Chapter 158
Chapter 158
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 158
Chapter Title: 38. Hot Night (2)
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“Here, this is Choi Jong-seon from Yangju, and her child.”
As Yeong-woo introduced the Yangju First Sword and her baby one after another, Im Seon-ah gave them a big smile in welcome.
It was just like the eccentric Jeong Yeong-woo to introduce a newborn infant as his “heir.”
“Ah, I see. I’m Im Seon-ah, deputy manager of the Taewon Group’s secretariat. Pleasure to meet you.”
She then shot Yeong-woo a sidelong glance, her eyes asking what the hell was going on.
Every time Yeong-woo returned to Gangnam, he kept bringing in outsiders without permission, which was putting Seon-ah in an awkward spot.
“Aah… I had no choice but to bring them along after I blew Yangju City to kingdom come. We needed a First Sword to handle Gwangjin District anyway… Could you explain it properly to the Taewon side?”
“You blew up Yangju City…?”
Since Jeong Yeong-woo had said it, it didn’t sound like hyperbole but literal fact, so Seon-ah asked with her eyes wide open.
“It just kinda happened that way.”
“…….”
What the hell did he have to do to “kinda” blow up an entire city?
“…Then I’ll prepare lodgings near headquarters for Choi Jong-seon to stay in.”
“Yes. And.”
Yeong-woo pointed at Kim Jeong-gu with his hand.
Swoosh.
“This is Kim Jeong-gu. My father.”
At that, Seon-ah failed to keep a straight face for the first time.
“Huh?”
She looked back and forth between Yeong-woo and Jeong-gu with an expression that screamed it couldn’t be true.
The mere fact that this lunatic First Sword had a father was shocking enough, but even more astonishing was…
“Kim…….”
The different surnames between Jeong Yeong-woo and his father.
It was the first glimpse that Yeong-woo’s background wasn’t ordinary.
On top of that, wasn’t Gangnam the territory he’d seized after killing the previous holder and his son?
Bringing his own father there was extraordinarily bold.
“It’s an honor to meet you, sir. I’m Im Seon-ah.”
Seon-ah bowed deeply in greeting, and Kim Jeong-gu awkwardly nodded back with a stiff expression.
“P-pleased to meet you. I’m Kim Jeong-gu.”
Given the situation, even Jeong-gu didn’t bother insisting he wasn’t Yeong-woo’s father this time.
“Then should I prepare lodgings for your father as well?”
When Seon-ah asked, Yeong-woo shook his head against everyone’s expectations.
“No need to go to extra trouble. He can just stay at my place.”
“……?”
Kim Jeong-gu stared at Yeong-woo with a what-the-hell-do-you-mean expression.
But since Seon-ah was essentially Yeong-woo’s subordinate, she nodded despite Jeong-gu’s face.
“Yes. I’ll prepare it as you said. Anything else?”
“Yes. Just in case, ask Jong-su and Officer Kwon Tae-young too. See if they want to watch some TV in my room tonight.”
“Ah… Got it.”
It was a head-scratcher for Seon-ah, but Yeong-woo meant it as a reward for his colleagues who’d worked hard for him.
Jong-su especially had said his reason for living in this world was to witness bizarre events impossible in the previous one.
Like chaebol heirs turning into dragons and flying around.
So Jong-su would surely be hooked on the TV showing returnees’ rooms and powerhouses from around the world.
“Alright, all set? I’ve still got some work left, so I’ll leave Jong-seon with you for now.”
Yeong-woo signaled for Jong-seon to get off the mount, and Kim Jeong-gu asked with a pale face.
“Don’t I have to stay here too……?”
Yeong-woo beckoned to Jeong-gu from atop the Negig.
“What are you talking about? You’ve gotta try riding this iron horse from outer space while you’re at it. We’re only staying together for three days anyway, so let’s make some memories.”
* * *
A drive through Gangnam’s night streets on the iron horse Negig with his father.
Of course, it wasn’t your typical father-son outing—zero romance to it.
“What’re we doing tonight?”
When Jeong-gu asked from the back seat, Yeong-woo pointed to the black pillar of light visible ahead.
“Gotta meet the merchants in Gangnam, Gwangjin, and Paju. They’re collecting abnormal climate gear.”
“Abnormal climate gear……?”
“Yeah.”
Yeong-woo briefly explained abnormal climate immunity equipment and night dungeons to Jeong-gu.
Activate the orb left by a mutant on a night road, and you enter a dungeon where people from around the world gather.
“…N-no way.”
Naturally, Jeong-gu reacted with disbelief.
“I wouldn’t believe it either if I hadn’t seen it myself.”
People from all over the world teaming up in one dungeon for cooperative missions.
Even Yeong-woo, who’d been through all sorts of wild shit, had a hard time imagining it.
“…So how do you communicate in there? If they’re all foreigners.”
“Not sure if it’s just inside the dungeon or from reset point onward, but the language barrier just… vanishes.”
“Ah… Yeah, no reason it couldn’t.”
Kim Jeong-gu accepted it surprisingly easily.
“But.”
Yeong-woo added.
“The dungeon difficulty is pretty high, and if even one person breaks the rules, the whole party’s in danger. At least the last one was like that.”
“But you came back alive, right?”
“Yeah.”
Yeong-woo fell briefly into reminiscence.
He could only call it good luck.
Sicily’s Guardian Sword, Ottavio.
Tocancing’s Leopard, Ricardo.
There’d been a bit of friction at first, but they’d turned out to be excellent comrades.
But what if the next dungeon paired him with First Swords from countries like North Korea or Japan, where national sentiments clashed?
‘Sure, luck might pull good people again… but the odds of it sucking are pretty high too.’
That’s why Yeong-woo planned to form a party with his own country’s First Swords if possible.
Less infighting in the dungeon, and rewards funneled back home.
Therefore.
“…….”
The father in the back seat was one of the candidates for his “party.”
Born a 6th-class, he’d become Dobong’s strongest, after all.
‘He’s my dad anyway. Even if he still won’t admit it.’
In three days, he’d probably have to kill his father.
So before then, Yeong-woo wanted to feel something “fatherly” from the man.
Likely a desire born from long deprivation.
‘In a dungeon or extreme situation, maybe something’ll happen? Movies always have that trope.’
Of course, Yeong-woo knew better than anyone that movies and reality differed greatly.
He’d been reminded again when that so-called father had blatantly “side-eyed” him.
‘Would’ve been better off never knowing he existed.’
What even was this “father” thing people talked about? What did it feel like to have one…….
Kwaang, kwaang!
While Yeong-woo brooded with his back to Jeong-gu, Gangnam District’s merchant finally appeared ahead.
Goooooo……!
As usual, a bizarre silhouette loomed in the pitch-black pillar of light, and as Yeong-woo drove the Negig straight toward it, the broker Kubu appeared.
Sssrrrp.
The 9th-class cosmic merchant who used the air as eyelids.
—It’s an honor to see you again, human of Earth, strongest in Gyeongbuk, Gangnam, and north of the Korean Peninsula, Jeong Yeong-woo07!
Yeong-woo waited for Kubu’s self-introduction.
Wondering if its title had changed in the meantime.
Ever since learning this diligent broker’s official rank was way lower than expected, he’d grown curious about the alien.
—I am Kubu, chief of the Tentara Clan and guardian of Daro, here to broker this transaction.
‘Same as before.’
Not much time had passed since their last meeting anyway.
Still, as Yeong-woo looked a bit disappointed, Kubu blinked its huge eyes at him.
—You’re quite late.
“Yeah. Busy day. Glad the merchant’s still here, though. I figured they had closing time too.”
That was true.
He’d heard it straight from Shin Yeong-ju, Chungju’s First Sword at the time.
—Indeed. All auction-waiting caravans have returned, so only the Totum Night Armorer is available now.
—Shall we proceed with the transaction?
Totum Night Armorer.
Probably the default merchant assigned to Gangnam today.
“Of course. Let’s do it.”
Yeong-woo’s heart raced.
The merchants in the other two districts were likely prepping to close by now.
Sensing his urgency, Kubu started the trade immediately.
—Brokerage fee for this transaction is 10%, included in the item price.
—Displaying item list.
Kubu rolled its eyeball, and blue blotches appeared before Yeong-woo’s eyes, morphing into human letters.
Sssrrt.
1 — 「Crow」 - Hero Helmet
【Ignores void fog.】
◇ 110,000 Karma
2 — 「Full Power Strike」 - Relic Hammer
【15% power increase when two-handed.】
◇ 344,000 Karma
‘My god. Some big shot was waiting for me.’
Yeong-woo grinned at the top of the list.
Usually, items 1 and 2 were meh, but nothing here was trash.
‘Crow looks like abnormal climate gear, and Full Power Strike’ll be perfect for the weapon codex later.’
Sometimes, gear like this had insane cost-performance when slotted into the codex.
Full Power Strike was worth its price as a weapon alone, but with the effect permanently applied via codex? Game-changer.
But even better ones lurked below.
3 — 「Body Modification」 - Unique Spine
【Martial arts slot +1】
◇ 820,000 Karma
4 — 「Body Defect」 - Epic Chestplate
【Power increases up to 80% based on limb defects.】
◇ 4,100,000 Karma
‘Insane.’
Yeong-woo’s jaw dropped.
‘Extra martial arts slot means two sword techniques at once?’
His own question answered itself: yes.
Sure, there was the risk of replacing body parts with alien tech… but this was Jeong Yeong-woo07.
‘After slicing open bellies and eating guts, swapping a spine’s nothing.’
Plus, he had conditional anesthetic.
「Berserker」 - Mutation Talisman
【Ignores pain above a certain level.】
So the “equipping” process for that spine, whatever it was, wouldn’t faze him much.
Worst case, he’d get carved open, but it’d regenerate fast.
And in the same vein, the Epic Chestplate “Body Defect” was a must-buy.
‘Limb defects… means amputations, right?’
Probably for one-armed swordsmen or such, but Yeong-woo could exploit it too.
‘Cut by someone else or myself, doesn’t matter—as long as they’re missing, it triggers. Among folks with all limbs intact, I’ll use it best.’
Only downside: couldn’t ditch his current armor, so needed an armor codex.
And another issue.
【Power increases up to 80% based on limb defects.】
‘How many limbs missing for max effect?’
Surely not all four for peak.
‘Nah, that’s human thinking. The maker was…….’
Swoosh.
Yeong-woo looked up at the merchant in the pillar.
The Totum Night Armorer resembled a massive tree with bare branches.
“No extra explanation on the effects, huh?”
When Yeong-woo asked, Kubu blinked and replied.
—Correct.
“Hmm.”
As expected.
Yeong-woo nodded.
“Fine, I’ll figure it out myself if I can.”
Then he scanned the four items and said.
“I’ll take everything here, so Kubu, hurry to Gwangjin and hold off the merchants closing up.”
Kubu blinked its huge eyes again.
—Transaction complete. Thank you as always.
With that, Kubu confirmed the deal, and Yeong-woo’s karma balance updated.
Paat!
* Available Karma: 8,840,000
Current balance: 8.84 million karma.
Buying Epic gear for cash and still having this much left? Unprecedented.
—Until next time.
Unlike usual, Kubu bid farewell with “see you again” after the trade.
Had it accepted Yeong-woo’s request to stall the other merchants?
Sssrt!
Kubu vanished into thin air, so Yeong-woo gunned the Negig toward Gwangjin.
Kwaang!
Then he called to his back-seat passenger.
“Dad.”
“…Yes?”
“Don’t freak out.”
“Not freaking out. I’m a First Sword, after all…….”
Before Jeong-gu could finish, Yeong-woo’s “illegitimate child” rose into the air.
“You fuck……!”
Only then did Jeong-gu realize the warning wasn’t about merchants or brokers.
Schwick!
That crazy orphan had just severed his own arm.
-Kieek!
The golden goblin caught it with both hands, but not before Jeong-gu got splattered in blood.
“Ah, what the fuck… why’d you do that?”
Jeong Yeong-woo07 replied flatly.
“40%.”