Chapter 53
The Judge with the Longsword (6)
"I hope there are still some worthwhile items left..."
Repeating Shin Myungjoo's words in his mind, Yeongwoo walked toward the pillar of black light.
His current Karma balance was 871,000.
With this much, I should be able to buy at least a Unique-grade item.
Of course, there was a high chance that Shin Myungjoo had already purchased all the best merchandise.
Still, Yeongwoo had one advantage.
Kubu, his broker.
There is one variable, though. This Merchant has already completed a transaction.
Kubu's special ability allowed Yeongwoo to see every Merchant bidding for the trade and personally choose which one he wished to deal with.
But what would happen if he tried to trade with a Merchant who had already completed a deal?
Would Kubu still present him with a new list of Merchants?
I'll find out soon enough... assuming nothing unexpected happens.
Yeongwoo quietly glanced behind him.
Shin Myungjoo was following at a moderate distance.
Her expression was gentle as ever, and his Golden Flash ability detected absolutely no killing intent from her.
Even so...
Yeongwoo couldn't relax.
If I were in her position... I wouldn't let an outsider leave alive.
There were no witnesses nearby.
No civilians.
If someone wanted to commit murder without anyone knowing...
This was the perfect place.
If she attacks while I'm trading, my reaction will inevitably be slower.
She had also confirmed during their run that his physical stats were inferior.
If she abandoned her morals for even a moment...
Killing him here would be an incredible opportunity for her.
His equipment would only make Chungju even stronger.
And yet...
If she still chooses not to attack...
...then I'll have no choice but to admit that I've become too suspicious of everyone.
Despite those thoughts, Yeongwoo drew both the Black Sword and Early Bird, then stabbed them into the ground.
Thunk!
If Shin Myungjoo launched a surprise attack from behind, he intended to summon them back instantly.
Watching him, she tilted her head.
"What are you doing all of a sudden?"
"My own version of courtesy."
"It feels a little rude to meet a merchant while carrying weapons."
"...?"
Leaving behind the utterly baffled Shin Myungjoo, Yeongwoo resumed walking toward the black pillar.
About twenty meters...
The distance between where he had planted the swords and the Merchant was roughly twenty meters.
Touching his chest, he felt the dagger hidden inside his clothes.
If Shin Myungjoo proved even faster than expected, she'd reach him before the flying swords could return.
If that happened...
He would use the dagger to buy himself a little time.
Even a tiny scratch would be enough...
Golden Punishment
Legendary Bracelet
- Inflicts unbearable pain upon enemies.
- Accumulated Golden Ratio: 4
Yeongwoo's greatest weapon wasn't his physical strength.
It was the unimaginable agony inflicted by Golden Punishment.
Even enemies consumed by rage had been unable to move under its effect.
"Haah..."
Just as he finished preparing himself mentally...
The distance between him and the black pillar shrank to less than ten meters.
At last...
The Merchant emerged.
"Krrrk..."
Apparently sensing Yeongwoo's presence, the creature let out a grotesque cry.
"..."
Even Yeongwoo, who had already experienced countless horrors, froze.
Something truly monstrous slowly emerged from the pillar.
It was...
A... a Merchant?
A gigantic cockroach.
An ordinary cockroach...
Except this one was nearly five meters long.
It couldn't fully leave the pillar.
Its long antennae were bent upward along the surface of the black light instead.
"My God..."
Yeongwoo muttered in disgust.
Behind him, Shin Myungjoo quietly spoke.
"No matter how many times I see it... I still can't get used to it."
"Every time I look at that thing..."
"I'm reminded that we have no idea what kind of world we're living in now."
For the first time...
Yeongwoo heard genuine fear in her voice.
"Still, you managed to trade with it."
"What did you buy from... that?"
At his question, Shin Myungjoo stared blankly for a second before bursting into laughter.
"'That?'"
"I've been thinking this ever since we met..."
"You're a very unusual person."
"Maybe it's because you're still young."
She pointed toward the cockroach Merchant.
"Go see for yourself."
"I didn't buy very much."
"Krrrk."
The Merchant cried again.
Taking a deep breath...
Yeongwoo stepped forward.
The space between him and the pillar suddenly split apart.
Kubu appeared.
"Greetings, human of Earth."
"It is an honor to meet Chungbok's strongest, Jung Myungwoo-07, once again."
"I am Kubu of the Tenta Tribe, guardian of Daro and broker for today's transaction."
It was the same greeting as always.
Then...
Kubu blinked several times.
For the first time ever, he carefully examined the surroundings.
Even turning his eyeballs in every direction.
Something was different.
During both previous transactions...
Yeongwoo had been the Merchant's first customer.
But this time...
"Someone has already been here."
"A transaction record already exists."
Kubu sounded genuinely confused.
"So can I still trade?"
"Or... does the commission change?"
"Trading is still possible."
"The commission remains the same."
"However... changing the trading part—"
Suddenly...
Whoosh!
Kubu abruptly turned his eyes away from Yeongwoo.
Toward somewhere behind him.
Then he shouted.
"Be careful!"
At that exact instant...
Yeongwoo's Golden Flash activated.
Your Sense stat has temporarily increased from 100 to 866.
Damn!
A boost of 766 points.
That meant his opponent's Sense stat was 1,532.
Only one person nearby could possess such overwhelming ability.
Yeongwoo spun around.
Shin Myungjoo.
Golden light blazed from her eyes as she charged toward him.
According to the holographic guide generated by the Gyeongbok Sword Art, the tip of her sword had already pierced his neck.
"...!"
The hologram didn't even recommend counterattacking.
It only displayed evasive movements.
Trusting it...
Yeongwoo twisted his body.
Slash!
Shin Myungjoo's thrust barely missed his neck.
"Judge...!"
Yeongwoo rolled backward to create distance.
It was meaningless.
She was simply much faster.
"I'm sorry."
She closed the gap in the blink of an eye.
Standing against the setting sun, her silhouette looked almost black.
Then...
Clang!
Before Yeongwoo could even draw his dagger...
Her sword flashed.
"Urgh!"
A terrifying pain exploded through his abdomen.
Instantly...
Yeongwoo realized something had gone horribly wrong.
Not only was his heartbeat fading...
His upper body was collapsing forward against his own will.
No...
He didn't even need to look down.
The overwhelming pain...
Combined with the strange sensation of floating...
Told him everything.
He had been cut completely in half.
Fortunately...
The borrowed Sense stat hadn't disappeared yet.
He could still barely move his arms.
His mind remained clear enough to think.
"AAAH!"
Whether it was a battle cry or a scream...
Yeongwoo summoned the two swords planted twenty meters away.
At the same time...
He pulled out the hidden dagger and swung it wildly.
Whoosh!
Since his head was already falling toward the ground...
The slash only swept toward Shin Myungjoo's ankles.
But it served its purpose.
"Huh...?"
It distracted her...
Just long enough.
She realized too late...
That two swords were already flying toward her from behind.
Fwoosh!
Only then did she understand what all those holographic warnings meant.
Her own Chungju Sword Art desperately recommended immediate evasion.
But...
She had already reacted instinctively.
The sunlight reflecting off Early Bird caught her attention.
Without thinking...
She slashed it aside.
Which meant...
She never noticed the black sword that followed.
Crash!
It pierced straight through her chest.
"Gah...!"
For the first time in her life...
Shin Myungjoo suffered a truly serious injury.
She stared in disbelief as blood poured from the wound.
"Y-Yeongwoo!"
Panicking...
She instinctively called for help.
From the very man she had cut in half only moments ago.
Meanwhile...
Yeongwoo could only stare blankly.
The Black Sword...
Having completed its task...
Was calmly returning to its original position.
His own lower half lay collapsed in the distance, bleeding heavily.
"...I almost had it."
For some reason...
His consciousness refused to fade.
He felt unbearable pain...
And a burning sensation deep inside his body.
Only after Shin Myungjoo collapsed to the ground did he look toward her again.
"Judge..."
"You're... not dead yet, are you?"
Her legs were trembling violently.
She couldn't answer.
Perhaps the agony from Golden Punishment was so overwhelming...
She no longer had the strength to speak.
Realizing that...
Yeongwoo sincerely apologized.
"I'm sorry."
"If I still had any strength..."
"I'd at least put you out of your misery."
"But..."
"I'm dying too."
"I can't even move my arms anymore."
Looking carefully...
Her trembling gradually weakened.
She was truly dying.
"Whoever passes through here next..."
"...is going to hit the jackpot."
He let out one final joke before opening his inventory.
Then...
Far away...
He spotted a tiny silhouette.
"Kii..."
It was his Relic-grade Golden Goblin Slave.
The moment the battle had started...
It had wisely fled and watched from a safe distance.
"Hey..."
"Over here!"
"Kii...?"
Even after confirming that Yeongwoo was still conscious...
The goblin merely looked around nervously instead of helping.
"...Right."
"If I die..."
"You'll be free."
"Looks like this is the end."
Maybe...
Fourth-rate Extras simply weren't meant to live long.
"I didn't even make it to forty."
"If the Reset hadn't happened..."
"I would've lived another three years."
Name: Jung Myungwoo
Role: Grade-4 Extra
Function: Background Character / Disposable Asset
Created: April 8, 1992, 11:41 PM (Modified through conditional intent)
Death: November 7, 2028, 8:36 PM
Cause: Beaten to death by a drunken man while returning home.
Remembering the fate that had once disgusted him...
Yeongwoo gave a bitter smile.
He slowly closed his eyes.
Then—
HOOOOONK!!
A car horn suddenly shattered the silence.
"...?"
It wasn't far away.
He could even feel the vibrations through the ground.
He no longer had the strength to turn his head.
But he immediately recognized the voice.
"Brother!"
"Where are you?!"
It was Jongsoo.
He had abandoned the Jung family...
And was racing toward Yeongwoo.