let out a hollow laugh.
—
Bullshit. You cocky little shit.
“…Then you die. Either way, I lose nothing.”
The indifference in Young-woo's tone paradoxically rang true, filling Song Tae-ho with sudden black dread.
He felt a profound futility: even in death, he couldn't inflict any damage on his opponent.
A meaningless death.
But even in this state, Song Tae-ho refused to shake Young-woo's hand.
Instead, he made his final desperate stand.
—
You won't be able to handle that bastard. He's my brother, but a real lunatic.
This referred to the second son of the Jin Hyun-ga family, Young-woo's second uncle.
“Yeah?”
—
But even scarier than him…
“…Scarier than him?”
—
Is your mom.
“Hey, you bastard—insulting my mom at a time like this?”
Young-woo impulsively raised his upper body in anger, but there was no point; his severed section split open again.
Hiss…
His uncle had already passed from the world.
「Steel Dragon Song Tae-ho has been defeated by Chosun First Sword ‘Jeong Young-woo07'!」
Next came the notification that Young-woo had defeated a dragonkin, and shortly after.
Rumble… !
A vibration transmitted to Young-woo's back.
This was undoubtedly footsteps from a mutated being in another district.
“They won't even let me rest a second.”
Feeling the tremors, Young-woo lifted his head slightly to scan around, spotting a black trail streaking from the north.
It was none other than Negig, with Kim Jeong-gu riding on its back.
He had dragged a mutated being all the way from Dobong.
“Oh dear, Young-woo!”
Seeing his son lying there as usual, body bisected, Jeong-gu feigned dismay.
Then.
“Huh?”
His eyes widened upon spotting a massive black knight collapsed not far from Young-woo.
He let out a genuinely shocked voice.
“Oh dear! Big brother! What happened… !”