Chapter 152

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 152: Father (1)

Uijeongbu.

A northern city in Gyeonggi-do with a population of 460,000 before the reset.

To the north, it faces the boundary with Yangju City, and to the south, it is connected straight to Seoul Dobong and Nowon Districts.

In other words, Uijeongbu serves as a bridge connecting northern Gyeonggi and Seoul.

‘But the Seoul Federation was unaware of the Uijeongbu incident……?’

Of course, it wasn’t unreasonable.

Dobong and Nowon, bordering areas with Uijeongbu, had never participated in the Strongest Sword Conference.

‘Well, at least Dobong and Nowon probably knew what state Uijeongbu was in. But they didn’t necessarily inform the conference.’

After the reset, most districts became autonomous regions.

So, participation in the conference or providing information was purely optional.

‘Come to think of it, there are still many areas in Gangseo that we don’t know about.’

As Yeongwoo examined the unfamiliar areas one by one, Choi Jongseon raised her hand and pointed ahead.

Swish.

“That’s Uijeongbu from there.”

Joseon’s Strongest Sword, Jeong Yeongwoo.

Yangju’s Strongest Sword, Choi Jongseon.

The two of them were currently on their way to Uijeongbu to find Yeongwoo’s father, while being accompanied by Negwig.

However, due to Jongseon carrying a baby, they needed a bit more space, so eventually…

-Kiket!

The golden goblin, who had been riding in Yeongwoo’s back seat all along, had no choice but to follow by leaping with its two feet.

“…Is it okay? Even if it keeps running like that.”

Seems like the sound of the goblin’s footsteps bothered Jongseon, as she kept looking back.

Upon hearing this, Yeongwoo also glanced back.

“It’s fine… Probably? It’s naturally quite fast in its movements.”

“Ah…”

However, Jongseon couldn’t relax even after hearing Yeongwoo’s words.

-Kiket! Kiket!

Surely, even for that clumsy goblin, there must be parents or children somewhere.

She started to worry about where they left them and how they ended up coming all the way here.

“How did you meet that person?”

“I bought it with money.”

“…?”

“From a merchant.”

“Ah.”

Relic-grade slave, golden goblin.

「Golden Goblin」 – Slave

【Stores items in the subspace.】

【Collects things that turn into money.】

When they met the wandering merchant Voltak in Mungyeong, the ‘Serpent of Greed’ pointed at this golden goblin, which they purchased together at the time.

And it was also accompanied by ‘Morning Star,’ who called for advertisers.

In a way, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Serpent of Greed had greatly changed Yeongwoo’s life.

“Do you keep worrying? If it’s uncomfortable for you to keep following behind, you can ride on my back.”

“Oh, it’s not like that, but… Still, I wonder how it ended up coming all the way here when it probably has family somewhere.”

Typical maternal compassion.

As Yeongwoo looked at the goblin, he felt a similar sentiment because he had once had a similar thought.

“Do mothers usually think like that? They’re quite generous.”

“Well, since they have children, it’s natural to have such thoughts. Even if they don’t know others, mothers tend to cherish their own children.”

In that context, this side is indirectly making someone’s precious child run aimlessly on the streets.

“Hmm.”

Finally, after Jongseon made a determined sound, she asked Yeongwoo.

“That person doesn’t bite people or anything, right?”

“Yes. Probably not.”

“…Then I should carry it.”

“With the baby?”

“Yes.”

And around this time, the regional status in the corner of their vision changed.

Clap!

|The current area is ‘Uijeongbu.’

|The Strongest Sword of this area is ‘Gwak Seongwon04.’ Rank 2, defense 93 times.

“Ah.”

From now on, it’s Uijeongbu.

You will be stepping into an area where your biological father may be staying.

‘Surely the Strongest Sword here isn’t my father, right?’

Yeongwoo looked around with a strange feeling.

Anyone they meet here might have a slight chance of being his father.

From now on, he will have to check the tracking mark at least once before swinging his sword.

“Let’s go.”

When Yeongwoo commanded Negwig to move again, Jongseon, who had been holding the golden goblin in her arms, asked a question.

“By the way, do you know your father’s name?”

“I don’t.”

“Then his face…?”

“I don’t know that either.”

“What…? Then how do you plan to find him? Are you sure your father lives here?”

Jongseon’s face darkened again.

She wondered if this orphan was doing something absurd again.

At this, Yeongwoo took out the pen ‘Wanted Poster’ and showed it.

“This will show us the location of the target. If there’s no error, then my father should be in Uijeongbu.”

In addition to this being Yeongwoo also had an achievement, ‘Complete Orphan,’ but he didn’t bother to mention it.

“If the item is indicating it, then… it’s certain that your father is here.”

Jongseon’s tone became gloomy.

The fact that Jeong Yeongwoo’s father was still in Uijeongbu meant that he was most likely a villain.

Since the incident at the Uijeongbu Prison on the first day of the reset, most ordinary citizens were believed to have died in the city or barely escaped Uijeongbu.

‘Well, looking at this person’s condition, my father probably isn’t an ordinary person either.’

At this point, Jongseon’s eyes naturally turned to the name of Uijeongbu Strongest Sword.

If he was indeed the father of the Strongest Sword of Joseon, it wouldn’t be strange for him to be at least as powerful as the Strongest Sword of Uijeongbu.

As they passed through the somewhat desolate outskirts of Uijeongbu, tall apartment buildings began to appear on the right side of the road.

“The buildings are very neat.”

“Why is that?”

“It means that any monsters or mutants appearing have been dealt with immediately.”

“Oh.”

Having only seen Yangju after the reset, Jongseon nodded after hearing Yeongwoo’s words.

“But if, as you mentioned before, the real power in Uijeongbu has been handed over to criminals, it means that those people have been dealing with monsters at such a fast pace.”

In other words, all survivors in this area were on a similar level to monster hunters in other areas.

No, perhaps their actual combat abilities were much better.

The prisoners weren’t living their lives well like others, only to have their lives ruined by the reset, but rather, through the reset, they gained a kind of freedom.

So wouldn’t their attitude towards this world be much more proactive than that of ordinary people?

“Yeah. So basically, everyone we meet here is an enemy…”

Before Jongseon could finish her sentence, she glanced ahead.

And Yeongwoo was already looking at a group of people waiting on the other side.

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

There were about ten of them.

The ones sticking out above the crowd were spears, and the glinting blades reflecting the sunlight were mostly early birds.

‘…There are so many early birds.’

That meant they were either combatants or plunderers.

Unless the early bird owners gathered together on purpose, there could not have been so many swords that were only given out as first-come, first-served rewards at the exchange shop.

‘It’s not an easy neighborhood.’

Of course, Yeongwoo was a problematic figure who made even intergalactic weapon brands troubled, and the mother in the back seat was none other than the Yangju’s Strongest Sword with 233 defenses.

So Yeongwoo didn’t ask for Jongseon’s opinion and just let Negwig continue walking forward.

Clank, clunk.

As they approached the roadside, the faces of the Uijeongbu residents who had come out to see the stranger gradually stiffened.

“What…?”

“What, what is it?”

“Fuck, what’s that?”

A black iron horse that was difficult to even estimate as a living being, a two-meter golden greatsword flying in the sky, and two Strongest Swords and a baby.

Lastly.

“Is that… a goblin?”

“….”

Even the Strongest Sword in the front seat had the title of ‘Strongest Sword of Joseon.’

Since there was no such thing as a ‘knockoff’ title in this world, it was certain that the person they were seeing was the Strongest Sword of Joseon.

“If it’s the Strongest Sword of Joseon… what is it?”

“Where is Joseon talking about?”

While they were repeatedly exclaiming ‘What is that?’, the iron horse carrying the two Strongest Swords approached closely.

At this, the people of Uijeongbu retreated little by little, holding their weapons firmly, and cleared the way for the stranger to pass.

They couldn’t muster the courage to attack first against an opponent they couldn’t handle.

Then Yeongwoo looked at them first.

“….”

Could his father be among them?

However, the tracking mark displayed in his sight was tilted to the east.

Although the target was nearby, it wasn’t here.

So Yeongwoo pointed to the largest person among the people in front of him and asked with his gaze.

“What’s over there?”

With these words, Yeongwoo lifted up the ‘Bastard’ and pointed to the east, so everyone in the audience was scared and backed away from him.

There was a sinister energy emanating from the sword, making it difficult to even look at.

“Well, um… The first thing that comes to mind is…”

Being pointed out by Yeongwoo, the person stumbled, searching for the next line.

“A prison?”

“…Ah.”

The subsequent sigh was Jongseon’s.

She had a bad feeling about seeing the warm reunion of the father-son pair here today.

On the other hand, Yeongwoo wasn’t perturbed at all, as he had some expectations to begin with.

“I see. Is the Uijeongbu Strongest Sword also in the prison now?”

The current leading candidate for being his father, the Strongest Sword of Uijeongbu, Gwak Seongwon04.

When Yeongwoo asked about the whereabouts of the Strongest Sword, the guy scratched his forehead.

“Um, sir. I’m sorry for constantly saying ‘I don’t know,’ but… We also don’t know much about the situation in the prison. It’s practically a battlefield there, so we try not to get too close.”

“A battlefield? Are you saying they’re fighting someone?”

“They’re fighting the Gangbuk Alliance.”

“….?”

The Seoul Federation’s practical backbone is here, so what does the Gangbuk Alliance mean?

But at the same time, it was vaguely understood.

The three areas above Gangbuk, namely Nowon, Dobong, and Gangbuk-gu, have no connection with the Strongest Sword gathering.

Therefore, if those three areas were forming their own alliance and fighting Uijeongbu…

‘That would make sense. That’s why the Seoul Federation had no idea about Uijeongbu.’

Because the frontline established by the Gangbuk Alliance hadn’t been pushed back yet, the Strongest Sword Federation in the center of Seoul couldn’t feel the presence of Uijeongbu.

“If you’re going to meet the Strongest Sword of Uijeongbu, you should hurry a bit.”

“…Why?”

When Yeongwoo asked, the guy briefly shifted his gaze to the local situation.

“Because it’s the perfect time for a fight. They’ve cleaned up the mutants, and the merchants have left.”

Then he added.

“Even if the Strongest Sword of Uijeongbu is powerful, wouldn’t it be difficult for him if three Seoul commanders come looking for him at once?”

“That’s true.”

After hearing the guy’s words, Yeongwoo also glanced at the local situation.

|The current location is ‘Uijeongbu’.

|The Strongest Sword of this area is ‘Gwak Seongwon04’. Rank 2, 96 defenses.

‘Oh.’

Then he noticed that the defense count, which had been 93 earlier, had changed to 96.

Whether it’s a real war or not, the fact that the Strongest Sword of Uijeongbu is in combat is true.

“Shouldn’t we go quickly? If that person is him…”

Jongseon voiced her concern, and Yeongwoo nodded in response.

But the subsequent dialogue was completely different from Jongseon’s intention.

“Anyway, if someone is going to die, it’s better if I kill him.”

“Why…?”

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]