Chapter 186

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 186: Everyone’s Strongest Sword (6)

–Ha…!

A voice from beyond the sky laughed as if it were thrilled.

Although he had asked if there were challengers, he hadn’t expected someone to step forward as if they were waiting.

But then,

Paaaah!

Something shot down through the clouds.

“Huh?”

“Ugh…!”

What pierced through the air, leaving a clear trace, was none other than…

「將」

The character for “general.”

It was the character for ‘Jang’ (將).

Just like a mark of death for regional swordsmanship, there seemed to be some kind of mark attached to Yeongwoo as well.

“General…? Does it mean the one who will fight the dragon first?”

As Jeonggu looked at the red mark on Yeongwoo’s forehead and spoke, Yangju’s Strongest Sword Choi Jongseon grinned.

“They said whoever is brave should step forward. There was no talk about fighting the marked ones first, right?”

According to her guess, that mark was purely for identification.

So that the mutants who came to this land could recognize the one they needed to be most wary of among the myriad of Strongest Swords.

“Of course, if he were someone who could transform into a dragon, he would come looking for the mark deliberately.”

Jongseon added with a follow-up remark.

Since it wouldn’t be typical, she said.

Meanwhile, Yeongwoo didn’t pay much attention to the mark on his head and instead looked at his father.

“Isn’t it time for you to leave?”

“…Huh?”

“Dobong-gu. Ride on Negwig and go.”

As Yeongwoo extended Negwig’s steel reins, Jeonggu smirked.

“Won’t you lend something else? Like a sword or something.”

Jeonggu’s eyes were fixed on what was wrapped around Yeongwoo’s waist, the ‘Dragon’s Legacy.’

Perhaps he thought it might be a weapon like a Dragon Slayer because of its handle shaped like a dragon.

But.

“This is a useless weapon. And if a dragon appears in Dobong-gu, it’s best for my father to flee as quickly as possible.”

As Yeongwoo spoke, urging him to go, he handed Negwig’s reins again to Jeonggu.

“Since it’s much faster, please put more strength into your thighs.”

After Yeongwoo made his final plea to his father, he spoke to Jongseon.

“If possible, don’t fight today. Things might be more chaotic than expected.”

It was a word spoken out of concern for the baby.

Even Yeongwoo couldn’t predict how today’s battle would unfold.

“I didn’t have any intention of fighting anyway. Look at the sky.”

Jongseon spoke with a grim look as she looked at the red sky.

But contrary to her words, her black sword was already drawn from her waist.

“How do you plan to fight? I’ve never fought against multiple mutants at once.”

When Jongseon asked like this after staring at the sky for a while, Yeongwoo looked down at the newborn in her right hand.

“The balance between offense and defense is quite good right now. I’m confident in a one-on-one battle with a dragon, but the problem is the other mutants…”

Yeongwoo planned to solve that problem with his friend summoning and the automatic combat greatsword, ‘Golden Trail.’

He could also use the bow that Dogo equipped with an explosive function.

The equipment of Yeongwoo boasted a clever synergy, as if it had been built up for this moment.

“……”

While looking at the sky, which seemed to have reddened even more, Yeongwoo began the final preparation process, distributing his ability points.

* Available Karma: 8,954,500

If he survived, he could somehow earn back the money he had to pay in taxes today.

‘So let’s use it all.’

8.95 million Karma, all invested in ability points.

When converted into ability points, it amounted to 8,950.

Therefore, even if you were the Strongest Sword, you would normally have no idea where and how much to invest your points, but Yeongwoo was different.

He was good at understanding equipment effects like a person who used to do game broadcasts.

‘If you drink a potion while bleeding, your strength increases by 55%. So if you raise your strength too much, your body might not be able to handle it.’

Moreover, if possible, even in a state where strength is amplified, the sensory value should be the highest among all ability values, so a certain level of balance was necessary.

「Agility」 – Mutant Ring

【When Senses is the highest ability, 10% damage reduction is obtained.】

‘Since agility usually increases with a sense effect, it just needs to be maintained at a reasonable level.’

Yeongwoo’s ‘reasonable level’ was half of his strength value.

More precisely, it was half of the strength value increased by 25% due to bleeding.

At this level, even in a one-on-one situation, the agility effect can be activated just by depriving the senses.

‘It’s perfect since arrow damage is also proportional to the sensory value… Great.’

After establishing his ability point investment strategy, Yeongwoo immediately put it into action.

First, he gave 2,000 points to strength, then adjusted it so that the final strength value plus 25% was similar to the sensory value.

And the remaining points were distributed to stamina and durability, ensuring that durability didn’t fall far behind the strength value, which increased due to bleeding.

『Character: Jeong Yeongwoo07』

[Strength] 5,300 (19+5,281)

[Stamina] 5,148 (21+5,127)

[Durability] 6,298 (13+6,285)

[Sensory] 3,300 (24+3,276)

‘So it turned out to be a balanced type of ability again.’

However, in this state, if bleeding occurs and a potion is consumed, strength increases significantly.

Therefore, practically speaking, it was closer to being a ‘Strength Build.’

‘Anyway, all preparations are done now. Whether it’s a dragon or something else, as long as it comes.’

As Yeongwoo continued to look at the red sky, behind him, the golden goblin and the top trumpeter of the Tenta tribe, Pofu Tenta, also raised their heads.

And finally.

Paaaah!

Beams of light began to shoot down from the sky.

These were signs that indicated the locations where mutants and monsters would appear in advance.

Shooaaah!

Soon, a beam of light fell near the Parnas Hotel where Yeongwoo was waiting, but contrary to expectations, it was blue.

“What’s this? Where are the mutants coming?”

As Yeongwoo looked around for the red beam of light, Jongseon, who was looking behind him, tapped his shoulder.

“It’s over there.”

“Where…?”

Following Jongseon’s gaze backward, Yeongwoo’s mouth dropped open.

The place where mutants were scheduled to appear today was right in the middle of Seolleung Station.

“Unbelievable.”

Lim Suna also looked at the location of the red beam of light, her eyes widening at first before she regained her composure.

“It’s near Daechi-dong. Evacuation of residents must already be underway…”

There were numerous buildings, or rather, buildings designated for residential purposes, which were once used as company buildings.

If high-risk mutants appeared there, the most important resource in this reset world, residential areas, could be extensively damaged.

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

“If high-risk mutants don’t appear there, I’ll find a way to handle it somehow. Don’t worry too much.”

Yeongwoo was about to call Negwig out of habit but then realized the creature wasn’t there and let out a small sigh.

Then.

Crack.

By stomping his right foot on the ground, he prepared to run towards Daechi-dong.

* * *

Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu.

It was one of the representative affluent neighborhoods in Gangnam-gu, with high-rise apartments lined up in the south and a business district established in the north.

Of course, since the reset, calling Daechi-dong an affluent neighborhood was a thing of the past.

Now people wanted to live near the Strongest sword’s residence or by the riverside.

However, not everyone could have the residence they desired, so it wasn’t uncommon for people to live in Daechi-dong, which was two whole neighborhoods away from Gangnam Strongest Sword’s residence.

‘And even if no one lives there right now, buildings must be preserved as much as possible. You never know when and where a building might collapse.’

Yeongwoo looked at the mutant’s mark, which had become considerably closer to Gangnam.

As he entered the vicinity of Seolleung Station, he could see the procession of Daechi-dong residents moving in the opposite direction, and some of them noticed Yeongwoo and greeted him or whispered among themselves.

“Oh, it’s Strongest Sword-nim…!”

“Is that Gangnam’s Strongest Sword?”

“He looks exactly like the one on the commemorative coins.”

“But why is he walking around without clothes…?”

Although today’s Gangnam’s Strongest Sword didn’t ride on a horse as rumored, everyone could still easily recognize him.

Thanks to the commemorative coins scattered with yesterday’s golden rain in Gangnam.

“Strongest Sword-nim, is Daechi-dong going to disappear now?”

“Please help our house not collapse.”

In fact, since everyone was evacuating, some residents came with such requests, and Yeongwoo couldn’t help but empathize with them.

Because before the reset, he was someone who went back and forth between rent and dormitories as a homeless person, so he knew to some extent what it felt like to fear even the temporary disappearance of a place to stay.

Moreover, even in this world, no matter how much money one had, if the designated ‘residence’ specified by the rental system wasn’t physically preserved, one couldn’t spend the night alive.

So how much fear would this situation bring to those who were already pushed out to Daechi-dong?

Mutants were just monsters that spit spheres to Yeongwoo, but they were still a disaster to most people.

‘What if I shoot them down from the moment they start falling to the ground?’

Passing another line of evacuees, Yeongwoo finally saw the red beam of light that had been struck down south of Seolleung Station.

‘One building will inevitably collapse.’

Yeongwoo scratched his chin as he looked at the four-story commercial building, which was half covered by the trajectory of the beam of light.

Still, if he could snipe from the point where the mutants fell, additional damage could be prevented.

“Let’s try it this time. Shooting arrows before the mutants hit the ground.”

This time, with the sensory value considerably enhanced and equipped with a kind of scope, he didn’t know if it would be possible.

「Clairvoyance」 – Mutant Earring

【Visibility is amplified up to 5 times.】

With five times magnification, he could capture the moment when the mutants tore through the sky well enough.

Clang.

After moving the ‘White Fire’ he had wrapped around his body with his hand and aiming at the top of the beam of light, Jongseon, who arrived shortly after, tilted her head.

“What… are you planning to do? This time?”

“A preemptive strike.”

“….?”

“I’ll shoot to kill the mutants before they land. Well, even if they don’t die with one shot, I can inflict a fatal injury.”

Upon hearing this, Jongseon tilted her head again.

“…Is that possible?”

“Well, I don’t know until I try.”

“Perhaps during their descent, they might have invincibility like merchants. It’s a common rule in comics that villains are usually left alone when they transform, isn’t it?”

“But I’m not a hero or the main character.”

[PR/N: Uh huh, ofc ur not…. ☠️dense f**ker]

Yeongwoo’s comment on whether he could interfere was buried.

Kwaaaah……!

The red beam of light began to sway at just the right time.

The fifth-day mutants were about to return to this world.

“Wow, what is it? It’s already time.”

As Jongseon held the baby close and stepped back, the golden goblin and Pofu Tenta moved forward, raising their arms.

-Keey!

-Baahh…!

‘They’re really coming soon.’

Yeongwoo observed the gestures of the slaves and immediately checked the time.

The current time was 12:58 PM.

Then, as it turned 12:59, the blood-red sky roared.

Kurrrng!

The thunderous sound echoed from behind the clouds, tinged with an ominous hue.

Along with the sound of what seemed like the cry of a beast, the red beam of light vibrated thinly.

It’s slowly opening.

The gateway connecting this world and the mutants’ domain.

Kwarrng!

Followed by another angry thunder, and immediately.

Kwajak!

A sound like something tearing from the sky at the end of the beam of light.

And at that moment, Yeongwoo…

“Huuh.”

While holding his breath, he was aiming at the starting point of the mutant’s fall using his ‘Clairvoyance’.

And then.

-Kwaaaaaaaah!

With the usual roaring cry of the mutant, a silhouette appeared above Yeongwoo’s aiming point.

‘They’re here…!’

Recognizing the target, he fired the arrow.

Thud!

As soon as Yeongwoo released the taut bowstring, the highly concentrated energy gathered in front of the white Fire was launched towards the sky.

Siiiiik!

The specially crafted covert arrow sliced through the air in the blink of an eye, and then.

Puaaang!

With a burst of purple, today’s feedback from the mutants in Gangnam-gu followed.

-Kachk…!

Leaking purple smoke, the mutant deviated from its original path and plummeted diagonally.

Upon this, Yeongwoo lifted Bastard from his waist with an excited expression.

“Let’s chase after it quickly! It seems like it’s not dead yet!”

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]