Chapter 29

The Final Human (3)

After parting ways with the bag merchant, Yeong-woo sped down the road even faster than before.

He wanted to confirm as soon as possible whether the rumors of human trafficking in this city were actually true.

Tat!

As he passed farmhouses, rice fields, and livestock sheds, the scenery gradually became more urban.

A gas station appeared.

Buildings with glass-covered facades came into view.

Convenience stores began appearing as well.

And it was around this point that Yeong-woo felt something deeply strange.

After the convenience stores started showing up, he began encountering people again—and every single one of them raised a hand the moment they saw him.

"...?"

It looked exactly like the gesture people used to hail a taxi.

As if following some unspoken rule, they were all standing along the roadside.

"What is this?"

There were already seven people within sight doing the same thing.

Yeong-woo stopped in front of the nearest man.

Before he could even speak, the man greeted him first.

"Looking to hire someone?"

"Uh... yes."

"Then let me introduce myself. My name is Kim Tae-hong. My daily rate is 2,000 Karma."

"...What?"

"I can reserve places in line, carry luggage, collect items... anything within my capabilities."

Kim Tae-hong delivered his sales pitch flawlessly, without a single stumble.

"A daily rate means you'll assist me for the entire day?"

"Yes, that's right. And if you allow overnight lodging, I don't mind that either."

By "overnight lodging," he meant sharing a rented room during the night.

In other words, if the employer wanted the room to themselves, he'd find another way to survive.

More independent than I expected.

Yeong-woo tilted his head.

This seemed closer to freelance work than human trafficking.

Of course, since they were selling their labor, one could technically say they were "selling their bodies."

As Yeong-woo examined the sturdy-looking man, an unexpected statement followed.

"Though... I do have one condition."

"What is it?"

"As I mentioned, I appreciate offers to stay overnight, but nothing beyond sleeping arrangements. And I won't go near Namseong-dong."

"Huh?"

Yeong-woo blinked in surprise.

Then he noticed the man had subtly taken a step backward.

Wait... did he think something weird because I was staring at him?

What else could "overnight lodging is fine, but nothing more" possibly mean?

He was willing to earn Karma through physical labor, but not by selling himself in that way.

And what's this about not going to Namseong-dong?

Yeong-woo immediately asked.

"I'm not interested in any of that. What's Namseong-dong? Is there something there?"

"...?"

Now it was the man's turn to look surprised.

"You're not from around here?"

"No."

"City Hall is in Namseong-dong."

"Ah, City Hall."

Yeong-woo immediately understood.

City Hall.

The primary residence of Sangju's First Sword.

And the place rumored to be at the center of the human trafficking business.

Naturally, for a cautious worker like this man, City Hall was a danger zone.

"So why won't you go there?"

"Because all of us would be putting ourselves at risk."

Meaning that even influential people wealthy enough to hire workers couldn't guarantee anyone's safety near City Hall.

That only made Yeong-woo even more curious about what was happening there.

"Are you heading to Namseong-dong?"

The man asked.

Yeong-woo silently nodded.

At once, the expressions of the nearby job-seekers—who had been quietly approaching to take their turn—froze.

"...Looks like none of you go near City Hall."

The man scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"If you're sane, you don't."

"Then let me ask one more thing."

"Sure."

"Do employers pay upfront or afterward? If they wanted to, they could just refuse to pay once the work's done."

"That's true. In reality, it's almost entirely dependent on the employer's conscience."

"That's insane."

"Well, the fact that the world ended up like this is already insane. We don't have any better options right now."

The man laughed bitterly.

Seeing that smile, Yeong-woo briefly felt like giving him one of his coins.

Half out of sympathy.

Half out of gratitude for the information.

But the thought never became action.

Once he actually considered handing over the money, it suddenly felt wasteful.

We'll probably never meet again anyway. So why bother?

After bowing politely to the man and the others nearby, Yeong-woo continued toward Namseong-dong.

As he did, he couldn't help thinking that many of them might not survive until tomorrow.

Even he, the First Sword of Gumi, was being this stingy.

Who would willingly pay people weaker than themselves?

This was the moment he truly understood what "lawlessness" could lead to.

Not long after leaving the man behind, Yeong-woo encountered another group of people.

Like before, they varied in age and gender.

And just like before, they immediately raised their hands when he came into view.

The difference was the services they offered.

Some were peddlers selling petrified items.

Others specialized solely in "item collection," one of the services Kim Tae-hong had mentioned.

Tell them what you wanted and where to meet, and they'd search the entire city for it.

Of course, there was no guarantee they'd come back alive.

It was work done with their lives on the line.

The worst-case scenario?

They returned with the item only to have the client point a sword at them.

Regardless, the job-seekers continued appearing one after another.

Until Yeong-woo finally reached a sign.

[Namseong-dong 2 km]

Almost there.

Standing before the sign, Yeong-woo glanced back.

The seemingly endless line of job-seekers that had filled the roadside earlier was nowhere to be seen.

Everyone avoided staying near Namseong-dong.

They're this afraid?

At this rate, the city can't possibly keep functioning.

Sooner or later, the job-seekers on the outskirts would either die from being unable to pay taxes or leave for other cities.

The population would collapse.

Of course, in a world where Karma could only be earned by hunting demons and mutants, population decline didn't really threaten the strong.

As long as resources remained, they could simply distribute them among themselves and live comfortably.

Fwaaash!

Soon, the district presumed to be Namseong-dong entered Yeong-woo's view.

Only then did he see the traces of last night's battle.

Collapsed stone walls.

Corpses scattered here and there.

Dark, dried bloodstains.

The difference from Gimcheon was obvious:

The number of corpses in Sangju wasn't even comparable.

Even if the hunters had failed to prevent all casualties, Sangju's strong individuals were clearly far more capable.

As he moved deeper into the district, even the few remaining corpses disappeared, replaced by relatively clean streets.

Then, for the first time, Yeong-woo heard it.

HOOONK!

A car horn.

"...?"

The sound came from behind him.

When he turned around, he saw a pristine white luxury sedan idling angrily.

A car...? Someone's driving a car?

Instinctively, Yeong-woo assumed it belonged to Sangju's First Sword.

It was only the second day after the Reset.

At a time when only one mutant appeared per region, who else could afford the luxury of buying a passenger vehicle?

Unless someone monopolized all three million Karma...

As Yeong-woo prepared to draw Early Bird from his waist, the horn sounded again.

HOOONK!

The driver's window rolled down.

A woman stuck her head out.

"What? Are you not moving?"

Sharp sunglasses matched her equally sharp voice.

Not stone-made ones.

Real sunglasses.

In some ways, they were even more extravagant than the car itself.

What the hell...?

Still stunned by the sight, Yeong-woo stared at her.

The woman abruptly opened the driver's door.

Clack.

"Can't understand simple words? Should I just run you over?"

With a click, her high heels touched the pavement.

Only then did Yeong-woo realize something.

She's not the First Sword.

She wore shoes.

She carried no weapon.

Most importantly, she showed absolutely no reaction to the fact that he was barefoot.

Meaning she didn't even know that being unable to wear shoes was a sign of superhuman stats.

In other words, she'd never reached that level herself.

Which made even less sense.

If she wasn't the First Sword, how could she afford such luxury?

Looking at her waist, completely devoid of even a simple scabbard, he asked:

"What's your relationship with Sangju's First Sword? Family? Lover?"

"What?"

For a moment, confusion flashed across her face.

Then her hostile expression returned.

"Where the hell are you from? You don't seem to understand basic common sense."

Even after noticing Early Bird hanging at Yeong-woo's waist, she showed no fear.

The reason was sitting in the back seat.

The rear door opened.

Yeong-woo shifted his gaze.

Two large men stepped out, each carrying an Early Bird sword.

So she has bodyguards.

The confidence wasn't solely due to the First Sword's influence.

However, the moment the two swordsmen got a proper look at Yeong-woo, their expressions turned uneasy.

They didn't immediately attack.

They recognized at once that he wasn't ordinary.

They probably didn't understand the significance of being barefoot.

But they seemed able to tell that the golden-flash gauntlet on his hand was no ordinary item.

"...What are you waiting for?"

The woman barked.

One bodyguard cautiously replied:

"He looks like an outsider who doesn't know the situation. Let's just let it go. No need to spill blood..."

As expected, the woman exploded in anger.

"Then move that bastard out of the way! If you can't handle this, you'll regret it when we get back."

Surprisingly, her threat worked.

The two bodyguards reluctantly turned toward Yeong-woo.

At that, he slowly drew Early Bird.

"Is she really that scary? Or are you afraid of offending Sangju's First Sword?"

The bodyguards assumed combat stances.

One answered:

"Sorry about this. This is the only way we can survive right now."

"Is that so?"

"No hard feelings."

Both statements were probably sincere.

So Yeong-woo sincerely gave them one final warning.

"Put down your weapons and leave this region. I won't chase you. Don't throw your lives away."

But because he concealed his title, it sounded more like provocation than mercy.

"...Hah. What?"

"This bastard's actually making me angry."

The bodyguards tightened their grips on their swords and finally revealed their killing intent.

In response, Yeong-woo's pupils turned gold.

Fwaaash!

Golden waves erupted outward from him.

"...!"

In that instant, not only the bodyguards but even the woman realized exactly who they had encountered.