Chapter 56

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 56: Different species (3)

“Coins…?”

Jongsu, who was looking at Yeongwoo with a surprised expression, quickly regained his composure as he grasped the situation.

It was clear that the Gyeongbuk’s Strongest Sword in front of him was in a difficult situation due to a lack of cash.

So, Jongsu reflexively asked how much was needed but quickly changed his words.

“Would you be surprised if you knew? I have quite a bit.”

As Jongsu placed the backpack he was carrying on his back on the ground, an unusual sound was heard.

Clang.

The sound of coins clashing loudly inside the backpack.

And the one most surprised by this was none other than Yeongwoo.

In fact, 69,000 karma might be a small amount of money for him, but it could be a significant sum of money that could be a matter of life and death for most people.

In addition, carrying such an amount of money in cash without investing it in stats was an unusual thing to do.

“…How much is it?”

When Yeongwoo asked curiously, Jongsu opened the backpack and showed him a handful of crimson coins.

“It’s 114,000.”

The amount far exceeded the ‘balance’ Yeongwoo needed.

“Wow. Why do you carry so much cash?”

“Because there’s no guarantee when you might encounter a monster. So, I’ve prepared enough in advance. If I think I might have to fight a strong opponent, I can immediately use it on my stats.”

“Then, do you lend it to others in case of emergencies? About 69,000?”

At Yeongwoo’s request, Jongsu chuckled with a slippery smile.

“Hehe, it’s quite a large amount. Would it be helpful if I lend it to you?”

“I can buy one more piece of equipment.”

At Yeongwoo’s words, Jongsu shrugged his shoulders and took a few steps back from the backpack.

It meant he could take as much as he wanted.

Then, the golden goblin standing on Yeongwoo’s footplate saw the coins in the backpack and twitched its body.

-Kiit.

Instinctively, the eyes kept going there because it was holding back without receiving the owner’s command.

“Can you choose the coins you want? If you can, bring only 69,000 karma.”

Finally, Yeongwoo pointed to the backpack and ordered, and as soon as his words ended, the goblin jumped out, leaving behind a golden trace.

Tatang!

It was a movement at an incredible speed, as seen before.

In the blink of an eye, it grabbed the backpack, opened the spatial pocket, and poured in the crimson coins.

Chwarruk!

At a glance, it seemed like it was pouring the coins without counting, but as soon as it emptied 69,000, it returned the backpack to its original position.

-Kit.

The goblin’s gesture seemed to say, “Check your balance.”

Indeed, Yeongwoo’s cash total was now 940,000 karma.

An exact amount that would leave nothing after buying the helmet and shoes.

“Thank you very much. Thanks to you…”

Unconsciously, Yeongwoo’s gaze turned to the product list.

3 ― 「Vanguard」 – Relic Helmet

【This helmet does not get damaged.】

◇ 310,000 Karma

4 ― 「Illusion」 – Unique Shoes

【30% chance of detection evasion.】

◇ 630,000 Karma

Still, both pieces of equipment existed only in blue text.

Acquired!

As soon as Yeongwoo confirmed the purchase, a change occurred.

Shwaaaah…!

A strange sound began to come from somewhere in the sky.

“Huh?”

“…!”

Since it was a sound similar to when the early bird first fell, both Yeongwoo and Jongsu looked up at the sky, and soon they saw it.

Paaah!

Two very thin pillars of light were descending straight towards Yeongwoo.

“…Ugh!”

Startled, Yeongwoo crouched down, and as the pillars of light passed by him, an immense heat emanated from them.

Hwarlut!

“Oof.”

Although Jongsu, who was nearby, felt the heat to the point of taking a step back, Yeongwoo was unaffected.

There was only a slight discomfort.

‘Ah.’

From the moment the pillars of light passed, Yeongwoo felt a slight pressure on his head and feet.

Having purchased equipment several times already, he quickly understood what had happened.

‘Every merchant has a slightly different way of filling up equipment.’

As Yeongwoo touched his cheek, he felt the cold touch of metal.

On his feet, he wore shoes made of a silvery metal, and contrary to appearances, they were so light that he could hardly feel the weight.

‘If it’s a unique item… it shouldn’t tear even if I run, right?’

Looking at the shoes, practical concerns crossed Yeongwoo’s mind.

On the other hand, Jongsu was observing the transformed appearance of Gyeongbuk’s Strongest Sword, now even more comical with the helmet and shoes.

“Hyung-nim.”

“Yes?”

“Can’t you hide your equipment… like, some kind of ability?”

“Why? Does it look that strange?”

“Yes, quite a lot.”

After scanning Yeongwoo from top to bottom again, Jongsu shook his head.

It was understandable, as Yeongwoo was now wearing a black cloak over the training suit he had on at the factory dormitory, with a rugged bronze helmet on his head.

He even had a snake on one arm, a golden bracelet, and gloves.

Adding an iron belt with two swords and silver shoes, it went beyond strange and looked downright bizarre.

“I now understand why there were skins in the game. Still, Shin Youngju was tolerable, but Hyung-nim, you’re a bit eccentric.”

“I can’t help it. I can’t just wear less equipment to look cool. But isn’t it better than being barefoot?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

With an expression that clearly indicated he didn’t know, Jongsu moved towards the car he had brought.

“Anyway, you’re done here, right? I don’t want to keep staring at those guys all day.”

The ‘guys’ Jongsu mentioned were the unknown alien merchant, who came from the Cheok and mediator Kubu.

Regardless of their roles and origins, they both looked equally repulsive to Jongsu’s eyes.

“Yes. Let’s go now. We’ve delayed enough time.”

After saying this to Jongsu, Yeongwoo bowed his head slightly towards the two aliens, bidding them farewell.

In response, Kubu and even the giant wheel responded.

– May you continue to live.

-Zkrrrk.

* * *

5:56 PM.

While driving on the road for a while, the regional status window changed.

| The current area you are in is ‘Eumseong.’

| There is no Strongest Sword present in this area.

“Huh.”

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

“Oh, what’s this?”

Both Yeongwoo and Jongsu were surprised simultaneously.

Just like in Chungju, the Strongest Sword was absent in Eumseong.

“Doesn’t that mean another Strongest Sword has visited here?”

Jongsu asked, and Yeongwoo nodded in response.

“Yes. It means the title of Eumseong Strongest Sword has been absorbed into a different area.”

In other words, someone else was collecting titles while moving.

In a nationwide context, this might not have been uncommon.

It was natural for a Strongest Sword to completely organize their assigned area and search for other anomalies while encountering and inevitably clashing with other Strongest Swords.

Before disputes over who would defeat the anomaly, there were cases where a fight was initiated because the opponent’s equipment looked tempting.

In Yeongwoo’s case, it was Chungju’s Strongest Sword Shin Youngju who had done such a thing.

“Is the next area also negative?”

As the regional status window remained fixed on Eumseong, Jongsu checked the sign ahead.

“No. We’re on our way to Yeoju… It was just Eumseong in the middle.”

And not long after, the displayed area changed to ‘Yeoju.’

The problem was:

| The current area you are in is ‘Yeoju.’

| There is no Strongest Sword present in this area.

“…!”

“Uh?”

Both of them were astonished by the unexpected situation.

“What, what’s going on here? Who’s going around killing everyone…?”

The laughter disappeared from Jongsu’s face.

He had a premonition that from here on, it would be a series of unusual incidents.

Yeongwoo also felt tension in the air, different from before, but he quickly regained his composure.

“Eumseong is in Chungcheongbuk-do, and Yeoju is in Gyeonggi-do, right?”

“Yes…? Oh, right. That’s correct.”

“Then, it’s possible that different people have visited each area. There could be both the Chungbuk Strongest Sword and Gyeonggi Strongest Sword in different places.”

“Wouldn’t that be a more terrifying situation…?”

“Just looking at me being Gyeongbuk’s Strongest Sword… It’s likely to have happened.”

With eyes full of caution, Yeongwoo looked out the car window.

He was a 4th-grade human by birth and not particularly specialized in combat compared to others.

However, with a bit of luck and courage at crucial moments, he became the Gyeongbuk Strongest Sword.

What about others with different types of backgrounds?

For example, unknown killers or powerful criminals not eliminated in the first screening phase, or 1st-grade humans.

‘Already, all the titles are taken from the outskirts, so there must be formidable individuals roaming inside.’

A sense of tension arose.

The first day of the reset, when the surroundings were dangerous everywhere and there was no escape route, the image of the exchange station came to mind.

“Are we continuing? We’ll soon enter Yeoju. After that, it’s Icheon.”

Jongsu asked for confirmation, and Yeongwoo brushed his hand against the two swords at his waist.

“We have to keep going. That’s why I bought a lot of equipment.”

“Yes. Then I trust you and will step on it, Hyung-nim.”

As Jongsu stepped on the accelerator, the scenery outside the window retreated even faster.

Vroooom!

The highway to Yeoju had almost no blocked lanes, and thanks to that, they could soon see a sign indicating the beginning of Yeoju city jurisdiction.

“Oh, we’re in Yeoju now.”

Of course, the fact that they had arrived in the next area did not resonate yet, as the surroundings were just hills and mountains.

There was only a small rest area that they had just passed by, the only building nearby.

“Wow, it’s really desolate. Is it because everyone’s been killed?”

As Jongsu jokingly said this, a sudden noise erupted.

Grrrrrr…!

It was a completely different, aggressive engine sound coming from behind.

The sound direction was towards the rear.

“Oh, man, it’s a foreign car.”

Jongsu, who quickly checked the rearview mirror, chuckled in disbelief.

At this, Yeongwoo also captured the ‘foreign car’ mentioned by Jongsu through the rear window.

Grrrrrr…!

‘Are they crazy?’

Jongsu wasn’t just making nonsense.

Indeed, two Audi convertibles were making a loud noise as they approached.

Their colors were white and yellow, quite noticeable.

“Were they waiting in the rest area we just passed? What the hell is happening in this area?”

Jongsu, with a quick glance at the rearview mirror, could see the foreign sports car that was rapidly closing in on them.

At this moment, Yeongwoo felt a shiver down his spine.

The situation was getting dangerous.

“Hyung-nim, we’re about to be overtaken.”

Jongsu chuckled nervously, realizing the impending situation.

The sports car accelerated and approached them rapidly.

It seemed like they were about to overtake Jongsu’s car.

“That’s right. Get ready.”

Yeongwoo took out the Epic-grade compass ‘Fearful Cat’ from his pocket.

「Fearful Cat」 – Epic Compass

【Indicates a threatening target.】

【–Empty slot–】

Then, he put the compass back into his pocket, signaling his partner.

“Stop the car. Let’s fight now.”

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]