Stagnant Water of Apocalypse

We passed through Daegu and visited the arboretum in Bonghwa, Gyeongbuk. Inside the arboretum was where Asia’s largest seed vault is located. Although the optimal storage conditions were no longer there due to the loss of electricity, the seeds shouldn’t be contaminated. Afterall, the entrance of the seed vault was tightly sealed with concrete.

Both me and Seokhyun scratched our heads at the same time.

“With that concrete blocking the way, how can we enter…”

“It wouldn’t have been completely blocked, though.” I looked around the area with Dingo. The guy kept on sniffing, looking for something, and then started making a digging motion at one particular spot.

I asked Dingo to move away and hit it with a stone. When the stone clashed against the concrete wall, the sound it made was different from the usual dull solid thudding sound. It still sounds dull, but with a lot of echo following it.

“I think it’s quite weak here.”

“Hold on.”

Seokhyun walked away before returning with a big rock in his hands. Then, he slammed into the concrete. After repeating the process for several more times, the concrete crumbled, creating a square hole which was big enough for a person to pass through. When we went inside and looked down, a dark tunnel leading downwards greeted us.

“Is this going down the elevator?”

“That’s right…it would be at least several tens of meters deep ”

Will there be monsters waiting for us down there?

I could say that I was not afraid of dark spaces, but the thought of going into some dark unknown hole made me feel like I was going to suffocate and die.

I tied several glowstones to the rope and lowered them down. Meanwhile, Seokhyun laid down with his stomach on the floor and looked down.

“I see the ground. There is no elevator.”

“Well, elevators are made of metal…”

We promptly head down using the dimensional wall as our footsteps. In an instant, we arrived underground. What greeted us there was a tunnel which looked like something out of a movie.

Seokhyun nudged me on the side. “Doesn’t this tunnel remind you of some kind of a movie’s ending where the main character beats the villain, but then, the villain’s secret base exploded, so the main character had to escape through a long tunnel?”

“Don’t say something ominous like that.” By the way, for some reason, the temperature was pretty warm here. Probably due to the fact that the electricity and everything were out. No, not probably. I’m sure of it.

We thread through the tunnel to reach the seed storage sector. When we arrived there, dozens of doors had crumbled into dust, and what’s left was only various plastic cases which contained seeds inside, sitting on the shelves.

“There really is a lot.”

“Let’s only take what we need.”

“Why? These are ownerless loot. We can just take everything.” Seokhyun tilted his head in confusion, but my thoughts were different from his. The seeds in this place were numerous and varied a lot, so I did not feel the need to monopolize them. We only need to take what we can eat. There’s no reason to bring some random tree seeds which we have never heard of before.

I reached out towards one of the plastic containers and let the glowstone shine on it.

“Do you know what a crow pillow tree is?”

“I can’t even guess.”

“That’s what I mean. We don’t have to take those unknown plants and just take something we can eat.”

While passing through Daegu, we visited several plant nurseries and secured a large amount of seeds. Therefore, there’s no need to be too obsessed with the seeds in this vault.

“But still, with your large storage, it will be better to take all of it since it will be difficult to come here again in the future…”

“But I have a motorcycle? When the corrosive disease subsides, I can just take it out and come here.”

“Really? You even have a motorcycle?”

“Yeah, there’s two of them in the shelter.”

One of them was an ATV though…

Seokhyun approved my plan and started walking around while holding a glowstone in his hand. He swept through the place and took anything he knew and put the container on the ground. Meanwhile, I collected them and organized them in the hallway.

“Pile it up here. I’ll take them inside.”

“OK.”

We spent hours picking out the things we needed. Of course, we leave anything we haven’t heard before alone. Just looking at the loot piling up in the shelter’s warehouse made me full. With all these seeds, Jiman’s unique skill will truly shine.

“We are done here. Let’s head out now.”

We left the vault using the same path from which we entered. Once we were outside, We covered the hole with mortar mix and then painted it with white paint to restore it to its original state. Now, at a simple glance, no one will know that the seed vault had been looted.

We left the seed vault and headed north.

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Thanks to the highway, our travel towards the north was done at a blazing pace. However, we didn’t just go straight to Seoul, as we stopped at Jecheon and Wonju to hunt and farm at the same time. Each time, my level went up little by little, and more supplies were piled up in the shelter.

When we stopped at Wonju, I found a bottled water dealer’s building full of unopened bottled waters. Naturally, all of it went into my shelter.

When Seokhyun saw me hoarding all the bottled water, he called me a pig. It was due to the fact that I ‘ate’ everything I found. Well, I didn’t know pigs could be that smart, so I took that as a compliment.

(T/N So, ‘Eat’ in this novel is used for, eating the items, eating the skill, etc. So I changed it to ‘take’ or ‘get’. However, in this one… I don’t think I can change it because it will be strange if ‘pigs take everything they found’.)

On our way, a cold wind suddenly started to blow. And by the time we arrived in Seoul, it was already mid-November.

“It’s cold… Why is the weather like this even though it’s only November?”

“Seems like the upcoming winter will be freezing.”

“If you know that… Why are you still hellbent on using pants only?”

“Because it’s more comfortable!!!”

After having some unfruitful conversation like usual, we decided to settle in a residential area in Gangdong-gu. Around the area, there were a lot of monsters and survivors running around which made me realize that I was indeed in the busy and bustling capital city of South Korea.

Everytime I looked out of the window, I could see some survivors with a backpack running around. But they were not alone, since the number of monsters chasing after them was no joke.

Seokhyun looked out and said. “There’s a lot of zombies over there.”

“Yeah… There’s probably around 20 zombies there.”

What is the population of Seoul, I wonder?

In the other cities, if there’s no survivors who was stupid enough to gather attention by doing stupid things, it was rather quiet. But here, it was noisy without a break.

Do I have to think of this as energizing?

After looking outside for a while, we agreed to not go out to hunt if it wasn’t really necessary. Afterall, it’s clear that after killing a monster, we would end up dealing with all the monsters in the area that got attracted to the noises we made.

“Once the night falls, it will be scary around here.… Both bone creepers and werewolves will be a headache.”

“Don’t forget about the keeper bastards.”

That’s right… They were all monsters which I absolutely don’t want to fight if I can. I’d rather sit here and check the surroundings.

I unpacked my luggage and Seokhyun decided he wanted to go out to scout. I gave him the hook and he flew through the buildings like Spider-Ma… Let’s pretend we didn’t see anything that hit the wall and fell to the ground.

“Ugh!”

All of a sudden, the area was filled with the sound of monsters.

Do you call that scouting?

I ignored whatever was happening and went into the cave to prepare a meal. We had worked hard to get here, so it was only correct to have a feast now. However, the previously caught elk had already rotted to the point that all but the thighs had to be thrown away. It seems that there’s a reason why elk haven’t become extinct in Korea.

As I was cooking rice and slicing kimchi in the cave, Seokhyun came in, blood dripping from his nose.

“Did you do some looting?” I put my head out of the portal and asked.

“I got this…” Pasta and jerky came out of the backpack he had put down. When I asked if there was any sauce, he said it was rotten because there was no lid. It seems that there’s some survivor who did not believe that corrosive disease is real.

But there’s a lot of sauce in my shelter. It will take some time, but I can also make tomato sauce.

I took the food I had prepared and went out. Once I put it on the ground, Seokyun instantly gobbled it up, making his cheeks inflated like a chipmunk.

“When are you going to call Duck?”

“Tonight. I can’t do it now because there’s too many eyes around.”

A woman dragging ghouls as subordinates was by no means ordinary. People could easily tell that she’s Da-jeong.

“You can just reveal your identity. You are stronger than me.”

“Well, I don’t think it’s the time yet.”

Seokhyun was someone who didn’t care about the Auction House at all, so he doesn’t know the situation. When I told him about the Auction House, he frowned.

“Those guys… If people see them, they might think they are the victims when they are the aggressor.”

“If they know my identity, they are going to try and kill me because for them, I am a traitor to mankind.”

“But, didn’t they still get the information about Seola on the very last day?”

Well yeah… Geom-in gave it to the government and the government spread it to the people.

“It doesn’t matter to them. They are angry at me because I didn’t release vods.”

“Aha, so the actual reason is different.”

When we look closer to the reason why people cursed at me in the Auction House, it was mainly due to my videos. They act as if they were a noob, but the truth is, they already know about the basics of survival in the apocalypse. What they really wanted was Survival Life event information and hidden treasures. What happens, when, what events, and what rewards were given. In other words, they were angry at me because I hoarded all the good things for myself when they also wanted to hoard it.

Seokhyun asked me while munching on the smoked meat.

“Do you regret it?”

“No and never will be. If I return to that time again, I will still do the same.”

“Okay then. Don’t worry, I’ll help you.”

“I wish you could wear pants first before helping me further…”

“There you go nagging again!”

“I’m not a person who nags a lot, but when I’m with you, I can’t help it…” Truly. It was due to the fact that whenever I look at Seokhyun, I feel like he’s nothing but a kid. But a kind of kid who can beat orcs and kill werewolves.

After finishing the meal, Seokhyun went outside to loot again, and I called Da-jeong through the Auction House.

As if she had been waiting, she responded quickly.

-Where are you now? Answer me, Over.

-Just arrived in Seoul. Currently at Gangdong-gu.

-Tell me the location. I’ll go there right this instant, Over.

-I’ll tell you at night. There’s too many eyes around right now.

-What a coward, Over.

-That’s how I’ve lived so far…

Da-jeong grumbled and told me about an experiment in a government shelter. And for some reason she also dropped her ‘over, over’ roleplay.

-The guys here took out a spoon from 500 meters underground… You wouldn’t believe just how much ruckus they made….

They probably conducted it as soon as November came since Geom-in was there. And from what Da-jeong told me, their result was the same as mine. When I told her about my experiment, she instantly made a ruckus.

-I want to enter the place where the raccoons are too.

-I’m sorry, but there are no raccoons inside. And as of now, no one can enter except me.

-What level are you currently at? Are you over 20 already?

-I’m level 22.

-You leveled up a lot! Anyway, once other people can come and go, I want to be the first to do so! I won’t yield it to anyone.

-Got it.

SInce I made a promise, I’ll keep it.

Once the night fell, I told her where we were. Meanwhile, Seokhyun was sleeping while holding Dingo, who hated it so much, in his arms.

Auuuu-!!

A werewolf’s cry rang out from somewhere. Around this time of the day, everything should’ve fallen into silence except for 3 types of monsters. But Seoul was surprisingly still full of noise.

As I closed my mouth and listened, strange noises could be heard here and there.

A low whisper.

A scream.

A growl of a monster.

And…

Sound of something which didn’t fit in with the other sounds; the sound of high heels.

She’s here…

I quickly woke Seokhyun and Dingo up.

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Da-jeong changed her nickname to Ghoul Queen while staying in Seoul. It was due to the fact that all zombies in her Boys Generation had turned into ghouls.

She and her 30 ghouls arrived in a residential area in Gangdong-gu. When a group as big as that passed by, there’s no chance the monsters around the area would just let them go. Therefore, a commotion occured. Kobolds, ghouls, bone creepers, and even werewolves all come out to fight. Survivors around the area were startled and did not think to come out.

Da-jeong took the gap and went up to the third floor of the building where Seongho and Rapwi were through the one-room building’s parking lot. Once Seongho heard the sound of high heels echoing down the dark stairs, he removed the furniture barricade and let her enter.

“Huh? That’s Dingo right?”

“He has grown, hasn’t he? I think he grows so fast because he’s a wolf..”

“Once he becomes a little bit bigger than now, you wouldn’t be able to say that he is a husky anymore.”

“At that time, I should tell people that my unique skill is monster taming.”

“By the way, where is Rapwi?”

“He’s sleeping. I can’t wake him up…”

As soon as Da-jeong heard Seongho’s answer, she rushed inside while saying. “He dared to sleep when I came?”

Upon entering his room, the sight of a young man curling up in the fetus position while wearing panties only welcomed Da-jeong. At the sight, Da-jeong, who was about to kick his ass, suddenly stopped and sat down next to him because he felt pity towards him.

“Hey, hey.”

When Da-jeong shook his body, Seokhyun opened his eyes and yawned. But as soon as he saw a woman dressed in some sassy dress, his eyes instantly went wide.

“Who are you? A ghost or what?”

“I’m Duck Buttock Goes Kwek Kwek who played with you in the game.”

“I guess I didn’t sleep well. Better go back to sleep… Good night.” Seokhyun closed his eyes again. Da-jeong, surprised by his action, kicked him in the ass in anger.

“Ouch.”

“Hey! Do you guys really have to fight as soon as you meet?” Seongho came in and separated the two.

Meanwhile, Seokhyun rose from his sleeping position and looked into Da-jeong’s face.

“…I didn’t know you were this kind of woman.”

“What do you mean you don’t know. You must have heard the story.”

“I mean, it’s an apocalypse, but why are you still wearing makeup, a dress and high heels?”

“Because I don’t walk on my feet when I’m heading somewhere! Moreover, I don’t want to hear something like that from someone like you who only wears panties in the apocalypse!”

“But when I went out with Seongho, I wore pants!”

“Ohhhhh~ Our Rapwi has grown~.”

The two looked at each other and smiled. Through just a simple conversation like that, both of them had been convinced that the person in front of them was exactly the same one as the one they played with for thousands of hours back in the game.

Seongho, who was always on the lookout, intervened between the two.

“How come you guys are playing the same game… Anyway, sit down. Are your ghouls still fighting down there?”

“It will all be sorted out in a little while.”

“Send them somewhere else once they are finished. And, did people see you coming?”

Da-jeong crossed his arms and snorted at him. “Do you think people are courageous enough to look out when a lot of monsters are fighting to death?”

As she said, even at this moment, it was a mess outside. A sane person would clearly choose to hide in silence.

“Okay then. Anyway, thank you for your hard work, Da-jeong-ah.”

“Then, from now on, will it be a fun seggs time?”

Seongho slapped her leg and sighed as soon as he heard her question. “Stop talking nonsense and just tell me what the government shelter is like…”

“Hmm. You’ll have to grease me a lot if you want to hear it. I am very hungry these days.”

“You are still hungry even after I sent you those foods?”

When Seongho pointed it out, she screamed loudly. “I don’t eat anything aside from what you gave to me! The food in the government shelter is very bad!!!!!”

“It seems like the rumor about you turning the cafeteria upside down is true…”

“It’s definitely not normal…”

Even Rapwi looked at her with strange eyes.

‘These crazy people…’ Da-jeong felt that the two of them were not different at all from her. Thus, she was dissatisfied with the two of them who looked at her as if she’s the strange one.

She rose to her feet and declared.

“I can’t stay in government shelter anymore. It’s not fun! That president grandpa is always thinking of giving me some work!! Geom-in always smiles awkwardly every day and only tries to make friends with me!!! The rice is not good and the space is cramped!!! I will leave!!!” The frustration which had built up inside her during her time in the government shelter finally exploded.

Seongho instantly tried to comfort her by saying he needed someone to tell him what was going on inside the government shelter, but Da-jeong was adamant on her choice. Lastly, Da-jeong pointed to a bowl full of sesame oil and red pepper powder which was placed on one corner of the room.

“Seongho, I also want to eat delicious food at every meal! So, you go in.” She pointed at Seokhyun.

“But I refuse.”

“What?”

Da-jeong raised her eyebrows at Seokhyun’s answer. Then, Seokhyun slowly stood up and took a strange pose.

“A man like me will not succumb to the temptation offered by a witch like you…”

“Who are you calling a witch!!!!!”

Da-jeong, angry, kicked Seokhyun’s ass who said nonsense. And sandwiched between them was Seongho who only sighed while massaging his temple.