Level 4 Human in a Ruined World

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 331: Negotiation (6)

‘A card of the same grade… so, a legendary card can win against anything of the same grade but loses to every other card?’

It was oddly anticlimactic.

Yeongwoo found it hard to hold back a chuckle.

The effect was absurd—just like something his father would come up with.

‘…Well, I already drew it, so there’s no choice.’

Yeongwoo gazed blankly at the bizarre card.

In a way, he wondered if it was much different from life.

Like the so-called ‘blood bond’ between parents and children.

Once you draw a card, you accept whatever outcome it brings, just as you have no control over who your parents or children are.

Once a parent-child relationship is established, it doesn’t change.

Even if you bring in new parents or new children, the essential relationship of birth mother and father remains the same.

For that reason, Yeongwoo’s family—who had once been strangers—was beginning to resemble a family.

‘Of course, for now, I have to step in if we’re even going to pretend to be one, but occasionally…’

Yeongwoo thought of his father, Jeonggu.

The man who had stopped him when he tried to confront his biological mother, piercing through the ice storm to do so.

That reckless act even thawed the frozen heart of the Ice Dragon, Song Jiseon, who spared Jeonggu by withdrawing her cold aura.

‘But… the truth is, he’s pretty weak. Without me or Mother, he can’t do much on his own.’

Yet he was also the link between two formidable beings.

In that sense, the strange card named “Jeonggu Before the Storm” seemed a good representation of the man, Kim Jeonggu.

‘Father! Can I trust you? I almost got into trouble earlier by not trusting Mother.’

Yeongwoo murmured, looking at the card, when an animated image appeared on its blue surface.

―Ssshhh!

It was an image of Jeonggu on a small boat, struggling through rough waves.

A faint outline of land could be seen in the dark sea beyond, and between Jeonggu and the land was an enormous typhoon, creating a massive whirlpool.

―Crash!

A massive wave in the image engulfed Jeonggu.

—Whoa.

For a moment, Jeonggu disappeared in the image, only to reappear, emerging with his battered boat from the black waves.

“Damn, why is this image so intense?”

It was then that Yeongwoo noticed that one-third of Jeonggu’s oar was broken.

Yet, the Jeonggu in the image rowed on undeterred.

Perhaps he would continue until he faced something not legendary but mythical, or until some low-grade card caused his absurd demise.

‘…Well, let’s give it a shot. I’ll row with this broken oar too.’

Holding his father’s card, Yeongwoo looked across the table at his opponent, and the system initiated the negotiation.

《Both sides have reviewed their cards. Negotiations will now begin.》

Pop!

As expected, Yeongwoo was given three negotiation options.

Upon seeing his opponent’s card in the previous round, he immediately proposed what he had thought of.

“All infrastructure.”

“……?”

“If you lose in battle, I take control of all space-related infrastructure.”

“What?”

“That space communications device in Japan. I’m curious what exactly it is.”

Yuto looked up, as if confirming if the system would accept Yeongwoo’s proposal.

And, unfortunately for him…

[The representative of Lemu will transfer all physical infrastructure to the representative of Dogo upon losing the battle.]

The system formalized Yeongwoo’s proposal.

“You’re saying you’ll take all of it? Ridiculous!”

“Seems like there’s more than just the space communication device, huh?”

Noticing his opponent’s reaction, Yeongwoo pressed on, and Yuto clenched his jaw.

“But if I don’t lose this match, all the infrastructure you have becomes mine.”

“Yes, if you win.”

And that wasn’t all.

Yeongwoo held back, but this offer would be worthless until the war’s outcome was decided.

Even if Yeongwoo lost the card game, the infrastructure transfer would be null and void if he won the war.

So if Yuto had any doubts about his performance in battle, he should be negotiating for something that would help him in combat, not afterward.

‘But I’m confident in battle. Although those 200 naked warriors… they might be mentally unsettling, but… actually, Aratubank might block even that.’

Aratubank was a mythical shield that could block mental attacks.

【Immunity】

| This shield cannot be destroyed and can block most non-physical damage and mental attacks.

And with a mythical sword in hand, it would be almost impossible for Yeongwoo to lose to Yuto in battle without some absurd penalty.

“So, what’s your proposal? Let’s not waste time.”

Tapping his wrist as if urging Yuto to hurry up, Yeongwoo noticed his opponent scratching his cheek for the first time.

Yuto had kept his cool fairly well so far, but at the final stretch, he could no longer hide his nervousness.

Then he raised a finger and pointed at Yeongwoo’s sword.

“That sword… Bastard?”

“What?”

The unexpected question surprised Yeongwoo for a moment.

“So it is the Bastard.”

“I’m just surprised you only recognized it now.”

“Then don’t use it.”

“When? In the war?”

“I’ll propose it in negotiation. You can’t use the Bastard in this war!”

“Hmm.”

Yeongwoo let out a satisfied sigh as the system accepted Yuto’s proposal.

[The representative of Dogo cannot use the Bastard in this war.]

It wasn’t the best move, but it was a solid, calculated choice given the information available.

Since the ban was limited to the ‘Bastard,’ it wouldn’t harm Yuto if he lost this round.

Moreover, it had a direct impact on the upcoming battle.

Yeongwoo nodded, acknowledging his opponent’s efforts.

“That’s pretty clever, but…”

“But?”

“….”

Yeongwoo chose to say nothing more.

He didn’t need to reveal that he had more than just the Bastard at his disposal.

Of course, Yuto couldn’t help but feel irritated listening to the conversation.

“But, what?”

"......."

《The proposals for Round 4 negotiations have been finalized.》

As both negotiation proposals were settled, Yeongwoo, who had been keeping quiet, finally recited his lines.

“It’s getting closer.”

“What? What’s coming?”

“The time when I can finally beat you directly.”

Round 4 was now complete.

After this match, only the final round remained.

And once they escaped this frustrating room, the time for violence would finally arrive.

“If only I were a little older, I would’ve ignored the intergalactic court and taken you down already.”

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

As Yeongwoo clenched his fist, looking frustrated, Yuto lifted the corners of his mouth into a mocking smile.

“Hurry up and reveal your card. I’ve prepared something special just for you this time.”

“You sound confident.”

“You’ll see.”

It really seemed like Yuto had something up his sleeve.

In response, Yeongwoo flipped his card, revealing his father rowing with a broken oar.

“My father, still alive and well.”

Thwap!

As Yeongwoo sent the card flying across the table towards Yuto, seawater really seemed to splash around the card, and the sound of waves filled the air.

―Kwahhhhh!

[Jeonggu Before the Storm]

"Jeonggu is still alive, wrapped in the mysteries of the universe."

| Card Rank: Legendary

| Power: 1,000

Suspicious Straw

<This card always defeats cards of the same grade. However, it loses to any other grade.>

“What the… Power of one thousand...?”

Yuto leaned back, eyeing the bizarre card that had flown his way.

Then, when he saw the special effect listed below, his expression hardened.

“What does this mean?”

“Why? You didn’t bring a legendary card, did you? Even a unique card would be enough to take down my father.”

As Yeongwoo leaned in close to the table with an expectant look, Yuto threw the card in his hand down on top of "Jeonggu Before the Storm."

Thwap!

[Everyone's Desire, Lemu]

“If you know everyone's desires, you can captivate everyone.”

| Card Rank: Legendary

| Power: 900

Irresistible Proposal

<Multiply the basic power by the number of previously activated cards.>

“What the...”

Yeongwoo's pupils widened in an instant.

Lemu.

The Lemu card had finally appeared.

“But... it’s ranked as legendary?”

Though the effect was overwhelming, the problem was…

“Lemu is a legendary card?”

With Yeongwoo’s exclamation, Lemu’s power surged to a staggering 2,700, yet it failed to affect Jeonggu, who was busy rowing with a broken oar.

Crash!

Soon, Lemu’s card was sucked into the typhoon.

Crack-crack-crash!

“Ah…!”

“Wow, Father!”

Amidst Yuto’s lament and Yeongwoo’s exclamation, Lemu shattered, and the winner of Round 4 was granted to Yeongwoo.

《The proxy of Dogo has won the Round 4 match. The Dogo faction may finalize or revise the negotiation proposal.》

‘It’s only fair to adjust the penalty a bit.’

When Yeongwoo tried to change the Bastard penalty to apply to his opponent instead of himself, even the name of the weapon on the proposal was modified.

[The proxy of Lemu cannot use the Giant Hunter in this war.]

Giant Hunter.

It was Yuto’s legendary weapon, unveiled in Round 2.

The negotiation system had interpreted "Bastard" as each side's main weapon and automatically applied it.

‘That guy’s really done for now.’

The outlook for Lemu’s proxy, Yuto, had become grim.

Meanwhile, the negotiation system mercilessly began the final fifth round.

Whirr!

《The fifth round will begin soon. Shuffle count has been replenished.》

‘Shuffling? Not anymore. Now it’s just pure gambling for pleasure.’

The only possible cards left to draw were two mythic ones and one epic.

Thus, the chance of drawing a mythic was significantly higher.

‘Thanks to Father appearing earlier, the odds for mythic cards have risen.’

If he failed, an epic would appear instead of a mythic, but Yeongwoo was only focused on success.

‘A mythic card has to come out, no matter what. If an epic appears here, I… I’m afraid of what I’ll do.’

Yeongwoo looked up at the ceiling, or rather, far beyond.

‘If I even see the first character of "epic," I swear I’ll destroy everything!’

After threatening whatever unseen force he was addressing, Yeongwoo picked up one of the cards on the table to his right.

Thwap!

“With this game, Japan will fall! It’s my turn! Draw!”

Then, the atmosphere darkened all at once, and a massive steel anchor shot down from the sky.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]