Level 4 Human in a Ruined World

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[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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A Huge Karma.

In the case of Jeonggu, Yeongwoo’s biological father, it was natural that his son's existence hadn’t felt real for a long time.

Though it was true that he had unwittingly created a person named Jeong Yeongwoo, he had never actually seen the result.

Thus, while Jeong Yeongwoo’s existence was undeniable, Jeonggu had no knowledge of it.

However, Jiseon, Yeongwoo’s biological mother, was different.

As the one who physically gave birth to Jeong Yeongwoo, Jiseon knew well that her son existed in this world.

Yet, she hadn’t anticipated that her son, grown and strong, would one day come to find her.

She had discarded both her past and the illegitimate child along with it.

By doing so, Song Jiseon accumulated a significant karmic debt, and now that karma was returning to her in this new and more brutal world.

“Motherrrr!”

As the Conqueror King, supported by 76.8% of the Korean Peninsula’s population, charged at her, even Song Jiseon, who didn’t know the true extent of her opponent’s power, felt a chill down her spine.

—W-What’s going on with this guy?

The movement of the illegitimate son, wielding a blazing red sword, was far from ordinary.

Swiishhh!

The red blade came toward her faster than she could comprehend, and Song Jiseon hurriedly raised her great sword to block the attack.

Clang!

Yeongwoo’s eyes widened in surprise at the impact.

“As expected…!”

It was no wonder.

His mother, once a conglomerate chairwoman, had been sent here equipped with the means to counter mythical powers.

“You still hold onto privileges, even in this world!”

As Yeongwoo prepared for a second attack with his eyes glinting fiercely, Jiseon retorted in an extremely irritated tone.

—What are you talking about? I haven’t even regained half the power I lost.

Before Yeongwoo could launch his second attack, Jiseon swung her sword first.

Swish!

A massive diagonal slash from bottom to top.

“Ah!”

Sensing the ominous energy, Yeongwoo pulled his Aratubank shield toward him before he could even check the holographic guide.

And then—

Crash!

His mother’s blue great sword scraped roughly across the surface of Aratubank.

‘Has she gone mad?’

Yeongwoo realized that his mother’s attack speed had been faster than the holographic guide’s warning.

Without Aratubank's unreasonable defense, he wouldn’t have been able to block the attack.

—Damn it.

Song Jiseon also felt frustration when she saw Yeongwoo’s strange shield.

Despite returning with the prestige of a conglomerate head, she couldn’t even cut down her illegitimate son.

—If you really are my son, shouldn’t you let your mother pass?

Finally, instead of attacking, Song Jiseon began to talk.

She had finally recognized Yeongwoo as someone she couldn’t easily step over.

At last, she had a reason to communicate with her son.

“And what exactly is your path? Isn't it just turning Seoul into a sea of ice or fire?”

As Yeongwoo asked, staring at his mother’s cold blue sword, the former “Iron-Blooded Empress” and Ice Dragon Song Jiseon sneered.

—Ha, Seoul? You really think I care about something as trivial as Seoul at this point?

“…What? Weren’t you here to take revenge on the people?”

Yeongwoo’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected answer, and Jiseon continued.

—What’s the point of venting my anger on those worms now? It’s only natural that they hate us, like breathing.

“……!”

Yeongwoo couldn’t help but be shocked by her words.

Among all the dragon-blooded conglomerate heads he had met, Jiseon was the first who didn’t harbor resentment toward the world.

“If you’re not here for revenge, why did you return? You could have chosen not to mutate in the first place.”

Yeongwoo asked, and Jiseon raised her left hand as if to slap him.

—Ugh, you brat. Who said I wasn’t going to take revenge? Are you insane?

“…What nonsense? You just said taking it out on people was pointless.”

—Exactly. Why take revenge on the wrong people?

“…What?”

—Do you blame the water if a dam breaks and a flood happens? You should catch the one who broke the dam and beat them to death.

“……!”

It made sense.

As someone who had fought through fierce sibling rivalry to rise to the top, her mindset was different from the dragons Yeongwoo had encountered so far.

‘…Her perspective is out of this world.’

To Jiseon, the public wasn’t even worthy of any emotional consideration.

Just as water flows from high to low, it was natural for hatred to rise from the masses to the elite in her view.

Yet in the “real world,” this hatred couldn’t materialize on its own.

But now, someone had caused a crack in the once-impenetrable dam, allowing the masses’ hatred to take physical form.

That’s what Song Jiseon was pointing out.

‘There really is a madwoman here. No wonder everyone else seemed like background noise to her.’

It made sense now.

That’s why she could throw away even her own son, as if he were just part of the background.

‘Did she see her son as background too? And just toss him somewhere far away?’

“……”

He felt like he couldn’t breathe.

Swish.

In the meantime, Jiseon raised her sword, which had been pointed at Yeongwoo, toward the sky.

Swiish!

—Seoul is just a stepping stone. The ones I must take revenge on are the ones who caused this reset!

Declaring war on the heavens themselves.

“……”

Watching his mother ranting furiously, Yeongwoo sensed an opportunity for negotiation.

“But?”

—What?

“How exactly are you going to take that revenge? You don’t even know who your enemy is or how to meet them, do you?”

—Well…

Hearing Yeongwoo’s words, Jiseon finally took a look around at the unfamiliar landscape of Metal Seoul.

It occurred to her that she knew nothing about this strange world.

Had her goal been simple revenge on the masses, it wouldn’t have mattered—after all, it was a world she planned to destroy anyway.

But everything changed if her goal was to find and kill the root cause of all this.

—Then what about you? Do you know the way?

Jiseon asked, and instead of lying, Yeongwoo responded honestly.

“No? Not yet.”

—What?

“But I’m the one with the highest chance of finding out. By an overwhelming margin.”

And this choice was quite astute.

Song Jiseon, a born businesswoman, felt a strange trust in Yeongwoo's manner of expression.

—Overwhelmingly likely? Why do you think that?

Song Jiseon asked, giving Yeongwoo another opportunity, and this time, Yeongwoo, the ‘mistake’ of the Jin family and an illegitimate child, finally pulled out the name of Dogo.

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[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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"Dogo."

—...What?

"I'm the only one bringing「Dogo」 to Seoul as a sponsor, aiming to elevate the status of our planet."

—The status of... the planet?

From inside her solid helmet, Song Jiseon’s look of bewilderment was clear.

Without flinching, Yeongwoo raised his sword skyward, following his mother.

Swoosh.

"Yes. I'm the human closest to space. So who else but me could find the culprit of this?"

This was mostly true, but it was a claim Song Jiseon, who had just arrived in this world, found hard to accept all at once.

Could that newborn she abandoned decades ago have grown into such a terrifying being?

—He's... insane.

Song Jiseon swallowed hard within her helmet.

Yeongwoo's claim was absurd, but she couldn’t ignore the vast meaning embedded in the name「Dogo」 he had just spoken.

So she couldn’t outright deny it.

This madman, the existence of Dogo, Seoul’s sponsor, and the strange structure of the universe.

"Crazy? Of course. What did you expect from a child abandoned in this world without parents?"

When Yeongwoo shouted like this with the title of orphan and son, even the formidable Song Jiseon hesitated.

—Well...

And wasn’t he the human currently closest to space?

She didn’t fully grasp that this was her son, but if she had to have a child, better a special one than a normal one.

Although this wasn’t just special—it was beyond that.

And more importantly, this monster was not easy to kill.

—Phew.

Finally, Song Jiseon let out a long sigh and uttered something shocking.

—Yeah. You've grown well. Becoming an astronaut without your mother’s support.

"...What?"

Now it was Yeongwoo who was surprised.

Such a quick change of attitude?

"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"

—What do you mean, what? Didn’t you just say it? I’m your mother.

Song Jiseon’s voice didn’t waver, and instead, Yeongwoo’s pupils trembled.

"Right? It's been cosmically confirmed that I'm Kim Jeonggu's biological son, and so the Song Jiseon who met Kim Jeonggu in Bulgwang-dong is—"

—Ugh, damn it! That’s right, you brat!

At the word “Bulgwang-dong,” Song Jiseon momentarily lost her composure and waved her greatsword in frustration.

—I am! Your mother!

"Excuse me?"

Yeongwoo blinked, thinking he must have misheard, but Song Jiseon repeated herself in a clear voice.

—I’ll give it a try! I’m your mother! And from now on, you’re my son!

This was a huge decision for Song Jiseon, and she awkwardly spread her arms.

—W-Welcome! My son!

In her gesture, offering a hug, Yeongwoo stood there, dumbfounded, before taking a step forward.

Clank.

The boots of his Vesedel armor made a sharp metallic sound, and the red aura of the cursed sword, Bastard, moved closer to Song Jiseon.

Since his mother was holding a sword while offering a hug, Yeongwoo still had his own sword in hand.

"...Is this right? Hugging while both holding swords?"

Yeongwoo glanced sideways at his mother’s icy greatsword and asked.

Song Jiseon chuckled from inside her helmet.

—We aren’t exactly on terms to meet unarmed, are we?

"...True."

For some reason, Yeongwoo quickly accepted and nodded.

And then.

Clank.

He boldly took another step forward.

Ssshhh.

As he made a large step, the demonic energy of Bastard made Song Jiseon flinch momentarily, but she didn’t retract her outstretched arms.

In fact, she even—

—My son, it seems you've grown strong.

With a firm resolve, she gritted her teeth and took a step toward him.

Now, the two were only about a handspan apart.

Yeongwoo carefully slipped his arms under his mother’s, attempting a hug.

"Mother."

—Son...!

Perhaps for the first time in history, a fully armored hug.

This strange hug felt oddly unique for Yeongwoo, who had only ever shaken hands with mutants.

Clang!

And so, the mother and son of a fallen world succeeded in their cold embrace, allowing each to see the other’s back.

Though fully armored, paradoxically, they were now more vulnerable to attack.

"You’ve acknowledged me as your son, though you probably have ulterior motives... What do you plan to do now?"

Yeongwoo asked, still holding his mother.

Looking down at her son’s back, Song Jiseon replied.

—So, what can you do for me, this mother of yours?

"Me?"

Yeongwoo’s gaze naturally fell upon the Aratubank he held in his left hand.

The myth-level casket for his kin.

"And what about you, Mother? What can you do for your son?"

—Me? Of course...

While Song Jiseon’s cold mind was spinning, Yeongwoo’s achievement system, which had been dormant for a while, suddenly activated.

「Achievement, ‘Complete Orphan,’ has weakened.」

「You can now start a new family achievement.」

‘Huh...?’

Then, beneath “Complete Orphan,” a new achievement appeared.

[Complete Orphan]

| Find and eliminate your parents. (0/2)

[Noble Family: Restoration of the Roots]

| Complete the following three tasks. (1/3)

- Find a mother and a father.

- Reunite your parents.

- Be blessed by your complete parents.

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[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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