Chapter 131
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: I've Got Insurance
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In the Black Dragon Construction headquarters.
In the Leviathan lobby.
In that underground dragon palace below.
Few were those who sensed the world-shattering distortions and massive bursts of light originating from those distant stars.
It was an event beyond the natural order.
Something ordinary humans couldn't possibly detect.
But there were exceptions who transcended the ordinary.
Whether through psionics or some other ability, those with superhuman senses felt it.
That 'something' had changed.
The laws of the world were warping.
Something that shouldn't happen was occurring.
A nauseating dissonance as reality was eroded by an alien ideal.
Yet, separate from that sensation, there was a change even ordinary humans could clearly perceive.
"......Well, now."
Due to his overly acute senses, Rimon only belatedly noticed the visible change, unwittingly pulling a dumbfounded expression.
"I wondered what kind of stunt you were pulling, acting so brazenly......"
Rimon flicked his gaze over.
He scanned Ryu Gangcheol from head to toe before clicking his tongue.
"What are you, some kind of power ranger? Did you think slipping into a transformation suit would save you now that you're cornered?"
His eye level now nearly three meters high.
His entire body covered in brown metal.
Even the scythe-like blades on both arms.
Too massive to be mere powered armor, too grotesque for an exoskeleton—it was exactly as Rimon said: a transformation suit.
A steel giant cobbled together from human and mantis parts, making even Ryu Gangcheol's original form hard to discern.
Transformation Armor
Steel Giant Form: Duke-class power amplified
[Go ahead and yap all you want.]
Ryu Gangcheol paid it no mind.
As if his earlier trembling rage had been a lie, he merely growled murderously in a metallic voice.
[You won't be able to talk once you're dead!]
With that, Ryu Gangcheol crouched low.
The moment his legs slammed into the floor.
BOOM!
A deafening rupture tore through the air, shaking the building with ferocious impact.
It was the aftermath of Rimon blocking Ryu Gangcheol's supersonic scythe charge—jet-like in speed—with his sword.
But that was merely the beginning.
[Where'd that loudmouth go? Come on, keep talking!]
Targeting his head, slashing at his neck, thrusting at his heart.
And so on.
The two scythes swung at invisible speeds formed a true storm of blades.
Precision honed on vital points, amplified by supersonic motion—a perfect human-slaying machine.
One problem, though.
Not a single one of those countless strikes could touch Rimon.
Clang! Clang-g-g!
Swing the sword to deflect the scythe.
Twist the sword to parry the slash.
Pull the sword to clash the scythes together.
Simply calm.
Simply clean.
Blocking Ryu Gangcheol's storm of strikes with just one sword, Rimon murmured softly.
"Hmm, this puts you around level 90...... No, at least 95. A speed-specialized duke-class, huh? Definitely faster."
Rimon readily acknowledged it.
Ryu Gangcheol had gotten faster.
Fast enough to hold his own one-on-one against a master-class without needing decoys.
"But so what?"
[What do you—?!]
Slash.
"Still just the same old, same old."
And he thought to himself.
What a fucking idiotic stunt.
Level 80 duke or level 90 grand duke—it was just a caterpillar turning into a turtle.
To Rimon, who had even handled monarchs with kid gloves, Ryu Gangcheol's antics were barely clownery, not even a proper struggle.
His head flying off with one swing was proof.
Thud!
"Tch. Making a fuss over failing to catch even this moron. The Black Dragon Clan really has weakened since the old days."
Evidently quite the unexpected outcome.
Rimon clicked his tongue at Ryu Gangcheol's wide-eyed severed head and log-like tumbling body.
He spun his sword once before sheathing it behind his back and continued.
"Right, you moron?"
Pffft!
[Guh?!]
Despite stealthily erasing all presence and approaching from behind.
The identical clone to the fallen Ryu Gangcheol—stabbed through the chest before it could even swing—was left with an incredulous look.
[H-How......!]
"How? You were leaking killing intent like crazy; how could I not notice?"
Rimon replied indifferently.
He twisted his sword, pulverizing the clone's heart, and murmured on.
"So why don't the rest of you stop hiding and come out already?"
Rumble rumble rumble.
It was then.
A twisted smile crept onto the dying Ryu Gangcheol's agonized face.
Windows shattered one after another amid fierce vibrations, and countless brown shadows emerged from every corner of the Black Dragon Construction building.
[Well.]
Bursting through the ceiling.
[You're no pushover, that's for sure.]
Smashing through the floor.
[But your cockiness ends here.]
Leaping through windows.
[You know one of me can't take you.]
Climbing the stairs.
[But that's only if I'm alone.]
Shattering concrete, coiling around the entire building like vines—brown steel giants filled every direction.
Liberation Brigade's upper echelon.
12th of the Twelve Phantoms.
The one codenamed Fool.
Ryu Gangcheol, possessor of the unique skill 『Infinite Multiplication』, grinned ferociously as a hundred duke-class clones surrounded Rimon.
[Think you can handle all of 'us'?]
[Princess sis, you know?]
"What about?"
[Transformations always make you stronger. It's a cliché.]
"Is that so?"
[Totally. And stories where the hero powers up every time they're cornered? Super common.]
"Is that even possible? Maybe for a sword master, but humans aren't built to get that strong."
[Humans can't, but players can. That's why all those 'I Reversed My Life with a Unique Skill Alone' novels are blowing up.]
"Makes sense."
As if grasping it roughly.
Li Chingwei nodded slightly while lightly retreating, shrouded in black mist—Yuna Kyung spoke earnestly.
[In that sense, Princess sis.]
"Yes."
[Let's run, quick!]
"Should we?"
[Of course! You see that? That?!]
As the spot where Li Chingwei had stood moments ago exploded, Yuna Kyung spread her wings wide.
She pointed at Bellos in the center of the inverted pyramid corridor, casually unleashing skills, and yelled.
[That bastard transformed! Transformed!]
In truth, Bellos's change wasn't some dramatic transformation armor.
At best, his outfit had shifted to ornate mechanical armor reminiscent of ancient Greeks.
That alone was no different from any player's gear swap.
Including how his pocket-sized grimoire had bulked up larger and thicker than a child, studded with gears and machine parts.
[And he's gotten ridiculously stronger too!]
One issue.
Proportional to the grimoire's size.
Bellos's skills had grown terrifyingly potent.
[Even if it's a cliché, powering up this much from a transformation? Ridiculous! Total cheat!]
"An apt description."
Li Chingwei calmly agreed.
The pressure bearing down on her had intensified; without dispersing it via black mist, even moving was nearly impossible.
And it wasn't just raw skill power that had grown.
"『Prohibition of High-Speed Action Act, Enacted』."
"『Bipedal Locomotion Prohibition Act, Enacted』."
"『Execution Tool Protection Act, Enacted』."
⟨ Legalist Legislation ⟩
Li Chingwei froze.
The instant Bellos opened his mouth.
Her movements slowed abruptly, her forward step halted—legs refusing to budge.
Bellos didn't miss that tiny opening.
"『Hanging Execution, Indicted』."
⟨ Legalist Verdict ⟩
[Kyaa! Princess sis!?]
It happened right after.
A white noose suddenly coiled around Li Chingwei's neck, yanking her skyward in a flash.
Considering the pressure still crushing her, her neck could've snapped for an instant death.
Snap!
But her response was swift.
She flipped upside down like a gymnast, one leg hooking the rope—hanging inverted.
The loosened noose slipped off; she landed neatly, Yuna Kyung staring blankly from her arms.
[......Princess sis, ever work a circus or acrobatics gig?]
"No. But we own a few such outfits under the family, so I've seen plenty."
[You can pull that off just from watching, huh.]
Could her past self have mimicked that flexibility?
The thought crossed her mind unbidden.
Shoving the answer aside, Yuna Kyung hurriedly continued.
[A-Anyway, Princess sis, run! Fighting like this is too dangerous!]
This wasn't the first time they'd been cornered.
Bellos's skills had blocked their actions multiple times, forcing them through crises.
Yet Li Chingwei remained utterly nonchalant.
"Hard to say. Even if I wanted to flee, he doesn't seem inclined to let me go."
[Still, we should try—!]
"『Flight Permit Act, Enforced』."
⟨ Legalist Enforcement ⟩
Yuna Kyung shut her beak.
Right after the low voice sounded.
Bellos soared through the air, appearing before Li Chingwei.
"Hm. The weight of judgments so far could sink a battleship...... Yet you endure remarkably."
"I'm used to bearing burdens."
Li Chingwei replied calmly.
Bellos regarded her with a cold sneer.
"Hand over the box now, and I'll spare your life."
"Amusing."
"What's so amusing?"
"In our clan, 'sparing your life' means we have no intention of keeping promises—it's code for a fight to the death."
True to the Seven Dragon Society.
Momentarily silent at the Black Dragon Clan's transcendent metaphors.
Bellos spoke in an even icier tone.
"......So you'll struggle futilely to the end?"
"No, I'm still planning to kill you here."
"What a fool."
Hearing that.
Bellos let out a hollow laugh.
Continuing in a mocking tone.
"Right now, I've surpassed even monarchs—an absolute being. Think a primitive lizard half-breed like you can beat me?"
"Absolute being...... You mean that sincerely?"
"Of course."
As if hearing something astonishing.
Bellos asserted while Li Chingwei tilted her head.
"Humans are ruled by law, and I rule the laws here. Thus, I'm absolute by default."
Li Chingwei understood.
He utterly believed it.
So she murmured softly.
"Arrogant."
"Not arrogance. Mere objective, absolute fact."
Bellos stated flatly.
He had the power to back it.
Just his strength and agility stats alone transcended grand dukes.
With his already cheat skill 『Rule of Law』 further empowered, he matched monarchs.
No—surpassed them.
"Believing subjective judgment is objective and absolute is arrogance in itself."
Perhaps irked by her calm rebuttals.
Bellos said coldly.
"If you're stalling for rescuers, give it up. No one's coming."
"You think so?"
"My comrades are lunatics, but peerless killers."
Rankings aside, all were Liberation Brigade phantoms.
With the taboo 『Constellation Descent』 invoked, none could stop them.
"Especially once my mad ally goes all out, the guards here are long massacred."
As if telling her to abandon vain hopes.
Bellos spoke ruthlessly.
Yet Li Chingwei showed no anxiety or despair.
"Maybe. But no matter how monstrous your comrades, it won't be easy."
Not vague trust in Youin and the Silent Dragon Squad—objective certainty.
Li Chingwei smiled faintly.
"I've got a little insurance for times like this."