Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: 28. At Last, the Catastrophe (2)
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“Hey, stand up straight…!”
The mutated being’s distinctive thunderous voice echoed through the air.
The line of people, stretching over ten meters, straightened up in terror.
This was right in the middle of Seoul’s Gwangjin District Children’s Grand Park.
And the ones lined up in formation at the mutated being’s command were none other than the personnel from the Gwangjin District Police Station and the monster contractors.
In other words, the strongest in Gwangjin after the First Sword.
They were the district’s security force and the next tier of vested interests.
But right now, they were nothing more than the mutated being’s playthings.
“Next one, come out.”
Gwangjin’s third-day mutated being, Cha Du-seong, crooked his finger toward the human line.
More precisely, he was summoning the one with the “Gwangjin First Sword” title above his head.
“Don’t make me annoyed. Come out quick, before I beat you all to death.”
As the short-tempered mutated being issued his threat, a man finally stepped trembling out of the line.
The man’s name was Kim Sung-woo102.
He was also Gwangjin’s 295th First Sword.
“Ugh… ugh…”
His face was already streaked with tears, and his body was so stiff he could barely walk.
And with good reason.
“…”
Right where he’d been called, the 294th First Sword lay dead from the beating.
And five meters from that corpse was the very first First Sword, Jang Tae-min04—the origin of this entire catastrophe—also dead.
“F-fuck…”
Kim Sung-woo gazed at the first First Sword’s corpse with eyes full of love and hate.
If he hadn’t lost to Cha Du-seong, Kim Sung-woo never would have become the 295th First Sword and ended up standing here.
But the first First Sword had sensed defeat against Cha Du-seong after just a few exchanges and hurriedly sent out messengers to summon all of Gwangjin’s forces.
Kim Sung-woo and the other elites had rushed over in response, but it was already too late.
*Thud, crack!*
He still couldn’t forget it.
The sound that rang out when he’d followed the mutated being marker into the Children’s Grand Park.
Jang Tae-min had still been alive at that point.
*Thud, thwack!*
His arms and legs had just been twisted backward, leaving him unable to fight anymore.
And standing before Jang Tae-min’s utterly broken body was the mutated being, casting a long shadow.
He’d been relentlessly punching the face of Jang Tae-min, once Gwangjin’s strongest.
*Thud… thump.*
[Athlete-Cha Du-seong]
The support forces froze the moment they saw the mutated being’s nameplate.
Cha Du-seong. A boxing prodigy who’d won gold in his human days.
But due to his brutal temper, he’d gotten kicked out of boxing after an assault charge, then spiraled into a life of beatings, extortion, and property damage.
So of course he’d ended up on the elimination list.
But who could have known?
When given the choice, Cha Du-seong had picked “mutation,” and on reset day three, he’d returned to Gwangjin.
Then he’d killed Jang Tae-min and hundreds of Gwangjin elites who came at his call.
Yet even that hadn’t quenched his rage, so he’d started playing games with the survivors.
A game called death sparring.
Dodge even one of Cha Du-seong’s punches, and you could leave alive.
Of course, no one had succeeded, and now it was Kim Sung-woo’s turn.
“Over here.”
Cha Du-seong pointed with a pale finger to Kim Sung-woo’s grave spot.
Gwangjin’s third-day mutated being, Cha Du-seong, was a ghoul about two meters tall.
A monster that tore into corpses, a zombie subspecies.
“Hoo… huuup.”
Out of breath.
Kim Sung-woo stood where the opponent had indicated, squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again.
Once called up here… he was as good as dead.
A quick glance back revealed dozens of survivors watching him anxiously.
Soon after he died, the 296th Gwangjin First Sword would emerge from that group.
“…Ah.”
His legs shook uncontrollably.
Kim Sung-woo finally saw Cha Du-seong’s horrific shadow fall over his feet.
And then.
-Screeeeech!
“Huh…?”
He even spotted a superhuman on a black horse appearing beyond Cha Du-seong’s shoulder, near the park entrance.
* * *
*Crunch, crunch!*
The unfamiliar iron hoofbeats sent chills down their spines.
Gwangjin’s elites lined up before Cha Du-seong despaired.
They thought another mutated being had appeared.
But.
“What… what the hell is that stench?”
Seeing genuine fear flicker across Cha Du-seong’s vicious face for the first time changed their minds.
‘What the?’
‘There’s only one smell that could make a mutated being react like that, right?’
‘…Mutant gear.’
That was right.
In this world, the only thing that could unsettle a mutated being with scent alone was mutant-grade gear stained with a dead mutated being’s odor.
|This gear carries the scent of a mutated being. Other mutated beings may detect it and become wary.
In other words, the freak approaching from over there wasn’t a mutated being at all, but someone equipped with mutant gear…
“Gyeongbuk First Sword…?”
Someone in the crowd read the purple title now within sight.
The others echoed the words like madmen.
“First Sword? First Sword?”
“A First Sword’s here?”
But then the mood shifted slightly.
“Wait, which district’s First Sword?”
It was a miracle a First Sword had shown up before they all died, but it wasn’t enough.
Because the mutated being he had to face was none other than Cha Du-seong.
A former boxing gold medalist now empowered with a ghoul’s mighty body, a furious mutated being.
He’d crushed Gwangjin First Sword Jang Tae-min like snapping chopsticks, so some random First Sword wouldn’t cut it.
At least.
‘Someone like Gangnam First Sword…’
The moment the would-be corpses thought that, the First Sword in question, now twenty meters away, leaped from his horse.
*Thud!*
His black cape flared, revealing the golden armor beneath in all its glory.
“Whoa.”
“…Oh?”
The three pieces of golden gear from the Golden Ratio route, plus the relic helmet “Vanguard.”
This First Sword—Jeong Yeong-woo07—looked more knightly than anyone since the reset.
Not perfect, but damn close to a fantasy knight.
*Clank.*
As Yeong-woo’s silver boots hit the ground, Cha Du-seong, who’d only turned his head, fully twisted around to face him.
“What are you?”
Cha Du-seong’s twisted nose twitched nonstop as he growled.
It was the far stronger reek of mutant gear.
The crushed First Sword back there had smelled off too, but not like this.
In short, this new arrival was way stronger than the one he’d beaten hours ago.
“I asked what you are.”
Cha Du-seong demanded in a far angrier tone.
Only then did Yeong-woo speak.
“Can’t you tell by looking? I thought even mutated beings could read Korean.”
Yeong-woo’s tone was sharp too.
He could tell this mutated being had a vicious stench fetish without even talking.
Add the hundreds of corpses strewn around the Children’s Park… anyone unmoved wouldn’t be human.
“What’re you waiting for? Come at me.”
Yeong-woo confirmed the opponent’s height, drew Underdog, and sheathed Dragon’s Legacy, sensing this one was different. Cha Du-seong tensed his whole body.
But then.
“W-wait a second!”
An unexpected figure jumped between the two monsters.
“...?”
Yeong-woo turned toward the voice in confusion, and the pale-faced Gwangjin First Sword came into view.
295th Gwangjin First Sword, Kim Sung-woo102.
And the line that soon spilled from his mouth.
“A-are you… alone?”
“Pardon…?”
A ridiculous question rooted in disbelief: was the backup really just him?
“What about the others from the meeting? Like Jeong Hyun-sik?”
“Ah.”
Yeong-woo finally got what he was worried about and let out a short groan.
Fair enough. He’d seen the prior Gwangjin First Sword get brutally crushed, then toyed with by the mutated being for a full two hours.
“Don’t worry. Two more will be here soon…”
As Yeong-woo tried to reassure him.
*Whiiish!*
A massive whoosh of air, and the sense steal message appeared.
「Sense stat temporarily boosted from 800 to 2,410.」
“...!”
The opponent’s sense stat was a whopping 3,220.
‘What the hell? This guy’s higher than President Kim Tae-jun.’
Of course, Yeong-woo had grown too.
Right now, all his stats were up another notch from “Idealist,” and on top of that.
「Golden Oath」 - Legendary Chestplate
【Enemy attack power reduced by 50%.】
【Cumulative Golden Ratio: 6】
He had this overwhelming new armor.
Thanks to that.
*Whoosh!*
“…Huh.”
Yeong-woo, who’d once lagged even in sprints against normals, dodged the boxing gold medalist’s punch.
“You little shit…?”
Cha Du-seong’s face twisted in disbelief.
The distance was decent, but he’d never dreamed the guy could dodge.
“You’re lucky, you fucker.”
With his pride scratched, Cha Du-seong dropped into a real fighting stance. As Yeong-woo raised his sword to match.
*Ping!*
A quest alert sounded out of nowhere, granting his first extra Dogo quest.
[Dogo] “Romanticism”
<Mission> Defeat Cha Du-seong in a bare-handed solo duel.
<Reward> 2 million karma
<Special> You must disclose Dogo’s support for this mission.