Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: 34. Tectonic Shift (6)
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Pangea.
Just as foretold by the achievement, what would happen if every continent truly fused into one?
‘Will a war really break out, like General Kim Young-heum said?’
When landmasses collided, it was no different from borders physically slamming together.
In simple terms, for Korea, it could mean a land bridge forming with the nearest island nation, Japan.
‘And who knows what else might happen. The achievement mentioned Pangea, but the continents could connect in a completely different way.’
The defining feature of the original Pangea was North and South America, Africa, and India clustered together.
Meanwhile, Eurasia was mostly lumped at the northern edge, not drastically different from its current shape.
In other words, for Korea, the expected change was something on the level of a land connection to Japan.
‘But if it’s just called Pangea but shaped entirely differently...’
For example, what if the ‘post-Reset Pangea’ formed a massive ring-shaped continent?
‘Then no one could predict which country might end up bordering the Korean Peninsula.’
Realistically, Japan or the Philippines were prime candidates, but it could turn out completely otherwise.
That was because Yeong-woo’s thoughts so far had assumed the tectonic shift would preserve the current topography to some degree.
‘Well, with a sword duel against Kim Jong-un on the horizon, a little earth-shaking is no big deal.’
Having been through so much already, Yeong-woo accepted ‘Pangea’ with surprising ease.
And above all else.
Kwa-quit, kwa-at!
Yeong-woo’s attention was entirely fixed on the red pillar of light visible in the distance.
‘It’s... still alive!’
A mutant that had survived this long.
To Yeong-woo, a mutant was as good as a dungeon entry ticket, which meant...
‘If things go well tonight, I could snag another entry in the compendium.’
Eyes gleaming with excitement, Yeong-woo checked the regional status.
|You are currently in ‘Yeoncheon.’
|This region’s First Sword is ‘Jo Seong-sik14.’ 2 kills, 11 defenses.
The city he was crossing was Yeoncheon County in Gyeonggi Province.
But the light pillar he was watching had fallen not in Yeoncheon, but in the opposite city of Cheorwon.
So the reason the red pillar had just twitched like that was probably...
‘The Yeoncheon First Sword is in Cheorwon right now?’
That seemed likely.
Because.
“Huh? What’s that?”
“M-Monster...!”
“Alert! Sound the alarm!”
Even as people mistook Yeong-woo for a new monster and rang their bells to raise the alarm, no First Sword appeared.
A golden flying greatsword hovering in midair above the Iron Horse Negig.
The impressions of those two were so overpowering that no one dared even glance at the title floating over Yeong-woo’s head.
‘Wow. More people than I thought.’
About a third of the Yeoncheon residents in sight were even in military uniforms.
As a forward region, there were plenty of bases, so soldiers had a high survival rate right after the Reset.
Judging by the makeshift checkpoint ahead, it looked like the locals had entrusted security to the troops voluntarily.
“Huh?”
“S-Stop!”
Of course, this was the post-Reset world where soldiers drew swords instead of guns.
Chwa-aat!
The sight of uniformed men pulling medieval-style longswords from their waists was utterly alien even to Yeong-woo’s eyes.
But given the circumstances, he had no time for them. He ordered Negig to leap forward.
-Kkueeeik!
Negig kicked off the ground with its pitch-black iron hooves and vaulted high over the barricade the soldiers had set up.
“...Gasp?”
“......!”
In an instant, the suspicious figure had passed the checkpoint.
“What was that just now?”
“Joseon... First Sword?”
A few soldiers belatedly spotted Yeong-woo’s ‘Joseon First Sword’ title, but none dared believe it referred to *the* First Sword.
Who would think a human owned a golden greatsword flying through the sky and a jet-black steel horse?
Kwa-aak!
By then, Yeong-woo and Negig had landed beyond the checkpoint and headed straight for Cheorwon.
Pa-at!
The regional status updated.
But.
|You are currently in ‘Cheorwon.’
|This region’s First Sword is ‘Kim Kwang-yong06.’ 1 kill, 8 defenses.
“Huh? What?”
Contrary to expectations, Cheorwon had a First Sword.
‘Then who’s fighting over there...?’
Tilting his head in confusion, Yeong-woo pressed deeper into Cheorwon and soon found his answer.
* * *
Yeoncheon First Sword Jo Seong-sik14.
Cheorwon First Sword Kim Kwang-yong06.
Both men thought the same thing at once.
‘...We’re fucked.’
The mutant that had appeared in Cheorwon was just too strong.
[Cheorwon County Executive-Son Jun-yong]
Son Jun-yong.
An ambitious politician who’d launched a county redevelopment project right after taking office as executive—turns out his ambition was just a passion for bribes.
Most of the construction contracts tied to the project had been exposed as corrupt.
‘Goddamn it, shouldn’t corrupt bastards like this come back as weak-ass monsters?’
Cheorwon First Sword Kim Kwang-yong gritted his teeth as his shield-bearing left arm went numb.
Just blocking Son Jun-yong’s attacks was starting to strain his body.
The corrupt executive’s strength was overwhelming.
「Heh heh, starting to buckle, are we?」
The mutant body Son Jun-yong had taken was an ogre towering four meters tall.
Its weapon was a massive iron club of absurd size and power—far too much to parry with a sword.
He had to block with his shield or dodge completely to survive even one exchange.
But now even blocking was reaching its limit, so it was only a matter of time before their bodies crumpled.
The other First Sword present, Jo Seong-sik, didn’t even have a shield.
‘At this rate, we’re both dead soon.’
‘Should we go all-out together and at least take it down with us...?’
As the two First Swords exchanged glances in their desperate straits, Cheorwon County Executive Son Jun-yong bellowed in a guttural roar.
「You bastards, quit your pointless struggling!」
He knew full well they were about to charge in a final, do-or-die assault.
Hwooo-uk!
A heavy presence followed, and Son Jun-yong’s massive frame suddenly retreated.
“......?”
“What?”
The two First Swords whipped their heads around, tracking the opponent who’d vanished from view.
「Ha.」
A triumphant grin spread across Son Jun-yong’s face, perched four meters high.
Then.
Booo-wook!
Without hesitation, the iron club cleaved through the air.
A wide horizontal sweep from right to left, meant to smash them both in one blow.
“D-Dodge!”
“You crazy bastard.”
Their visions were already flashing red with warnings from their Regional Swordsmanship instincts, screaming for emergency evasion.
But instinct told them it was too late.
Because.
“......!”
They hadn’t even moved yet, and the club’s shadow was already at their feet.
‘This fucker’s been toying with us this whole time.’
Realizing only now that Son Jun-yong had been holding back, Kim Kwang-yong seethed with rage that felt like it would burst his temples.
And as if that fury had taken physical form.
Puuu-ung!
“......?”
“Huh?”
A purple explosion erupted from Son Jun-yong’s right hand gripping the club.
「You fucking...!」
The one most shocked by the sudden blast was Son Jun-yong himself.
Agonizing pain shot from the back of his right hand, and cracks spiderwebbed across the iron club.
「You goddamn shits, what the hell did you just do?!」
Barely opening one eye through the pain surging to his scalp, Son Jun-yong glared at the two First Swords with grinding teeth.
Naturally, he assumed one of them had unleashed a final trump card.
Even a cornered rat bites the cat, after all.
But.
Pew-yu-uuu-ut!
A faint whoosh followed—a shot from outside the battlefield.
“Huh!”
“Someone else is here...?”
Finally noticing the third party, the two First Swords turned west to see a mounted archer nocking an arrow hundreds of meters away.
“Fuck, what’s that?”
“W-Who...?”
Then.
Puuu-ung!
Another explosion rocked Son Jun-yong’s vicinity, shattering the right hand still clutching the club.
Thud, plop.
A massive finger rolled to the feet of the two First Swords as proof.
But what was truly shocking was Cheorwon County Executive Son Jun-yong’s reaction.
「You little fuckeeer!」
Despite his right hand being utterly pulverized, he didn’t writhe in pain—instead, he sprang up and charged the interloper.
Kwa-bang, kwa-bang!
His skin had turned bright red all over, unlike before.
‘B-Berserk mode or something?’
Just as the two First Swords suspected, Yeong-woo sensed something was up as the mutant charged at incredible speed.
‘Looks like it goes berserk when HP or stamina drops below a threshold.’
A common game mechanic, easy enough to grasp, but seeing it firsthand was a novelty.
‘Mutants with their own gimmicks are starting to show up. Guess that means chaebol heirs turning into dragons or Kim Jong-un won’t be pushovers either.’
So he’d need to handle a strengthening mutant like this with ease.
Kung, kwa-ang!
Yeong-woo dismounted Negig to meet Son Jun-yong, who’d closed in.
Chlek!
At the same moment, ‘Golden Trajectory’ emitted a powerful hum.
-Oooung!
As if awaiting launch approval.
‘Oh... right. You’re the auto-combat sword, aren’t you?’
「Golden Trajectory」 - Legendary Two-Handed Greatsword
【Auto-Combat】
|Floor of Rhom
A legendary two-handed greatsword loaded with a martial art used by otherworldly prisoners.
Yeong-woo had never quite grasped how this sword pulled off auto-combat, so he approved the launch without hesitation.
With a nod toward the blade.
‘This... does it count as approval?’
Having sent his signal, Yeong-woo stared at Golden Trajectory—while Son Jun-yong, now just twenty meters away, rolled his eyes wildly.
「Joseon First Sword...? Ha, you shits messing with me?」
To a freshly Reset politician like him, titles like ‘First Sword’ must’ve sounded laughable.
‘But I wonder if my sword finds it funny.’
The moment Yeong-woo reached for his waistband sword.
Kwa-deuk!
“......?”
Golden Trajectory slammed its broad blade deep into the asphalt.
“What the—aren’t you supposed to auto-combat?!”
Wondering if he’d been scammed at last, Yeong-woo’s eyes widened—then the golden greatsword revved like a high-output engine.
-Weeeeeeng!
And then.
「Dieeee!」
Just as Son Jun-yong lunged at Yeong-woo.
Kwa-gwa-gwat!
It scooped up the road’s asphalt and hurled it at the mutant’s brow.
‘You sneaky bastard, seriously?’