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Chapter 545: Black Customers (8)

Thud!

When Yeongwoo’s right arm hit the floor, Parina screamed.

『Aaaagh! Is he completely insane?!』

To celestial beings, bodily mutilation meant permanent loss, which made it all the more horrifying.

『No, you…』

Even Moro, the Sun and Yeongwoo’s mother-in-law, was appalled this time—covering her mouth and nose with her hair, frowning in disgust.

On the other hand, Koatu, who had already fitted prosthetic arms and legs multiple times, watched Yeongwoo’s actions with an expression of curiosity.

—He just cuts it off and reattaches it like that…?

“My karmic debt is so high that the only doctor I can summon is the Doctor of Darkness. So, it’s usually better if I solve things myself.”

Summoning the Doctor of Darkness didn’t just cost money—it also increased karmic debt if the surgery succeeded.

That was why Yeongwoo had resorted to the extreme of self-amputation.

“But with equipment of this level, wouldn’t self-installation be possible?”

As Yeongwoo said this and picked up the prosthetic arm “Gambler,” Koatu tilted his head.

—I’m not sure. I have a coupling module at my shoulder, so most prosthetics are compatible…

His gaze then shifted toward Yeongwoo’s brutally severed shoulder.

—But that’s just flesh, isn’t it…?

“Well, that’s true, but I have good regeneration. It should work out somehow.”

—…Try it, then.

The conversation between the prosthetic’s original owner and Yeongwoo ended there.

“To raid the Black Zone, we’ll need firepower. So I must wear this arm.”

Finally, Yeongwoo shoved the Gambler into his right shoulder.

Crunch!

Light burst forth where the Gambler met his flesh, and system messages appeared.

「Gambler has detected a host.」

「Synchronization initiated.」

“Huh?”

The Gambler apparently had its own coupling protocol. Follow current novels on novel-fire.net

Buzz, buzz!

The arm vibrated and began adjusting to Yeongwoo’s body specifications.

“O-oh…”

From then on, he began to feel the presence of his “new right arm.”

“What the hell…?”

As Yeongwoo widened his eyes in shock, the Gambler’s components lit up one by one.

It seemed to be running an integrity check.

Ping, ping, ping!

And with each pulse, Yeongwoo’s control over the prosthetic grew.

At first, he could only twitch the fingertips.

Moments later, he could bend the elbow.

Crack.

When Yeongwoo flexed the deep-blue metallic arm slightly, Jeonggu gawked.

“You… you really swapped your arm? Is this okay?”

His gaze fell to Yeongwoo’s discarded arm lying forlornly on the ground.

Though Jeonggu hadn’t known of his son’s existence for decades, he now knew the truth, this madman carried his genes.

So watching Yeongwoo sever his arm so casually made Jeonggu feel like his own limb had been torn off.

“What on earth…?”

As he crouched before the discarded arm with a hollow expression, Jiseon approached from behind and scoffed.

—What did you expect from that lunatic? If needed, he’d swap out his head too.

She then glanced down at the blood-soaked limb.

—So what happens to this now? Trash?

Yeongwoo shrugged.

“Hm… haven’t thought that far. I guess it’s waste, yeah?”

For Yeongwoo, whose regenerative ability surpassed normal life, even a severed limb could be regrown with time.

To him, the discarded arm held no value.

But to fully human Jeonggu, the situation felt entirely different.

“What do you mean, waste? That’s your arm, Yeongwoo!”

“It is, but it’s also a consumable. If I ever lose the prosthetic, I can just grow a new arm.”

“B-but still…!”

“Think of it like poop. Father, you also produce waste periodically, don’t you?”

“Hey, how is this the same?!”

“From a New Human’s perspective, it’s not that different.”

Self-proclaimed New Human, Jeong Yeongwoo, stroked his new arm in satisfaction—then glanced down at the old one.

“So should I burn it? Or launch it into space?”

Earth frowned.

『Throwing it into space? Who knows what disaster that might cause in this world.』

“Fair point. Then burn it?”

When Yeongwoo turned toward Moro, she recoiled.

『Why are you looking at me?』

“Well, you are the Sun, right? Burning one arm should be nothing.”

『Why, you little…』

Moro bared her teeth, but Earth raised a hand to mediate.

『No, better to freeze it. Your father’s against throwing it away.』

“What use is freezing it?”

『Who knows? Maybe someday you’ll lose the ability to regenerate.』

“…”

Yeongwoo didn’t really get it, but nodded anyway.

“Fine, maybe keeping it as a souvenir works.”

Of course, Jeonggu didn’t like this solution either.

“F-freezing it…?”

His face twisted.

Still, it beat burning or hurling it into space.

『Never thought I’d use the storage like this…』

Earth waved his hand, summoning a rectangular freezer from the cockpit floor.

Jiseon asked,

—What’s it usually for?

『Mostly food. Sometimes biological samples.』

He then gestured at the bloody arm.

『It’s yours, carry it yourself. Don’t just stand there.』

Thus, in their bizarre ecosystem of ship, captain, and celestial beings, Yeongwoo lifted his old arm and placed it into the freezer.

Earth closed it with a grumble.

『At this rate, you’ll end up storing all your limbs in here.』

“Not impossible. If such a strong prosthetic exists, surely a top-grade leg prosthetic does too.”

As Yeongwoo mused, Koatu happened to be reattaching his prosthetic leg.

—So, do you like the new arm?

Rising shakily, Koatu asked.

Yeongwoo flexed his new fist and nodded.

“It feels under my control, but also… not mine. Like driving a car.”

—That’s how prosthetics are. You’ll get used to it.

“I think I like it this way. I can swing it more boldly.”

Besides, the Gambler had a unique property, when it hit maximum output, it detached.

【Overload】

| Attack power doubles for 5 seconds. Afterward, the Gambler detaches from your body.

‘What kind of arm is this supposed to be, anyway?’

No matter—he could test it.

Clink.

Yeongwoo gripped the sword Bastard with his prosthetic.

The blade flashed.

【Right-handed】

| Weapons in your right hand gain 20% increased power.

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The Gambler’s “Right-handed” perk had activated.

“So, anyone want to test this? I need to try Overload.”

He looked around, but no one stepped forward.

He’d already been monstrous before—now he had an arm made of warship material.

“…”

As silence hung heavy, Parina finally stepped forward.

『I’ll take your shabby sword.』

Bold words, befitting a star candidate.

But Moro blocked her with her hair.

『Already fighting as a couple? I’ll handle this.』

『What? You don’t trust me?』

『It’s not that. I just don’t want to see something disgraceful.』

She seated herself on a throne of woven hair before Yeongwoo.

『Now let’s see how useful that horrid arm really is.』

Yeongwoo frowned.

“Mother-in-law, this sword grows stronger against more powerful foes. Are you sure?”

『What?』

He wasn’t lying.

The Bastard was designed for rebellion.

【Challenger】

| Against higher-ranked opponents, combat power increases drastically.

So with “Challenger,” “Right-handed,” and “Overload” all stacked, the sword’s power would be terrifying.

But Moro didn’t flinch.

『Did you forget who I am, worm? I am Moro, the Sun!』

Her eyes flared with white light, her radiant hair splitting into countless blades.

Shhhhk!

『H-hey… take this to the arena, not here!』

Earth tried to stop them, but in vain.

“If so, I’ll show my mother-in-law a lesson.”

Clang!

Yeongwoo readied his sword, golden light burning in his eyes.

He meant to go all out.

‘With this firepower… could I even hit a top star?’

Besides, Moro had no Star Collision Scar—no way to block a “myth.”

『Come!』

Moro’s countless hair-blades rose.

And Yeongwoo charged.

“Here I come…!”

Boom!

He kicked off the floor and lunged.

『Ha! You crawl like a worm!』

To Moro, whose Prestige level was overwhelming, he looked sluggish.

But then—

“Overload!”

Crackle!

Yeongwoo’s ultimate went off, his aura exploding.

『…!』

Moro alone felt the sheer shift in Prestige.

『You brat!』

She struck with a colossal hair-blade.

Clang!

But Bastard didn’t just meet it—it cut through.

Shhhhk!

Her hair-sword unraveled into strands.

『M-Mother?!』

Parina gasped as Moro’s blade collapsed.

Fwoosh!

Her hair scattered.

『Ah…!』

Moro was stunned.

Yeongwoo too froze.

“Damn it!”

The five seconds had ended.

Clunk!

The Gambler loosened at his shoulder.

As he twisted to punch, Jiseon darted in—

Wham!

She kicked his side, sending him sprawling.

—You’re out of your damn mind.

“Ugh?”

The unexpected strike left him rolling, while the prosthetic clattered away.

“Hey, it was instinct! Battle instinct!”

Then he noticed—

A “Body Loss” marker had appeared in his vision.

“What the—when did that show up?”

Jiseon stiffened.

—Wh-what are you talking about?

“My arm. The Body Loss buff is on.”

—Well… you are one-armed now.

Yeongwoo pointed at the fallen prosthetic.

“Not sure yet. Bring it here. Maybe just using a prosthetic counts as ‘loss.’”

「Body Deficiency」 - Epic Breastplate

【Power increases up to 80% depending on the degree of limb loss.】

If true, that meant the buff was always active now.

—…

Jiseon handed him the arm.

It reattached.

And still—

“Uh.”

The buff remained.

One missing arm counted as 40% power up.

“This means…”

He turned toward Koatu, who wore a prosthetic leg.

“So that’s why you use it, huh? Next time, I’ll cut off a leg too.”

Koatu sighed heavily.

—…Not for that reason. I’m not insane.

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