Chapter 65

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 65: Strong Tiger’s Early Appearance (2)

“I’m also going to Seoul.”

When Gyeongbuk’s Strongest Sword, Jeong Yeongwoo 07, said this, the expressions of the two police officers who had decided to go to Seoul became inevitably complicated.

It was because of the particularly special identity of the opponent.

‘…Gyeongbuk’s Strongest Sword.’

Byungcheol cautiously scanned the golden-haired outsider’s head, which he had overlooked due to the shock of their intense first meeting.

The existence of the Strongest Sword in this world was almost always a gangster or a murderer.

Structurally, there was no other way.

Becoming the Strongest Sword meant either boldly committing a murder on the first day of the reset to catch the system’s eye, or assassinating an established Strongest Sword.

The process of becoming a local Strongest Sword was already treacherous enough, so how would it be to unify a large region like Gyeongbuk?

But why would such a person go to Seoul of all places?

In the eyes of Byungcheol, a police officer, it looked like a massive bomb was rolling down the powder keg, ready to explode.

“Ahem.”

Byungcheol, trying to maintain a calm face, asked the usual question.

“Excuse me, but… why are you going to Seoul?”

“Well…”

Yeongwoo scratched his chin and looked at iron horse, Negwig.

If he answered that he was going to fight against high-level experts with a total ability score of over 3,000, it would complicate the situation.

So, Yeongwoo’s chosen answer was.

“I’m going to spread money.”

“….?”

“What?”

The expressions of the two police officers twisted at once.

They completely did not understand what Yeongwoo was talking about.

“What is that…”

“Didn’t you choose the exclusive 3 million karma when you caught the mutant?”

When Yeongwoo asked this, Kim Byungcheol 139, the Strongest Sword, widened his eyes.

“No way.”

Finally, he realized what the outsider was talking about.

≪Choice Reward≫

[3 million Karma]

Or

[Grant 30,000 Karma to all residents in the area]

A dilemma quest, ‘Quantum Choice,’ in which only the one who defeats the mutant receives the reward.

Byungcheol, the Strongest Sword, had faced this choice before and, after much consideration as a police officer, ultimately chose the exclusive 3 million karma.

He judged that it was better to grab a large sum for himself and establish order, rather than giving money to citizens whose ratio of villains was unknown.

Of course, underneath that judgment was the survival instinct that wanted to live first.

After all, wasn’t Byungcheol a person before being a police officer?

“Yes, I chose 3 million.”

Byungcheol deliberately straightened his chest to hide his conscience.

Yeongwoo nodded as if to say that it wasn’t a bad choice.

“Not a bad choice. Of course, I suffered a bit because I couldn’t do that.”

“….!”

At Yeongwoo’s words, Byungcheol made an expression of disbelief.

“You chose 30,000?”

More precisely, he couldn’t believe that Yeongwoo became the Strongest Sword even after giving up 3 million karma.

But the truly unbelievable statement was next.

“Yes. Four times so far.”

“Four times…?”

As Byungcheol echoed Yeongwoo’s words as if possessed, he noticed Yeongwoo’s strange attire and shut his mouth.

He soon realized that his current appearance was the result of an incredible feat.

“What… what happens if you choose 30,000?”

Byungcheol, who decided to believe the outsider’s statement, asked vaguely.

However, since Yeongwoo had no remaining commemorative coins and no way to show his achievements, it was best for him to point towards Seoul and say this.

“Golden rain falls. It’s faster to understand when you see it yourself.”

“Ah…”

Golden rain.

It was a natural occurrence, but it was a sight that Byungcheol had never seen in his entire life.

“But the Strongest Swords in Seoul probably wouldn’t want to choose 30,000.”

“Strongest Swords?”

Yeongwoo, hearing Byungcheol express “Strongest Swords” in the plural, asked again.

“Are there multiple Strongest Swords in Seoul?”

“Each district has a Strongest Sword. Of course, someone could be the Strongest Sword in Seoul, like you being the Strongest Sword in Gyeongbuk.”

“Oh, then there might be a Gangnam Strongest Sword.”

Jongsu, who had been listening to the conversation, chimed in.

It turned out that the story he had jokingly shared with Yeongwoo before was true.

Seoul, consisting of 25 districts.

With each district having a larger population than most provincial cities, it wasn’t surprising that there was a Strongest Sword in each.

“Oh, so if there’s a Strongest Sword in each district, there might be mutants too…”

Adding to Yeongwoo’s statement, Byungcheol continued.

“Mutants would probably be scattered in each district.”

“Incredible.”

Twenty-five mutants falling from the sky every day.

And twenty-five Strongest Swords waiting for them.

“Hyung-nim, Seoul might be more terrifying than you think.”

Jongsu shivered, recalling a dreadful scene.

Yeongwoo also felt a chill in his spine when he imagined 25 red pillars of light shooting down.

But what was even more concerning was…

“If mutants fall twenty-five at a time… assuming that no one dropped the golden rain, it means 75 million karma is released every day under the assumption that everyone receives 3,000 karma.”

Of course, there was also the possibility that the city could be destroyed by a large number of mutants and monsters.

Yeongwoo never thought that way, though.

“From what I see, it’s unlikely that mutants and monsters are targeting Seoul from the Gyeonggi region. Currently, Seoul is digesting the allocated amount for themselves.”

In other words, some of Seoul’s Strongest Swords likely secured an enormous amount of karma.

“If you’re really going to Seoul to spread the golden rain, Mr. Yeongwoo, you’re in for a tough time.”

Byungcheol chuckled.

It was a self-deprecating remark, as his own situation wasn’t much different.

In response, Yeongwoo shrugged his shoulders.

“So, what I’m suggesting is…”

Swoosh.

As Yeongwoo stroked Negwig’s lower back, he raised his head and his eyes lit up.

“Because we are both in a position to be hated in Seoul… How about joining forces?”

* * *

Union with Gyeongbuk’s Strongest Sword, Jeong Yeongwoo 07.

In reality, for Byungcheol and Taeyoung, who only had two bullets, there was no reason to refuse this proposal.

At least, Jeong Yeongwoo, who showed no animosity towards them, seemed better than the unknown rogues in Seoul.

Of course, it was uncertain how vicious the outsider would become if a conflict of interest arose…

‘Rather than being slaughtered as soon as we get to Seoul, it might be better. It’s a compromise instead of the worst-case scenario.’

What was even more worrying was…

Current time: 8:49 PM.

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

The grand lodging service is about to begin in approximately 10 minutes.

‘Isn’t this next to Yongin? As long as we finish checking in before 11 PM, we should have enough time to reach Yongin.’

Even though there are no more vehicles available for travel, there is Negwin from the advertiser.

Why not take this opportunity to test its performance?

“….”

As Yeongwoo was silently observing Negwig, Byungcheol, who was still uneasy about something, asked him.

“…Is there another issue?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just that it might be difficult for all four of us to ride.”

“Where… Oh, you mean that?”

Byungcheol pointed at Negwig and spoke.

Then, with a horrified expression, he turned his head.

“We have a patrol car to ride.”

As Byungcheol said this, they could see a patrol car parked in a corner of the parking lot.

It was obvious that everyone would pay attention to the conspicuous car, which they planned to take to enter Seoul.

“Rumors will spread quickly. There will be rumors that strange people have arrived from somewhere.”

Yeongwoo’s eyes blinked widely.

It seemed that they were going to take the horse for another spin this time.

“Feel free to do as you please. The important thing is to get into Seoul by tomorrow afternoon.”

1 PM.

It was the time Yeongwoo empirically learned for the appearance of mutants.

Of course, it was unknown whether this law would apply to Seoul, which consisted of 25 districts.

“At 1 PM… We’ll need to move quickly.”

Byungcheol had encountered mutants as a Strongest Sword before, but this was the first time he was going to find mutants in a different region.

Moreover, it was Seoul, not any other area.

Therefore, the Strongest Swords of Seoul were likely to be more significant obstacles than the mutants themselves.

“Anyway… Should we head straight to Yongin?”

Byungcheol asked Yeongwoo, and in the meantime, Taeyoung started running towards the patrol car.

“Yes. It seems safer to find accommodation around Yongin. Besides, there won’t be any mutants appearing today.”

“Got it. By the way, Yeongwoo, are you really going to ride that thing? If it’s slower than a car, it could be a disaster.”

Byungcheol expressed his concern while pointing at Negwig.

Indeed, it was a mature concern.

In response, Yeongwoo looked at the legs of iron horse Negwig, made of gleaming black steel.

“Well, I don’t know. Is the patrol car full of gas? You might have to step on the gas all the way to Yongin.”

“Ha-ha, is that so?”

Yeongwoo’s playful remark made Byungcheol laugh, but soon after, he solidified his expression and instructed Taeyoung to check the remaining gas in the patrol car.

* * *

「The lodging service has started.」

「From now on, all buildings classified as ‘residences’ will be affected by the lodging system and become inviolable.」

At 9:00 PM sharp, a terrifying sound from Yeongwoo’s wristwatch announced the start of lodging, followed by consecutive messages.

「Anyone can occupy a desired residence by paying karma for a certain period.」

「During the lodging time, access to the space can be controlled, and accommodating guests is also possible.」

The content was the same as what he saw last night.

Therefore, it was expected that similar events would unfold tonight.

People knocking on others’ doors because they didn’t secure a residence in time, and in the end, the extraordinary climate sweeping away those who couldn’t enter anywhere.

「By the way, today’s nighttime weather is a heatwave.」

「Be cautious of severe sunburn.」

‘A heatwave…’

The weather information appeared, and by this time, Yeongwoo and his party, fully prepared to depart, stood side by side on the road connecting Icheon and Yongin.

Yeongwoo and Jongsu were on the back of iron horse Negwig, while Byungcheol and Taeyoung were in the patrol car.

“Ah… But what if this guy really isn’t as fast as the old man said? What do we do, Hyung-nim?”

Jongsu, who was sitting closely behind Yeongwoo, alternately looked at the patrol car and Negwig, expressing his concern.

Despite being from outer space, could this creature, in the form of a horse, run faster than a car?

‘Of course, it should be fast.’

Unlike Jongsu, Yeongwoo had no worries at all.

“If this thing couldn’t run faster than Earth’s means of transportation, Dogo wouldn’t have engraved their logo on it. It’s probably indirect advertising even at this moment.”

“Advertising? Who’s looking at this now?”

While Jongsu shrugged his shoulders and looked around, the sign to start from the patrol car finally came.

“Go ahead! We’ll catch up with your speed!”

A road of approximately 30 kilometers from Icheon to Yongin.

On this road, a horse from outer space and a patrol car from Earth started running side by side.

-Snort…!

As they looked at the road ahead, Negwig, too, seemed excited, emitting a sharp neigh.

And then,

Shurk!

Suddenly, it spewed out a narrow band from its side, wrapping tightly around the lower halves of Yeongwoo and Jongsu.

“Huh?”

“Whoa!”

This thing, firmly fastening the rider’s legs around Negwig’s waist, was probably…

“Could this be a safety be—!”

Just as Jongsu was about to declare the identity of the ‘band,’ Negwig shot out at a bullet-like speed.

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]