Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: A Childhood Friend More Amazing Than She Looks
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"I'm really sorry!"
After taking down the boss and escaping the rooftop.
The moment Yoo Hye-na came to her senses, she immediately apologized to us.
"We went to fight together, but I went down right away..."
"That was the boss's doing. It couldn't be helped."
"Yeah, there was nothing we could do about it on our own."
Lee Yoo-ri and I shook our heads in turn.
It wasn't just any attack—it was from a boss monster.
One far more powerful than a normal boss, at that.
I only survived thanks to Metafiction.
And even then, only because I got lucky and it was a mental attack.
If it had been a regular strike, I'd be dead already.
'Only someone like the protagonist Lee Yoo-ri could tank that.'
Even she pushed herself too far and collapsed in the end.
No one could blame plain old Hye-na for passing out.
"Everyone has their role. Don't sweat it."
"Ugh... Thanks."
Tears welled up in Hye-na's eyes at my words of comfort.
How had a sweet girl like this been bashing zombies with a shotgun?
"So you two took down that monstrous boss on your own?"
"Well, I was only in it from the middle..."
"Right! Yoo-ri and I teamed up. It was still a tough opponent."
I cut off Lee Yoo-ri mid-sentence.
She gave me a strange look for a moment,
but she was sharp enough not to press further.
"Wow, Ji-hoon and Yoo-ri, you guys are amazing. I can barely even remember what the boss looked like."
Thankfully, Hye-na didn't seem suspicious at all.
Since I'd pretty much soloed the mid-boss too,
she just accepted it at face value.
"Hye-na, sorry, but could you grab some water? My muscles are shot—I can't move."
"Oh, really? I'll be right back!"
Hye-na jumped to her feet and dashed off.
She really was a good kid.
I watched her go for a second, then turned to Lee Yoo-ri.
"Can you keep it secret that I was the one who killed the boss?"
"...Why? It's an incredible feat you could brag about."
"No real need to spread it around."
Hye-na now knew the boss rewards were massive.
No point advertising that I'd hogged them all.
'It's not that I distrust Hye-na. Fewer people knowing is better.'
Plus, taking down the boss had been pure luck.
A one-time attack fueled by sacrificing my life force.
I could never replicate it.
'They'd get the wrong idea if they thought this was my baseline.'
Hye-na was naive. Very much so.
She might actually start seeing me as boss-level strong.
Expectations like that would just burden me.
"...So you don't want to worry us needlessly?"
Whatever she read into it,
Lee Yoo-ri nodded like she got it.
"Got it. I'll just say we took it down together."
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it. It's the least I can do."
Maybe it was her reincarnator background.
Lee Yoo-ri understood my situation perfectly.
"But I'm not letting you off that easy."
"Huh?"
My heart skipped a beat.
Was she seriously gunning for me over hogging the boss rewards?
'Hmm, she does have some claim to it.'
Destroying one of the boss's wings was no small feat.
I'd demand my share if the roles were reversed.
Given her personality, she might go all out if I stiffed her.
'Still, it'd sting to split what I earned.'
But her words caught me off guard.
"This is a life debt I owe you. And I won't rest until it's paid."
"Oh, that's what you meant?"
I'd braced for her demanding coins or something.
This reaction was unexpected.
"We fought together. No need to make a big deal."
I couldn't have beaten the boss without her.
A life debt felt over the top.
"I'm not denying your way of life. But I can't be that shameless."
Lee Yoo-ri's gaze was resolute.
"I'll repay this debt. As long as I have my sword, you won't die."
"Uh, y-yeah. Sounds good to me."
I had no idea what shifted in her mindset.
But if she was volunteering to help, why turn it down?
'Having the protagonist guard my life? That's a win.'
I'd been plotting how to recruit her anyway.
This saved the effort.
"Maybe the shop sells life force potions..."
"Huh? What was that?"
"Nothing."
Spoken like a true protagonist—full of secrets.
No need to pry every time.
"Guys~ I got the water!"
Right then, Hye-na came running back, arms full of water bottles.
The original protagonist reincarnator and the sweet childhood friend.
Not a bad lineup at all.
After resting a bit, the messages popped up again.
Looked like the boss fights in other zones had wrapped up too.
"What does 'all zones' even cover?"
"The entire planet."
Lee Yoo-ri, reading the same messages, answered.
"From here to the other side of the Earth. Similar apocalypses are happening everywhere. And every prologue quest just ended."
I'd suspected as much, but humanity really was swept up entirely.
No clue how many survived.
"So every zone beat their boss like us?"
Lee Yoo-ri snorted at Hye-na's innocent question.
"Plenty of zones failed to kill the boss or got wiped before even trying. We're the lucky ones."
"I see..."
Hye-na's mood sank.
The scale of this apocalypse was hitting home.
"Sigh, I hope my family's okay."
"Want to go look for them now?"
"Dad's business kept me at school while everyone's scattered far away. Tough to reach them in this mess."
Her dad's company was over three hours by highway.
Roads weren't safe now anyway.
No realistic way to get there right away.
"Hmm, what about your family, Lee Ji-hoon? If we can meet up—"
"All dead."
"Oh, uh, um."
Lee Yoo-ri froze at the curveball.
Her flustered face looked kinda cute for her age.
"It's fine. They died when I was little—no memories left."
"Still, sorry."
"What about you?"
"No real family either..."
Made sense for a reincarnator.
"So we're all drifters now?"
"I'd prioritize securing food first."
"We did that already."
Lee Yoo-ri nodded.
"Apocalypse lasts longer than a day or two. Food shortages will hit eventually."
"Yeah, makes sense. Worst case, we starve."
Classic apocalypse trope.
Not feeling it yet since it's early,
but the whole world's in this.
Cigarettes or cans might become currency someday.
'Or Doom Coins.'
Speaking of, when could we even spend these?
No word after clearing the boss.
Lee Yoo-ri had the answer.
"It's still day one. Shops and main quests unlock tomorrow morning."
Not exactly thrilling.
Meant more fights with those monsters.
Nothing for it, though.
Time to figure out survival.
'Might as well check comments for intel before we move.'
I wanted to test the upgraded skill anyway.
It had leveled up during the boss fight.
'Keywords, huh.'
It evolved from Comment Check to Comment Search.
Unlike before, I could search specific terms.
Narrowing it down raised my odds of useful comments.
Still heavy on luck,
and 100 coins was steep,
but...
'I can swing that much.'
I had just over 4,000 Doom Coins now.
No idea the scale,
but zombies gave 20 each—not chump change.
'Agree.'
'Keyword... Wonder if this works?'
I tested one out.
1. The comment with the most characters in Chapter 10
2. The most recommended comment in Chapter 11
3. The first comment in Chapter 11
The chapters with comments jumped from 5 straight to 10.
Maybe beating the boss advanced the story a ton.
'Most recommended is the meta pick here.'
'Museum?'
What did apocalypse have to do with a museum?
Wait—this was a fantasy novel world.
Could have hidden pieces stashed there.
'Not guaranteed, but worth checking.'
Problem was selling it naturally.
Lost in thought, Hye-na spoke up.
"Ji-hoon, what're you thinking about?"
"Huh? Oh, how about the museum?"
"Museum?"
Lee Yoo-ri's eyes widened briefly.
Then she nodded.
"...Makes sense. Artifacts often hold special powers here. The world preserves them well. Solid choice."
She eyed me curiously.
"How'd you know that?"
"Just something from webnovels I've read."
I shrugged it off.
No way to verify anyway.
They didn't push.
"Sigh, I should've read webnovels instead of studying English."
She muttered something baffling and sighed.
What was that about?
"Any museums nearby?"
"About an hour by bus, I think."
"A bit far."
Roads were trashed,
zombie detours would drag it out.
"We don't even have a car."
"Gotta hit a mart en route too. Walking'll take forever."
A little uneasy.
The comment meant the museum appeared in the novel.
'Someone might've beaten us there.'
As Lee Yoo-ri and I lamented,
"Um..."
Hye-na timidly raised her hand.
"I can drive."
"Oh, right—your job..."
"Yeah, Best Driver."
Drives anything.
Who knew it'd come up here.
"No keys to start it, though."
"Job perk lets me hotwire without one."
Lee Yoo-ri and I were speechless.
Hye-na gauged our reactions nervously.
"B-but needs fuel, and if you're not comfy with my driving..."
...Best Driver.
Way more busted than I thought.