The Swords I Raised Are Too Strong - Chapter 75
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 75. Enriching the Nation and Strengthening the Military (2)
⦗A manufactured being. Truly, a fascinating phenomenon.⦘
Muratan murmured slowly.
Speaking with deliberate care, savoring each word.
He recited his impressions of this new metal he had discovered.
⦗The Phantasmal Pharmaceutical Sage is merely one component of the composition. Yet it clearly plays a critical role.⦘
Within my transcendent cognition, countless thoughts swirled into being.
And for good reason—.
‘They stamp out people like products?’
China.
The architect of North Korea’s transformation into hell.
Comprehending their reality left my mind paralyzed.
⦗If one considers that awakening phenomenon, it is indeed a meaningful act. Moreover, it is exceedingly efficient!⦘
In theory, increasing the population raises the proportion of Awakened, and as their numbers grow, so too do the Transcendents.
China had made a habit of publicly disclosing the number of its Transcendents to WorldNet each month….
‘It was never merely an experiment’s byproduct.’
China’s reality far exceeded my imagination.
North Korea’s experimental grounds seemed like nothing compared to the reality of ‘human creation.’
They artificially manufactured humans, granted them [Traits], and thereby sculpted entirely new personalities.
It was as if….
⦗Sword Master, as you know, in my world, we could never create the genuine article in such a manner.⦘
Even within [Sword Raising], there existed such mad nations.
Those who worshipped foreign gods.
Fanatics who claimed that by entangling with them and becoming a single collective, they would achieve eternal life.
However, manufactured humans had clear limitations.
⦗Earth may be different. Given the existence of awakening…⦘
As Muratan dismantled Ling Ling, he gained countless revelations.
He shared that information with me.
‘Ling Ling is merely one specimen, so I cannot know with certainty….’
[Awakening] is an ability that can be separated from humans.
Furthermore, through humans as a medium, awakening abilities can be utilized in multiple ways.
⦗The method of use changes depending on the human hierarchy of control!⦘
If one takes a powerful Awakened as the foundational matrix—likely a Transcendent—and weaves together subordinate Awakened around them, a dominant awakening hierarchy emerges.
Conversely, one can interweave weak Awakened to manifest powerful awakening abilities.
It is similar to series and parallel connections….
“But awakening abilities are all different. How is that even possible?”
⦗A contract, perhaps. Or if one transcends the dimension of Evil Gods and Demons, it is entirely feasible!⦘
All that is needed is a medium to bind them together, according to Muratan’s explanation.
The realm of Evil Gods and Demons, separated by [Dimension] like a Gate.
Or through a method like [Contract] that follows the rules within that dimension.
⦗I’m confident I can make them more efficiently! Creating awakened humans would be quite an interesting task as well. Though I’m not sure if a weak Sword Lord like you would want it….⦘
Muratan insisted that he could do it too, proposing to transform Korea in that manner.
Naturally, it was insane.
‘I understand he wants to boast that he can do it too….’
But even if I asked him to do it, Muratan wouldn’t.
His words are one thing, but he’s actually incredibly considerate of the weak.
Every time he called me soft, he was the one who actually acted soft and ended up breaking the sword himself.
⦗14 seconds. Sword Lord, it’s time to say goodbye.⦘
Even wielding a transcendent sword, I consumed considerable time.
It meant that Ling Ling harbored an enormous number of secrets.
Muratan’s manifestation duration was 16 seconds—in the remaining 2 seconds, I just needed to reassemble the disassembled Ling Ling and depart.
But….
“Ugh! S-Si-woo!!! W-what on earth is this horrifying—.”
Within transcendent cognition.
While only Muratan and I maintained our full speed.
Seol-ah suddenly reacted.
* * *
Shin Si-woo was insane!
Kang Seol-ah could only be certain of this.
Seeing a human disassembled into tens of thousands of pieces before her eyes made her head spin.
‘He wasn’t just obsessed with swords!!!’
Shortly after Shin Si-woo transcended, Kang Seol-ah noticed her cognition becoming clearer.
Within that clarified cognition, all she could see were countless fragments bearing traces of humanity and Shin Si-woo chattering with the sword before them.
‘He’s dismantling a person so horrifically and then cheerfully chatting with the sword?’
Ling Ling—a prisoner of China.
The kind of being the Patriot would have publicly executed.
But Shin Si-woo had done something even worse.
The moment Kang Seol-ah ‘intervened’ in the transcendent’s cognition, she witnessed Ling Ling disassembled into tens of thousands of pieces.
And she ‘heard’ sounds.
—Disassembling Ling Ling is a horrific violation of human rights.
—What are you trying to do with Ling Ling? Touching Ling Ling’s bond with the Party violates the contract.
—Ling Ling is….
The incessant voice of a ‘spirit’.
That voice continued babbling before finally revealing its true intention at the end.
It spoke.
—Ling Ling wants to live. The Party is frightening. Please make Ling Ling a citizen of South Korea—not Little China.
The tone of an emotionless translator.
Yet to Kang Seol-ah’s ears, it sounded like a desperate scream.
Kang Seol-ah clearly perceived the entire process and, hearing Ling Ling’s spirit’s anguished cry, made her decision.
“Ugh! S-Si-woo!!! W-what on earth is this horrifying—.”
I beat Shin Si-woo to a pulp.
Then I turn Ling Ling back into a human.
But….
Clang——!!!
Shin Si-woo brought his sword down.
Ling Ling, instantly disassembled, was reassembled and returned to human form.
For some reason, Kang Seol-ah witnessed the entire process unfold before her eyes.
Before she could even open her mouth, Ling Ling had already reverted to her original appearance.
Thud—.
Ling Ling collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
And Shin Si-woo, gazing at her with an ambiguous expression.
He asks.
“What exactly happened to you, sister?”
It was Kang Seol-ah who wanted to ask questions.
But seeing Shin Si-woo approach without hesitation and stare at her intently, her questions evaporated.
Under that persistent gaze, she turned her head away with a whoosh.
“I, I don’t know!”
She mulled over Shin Si-woo’s question internally.
His question was how she had managed to intervene in a Transcendent’s perception.
In truth, all of this was due to her own transformation.
——I’ve crossed the halfway point.
A ‘voice’ reached her ears.
It reached her, but as always, she would not listen and would ignore it.
She squeezed her eyes shut before speaking to Shin Si-woo.
Still, there were things she had to say.
“You can’t treat people like that!”
Normally, Shin Si-woo would have shot back with some remark about her being a sharp-tongued sister.
But this time, his reaction was different.
He simply shrugged as if it were nothing.
He said.
“That’s an artificially created person.”
“What?!”
Kang Seol-ah’s tongue twisted.
What did he mean by saying a person was created?
* * *
“Y-you… created… a person?”
At my explanation, sister opens her eyes wide and asks.
I learned the method of creating a person from Muratan, but that’s not what sister is curious about….
“How? An incubator? Cultivation?”
No.
My sister seemed genuinely curious about how I’d created it.
“For now, my hypothesis is that they’re born after receiving multiple buffs in the Demon’s Land.”
“Buffs?”
Effects that provide benefits.
That’s what we call a buff.
The [Exalted Celestial Cradle] that blankets South Korea is itself a type of buff.
The ‘Patriotic Protection Barrier’ wrapping the entire nation—forged from [Mystery]—is also a type of buff.
But the buff I’m referring to here is different.
“I suspect they implemented it through increased birth rates and accelerated growth—something like that.”
It was the type of buff China was using.
“They… they actually do something like that?”
“Apparently so.”
[Mystery] is a universal metal.
In theory, one could increase birth rates or accelerate growth.
But our humanity knows of human rights and respects human dignity, so we would never do such a thing.
Even India, which treats the unawakened as untouchables, refuses to commit such atrocities.
Yet China went ahead and did it anyway.
“If such a nation becomes our enemy…”
My sister’s shoulders trembled visibly as genuine dread washed over her.
I shared that sentiment entirely.
There was one fact I’d confirmed this time.
‘They truly have two billion people, and two hundred million of them must be awakened.’
China is real.
While pretenders played their games with awakened class hierarchies, China proved their authenticity through insane methodology.
Two hundred million out of two billion.
An awakening rate of ten percent—it defied all logic.
‘Series and parallel…’
Those brutal methodologies I’d heard from Muratan kept surfacing in my mind.
Perhaps Kim Jun’s [Crown] possessed similar capabilities.
‘Oh.’
The probability was extremely high.
His ability to create natural awakened ones without [Trials].
If Gates were treated as trials, and all that experience were replaced by Kim Jun’s [Crown]…
‘So that’s why natural awakened ones increase without trials.’
What a blessing that was.
I explained this realization to my sister and told her not to worry.
“We can increase awakened ones indefinitely without resorting to inhumane acts.”
Forty-five million South Korean citizens.
What if they all became awakened?
“Still, that’s far short of two hundred million Chinese Military awakened ones, isn’t it?”
“We have allies, after all.”
Japan and the United States.
Japan will be fine if we help them out.
As for the United States, Elon Musk will return and do something about it.
That’s why we have nothing to fear.
“As long as my Swords exist, demons are nothing.”
This wasn’t mere bravado.
It was genuine conviction.
“Tsk.”
My sister clicked her tongue like Kang Mu-jin, then guided me to the Underground Bunker.
According to the President’s message, the Destined Saint—Im Ji-ah—had just returned.
I would gather vast quantities of Mystery from her, then return to my [Territory] to achieve true transformation.
Creeeeak———.
The Blue House Underground Bunker opened.
The interior, concealed behind massive Mystery-infused iron doors, was revealed.
I had no idea what this “grand game” Im Ji-ah spoke of actually was, but….
“Is this what they call a triumphant return home?”
She stood before me, wrapped in gold.
Dressed in the sacred vestments of that noble saint, her hollow eyes and gaunt, delicate arms fluttering with each movement.
She pointed to the casino table.
Boom!
An enormous quantity of coins.
Coins in such vast amounts that their total was beyond calculation, piled up like mountains.
In her hands were [Tarot Cards] held in thick bundles, and at her feet lay layers upon layers of five-colored radiant metal in the form of gold bars.
“Blackjack, baccarat, Texas hold’em, poker, slot machines—.”
Every gambling game imaginable was recited.
After listing every single one, she gazed at us with shameless confidence and spoke.
“10,000 kilograms of Mystery, 10 billion coins, 10 Tarot Cards.”
I, the Destined Saint Im Ji-ah,
have returned home with vast riches from the gambling tables!
“Wow….”
I wanted to offer some hollow praise,
but neither I nor my sister Seol-ah were capable of such social niceties.
We stared at Im Ji-ah with lukewarm expressions.
“Take only what you need. The rest has to go toward repaying the government loans….”
If I were the President, I would have offered some perfunctory praise.
But seeing her in that state, I couldn’t bring myself to flatter her with hollow words of admiration.
Instead, I conveyed my gratitude.
“I’ll take only exactly what we need.”
[Ruzbella Empire’s Imperial Palace—5,000 kilograms]
I possess 1,000 kg of Mystery, so I need 4,000 kg more.
However, if I account for everything I might do, I’ll need approximately 10,000 kg.
First, let me gather it all.
‘And coins are….’
Most Awakened typically purchase their equipment from the Shop, and the full set of Patriot’s Nationalist Taegeuk Flag Unit gear is also Shop merchandise.
However, I have never used the Shop until now.
It’s due to the System’s structure.
‘An Awakened individual’s personalized Shop.’
Aside from a few beginner-tier items, the Shop also provides customized goods tailored to each Awakened person.
It’s essentially where coins earned from Tower conquests or Gates are spent.
‘I already possess transcendent-tier weapons.’
My transcendent Swords possess overwhelming performance that cannot even be compared to Shop-tier weapons.
The moment I summon a Sword, my physical body also reaches a perfected state like the Sword itself.
That’s why my Shop has always remained empty.
Even the Aga Sword I normally wield is at a level that could be called transcendent-tier compared to other Awakened’s weapons.
Moreover, the Aga Sword is a growth-type weapon that grows alongside me.
‘Now my armor is transcendent-tier as well.’
I must live wearing a uniform with the bizarre name of “Training Garment” twenty-four hours a day, three hundred sixty-five days a year.
It looks somewhat like I’m a Korean Empire loyalist, but this is an item imbued with the Pope’s authority and the Imperial Emperor’s power.
Its durability is beyond measure, and thanks to its name being “Training Garment,” it even increases the growth efficiency of me and the Aga Sword.
I am essentially a transcendent who possesses all final-tier equipment.
That’s why I had no reason to use the Shop, and my Shop inventory has indeed always remained vacant.
But….
‘Now it’s different.’
[Shop inventory has been updated.]
From the moment the World Tree sprouted in my territory, items began appearing in my Shop.
The peculiar thing is that these items focus not on ‘my’ growth, but on building ‘the environment I desire.’
‘This is proof that my current direction is correct.’
I manifest my Swords as actual physical forms.
In response to my will, the System created items from the Sword Raising world and provided them through the Shop.
‘If I do this well….’
My Swords could only exist one at a time within Sword Raising.
In Iris’s world, only Iris existed.
In Muratan’s world, only Muratan existed.
Even when eras and settings overlapped, there was never a single instance where the Swords existed simultaneously.
But—.
‘My Swords are already living in one space.’
My world, the Sword Realm.
My Swords, having reached their conclusion, can grow even further by cooperating with one another.
That possibility has already been proven.
‘A Demon modified by Muratan.’
I’m certain that if the Swords cooperate more actively, we can create a synergy.
I can even expect ‘the growth of the Swords themselves.’
As for Reinhardt Euclid and Yulia Lanestia, they share many similarities.
A harmony of extreme yang and extreme yin could produce something extraordinary….
‘From the perspective of a Fragment of the Absolute, it should definitely be possible.’
Haven’t I already confirmed it with [Fragment of the Absolute]?
When all my Swords cooperate, they manifest the power called [Absolute].
Though it was somewhat absurd that the catalyst for that cooperation was to eliminate another Sword….
‘I should collect all the coins too.’
My thoughts lingered for a moment.
I gathered all the coins on the table and the Mystery piled on the floor, then approached Im Ji-ah.
She, who had been brimming with confidence just moments before, now gazed at me with tears glistening in her eyes.
“If, if you take all of that, my loan….”
I’d somehow managed to take only what was necessary, but it seemed I’d taken everything.
Wasn’t this all wealth that had been multiplied from my initial investment in the first place?
If it weren’t for the immediate need to construct the Ruzbella Empire’s Imperial Palace, I wouldn’t have taken things to such an extreme….
‘I should draw some Tarot cards before I leave.’
Perhaps drawing cards would show me what to purchase first from the Shop.
Still, I have some conscience.
“I’ll draw exactly three cards.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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