Solo Swordmaster

Chapter 30: 「Overload」

Lee Chun-gi was unknowingly holding his sword in a crushing grip.

But it wasn’t because of Limon’s provocation, or because he was confused.

It was because the instant he looked into those cold eyes,

He instinctively knew that something had changed.

Not even he himself himself could decipher what that ‘something’ was.

As if he was looking into the eyes of a wild predator that had just broken out of its cage,

Only his chilling instincts allowed him to reflexively avoid the next attack.

“「Urgent Evasion」!”

Swoosh!

As soon as the skill activated, Lee Chun-gi’s body disappeared, replaced by a doppelganger.

And a sharp blade pierced that lone doppelganger.

A critical hit that would have killed not only the doppelganger, but also cleanly decapitate Lee Chun-gi if he was even a moment late.

On the other hand, it showed Lee Chun-gi’s ability to dodge such an attack.

But that wasn’t something Lee Chun-gi could be happy about.

Rather, his face strained.

‘I didn’t see that coming.’

One reason was that he didn’t have a clue how Limon’s sword slashed through the place his neck was.

And another reason —

“What? Are you amazed that 「Foresight」 wasn’t activated?”

“...How did you just do that?”

“It’s not much. Just a simple tactic you’ll easily get a hang of when you wipe out so many foresight-using extras till you’re sick and tired of it.”

Limon snickered with a cross face.

Lee Chun-gi clenched his jaw.

Out of the thousands of skills in his arsenal, 「Foresight」 was one of the most useful skills he had to use in combat.

It was one of the biggest reasons how Lee Chun-gi, who lacked in immediate swordsmanship skill, could manage to stand off against Limon in a fight equally.

He could foresee and avoid the futures of him getting fatally wounded.

In other words; as long as 「Foresight」 was blocked, he couldn’t dodge the critical hits any longer.

But there was a different reason why Lee Chun-gi was so shaken.

“Are you saying you have been going easy on me this whole time?”

He could tell from that previous, single blow: Limon could kill him if he was set on cutting him.

“It’s more of an engagement in reconnaissance than ‘going easy’. Isn’t it common sense to test the waters when going against an opponent whose cards you don’t know?”

Limon answered calmly, and curved his lips into a sneer.

“What? Did you think you were the only one who could test the waters?”

Lee Chun-gi did not answer.

The Swordmaster was right.

Perhaps it would have been a different story if it were any other player, but it should have been an act of suicide for Limon to test the Monarch when he had an infinite number of skills.

Even before he’d become a Monarch, he always engaged in reconnaissance against those who came at him with their full power — observing them to look for any skills worth taking.

It was rare for Lee Chun-gi to be the one getting tested.

He’d come this far, just to get tested like this?

By a mere goner like Limon?

Without even being aware the goner could have sliced off his neck at any moment if he so desired?

Lee Chun-gi felt something shift deep inside his heart as he grinded his teeth.

It was too murky like the night sky to call it rage.

Too rousing to call it defeat.

And too fiery hot to call it embarrassment.

He wouldn’t have recognized it in the past.

But he did after meeting ‘him’.

The instant he sensed the mortification crushing him, Lee Chun-gi was already activating his skills.

“「Limit Break」. 「Will of Conquest」. 「Restriction Release」. 「Future Sacrifice」.「Hero Creation」.”

Restrictions any human would have were released, and the limits of his body and mind were lifted.

He incinerated a part of his status to erupt the capacity of his skills to another level, and pushed his potential to the extreme for his objective.

It was a double edged sword — in return for getting extremely powerful for some time, he would have to endure terrible after effects.

A combination of skills he’d combined hundreds of ways with the determination that he’d surpass ‘him’.

The one and only original thing the Infinite Monarch had acquired without taking from someone else.

「Overlord」

Embracing himself in that transcendent state, he swung his sword as he charged towards Limon.

Klang—!

***

***

“Oh?”

Limon raised a brow.

It wasn’t just the shock that made his hands go numb even though he deflected the blow properly.

The feeling Lee Chun-gi got from Limon.

Limon had felt it too — the ‘thing’ that those not giving it their all couldn’t have.

“You finally wanna fight an actual fight now, huh?”

Lee Chun-gi did not answer.

He simply kept charging at Limon as he activated his skills nonstop.

“「Super Acceleration」. 「Lightning Flash」. 「Windwalk」. 「Thousand Hands of Buddha」. 「Autorepeat」.”

“Hm… You’re definitely a lot better than before. But this is enou…”

“「Lion’s Heart」. 「Supernatural Ghost」. 「Muscular Surge」. 「Mystery Power」. 「Super Strength」.”

“It’s still far from…”

“「Elemental Fusion」. 「Lightning Enchantment」. 「Flame Enchantment」.「Frost Enchantment」 .「 Curse Enchantment」.”

“…Enough…”

“Weapon Embodiment, Spirit Summoning, Venomous Pest Summoning, Winged Monster Summoning, Earth Golem Summoning」.”

“…Oi, stop.”

“Mystery Blade, Firebomb, Wave Blast, Spatial Separation, Gravity Manipulation.”

“You freak?!?!”

Bang, ka-bang, kazapzapzap! Ka boom boom boom boom—!

Only two swords were clashing, and yet there were flames, lightning bolts, and a massive storm sweeping over the earth.

Familiars sprang out continuously from all directions, including from the skies and the ground.

And attack skills that could make even those familiars go flying came raining down.

Limon was bewildered by the situation.

He was already used to the endless stream of skills.

After all, it was the Infinite Monarch’s main strategy to use his infinite amount of skills nonstop.

But this was different than anything he’d done before.

Hundreds of skills — all at once!

They came rushing in more than rain droplets during a hurricane, as Limon cut and weaved without a moment’s respite.

“Hey, ya little shit! I told you to show your true skills, not throw a skill parade!”

“Being able to throw a parade is a skill in itself.

“Are you listening to yourself?!”

“Talk as much as you wish. I will still be the victor in the end.”

Lee Chun-gi answered coldly.

Limon may have called it a parade, but what he was doing could not be taken lightly.

Skills naturally get more powerful as they overlapped and stacked.

Aside from the fact that most didn’t have that many skills to use in the first place, the more skills that were used, the more stress it would place on one’s body.

Even using only two skills together brought forth symptoms like migraines and vertigo, and could even cause fainting if a player used them for too long.

That was why most players stuck to only one or two main skills.

But that could not be said for Lee Chun-gi.

He’d trained and geared himself so that he could use a minimum of 10 skills at a time — he’d be no different from a pig in a pearl necklace if he couldn’t use his infinite skills properly.

And his efforts did not betray him.

After all, using dozens of skills placed him on a different level as compared to just using one.

Even Limon thought Lee Chun-gi using 10 skills together was more troublesome than dealing with a thousand players, each using one main skill.

And here he was, using hundreds.

At the same time.

Lee Chun-gi was sure of himself.

In this moment, he was confident he could take on hundreds of thousands of great players.

And so, the name Lee Chun-gi gave to this version of himself was 「Overlord」 — his superhuman strength surpassing even the Absolute Rulers of this generation.

Of course, it didn’t cost him nothing.

His head felt like it was exploding.

He could feel his veins popping out all over his body as his muscles spasmed.

Considering the substantial amount of skills he activated, it would be no surprise if Lee Chun-gi’s heart failed him this instant.

This superhuman state was… In other words, an 「Overload」 of his limits.

*t/n: ‘Overlord’ and ‘Overload’ have the same pronunciation in Korean; this is meant to be a pun.

Yet Lee Chun-gi did not stop.

As if he was going to take down Limon no matter what became of him,

He was constantly reviving his failing body with a healing skill as he threw more skills at Limon.

“...Indeed, I understand that this is your truth,” Limon slowly muttered as he deflected the downpour of skills with his sword.

He could tell from a single glance.

Lee Chun-gi was taking years off of his own lifespan for this fight alone.

“But I still have to ask… Is that it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Is that everything ‘you guys’ can show me?”

“What…?”

Limon was staring straight at him.

Lee Chun-gi flinched, furrowing his brows at the incomprehensible question.

He’d just seen Limon’s pitch black orbs, almost looking bored despite seeing the superhuman 「Overlord」.

*pr/n: Yes, pitch black orbs.

“Alright, if you say so.”

Limon nodded. He’d understood despite not hearing the answer.

Holding his sword in both hands, he spoke in a low voice.

“Let’s end this.”

“...!”

In that moment, Lee Chun-gi’s pupils shrunk.

Not just because this was the first time Limon had gripped his sword with both hands this entire fight.

And not because even just looking at his stance gave him the chilling sensation of a cold blade against his neck.

It was because his instincts from entering the dungeon countless times told him.

To run immediately.

To not let that man swing his sword.

That if he did, everything would come to an end.

Clench.

Lee Chun-gi ignored the warning his instincts gave him.

No, he denied it.

The pride of a Monarch wouldn’t accept him running away.

And so he charged at Limon.

Clenching his jaws until his gums started to bleed, he activated his skills with all his might.

“「Demon Slaying Sword」, 「Blade Storm」, 「Super Smash」, 「Asura Bloodbath」, 「Magic Sword」, 「Elemental Fusion」, 「Glacial Deluge」, 「Colossal Circle of Hell」, 「Thunderbolt Hell」, 「Wave Blast」, 「Spatial Separation」, 「Defense Penetration」, 「Enhance Destruction」...”

He’d gone past even the limits of 「Overlord」, determined to give his own life.

From swordsmanship skills, attack skills, to support skills…

Lee Chun-gi had activated a total of a thousand skills!

The shockwaves alone burst his veins and ruptured his muscles, as blood from his mangled organs shot up his throat. His brain felt like it was melting.

Countless skills swept over in every possible direction. Its fallout alone cut, torrefied, and froze his flesh and skin.

Yet he did not stop.

He simply continued to launch the 1000 skills, jumbling around in chaos towards Limon.

It was earth-shaking.

A catastrophic storm that would crush mountains, turn cities into ruins, and make entire oceans evaporate.

Even if Limon could manage to dodge that, the fallout alone could make him go flying dozens of kilometers. It was harrowing.

But Limon did not budge despite facing the torrent of skills.

He only moved his sword in with a tranquil face.

A movement that wasn’t fast,

Powerful,

Or even remotely flashy.

Rather, it was exorbitantly slow.

Soft, calm, elegant, and beautiful — a single, silent movement of his sword resembling that of a sword dance.

The moment his lethargic sword reached the end of its path—

“〈The essence of the Demon Slaying Sword:

Demons fall from the sword like dew on a blade of grass.〉”

The world split apart,

A thousand skills crumpled,

And a single stream of light pierced the Infinite Monarch.

——

——