Chapter 43

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 43: Unfamiliar World (7)

“To be precise, it’s not returning. That’s…”

Yeongwoo tried to explain the parallel world where mutants using the return function would stay, but he stopped talking.

In fact, that place was nothing more than another prison, and it was because he realized that Jang Daemyung, who had originally returned to take care of his father, wouldn’t accept such a proposal.

“Isn’t it you who brought me back from the prison…? I’ll stay quiet if you don’t mess with me first, so why should I leave?”

His voice was as firm as he clenched his fist tightly.

The emotions he had been suppressing for a long time were starting to burst out.

‘I pressed the switch…’

Of course, it would have happened sooner or later, even if not this time.

Even if the two of them genuinely wanted to live quietly in this place, it was impossible with the numerous Strongest Swords across the country.

He was a mutant with a reward of 3 million karma.

And Jang Chunyong, being the current Strongest Sword and the one who handled the first-day mutant in Mungyeong City, was undoubtedly aware of that fact.

“So, do you plan to kill everyone who comes looking for you in the future?”

“I really don’t want to, but if that’s the only way, I have no choice. This is the world we live in now.”

Jang Chunyong answered in place of his son, and it was a reality that couldn’t be avoided.

From the first screening, when Jang Daemyung chose mutation instead of disappearance and disassembly, his fate was already sealed.

Of course, seeing the future was not guaranteed just because he was Jang Daemyung, but there was no way to blame him for coming back to look after his father.

“…”

Anyway, Yeongwoo had to make a choice now.

Whether he would leave this place while the two men were still showing mercy, or whether he would risk their lives and have a showdown.

“It’s really not an easy problem.”

“Is it really? Seeing you still standing there, it seems like you’ve made up your mind.”

“…”

When Yeongwoo didn’t say anything, Golden Flash finally activated.

「The sensory value has temporarily increased from the original 100 to 417.」

Finally, Jang Chunyong took the initiative.

“I’m sorry.”

His voice still retained a sense of humanity.

However, the sound of the slashing air that flew off at the end was incredibly sharp.

Swoosh!

Without a moment’s hesitation, he thrust the sword.

“Ugh…!”

Yeongwoo responded to the opponent’s thrust, seeing the hologram guide of Gyeongbuk Sword Law appearing, and quickly assumed a defensive posture.

A step back with the left foot.

Thud!

At the same time, the right hand drew the sword forward.

Squelch!

The black sword, like lightning, deflected the approaching blade diagonally away from Yeongwoo’s heart.

Thunk!

“He…!”

In response to Yeongwoo’s unbelievable reaction speed, Jang Chunyong let out a sound close to a sigh.

He knew that such a reaction was impossible without the assistance of the Sword Technique’s support.

“Who are you…?”

Jang Chunyong looked at Yeongwoo with suspicious eyes.

Meanwhile, Jang Daemyung, who was behind him, rushed out with loud footsteps.

“Father!”

Thump, thump!

Jang Daemyung’s movements, filled with momentum, exuded tremendous pressure.

In response, Yeongwoo, fearing that the battlefield would widen, shouted loudly.

“Jeong Myeongho! Run away! Don’t come back until my judg…

“What…?”

「…!」

It was only after hearing Yeongwoo’s shout that the two men noticed there was an SUV parked in the middle of the distant road.

“He wasn’t alone. Is that family?”

Jang Daemyung shifted his gaze to the car in one go, indicating that he might be looking for the people inside.

So Yeongwoo said.

“If you’re curious, go check it out. By then, your father’s head will probably be rolling.”

He delivered a line like a villain.

「This guy.」

However, Yeongwoo’s words were a lie.

Didn’t he struggle to hold his ground well in the previous confrontation with the Strongest Sword of Sangju?

Due to the significant difference in their stats, the majority of Strongest Swords had superior individual combat abilities compared to Yeongwoo.

So, if he wanted to go for Jang Chunyong’s neck, Jang Daemyung had to join the fight.

That way, he could absorb sensory values faster, creating more variables.

“Look closely at who I am.”

Finally, Yeongwoo tapped his left chest to induce a combined attack from the two father and son.

Then,

Swish!

A golden glow flashed above his head, revealing the ‘Strongest Sword’ title in units.

『Gyeongbuk Strongest Sword』

“Gyeongbuk…?”

Jang Chunyong was aware that a new Gyeongbuk Strongest Sword had emerged a few hours ago, as an overall notification had been displayed.

Also, since Mungyeong was in Gyeongsangbuk-do, he had considered the possibility of encountering Gyeongbuk Strongest Sword at some point.

However,

“I met you much earlier than expected.”

He hadn’t anticipated becoming the first opponent in the defense battle against Gyeongbuk Strongest Sword.

「This…!」

The shock Jang Daemyung felt about Yeongwoo’s identity was similar.

「The sensory value has temporarily increased from the original 417 to 867.」

Soon, Yeongwoo’s sensory value soared to an impressive 867.

Finally, both father and son focused on attacking Yeongwoo.

“Die!”

Jang Daemyung’s momentum was tremendous.

It was because he confirmed that the opponent was truly capable of killing his father.

However, it seemed that their joint efforts had put his father in jeopardy.

“…”

Feeling a strange emotion, Yeongwoo easily dodged Jang Daemyung’s attack with a heavy movement.

Crack!

As the large axe struck the empty ground, crimson coins scattered into the air.

Simultaneously, more than ten red coins appeared chaotically in Yeongwoo’s field of vision.

― Break

― Break

― Break

‘What is this…?’

Each symbol was attached to the coins that had just bounced up.

‘…Ah!’

Following this, Yeongwoo’s action was faster than the Gyeongbuk Sword Law’s hologram.

He immediately understood what to do.

Swoosh!

Yeongwoo’s sword cut through the air.

However, the target was not Jang Daemyung or Jang Chunyong but the coins.

Ping, ping!

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

The coins, rebounding off the elastic blade, shot towards the two father and son like bullets.

“Be careful…!”

Jang Chunyong, who had noticed what Yeongwoo was attempting, quickly took a defensive stance.

However, blocking small and fast coins visually while in a state of sensory deprivation was by no means easy.

So, how would it have been for Jang Daemyung, who was several times larger than his father?

Spurt, splatter!

His massive body mostly absorbed the flying coins that Yeongwoo had sent.

“Argh!”

Jang Daemyung, opening his eyes to the pain he was feeling for the first time, screamed in agony.

‘This is it.’

In contrast, Yeongwoo found a way out and swept the floor with his sword.

Shrrrrk!

This time, far more coins floated into the air than before.

“Ah…”

Fear crept into Jang Chunyong’s face as he witnessed this.

“Daemyung…!”

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

Although it was nothing more than the clinking sound of coins, everyone in the audience couldn’t help but shudder upon hearing it.

The outcome was clearly visible.

Pew, pew, pew!

The coins sent by Yeongwoo horrifyingly embedded themselves all over Jang Daemyung’s body, one even piercing his right eyeball.

“Kraaaaah!”

The pain was immense.

Jang Daemyung, dropping his large axe to the ground, clutched his face.

“Aaaaaa…!”

Hearing Jang Daemyung’s agonized cries, Yeongwoo felt a strange emotion.

However, he couldn’t immediately end the man’s suffering.

‘If I kill him now, the sensory values will drop drastically. Then it will be difficult to deal with Jang Chunyong.’

It was a devilish thought, but there was no other choice.

However, ‘Father’s’ reaction exceeded Yeongwoo’s imagination.

“S-Strongest Sword…!”

Clang!

As soon as his son suffered a fatal injury, Jang Chunyong threw away his sword and knelt in front of Yeongwoo.

“Please, spare my son! I didn’t know it would come to this…!”

At this moment, Yeongwoo thought Jang Chunyong might be pretending to beg for mercy, but soon he realized that even the sensory values he took from Jang Chunyong were fading away.

Jang Chunyong had genuinely decided to sacrifice his life in that brief moment.

“O-Old man.”

Was this what a father was supposed to be?

Yeongwoo felt uncomfortable and confused in this situation.

If he intended to beg for his life, he should have done so before the battle began.

Now, even if he proposed a ceasefire, there was no way Jang Daemyung would comply willingly.

So, now there was no choice but to kill him.

And for that…

‘…I have to kill Jang Chunyong too.’

While Yeongwoo wore a melancholic expression, Jang Chunyong desperately searched for an escape route, revealing his back to the enemy.

“Return…! Didn’t you mention a way to return earlier?”

He crawled towards his son, stuttering and spoke with a trembling voice.

“Daemyung! Daemyung! Can you hear me? Come back now! Your father is fine…!”

Jang Chunyong, who was holding onto his son and pleading, suddenly faltered.

He realized that green blood was seeping out of his own hands.

And around that time…

“…Father.”

A long shadow cast by Yeongwoo appeared from behind.

Then…

Swish!

With a sharp sound, Yeongwoo’s sword pierced through Jang Chunyong’s neck.

In the end, Yeongwoo decided to kill the father first among the two.

Following that, Jang Chunyong’s emaciated body collapsed weakly to the side.

Thud.

At that moment, Jang Daemyung, who had been crouching while covering his face, barely opened his left eye, feeling an intense sense of nausea.

“…?”

In an instant, Jang Daemyung’s pupils expanded.

“What… what’s happening…?”

Due to his towering height of 5 meters, the body of his father, who lay lifeless on the ground, looked incredibly small.

And soon, an incomprehensible line was heard from somewhere.

“I think it would have been better for your father to witness his son’s death than this.”

“What… What are you saying…”

Overwhelmed by unbearable panic, Jang Daemyung, whose right eye was impaled by coins, twitched as a strange dialogue unfolded.

Quack!

Once again, Yeongwoo made a decisive decision.

Kill the opponent before they fully grasp the situation and counterattack.

Kwoong!

Gradually, Jang Daemyung’s massive body collapsed, casting a large shadow on the ground.

Then.

Pahat!

With a flash of white light, a golden sphere was left at the spot where the corpse lay.

「As the second mutant in Mungyeong has been eliminated, basic welfare will be applied to this area.」

| Remaining time until the daily quest application: 20 minutes.

| Remaining time until the appearance of a merchant: 5 minutes.

Followed by the appearance of the system notification.

Now, in a little while, somewhere in Mungyeong City, an extraterrestrial merchant would appear.

Once he collected the scattered coins in the area, there would be enough funds for trading…

“…”

Everything went well according to the plan, but Yeongwoo couldn’t help but wear a bitter expression.

‘This world has become much more messed up than I thought.’

However, he didn’t ponder whether surviving like this was right or wrong.

After all, for the ability to feel guilt, survival was necessary.

Yeongwoo blinked his eyes once and searched for the body of Jang Chunyong, who, unlike his son, had left his body in this world.

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]