Chapter 253

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 253: The Great Migration (8)

CRACK!

A sound like the sky tearing apart echoed from somewhere above.

Then.

—Yaaaah!

—Aaaaah!

—Uuuuuh!

Yeongwoo’s fellow mutants, Yeongtae, Taejoon, and Younghyeom, plummeted down in quick succession.

From the very heights of the sky, no less.

And the one who was most shocked by this sight was, undoubtedly,

「Wh-What is that……?」

Heo Geumhwa, a 6-day-old mutant of Gwangjin District.

According to Strongest Sword Jeong Yeongwoo, she too would soon have to do that ‘thing.’

BOOM!

Yeongwoo’s three friends landed on the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.

Amidst the thick dust, General Kim Younghyeom’s cold blue eyes glowed as he spoke.

—There are quite a few enemies today. Just follow those guys?

“Yes. Just take care of the people who are fleeing now. It shouldn’t be too difficult.”

The ‘friends’ who entered the Returnees’ Room experienced a boost in their stats according to their reset date, making them formidable opponents that even the Strongest swords found challenging.

So, these escapees, who were likely just monster hunters at best, wouldn’t pose a threat to the three friends.

—Today’s opponents are a bit bland.

Hearing Yeongwoo’s words, General Kim Younghyeom released a massive aura and burst through the dust cloud.

SWOOSH!

His appearance was so terrifying that it made the ethnic Koreans standing still to claim innocence instinctively step back, as if witnessing a tiger from his youth.

—Grr!

With a thunderous roar, General Kim chased after the ethnic koreans suspects.

Soon, Yeongtae also excitedly started running in the opposite direction of the General.

—Stop right there, you bastards……!

Meanwhile, the most mild-mannered of the three friends, CEO Kim Taejoon, set off last with a slightly uneasy expression.

Even though he knew they were murderers, the thought of chasing down and killing fellow humans weighed heavily on him.

And this was likely the case for Heo Geumhwa, whom Yeongwoo was considering as the next ‘friend’ candidate.

「Could it be a… a death squad?」

“Sometimes we do that kind of work. But don’t worry too much, we never harm good people.”

Yeongwoo reassured her while putting back on the equipment he had tossed aside earlier, but Geumhwa’s expression remained dark.

Because the people those fierce mutants were chasing were her own kin.

Although she knew they tried to harm her, a fellow ethnic korean mutant and not just Koreans, it still didn’t feel right.

“Mostly, we fight mutants or alien monsters, but there are times like this when we have to fight people. If you can’t do it, you’ll have to die today.”

As Yeongwoo coldly stared at her while strapping on the ‘Cosmic Etiquette’ equipment, Geumhwa trembled, her damaged wings shaking as she shrank back.

Then, Yeongwoo softened his gaze and suggested in a more lenient tone.

“If you find it hard to attack people, you can just fly around and keep watch. But you must participate when fighting mutants.”

After all, when facing foreign experts, the other three friends, seasoned combat veterans, would suffice.

‘And even if it’s not a battle, there’s plenty to do. Pedalling and assembling statues, for example.’

As Yeongwoo gazed at her, waiting for an answer, Geumhwa looked at her shattered wing and murmured.

「Th-That’s better than dying……right?」

In truth, she had no other choice unless she was ready to accept death stoically.

“Far better.”

The thought of potentially gaining another laborer brightened Yeongwoo’s expression.

“If you make a contract with me, you’ll be transferred to another space immediately. Even your current injuries will heal as if they were washed away.”

He was referring to the Returnees’ Room.

However, instead of being relieved, Geumhwa looked fearful.

「Transferred? To where exactly…….」

Then, she realized something and her eyes widened.

She recalled the moment when those terrifying mutants appeared out of nowhere.

Where would they have been before being summoned?

「Will I go to the same place as those people?」

“Yes. Once you get there, you’ll find plenty to pass the time, and you’ll see that your companions are actually good people.”

Saying this, Yeongwoo shifted Bastard to his left hand.

TUP!

Then, he extended his right hand toward Heo Geumhwa.

It was a handshake to seal the friendship.

However,

“Umm…….”

As a Harpy, Heo Geumhwa had no hand to shake.

“You were informed about the return method before coming here, right?”

「Yes? Ah, that……」

As expected, Heo Geumhwa knew about it.

A function designed to be executed when one regretted returning to this world as a mutant or when they deemed their mission complete.

That was precisely it.

「Is… is this it?」

As Geumhwa stared into the air, a hand-sized door-shaped mark appeared near the nape of her neck.

Whoosh!

In the case of Harpies, the return button was located at the back of the neck.

“Well… it seems I need to grab your nape for a moment. Is that alright?”

「……?」

At Yeongwoo’s words, Geumhwa looked surprised but then lowered her neck.

“…Then, excuse me for a moment.”

As Yeongwoo slowly approached the unarmed Geumhwa, General Kim Younghyeom, who had taken care of all the escapees, was seen running from afar.

His mouth and forelegs were stained with human blood.

—Oh……?

Being the youngest in terms of the order of entering the Returnees’ Room, General Kim couldn’t help but be excited at the moment of welcoming a new ‘friend.’

—What’s this, is another one coming?

Whoosh!

Excited, Kim Younghyeom approached at high speed, his silver-white fur fluttering.

Soon after, Yeongtae and Taejoon, who had finished their tasks, also began to return from different directions.

—Huh?

—Whoa…….

Sure enough, upon seeing the return mark glowing on Geumhwa’s nape, the two men’s eyes widened.

Yeongwoo then introduced his friends who were approaching from three sides.

“This is General Kim Younghyeom, who was with the Army Headquarters. And that’s CEO Kim Taejoon of VCSoft…….”

This time, Geumhwa’s mouth fell open.

She was surprised to learn that the people she thought were complete thugs were actually quite decent before the reset.

“Oh, and this is Hong Yeongtae. He might be a bit different in style, but… anyway, Yeongtae was also an internet broadcaster.”

When Yeongwoo finally pointed to Yeongtae, he bowed his head and greeted her.

—Hehe, we’re practically in the same business. Nice to meet you!

As Yeongtae smiled brightly, Geumhwa seemed a bit more relieved.

Of course, she had no idea that the moment she contracted with this demon, she would be spatially and temporally separated from this world, forced to pedal and assemble products without knowing what time it was.

“Well then, let’s do something like a handshake.”

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

As Yeongwoo took another step forward and extended his hand toward Geumhwa’s nape, his three friends surrounding them watched expectantly as the fourth friend was born.

Tap.

Yeongwoo’s palm touched the return mark on Geumhwa’s nape.

Then, Geumhwa’s body was soon enveloped in white light.

Whoosh!

「Oh?」

Startled by the sudden change, Geumhwa looked at Yeongwoo, who quickly informed her.

“When you go to the Returnees’ Room, there might be some labor involved. Is that alright?”

「…What?」

And with that brief question,

Whoosh!

Her body, transformed into a mass of light, soared into the sky.

Bang!

She was likely transferred to the Returnees’ Room somewhere outside our galaxy.

—We’ve gained another team member.

General Kim briefly expressed his thoughts.

Meanwhile, CEO Kim Taejoon seemed a bit worried.

—She didn’t seem very combative… Depending on her disposition, she might have found dying easier.

“…You’re not talking about yourself, right?”

Yeongwoo asked playfully, but CEO Kim replied seriously.

—Though I work hard due to personal motivations, even I sometimes get scared.

“…….”

He was probably referring to being summoned to an alien planet.

If even CEO Kim Taejoon sometimes got scared, it might be truly unbearable for Geumhwa, who had been scared stiff the moment she arrived in Gwangjin District.

“Well… if things really don’t work out, she can stay out of battles.”

This was a loss that Yeongwoo, who wasn’t heartless enough, had to bear for choosing her as a friend.

‘I don’t want to fill all my friends with villains. Besides combat, they need to get along well in the Returnees’ Room, right?’

This concern for the well-being of his friends was also for Yeongwoo’s benefit.

Tasks like the laser bombardment supported by Toma and the assembly of player statues could only be done if the friends got along well.

—Oh, seems like our time is up.

Noticing his toes starting to fade, Yeongtae looked up at the sky and muttered.

CEO Kim Taejoon also looked up at the sky.

—I’ll have to go and greet Geumhwa.

And finally,

—Well then, see you! I wonder who will be enlisted next time?

General Kim Younghyeom used the term ‘enlist’ as he disappeared into thin air.

Then what remained was.

“…….”

Only the ethnic koreans waiting grimly for Yeongwoo’s decision.

Yeongwoo thought for a moment and then took out the ring ‘Wave’ to summon the Strongest Sword of Gwanak, Jo Sangik.

《Deputy Minister Jo, please come to Daerim-dong immediately. Bring as many people as you can.》

* * *

2:48 PM.

Although Yeongwoo had only summoned Jo Sangik and the Swordmasters of Seoul National University, the ones who actually arrived in Daerim-dong were the Strongest Swords from eight different regions.

Using Yeongwoo’s request for as many people as possible as an excuse, they came to see the highest title in the Korean Peninsula.

“Wow, what’s this?”

“…There’s no regional name?”

Even Oh Yeonhee from Songpa, who still prided herself as a strong figure in Seoul, and Jang Jeongho from Dongdaemun, who had a past rivalry with Yeongwoo, couldn’t hide their astonishment.

『Strongest Sword』

They immediately recognized the value of this title as soon as they saw it.

A title that didn’t need a regional name to display its grandeur, the ultimate title of the Korean Peninsula.

At a certain level, there’s no need to embellish its grandeur.

However, unlike the dignified title, its owner was still Jeong Yeongwoo07.

He was the same peculiar person who had unilaterally started a war with North Korea and reported it afterward.

“Ah, why did you go through all the trouble to come here?”

As Yeongwoo came out barefoot to greet them, Jo Sangik represented everyone by greeting him.

“It’s been a while. So, what did you call us for?”

Yeongwoo pointed to the ethnic koreans lined up behind him.

“I’m going to send these people back to China. If we take them to Shandong Province, they will handle the rest.”

“Ah……? Is that so?”

Jo Sangik, momentarily taken aback, quickly regained his composure.

Compared to Yeongwoo’s previous actions, this was nothing.

“Then… shouldn’t you go home and rest?”

Jo Sangik looked at Yeongwoo, hoping he would say yes.

But Yeongwoo’s gaze was already fixed somewhere to the northwest.

“…….”

“Where are you looking at?”

“Beijing.”

“What?”

“They were extorting our money from Beijing. Are we just going to let them?”

“……?”

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]