Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: 28. At Last, the Catastrophe (5)
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Splaaat!
An ominous sound of impact.
Then, a rough, uneven texture transmitted to Yeong-woo's palm, which had enveloped Cha Du-seong's head.
It was because Cha Du-seong's skull had shattered, twisting his scalp.
He had probably died from that single blow.
“…Ugh.”
As Yeong-woo shuddered and pulled his hand away from the opponent, Cha Du-seong's massive body toppled to the floor.
Thud!
Soon after, a streak of white light shot up from beside his head toward the sky.
Fwaaash!
A supernatural phenomenon signaling the death of a mutant.
“…….”
Perhaps that was the mutant's soul.
Yeong-woo watched the light emerging from Cha Du-seong's body until it completely vanished beyond the sky.
Then, a short while later.
Ping!
A brief alert sound accompanied the quest completion message.
[Quest Complete - “Romanticism”]
[Reward Issued]
|3,000,000 Karma
As promised, the reward had been increased to 3 million Karma, and once again, the form of payment was.
Shiiiing!
A credit card.
“Huh?”
“Eek……!”
As a piece of metal came hurtling down from the sky, everyone in the area except Yeong-woo freaked out.
And understandably so, for to an onlooker, it looked like a small blade falling from above.
However, this being his second time receiving a reward, Yeong-woo anticipated the card's landing spot and waited.
Tap.
He lightly picked up the card, which came to a precise stop 1.5 meters above the ground.
At that moment, the number 3,000,000 floated faintly above the card.
“3 million……?”
As expected, Seocho First Sword Choi Nam-hee, instinctively sensing that it represented some kind of payout, muttered with wide eyes.
Receiving 3 million in one lump sum was something only possible through the ‘Quantum Choice’ quest.
Yet this frontier First Sword had summoned money from somewhere even before touching the golden orb.
“What is it? Exactly……?”
Choi Nam-hee muttered loudly on purpose, as if for Yeong-woo to hear.
But Yeong-woo, lacking confidence in explaining alien brands and such to them, simply.
“…….”
Omitted any explanation of the ‘card’ and placed his hand on the orb.
“I’ll summon the golden rain one more time. No objections, right?”
It was practically a declaration.
Even setting aside the fact that he had handled the entire battle alone, no one dared object to the blood-soaked figure.
And above all, in the eyes of the First Swords, Yeong-woo seemed somehow different.
‘Who the hell is this guy hanging around with……?’
Songpa First Sword Oh Yeon-hee’s gaze turned toward the sky from where the card had shot down earlier.
A First Sword who had slain mutants for three days straight would naturally grow curious about the structure of this world.
It was only natural to develop intense interest in karma, the common currency of the reset world.
Yet there was someone receiving karma dropped from the sky of all places……?
Something beyond mere curiosity was inevitable.
“Gwangjin District will probably need a lot of money to rebuild.”
In the end, Oh Yeon-hee nodded on behalf of everyone present, and the moment Yeong-woo saw it, he manipulated the golden orb.
[Distribute 30,000 Karma to all residents in the area]
The orb, receiving Yeong-woo’s command, soon thrummed rapidly, then—as always—shot up into the sky and exploded.
Boom boom boom!
The third golden rain to fall over Seoul already.
As the golden light dyeing the sky began cascading to the ground, Gwangjin District’s survivors gaped in awe.
And the two First Swords who had followed Yeong-woo here were once again amazed. It was unavoidable for any human.
“…Hmm. Still amazing no matter how many times I see it.”
“Given that this rain only falls when choosing the 30,000 distribution…”
Oh Yeon-hee started to add something but clamped her mouth shut.
She had nearly blurted out a thought from her mind.
The thought that perhaps this was the ‘right answer.’
《Gyeongbuk First Sword ‘Jeong Yeong-woo07’ has given up his 3 million Karma monopoly and gifted 30,000 Karma to all Gwangjin residents.》
《Commemorative coins worth 30,000 Karma will be distributed shortly. Prepare yourselves.》
Next came the final event of the golden rain: the commemorative coins.
Pop, pop!
Thanks to Yeong-woo, Gwangjin District’s survivors who had been spared—and likewise the two First Swords who had lost out on at least 1 million in bonuses—each received three coins bearing the face of this troublemaker.
“Hmm.”
“…….”
As Seocho and Songpa First Swords stared at the now-familiar ‘Jeong Yeong-woo coins,’ the man on the portrait approached and spoke.
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Of course, still drenched in blood, he left the two First Swords facing him with awkward smiles.
“So now… is everything done? You’ve received all your rewards? Something like gear must have dropped.”
Choi Nam-hee subtly broached the topic of item distribution, but it was futile.
“Yes. Since we agreed to return to our districts once the job was done, I should head back to Gangnam.”
Saying this, Yeong-woo glanced at the Gwangjin inspectors standing awkwardly off to the side.
“By the way, what happens to Gwangjin District now? It’s essentially without a First Sword.”
As Yeong-woo said, Gwangjin District was now literally in ruins.
Thanks to the mutant not straying beyond the children’s park, the survivor infrastructure represented by ‘residential zones’ had been preserved, but there was no First Sword to fend off tomorrow’s mutant.
“Right.”
“Indeed. This is our first time dealing with something like this…….”
Seocho and Songpa First Swords both made troubled faces simultaneously.
It had never occurred to them that a First Sword might fail against a mutant.
Yet starting from today, the third day of the reset, incidents were breaking out.
Then what might happen tomorrow, entering day four?
“…….”
The First Swords newly realized that the reset was a ‘catastrophe.’
And that those who were not First Swords had been living in the catastrophe all along.
“For now, we need to recover the body. Thanks to everyone here, the district residents suffered no losses.”
As expected of a former cop, Choi Nam-hee’s thinking.
At this, Songpa’s Oh Yeon-hee spoke to Yeong-woo.
“Gangnam is probably in quite a chaotic state right now too. We’ll handle cleanup here and request personnel from Yongsan, so go ahead.”
“Is that okay? Then I’ll impose on you.”
Yeong-woo bowed to the two First Swords and the Gwangjin group, then immediately summoned Negig.
From afar, where it had been emitting a thick sense of unease, Negig came bounding over and stood before Yeong-woo.
-Kweeek!
And following that.
-Kik!
The golden goblin, who had been secretly rummaging through the body of the inaugural Gwangjin First Sword, came scampering up.
‘What were you doing?’
Seeing this, Yeong-woo soon realized.
‘…Ah.’
Come to think of it, he had been so fixated on the devastation at the grand park that he’d forgotten to collect the ‘spoils.’
Harsh as it was, even the inaugural Gwangjin First Sword, killed by Cha Du-seong, must have had signature gear.
-Kikit!
Sure enough, the golden goblin’s half-open subspace pouch was stuffed full.
Likely the deceased’s belongings.
Something no human could do, but fortunately, the golden goblin was neither human nor even from Earth.
“P-Please… enter!”
295th Gwangjin First Sword belatedly rushed over for a send-off, but.
Vroooom!
Yeong-woo had already grabbed the goblin and shot away like a bullet.
* * *
Current time: 4:14 PM.
Though mounted on an iron horse from another world, Yeong-woo felt truly at peace.
From starting as the roommate of the rapist Im Bong-hee, who hid his past, to now—so many things had happened.
And through all those events, Yeong-woo had never once let his guard down. Mostly because he’d been the weak one, the challenger.
But now……
Vroom, vroom!
As Negig carrying Yeong-woo streaked black trails through the Konkuk University Station intersection, roadside onlookers jumped in shock and blankly stared at the path of the unidentified object.
Not only was the speed blistering, but the glimpsed form of the rider was so bizarre they couldn’t comprehend what they’d just seen.
Meanwhile, Yeong-woo felt profound relief knowing he could impose a little on this world without further threats.
At least for today, no more life-or-death struggles awaited.
‘Over three hours until the major announcement. Time to rest for once.’
Vroooom!
Passing Konkuk University Station, through Ttukseom, and finally reaching Cheongdam Bridge leading to Gangnam—Yeong-woo’s pupils suddenly dilated.
“Huh?”
Both sides of the 1.2-kilometer Cheongdam Bridge were lined with people in suits standing in long rows.
‘No way, Taewon Group people?’
Of course, with some leaning on railings or sitting on the ground, they seemed to be taking a brief break.
Perhaps they’d sent escort teams to every bridge, unsure which one the new Gangnam First Sword would cross.
In any case, a short time later, it became clear they were Taewon Group employees.
Vroooom!
As Negig entered Cheongdam Bridge with a massive presence, the dazed people swiftly reformed their ranks.
And above all.
Swish.
About 200 meters ahead, at the bridge’s center, people waiting there laboriously hoisted something up, making it certain.
Fwoosh!
『We welcome Jeong Yeong-woo’s inauguration as Gangnam First Sword.』
- Taewon Group Employees
It was a banner.
A welcome banner for the reset world… hand-made, which somehow felt even more like a massive corporation.
One could glimpse their stubborn desire to recreate something from the previous world.
“Welcome! Jeong Yeong-woo……!”
Soon, the Taewon Group employees bowed deeply to the First Sword riding past on the iron horse, and thus Yeong-woo entered Gangnam like a triumphant general.
* * *
At the same time, in the outskirts of Bugok-dong, Gumi City, Gyeongsangbuk-do.
In this area pierced by the Gyeongbu Expressway connecting Gimcheon and Gumi, a boy clutching a long spear shaft appeared.
“Phew, still the same here.”
His hands covered in scratches, his legs even more battered.
The boy glanced at the regional status in the air, then looked toward the two red pillars dominating Gumi City’s sky.
Then.
“Guess Uncle really went to Seoul.”
With a strange smile, he stepped barefoot toward the heart of Gumi City.
|You are currently in the ‘Gumi’ area.
|This area has no First Sword.