Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Magic Potion (1)
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It's been a while since I last had a dream.
Aiming for short but perfect sleep, dreaming feels like a disgrace to me, but the dream itself was intriguing.
Park Gyu was preparing for the future in America, not Korea.
He easily obtained firearms and built a massive fortress in the vast wilderness that rivaled even a chaebol chairman's.
From the tallest tower of that fortress, he shot dead invading Yankees, cowboys, superheroes, and mad mice alike, then crushed monsters under the wheels of an 18-wheeled trailer, and for some reason, he even had dinner with the U.S. President.
At the dream's climax, I tried to say something to the President.
But no words came out.
I knew what I wanted to say, but I wasn't fluent in his language, and doubts about whether my intended expression was right sealed my lips.
In that instant, I realized I was a foreigner on that land, and with a sense of leaking air, I woke up.
No more, no less.
A silly dream. An entertaining silly dream.
But the dream's backdrop and situation faintly foreshadowed the future unfolding before me soon.
Thinking of the people I'd meet shortly gave me that feeling.
These days, gunshots have been ringing out more frequently.
It's one-sided shooting, so it doesn't seem like a battle, but the frequency is excessively high.
Has something gone wrong?
It's not a situation requiring contact, so I'm just watching, but worry creeps in.
Maybe those frequent shots aren't from intruders but traces of madness.
It's already been two years since the war began.
Plenty of time for a person to lose their mind.
The sniper has always demanded drugs from me.
But what drug could soothe her empty heart?
If there were a magic potion, maybe.
But where could I find a magic potion?
DragonC uploaded the latest Remnant chapter today.
The latest depicts Kyle_Dos's final moments, desperately fighting deserter intruders to protect his wife.
In his last instant, realizing the odds were overwhelming, he held his wife's hand, shared a final kiss, then pulled the pin on a grenade aimed at the enemies charging into the bunker.
Boom!
Explosion ending.
The reactions were intensely hot.
Everyone shed tears through their keyboards.
Even Defender.
But not me, and not one other.
Objectively, a good duo to bundle and bash.
One's a Defender buddy with no sense of humor, the other went nuts since year one and became a real unicorn like his nickname.
As expected, bundled together, we're getting flak, but it feels like I'm taking all the hits?
Even Defender's giving side-eye.
Innocent though framed, I'm confident in myself.
Honest impression from one who actually went to Kyle_Dos's bunker and checked the truth.
Bluntly, it wasn't an explosion ending, right?
I didn't share Kyle_Dos's news on the board.
No need, I thought.
Better to let him stay the explosion-ending protagonist than give room for multiple interpretations.
Anyway, bad things happen, but good ones occasionally too.
A familiar face reappeared in the Remnant latest comments after ages.
None other than the Reporter.
He, thought dead since the civil war started, boldly returned and subtly left his thoughts on the webtoon.
A named user's resurrection naturally stirred the board.
Indeed, the Reporter deserves named status.
His survival report alone filled the hot posts, and like making up for lost time, he dumped a bundle of latest Failnet intel on us.
To us trapped in a stuffy bunker, it felt like another world unfolding.
All thrilling stories, but one especially grabbed eyes.
Before war's extreme variable, even chaebols were helpless.
Chaebols building their castles in suburbs for future prep now targets.
Prime example: Park Cheol-ju's fortress.
Helicopter on heliport gracefully standing, greenhouse evoking Louvre, mini golf like luxury country club—all couldn't escape destruction.
As chaebol fans heated up, Reporter explained directly in comments.
I agree with Reporter.
That shell crater's trace of 155mm field gun.
Shell a chaebol house in Chuncheon—no Seoul, no strategic value—with legion artillery? What else but fun?
Chaebol family still holds ruined fortress, but with walls down, foundation gone, won't last long.
Maybe Je Phong-ho was wise.
Anyway, Reporter's revival injected huge vitality into the stagnant board.
Moment confirming named users' power.
But me, surprisingly jealous type.
"......"
Desire to post about Kyle_Dos spread to my fingertips.
Title already set in my head.
Born to be hot post handsome title.
But better not post.
“I don’t want to shatter the users’ feelings.”
Reality I saw open to interpretations.
For board friends' hearts, best Kyle_Dos ends with explosion.
"......"
But pondering, thoughts shift.
Best to hoard this great material?
Dramatic end good, but conveying facts equally important?
Honestly, intel sources weaker than Reporter, but on-site reporting superior.
My fierce inner conflict abruptly ended by sudden noise.
-Zzzt!
The K-walkie-talkie caught a signal.
"Skeleton."
Familiar voice.
Sniper's.
"Need support."
Before words finished, sharp gunshots echoed from south.
In doomsday, most threatening still humans, I think.
Erosion inevitable disaster, but Kyle_Dos unlucky.
Too close to rift.
Erosion speed not fast itself.
Maybe 1cm radius per day.
Slow.
But exceptions sometimes.
Unknown conditions, but whole wide areas eroded overnight.
Say settled monsters culprit, but they just make territory, not accelerate erosion catalyst.
Probably unknown cause, but erosion spreads fast where monsters are.
Old era bred so many hunters knowing empirically.
Don't spare settled types, don't wait dissolution, track army-missed one to end and kill.
School teachings.
Anyway, some cause hit Kyle_Dos, booted him from board.
Me, still time left.
Absolute distance.
Seoul in between point.
Even if Seoul falls, plenty can live there.
Seoul value rises or holds.
Ruins still have all needs below.
If my area eroding, abandoning bunker option.
By then, few humans roaming Korea.
Means deadliest foe gone.
Bang!
Why humans scariest.
See looters invading sniper territory.
Bang!
Looter pack camped on ridge ~1.2km from sniper building.
Two naked men, clothes off, popping like whack-a-mole on ridge—up, down, darting.
This midwinter madness has reason.
To mock sniper.
Bang!
Even ace sniper hard hit fast target 1.2km away.
Each futile shot, naked guys flash fist-potato or middle finger mocking, laughter from below ridge.
Bang!
Another irritated bullet splits air, but swallowed in void.
"......"
Comedy from afar, but for her, extreme stress.
Guys ready kill, steal all, taunting within arm's reach.
Like nature: predator spots porcupine, doesn't quit, observes, ponders how eat, tests nerves till victim cracks.
"Kee-ya-hat!"
One leaps full on ridge, spreads eagle, screeches grotesque.
Bang!
Irritated shot rings, but before, naked dives cover—
Bang!
Another bullet hits man.
"Kee-ya-hoo!"
Bleeding from gunshot, still screeches into cover, louder laughs behind.
Only humans do this.
Only humans kill fellow with clear purpose.
Monsters lack that.
Why I rank monsters below humans despite lethal strength.
Circled wide to reach sniper area.
Three stiffened corpses at feet.
Armbands: pioneer group, killed around fall when they rampaged.
"......"
No spare time clean bodies?
Sniper's drug whines recalled.
Maybe she's at limit.
With resolve, waved hand.
Soon building-top mirror flash glinted.
Morse: wait.
Stoic face, waited for contact.
Appearing: not sniper, her daughter.
Kids grow fast—taller than last.
Still, U.S. helmet oversized on head, slung rifle mismatched body.
"Skeleton."
Sniper's daughter stared gravely.
Face tells all.
Heavy stress.
Nutrition not critical, but not abundant.
"Let's go."
No consoling words.
They need problem solved.
I came to solve it.
But no drugs, any case.
Drugs aren't magic potion shorthand.