Chapter 30: Overlord

Lee Cheon-gi unknowingly gripped his sword with enough force to shatter it.

It wasn’t because of Limon’s provocation.

It wasn’t because he felt confused, either.

It was the moment he saw those cold eyes.

He instinctively realized it.

He sensed that ‘something’ had changed.

Even Lee Cheon-gi himself couldn’t identify what that something was.

However, a terrifying sensation—as if facing a wild beast released from its cage—forced him to move reflexively.

“Emergency Evasion!”

Flash!

The moment Lee Cheon-gi’s body vanished with the activation of the skill, a chilling blue blade pierced through the clone he had left behind.

If his reaction had been even a second slower, the strike would have sliced through not just the clone, but Lee Cheon-gi’s neck as well, instantly severing his arteries, trachea, and esophagus.

It was a fatal attack.

Conversely, the fact that he managed to dodge it was proof of Lee Cheon-gi’s prowess.

But Lee Cheon-gi could not find any joy in that.

Instead, his expression hardened.

‘I didn’t see it.’

One reason was that he couldn’t fathom how Limon’s sword had passed through the space where his neck had been.

And another…

“Why? Are you surprised that 『Precognitive Sight』 didn’t activate?”

“…How did you do it?”

“It’s nothing much. It’s just a simple trick you pick up after killing enough puny little precognitives until you’re sick of them.”

Limon chuckled with a mischievous face.

Seeing that, Lee Cheon-gi gritted his teeth.

『Precognitive Sight』 was one of the most useful combat skills among the thousands he possessed.

It was a major reason why Lee Cheon-gi, who was currently inferior to Limon in swordsmanship, had been able to maintain an even duel until now.

At the very least, he could read and avoid a future where he suffered a fatal wound.

Conversely, now that 『Precognitive Sight』 was blocked, he could no longer defend against fatal attacks.

But there was another reason that shook Lee Cheon-gi even more.

“Are you saying you were taking it easy on me on purpose?”

He could tell from that single blow.

If Limon had truly intended to cut him down, he could have killed him at any time.

“It wasn’t so much taking it easy as it was a feeler. Isn’t it common sense to test the waters when dealing with someone when you don’t know what tricks they have up their sleeve?”

Limon answered nonchalantly.

Then, the corners of his mouth curled into a mocking sneer.

“Why? Did you think you were the only one allowed to perform a feeler?”

Lee Cheon-gi did not respond.

It was because Limon’s point was true.

Testing the waters against someone like him—who possessed countless skills—was nothing short of a suicidal act for any other player.

That was why even before becoming a Lord, Lee Cheon-gi would observe opponents who rushed at him with all their might, merely testing to see if there were skills worth copying.

He had rarely been the one being tested.

But now, he had been scouted?

By a washed-up relic of the past like Limon?

And all while he was completely unaware that his opponent could have taken his head at any moment?

Grind.

Lee Cheon-gi felt something squirming deep within his heart.

It was too dull to be called anger, too viscous to be called a sense of defeat, and too hot to be called shame.

In the past, he wouldn’t have known what it was.

But it was something he learned after meeting ‘that man.’

The moment he realized that the feeling of humiliation was crushing him, Lee Cheon-gi was already activating his skills.

“…”

“『Limit Break』, 『Transcendent Will』, 『Release Restrictions』, 『Future Sacrifice』, 『Hero’s Advent』.”

The limiters naturally present in a human were released, unshackling the bounds of his mind and body.

He burned a portion of his stats to temporarily skyrocket all his abilities, pushing his potential to the extreme to achieve a specific goal.

It was a double-edged sword.

A trade-off skill where one had to endure immense aftereffects in exchange for temporary, massive power.

It was the result he had finally completed after combining such skills over a hundred times, driven solely by the singular determination to surpass ‘that man.’

A unique original that he, the one called the Infinite Lord, had achieved on his own without copying from others.

[Overload]

Steeped in that state of transcendence, Lee Cheon-gi rushed at Limon and swung his sword.

Clang!

“Ho?”

Limon raised an eyebrow.

It wasn’t just because of the massive impact that made his hands tingle despite parrying it perfectly.

It was because Limon felt something from Lee Cheon-gi—the same thing Lee Cheon-gi had felt from him.

It was a quality that someone just fighting casually could not possess.

“Have you finally decided to fight properly?”

Lee Cheon-gi didn’t answer. He simply continued to attack Limon, activating skills in succession.

“『Flash of Lightning』, 『Wind Walk』, 『Thousand Arms』, 『Action Recovery』.”

“Hmm, you’ve certainly improved compared to before. But at this level…”

“『Lion’s Heart』, 『Monstrous Strength』, 『Muscle Frenzy』, 『Mysterious Power』, 『Superhuman Strength』.”

“It’s still quite…”

“『Elemental Fusion』, 『Lightning Imbuement』, 『Fire Imbuement』, 『Frost Imbuement』, 『Curse Imbuement』.”

“Lacking…”

“『Weapon Materialization』, 『Wraith Summoning』, 『Venomous Insect Summoning』, 『Monster Bird Summoning』, 『Earth Monster Summoning』.”

“…Hey, wait a minute.”

“『Invisible Blade』, 『Flame Shot』, 『Wave Cannon』, 『Spatial Cut』, 『Gravity Manipulation』.”

“You crazy bastard!?!”

Clang, clang, clang! Boom! Crash!

Only swords were clashing, yet sparks and lightning flew, the ground was crushed, and storms raged.

Summoned creatures continuously poured out, attacking from the front, back, left, right, and even from the sky and underground.

Offensive skills poured down with enough force to sweep away even those summons.

In that situation, Limon was dumbfounded.

He was already used to the seamless linking of skills.

It was Lee Cheon-gi’s signature tactic to pour out all sorts of skills in succession, living up to his title of Infinite Lord.

However, the density of the skills Lee Cheon-gi was unleashing now was on a different level.

The simultaneous activation of hundreds of skills!

Blocking, cutting, and dodging the skills that fell more densely than raindrops, Limon shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Hey, you brat! I told you to show your real skill, not put on a skill parade!”

“Performing a parade is also an ability.”

“How can you even spout that nonsense!?”

“Talk all you want. In the end, I will be the one who wins.”

Lee Cheon-gi declared coldly.

Limon dismissed it as a parade, but the state he was showing was by no means trivial.

Originally, skills grew stronger as they were stacked.

However, it was rare for someone to actually use skills in such a layered manner.

Aside from not having enough skills to use that way, the more skills one used simultaneously, the greater the burden on the body.

Normally, even stacking just two skills would result in aftereffects like headaches or dizziness, and maintaining them for a long time could lead to fainting.

That was why the majority of players only used one or two main skills.

But Lee Cheon-gi was different.

He had trained repeatedly and tailored his equipment so that he could use at least a dozen skills simultaneously.

No matter how many skills he possessed, if he couldn’t use them properly, they were no better than a pearl necklace on a pig’s neck.

That effort had been worth it.

Being able to use a dozen skills together was on an entirely different level than only being able to use one or two.

In fact, even Limon had evaluated Lee Cheon-gi, who constantly applied ten skills, as more troublesome than a thousand players who only used their main moves.

How much more so if he constantly applied hundreds of skills?

What if he could pour out hundreds of skills all at once?

Lee Cheon-gi was certain.

Even against a massive army of tens of thousands of players, his current self could easily sweep them away.

That was why Lee Cheon-gi named this state [Overload].

It was the power of a transcendent, surpassing even the Lords referred to as the absolute beings of this era.

Of course, the price was not small.

A split-second headache was just the beginning.

From the blood vessels popping out all over his body to his fluctuating muscles, Lee Cheon-gi’s mind and body were in a state where it wouldn’t be strange if they collapsed right now due to the immense burden of the skills.

The state of transcendence was, in another sense, a power that had reached its limit—it was an ‘Overload.’

But Lee Cheon-gi did not stop.

As if he were determined to take Limon down even if it meant becoming a cripple, he simply continued to pour out skills while healing his crumbling body in real-time with recovery skills.

“…I see, so this is your true sincerity.”

Limon spoke softly as he parried the skills Lee Cheon-gi unleashed with his sword.

He could tell at a glance.

He knew that Lee Cheon-gi was fighting even at the cost of his lifespan.

“Still, I’ll ask one last time just to be sure… is there nothing else?”

“What do you mean, nothing else?”

“I’m asking if this is the best ‘you all’ can show me.”

“What does that…”

Lee Cheon-gi, who had frowned at those nonsensical words, flinched.

Limon was gazing steadily at him.

Even after seeing the transcendent state of [Overload], Limon’s jet-black eyes remained sunken and hollow, as if the display was boring.

“Fine. If there’s nothing else, then that’s that.”

As if he understood even without an answer, Limon nodded to himself.

Then, gripping his sword with both hands, he spoke in a listless voice.

“Let’s end this.”

“…!”

In that moment, Lee Cheon-gi’s pupils dilated.

It wasn’t just because Limon, who had swung his sword with only one hand until now, was gripping it with both hands for the first time.

It wasn’t just because simply looking at Limon standing still with his sword gave him the chilling sensation of a blade pressed against his throat.

It was because the senses he had accumulated while traversing countless dungeons told him.

He had to run away from this place right now.

He must not let that man swing his sword.

If he did, everything would come to an end.

Crunch.

However, Lee Cheon-gi ignored his survival instinct’s warning.

No, he denied it.

His pride as a Lord would not allow him to flee this place.

Therefore, he lunged at Limon.

He gritted his teeth until blood seeped from his gums, activating his skills with everything he had.

『Blade Storm』, 『Super Strike』, 『Asura Blood Wave Slash』, 『Magic Sword』, 『Concentrated Power』, 『Elemental Fusion』, 『Freezing Rain』, 『Great Flame Formation』, 『Heavenly Thunder Hell』, 『Wave Cannon』, 『Spatial Cut』, 『Defense Penetration』, 『Increased Destruction』, 『Demon-Slaying Dragon-Killing Sword』…

From swordsmanship skills to offensive skills and support skills.

Surpassing even the limits of [Overload], the total number of skills he activated simultaneously with the resolve to throw away his life reached 1,000!

From the recoil alone, blood vessels burst everywhere, muscles tore, and blood backflowing from his ruptured internal organs surged up his throat, while his brain grew hot enough to melt.

Numerous skills raged in all directions, and the sheer aftereffects caused his skin to tear, burn, and freeze.

Boom.

Still, he did not stop.

He simply poured the 1,000 wildly raging skills toward Limon all at once.

It was an earth-shattering strike.

It was a storm of destruction that could split mountains, reduce cities to ruins, and evaporate entire seas.

If Limon were to dodge it, the stray aftereffects alone would be enough to blow away the surrounding area for dozens of kilometers.

Yet, even in the face of that storm of skills, Limon did not budge.

He merely moved his sword with a listless expression.

It was by no means fast.

It was by no means strong.

It was by no means flashy.

Rather, it was an incredibly slow, soft, calm, elegant, and beautiful single strike—a silent sword that resembled a single movement of a sword dance.

And thus, the moment that slow sword reached the end of its trajectory…

Secret Art of the Demon-Slaying Dragon-Killing Sword

The Demon-Slaying Dragon-Killing Sword’s Ultimate Technique

Evil falls like dew from the tip of the blade

Evil falls like a dewdrop from the tip of the sword

The world split apart.

The 1,000 skills shattered, and a single streak of light pierced through Lee Cheon-gi.