Chapter 135

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 135: Diary of a Wanderer (8)

「The title of Pyongyang’s Strongest Sword, has been stolen!」

“It seems like chaos.”

In response to the notification that the title of Pyongyang’s Strongest Sword, the North Korean asset, had been stolen, a man in military attire spoke calmly.

This man’s name was Kim Jeongtae02.

He was the Strongest Sword of Hamhung, one of North Korea’s major cities.

In the North, reaching a height of about 2 meters, which was difficult to achieve naturally, was accomplished through karma, and this in itself was Kim Jeongtae’s signature.

It meant that he had eliminated a large number of mutants to the extent that he could invest karma in his body.

Therefore,

“These idiots keep messing things up.”

Even the Strongest Sword of Hamnam, who was present with Kim Jeongtae, couldn’t fully muster his courage.

Hamnam, or in other words, Hamgyeongnam Province, including Hamhung, was a large area in the North.

“He seems to be more than just an ordinary guy.”

This time, Gongsan’s Strongest Sword, Lee Chungwoo09, added a word.

Gongsan, which he occupied, was a lower region of Hwanghae Province.

Since the thieves from South Korea, visible in the distance, were also the Strongest Swords of Hwanghae Province, it seemed like they had come to provoke a big fight.

“He may not be ordinary, but if several of us team up, they’ll have no choice but to die.”

Finally, Pyeongnam’s Strongest Sword, Go Jeonhoon 01, summarized the current situation with a fierce remark.

That’s right.

No matter how skilled one was in martial arts, there were limits to becoming stronger in this world.

That guy, Jeong Yeongwoo07, wouldn’t have gone around swallowing all the mutants of South Korea alone, would he?

Therefore,

‘In a one-on-one confrontation, I can win several times. Of course, it’s impressive to have defeated Hwanghae. I admit that he’s strong.’

But if the difference in numbers is significant, the story changes.

“Has Shinuiju not arrived yet?”

When Go Jeonhoon looked north and asked, the other Strongest Swords turned their heads.

There was still no news.

“Hmm.”

The king of Pyeongannam Province, Go Jeonhoon, sighed.

The reputation of Shinuiju’s Strongest Sword, who guarded the border with China, was widespread even to Pyongyang.

So, upon hearing the news that Shinuiju was joining this battle, there was a sense of relief.

It would indeed be a great boost to their forces, but before that, they were curious about the swordsmanship of those who survived in the border areas with China.

‘There are only two of the Strongest Swords from the large areas present here. It shouldn’t happen, but we must never lose.’

If by some chance they were to lose this battle, it would be a terrible thing for the Strongest Sword of South Korea to become the Strongest Sword of Joseon.

So, it was wise to attack with maximum force at this moment.

If the opponent was just Jeong Yeongwoo07, they would have started the attack immediately, but it seemed that South Korea had also gathered some people.

“……”

While stroking his chin and looking down at the South Korean camp on the other side, Kim Jeongtae of Hamhung’s Strongest Sword drew his sword and spoke.

“Then how about I try to stall for some time? It’ll give us a chance to gauge their mood.”

“… Is that possible? In case any problems arise.”

Although Go Jeonhoon voiced his concerns, in reality, they had no choice.

Whoosh!

The nationally wanted thief, Jeong Yeongwoo 07, suddenly began shooting arrows, prompting the start of the battle.

* * *

‘Does this guy have no fear…?’

Choi Namhee, the Strongest Sword of Seocho, watched Yeongwoo’s back with a bewildered expression.

Thunk!

Without a moment of hesitation, he pulled back the bowstring again.

Whoosh!

As Yeongwoo released the bowstring, another arrow shot out just like before, and soon a purple explosion occurred in the northern camp.

Boom!

Then, enraged northern Strongest Swords were seen jumping down from the hill.

The war had truly begun.

“Are you… sure it’s okay to start like this?”

Songpa’s Strongest Sword, Oh Yeonhee, asked, her mouth agape, looking at Yeongwoo.

They had come all this way to help this lunatic, only for the fight to start before they could even assess the situation.

In response, Yeongwoo glanced back briefly and said.

“Thank you, everyone.”

It was a very belated greeting.

Then, he answered Oh Yeonhee’s question.

“Even though they have allies here, there must be a reason they didn’t charge right away. Perhaps they’re waiting for reinforcements.”

The ‘allies’ from the North that Yeongwoo mentioned referred to the still-breathing survivors, the Strongest Sword of Wonsan.

“We can’t just sit here and have tea with them… It’s better to start the fight before they organize their ranks.”

“No, the reason things soured between us and them is actually…”

Choi Namhee was about to refute Yeongwoo’s words but closed her mouth.

In any case, the spilled water couldn’t be recovered, and as Yeongwoo had said, further dialogue with North Korea seemed impossible.

“Scatter!”

『Pyeongnam’s Strongest Sword』

Following the instructions of the Strongest Sword of Pyeongnam, the North Korean side was narrowing the encirclement from all directions, prompting Kim Younghyeom to stroke his long beard.

「Why are you just standing there? Aren’t you going to break through the center?」

Upon hearing this, from Gyeongbuk, Songpa, Seocho, to Goyang, the four Strongest Swords in the audience looked at him with puzzled eyes.

It was a momentary forgetfulness.

They had forgotten that the fourth day mutant from Paju was still alive and breathing in this place.

“W-wait, he’s not your ‘friend’?”

Yeonhee, realizing this important fact too late, almost screamed.

Until now, she had thought the white tiger in front of her as another ‘friend’ of Yeongwoo.

However, Kim Younghyeom, without paying any attention to whether the Strongest Swords were pointing their swords at him or not, pointed his thick front paw towards the North’s large formation.

「You guys have never banded together and fought, right? If we keep getting surrounded like this, our rear will be exposed and we’ll all die in the end.」

Kim Younghyeom was now talking about basic infantry tactics.

「Isn’t he the strongest one here anyway, just by looking at him?」

Pointing at Yeongwoo with his chin, Kim Younghyeom spoke, causing the rest of the audience to unknowingly nod their heads.

「Then you go into the center and deal with the one who came from Pyeongnam first.」

Meanwhile, as the fiercely enraged North Korean Strongest Swords approached, a desperate Oh Yeonhee asked the white tiger, Kim Younghyeom.

“What about the rest?”

In response, the white tiger, Kim Younghyeom, stretched out his front paw and yawned.

「I’ll handle the west alone. You guys take care of the rest.」

“Yes, sir! General!”

Goyang’s Strongest Sword hurriedly prepared his weapons.

On the other hand, Oh Yeonhee and Choi Namhee looked at Yeongwoo with expressions of disbelief.

They were really questioning whether this was okay.

However, it was Yeongwoo who had made the most radical moves in this situation.

Cooperating with mutants wasn’t even that surprising to him.

“Nice to meet you, even though it’s our first time. I’ll be counting on you, General…”

With Yeongwoo’s words, the temporary alliance against North Korea was decided, and having witnessed all this, the Strongest Swords of Anak and Wonsan, also made a decision.

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

“Let’s go!”

Now, they were starting to run towards the main North Korean forces, who had come closer.

Thud!

Each of them moved like the strongest in their respective regions, but luck wasn’t on Anak’s side.

The closest one to him happened to be none other than Yeongwoo.

“Wait!”

Seeing the opponent trying to escape, Yeongwoo immediately drew his black sword.

Swish!

As the elongated blade, now six meters long, sliced through the air, a massive jagged pattern unfolded, and Anak’s head fell.

「Our country’s title of Anak’s Strongest Sword, has been stolen!」

It was a scene of North Korea’s asset being drained right in front of them.

“You bastar*”

“That bast*rd!”

The faces of the already angry North Korean Strongest Swords twisted into a grim expression, and by this time, the distance between the two sides had narrowed to about ten meters.

They were now approaching the point where a clash would occur as soon as they reached out with their swords.

[Doggo] “Headhunter”

[Mission] Cut the necks of 4/7 Strongest Swords.

[Reward] 7 million karma

[Special] You must notify Doggo’s support in this mission.

‘Three more to go.’

After confirming the progress of the greatly advanced ‘Headhunter,’ Yeongwoo shifted his gaze towards the center of the encirclement, as ordered by General Kim Younghyeom.

Then, he noticed a figure called ‘Strongest Sword of Pyeongnam’ who had been giving orders to the main North Korean forces all along.

『Pyeongnam’s Strongest Sword』

Strongest Sword of Pyeongnam, Go Jeonhoon01.

As indicated by the identification number 01, his robust character was evident even on his face.

‘He’s no ordinary guy.’

Yeongwoo admired his opponent, while Go Jeonhoon snarled back at him.

“…Fuck.”

However, when he got closer, he realized that his opponent was too tall.

Go Jeonhoon’s height was 171 centimeters.

While this was quite tall for a man in North Korea, where the average height was in the 160s, it was definitely not the case here.

Just the woman standing tall with a crescent blade on the other side was much taller than them.

“……”

As Go Jeonhoon began to lose some of the confidence he had when he first stood on the hill, Yeongwoo spoke first.

“If it’s North Korea, the Pyongyang Strongest Sword should be the strongest, right? But I don’t see him today.”

Although it was purely out of curiosity, to Go Jeonhoon, it sounded like a provocation.

“Pyongyang is preparing for a bigger problem. You’re enough for us to handle.”

“Oh, is it because of Kim Jong-un?”

“Shut up and fight, you bastard!”

Swish!

Soon, Go Jeonhoon, the Strongest Sword of Pyeongnam, rushed forward emitting a fierce aura.

「The sensory value has temporarily increased from the original 1,400 to 2,516.」

The sensory value of Go Jeonhoon, the Strongest Sword of Pyeongnam, was roughly around 2,000.

‘Closer to the strength side.’

While Yeongwoo was thinking this, Go Jeonhoon pulled out a pair of short swords from his waist in succession.

Swish!

The weapon he pulled out had a strangely short length, giving the impression of a pair of short swords from the similar appearance of the two handles, indicating that they were originally made as a pair.

‘Although the reach is a bit short, it seems like it’s used as a main weapon.’

Despite being in the midst of a solo battle with Yeongwoo, it wasn’t wise to take risks with other allies present.

The situation called for a swift and decisive victory.

So, Yeongwoo…

Swish!

Instead, he leaped backward shortly, pulling back the bowstring.

Clang!

“This crazy bastard!”

Upon realizing that his opponent would use a bow at such close range, something Go Jeonhoon couldn’t have imagined, he widened his eyes, almost at the same moment as…

Swish!

Yeongwoo’s hidden arrow struck Go Jeonhoon’s front, exploding.

Boom!

However, contrary to Yeongwoo’s expectations, the opponent didn’t recoil or have his weapon shattered.

Because…

Clang.

In that brief moment, Go Jeonhoon’s crossed pair of short swords created a shield, protecting him.

‘Wait, was it also a shield?’

Seeing the weapon operate in a way he had never seen before, Yeongwoo’s eyes widened in surprise. Meanwhile, Go Jeonhoon, whose momentum had risen again, unleashed a series of rapid thrusts.

Swoosh!

It was an incredibly fast thrust that resembled the needle of a sewing machine.

But wasn’t Yeongwoo equipped with the ‘Item Luck,’ which made him nearly invincible in close combat?

「Golden Oath」 – Legendary Breastplate

【Reduces enemy attack power by 50%.】

「Self-Generation」 – Mutant Camouflage

【Can survive without eating.】

【Energy is self-generated.】

【Reduces all physical damage】

In a fleeting moment, Yeongwoo drew out only half of the ‘Dragon’s Legacy’ with his right hand and blocked Go Jeonhoon’s thrust.

Thunk!

Due to the broad nature of the Dragon’s Legacy, which was suitable for use as a shield, but also due to the considerable height difference between them, the target of Go Jeonhoon’s thrust was Yeongwoo’s abdomen, which played a significant role.

In other words, the recent attack was purely blocked due to Go Jeonhoon’s smaller stature.

“This fuc*ing b*stard!”

Veteran swordsman Go Jeonhoon, who knew better than to give up, narrowed the distance and pressed forward.

Swish!

Then suddenly,

Boom!

A sturdy presence loomed over his head.

「Vanguard」 – Relic Helmet

【This helmet does not take damage.】

Whoooom!

Yeongwoo struck with the ‘Vanguard.’

Crack!

Given that there were no swordsmen in North Korea who fought like this, Go Jeonhoon was greatly surprised.

Nevertheless,

‘If I fall, it’s over!’

As a general representing his country on an expedition, he showed a fighting spirit that was almost miraculous.

Even as his forehead was halfway shattered and he began to feel the effects of ‘Inflict Pain,’ he managed to lift one eyelid with great difficulty.

Then, this time,

Boom!

Unexpected flames filled his field of vision.

「Self-Destruct」 – Mutation Bracelet

【Causes a strong explosion.】

【Durability increased by 300.】

At this, General Kim Younghyeom, who was single-handedly in charge of the western front, couldn’t help but turn towards Yeongwoo.

「That guy… Is he a wizard?」

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]