Chapter 137
Chapter 137
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: To Use the Dimension Gate - 3
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The government shelter, once eerily empty, was now buzzing with life.
New people had arrived.
Most of them were young folks in their late teens to early twenties, making things a bit noisy.
They just had so much to talk about.
Older folks like Jang Won-taek and Lee Beom-seok were quietly pleased, welcoming the fresh young blood.
What fun would a government shelter be if it was just full of old people?
Of course, there was no room for fun when survival was on the line, but being cooped up inside, you needed that youthful energy.
Those young people gathered in Geom-in's room.
Geom-in had noticed that quite a few Dodam Island members were younger than him and felt the need to establish some discipline.
Discipline... well, anyway, they were there to discuss future plans.
Oh Hyung-jun and Jo Soo-yeon were much older, so approaching them felt intimidating.
"Um... can we come in?"
"Come on in, come on in."
Geom-in waved them inside.
What were their names again...
Yoo-hyun, Mi-kyung, Ji-man, Yeo-ul, Jun-ho, Do-hyung—they filed in one after another.
The small room filled up, forcing everyone to scoot over and make space.
Thanks to that, it felt a little warmer.
"It's so warm in here."
"Whoa, what's that smell?"
"Wow, did someone eat sweet potatoes?"
A savory smell spread through the cramped room.
No windows for ventilation, so the aroma hit direct.
This is gonna make me dizzy...
Geom-in quieted the noisy kids.
"Everyone, sit down. It's not like there's anything to make a fuss about. It's just a fart, for crying out loud."
"Geom-in's right."
"Just sit for now. Stop pacing around."
Geom-in?
Geom-in felt a twinge of discomfort at the casual address.
They were all younger than him—why the informal speech?
It wasn't about lording one year over them, but he was clearly the oldest brother here.
Time to teach them that even in shit, there's hierarchy.
"Everyone, say your age. I'm 23."
"I'm 23 too."
Mi-kyung glanced around nervously as she spoke, but Yoo-hyun shot her an incredulous look and chimed in.
"You're the same age as me—how are you 23? The year's not even over yet."
"I'm an early one."
"Do they count February 25th as early these days?"
"That's too much..."
"I'd give you up to the second, but 25th is crossing the line."
"Early old lady, sis."
The high schoolers weren't buying it, and Yoo-hyun was straight-up mocking her.
"You always tell others you're 22, but now it's 23? Is that it?"
"What? It's my call."
"I should tell Sung-ho oppa you're 23. Wait, next year you'll be 24? Already mid-20s?"
"...You wanna die?"
"Just once, just once."
The two glared at each other, growling.
They hadn't grown closer after all that time on Dodam Island—they'd gotten worse.
Practically like real siblings now.
Yeo-ul, sitting next to her, pinched Yoo-hyun's arm lightly.
"Sis, please don't talk bad about my boyfriend."
"Whoa, she's taking Yoo-hyun's side. Husband? Is he your husband?"
"We could get married right now. Totally legal."
Yoo-hyun's face soured at that—hook, line, and sinker.
"Where's the law in this world?"
Things were spiraling.
Geom-in closed his eyes, feeling dizzy.
Kids, huh...
With Sung-ho or Da-jeong, topics were always heavy, but this was so light it might float away.
This won't do.
Time to lay down the law.
"Hold on. Let's sort out the pecking order. Anyway, you all admit I'm the oldest here, right?"
They nodded reluctantly, but Ji-man was different.
"But you talk casually to Sung-ho hyung."
"Huh?"
"Geom-in talks informally to Sung-ho oppa?"
"Their age gap is huge... How can she do that?"
"She's totally trying to act equal."
It was getting noisy again.
Something's wrong here...
Geom-in cleared his throat and jumped to his defense.
"I-I'm a veteran player, that's why. I played with Kimbap Lover, Duck Down Quack, Bunny Duo. Nearly 5,000 hours."
Don't you feel some respect now?
That was the intent, but their stares were weird.
"You don't seem like much of a veteran..."
"Hyung, you look way too ordinary."
"Real veterans give off that vibe instantly, but not you, Geom-in."
That was true.
Bunny Duo exuded vet aura from his looks alone—like, this guy's the real deal.
Duck Down Quack had flashy style and asserted dominance with his ghouls.
Kimbap Lover seemed normal at first, but his massive build and killer eyes screamed he could smash someone in under 10 seconds.
Compared to them, Survivor1—a early-20s gamer—looked a bit lacking.
"They talk casually to me despite the age gap too. It'd be weird if I was the only one using formal speech."
"Then we can all drop the formalities too."
"Should we?"
"Even rivers have upstream and downstream, right? High schoolers stepping up feels off."
"We can't eat school lunch anymore anyway. Sis gonna share?"
"Look at her talking back with eyes wide open. Yoo-hyun, didn't you raise her right?"
"I'm telling Sung-ho oppa on you. Says the total boomer."
"Hey! Kim Yoo-hyun!"
At this point, Geom-in was going insane.
He'd brought the kids here to assert authority, but it was crumbling pathetically.
No point bringing up guides or whatever now.
He desperately changed the subject.
"A-Anyway, what do you all think about Sung-ho's goal?"
"Securing shares in this shelter, right?"
Mi-kyung casually dropping the informal speech.
Geom-in decided to let a one-year difference slide.
Considering Bunny Duo was 10 years older but still casual with him.
"If you ask what shares mean, it's who controls the facilities and guns. Supplies and food matter, but that's even more crucial."
Guns.
Weapons they couldn't use until now.
But once the Metal Plague subsided, they'd come into play big time.
The arsenal in the government shelter's basement was already public knowledge.
Geom-in put some force into his voice.
"Just pulling out guns after the Metal Plague lifts doesn't secure shares right away. It happens gradually. The more of us who can handle guns, the better. The president has to trust us enough to hand them over."
"Guess we need to study up then."
Everyone nodded at Ji-man's words.
They all knew grabbing a gun didn't turn you into a trained soldier.
And the president wouldn't hand them to just anyone.
At least adults, and prove yourself through missions.
"Chatting randomly like this gets you labeled dead weight. Lee Beom-seok's evaluating us."
"So we gotta scowl all the time...?"
One of the high schoolers said, but Geom-in shook his head.
"Won't change the evaluation. It's based on daily behavior. Nail the missions, and it'll go up. Do your best."
The gun locker keys were reinforced plastic, held by Jang Won-taek.
No permission, no access.
Better now.
Geom-in was satisfied with the subdued mood.
Then Ji-man brought up something intriguing.
"You all know about Sung-ho hyung's trait, right?"
"Kinda."
"Not the details."
"Sung-ho oppa's trait is Attack Prediction, isn't it?"
The two high schoolers hadn't heard.
Ji-man explained slowly.
"We've seen a lot of weird places so far. Lairs, farming dungeons..."
"Like the Swamp Labyrinth."
"Yeah. Those places are actually connected to one dimension. We're traveling various fantasy spots through dimension gates."
"Ah..."
"I see..."
No one had thought of it that way.
But the real key point was elsewhere.
"Sung-ho hyung can open a dimension gate to the fantasy world on his own. Inside's a forest, and he's built a shelter there."
"R-Really?"
"Whoa, insane..."
Everyone but Geom-in gaped, speechless.
They'd heard vaguely about the trait but not the details.
Ji-man looked around and continued.
"He can open and close the gate to that world at will. We can't enter now, but things might change."
"So we might get in too if we're good?"
"That big chicken? Not a chicken—it's a firebird. Huge."
"I had some sashimi."
"I wanna try it."
Everyone swallowed, imagining the dimension gate world.
Ji-man wrapped up.
"So we gotta behave. No troublemaking, no betraying Sung-ho hyung. Do what we gotta do and wait—he'll take care of it."
"But what do we do inside?"
"Sex, sex."
What nonsense is this.
Bunny Duo was suddenly at the door.
He flashed a thumbs-up.
"Sex."
"..."
Everyone was speechless.
.
.
.
"Did it come out or not? Just say that."
Da-jeong looked ready to devour me.
I slowly took her hand.
"It came out."
"Kyaa!"
Just as she was about to jump, I calmed her.
"But there are conditions."
"...Conditions? What conditions?"
"Usage fees and a contract or something. Hold on."
I opened the dimension gate and urged Da-jeong inside.
She grumbled suspiciously but stepped through.
And then.
"Huh? What's this? Messages popping up like crazy?"
"Tell me everything."
"This is interesting."
Da-jeong, on the other hand, fumed.
"I barely gave you a ride, and now this?"
"Not my doing."
"What's an Aetherstone, and where do I get it? Just open a dimension gate like you, and mine pops up?"
Right then, a blue dimension gate opened before her.
Indistinguishable from a regular dungeon entrance.
She blanked out for a sec, then stuck her hand in.
"It goes through... So I get my own exclusive dimension gate too?"
As if.
"Nah, probably a limited dungeon for the unique quest. Go in, and it'll prompt you to grab the Aetherstones quick."
Quests were introduced mid-game in Survival Life.
With so many deaths, they added daily, challenge, limited, and unique quests, but few bothered.
Rewards were meh.
The expansion pack revamped them big time—at the end—but only I knew.
Da-jeong thought a bit, then grinned.
"Camp out in there doing the quest, and it becomes my personal shelter?"
"Can't close or move it at will—what kinda shelter is that?"
"...Ruined. What's with required points? We gotta pay fees?"
I rubbed my fingers together.
"Can set from 100 points. How much...?"
"You, you!"
Da-jeong grabbed my collar, glaring.
"After all I've been through giving you a lift, you pull this?"
"Again, not my call. Minimum's 100 points."
Her glare softened a bit.
"Really?"
"Obviously. Anyway, gotta prep to enter."
"Prep how?"
"Your travel prep."
I reached for the open dimension gate before Da-jeong.
It pushed my hand back like a wall.
"You're traveling solo."
"..."
Da-jeong plopped down, dazed.
"Why... why make me go through this..."
I shared my thoughts.
"Been thinking... maybe it's starting to demand payment now."
"Payment for what?"
"For using the trait. Thought it was free, but nope."
She flinched.
Made sense, really.
Who gives powers just for playtime?
"Up to level 29 was a free taste. Now, wanna use more? Pay with Aetherstones or whatever. Don't know who, but."
Survival Life devs, maybe...
Da-jeong whined.
"Nooo. You hit 30, why do I need Aetherstones?"
"Think of it as a housewarming gift. You bring something when invited, right?"
"Tch."
She stood, poking my chest with her finger.
"So unfair. Playtime gap's what, a few hundred hours? Traits should differ that much."
"First and fourth place are worlds apart."
She trembled, then hugged my waist tight, looking up.
Faint makeup scent wafted.
"Just watch. I'll do whatever in there. Got it?"
"Do as you like."
I held her head and kissed lightly.
She seemed surprised, then went for my lips full-on.
Sorry, my bad.
After the kiss, she sighed long.
"No fun alone."
"You traveled solo fine before. Herding zombies, beating people."
"Shut up. Pack my bag anyway. Lots of food."
"Got it."
I went into the shelter, gathered Duck Down Quack and the stag beetles, asked about Aetherstones.
They hesitated.
How'd he know? Suspicious stares.
I'm the suspicious one here.
"Wish someone'd guide..."
One Duck Down Quack raised a foreleg.
Good—guide well so Da-jeong finishes the quest.
"Dingo, you too. Similar personalities—you'll get along."
I packed several bags, brought Dingo and Duck Down Quack out.
Da-jeong petted Dingo, calling him a fellow sufferer.
"What a greedy dimension gate. Insane fees. Total rip-off."
Ahem.
I hid a smile, handed bags to the ghouls.
Finally, Da-jeong put a Duck Down Quack on her head and entered the gate.
Ghouls followed; the gate vanished.
Wasn't it supposed to stay open?
"Gotta wait here..."
Farm nearby while waiting.
With Da-jeong gone, I felt oddly relieved.
A bit lonely, but refreshing.
Hyung-jun hyung said something like this once.
—When the wife takes the kid to her parents', that's Independence Day.
—Hyung, why say it like that? You adore her usually.
—You wouldn't get it without marrying. You dated, right?
—A couple times.
—Girlfriend comes over. Fun and hot at first. But hours pass, she won't leave? Sticks around nagging: wash up, fold laundry, take out trash.
—Scary.
—Wife's the same. Tell her I'm camping with Ji-eun? Mouth rips open. Everyone needs alone time.
Come to think, Hyung-jun hyung's been lonely lately...
Hope he finds someone at the government shelter.
I entered the dimension gate, booted the monitor.
Cave had the laptop plus two PCs looted from a one-room.
Power hogs, so lights off... good.
Dug through NAS—tons of games.
Geom-in'd love this.
"In apocalypse, any movie or game's fun."
Even crap games feel godly.
Plenty of recent movies too—no boredom anytime soon.
Man, it's hot...
Cave heat plus PC exhaust was brutal.
Plugged in USB fan.
Lukewarm breeze, but with beer...
Pulled buried beer cans, lay on mattress.
Cold fizz slid down my throat.
"Ahh, refreshing."
Clicked a random file for a movie—zombie flick.
Someone paused mid-zombie growl filling the screen.
—Kyaaack!
"Whoa, startled me."
Still... not bad?
Not the sex scene after.
Apocalypse can't skip sex.
Watched the zombie movie with Dingo.
Lucky me.