Chapter 82

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 82: Stubborn (1)

“Are you really saying that you don’t have the ability to fight mutants on your own? At this point?”

Jo Sangik’s angry face turned red.

“Then what about the title…? How did you become the Strongest Sword in Gyeongbuk?”

A voice full of confusion.

Nevertheless, he had already taken a combat posture.

Because it was more important to kill the mutant within this intersection than to engage in a clumsy fight with that crazy Strongest Sword right now.

Just a little away from here are the Gwanak-gu residents performing the “Seoul Rotation”.

Although the police, who also act as monster hunters, are escorting citizens, in front of the mutants, whether they are police or citizens, they are all just a punch away.

Therefore, the current top priority was to exterminate the mutants.

‘Let’s kill the mutant first, and then think about that guy later.’

Jo Sangik muttered inwardly as he gripped his sword.

And in the meantime, the mutant of the third day descended from the sky and landed in the middle of the intersection.

Kwoooong!

“Ugh.”

As soon as the mutant landed, a storm of black dust swept through the area, and the two Strongest Swords had to step back, covering their faces with their hands.

It was because asphalt fragments scattered in all directions as if a grenade had exploded.

Ting, ting, ping!

The metallic equipment worn by Yeongwoo emitted strange sounds incessantly.

Asphalt fragments were pounding against the surface of the equipment.

Of course, parts of the body not covered by the equipment had to endure it with bare flesh.

Pup, pup!

Even Yeongwoo, whose durability had been raised to thousands, felt a tingling sensation, so if an ordinary person were standing here, their body would have been torn to shreds.

“Let’s solve the mutant problem first and then talk again. We can’t let that guy escape from here under any circumstances.”

Jo Sangik’s voice came from the dust.

Although they would have to cooperate unavoidably, it meant that civilian casualties would not be tolerated.

Upon this, Yeongwoo also nodded while drawing his sword.

“Okay. I don’t want innocent people to suffer either.”

Of course, there was no discussion about the options that would be given after defeating the mutants.

Therefore, there was also a possibility that Jo Sangik would launch a surprise attack after the mutants were cleaned up.

‘But by then, my abilities won’t be easy to deal with. I’ll be able to end the Strong Tiger’s Early Appearance Challenge with this battle.’

The karma reward obtainable from the Strong Tiger’s Early Appearance Challenge was a whopping 5 million.

After obtaining this, even if he were to engage in a solo showdown with Jo Sangik, he wouldn’t fall behind significantly.

‘But it’s a story after surviving from the mutant.’

Yeongwoo placed his hand on another sword that he hadn’t drawn yet, watching a huge presence rising from within the front dust.

Thud!

「Underdog」 – Mutant one-handed sword

【Increases damage to targets larger than the user by 25%.】

Underdog.

This weapon was taken from the now deceased Chungju’s Strongest Sword.

The reason Yeongwoo laid his hand on this sword was because the mutant’s size this time was clearly larger than his own.

Thud!

With an ominous friction sound, something with a large shadow began to walk out of the dust cloud.

Thud!

The heavy footsteps of the opponent could be felt.

Kwoong!

From the second step onwards, both Strongest Swords could see the opponent’s name tag.

[Businessman – Kim Taejoon]

‘Kim Taejoon? Could it be that Kim Taejoon…?’

Yeongwoo’s pupils dilated.

It was because there was someone with exactly that name among the famous people he knew.

It was Kim Taejoon, the founder and CEO of the major game development company VC Soft.

Commonly known as TJ.

Even people who weren’t familiar with games had heard his name, as VC Soft’s games had been hits one after another, but they also had a notorious reputation for their aggressive microtransactions.

‘But still… Was he considered for annihilation?’

After all, it was a system where if you received a relatively large number of votes, you could be listed, so nothing was impossible.

‘I never thought I’d meet Kim Taejoon like this.’

Until he went down to Gumi, Yeongwoo had been doing game broadcasts in Seoul, so it was a strange feeling.

And it seemed that Kim Taejoon, the main character, felt the same.

「Ah… I feel weird.」

Kwoong!

As Kim Taejoon completely emerged from the dust cloud after the third step, his towering figure, reaching three meters in height, was revealed.

Skin made of ivory-colored granite.

Shoulders overly broad, and arms even more exaggerated than that.

Although his lower body also looked sturdy, it couldn’t compare to the upper body that seemed as if a mountain had been placed on it.

“A… a golem?”

As Yeongwoo muttered without realizing it, Kim Taejoon, who heard him, looked at him.

Then, he raised his hand made of stone and inspected it, widening his eyes.

「My goodness. It’s really a golem.」

Yeongwoo confirmed from this dialogue that the mutant he was facing right now was indeed ‘Kim Taejoon.’

Which mutant in this world would not be impressed by the fact that they had turned into a golem?

Considering Kim Taejoon’s childhood involvement in game development, it was entirely possible.

Thud!

Then, Kim Taejoon turned his head and surveyed the entire intersection neatly cleared.

Then.

「This is the place to raid me.」

The current situation was condensed into a very simple sentence.

「More importantly, where are the others? How long has it been since the reset?」

It was common for mutants to be curious about the passage of time.

However, for the first time, Kim Taejoon was also asking about the whereabouts of other people.

It didn’t seem like he was looking for people to massacre, judging by the nuance.

“It’s now the third day since the reset. And the others are safe. We’re the only ones who came out to greet Taejoon.”

As Yeongwoo explained this, Kim Taejoon’s expression brightened.

「Three days…? Really? Where are the people?」

Then, Jo Sangik interjected with a stern voice.

“Why are you looking for people? You can’t leave here anyway. Why do you think we’re here?”

To Gwanak’s Strongest Sword Jo Sangik, Kim Taejoon was both a source of abundant karma and a disaster threatening civilians just by his presence.

In other words, he was a target that must be killed here, no matter what.

On the other hand, Kim Taejoon’s perspective was different.

「If it’s only been three days, my family must be somewhere safe. I don’t intend to harm anyone, so please just let me find my family.」

“Ah…”

Upon hearing Kim Taejoon’s words, Yeongwoo immediately understood the situation.

Hadn’t he experienced a similar case in Mungyeong?

It was the story of Jang Daemyung, who had returned as a mutant just to meet his father again.

‘That’s right. From the mutant’s perspective, it’s like they’ve been separated from their families in an instant. They might prioritize confirming the safety of their families over seeking revenge.’

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Even Yeongwoo, an orphan of heaven, had moved to find his father upon learning of his existence.

So what about someone who had originally been within the fence of their family?

Yeongwoo felt a touch of sympathy.

However, Jo Sangik’s subsequent response couldn’t be considered wrong either.

“Yes. I understand what you mean, but realistically, it’s impossible. Even if I were to send you, Taejoon, would the other Strongest Swords just sit idly by? And it’s absurd to even think about finding family members whose whereabouts are unknown in the first place.”

At this, Kim Taejoon, who had been silently listening, suddenly frowned in anger.

「My wife and children know that I’ll come back as a monster. So if I just make it known that I’m here, they’ll find a way to come to me.」

“…!”

It was a statement that couldn’t be made without tremendous trust.

In this absurd conversation, Yeongwoo was deeply moved.

But as he watched Kim Taejoon’s increasingly distorted body, he sensed that the end of this conversation was approaching.

“Taejoon.”

As Yeongwoo calmly interjected into the conversation between the two, Kim Taejoon responded with a much rougher tone than before.

「What is it?」

“As the gentleman said, it’s almost impossible for you to find your family in your current state. In Seoul, there are dozens of other Strongest Swords besides us.”

Of course, Kim Taejoon would have been willing to kill all those Strongest Swords if necessary to find his family.

So Yeongwoo quickly added:

“But there is another way. It may not be to your liking, though.”

“What do you mean by that?”

With a stern expression, Jo Sangik interjected, while Kim Taejoon showed interest.

「What is it?」

Yeongwoo then extended his right hand.

“It’s a handshake.”

“A handshake?”

Jo Sangik reacted with utter surprise, while Kim Taejoon’s face brightened slightly.

「A handshake… I’ve heard that it’s used when one regrets returning as a mutant. But how does that become a solution?」

Kim Taejoon made his right hand glow blue and displayed an icon of a door on his palm.

“What…?”

In an unprecedented event, Jo Sangik widened his eyes, and sensing a glimmer of hope, Yeongwoo extended a pumpkin-colored magic lamp towards Kim Taejoon.

“If you shake hands with me… um, that is, you can become something like the genie of this lamp. Like Genie.”

This was the best explanation Yeongwoo could offer.

“It won’t be for a long time, but I can summon you twice a day, Taejoon. Usually, I call for help during battles, but… I can also call you when I find your family, Taejoon.”

By Yeongwoo’s standards, Kim Taejoon was not a criminal.

He hadn’t returned as a mutant to commit murder, nor had he committed any major crimes as a human.

So Yeongwoo didn’t lie to lure him.

As mentioned earlier, it was a method that Kim Taejoon probably wouldn’t like.

「In other words… it’s like entrusting my family’s search to a complete stranger and willingly confining myself to that belief.」

“That’s the idea. But there’s no better alternative. Even if you kill us and escape from here, you’ll have to fight other Strongest Swords again. The whole world will attack you, Taejoon.”

「I’ve already experienced that firsthand. Do you have anything else to say?」

Kim Taejoon demanded the final word.

As expected, the negotiation had failed.

At this, Yeongwoo nodded as if to acknowledge, then pointed into the empty space and said seriously:

“…It can’t be helped. This battle will be conducted with the support of the intergalactic weapons brand Dogo.”

「…Huh?」

“I am Jeong Yeongwoo 07, a human being of the Earth and the strongest man of Gyeongbuk.”

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]