Chapter 100
Chapter 100
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: 27. First Sword Summit (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Boom! Thud, thud!
As the heavy footsteps of the mutated being echoed, most of the First Swords wore expressions filled with anticipation.
"What a windfall..."
"So how's the split gonna work?"
Meanwhile, Young-woo was the first to worry.
'No matter what, it didn't come all the way from outside Yongsan District making that racket, right? Then the path it took here...'
It was obvious countless civilians had suffered, and at this point, residential space was just as precious a resource as human lives.
Because destroyed buildings could no longer be designated for the "day-use service."
In other words, the more ground a mutated being trampled, the less space there was for people to live.
"......"
Young-woo glanced around, and among those present, only Jo Sang-ik, Oh Yeon-hee, and Seocho First Sword Choi Nam-hee wore dark expressions.
At the very least, they understood what it meant for a mutated being that had survived until now to cross the city and reach this place.
"For now... let's take down the mutated being."
Jo Sang-ik said with a groan.
No matter who had lured it here, the fact that it was charging straight toward them meant it was seeking help from the summit, right?
Ta-at!
Soon after, the figure in question who had lured the mutated being appeared within the summit's line of sight.
"Huh...?"
"Gangdong?"
Immediately, some First Swords widened their eyes.
The identity of the newcomer was none other than.
『Gangdong First Sword』
It was the Gangdong First Sword, who had never attended a First Sword summit.
Then, Yongsan First Sword Kim Do-ha added a brief explanation.
"We did receive word that he'd attend today's summit."
Of course, no one had expected this kind of entrance.
They had probably sent the messenger before the mutated being appeared.
'Or maybe after actually fighting it, he realized he couldn't handle it and sent someone in a hurry.'
Either way, it had already happened.
"We'll discuss the split after we resolve this."
At Kim Do-ha's words, everyone nodded, and right on cue, the mutated being pursuing the Gangdong First Sword came into view.
「Kraaaargh...!」
On day three, the mutated being that appeared in Gangdong was a colossal wild boar.
Its tusks alone seemed over two meters long, and its body was at least five meters in total length.
The shadow stretching broadly from its massive frame was already encroaching on the Gangdong First Sword's heels.
"Ugh, urgh...!"
The Gangdong First Sword's face, having sprinted at full speed for who knows how many minutes, was drenched in sweat and a total mess. In particular, his eyes looked far too feeble for a First Sword.
And that made sense—fleeing from a mutated being was humiliation enough for a First Sword.
On top of that, dragging this monster all the way here must have caused all sorts of trouble, so his pride was undoubtedly shattered to pieces by now.
"P-Please... help me!"
Finally, the Gangdong First Sword pleaded in a powerless voice to the summit's First Swords.
At that, the boar-shaped mutated being pursuing him hesitated for a moment and halted its movements.
「What the.」
From Dongdaemun to Seocho.
It had spotted no fewer than nine First Swords standing in the middle of the park.
And moreover.
「Huh?」
The thing even recognized one of the summit's First Swords.
「Oh Yeon-hee...?」
That someone was none other than Songpa First Sword Oh Yeon-hee.
She had been exposed so much in the media that even the mutated being recognized her.
In response, Oh Yeon-hee rested her guandao on the ground and stepped forward.
"Se-yeol, fancy meeting you again like this."
As she grinned with her wide mouth, the mutated being's massive shadow shook violently.
[Actor-Park Se-yeol]
Gangdong District's third mutated being, actor Park Se-yeol.
He had risen to fame as a member of a popular male idol group before successfully transitioning to drama acting.
But then he was accused of sexually assaulting an employee at an entertainment bar, leading to his swift downfall.
The characters he usually played were righteous and upright, so the mere fact that he frequented such places dealt a huge blow to his image.
Of course, he was later cleared of the sexual assault charges in court, but the public's gaze remained unforgiving.
So much so that when the reset began, the name Park Se-yeol was immediately listed as a candidate for elimination.
「...Fuck.」
Park Se-yeol's elongated tusks tilted at a menacing angle.
What emotion was he feeling right now?
Embarrassment? Rage?
Whatever it was, his chosen solution seemed to be "kill all witnesses."
Dududu...!
He immediately began charging at high speed toward the First Sword summit site—specifically, toward Oh Yeon-hee.
"Ah, shit."
"Let's fight a bit further ahead."
It was an opponent the Gangdong First Sword couldn't handle and had fled from, but Seoul Federation's First Swords were casual enough to grab their chairs and move to the side.
There was the new Gangnam First Sword Jeong Young-woo here, after all, along with eight veteran powerhouses including Oh Yeon-hee.
There was no way they could lose in combat.
"Kuhk!"
Adding the Gangdong First Sword, who had collapsed far off spewing breath like vomit, that made a full ten First Swords.
Kugugugu!
As the most ferocious mutated being in history charged straight ahead, Young-woo finally rose from his seat.
Swish.
His right hand gripped the Underdog.
「Underdog」 - Mutated One-Handed Sword
【Deals 25% increased damage to targets larger than the user.】
Seeing that, the other First Swords rushed toward Park Se-yeol one after another.
Papat! Tat!
Everyone wanted to at least stab him once to claim some credit.
They needed some contribution to argue for their share in the upcoming loot distribution, after all.
「You fucking bastards!」
Sensing he had become mere prey, Park Se-yeol flew into a rage, but with a boar body specialized for frontal assaults, blocking attacks from eight directions was nearly impossible.
Kwaaat!
In an instant, three or four blades sliced into Park Se-yeol's flesh, and soon red blood spurted out from the wounds like a fountain.
Puaaaat!
「Grahhhh!」
Park Se-yeol finally let out a beastly scream.
With the First Swords clinging to his body like burrs as he ran, he realized this wouldn't do and suddenly rolled on the ground.
Kwadududuk!
It was a truly beastly idea, but incredibly effective.
"Ugh!"
"Krgh!"
It shook off the First Swords who had stabbed into his back and sides in one go.
After rolling on the ground a few times, Park Se-yeol snorted angrily and swiftly rose onto all fours.
-Squeal!
Then.
Kwak!
He slammed the ground powerfully and bolted forward.
Judging it impossible to fight all the First Swords here, he had chosen to flee this time.
"Park Se-yeol...!"
As Oh Yeon-hee, the first to recover, gripped her guandao again, a dark silhouette flashed past her like an arrow.
"......?"
She turned her widened eyes to follow the silhouette, spotting the back of the new Gangnam First Sword mounted on his pitch-black iron horse.
"...Ah!"
"No!"
The other First Swords belatedly grasped the situation, gritting their teeth and rising.
If this continued, that outsider would monopolize the mutated being.
* * *
Kugugugu...!
Gangdong District's third mutated being, Park Se-yeol.
Right now, he was heading back the way he came—the east.
He knew there wouldn't be First Swords swarming like in that park earlier, at least.
He figured turning in an unknown direction might lead to more mishaps.
'Completely wrecked the place.'
Thanks to that, Young-woo got a direct view of the devastation this mutated being had wrought crossing eastern Seoul.
People flattened on the streets, buildings half-collapsed in ruins...
'My god.'
Who was to blame for this mess?
The Gangdong First Sword, who failed to mark it solo?
'No. Mutated beings are unusually strong today. Just look at Kim Tae-jun.'
Even in Gwanak, if Young-woo hadn't arrived in time, Jo Sang-ik and Seoul National University's forces would have been annihilated.
In other words, this wasn't because certain districts' First Swords were weak—it was because exceptionally powerful mutated beings had started appearing.
Therefore, perhaps.
'Those who haven't shown up at the summit yet aren't late...'
They might already be dead and unable to come.
"......"
Young-woo stopped his thoughts there and turned to Park Se-yeol, whom Negg had now overtaken.
Park Se-yeol looked back at him with eyes full of panic.
「You... what the hell are you.」
"Stop."
「What?」
Young-woo's next reply wasn't words but a sword.
He hurled the black sword at Park Se-yeol's front leg.
Whiiiing!
It was a fairly fast attack, but as a mutated being who had overwhelmed the Gangdong First Sword, Park Se-yeol dodged with a short jump.
And at that moment.
Whiiiing!
A sharp whoosh came from Young-woo's side once more.
He had been waiting for this.
For Park Se-yeol's body to be briefly airborne.
「Huh...!」
Sensing something, Park Se-yeol let out a yelp, and at the same time, the Underdog's long blade pierced his chest.
Kwaak!
「Khek!」
Hit mid-air, Park Se-yeol couldn't evade and tumbled to the ground.
Kwadududuk!
Asphalt tore up, dust flying everywhere, but due to his massive size, his house-sized silhouette was starkly visible.
Tat!
Young-woo rode Negg right up to Park Se-yeol's head.
Then, to the one trembling from the golden Pain of Retribution debuff, he said softly.
"Soon those people from before will come and carve you up, Se-yeol."
「...?」
At the unexpected devilish line, Park Se-yeol laboriously lifted his eyelids.
"But if you resolve to become my prisoner, I'll spare you a gruesome death."
Park Se-yeol's boar-like human eyes flashed with displeasure.
「Wh-what bullshit are you spouting right now?」
"Use the return function. Do it now."
「How do you know ab...」
Realizing Young-woo's meaning, Park Se-yeol's eyes widened in shock.
Then he quickly changed his expression, viciously flaring his large nostrils.
「Don't fuck with me, even if I'm like th—Guk!」
Mid-sentence, he clamped his snout shut.
Young-woo had thrust Dragon's Legacy into his nape.
「Dragon's Legacy」 - Narrative One-Handed Sword
【Hierarchism.】
|Increased damage against rank 2 or lower targets.
'As expected, a rank 1 human. The sword isn't transforming.'
Young-woo glanced at the unchanged Dragon's Legacy, then shifted his gaze to the summit's First Swords rushing over from afar.
Oh Yeon-hee was in the lead, but she soon wore a hollow expression upon realizing the situation was over.
Probably because she saw Park Se-yeol's body dissolving into the air.
But not everything was finished yet, so the other First Swords arrived at the scene in a frenzy after her.
Because.
Shuririt.
In the spot where the mutated being's corpse vanished, the usual golden orb appeared.
「Mutated being eliminated.」
「Select your reward to complete the procedure.」
The either-or quest that had made mutated beings the First Swords' main prize.
Finally, Yongsan First Sword Kim Do-ha stepped forward representing most of those present.
"Haha... good work. We fought together, so you'll share the karma fairly, right?"
Meaning, since you're the strongest, we'll yield the fixed reward of the mutated gear.
But let's split the 3 million karma evenly by headcount.
Young-woo gladly accepted Kim Do-ha's proposal.
"Yes. Very fairly."