Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: 아포칼립스의 고인물-127화
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: Subway Station Labyrinth - 3
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"Damn."
This labyrinth was a total shitshow.
I didn't want to touch it with a ten-foot pole if I could help it, but the skills and items dangling like carrots made it impossible to ignore.
Higher difficulty means richer rewards—that's an ironclad truth.
After crawling out of the swamp zone, I peeled off the clinging water weeds.
"Ugh, seriously."
The ground was far from solid; my boots sank deep into the muck with every step.
This place was the worst: dark, damp, dangerous, and claustrophobically narrow.
Monsters weren't overly abundant, but the lizardmen adapted to this hellhole made them a real pain.
"The game was a joke compared to this."
There's a universe of difference between playing in VR and actually conquering the environment for real.
No matter how immersive the gear, it can't replicate the full human sensory experience.
Thanks to that, I'd just endured about thirty minutes of pure agony.
"Did they really design this to be cleared...?"
It was a nightmare from the jump.
If you don't kill a lizardman right at the entrance for Underwater Breathing, you're stuck slogging through an underwater cave in hell.
Me? I'd smashed one in the forest earlier, so no sweat.
"...But am I the only one struggling here?"
Curious about other entrances, I pulled up the auction house. What a mess.
"Skip my ass."
I grabbed the tail of a lizardman that was barely clinging to life and headed for the entrance.
I figured I'd help Da-jeong out since she hadn't snagged the Underwater Breathing skill.
She's only level 25—she'd manage somehow.
"Dingo, come."
I opened the dimension gate, and Dingo bounded out.
"You're bringing the fierce-tempered girl, right?"
Wang.
I patted his butt, but instead of heading to the entrance, he dove back into the gate and dragged out Dingsuni.
"...Guess you've got a temper too."
Birds of a feather flock together, huh.
I smacked Dingo's rear again and shooed him toward the entrance.
Moments later, Da-jeong slipped in with a single ghoul in tow.
"How's it inside?"
"One word: shitty."
"High difficulty, huh. Monsters? Or the environment?"
"Environment's a total clusterfuck."
"What about the ghoul?"
"Too cramped for it. No uber-strong bosses anyway, so leave it behind. I wanted to solo, but no dice."
You need backup sometimes.
Da-jeong nodded and undid the buttons on her puffer jacket.
"What's so great about a wife? Being together all the time, right?"
"...Wife?"
"If 'wife' is too much, girlfriend then. Close enough. Gonna deny it? I was out there beating ass waiting for you."
She'd roughed up a few as a demo.
Dozens of ghouls on guard meant no one was getting in anytime soon.
I took her jacket and pants, stashed them in the dimension gate.
Handed over the wetsuit from the fishing shop, boots, and a short adamantite spear.
She gave me a long look.
"This necessary?"
"Only spears work as weapons. Bows, swords—all no-go."
Water mobility means guns are out too.
Harpoon gun? Maybe for fish.
Da-jeong stripped down quick and slipped into the wetsuit.
With the boots, she looked like a full-on pink haenyeo diver.
I pointed at the lizardman.
"Kill that first."
"Jeez, scared me. Thought it was already dead."
"Dragged it all the way here 'cause you couldn't get Underwater Breathing."
"You really thought that far ahead for me...?"
Isn't that a given?
"I'll hand over other gear on the way."
"You already mapped the whole thing."
"Guides are a thing. I'll lead—just follow."
As I started forward, Da-jeong hugged me from behind.
"Don't ditch me and run off..."
Loneliness laced her voice.
Thought she was above that kinda thing. Guess not.
Too much shit-talk outside?
I turned and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Where would I go without my wife? My wife."
Patted her butt; a grin bloomed on her face.
She whispered in my ear.
"You groped my ass, so we're going all the way tonight. No sleep for you. Get ready."
"Fine, but labyrinth first."
She offed the lizardman, nabbed the skill, and shot me a thumbs-up.
We headed for the entrance.
Thirty minutes after the cockroach couple plunged into the labyrinth.
The ghouls blockading the entrance scattered.
People—who'd been cursing the Ghoul Queen's ancestors—scrambled toward it.
Most figured they'd deal with rivalries after getting inside.
But the labyrinth threw up a massive roadblock right away.
Mud was one thing, but the underwater cave? Nightmare fuel.
A pitch-black, narrow hole barely wide enough for one person. Everyone shuddered.
"Someone goes in, ties a rope...?"
"Rest of us just leech?"
That was the rub.
One suffers, a dozen benefit.
Normally, heroism might get applause, but not now.
In the apocalypse, helping others was a fool's errand—everyone knew it.
They weren't killing each other only because fury at the Ghoul Queen ran hotter.
Voices demanded they catch and crush her.
But no one stepped up, even as time dragged.
Someone chuckled.
"Other entrances are chaos. Someone died mid-water cave—totally blocked. Gotta fish out the corpse, but no takers."
"Holy shit, that happens...?"
"Insane."
"Wrong move and you're dead."
Everyone just eyed each other.
Like waiting for a group project leader.
Meanwhile, Geom-in was burning up inside.
From the signs, Da-jeong had plugged the entrance for Sung-ho.
With guides, he could handle this crapfest easy.
Geom-in wanted in, but the jam at the start was maddening.
Kim Dae-ho sidled up from behind.
"Our leader Geom-in gonna walk the talk? Show some leadership?"
"Yeah, shine here and we'll rethink you."
Obvious prodding, but rejecting it stung.
Geom-in kicked off his shoes, pulled rope from his pack.
As he prepped, Kim Dae-ho whooped and clapped.
"Geom-in's the man! Everyone! Geom-in from the government shelter! Survivor1!"
"Survivor1's a veteran, right?"
"What's a vet doing here?"
All eyes on the awkward Geom-in.
He muttered to himself it couldn't be helped.
The ones who'd grinded the labyrinth risking perma-death were Kimbap Lover and two others—not him.
He had experience, sure, but nothing like this shit.
"Come on, even vets hit walls! Applause, applause!"
Chae Sang-shin egged on; crowd psych kicked in with claps.
Clap clap clap—
Old Geom-in would've peacocked for presence.
Not now.
He'd seen someone's back leading the way.
That hand reaching back—he couldn't ignore it anymore.
Geom-in dove into the underwater cave, face grim.
Soon the rope tautened; people shoved forward.
The government shelter trio spotted coughing Geom-in and grinned wide.
Not pure joy—more like spotting a useful mark.
"Geom-in, you're a beast."
"Looking forward to more."
"You're the leader—handle it. We'll trail."
Geom-in finally felt it: they weren't comrades.
When shit hit, they'd shield behind him and bolt.
Hated his past self for missing their true colors.
'All that peacocking...'
He bowed his head in shame.
His showboating made them poke for fun, thinking him perfect to exploit.
But...
'Not anymore.'
He stood, picked a passage.
Waist-deep swamp with dead trees.
Curses flew as they waded in; the trio stuck to him.
Someone muttered behind.
"Geom-in was tight with Choi Da-jeong, right? Talk to her."
"One-sided crush. Man, that bitch in bed must be wild."
"Bang her once, dream come true. Spank that ass, heh."
"Hey, order matters. Even shit has hierarchy."
Standard locker-room filth.
Geom-in had chased Da-jeong's affection once.
Foolish in hindsight.
She'd never eyed him that way.
'Should've stayed friends...'
Might be tight now.
He recalled locking eyes with her outside the bathroom.
Shrunk despite no fault...
'Cause he lacked backbone.
Always people-pleasing turned him into a sad frog.
'What do I do...?'
Lost in thought, he halted mid-pack.
Kim Dae-ho nudged his back—hurry up.
Geom-in gritted teeth.
Stuck with them, dead meat.
Ditching? Awkward now...
As Geom-in stewed, super-sense Yi Jeong-hun warned.
"Weird smell. Fishy... like guts."
Then a lizardman pack emerged from the shadows.
Shh-shh, shh.
Group startled, weapons out.
"Too tight here!"
"Back up slow!"
"Don't push—kill 'em!"
Cramped space—no swinging room.
Lizardmen flung nets, charged.
Group battled fiercely against agile water fiends.
All battle-hardened, they won—but battered.
Thrashing in nets meant trident stabs.
Chae Sang-shin, potioning wounds, spat curses.
"Fuck... should've warned about lizardmen nets."
"Who knew they hid 'em in the water?"
Geom-in said unavoidable; trio heard excuses.
Veteran should've known.
"Veterans ain't shit."
"Sigh... shouldn't trust this old guy."
Anger surged in Geom-in.
He hadn't pushed for the labyrinth.
Dragged a tired him—what bullshit?
Old him would've shut up, saved face.
Not now.
"...Who suggested this? I said I wanted rest. You dragged me."
Trio deflected.
"True, but now we're here—step up."
"Bailing solo?"
"Didn't you say 'survive together'?"
Geom-in swallowed rage.
"Point is, no blaming. Fight or die."
Group exchanged looks: irritation, fury, sneers.
Harsh environment festering petty spats into rifts.
One spark, and worse than enemies.
Geom-in prayed not now.
They climbed wet ground post-fight, caught breath.
Silent hardtack chewing; Kim Dae-ho muttered.
"People from other entrance saw dead monsters..."
"In-fighting?"
"Nah, precise hole in forehead. Adamantite spear mark."
"Kimbap Lover."
Chae Sang-shin nailed it; consensus.
"Bastard sneaks in, sweeps everything."
"Where'd he enter?"
Minds flashed to Da-jeong's 30-min blockade.
Buying time for him?
Geom-in thought it, stayed mum.
The trio excluding him felt gloomy.
'Me out, them three...'
Feasting, rampaging, helping each other—jealous.
Him with ambiguous allies, awkward trek.
Kim Dae-ho bagged hardtack.
"Auction house stirring shit. 'Let's see Kimbap Lover's face'."
"He'll see it coming—won't bite. Way ahead anyway."
"Frustrating. We found his kills. Paths cross—our pace picks up."
"...Play right, we could take him?"
Yi Jeong-hun mumbled; mocked.
"Beat Kimbap Lover? No shot."
"Slots full skills/items? No match one-on-two."
"Who said 1v1? Catch up, improvise. Narrow dark—opportunities galore. Gang up?"
"Huh..."
Possible, if catchable.
Kim Dae-ho hyped, fantasizing the meet.
"Hated that ranking topper. Smack to the dome, eh? Miserly knife—sweet relief."
"Fuck, if we meet..."
Geom-in packed silent.
Their grudge: no shared guides.
Ridiculous—they'd given nothing.
Chae Sang-shin eyed him.
"What's our Geom-in thinking? Hates Kimbap Lover, right?"
"Geom-in's sus lately. Nice to Bunny Duo now?"
"Bunny Duo links to Kimbap Lover? Geom-in too?"
"...No."
Denied; they burst laughing.
Not real mirth.
"Move. Catch up quick."
Chasing Kimbap Lover: decided.
Geom-in faked piss in corner, listed auction item, commented.
Sung-ho would spot it, know it's Geom-in.
Definitely.
Da-jeong had been giggling at auction comments.
"Sung-ho, everyone knows you're in."
"Dumb if they don't. And you stalled."
"Ooh, big trouble then?"
No tension on her face.
Worst case, call ghouls.
No sweat for me.
Rush me? Pay dearly.
Scanning auction, spotted odd comment.
Lunchbox was tasty... Meant for me.
Tested: Sindorim.
Bingo—Geom-in warning.
Nose-ringed somehow.
Asking details, he spilled location.
Geom-in detailed the not-quite-comrades' traits.
Close—dangerous.
Before my warning, frantic ping.
That was it.
No more from Geom-in.
Snagged.
I closed auction, stood.
"Geom-in's in trouble—let's bail him out."
End of Subway Station Labyrinth - 3
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