Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Madman and Suspicious Guy - 1
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"It's not about saving Seung-cheol. That's what I'm saying."
I raised my voice.
"Killing him would be easy. Just wait at the building entrance and fire a bolt. It won't even register as murder since I'm not the one pulling the trigger."
In truth, I'd never fired at a human who wasn't a murderer.
The system would judge it that way, though.
Da-jung asked in a curious tone.
"A bolt? Who's firing it? Not a crossbow, right?"
"The beetles, Dingo, and Ding-soon have a big one."
She'd never seen bolts popping out of the dimension gate.
Well, we'd never encountered anything worth using them on while hanging out with her.
Dingo used to handle the loading, but lately Ding-soon had learned the ropes too.
Not that it was complicated—just biting and pulling a string.
With their insane strength and more beetles joining the ranks, reload times had gotten faster.
Seok-hyun chimed in exaggeratedly from the side.
"Duck, you never saw bolts shooting out of thin air, huh? Thick, massive ones—super impressive."
"Thick and massive... I wanna see too."
"Hey, don't say it like that."
I calmed them down and continued persuading.
"And there's another reason I wanna keep watching. There are notes on various trait side effects here..."
I pulled out my notebook, and their eyes locked onto it.
Da-jung skimmed through it, then pinched my thigh.
"Who wrote all this down?"
"You told me everything."
"I didn't expect you'd jot it all like this. Roar? There's a trait like that?"
"It makes commands happen just by voice. Like 'stop,' and they stop. Remember when we first met?"
"Oh... back in Gimhae."
"Just occurred to me—you killed one back then, so no killing humans. It'd be a headache."
Da-jung grinned mischievously.
"Gotta sleep stuck to you at night then."
"Rejected."
Seok-hyun finished organizing his thoughts and spoke up.
"That guy's ability seals powers just by looking."
"Not contact? Think about it—hitting counts as contact."
"I thought it was contact at first, but no. He said he'd lift the seal once back in the room."
"So one's confirmed... He's at least level 15, so we need two more."
Even if it wasn't combat-focused, there were ways to level up.
Like that brainwashing Kwon guy—finishing kills or dousing with gasoline.
With other survivors around in the same boat, he could've gotten help too.
Anyway, they seemed swayed by my words.
"Ability seal is insanely dangerous. If you'd been in the shelter instead of Seok-hyun, you'd be toast."
"...That fucking bastard."
She ground her teeth, anger flaring up again.
If she'd accepted Seung-cheol's invite, she'd have been locked up immediately.
What happened after was obvious.
I drove the point home.
"Wi-Fi zombies before, now this—sealing types could pop up anytime. Better learn everything now. And their ties to the chaebol bunkers."
"Figure it all out, then slowly choke 'em and stuff 'em in our mouths, huh?"
Da-jung got me perfectly.
"One more reason. Their outfits changed, right? Means they grabbed stuff from a makeshift hideout. Probably one nearby. Wanna strip it clean."
Hearing that, she looked queasy and whispered to Seok-hyun.
"Bunny, this guy's the type to suck fish bones clean."
"I like chewing everything... but Sung-ho's right here."
Decision made.
I glanced out the window.
"Leave one ghoul there and release the rest nearby. Have 'em track where it goes."
"Got it. Just watch for now?"
"I'll use dimension wall to scout from the sky. Like a drone."
"Me?"
"Da-jung, you farm here. Seok-hyun..."
"I'm heading back to the shelter now."
"Huh?"
"You wanna go in there?"
We were stunned by his choice.
Anyone else maybe, but Jang Won-taek wouldn't accept him, right?
He didn't run everything, but his influence was huge.
Resurrected or not, Seok-hyun's acts were violence plus murder.
Wait...
I reconsidered.
He'd buried them, but saved five lives.
Breaking shelter rules could be excused as exposing Seung-cheol's schemes.
Plus, Jang would be short on people after the chaos.
If he played that angle...
Seok-hyun looked toward the shelter.
"Apologize, and he'll take me back."
"...No need to grovel. You didn't do wrong."
"Felt it today. Why you wanted me in the shelter, Sung-ho. Better response to shit like that from inside. Opportunities too."
True, but it required his sacrifice.
I asked him.
"You sure? No need to push."
"Staying till metal plague's gone. Then we team up."
"Alright."
I patted his arm lightly.
We gathered to check levels.
Da-jung 23, Seok-hyun 24, me 25.
"Got side effects, but too risky to test."
"What? I'll try."
"Hold on—Dimension Prison."
A dimension prison appeared in midair, but Seok-hyun tilted his head.
"It's transparent?"
"Looks like a barred door to me. Step in, and who knows what world unfolds. For reference, Da-jung..."
She suddenly shoved her face in.
"Fell from the sky! For five minutes! You can't even imagine."
"Flying? Sounds fun."
"Get in there."
Da-jung kicked Seok-hyun's butt, shoving him into the dimension prison.
No time to stop her.
"Hey, don't push like that."
"He can die, right?"
"Points involved. They said higher points per death."
"...Really?"
Da-jung crossed her arms, pacing anxiously in front of it, looking guilty.
Five minutes later, Seok-hyun burst out.
The system auto-ejects on timeout.
He was soaked.
"Pfft! Ocean—I swam in the sea."
"Empty ocean, nothing around?"
"Yeah. Heard weird noises too, like from the deep sea."
Da-jung clung to me, goosebumps rising.
"I'm never going in."
Truth be told, I'm scared too.
I know what's in those depths.
Anyway, dimension prison deploys like dimension wall—anywhere I want.
Know the enemy's direction, drop it in front. They're isolated for five minutes.
If the harsh environment kills 'em, not murder.
I summoned it; the nasty world isn't my fault.
I grabbed a towel from the cave and handed it to Seok-hyun.
"First time all three together in ages. Let's eat."
"They still haven't come out."
"Exhausted. Saw 'em panting on the way in."
High level doesn't mean high stamina.
Seok-hyun, who said he'd head back soon, scarfed hot soup and crashed completely.
"Look at him... Sleeping like the world's not ending."
"Let him. Ran two days straight. Tired."
Plus shelter drama—body and mind wrecked.
I covered Seok-hyun with a thick blanket and tucked a hot water bottle in.
We took a break.
.
.
.
The blizzard stopped.
Still minus 20, but sky cleared—doable outside.
While Da-jung hunted new ghouls, I dimension-walled up to scout the bunker.
"Impressive..."
Knew they were chaebol, but this land, this bunker? Unimaginable.
Bigger than Kwon's golf club bunker by miles.
"Frozen corpses... Raid happened?"
Designed assuming zombie raids.
Raids don't run 24/7.
"Incredible."
Several such bunkers in this rich hood.
Does the president know?
"Knows and ignores."
So secretive, no clue on purpose.
Not enemies yet, but.
Two bunkers tight with Seung-cheol's: Kim the boss's and Lee the aide's.
"Lee ain't top dog... Maybe senior survivor."
Kim: brainwashing. Lee: roar.
Fits leading crowds.
"Wipe out brainwashing for sure."
Minimum two to kill here.
Joo Seung-cheol and Kim boss.
Doubted Seung-cheol had transcendent power—nope.
"Invested in devs just coincidence?"
Or hiding something.
To know, kill and search bunker.
Problem: sealed tight.
Seung-cheol's sly—knows opening's a threat.
Holed up inside, no exit.
Info only from underlings' chats.
"Hiding like a rat—can't kill..."
Should've offed then, like Seok-hyun said?
I shook my head.
Even fancy, bunkers claustrophobic.
Wait—he'll emerge.
"Or find the dog hole..."
Kwon mentioned concrete bunkers with dog holes.
Forgot during assault, but hit me now.
"Big bunker like that must have vent/dog hole."
Scanned perimeter—one yard off.
"Only messy spot."
Snow piled everywhere, iced over.
Untouched should be pristine ice.
But messy? Foot traffic.
Hard to spot from ground—thanks dimension wall and griffon eye.
Landed in yard, scraped ice.
Revealed sealed reinforced plastic entrance.
Wary of outsiders—won't open from here.
"Thorough bastards."
How to open...
Wait.
No need for me to.
Make them open.
"Humans need tools."
Grabbed from cave: flint powder, gasoline, matches...
Stuff vent, ignite, toss in.
"Teach 'em turtling's risky."
Outside, poured gasoline mixed with flint powder into vent.
Before glug-glug finished, struck match, flung in.
Flames whooshed through the hole.
Two flints, two gas cans—not catching easy.
"Whoops."
Pulled eyes away, rushed to bunker entrance.
Into cave, called beetles.
"Load ballista, fire on signal. Got it?"
Nod nod.
Leader beetle earned trust from newbies.
They loved the shelter—handled most chores.
Stag beetles the issue...
Hated our garden—demanded seed hunt.
Pretend not ex-farmers.
Ear to dimension gate—faint voices.
"Fire! Fireee!"
"Water! Douse it!"
"Aaaah! It's spreading!"
Idiots poured water on oil fire.
No extinguishers nearby?
Beetles rushed, loaded bolt on rail.
Even woke Ding-soon, gave string to bite.
Grrr...
Grumpy from sleep, but yanked.
Loaded.
Wait for target.
Bunker door finally opened.
Seung-cheol right behind minion.
"Fuckin' hell."
Opened dimension prison pronto.
"Gaaah!"
Minion screamed, vanished into thin air. Seung-cheol froze.
"Sh..."
Before my signal, he dove sideways.
No ballista angle.
Suspected my dimension gates somewhat.
Dunno how he knows.
"Fucking punk."
Aimed revolver at rising Seung-cheol.
Face reset—safe once.
Bang!
Two bullets through dimension gate, bloodied his chest.
"Gurk!"
Screamed, hit floor.
Minions rushed in shock—then unbelievable.
Seung-cheol wrapped in light, gone.
"Motherfucker."
Two resurrection scrolls?
Slapped dimension gate shut.
He knows gates now, and I have a gun.
Can't let live, but I'm a killer already.
One more, full murderer.
"Call Da-jung..."
Can't drag her into my mess.
Damn, didn't wanna use this.
Armed up quick, pulled resurrection scroll.
Gate out—two minions waiting.
Plus Seung-cheol—kill all three.
"You fucker!"
"Knew you'd come!"
Ferocious charge.
Combat instinct and feral rage activated—vision red.
Minions flinched at my eyes, backed off.
"M-murderer?"
"Soon."
Grabbed long knife from dimension slot, charged.
The Madman and the Suspicious Guy - 1 End