Chapter 29
Chapter 29
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: The Path Through the Fog
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Monsters in the fog, the main quest had warned about them directly.
Surprisingly, they weren't that threatening.
"Two more coming from the 3 o'clock direction."
"I'll handle them."
No sooner had the conversation ended than bugs burst out from the fog.
They definitely looked hideous enough.
The fine hairs covering their bodies were creepy, and their eyes felt more mechanical than alive.
But even so—
Since I could take most of them down in one hit, they actually felt pretty easy.
'Hmm, have I gotten a bit stronger?'
Just twenty chapters ago, I was trembling at a single zombie.
Now I could take down these kinds of monsters.
Of course, I could check my growth in the status window.
But actually feeling it firsthand was different.
"Maybe these guys are just weak? They don't give much coin for their size."
"You're right."
Yuri sheathed her sword as she answered.
Three giant mosquitoes lay dead at her feet.
"The monsters in the fog aren't that strong, surprisingly."
"Even in your world?"
"An ordinary soldier could take them down easily. Everyone was just too scared to fight."
"Hmm."
Maybe that was the point of this quest.
Monsters jumping out from the fog.
A quest that outright told you to run.
All the way to a limited safe zone.
'It's like it's trying to herd scared people together.'
Fear paralyzes reason.
The fog and monsters would push humans to their limits.
Like that human hunt before.
Doom might be trying to provoke fights between people.
'This author definitely has a twisted taste.'
It's an apocalypse, so gotta have human conflict~
Maybe something shallow like that.
Modern readers aren't that simple, though.
"U-Um... are you guys done?"
"Oh, sorry. I'll be right there."
Hye-na's voice pulled me back into the car.
Traveling through the fog had been like this the whole time.
Drive until monsters appeared, wipe them out.
Then set off again.
'I figured as much, but it's still slow.'
The fog already made it impossible to speed up.
Stopping for fights every so often made it even slower.
'Eh, no rush anyway. We can take it easy.'
The coins from the mosquitoes were adding up nicely.
The fog wasn't half bad.
How long had we been traveling like that?
"Ah, looks like we're nearing the shopping district."
Buildings started coming into view bit by bit.
Yuri let out a sigh of relief.
There would still be monsters in the fog here, but cover made a big difference.
"It took longer than I thought."
"Can't see the signs well through the fog."
A street that should have been bustling was eerily desolate without a soul in sight.
The thick fog filling the road didn't help.
"Should we take a break here, then?"
Yuri gave me a puzzled look at my suggestion.
"We still have a good distance to go."
"But everyone's tired."
Honestly, I just wanted to rest.
Fought dolls, bears, mummies, chased by dinosaurs.
That wasn't the kind of fatigue you recover from in a day.
Driving through the fog was comfortable, sure.
But now I just wanted to lie down and sleep comfortably.
"...Thanks, Ji-hoon."
"Huh?"
For some reason, Hye-na was smiling gratefully.
"You could tell driving in the fog was tiring, right?"
"??"
"...I see. Honestly, I was getting tired from constantly sensing monsters too, but I couldn't say it. Thanks for speaking up first."
Yuri smiled brightly at me too.
Ah, so I was the only one comfy.
...And now a few words get me thanks, making me feel like trash.
This might stir up some comments.
"No, I just thought it'd be good to rest simply..."
"Haha, getting shy from the praise. You've always been like that."
No, back then I was just a loner.
"Now that I think about it, pushing further might mean camping overnight. You even considered that."
"Oh, yeah, right. That. Overnight... yeah, no camping."
I hadn't even moved, but my eval kept going up.
Decided to just stay quiet.
Anyway, we decided to stop here.
Everyone agreed it was only the first day—no need to push.
"Oh, can we stop by a store real quick?"
"A store?"
"Yeah... I want to grab some clothes."
Hye-na's cheeks flushed a bit.
Probably needed underwear and such.
'Makes sense. With the car, we can stock up plenty. And no people means it's free.'
Combat gear had to come from the coin shop.
But daily clothes didn't need performance.
"Ah, but finding a store in this fog is a pain."
"Just pick any place that shows up. We're not in a position to be picky."
Hye-na parked in front of some famous brand store.
The clerk must've been dedicated—the door was locked.
We broke the glass and went in.
"Whoa, it's huge!"
"The stuff looks surprisingly intact."
The store was filled with all sorts of clothes on display.
Hye-na and Yuri headed to one side together.
"Yuri, what's your cup size?"
"Hm, G-cup, I think."
"Whoa, amazing!"
A pink area with women's lingerie that would embarrass any guy just looking.
No way I had the guts to charge in there.
Left the girls to have their fun.
'Guess I should grab a few things too.'
Underwear and some long socks.
A few comfy outfits.
Checked sizes, picked designs at random.
Never cared much about fashion anyway.
Especially not now that society had collapsed.
'This should be enough.'
All the socks were the same shape and color. Felt satisfying.
This was the bachelor style.
Even in this world, being girls, they were still chattering away.
I plopped down on a nearby chair.
'Nothing to do... maybe try Comment Search.'
Main quest reset it, and I needed next info soon anyway.
"Hmm, what should I search for?"
No specific items or buildings in mind.
Nothing I was curious about.
'Just random like last time.'
Less accurate than keywords, but more chance for new info.
Keyword searches limited to related comments.
Comment Search
Cost: 100 Coins
'No keywords.'
1. First comment on Chapter 27
2. Most recommended comment on Chapter 28
3. Longest comment on Chapter 28
4. Comment from (unviewable info)
'...That unviewable info comment again.'
It had shown up consistently.
Hadn't picked it since getting burned once.
But it kept appearing, nagging at me.
'Plus, the Mad Hatter's words stuck with me.'
This world was definitely a novel.
And someone was probably watching.
That someone was likely a 'reader' of this novel.
'What kind of comments did they leave?'
If they were 'readers,' they'd seen the story so far.
They'd know I could check comments.
Even that I could see the ones they left.
So maybe they left hints in them.
'Don't really wanna believe it, but can't deny it might hold clues about this world.'
No urgent info needed right now.
100 coins wasn't much to me anymore.
Decided to trust this 'novel’s' 'readers' one more time.
'...Whoa, didn't expect past info.'
Original protagonist—probably Yuri?
So which chapter was this?
'Never imagined I'd be shopping with her like this back when we first met.'
A smirk tugged at my lips.
Not that long ago, but seeing it in text made it feel nostalgic.
'Too bad, not helpful for this time.'
Made sense—can't win every random draw.
No guarantee of big info.
Swallowed my disappointment, got up, and headed to the counter.
Nothing else to do. Check for useful tools.
'New clothes are usually in the warehouse, right?'
Looking around for it, I spotted a note on the warehouse door.
"..."
I gripped my baseball bat.
Smashed the warehouse doorknob and went in.
"...Sorry. Rest in peace."
I swung the bat down hard.
A thud echoed, then silence filled the warehouse.
I stood there a moment, scratching my head.
"God, I hate this author."
Why write an apocalypse of all things?
If I get the chance, I'll ask him.