Chapter 93 – Pioneer City Napan (1)

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Translated by Pratt

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Like every pioneer territory, the Gobi steppe frontier too was a land of opportunity.

Originally it had been land where humans could not live because it was a demonic-beast-dense zone, but the Imperial Army’s pioneer division had expanded the territory through subjugation and built roads, allowing people to gather and live there.

The Gobi steppe was one of the Empire’s most fertile black-soil regions.

All this time they had not even dared develop this broad land because of the demonic beasts.

But now it was different.

Because it had changed into land fit for humans to live on, the people who settled there first and stayed would be the owners.

The residual demonic beasts were a risk factor, but if one marked out plots of land and sowed seeds to produce wheat or beans, all of it became one’s own property.

One was even granted the right to purchase that land with priority later.

The land prices were unbelievably cheap.

So wherever pioneering had been completed, people poured in like floodwater.

Napan was such a city.

It had not even been three years since it was pioneered.

Even after searching the internet, there was no special information.

The neighboring pioneer city Barun had already been around for more than ten years, so urbanization had already progressed there and the first-mover advantage had passed.

Tae-ju flew through the whole night and arrived at the outskirts of Napan.

Then he entered the city on foot.

‘Wow! This really…’

There was no countryside like this countryside.

Here and there he could see concrete buildings three stories or higher, but only sparsely.

‘This isn’t a city, it’s more at the township level.’

The only reason it was called a city was that this place was very large.

If there had at least been mountains around it, that would have been something, but because tiny buildings were standing in the middle of an immense plain, it even felt alien.

‘First I should find a place to stay.’

There were no hotels.

Only inns.

Their exteriors were worse than guesthouses in New Seoul.

‘I don’t like it.’

Did Kim Tae-ju, chairman of Taehong Bio, who had risen into the ranks of the Empire’s greatest rich through Vitality Burst-Burst and Fresh-Flesh Sprout-Sprout, really have to stay in a place like this?

There was no helping it.

His identity could not be revealed here.

His face had become widely known one way or another.

How famous had he become, for even the True Demon called Handler whom he had met in Chinatown to flee the moment he saw Tae-ju’s face?

So he had changed his appearance through disguise and bone-shrinking.

The Illusion Fox leather coat that could be called his trademark had also been folded away neatly inside Infinite Space.

At present he was dressed in training clothes and an ordinary raid-team member outfit reinforced with iron plates over the vital parts.

There were many Awakeners and compatibles here as well.

They caught demonic beasts and sold the byproducts, and they also accepted requests from farms and carried out quests.

Requests like: demonic beasts entered our farm and are ruining the crops. Catch them and we will reward you.

At that moment!

Sambaek poked its head out from inside Tae-ju’s arms.

“Niaaa…”

“Yes, we’re here.”

“Niang?”

“You want to come outside? Endure it just a little longer.”

When he put a strip of jerky in its mouth, Sambaek slipped back inside his top again.

Tae-ju chose a suitable inn.

Even the name, Ger Inn, carried the smell of old Mongolia.

A young-looking employee greeted Tae-ju.

“Do you have a room? I’m planning to stay here for about a month.”

“Ah! You came from out of town.”

“That’s why I came to an inn.”

“Heh heh heh, that’s not what I meant. It’s just that you don’t have a ring on your hand.”

A ring?

What was that?

“As you know, this is a pioneer city. It’s convenient for villains to hide here too… there are even rumors that a few demonic humans have infiltrated the place.”

“Demonic humans?”

“Yes! Those demonic humans. New Seoul and the Imperial Peninsula are in an uproar these days, right? So there are rumors that there might be demonic humans in our Napan too…”

If there were demonic humans, that would only be better.

But what did this have to do with a ring?

“To operate here, you need identity sponsorship. Whether you’re an ordinary person, a compatible, or an Awakener, the ring is the meaning that you’ve received permission.”

“…Who provides the sponsorship?”

“Oasis Guild. If you want to do anything in Napan, you absolutely have to receive Oasis’s sponsorship.”

“And if I don’t?”

“I can’t give you a room. You probably wouldn’t even be able to buy a bottle of water.”

“And of course it costs money to receive that ring.”

“Needless to say.”

A guild, meaning a private organization.

What authority did those bastards have?

Of course, there were cases in which private guilds intervened in city security.

Nogodan Guild of Gurye was a representative example.

But that had been possible because Gurye was a Free City and had received autonomous permission from the Empire.

“Isn’t there anything like a state institution here? No matter how much of a frontier this is.”

“There is. This is a region under the Gobi Steppe Pioneer Corps, so the Military Police take that role.”

The employee looked around and then stepped closer to Tae-ju, continuing in a whisper,

“But there are rumors that the Military Police are also in cahoots with Oasis Guild…”

Aha!

So they were colluding with the military too.

Civilian or military, everyone was reaching out their hands here and there to make a score.

“Where is Oasis Guild?”

“If you go out and keep going right, you’ll see the guild building.”

“Thank you.”

“Please make sure to come back here after getting the ring. If you stay for a month, there’s a discount too.”

Tae-ju went straight to Oasis Guild.

As it turned out, it was the tallest building in Napan, a five-story building.

When he went inside, a female employee who looked to be in charge of reception was standing in front of the desk.

“Welcome. Please tell me your business. A request? Raid team?”

“No. I heard I need some kind of ring if I want to operate here.”

“Ah, you’ve come for new registration. Please fill out these documents and show me your ID too.”

Tae-ju handed over the fake ID provided by the Imperial Intelligence Agency.

His current face was also the face on the ID.

In truth, it could not really be called fake either.

Because it actually existed in the records.

He had even personally chosen the alias he would use.

“Kim Gun-ak? That’s an unusual name.”

“I hear that a lot.”

“If you’re a compatible, shall I put your name on the waiting list for demonic-beast extermination requests?”

“That’s all right.”

“A raid team?”

“That too. I already have a separate team I work with.”

There was some kind of system in place.

As if he had entered a government office.

The processing time was quick too.

After entering his personal information into the computer, the female employee took out a small box from under the desk.

“If you transfer ten million won, I’ll give you the ring right now.”

“…That’s expensive.”

“Please think of it not as the price of the ring, but as a registration fee.”

“May I take a look?”

“Yes.”

The ring was ordinary.

There was no mana or crystal set into it.

It was just a copper ring.

Except for the serial number engraved on it in thick intaglio characters.

And they charged ten million won for something like this?

“You need this serial number in order to buy or sell goods, carry out requests, or participate in raid teams.”

“Hmm.”

It was a form of control.

At least in Napan, no matter what one did or bought, one’s movements would go straight into Oasis Guild’s hands.

‘A mere guild dares…’

Even Gurye’s Nogodan Guild had not been like this.

At that moment!

Rumbleeeee!

People came in through the first-floor entrance.

Judging by the dark facial marks, the majority were Awakeners.

“Guild Leader, welcome back.”

“Mm.”

The man called the Guild Leader went upstairs.

Then, by chance, his eyes met Tae-ju’s.

He paused, then came back down the stairs and looked at the female employee.

“Who’s that?”

“Pardon? Ah, he’s a new registrant.”

“Really? What’s his name?”

“Kim Gun-ak.”

The man called Guild Leader slowly approached Tae-ju.

“Kim Gun-ak? Where are you from?”

“New Seoul.”

“Oh! So you’re a citizen of the Imperial Capital. Then why did you crawl all the way into this backwater?”

“Thought I’d try making some money.”

“Money? Right. This place is full of ways to make money. …But you’ve been using short speech with me from a while ago, haven’t you?”

“If the words coming to me are short, the words going out can’t be long.”

The Guild Leader stared at Tae-ju for a moment as if dumbfounded, then burst out laughing.

“Kkikikik, this bastard’s got nerve. I like him. But do you know who I am?”

“The guild leader here, they said.”

Then the Oasis Guild members standing beside him said,

“You fucking bastard, where do you get off staring straight like that?”

“I’ll suck the ink right out of your eyeballs!”

“You wanna die?”

“Do you think Napan’s Oasis Guild is a joke?”

As the surroundings grew noisy, Ilbaek-Ibaek-Sambaek squirmed inside his arms. Tae-ju pressed them down so they could not come out, and then said,

“Your territorial bullying is too severe. If you act like this, who would come work in Napan?”

“Territorial bullying? All right then! I’ll show you what real territorial bullying is.”

Shrrrng, sssht! Click-clack!

The guild members drew swords, blades, spears, guns, and various other weapons.

“Hey, hey! Put the weapons away. What the hell are you doing in front of people?”

The Guild Leader stopped them, then said,

“Gun-ak, Gun-ak, read the room a little. Keep this up and you’ll shit blood, understand? Well, since you say you came to make money, I’ll let it slide just this once. Buy the ring, register, and work hard. All right?”

He patted Tae-ju on the shoulder twice and went upstairs.

The Oasis Guild members followed after glaring at Tae-ju one by one.

“I remembered your face.”

“If you see me outside, keep out of my way.”

“Unbelievable. A bastard without even an Awakening mark…”

Tae-ju remained still.

Endure it. Endure it.

There was nothing good about creating problems for no reason.

And in any case, he had not smelled demonic humans from them either.

The female employee asked carefully,

“Will you register?”

In truth, ten million won was pocket change.

Even now, billions were coming in every hour.

“I suppose I have to buy it if I want to operate here…”

At that moment!

Trrriiiing!

The delivery signal went off.

“Where’s the restroom here?”

“If you go around that way…”

As he walked, Tae-ju checked the shared storage.

‘Hm?’

What was this?

He’d check it later.

He emptied the shared storage and put in the things he had prepared.

Including the subspace gourd substitute he had already packed to the brim.

Tae-ju sent a variety of things he had not sent before.

Since it was a multiplex business in name, there ought to be something like a proper shopping mall too.

Now to check the things he had received.

One old smartphone, one empty subspace bag, and only fifty immortal peaches.

‘Haa…’

His chest hurt.

The goods coming from the Immortal Realm were gradually decreasing.

The amount of goods did not matter at all.

What was wrong with receiving little?

Tae-ju knew Tang Gun-ak well.

Wasn’t Tang Gun-ak precisely the kind of immortal who would give away everything if he had anything at all?

But to have sent only this much meant his circumstances were that bad.

‘How tight must he be right now?’

Poor Poison Immortal.

Because of him, Tae-ju had become the richest man in the Empire and was spending money lavishly.

Just a moment ago too, he’d been about to throw down ten million won with the thought that it was only that much.

He felt so sorry toward Tang Gun-ak that he did not know where to put himself.

Suddenly he became angry at himself.

Was there nowhere to vent it?

‘Let’s start by smashing things.’

Oasis Guild.

He had not liked it from the start.

Ten million won for one ring?

And just who the hell did they think they were, trying to control people?

Tae-ju went back to the desk and asked the female employee,

“What floor is the Guild Leader’s office on?”

“…Pardon? The fifth floor. But why?”

“There was something I forgot to mention earlier.”

“W-wait a moment. You can’t go up there!”

But Tae-ju was already going up the stairs.

The female employee suddenly hesitated.

Should she call the Guild Leader and say that the man named Kim Gun-ak had gone up?

In the office of Oasis Guild Leader Ju Cheol-yong, he was in the middle of a conversation with ten guild executives.

“Tomorrow’s the day those army bastards are coming, right?”

“That’s right. They called to say they would come.”

“And the tribute?”

“It’s prepared.”

“Those sons of bitches. Usually they ignore this place as a backwater and only go to Barun, but they never forget the tribute date.”

There was no helping it.

On a pioneer frontier, the army was the law.

“But Guild Leader.”

“What?”

“That bastard named Kim Gun-ak we saw on the first floor earlier, are you really going to leave him alone? Seeing how he kept barking back, he looks like the type who’ll crawl over your head later.”

“He just got here. Leave him alone for now. Once he lives here a while, he’ll learn who we are, and then his behavior will change.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“Then you deal with it yourselves.”

In truth, he could have simply let it pass.

But the moment their eyes had met, he’d gotten a strange feeling.

Those eyes looked like they had something.

He definitely wasn’t an ordinary person.

He seemed clearly to be a compatible.

So he’d spoken to him.

Even a compatible was precious talent.

He had been thinking of taking him in if possible, but for the bastard to be that arrogant.

‘The good fortune that rolled in, he kicked it away with his own foot.’

Then again, who knew.

If he bowed his head and asked forgiveness, Ju Cheol-yong might still take him in.

Because he looked useful.

Right then!

Ring ring!

The phone from the desk called.

“Yeah, what is it? …What?”

Ju Cheol-yong’s eyes opened wide.

“…He came up? Here? All right, I got it.”

Click.

Bang!

The door flew open the moment he hung up.

“Huh?”

“What?”

“What the hell?”

“Fuck, who is this bastard?”

A man appeared carrying a cat.

Tae-ju set Ilbaek down in front of the door.

“Guard this door. Don’t let anyone get out.”

“Nyang!”

And then,

“I was going to endure it if possible, but if I keep putting up with it, there’ll be no end to it, so let’s settle it clearly here before I go. Everybody put your heads down! If you do, I won’t hit you.”

“…What?”

“I’m so dumbfounded I can’t even speak.”

Ju Cheol-yong too could not believe it.

Was this guy insane?

“Hey! Cut off just one of his arms.”

“Yes!”

“Understood.”

“Just don’t kill him.”

At the Guild Leader’s order, the guild members rushed all at once.

Tae-ju also walked forward.

“You extort ten million won for a garbage ring? What am I, a sucker?”

Smack!

One slap across the face.

“Urk?”

Lightly avoiding the one who collapsed forward, smack!

“Kuhuk!”

Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack…

There was no need for hidden weapons, and no need for fists either.

Just a single slap was enough.

As they rushed him, they were struck by his lightly swinging palm and collapsed one after another.

Thud! Thud! Thud…

‘Uh…?’

Ju Cheol-yong could do nothing but watch.

All of them were Awakeners, but… that bastard wasn’t.

Had they all arranged this between themselves?

Even B-grade movie action had more realism than this.

‘What is this?’

Smack smack smack!

Every time they were hit, their necks snapped around.

Crack!

One bastard even had his jawbone shattered.

If it had been just a little stronger, his head would have spun all the way around.

Only then did Ju Cheol-yong realize it.

This was a strong one.

Not merely strong, but monstrously strong.

The guild members realized it belatedly too.

Around the time seven of them had fallen with a single palm strike each, one of them tried to bolt outside.

But there was a cat blocking the door.

“Nyang?”

“Shoo, g-get out of the way!”

He tried to shove the cat aside with his foot and open the door, but

“Khyaak!”

Tspit!

Puh-eok!

“Aaagh!”

Struck by Ilbaek’s swinging forepaw, he flew back and embedded himself in the wall.

Whirlit! Boom!

“Nyang.”

Tae-ju walked up to Ju Cheol-yong, who was still sitting in his chair.

“W-wait!”

“What?”

“I-I’ll give you the ring for free. Ha ha…”

“Don’t need it, you bastard!”

Smaaaack!

“Kehk!”

Two teeth flew out of Ju Cheol-yong’s mouth.

‘I was trying not to cause trouble.’

Originally, he had intended to live quietly.

Take one room, hunt poisonous demonic beasts by himself and add them to Poison Essence, search for demonic humans too.

But it was all ruined.

Now that it had come to this, he might as well take over Pioneer City Napan from the start and begin there.

The Sword Immortal felt his temper rising as he watched the Poison Immortal selecting only good swords from his residence.

World-famous peerless famous swords that anyone would recognize by name.

“That one can’t be only one hundred immortal peaches. At minimum you should give two hundred…”

“We already finished the discussion, didn’t we?”

“Kkeung.”

It was utterly hateful.

How could an immortal like that possibly share the same soul as Great Hero Tae-ju?

“Poison Immortal.”

“What is it?”

“Leaving aside your immortal title, your name is Gun-ak, isn’t it?”

“So?”

“Your name is too rustic. Look at me. Won-bin, Hyeon-bin, Woo-bin, and then Dong-bin.”

“…”

“Tsk tsk, there isn’t an immortal with the character ak in his name who does well.”

Grit!

Tang Gun-ak’s teeth ground together.

Wadadak!

Throwing the swords he had selected onto the ground,

“I’m not buying!!! Let’s pretend this deal never happened.”

“No… w-why all of a sudden?”

“From now on drag the Harley bike around by hand.”

“W-wait! I made a mistake. P-please calm down.”

The Sword Immortal clung to the hem of the Poison Immortal’s trousers.