Stagnant Water of Apocalypse

Chapter 85

Everyone took a part of the gryphon’s flesh before returning to wherever their basecamp was. While overhearing their conversation, I could feel the conflict brewing amongst them. However, after his initial outburst, Geom-in was cautious about his actions and words, so people didn’t take notice of his mood anymore.

At first, I thought they were colleagues from the shelter, but from what I heard, that was not the case. They were people from all over the country who gathered at Geom-in’s call to catch a gryphon.

“That means, they wouldn’t be easily pushed aside by Survivor 1.”

Even though they weren’t Stagnant Waters, it was clear that they were people who had enough play time. Someone who tried to hunt a gryphon must have reached level 15 or else they wouldn’t try it unless they were crazy.

Geom-in looked at the half-disassembled Gryphon, and sighed. Somehow he looked pitiful. In hindsight, there were only a few areas where he messed up in this hunt.

“It makes me feel a bit sorry that I got too much.” Of course, I have no intention of giving it up. It’s just that there’s no need to show blind hostility.

Finally, Geom-in stood up.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

Surprisingly, he shouted out loud and then pounded his fist against a tree near him. With a thump, a shape of a fist could be seen carved on the tree bark. However, there was no sign of him feeling the pain at all.

Did he perhaps have a physical strengthening unique skill too?

As far as I know, physical strengthening not only greatly increases the user’s strength, but also reduces the rebound the user will suffer from their strength. For example, when two people punch a wall, even if their strength stats were the same, the one with the physical strengthening unique skill will suffer less compared to the one without physical strengthening unique skill.

“Blink and Physical Strengthening…” On top of it, there’s also a high probability that he even possessed the Shelter Reinforcement unique skill. It’s out of norm, but why don’t the people in the government shelter find it weird?

“What a cheat.”

I know I’m not in the position to say it since my unique skill is also a cheat, but I also couldn’t help but be surprised.

After Geom-in completely disappeared from the vicinity, Da-jeong appeared. I exited the portal and explained the circumstances to her.

“…And so it’s like that. For now, just keep an eye on him.”

“No killing him?”

“No, I don’t think being a little pretentious is a mortal sin.”

“I mean, he took a sneaky look at my body.”

“Well, that’s because you are so attractive, Da-jeong-ah. I’m sure he couldn’t help it.”

“No! You don’t understand! I am the one who is supposed to take a sneaky look at a man’s body, not the other way around!”

That’s the problem? I forgot that Da-jeong’s emotions were different from normal.

She giggled and then she asked me to take her top off. “A pheasant instead of a chicken. I should take a look at your muscular upper body for compensation.”

“Isn’t that sexual harassment?”

“Quiet! Take your clothes off!”

I barely calmed her down and explained what she should do once she entered the government shelter.

“Hmm. Don’t kill, just check on him?”

“For now, pretend to hold hands with the president and observe the shelter. It would be better if you know what his unique skill really is. What I’ve figured out so far is that he has shelter reinforcement, blink, and physical reinforcement.”

“Multiple unique skills? What a scam!”

Well, our unique skill was also a scam, so…

“Anyway, he is strangely obsessed with relationships with people…maybe he can steal or copy other people’s unique skills. Be careful.”

“So I can’t shake hands with him?”

I shook my head. “No one knows what the conditions are. So, go to the shelter and try to find out.”

“You want me to act as a spy!!!” Da-jeong’s eyes widened.

“Let’s be a bit of a spy. Just think of it as preparation for our survival.”

“…Okay. Instead! Make sure you definitely bring Rapwi to Seoul.”

“Of course. After this job is over, I’ll go find him right away.” Which means, I would have to go all the way to Jinju. Until now, I hadn’t heard from him since he arrived in Gyeongnam. I was worried that maybe he stumbled on some problem along the way.

We continue our conversation by discussing what to do with the captured gryphon cub’s corpse. Since It was enormous, it would be more than enough for people in the basecamp to eat. I’ll have to smoke it here before returning.

After some time, we finally returned to camp after a rather long delay.

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The journey in the Farming Dungeon was about to end. The shining portal had begun to flicker, and the gym people plus the tri friends and Jiman started to dismantle the camp. Although it was a short journey, they had gained quite a lot.

First of all, more colleagues. And then, resources such as glowstone and sparkstone. On top of it, they also succeeded in securing a variety of food. It was not a huge amount, but with it, they could eat their fill for two or three weeks. It’s nothing but lucrative for a three day’s investment.

Da-jeong said goodbye to the gym group and told them that she suddenly changed her mind. The people at the gym were very reluctant to let her go because they had grown fond of her through the hard work they had done together.

“Survive. If you miss me, just dream of me! It’s okay even if it’s a dirty dream!” She blew a kiss to the group and disappeared along with the zombies.

“Welcome Da-jeong. No, should I call you Queen?” Jang Won-taek greeted her with a satisfied expression on his face. Of course, there were a lot of people around him that Da-jeong saw for the first time. But she’s not Da-jeong if those small things prevent her from being blunt.

“Even though I’m from Daegu, I was thinking of going to Seoul. Will it be okay?”

“What are you talking about! Of course, you are welcomed! If Da-jeong comes, our shelter will be strengthened even more.”

Meanwhile, Geom-in watched Da-jeong join hands with the president with a blank expression on his face.

Why? That question filled his mind.

Didn’t she reject his offer not too long ago?

She was with Jang Won-taek, so did she choose that side rather than his side?

Geom-in’s mind was filled with complicated thoughts. He only called her once they arrived at the government shelter.

“You said I’d never see you again.”

“Just what are you thinking? Didn’t you turn down my offer?”

“I liked the president’s offer.”

Geom-in’s expression distorted at her answer.

“But he’s not the president anymore.”

“A lot of people still accept him as the president, don’t they?”

Geom-in was speechless. What she said was indeed true. Jang Won-taek was very influential in government shelters. Some of the people in the government shelter even still call him President. Geom-in was trying hard to establish himself amidst his influence. But it was still far from enough.

“What did he offer you?”

“Did you call me to ask me that?” The corners of Da-jeong’s lips rose, and Geom-in realized that he had made a mistake.

“It would be unreasonable to act like a solitary general as long as you’re in the shelter, will you be okay?” He changed the subject out of panic.

“That’s not your concern.”

“First of all, I am the main character of this shelter. As much as I am defending the shelter, I want to avoid clashing with outsiders as much as possible.”

When someone said so, it’s natural for people who were called an outsider to be angry. But Da-jeong’s reaction was different.

“As an outsider, should I turn this shelter upside down and just open them all up?”

At her answer, Geom-in was startled once again and had to fix what he said. “No, wait a minute, calm down. I don’t mean it like that. Because we’re in the same space, shouldn’t we work together?”

Da-jeong turned her ferocious gaze away.

“As long as I’m in the shelter, I’ll be quiet, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

“Then I’m happy. But what kind of wind blew for you to suddenly change your mind?”

“I just feel like I wanted to, why?”

“Of course that is the case, but… there must be a reason, isn’t it?”

“I really don’t like you. Why are you so obsessed with such trivial things?”

Geom-in flinched at her momentum. How could she be so similar to her persona in the game?

Back in the game, he played by adjusting his online persona to the other characters. Even if they did crazy things, Geom-in thought that it was nothing but a concept. But now, after meeting them, he realized that it was not a mere concept.

Is I Love Gimbap similar to both Rapwi and Duck?

Da-jeong crossed her arms and said. “I joined because I want to give Boys Generation a gun.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“That was what we talked about every day in the game, right? I’m really curious how many bullets it will take for an ogre to be killed.”

“…you can’t use it carelessly.”

Creating a space 500 meters underground was not an easy task. Most of the space created in this way was not occupied by firearms, but by facilities that would become the basis of mankind in the future. After the Corrosive Disease subsides, shouldn’t humanity escape from the primitive age? Firearms and live ammunition stored there were not many. In fact, the reasons why they couldn’t use guns recklessly was not because of that.

“Oh, I don’t know. I’ll give the zombies a gun and shoot all the monsters. Tutatatta!”

Geom-in blurted out as she looked at Da-jeon speaking excitedly,

“Come on, wait a minute. Can you change your mind?”

“Why? Didn’t you brag that you have guns here?”

“It’s not like that…” Geom-in said with a voice which gradually lost volume. He had no intention of spreading guns to the masses. After all, no matter how good the unique skill was, in front of firearms, it was all useless. Giving such a dreadful weapon to anyone randomly would only shake his dominance. He would only give it to a small number of trustworthy subordinates and use it to attract people to his side. If he succeeds in shaking Jang Won-taek’s influence, he will definitely become the king of Apocalypse. However, Da-jeong suddenly intervened and his plan was in danger of failing before it even started.

She’s going to give her zombies guns?

It can’t be allowed. If she was the only one using it, it wouldn’t be a problem. But if it gets stolen, it will be a mess. Geom-in’s mind worked in overdrive as he thought of ways to change her mind. He wanted a compliant survivor, not a bomb that could explode anytime.

Looking at him, Da-jeong sighed inwardly. It wasn’t her style to be this patient with people. But a promise is a promise. Since she had come here, she needed to get along with him in moderation. She had to play push and pull to get what she wanted. If she built a wall all at once, Geom-in will get scared and give up.

As she stood and walked towards him, the sound of high heels hitting the floor echoed through the corridor. Geom-in barely avoided her, almost colliding with her.

Da-jeong said as she walked past him.

“But even after talking like this, we still don’t know each other’s unique skill, do we?”

“U-Unique skill?” In today’s world, revealing one’s unique skill was essential to gaining trust of the other person.

“My unique skill is zombie domination, you?”

“Uh, um…” Geom-in did not expect Da-jeong to ask such a blunt question. He stuttered for a while, then bit his mouth. He still had to keep it a secret.

Da-jeong said, “You are really timid,” and she started walking away from him.

Geom-in looked back at her quietly. Maybe this is an opportunity. Since she had joined the government shelter, they would have many encounters ahead. That means there would be plenty of opportunities to show his strength and charm to her. So far, it has been a series of failures, but if he kept his mind sharp and showed her his skill, he might win her trust in the future.

Even though Da-jeong had caught him looking at her body, she didn’t even curse him. ‘Does that mean that she is attracted to me? Hang on… is that the reason why she came into this shelter?’

Even while he was mistaken like this, Da-jeong walked farther and farther away.

At that moment, Geom-in decided and open his mouth.

“My unique skill… is not limited to one.”

After hearing those words, Da-jeong stopped and turned towards Geom-in. At her action, Geom-in was elated. He felt like his heart, which had already broken, was being pieced back together.

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The people of the gym group who came to the island for the first time were both surprised and delighted.

“To think there was a place like this…”

“Can’t monsters come here?”

“They can’t. Those monsters can’t swim.”

“Farming is… Ah, Mi-kyung can help.”

“Hehe, trust me!”

Everyone seemed relieved because of the fact that there was a safe shelter. When so many people appeared all of a sudden, Dingo, who had been guarding the island for three days, was startled and barked loudly.

The eyes of those who saw him widened.

“Wait… it hasn’t been that long, but why have you grown so much?”

“I don’t think he’s a husky…”

By how much he’d grow, it’s unreasonable to claim that he’s a husky anymore. Even though he’s still a baby, it’s grown as big as a Jindo dog.

I hardened my face and called Hyung-jun hyung, Sooyeon, and Yeowool.

“If you stay on this island for a while, there will be no problems. Even if a monster swims, they can’t swim for hundreds of meters.”

Hyung-jun hyung smiled and nodded his head. “Even if a few guys managed to come here, with our numbers, it will be easy to kill them.”

That’s right. Unless it’s a flying monster, there would be no big problem. And they will only show up after a while.

People were full of hope for the future, so I made a plan for them and told them how to farm in the future.

“I think I will have to leave the island for a while.”

“Wait, why?” Sooyeon put her hand on my wrist. Now that we are on an island, it must feel strange to try to go out again. But I have to go find Rapwi.

“Well, I need to go to Daegu Seed Vault because the zombies ate up all the seeds.” This was what I discovered after arriving on the island. To grow crops naturally, a seed was needed. Back in Masan, there were a lot of farming and seedling stores, so I didn’t worry too much, but when I came to this area, it was a mess. The monsters had eaten them all. Looking at the traces, there was a high possibility that it was the doing of zombies.

Is it because it takes a lot of energy to evolve into a ghoul?

As a result, there were no seeds to plant in our garden. There were some seeds left, but not enough. When I explained this, everyone nodded with serious faces.

But Sooyeon seems to have a different idea. “I know that the germination rate of a crop becomes strange when the seeds exceed two or three generations.” I didn’t even think about that but still nodded my head. Sooyeon touched my hand as if thrilled. Hmmm, her hands were soft.

“That is why you need the original, don’t you? Should I go with you?”

“Uh… I’m sorry but I’m more comfortable walking around alone. It’s not because I find Sooyeon uncomfortable, though. So don’t misunderstand.”

“Okay… But will you return soon?”

“Of course…” Though, I’m not really sure. It’s been a while since I went up to Seoul, and I don’t know what might happen there. At the very least, I would have to spend at least a few months there.

“With Jiman around, you guys won’t have to worry about starving.”

“Because I lack the ability, only you will suffer.” Hyung-jun hyung sincerely apologized to me. But in my mind, he didn’t have to do that because he was also going to suffer soon. When I broke up from the group and was on the way to my room, I saw the children of the same age gathering and playing. They were discussing amongst themselves about what they should do in the future.

Suddenly, Mikyung looked at me, snuggled next to me and said, “Are you leaving tomorrow, ahjussi?”

“No, not tomorrow, I’ll leave after a little rest.” I’ve worked hard in the farming dungeon, so I need to recharge before going. On the otherside, Jiman didn’t show any reaction to my announcement because I had told him in advance. There were many events that will be held in the future, so we would still meet occasionally.

“Ahjussi, wait.” Mikyung took my hand and dragged me somewhere. As we arrived at the beach, she folded her arms behind her back and looked straight at me. “I’ve been thinking… can’t I call you oppa from now on?”

Yes? Why are you asking this all of a sudden? Ahjussi isn’t bad either. After all, there’s a pretty big age difference between us…

“What, does it make you uncomfortable? I am fine with it.”

“Um… I’m not going to say that. Anyway, can I call you oppa?” Well, there’s nothing wrong with that. I gently nodded my head, and Mikyung instantly hugged me slightly before running away.

Hmmmm. As expected, her body is soft.

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While Seongho was flirting on the island, Seokhyun and Yoon-jeong finally arrived in Changwon. It was a long journey indeed. Now, Yoon-jeong fully understood that Seokhyun was just a kid.

He made her wonder, just how did he live when the world was still alright? Maybe he’s mentally ill, so he’s obsessed with the game.

Anyway, it’s finally time to part. Because the president’s original request was just to guide him to Changwon. After hearing her words, Seokhyun gave her a deep bow and headed to a collapsed apartment complex.

‘It’s a bit sad…’ Yoon-jeong ruffled her hair. She had learned a lot about him while traveling with him. The reason he talked so much while travelling with her might be due to the fact that he was bored when he was traveling alone.

He told her that he mainly spent his time in the game with I Love Gimbap and Duck Buttock Goes Kwek Kwek. He also told her about their crazy adventures, it was to the point that she became curious about them.

What kind of people can get along with this man?

Anyway, she has to go back now. Having achieved such an achievement, the president would surely give her a great preferential treatment. While Yoon-jeong headed north, Seokhyun soon suddenly ran into a group of people. They surrounded him in a semicircle and were fully armed.

“Eub!”

Yoon-jeong was caught. Seokhyun tilted his head, and the leader stepped forward.

“Are you Rapwi? Nice to meet you.”

“I’ve got an important person to meet, so can I go?”

“No.” The man had already obtained information about Rapwi. He looks like a madman, but he was surprisingly loyal to those he thought of as his friends. After securing Yoon-jeong, who had been with him for a few weeks, the leader of the group was sure that he would never run away alone, and that was correct.

Seokhyun clenched his fists. “I’m in a hurry, can you help me out? If possible, I wish you could let Yoon-jeong-ssi go too.”

“Wait until the boss comes.”

“I don’t have time to wait.”

“Hey, the boss would be upset if he found out. Still, didn’t you guys play the games together?” The leader of the group covered his forehead.

“Who is your boss?”

“Oh, he’s such a scary person.” When the leader of the group made a fuss, everyone around him giggled. “If you get close, you can hear him. Can you feel it?”

‘Is he possibly a murderer?’ Seokhyun tilted his head. However, it was almost impossible for a murderer to make a group. After all, when there were three or more people nearby, a deathmatch would take place…

When Seokhyun put his hand on his panties, the leader encouraged him.

“Take it off, let’s take a look.” Everyone whistled as he slid his panty down. Seokhyun clenched his fist and the smile disappeared from the leader’s lips.

“If you can hold out until your boss comes, it’s your win.” Rabbit Pwincess jumped out like an arrow towards the group.