Chapter 7
Gumi’s First Blade Point (3)
Gulp.
Yeongwoo swallowed a heavy lump in his throat without even realizing it.
He instinctively felt that a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—or crisis—had arrived.
“‘Gumi’s First Sword’… the moment I accept this title, I become the target of every strong fighter out there.”
So logically, refusing this opportunity would be the right choice.
Sooner or later, he would encounter enemies who matched him in equipment level but far surpassed him physically.
“But this isn’t just a title.”
Yeongwoo understood well that the reward floating before his eyes was more than just a “title.”
「Gumi’s First Blade Point」 – Unique Title
[Prestige of the First Sword]
[Gumi Sword Technique]
It was because he already possessed items with similar structures.
「Early Bird」 – One-Handed Sword (Yeongung)
[Very light.]
Which meant—
“Titles are basically items too. The two lines below are special options.”
Prestige of the First Blade Point, Gumi Sword Technique.
He didn’t yet know their exact effects, but it was obvious they would greatly influence combat power.
Especially the “Gumi Sword Technique.”
Even just the “Very Light” trait of Early Bird had been overwhelmingly effective—so what kind of effect would a “sword technique” provide?
While Yeongwoo was hesitating, a countdown began.
“Will you ascend to Gumi’s First Sword?”
“…Your acquisition rights will disappear in 5 seconds.”
“…4.”
“…3.”
Damn it. No time to think.
During the brief moment, Yeongwoo quickly reviewed his assets.
Including what he still had to pay to Yechan, he had 133,000 Karma points.
On top of that, he could loot coins from the pockets of the attackers lying on the ground.
The weapons they dropped—axes, hammers, and other gear—were also assets.
So in this situation, was it wiser to grow stronger immediately, or avoid becoming a target and stay hidden?
“No… avoiding them isn’t even possible anymore.”
His eyes drifted toward the silver blade of Early Bird.
And just in time, the countdown reached 1 second.
“Fine. I’ll accept it… Gumi’s First Blade Point!”
Fearing he might be too late, he forced himself to confirm it.
Immediately, a notification appeared before everyone in Gumi.
「The First Sword of Gumi has been selected!」
「Current First Sword: Jeong Yeongwoo07. 1st generation, 0 defenses.」
「Those who become First Sword can grow extremely quickly.」
「Anyone can challenge the First Sword through duels, and succession occurs through killing.」
“Succession… by killing?”
At that moment, Yeongwoo felt a chill run down his spine.
A glowing light gathered above his head.
Ping!
A sharp sound rang out, forming text in the air.
「Gumi’s First Blade Point」
It was now a visible title. Just as he expected, it was displayed above his head for everyone to see.
“...Tch.”
Yechan, who had been silently watching everything, called out to him.
“Hey… what do we do now?”
Yeongwoo turned toward him—and immediately realized something, letting out a short sigh.
It was visible to him as well.
[You are currently in the Gumi region.]
[The First Sword of this region is ‘Jeong Yeongwoo07’. 1st generation, 0 defenses.]
The small text in the top-right corner of his vision would not disappear.
In other words, everyone could now see the First Sword’s name and record in real time.
“0 defenses… means he hasn’t defeated any challengers yet. So everyone will come at me.”
In other words, this was the most vulnerable stage.
How many defenses would he need before people stopped challenging him?
No matter how he thought about it, it was an overwhelming mountain.
Yeongwoo looked up at the glowing title above his head with a heavy expression.
Then Yechan approached him cautiously, dragging something.
“Hey… what do we do now?”
He was holding three weapons taken from the attackers.
“…What about coins?”
“...Huh?”
Yechan looked confused, so Yeongwoo silently searched the corpses and retrieved the coins.
7,000… then 4,000… and the last one, 5,000.
“Not bad. They were fairly well-equipped.”
Considering the basic starting amount was only 3,000, this meant they had robbed others at the exchange point.
There was also the possibility they were exchange users themselves—but…
“Would people like them really leave coins unused?”
Experience told him otherwise.
Criminals never had spare points—they always spent or lost everything.
Unlike people like Yechan… or those he had met before.
Yeongwoo placed the coins into his bag.
“We’ll settle everything properly once we find a safe place.”
Yechan’s eyes lit up.
“Okay!”
For him, sticking close to Yeongwoo was clearly the safest option.
But Yeongwoo had no time for comfort.
“You said you wanted to use a spear?”
He pulled an axe from Yechan’s arms and secured it in his bag.
“No space for the sword. Carry the rest. Use them if needed.”
“Really?”
Instead of answering, Yeongwoo glanced at the distant crowd.
“…You’ll need to pull your weight too.”
Westward, further west.
Following the arrow, they moved without rest.
And along the way, they encountered numerous would-be challengers.
The “First Sword of Gumi” title made them visible from afar.
Most people backed off once they got close enough to see Yeongwoo’s full gear.
But not everyone gave up so easily.
“Are you really the First Sword? Hard to believe.”
A sharp voice came from behind.
A large man kept pace about ten meters away, holding only a single axe.
“Then try me. What are you doing creeping around like that?”
Yeongwoo shot back without turning.
Of course, he was bluffing.
But if another challenger joined, it could become a 2-on-1 situation…
Before he could think further—
“Hey, there’s more than one of them…”
Another group appeared from the side. Two people.
One carried a sword and shield, the other had a strong, hardened build with a blood-stained shield edge.
A veteran fighter.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
“Not bad… we team up?”
“Fine.”
“Agreed.”
A temporary alliance formed quickly.
Yeongwoo quietly spoke to Yechan.
“I’ll do my best, but if things look bad, run. Don’t get killed.”
But Yechan shook his head.
“Even if I run, I’ll just meet them again somewhere else. I’ve got weapons now too. I’ll help.”
His grip tightened until his hand turned pale.
And then—
Thud.
From behind, the large man stepped forward.
At the same time, footsteps rushed in from the side.
A simultaneous pincer attack.
“This is bad…”
Yeongwoo pushed Yechan back and raised his shield.
He would survive the first clash and pick them off one by one.
But they weren’t careless.
They split into three directions, forcing his attention apart.
Crash!
In an instant, they closed the distance.
Far beyond the level of previous opponents.
No time to think.
Instinct took over.
“Hup!”
He blocked left with his shield and swung Early Bird to the right.
Clang!
A silver arc sliced through the air.
And then—
A golden shockwave burst outward from Yeongwoo.
“…?”
The attackers froze.
Their hearts felt like they were about to rupture.
Even Yechan, watching from behind, stiffened.
Yeongwoo’s eyes had turned golden.
He shook his head slightly—and golden light traced the air.
“...What is this?”
Before he could understand, the large man swung his axe again.
But Yeongwoo was no longer looking at him.
Because right in front of him—
A hologram of himself appeared, holding a sword at an angle in a defensive stance.
A perfect copy.
Without hesitation, Yeongwoo mimicked it.
The axe struck—
But slid along the blade’s slope.
And then—
The hologram marked a point above the attacker.
—Kill (slay)
“Ah…!”
Yeongwoo followed instinctively.
His blade snapped upward.
The axe lost balance.
And in one fluid motion—
He pierced through the man’s neck.
Too fast for either side to fully understand.
Silence fell.
Thud.
The massive body collapsed.