Stagnant Water of Apocalypse

<Rest and Power up (2)>

The raid in the Gwangju Time Shelter, where about 200 survivors took the supplies with almost no casualties, was a great inspiration for other regions. Of course, on that occasion, there were people who got caught and beaten by Da-jeong while attempting to steal the supplies from the other people and were fed to monsters. However, their traces were buried in the midst of chaos, so no one knew about it. Thanks to that, there was a movement in which they wanted to imitate the success of the Gwangju Time Shelter raid at the Auction House. Afterall, they couldn’t stand the long, cold winter any longer, while having to endure not taking over a place filled with a lot of stuff they needed to survive right in front of them.

-Let’s do it! Those guys succeeded in Gwangju, so why can’t we do it?

-Because we don’t have I Love Gimbap.

-So what? We can just break the door by ourselves!

-The first door is easy to break. A few molotov cocktails will do the job. But the second door and the other doors onwards are multiple times stronger than the first door.

-The third sealing door is really strong, how will you break it?

-We just have to work hard!

-Even babies can say that, you bastard.

-You… Who and which clan did you belong to?

-I’m from the Conquest Clan. Got any problem?

-So what? Do you think I’ll be shaking just because you come from the Conquest Clan?

-So which clan are you in?

-He’s not answering… Pussy.

-Well, if it’s like this, I bet everyone will only say hello awkwardly once they meet on the site. Success rate 0%.

-It’s not even a secret. They are always like that. Big talk but zero action.

There were several strong clans scattered throughout Daejeon. One of them was the Conquest Clan. Their territory was near the G Department Store, where the time shelter was built.

Unlike Gwangju, there were no Chinese in Daejeon. Therefore, the conflict between the clans did not reach the peak of chaos. However, each clan had tried to breach the time shelter’s door at least once, and they had done it every time they saw the opportunity, which led to the destruction of the first door.

Unfortunately for them, the second door was far too strong. A clumsy molotov cocktail could only char the surface of the door black and nothing more. The flame can was a little bit effective compared to the molotov cocktail, but it was difficult to have a lot of it ready, as obtaining the material was no easy matter.

In the midst of all repeated trying and failure, a new monster type entered the scene of the already chaotic ecosystem. The new monsters on the block were the monsters which were called trolls in survival life. However, since there were several varieties of trolls in the game, each and every one of them had a different callsign. The trolls that appeared around G Department Store were simply called thorn trolls by players since its attack, whether a simple punch, or a kick could kill almost anyone immediately. Their defense was not on the high side compared to monsters in its league. However, their thorns were something which couldn’t be trifled with. On top of that, their regeneration was also a headache-inducing skill. All in all, it was a difficult monster to face off against with the currently available weapon.

Aside from the thorn trolls, ghouls with bloated shoulders and arms also appeared. Those two monsters were like oil and water; they always clashed with each other. Thanks to that, the area around the G Department Store had become even more devastated than ever.

“Look at that crazy troll.” Strawberry Pwincess, Park Hyun-seung–who proclaimed himself as ruler of Sejong city before moving to Daejeon–said. The reason he came to Daejeon was simple: There was not much left in Sejong City. Residential areas were essential for surviving in this kind of time, but Sejong City was full of apartment complexes and public institutions. It’s not that there was no place to farm at all, but the clan members still wanted to move to Daejeon in search of greener grass.

Their time in Daejeon could be said as good so far even when equating the conflict about the time shelter in the calculation. Fortunately, the friction had subsided lately. But he was certain that it would burn again, and even brighter than before, when the time shelter opened.

Currently, the Conquest Clan members, including Park Hyun-seung, were watching a troll running rampant in front of the G Department Store–its territory. It lags behind werewolves in terms of agility and is inferior to orcs in terms of strength, but its ability to regenerate was truly terrifying. It was the sole monster who came out from the fight with its life intact even after being hit with dozens of arrows by the goblins.

The troll sat down at the entrance to the time shelter and chewed on the goblin’s leg. At the sight, Conquest Clan members turned their heads away as they gagged. It’s not unusual for monsters to eat other monsters, but in the case of trolls, it’s somewhat even more terrifying. It’s probably due to its ugly appearance.

Orcs were monsters with the appearance of a savage warrior. Meanwhile, werewolves, albeit scary, looked pretty cool. However, compared to the two, the trolls were, for a lack of better words, ugly. Its black skin and black fur held nothing to write home about. Unless, someone wants to scare their family to death.

Park Hyun-seung and the clan members looked at each other and started to whisper.

“Isn’t that guy too strong?”

“I’ve fought against it before. And yes. It’s too strong. There’s simply no answer to how to attack it. It’s not that fast, but its regeneration is insane.”

“Can’t we just attack it together at the same time and pile up the damage?”

Park Hyun-seung shook his head. “We can’t do that because of the thorns. Captain 1 also got sick because of that. It seems to be poisonous.”

“…”

There was something else to note aside from the troll. It was the ghoul with bloated shoulders and arms. People who played Survival Life spread the news as soon as they found it.

-The tank had appeared!

As its nickname suggests, tanks had a crazy amount of strength and stamina. Even when a group of goblins plus a few orcs attack it, it would only take less than a minute for it to destroy them.

Currently too, the tank, which the Conquest Clan is currently seeing, left quite an impression on them. After all, it wielded a broken concrete power pole like it was nothing.

“Isn’t that thing supposed to be around 500 kilos?”

“We are doomed.”

“Why is it so hard just to live in this world…”

While the Conquest Clan members hid and watched, the tank and the troll faced off against each other and growled.

Park Hyun-seung, who was watching, murmured. “What the fuck are those guys doing! Do they think they are cowboys?”

The fight between the two monsters which followed soon after was enough to silence everyone. It was still crazy and unbelievable even though they had seen it a few times already.

A troll with its tremendous regenerative power and a tank with its incredible power.

At the intense fight, the clan members had the same thought running in their head.

‘There was simply no room for us survivors to intervene in the fight. Even if a Stagnant water comes, I’m confident they wouldn’t be able to do it too.’

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When Da-jeong heard that the tank had finally appeared, she got excited and urged me to leave immediately. That’s why me and Da-jeong were currently heading towards Daejeon via the national road.

Our means of transportation was not on foot, but using a cart made by the stag beetles. It had wheels beneath the main body, so it was quite a pleasant trip. Dingo and Dingsoon were the ones who steered the cart by shepherding the guys who pulled it–the ghouls. The speed was only around 20 km/h. It wasn’t fast, but at least it was convenient.

The winter breeze in Chungcheong-do was also not too cold. Some winter strawberries and padding with a hood was enough to make us completely forget about it. Or maybe, it was warmer because the two of us were sticking to each other.

“I bet once you reach level 30, your Unique Skill will also evolve.”

“Hmmm, maybe when that happens, I can also take control of not just zombies and ghouls, but also monsters?”

“I’m not sure about that.” I shrugged. My Unique Skill used to be a simple skill, a skill which opens a portal to a place exclusive to me. However, it had changed into opening the portal for everyone who had completed the test. That’s the reason why I told Da-jeong that her Unique Skill will also change.

“If zombie domination changes to monster domination, isn’t that a complete scam?” Da-jeong asked as she folded her outstretched legs. Probably because she felt numb.

“There will definitely be some restrictions. Maybe you’ll only be able to control monsters with lower levels than you?”

Just like humans, monsters also have levels. The unfriendly system just chose not to show it. The only way to check a monster’s level was by killing it. If it gives you a skill after you killed it, then it’s level was higher than yours. And if it did not give anything, it’s the opposite.

Da-jeong turned her head back and looked at me.

“But if the monster is too big, it won’t be able to enter the portal.”

“If you are on a level that could get a monster that big, I bet my portal would also have grown bigger.”

“Oh! it’s possible!”

The size of my portal was only 1×2 meter in width and height. Naturally, anything bigger than that cannot cross over. But if the portal itself gets bigger, I would be able to put a lot of stuff in. Though, it would surely ask for Aether Stones for the upgrade.

I put my hand on Da-jeong’s shoulder before opening my mouth, “This is only my guess, but I think starting from level 30, a lot of Unique Skill mechanics will change, such as requiring Aether Stone for an upgrade. The additional effect will also be different from what we know right now.”

“Maybe it will change to giving an additional effect every 10 levels instead of every 5 levels like now?”

That’s a good guess…

When our conversation died down, I shifted my attention towards the Auction House for any important information around Korea. One particular news piqued my interest.

“The trolls have appeared.”

“Already? Didn’t they appear just before the owlbears?”

“The timing is just right. As winter approaches, the Erosion will also begin. That’s when the owlbears appear.”

Da-jeong’s body shook as she heard my words. “We’re not living in a fantasy movie, so what the hell is this?”

When that time comes, a completely different environment will unfold on Earth. Traces of centuries long of human domination on Earth will disappear.

“A troll has been spotted near Daejeon City Hall. It had just finished fighting against a tank.” I said after getting more information.

“Let’s kill it! You can definitely kill it!”

“No.” I shook my head. “You are the one who will kill it.”

“Eung?”

I wrapped my arms around her shoulders. “All this time, you’ve been giving too much to me. Now you have to grow stronger too. Go get some skills and items.”

Da-jeong stayed wordless and unmoving for a few moments after my words fell.

Did I say something I shouldn’t?

When she finally looked at me, there was moisture pooling in her eyes.

“I am happy. Our Seongho, who always took everything for himself, is finally thinking about giving stuff to others…”

“Hey, I didn’t take everything for myself alone! And I didn’t do that every time!”

“What have you given to me so far?”

That’s… a good question. I scoured my memory about the topic, but no matter how far back I go, I couldn’t remember a single one. Everytime, I always take the prize and justify my actions with various excuses.

Da-jeong laughed out loud.

“I will forgive your greed because you are on my side! I thought it wouldn’t be possible for you to change, color me impressed!”

“I agree with that sentiment.” I chuckled.

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“What a mess.” I whispered as me and Da-jeong lounged around in a certain department store. Now that I think about it, the government seems to really like department stores. Just like in Gwangju, Daejeon Time Shelter was also located in the underground parking lot of a department store.

The time shelter here also seemed to cause chaos around. Because from what I gathered from the Auction House, as well as the mess I’ve seen, several clans were constantly trying to enter it. But, both me and Da-jeong didn’t even pay attention towards the time shelter. After all, the warehouse inside my portal was currently filled to the brim thanks to our work at Gyeryongdae.

Even I, who was always greedy for more supplies, had to admit that farming was difficult at this point. Nonetheless, I still hear whispers in the back of my mind which said it’s wasteful to just pass the time shelter. But I have my priority right now; helping Da-jeong. Afterall, if she’s become stronger, I would also become stronger.

“This is delicious!”

Da-jeong took the whole kimbap I had wrapped and chewed it. The ingredients wrapped inside were spam instead of ham and washed pickles instead of cucumber. I was in doubt whether it would taste good or not while making it, but it seems like it tastes okay.

She quickly shoved the kimbap into her stomach, drank coffee and looked outside. The troll in front of the time shelter had now become two.

Then, when I looked at the Auction House, I couldn’t help but smile.

“Looks like Strawberry Princess is here.”

“Strawberry Princess? Oh, that pervert?”

Aside from the Whining Series, there’s also the Princess Series in Survival Life. The original one was, of course, Rapwi. However, when his style became a fashion statement, a lot of IDs with the word ‘Princess’ on it were created. Among them, the most famous were Rapwi and Strawberry Princess. Of course, in terms of power, they were like hell and heaven. However, because their behavior was perverted beyond salvation, everyone just calls them a twin.

“You know, that guy’s first ID is Fairy of Love.”

“Guy?”

“Would a woman ever use an ID like that? The only person using that kind of ID was a man at least in his 30s.”

In Survival Life, users who use feminine IDs were no doubt a male. Very few women mainly used funny IDs like Da-jeong, Seokhyun, or even me…

“…” I suddenly felt chills. That stalker too, must be still alive…

Da-jeong looked at the Auction House and smiled.

“That guy is really funny. Conquest Clan? Just what is he going to conquer?”

“Korea?”

“Seriously?”

“He’s not normal in the first place…” Even though what he did couldn’t be compared to our crazy deeds, Strawberry Princess was crazy in his own rights. Anyway, it seems like the tank was the reason why he’s not rampaging right now..

“Seongho! It finally appeared!!!” Da-jeong said, excitement was palpable in her tone. Following a thunderous thud from the street in front of our hiding place, the tank appeared, just like Da-jeong said.

As soon as it appeared, murmurs of chatting survivors around the area completely disappeared. An orc, which attacked it, was destroyed in just one swing. Yes. Destroyed. Literally. Its muscular limbs were torn apart like it was a paper.

Da-jeong had an ecstatic expression on her face at the showcase of strength.

“It’s really cool…a lot stronger than my Bulky…”

“Will your skill work like it used to be against it?”

“It should be okay. But I don’t think it will be easy.”

Thanks to the tank and the two trolls, the front of time shelter became a chaotic mess. The situation was slightly different from Gwangju, but it was also similar to how the survivors did not dare to approach.

We decided to watch the situation for now. Even without the trolls, the tanks were so strong to the point we would have to pour all of our strength to fight it.

However, a gift came to us unexpectedly. While we were having dinner. the system was updated. The tier 3 Store was finally open. I tapped Da-jeong on her shoulder and opened the store straight away.

“The Store is open. The tier three Store.”

“It’s time to use the points we’ve accumulated!”

Indeed. Unless the damn production team goes crazy with the patch. When I entered the store, the thing I was afraid of greeted me; The very first digit of the price was different from what I remembered.

I was left speechless when I saw the price of the mithril blade.

“Eight fucking thousand points???”

“What do you mean eight thousand point? Ah….” Da-jeong mused. Then right after, she started to hurl a myriad of colorful words. “THOSE PEOPLE!! HAVE THEY GONE MAD? What would we do if they raised it from 5,000 points to 8,000?”

Right… It was not even bullying at this point. It’s a straight daylight robbery. I calmed my anger and looked at the mithril blade.

「Mithril Blade: Indestructible, reduced regeneration」

The indestructible option was naturally attached to any tool made using mithril as its material, and the option to reduce regeneration was important. If something gets hit with this sword, its regeneration ability would be significantly lowered. It would not be completely sealed, but it was so effective that it was essential for hunting monsters with excellent regenerative ability.

Especially trolls.

If someone hunts a troll with a mithril blade, they will feel as if the difficulty has been drastically lowered. Of course, it’s not an instant win. Afterall, they still need to take care of the unique traits that the trolls have, for example, the thorns of the thorn trolls.

I’ve already killed a troll once in this reality, but it wasn’t a proper hunt since it’s a caged monster. Anyone can kill it.

“I think we’ll have to kill the trolls if we want to catch the tank…”

When I said that, Da-jeong trembled and bought two mithril blades. It had a longer and thinner blade than a long knife, so it looked quite nice.

“Why did you buy two?”

“You take one.”

What a kind woman… Now we just have to kill the trolls.

Under the shroud of dark night, we got ready and headed out onto the road. The trolls were sleeping among the rubble of a half-collapsed building. Even when they were sleeping, we couldn’t be careless as they’re monsters which would jump up when someone comes nearby.

“Let’s fight one each.” I whispered to Da-jeong as I loaded an adamant arrow into the elderwood longbow. When my eyes laid on the bow, I realized that the time to change it for a better weapon was nigh.

When the string was released, the arrow hit the troll exactly in the head.

“Nice!” Along with Da-jeong’s voice, a gasp could be heard around. My Super Sense skill informed me of the voices around me.

“What the fuck is that bastard doing?? Doesn’t he know that it’s a troll?”

“They are going to be slaughtered soon.”

“Hyung-nim, look at that man’s size. Doesn’t he fit into the description of the guy who appeared in Gwangju?”

“Who do you mean? I Love Gimbap?”

“What the fuck? Did I Love Gimbap appear?”

The surroundings became full of whispers once again. They don’t seem to know, but I could sense their every move. Seems like I would have to finish the fight earlier than I thought.

The troll which had an arrow stuck on its head stood up, and Da-jeong’s grasshoppers sprung up from around him.

The battle begins.