Chapter 381

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 381: A New Family (2)

"Are those really the coordinates of the Machine Tower? How do you know?"

Jeonggu scrutinized the coordinates floating on the wreath's surface with a doubtful expression.

In contrast, Yeongwoo explained matter-of-factly.

"Lemu's epithet is 'The Architect.' So, it must have made an offer I could understand."

After all, wouldn’t it need to bait its prey in precisely the way it intended?

‘This matches exactly what was written on the card.’

As Yeongwoo looked at the coordinates, he recalled the Lemu card he'd seen during the negotiation table.

[The Desire of All, Lemu]

"If you know everyone's desires, you can captivate them all."

Card Grade: Legendary

Power: 900

Effect: An Irresistible Offer

<Multiplies the base power by the number of activated cards.>

Just like the card described, the real Lemu also understood exactly what Yeongwoo—or rather, Earth—desired.

Hadn’t it just shaken Yeongwoo's resolve with that brief activation of the wreath?

And that wasn’t all.

‘If this really provides power to all of Seoul, my approval rating will skyrocket.’

A representative who could keep the entire city running 24/7 in a "fully operational" state.

And if the power supply didn’t merely enable residential functions but also reactivated halted factories and facilities, its value would be incalculable.

‘Overcoming the Reset… It’d be a promise no other candidate could match. An impossible pledge to replicate.’

If he managed to bring such a function to Seoul, re-election wouldn’t just be guaranteed—he could potentially remain in office for life.

‘Of course, there’s no way Lemu would hand over such insane power for free.’

Yeongwoo closed his eyes for a moment.

Having learned the coordinates of the Machine Tower, he could theoretically request the general to bombard it immediately.

But would something called the Machine Tower collapse from a single planetary bombardment?

‘That would be reckless. For all I know, Lemu could’ve deliberately given me false coordinates, anticipating such a move.’

Whatever the case, one thing was certain.

‘It really is an irresistible offer. No wonder the chairman hated it.’

However, before visiting the Machine Tower, one prerequisite had to be met.

And that was—

‘A ship. You absolutely need a vessel for interstellar living.’

Even the esteemed chairman himself had always used a ship when visiting Earth.

‘Ah… I want one, a ship.’

As Yeongwoo thought longingly of a ship and looked up at the sky, a massive silhouette resembling a vessel appeared beyond the dark clouds.

It wasn’t a ship, however.

It was the shadow of a dragon.

Rumble!

By then, it was already 1 p.m., the time for Mutants to emerge.

Whoosh!

As usual, blue beams of light shot down from the sky over Seoul, and a Mutant marker landed squarely in the middle of Gwangjin District.

Boom!

“Ah, right. I guess Gwangjin District got assigned a Mutant too.”

Jeonggu clicked his tongue as he observed the Mutant marker in the distance.

Like a shrimp caught in a whale fight, today’s Mutant in this area seemed fated for an unfortunate appearance.

A place where two dragons and Korea’s Strongest Sword might clash—what an unwise spot for a Mutant to show up.

“Yeongwoo, what about that one?”

“That one?”

“The Mutant, I mean.”

Jeonggu gestured toward the Mutant marker in Gwangjin District as he spoke, and Yeongwoo shrugged.

“We’ll shape it into an orb. After all, we’ll be showering Gwangjin District with golden rain today.”

“…Got it.”

As Jeonggu sighed over the fate of an as-yet-unseen Mutant, the blue beam at the marker finally flashed.

Zap!

The Mutants of Reset Day 8 began their descent.

Whoooosh!

Soon, a heavy sonic boom echoed from high above, followed by a coarse voice as a massive figure landed in Gwangjin District.

Crash!

「Ha-ha, I’m back!」

The Mutant, clearly pleased with its landing, moved its body with delight, causing the sound of clanking metal.

Clang.

The source of the noise was the silver ornaments dangling from its limbs.

“What… is that?”

Jeonggu’s eyes widened at the sight of the Mutant, and Yeongwoo drew his sword with a casual air.

Shing!

“It’s a troll.”

“A troll?”

“Yes. Though it seems to be a rather… plump one.”

As Yeongwoo noted, the Mutant troll had a bulging belly, making it appear more stocky than fat.

Standing about 5 meters tall, its oversized stomach looked capable of holding and digesting several people at once.

However, its thick, muscular limbs gave it a robust, almost imposing appearance rather than a purely obese one.

It wielded a silver club in each hand and wore chainmail shorts around its lower abdomen.

Most strikingly, however, was the name displayed above its head.

[National Assembly Member—Jang Dongsoo]

“Jang Dongsoo?”

Yeongwoo tilted his head at the unfamiliar name, and Jeonggu helpfully elaborated.

“He’s the guy who got caught drunk-driving. And wasn’t he just about to be investigated for taking bribes?”

“What… Drunk driving is practically a default setting, huh?”

To Yeongwoo, he seemed like a typical corrupt politician.

But Jang Dongsoo himself appeared to think differently.

「What’s this? Has the city already been punished?」

Jang Dongsoo smirked as he surveyed the ruined Gwangjin District.

But before long, he noticed Yeongwoo and his group approaching.

“Shouldn’t a National Assembly member feel bad seeing a city in ruins?”

Yeongwoo asked, but Jang Dongsoo merely narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth.

「What? Did you come to greet me?」

Then his gaze shifted to the cosmic wreaths behind Yeongwoo, and he looked momentarily stunned, unable to guess their purpose.

“You could say it’s a greeting. This place is a graveyard for Mutants.”

「A… graveyard?」

Boom!

Annoyed, Jang Dongsoo stomped the ground, sending tremors through the earth.

「Huh?”

He looked surprised at his own stomp.

More accurately, he was shocked at the immense power and size granted to him as a Mutant.

「Hah, of course.”

As the memories of his rebirth as a Mutant returned, a sinister grin spread across Jang Dongsoo’s face.

He clashed his silver clubs together.

Bang!

「Bring it on. I’ll crush you first.」

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

The ex-National Assembly member and current troll, Jang Dongsoo, declared he would destroy Yeongwoo, Korea’s most popular swordsman with a 76.8% approval rating.

But Jang Dongsoo’s problem wasn’t just Yeongwoo.

Rumble!

As expected, Song Jungho had begun his descent, aiming for the marker assigned to him.

「What… What is that?」

Sensing a powerful presence above, Jang Dongsoo looked up at the sky.

There, amidst the darkened clouds, bright white lightning swirled chaotically.

「Who… who’s there…?」

Being a Mutant himself, Jang Dongsoo could clearly feel the overwhelming presence of the figure floating beyond the clouds.

Finally—

— Song Jiseon!

A thunderous voice burst forth from the heavens, and an enormous figure descended, tearing through the pitch-black clouds.

「Uh, ah…!」

Jang Dongsoo's face twisted with fear.

A massive figure, so overwhelming it could haunt dreams.

Following Song Jiseon’s arrival in Seoul, another dragon of the Jinhyeon family appeared—a Thunder Dragon with a body length of 250 meters.

"Whoa, that's insane! Is that really your uncle?"

Jeonggu asked incredulously, glancing at Yeongwoo.

But Yeongwoo was just as stunned by the unimaginable majesty before him.

‘This is truly overwhelming.’

The Thunder Dragon, Song Jungho, was covered in blue scales, between which white lightning flickered and danced like flames, giving him the appearance of a radiant white dragon.

His massive wings spread wide, vast enough to evoke an oppressive aura not just on Earth but across the cosmos.

‘Can my mother… really win?’

As Yeongwoo cast a slightly worried glance toward his mother, Song Jiseon, he noticed her entire body was turning snow-white.

She was transforming back into her dragon form.

— Song Junghooo…!

Fwoooosh!

Her body expanded in an instant as she transformed into a massive Ice Dragon, causing the surrounding air to chill and take on a bluish glow.

And amidst all this chaos, the most bewildered person was undoubtedly Jang Dongsoo.

「What is this? A dream…?」

He finally realized he was not the main character of the day.

From the moment the two dragons appeared—one in the skies and the other on the ground—no one paid any attention to him.

Even Jang Dongsoo himself had been watching the appearance of the dragons in a trance, forgetting his own predicament.

「Well, maybe now’s my chance…」

Snapping back to reality, Jang Dongsoo hastily attempted to flee.

— Fight!

— Kyaaaaah!

Song Jiseon and Song Jungho clashed mid-air over Gwangjin-gu.

BOOOOM!

The mere impact of their forepaws colliding sent shockwaves through the entire district, and hundreds of bolts of white lightning struck across Gwangjin-gu.

「Argh!」

A bolt struck dangerously close to Jang Dongsoo, making him scream in terror.

Just then, a reddish shadow appeared behind him.

「…?」

Turning around, he saw a sword wreathed in crimson energy.

「You… you bastard.」

Korea’s Strongest Sword, Jeong Yeongwoo, had pursued the fleeing Jang Dongsoo.

“You’re too late.”

「…What? What are you talking about?」

“It’s too late for you to pretend to be a traitor. At this point, only something like that could even fake being threatening.”

Shhhk.

Yeongwoo raised his sword, pointing at the two Song siblings.

Jang Dongsoo glared at him, his frustration evident.

「Fine, fine. I’ll just leave quietly, then.」

True to his nature as a former politician, Jang Dongsoo was quick to read the room.

But there was one thing he had yet to realize.

And that was—

“Sorry, but in this country, traitors only have two fates: death or becoming my slave.”

「W-what?」

Death or slavery.

Neither option was welcome, and while Jang Dongsoo hesitated, Yeongwoo’s sword lashed out like lightning.

Slash!

The blade, now extended to 6.6 meters, sliced cleanly through the air.

「Ack!」

With a strangled cry, Jang Dongsoo’s eyes rolled back, and his head fell to the ground.

His massive body soon crumbled as well.

Thud!

And there, a familiar golden orb materialized.

Hummm…

With this, releasing golden rain over Gwangjin-gu would fulfill one of the conditions for completing the Golden Typhoon.

— Kyaaaaa!

—You son of a—!”

Meanwhile, the fierce sounds of battle between Yeongwoo’s uncle and mother shook the heavens and earth.

The two dragons, now thoroughly entangled, were rolling across the ground in Gwangjin-gu, while Jeonggu, far removed from the battlefield, anxiously stomped his feet.

“Goodness, brother!”

Spotting Yeongwoo standing near the orb, Jeonggu hurriedly ran over.

Thud-thud!

“Yeongwoo, Yeongwoo!”

“Yes? What’s the rush?”

“How can I not be? Your uncle might actually die at this rate! Your mom’s stronger than I thought…!”

“Well, of course. She’s powered up with the Guardian Dragon buff.”

That said, it was remarkable that Song Jungho could hold his own against Song Jiseon even under these circumstances.

‘It’s a shame to put him in a coffin… but there’s no other choice.’

【Coffin】

| You can place blood relatives into the coffin. Special effects are granted depending on the phase and condition of the stored targets. (0/2)

There were two spots left in the Aratubank, but no other members of Jinhyeon would appear moving forward.

If Yeongwoo didn’t place his uncle in the coffin, the only options left would be his parents—and they were set to get married today.

‘So my unmarried uncle has to make the sacrifice.’

Tears welling up, Yeongwoo placed his hand on the orb.

Tap.

A choice appeared immediately.

Yeongwoo selected the 30,000 Karma replenishment option, and the orb shot skyward.

Fwoooosh!

The golden orb soared into the dark sky above Gwangjin-gu.

Then—

BOOM!

With a deafening explosion, golden ripples spread across the blackened sky.

Shaaah…

The sky turned golden in an instant.

Even the Song siblings, who had been grappling on the ground, paused to gaze upward.

Swoosh…

It was Yeongwoo’s signature golden rain falling from the heavens.

Ssshhh!

—What… what is this?

Song Jungho murmured as golden droplets struck his forehead.

Gripping his collar, Song Jiseon replied.

—It’s your nephew’s welcome gift.

—What?”

—Oh, and I’m getting married today.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]