Chapter 189
Chapter 189
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 189
Chapter Title: 41. Everyone's Greatest Swordsman (9)
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Even without Im Gwang-ho's kill order, the mutants from the Gangbuk Three Districts had every intention of slaughtering that lunatic frog blasting away on his trumpet.
-Bwaaaaaah!
It was because the creature's "performance"—no, outright noise—was that excruciating.
—P-Please, stop!
—Make it end...!
Im Gwang-ho, being a dragonkin, merely felt a bit annoyed with his magic sealed off. But your average mutants suffered immediate intense tinnitus followed by dizziness the moment they heard Popu's tune.
—Graaah!
—K-Kill it quick!
Soon, three mutants came charging in with gritted teeth. Right on cue, Im Gwang-ho unleashed a ferocious poison breath toward Yeong-woo and Popu.
—Die...!
Kwaaaa!
An immense killing intent poured from the eyes of Im Gwang-ho, who had lost all composure.
Meanwhile, Yeong-woo dodged the breath while glancing back at Popu, who was still blowing his trumpet and fleeing in the opposite direction.
-Bwaaaaaah!
"That thing won't block a breath attack?"
When Yeong-woo called out, Popu rolled his eyes toward him for a split second before resuming his trumpet blast and sprint.
-Bwaaah!
It probably meant the trumpet couldn't block it because it wasn't magic.
In the meantime, the auto-combat greatsword "Golden Trajectory" boldly charged at Im Gwang-ho.
Kwaak!
But a single swipe of the beast's forepaw subdued it.
No matter that it was a legendary weapon enhanced with otherworldly martial arts—it simply couldn't take on a dragon solo.
"Damn it, this is bad..."
Thud.
Yeong-woo grabbed the whistle hanging from his neck.
This was meant as a trump card for when more mutants gathered, but the situation left him no choice.
"Still, there are four mutants here right now. Calling my friends makes seven total..."
That should satisfy one of the conditions for "Golden Typhoon."
Decision made, Yeong-woo immediately blew the whistle.
-Pweeeeeek!
The three mutants already traumatized by the "music" and the poison dragon Im Gwang-ho suddenly looked at Yeong-woo with faces full of dread.
—What... what was that?
—A whistle...?
What fresh hell was this?
The answer came right away.
Kwajik!
Something shattered in the sky overhead.
—Huh...?
—What.
At this hour, every mutant around should've already shown up. What more could be coming from the sky?
All the mutants present looked up in a trance, and soon enough, new arrivals rained down in order: a nol, a golem, and a white tiger.
Kwakwang!
—Oh.
—W-What...?
While the clueless Gangbuk mutants perked up instinctively, Im Gwang-ho immediately sensed something was wrong.
—Whoa! A dragon this time, a dragon!
The nol that appeared first from the sky was brazenly pointing right at them, flapping its jaws noisily.
The blocky granite golem that followed wore a stunned expression.
—Where'd you summon us to...?
And the last to arrive, the white tiger...
—What’s with all these guys? You gather 'em up on purpose just to get a generator or something?
It spat some bizarre line that Im Gwang-ho couldn't even begin to comprehend.
"Take out that dragon first. Then the three over there."
Yeong-woo pointed here and there, issuing kill orders.
His three friends charged at Im Gwang-ho in unison. Seizing the moment, Yeong-woo beckoned to his other slave, the golden goblin.
"Time to call the rain."
-Keeit!
The goblin astutely understood and opened his subspace pouch, pulling out a golden orb.
-Kikit!
He held the orb aloft in one hand. Seeing this, Im Gwang-ho shoved Yeong-tae aside with a forepaw and swatted CEO Kim Tae-jun with his tail as he bellowed.
—Block it! He's doing something again...!
Body propriety be damned, he was now fully focused on fending off the Joseon Greatest Swordsman.
—Die!
He tried to blast the goblin with breath next, but...
Pwaaang!
In the interim, General Kim Young-heum's rugby-ball-like body slam rammed into his mouth, forcing it shut.
—Guh!
—Damn, I'm fighting dragons now or what.
And at that moment, Yeong-woo...
Thud!
Had already placed his hand on the golden orb.
Whiiiiiing!
The instant it touched Yeong-woo, the orb began spinning.
Then...
Pwaaaaa!
It shot straight up into the sky, tracing a long golden line through the air.
—Ah...!
—No!
The mutants sighed in despair without even knowing exactly what it was.
Then...
Boom!
High in the sky, the golden orb detonated. Everyone's pupils turned gold as their jaws dropped.
The nauseating green sky blanketed in poison was overwritten in gold—a sight even the mutants had to admire.
—H-Holy...
—The sky... it's gold?
But Yeong-woo's show was only getting started.
Soon, the golden light filling Gwangjin District's sky began cascading down to earth.
Shwaaaaa...!
—Huh...!
—C-Careful!
The mutants instinctively shrank as the golden rain poured, then blinked in confusion.
—...?
They quickly realized this rain wasn't harming them.
They also noticed the poison typhoon had abruptly stopped.
The golden rain outranked the dragonkin's freak weather.
"Huh, the typhoon's gone?"
Yeong-woo caught on late and stuck his hand out through the golden downpour.
Then...
《Joseon Greatest Swordsman 'Jeong Yeong-woo07' has forfeited his 3 million karma monopoly and gifted 30,000 karma to all Gwangjin residents.》
《30,000 karma will soon be distributed as commemorative coins. Prepare yourselves.》
The dilemma resolution popped up, and three commemorative coins materialized from thin air.
Pop!
It was just supplying coins to an uninhabited zone, but there was still profit.
The poison typhoon's end had cleared a path for the other Greatest Swordsmen approaching from afar.
"Y-Yeong-woo!"
Far to the north, Jeong-gu rode on Four-Ghosts' back, dragging monsters and mutants along as he raced in. Moments later, from the west, Mapo Greatest Swordsman Yang Woo-taek and Yongsan Greatest Swordsman Kim Do-ha arrived towing two mutants.
Excluding Yeong-woo's friends, that made seven mutants gathered here.
Right on cue, one "Golden Typhoon" completion condition filled.
Pwing!
[Golden Typhoon]
|Summon golden rain in one of the following four ways. (1/4)
-When there are seven or more mutants nearby.
"Ah, finally knocked one out."
That left...
[Doggo] “Dragon Slayer”
<Mission> Teach Chaebol Head Im Gwang-ho what a Doggo is.
Just carrying out the advertiser's will.
Crunch.
Yeong-woo gripped Illegitimate Child tight and locked eyes with the poison dragon across the way. Im Gwang-ho, hounded by the three friends and the auto greatsword, turned and met his gaze.
He'd sensed something ominous brewing.
—...W-What.
Yeong-woo dropped Illegitimate Child to the ground and charged at Im Gwang-ho at full speed.
Kwaaat!
"Head Honcho! Help me pay my taxes...!"
Jeong Yeong-woo set off down the path of the dutiful taxpayer.
***
At the same time, in front of the Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Pyongyang Greatest Swordsman Im Yeong-pyo01 knelt on the ground—forced to, his legs shattered.
And before the fallen Yeong-pyo...
Taaang!
Two five-meter yakshas wielding massive iron maces loomed like executioners.
They were Day 5 mutants from Pyongyang, public heroes of the people, and underlings of General Secretary Kim Jong-un.
Or more precisely, checkpoints one had to break through to fight him.
But...
'...D-Damn it.'
Im Yeong-pyo, self-proclaimed and publicly recognized strongest in Pyongyang, hadn't even glimpsed Kim Jong-un's face—let alone his toes.
He'd failed to defeat the two yakshas the man had brought.
Whoooo...
A chill drifted down from overhead. Yeong-pyo looked up to see a massive brazier hovering in the air, now a bit closer than before.
"......"
It was probably the only thing he'd confront—the vessel holding that man, he presumed.
—Any last words? Your reward for daring to challenge me.
At last, "he" spoke from within the brazier.
"Hic...!"
Only then did Yeong-pyo truly grasp it.
That he was really facing "him."
When he'd first challenged the man, he'd planned to smash the yakshas and hurl insults. But reality unfolded far differently from his imagination.
Pyongyang Greatest Swordsman, Im Yeong-pyo01.
He'd thought himself the strongest in Pyongyang—no, all of Joseon. But impossible was impossible.
'Was it hopeless from the start?'
Deep disillusionment washed over him.
Just as that one had been destined to sit the throne from the moment of his existence, so too was Yeong-pyo's fate sealed from birth.
To grind his teeth and still lose in the end. To be trampled.
'...Ah.'
A massive vortex swirled slowly in his mind.
His legs had gone numb some time ago. He felt like only his upper body clung to life.
Even so.
"......"
His hand gripped the sword in faint defiance, trembling violently.
Once he accepted the defeat—total and utter—deep in his heart, belated terror arrived.
And his pale blue lips...
"P-Please... spare me."
Mumbled the line befitting his lowly station.
Perhaps it was all predetermined.
—Pathetic. With nothing more to say, I'll take your head.
The voice from the brazier declared, and one yaksha slowly raised its merciless iron mace.
Shuuuu...
A vast shadow stretched, blanketing Yeong-pyo's face.
The end. It was all over.
—Starting with your blood, this land will turn red once mo...
Just as the heavy voice began ushering in Yeong-pyo's finale.
"W-Wait!"
Eyes squeezed shut, Yeong-pyo suddenly thrust up his left arm.
—......?
"Your lowly servant forgot one thing to report."
The voice in the brazier fell silent a moment, curiosity winning out as it permitted him to continue.
—What is it? Speak.
"W-Well..."
Sweating bullets, rolling his eyes in disbelief at his own words, Yeong-pyo clenched his molars and delivered the line.
"A great thief has broken into the country."