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[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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9:48 PM.
Parnas Hotel in Gangnam, Seoul.
At this moment, most of Seoul’s prominent “Strongest Swords” had gathered here.
From Oh Yeonhee of Songpa to Jo Sangik of Gwanak, and even Kim Doha, the Yongsan Strongest Sword.
These individuals, who were still the strongest in their respective districts, were wasting their precious time in front of a hotel room for one reason only.
“No matter what, I don’t think so.”“You never know.”
“True... if he couldn’t make it by now, wouldn’t he have contacted us?”
Rumors that Jeong Yeongwoo, who was supposed to collect their money, had still not arrived had spread throughout Seoul.
This was why the Strongest Swords had started gathering one by one in front of Yeongwoo’s room, leading to this situation.
“Oh, right. At the very least, Yeongwoo could have contacted us, right?”
Lee Yoobin, the Seongbuk Strongest Sword, widened her eyes and spread her hands, signifying the unique ring ‘Wave,’ Jeong Yeongwoo’s signature as the Gangnam Strongest Sword before becoming a Strongest Sword of the Korean Peninsula.
If something had come up, couldn’t he have used the Wave to contact Seoul?
The Strongest Swords of Seoul had gathered urgently because of this delay in Yeongwoo’s return.
What could have happened if Yeongwoo hadn’t returned to Seoul without a word?
“He had a way to contact us but didn’t... what could it be?”
Kim Doha, the Yongsan Strongest Sword, rubbed his chin and asked meaningfully.
This essentially implied that something might have happened to Yeongwoo.
In response, Kim Jeonggu shouted loudly in front of the room door.
“What nonsense is that? Our Yeongwoo didn’t fail to contact us; he just chose not to!”
“Yes, Father. Of course. I didn’t mean anything else.”
Jo Sangik, the Gwanak Strongest Sword, smiled bitterly and tried to soothe Jeonggu.
But Sangik also considered the possibility of Yeongwoo’s unexpected death.
Otherwise, it didn’t make sense.
‘If he couldn’t return by this time, there was no reason not to use the Wave.’
Of course, it could be because he was too impressed by something to even think of using the Wave.
But what could be more surprising than killing Kim Jong-un of the North with a laser?
“What was Yeongwoo’s last known destination?”
At Sangik’s question, Jeonggu thought momentarily and then looked west.
“I believe it was China.”
“China...”
They had seen some of Yeongwoo’s relationship with China through the Strongest Sword selection vote, but that was just a part of China as a country.
‘It’s such a big country; he could have encountered a much stronger opponent than expected.’
If that were the case, it was unfortunate.
They had been supporting Yeongwoo, thinking it wouldn’t hurt to have a crazy genius from the Korean Peninsula in this insane world.
But...
‘Did Yeongwoo dive into the big leagues too soon?’
The sea might have swallowed the frog that should have stayed in the well.
“...”
Sangik inwardly sighed but outwardly said something different.
“China is such a vast land, he might just be too busy returning to contact us.”
However, most of the Strongest Swords seemed to have different thoughts.
“No, no matter what, he could have said a word into the ring. How could he forget that?”
“There’s a limit to being late. It’s almost time to pay taxes, and he still isn’t here?”
“Exactly. He used to come back punctually at sunset because of the dungeon.”
With the situation completely different from Yeongwoo’s usual pattern, they all secretly predicted something had happened to the Strongest Sword.
Logically speaking, their words made sense.
The Strongest Sword, who left Seoul for China, had not returned by almost 10 PM.
Negative interpretations were inevitable.
“Then what if...”
Finally, Lee Hanwook, the Dongjak Strongest Sword, uttered the words “what if.”
What if the Strongest Sword Jeong Yeongwoo had indeed died in an unexpected accident? Who would be his successor?
Who would manage the enormous defense funds he had collected from Seoul and parts of China?
Could it even be managed?
“...”
As everyone waited tensely for Hanwook’s next words, suddenly—
BOOM!
An enormous explosion was heard from somewhere outside the hotel, possibly beyond Gangnam.
“What, what was that?”
“It sounded like something fell!”
“Where did that sound come from? Wasn’t it quite far away?”
While the Strongest Swords in the hotel corridor looked around out the windows, Kim Jeonggu, the Dobong Strongest Sword and also Yeongwoo’s biological father, raised his head abruptly.
Then—
“Move aside!”
He began pushing aside the Strongest Swords in the corridor and moved forward.
“Wh-where are you going, Father?”
Jo Sangik hastily followed him and asked, and Jeonggu, sweeping his finger across the Strongest Swords present, said,
“Can’t you tell? That’s the sound of Yeongwoo returning. Now, everyone, grab your money and follow me.”
“...?”
Some of the Strongest Swords still wore skeptical expressions, but others had already placed their bets.
Thud!
They slung their bags of money over their shoulders and started running after Jeonggu.
“F-Father! Please slow down!”
“Father...!”
Seeing this, the remaining Strongest Swords, who had been standing idly, also picked up their money bags.
* * *
9:54 PM.
Six minutes left until tax payment time.
Jeonggu and about a dozen Strongest Swords hurriedly ran south of the city.
This was because the explosion had undoubtedly come from the south.
Soon—
“Ah...!”
Someone gasped and pointed towards the southern sky between the buildings, causing them to stop.
“What is that?”
“...My God.”
They saw some sort of structure descending from the sky, splitting it in half.
It looked like a tower but was so tall they couldn’t see its top with the naked eye.
“What is that, Father?”
Everyone looked at Jeonggu and asked.
‘Didn’t that old man say so?’
He had said just a while ago that the loud noise signalled that Jeong Yeongwoo was returning.
But now, the true cause of that noise, seen with their own eyes, was…
“Isn’t that… an alien?”
When Lee Yoobin from Seongbuk proposed the alien theory, some of the Strongest Swords agreed and looked back at Jeonggu.
Of course, Jeonggu was equally bewildered by the unexpected situation.
“What the hell is that?”
Did Moses, who led the people in the Exodus, feel like this when he stood in front of the Red Sea?
Even Jeonggu could see that it wasn’t his son, Jeong Yeongwoo.
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[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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No, it wasn’t human at all.
The scale of the structure was beyond imagination.
“…”
While everyone stood there with their mouths agape, Songpa’s Strongest Sword, Oh Yeonhee, spoke up.
“Prepare for battle. Whatever it is, it’s clearly not human.”
Swish!
With those words, her crescent blade cast a long shadow on the ground, and some of the Strongest Swords thought:
‘As expected of Oh Yeonhee.’
‘If Jeong Yeongwoo is really dead, Oh Yeonhee will be the next Strongest Sword.’
Oh Yeonhee, the Strongest Sword of Songpa.
Before and after Jeong Yeongwoo’s appearance, she held the second-in-command position in Seoul.
Although Jo Sangik of Gwanak had recently been rising in prominence, she was still undoubtedly the second-in-command.
“What are you all doing?”
Seeing that many hadn’t yet drawn their weapons, Oh Yeonhee frowned.
“It might already be too late, that’s definitely…!”
An alien invader.
Before she could finish her sentence, it happened.
Fshhhh!
A thin beam of light descended from the sky, and a large pillar of light enveloped it.
Boom!
“What?”
“It’s an attack!”
Finally realizing that the structure had reached Gangnam, the Strongest Swords drew their weapons.
Swish, swish!
And simultaneously.
“Instead of the Strongest Sword, monsters have come! But you're gravely mistaken if you think Seoul will fall easily!”
Oh Yeonhee, pointing her crescent blade at the massive light pillar, solidified her position as not just the second-in-command, but the future Strongest Sword.
She declared that she was still the representative of the Seoul Alliance.
Then, suddenly.
Whoosh!
The unidentified light pillar, which had been just a mass of light until now, began to take shape.
The light pillar descended right opposite COEX, in a large construction site.
Rumble!
The pressure from the light pillar suddenly intensified.
Swoosh!
In an instant, all the light dissipated, revealing a huge tower in its place.
“…What.”
“It’s really a tower?”
Current time: 9:58 PM.
Two minutes left until tax collection.
Because of this coincidental timing, some present thought it might be another stage of the reset.
The sudden appearance of this foreign structure was that astonishing.
“I can’t see the top.”
“How tall is it…?”
As the Strongest Swords cautiously approached the tower with their weapons, Oh Yeonhee warned in a sharp voice.
“Be careful, everyone. Inside there, most likely.”
Something non-human would be in there, no need to finish the sentence.
Swoosh!
Suddenly, one side of the tower opened, forming an archway, and large orcs with red skin poured from it.
-Seoul!
-It’s Seoul!
Standing 3 meters tall, these orcs chanted “Seoul” as they lined up beside the tower’s entrance.
As if preparing for someone to emerge from the tower.
And soon after.
Clank, clank.
Someone with metallic hooves leisurely emerged from within the tower between the orcs.
“…?”
As expected, the dazzling light from inside the tower caused the pupils of the Strongest Swords to dilate again.
Because.
Clank!
“The Strongest Sword?”
“Jeong Yeongwoo…?”
The person emerging, guarded by orcs, was none other than Jeong Yeongwoo, the only elected Strongest Sword of the Korean Peninsula.
“Ah, you all came out to greet me?”
Amidst the strange bright light, Jeong Yeongwoo’s characteristic nonchalant voice rang out.
And right on cue.
―Taxes will now be collected.
At exactly 10 PM, nationwide, no, planet-wide tax collection began.
And specifically for the Korean Peninsula, there was an additional tax.
―Defense tax will be collected shortly. Prepare for payment.
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[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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