Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Samira's Land
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As our forces grew larger, many things sped up.
The most noticeable change was the rate of food consumption.
We're putting in a lot of effort to keep up with it.
Farming and Big Ma breeding research.
Drafting people with relevant skills and experience, and so on.
But these efforts are preparations for the future.
For now, we're still covering resource consumption through farming runs.
Fortunately, our secured territory and farming efficiency have both increased, so we're building up reserves every day.
I don't know how long this situation will last, though.
"Looks like most normal animals are dead."
The living things we mainly encounter fall into three categories.
Humans, monsters, and birds.
Pets like dogs and cats must have all been eaten by monsters.
That's why we're even more desperate to breed Big Ma.
"We need to succeed with Big Ma breeding... but the problem is how vicious they are."
Controlling a few is manageable.
The issue is mass breeding.
Big Ma reproduce quickly and eat just about anything.
Even their own kin's corpses.
They don't drink much water either.
So all the other conditions are fine; it's just their savage temperament that's the problem.
They smash through most cages too.
"In rural areas, there might still be pigs or chickens left, right?"
"Who knows... I bet there are more monsters."
"Ugh. I miss chicken. And beer. Chimaek hits different."
We do have some room-temperature chicken breast in our reserves.
But that's nothing compared to real fried chicken.
"Seriously, why isn't there a shop window? One click and poof, a whole chicken should appear."
Jang Ho-seop making a fuss on purpose.
"Bro, no chicken, but wanna grab a beer can? Man... hurry up, wash off, and crack one open..."
He's trying to cheer me up in his own way.
I was about to reply when something odd caught my eye.
"Hold up."
It's a green gate.
We've found plenty of gates during our searches so far.
Some we've even marked as landmarks.
Gates come in various colors, but green is the most common.
"What? This one was definitely inactive until yesterday."
Jang Ho-seop's right.
This gate had been inactive too.
As I kept staring at the gate, the system message changed.
It felt like an image was imprinting on my retina, even though there was no physical form.
It was intuitively clear.
That the gate had activated.
That there were 99 days remaining until something happened.
And the last part...
"Means the number of people who can enter. So gates are things we go into."
At the same time, there were parts that didn't make sense.
The meaning of "Open Type."
And what happens after the 99 days.
"I think it'll explode. Monsters will pour out."
"Like a grace period?"
"Yeah. As for Open Type... I have a few guesses, but we'll only know for sure once we go in."
Jang Ho-seop rattling off various speculations.
I listened to him and then asked the final question.
"Where's Clarice Lake? Anyone heard of it?"
No one answered.
"Could this be some otherworldly portal?"
Jang Ho-seop sometimes uses terms I don't get.
Like that chicken talk earlier.
But this time, his words sounded plausible.
We passed the active gate for now.
Fortunately, it didn't suck anyone in by force.
We arrived at the back gate of Myeongshin Women's University, where Kim Soo-jung was directing people in the open lot.
"Good to see you back safe."
We returned a bit earlier than usual today.
It's moving day.
People are still bustling about.
Most are at the Independence Hall.
"Nothing happen while we were out?"
"No, but there's a gate that turned active."
"What? A gate? Suddenly...?"
"Let's head over and hold a meeting first."
The remaining people and luggage are the last load.
Preparations are almost done.
"I'll grab my stuff and come out."
"Sure. Choi Seol-hee took most of it. Probably just need to grab your mother's urn."
I went into the dorm and came right back out.
I slung the urn bag that Uncle Jang-su made over my chest.
"Bro."
"Yeah. Got everything?"
"Yep. Nothing much to pack. But what about that woman?"
"Who?"
Jang Ho-seop had gone to his room and come back quick too.
We were waiting for the final move prep when he brought up some woman.
"That woman. The one you hung up behind over there..."
"Ah, let's go check."
He meant the bob-cut girl.
We headed to the back of the twin dorm building 2.
"Take a look."
The bob-cut girl was tied up hand and foot, hanging from the building wall.
No movement at all.
"She's still alive?"
I'd originally planned to hand her over to Chairman Park.
But he refused outright, so we just left her here.
We even announced it to everyone.
She's a criminal, so do whatever, as long as you don't kill her.
"No one touched her."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Park's caretaker came by occasionally to give her a bit of water, that's it."
The bob-cut girl was slowly dying in neglect.
Her eyes were open, but unfocused.
"Eek? Bro, maggots are crawling on her, and she's still alive?"
Maggots infesting a living person's body, no less.
Chairman Park could go days outside without issue.
"Urk... ugh. This is rough even for me."
Even Jang Ho-seop, who's seen all kinds of horrors, was struggling.
Her condition was that pitiful.
Puuk
I stabbed a knife into her throat.
Waited a moment, then extracted the mana stone.
"Let's go."
"Yep."
Back at the back gate lot, the final move prep was done.
I led everyone toward the Independence Hall.
We arrived at the Independence Hall.
I sat down with the group in the main building conference room.
"One gate turned active. On the way back, we checked others; the rest are still inactive."
I started with the facts we'd confirmed, then reviewed possibilities.
"The other gates will probably activate sequentially too."
"When the grace period ends, monsters pour out from inside?"
"The name at the top of the gate message might not be a place on Earth."
But guesses are just guesses.
After hearing everyone out, I summed up the situation.
"Tomorrow, Ho-seop, try your fundamental skill first."
"Got it. What should I ask?"
I'd made up my mind to go into the gate.
The grace period felt ominous.
"I'm curious about inside the gate. If it's habitable for humans..."
"Oh, right. If we're going in, that's the first thing to check."
What if there's no oxygen after crossing?
Or it's the deep ocean.
We could die in all sorts of ways right away.
"We'll decide next steps based on the system's answer. Aim to enter the gate as soon as possible."
"Yeah, I agree. With so many gates, leaving them alone seems risky."
Clearing around the Independence Hall was done.
Based on old administrative districts, about two dong are monster-free.
Meaning our territory spans that much.
Naturally, we've found plenty of gates.
"Tomorrow, leave minimal staff and send everyone else out. Double-check for missed gates."
There might be more that turned active.
The bigger issue is missing gates entirely.
'They don't just spawn on roads.'
Once found one in a building bathroom.
So we decided on a thorough recheck.
"That's it for now; talk tomorrow."
We wrapped the emergency meeting quickly.
Everyone got up, and Kim Soo-jung came over.
"Let me show you to your house."
The auntie led the way.
"Here it is."
The Independence Hall site is bigger than I thought.
Including the surrounding ecological park, it's larger than Myeongshin Women's University campus.
Most of Baekho Ridge's gentle slopes are the site.
Small buildings dot the grounds; seven large ones total.
The biggest is this main building; the other six surround it in a circle.
"6th floor has just the conference room and your place."
The main building is six stories.
My residence is at the top.
"We villagers moved into the main building; we'll use 4th and 5th floors."
"Got it."
"Lower floors for offices, training rooms, trading post, etc. Oh, warehouse too."
Choi Seol-hee, who'd been in the house, opened the door.
As I entered, Kim Soo-jung and Bom noona followed naturally.
"Welcome, Yi Hyun."
"Thanks for handling the move."
I couldn't help but admire it.
The house was spotless on moving day.
The vast living room was furnished nicely.
Reminded me of the one penthouse hotel suite I'd stayed in.
"Hyun-a, what do you think? Seol-hee and I put a lot of thought into it."
"It's perfect."
"Yeah yeah. We'll keep decorating from here! Tell noona if you need anything; she'll buy it all."
Bom noona shrugged her shoulders.
I thanked her and headed to the huge window straight ahead.
Surrounding buildings looked small below.
The six buildings around the main were three stories.
Between this building and those six was a central garden encircling the main building.
Neglected over a month, yet still beautiful.
"Then get ready; see you at the annex cafeteria."
"Sure."
"Oh, feel free to use the bathroom comfortably. We did drainage work starting here."
My house has a private bathroom.
They specially ensured gravity drainage.
Kim Soo-jung left.
Bom noona and Choi Seol-hee stayed by my side.
These two will continue tending to my daily needs, living with me.
"Hyun-a, let's wash up quick. Redo your hair too..."
We're eating dinner with everyone tonight.
Delayed a bit by the meeting, but sticking to schedule.
"Gotta do makeup too, so hurry..."
"What? Makeup for what?"
"Huh? Makeup. It's the inauguration. Gotta look sharp."
It was called inauguration, but nothing fancy.
I say a few words in front of everyone, then eat. Done.
Initially, ideas like ancestral rites came up.
I rejected all formal procedures.
Just instill a sense of belonging.
Kim Soo-jung's handling that well anyway.
"It's fine. Just fix the hair a bit..."
"No way. It'll look different with lights."
"There are lights?"
"Yeah. Someone with that skill. It's in front of people, so..."
Bom noona soothed me, saying it wouldn't be overdone.
I finally nodded.
Choi Seol-hee was already showered and made up.
Headed to the bathroom with Bom noona.
"Hyun-a, tonight. Okay? No time right now."
"Just touch it a little..."
"Noona'll do whatever you want later. Good boy?"
I moved briskly at Bom noona's direction.
Helped each other wash with the prepared water.
"All done washing!"
"Ah, yeah! Ready. Coming!"
Noona and Seol-hee showed me outfit options.
I let the two women's hands take over bonelessly.
"Hyun's skin is so good."
"Yeah... better than mine. Takes makeup really well."
"Eyebrows like this?"
Bom noona always liked this stuff.
Seol-hee seemed just as excited.
Probably because fun things in the world are gone.
Prep done, we headed to the annex with the group.
Ah, annex is one of the six buildings around the main.
The other five are intern dorms.
Annex has the interns' cafeteria, lecture halls, etc.
"Smells delicious."
"Yes. We put extra care in today. Allowed a bit of alcohol for those who want."
A special spot in the cafeteria corner for me and my group.
Even a stage to go up on.
Everyone sat quietly in their seats.
I went up on stage alone.
'Lights for real.'
Sun almost set.
Candles lit throughout the cafeteria.
Atmosphere like a secret cult meeting from a movie.
In the midst, some woman shone lights on me.
Not too bright, just right.
'Emotions...'
Standing center stage, I scanned the people who'd be with me going forward.
Overwhelmingly young women.
Their emotions flowed in like waves.
Favor, fear.
Mainly those two.
Feeling various emotions, I stayed silent a moment.
"Hello. I'm Sai Hyun."
I spoke the first words slowly.
The reaction was different from what I expected.