Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: To Use the Dimension Gate - 4
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Quest dungeon greeted Dajeong with a picturesque grassland.
The sky was cloudless, and a warm breeze tousled her hair.
'Where the hell is this place?'
Her eyes scanned fiercely for the snowy mountain, but it was nowhere in sight.
All she could see beyond the hills was a faint, low mountain range and a triangular marker.
'What kind of real-world place has that?'
A golden triangle hovered above the mountain peak—it was truly bizarre.
Survival Life being this user-friendly? No way.
According to Sung-ho, there had been minor updates after most players left.
She looked around.
'No shelter around here, right?'
Every dungeon so far had been a separate otherworld.
Meaning Sung-ho's shelter was connected to the others somehow.
The problem was she had no idea where it was.
'Should've stormed the battle royale battlefield right away.'
Who could've guessed the shelter was near the snowy mountain?
With the stag beetle perched on her head, she headed toward the mountain, bringing Dingo and the ghouls along.
Glancing back, the dimension gate had vanished.
Eh, whatever. It'll work out.
"If you shit on my head, you're in trouble, got it?"
The stag beetle tugged at her hair to signal that wouldn't happen.
These guys amazingly understood Korean.
Maybe it was some power that let them communicate with foreigners.
'Man, there's nothing here...'
Bored, Dajeong ordered a ghoul to make a chair and hopped on.
It ran fast—about as quick as a decent bike.
Dingo, thrilled to sprint at full speed after so long, panted alongside.
Dajeong lounged back, enjoying the warm spring breeze.
Sung-ho's shelter was probably hotter than this.
Imagining it daily made her mouth water.
'Forests, valleys, ocean...'
Just from the description, it sounded like a luxurious life.
But the shelter itself was the issue.
Its owner, Sung-ho, kept downplaying it.
He slept on a single mattress, which sparked anxiety that there was no space for anything else.
'It's fine. If there's no space, I'll make some.'
She had over 30 big, strong workers, after all.
Zombies and ghouls weren't great for delicate work, but hauling stuff? No problem.
The stag beetle or scarab could handle detailed designs...
Dajeong startled herself imagining merrily building log cabins.
'Am I just gonna end up working non-stop?'
Thrifty Sung-ho wouldn't leave useful labor like her idle.
She was the only one who could enter the shelter after clearing the quest.
He'd find some excuse to put her to work.
'Work... a little won't hurt.'
The thrill of living in the forest with Sung-ho was electric.
A world just for them.
No one to care what they did.
Perfect freedom.
But...
After sitting so long, Dajeong's back ached, forcing her up.
The ghoul ride had been bumpy.
She scanned for buildings nearby—nothing.
"Ugh, seriously. Why is there nothing here?"
The low mountain was still far off.
Grumbling, she settled back on the chair.
Dingo flopped sideways, panting from the run.
Hours passed in sprints and rests.
Dajeong's ghouls devoured goblin packs, bulking up.
Finally, the nameless mountain loomed ahead.
The stag beetle led to a cave midway up.
Something sparkled inside.
"You're good at finding this stuff..."
Shining a glowstone revealed an ore vein.
According to the stag beetle's drawings, magic metals clustered like this.
Like the forest spring—earth's essence pooling.
Dajeong pulled a foldable pickaxe from her bag.
The metal plague hadn't fully subsided, but Sung-ho said it'd hold for a bit.
Extended and locked, it felt sturdy.
"Haven't felt this texture in ages..."
Not since July 20th—five months.
She swung hard at the spot the stag beetle indicated.
Clang! Clang!
Progress was slow; evening fell quickly.
She mined by glowstone light.
A few ore chunks popped out, but she needed the etherstone.
The stag beetle said etherstones hid deep in bedrock.
"So I gotta bust my ass for maybe one?"
Nod, nod.
Figures.
Dajeong mined on without much complaint.
Grumbling needed someone like Sung-ho to listen.
"...I'm beat."
Night came; she collapsed exhausted.
Spread a blanket from her bag, ate cold lunch.
Side dishes made it tolerable despite being chilled.
Dingo chowed on meat; the stag beetle munched jelly.
In the glowstone's dim cave light, loneliness hit Dajeong.
A new feeling.
"Haa..."
Her meal tasted like sand.
She set it down, spamming comments searching for Sung-ho.
No response despite her calls.
"What the hell are you doing?"
No one monitored the auction house 24/7.
Sung-ho was busy; he probably barely checked it.
Still, she wished he'd hurry.
Dajeong hugged her knees.
A smile bloomed at Sung-ho's comment.
The shelter's beetles must've tipped him off.
She whined about cold food and bland sides—lies, all.
Sung-ho soothed her.
Sung-ho spilled future chores.
Yep, planning to use her as labor.
Dajeong was thrilled he needed her.
Chat ended; her heart lightened as she stood.
Clang! Clang!
The pickaxe struck bedrock vigorously. Thirty minutes later, a golden gem emerged.
"Woohoo!
Yay!
Dajeong and the stag beetle raised fists high.
Three days later, a ragged Dajeong appeared.
Spotting me from the dimension gate, she rushed over.
"Ughhh, I thought I was gonna die~"
"Good work."
She pulled a radiant golden gem from her bag.
Huh, never heard of this one.
Questioned the stag beetles; no straight answers.
No grudge against me—must be restrictions.
...Right?
Opened the dimension gate; Dajeong placed three etherstones on her palm against it.
Her hand got sucked in.
"Ooh."
Etherstones vanished; as she withdrew, a message popped.
Pick NO and she'd clobber me.
I selected YES under her expectant glare.
"Whoa, it's popping up... But..."
Some message appeared.
Dajeong furrowed her brow before speaking.
"Got 'Dimension Gate Contractor' in effects. But a warning too."
"What warning?"
"Betray the gate owner, contract voids immediately..."
"Reads minds for sure."
Otherwise, how'd it detect betrayal?
Dajeong couldn't hide her unease but seemed pleased.
"Outta the way. Heading into your shelter now."
"Go ahead."
I stepped aside; she entered the gate.
That's how it notifies.
Followed her in; she inspected the cave.
"Wow... You lived here alone?"
"Yeah."
"So much stuff..."
She eyed the PC, laptop, etc., amazed.
Basement canned goods stunned her.
"Why hoard so much? Enough for years."
"Cans last forever. More the better."
"Bed here's it... No space at all."
Even standing was tight.
Heading forward, she found the beetles' hut.
They curiously watched her.
"What? Can't I be here?"
"Nah, you're the first besides me."
"Aha."
She poked around happily, tongue-clicking at the weapon rack.
"Lord. Hoarded like a squirrel."
That was just the tip.
Massive stockpiles outside.
Out the door, her jaw dropped.
"Wh-what is all this?"
"Sandwich panel warehouses. Raided hardware stores, grain centers, fishing shops..."
Fuel galore.
Nearly 300 pyeong of storage.
Panels running low—time for wooden sheds.
She muttered blankly.
"My luxury celeb countryside life..."
Celeb countryside life? What?
I shoved a shovel in her hand.
"Tour over? Time to work."
Dajeong bellowed.
"Hey!"
Loud voice.
"He who does not work, neither shall he eat."
Famous saying, rings true.
Planned to apply it to all shelter entrants.
The forest was bountiful but dangerous.
Couldn't handle threats with me? No good.
"Right now, only Seok-hyun seems fit."
We lay on the mattress.
She fussed about the cramped shelter till I calmed her.
Bath and change ate time.
She turned to me.
"...Government shelter folks?"
"Dunno yet. Just working isn't enough—they gotta fight."
"Not reliable, huh?"
"Specs say combat's decent. But mindset... Island life dulled their edge. Maybe I'm wrong."
Like Geom-in.
Teams fine for monsters, solo? Stumbles.
Fled Japanese without fighting—proves it.
Excuses aside, solo forest defense? Trouble.
Sent them to government shelter.
Obey and grow? Invite later.
Otherwise...
Dajeong whispered.
"No free rides, eh."
"They wouldn't like it. Everyone works hard—can't be dead weight."
"True."
She snuggled in.
"This feels nice, right?"
"Kinda awkward for me. Always solo."
Reached for music; her ears perked.
"Haven't heard this in forever. So good..."
"You hated the cramped shelter earlier."
"First impressions happen. Now I'll work to expand it."
"Hold up. Let's plan."
We huddled over the shelter layout sketch, marking it up.
"See? Circle around cave's nearly 300 pyeong."
"300? Bigger than most country homes."
"Half's fuel and rice. No room for houses here. Gotta expand—like this."
I cut barbed wire, sketched a cabin.
She tilted her head.
"Cabin exposed?"
"No wire... Palisade instead. Ghouls defend outside."
Feed 'em monsters—easy upkeep.
"Hmm... Ten ghouls first, see how it goes. I hear 'em too, so can respond."
Convenient.
We sketched the future.
"Need water from valley. Issue with builds: can't guard 24/7. Monsters everywhere."
Hundreds I'd slain; still swarming.
From upper dark forest, probably.
Hard to build outside with them lurking—but now different.
She nodded.
"Water means major construction... Oh, excavator. Fine then."
"Planned it all."
Actually, grabbed whatever.
She pondered, then sat up.
"Motorcycle! You got one?"
"Yeah."
Outside, uncovered them.
Motorcycle and ATV.
Parts, fuel plenty—long use.
Forest too rough for bikes though.
She hopped on ATV, beckoned.
"Knight Sung-ho, hurry!"
She'd asked before.
Started up, headed snowy mountain.
Monsters chased but lagged.
Dajeong flipped them off, laughing.
"Oppa, gun it! Kyahaha!"
ATV hit snowy mountain grassland.
She cheered at the battle royale field below.
"On that blue plain!"
Whoosh!
Rough wind; looked up—wyvern diving.
"Damn, wyvern!"
Bail.
We'd toughened, but no prep for frontal wyvern.
Swerved into forest; it smashed trees, halted.
Roooar—
Foul gust with roar.
Stopped ATV, glared at the straining beast.
"Let's take it."
"What drops?"
"Something great."
If memory served, only wyvern gave that skill.
We raced to shelter.
< To Use the Dimension Gate - 4 > End