Chapter 4: Journey to Cheorwon

Time is money.

Three years until the gods' game truly begins.

A period that can be considered long or short.

What I can preempt and how much I can secure within this time will determine how far ahead I can stay compared to others.

This was an opportunity, and I had come to deeply understand that opportunities must be seized when they arise, through my 45 years of life.

First, I bought a vehicle.

I anticipated that gold or jewels would be necessary to use the cash shop, but purchasing a vehicle could not be delayed.

The reason was mobility.

To claim the fortuitous events scattered throughout Korea, mobility was essential.

I boldly spent 10 million won to buy an SUV that could run well even in rough terrain, and I also purchased equipment for exploring deep mountains.

This included cold-weather gear, high-grade tents, sleeping bags, combat rations, and more.

Then, I immediately made a plan.

I bought a map of South Korea, prioritized the exploration areas, and circled them.

Swish. Swish.

I had to explore Cheorwon before any other dungeon.

It would have been better to travel even further back in time, but it wasn't too late now.

At most, the highest-level dungeons would be in the 30s to 40s, and I believed my current skills were sufficient to handle the lower-level dungeons.

Cheorwon held the authority of the 'cash shop' that had elevated Sword Saint to the pinnacle of Asia.

Though it was a long time ago, the words Sword Saint mumbled while drunk were deeply etched in my mind.

It was May, two months from now.

Even with time to spare, I couldn't afford to be complacent. Although Yi Hana, the Sage of Wisdom, was not a beta tester, there was no guarantee that Sword Saint wasn't one.

It was better to move quickly and secure the advantage.

After that, I would explore the fortuitous events that appeared sporadically in various regions.

In the past, I was grateful for even an S-grade skill, but now I had put such mediocre abilities aside.

It would be nice to obtain them, but if not, so be it.

I stuffed various survival items into my backpack.

This included a sleeping bag, a one-person tent, combat rations, and a machete I bought at a premium.

After finishing the preparations, I loaded the items into the trunk.

"Shall we go hunting for fortuitous events?"

Dense forest.

It was early March, but the weather was bone-chillingly cold.

I swung the machete to clear branches as I moved forward.

My breath was heavy, and sweat poured down like rain.

It was an environment where even a moment's rest could lead to a cold.

"Physical training is urgent."

I entered the industry in 2023.

Over two years, I managed to build some stamina and do labor, but compared to 20 years later, I was still lacking.

It was a mistake not to have considered my current physical condition.

After swinging the machete all day, my arms ached, and my legs trembled.

Still, I pushed forward.

My spirit was not weak. I wouldn't collapse just because of physical hardship.

However, I had this thought.

What if Sword Saint was just talking nonsense?

I immediately shook my head.

If he couldn't even consider the possibility of regression to a world on the brink of destruction, why would he care about past secrets?

Sword Saint had no reason to exaggerate, and even less reason to lie to me, a commoner at the time.

The process of obtaining fortuitous events was a thing of the past.

Whenever I wanted to rest or desperately craved a cigarette, I thought about my wretched future life.

Even with the opportunity to regress, would I squander it? I couldn't afford to waste even a day.

No, not even a minute or a second was precious to me.

With that thought, indomitable willpower emerged. Strength I didn't know I had surged, giving me the power to move forward.

Swish!

I unfolded the map.

The sun was still up.

I had printed out a satellite map and enhanced the terrain of this area as much as possible.

"Not here, then."

After completing the exploration, I marked the ridgeline in black.

Near a monument and in a military-controlled area.

I had been secretly searching the mountains, but the cliff I was looking for didn't even show up.

I wondered if I should have brought a geologist, but I shook my head.

I had clearly planned to monopolize the fortuitous events.

There was no need to take unnecessary risks.

When I was hungry, I ate combat rations, and when I was thirsty, I drank water.

As the sun began to set.

Rustle.

The sound of bushes brushing against each other was heard.

I raised the machete.

At this point, monsters occasionally escaped from dungeons, and the phenomenon was even more severe in unexplored dungeons.

It was entirely possible for a monster to appear in a remote mountain, especially in a military-controlled area.

Soon, a figure appeared.

"......"

"......"

We faced each other.

A soldier with a haggard face looked at me with a slightly anxious expression.

Even after work hours, he was wandering around the military-controlled area alone.

If he wasn't a deserter, what else could he be?

Of course, it wasn't my concern if a soldier who was supposed to protect the country deserted. The military police would handle it.

Our country's military system wasn't as lax as I thought.

Just as I was about to turn around, he looked familiar.

I looked at his name tag.

"It's Sword Saint. No doubt about it."

Why was the future Sword Saint deserting and wandering in the deep mountains?

He should be fulfilling his national service.

Sword Saint had never mentioned deserting, and desertion wasn't an easy thing to do.

A person with even a basic sense of responsibility wouldn't even consider desertion, let alone act on it.

Sword Saint was ruthless, but he wasn't a fool to desert during his military service. He was, in fact, more rational than anyone.

Then, why?

Sword Saint's eyes wavered.

Then, his eyes sparked with fire.

"You, brat! Could it be... that guy?"

'What? How does he recognize me? Could there be another person who regressed with their memories?'

Yi Hana was a hero of humanity but not a regressed person.

I had thought there was a possibility that I was the only one who regressed, but it seems that wasn't the case.

Still, did I need to reveal to Sword Saint that I was a regressed person?

"Uh... I'm an herbalist. I shouldn't have entered the controlled area, but please let me off this once."

"Herbalist? No, you're that untouchable commoner, aren't you?"

"No, I think you're being a bit harsh?"

"Commoner brat, trying to snatch fortuitous events!"

"Hey, stop talking nonsense! Just because I'm an herbalist, do you think I'm easy to mess with? And you're a deserter, aren't you!"

I almost flinched but realized it was a foolish move.

Would Sword Saint, without mana, still be Sword Saint?

If we both lacked mana, I had the upper hand. I had spent 20 years researching and mastering combat without mana.

Moreover, I now had mana.

Could he really be a match for me?

"Hah, damn. Not you? But what are you doing here? I don't need to know what you did in the past. But, as you said, I am a deserter. I came out for something important. Sorry, but you have to die here."

"That's murder."

"Keh. Murder? People's lives are worth less than pigs. What difference does it make if one dies here? Just blame the heavens."

Splat!

Sword Saint lunged at me.

He was always hot-tempered and reckless, valuing human life less than livestock. A real madman.

He only had the title of Asia's Supreme because no one dared to restrain him.

But that hadn't happened yet.

Sword Saint swung his military sword and charged.

His footwork and sword stance were similar to his future self, but they seemed to lack power.

In fact, I doubted if this was the same sword technique he used in the future.

I easily dodged.

My body, which had been sluggish, felt lighter after circulating mana once.

'Mana is such a supernatural force.'

I was satisfied.

It was dark, but it didn't look dark to me, and I could even hear the sound of ants rustling leaves.

My senses and physical abilities felt 1.5 times stronger.

"Brat! Your luck won't hold this time."

Sword Saint changed direction.

Even a mediocre fish can change its course. His body moved in various ways, but his movements seemed simple.

I easily dodged, and his sword got stuck in a tree.

"What, this crazy deserter? He charged at me like he was going to kill someone."

"How...?"

'Is this really Sword Saint? Did he use some skill correction from the shop? It seems almost certain.'

"Sure, how crazy would someone have to be to seriously desert?"

"Shut up!"

He struggled to pull the sword out of the tree, and I punched him in the side.

Squish!

Crack!

"Ugh!"

A mana-infused punch.

Sword Saint, who didn't have mana, bent over and gasped.

"Ugh!"

"So, why didn't you just leave me alone? I'm just an herbalist! Do you understand the plight of an herbalist? I'm struggling to survive day by day, and here you come to mess with me?"

"Commoner brat... You were a commoner who licked the butts of nobles. Commoners should act like commoners!"

I took a stance.

Sword Saint quickly regained his composure and used basic martial arts techniques, but I easily dodged and hit his chest.

Bang!

"Ugh!"

Thud!

He hit a tree and couldn't even breathe.

The future Sword Saint was nothing.

He had risen to a high position too easily, lacking a solid foundation. I had never seen Sword Saint train even once.

Thud, thud.

I slowly approached Sword Saint.

Since it had come to this, I had to deal with him.

As a deserter, his death would be easily covered up.

Sword Saint was about to die.

Now that I had made up my mind, I could stop pretending.

"Sword Saint, you met the wrong person today."

"......!"

His eyes wavered.

"You're right, I was an untouchable commoner. But I'm grateful for surviving in the future that way. Why? The 20 years I experienced played a crucial role in building my foundation. Even back then, I was killing monsters around level 40 without mana. Could you achieve that without mana? I don't think so. So, let me ask you again."

Crack!

I slapped Sword Saint's cheek.

It felt good.

"In this newly opened world, if you lose your fortuitous event, who would be the untouchable commoner?"

Slap! Slap!

"Damn! Of course! You were a beta tester too!"

"Now, let's decide your punishment. How should I dispose of trash like you? Considering what you'll do in the future, it might be best for humanity's progress to just kill you and be done with it." I placed the machete against his neck.

With a little force, Sword Saint's head would fall off.

For a moment, I wondered if killing him now would cause problems, but it was better to eliminate any future trouble.

Since Sword Saint was also from the future, he would try to secure fortuitous events.

Just as I was about to make a decision:

Beep!

"A deserter is on the move. The trail leads north."

-Understood. We'll tighten the perimeter.

Soldiers were chasing him from a distance.

"Damn. Things are getting complicated."

I truly regretted it.

How good it would have been to eliminate this future trouble here.

But I thought differently.

"A soldier deserted without any fortuitous events. Oh? He even has a firearm. It doesn't look like he has bullets, but he has a sharpened dagger. That's a death sentence, life imprisonment, or at least five years in prison."

"......!"

Sword Saint's eyes shook wildly.

Even without bullets, he wouldn't face the death penalty or life imprisonment, but his sharp sword meant at least three years in prison.

If he spent three years in prison during this golden time?

For a hunter, it was as good as a death sentence.

"Baek Seung-ho, the future Sword Saint. I sentence you to an honorable death."

Smack!

Baek Seung-ho, the future Sword Saint, no longer existed.

He would be in prison until the age of despair began.

Just as I was about to leave after neutralizing the future Sword Saint:

The stars in the sky showed interest in me.