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Chapter 17

After Yeongwoo finished his first meal, a brief silence fell upon them.

The hunger was so pervasive that it momentarily made everyone forget the terrifying reality of this world being amidst a reset.

“Um… Strongest Sword-nim.”

The elderly man with the wolf cut from the Haneulchae Residence finally spoke up.

“Yes? Oh, um… if it’s okay, just call me Yeongwoo.”

“Yes, Yeongwoo-ssi.”

What could he possibly want to say?

Yeongwoo looked at the stern-faced elder.

Then the elderly man cautiously brought up the commemorative coins and asked.

“If it’s alright… could we use these?”

30,000 Karma per person.

It was a subtle way of asking if he was planning to reclaim it.

“Oh, that…”

Yeongwoo gazed blankly at his face engraved on the coin and nodded.

“Of course, I’ve distributed those for you to use.”

“Woah…!”

“Are you sure?”

Finally, relief washed over the Haneulchae Residence members, laughter breaking out.

Yeongwoo faintly smiled along with them, then suddenly asked.

“But may I ask how you plan to use it specifically?”

It was a question to gauge how the billions of Karma influx into Gumi City would be utilized.

“We haven’t decided for sure yet… but…”

This time, the woman from the couple answered.

“We plan to reserve 10,000 per person for taxes and use the rest to enhance our abilities. It’ll make it easier for us to fight against monsters.”

“Ah, I see. And will the children also raise their abilities?”

Yeongwoo’s subsequent question silenced the Haneulchae Residence members momentarily.

They hadn’t considered that far yet.

“Well… Maybe it’s better to start by enhancing the guardians’ combat abilities?”

“Yes. I guess discussing that would be the way to go. I was merely curious.”

After this conversation, Yeongwoo turned his gaze to Yechan, who was quietly waiting behind him.

“Are you hungry? Let’s go find something to eat now.”

“Where to?”

“Anywhere there might be food. Since this is a residential area, there should be a market or something nearby.”

At this, an elderly member from the Haneulchae Residence courteously gestured southward.

“It’s actually our neighborhood. I know the supermarket’s location, so let me guide you.”

Obviously, it was a brilliant move to remain close to the Strongest Sword.

However, Yeongwoo needed to secure food before it got dark, so he nodded without a word.

* * *

Initially, there were clearly nine of them when they set out.

The total number of Yeongwoo’s group and the Haneulchae Residence members combined.

But now…

“Is this… really okay?”

Yechan held onto the window, constantly looking back.

It was due to the growing crowd that had started gathering, one by one.

“…Is there anything we can do? We can’t just kill them.”

When Yeongwoo glanced back, immediate reactions poured out.

“Wow… It’s really the Strongest Sword.”

“He looks just like the one on the coin.”

“He doesn’t seem as menacing as I thought.”

Within fifteen minutes, a group of dozens had swelled up, murmuring and following relentlessly.

“…”

Ignoring the continuous assessments about himself, Yeongwoo asked the elderly man guiding them.

“Excuse me, sir, are we still far?”

“We’re almost there. That’s it, ahead.”

The old man glanced back again and added.

“Bothering you, huh?”

“Yes. It’s just that…”

“But I don’t think they have ill intentions. After all, who would bear a grudge against their lifesaver? Especially those with families.”

Ironically, the person saying this had no family.

“Besides, it’s a first.”

“A first?”

“Since this whole reset thing, it’s the first good thing that has happened. Thanks to what Yeongwoo did.”

The elderly man cracked a dry smile, causing Yeongwoo to unconsciously nod his head.

“That way, please.”

Finally, the elderly man raised his hand and pointed ahead.

By now, it had gotten darker, and the surroundings appeared as mere silhouettes. Yet, Yeongwoo could tell exactly where the supermarket was.

Since there was already a considerable crowd there, making a lot of noise.

“Is this for real?”

“Why won’t they just let us in? Are they expecting us to starve?”

“Everyone has to eat to survive, right? Let’s compromise a bit!”

Around a hundred people surrounded the entrance of the market, shouting various things.

And at the center of it all…

“Compromise? Are these guys insane? This is outright robbery! Don’t you get it?”

A man, full of intensity, along with what seemed like his family, blocked the entrance in protest.

Both groups were armed, a tense situation unfolding.

“Oh no.”

The elderly man assessing the situation clicked his tongue.

Yeongwoo, realizing the complexity of the situation, looked perplexed.

‘They’ve come here looking for food due to hunger, but the market owner isn’t allowing them in.’

It was only natural.

While most things had turned to stone due to the reset, ownership hadn’t changed.

Even Yeongwoo himself still considered the chocolate bar he had brought out at the start of the reset as his own.

He had paid for it at the convenience store before this all began. It was a legally owned item.

So, in the same context, the market owner was merely asserting their rightful claim.

‘Yeah, when you release something from petrification, you’d naturally expect them to pay Karma for the service. But if the original owner isn’t getting paid for the item, whether you release the petrification or not…’

Hence, the bicycle Yeongwoo and Yechan were using was essentially stolen from someone else.

In essence, there were two main causes of this situation.

First, the supermarket owner’s family was still alive up to this point.

Second, a social consensus on ‘past ownership’ has not yet been reached.

“…”

It was a complicated problem.

Feeling a headache coming on already, Yeongwoo slowly approached the entrance of the market.

With dozens acting like paparazzi behind them.

Then…

“Huh?”

“It’s Gumi Strongest Sword!”

“Ohh…!”

The attention of the crowd surrounding the market shifted towards Yeongwoo.

Meanwhile…

“Dammit, I’m screwed.”

The market owner spat on the ground, a look of utter frustration evident on their face.

Given the circumstances, the Gumi Strongest Sword probably had come to raid the market.

And if he tried to use force to enter, he couldn’t be stopped.

If that happened, the numerous people would rush in and loot the place indiscriminately.

“…”

The market owner, sensing a disaster, instinctively scanned the faces of their family.

And coincidentally witnessing that, Yeongwoo calmly placed his Early Bird on his waist and surveyed the surroundings.

‘There are too many people. If the owner keeps holding out, it’s inevitable there’ll be bloodshed.’

Moreover, what the crowd wanted was food, second only to taxes for survival. So, they weren’t likely to back down easily.

Then, what to do?

As Yeongwoo continued towards the market in silence, the crowd automatically made way for him.

It was the power of the commemorative coins distributed to everyone and the title of Strongest Sword hanging over Yeongwoo’s head.

“Oh, Strongest Sword-nim…”

“Please, do something about this person.”

“Strongest Sword-nim, please solve this.”

With each step Yeongwoo took, people voiced their appeals.

And finally…

Thud.

Yeongwoo, Yechan, and the Haneulchae Residence group arrived in front of the market owner’s family.

“Damn it.”

“Dad…”

The market owner’s family consisted of the owner couple and a boy who looked to be in middle school.

Their forces looked feeble compared to the hundred-strong crowd surrounding the market.

However, the reason the crowd hadn’t forcefully entered wasn’t because they had obtained tokens of sympathy.

Shing…

The silver-white blade that was carefully pointed at Yeongwoo trembled slightly.

‘An Early Bird. Not your average player.’

Yeongwoo gazed fixedly at the Early Bird held in the market owner’s hands.

Then, encased in a golden armor, he extended his right hand towards the tip of the opponent’s blade.

“You have to step back. I understand your unfair situation, but… if things stay this way, you will end up dead.”

“What did you say…?”

The market owner, eyebrows twitching in dissatisfaction, met Yeongwoo’s golden fingers.

It was an unusual piece of equipment to him.

“In a reset world, who’s going to consider someone else’s circumstances? Holding onto everything from before the reset is greed. Right now, survival should be your priority. We’re all starting from scratch.”

As Yeongwoo spoke, the market owner grew agitated.

“Greed? I’m only trying to protect what I had.”

“If you’re forcibly holding onto something you can’t keep anymore…”

As he spoke, Yeongwoo recalled the youth at the currency exchange, picking up coins even when a gang of robbers was approaching.

“If you keep this up, both you and your family will die horribly. So, if I were you, I’d gather as much food as possible and leave.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Yes.”

Indeed, it was a threat.

Yeongwoo, like everyone else, had no intention of starving just to respect the market owner’s property rights.

“You have an Early Bird too. If you use the coins I gave you to increase your abilities, you can hunt monsters sufficiently. Use that to start again, step by step, like everyone else.”

When Yeongwoo said this, the market owner’s wife, who had been quietly listening, looked inside the store and spoke softly.

“Maybe we should do as that person says. Otherwise, we might not be able to keep anything.”

This ‘anything’ included not only food but also their lives.

After all, what more could they do when the Strongest Sword himself had come here.

“…”

However, the market owner wouldn’t relent… no, he couldn’t let go of his pride.

So, in the end…

“Kraat!”

As Yeongwoo shifted his gaze to the market owner’s wife, he committed an atrocity by attempting a surprise attack.

Swoosh!

A silver-white blade grazed past Yeongwoo’s golden fingers.

But Yeongwoo was already keenly observing the opponent’s sword.

‘You choose the worst option in front of your family.’

The hologram of Gumi Sword Technique appeared before him, signaling the beginning of combat with a Senses increase alert.

「Your Senses has temporarily increased from the 100 to 116.」

It was a Senses augmentation effect from the Golden Flash.

‘At least there’s one benefit.’

Recognizing the unintended effect of the new gloves, Yeongwoo attempted to subdue the opponent.

“…?”

However, upon seeing the subsequent alerts, he changed priorities.

「Your Senses has temporarily increased from 116 to 131.」

「Your Senses has temporarily increased from 131 to 145.」

「Your Senses has temporarily increased from 145 to 163.」

Meanwhile, someone in the crowd behind was lurking.

It was also the moment when Yeongwoo confirmed that the ‘Golden Slash’ served as a rear camera.

Ting!

After briefly deflecting the market owner’s Early Bird, Yeongwoo turned around, releasing the energy of Strongest Sword.

Whoosh!

Then he spoke fiercely, his golden eyes flashing.

“These bastards, it’s time to recover the disaster relief funds.”