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Chapter 672: The Dreaming Machine (6)

‘Quiad Mezo…? That’s informal speech.’

The moment he grasped the spear, Lemu’s manner of speaking changed in an instant.

It wasn’t certain whether it was truly because Quiad had refused to show ‘mercy,’ but in any case, it was clear that his promotion to a Grade 3 existence had greatly influenced Lemu’s attitude.

He had even gone so far as to imply that if he couldn’t overpower him here, he would someday kill Quiad.

‘Now that he’s entered the ranks of Grade 3 beings… does he think that given enough time, he can become the strongest?’

Well, Lemu did possess the ability to glimpse part of the future, enormous capital, and probably countless machines that would follow him.

On the other hand, Quiad had the experience of a Grade 3 existence that far preceded Lemu.

‘But… President Lemu should have more than enough ability to quickly fill that gap. Even today, he became a Grade 3 existence, breaking our Chairman’s expectations.’

Swish.

Yeongwoo lifted his head and looked up at the ceiling.

But this time, instead of looking at the universe, he was gazing at Chairman Dogo, who might perhaps be watching this very moment.

What would the Chairman think of this incident?

The emergence of a not-so-ordinary threat?

Or would the appearance of a new Grade 3 machine not even make him bat an eye?

—Despising lifeforms? Even the name is laughable. The very fact that you need such a device is proof of your weakness, is it not?

As Quiad clenched his fist fiercely and spoke, Lemu once again used honorifics and let out a faint smile.

□ The strong of this universe, precisely because their power is so outstanding, tend to possess more vanity than necessary.

Then, gripping his spear in a threatening manner, he continued.

□ However, even ‘power’ is, in practical terms, something that follows results. No matter the process, in the end, the victor is the strong.

It was a line similar to Lemu’s worldview of running while seeing the future, and Quiad—who would never agree with that—lowered his body at once.

Crack.

—Then accept the result!

And like a bullet, he shot forward.

Without even holding a sword.

‘Damn, that bastard’s swagger.’

Of course, Quiad was actually strong, so it couldn’t really be called mere swagger—but this opponent was none other than Lemu.

Though he had only just been promoted to Grade 3, his combat ability would rival that of most established powerhouses.

After all, even in his Grade 4 days, he had a record of receiving Chairman Dogo’s sword.

So without realizing it, Yeongwoo—

“B-be care—!”

He was about to blurt out an overstepping warning to Quiad, but suddenly realized something and opened his mouth wide.

“Huh…?”

Because he could see Quiad’s movements as he charged forward in a rage over there.

‘What is this?’

Moreover, he could clearly see Quiad’s lightning-like punches and Lemu’s responding movements.

Of course, it required intense concentration to barely follow their trajectories, but he could definitely see them.

And these were the movements of two Grade 3 beings, presumably fighting at their utmost.

‘Could it be because my existence rank has risen?’

After all, he didn’t know how his existential value had changed since receiving an epithet from a Transcendent.

The change in the existence of a planetary lord had been buried under the psychological clash between those two giants.

Fwooooosh!

In the meantime, Quiad had already thrown his third punch, but strictly speaking, an ‘exchange’ wasn’t being formed.

Because Lemu was intentionally pulling his body back, engaging only in evasive maneuvers.

—Is that your strategy as well? If you only dodge, you won’t be able to measure my power!

Kwaaaaaa!

Once again, Quiad’s fist grazed past Lemu’s head by a hair’s breadth.

At that, Lemu stepped back once more and said in a low voice.

□ But now I’ve learned that I can avoid your attacks.

—…!

At those words, a deep gleam burst from Quiad’s eyes like lightning, and then an attack was unleashed so fast that even Yeongwoo—who thought he had opened his eyes to it—could not perceive it.

□ Ah, finally.

Lemu admired Quiad’s proper strike.

Then, for the first time, he raised his spear and took a defensive stance.

He had instinctively realized that this attack would be difficult to dodge.

And then—

KWA-A-A-AK!

With a brutal tearing sound, Quiad’s fist crushed the shaft of the spear and struck Lemu’s face.

Raising a guard had been useless from the start.

‘Good lord, a Grade 3 really is a Grade 3.’

For a moment, Yeongwoo reproached himself for having doubted Quiad’s martial prowess.

Even if Lemu had long prepared for his promotion to Grade 3, he still lacked much when facing an established powerhouse who had been trained as a great being from early on.

□ Quite astonishing.

With his head half-destroyed from the blow and pushed backward, Lemu swung both arms to respond to Quiad’s follow-up attack.

Whap!

Then, from the floor lined with electronic circuits, a massive steel pillar rose up, forming a kind of barrier.

It was meant to limit the paths through which Quiad could approach.

However—

—You do many useless things.

Instead of changing his approach direction, Quiad immediately delivered a middle kick, shattering the steel pillar.

Crash!

Then, as he pushed his body through the still-scattering fragments of steel in midair, he drove his fist into Lemu’s abdomen.

Fwoooooosh!

□ …!

Lemu’s pupils flickered for an instant as his abdomen was struck.

As if his power had briefly cut out.

Then, grabbing Lemu’s shoulder—bent like a shrimp—Quiad drove a knee upward.

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At that, Lemu’s already half-destroyed head shattered into pieces and flew in all directions.

“…Ha.”

Truly overwhelming combat power.

And that without even wielding a weapon.

‘No, even so, they’re both Grade 3… and yet the difference can be this big.’

As Yeongwoo blinked, unable to close his gaping mouth, Lemu—who had been slammed into the ground—raised his body again.

Now, he had nothing that could be called a head, and above his neck, only some unsightly, broken mechanical parts remained.

Even so, a voice still flowed from Lemu.

□ As expected of the master of the Eleventh Star System. With this body, it seems impossible to face you.

At that, Quiad spoke words very similar to something Chairman Dogo had once said.

—So long as you continue to avoid death each time, you will never be regarded as a great being.

Then he strode toward Lemu.

Step.

At this, Lemu, like Quiad, took a barehanded combat stance and threw a punch first toward the approaching opponent.

Fwoooosh!

It was a very fast punch, barely perceptible to Yeongwoo, but Quiad caught it with one hand without even blinking.

Clench!

—If a lifeform cannot block this fist, it dies. Every moment of life is structured that way. That is why those who accomplish great feats with a single life are called great.

□ However, is that not also a limitation? A single life also means a single opportunity.

At those words, Quiad tightened his grip and crushed Lemu’s mechanical hand.

—Because I am one who has surpassed that limitation, I can destroy you.

Then, with his opposite fist, he pierced through Lemu’s chest.

KWA-A-A-A-AK!

Countless mechanical fragments scattered into the air.

As Lemu’s presence flickered, as if his consciousness were about to cut off, Quiad seized his neck and continued.

—Return to that wretched place where you hid your life. In the future of my extinction, you do not exist.

With those words, Quiad sliced through Lemu’s neck with his hand, heated black, and the moment the mechanical parts attached there slammed onto the ground, Lemu’s presence vanished.

‘How strange. Lemu’s body is clearly still here, and yet I can’t feel him.’

Lemu… no, the machine that had been Lemu now lay sprawled on the floor, having completely lost the dignity of its creator. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Seeing this, Yeongwoo felt like he could somewhat understand what the Chairmen commonly said about the vulgarity of machines.

At least from a lifeform’s perspective, machines lacked a certain kind of nobility.

But conversely, from a machine’s perspective, weren’t lifeforms beings with an extremely clear limitation?

‘President Lemu isn’t entirely wrong. For a lifeform to accomplish a feat with a single life is impressive, but it’s also extremely rare.’

However, machines are different.

If they have sufficient will and capability like Lemu, they can achieve feats through countless attempts.

“……”

For some reason, feeling bitter, Yeongwoo looked at Lemu’s remains with a complicated expression when Chancellor Herisa approached and stood beside him, speaking.

“If Quiad is a great being, then Lemu is a dangerous being. In the end, that machine also attained a Grade 3 status, didn’t it?”

“Still, the difference in power was enormous.”

“No one knows what the future holds.”

Even after witnessing that duel firsthand, Herisa seemed unable to shake off a sense of unease.

“Do you think President Lemu will someday stand above the Chairmen?”

“In this universe, nothing is impossible, so it’s best to assume there is a possibility.”

Chancellor Herisa avoided giving a definite answer.

At that, Yeongwoo turned his gaze and looked at Quiad, who was still staring at the mechanical corpse.

Then, things he hadn’t noticed before began to come into view one by one.

There were countless wounds on the arms and legs he had used while fighting Lemu.

“Huh? Chairman…?”

Startled, Yeongwoo moved to approach Quiad, but he turned around.

—Is it not natural for a lifeform to bleed? I do not understand why you are surprised.

At that moment, thick blood dripped down Quiad’s leg.

“No, but… aren’t those wounds that broke through your recovery?”

Because Yeongwoo himself also possessed strong regenerative ability, he knew it even better.

It was true that Quiad had overwhelmingly defeated Lemu, but it didn’t mean he had taken no damage.

“……”

As Yeongwoo couldn’t hide the concern in his eyes, Quiad finally invoked Chairman Dogo’s name.

—If my opponent had been Dogo, I would have had to give up at least one arm.

“What? Only one arm? Then who wins?”

—What did you say?

Quiad couldn’t answer rashly.

At that, Chancellor Herisa, who had been silent, interjected.

“Let’s move now. We should clear away that probe and discuss the remaining payment, shouldn’t we?”

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