Chapter 53

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 53: The Judge with the Longsword (6)

I hope there are still useful items left…

Yeongwoo pondered Shin Youngju’s words as he walked towards the pillar of light in front of him.

Currently, the total amount of karma he possessed was 871,000.

‘With this money, I can probably buy top-notch equipment.’

Of course, Shin Youngju would have seized good items in nine out of ten cases, but Yeongwoo still had a chance.

It was thanks to his intermediary, Kubu.

‘There’s a variable. The merchants here have already completed one transaction.’

The benefit provided by Kubu, Yeongwoo’s intermediary, was to show the merchants who had bid on the transaction and allow him to choose the desired target from among them.

But what if Yeongwoo contacted the merchant who had already completed the bidding and finalized the transaction?

Would Kubu still show a new list of merchants, allowing Yeongwoo to choose the trader he wanted?

‘I should look into it now. As long as no unexpected events occur.’

Turning around quietly, Yeongwoo saw Shin Youngju following him at a suitable distance.

Her expression was calm, and the Golden Flash showed no signs of hostility, but Yeongwoo couldn’t relax.

If he were Shin Youngju, he would not let this outsider live and leave.

‘No one around… It’s the perfect place for a secret murder. If I strike during the transaction, her reaction will be slow.’

Having come this far, she must have noticed that his abilities were lower, so if she lowered her morality a bit, this situation would be an unparalleled opportunity for Shin Youngju’s growth.

And with that gained power, she could more firmly defend Chungju City.

But even so, if she did not continue to pursue him until the end…

‘Then I have to admit it. I’ve been looking at the world too harshly.’

Yeongwoo thought this way while pulling out the black sword and early bird from his waist and thrusting them into the ground.

Clang!

In case Shin Youngju had to endure a surprise attack from behind, these swords were called upon for a counterattack.

Seeing this, Shin Youngju, who had been watching, asked with a puzzled expression.

“What’s going on all of a sudden?”

“It’s my way of showing respect. It’s a bit weird if someone who came for a trade is holding weapons, isn’t it?”

“…?”

Ignoring her expression of bewilderment, Yeongwoo turned away and walked towards the pillar of light again.

‘About 20 meters or so.’

The distance from the point where the sword was stuck into the ground to the pillar of light was about 20 meters.

Swish.

When he touched his chest, he felt the dagger he had put in his pocket.

If Shin Youngju’s movements were faster than expected, he planned to pull out the dagger before the sword returned.

‘Even a slight touch of the sword… Should be enough to gain an advantage.’

「Golden Punishment」 – Legendary Bracelet

【Inflicts pain on the enemy.】

【Cumulative golden ratio: 4】

Yeongwoo, who was undoubtedly confident in his 12-level increase in abilities, believed in the tremendous pain that the Golden Punishment would inflict.

Wasn’t it an effect that even the extremely enraged mutants couldn’t properly contain?

“Hoo.”

When Yeongwoo finished preparing himself mentally, the distance between him and the black pillar of light decreased to about ten meters, and finally, the figure of the merchant began to appear.

*Squeak.*

From the other side, it seemed that Yeongwoo’s presence was felt, it started making an eerie sound, and soon.

“Ugh….”

Even Yeongwoo, who had experienced numerous battles, momentarily hesitated at the sight of a grotesque being that seemed to freeze even him, protruding part of its body beyond the pillar of light.

Swoosh.

It was a giant cockroach.

A common sight on Earth.

The only difference was that its body length seemed to easily exceed five meters.

If it couldn’t come out completely beyond the pillar of light, a long antenna that should have been straight was noticeably bent along the wall of the pillar.

“Good heavens.”

Yeongwoo muttered with a horrified tone, and Shin Youngju behind him spoke in a subdued voice.

“I still can’t get used to it. Every time I see that, it scares me. We can’t predict what else might happen in the future with things like this.”

In Shin Youngju’s voice, Yeongwoo sensed fear for the first time.

“But you still managed to make the trade. Judge, what did you buy from the merchant?”

At Yeongwoo’s question, Shin Youngju, after a moment of blank expression, burst into laughter.

“The merchant? I’ve been feeling this since earlier, but Yeongwoo, you’re really a unique person. Maybe it’s because you’re young.”

Then she pointed her finger at the merchant in the form of a wheel.

“Check it out yourself. I didn’t buy much.”

*Squeak.*

The merchant wheel emitted a cry in response.

At this, Yeongwoo took a deep breath and began walking towards the pillar of light.

Soon, the space between him and the pillar of light split, and the intermediary Kubu appeared.

Smoothly.

-I am honored to meet you again, the Earthling, the strongest in Gyeongbuk Province, Mr. Jeong Yeongwoo07!

-I am Kubu, the guardian of Tenta and the owner of Daro, who is mediating this transaction.

Kubu’s usual greetings.

But this time, he blinked his eyes twice before starting to look around.

It was the first time Kubu had examined the trading scene, probably because in the previous two transactions, Yeongwoo was the first trader.

However, this time.

=Someone else has already been here. There is a record of the transaction.

Seeing Kubu’s awkward expression in his voice, Yeongwoo asked.

“Is the trade still possible? Or has the commission changed?”

-The trade is possible. The commission is also unchanged, but the trade target can be changed…

As Kubu was about to continue his answer, he suddenly rolled his eyeballs and looked somewhere.

Then.

-Be careful.

Yeongwoo unexpectedly spat out a warning line.

But he seemed to know the reason.

“…!”

The Golden Flash that had been silent until now displayed a warning message at this moment.

「The sensory value has temporarily increased from the original 100 to 866.」

‘Crazy.’

The sensory value increased by a whopping 766.

This meant that the opponent who had ambushed had a sensory value of 1532.

And in this vicinity, there could only be a presence with such high abilities…

Swish!

Turning his head backward, Yeongwoo saw Judge Shin Youngju22 rushing towards him with a golden glint in her eyes.

According to the hologram guide of Gyeongbuk Sword Law, the opponent’s blade had already reached his neck.

“….!”

As the hologram advised only evasion without attempting a counterattack, Yeongwoo twisted his body in accordance.

Thud.

Then, Shin Youngju’s thrust came very close to Yeongwoo’s neck.

“Judge…!”

Yeongwoo rolled backward to increase the distance, but it was in vain.

Shin Youngju’s movements were much faster.

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

“I’m sorry.”

Before Yeongwoo could even pull out his dagger, Shin Youngju’s sword cut through the air.

“Kwak!”

A sharp pain in the abdomen.

Yeongwoo immediately realized that something was seriously wrong.

Even if it wasn’t just the pain, his upper body was tilting forward against his will.

‘No way.’

There was no need to look down.

The intensified pain and the floating sensation in the air explained a lot more than could be seen.

His body had been severely damaged by the recent blow.

Among the misfortunes, the good news is that the senses he had taken from the opponent had not yet left him.

Although not certain, he felt like he could still move his arm, and his mind seemed intact enough to think this far.

“Ah!”

Yeongwoo screamed, a sound of either determination or agony, pulling out the two swords that were stuck 20 meters away.

At the same time, he drew the dagger he had kept in his pocket and swung it.

Swoosh!

Since his head was already crashing into the ground, the dagger only swung near the opponent’s ankle.

However, Yeongwoo’s final struggle had a significant effect.

“What, what is this…?”

This is because he succeeded in diverting Shin Youngju’s attention, even if only for a moment.

To the point where she realized a little too late that two knives were flying at her from behind her back.

Swoosh!

“Huh.”

Shin Youngju, who had belatedly realized the meaning of the holograms that were blinding her vision, was already swinging her sword to parry the early bird.

This was purely a reflexive action.

The early bird, catching the sunlight, flashed as it swung.

So inevitably.

Quack!

She didn’t even see the common knife that had just passed through her chest.

“Haak…!”

Having experienced significant damage to her body for the first time in her life, Shin Youngju didn’t know what to do as she saw blood flowing from her chest.

“Ye-Yeongwoo!”

She was so helpless that she asked for help from Yeongwoo, who she had cut to pieces just seconds ago.

However, Yeongwoo was busy watching the strange scene where the black sword returned to its original position after completing its mission.

He was lying on the ground, pouring out blood from his lower body.

“…It was almost done.”

For some reason, consciousness remained clear. Yeongwoo felt intense pain and a burning sense of injustice simultaneously.

Then, as Shin Youngju collapsed to the ground, unable to support her body any longer, Yeongwoo finally paid attention to the chaos.

“Jud… Judge. Judge, you’re not dead yet, right?”

He asked because Shin Youngju’s legs were trembling, but there was no response.

Perhaps, due to experiencing the pain inflicted by the golden punishment, she might not even have the strength to speak.

When Yeongwoo reached this conclusion, a genuine sense of apology overwhelmed him.

“I’m sorry. If I had the strength left, I would have killed you quickly. Now, I can hardly move my arm, and I’ll die soon too.”

Upon closer inspection, Shin Youngju’s trembling had decreased compared to before.

She was also dying.

“Whoever it is, the next person passing through here will be in for a surprise.”

As Yeongwoo tried to open the inventory window for his last attempt before death, a small silhouette appeared in the distance.

-Keet…

It was none other than the Relic-grade slave, the Golden Goblin.

He had been observing the battlefield from a safe distance when the fight began.

“Oh? Here, here!”

-Keet?

Although the Goblin confirmed Yeongwoo’s consciousness, it only looked around without coming to help.

“Well, I guess you’ll be free when I die. Anyway, I lost.”

It seemed this was the end.

Perhaps it was difficult for a Strongest Sword, who was born as a level 4 human, to live a long life?

“I couldn’t even survive for two days. If it weren’t for the reset, I might have lived for three years.”

|Name: Jeong Yeongwoo

|Role: Level 4 Extra

|Function: Background, Maintenance Crew

|Creation: April 8th, 1992, 11:41 PM, edited due to unintentional deliberate intervention.

|Annihilation: November 7th, 2028, 8:36 PM, fatally assaulted by a drunk passerby while returning home.

Yeongwoo recalled his once repulsive Fate Record and chuckled bitterly.

Then, as he attempted to slowly close his eyes…

Paang!

Suddenly, a car horn blared from somewhere, jolting him awake.

“…?”

It wasn’t far away.

Even the characteristic vibration of a car transmitted through the ground.

Although he was now too exhausted to turn his head, he could easily guess who the person was without seeing.

“Hyungnim? Where are you?”

Jongsu, who had cast aside the Jeong family, was approaching.

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]