Chapter 131
Chapter 131
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: The Veteran Quartet
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< The Veteran Quartet >
"...I want to be with you guys."
"You know that means sharing all our secrets, right? You okay with that?"
I asked again, and Geom-in nodded affirmatively.
"I've been thinking about it lately. What's the point of me becoming the ruler... Could I even become one...? The Metal Plague is going away soon anyway..."
"What, something go wrong?"
At Dajeong's question, he gave an embarrassed smile and scratched his head.
"You've been in a government shelter too, so you know. My status there is pretty much nothing. That's how people saw Bae Geom-in, unfortunately."
"Still, there must be some decisive reason you gave up, right?"
Geom-in answered right away.
"It's because of Kimbap... Sung-ho."
"Me?"
"Yeah. We met in that battle royale, remember? I was totally despairing. You suddenly shoved a gun in my face and told me to run like hell."
"I had no choice if I wanted to save you. We had to break through the monster wall within a time limit."
"I know. Anyway, after that, I started thinking about friends. I even tried teaming up with Joo Seung-cheol because I wanted to get stronger. But..."
"And then To-gong blasted him to bits."
"Haha... Looking back now, it was for the best. Anyway, I don't want to go back to the shelter. I want to stick with you guys... like old times."
Geom-in looked at each of us in turn.
We had to respect his choice, but there was something he needed to do.
"Sorry, Geom-in, but you need to head back to the shelter."
He looked flustered.
"Huh? Why not?"
"No, I mean it as a friend, but stay in the government shelter for a while."
"Why? Oh... the guns, right."
"You say you don't have much influence, but you still have some stake there. Seok-hyeon built up some reputation too, right?"
"Yeah, I guess... Lately, To-gong's more popular than me."
"If he didn't wear those grungy undies, he'd be a hit with the girls."
Dajeong snapped Seok-hyeon's waistband, and he said,
"I'm not that popular. Everyone just screams 'Eek, monster!' and runs away."
"What'd you do in the shelter?"
"Nothing much. Ate what I usually eat, slept, ran around."
Hearing that, Dajeong smacked the back of Seok-hyeon's head in anger.
"I told you to stop eating goblins!"
"They're pretty decent."
"They're not! That's why everyone treats you like a freak."
"Doesn't bother me. I don't eat them in front of you guys."
He was being considerate in his own way.
Anyway, I explained the situation to Geom-in.
"Until the Metal Plague ends, you and Seok-hyeon need to stay in the government shelter. Who knows what might happen, and it's easier to respond if you're close by."
"Got it."
"What about us?"
"We're hitting the Incheon subway reserve shelter. We left it half-done before, remember?"
"Right, yeah."
Just then, Geom-in's stomach growled loudly.
Dajeong patted my butt.
"First time all four of us together, and nothing to eat?"
"Winter calls for something hot and soupy, right? Open the dimension gate."
"So that's the activation phrase for your subspace."
"Step inside, and where do you end up...? Remember that battle royale on the plains?"
"There was a snowy mountain... No way?"
"My shelter's around there. This gate connects to another world."
"Whoa... that's insane..."
Geom-in couldn't close his mouth, muttering "insane" over and over for a good while.
Looks like he hadn't gained our traits yet.
Trust doesn't just pop up overnight.
We'd need time to get back to being friends like before.
I stepped into the dimension gate and prepared a meal.
.
.
.
We chatted while eating.
The meal I'd whipped up seemed to hit the spot for all three.
Judging by how they slurped up the kimchi stew, sauce dripping from their mouths.
"Man, I never imagined I'd eat kimchi stew with oil floating like this again."
"Sung-ho made it with his homemade kimchi. Perfectly fermented, huh?"
Seeing them enjoy it warmed my heart.
I explained what happened in the labyrinth.
"So, what went down inside was..."
When I got to the part about killing people after parting with Seok-hyeon, they all stopped eating.
"...Fifteen with guns. Not sure about the other two. The auction house suggests one survived, maybe."
"Those... guys who attacked me, they're all dead, right?"
Geom-in touched the wound on his shoulder.
It had healed with a potion, but not fully.
"All dead. Guess they were all auction thugs, so the place is clean now."
"Hmm... the auction house."
Dajeong scrolled through the listings, unable to hide her amazement.
"Holy crap. Sung-ho, you're something else."
"Not all the thugs are gone, but they're laying low. Don't want their IDs exposed and get stripped bare."
Geom-in hesitated before speaking up.
"You can only see IDs at the auction house?"
"There's a skill called Eye of Truth. Costs 10 points to check an ID. Saw a cocky guy once, and it was you."
"What, you never mentioned..."
He ducked his head and inhaled a perfectly grilled bird egg fry.
Tilting his head, then popping two more in a row—he liked it.
Makes sense. Big and savory.
"So what happened after? The labyrinth clear."
Dajeong prodded, and I recalled the scene.
"I thought it'd be a grind, but Seok-hyeon had wiped most of it. I just finished them off, and EXP rolled right in."
"This directionless guy navigated that mess?"
"I lent him the beetles."
"Oh, right, them."
She got it immediately, but Geom-in was curious about the beetles.
Time to introduce the stag beetle too.
I got permission from the leader beetles in the cave and brought them out.
Had to put them on separate palms—they'd fight if together.
Geom-in stared, then scratched his head.
"Uh... real beetles? Thought it was a metaphor."
"Smart ones that understand speech. They help me at the shelter. These two are the leaders."
"Amazing..."
Geom-in reached to pet the stag beetle and got nipped by its pincer.
"Ow."
"Careful. The rhino beetle's chill, but this one's feisty."
The leader stag beetle raged at me noisily.
"Sorry, sorry."
I quickly sent them back to the cave.
Seok-hyeon, who'd been watching, said,
"I've thought this before, but the rhino beetle's like a dwarf. Loves minerals, great at finding paths."
"Dwarf?"
"You know, the short fantasy race."
Yeah, it fit.
The stag beetle, meanwhile, was elven.
Loves trees, enjoys tending crops.
Though elves are usually mellow, right?
Guess some are jerks.
I shared the clear rewards.
"Hit level 26, skipped the points details, got an extra skill slot. Uber Merman dropped HP regen."
"Uber Merman?"
"Monster that makes conch-shell noises. Fish-lizard hybrid. Seok-hyeon took out most."
"Good job, To-gong. Our grand plan's almost ripe."
"Grand plan?"
"Storm Sung-ho's shelter and hang out together!"
Dajeong got excited, and Geom-in asked,
"Can others enter too?"
"Not yet, but maybe at 30."
"FYI, level 25 bonus was Dimensional Prison."
"Fell from the sky for five minutes. Horrifying..."
"I swam in the open ocean."
"...For real?"
"Real deal."
Geom-in's eyes widened in fear.
I asked him,
"We think you're kinda weak. What's your trait exactly?"
"Well... my trait..."
He swallowed his bite, wiped his mouth clean.
Then explained his multiple traits.
"Not sure on exact conditions, but I can copy traits from people who trust me. Costs points, and I can only have one bonus effect. Level 5 bonus only."
"Level 19 now? What's the bonus?"
"Level 5 eliminated point cost, 10 copies bonuses too. 15 gave trait storage slots."
"Trait storage?"
"Can't use 'em, just store. Like desk books—you push aside unused ones, pull back when needed."
Ah.
Like wearing skill gear—temporarily swaps skills.
Equip item with skill when you have 10, first skill vanishes till unequipped.
"Wait, so you can hold four traits total? OP."
Dajeong punched his shoulder playfully; he smiled bitterly.
"Not really. Storage always has Shelter Enhancement. Useful for others, useless for me. Only works on facilities and weapons."
Dajeong snapped her fingers.
"That's why we didn't see effects... Zombie control, bare-fist fights?"
"Sorry. Couldn't say then."
"Fair enough. You were always staring at my chest and legs, so we're even. Got it?"
"Look at mine instead."
"To-gong, yours are skimpy."
What guy checks another guy's legs?
...Time to wrap up.
I laid out what I'd organized in my head.
"Dajeong, Seok-hyeon—you're both waiting for me to hit 30. But it's not easy, takes time. Even at 30, no guarantee on bonus. So let's do what we can for now."
Seok-hyeon pointed to his chest.
"We go to government shelter, you raid Incheon reserve?"
"Heard good stuff there. Once weather clears, check nearby time shelters too."
"Funniest part? He's been pure farming since apocalypse started. Farming life."
"Thanks to that, comfy cave life. Music, movies."
"C-, computers too?"
"You don't know, Geom-in? Shelter's got everything. Mini excavator, motorcycle even. Gonna ride someday."
Dajeong channeling a cheetah failing at snack ads.
Seok-hyeon recalled it too, said she looked similar, got smacked.
Oof, should've kept it thought.
"Power from?"
"Solar."
"...No Metal Plague there."
"Hence guns. Stole plenty from Joo Seung-cheol's—thousands of rounds."
"Computers?"
"Three laptops included. Not mine, farmed from a one-room on day one."
"Games in there?"
"Games?"
Geom-in, you're a gamer huh.
Mid-20s, prime gaming age.
Gets harder with age—new stuff tiresome, can't focus.
"Tons of movies, music... games, not sure. I'll check later."
"After Metal Plague..."
I caught his drift.
Gamer wants games, obvious.
"Shelter has computers? Can't use now though."
"Public ones, awkward for gaming... Knowledge storage, no games."
Government stockpile—no games likely.
Dramas, movies at best.
I nodded.
"Depends on you, Geom-in. We're friends, but gotta give happily."
"Of course. So I secure real stake in government shelter?"
"Eventually all move to mine. Cave's tight, so personal shelters, but live together. Share supplies."
"Shelter, shelter..."
Shelter-obsessed Geom-in got hyped.
In Survival Life, more time holed up than active.
Just browsing collection made him happy.
I imagined us four in the forest, then frowned.
Something clicked.
Dajeong thought same, suddenly dry-heaved.
"Duck, you pregnant?"
"Pregnant my ass! Imagining you streaking through the woods made me nauseous, that's why!"
"Humans must become one with nature."
"So you admit you'll run naked..."
"Pregnant?"
Geom-in blinked hard; Dajeong shrugged it off.
"I slept with Sung-ho."
"Oh... congrats."
Surprisingly chill, Geom-in just resumed stew.
Dajeong puffed her cheeks.
"What? You liked me. Give some despair reaction—guy stole your girl."
"You leaving helped me move on. Plus, we're not a match."
He'd sorted his feelings...
I patted his shoulder.
"You'll find a good girl."
"Thanks."
Probably.
.
.
.
Seok-hyeon and Geom-in headed to the shelter.
Before they left, I made Seok-hyeon promise.
Work him hard.
—No matter how I think, can't beat werewolf with that trait? Mindset issue.
—Overhaul him thoroughly?
—Drag him everywhere, feed skills, grind EXP. Realize he's not weak, he'll toughen up.
—Right up my alley. Leave it.
—Oh, don't tell Uncle Jang Won-taek for now. He'll be suspicious.
After they left, Dajeong and I prepped and went to Sindorim Station.
Jang Won-taek and Chief Secretary Lee Beom-seok waited.
Seeing Dajeong beside me, they looked surprised.
"Guessed it, but confirmed—the trio's together. Mind telling what happened to our Geom-in?"
"Least I didn't kill him myself."
"He's alive. So the other three are dead..."
"Who?"
I played dumb despite knowing.
Jang sat, sighed deeply.
"Whenever Sung-ho meets someone, they die. Trouble."
"They'd have died eventually, even without me. Not excusing."
"...No mercy at all? Korea's population keeps dropping."
Knew he'd say that.
My resolve unchanged.
"Save it for the fools who charge me fearlessly."
"In normal society, courts would've settled it... Shame."
"Back then, bullshit didn't get heads cracked. Realize it can, they'll behave."
"Lots'll die till then..."
"I only attack killers or when attacked. Leave innocents be."
I raised my voice; he waved it off.
"No, no, not blaming you. Just... a shame. Bit more communication, and cooperation possible."
We both know that's near impossible.
Era of superpowered traits.
Monsters attacking humans.
Trusting strangers for teamwork? Nah.
Lucky if no killing.
Dajeong, listening, spoke up.
"Heard you mention Masan earlier. What was that?"
"Masan...? Never said..."
"I heard, so no denying. My ears are everywhere."
Level 25 already.
Bonus: direct zombie/ghoul audio feed.
Like Yoo-hyeon's trait, pros/cons.
Masan has those people...
Lee Beom-seok spoke at Jang's glance.
"Japanese entered Masan. Fled Busan radiation. Numbers unknown, but dozens at least."
Dozens wouldn't miss Dog Island.
I masked my expression, stood.
Time to contact Masan again.
< The Veteran Quartet > End