Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: 17. Public Nuisance Supreme Sword (1)
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Advertiser.
The unknown entity Youngwoo had summoned using the certificate he bought from the alien merchant.
Of course, Youngwoo hadn’t called the Advertiser of his own volition.
He had purchased the certificate on the advice of the Serpent of Greed, but nowhere did it mention that it would summon something from another world.
「Morning Star」 - Ancient Certificate
【Activates in Portal Open state.】
On top of that, the certificate had activated automatically, without regard for Youngwoo’s will, and all he could glean from it was that this world was currently in a “Portal Open” state.
So, naturally.
‘No, it’s the thing showing up out of nowhere, and it’s telling me to prepare a return gift?’
Youngwoo couldn’t help but feel wronged.
He was a little scared, too.
「The Advertiser will visit in 1 hour.」
「Prepare a return gift for the honored guest.」
The fact that the system was instructing him to prepare a return gift suggested the Advertiser was something entirely different from the alien caravan he could meet through basic welfare—starting with its status.
And above all.
‘This isn’t part of the standard reset procedure. I don’t know if I’m lucky or unlucky, but it’s basically an accident.’
This Advertiser visit was an event that wouldn’t have happened if Youngwoo hadn’t bought the ancient certificate.
Therefore, unlike his contact with the alien merchant, the system might not provide protection or mediation for this encounter.
‘Damn it.’
In this situation, the instruction to prepare a return gift felt more like a warning than guidance.
“…Jongsoo.”
Youngwoo called his partner in a somewhat subdued voice, and Jongsoo glanced back slightly while gripping the steering wheel.
“Yes, boss.”
“Someone’s coming in about an hour, and there’s a problem.”
“…Pardon?”
Jongsoo instinctively floored the accelerator, making the car jolt.
“Suddenly?”
“Well, not exactly sudden…”
Youngwoo scratched his chin apologetically as he finally spilled the story about the Advertiser.
From the stone tablet that had crumbled in his hand when Jongsoo first joined being the certificate that summoned the Advertiser, to the fact that the thing was crossing the vast cosmos to reach this place.
“No way, boss! Why didn’t you tell me sooner!”
As expected, Jongsoo furrowed his brow and raised his voice.
But the words that followed were nothing like Youngwoo had anticipated.
“So, you’re saying an alien is coming to sign an advertising contract with you? Man, this just keeps getting more exciting.”
Jongsoo’s eyes sparkled.
He was thrilled.
Probably in a good way.
After all, there was no telling when the dragon he so desperately wanted to see would arrive, but this alien advertiser was due within the hour.
‘Is he the crazy one?’
Youngwoo stared blankly at Jongsoo’s excitedly bouncing shoulders before continuing.
“But we have to prepare a return gift.”
“A return gift…? Like, ‘Welcome to Earth,’ that kind of thing?”
“Something like that. If it’s really an advertiser, we’re in the sales position here.”
Even as Youngwoo said this, he couldn’t shake the surreal feeling of what he was uttering.
Meeting an alien to sign an ad contract in the middle of this messed-up world…?
‘This world is impossible to get used to.’
Still, if it was an ad contract, there had to be some reward.
It all started because of the Serpent of Greed’s desire to “behold something rare,” so whatever it was, the payoff would be something extraordinary.
“A return gift… What would an alien coming for ads even want?”
Jongsoo uttered the insane line with dead seriousness.
“Something like souvenirs, Earth-exclusive specialties that they can’t get anywhere else. We buy souvenirs on overseas trips, right?”
“Specialties, huh?”
“Yeah. Something unavailable where the Advertiser comes from. You know, like that.”
“Makes sense.”
Youngwoo nodded in agreement with Jongsoo’s idea. It seemed pretty reasonable.
From the other side’s perspective, it might just be a business trip abroad.
‘A souvenir only available on Earth…’
Youngwoo gazed out the window, where the dark scenery outside overlapped with the car’s interior.
The inside of the car was brighter than the darkened outdoors now that the sun was gone.
And it was only then that Youngwoo realized the vehicle he was riding in was quite the luxury item.
Swoosh.
He turned his head to look at Jongsoo in the driver’s seat, where the Audi logo gleamed proudly in the center of the steering wheel.
“…”
Youngwoo spoke as if entranced.
“How about the Audi?”
“Huh?”
“As the souvenir. What if we give it this Audi?”
“Oh.”
Jongsoo looked stunned for a moment after hearing Youngwoo, then nodded.
“Not a bad idea, actually. It’d probably look exotic to an alien. Isn’t this basically a work of art?”
“Right? And we’ve been using it ourselves. Depending on the perspective, it might be considered pre-owned…”
On the flip side, it could be the Gyeongbuk Supreme Sword Edition?
Youngwoo’s idea owed much to his encounter with the middleman Kubu.
—It is an honor to meet Jeong Youngwoo07, the strongest in Gyeongbuk, human of Earth.
The guy had defined him as “Gyeongbuk’s strongest” before Youngwoo could even introduce himself.
Meaning, he already knew Youngwoo’s position in this world.
Which implied.
‘The Advertiser guy probably knows exactly who he’s contracting with.’
So, if the other side valued the title of Gyeongbuk Supreme Sword highly, the value of an item personally used by that Supreme Sword would likely be rated just as high.
“But if we give this away as a gift, we’ll need a new car.”
Jongsoo regretfully stroked the Audi logo.
But Youngwoo had no particular interest in foreign luxury cars.
“Yeah. Next time, let’s get something with better fuel efficiency.”
* * *
They realized the Advertiser was no pushover shortly after entering the Icheon area.
Groooar…!
Suddenly, a wailing cry echoed, and the skies over Icheon began to ripple as a whole.
With the darkness, it almost looked like the ocean had engulfed the heavens.
“W-What’s that?”
Finally scared, Jongsoo looked up at the sky with anxious eyes.
But he had to look away soon after.
He felt an overwhelming chill he couldn’t handle.
Like swimming in the ocean and glimpsing a massive silhouette passing beneath his feet.
Grrraaaah…!
This time, a slightly different sound scraped at the insides of the sky.
Probably meaning the Advertiser was drawing closer.
And around then, the regional status window updated.
|You are currently in ‘Icheon.’
|Icheon’s Greatest Swordsman is ‘Kim Byung-cheol139.’ 2nd generation, 6 defenses.
Kim Byung-cheol139.
Icheon had a Greatest Swordsman.
“...!”
No sooner had the status window changed than both Youngwoo and Jongsoo widened their eyes.
“Whoa, boss.”
“Yeah. I saw.”
Youngwoo locked eyes with Jongsoo via the rearview mirror, then shifted his gaze outside.
The stay region had changed to Icheon, but the scenery was still filled with low hills and rice paddies.
“If we pass Icheon this time, where’s next?”
At Youngwoo’s question, Jongsoo stared into space as he answered.
“Uh… Yongin. Then Suwon.”
Suwon put Gangnam right below them, meaning Seoul was practically in sight.
But ever since entering Gyeonggi Province, the number of abandoned cars on the road had surged, forcing acrobatic driving and stretching the travel distance far beyond the actual mileage.
Screeech!
Even now, Jongsoo was breaking a sweat dodging the zigzag line of cars.
“Can we make Yongin by 8?”
At Youngwoo’s worried question, Jongsoo tilted his head.
“Hard to say. If the roads stay like this, we might be late…”
Current time: 7:26 PM.
The Advertiser would arrive in about 30 minutes.
And one hour after that, day-use hotels would open.
‘This is cutting it close. We don’t need to go deep into the city, but we have to secure a spot on the outskirts to get a room on time.’
Time to choose.
Push on to Yongin as planned, or rendezvous with the Advertiser near Icheon and handle the day-use issue more stably.
‘Still, it’s best to meet the Advertiser somewhere remote, so let’s go as far as near Yongin…’
Just as Youngwoo’s mind tipped toward Yongin.
KABOOM!
A deafening roar tore through the sky, and a crimson-black pillar of light shot down.
Shwooooosh!
Right into the heart of Icheon City.
“Gasp!”
Startled, Jongsoo slammed the brakes, halting the car, while Youngwoo stared at the terrifying beam with a troubled expression.
Whoooosh…
Anyone could tell that was the Advertiser’s landing spot.
“That’s the Advertiser guy, right? Looks like it picked the spot itself.”
“It’s almost here.”
Youngwoo took a deep breath and made the call.
“No choice. Let’s head into Icheon.”
“…Got it.”
There was the issue of how to deal with Icheon’s Greatest Swordsman, but Jongsoo didn’t argue.
* * *
Not long after entering Icheon along Jungbu-daero, Youngwoo and Jongsoo spotted cars speeding out, blaring their horns.
Beep! BEEEEEP…!
All of them fleeing Icheon—refugees, in other words.
Spooked by the sudden pillar of light, they were abandoning the city.
“We’re causing a massive public nuisance without meaning to.”
As Jongsoo said, Youngwoo passing near Icheon at this exact hour was a disaster for the citizens.
And day-use hotels were starting soon.
Fleeing the city when they needed rooms was tantamount to suicide.
BEEEEEP!
Another car rushed from the opposite direction, honking.
Youngwoo caught a glimpse of the driver’s face, rigid with tension.
But it wasn’t just because of family in the back seat.
The sky rippling like a nighttime sea was terrifying enough on its own.
Rumble!
Thunder boomed somewhere above the pillar.
Then, cyclists appeared in a line.
The wealthy evacuating in order of means.
‘Bikes are the cutoff. Running won’t get you to the next city in time.’
Youngwoo glanced back at the bicycle procession already far away.
Only about three groups had cars. Fewer than twenty on bikes.
Meaning most were struggling to get by.
“Boss, Icheon city center’s coming up.”
As Jongsoo spoke, a clockwork tick came from Youngwoo’s inner pocket.
Click-click.
The sound of the epic compass ‘Frightened Cat.’
‘No way.’
Youngwoo pulled it out, and the cowering calico cat’s eyes were open.
Signaling a threatening presence nearby.
And in the expected direction.
Rooooar…!
The crimson-black pillar pouring down on central Icheon.