Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: 25. Yongsan Park (3)
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As soon as Yongsan First Sword received the enthusiastic welcome and designated Young-woo as a 'guest,' many things changed.
First and foremost.
Shwaaak!
The Yongsan police officers who had been pointing their blades at Young-woo just moments ago now lined up on both sides, clearing a path for him.
The ceremonial procession had begun.
"Come on, let's go."
Yongsan First Sword Kim Do-ha then gestured toward a black sedan parked off in the distance, inviting him to ride along.
Motorcycle-mounted mobile security agents were even waiting near the sedan.
It was exactly like a state guest escort from the old days.
"......"
As Young-woo stared blankly at the clearly ceremonial procession, Yongsan Police Chief Lee Kwang-won spoke up.
"Yongsan isn't just home to major ministries of the New Seoul Government—it's also the designated venue for the First Swords' assembly at Yongsan Park. In a way, it's practically the capital of Seoul."
That was his explanation for how such ceremonies greatly boosted the morale of Yongsan residents.
"...I see."
Young-woo didn't quite buy it, but he nodded for now.
To begin with, calling Seoul's capital was already a bit off.
Of course, judging by the government name 'New Seoul Government,' they no longer saw Seoul as just a mere city.
'They're all too busy fighting over their own rice bowls to call this a proper government.'
It was comical that the killer of a Seoul Federation member's son was receiving this kind of treatment.
Young-woo slowly urged Negig forward, looking down at Kim Do-ha and Police Chief Lee Kwang-won.
"You two take the car as usual. As you can see, I've got my ride."
"Ah... I see."
Kim Do-ha glanced at the outsider's iron steed that had been nagging at him since earlier.
The unidentified mount that Young-woo's sponsor 'Dogo' had gifted as a thank-you.
Not knowing its origins, Kim Do-ha could only wonder where this guy had bought such a rare item and for how much.
* * *
Yongsan Park.
A massive green space right in the heart of Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
Once the site of a U.S. military base, it spanned a total area of 3 million square meters and was now used as the venue for the Seoul Federation's First Swords assembly.
In other words, it was a place where superhumans who could shatter buildings barehanded might break into duels at any moment.
"I wonder if any First Swords have actually fought here."
As Young-woo muttered to himself, one of the officers riding alongside on a motorcycle blinked in surprise.
He had just overheard Young-woo's words.
"......"
Young-woo quickly glanced around.
Their current position was on Dongjak-daero, heading toward Yongsan Park.
Ahead, the black foreign luxury car carrying Yongsan First Sword and the police chief was rolling along, while Young-woo followed at a suitable distance behind.
All while receiving an escort—not quite an escort—from four police motorcycles.
"Why? Do you know something? Please tell me."
When Young-woo asked like this, the officer, who had been checking his surroundings, cautiously opened his mouth.
"We don't go inside ourselves, so I'm not entirely sure... but I hear there was a duel at the first assembly."
"Ho... really?"
As Young-woo showed interest, the officers riding right beside him suddenly began to pull back.
He had abruptly stopped his motorcycle.
"......?"
Young-woo, wearing a puzzled expression, turned his head forward and finally understood why.
They had arrived at Yongsan Park in the meantime.
Vroooom......
The vehicle carrying the First Sword was already sliding into the park interior amid 90-degree bows from men in suits.
And then.
"Welcome. This is Yongsan Park from here on."
As Young-woo passed by on Negig, the men bowed their waists again.
'They're not following. No escorts allowed inside the park, huh.'
The First Sword's vehicle speeding ahead also had no additional security personnel attached.
In other words, from here on out, whatever happened would have to be handled with one's own strength.
There were assembly rules, sure—but they were essentially just verbal agreements between First Swords.
With no public eyes around, it was, in a way, a true lawless zone.
'Not like killing one or two people would even make a dent here.'
Meanwhile, the vehicle ahead kept plunging deeper into the park without stopping.
'How huge is this place......?'
Following the car ahead, Young-woo came to understand why the First Swords had chosen this spot for their assembly.
A space this vast was necessary for minds of their caliber to fight without restraint.
Vrooom...!
Before long, the vehicle's engine sound shifted subtly, slowing down, and something came into view far ahead.
The first things visible were people bustling about, moving something.
And what caught the eye next was.
'Chairs......?'
The objects they were carrying.
They were none other than chairs.
"Is that the assembly venue?"
No one answered Young-woo's mutter this time.
And he didn't need an answer either.
Anyone could see that was the gathering spot for Seoul's real power players.
"......"
A wide clearing with evenly trimmed grass.
A dozen or so chairs placed at regular intervals atop it.
That was all.
Not even a table for refreshments, let alone a tent to block the sun—just chairs plopped straight on the ground.
The chairs weren't even uniform, each one different.
One evoked a luxurious sofa with its plush leather feel, while its opposite was a plastic folding chair straight out of a convenience store.
'Unbelievable. All that fanfare on the way in, and the assembly venue is like this?'
It was a setup that couldn't exist without clear intent.
Moreover, some chairs already had people seated in them.
Early-arriving First Swords.
Screeech!
Finally, the black sedan ahead came to a stop, and Kim Do-ha and Lee Kwang-won stepped out one after another.
Young-woo hopped off Negig as well, gripping the reins, and approached Kim Do-ha.
"Is that the assembly venue?"
Kim Do-ha smirked, as if reading his thoughts, and replied.
"A bit unexpected, right? Just holding the meeting right on the ground like this."
He then glanced at the chair placement scene wrapping up and continued.
"Even placing things here costs money. You can't just bring ordinary objects—anything nearby would get totaled if a fight breaks out......"
In short, they prepared assuming duels or fights might happen, so they skipped unnecessary frills.
And conversely, it meant controlling individual First Swords was that difficult.
"Still, we do provide one service... You can choose your own chair to sit in during the assembly. Of course, sitting on the ground is fine too."
With that, Kim Do-ha shot him a look asking if he'd like to pick one.
"Ah... I'm good. Like you said, the ground works for me."
Young-woo's gaze naturally turned south—behind him.
He was hoping Gwanak First Sword Jo Sang-ik would arrive soon.
Being here without a single familiar face felt awkward in every way.
But reality unfolded completely against his wishes.
The First Swords already present at the assembly began standing from their seats one by one.
It wasn't because Yongsan Park's owner, Kim Do-ha, had arrived—they were all staring toward Negig.
"Go say hello or something."
Kim Do-ha scratched his chin and stepped toward the First Swords.
Meanwhile, Yongsan Police Chief Lee Kwang-won didn't budge an inch from near the vehicle.
Whether he lacked permission to proceed further or simply didn't want to be near the First Swords was unclear.
Either way, now that he was here, there were no other options.
"Ahem."
Young-woo cleared his throat once and walked forward, still holding Negig's reins.
Clank, clank.
Thanks to the mirage wrapping his feet, each step produced a metallic sound.
The First Swords standing at their spots began murmuring.
A reaction similar to when Young-woo first met Gwanak First Sword Jo Sang-ik.
In First Sword society, stubbornly going barefoot marked one as an 'eccentric,' but making metallic sounds while walking was closer to 'freakish.'
On top of that, the horse-shaped creature he was leading right now was clad in iron armor plating.
Clank, clank-clank.
As the distance between Young-woo and the assembly venue narrowed to about 20 meters, the first reaction burst out.
"What the hell is that?"
The one who said it while half-resting his hand on the sword sheath at his waist was Yang Woo-taek07, 42-year-old male.
Above his head shone the title 'Mapo First Sword.'
Meanwhile, above Young-woo's head.
『Gyeongbuk First Sword』
The characters 'Gyeongbuk First Sword' writhed, enveloped in purple mist.
"Gyeongbuk First Sword......?"
Another person murmured and read Young-woo's bizarre title.
Seongbuk First Sword, Lee Yoo-bin16. 22-year-old female.
She had already sensed something ominous upon seeing Young-woo.
The title's form was weird, and Gyeongbuk was a major region anyway. A different league.
"Um... why's the title like that? Do major region titles normally look that way?"
Of course, she wasn't scared enough to hesitate asking.
This was Seoul, after all, and even here, Federation members outnumbered the rest.
"Ah, that's—"
As Young-woo started to answer.
Screeeech!
One person who had been lounging in a chair suddenly stood up with a massive presence.
"Good to finally meet you. I've heard so much."
Dongdaemun First Sword Jang Jung-ho01. 29-year-old male.
As he rose, casting a heavy shadow, Lee Yoo-bin stiffened.
Jang Jung-ho was notorious even at assemblies as a troublemaker.
As far as the First Swords knew, he had no prior record in the old world, but now he was a murder maniac.
For instance, his sole punishment method in Dongdaemun-gu was decapitation.
"Hmm."
Mapo First Sword Yang Woo-taek also sat back down upon seeing Jang Jung-ho stand.
If Young-woo was a freak, Jang Jung-ho was an eccentric.
Walking boldly barefoot even now proved it.
To First Swords, shoes were a form of courtesy and sincerity.
A indirect way to say they weren't here to fight and wanted to behave properly before leaving.
Meaning they wouldn't output enough force to burst their shoes.
But Jang Jung-ho didn't care about such things.
The pre-reset world was the same— not everyone followed public etiquette.
"Since we've met like this, it's fate. How about a handshake?"
Jang Jung-ho, now right in front of Young-woo, extended his hand with gleaming eyes.
Swish.
It already felt like he was clenching his grip hard.
"That's enough. He's a guest with business with the Chairman."
Kim Do-ha, spotting the obvious prank—or provocation—stepped in to stop Jang Jung-ho.
It wouldn't matter much if the two clashed, but not now.
'I want to see Jeong Hyun-sik get beaten.'
If this outsider really killed Jeong Hyun-sik's son, one of the two First Swords would die today.
And Kim Do-ha hoped it would be Jeong Hyun-sik.
He had harbored resentment toward Jeong Hyun-sik ever since their duel over the assembly venue decision.
So, he couldn't let the outsider waste energy before the main event.
For example.
Thud!
"Wha......?"
Like getting into a grip contest disguised as a handshake with Jang Jung-ho right now.
"Wait, hold on!"
As Kim Do-ha realized the handshake had begun and exclaimed in shock, Jang Jung-ho's eyes began turning golden.
This madman was about to unleash a First Sword's aura.