Chapter 60
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: The Trading Altar
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An altar laden with bread and wine. Any other player would puzzle over what it was, but I knew its true nature well. This altar was none other than…
"What is this?"
At Zixuan's question, I brushed the hair from the Sci-Fi Notebook off my hand and replied.
"It's an exchange."
An exchange. Exactly as the name implied—a facility where Mechanics could barter with other players. What was drawn in the Sci-Fi Notebook was precisely that exchange.
Zixuan tilted her head.
"What do you trade?"
"Anything and everything, literally."
Once the exchange was built, it would allow remote trading of farmed or crafted items. Using it wasn't free—it cost a fee—but…
'Should I be happy about this or not?'
It was undoubtedly a massive advantage to have a way to trade farmed items back and forth. 'Provided,' of course, that you had good relations with the other players.
I didn't have particularly good relations with any players besides Zixuan.
Olivia and Alicia were about the only ones I could call friendly. How much trading could I really do with just them? I was certain the costs would outweigh the benefits.
'Still, it'd be worth building for future use.'
I immediately activated the Blueprint Synthesis skill.
「Acquired Blueprint: Exchange.」
「Blueprint Synthesis skill has leveled up to 3.」
The blueprint saved to my smartwatch. Building the exchange would have to wait until we got back to the shelter. For now, there was something else to do first. Finishing my thoughts, I headed to the food warehouse.
Placing my hand on it, the shutter rolled open with a rumble. Amid a cloud of white dust, stacks of canned food boxes filled the interior came into view.
"Everyone, just a bit more effort!"
At my words, the residents rallied. Together, we loaded the canned food boxes onto the trucks. It was an enormous quantity—enough to fill all ten large trucks and still have some left over.
Once the trucks were fully loaded, I closed the food warehouse shutter again and sealed it shut entirely. Professor Alex had said farming would succeed, but you never knew with people.
This was insurance against anyone else stealing the food here.
"Let's head out now."
The Salvation Church chapel was nearby. They'd likely noticed our presence. Our group's size would deter them from attacking rashly, but there was no reason to linger here long.
We reopened the food factory doors and climbed onto the trucks. Rumble rumble. The engines started, the trucks vibrating to life. I looked ahead.
The trucks pulled out of the food factory. That's when it happened.
"Zombie!"
Turning at the residents' shouts, I saw a Chaser scaling the factory wall. It was clearly targeting us. There were still Chasers left?
I quickly remembered—it was the one that had fled at the start. I grabbed my acid shotgun and aimed at it as it ran. The residents opened fire.
But the Chaser dodged every bullet and somehow leaped onto our truck. Did it think close quarters would work in its favor? To show it otherwise, I forged a metal sword.
At that moment.
Bang! With a deafening gunshot, the Chaser pitched forward. I glanced at Emily first. No, she was still grabbing her sniper rifle. It wasn't her.
The bullet's trajectory had come from a different direction anyway.
Which meant—a brand-new survivor wielding a sniper rifle.
Even injured, it was a powerful sniper rifle capable of dropping a Chaser in one shot.
"Barrier."
"Got it."
At my murmur, Zixuan immediately deployed her barrier. There was no guarantee this survivor wasn't hostile. Plus, this was Salvation Church territory, so they could very well be church members.
I soon spotted the figure holding the sniper rifle atop the opposite building. My expression turned subtle upon seeing them. I knew who it was.
None other than…
'Johnson?'
It was Johnson. He casually stowed his sniper rifle and looked my way.
I gave a light nod of thanks. Past grudges were grudges, but he'd helped first.
Still, he'd left Shelter A—why was his party here?
'The only shelter nearby is…'
Shelter C. So, had they gone there after leaving Shelter A?
I considered talking to him, but…
He didn't look eager for conversation, and we had our own tasks, so I put it off. Our trucks sped out of the industrial zone.
"Why'd you help him?"
At Cheonghan's question, the other party members shot Johnson curious looks. He and Park Si-hyun weren't on good terms. No, it went beyond that—they growled at each other on sight.
Yet here he was, helping Park Si-hyun…
Johnson stowed his sniper rifle as he replied.
"Well, after coming to Shelter C, I changed my mind."
"How so?"
"Maybe a broken bowl can be glued back together."
Shelter C's 'top tier' wasn't priests or lawyers—it was engineers. They were essential for maintaining and repairing the shelter.
But compared to Park Si-hyun, who'd built a massive wall for Shelter A from nothing, their skills were subpar. Like the difference between the Stone Age and the Bronze Age.
No, perhaps the gap was even wider.
A little thought made it obvious.
No survivor handled guns better than a Gunner. No one wielded a sword better than a Blader. Psychos with their powers or Healers went without saying.
The same went for Mechanics. No engineer could handle machines better than a Mechanic.
'The value of a Mechanic might be more than we thought…'
In the game, Mechanics were trash jobs. But this world was different. A Mechanic's value here might surpass other classes.
"Anyway, what now? Gonna hit the Salvation Church chapel like Shelter C ordered?"
Upon arriving at Shelter C, they'd been recognized for their skills and vaulted to the top tier. The shelter leader had asked them to attack the nearby Salvation Church chapel.
Johnson had accepted. That's why he was here today.
"Have to."
"Killing fellow humans feels off."
Olivia spoke up hesitantly from behind.
"Don't talk weak."
Johnson replied indifferently, scanning the surroundings.
Soon, his sniper rifle swung toward another target. A group of survivors came into view. Seeing the crosses around their necks, he pulled the trigger.
Bang!
Like thunder, the body of the lead Salvation Church follower exploded like a ripe fruit. They looked around in panic before fleeing.
But the sniper rifle pierced them all without hesitation.
We safely escaped the Salvation Church followers' territory. Now, all that remained was transporting the truckloads of canned goods back to the shelter.
Of course, we stayed vigilant.
We'd cleared them on the way in, but others would've filled the gap. Maybe Devourers drawn by the zombie corpses.
But as we neared the bridge and the industrial zone came into sight, our wariness dulled.
Leaning against the truck, I gazed at the city. The sunset city was breathtakingly beautiful. Red sunlight reflected off building walls and the water surface, tickling my eyes.
'With food secured…'
Now it was time to ramp up production of worker android robots. Using them as a base, expand the shelter across the entire island…
And start building the machine factory.
I had to complete the machine factory before Scenario 3 ended. The zombies after Scenario 3 were on another level entirely.
Not quite Tyrants, but close.
Lost in thought, we smoothly entered the bridge. Then, on the opposite side, backlit by the sunset, stood something massive.
Human? Zombie? No human or zombie could be that big. It defied perspective, enormous even compared to the large trucks ahead. It didn't so much as twitch.
My face hardened instantly.
"Stop."
"Huh?"
"Stop the trucks!"
At that moment, the thing charged toward us. I jumped off the truck and slammed my hand to the ground. Using Metal Generation and Metal Transformation, I erected a massive metal wall.
But the moment its hand touched the wall, it crumbled effortlessly. Bursting through, it leaped and swung a fist at the truck.
I stepped in front, blocking it. With Zixuan's barrier, I figured I could tank one hit.
But I realized too late that judgment was wrong. The fist shattered the barrier. Then it brutally smashed into my body inside.
"Si-hyun!"
I crashed into the asphalt with a thud, vomiting blood violently. A monster beyond common sense. Thanks to the barrier, the damage wasn't fatal—I barely managed to stand.
The residents fired at the monster—Tyrant. But… pointless. It deflected all bullets, healing even the tiniest scratches.
Still, it wouldn't die that easily. I pulled the mithril net from the truck—brought for capturing it. Aiming at it as it charged the residents, I hurled it with all my strength.
The net transformed mid-flight, binding its limbs. It thrashed wildly, yanking my body roughly as I held on.
Being mithril, it didn't break free easily. Bang! Emily's anti-materiel sniper hit its head. It ricocheted. But she hammered the same spot repeatedly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Roooaaar!
Whether in pain or rage, it bellowed, grabbing the mithril net. Snap snap. Shockingly, the mithril net began to tear.
'That monster bastard.'
Still, I'd bought a moment. I scattered the bombs I'd brought for this exact scenario. Boom! Boom! Boom! Explosions rocked the bridge, concrete chunks crumbling down.
But through the smoke, it emerged. Wounded, yes—but the injuries were visibly regenerating. A few minutes, and it'd be fully healed.
I fingered the grenade launcher, then set it aside. Monstrous even in the game, in 'reality' it was a whole new level of horror.