Chapter 56
Among the Stars (3)
"...Money?"
Looking at Yeong-woo with a puzzled expression, Jong-su quickly grasped the situation and regained his composure.
It was obvious that the Gyeongbok First Sword standing before him had run short of cash.
He almost asked instinctively how much Yeong-woo needed, but changed his words at the last second.
"You'll be surprised. I've actually got quite a bit."
As he spoke, Jong-su lowered the backpack he had been carrying.
Clank.
A heavy metallic sound came from inside.
The noise of countless metal coins rubbing together echoed loudly.
The most shocked person, however, was Yeong-woo.
After all, 69,000 Karma might not seem like much to him anymore, but to most people it was a fortune that determined life or death.
And on top of that...
Who would carry that much money around instead of investing it into their stats?
It was almost unheard of.
"...How much do you have?"
Curious, Yeong-woo asked.
Jong-su opened the backpack and scooped up a handful of crimson coins.
"One hundred fourteen thousand."
Far more than the amount Yeong-woo was missing.
"My goodness... Why are you carrying that much cash?"
"There's no guarantee I'll run into monsters whenever I want. If I suddenly have to fight something strong, I can always spend it on my stats right away."
"...Then, if necessary... could you lend me about 69,000?"
Jong-su smiled mischievously.
"Hehe. That's a pretty big loan. Would it really help that much?"
"I'd be able to buy one more piece of equipment."
After hearing that, Jong-su shrugged and stepped away from the backpack.
It was his way of saying, Take whatever you need.
At that moment, the Golden Goblin standing beside Yeong-woo's feet twitched as it saw the pile of coins.
"Kii..."
Its instincts urged it toward the treasure, but without its master's permission, it held back.
"Can you sort through the coins? If you can, bring me exactly 69,000 Karma."
The moment Yeong-woo finished pointing at the backpack...
The goblin shot forward like a streak of gold.
Tap! Tap!
Just as before, its speed was unbelievable.
In the blink of an eye, it grabbed the backpack, opened its dimensional pouch, and poured out the crimson coins.
Clatter!
At first glance, it seemed to be dumping them out randomly.
Yet the instant it reached exactly 69,000 Karma, it returned the backpack to its original spot.
"Kii!"
The goblin gestured proudly, as if telling him to check.
Sure enough...
Yeong-woo's cash balance had risen to exactly 940,000 Karma.
The precise amount needed to buy both the helmet and the boots—with nothing left over.
"Thank you so much. Thanks to you..."
His gaze drifted toward the merchant's inventory.
3. 「Vanguard」 – Legendary Helmet
- This helmet cannot be damaged.
- 310,000 Karma
4. 「Mirage」 – Unique Boots
- 30% chance to evade Insight.
- 630,000 Karma
Until now, both items had existed only as blue text.
Flash!
The moment Yeong-woo confirmed the purchases...
Something changed.
Rumble...
An ominous sound echoed from somewhere high above.
"Huh?"
"...!"
The sound resembled the one made when Early Bird had first descended from the sky.
Both Yeong-woo and Jong-su instinctively looked up.
Then they saw it.
Flash!
Two impossibly thin pillars of light descended directly toward Yeong-woo.
"...Whoa!"
Startled, he flinched.
The pillars grazed his body, releasing an overwhelming aura.
Whoosh!
Even Jong-su took several steps backward from the pressure.
Yet Yeong-woo himself felt almost nothing.
The only difference...
Was a faint pressure on his head and feet.
Since he had already purchased equipment several times before, he immediately understood.
So each merchant delivers equipment differently.
He reached toward his head.
Sure enough...
Cold metal greeted his fingertips.
On his feet was a pair of silver-white metallic boots.
Despite their appearance, they were astonishingly light.
At the level of a Unique item... they probably won't tear apart when I run.
His first concern was surprisingly practical.
Jong-su, meanwhile, looked Yeong-woo up and down.
The new equipment made him appear even stranger than before.
"Hyung."
"Yeah?"
"Don't you have... some kind of equipment concealment ability?"
"Why? Do I look that weird?"
"Yeah. Very."
Jong-su nodded after examining him from head to toe.
It wasn't hard to see why.
Yeong-woo was wearing factory dormitory training clothes beneath a black cloak.
A rough brass helmet covered his head.
A snake wrapped around one arm.
A golden bracelet gleamed beside it.
He wore gloves, a steel belt carrying two swords, and shining silver boots.
He looked less like a person...
And more like a bizarre fantasy character.
"I finally understand why games have cosmetic skins. Shin Yeong-joo still looked decent, but you've really gone overboard."
"It can't be helped. I'm not going to wear weaker equipment just to look good. Besides... this is still better than running around barefoot."
"I don't know about that."
Jong-su honestly looked unconvinced.
Then he started walking back toward the sedan he had driven.
"Anyway, we're finished here, right? I don't really want to keep staring at those things."
By "those things," he meant the Merchant of Arms from Cheok and the broker, Kubu.
Whatever their roles or origins...
To Jong-su, they were simply disgusting aliens.
"Yeah. Let's go. We've already spent enough time here."
After saying that, Yeong-woo bowed politely toward the two extraterrestrials.
To his surprise...
Not only Kubu, but even the giant cockroach responded.
"May you continue to live."
"Grrrk."
*
5:56 PM
While driving down the highway, the regional status window suddenly changed.
Current Region: Eumseong
There is no First Sword in this region.
"...What?"
"W-What?"
Both Yeong-woo and Jong-su were stunned.
Just like Chungju...
Eumseong also lacked a First Sword.
"So... doesn't that mean another First Sword has already passed through here?"
Jong-su asked.
Yeong-woo nodded.
"Yes. That message only appears after the title itself has been absorbed into another region."
Which meant...
Someone else was traveling from region to region collecting First Sword titles.
Perhaps that was perfectly normal on a national scale.
Once someone had completely secured their own territory, naturally they'd move elsewhere in search of more mutants.
And inevitably...
That meant clashing with other First Swords.
Sometimes they fought over who would kill the mutant first.
Other times...
Simply because they coveted each other's equipment.
That had been exactly what happened with Shin Yeong-joo.
"Is the next region Eumseong?"
Since the regional display remained fixed on Eumseong, Yeong-woo asked.
Jong-su checked the highway signs.
"No. We're heading toward Yeoju. I guess Eumseong just stretches into this area."
Sure enough...
Not long afterward, the regional display changed again.
Current Region: Yeoju
There is no First Sword in this region.
"...!"
"...Huh?"
Neither of them had expected that.
"W-What the... Is someone just wiping out every First Sword they find?"
The smile vanished from Jong-su's face.
He could tell things were becoming dangerous.
Yeong-woo was equally tense.
But he quickly calmed himself.
"Eumseong is in North Chungcheong Province."
"Yeoju is in Gyeonggi Province, right?"
"Y-Yeah... that's right."
"Then it could've been different people. Somewhere out there there might be a North Chungcheong First Sword and a Gyeonggi First Sword."
"...Isn't that even scarier?"
"Considering I'm the Gyeongbok First Sword..."
"It's entirely possible."
Yeong-woo stared out the window cautiously.
He had been born as nothing more than a Grade-4 Human, hardly someone specialized for combat.
Yet through luck and courage...
He had become the Gyeongbok First Sword.
If that was possible...
Then what about people who were naturally stronger?
Anonymous serial killers who survived the initial purge.
Violent criminals.
Or those born as Grade-1 Humans.
If even the outer regions have already been stripped of their titles... then monsters must be roaming the inner regions.
The situation reminded him of something.
The exchange office on the first day after the Reset.
Back then...
Every direction had been filled with deadly enemies.
There had been no escape.
"So? Do we keep going?"
"We're almost entering Yeoju. After that comes Icheon."
Jong-su asked for confirmation.
Yeong-woo rested a hand on the two swords at his waist.
"We keep going."
"That's exactly why I bought all this equipment."
"Got it."
"I'm trusting you, Hyung."
Jong-su pressed the accelerator.
The scenery outside sped by even faster.
The highway toward Yeoju was remarkably clear.
Very few abandoned vehicles blocked the road.
Before long...
A sign announced that they had entered Yeoju.
"Well..."
"We're here."
So far, though, there was nothing around except mountains.
The only building they had passed was a small rest stop.
"It really feels deserted."
"I guess everyone really is dead."
Jong-su joked.
Then—
ROOOOAR!!
A savage engine roared from behind them.
"Holy... that's an imported sports car."
Checking the rearview mirror, Jong-su let out a dry laugh.
Yeong-woo also looked through the back window.
Two Audi convertibles were racing toward them.
One white.
One yellow.
Their engines screamed unnaturally loudly.
"Were they waiting at that rest stop?"
"What the hell is wrong with this place?"
Their own vehicle was an old Sonata.
Knowing full well the difference in performance, Jong-su glanced at Yeong-woo.
"Hyung..."
"They're about to catch us."
Meaning...
The other cars would overtake them soon.
And once they did...
There would be no avoiding a fight.
Without answering immediately, Yeong-woo reached into his pocket and pulled out the Narrative Compass.
「Frightened Cat」 – Narrative Compass
- Points toward threatening targets.
- — Empty Slot —
After checking it, he quietly put it away and turned to his partner.
"Pull over."
"We're fighting them now."