[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 339: Becoming Each Other’s Shadow (4)
“What? What kind of crazy nonsense is that?”
Yeongwoo's eyes widened as he read the system message.
「Some card effects from the power deployed in the battlefield are now activating.」
No matter how many times he read it, it meant that the special effects of the cards used at the negotiation table were also taking effect here in this battle.
Take, for instance, the “Workers” card.
Performance-based
If this card is drawn again, its power doubles.
The performance-based effect doubled its power.
And sure enough, the workers descending from the sky were now surrounded by a radiant glow, different from before.
‘How does this make sense? Even if the war rules were set at the negotiation table, the card effects are actually being implemented here?’
Yeongwoo still looked confused.
If the special effects of the cards were indeed being applied here on Tsushima, what would happen to his father, Jeonggu?
[Before the Storm: Jeonggu]
“Jeonggu is still alive, shielded by the mysteries of the universe.”
|Card Grade: Legendary
|Power: 1,000
Suspicious Straw
<Always defeats cards of the same grade. However, it loses to all other cards.>
A card that always wins against cards of the same grade, such as Jeonggu.
Which meant that he would automatically win against Lemu, another Legendary.
‘What kind of place is this?’
If Jeonggu had been here, what would have happened?
Yeongwoo felt a shiver run down his spine.
And meanwhile...
―What the...?
―It feels like my body got bigger?
―I... feel strange.
Yeongwoo's friends, officially titled “Workers,” landed on the battlefield.
BOOM!
Four mutated giants entered the battlefield, and the Lemu forces surrounding the capture flag collapsed in an instant.
To avoid being crushed by the mutants, they had no choice but to fall back.
On top of that, due to the "Performance-based Pay" card effect, Yeongwoo’s friends’ bodies had indeed grown larger.
Even General Kim Younghyeom, who had returned as a white tiger, was originally around 5 meters long, but now looked closer to 8 meters.
―Fighting the Japanese on Tsushima—now that’s a strange situation. Am I allowed to kill every Japanese here?
General Kim Younghyeom bared his gleaming fangs with a sinister line, and Yeongwoo spoke up loudly, making sure everyone heard him.
“You can kill anyone holding a sword, but if they disarm or flee outside Tsushima, don’t kill them. We should spare a few for post-war administration.”
“......!”
For the Japanese soldiers, this sounded like a compelling surrender offer.
It was essentially saying that they would be spared if they dropped their swords and fled Tsushima.
And it wasn’t out of compassion; it was simply for easier post-war governance.
‘Is this guy... really going to spare the ones who surrender?’
‘This is basically our last chance, isn’t it?’
‘If we don’t take this chance now, we might not get another...’
The Japanese soldiers’ resolve began to waver.
With morale already crushed by the combined forces of the orc legion and mutated giants, they were all the more inclined to give in.
Seeing this, Yuto, the Tokyo Sword Emperor, widened his eyes and looked around at his allies.
“What is happening? Does that nonsense really shake you all after coming this far?”
“......”
“If we lose here today, Japan will become a defeated nation forever!”
Yuto understood better than anyone that there would be no next time.
[17,422 – 11,829]
“You already know you can’t beat me in a one-on-one duel. You even lost to me in that card game.”
“......”
“And now you’re losing this war as well. At this rate, the Japan you worked so hard to uplift will end up stripped of everything—even its soles.”
Yeongwoo was offering Yuto one last chance—a chance to live long enough to keep paying the tribute.
But.
Slash!
Contrary to Yeongwoo’s expectations, Yuto lunged forward, swinging his sword and shouting:
Achwing!
“One-armed bastard! If I kill this guy, the war ends! Forget everything else, focus on killing him first!”
His plan was to immobilize Yeongwoo's sole arm and have his men attack from behind.
But things didn’t go as he intended.
Clang!
Yeongwoo effortlessly parried Yuto’s blade and then thrust forward with Bastard, piercing through Yuto’s sword. It was the activation of one of the mythical blade’s unique effects: Contempt the Weak.
【Contempt for the weak】
| This blade’s attacks can only be blocked by equipment of mythical grade or higher.
“Wha...?!”
Yuto’s disbelief was evident as he saw Yeongwoo’s blade cut through his guard.
He had never encountered a mythical weapon before and couldn’t have imagined such an extraordinary ability.
In contrast, Yeongwoo...
Slash!
...severed Yuto’s right arm in a single stroke, finally revealing the voice befitting a commander of a foreign land.
“My true enemies are beyond that sky. You are not even worthy to be my foe. This sword is proof of that.”
The mythical sword Bastard was designed to prevent even a single exchange with anyone unworthy.
With Yuto’s blood dripping from the blade, Yeongwoo turned to face the Japanese swordsmen who had been about to flank him.
Seeing Yuto lose his arm in a single strike froze them in place.
They realized that even if all the Sword Masters and Sword Emperors here attacked at once, victory was far from guaranteed.
“......”
Finally, Yeongwoo made a proposal—not mercy, but an offer to defect.
“Those who leave here alive will prepare the tribute for the Korean Peninsula. That is how you’ll survive.”
“......!”
“If you have family or friends left back on the mainland, you’ll get to see them again. You’ll even get to keep breathing.”
Then, he looked skyward once more.
Perhaps the night had grown darker because the paths of vengeance shining in the heavens appeared even more radiant.
“Of course, dying heroically here is also an option. I won’t force you to choose. But if you wish to live, start running now.”
Whoosh!
Yeongwoo pointed south with Bastard, and the Japanese swordsmen hesitated, their expressions conflicted.
If staying here meant certain death, then running and surviving seemed like the wiser choice.
In the end...
Tap tap!
Dozens of swordsmen began fleeing southward.
At that moment, a new war notification appeared.
Ding!
「Mara’s proxy has discovered Dogo’s planetary business site!」
“What? Are those bastards looting the empty house...?”
While this scenario had been anticipated, there was one variable Yeongwoo hadn’t accounted for:
-Mara?
-Mara...!
-It’s Mara!
The red-footed orcs stationed in Tsushima also saw the war notification.
Unsurprisingly, moments later, Bantubangtong, pointing to the tower next to the occupation flag, roared:
-The path has finally opened! All troops, advance to Seoul!
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]