Chapter 48
The Judge with the Longsword (1)
"What is this now?"
He had just earned an achievement called "Advertising Model."
Immediately afterward, a countdown announcing the arrival of an advertiser had appeared.
If that was true...
Then what did it mean?
"Is it really that kind of advertisement? Then the Ancient Tome I just used..."
Yeongwoo recalled the Ancient Tome, Morning Star, which had vanished without leaving even a trace.
As ridiculous as it sounded...
The only explanation was that "Morning Star" referred to a rising star in advertising.
In other words...
By destroying the tome, he had somehow broadcast an advertisement throughout the universe.
"Here's an outstanding model looking for sponsors."
The unexpected turn of events left him thoroughly bewildered.
Still, after everything he had experienced, he knew one thing.
Once a system timer appeared...
There was no undoing it.
"After meeting alien merchants, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised about getting advertisements..."
He tried to reassure himself.
Yet his fingertips still trembled.
This was a different kind of fear from anything he had faced before.
Advertisement...
If beings somewhere in the universe ran advertisements...
Then who was advertising?
And what?
Why would they want to advertise through an ordinary human?
Yeongwoo stopped dwelling on it and checked the timer.
Advertiser Arrival: 04:28:19
About four and a half hours remained.
"There's not even a marker this time."
"Does the advertiser come directly to me?"
He looked around the clear sky.
Fortunately...
The arrival wasn't immediate.
If the advertiser appeared exactly where he had used the tome...
That would have been a disaster.
He couldn't simply stay here waiting.
After a brief moment of thought, he gestured toward Myeongho.
"Myeongho."
"Start the engine."
"We're heading to Chungju."
*
The SUV sped along the highway toward Chungju.
As usual, Myeongho focused silently on driving.
Myeongae stared lifelessly out the window.
The newest passenger...
The tall man...
Finally broke the silence.
"Uh... Mr. Myeongwoo."
He had apparently reached the limit of how long he could remain quiet.
Yeongwoo looked up from watching the Golden Goblin at his feet.
"You can just call me Yeongwoo."
"Ah... right. Mr. Yeongwoo."
"Come to think of it..."
"We haven't even introduced ourselves yet."
"Oh..."
"You're right."
The man visibly relaxed.
"Sorry."
"Everything happened so fast."
"I'm Jeong Yeongwoo."
He paused.
Then glanced toward Myeongae, who remained pressed tightly against the opposite door.
The icy atmosphere hadn't changed.
Given everything that had happened...
He couldn't expect cheerful introductions.
"This is Choi Myeongae."
"And the person driving is her son."
As Yeongwoo gestured between them, Myeongho hurriedly introduced himself.
"I'm Jeong Myeongho."
"Nice to meet you."
"Ah, yes!"
"I'm Kim Jong-su."
"I'm from Andong."
"I'm twenty-nine this year."
Despite his imposing physique...
Jong-su turned out to be the youngest person in the vehicle.
"How old are the two of you?"
"I'm guessing you're both older than me?"
It was such an ordinary conversation...
Completely at odds with the swords hanging from everyone's waists.
"I'm thirty-four."
"Oh..."
"So you really are my senior."
Jong-su smiled in relief.
Myeongho, who had hesitated until now, finally spoke.
"...I'm thirty-seven."
"Oh wow."
"So you're the oldest."
He even joked that naturally the youngest should be the one driving.
He was clearly trying his hardest to fit into the group.
After all...
He had risked his life to join them.
That made Yeongwoo curious.
"Jong-su."
"Why did you decide to come with us?"
"Things didn't seem that bad with your companions."
The cheerful expression faded briefly.
Then returned.
"Ah..."
"That."
He began with an unexpected question.
"Do you think the world is ending?"
"...?"
Everyone in the SUV frowned.
Ignoring their reactions, he continued.
"I mean..."
"Practically speaking, it's already over."
"Half of humanity died on the first day."
"And most civilization has been destroyed."
He was referring to that first day.
The day of the vote.
The day famous people were dragged down.
The day ordinary people murdered one another remotely.
Myeongho finally responded.
"But..."
"Half the population is still alive."
There was still hope in his voice.
Jong-su shook his head.
"I doubt even half are left now."
"Most were probably killed by monsters..."
"Or bandits."
"So?"
Myeongho frowned.
"Are you saying everyone else is doomed too?"
"I used to think that."
"Until I met Mr. Yeongwoo."
He looked directly at Yeongwoo.
"My opinion changed."
"The world's not ending."
"It's just changing."
"Changing?"
Myeongho repeated.
Jong-su nodded.
"People used to earn money by going to work."
"Now..."
"They earn money by hunting monsters instead."
Myeongho couldn't accept that idea.
He wasn't strong enough to fight.
According to Jong-su's logic...
He had become someone incapable of making a living.
"...That's..."
Before he could protest...
Jong-su cut him off.
"This is reality."
"Starting tomorrow, taxes will be collected."
"People without strength will have to find money somehow."
"Whether that means begging..."
"Or becoming someone's servant."
It was a grim prediction.
Yet...
Yeongwoo couldn't deny it.
Even in Sangju...
People had already begun turning their skills into businesses.
"But I thought I'd be fine."
"I was confident I could handle most monsters."
"Then today..."
"I met Mr. Yeongwoo."
"And realized something else."
"What?"
Yeongwoo asked.
Jong-su looked him over from head to toe.
"I do have the ability to earn money."
"But just like office workers have bosses..."
"Monster hunters have bosses too."
Then he pointed directly at Yeongwoo.
"The people who crush not only monsters but evolved beings..."
"The First Swords."
"They're the true bosses."
"You could even threaten someone like me."
"To me..."
"You're the real people in power."
"Threaten someone like me..."
That wording caught Yeongwoo's attention.
Jong-su must have experienced something similar before.
Perhaps another First Sword had threatened him.
Otherwise that idea wouldn't have come so naturally.
"Come to think of it..."
"We met in Mungyeong."
"But he's from Andong."
He must have gone through plenty before arriving there.
"Well..."
"As you know..."
"Every city has its own First Sword."
"I'm only one among dozens—"
Before he could finish...
Jong-su's eyes lit up.
"Exactly!"
"Only dozens!"
"And you're clearly not ordinary."
"You were casually doing business with aliens!"
Technically...
He wasn't wrong.
Still...
The praise felt strangely exaggerated.
While Yeongwoo searched for words...
Jong-su continued.
"That's why I decided to follow you."
"Even if it's only for one day."
"I believe you're destined for great things."
In a world where humanity was on the verge of extinction...
It should have been the highest compliment imaginable.
Yet...
Having already seen the ambition burning inside Jong-su's eyes...
Yeongwoo wasn't particularly pleased.
"Even if it's only one day..."
"We're parting ways in Chungju."
Looking out the windshield, he spoke calmly.
Jong-su blinked.
"...Wait."
"Chungju?"
"We're already heading there?"
Just then...
A road sign pointing toward Chungju appeared.
Myeongho confirmed it.
"Yes."
"My father is there."
"Mr. Yeongwoo promised to accompany us that far."
"...Damn."
Jong-su barely swallowed the curse that almost escaped.
Then hurriedly asked,
"So you'll still have things to do after arriving?"
"Finding your father..."
"And other business..."
"Right?"
Yeongwoo reviewed his plans.
"First..."
"Kill the evolved being."
"I'll probably meet Chungju's First Sword during that."
"Then wait for the merchant..."
He didn't have much spare Karma this time.
But depending on the situation...
He could hunt monsters to earn more.
"As for Myeongho's father..."
"I wonder if he's still alive."
"I can't spend forever searching."
"If we don't find him quickly..."
"That's where my responsibility ends."
Having organized his thoughts...
He opened his status window.
Character: Jeong Yeongwoo07
Power: 600 (19 + 581)
Stamina: 350 (21 + 329)
Durability: 550 (13 + 537)
Senses: 100 (24 + 76)
Each stat point costs 1,000 Karma.
Available Karma: 371,000
Contrary to Jong-su's belief...
Yeongwoo wasn't overwhelmingly powerful through raw stats.
He relied heavily on his equipment...
And the Gyeongbok Swordsmanship.
Against a truly powerful opponent...
He could still die.
"Three hundred seventy-one thousand Karma..."
"Even if I meet another merchant, I won't be able to buy much."
"Maybe I should invest the rest into my stats..."
Before he could decide...
Myeongho spoke.
"Uh..."
"We're almost entering Chungju."
Something in his voice sounded strange.
Even Jong-su frowned as he looked outside.
"What...?"
Only then did Yeongwoo notice it as well.
The time was 3:46 PM.
Not a single pillar of light stood anywhere in Chungju.
"The monsters are one thing..."
"But even the evolved being is gone?"
If so...
Then Chungju had already adapted to the Reset.
As he watched with growing unease...
A single pillar finally appeared in the distance.
"...Ah."
It was black.
The pillar marking a merchant.
Which meant...
Someone had already killed the Day Two evolved being...
And summoned the merchant.
Most likely...
Flash!
As the SUV crossed into Chungju...
A regional notification appeared.
Current Region: Chungju
First Sword of this region: Shin Myeongju22
3 victories, 2 successful defenses.