Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Mistletoe - 3
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Where people gather, zombie raids occur.
However, no zombie raids happened in the heart of Ganghwa-eup.
Not even with over a hundred Chinese people clustered there.
This stemmed from the drastic reduction in zombie numbers.
Ganghwa-eup's population had been around 20,000, most turned into zombies.
Those zombies had largely been devoured by plant-type monsters.
Even with perfect conditions, no zombies meant no raids.
Thanks to that, the Chinese survivors managed to hang on in this unfamiliar place.
They swept through Ganghwa-eup, farming food and daily necessities, and set their sights on warehouses stocked with fuel.
But plant-type monsters swarmed the area, preventing any real approach.
So they huddled together, just watching and waiting.
They'd scraped together enough food, but to survive the winter warmly, they needed fuel.
…That was the extent of the info Da-jeong and I had pieced together on the Chinese in Ganghwa-eup.
"But why come here instead of heading to the mainland? It's an island."
Da-jeong looked baffled.
"They probably had no choice. Heard they don't even have boat motors. Rowing here is impressive enough."
"Yeah, sounds about right."
Maybe most died en route, and those were the remnants.
Da-jeong draped her arm over my shoulder, standing on tiptoes since mine was so high up.
"These people struggled to get here, and now they're hunting fuel to stay warm this winter… You gonna take it all?"
I snorted.
"No tomorrow in the apocalypse. Secure what you can today to survive tomorrow. No weather forecast—if a blizzard hits and we can't move, got a plan? I'm taking it all, so heads up."
She nodded vigorously.
"Your trash-tier scumbag energy is top-notch. Love it."
"If I take it all, they won't die from it."
"Huh? What kinda justification is that?"
"Not justification. Listen up."
I explained the dangers of burning kerosene to her.
Monsters that detect even faint light would spot it for sure, leading to inevitable fights.
"We don't have that risk. We can use kerosene perfectly."
With Da-jeong's ghouls clearing the area, the danger drops massively.
"So you're saying hogging it all keeps them safe 'cause they can't light fires?"
"It's a push to get them outta here faster too. Ganghwa's got nothing special. They need mainland, sooner the better. No fuel means they'll think it's time to leave."
Da-jeong stared at me like I was ridiculous.
"You're a master rationalizer…"
"Thanks."
Even without flimsy excuses, I had zero intention of sharing fuel.
In the apocalypse, power trumps all.
I was ready to do anything for limited resources.
Da-jeong snapped her fingers and asked,
"Any longcoats in the shelter? The kind that reaches your calves."
"Yeah. But what for?"
"Dingo and Dingsuni aren't enough to draw eyes. I'll help."
"Not planning anything weird, right?"
"I'm offering help, quit yapping. Hand it over. Heels too."
Yeah, yeah.
I fetched the coat and heels. She covered herself with the collar, then flung it open in one go.
Just like a flasher?
Barbariman, but woman version—Barbariewoman?
…Nah, she wouldn't.
Hahaha.
The Chinese didn't know where they were.
All signposts were destroyed, and no one read Hangul.
But survival instincts hadn't dulled.
If anything, they burned fiercer.
There were rice warehouses here, spots to farm a bit.
Not contaminated by radiation like back home—that was enough.
—We must stick together! Koreans could attack anytime!
Someone shouted, but no Koreans were around.
No common enemy, no reason to cooperate.
Plus, the recently found fuel depot ignited their greed.
—Secure that, and we winter warm…
The Chinese who landed on Ganghwa lit up at the thought.
But extracting fuel from the depot was near impossible.
A massive plant they'd never seen loomed there.
One brave survivor approached—and got eaten.
Snagged by vines, stuffed in a pod, screaming for hours.
The thin pod showed his violent struggles; everyone averted their eyes from the horror.
After he died, no one approached the plant monster, Shiki.
But they hadn't given up on the fuel.
They hid in nearby buildings, biding time, waiting for others to move.
Then one night.
As goblin packs patrolling the streets vanished.
Wolf howls echoed long.
Awooooo—
Awoo—
Not one, but many.
Hearing it, the Chinese trembled in fear.
No wolves here—it had to be werewolves.
Huge, incredibly agile monsters.
Even if you wounded them with half-baked skills, they regenerated fast and slaughtered survivors.
The howls were close; terror-stricken survivors fled far.
Kobolds and bone creepers scared them, but werewolves more so.
Yet some held position.
Not fearless, but believing endurance brought opportunity.
—No rivals, we get the fuel…stay warm…
—Hold out a bit…wait for the chance…
They fought sleep, awaiting dawn.
When even kobolds thinned out, most monsters vanished.
Plant monsters had limited reach, couldn't hit the depot's corners.
That's what the holdouts targeted.
Then suddenly, a hallucination appeared.
In the dark night, a woman whose curves stood out appeared.
Longcoat on, heels clicking as she walked.
Most survivors—men—eyed her with bloodshot stares.
Her gait alone confirmed she was a beauty.
A rare beauty in the apocalypse, walking by.
Are we crazy?
Why'd the monsters vanish?
Valid questions, but irrelevant to the survivors.
Lewd desire welled up.
—Rush down, grab her, it'll be fine…fine…
Some acted on it.
Hurried footsteps followed; Da-jeong entered a dark alley and flung her coat wide.
Just like a flasher outside an all-girls high school.
Men couldn't hold back, filing into the alley.
Shoving each other, cursing.
What waited wasn't the coat woman, but ghouls with grotesque faces.
"Gaaah!"
Off-guard men got brutally pummeled by ghouls.
Da-jeong jumped in midway, stomping the fallen men.
"I gave you! That chance! And you still!"
Men couldn't grasp what this psycho was babbling.
Just wailed, begging mercy.
"Huh? Just play dumb and I handle it all!"
Her heels precisely crushed their groins amid it all.
"Gurk!"
"Ah, stress! Not eunuchs, ease up!"
"Spare us!"
"Shut it! Free Tibet! Free Hong Kong!"
Meanwhile, Sung-ho watching the fuel depot from nearby flinched at the screams.
"Does she need to stomp that hard?"
Just beat 'em unconscious.
Whatever, Da-jeong's a perv—maybe her sadism flared after ages.
Focus on the depot.
Shade grapes eaten, he spotted kobolds and plant monsters patrolling front.
They were the main blockade.
"Kobolds are no issue, but those plant numbers are insane."
Well-fed, huge and menacing.
Vines wriggled, snatching kobolds one by one; they howled fleeing.
Yet not fully escaping showed the fruits' allure.
"Tasty stuff…"
Sung-ho checked gear.
With Da-jeong, Dingo, Dingsuni's efforts, Chinese cleared—but temporary.
They'd return soon; grab fast and bolt.
"No keeper's a relief."
He pulled out the blowpipe from beetles.
Planned to paralyze kobolds with remaining venom.
Blew; they dropped one by one.
Sung-ho hurled paralyzed kobolds at plants.
Leaves and pods gobbled them eagerly.
He slipped in with longknife.
"Open dimension gate."
Wanted to torch it, but that'd blow them up too.
Threw shelter rice as bait, loaded fuel drums inside.
Patrolling kobolds spotted rice, charged.
Kikigik!
Kigik!
Goblins would've fled scared.
Kobolds dumber, bolder.
Food right there—ignored life, focused eating.
Bone creepers appeared, lunging at kobolds.
Kiaak!
Depot front turned chaos; Sung-ho leisurely hauled drums.
"Even cooler than planned."
Not intended, but fine.
Gas first, kerosene next, diesel last.
Some plants belatedly spotted him, vines extending.
But skills activated fully.
Dozens of vines sliced by longknife, thudding down.
Some Chinese returned, feeling off.
Saw Sung-ho inside depot, grabbing drums.
"Who's that bastard?"
"Thief! Stealing our fuel!"
Night deep, no clue who or why.
One thing clear: enemy in depot.
Arrows rained; Sung-ho parried briefly, then slipped away.
Leftovers diesel—not a huge loss.
Whiiieee—
Whistle blew; ghouls grabbed Da-jeong, bolted out.
Dingo and Dingsuni dashed same way simultaneously.
Party ignored monsters, escaped Ganghwa-eup.
Someone who'd risked nearing depot yelled in rage.
"It's all gone! They took everything!"
Chinese seethed with fury.
"…They cleaned out the whole place?"
"Yes. Left blue diesel drums. Gas and kerosene all taken."
"Heh…With Chinese camped there, how? Unbelievable."
"Break a few limbs to threaten, probably."
"Overnight?"
"Well…"
Jang Won-taek and Lee Beom-seok talked in the meeting room.
They got aid from an Incheon ability user.
Her puppet mastery let her fly paper planes like drones.
Allowed detailed grasp of Ganghwa despite shelter lockdown.
Not real-time, delayed a day or two—but enough.
They heard the insane report: Ganghwa gas station stripped overnight.
That station: 100+ Chinese, plant monsters galore.
Even pros would've struggled breaching for fuel.
Yet Kimbap Lover and Da-jeong raided it like squirrels in a barn.
Beom-seok circled the depot on map.
"This much fuel gone means huge subspace. Like farming dungeons."
"Yeah…First Awakeners late June? He's been prepping in subspace since, solo."
"Metal Plague lifts, he'll go guns full."
"Probably…Fires inside too."
Calm Beom-seok startled.
"Secretly inside subspace?"
"Bolts that thick? Gun's nothing. But ammo production bugs me. Recipe alone doesn't make it solo."
Africa handmade guns/ammo need serious setup, know-how.
Impossible alone.
"Agreed, can't make ammo himself."
"Recipe demand suggests help inside. Focus there next."
"Yes."
Door opened; Seok-hyun entered.
Shoved hands aside, slammed fist on table.
Thud—table buckled.
Insane strength, every time.
Jang Won-taek smiled faintly.
"Seok-hyun seems upset."
No answer; drew longknife.
Beom-seok blocked president hastily.
Blink useless in tight space.
"Wh-what's this?"
"Step aside."
Jang met Seok-hyun's eyes.
Unlike expected rage, eerily calm.
He spoke.
"Don't dig into my friend's back."
"Kimbap Lover? Just checking moves…"
"Hate folks acting superior, knowing all from above."
"Haha…Big misunderstanding."
Jang signaled outsiders away.
Urged Seok-hyun sit; refused.
Childish kid.
Pure, but blindly charges ahead.
How to play him right…
Jang pondered, closed then opened eyes—knife at throat.
Fast!
Beom-seok panicked, froze.
"Kill you here, life's easier?"
"Y-you become murderer too…"
He laughed dryly.
"Don't worry 'bout me. Suicide resets, revive minutes later. How long to kill whole shelter?"
Total psycho.
And capable—chilling.
Jang hadn't pegged him this mad.
Eyes wide, neck tensed,
"Why go this far?!"
"One demand."
Seok-hyun grabbed collar, face close.
"Don't look, don't seek, don't touch. Know who."
"Just game friends."
"That's my everything. Answer."
"…"
Jang and Beom-seok exchanged glances, nodded.
Psycho opponent—no negotiating.
Yield…
"…Fine. Hands off all."
"Good."
Seok-hyun grinned satisfied, left.
They watched his back dumbfounded.
Thought useful pawn instead of Da-jeong—got a lunatic.
"This is bad."
Jang sighed.
End of Mistletoe - 3