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Chapter 78

Chapter 78: Let Them See Gwanak (2)

“Huh?”

“Gasp….”

As Taeyoung and Jongsu both paused at the realization of stepping foot on Seoul’s soil, Yeongwoo, ahead of them, slowed down Negwig’s pace and directed his gaze into the air.

Yeongwoo also felt the immense presence of Gangnam’s Strongest Sword, because of course.

“…Choi Namhee.”

Seocho’s Strongest Sword, Choi Namhee11.

As expected, this time, the identification number was also in the first order.

Among all Choi Namhee in the country, they were the 11th person to contact the currency exchange office.

|The best sword in this area is ‘Choi Nam-hee 11’. Rank 4, 3 defenses.

‘Was there a bit of a struggle for positions on the first day? Third generation as well.’

Even after becoming the 4th Strongest Sword, he fought in defense matches three times.

It meant there were plenty of competitors.

‘Of course, Seoul has the largest population.’

So who would ascend to the Strongest Sword in such a place?

Since they had entered Seoul, Yeongwoo knew they would eventually come across Choi Namhee.

He looked at the name with a mixture of anticipation and concern.

Of course, Yeongwoo’s problem wasn’t just about Seoul’s Strongest Sword.

Spat.

As he entered Seoul, the color of the arrows floating in his vision intensified.

This was the mark of the Legendary Pen, “Wanted Poster,” obtained by defeating the anonymous Strongest Sword (Advanced) of Gyeongbuk.

A mark that pointed to what the owner desired.

And currently, the target Yeongwoo was seeking through the Wanted Poster was none other than… his father.

Although the previous owner had set the target, thanks to it, Yeongwoo learned that his father was still alive.

Until recently, he had no concept of parents, so if he hadn’t obtained the Wanted Poster, he wouldn’t have even attempted to find them.

But now he knew.

His father had been there all along.

Father, Grade 6 Extra.

The person who created a relationship with my 1st-grade supporting mother and me.

Then why abandon me?

Yeongwoo recalled the question he used to ask himself as a child.

Was life too difficult?

Or… did he never want me in the first place?

Of course, he still couldn’t answer.

But now he could go directly to the person who held the answer.

‘The intensifying arrows mean the distance has shortened.’

The Wanted Poster still pointed north.

Perhaps it meant his father was living in Seocho or somewhere in Gangbuk.

‘I hope he’s not living nearby. I can’t just go looking for him right away.’

In a situation where Gangnam’s Strongest Sword had set his sights on this area and would undoubtedly search around, rummaging through the neighbouring area of Seocho was too risky.

‘But how did you manage to stay alive until now? Many people died from the reset.’

Yeongwoo vaguely imagined his father as nothing more than “some man” for now, then tightened Negwig’s reins.

The previously empty roadsides were gradually filling up with buildings.

Soon, a road sign indicating the direction of Gwacheon and Yangjae appeared.

Now, they were truly in Seoul.

Was it just a misconception that the air felt different?

“Huff.”

Yeongwoo took a deep breath.

And while doing so, Negwig continued to push the ground backward.

Clatter, clack!

Despite the noisy sound of Negwig’s steel hooves, the surroundings remained eerily silent.

‘How can there be so few people in a city with such a large population? Even if it’s just before the emergence of monsters…’

It was definitely different from other areas where thieves and hawkers roamed the outskirts of the city.

Yeongwoo shook his head and continued to urge Negwig northward.

Clack!

After running for a while longer, landmarks finally began to appear.

It was the Seocho Sports Complex and the rest area “Seoul Meeting Plaza” attached to the Yangjae exit.

‘There’s not even a single ant here.’

While some cars in the parking lot were wrecked, the rest area building looked pristine, suggesting it was a residue of the chaos on the first day of the reset.

It seemed the monsters hadn’t caused trouble here.

Which meant, at least, all the monsters in the southern part of Seoul had died in the city.

‘Was Seoul particularly quick to respond?’

It was difficult for Yeongwoo to estimate what had happened in Seoul.

Seoul was not easily comparable to other cities, as it was the capital of South Korea, where the main administrative offices and the Blue House were located.

Although the president’s head flew off on the first day of the reset, the government was unlikely to collapse from that one incident.

The remaining bureaucrats would have tried to handle the situation somehow, right?

‘Of course, it wasn’t a situation that could be handled just by trying.’

As Yeongwoo pondered, his surroundings darkened again.

They had passed the rest area and entered the Yangjae Interchange.

Since Yeongwoo had to enter Sadang from here, he looked ahead to find the highway exit.

Then…

Honk, beep…!

As Yeongwoo shifted his gaze, the sound of a horn blared from the front.

“…?”

What came into view was a patrol car parked in the middle of the road, as if it were proudly asserting its presence.

‘Huh.’

After briefly glancing at Taeyoung’s patrol car following behind him, Yeongwoo turned his attention back to the other patrol car in front.

Now he noticed not only the problematic patrol car but also several people behind it.

They were blocking the highway exit leading to Gwacheon and Sadang.

‘What’s going on? Is this some kind of tollgate?’

He had seen a similar scene in Chungju, where there was a certain system in place.

The only difference was that Seoul, with its 25 districts tightly packed together, had its unique characteristic.

‘Whoa.’

Signaling to slow down behind, Yeongwoo also gently pulled Negwig’s reins.

*Kwiiik!*

As Negwig began to decelerate with an eerie sound, the people on the Yangjae side seemed to sense something unusual.

*Bam, bbaaah…*

The blaring horn suddenly weakened.

The outsiders approaching the interchange, in other words, Yeongwoo’s demeanor, didn’t seem normal.

*Clunk.*

Gradually, the doors of the patrol cars blocking the road opened one by one.

Then, inside, police officers in uniform stepped out onto the ground with extreme caution.

Yeongwoo tensed up, fearing that the opponent might be armed.

But when the police officers finally revealed themselves, there were hardly any guns, not to mention rifles, among them.

“Please… stop for a moment.”

One of the police officers extended both hands without drawing a sword.

Yeongwoo also raised his hands slightly to show that he had no intention of fighting.

“Yes. What’s the matter?”

Yeongwoo adopted the most friendly attitude possible.

There was no reason not to respect these people who were performing police duties, even down to their uniforms.

However, the dialogue from the police side that followed was quite strange.

“Are you coming from another area?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Then, by any chance… are you a Strongest Sword or do you intend to challenge the Strongest Sword?”

“…?”

Receiving a question about whether he intended to challenge the Strongest Sword from a police officer, even though they were on official duty, was quite bizarre.

Yeongwoo looked at the person in front of him with a puzzled expression for a moment.

The opponents, as well as the plainclothes individuals blocking the highway exit in the distance, still hadn’t drawn their swords.

In fact, most of them seemed to be visibly apprehensive.

‘They have no intention of overpowering me by force. Rather, they seem…’

They even seemed to be hoping for Yeongwoo to pass through quickly.

Even now, the police officer facing Yeongwoo showed signs of anxiety, fidgeting his fingers.

“Would anything change according to my response? Frankly, I’m not sure why you’re blocking the passage.”

As Yeongwoo alternated between looking at the police officer in front of him and the road exit on the other side, the tense officer gestured with his hands.

“Ah…! No! We’re not daring to restrict passage. We’re here to provide guidance to those who are visiting Seoul.”

“Guidance…?”

While Yeongwoo raised an eyebrow, Taeyoung’s patrol car arrived behind him.

The tense officer, who had been clapping his hands, seemed slightly surprised, but continued his explanation.

“Currently, Seoul has entered into an agreement between civil and government bodies to minimize casualties.”

“If it’s between civil and government bodies… does that mean there’s some kind of government presence here?”

Civil and government.

A word encompassing both private and public sectors.

In other words, an agreement between civil and government bodies meant…

“Yes. That’s right. The government of South Korea is intact.”

—

The government of South Korea is intact.

The officer spoke quite confidently, but Yeongwoo found it hard to believe.

Wasn’t it just a few hours ago that he had encountered some thugs from Seoul?

If the government were truly intact and law enforcement were functioning, there wouldn’t have been Gangwon residents picking fights with “Seoul people.”

Moreover…

‘How could the government be intact? Power no longer resides in the country.’

It wasn’t just about the judiciary.

The reason people followed the “rules” set by the state was fundamentally for survival.

To maintain their livelihoods and current way of life.

But hadn’t the way of survival completely changed due to the reset?

Surviving against monsters and mutants.

And securing thousands of karma every day to resolve tax and residency issues.

In that case, could the government help with these problems?

Of course not.

In a world where even bullets turned to stones, how could the government control monsters, mutants, and citizens wielding swords?

“What exactly do you mean by a civil-government agreement? There can’t possibly be a military presence here. Just look at you guys…”

There was no need to add the qualifier “without any enforcement power.”

Before Yeongwoo finished speaking, the officer smiled and nodded.

“Yes. I understand what you mean. It’s indeed the case.”

But the real story came next.

“However… the substantive subject of the civil-government agreement isn’t the ‘government,’ but the ‘civilian.’ The most powerful citizens of this country, the Strongest Swords, are the ones empowering the government.”

“What… What are you talking about?”

As Yeongwoo widened his eyes in disbelief, the officer glanced at his wristwatch briefly before getting to the point.

“We’ll have to withdraw soon. But before that, there’s something important we must convey.”

Then the officer’s gaze swept over Yeongwoo’s head.

“If you’re a current Strongest Sword or possess equivalent authority, we recommend attending the Strongest Sword Assembly.”