Chapter 778

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Chapter 778: Inheritance Trial (8)

A balance game prepared by the Great One, Yugui Moga.

Yeongwoo could easily deduce that Yugui Moga must have been an exceedingly mischievous person when she was alive.

Creating a space like this for the inheritance trial wasn’t enough—she had even prepared a hidden reward, and then left behind a vault that could only be opened by consuming the very reward earned in that manner.

“What awful taste. Truly, the Great Ones are on a different level.”

Yeongwoo, looking at the three boxes, turned back toward the Commandment Chief and asked.

“If I leave you here, what happens to you? Do you end up guarding this place for eternity?”

At that, Achiga thrust the tip of his spear into the head of the bandit fallen at his feet and answered.

=I will become evidence that all of the legacy has been inherited, and remain here for eternity.

“Evidence? You mean you transform into another form?”

=It is unknown. Only the fact that Achiga will perish once all vaults are opened has been passed down.

Commandment Chief Achiga was referring to his own name, ‘Achiga,’ in the third person.

In other words, Achiga was a new name bestowed upon whichever one was appointed as the Commandment Chief the moment the inheritor’s valor was proven.

And the criterion for being appointed as that Commandment Chief was…

“……”

Yeongwoo blinked for a moment, looking back on the preceding scenes, and soon realized.

‘At the moment the trial ended, that guy was standing closest to me. In a way, he drew the short straw.’

So, if Yeongwoo chose to open even the third vault here, his bond with Achiga would turn out to be a truly short one.

“Achiga.”

=Command me, Inheritor.

“If you perish, what happens to the remaining Commandments? Does a new Achiga emerge? These guys only listen to the Commandment Chief’s words, don’t they?”

At this, Achiga surveyed the battlefield, which had grown quiet in the meantime, and swung his spear tip to shake off the blood.

He had wiped out nearly two hundred veterans entirely on his own.

=Achiga can exist only once, but every Commandment possesses valor and loyalty. Thus, they will serve according to the covenant.

It meant that while a new Achiga would not emerge, he could continue to receive the loyalty of the other Commandments.

They would likely return to a state where each could speak, just like the Commandments right before Achiga came into being.

“They serve according to the covenant? You mean they guard my legacy if I die?”

=Until the end of the universe arrives.

“Ah.”

Yeongwoo felt that the problem had finally become clear.

“I can take the remaining nine Commandments with me, but I have to discard the strongest one. And maybe a slight problem might arise in the chain of command.”

As Yeongwoo tapped his chin with his index finger in contemplation, the Anti-Government Pistol also tapped Yeongwoo’s cheek with its forefinger.

× Yugui Moga is a total lunatic. It wouldn't be strange even if the last vault contained a bomb. Isn't believing that it's packed full of hard cash merely your own wishful thinking?

“Still… the Commandment Chief said it earlier. That the wealth accumulated by Yugui Moga is sealed in there.”

× Usually, that ‘wealth’ indeed means money, but wasn't this opponent a bandit who went around aboard a suicide ship? It might be a bomb powerful enough to blow up an entire planet.

“Unless it detonates the second the vault is opened, getting a ton of bombs of that scale is practically the same as money, though.”

× Now that you put it that way, that makes sense too. You could just commit highway robbery holding that bomb, right……?

However, the price was sacrificing Commandment Chief Achiga.

A crazy bodyguard who could not only cut down two hundred veterans with ease all by himself, but was also completely unaffected by Prestige.

“Achiga, wouldn’t you prefer to live, though? Give me a reason why I should give up Yugui’s wealth and keep you alive.”

At these words from Yeongwoo, Achiga looked toward the remaining bandits clinging tightly to the inner wall of the underground space.

The ones who had discarded their weapons early on and expressed their intent to surrender, that is.

Then, soon after, Achiga let the shaft of his spear trail along the ground and turned his back on the surviving bandits.

Just as the Inheritor had commanded, he had chosen not to kill those who meekly laid down their arms.

Thud, thud.

A heavy sound echoed from Achiga’s footsteps as he returned to his protectee.

=There is no reason for my own sake. What the Inheritor desires is the reason itself.

An answer that quintessentially revealed the behavioral principles of the Commandments.

To this, Parina added her voice.

『This might be your first and last chance. A chance to secure a blindly loyal subordinate, that is. What kind of madman would follow someone like you to this extent?』

“That’s true.”

Yeongwoo gave an approving nod.

Furthermore, keeping a being that was unaffected by Prestige and not even a machine as a subordinate was clearly an excellent opportunity.

Whether the opponent was Mara or Lemu, he would surely be of immense help when committing an act of insubordination down the line.

‘Especially since Achiga is essential to properly utilize these Commandments. Only the Commandment Chief possesses exceptionally formidable power, and he’s also adept at commanding the rest of the Commandments.’

Could this also be Yugui Moga’s mischievous trial?

Having tested the inheritor’s valor earlier, she was now putting his wisdom to the test as well.

“Damn it. I have to give up wealth left behind by a Great One? And wouldn’t coming back to retrieve it later be difficult, anyway? There's a high probability this planet will be destroyed, right?”

When Yeongwoo said this, Parina gave a shrug.

『That depends on Pareshik’s will.』

Of course, even if this planet were to endure, there was naturally no guarantee that he could open the remaining vault later, nor was the time to deliberate infinite.

Before long, they would have to leave this underground space and mobilize to find Pareshik’s planetary seal.

“Then… shall we open the first two for now?”

As Yeongwoo spoke, the Black Commandment carrying him moved before the box situated furthest to the left.

Thud, thud.

Then, slightly bending its waist, it helped Yeongwoo place his hand upon the box’s lid.

“Does it open just by touching it?”

Naturally, it wasn't a question that awaited an answer.

Tap.

Soon, as Yeongwoo placed his hand upon the surface of the first box, the entire vault room flickered white and briefly vibrated.

Rrrrattle!

Then, the firmly locked lid of the first vault began to slide open to the left and right.

“Oh.”

The first legacy left by Yugui Moga for her inheritor slowly revealed itself.

“Just what on earth is she giving me to put me through all this trouble?”

As Yeongwoo blinked and peered into the interior of the vault, he saw some sort of belt being lifted from within.

「Demolitionist」 - Legendary Belt

【Flame Resistance 20%】

【Raid Preparation】

【Basic Proficiency】

【Raid Preparation】

|Every 5 seconds, up to 4 small bombs are generated.

【Basic Proficiency】

|#Reduces explosion-type damage by 50%.

“What is this……?”

Because Yeongwoo had never imagined in the slightest that a belt would be inside the first vault, his expression was quite subtle as well.

Swish.

Next, as he fished out the ‘Demolitionist’ with his hand, a short while later an object resembling a tiny bead was generated on the side of the belt.

One of the unique effects, ‘Raid Preparation,’ had begun to function.

“…It really gives bombs.”

『Bombs?』

Hearing Yeongwoo’s murmur, Parina twitched her eyebrows.

At that, Yeongwoo detached the bomb from the belt and hurled it toward a corner of the vault room.

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Fwoosh!

Promptly, Parina—who sensed the high-density energy faster than anyone else present—instinctively stepped back.

『Wha… what is that?』

And then immediately.

Psheeeeeee!

Accompanied by a bizarre sound, the bomb transformed into a violet dot, and a pure white light surged out from within it, unleashing a tremendous explosion.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

『Crazy, that’s no ordinary bomb. That’s enough to kill a star.』

“Still, isn’t the blast radius too small? Should I throw another one at the wall?”

As Yeongwoo tried to detach another bomb that had already been refilled on the belt, Parina waved her hand to stop him.

『No, didn’t you feel that firepower just now? There’s a good reason the blast radius is small. If you throw that at the structure, this entire space will collapse.』

“Is it really that powerful……?”

Not being particularly well-versed in explosives, Yeongwoo could only tilt his head.

And above all, rather than the bombs, it was actually the ‘Basic Proficiency’ effect that caught his eye even more.

【Basic Proficiency】

|#Reduces explosion-type damage by 50%.

‘Doesn’t this effectively reduce all explosive damage? For instance, artillery bombardment… or Jorma’s self-destruction.’

Was it merely an illusion to think that this was equipment prepared in anticipation of the Monstrous Battleship Jorma’s self-destruction?

While Yeongwoo was fiddling with the belt, Obstruction of Justice twitched its forefinger.

× Hurry up and open the next one too. There’s got to be a reason why the vaults are this huge, doesn't there?

It was a fair point.

The vault containing Yugui Moga’s legacy was a coffin-shaped steel box reaching 3 meters in length.

In other words, it meant that one among the three legacies she left behind was something of a scale that required a space of that magnitude.

“True. Did she put in a spear or something?”

As Yeongwoo brought his hand to the lid of the second vault along with these words, this time, pure white steam erupted from various parts of the vault.

Chhhhhhh!

“What is it this time?”

Then, from deep within the vault, some sort of thick book made of stone rose up.

“……?”

Not only Yeongwoo, but Parina and Obstruction of Justice as well, could not hide their bewilderment.

Though they had imagined all sorts of things, nobody had anticipated that a book would emerge.

Thunk.

Next, one of the Commandments personally retrieved the book from inside the vault and carefully spread open the first page to show Yeongwoo.

“What is this……?”

At that, Commandment Chief Achiga elaborated.

=It is the future asset list of the Great Yugui Moga.

“Future assets? An asset is an asset, but what are future assets?”

As Yeongwoo tilted his head and cast his gaze into the book in question, a preface written in the Universal Language caught his eye.

[To my unnamed inheritor: herein, I have recorded the names and characteristics of those you must meet in the days to come.]

“…What?”

[Those marked with an ingot symbol are extremely wealthy, and those marked with an eye symbol are……]

“Good grief.”

Even before finishing the first line of the preface, Yeongwoo could intuitively tell.

“Could this be… some sort of banditry guide by Yugui Moga?”

At that, Commandment Chief Achiga spoke from within his white helm in an unwavering voice.

=They are future assets.

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