Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: 32. Traitor's Brand (1)
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“Damn...!”
Stigma: Traitor's Brand.
For the crime of stealing North Korea's assets, his location was exposed to their First Swords.
Yeongwoo felt unjust for some reason, but since nothing in the tooltip was particularly wrong, he had no choice but to accept it.
First, stealing the Kaesong First Sword title, which belonged to North Korea?
‘That's a fact. I admit it.’
Second, was that really a crime?
‘Regardless of the reason, I killed someone, so yeah, it's a crime. Though strictly speaking, the System seems to judge it as the act of taking a foreign title itself, not the murder.’
『Traitor's Brand: North Korea』
|You have stolen North Korea's assets. To punish this crime, all of North Korea's First Swords will learn your location.
No matter what Yeongwoo thought of this stigma, what was already decided wouldn't be overturned.
Therefore.
‘...I'm screwed.’
He was now North Korea's top-priority fugitive.
Relations between the two Koreas weren't great to begin with, so it was obvious something ugly would happen because of this.
‘A war breaking out over this wouldn't be surprising at all.’
North Korea was already short on supplies, abandoning its outer cities.
They might launch a massive southward operation at this opportunity.
Dozens of North Korean First Swords crossing the Military Demarcation Line to hunt the South Korean trash who stole their national title...
“......”
Shaking off the horrific imagination, Yeongwoo spotted the golden goblin excitedly rummaging through corpses in the distance.
-Kikkit! Kit!
‘Right. This isn't the first crisis. Gotta find a way to survive somehow.’
Soon, the golden goblin came running back, clutching a handful of coins and the gear from the Kaesong First Sword.
-Kit!
It dumped the coins and equipment at Yeongwoo's feet like a report.
“He had a surprising amount of loose change.”
Using Serpent of Greed, Yeongwoo checked for any valuables the goblin missed, then examined the loot at his feet.
‘Coins first... 34.’
34,000 karma.
He had dumped all his money into stats to survive the dungeon back then, so any cash was welcome no matter the amount.
‘Three pieces of gear.’
Spoils from the Kaesong First Sword: spear, ring, bracelet—three items total.
All mutation-grade, so he'd probably invested his karma into stats and body.
‘Makes sense, given his massive build.’
Picking up the spear on the ground, an equipment tooltip appeared.
「Ironclad Slicer」 - Mutation Spear
【Ignores 50% physical damage reduction.】
‘Whoa, that's nastier than I thought.’
It was main-weapon worthy, but spears couldn't be belted, so he'd have to give one of his three current weapons to the goblin.
Dullahan's sword, which extended up to 6 meters.
Underdog, stronger against large foes.
Dragon's Legacy, powerful against Grade 2 or lower targets.
‘Nothing to discard. Underdog, maybe?’
Dullahan's sword was a contender too, but its 6-meter max reach was irreplaceable.
“Hmm.”
After pondering, Yeongwoo suddenly thought of something and asked the golden goblin.
“Hey.”
-Kit!
“You understand me perfectly, right?”
-Keet!
“If a fight breaks out, can you wait nearby and throw me a weapon when I ask?”
The goblin suddenly shut its mouth.
-......
It could, but didn't want to—that seemed to be the message.
“I don't have a weapon codex slot right now, so play squire for me.”
Yeongwoo informed it unilaterally and handed over Underdog.
“If the enemy looks bigger than me, get ready to throw this.”
-...Kikeek.
The goblin made a weird noise as it took Underdog.
But it obediently stowed it in its subspace pouch.
As a ‘slave,’ it had to obey orders as best it could.
“Good thing the rest are accessories. I can just slot them into the codex.”
Yeongwoo's gaze fell on the two accessories from the Kaesong First Sword.
「Flame Ward」 - Mutation Ring
【10% fire resistance.】
「Gaze」 - Mutation Bracelet
【Senses +500.】
“Oh...?”
Confirming the new loot tooltips, Yeongwoo widened his eyes.
The senses-boosting bracelet was an instant win, and the fire resistance gear was his first of its kind.
Planning for the eventual dragon fight, he intended to collect elemental resistance items one by one.
Shiiiing!
Registering both accessories in the codex, the number ‘16’ briefly appeared before his eyes.
〔16〕
The current count of registered accessories in the codex.
Four more, and the second codex effect would trigger.
‘Ah... I want all the codexes. They're way too OP.’
But that meant entering another insane-difficulty Night Dungeon, and surviving until tonight.
Against Seoul's mutants arriving at 1 PM, and North Korea's assassins who could strike anytime.
‘Life's getting more dynamic by the minute.’
Finally checking his stats, as a new alert had appeared after registering the Flame Ward ring.
「Resistance stats added to status window.」
‘Resistance display? Starting to equip resistance gear?’
Opening his status, resistances now showed at the bottom.
『Character: Jeong Yeongwoo07』
[Strength] 3,100 (19+3,081)
[Endurance] 2,548 (21+2,527)
[Durability] 3,048 (13+3,035)
[Senses] 1,400 (24+1,376)
|Fire Resistance: 10%
|Supernatural Resistance: 10%
* Available Karma: 34,000
‘Fire-breathing monsters will show up a lot ahead, but what's supernatural resistance?’
Tilting his head, Yeongwoo decided to grab supernatural resistance gear whenever he saw it.
‘Resistances exist for a reason. Prep now to use them at crucial moments.’
Finishing up, Yeongwoo stretched and looked skyward. The sun had climbed higher.
“Whew.”
He exhaled deeply, then pulled out his unique ring, Wave.
「Wave」 - Unique Ring
【Voice transmission to the region's First Swords.】
|Region: Seoul
He spoke carefully into it.
《C... Can you hear me?》
Naturally, no reply from this one-way device. Realizing this, Yeongwoo spoke again.
《Today's meeting is at 11 AM, about 40 minutes from now, in front of Paju City Hall. Urgent matters to discuss—attend if possible.》
After that, about to head to Paju City Hall, he felt something missing and added.
《I'm coming back from North Korea. Come hear about it.》
* * *
Seoul buzzed at the meeting notice from the new Gangnam First Sword, Jeong Yeongwoo.
Unusual venue outside Seoul aside, the meeting was just 40 minutes from announcement.
Practically, drop everything and run.
—He calls us unilaterally and acts this rude? 40 minutes means sprint barefoot.
Some were furious, but none dared refuse.
Because.
—North Korea...?
—Back from North Korea?
—What bullshit is this.
—No quiet days.
Yeongwoo's final ‘North Korea’ hook.
In a post-Reset world where tycoons and celebs turned to monsters one by one.
Who could skip the Gangnam First Sword's North Korea tale?
—North Korea... Kim Jong-un's probably on the mutant list.
—Back from there with urgent news...? Unsettling.
—What crazy shit did this guy do now.
Especially past attendees, having seen him unbox Jeong Hyun-sik's corpse and devour the mutation disguise, felt fear at his ‘urgent’ words.
What could make that monster call something urgent?
Most bolted from their districts to Paju upon notice.
—Gangnam First Sword's something else. Making me run barefoot?
—Why Paju? And this time?
Still, arrive by 11 AM.
Distant First Swords ditched dignity for barefoot high-speed runs.
Meanwhile, the source of the commotion.
Kwaang, kwaang!
Riding Iron Horse Neguig, hurrying out of Kaesong City.
Distance from Kaesong to Paju City Hall matched Seoul to Paju.
Kwaang!
He set 11 AM considering mutant spawn times.
Enough buffer for everyone to return post-meeting.
‘And can't meet in Yongsan—not knowing when North's First Swords might come.’
North's First Swords had districts too, unlikely to move rashly mornings.
To reclaim the title, they'd likely head south around 3-4 PM, post-mutant chaos.
‘North Korea's top title is Joseon First Sword? South's probably Republic First Sword or something.’
As Yeongwoo mused, Gyeongui Line tracks appeared ahead.
Back in South Korea's Paju outskirts.
Pak!
|Current area: ‘Paju’
|No First Sword in this region.
Last night's Paju status appeared, and deeper in, tracks over Imjin River.
‘I should arrive soon...’
About to cross via tracks.
-Graang.
A small vibration and cat mewl from his pocket.
“...What?”
Already scanning surroundings.
That vibration was surely.
「Frightened Cat」 - Narrative Compass
【Points to threats.】
【Strength +25% on bleed.】
The threat detector's alarm.
“Hold up. Nothing visible—why's the cat crying?”
Pulling Neguig's reins to stop, sensing oddity.
Kuiiiing...!
Strange whoosh from somewhere, vision dyed deep purple.
His legendary martial art ‘Lome's Floor’ warning intensely.
‘Uh-oh!’
Hologram yanking Neguig's neck back.
‘What?’
No reasonless action.
Yeongwoo yanked Neguig's neck rearward.
-Kkueeek!
Where Neguig's forehead had been.
Piiiing!
A beam of light slammed down at insane speed, piercing ground.
Kwaak!
‘Crazy...!’
An arrow.
Silver-white metal arrow.
‘Sniper.’
More attacks incoming.
Hwot!
Frightened Cat already pointed northwest.
“......!”
Turning, a woman on distant low hill, bow raised.
And her title above her head.
『Hwanghae First Sword』
“Hwang...”
Before Yeongwoo read fully.
Piiiing!
“You thieving bastard! Hand over your neck nicely!”