Chapter 133
Chapter 133
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: My ID Is - 2
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The situation of the Japanese who had arrived in Masan was truly wretched.
Like immigrants who had abandoned their homeland, their appearance was utterly shabby, reminiscent of beggars.
What made their plight even worse was Korea's winter weather.
They shivered violently despite layering on multiple clothes, in cold that was incomparable to Kyushu.
Even Masan, which wasn't all that cold compared to the central region, felt this way.
The first thing the Japanese settled in the Yanggok-dong residential area did was search for food.
The surrounding apartments had long since collapsed, leaving them no choice but to rummage through houses.
Even amid this, monster attacks continued relentlessly.
Where there are people, there are monsters.
The group of about a dozen Japanese reaffirmed the rules of the apocalypse as they lost comrades one by one.
"This is everything."
"..."
Shiraishi Yuzuka stared blankly at the food her brother Kenji had set down.
It was woefully insufficient to share among a dozen people.
"Is this all we found after searching dozens of houses...?"
"The Koreans must have swept everything clean. Now we'll have to fill our stomachs with store bread."
Store bread.
The atrocious item that cost 20 points.
One had to question if it even had a taste—it was just bread that kept you from starving to death.
Among the Japanese, there was even talk that calling it bread was an insult to actual bread.
Of course, when truly hungry, everyone ate it anyway.
Kenji sat down in front of his younger sister with a troubled expression.
"No matter how much we looked, we couldn't find anything else. Should we distribute it first to the frail ones? What do you think?"
"Yuzuka can't object. Take it all."
"You're hungry too... I'm sorry."
"It's fine. I can endure it, for now."
It had been quite some time since they left Busan.
At first, they had optimistically thought they could leisurely farm in a city devoid of people.
But they belatedly realized why there were no people.
Busan was contaminated with radiation.
Everyone suffered from stomach pains, complaining of a metallic taste of blood in their mouths.
To make matters worse, even the healthy ones started vomiting, forcing them to attempt an escape.
That's when they got separated from Otaro's group.
The group of about a dozen led by the Shiraishi siblings fled Busan and headed west.
There were several settlements in the cities along the way, but fear of radiation drove them all the way here.
The problem was they had no idea where "here" was.
They had no maps, and no one who could read Korean.
Oddly enough, they could communicate with Koreans.
For the time being, they planned to stay here.
Food was scarce, but at least they had houses to protect their bodies.
Then one day, as they were living like that.
Kenji and Yuzuka spotted a small island beyond the western sea.
"It's an island with people living on it..."
"Impressive. Lighting fires in this situation."
Smoke rising from buildings meant they were heating their homes.
Heating in the apocalypse?
They'd be lucky if monsters didn't swarm them.
After discussing it, the two concluded there were no monsters on that island.
"Maybe monsters can't cross the sea."
Kenji frowned at his sister's words.
"That doesn't make sense. Even Hokkaido's brown bears cross shallow seas. It doesn't add up that monsters can't swim."
"But seeing them like that, I can't help thinking so. Look—they're tending to a vegetable garden."
"Hmm... It'd be great if we could connect with them somehow."
"Impossible. Koreans don't need us. They don't even like us."
"True. To them, we're just inconvenient foreigners."
At that moment, Yuzuka covered her mouth with her hand and coughed violently.
Cough, cough.
"Yuzuka! Are you okay?"
"Hoo... Yes. Yuzuka is fine."
She was suffering from some ambiguous illness—maybe a cold or mild pneumonia.
Her immunity must have dropped after exhausting herself escaping Busan; it just wouldn't get better.
They had hastily looted medicine from a pharmacy, but it was all painkillers.
Kenji supported his sister and returned to the house.
They had barely made it here, but settling down wouldn't be smooth.
"Huff, huff... How was that?"
Futaba Otaro looked around at his subordinates demonstratively.
At his feet lay a small orc.
A feat achieved through pure hand-to-hand combat.
Of course, his subordinates had helped by luring it and drawing its attention, but ultimately, it was Otaro's brute strength that felled it.
"Excellent, Boss!"
"Even orcs are no match!"
His subordinates made a fuss.
The muscular giant Otaro shrugged his shoulders and turned his head.
"What do you think, Shiraishi? I've grown this much. How about you siblings?"
"Pathetic warlord. You come all the way here just to show off like this?"
Otaro's lips twitched.
"Instead of this sideshow, you're planning something grand, aren't you?"
"...None of your business."
There was no need to tell this musclebound gorilla that they needed to find food and medicine.
Otaro was a pro wrestler with the in-game name "Itoshima's Freak."
He had acquired a body enhancement trait befitting his sturdy frame, growing strong enough to brawl with orcs barehanded.
His personality was deeply flawed—quick to anger and arrogant.
Currently, he had gathered survivors to form a group called New Japan Pro, proclaiming himself its president.
Not that it meant much in Korea.
Otaro stepped off the orc carcass and headed toward Kenji in the tree, gripping the wooden sword at his waist.
"Come any closer, and I'll attack."
"Hey, hey, don't be so harsh. We've been connected since Japan, right?"
"A bad connection. What do you want, Futaba?"
"Simple. That island across the sea."
Otaro turned his head sideways.
Though not visible, there was a small island across the sea.
The island inhabited by Koreans, now familiar even to Kenji.
"I want that. You'll have to cooperate, you siblings."
"I refuse."
"Hey, hear me out first? This is good for you too."
"Your proposals are always obvious. You want to mobilize your men and attack to seize it."
"Sharp instincts, Shiraishi."
"Anyone could tell from your greedy eyes... Anyway, we're staying out of it. Do as you please."
"Come on. You plan to feed your lovely sister only store bread?"
Kenji drew his wooden sword in warning.
"I told you not to take interest in Yuzuka."
"I'm just concerned, even if I look like this. She was coughing a lot—needs medicine? That island might have some stocked."
"...There's a town to the north. Get it there."
Otaro sneered.
"Plowing through countless Koreans and monsters? Don't forget—this is Korean soil. That's why I came here."
"How can you be sure there's no powerhouse on that island?"
"Overwhelm with numbers. It's just a handful, seven or eight. Heh."
So he's already scouted it.
Kenji warned him.
"I'm telling you in advance: Don't cause unnecessary trouble on Korean soil."
"Why not?"
"You've seen the auction house, right? There are at least over a hundred Koreans above level 15 now."
When they arrived in Busan and reached level 15 fighting monsters.
Yuzuka was the first Japanese to enter Korea's auction house.
She thought activity would be low with a smaller population than Japan—complete misconception.
The auction house was swarming with people.
She made a comment about no Japanese being there and got flamed.
Kenji and Otaro, who reached level 15 later, were shocked too, and it made them cautious for a while.
Otaro quickly forgot, overly confident in his abilities.
"Heh, unnecessary worry, Shiraishi. Anyway, once I conquer that island, your sister will see me in a new light."
"That won't happen. Never."
Kenji snorted and walked away, while Otaro called his men.
They didn't notice the paper airplane someone had launched fluttering overhead.
"Looks like those guys are building rafts to come here."
"Headache. What about the big boss? Think we can talk to him?"
"Um... No way. He's almost as tall as Sung-ho hyung but way heavier. As harsh as it sounds, he looks brutally tough..."
"Just say pig."
"Not just a pig—his body looks incredibly solid."
"Same trait as me, huh."
Hyung-jun and Yu-hyun were scouting the Japanese from the coast.
Their attack on Geomseom was all but certain.
Why else build rafts?
According to Yu-hyun, their numbers were about 20.
Hyung-jun anxiously stroked his chin.
"We'll have the level advantage, probably."
"But those guys seem like they've killed people before... We have no PvP experience."
"Can't be helped with no people around."
Geomseom members had accumulated plenty of combat experience.
But it was all against monsters.
You need opportunities to fight people to gain that experience.
Before Sung-ho left, he had crushed all the murderers and raiders in Masan and Changwon, leaving no fights for them.
Hyung-jun had boasted to Sung-ho not to worry, but he was subtly anxious.
Those Japanese with murderous glares in their eyes seemed seasoned in battle despite lower levels.
And their numbers were three times ours.
"Tch... They'll come at us desperately. What to do..."
"Sung-ho hyung said he'd come. Can't we just hold out?"
"He's in Incheon right now. How's he supposed to get here? It's a farming dungeon."
It had been two months since the farming dungeon appeared on Geomseom, so another was due.
But farming dungeon spawns were completely random.
Even for Sung-ho, locating one and finding an entrance to Masan was near impossible.
Hyung-jun made a decision.
"Can't just sit. Yu-hyun, keep scouting with Yeoul. I'll talk to Soo-yeon."
"What about?"
"Whether to abandon or fight."
Soo-yeon, Geomseom's doctor nicknamed Mercy, advocated withdrawal.
"Better to evacuate and retake later when we get a chance. Waste of supplies, but our PvP capability is lacking."
"As expected?"
Jiman, passing by, agreed.
"I feel like Sung-ho hyung might come, but we have to prepare for the worst."
"Assume Sung-ho can't make it. Anyway, everyone gather."
Hyung-jun gathered everyone, heard opinions, and summarized.
"As you know, Japanese attack imminent. We'll withdraw— that's the consensus."
"Yep."
"Got it."
Everyone nodded readily.
Partly from fear due to no PvP experience.
Monsters had guides or Sung-ho's tips, but humans? No such thing.
Just thinking about 20 traits made their heads hurt.
Hyung-jun emphasized immediate action.
"We leave right now. Pack one backpack each."
Geomseom suddenly bustled.
Members packed one backpack each and fled west to the mainland with Mi-kyung's help.
The Japanese paddling with wooden pallet shields conquered the empty island and felt deflated.
"What is this? Where is everyone?!"
Otaro bellowed, but no subordinate could answer.
"Those bastards are fast..."
"Now the island is ours?"
New Japan Pro joyfully looted the lodgings' supplies.
Then, a small change occurred on Geomseom.
A blue dimension gate opened.
Dajeong's ghouls had finally located the farming dungeon.
The result of scouring the auction house.
Sung-ho explained as he entered the dungeon with Dajeong.
"Using an item to fix the farming dungeon in place."
"Fix? What's that?"
"Applies only to farming dungeons—locks the spawn location. So, the farming dungeon I want appears where I want."
"You've done so much research..."
"Problem is not knowing when it'll open, but luck was on our side."
The gryphon dungeon opened two months ago, so timing matched.
Dajeong entered and gaped at the scenery.
Wasn't this the dungeon where they hunted gryphons before?
To her, who thought farming dungeons were completely random, it was shocking.
"This actually works..."
"I fixed it with an item, so same dungeon. Figured I'd return to Geomseom someday."
"...Then how for going up to Seoul?"
"Walk."
"You're something else..."
Sung-ho recalled and found the Geomseom entrance.
Traces of the tent pitched in the cliff crevice remained preserved.
Dajeong took off her shoes and dipped her feet in the clean stream on the floor.
"Let's rest a bit here. What could go wrong?"
Sung-ho checked the auction house and quickened his pace.
"No time."
Crossing the dimension gate, an unexpected sight awaited.
The Japanese, in the midst of hauling supplies, stared blankly at Sung-ho.
Otaro grinned wickedly and aimed his long knife at Sung-ho.
"Heard Koreans say 'if you can't catch a pheasant, catch a chicken.' Guess I'll use that. Who the hell are you?"
"Me?"
Sung-ho surveyed the situation.
Ah, so that's how it is.
"Kimbap Lover."