Level 4 Human in a Ruined World

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 404: Gift Breakthrough (8)

2 billion.

Just a few days ago, that was an unimaginable sum for Yeongwoo.

In truth, it still was.

After all, the hundreds of billions in wedding gifts hadn't actually reached his hands yet.

So what about the wedding guests who had been selling equipment worth only tens of thousands to a few million Karma at most?

For some of them, 2 billion was an amount they could never earn, no matter how many years they worked.

Maybe that was why.

—It can't be helped.

—For the sake of a meaningful ceremony…

—Since it's the chairman’s command, we have no choice but to comply.

—Ki-git!

Thus, a defense squad made up of various species was assembled to block their path.

Thud!

Dozens of intergalactic wedding guests physically obstructed the path Yeongwoo and Jeonggu had to take.

To make matters worse…

"Two… two billion?"

"You're saying if we just knock down that wedding offering chest, we'll get two billion…?"

"Isn't this just an official rule of the ceremony?"

Even the guests from Earth had their eyes flipped at the mention of 2 billion.

Of course, 2 billion Karma was an enormous fortune back on Earth.

To avoid any unintended manslaughter that could land him in prison, Yeongwoo shouted loudly:

"Only those who are confident they won’t die from my punch should step forward!"

As he clenched his fist, the aisle beneath his feet suddenly lit up.

It was time to move.

"800 meters. It’s not much once you actually start running, right?"

Yeongwoo asked Jeonggu, but no clear response came.

Because…

"Look ahead, Yeongwoo—AAAGH!"

Jeonggu screamed with all his might.

This was no time for idle conversation.

“……!”

Sensing an ominous presence ahead, Yeongwoo turned his head—only to see translucent-skinned swordsmen charging toward them at terrifying speed.

—Sorry, Jeong Yeongwoo07.

—We'll be taking that wedding offering chest.

They were none other than the Voltak Wandering Merchants.

The same merchants who had once sold Yeongwoo the Golden Goblin.

‘These damn peddlers.’

Yeongwoo clenched his teeth as holographic warning signs flooded his vision.

It wasn’t just the Voltak merchants—other guests behind them were also fired up with determination.

Swoosh!

One of the leading Voltak merchants reached for the wedding offering chest in Jeonggu’s arms.

“……!”

They were faster than expected.

They could likely defeat even Earth's top swordsmen with just one arm.

‘Figures. You can’t just be anyone to survive as an intergalactic wandering merchant.’

But Yeongwoo wasn’t just some Strongest Sword either.

At the very least, he could clearly see his opponent's movements.

So it wasn’t too difficult for him to…

WHAM!

He lifted his knee and drove it straight into the merchant’s jaw.

Thud!

—Kegh!"

Wrapped in Vesedel Armor, Yeongwoo’s knee smashed into the merchant’s chin.

The merchant’s eyes widened as they spat out a murky liquid.

Splurt!

Jeonggu, only now realizing the merchant’s attack, flinched and staggered backward.

"W-when did they…?"

It was clear that even a swordsman of Dobong’s finest caliber couldn’t keep up with the merchants' movements.

Yeongwoo grabbed the second merchant charging at him by the neck and shouted:

"What are you doing retreating in a wedding breakthrough?! Keep moving forward!"

"W-what? H-how am I supposed to get through that?!"

Ahead of Jeonggu, a five-meter-tall cockroach was barreling toward them at full speed.

RUMBLE!

It was Garta, a weapon merchant from Cheok.

Yet another familiar face to Yeongwoo.

Then—

BOOM!

A silver-white silhouette crashed into the cockroach’s side like a car accident at an intersection.

"W-what…?"

Jeonggu instinctively clutched the wedding offering chest tighter as the silver-white figure subdued the flailing cockroach and spoke.

—Go now! Our knights will assist you for the time being!

It was Prince Aldo of the Shelbir Royal Family.

Just as promised, he had come to support the wedding breakthrough.

"Father, hurry up!"

At the same time, Yeongwoo’s voice urged Jeonggu forward.

Jeonggu glanced at his son—who was pinning wedding guests down with his foot—and muttered:

"…What the hell is all this?"

But this insane ceremony had already begun.

If the wedding offering chest in his arms was taken, the capital for Yeongwoo’s dream of an intergalactic noble house would be wiped out.

That would be a disaster of unimaginable scale.

"D-dammit…!"

In the end, Jeonggu had no choice but to step forward.

The pressure was immense.

Tap!

The moment he took his first step away from his son, a wave of murderous shouts erupted.

—KRAAAAH!

—KYAAAAAH!

The guests, driven mad by the 2-billion bounty, roared as they lunged forward.

"P-please, stop this, everyone!"

Unlike his son, Jeonggu couldn’t bring himself to knee-strike guests in the face.

Instead, he clutched the wedding offering chest tightly and ran with his head down.

Tap, tap, tap!

Then—suddenly—he sensed an unusual presence on both sides.

Dududududu…!

"Huh?"

Jeonggu turned his head—only to see a formation of knights running alongside him.

—Father, we can protect you for about 200 meters.

One of the knights spoke in a deep voice.

But Jeonggu’s expression wasn’t deep—it was shocked.

"Two hundred meters?"

Before he could even voice his disbelief—

BOOM!

The knight he had just spoken to was sent flying.

"Ugh?!"

A massive boulder had rolled into them.

—WHOOOOOOSH…!

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

The boulders emitted a strange wind-like noise.

They were Chargo’s top traders—the ones Yeongwoo had dealt with on Reset Day 1.

"W-what?! You're wedding guests too?!

Jeonggu shouted.

Then, the surface of one of the rolling boulders cracked open.

Fwhoosh!

"……?"

Then, from within, an arm as thin as a tree branch shot out.

Chwaaaaa!

"Whoa!"

It was aiming straight for the ceremonial offering box that Jeonggu was holding.

"You son of a—!"

Startled, Jeonggu twisted his body to dodge, and the slender hand narrowly missed the spot where the box had been.

"You crazy bastards, seriously."

Now genuinely angry, Jeonggu kicked at a boulder, but it didn’t budge an inch.

No—if anything...

Kugugugugu!

Another boulder came rolling in from the front.

These insane rocks weren’t alone.

—Go now! They're stronger than expected...! Uwaaaah!

Another knight from Aldo’s side was pushed away by a boulder, leaving those as his last words.

Meanwhile, the boulder up ahead was already upon them.

Kugugugu!

"You mean I have to keep doing this for 800 meters?"

There was no time to complain anymore.

Jeonggu clutched the ceremonial offering box tightly under his right arm, swung his left arm back, and sprinted forward at full speed.

Tatata!

Then—

Kuguguk!

Just as the shadow of the insane boulder was about to reach his forehead, he leaped high over it.

Hwaaaah!

A skilled evasion maneuver, something only possible because Jeonggu was, at the very least, the Strongest Sword in his region.

‘I-I did it!’

He felt a rush of exhilaration from the sense of accomplishment, something he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

But then, he saw another group of guests waiting ahead, and his expression hardened.

—……

The next opponents were none other than the towering 7- to 8-meter-tall followers of Serium and a toad-like artisan of Fegua, whose body was wrapped in swirling patterns.

"H-Hey!"

Seeing their formidable presence, Jeonggu turned to look behind him.

The knights of the Shelbir royal family, who had promised to escort him for 200 meters, were still struggling against the boulders.

‘…No way, those bastards…’

They hadn’t even made it 100 meters, let alone 200.

But the guests ahead were already rushing toward him, so he couldn’t afford to wait any longer.

"If you come any closer... I won’t just stand by!"

Jeonggu clutched the ceremonial box tightly and issued a warning.

In response, the artisan of Fegua at the forefront opened his massive mouth.

Chooook!

But he wasn’t trying to speak—

Chwaaaaa!

A massive tongue shot out from within.

"Eek!"

As the reddish tongue came flying at him, Jeonggu’s Dobong Swordmanship struck it with a destruction mark.

"……!"

Despite its appearance, the artisan was an opponent Jeonggu could at least react to.

‘But I can’t just cut off a guest’s tongue, can I?’

Jeonggu questioned his sword technique, then twisted his body to dodge the attack instead.

Chwaat!

The artisan’s eyes widened in shock.

—Huh? You’re quite fast…?

Only now did they realize that Kim Jeonggu, the groom himself, possessed some level of martial prowess.

But the artisan’s turn was over.

—Step aside now.

—Your time is up.

Puhk!

The towering followers of Serium shoved the artisan aside and stepped forward.

Behind them, even more guests surged forward like a dark tide.

Kugung, Kugung!

The ground of the virgin road trembled as the towering giants twisted their shoulders forcefully, charging ahead.

"K-Knights?"

Jeonggu called out once more to the knights of the Shelbir royal family.

But instead of the silver silhouettes he had hoped for, what responded was a mass of rippling red muscle.

Kwakwakwat!

They were none other than the Red Foot Orcs, one of Yeongwoo’s major allies.

"Huh?"

Jeonggu stared in confusion as the orcs rushed past him.

Then, suddenly, someone grabbed his arm with overwhelming force.

Kwak!

—Jeonggu! We must go now!

The familiar voice made Jeonggu look up.

It was Bantubangtong, the orc warlord, locking eyes with him.

—Get yourself together! Small Foot will be here soon. I’ll protect you until then, no matter what.

"That…"

A strange sense of déjà vu hit him.

Hadn’t the knights of Shelbir said something similar before vanishing in a single scene?

But Bantubangtong was already dragging him forward, pulling him through the chaotic battlefield where the Red Foot Orc generals were clashing with the guests.

—Jeonggu! You must succeed in breaking through with the offering!

Then, Bantubangtong grabbed one of the approaching guests and slammed his elbow into their face.

Puh-uhhk!

"L-Lord Bang…"

Just like his insane son, Bantubangtong was fully committed to ensuring the success of this mission.

"Why are you going this far? This is my family’s matter."

Jeonggu spoke apologetically.

But Bantubangtong’s eyes gleamed.

—I saw it, Jeonggu.

"Saw what?"

—Hope! With enough money and status, even Mara… Even that bastard can be brought to his knees.

He seemed deeply moved by the fact that Mara had been expelled from the ceremony for breaking the rules.

—Jeonggu, keep moving. We need more money than there are stars in the sky!

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]