Jirisan
Kang Dohyun brought the three women he had contracted as slaves to the uninhabited island base.
Lee Dongwoo was quite excited at the appearance of the new women. Kang Dohyun simply said:
"Everyone's going to like you. Do well."
With those short words, he painted Dongwoo a hopeful future.
He briefly told Kim Harin to get along with the others, then left the island with his brother.
The goal of the two brothers, Kang Dohyun and Kang Dohun, was to grow stronger — fast.
The most basic method was hunting zombies, but the shortcut was finding hidden pieces scattered across the world.
So their first destination was Jirisan.
The two traveled on land using kick scooters, and manual kick scooters turned out to be an excellent mode of transportation.
"This is faster than I thought."
"Right. With our improved stamina, the scooter moves pretty fast too."
Because their physical abilities had increased, even traveling by manual kick scooter was much quicker.
"And it's kind of fun."
On top of that, it was more enjoyable than just walking.
With broken cars scattered everywhere on the roads, the kick scooter was the best means for the two brothers to move quickly.
Using Presence Detection, Kang Dohyun avoided zombies and bandits, moving swiftly.
They rode hard for exactly two weeks. Then, a massive mountain came into view.
"Hyung, it's Jirisan."
"Yeah, Jirisan."
They had arrived at their destination.
Jirisan was a very tall mountain. The brothers needed to prepare for the climb.
They readied themselves in a small hut at the mountain's entrance, but the preparation was a bit different from usual.
"Dohun, help me."
"What do I do?"
"Put a bit of candy in each of these."
They divided two candies and a small chocolate bar into small plastic bags. They made fifty of them and packed them separately in a backpack.
"Hyung, what's this for?"
"Gifts."
"Gifts? For what?"
"Jirisan is a sanctuary for scavengers."
Scavengers — they were bandits, but unlike other bandits, they roamed simply to survive, gathering food for survival.
Since Jirisan was a massive mountain, many nature-livers roamed the mountain, surviving on foraged food.
So most of the people here were bandits who avoided combat.
After hearing his brother's explanations, Kang Dohun asked curiously:
"Hyung, you usually kill bandits on sight, right?"
"The people here are bandits, but they're scavengers."
Though Kang Dohyun acted for his own benefit, he didn't want to kill innocent bandits.
"The phrase 'innocent bandit' sounds weird, but Jirisan is an exception."
Kang Dohyun didn't want to go around massacring people here either.
"Besides, we need their help here."
There was a reason he prepared gifts. To get what he wanted from Jirisan, the cooperation of the nature-livers roaming the mountain was essential.
---
Kang Jihun was a man in his early fifties, a nature-liver who had been living in Jirisan for five years.
When the apocalypse began, he had been staying in his small shack on the mountain as usual. When he saw the message:
'Am I seeing things?'
He dismissed it lightly. He continued living on the mountain, gathering herbs and eating the food he had stockpiled. But two weeks later, he came down to the town of Baemsagol.
"..."
He saw the town turned into chaos by zombies and immediately returned to his shack.
After that, he avoided contact with people.
'I have to survive.'
Zombies were scary, but people were scary too. So he stayed only on the mountain.
As time passed, he noticed changes around him.
'There are more people.'
There were more nature-livers like himself who had been living in Jirisan for a long time than he expected. But the number had surged.
They were all people who had fled to the mountain to escape zombies and other humans when the apocalypse began.
Knowing each other's hearts, they didn't acknowledge one another.
Thus, Kang Jihun was someone who had personally witnessed the increase of nature-livers — scavengers — in Jirisan.
As usual, Kang Jihun was gathering herbs in his territory.
'There's no place to sell them anymore.'
But he still had to collect edible greens and herbs for himself. As he was diligently gathering them:
"Hello."
Two men approached and spoke to him.
"..."
Kang Jihun gripped the hoe he was using to dig herbs, on guard. But:
"You must be hungry. Would you like some of this?"
The man tossed a small bag. Inside were candy and a small chocolate bar.
"..."
Kang Jihun remained wary, but the man's intention was clear.
"By any chance, have you seen any wild animals around here?"
The man looking for wild animals was, of course, Kang Dohyun.
Kang Dohyun roamed Jirisan, seeking out nature-livers. He gave them small snacks and always asked the same question:
"Have you seen any wild animals?"
Most of them mentioned wild boars or Asiatic black bears. But the kind of wild animal he was looking for was different.
At Kang Dohyun's question, Kang Jihun first checked the bag.
'Sweet food.'
Having lived isolated from the outside for nearly three months, he hadn't had much sugar intake, so he craved something sweet.
"Any more?"
"Yes, there is. If you answer well, I'll give you more."
At that, Kang Jihun answered clearly:
"There aren't many wild animals around here. But recently, a lot of wild boars have been showing up."
"By any chance, any other wild animals?"
"A while ago, I saw a reddish animal run by quickly..."
Hearing this, Kang Dohyun was certain it was what he was looking for and asked:
"Which direction did it go?"
"It was heading up toward Tugubong from here."
Satisfied with the answer, Kang Dohyun took out two more bags from his backpack and tossed them over.
"Thanks for the tip."
Kang Jihun picked up the bags and, still wary, moved away from the spot.
Kang Dohyun received tips from several people, including him.
'I saw it go up to a higher place.'
'It wasn't human, but it didn't seem like a wild animal either.'
'Was it Tugubong? Or Banyabong? Anyway, it went that way.'
The nature-livers in Jirisan actively provided information in exchange for the sweet snacks the brothers gave. Compiling all the information, they concluded:
"Our target seems to be at Tugubong."
The object of Kang Dohyun's search was at Tugubong, so the two brothers headed there.
When they reached the summit of Tugubong, it was clear that there were hardly any people around.
"Let's set up the tent here."
"Okay."
Kang Dohun set up the tent as instructed. Kang Dohyun:
'Hmm...'
He used Presence Detection to scan the surroundings, but the target he wanted was not yet detected.
'It seems to have a considerable travel distance.'
Given that the target was fast and traveled far:
"This will be a long haul."
He decided to wait quietly, in an ambush-like state nearby.
---
The two brothers waited at Tugubong for three days. During the wait, they had nothing to do but talk.
"Hyung, but this time, you were actually dealing with people normally?"
In Jirisan this time, Kang Dohyun hadn't threatened or killed anyone; he'd gathered information through conversation.
He wasn't treating bandits as potential enemies — he was treating them as other people.
At Kang Dohun's words, Kang Dohyun replied:
"Why? Is it weird?"
"Yeah, it's weird, but I like it. It's like the old you."
At his younger brother's honest words, the older brother answered:
"Want me to be really honest? Killing everyone I met here might also be an option."
Right now, they were scavengers — innocent bandits just looking for food. But bandits could turn into raiders at any moment.
In the apocalypse, if someone wasn't focused on production, they could become an enemy at any time.
"Still, the people here are probabilistically more likely to stay peaceful. So I gave them food and got information."
Then he spoke about his resolve going forward:
"In this new era, humans can't be trusted. But still, we have to live together, so... we have to pretend to trust them to some extent."
"It's complicated."
"It is. People are the hardest."
Zombies were enemies you could just take down. Dungeons, though tough, were just places to clear. But humans were far too complex and difficult.
As the two were talking:
"Wait."
"!"
At his brother's signal to be quiet, Kang Dohun stopped. Kang Dohyun scanned the area with Presence Detection.
'An animal moving at very high speed.'
The animal was approaching Tugubong.
As the fast-moving animal drew near, the two brothers cautiously emerged from the tent. With hand signals:
'Move as planned.'
'Got it. Don't kill it — we capture it alive.'
The two brothers moved very carefully.
Kang Dohun waited at the designated position, while only Kang Dohyun moved with extreme caution.
Rustle, rustle.
The sound of leaves being stepped on was faint, but he moved so carefully that he was able to identify the animal from a great distance.
'It's a fox.'
The animal that had been quickly roaming Jirisan was a fox. A red fox, at that.
Confirming it was a fox, Kang Dohyun was very satisfied and returned to his brother.
"The animal we're tracking is a fox."
"A fox? A wild fox?"
At the mention of a wild fox, Kang Dohun had a question:
"Can we even catch it?"
"Of course we can."
Kang Dohyun clearly explained to his younger brother:
"Right now, we're faster than wild animals."
"Oh, right."
Chosen by the God of Exercise, they had received athletic reflexes, and with continuous training, they had developed bodies that were faster than a wild fox.
"Let's move according to the route I already told you."
"Got it."
And so, they began their operation.
Kang Dohyun started. He cautiously approached the fox drinking water from a stream. Then:
Thwack! Thud!
Eeek!
He used his crossbow to hit the tip of its front paw, injuring it.
Eek, eek!
The fox yelped in pain and began to flee.
"Now, let's go after it. You run first."
Kang Dohun chased after the fox first.
The fox, injured in the foot, started running. But:
Eek? Eek?
There were traps along the path it tried to flee. The sharp, clever fox avoided them, but:
"Where do you think you're going?"
Kang Dohun chased it at incredible speed, so the fox instinctively ran to escape. As a result, the fox's path led to the location Kang Dohun had predicted.
When the fox moved along the expected route, Kang Dohyun was satisfied.
'All that effort paid off.'
They hadn't just been idling while waiting in ambush. In their spare time, they had predicted the fox's escape routes and set traps, and that worked perfectly.
As the fox fled from his younger brother's pursuit:
'It came here.'
Eventually, the fox arrived right in front of Kang Dohyun.
Kyaaak!
With no escape, the fox lunged as if to attack in desperation, but:
Snap
"Gotcha."
Kang Dohyun naturally grabbed the fox by the scruff of its neck. The hunt was over.
The fox hunt, which had taken days of preparation, ended rather anticlimactically.
Grrrr...
The fox was snarling at the brothers, but:
"Cute."
Kang Dohyun found it cute and instead:
"Stay still."
He took out a bandage and treated the fox's injured paw. As he did:
"Sorry. I really had to catch you. I only injured you a little. I'm really sorry."
He apologized as if speaking to a person and properly treated the wound.
He put the captured fox into a prepared cage. Then:
"Eat this."
He opened a can and offered it, but the fox remained wary.
"Hyung, by the way, why are we keeping this fox?"
"Just wait a bit. It'll be more fun to see than to hear an explanation."
His younger brother was curious but followed his brother's words and waited, eating snacks.
The two brothers waited for about an hour after catching the fox. Then, someone approached the tent.
Knock, knock, knock.
The being tapped on the tent entrance and spoke:
"Excuse me, may we have a conversation?"
An unusual voice. Hearing it, Kang Dohyun opened the tent flap.
"Whoa..."
His younger brother let out an audible exclamation.
"Please release one of my kin."
The being who visited the two brothers was a fox-human — a fox-woman.
When the fox-woman appeared, Kang Dohyun smiled and brought out the cage from inside the tent.
Eek, eek, eek!
The fox squealed happily at the sight of the fox-woman, and she opened the cage door.
"Didn't I tell you not to ignore people and stay quiet?"
Eeeing...
The wild fox was scolded by the fox-woman for a while.
"But why did you call for me?"
The fox-woman asked, instinctively knowing that Kang Dohyun had caught the fox to meet her.
"Isn't it obvious? I'd like to trade."
At the word 'trade,' the fox-woman smiled and said:
"You wish to trade with our race? But you injured one of my kin?"
"As you know, it was only a very minor injury. And regardless, I apologized first and returned the fox to you."
The moment he returned the fox, having spared its life, the fox-woman was obligated to hear his request.
The fox-woman sighed and said:
"It's not yet the trading period."
"I know."
"So I'll charge a higher price than usual."
"I accept."
When Kang Dohyun said he would accept everything, the fox-woman immediately began laying out a stall right there.
Items from the bag she carried began to appear on the stall.
Starting with gloves, shields, weapons, and strangely shaped potions.
A wide variety of items that couldn't possibly fit in a small bag were displayed. After finishing, the fox-woman said:
"Thank you for visiting the Fox Tribe's Shop. You can purchase items using coins. Each item has a purchase limit. You may also sell items, but only those we accept."
After finishing her explanation, she pointed at the stall and said:
"Choose one item you desire."
The number of items they could buy was only one — just one.
Kang Dohun had been amazed by the fox-woman's appearance, but he quickly snapped out of it and examined the displayed items.
"Hyung, this looks like a healing potion?"
One particularly shaped potion was a healing potion — a zombie cure that could even heal someone bitten by a zombie.
"The weapon! It has a special function."
The weapons she displayed were not ordinary; they were rare weapons with added special functions.
"Wow! These leather gloves have defense stats? This is a unique item!"
The gloves made of fox leather were special unique armor with additional defense. All the items she sold were special.
His younger brother admired the items, but Kang Dohyun already knew what he was looking for.
"I'd like to buy an inventory."
At the word 'inventory,' the fox-woman smiled.
"You're a special person."
"A little?"
At Kang Dohyun's words, the fox-woman sighed and said:
"Inventory is available for purchase. But it's 200 coins per slot."
It was quite expensive. That was because it was an ability not released in the early stages. But:
"How many slots can be purchased?"
"Ten slots, 2,000 coins."
2,000 zombie coins — a huge amount, but he didn't hesitate.
"I'll buy 10 inventory slots."
"Can't be helped. Coins received."
You have purchased 10 inventory slots.
Inventory function has been unlocked.
You are the first to acquire an inventory.
And so, he became the first owner of an inventory.
"Hey, you should buy an inventory too."
"Huh? Is that the right call?"
Kang Dohun was eyeing the special items with regret. But:
"An inventory is more important than those items."
"I guess so."
His younger brother also paid 2,000 zombie coins and bought an inventory.
After the two brothers finished purchasing inventories from the fox-woman, she said:
"This is a bit of a mishap. I sold an item too quickly, and it was an inventory of all things..."
She glanced at Kang Dohyun with a slightly annoyed look, but:
"Still, it can't be helped."
As she packed up the items from her stall, she warned Kang Dohyun:
"I think you already know, but I'll explain anyway. You won't be able to trade with us fox-folk for a while. Our trading cycle with your race is six months."
"Yes, I'll visit again in six months."
With that, the fox-woman bowed and disappeared into the mountain with the wild fox.
After the fox-woman vanished, the two brothers talked.
"Hyung, there are beastmen?"
"Yeah, there are."
Seeing his brother casually talk about such an incredible thing, Kang Dohun asked again:
"And you have an inventory?"
"I do."
Then Kang Dohyun opened his own inventory.
'11 slots.'
An inventory that could store 11 different types of items. If the same item was stacked, it could hold up to 99.
"Alright, we got what we came for here. Let's head down."
And so, Kang Dohyun obtained the inventory he had aimed for and descended from Jirisan with his brother.
Their next destination:
"Want to go to Gwangju?"
"Gwangju sounds good."
It was Gwangju.