Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: 20. Life-or-Death Duel in Front of the Motel (3)
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All-out assault.
It was a curt order with no further explanation, but as if they'd rehearsed it, everyone charged at a single target.
Shiiik!
Straight toward the Gyeongbuk First Sword (True).
"This…!"
The man gripping the thorn stared in shock as the female alliance members transformed and rushed him, ignoring everything else.
"You crazy bitches."
But this wasn't anger at the alliance—it was fear of the situation.
He'd collected titles across the Gyeongbuk region and weathered every storm, but he'd never even imagined fighting dozens of enraged female swordswomen, a mutated being dropped from the sky, and the inaugural Gyeongbuk First Sword all at once.
"Urgh."
In the end, the man hurled himself out of the lobby to escape into open ground.
Thud!
Immediately, the mutated being Young-tae cast a massive shadow as he pursued.
"Wait!"
His 'friend' could only earn rewards by racking up contributions and returning within the time limit.
So Young-tae's command to wait wasn't a threat—it was sincere.
"Wait, I said!"
Of course, this time it carried real emotion—a threat.
In an instant, Young-tae's eyes flashed red, and he leaped forward at tremendous speed.
Shiiik!
A sound like a plane roaring overhead.
"Huh."
The man looked up to see the giant mutated being soaring through the air and landing ahead, cutting off his retreat.
"Crazy."
But he had no time to be surprised.
Whoosh!
This time, a heavy whoosh came from the motel direction.
Young-woo, pursuing from behind, was thrusting with his black sword extended to five meters.
"You fuck—"
Gritting his teeth, the man decided to block the black sword with his thorn first.
With dozens of female alliance members about to swarm, the holograms in front of him were too chaotic to read, so it was purely his own judgment.
Kaaang!
The blades of the two First Swords clashed.
"……?"
Facing Young-woo in a proper exchange for the first time, the man blinked in surprise.
'What the hell is this guy? Total dogshit.'
The power transmitted through the thorn was pathetically weak.
But when dozens of joint attacks poured down atop that feeble strength, things changed.
"Yaaah!"
"Die!"
"Don't hesitate!"
Shwick! Shwick!
Flashing blades rained down like arrows, and the man was too busy picking out Young-woo's attacks amid the frenzy.
Even more so because…
'Something's off.'
The man didn't know it, but 30% of Young-woo's attacks weren't registering on the hologram.
「Mirage」 - Unique Shoes
【30% chance to evade detection.】
Just as Young-woo had hoped, the 'detection evasion' effect applied to the regional swordsmanship holograms too.
So in the end…
"Isn't this too cowardly? Let's do it one-on-one!"
Unlike inside the motel, the man—now barely defending—proposed a duel.
Of course, Young-woo had no reason to accept, and the mutated being charging fiercely from the side wouldn't allow it either.
"Contributions…!"
Boom, boom, boom!
Young-tae barreled toward the Gyeongbuk First Sword (True), who had his back turned.
Right now, his mind was consumed with killing the bastard before recall time.
That way, his contributions would be recognized, and he could bring something back to his 'room.'
「If I return empty-handed, I'll really go insane.」
The so-called Returner's Room.
A tiny, windowless, doorless space of pure white—that was Young-tae's entire existence.
Until Young-woo blew the whistle to summon him, he just sat there, barely sensing the flow of time.
Of course, he'd earned his first reward from the last contributions in Sangju City.
An arm-sized hourglass.
No special functions—just watching sand fall—but better than staring at endless white walls.
That didn't make the wait enjoyable, though.
If anything, it made it worse.
Once he confirmed that contributions improved his environment bit by bit, the summons became more desperate.
A kind of hope torture.
"Hyaat!"
Finally reaching the man's rear, Young-tae swung his massive hand.
Bwoook!
The air tore with a rip, filling the man's vision with a crimson hologram.
'Fuck, when did…'
Sensing a dogshit future, the man clenched his teeth. A black nail was already creeping into the corner of his vision.
"This is cheating!"
Whoosh!
The man spat a near-scream and swung his thorn; Young-tae's nail shattered pathetically against it.
Kwazajak!
"Uh…?"
"…Huh?"
The man's power far outstripped Young-tae's durability.
And as realization dawned, he smirked in triumph—
"Die!"
"Get him!"
The dozens of female alliance members attacked without mercy.
'I'll thin their numbers first.'
The man thought he needed to reduce the enemy count, holograms tangling chaotically.
The regional swordsmanship hologram was unbeatable in one-on-ones, but with multiple foes and constant warnings, it was a hindrance.
"Get lost!"
Changing tactics, the man swung his thorn at the female alliance, and Young-woo immediately ordered Young-tae.
"Hold that bastard somehow! He's trying to thin our numbers…!"
Young-woo's voice was desperate because a miracle was truly needed.
He knew from experience that his 'friend's' summon time wasn't long.
And if Young-tae pulled back now…
'No chance for us. We'd all die here.'
Gritting his molars, Young-woo charged the man as Young-tae went all-in with a tackle.
No point in using the thorn on nails now that the enemy knew; better to force an evasion and create an opening.
Whoosh!
But the man's response exceeded Young-tae's expectations.
"Dumb fuck. Think I'd dodge a frontal charge?"
Far from evading, the man planted his feet and thrust deep into Young-tae's chest.
A straight breakthrough.
Proof of his confidence in that thrust's power.
And indeed…
Splatsh!
Young-tae's flesh tore apart with gruesome sounds.
"…Grwaaak!"
Boom!
Young-tae screamed miserably and collapsed.
Worse, the man rode the momentum straight for Young-woo.
Tatat!
Blurring afterimages from his speed.
Young-woo figured another thrust was coming, and sure enough, the Gyeongbuk swordsmanship hologram warned of a frontal stab.
"……!"
A needle aimed at Young-woo's throat, insanely fast.
Shiiiiiik!
The air-slicing sound rang out, and Young-woo rolled the biggest gamble since reset.
Thud.
No half-assed dodge or counter—instead, he lunged forward, headfirst into it.
"Huh…?"
For a split second, the man registered the irrational move.
He could switch to defense if he wanted.
But.
"Stupid bastard."
He was certain his thrust would pierce the Gyeongbuk First Sword's skull outright.
Along with that crude helmet.
Shaat!
The needle held its path.
Sensing a miracle possible, Young-woo trusted it.
Because the thorn had just begun gouging his helmet's surface.
Kwatzutzut!
「Vanguard」 - Relic Helmet
【This helmet cannot be damaged.】
Ting!
Failing to breach 'Vanguard,' the thorn slid harmlessly along the helmet's curve.
Then.
"Headbutt!"
Young-woo slammed his forehead into the man's face.
A…
'Head… butt?'
The female alliance members gaped at the brutish attack they'd never imagined.
The man, smashed by the bronze helmet, groaned and staggered back.
"You fucking prick with every damn…"
But impressive as the attack was, the damage was minimal.
His durability was too high for a headbutt to shatter his face, and Young-woo's strength too low.
Still, it was enough to trigger 'Golden Punishment's' pain infliction.
The man, confirming no nosebleed, started to smirk—then suddenly ground his teeth and doubled over.
"Kuhuk…!"
The extreme pain shattered his focus, and Young-woo sensed it, swinging his sword.
Shwaaat!
A chillingly fast strike, but the man read it and blocked with his thorn.
Kaaang!
But that was it.
Between crossed blades, the man begged for his life.
"W-Wait…! Let's stop here!"
Proof he couldn't guarantee the next clash.
"……."
Young-woo didn't reply, just swung again.
Shiiit!
Coincidentally—or by the 30% evasion chance?—the man's thorn didn't move until the blade touched his neck.
Shwick!
His head flew into the air with the black blade.
Simultaneously, a rainbow sheen trailed the sword's helical arc, forming a clear starburst pattern.
[Grade 2 Ad Space Utilization]
-Headquarters logo prints along weapon's trajectory.
Absurd, but exactly as contracted.
They were really using his weapon trails as ad space.
'No way… is anyone actually watching this?'
Young-woo, scanning the sky right after decapitating the foe, looked utterly mad.
"H-Hey?"
Even Seong Ye-rin hesitated to approach, staying at a distance.
Only when Jong-soo belatedly appeared, announcing Young-tae's imminent recall, did Young-woo snap back.
"Hyung-nim! Your friend is about to…!"
"……?"
Tilting his head briefly, Young-woo noticed Young-tae—who'd been fighting beside him—fading.
Just like last time, summon time up.
"Ah, Young-tae!"
Spotting his 'friend's' body in total ruins, Young-woo widened his eyes.
Young-tae weakly raised his rag-like hand and grinned with his elongated maw.
Proof he'd contributed this fight.
「Call me again. Please.」
Beaming with joy that drowned out pain, Young-tae melted into the air.
And in his place…
"……."
Only the headless young man's corpse remained.
* * *
「Acquired Gyeongbuk First Sword (True) via merger!」
「Gyeongbuk First Sword title effects strengthened.」
As the title interface appeared in Young-woo's vision, the headless corpse's title vanished.
The man's titles had transferred to him.
…Gyeonggi region titles held: 1.
…Chungbuk region titles held: 1.
…Gyeongbuk region titles held: 7.
「Current Gyeongbuk First Sword: 'JeongYoungWoo07'. Generation 1, defenses: 3.」
Even as the lengthy accolades scrolled like praise for his feat, Young-woo's expression stayed grim.
…Gyeonggi region titles held: 1.
'…Icheon.'
This loot included Icheon First Sword Kim Byung-chul139's life.
A rare righteous man in the reset world, dead without ever setting foot in Seoul.
And if not for Young-woo, Byung-chul might never have crossed paths with Gyeongbuk First Sword (True).
So Young-woo felt heavy responsibility for Byung-chul's death.
"What about the other officer?"
When Young-woo asked about Tae-young, Jong-soo glanced toward the motel.
"He's alive, thankfully. Saw him on the way back."
But Jong-soo's face wasn't bright.
Young-woo could guess why.
Before consoling the bereaved comrade, though, priority first.
Shk.
Loot the corpse.
Kneeling on one knee before the once-challenger's body, Young-woo watched the golden goblin—sheltering afar—scurry over.
-Keek!
At the same time, the scattered female alliance members subtly gathered.
Curious what happened after First Swords clashed.
But how different could it be?
Young-woo's edge: a relic slave meant no dirty work.
-Kikit!
The goblin chirped excitedly, rummaging the body, then laid out the spoils before Young-woo.
Clatter.
First: 12 crimson coins.
12,000 karma.
'Not a cash carrier type.'
Young-woo nodded; goblin tossed them into the subspatial pouch.
-Kit!
Second:
Clang.
The infamous weapon that pierced Icheon First Sword and countless women.
「Ashen Thorn」 - Mutated Spear
【Thrust power greatly increased.】
'A real thorn.'
Practically thrust-only.
Having killed with a thrust first, Young-woo felt oddly nostalgic.
'Weapons piling up.'
Underdog from Chungju loot, Dullahan's sword—aka black sword—both mutated one-handers.
Now Ashen Thorn too.
Three solid mains, excluding Early Bird.
'Wish I could merge or sell gear.'
As Young-woo picked up 'Ashen Thorn' and eyed the goblin, it lifted the next item one-handed.
-Keek.
Small enough for the modest goblin: an utterly ordinary fountain pen.
'Wait… gear too?'