Chapter 160
Chapter 160
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 160
Chapter Title: 19530305 (5)
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[That’s not the guest we were waiting for.]
The approaching footsteps grew louder, as did the dragon’s voice.
Why was it none other than Kahal Magdu here? There wasn’t enough time to puzzle out the answer.
Cheon Yeomyeong mouthed words at the two sisters, who were glancing between him and the door.
Run. Water. Away.
If his stamina were intact, it might be different, but they’d already fought consecutive battles. He couldn’t be sure he could protect them while fighting.
Especially against that damned skeletal dragon.
Perhaps because Yeomyeong’s expression was so grave, Seti didn’t insist on staying.
The two sisters exchanged a brief glance, then launched themselves toward the armory entrance.
By the time they slipped out of the lab without a sound.
The iron door on the opposite side crumpled with a grinding screech, as if gripped by a giant’s hand.
Lock or no lock, the door collapsed like a crushed soda can.
Thud.
But the one leading the way inside wasn’t Kahal Magdu—it was an elderly man in luxurious robes.
In his hand was a long golden staff, its large ruby tip shimmering with lingering magical afterglow.
Proof that the old man had cast the spell that crumpled the door.
Yeomyeong grimaced and veiled his face with the Illusion of Blood Tears.
In that moment, the skeleton with rippling blue flames clattered into the room.
Kahal Magdu—using a skeleton again instead of his true body? But this skeleton felt somehow off…
Then the old man’s voice cut through Yeomyeong’s thoughts.
“Brat, where are the West Palace Lord and the monsters? How is it you’re the one here?”
“…”
“Are you a scout? Or did the monsters already bash in that pup’s skull?”
“…And how exactly did you get in here?”
“You think an armory entrance like this exists only under the West Palace Lord’s land? Brat, stop dodging and answer my question.”
The haughty tone unique to nobles beyond the dimensional gate. That alone was enough to identify the old man.
‘…South Palace Lord. One of the few true nobles in the city.’
Confirming that Seti and Neti were far enough away, Yeomyeong crossed his arms and replied.
“Before you ask questions, how about revealing your name first.”
“…What?”
“It’s basic etiquette. Never learned manners?”
Yeomyeong’s provocation was so absurd that the old man gaped.
And as Kahal Magdu’s skull beside him snorted with laughter, Yeomyeong added one more line.
“Or is it… a name you’re ashamed to reveal?”
In the next instant, the old man’s face flushed red. He slammed the staff’s tip into the floor with a bang!
“…How dare you.”
As Yeomyeong sensed the fight and began weaving his spell, the palace lord bellowed.
“Listen well, you lowly scum! I am Adrian Bar Terial! Current head of the Terial family, who have guarded this place for eleven generations, and the rightful palace lord of this city, recognized by the Emperor himself!”
“…”
“Do you finally grasp whom you’ve dared to provoke? If you do, kneel at once!”
With those words, a heavy surge of mana fired from the South Palace Lord’s staff. The same invisible force magic that had crushed the door.
Yeomyeong feigned fear and retreated while subtly directing his prepared spell.
Invisible telekinesis, aimed at the South Palace Lord’s neck.
The South Palace Lord’s magic and Yeomyeong’s telekinesis reached their targets almost simultaneously.
Just as immense pressure bore down on Yeomyeong’s shoulder and the telekinesis nearly snapped the palace lord’s neck.
Crack!
Kahal Magdu swept his hand, deflecting both spells at once.
Only then did the South Palace Lord notice the telekinesis that had come right up to his throat, his face twisting in shock. He’d nearly died.
Kahal Magdu’s skull clicked its tongue.
What is this between civilized folk? Conversation could get you both what you want.
“…”
Don’t you think so? Cheon Yeomyeong.
As expected, he’d pierced the Illusion of Blood Tears. Yeomyeong frowned and answered.
“…We’re not exactly in a position to chat amicably.”
Oh ho, so you’ll fight? Against both of us?
“Why? Think I can’t?”
The failed ambush was regrettable, but he had no intention of meekly complying.
Killing intent boiled over.
Yeomyeong quietly raised his sword. Kahal Magdu’s skull rattled with laughter.
The courage of the weak—always an admirable stance. It even makes my dead heart pound.
“…”
But this isn’t the time to act so leisurely, is it? The West Palace Lord and the Korean government’s slaves… They wouldn’t have let them live. Must’ve been quite the ordeal killing them. Am I wrong?
The creature shot Yeomyeong a sly glance, as if appraising his condition. But whatever nonsense it spouted, Yeomyeong ignored it, running through every combat option in his mind.
Wave Yang Art, Blood Flow Acceleration, Mariji Heavenly Divine Art, Black Wing Flow… Unleash everything at once for a one-hit kill?
Or drag it out into a prolonged battle and collapse the armory?
As Yeomyeong’s tension strung taut, every nerve in his skin sharpening.
Kahal Magdu made a proposal.
Allow me to make a generous offer. Hand over the launch codes, and I’ll let you live—this time. You and… those two wenches who fled that way.
“…Launch codes?”
Oh, playing dumb? Pity, but drop the act. The West Palace Lord might not know, but the Koreans wouldn’t have breached the armory without them.
At the words “launch codes,” greed flickered in the South Palace Lord’s eyes beside him.
Seeing that, Yeomyeong was certain.
Their goal was indeed that thing slumbering within the armory.
At the armory’s end, beneath a seal even superhumans couldn’t breach.
It was…
***
[Nuclear missile.]
[This city’s underground hides a nuclear missile.]
In Yeomyeong’s memory, Ben of the Blood Tears Key had said as much.
[Why, you ask? Hmm, where to start… Let’s begin with this term. Mutually Assured Destruction.]
Mutually Assured Destruction—formal name MAD.
It was the nuclear strategy theory that two nations with nukes, if they went to war, would both perish.
[As you know, the US and Soviets churned out enough nukes to blow up the planet. And as those stockpiles grew, so did the desperate efforts to avert doom.]
…Bunkers and such?
[Yes, deeper air raid shelters, teleportation research… They even developed dimensional gate tech.]
Dimensional gates?
[The American elite researched emergency gates to flee through the moment nuclear war broke out. Expensive, but the most realistic option.]
…
[What do you think Stalin’s response was upon learning that? Simple. He said just fire nukes through the gates too.]
…Insane.
[Yes, he was the mad leader for a mad era. And the crumbling Soviet Union was the nation that could make that madness real.]
Ben in the memory wore a pained expression.
[This city is proof of that madness. They seized the Emperor’s palace by force and poured concrete over it to build a secret nuclear silo.]
…
[Can you imagine? Input the launch code, and you can turn every major city and gate beyond into rubble.]
He couldn’t imagine it. No nukes had been used in combat since Nagasaki, Hiroshima, and the World Tree.
[Shocking, isn’t it? That’s why, if possible, we Blue Rats wanted this place… But as always, fate isn’t on our side…]
Trailing words, sharpening gaze.
[Cheon Yeomyeong, one more thing—I have a request.]
…Speak.
[I’ll give you the nuclear missile launch code… Go to the armory command center and seize the nukes. At least keep them from other idiots.]
Before Yeomyeong could respond in the memory, Ben recited the code.
[19530305.]
[This is the launch code for control of every nuke in the city.]
What… It’s a date. Some anniversary?
[We don’t know. No one in this world does. Stalin made it himself, but that day… nothing happened.]
…
[…Anyway, it’s not the secret behind the code that matters—it’s what you can do with it.]
What you can do. As Yeomyeong began to sink into deep thought, Ben added one last thing.
[I don’t know what you’ll decide… But make a choice without regrets.]
***
Back to the present.
Yeomyeong didn’t ask how the South Palace Lord and Kahal Magdu knew about the nuclear facility.
If they were poking around the armory, they’d have their intel.
Drawing up mana, he said.
“I have no idea what launch codes you’re talking about… Never heard of them. I killed the West Palace Lord and the Korean government scum before they could spout any nonsense.”
The South Palace Lord didn’t hide his disappointment at the answer.
“No, why kill them without prying out such vital info! That’s scum for you!”
“…”
“Immortal Dragon, kill him now and resurrect the western scum’s corpse as a zombie! If the body rots, our entire plan goes up in smoke!”
The South Palace Lord panicked, but Kahal Magdu remained impassive.
Cheon Yeomyeong, Earthling chosen by the stars. I was sincere about sparing you.
The skull rattled.
A pity it’s come to this. I wanted to kill you before the Saintess.
Between the empty eye sockets, blazing flames locked onto Yeomyeong.
The next moment.
Yeomyeong unleashed every technique he knew, swinging his sword.
The translucent mana targeting him screeched hideously as it bounced off the blade.
Yeomyeong steadied his staggering sword and stance, only to spot the incoming blue flames and hurl himself backward.
Kwaaaa!!!
Blue dragonfire filled the spot where he’d stood.
Firing a breath in skeleton form—what a shitty dragon.
Rolling out into the hallway beyond the lab, Yeomyeong used the momentum to spring to his feet.
Right after, a flashing bolt of lightning struck him.
Patsuts! Sword qi whipped the lightning, exploding in light and shoving Yeomyeong back another step.
Grown stronger already? Impressive!
Kahal Magdu’s admiration, followed by another lightning spell.
Eyes stung from the bursting light, ears rang from the searing air.
After slashing the bolt, Yeomyeong instinctively unleashed telekinesis.
Kwang!!
As expected, the South Palace Lord’s invisible force magic slammed into it next.
The spell that crumpled iron doors shattered the telekinesis in an instant, but that brief window let Yeomyeong roll across the floor to dodge.
Missing the perfect chance to finish Yeomyeong, the South Palace Lord roared.
“Immortal Dragon! What are you doing? End it!”
Don’t nag. It’s taboo to easily defeat a worthy foe.
“Worthy? That filthy Earth mongrel—”
In that instant, comet-light flashed from Yeomyeong’s sword, flooding the armory corridor.
Comet Sword? Activation speed’s unrecognizable.
The South Palace Lord conjured a shield in panic, and Kahal Magdu layered another atop it.
Not enough—he wrapped it in dragonfire. Then.
!!!
The South Palace Lord’s shield shattered like sugar candy against the Comet Sword.
Kahal Magdu’s cracked but held, draining the Comet Sword’s power until it exploded.
Shockwaves whipped the South Palace Lord’s robes. Raising an arm to shield his face, he looked utterly flustered.
Meanwhile, Yeomyeong launched ice spikes and telekinesis at the palace lord.
Ice spikes at the liver, telekinesis at the throat.
A combo where blocking one still meant a fatal hit. Kahal Magdu intercepted in admiration.
Magic at this level too? A dragon in human form. Born of dragon blood?
“Shut up.”
Teeth gritted as even the follow-up after Comet Sword was blocked. Facing two mages alone was no easy feat.
Should’ve fought with Seti? No, unlike him, they hadn’t had time to recover stamina…
As Yeomyeong blocked another lightning spell amid such thoughts.
A familiar voice boomed from the far end of the armory corridor.
[Brother-in-law! Retreat to the first warehouse!]
Neti’s voice rang out so clearly it almost drew a laugh. They hadn’t escaped the armory yet? Why?
Didn’t flee? That’s women for you. Ruining the male sacrifice scene.
Kahal Magdu sneered, but Yeomyeong unleashed Flying Leg Art to retreat swiftly.
Of course, Kahal Magdu and the South Palace Lord didn’t let him withdraw easily.
They cast acceleration spells to boost their speed, firing every attack magic to snag his ankles.
Fireballs, lightning, invisible force, ice spears, dragonfire…
Yeomyeong dodged them all by a hair, racing toward Neti’s voice.
Past the gun warehouse, down the corridor, he finally reached the first warehouse—the tank garage.
Then Neti shouted again.
[Brother-in-law! Get down!]
“What?!”
Get down? Why? Questions surged, but Yeomyeong trusted Neti. Or rather, trusted Seti beside her…
That trust wasn’t misplaced.
The instant Yeomyeong flattened to the corridor floor, the warehouse door burst open, revealing what waited inside.
T-82 Tank, or “Tangpali.”
A tank?
The barrel of the tank Neti had wanted to ride poked into the corridor—and spat fire.
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