Chapter 19
Chapter 19
[Anthurium]
Info 1: Consuming grants immunity to status effects for 45 minutes.
Fortunately, my inventory contained leaves of the Anthurium plant that Mom had brought from her office, which had the effect of immunity to status effects.
I chewed on the raw leaf to remove the stamina-boosting buff.
"Phew... I should stock up on a few of these..."
I got up from the sofa and approached the potted plant in the living room.
Snap! Crack!
I wanted to pick a lot, but since the leaves were scarce and had such valuable effects, I could only manage to grab three.
Gotta eat them sparingly...
A moment later, Ha-rang came over and sat next to me while wiping her hands.
"Honey, where are we going today?"
She asked, leaning on my shoulder.
Hehe... A beauty leaning on my shoulder... This is fucking great...
"Ahem... I'm thinking of looking for an NPC Village today."
My plan for today was to find an NPC Village and do some trading.
"An NPC Village... Where on earth could it be?
I kept scanning the surroundings with zombies, but there weren't any nearby."
In the days of the Ruined Game, NPC Villages were mostly located in places with intact nature, like forests or mountains.
Some advanced civilizations lived together like cities, but that was a very small minority.
"I'm going to try wandering around the nearby mountains first."
Near our house, there was a low mountain called Sudo Mountain, and a bit further away, but doable, was Palgong Mountain.
"This journey is going to take a while, isn't it?"
"I think so."
I'm the type who believes in sleeping at home, but for the sake of the future, I needed to find an NPC Village.
I got up from the sofa and approached Mom, who was peeling fruit.
"Mom."
"Oh my, you scared me... What is it?"
"I'm going out with Ha-rang-ssi, and since this one might take a while, I wanted to tell you in advance."
Mom put down the paring knife and picked up a piece of apple she had already peeled, shoving it into my mouth.
Crunch.
It wasn't an apple I had bought, so there were no buffs applied, but it was in good condition, sweet, and had a refreshing crispness.
"Yeah, I thought a day like this would come eventually..."
Hug.
Mom hugged me with a worried expression, and I hugged her back warmly.
"You have to come back safely, okay?"
"Of course."
Mom took a Lock & Lock container out of the cupboard and put the sliced apples in it.
"Here, share this with Ha-rang-ssi on your way."
"Yes, I'll be back."
"Alright."
With those last words, I returned to the living room, and Ha-rang, who had already finished preparing, was standing in front of the front door.
"He's a lacking son, but please take care of him, Ha-rang-ssi."
"Don't worry, Mother.
Geum-seul-ssi is much more reliable than you think?"
Perhaps because I was always a baby in Mom's eyes, I smiled bitterly at her words, and Ha-rang and I left the house.
--
Thrust!!
Gaaah... Pop!
The handsome zombie I stabbed disintegrated into polygons.
"Ha-rang-ssi, let's start with the nearby Sudo Mountain."
"Do whatever you want~
I'll just follow behind you~"
She wants to get a free ride...?
I shook my head and aimed my spear at an approaching zombie.
Gaaah!!
Guess it's not a free ride...
Ha-rang's zombie, which had rushed over from the side, bit the zombie in front of me.
--
While heading peacefully toward Sudo Mountain like that,
"Hmm... Ha-rang-ssi, what should we do?"
"It's annoying... But should we at least hear what they have to say?"
"Then please let the zombie bite them.
Help me if it gets dangerous."
"Got it, honey~"
We met a new group of survivors.
--
Ha-rang clung tightly to my shoulder, and I walked toward the people who made eye contact with an awkward smile.
"Hello."
"Uh... Where are you people from!"
Where, huh...
Unable to grasp the intent of the question, I replied,
"Uh... We came from Sanggyeok-dong."
At my answer, the people in front of us started to be wary and murmured in low voices.
"May we come closer?"
"Wait! Please wait..."
"Yes, yes.
We have absolutely no ill intentions, so don't worry..."
Ha-rang and I stopped at a distance, and Ha-rang couldn't endure the boredom.
"Honey... Should we just ignore them and go?"
"Still, it's quite far from our neighborhood, right?
They might know information we don't, so let's wait."
"Doesn't look like it..."
Ha-rang puffed out her cheeks as if dissatisfied with my decision, but didn't do anything else.
"Thank you, Ha-rang-ssi."
At my sudden expression of gratitude,
"Huh? For what?"
"Just for everything."
"You're such a weirdo... Hehe."
Ha-rang leaned into me.
At that moment,
"Excuse me... You aren't from the Mang-gem-gyo, are you...?"
Mang-gem-gyo? What is that tacky-named group?
I looked at Ha-rang's face at the name of the group I was hearing for the first time.
Shake shake.
She didn't seem to know either.
"Mang-gem-gyo... I've never heard of it."
At my answer, the people in front of us started murmuring again, and Ha-rang made a face as if she were plotting something.
"Honey... It seems like a group called Mang-gem-gyo is running wild around here~"
"Uh... So?"
"Wouldn't there be a lot of 'old-timers' (high-level players) if you go there?"
That's true.
If they have enough power to form a group, it means they have leadership, as well as enough strength and information.
"That might be the case.
But seeing as the people in front of us are afraid of them..."
"It means it's not a good group."
I doubt there are many good groups in a world like this, but if they are causing this much fear, it didn't seem like a normal group.
At that moment, a man with the largest build approached us.
"Hello."
"Hello?"
I exchanged greetings with him.
When I turned my head to look at Ha-rang, she was wearing an unreadable smile.
What is she thinking?
"Phew... It's such a relief to meet friendly people in a world like this."
He let out a sigh of relief and reached out his hand to me, and I shook it.
He's shaking hands on his own; is he stupid...
Or does he have that much skill...
I immediately used [Blessing] to read the opponent's information and realized it was the latter.
[Status Window]
Name: Choi Ji-chang
Level: 9
Free Points: 0
Stamina +3
[Skill View]
[P] Intermediate Longsword Mastery Max: You can handle swords skillfully.
[P] Toughness: Your skin becomes hard.
'Level 9... Not a bad growth rate.'
6 days after the Ruined Game incident.
It means the man in front of me is a typical warrior character who has been hunting consistently.
"Hahaha, my name is Choi Ji-chang.
The friends behind me are my colleagues, and you are..."
Ji-chang introduced himself, started at my face, moved his gaze to Ha-rang's beautiful breasts, and then looked back at my face.
When I turned my head to look at Ha-rang, she was still wearing an incomprehensible smile.
"My name is Kim Geum-seul.
And this is..."
"I'm An Ha-rang. Nice to meet you."
Huh? She greeted him normally?
"I'm sorry to ask, but could I check your foreheads?"
Forehead?
"Yes... But what is this about the forehead?"
As I asked while pulling back my bangs,
"The Mang-gem-gyo bastards go around with an unidentified mark on their foreheads...
Phew... Since you aren't Geum-seul-ssi, then Ha-rang... ssi, you aren't either. Thank you."
Ji-chang let out a sigh of relief and gave a thumbs up to the group standing behind him, and the people who were far away also slowly approached.
"Haha... But where are you two heading?"
"Ah, we are wandering around to find an NPC Village.
We are currently heading to Sudo Mountain."
As I spoke honestly, Ha-rang pinched my side.
Ouch... It hurts, System-ssi.
[You idiot! How can you say all that?!]
Ah... Is that so?
But the water had already been spilled, and at my words, Ji-chang wore a fishy smile.
"If that's the case, we can be of help.
NPC Village... We know where it is."
"Oh! Really?"
I looked at Ha-rang with an arrogant expression that said 'See?', but she was also wearing a meaningful smile.
"Hahaha, good people should join forces."
Tap.
At that moment, a man with a sleazy look among those who approached tapped Ji-chang on the back.
"Hey, is Ji-chang sure about this?"
"Haha, my eye for people is always accurate.
They are good-natured people."
"That's already enough...
Anyway, let's head back."
The sleazy man turned around and went back to where the group was.
Enough...? He's a guy who gives me a bad vibe.
"Hahaha, that guy's name is Kang Gi-beom.
He might look sleazy, but he's a guy with a lot of affection."
I want to see that guy's information too...
"Yes, by the way, you said you knew about the NPC Village, could I hear where it is?"
"Haha, of course.
We were planning to visit it once too, so let's go together."
Ji-chang turned around and went to where his group was.
"It's a relief to meet good people."
"Is that really so?"
I turned my head to look at Ha-rang, and she was looking at me too.
"What do you mean by that?"
"It's nothing~ Let's hurry and follow them, honey~"
Ha-rang pulled my arm, and I followed her, feeling strange.
As we got closer to the group in front, I could see the members.
Women with fearful eyes for some reason.
Men smiling lecherously while scanning Ha-rang's body.
Hmm... Did I make the wrong choice?
Squeeze.
Ha-rang hid behind me and hugged me tightly, as if she were disgusted by those gazes.
"Hahaha, let's hurry back."
At Ji-chang's words, the men who looked like combatants guarded the surroundings and followed Ji-chang, and the women also followed them, trembling with fear.
"Alright, let's follow them too."
"If you say so."
We followed them, keeping a slight distance just in case.
--
A moment later, they entered an apartment complex.
An NPC Village is in this place?
Then, excluding Ji-chang and the other men, the women entered the apartment under the guidance of a few men.
'Ah, so they are going to go to the NPC Village after protecting the women in a safe place.'
I turned my body again and followed Ji-chang and the male group heading somewhere, and then I cast [Blessing] on the apartment the women entered to check the information.
[Daegu Metropolitan City, OO-ro 21]
My Home Owner: Bae Cheon-hwan
Current Functions:
Absolute Protection (31 days 21 hours 27 minutes)
Water Supply (77 days 9 hours 14 minutes)
Power Supply (77 days 9 hours 14 minutes)
Prisoner Weakening (12 days 5 hours 37 minutes)
Sexual Sensitivity Amplification (12 days 5 hours 37 minutes)
...
Steel Prison (12 days 5 hours 36 minutes)
What appeared before my eyes were a terrifying number of buffs.
Wow... These bastards were that criminal group called Mang-gem-gyo or whatever...
I understood why Ha-rang kept wearing a fishy smile and why she kept looking at me.
"Ha-rang-ssi, was this a test by any chance?"
At my words, Ha-rang smiled lecherously.
"Oh my, what does that mean?
Me testing you?"
"Phew... I have that skill...
You know what it is, right?"
Ha-rang, who hadn't spoken for a moment, made a bored expression.
"Tsk... Isn't that too much of a cheat?
You should get hit hard at least once so you won't trust people... What a waste~"
As expected, she seemed to know everything.
It was normal for My Home information to only show the owner and address, and one could only see the effects applied if they became a party or family member.
But thanks to the Blessing of Manmulcho, I was able to see the effects applied to other people's homes.
"When did you notice, Ha-rang-ssi?"
"When we first met."
Do you use mind-reading or something?
When I was surprised, she hugged my arm tightly, and
"Isn't it strange to go exploring with a woman in a world like this?
And only the men were carrying weapons."
Uh... If you put it that way.
Ha-rang-ssi, you are also a woman in underwear, and only I am carrying a weapon...?
When I looked at her with an expression that I couldn't understand,
Squeeze.
Ha-rang pinched my arm.
Ah, ah... It hurts, System-nim...
"You had weird thoughts again, didn't you?"
You really are a ghost.
"Ahem... So you noticed just from that?"
"No, when that big lump said 'Mang-gem-gyo' at the very beginning, the women were trembling.
So I was suspicious."
Lump...
The moment I was about to say something to Ha-rang,
"Why aren't you following?"
The lump of the incident... No, Choi Ji-chang, who led the men, approached us and asked.
"Ah, no, I was just thinking about something...
So, are you going to the NPC Village now?"
Behind him, Kang Gi-beom approached, holding a dagger he hadn't been holding until just now.
"Khehehe... Is he really a retard...
Ji-chang, hurry up and loot that weakling, and let's go fuck that slut next to him."
At those words, Ji-chang sighed and took out a giant sword and shield.
"Sigh... Gi-beom-ah, there's an easier way...
It can't be helped... Geum-seul... was it? Don't think too badly of us."
Clang! Shing!!
Starting with those words, the men behind Ji-chang drew their weapons.
"Kyaa~ Honey, I'm scared~"
Excuse me? I'm scared too, you know?!
I took out my spear and the cucumber salad from my inventory and put it in my mouth.
Crunch.
"Ha-rang-ssi? Are you thinking of helping..."
Gulp.
"Kyaa, Ha-rang is so scared she can't do anything~"
She has absolutely no intention of helping...
Well, she'll help if it gets dangerous.
Leaving her behind, I stepped forward.
"Sigh... I wanted to save this for later..."
I took out various vegetables like bok choy, perilla leaves, and chives from my inventory and shoved them into my mouth in an instant, chewing them.
Crunch, munch... munch...
"What is that guy? Why is he carrying that kind of grass in his inventory?"
"Is it his last meal? Keke... Hurry up and kill him, and let's go fuck the woman!!"
"I'm taking the pussy!!!"
"I'm going for the asshole first, hahaha!!"
The men hurled all sorts of profanity and lewd comments, aiming their weapons at me.
Thrust!
"Huh...?"
Thud...