Chapter 38
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Strong Shotgun
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Durability: 15/30
Attack Power: 150~300
Description: A model improved from an existing shotgun by Mechanic Park Si-hyun, based on the blueprint from Cassiopeia Corporation. It possesses far greater attack power than a standard shotgun. However, its durability is low, and malfunctions may occur during use.
As a Mechanic, I could only draw out the minimum attack power from the Strong Shotgun. Even so, the Strong Shotgun's attack power was a whopping 150.
150. Attack power capable of sending an average zombie—or even a variant zombie if hit critically—to the afterlife with a single shot.
But unfortunately, that didn't apply to the Tyrant charging at me right now. The Strong Shotgun's bullets couldn't halt the Tyrant's charge for even a second.
One shot, two shots, three shots.
Even as the bullets embedded in its skin, it didn't flinch. Before I knew it, the monster had caught up to the truck, and its hand roughly grabbed the truck bed. Screeech. The wheels scraped, emitting a bizarre noise.
The truck came to a complete stop. That massive truck even lifted off its front wheels. Considering the truck weighed nearly 10 tons, it was truly absurd strength.
What do I do? What do I do? Just thinking made my head spin, but I had to make a judgment call. I set the Strong Shotgun down on the ground and braced myself against the floor.
The truck bed buckled inward, sending the Tyrant tumbling backward. Using Metal Transformation, I'd separated only the part it was gripping. At the same time, the now-freed truck accelerated again.
"Step on it harder!"
I snapped at the driver for no real reason, then linked Metal Creation and Metal Transformation to fashion an aluminum trap.
I didn't expect such a crude trap to stop it. I just hoped it would buy even one or two seconds.
Clunk.
My hopes burst like a balloon into the sky. The trap did clamp onto its foot. Against an ordinary zombie—or even a variant—it would have at least hampered its movement.
But it was meaningless. The monster didn't even pay attention to the trap. Crushed under its weight, the trap crumpled. Its hand grabbed the truck bed again.
The truck bed twisted grotesquely. Finally, the monster climbed onto the truck. Its massive fist swung toward me.
Boom.
I floated into the air. Launched from the truck, I slammed into the ground. And... I couldn't get up. I knew I had to, but my body wouldn't move.
No, it was worse than that—I couldn't even breathe. Even wearing the Aegis, one punch from the Tyrant had left me on the brink of death.
It was proof of what a terrifying monster it was. I bit my lip hard. Get up, get up. My body began to move little by little.
But before I could fully rise, a black shadow loomed over me. I let out a sigh. This is it. Even as a veteran, there was no escaping this crisis.
It grabbed my body. I was powerless, like a bug clutched in a human hand. I could only wait calmly for the loser's fate.
Its mouth opened. At least I felt a bit of relief. Better than being torn apart, right? At least if it ate me, it'd be over in an instant? It'd hurt, though. Definitely.
What happens after death? Since this is a game world, do I log out? Or face eternal death like this?
What awaits after death? As I spiraled into such meaningless thoughts, something leaped in with a thud. Thud thud. Whatever it was pounced on the Tyrant.
Of course, the Tyrant didn't budge, but its attention shifted to something. That something was...
A variant zombie. Not just any variant, but a Chaser. The one perched on the Tyrant's back tore into its flesh with its teeth.
Roooar!
Was this good luck? The Chaser's sudden ambush drew the Tyrant's interest away from me. It tossed me to the ground.
Cough.
I vomited blood again, collapsing face-down once more. The Tyrant seized the Chaser on its back.
The Chaser thrashed desperately to hold on, but it was helpless against the Tyrant's strength. It dangled limply before being flung in front.
Despite the Chaser's considerable size, it looked like a baby next to the Tyrant.
The Tyrant's fist smashed into the Chaser's head.
Splat!
That it didn't die from one punch alone demonstrated the Chaser's superiority over regular variants.
Of course, a second punch was out of the question. The Chaser's head vanished entirely, replaced only by blood and chunks of pulverized flesh.
Someone grabbed me as I stared dazedly. Survivors from Team Apocalypse. They hoisted me up and rushed me into the truck bed.
Then the truck sped off again. Through a gap in the bed, I could see it. It shoved the Chaser's torso into its mouth. Crunch crunch.
The Tyrant stared at us. The gaze of a predator eyeing its next prey. I averted my eyes and leaned against a sack of goods, staring at the truck's ceiling.
Fortunately, it didn't give chase. If it had, it would've caught up in seconds and grabbed the truck like before.
'I survived, though.'
It was a close call. Without that Chaser—or if it'd leaped in just one second later—I would've definitely died. On the other hand, I thought:
'What if a monster like that invades the shelter?'
Sentry Gun? Electric barbed wire? The survivors?
All would be powerless against it. If it could swat away Strong Shotgun bullets point-blank, no way could a Sentry Gun or electric fence stop it.
'There's no way to stop it.'
Not with my current power, not with the current shelter. All we could do was hide and evade. If caught, we'd run until death, only to be grabbed and killed eventually.
The munitions factory? Even a solid mithril wall would just take time for it to demolish, let alone a steel wall alloyed with mithril—it'd tear through effortlessly.
Cough. The more I thought, the more despairing it felt, and blood trickled from my mouth again.
「Your wounds are untreated, causing continuous HP loss.」
Staring at the ceiling, I let out a sigh laced with blood.
Zixuan freaked out seeing my injuries and rushed over to use Healing on me. Thanks to her healing, my wounds closed neatly.
Of course, my mental fatigue remained, so I headed straight to the munitions factory and crashed. After a good sleep, the exhaustion had mostly lifted.
'Why was a Tyrant in the Hansol University basement?'
Strictly speaking, it wasn't strange. Tyrants and a few elite zombies spawn randomly, so it could just be 'coincidentally' placed there.
But... I sensed something off.
I called Zixuan, who'd been guarding me while I slept.
"Zixuan."
"Yes?"
"Um, what year is it now, by chance?"
"Why ask something so random...? Do you mean in-game time? Or real-world time?"
"Real-world time."
"I don't know why you're asking something so obvious, but it's August 2022, right?"
"2022?"
I glanced at her suspiciously, but she didn't seem to be lying. So... she's telling the truth as she knows it. Her 'reality' is 2022.
"Oh, does Korea use a different calendar?"
I'd chatted endlessly with Zixuan until now, but I'd naturally assumed she was from the same time period as me. I'd never imagined she could be from the past.
'Why didn't I find it weird until now?'
This is a game set 10 years in the future. Newbies do appear occasionally, but it's like finding a needle in a haystack. This world's full of veterans doing 'newbie cosplay.'
Yet out of 15 people, 14 were pure newbies...?
Johnson was the only one with experience, and even that was just 'a measly' month.
As someone who could pass for a veteran even among veterans, I'd chalked it up to coincidence, but now it seemed utterly bizarre.
So were the other players from 8 years ago too? Or from different times altogether?
'I need to check.'
I had to verify. The Tyrant's appearance might even be linked to their timelines.
"Why?"
I turned to Zixuan, who was tilting her head, and revealed the truth I'd realized.
"Zixuan, it seems... we're from different time periods."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"Exactly what I said—we're from different times. You're from 2022."
She tilted her head.
"Is today 'lie to your friends' day? I heard Korea has that."
It was natural for her to dismiss it as a lie. I would've too without the evidence.
"I'm from 2030."
"...Don't joke."
"I'm not."
"I know you have no reason to joke, Si-hyun, but... that doesn't make sense. From 8 years in my future? Impossible..."
I pondered what evidence I could show her, then spoke.
"The game becoming reality doesn't make sense to begin with. And..."
"Then wait— who does Lee So-hee marry?"
She asked with a smug, confident face, as if daring me to guess.
Lee So-hee out of nowhere? Who was that? I racked my brain. Oh, right—Lee So-hee, the top Hallyu star actress.
Famous enough that even a Chinese girl like her would know. Who did that Lee So-hee marry? Wait... did she even marry?
I recalled she did.
Digging through my memories, an article from about five years ago popped up. I'd forgotten it until now.
[Actress Lee So-hee to marry Kim Eun-woo on the 27th (Sun)]
"Doesn't she marry Kim Eun-woo?"
Zixuan's smug expression turned flustered.
"Huh, how did you know? They haven't even held the wedding yet... She only told me, her friend, that they're engaged..."
I'd suspected Zixuan wasn't ordinary, but she was friends with Lee So-hee... I shook my head to clear the thought and asked her.
"Now do you believe me?"