Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Acquired a National Power-Level Ability
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People can't live without eating.
In the apocalypse, the most important thing is survival.
It's no wonder it's called Survival Game. Surviving itself is literally the main challenge.
To survive, the first task is protecting your body amid all those monsters. The novel drags on and on with that premise.
But the next survival essential is food, clothing, and shelter.
Especially food.
No one can say for sure how many months this blockade and apocalypse will last.
The original story already mentions that several months have passed, so we should brace for at least that long.
We'll need food to last through that period.
Obviously, self-sufficiency in food is impossible in a blockaded Seoul.
We have to hold out for months on whatever stock is left. Securing that much won't be easy.
Especially since the power's out and there's no refrigeration. We can't waste time.
The first place that came to mind was a supermarket.
They've got tons of canned goods with long shelf lives, plus stuff in the warehouse.
The problem is the nearest big mart is a kilometer away.
It's about a 10-minute walk, but charging in bare-handed against those beasts would be suicide.
Even the protagonist stuck to subways and sewers early on, never setting foot on the streets.
So, as a stopgap, I chose the convenience store.
Luckily, this one's owner stocked every damn thing because of slow business, so it was packed with goods.
Jingling...
The bell rang as I opened the convenience store door.
"H-Hiiik...! W-What do I do? M-My phone... it won't connect...!"
The first thing I saw inside was a cute convenience store part-timer. She was huddled under the counter, trembling. Even then, she kept fiddling with her phone.
"Who's there? A-A human!?"
"H-Help us! Hel— Mmph."
"...Godfather?"
In one corner of the store were Gong Ga-eun and three other coworkers from our company—four in total.
They'd lit up thinking I was rescue, but their faces fell the instant they saw me.
—Kieeeek!!
We all dropped low at the monster's screech.
Peering through the glass, I saw monsters I'd never laid eyes on before turning everything outside into chaos.
"Save me! Sa—"
A scream for help cut off as the guy's upper body vanished.
Honk! Boom...!
Kwachik!
A massive foot crushed a city bus amid the beasts' roars. Several people were inside, but they were mangled beyond recognition along with the vehicle in seconds.
"G-Godfather! Hide over there! Hurry!"
"Quick, hide! What if the monsters see you? You're so dense!"
The women yelled at me.
Hiding here was no different from an ostrich burying its head in the sand, honestly.
But expecting cool heads in a situation like this was asking too much.
I crouched down carefully anyway.
Not to dodge monsters, but for another reason.
It was about time for my 'ability' to show up.
In Survival Game, every survivor gets their own unique ability.
I remembered it being tailored to each person's traits or wishes.
The issue was how the novel sets that up but piles god-tier cheats on the protagonist. That's what made it popular, I guess.
Anyway, I'm a survivor too.
So I must have gotten an ability.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Seoul Area - 'Survivors': 10,830,550] The survivor count stood out.
More than I expected?
But the number was dropping in real time.
Still more than Seoul's population.
Was Seoul's pop over ten million?
Probably based on people actually in the city right now, not registered residents. Commuters from outside, tourists too.
In the short time I watched, it dipped below 10.8 million.
30,000 dead already? Couldn't even grasp how absurdly many were dying.
To stay off that dwindling list, I needed to check my ability first.
Hopefully something defensive.
I flipped to the next screen with bated breath.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ✨ Survivor Ability Granted Ability: 1+1 ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Survivor Ability Granted.] [Your ability is '1+1'.] Survivor Ability: 1+1 Grade: C Effect: Duplicates one touched target. "...1+1?"
My body stiffened at the ability name.
Usually, you could guess from the name alone...
What the hell was this?
No clue.
I did love 1+1 deals, but...
In this situation?
'...That's it?'
It really was. No more details, even scrolling down.
A straightforward ability, just as described.
No body enhancements.
No killer skills.
No special weapons.
No magic.
No super speed.
No effect nullification.
No foresight.
The novel's abilities were all like that...
But mine? Duplication. Totally out of left field.
Never appeared in the story, naturally.
And C-grade to boot.
Average-at-best, middling power.
What about others? Do they know they got abilities?
I glanced around the store.
The cute part-timer was still shivering under the counter, desperately trying to call someone.
Communications had been down forever, though.
The trio and Ga-eun were peeking outside in silence or sniffling.
Only Lee Soi, who'd been ripping into me politely earlier, was swiping at thin air.
That's the status screen.
Looks like personal screens are invisible to others.
Mine must be too, then.
If I play it right, this could be useful...
1+1.
Duplication.
No restrictions or penalties mentioned. No limits on what can be duplicated.
Only condition: touch.
In other words, anything I can touch might be duplicable.
Only one way to find out.
What I had on hand: the coffee and smokes I'd bought.
Safest bet: the cigarette. Least noticeable.
Blind duplication could cause issues.
I gripped one cig in my right hand.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Duplication target 'Manboro Bronze 1 cig' confirmed.] [1+1 ability activated.] Oh.
Opening my left hand, there was an identical cigarette.
Felt real. Squeezed it, sniffed it, even tasted it.
Not an illusion? Won't vanish after time like in games?
Touch, smell, taste—all spot on.
Not illusory, at least. Pocket it and check later in case it fades.
Next: coffee.
Does it work on liquids?
Maybe not contents, or not the cup.
Plenty of possibilities.
Had to test it.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Duplication target 'Cafe Latte 1 bottle' confirmed.] [1+1 ability activated.] Another coffee appeared in my left hand.
Shook it—contents sloshed just right. Same weight.
Taste test time.
Popped the lid and chugged.
Gulp. Gulp.
Kya.
Sweet cafe latte flavor, perfect.
Identical to the original, no difference.
Wait. If...
Coffee duplicates. Contents too. Even liquid.
Taste matches. If calories and caffeine are intact...?
Chills ran down my spine at the thought.
I scanned the store again.
Lights and fridges were dead, but fresh foods remained. Even daily necessities.
I could duplicate it all.
No limits. Just touch.
Not in the original Survival Game.
But now it's real. Protagonist, survivors—all need to eat, consume.
Food, medicine, essentials... Modern life demands hundreds, thousands of items.
The moment I could infinite them, I stopped being ordinary.
This wasn't C-grade.
Depending on the situation, it could even bring the protagonist to his knees.
First things first to make it happen.