Chapter 79

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 79: Let Them See Gwanak (3)

Strongest Sword Assembly.

As soon as Yeongwoo encountered this word, he recalled the warning he heard when he attempted to kill the son of Gangnam Strongest Sword.

– This… should be enough. If you go further here, you’ll be turning all of Seoul into an enemy.

All of Seoul as an enemy.

‘I thought it was a bit exaggerated, but it might not be.’

What could it mean for the Strongest Swords to gather in Seoul, where the Civilian Agreement was made?

It’s definitely not about making life or death decisions together.

“What exactly is the Strongest Sword Assembly?”

When Yeongwoo asked, the officer checked his watch again and replied.

“Every day at 3 p.m., Strongest swords from all over Seoul gather in Yongsan Park. Government officials also attend as observers.”

“The government attends?”

When Yeongwoo asked again, the officer nodded.

“Because they need to reflect the decisions made at the assembly.”

“My goodness.”

Yeongwoo finally seemed to understand.

Although it was said that the Strongest Swords were empowering the government, in reality, the government held control over the Strongest Sword’s movements.

‘Now it makes sense.’

Yes.

In the reset world, a ‘healthy government’ meant this kind of arrangement.

“You told me earlier to attend the assembly. What kind of treatment can I expect if I, as an outsider, go there?”

“As long as you’re not here to harm civilians, you’ll be welcomed in any way possible. Even I, who doesn’t know much, can tell you’re not an ordinary person. Seoul is a great place for the strong to live.”

The officer cautiously scanned Yeongwoo up and down.

Then he added.

“If you want a Strongest Sword position, you can challenge anyone who attends the assembly, and if you want to engage in monster business, you can acquire business rights through duels with those who have preempted them.”

“Monster… what? Doing business with monsters?”

Yeongwoo’s eyes widened in disbelief at the story, and the officer nodded habitually.

“Yes. It’s one of the reasons why order is being maintained in Seoul.”

Monster business.

Also known as the Seoul Rotation.

According to the officer, this was a kind of economic recovery project proposed by Seoul National University at the first assembly.

It involved selecting a certain level of experts from each region and having them complete “Scout” quests with tens or hundreds of civilians each.

[Daily] “Scout”

[Mission] Approach the monster until you are 10 meters away.

[Reward] 3,000 Karma

And thus, a portion of the 3,000 Karma earned per person was taken as a commission by the business.

“…It’s a crazy idea.”

Yeongwoo said this, but he understood that it was the best option at a realistic level.

If it really was feasible, for those who found it difficult to go monster hunting, it was a deal with no losses from their perspective.

Of course, on the flip side.

‘Other strong people who couldn’t secure business rights would likely become discontent. In essence, this is no different from controlling hunting grounds.’

As Yeongwoo was having these thoughts, the officer’s lips twitched.

“But this isn’t the end.”

“…?”

“Did you know that the Scout quests are applied separately in each region?”

“No way.”

“Yes. Even if you completed the quest in Seocho, you can still perform the Scout quest when you move to another region.”

“So, it’s the ‘rotation’ of Seoul.”

This time, Yeongwoo nodded his head.

Indeed, the Seoul Rotation meant that the strong would mobilize customers and travel through various areas of Seoul to assist with Vanguard quests, making money in the process.

This meant earning over 4,000 Karma per person after deducting commissions, assuming they covered at least two regions.

“A tremendous amount of money will be circulating. There will be many people vying for business rights as well.”

“Yes. That’s why to prevent conflicts in the city, all procedures are recognized only during the assembly. The same goes for duels among experts.”

In other words, any fights or business disputes outside of Yongsan Park were illegal.

“It’s very systematic. How is this possible? The reset started just three days ago.”

When Yeongwoo expressed his natural skepticism, the officer extended two fingers, then folded one of them.

Snap!

“First, Seoul National University, which serves as the government’s brain, and…”

Then, the officer folded the second finger and uttered a chilling remark.

“Thanks to Gangnam’s Strongest Sword Jeong Hyunsik. He’s the one who created the Strongest Sword Assembly.”

“….”

Gangnam Strongest Sword Jeong Hyunsik.

Although it had been only a few hours since he arrived in Seoul, this was already the second time he had heard this troublesome name.

“Is Gangnam’s Strongest Sword really that remarkable?”

Yeongwoo pretended not to know as he asked, and the officer checked his wristwatch with a more anxious expression than before.

“I should only say that he’s the only one who can summon the Strongest Swords. It’s really time to leave now.”

“…!”

Yeongwoo checked his watch too and indeed, time was running out.

‘It’s 12:29 p.m. now.’

In just 31 minutes, monsters and mutants would start pouring out all over Seoul.

“Immediate withdrawal!”

The police personnel controlling the Yangjae Interchange were already getting into their vehicles.

They all seemed to be trying to evacuate to safety before the monsters arrived.

‘I thought they were staying here to clean up the monsters, but apparently not.’

Perhaps soon, the so-called ‘monster entrepreneurs’ would lead numerous civilians and roam the vicinity.

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

What kind of place is Seoul, exactly?

Yeongwoo felt even more confused now that he was actually in Seoul.

Vroom!

Finally, the patrol cars carrying all the personnel began to leave the road.

Thanks to that, the exit toward Ssangdam, where Yeongwoo’s group needed to go, was now clear.

“…Let’s go. We need to hurry.”

Yeongwoo said this to Taeyoung and Jongsu behind him as he grabbed the reins of Negwig.

* * *

Leaving the Yangjae Interchange and entering the Gangnam Circle Road.

As they moved along the outskirts of Seoul, they could see the districts changing rapidly.

Pop!

|The current area you’re in is ‘Dongjak.’

|The Strongest Sword in this area is ‘Lee Hanwook09’. 2nd generation, 8 defenses.

[TL/N: Idc i’m changing Rank to generation bc that makes so much more sense, idk why in prev chaps rank was used its so stupid istg.]

[PR/N: ur stupid. 0 consistency smh/]

“Dongjak’s Strongest Sword… Lee Hanwook.”

Could Lee Hanwook from Dongjak’s Strongest Sword also be a participant in the Strongest Sword Assembly?

Yeongwoo’s perspective on the local situation had changed.

‘Come to think of it, I didn’t ask how many regions are participating in the assembly.’

Considering the warning that harming the son of Gangnam’s Strongest Sword could turn all of Seoul against him, it seemed evident that the number of regions participating in the assembly would not be small.

The nuance of the conversation he just had with the officer also indicated the significant power of the assembly.

However, Seoul is composed of as many as 25 regions.

Even if Gangnam Strongest Sword is remarkable, could all the Strongest Swords across Seoul have united in just a few days?

‘Surely, there are regions that haven’t participated in the assembly yet.’

In that case, what would happen to those regions?

Would they be considered enemies of the assembly or simply classified as unexplored territories?

‘The more I know, the more complex it gets.’

Yeongwoo shook his head in bewilderment and shifted his gaze to the urban area that was beginning to appear on his right.

Then he noticed a large white building in the distance, with numerous people streaming in.

‘What’s that?’

Furrowing his brow, he finally saw a red logo on the top of the building.

It was none other than Homeplus.

‘Could it be one of the shelters?’

Considering the timing, it seemed likely.

Or perhaps it was being used as a waiting area for ‘customers’ until the locations of the monsters were determined.

‘They all seem impressive.’

As Yeongwoo muttered his brief impression inwardly, his surroundings suddenly darkened.

“Whoa!”

They had entered the Bongcheon Tunnel, which pierced the northern end of Mt. Gwanaksan.

‘Damn, all the lights are out.’

It was pitch black inside the tunnel as if all the lights on the ceiling and walls had been petrified.

“Yeongwoo, are you okay?”

Taeyoung, who had entered the tunnel belatedly, shone the car headlights on Yeongwoo, who waved his hand to indicate he was fine.

He realized that Negwig, the horse he was riding, had been running smoothly even after entering the tunnel.

Perhaps this iron horse had the ability to sense objects even without light.

‘I guess I received one proper gift.’

As Yeongwoo patted Negwig’s neck, indicating he trusted only him, the horse lifted its head slightly and made an indistinct sound.

– Nnay…!

Then, it started to carry Yeongwoo at an even faster pace than before.

Zoom, zoom!

“Hey, Yeongwoo!”

Taeyoung, sensing Negwig’s acceleration, expressed his concern, but his voice soon faded away from Yeongwoo’s ears.

The distance between them and the vehicle had widened considerably, to the extent that the headlights did not reach Yeongwoo anymore.

Soon, the regional status window refreshed.

Pop!

|The current area you’re in is ‘Gwanak.’

|The Strongest Sword in this area is ‘Jo Sangik01.’ 1st generation, 22 defenses.

They had already entered Gwanak after leaving Dongjak.

‘Jo Sangik… 01?’

The first person among all Jo Sangiks nationwide to make contact with the currency exchange.

Yeongwoo gazed blankly at the illuminated regional status amidst the pitch darkness.

By this time, the other end of the tunnel was gradually brightening.

It must be nearing the end of the tunnel.

Zoom!

Yeongwoo stared blankly at the brightly illuminated regional status amidst the pitch darkness.

As Negwig accelerated even further, Yeongwoo felt as if he were being pulled into the light.

Wha-at!

Then suddenly, everything outside became dazzlingly bright.

‘…Ugh.’

They had finally emerged from the tunnel.

The relative freshness of the air enveloped their faces like a blessing.

However, what greeted Yeongwoo outside the tunnel wasn’t just fresh air.

Pop!

As Yeongwoo’s temporarily paralyzed vision returned, he found himself staring at about a dozen young individuals.

“What… What’s going on?”

“Monsters…?”

“Could there be monsters at this hour?”

The faces of these individuals, as bewildered as Yeongwoo’s, were contrasted by the presence of skilled individuals, each carrying a weapon at their waist.

And above all…

“…Ah.”

Despite the hot weather in June, they were all wearing jackets.

If the unfamiliar patterns on each jacket didn’t give it away, it might have been mistaken for a hallucination.

“…”

Yeongwoo stared at the young people gathered in front of the tunnel.

Then, he recalled where he might be and reached a conclusion.

“Are you guys from Seoul National University by any chance?”

“…!”

At that moment, everyone present seemed to gasp in unison.

Woo-oong!

A tremendous roar erupted from the sky as countless beams of light began to strike the ground.

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]