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Chapter 293: New Capital, Seoul (3)

Metropolitan City, Metal Seoul.

The declaration of the establishment of "New Seoul" by Yeongwoo did not even reach the ears of the citizens.

Cha-ja-ja-ja-jat!

Everyone was too preoccupied with watching the city transform into "Metal Seoul" to pay any attention.

"This... is Seoul...?"

"Oh my God."

"No way..."

Already, the roads and sidewalks were completely covered in steel, and now the ordinary buildings around COEX were being reinforced with metal.

Even the trees lining the streets had turned into "metalized" versions with sharp, blade-like branches.

"Um... is this really okay?"

Lim Suna, an assistant manager from Taewon Group, looked at Jeonggu with a worried expression.

Jeonggu also seemed unsure of what was happening.

"This crazy guy... I didn\'t think he\'d take things this far."

When he looked toward his son, Yeongwoo, he saw him doing something in front of a module sent by Dogo.

"Yeongwoo! You brat!"

Jeonggu waved his hand and called out to Yeongwoo, but the repeated cheers of the crowd drowned out his voice.

"I\'d better go see him. Assistant Manager, please find a safe place to stay before anything else weird happens."

As Jeonggu started pushing through the crowd, Suna also looked around and began walking toward a group of Strongest Swords gathered nearby.

In fact, the safest place would have been by Jeong Yeongwoo\'s side, but there were too many people there.

Even Jeonggu, who was a Strongest Sword himself, was having a hard time getting through.

"Excuse me, please make way."

Despite holding the prestigious title of "The Strongest Sword of Dobong," Jeonggu found that the citizens, who were mesmerized by the "metalization" of Seoul, were not inclined to clear a path for him.

As a result, it took him several minutes to cover a distance of less than twenty meters.

"This is driving me crazy, seriously."

Finally, after sweating profusely, Jeonggu reached Yeongwoo and the Dogo module.

Only then did his son acknowledge him.

"...Why are you here? It would be more comfortable for you to stay with the other Strongest Swords over there."

Jeong Yeongwoo07, the prodigal son of Korea.

Since Yeongwoo couldn’t take his eyes off the module, Jeonggu asked,

"I wanted to know how much further you\'re planning to take this."

"Take this further? Don’t you want to live in a powerful nation?"

Yeongwoo\'s pupils reflected a bluish string of characters as he spoke, so Jeonggu, as if mesmerized, moved closer to him.

There, he saw a guide about "Metal Seoul" being displayed on the module Yeongwoo was manipulating.

◇ We are pleased to introduce you to Earth\'s new B-class development site, \'Seoul\'!

◇ The current regional level of Seoul is \'1,\' and foundational adjustment work is in progress before full reinforcement can begin.

"...What is all this?"

Jeonggu blinked as he read the text, and Yeongwoo shrugged.

"Looks like there’s a specialized development protocol for this."

Seoul was currently in the foundational adjustment phase, meaning the entire city was being covered in metal.

This work would likely have to be completed before the city could move on to the next stage of development.

‘Still, it should be done within 8 hours. I need to set the business address.’

As Yeongwoo stroked his chin while looking at the module, new text appeared on the screen.

Paaaat!

◇ While reinforcement work is underway, we will configure basic city functions.

"City function settings?"

"These bastards, what kind of nonsense are they planning now?!"

Furious, Jeonggu pointed at the module, but Yeongwoo frowned.

"Ah, please be quiet for a moment."

No matter how powerful the Dogo organization might be, with a royal family-descended destroyer king as its chairman, the actual work on the field had to be done by Yeongwoo himself.

"Didn’t you see earlier? Mara and Lemu declared war on us simultaneously. It’s going to be a 2-on-1 fight. So, whether it’s nonsense or whatever, I\'ll use any means to become stronger."

As the effective representative of Dogo in this war, Yeongwoo couldn\'t say he wasn’t scared at all.

But he had overcome greater obstacles before and was confident he could win this time too.

Paaat!

Soon, a sort of questionnaire appeared on the module.

◇ Please select the option that best aligns with the purpose of this city\'s development.

[1] Build a commercial city.

[2] Expand trade routes.

[3] Secure a refuge.

But from the fourth option, things started to get strange.

[4] A hub for treason.

[5] Root out anti-royal factions.

[6] Expand industrial facilities.

"...What?"

"What the hell? Why is rooting out anti-royal factions an option for city development?"

"Seems like it reflects the chairman\'s trauma."

But the real kicker was the seventh option.

[7] Weaponize the city.

"Oh."

As Yeongwoo finally found an option that he liked, Jeonggu swallowed hard.

"Check out some of the other options, there might be something decent."

However, Jeonggu\'s wish was not fulfilled.

[8] Iron-fisted rule.

[9] Transition to a tyrant.

"What’s the difference between 8 and 9? Aren’t they practically the same?"

Jeonggu muttered with his mouth agape, but Yeongwoo shook his head.

"You don’t get it. 8 is about ruling with an iron fist from the start, while 9 is about transitioning into a tyrant after initially being something else."

"...What? What does that have to do with the city?"

"Who knows? Maybe the suppression functions they support are different."

"......!"

Suppression functions?

It was the first time Jeonggu had ever heard such a bizarre expression, and he opened his mouth even wider.

He could see a glimmer of tyrannical talent in his son.

"Hey, you said you wanted to create a powerful nation, right? You’re not going to oppress people, are you?"

"That would be difficult. If I did that, my karmic burden would pile up enormously."

As Yeongwoo answered, he turned his gaze to the last two options at the bottom.

[10] Prepare for civil war.

[11] Social Ascension.

Seeing these final two options, Jeonggu quickly pointed to the tenth one.

"Yeongwoo, this is it! Prepare for civil war!"

Prepare for civil war—perfectly suited for the current situation on Earth.

It was, in every sense, a purpose perfectly suited to the current state of the Earth.

Especially if this place, New Seoul, was truly destined to become the official capital of the Earth in the future, then the ongoing three-way conflict could indeed be considered a civil war of the Earth.

“Let’s go with option 10. There’s nothing else to see,”

Said Jeonggu as he looked at his son.

But he noticed that this damned kid\'s gaze was directed a bit lower than where option 10 was located.

“What the hell are you looking at…?”

Jeonggu followed Yeongwoo’s gaze back to the module.

[11] Social Ascension.

“Why this one?”

Jeonggu asked, genuinely perplexed.

Yeongwoo blinked quickly.

“How can the purpose of city development be social ascension?”

“Right? So we should go with option 10…”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Huh?”

“Wouldn’t it make more sense to think about what kind of status could be elevated so much that it warrants reconstructing an entire city?”

“…”

Jeonggu was left speechless.

He couldn’t help but think that his son’s way of thinking fundamentally differed from a normal person\'s.

“So? What do you think they mean by ‘elevating status’?”

“I can’t say for sure. But…”

Yeongwoo looked up at the sky.

No, to be precise, he was looking at the vast space beyond the atmosphere.

“This module came from space. So everything it says is likely based on a cosmic perspective.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. So that ‘social ascension’ is, with high probability…”

“A status in the universe…?”

When Jeonggu echoed the idea, Yeongwoo nodded.

“Yes. It must be a status recognized on a cosmic scale.”

But that wasn’t the only reason why Yeongwoo was interested in option 11.

“Then whose status is it?”

“Huh? Isn’t it your status?”

“Yes. It would be beneficial even if it’s just my status that ascends. Especially if it’s on a cosmic level.”

“So then? What else could it be if not your status?”

Yeongwoo then looked at the crowd filling the streets of Gangnam.

Jeonggu waved his hand dismissively.

“Oh, come on, no way.”

What Yeongwoo’s gaze suggested was the status of all the citizens living in this city.

It might even mean the status of Earthlings, a level higher than just Seoul citizens.

“Father, do you know what the base status level of our planet’s inhabitants is in the universe?”

“…I wouldn’t know. Do you?”

“I do.”

“What?”

As someone who had experienced the unprecedented event of a human’s status rising on a cosmic level, Yeongwoo knew it well.

His status in cosmic law had risen from the original 12th grade to as high as the 7th grade.

Thus, in reverse, it could be seen that:

“Our planet’s inhabitants are classified as 12th-grade beings in the cosmic hierarchy.”

“12th grade?”

“Yes. You might not feel it, but that’s a very low grade.”

This was based on the status of the tattoo vendor from Pegua, whom he had once met as a ‘merchant.’

The vendor’s status in cosmic law was 11th grade, a being so low-born that he couldn’t even have a unique name.

Yet, the Earthlings, undergoing a reset, were classified as 12th grade.

Most of the people on this planet were of a status so low that they couldn’t even have names recognized in the universe.

“No… But even so, is it reasonable to change the city development direction for something like social ascension? Isn’t that too vague an administrative decision?”

Jeonggu, uncharacteristically rational, voiced his doubts.

After all, the decision to set the ‘development purpose’ this time was crucial.

The next phase of development, which would begin after the foundational adjustments, would also likely change according to the purpose chosen now.

So it seemed more prudent to focus on preparing for the civil war at this moment.

“Are you cursed with a disease that kills you if you play it safe? What’s gotten into you? Let’s just focus on preparing for the civil war.”

Jeonggu grabbed Yeongwoo’s shoulder, giving him fatherly advice, but this Korean demon’s eyes were already half gone.

“No, something’s bothering me.”

“What now?”

“The merchants we’ve met so far mostly had low statuses in cosmic law. On the other hand, those who went around beating others and flaunting their power generally had high statuses.”

“Well, of course, they’re living well because they have high status… beating others…”

“Exactly!”

“What are you trying to say?”

“In this universe, if you have high status, you can beat others! That’s what I’m saying!”

“…?”

Jeonggu realized the conversation was taking another wrong turn, but it was already too late—Yeongwoo had touched the module again.

“Father! The déjà vu I’m feeling right now isn’t a coincidence! I’ve been through something similar before!”

“What are you talking about?”

It was only natural that Jeonggu didn’t understand what Yeongwoo was saying.

He hadn’t been with Yeongwoo during his first binary choice.

That time, despite Yechan’s objections, he had chosen to distribute 30,000 Karma instead of monopolizing 3 million Karma.

“I’ll look further into the future!”

“You fool, we need to win the civil war first if we want any future at all!”

But Yeongwoo’s way of thinking was indeed different.

“What kind of future are we talking about?”

“…What?”

“A future where we live as a lower-class species in the universe? I can’t give up this opportunity for a future like that.”

With these words, Yeongwoo chose option 11, Social Ascension.

Fwoosh!

“People work harder when they have hope! Let’s secure a better future first, and then we can think about the civil war!”

“Damn it, kid! This whole status thing is just your…”

It’s just a guess, he was about to say, but his words were drowned out by the thunderous roar that followed.

Boom!

As soon as Yeongwoo selected the development purpose, an enormous amount of energy surged from the module.

Then, a system message was broadcasted across the entire Korean Peninsula.

―The development purpose of “Metropolitan City Metal Seoul” has been set to Social Ascension.

“Seriously, this kid!”

Jeonggu was so furious that he wanted to charge at his son, but he stopped when he saw the next message that appeared.

―The current level of this city is 1. Please raise the city level to undergo Earth’s status elevation review.