Chapter 189. Invasion of Paradise (5)
“As expected of Galahad... He truly is worth a thousand men.”
Kay spoke while looking at the large monitor before Arthur’s throne.
“He’s simultaneously fighting Kang Yujin and Korea’s other elites without giving an inch.”
“That’s right. Very impressive.”
The other knights were fighting alongside him, but Galahad was clearly the center of their formation.
As expected from the strongest member of Round after Arthur himself.
“Still, something bothers me.”
“Yes?”
“We’ve trained countless Contractors in Round.”
“But our strongest member is still Galahad, whom we recruited from outside.”
“Well...”
Kay looked slightly troubled.
“Perhaps we should stop focusing solely on raising members internally and put more effort into external recruitment.”
“My lord, that isn’t easy.”
“Why not?”
“If we raise them internally, we can thoroughly educate them from the very beginning and turn them into knights completely loyal to the organization.”
“But if we recruit Contractors who have already been active elsewhere...”
“It becomes difficult to make them swear absolute loyalty?”
“Yes. Galahad is an unusual case.”
“Then we simply need to educate them more thoroughly.”
“Thoroughly?”
“Yes.”
“Very thoroughly.”
Arthur looked toward the people displayed on the monitor.
“Watching them like this, there are several talents I would like to possess.”
“It might be worthwhile to capture them, thoroughly educate them, and turn them into members of Round.”
“My lord...”
“Putting Kang Yujin aside, Lee Hyeonje and Lee Jukheon are quite appealing.”
Arthur appeared genuinely interested in taking them prisoner.
“What about Cheon Sangwoon?”
“Cheon Sangwoon?”
At Kay’s question, Arthur shook his head.
“No need.”
“Is that so?”
“He doesn’t look good.”
“One arm is gone, and one eye is missing.”
Arthur spoke coldly.
“I have no desire to place such an unsightly man among the glorious ranks of Round.”
Strong.
Cheon Sangwoon studied Galahad.
Arthur was strong too, but this man is no pushover.
He appeared accustomed to fighting multiple Contractors at once.
Using both sword and shield, he blocked attacks coming from every direction with remarkable skill.
His shield was especially troublesome because it possessed a weapon-destroying effect.
Lee Jukheon and the others couldn’t attack freely for fear that their weapons might break.
He even blocks Lee Hyeonje’s lightning with that shield.
He has no obvious blind spot.
To make matters worse, Contractors wielding Lancelot’s, Gawain’s, and Tristan’s Constellation Armaments were supporting him.
Their side was clearly at a disadvantage.
So this is Round’s true strength.
Cheon Sangwoon bit his lip and unleashed sword qi.
Sword qi produced without a sword.
Without even a right arm.
But in exchange, he had become capable of manipulating it far more freely and unpredictably than before.
The sword qi shot out like Magic Bullet-Type Magic, aiming for Galahad’s flank.
But Galahad blocked it with his shield as though he had known from the beginning where the attack would come from.
It didn’t even shake him.
Blocking an attack with a shield didn’t mean taking no damage.
The instant an attack struck, the impact would normally travel into the hand and arm holding the shield.
Repeated impacts should drain stamina and eventually make it difficult to maintain a defensive stance.
But...
Galahad seemed completely unaffected.
Was his physical ability and defensive technique simply that good?
Or was the shield itself exceptional at absorbing impact?
With my current body... it’ll be difficult to hurt him.
Cheon Sangwoon had suffered severe injuries during the previous Scenario.
Injuries serious enough that returning as a Contractor should have been impossible.
He had miraculously recovered enough to stand on a battlefield again...
but his overall combat strength had unquestionably declined.
Though the fact that I recovered enough to fight at all is already a miracle.
After losing in the previous Scenario...
Cheon Sangwoon abandoned his personal ambitions.
Now, all he wanted was to repay the debt he owed to the people he had harmed.
How can I help our side?
He had already nearly died once.
If necessary...
he was willing to sacrifice his life.
That was Cheon Sangwoon’s resolve.
“Cheon Sangwoon.”
Kang Yujin suddenly approached him.
“How is it? Can you manage?”
“Hard to say.”
Cheon Sangwoon smiled.
“My body is still suffering from the wounds some bastard gave me a while ago.”
Kang Yujin frowned at the joke.
“If you can still run your mouth like that, you must be fine.”
“Haha. Maybe.”
Cheon Sangwoon stood shoulder to shoulder with Kang Yujin as they endured Galahad’s relentless offensive.
Come to think of it...
there had once been a time when Cheon Sangwoon dreamed of fighting alongside Kang Yujin like this.
When Kang Yujin first appeared in the Capital Region... I planned to manipulate him and turn him into my puppet.
He had even cooperated with Daji while she was disguised as Ha Mina.
If things had gone according to plan back then...
Cheon Sangwoon would have subdued the Eight Guardians together with Kang Yujin and ruled the Capital Region.
Perhaps, in that future, Cheon Sangwoon himself would have defeated Pandemonium and advanced into China.
Pointless thoughts.
Cheon Sangwoon gave a faint chuckle.
He knew now just how upright Kang Yujin truly was.
Perhaps he could have manipulated him into becoming an ally for a while.
But eventually...
Kang Yujin would never have tolerated what Cheon Sangwoon was doing.
They would have become enemies.
And in the end... I would’ve lost.
He could accept it now.
A man like Cheon Sangwoon had always been destined to lose.
“Anyway.”
Kang Yujin’s blunt voice interrupted his thoughts.
“If you’re fine, take this.”
"...?"
Kang Yujin reached into empty space.
Was he opening his Inventory?
“You’ve lost your right arm... but you can use it with your left, right?”
"...!"
Kang Yujin pulled something out of the air.
The moment Cheon Sangwoon saw it...
he sucked in a breath.
“Useless!”
Galahad shouted as he swung his shield.
“Is this really the extent of your strength?!”
“Ugh!”
The woman wielding twin axes retreated after one of her axes shattered.
She was already bleeding from injuries all over her body.
“What are you doing?!”
“Come at me, all of you!”
Galahad continued attacking with complete confidence.
The ‘new’ Lancelot, Gawain, and Tristan fighting around him were proving reasonably useful.
At this rate...
they should be able to wipe out the enemy.
“You’re next!”
"...!"
Galahad chose Lee Hyeonje as his next target.
Lee Hyeonje had been keeping him in check with repeated lightning attacks.
But it wasn’t enough to stop Galahad from advancing.
“I already know you were hit by Tristan’s Fail-Not!”
“You may have finished treating your wounds, but your body hasn’t fully recovered!”
“Ghk...!”
Lee Hyeonje bit his lip and retreated.
But Galahad activated a speed-enhancing Skill and instantly closed the distance.
“Too slow!”
Galahad blocked Lee Hyeonje’s lightning with the Shield of the Cross and thrust his sword forward.
But at that exact moment...
