Chapter 43
The Strange World (7)
"Strictly speaking, it isn't returning home. It's..."
Yeongwoo started to explain the world where Mutants who used the Return function would end up, but stopped himself.
That place was little more than another prison.
Besides, there was no way Jang Daemyung—who had come back solely to look after his father—would ever accept such an offer.
"Wasn't it you people who dragged me back out after I'd finally ended up in prison? I already said I'd stay peaceful as long as nobody attacked me first. So why should I be the one who has to leave?"
His clenched fist matched the firmness of his voice.
The emotions he had suppressed for so long were finally overflowing.
...I pressed the wrong button.
Even if he hadn't, it would have happened sooner or later.
The father and son may have sincerely wished to live quietly here, but the countless First Swords across the country would never leave them alone.
After all, a Mutant was worth three million Karma.
Jang Chunyong undoubtedly knew that as well.
He was an active First Sword and, judging by the circumstances, almost certainly the one who had killed Mungyeong's first-day Mutant.
"So..."
"You plan to kill everyone who comes after you?"
"I truly don't want to," Jang Chunyong answered for his son.
"But if that's the only way..."
"...then we have no choice."
"That's the kind of world this has become."
It was an unavoidable reality.
The moment Jang Daemyung chose mutation instead of dissolution during the first filtering...
...his fate had already been decided.
Yeongwoo couldn't blame him.
He hadn't foreseen the future.
He had simply returned because he wanted to protect his father.
Still...
Yeongwoo had to make a choice.
Leave while they were still willing to spare him...
Or risk his life fighting them.
"This really isn't an easy decision."
"Is that so?"
"You've been standing there this whole time."
"It seems you've already made up your mind."
When Yeongwoo remained silent—
The Golden Flash's Sense Theft activated.
Sense has temporarily increased from 100 to 417.
Jang Chunyong had made the first move.
"...What a shame."
His voice still sounded unmistakably human.
But the sword thrust that tore through the air held no hesitation whatsoever.
Shiiing!
A perfect thrust.
"My neck...!"
As the holographic guide for the Gyeongbok Sword Style appeared before him, Yeongwoo instantly assumed a defensive stance.
Left foot back.
Step!
Right hand drew the sword.
Clang!
The black blade shot from its sheath like lightning, deflecting the incoming strike aimed straight at his heart.
Clang!
"...!"
Jang Chunyong let out something close to a gasp.
That reaction speed was impossible without the support of a regional sword style.
"You..."
"Just who are you...?"
The old man stared suspiciously at Yeongwoo.
At that exact moment—
Jang Daemyung charged forward.
"Father!"
Boom!
Boom!
Each of the giant's footsteps shook the ground.
Fearing the battlefield would expand—
Yeongwoo shouted.
"Jung Myungho!"
"Run!"
"Don't come back until my coins are scattered!"
"...What?"
Only then did the father and son notice the SUV parked far away in the middle of the road.
So he isn't alone...
Family?
Jang Daemyung immediately turned toward the vehicle.
Judging by the direction of his body...
He seemed ready to take the passengers hostage.
So Yeongwoo coldly said,
"If you're curious, go ahead."
"By then..."
"...your father's head will already be on the ground."
That bastard...
It was a complete bluff.
Even against the Sangju First Sword, Yeongwoo had struggled.
Because of the huge difference in stats, most First Swords were stronger than him in a straight duel.
To kill Jang Chunyong—
He actually needed Jang Daemyung to join the fight.
Only then would his stolen Sense rise high enough to create an opening.
"Look carefully."
Yeongwoo tapped the left side of his chest.
A golden flash erupted above his head.
Then...
A title appeared.
Gyeongbok First Sword
"...Gyeongbok?"
Only a few hours earlier, the birth of the Gyeongbok First Sword had been announced to everyone.
Naturally, Jang Chunyong already knew such a person existed.
Since Mungyeong also belonged to Gyeongsangbuk-do, he'd even expected to meet him someday.
Just...
Not this soon.
"So we meet much earlier than I expected."
He had never imagined he would become the Gyeongbok First Sword's very first defense battle.
Jang Daemyung was equally shocked.
Sense has temporarily increased from 417 to 867.
Yeongwoo's Sense skyrocketed to 867.
Now...
Both father and son had completely focused on him as their enemy.
"Die!"
Jang Daemyung's murderous aura exploded.
After all...
He had just confirmed that this opponent truly possessed the power to kill his father.
Ironically—
By joining the fight himself...
He had only placed his father in even greater danger.
Yeongwoo sidestepped the giant's attack with surprising ease.
CRASH!
The massive axe smashed into empty ground.
Scarlet Karma coins scattered into the air.
At that instant—
Dozens of symbols appeared across Yeongwoo's vision.
Break
Break
Break
"...What?"
Every symbol hovered over one of the airborne coins.
"...Ah!"
Before even the Gyeongbok Sword Style's hologram could finish guiding him—
Yeongwoo understood.
Slash!
His sword sliced through the air.
But not toward either enemy.
Instead—
Toward the coins.
Ping! Ping!
The blade struck the coins with tremendous force.
Like bullets...
They shot toward the father and son.
"W-Watch out!"
Realizing what Yeongwoo intended, Jang Chunyong immediately assumed a defensive stance.
But with his senses stolen...
Blocking tiny, high-speed coins by sight alone was nearly impossible.
If it was difficult for him—
Then what chance did a five-meter giant like Jang Daemyung have?
Pfft! Pfft!
Most of the flying coins buried themselves into his enormous body.
"Urgh!"
His eyes widened.
It was the first true pain he had felt since mutating.
This is it.
Yeongwoo immediately swept his sword across the ground.
More coins flew into the air than before.
"...!"
Fear filled Jang Chunyong's face.
"Daemyung!"
Ping! Ping! Ping!
They were merely coins slicing through the air.
Yet everyone present shivered.
Because they already knew what would happen.
Thud! Thud!
The coins tore into Jang Daemyung's body.
One even pierced his right eye.
"GRAAAAAAAH!"
The pain was unbearable.
His gigantic battle axe slipped from his hand as he clutched his face.
"Aaaaah...!"
Hearing his agonized screams...
Yeongwoo felt a sharp ache in his chest.
But he couldn't end the giant's suffering yet.
If I kill him now...
My stolen Sense will drop.
Then defeating Jang Chunyong becomes much harder.
It was a cruel calculation.
But there was no alternative.
What happened next, however...
Exceeded all of Yeongwoo's expectations.
"F-First Sword...!"
Clatter!
The instant his son suffered a mortal wound—
Jang Chunyong threw away his sword.
Then...
He fell to his knees before Yeongwoo.
"Please!"
"Please spare my son!"
"I was arrogant..."
"Forgive me!"
At first, Yeongwoo assumed it was a trick.
But then...
Even the stolen Sense flowing from Jang Chunyong began disappearing.
Only then did he realize—
The old man had truly abandoned his own life.
"...Sir..."
Is this... what it means to be a father?
Yeongwoo felt confused.
Uncomfortable.
If he intended to beg...
He should have done so before the fight began.
It was already too late.
Even if Yeongwoo offered Return now...
Jang Daemyung would never accept it.
There was only one option left.
Kill him.
And to do that—
...I have to kill Jang Chunyong first.
As Yeongwoo hesitated—
The old man desperately searched for another way.
"Return..."
"You said there was a way..."
He stumbled toward his son.
With trembling hands—
He cried,
"Daemyung!"
"Can you hear me?"
"Go back!"
"Your father will be fine..."
Suddenly...
He froze.
Green blood had stained his hands.
Then—
Yeongwoo's shadow stretched over him.
"...Sir."
Slash!
A sharp blade pierced Jang Chunyong's throat.
Yeongwoo had made his decision.
He would kill the father first.
The old man's frail body collapsed sideways.
Thud.
Clutching his wounded face—
Jang Daemyung barely opened his remaining eye.
"...?"
His pupil instantly dilated.
"F... Father..."
His father looked impossibly small lying on the ground.
Then he heard a voice.
"I thought this would be kinder..."
"...than making your father watch his son die."
"W-What..."
Before Jang Daemyung could process those words—
Stab!
A black blade shot forward.
It pierced straight through his throat.
Yeongwoo had made another decision.
He would kill him...
Before the giant could recover and fight back.
BOOM!
The five-meter body crashed onto the ground.
Then—
A brilliant golden light erupted.
Where the corpse had been...
A golden sphere remained.
The second Mutant of Mungyeong has been eliminated.
Basic regional benefits are now applied.
Time until Daily Quests: 20 minutes
Time until Merchant Appearance: 5 minutes
The system notification appeared.
Soon...
The Mysterious Merchant Caravan would appear somewhere within Mungyeong.
And after collecting all the scattered Karma coins...
Yeongwoo would have more than enough money to trade.
Everything had gone exactly according to plan.
Yet...
He couldn't hide the bitterness on his face.
This world has become even more rotten than I imagined.
Still—
He never questioned whether surviving this way was right.
After all...
Only the living could feel guilt.
Yeongwoo slowly blinked once.
Then, unlike Jang Daemyung—whose body had vanished—Jang Chunyong's corpse remained in the real world.
Quietly...
Yeongwoo began searching the old man's body.