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Chapter 517: Racetrack (7)

“Oh……”

While Yeongwoo was staring blankly at the crimson light pillar, the Audi engulfed in flames finally crossed the finish line.

Baaang……!

「03-1, crossed in 2nd place!」

Then, kicking open the half-crumpled door, the three-eyed man jumped out.

—Damn it, second place?!

And immediately after—

Poooom!

The Audi’s engine bay, overheated, erupted in a thunderous explosion and shot up into the air.

—…Ugh!

“…Ugh.”

Even Yeongwoo hadn’t expected this part.

His jaw dropped as the Audi, now nothing but a tin can, crashed head-first into the ground and toppled over helplessly on its side.

The price of dueling with the lord of Renaissance was a completely totaled car.

“At this rate, you couldn’t even put it in storage.”

As Yeongwoo scratched his cheek and stared at the wrecked Audi, the three-eyed man suddenly spotted the crimson light pillar and collapsed in shock.

—C-C-Chairman!

“…What are you doing, all of a sudden.”

—You fool! Don’t you know that’s the Chairman’s mark of authority?

“What?”

Yeongwoo had naturally assumed the sponsorship money came down by the Chairman’s orders, but he had never even heard of some kind of exclusive Chairmanial light pillar.

“That’s the Chairman’s mark of authority?”

—It also means the Chairman himself is watching this place…!

Already prostrate on the ground, the three-eyed man pressed his head to the dirt again and again.

Yeongwoo, on the other hand—

‘So the Chairman’s watching this place right now……?’

—did not bow down at all.

Instead, he lifted his head and gazed upward, toward where the light pillar had been fired.

Didn’t this mean the Chairman’s eyes were somewhere beyond that?

For a while, the light pillar shone at Yeongwoo’s feet.

Then, leaving behind a tiny metallic object floating in midair, it vanished.

Flaash!

“Eh?”

Startled, Yeongwoo quickly snatched the ‘sponsorship money’ out of the air, and at once, an equipment tooltip appeared in his vision.

「Outstanding Employee」 – ◇ Dogo Ring

【Damage against public officials +10%.】

【Special Company Benefit】

【Company Loyalty】

【Dogo】

【Special Company Benefit】

| All services of Dogo headquarters and subsidiaries can be used at a 40% discount.

【Company Loyalty】

| For each ◇ Dogo item you own, attack power increases by 5%.

The sponsorship money turned out to be none other than a steel ring.

And not just any ring—it was a special Dogo-made ring with the title Outstanding Employee.

‘Why does an “Outstanding Employee” ring boost damage against public officials?’

The tooltip was a fresh reminder of just how cosmic a position the company Dogo held in the universe.

‘That’s already a 30% bonus against public officials.’

This included the effect of the Dogo Prestige Object the Chairman had bestowed on him earlier.

“Hm.”

As Yeongwoo slipped the “Outstanding Employee” onto his finger with fascination, the three-eyed man approached, his gaze filled with envy.

—That’s… the “Outstanding Employee” I’ve only ever heard about?

He looked as if he found the ring more enviable than even the champion’s trophy in Yeongwoo’s arms.

“What, you mean even as a subsidiary’s representative competing in the race, you don’t have one of these?”

The three-eyed man blinked.

—The “Outstanding Employee” is personally bestowed by the Chairman. You can’t get it just by doing well at work.

Performance alone wasn’t enough—you also needed timing and luck to be granted the “Outstanding Employee” title, he added.

Then, staring up at the direction the crimson light pillar had vanished, he muttered to himself:

—Looks like I won’t be getting another chance for a while.

The man looked so dejected that Yeongwoo almost wanted to hand him the trophy instead. But when he checked the trophy’s tooltip, that seemed impossible.

Flaash!

「Rider of Poso」 – Unique Trophy

【892nd Champion】

【Third-Class Victor】

【Third-Class Victor】

| Grants priority placement in any horse race below Second-Class, and permits entry into Second-Class competitions.

‘What the—so it isn’t just a decoration.’

According to the tooltip, this race was the 892nd tournament held at Poso’s racetrack.

And it was a Third-Class tournament.

That meant there were still two whole levels of tournaments above this one.

‘No wonder the competition felt kind of weak.’

Of course, in the grand scheme of racing, it was still a fairly high-ranking tournament.

After all, it was prestigious enough that a prince of a nation and a subsidiary of Dogo both participated.

‘If only Third-Class champions can enter Second-Class… that must really be something.’

And surely, the First-Class tournaments were reserved only for the winners of Second-Class.

‘Do the gods of horse racing themselves compete in the First-Class tournaments or something……?’

While Yeongwoo was turning the trophy this way and that, the goblin announcer came running over.

—Champion, you must hurry and leave.

“…Excuse me?”

—Once the race ends completely, the barrier will soon be lifted. The enraged crowd will be able to rush into the track.

In other words, unless he wanted to fight against tens of thousands of furious aliens who’d lost their bets, he should get going at once.

“Wait, how does it make sense for the champion to be chased out?”

Yeongwoo frowned, but the alien pressed another item into his arms.

—Take this and go quickly. The dungeon system instructed me to deliver it directly to you.

“Huh? And what’s this?”

Yeongwoo picked up the new object that had been shoved into his chest.

Shff.

It was a small light-blue box, its surface engraved with wind-like patterns.

“Huh, what’s this?”

The moment Yeongwoo widened his eyes, a system message appeared in his vision.

「The Mount Catalog has been registered in the database.」

“…Oh!”

The Mount Catalog.

Since this place was also accessed through a dungeon, it must have been a type of hidden reward.

Then the Catalog automatically began registering the mounts Yeongwoo owned.

「Searching for owned mounts.」

「Search results: 3」

‘…Huh? Why three? Aside from Negwig, I supposedly have two more?’

As Yeongwoo tilted his head in puzzlement and tapped the result displayed in his vision, the detailed list unfolded.

Flaash!

「Search results: 3」

| Negwig

| Pofu Tenta

| Song Jeongho

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“…What.”

Being very generous, Pofu Tenta could somewhat be accepted.

When the creature enlarged itself, it could indeed be ridden.

But for Song Jeongho to be listed there…

“Uncle, are you watching this? Apparently you’re a mount too.”

∴ What the hell are you talking about, you lunatic? Weren’t you calling me family before?

“You’re family, and a mount.”

It must have been because Song Jeongho had been enshrined inside Aratubank.

As a result, he was treated like a piece of equipment, which in turn made the Catalog recognize him as Yeongwoo’s possession—or mount.

‘If being a dragon automatically counts as a mount, then my mother or even Kang Hongtae in the Returner’s Chamber should’ve been registered too.’

But since the two of them weren’t, it seemed almost certain this was because of Aratubank.

In other words, being registered in the Catalog was Song Jeongho’s fate.

‘Functionally speaking, everyone in the Returner’s Chamber is a mount… but only those I directly own are acknowledged. Shame.’

[Mount Catalog]

〔3〕

Current number of collected mounts: 3.

Whether the Catalog’s collection bonus would trigger at 5 units or 10 units was yet to be seen.

‘Anyway, looks like this part’s wrapped up.’

As Yeongwoo let out a small sigh, he saw Prince Diorn burst across the finish line riding a pitch-black wolf.

As the previous tournament’s winner, at least he managed to place this time too.

And right after him came Tyke, staggering along while riding a tin can robot.

—Yeongwoo-nim! C-could it be that you actually won……?

Tyke’s eyes went wide at the sight of the trophy in Yeongwoo’s arms.

Yeongwoo lifted it slightly to show him, then turned to the host.

“I think it’s time to go back. Now that all the placements are decided, the barrier or whatever should be lifted, right?”

—That is correct.

The goblin glanced worriedly at the audience, who were still staring this way.

Then, with a wave of his hand, he opened a portal.

—A marvelous race. I hope we meet again in the next tournament.

“Sure. If I’m lucky enough.”

Yeongwoo nodded to the goblin in farewell, then turned to Tyke, who had helped him earlier in the race.

“Thanks for helping me before! If you ever run into the Earthship, just say my name. That way, you won’t die.”

—Huh? Earthship……?

Tilting his head in confusion, not knowing what the Earthship was, Tyke watched as Yeongwoo stepped into the portal leading back home.

Tak.

Instantly, he was wrapped in strange radiance and began to teleport.

* * *

Earth time, 1:46 a.m.

Back in his hotel room, Yeongwoo immediately headed for the bed in the side chamber.

‘Finally. I’ll actually be able to sleep properly.’

From now until at least 8 a.m.—maybe even 10—he would be able to sleep soundly.

Clink.

As he set the trophy on the floor before removing his armor, Jiseon, who had followed him in, tilted her head.

—What’s that?

“A trophy.”

—A trophy? From what?

“Tonight’s been weird enough already, so please don’t ask. I just need to sleep.”

He did want to tell her about what he’d seen in that alien racetrack, but overwhelming fatigue came first.

Even though he had won more easily than expected, inwardly he’d been tense the whole time.

‘Damn it, I can’t even tell how each day’s passing anymore.’

Today he had been introduced to the stars, and even held a meeting with a veteran “spaceman” who’d come from faraway Earth.

So what on earth would tomorrow bring?

‘Ugh… no doubt something awful again.’

Clank!

Stripping off his armor and holding only Bastard in his arms, he collapsed into bed, letting out a long yawn he couldn’t suppress.

“Haaaahp.”

And along with that wide-open yawn, his consciousness sagged heavily.

He was on the verge of sleep almost instantly.

“…Kuu.”

His lips parted slightly, letting out soft breaths.

And then.

○ Sorry.

A voice reached into his consciousness—Earth was apologizing to him.

‘…What the hell? Am I dreaming?’

Yeongwoo answered back within his dreamlike awareness.

Earth’s presence grew stronger.

○ Not a dream. Sorry to wake you when you were sleeping deeply, but you need to get up now.

‘What nonsense. I was right in the middle of sleeping.’

Yeongwoo grumbled irritably in his mind, but Earth shook its head.

○ Still, you need to get up. They have arrived.

‘They?’

○ The Reset Administrators. They’re already requesting detailed coordinates.

‘What the hell, asking for coordinates at this hour? Do they never sleep?’

Just as Yeongwoo muttered this, the phone by his bedside rang loudly.

—Brrring-ring-ring……!

And his eyes flew open.

“…The hell.”

It was already bright outside.

Sunlight was streaming in through the window.

It was 8 a.m.—time for the hotel’s morning call.

“How the hell did this happen?”

Blinking in disbelief, Yeongwoo heard Earth’s voice again in his head.

○ Guess you were more tired than you thought.

Then it added:

○ Pick up the phone.

‘What?’

○ The Reset Administrators are waiting.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]