Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: 31. Turning Point (2)
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Paju.
A city bordering North Korea's Kaesong Special City, located at the northwestern tip of South Korea.
Its pre-Reset population was around 490,000.
The city's defining traits were its proximity to North Korea, which meant a heavy military presence, and...
'The Joint Security Area.'
Commonly known as Panmunjom.
Having decided to cross into North Korea, even if just for a short while, there was no way he could skip visiting Panmunjom.
And so, Young-woo was already approaching Dorasan Station, the last stop on the Gyeongui Line, also called the final station of South Korea.
*Clank, clank!*
Riding the iron horse from the other world, Negreig.
*Whoooosh...!*
Black obsidian rain was still pouring from the sky, so not a single living creature could be seen near Dorasan Station.
But even before the Reset, it wasn't a place with much foot traffic, so it would have been desolate regardless of the freak weather.
'What about the soldiers? What happened to the troops stationed in Paju?'
In a world where even bullets had turned to stone, he couldn't expect soldiers to be hunkered down in shelters like in typical apocalypse movies or novels.
'But that doesn't mean they couldn't make contact with the Exchange... right?'
In terms of handling the Reset, military bases probably had an advantage over urban areas.
Infantry units typically lived in squads of anywhere from seven to a dozen or so soldiers.
In other words, unlike the first Exchanges in the cities, where people survived as lone wolves without any camaraderie or sense of belonging, the situation here would have been very different.
'Of course, they wouldn't have neatly divided up their shares and mentally prepared for the monsters to come...'
Young-woo had been exempt from service as an orphan from heaven and earth, but he'd volunteered and served out his full term as a corporal—a rare case.
It wasn't youthful bravado; it stemmed from an inferiority complex he'd carried since childhood.
'Back then, the very idea that I didn't have to serve because I was an orphan felt like an insult.'
Of course, he didn't regret that choice even now.
But was it the right thing to do?
He wasn't sure about that either.
In the end, he'd learned that even that decision was just following what was written in his Book of Fate.
'It still doesn't make sense, no matter how I think about it. All those people's fates were predetermined...?'
As Young-woo shook his head atop Negreig, a sign indicating proximity to the DMZ finally appeared amid the endless greenery.
And beside it stretched a long line of barbed wire cutting through the forest.
By bypassing the Unification Bridge and heading straight north from Dorasan Station, Young-woo had entered the flank of the military unit stationed near Panmunjom.
Naturally, there wasn't a single soldier on guard duty around here.
'Even if there were bodies, this rain would have pulverized them by now.'
Harboring grim thoughts, Young-woo crossed the fence and continued deeper into the base.
Soon, the barracks and parade ground—once teeming with soldiers—came into view, along with the mess hall opposite.
'In a real sense, the border doesn't even exist anymore. They could have crossed back and forth freely during the day...'
That might explain why Paju's top swordsman title was vacant and why no mutants had been dealt with.
Until recently, he'd assumed Goyang's top swordsman had absorbed Paju's title.
'But North Korea could have taken it.'
For instance, Kaesong City's top swordsman might have claimed it soon.
*Clank, clank!*
As Young-woo pressed northward, a building he'd seen in photos finally entered his view.
'Almost there.'
It was none other than the Peace House.
The South Korean building in Panmunjom where Kim Jong-un had visited for the inter-Korean summit.
And about a hundred meters away, across the Military Demarcation Line, stood the Freedom House facing North Korea's Panmungak.
"Uh, hold on."
Young-woo reflexively pulled the reins, slowing Negreig as his gaze shifted to the Freedom House and beyond to Panmungak.
-Kreee...!
It was because an astonishing sight lay right before his eyes.
"...No way."
The entire North Korean side, including Panmungak, was shrouded in a bluish mist.
'Each country has its own freak weather.'
Of course, this was within expectations.
What shocked Young-woo was...
*Whoooosh...!*
South Korea's black obsidian rain stopped precisely at the Military Demarcation Line.
North Korea's blue mist lingered only beyond the line.
In other words, whatever system had shaped this world was recognizing the territorial and border concepts arbitrarily drawn by pre-Reset humans.
'So what's the basis for these divisions? Probably the Reset point.'
At this point, Young-woo wondered whether Dokdo was set as South Korean or Japanese territory.
How had the universe viewed the Dokdo territorial dispute?
*Clank.*
Negreig finally halted right before the Military Demarcation Line at Panmunjom.
-Kreee!
It lifted its head and let out a somewhat sharp cry.
As if saying not to go any further.
"I know. I don't have gear to block that mist yet."
Young-woo scanned the surroundings, then used his epic compass 'Frightened Cat' to confirm no threats nearby once more.
Then...
'North Korea's weather should clear before the daily reset service ends, right? Might as well wait.'
With that thought, he opened his accessory catalog.
*Fwoosh!*
To store away everything except gear like the Frightened Cat that needed frequent checks and items he didn't need to wear directly.
'Rings and bracelets can all go in. So convenient.'
Storing gear in the catalog was simple.
Just like viewing the tooltip, focus on the item or touch it, and a book-shaped catalog icon appeared alongside the gear tooltip.
Then, just look at the catalog icon.
*Shloop.*
The gear would get sucked into the icon and auto-stored, with its effects still applied.
'Keep the compasses, Serpent of Avarice, and whistle. That should do it.'
Young-woo also left the legendary bracelet 'Golden Chastisement' equipped as is.
It held personal meaning as a reward from the golden path, and it provided defensive effects on its own.
'Looks sorted now?'
Admiring his much cleaner hands, Young-woo wished for more catalogs.
He couldn't wear two helmets at once, so gear like the 'Frost Crown' went unused.
「Frost Crown」 - Mutated Helmet
【Cold Resistance 20%】
But with an armor catalog, he could keep the Frost Crown's 20% cold resistance active even while wearing his vanguard gear.
'Same with weapons. One axe is just sitting idle.'
「Merciless」 - Mutated One-Handed Axe
【Increased damage against foes with lower total stats than wearer】
To get more catalogs, though, he'd have to challenge the dungeon every night.
And take first place in contribution each time.
Not easy.
Before that, acquiring gear to pierce freak weathers was another hurdle.
Even diligently visiting merchants had limits.
'Can't predict the nightly weather, so even multiple weather gears come down to luck.'
No guarantee he'd run into Otavio and Ricardo in the next dungeon either.
"......"
Frowning at the headaches piling up, Young-woo's wristwatch beeped.
*Beep, beep.*
The 8 a.m. alarm.
'Still a ways until 10. Maybe scout other areas.'
As Young-woo checked the alarm and glanced skyward, the black obsidian rain that had blanketed everything vanished in an instant.
*Pop!*
"...Huh?"
The same happened just a few steps ahead across the Military Demarcation Line in the North.
The blue mist there had cleared completely.
'Ah... 8 a.m. is when the freak weather ends.'
Young-woo learned another rule of this world.
Then, system messages flooded his view.
「Strength permanently increased by 100 due to Furious Goblin.」
「Amber Whistle uses have been recharged.」
The system's official 'day' began at 8 a.m.
'Wait, hold on. If that's the case.'
As his thoughts drifted to achievements, the long-pending 'Nocturnal' achievement completed, as expected.
*Pang!*
[Achievement Unlocked: Nocturnal]
|Achievement Rank: Epic
|Achievement Rating: #5
「Spend a night outside your residence.」
"O...!"
Even Young-woo, at the pinnacle among the Reset world's powerhouses, always welcomed achievement completions.
And with a new one added, Idealist activated.
「Idealist」 - Epic Ring
【+100 to all stats per owned achievement】
His vision filled with rising stat notifications again.
But Young-woo's eyes weren't on the frantically climbing stats.
"Why rank 5? Shouldn't it be at least 3?"
Number one was probably Otavio.
He'd said he'd entered the dungeon last night.
That left Young-woo and Brazil's Ricardo.
Yet he'd gotten 5th place.
Meaning at least five people had completed Nocturnal by now.
'More than just our party were out at night?'
Of course, you didn't need to enter the dungeon for Nocturnal, so this didn't necessarily mean other 'dungeon parties.'
'But can't rule it out. No way those who braved freak weathers just sat around all night.'
Most likely, they'd explored uncharted areas like him and probably encountered resting mutants with high odds.
'Tricky. If we enter the dungeon tonight, we might meet more people than expected.'
Whether boon or bane remained to be seen.
Young-woo never imagined feeling "global village" this viscerally; he was a bit dazed.
At the same time, he resolved to hit the dungeon tonight if possible.
'If I can luck into more weather gear, that is.'
As he scratched his chin and moved to cross the inter-Korean Military Demarcation Line, one final system message appeared.
'Ah, forgot about this.'
It was...
「You have unclaimed achievement rewards.」
The completion reward for the epic achievement 'Nocturnal.'