Chapter 331
Chapter 331
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 331
Chapter Title: 73. Negotiation (6)
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‘Same grade… so it beats any card it meets of the same grade, but loses to all other cards?’
It felt like all the strength drained from his body.
For Youngwoo, it was hard to hold back the hollow laugh that bubbled up naturally.
The card’s effect was so absurd it perfectly matched his father.
‘…Well, I’ve already drawn it, so no choice but to roll with it.’
Youngwoo stared blankly at the bizarre card.
Maybe it was the same for him, too.
The so-called ‘parent-child bond’ people called destiny.
Just as you had to accept whatever came from drawing a card, wasn’t a parent or child something inevitable too?
Once a parent-child relationship was set, it never changed.
Even if you took in new parents or a new child, the fundamental bond with your birth parents remained.
For that reason, Youngwoo’s family—who hadn’t even known of each other’s existence—were gradually becoming something like a real family.
‘Of course, right now I’m the one who has to wield the rod to even pretend, but even so, sometimes…’
Youngwoo thought of his father, Jeong-gu.
The man who had charged through the ice arts to intervene when his son tried to execute his own mother.
That reckless act had even slightly thawed Song Jiseon’s heart, frozen like an ice dragon’s.
She had withdrawn her ice arts, sparing Jeong-gu’s life.
‘But he’s still dogshit worthless. Without me or Mom, he can’t do jack.’
Still, he was the link between those two monsters.
In that sense, this bizarre card ‘Jeong-gu Before the Typhoon’ captured Kim Jeong-gu perfectly.
‘Father! Can I trust you? I almost got chewed out earlier for not trusting Mom.’
As Youngwoo muttered at the card, an image appeared on its bluish surface, seeming to move like it was alive.
―Shooooaaaa!
It was Jeong-gu’s back, aboard a small rowboat braving fierce waves.
Beyond the black seawater, land was faintly visible, and between it and Jeong-gu loomed a massive typhoon swirling in enormous vortices.
―Kwaaaah!
A huge tidal wave crashed over Jeong-gu in the image.
‘Huh.’
Jeong-gu vanished from the picture for a moment, but soon burst through the black waves, his shabby rowboat reemerging.
‘Fuck, what kind of picture has this much intensity.’
Only then did Youngwoo notice that his father’s oar in the image was one-third broken.
But Jeong-gu in the picture paid it no mind and kept rowing.
He’d probably keep at it until he met some mythical something-or-other—not another legend—or drew a worthless card and met an absurd end.
‘…Let’s give it a go. I’ll row with that broken oar too.’
As Youngwoo gripped his father’s card and looked across the table at his opponent, the system message advanced the negotiation.
《Both sides have confirmed their cards. Negotiation begins.》
Pafapat!
Once again, three negotiation rights were granted without fail.
Youngwoo immediately pulled out the proposal he’d thought of the moment he saw his opponent’s card in the previous round.
“All infrastructure.”
“……?”
“If you lose the war, I get control of all space-related infrastructure.”
“What?”
“The space communicator in Japan. I’m curious exactly what it is.”
Yuuto glanced up at the empty air with a troubled expression.
Checking if the negotiation proposal Youngwoo had just voiced was accepted by the system.
And regrettably.
[Remu’s proxy cedes all material infrastructure to Togo’s proxy upon defeat in the war.]
The system formalized Youngwoo’s proposal.
“No way. All infrastructure?”
“There’s more than just the space communicator, apparently?”
As Youngwoo caught Yuuto’s slip, the latter ground his teeth.
“But if I don’t lose this match, all your infrastructure becomes mine.”
“Only if you win.”
Was that all?
Youngwoo had deliberately held back, but this proposal was no different from scrap paper until the war’s outcome was decided.
Even if Youngwoo lost this card game by some fluke, winning the actual war would nullify the infrastructure transfer.
So if he lacked confidence in combat, the proposals at this table should focus on gaining advantages in the fight itself, not post-war terms.
‘But I’m confident in a real fight. Of course, those 200 naked warriors will cause some serious mental strain… Wait, no, Aratubank might block that too.’
Aratubank was a mythical shield that blocked mental attacks too.
【Invulnerable】
|This shield cannot be destroyed and blocks most non-physical damage and mental attacks.|
Plus, with a mythical magic sword in hand, Youngwoo would need an absurd level of penalties to lose to Yuuto in combat.
“Come on, what’s your proposal? Let’s hurry.”
As Youngwoo tapped his wrist like he was urging to save time, Yuuto scratched his cheek for the first time.
He’d kept up the calm act well until now, but nearing the end, he couldn’t hide the pressure.
Then he pointed at the Illegitimate Child.
Suk.
“That sword… that’s the Illegitimate Child, right?”
“What?”
It was such an unexpected question that Youngwoo’s face showed surprise for a moment.
“Guess so.”
“Figured it out just now? Impressive.”
“Then don’t use it.”
“When? In the war?”
“I’ll raise a negotiation term. The Illegitimate Child can’t be used in this war!”
“Hoo.”
As Youngwoo exhaled in admiration, the negotiation system accepted Yuuto’s proposal.
[Togo’s proxy cannot use the Illegitimate Child in this war.]
Not the best counter, but a sharp attack given the info available.
Since the ban was limited to the ‘Illegitimate Child,’ even a loss this round wouldn’t hurt Yuuto with that condition.
Plus, it directly impacted the actual fight.
Youngwoo nodded, encouraging his opponent.
“Pretty clever, huh? But…”
“But?”
“…….”
Youngwoo deliberately said no more.
He wasn’t saying his mythical items were limited to the Illegitimate Child.
Of course, Yuuto—who only heard half—couldn’t help but get annoyed.
“But what?”
“…….”
《Negotiation terms for Round 4 have been finalized.》
With both terms locked in, Youngwoo—who’d kept his mouth shut—finally spoke.
“It’s drawing near.”
“What? What’s coming now?”
“The time I can beat you myself.”
Round 4 was already over. After this match, only the final round remained.
Then they’d escape this stifling room, and the time of violence would arrive.
“If my head were just a bit bigger, I’d have ignored this space court bullshit and wrecked you already.”
As Youngwoo clenched his fist in regret, Yuuto smirked, lifting the corner of his mouth.
“Hurry and reveal your card. I prepared something amazing for you this time.”
“Sounds like you’re confident.”
“Watch.”
Yuuto really seemed to have something.
Youngwoo flipped his card, showcasing his father rowing with the broken oar.
“My father, still alive and kicking.”
Taat!
As Youngwoo flicked the card toward Yuuto across the table, seawater actually splashed around it, accompanied by wave sounds.
―Kwaaaaa!
[Jeong-gu Before the Typhoon]
“Jeong-gu endures. The mysteries of the universe envelop him.”
|Card Grade: Legend
|Power: 1,000
*Suspicious Straw*
[Definitely wins against cards of the same grade. Loses to all other cards.]
“What the hell is this? Power one thous…?”
Yuuto leaned back, eyeing the weird card flying his way.
Then his expression hardened at the special effect below.
“What does this mean?”
“What’s wrong? You didn’t bring a legend card, did you? Even a unique would kill our dad.”
As Youngwoo leaned eagerly over the table, Yuuto tossed the card he held onto ‘Jeong-gu Before the Typhoon.’
Taat!
[Remu, Desire of All]
“If you know everyone’s desires, you can enchant them all.”
|Card Grade: Legend
|Power: 900
*Irresistible Offer*
[Multiplies base power by the number of previously activated cards.]
“What…….”
Youngwoo’s pupils dilated in an instant.
Remu.
The Remu card had finally appeared.
‘But… it’s legend grade?’
Its effect was insane, but the problem was…
“Remu’s legend grade?”
With Youngwoo’s leak, ‘Remu’s’ power surged to a whopping 2,700, but it didn’t faze Jeong-gu, busy rowing through the typhoon.
Kwajik!
The typhoon sucked in the Remu card right after.
Kwajajajik!
“Ah……!”
“Wow, Dad!”
Amid Yuuto’s groan and Youngwoo’s cheer, Remu shattered, granting Youngwoo the Round 4 victory privilege.
《Togo’s proxy has won Round 4. Togo side, finalize or revise negotiation terms.》
‘Might as well tweak the penalty a bit.’
As Youngwoo tried switching the Illegitimate Child penalty target to himself, the weapon name in the term changed too.
[Remu’s proxy cannot use Giant Hunter in this war.]
Giant Hunter.
Yuuto’s legend weapon revealed in Round 2.
The negotiation system had interpreted ‘Illegitimate Child’ as each side’s main weapon and auto-adjusted.
‘This guy’s really fucked now.’
Remu’s proxy Yuuto paled.
And amid this, the negotiation system mercilessly started the final Round 5.
Peeing!
《Round 5 will begin soon. Shuffle charges have been refilled.》
‘Shuffle? No such thing. Now it’s just pure gamble for pleasure.’
The possible final draws: two mythics, one epic.
So the mythic odds were much higher.
‘Thanks to Dad coming out first, my mythic odds went up.’
Failure would draw an epic instead, but right now Youngwoo only saw success.
‘It has to be mythic, no question. If an epic pops here… fuck, I’m scared of what I’ll do.’
Youngwoo gazed at the ceiling—no, far beyond.
‘If I even glimpse an ‘e’ from epic, I’ll wreck everything!’
After threatening something somewhere, Youngwoo picked the rightmost card on the table.
Taat!
“With this game, Japan falls! My turn! Draw!”
Suddenly the surroundings went pitch black, and a massive steel anchor shot down from the sky.