Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: Frozen World - 1
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Snow fell on the abandoned small village.
The fat snowflakes turned into a blizzard, blanketing the entire world in white.
The crunching snow underfoot had become knee-deep drifts before we knew it.
"It's snowing!"
Woof, woof!
Da-jeong, in a similar state of childlike excitement as Dingo, finally dragged him outside with her.
She must not have seen much snow, having been born and raised in Daegu.
I'd bet that if she'd done her military service up front, she never would've gone out in this.
Whiiiiiish—
A bone-chilling wind blew through, cold enough to freeze marrow.
Even bundled in layers under a thick puffer jacket, the gusts sneaking through the buttons were unavoidable.
"It's really freaking cold..."
Even with Cold Resistance Socks on, my bones ached. I wondered how anyone else was faring.
And the one who'd rushed out so eagerly, Da-jeong...
I poked at the campfire and tossed in more anthracite coal.
Lighting a fire indoors was risky, but with the wind halting even the monsters' activity, it felt safe enough.
Monsters from another world or not, they couldn't stand up to a blizzard and this cold.
"How long is this snow gonna keep falling...?"
The view outside the window was a blank white canvas, nothing more.
No chance of clearing it; heading anywhere meant wading—and swimming—through thigh-high snow.
No travel. No combat.
Everything had ground to a halt.
Even the plant monsters in the oil depot showed no movement whatsoever.
It was like a temporary peace treaty had been signed.
"And meanwhile, our Da-jeong is out there doing... whatever."
I sipped my coffee and waited for her.
Less than ten minutes later, Da-jeong and Dingo trudged back inside, soaked to the skin.
"How was it?"
"...I thought about it, and snow's better when it doesn't fall."
"You were the one who bolted out there all excited."
Splat!
Dingo shook off, drenching Da-jeong like she'd been doused in ice water.
"C-C-Cold..."
"Strip and warm up by the fire."
She shed her clothes in a heap and leaned against me, basking in the heat.
Crackle, crackle.
Using kerosene-soaked anthracite made for a nice fire with surprisingly little black smoke.
She must be freezing too.
I opened a dimension gate and hauled out armloads of towels and blankets.
Ding-soon-i, as if waiting, came over and started licking Dingo's fur.
"She's a pro at pampering her hubby."
Da-jeong shot me a lingering look at that.
"Then you should pamper the wife too."
"I brought blankets."
"Ooh, guess I really am the wife."
"Quiet."
I dried her off with a towel and wrapped her in a blanket.
She burrowed in with a contented sigh, peeking out only with her face.
"I wonder what everyone else is up to right now."
"Most are probably shivering under puffer jackets or blankets. Shelters might be a tad better."
A tad, but not by much—this cold would test any shelter's insulation.
Fires were tricky too; shelters were sealed tight, easy to suffocate in.
"So we're the only ones staying warm?"
"Probably? But it's even cozier inside the dimension gate. Spring in there."
The forest was full spring now, sunlight making you drowsy.
Da-jeong shuddered at the thought.
"I was gonna level up on the way to Seoul..."
She'd been hoping for the level 25-30 extra effect: letting others pass through dimension gates.
She'd be disappointed otherwise.
"Not with this weather. Let's just eat."
I headed into the shelter to prep food.
With this chill, hot soup would hit the spot. What to make...
"Party noodles it is."
Dried noodles had a long shelf life and were still good.
Retort packs didn't need much worry, veggies from the garden, egg from the firebird.
"Kimchi seasoned with sesame oil too..."
Perfect for slurping down on a winter day.
As I prepped veggies, Captain Beetle—busy with bullet-making—hopped over.
"Work going okay?"
Instead of nodding, he drew a beetle pictogram.
Why's he drawing that?
I tilted my head, and he added bars around it, like a cage.
"Oh, right—we're going to find the other beetles. Let's head out after lunch. Eat and prep."
Yes!
He scampered off to share the good news with his crew.
Blizzard meant hunkering down awhile anyway—might as well have something to do.
Da-jeong might whine a bit, but oh well.
While I boiled broth and toppings, the beetles loaded three finished bullets into a clip and looked at me.
We're done for today! they seemed to say.
I wanted to ply them with emperor honey for more work, but they weren't robots.
Bullet-making took serious strength and focus; couldn't push them too hard.
They looked wiped dragging back to their nest—poor guys.
"Sleep it off, and we'll go find the others this afternoon."
The spot was far north; probably wouldn't find them in a day.
At night, I'd pop back to reality anyway.
I carried wild boar meat and food outside.
Da-jeong took her bowl and slurped the broth noisily.
"Ahh... feels like my body's melting..."
"Got something to do this afternoon on my own."
"What?"
I explained about fetching new beetles, and her eyes lit up.
"Whoa, off to find your buddies. The dangerous forest?"
"...Dangerous forest? Well, north of the snow mountains, so yeah..."
The north forest felt worlds apart from our shelter area, ambiance-wise.
Gloomy, swampy, diverse monsters.
Lizardmen too—says it all.
Da-jeong waved it off.
"Have fun. I'll bully Dingo."
Dingo, licking bones amiably with Ding-soon-i, perked up.
"Bully him too much, and it'll come back to bite you. You have no idea how big silver wolves get."
"As big as Ding-soon-i at most~"
"Nah, she's a small female. Males in that wolf pack were basically bulls."
"Whoa, epic. Bet they poop huge too?"
"Combat power skyrockets too."
They could solo razor boars then, shrug off small monsters.
Mid-size like orcs might overwhelm, but distraction duty? Easy.
Da-jeong slurped noodles, then snapped her fingers.
"Oh yeah! We gotta give some to Dirt Guy too. Feels wrong eating without him."
"He doesn't check the auction house much."
"Still, worth a shot. Auction house."
She left a comment and dove back into her noodles.
Seeing her chow down was satisfying.
Moments later, she checked comments again and freaked.
"Hey, Sung-ho! Dirt Guy's gonna buy that scroll."
"Which one?"
"You know, resurrection. The one we just got."
"Probably for us."
Seok-hyun, you sneak.
He didn't need it with his trait; wanted us to have one each.
"Buy it? Bid 10k points to scare off others?"
"Yeah. You got points to spare. And Dirt Guy needs 'em too—more deaths mean higher point costs."
She nodded vigorously.
The deal went through; a resurrection scroll materialized in light.
She peered at it and wrinkled her nose.
"Smells kinda musty..."
"Probably from someone's panties."
"Eww, gross."
Then why toss it to me?
I grabbed it with my jacket and stashed it in my backpack.
Into the shelter for meal prep, then up on auction.
Noodles vanished quick; Seok-hyun's comment popped.
That's even more painful...
Seok-hyun commented that the noodles were tasty after eating.
Different spots, same meal—we were sharing it together.
"Snow won't quit..."
"Yeah."
Da-jeong and I, bundled in blankets, stared out the window.
Snow piled up, turning to ice.
A few precarious buildings groaned and cracked under the weight.
More accumulation, and they'd collapse.
In this frozen world, only Da-jeong's ghouls moved.
Her level 20 extra effect gave them all sorts of resistances.
"While the owner's over here shivering."
I handed her Cold Resistance Socks and winter berries instead of replying.
"Hold out with these while I'm gone."
"You're not running off for real, right?"
"Told you—fetching beetles. Back here at night."
"Better than camping in the woods with me here."
She winked.
Yeah... loaded meaning there.
I took Ding-soon-i through the dimension gate.
Backpack on, two beetles on shoulders—ready.
"North of the snow mountains..."
ATV time.
Tough terrain tested the suspension, but it'd hold.
I gunned it, and the ATV tore through the spring forest.
Suddenly, the mood darkened.
Not just from dense branches blocking sun—foliage and ground looked blackish.
"Black Forest, huh."
Parked the ATV, launched a drone.
Snow mountains: warm, peaceful. This? Opposite.
"No wonder lizardmen lurk here..."
Harder to spot than orcs, way deadlier.
Pack hunters, tool masters.
Tridents and nets to block attacks—lizardmen specialty.
"Nets especially nasty..."
Snared before you swing.
Poor eyesight, deaf, but vibration pros.
Sense air currents to pinpoint prey.
Found scales in a nearby swamp.
Lizardmen turf, confirmed.
"Ding-soon-ah, sniff this."
She nosed the scale, then patrolled around.
Sat calmly by me after.
Good girl.
Now she'll sniff wind-borne lizardman scent and alert.
Patted her butt, headed the beetles' way.
Arrival: rock-and-dirt chaos.
"Bombed or what?"
Two beetles hopped off shoulders, scuttled somewhere.
Pointed claws at a pillar.
Half my height, not natural.
"Man-made...? No way."
Captain Beetle pointed at a dirt mound hole.
Several eyes stared back.
Beetles maybe?
Captain waved a white flag, but no dice—they stayed put.
Just heightened their guard.
Instead of dragging 'em out, I placed Da-jeong's farmed jelly nearby and backed off.
Blinking eyes fixed on it.
"Tasty stuff—try it. No poison."
Captain took jelly from me, mimed eating.
"Hey, mime's not enough."
He scratched head, then chomped it.
Eyes widened in shock.
No poison?
Still wary, wouldn't emerge.
"Something spooked 'em..."
Holes everywhere poking around.
"Not too big..."
Barely beetle-sized.
Dropped pack, dug with shovel.
Hole went deep.
"Damn, all this way for manual labor!"
Thrust shovel—something emerged from hole.
"Beetle?"
It spotted me and bolted inside.
Looked different from my beetles.
Dug carefully—bam, huge pincer clamped my finger.
"Ow."
Not too painful, more startled.
Yanked hand free; it released and hid.
Now I was pissed.
"Gonna see your faces today."
Munched a sun apple, shoveled everything nearby.
Beetles waved flags cheering.
Finally: massive stag beetles.
Dirt caved; trapped in a big chamber.
Still snapping pincers threateningly.
"Feisty ones."
Hated another bite—prodded one out with chopstick; it wriggled fiercely.
Not that dangerous...
Beetles emerged, claws on stag beetles.
These babies!
[Frozen World - 1]