Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: 11. Alien (4)
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In the midst of that eerie high-pitched tone, Yeongwoo watched his achievement profile change.
Swoosh.
〔Your achievement disposition is “Hothead.”〕
||Achievements completed: 3
|The One Who Calls the Golden Rain [Legend]-First
|Forgive Your Four Enemies [Hero]-#46
|Golden Platform [Legend]-First
Just as notified, the number of completed achievements had decreased by one, and the legendary achievement ‘Special Social Worker’ had vanished.
Next came the reduction of his held karma to 4,000.
‘Turned into a beggar in an instant.’
But before Yeongwoo could even finish the thought.
Flash!
His shoulders and left wrist lit up, and the promised rewards equipped themselves in sequence.
「Black Raincoat」 - Hero Cape
【Nullifies obsidian rain.】
「Serpent of Greed」 - Epic Compass
【Always gazes upon rarities.】
“Gasp.”
The black raincoat turning out to be a fairly thick cloth cape contrary to expectations was one thing, but the Serpent of Greed was enough to startle Yeongwoo.
-Hiss!
It was a real snake.
He could see vitality glistening on each of its turquoise scales.
It coiled ceaselessly around Yeongwoo’s left wrist, yet kept its head rigidly pointed north without budging.
【Always gazes upon rarities.】
Whatever it was, that meant something rare was over there.
‘Then what I need to do from now on is.’
Wait for nights when obsidian rain falls while continuously moving to other regions.
Clear golden rain series achievements and use the Serpent of Greed to farm gear...
‘North matches the direction I was heading anyway. I’ll reach Seoul sooner or later.’
Yeongwoo’s current location was Sangju City, Gyeongsangbuk-do.
Heading continually north from here would take him through regions like Mungyeong and Chungju.
After that, turning west would let him pass through Anseong, Pyeongtaek, and Suwon in order, while continuing north instead would lead through Yeoju, Icheon, and Gwangju in Gyeonggi-do.
‘Then via Seongnam into Seoul.’
Seoul, the largest city in South Korea.
What might be happening there right now?
“…….”
As Yeongwoo gazed in the direction of Seoul, Kubu—who was still tearing through the empty air—spoke up.
―The transaction is complete. If it was a satisfactory deal, please designate me as your primary broker.
‘Primary broker?’
―If you designate me as your primary broker, you won’t need to reauthorize data access permissions, and the existing 20% fee will be reduced to 10%.
‘The fee halves. But it means Kubu acts as broker for future deals too.’
It didn’t seem much different from choosing a main transaction bank.
‘But being able to designate a primary broker means other brokers exist too, right...? They might even have much lower fees.’
It was a question disguised as a mutter.
Kubu fell silent for a while before blinking its eyes twice.
―The available goods for purchase vary depending on the broker’s status.
It seemed to be implying that its own status was higher than other brokers’.
But it wasn’t the answer Yeongwoo wanted.
‘Cut the fee another notch for the second deal, and I’ll designate you primary broker. You probably don’t grasp what Gyeongbuk First Sword means, but as a trader, my status isn’t low either.’
The latter half was half-true.
He was the official strongest in the vast Gyeongbuk region, after all. And on reset day two, no less.
No one could deny he was a trader with a bright future ahead.
Perhaps that was why.
Kubu paused again and blinked.
It was incredibly hard to read the mood from Kubu, which only showed its massive eyes, but at least now it clearly looked flustered.
―Further fee reductions are impossible. Instead, I will provide benefits in other ways as your primary broker.
In the end, Kubu offered its own compromise.
‘Not difficult, but impossible...? There must be something going on.’
Yeongwoo inwardly nodded in understanding.
Whether it was truly Kubu’s high status or some broker regulations, his gut told him it wasn’t for ordinary reasons.
‘Other benefits...?’
At Yeongwoo’s question, Kubu blinked again.
―I will show you the full list of all merchant groups that bid on transactions at that time, and allow you to select the trading partner directly.
In other words, he could preview potential partners and pick one.
‘So earlier, it just randomly picked one from multiple bidders?’
Learning that there might have been several merchant types beyond the rock he’d seen sent a strange chill up his spine.
‘Alright. I’ll designate you as my primary broker.’
As Yeongwoo nodded, his vision flashed for a moment, and a system message appeared.
「Designated broker Kubu as primary broker.」
Then Kubu itself greeted him.
―Thank you! All transaction procedures are complete. Please step back.
‘……?’
As Yeongwoo tilted his head and backed away four or five steps, two of the five rocks vanished, leaving the remaining three to begin wailing.
-Kwaaaaa...!
It was the exact same cry he’d heard upon first discovering the merchant group.
Only the rocks that failed to sell their goods remained here.
Which meant latecomers would only encounter whatever goods the previous visitor left behind.
Swoosh!
Kubu, having fulfilled its role, closed its eyes deeply and vanished without a trace.
‘So brokers are day laborers, huh.’
His first haggling with an alien.
For a mere human, it was an incredibly novel experience.
* * *
1:29 PM.
Having finished the deal, Yeongwoo immediately dashed north without delay.
To visit the neighboring next city, ‘Mungyeong.’
‘If I’m lucky, I might run into another mutant in Mungyeong...’
As he swiftly crossed some part of Sangju City with that thought, Yeongwoo’s expression soon hardened.
It was because Gimcheon City—left as a living hell all day due to the unchecked mutant—had belatedly come to mind.
For most people, it was far from good luck. A mutant remaining uncaught meant...
Moreover, Sangju City seemed to be turning into a living hell just the same.
“Ugh, uwaaak!”
“Save me!”
Just as Yeongwoo was about to leave the city streets, screams flooded in from somewhere.
‘What.’
Turning his head, he saw terrified people pouring out from between buildings in the distance.
And soon after, behind them.
Kudududu...!
A dullahan mounted on a pitch-black horse charged after them.
‘...That thing.’
Smaller in build than Sangju Market Kim Hyun-ho from before.
It was one of the monsters that had appeared in Sangju City today alongside the mutant.
Because Yeongwoo had slaughtered the Sangju First Sword and his subordinates, the monsters hadn’t been properly dealt with.
‘No monster mark visible... Did it break off from the group?’
Yeongwoo shot out like an arrow in the opposite direction of the fleeing people and cleaved the dullahan’s body in a single stroke.
Kwaaaak!
Then the people who had been fleeing from it stopped one by one and cautiously approached Yeongwoo.
“Th-thank you...”
“You’re our lifesaver.”
Even as they spoke, they kept anxiously scanning their surroundings with wary eyes.
Vigilant against another dullahan appearing at any moment.
During this, one person staring fixedly at Yeongwoo’s face widened their eyes.
“Uh...!”
They hurriedly rummaged in their pocket and pulled out a golden coin.
“Oh, it really is!”
The commemorative coins Yeongwoo had distributed in the city after defeating the Sangju Market.
They had recognized his face engraved on them.
“What’s matching?”
“Huh.”
“Uh, isn’t this person...”
People in the area began pulling out golden coins one after another.
“Could you be Jung Yeongwoo?”
“Looks like it.”
“That... the newly arrived...”
The last line omitted ‘First Sword.’
They knew well the process by which the First Sword was inherited, so they held their tongues.
But as everyone knew, the new First Sword had showered the city with karma—and had just saved them moments ago.
This led them to think Yeongwoo was a good man who would use his power for their sake.
That was why they gathered around him without much wariness.
However, Yeongwoo himself.
Clink.
As he gathered the coins left by the recently slain dullahan, he asked:
“Why do you still have the commemorative coins? If you’d used them to raise your stats, you could’ve fought the monsters yourselves.”
The people fidgeted awkwardly, fiddling with their golden coins.
“W-well, it’s too dangerous...?”
“What if we rush in and die for nothing?”
They all nodded, sharing similar thoughts.
But to Yeongwoo, it was an attitude hard to comprehend.
“Isn’t surviving even half better than everyone dying? There’s no one left to hunt monsters for you now.”
His words caused a stir among the crowd.
“What do you mean?”
“Ye-Yeongwoo’s here, aren’t you?”
At their bewildered tones, Yeongwoo furrowed his brow.
He knew well that if he wanted, he could slaughter everyone here and reclaim the commemorative coins.
The reason he didn’t was because he possessed a shred of conscience as a human and a bit of optimism.
Optimism that at least some would use the coins as a stepping stone to survive on their own.
But the people here had already lost their will to fight, seemingly intent only on relying on the strong.
In that case, was there any point in letting them live? They’d die soon enough anyway.
Might as well kill them now and get the money at least...
“……!”
Unknowingly, Yeongwoo tensed his grip on the black sword, then squeezed his eyes shut.
Then.
Clack!
With lightning speed, he sheathed the black sword at his waist.
The motion was so swift that everyone around flinched, and a few sensitive ones even staggered back, sensing the killing intent for an instant.
“Are you planning to live your whole lives relying on others’ mercy? That world is gone.”
With no laws or ethics left, the strong could do anything, and the weak could suffer anything.
The current situation was the same.
Yeongwoo could kill everyone here and bear no responsibility—no risk of revenge.
But even he had once been at the bottom of the food chain.
Weak enough to get preemptively attacked even after taking first blood on early birds.
“…….”
Finishing his words, Yeongwoo moved through the crowd toward his original destination north.
They all stepped back without protest, clearing a path.
Yet they watched his retreating back with eyes full of lingering attachment.
Surviving in a city without a First Sword would surely be no easy feat.
However, the Sangju citizens weren’t in the absolute worst situation.
Tsssk.
Just as Yeongwoo firmly planted his foot to leap away.
Ping!
The system’s distinctive alert sounded, applying the second basic welfare measure.
「Starting now, a daily quest is applied to Sangju City.」