Chapter 166
Chapter 166
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: Swarming Survivors - 9
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Four in total.
Sung-ho stood in the hallway for a moment, scanning their faces.
They looked well-fed and healthy.
Su-yeon whispered from beside him, identifying them one by one.
"That lean guy is Oh Jung-min. He was a director at Future Corporation. And the woman next to him—she's a famous pro golfer, right?"
He'd thought she looked familiar. A pro golfer, huh.
Su-yeon filled him in on the other two men's names and backgrounds as well.
For Sung-ho, a humble tteokbokki shop owner, it was info from another world.
"Thanks. They've come looking for us, so let's hear them out."
The two of them entered the living room attached to the room.
Surprisingly spacious house—the room even had its own living room.
Sung-ho inwardly marveled at how the rich lived differently but kept a straight face.
He slowly settled onto the sofa. Gazes brimming with fear and curiosity fixed on him.
Oh Jung-min spoke up hesitantly.
"Uh, congratulations on taking down the ogre, Sung-ho. Not just one popping up, but actually killing it... That's way beyond anything we could imagine."
Laying it on thick.
But Sung-ho wasn't one for flattery.
What mattered was what he could squeeze out of it.
"Jung-min, looks like you can launch an auction house, huh?"
"Yes. Ji-eun here can too."
"Heard you were holed up in a bunker, but your levels are higher than I'd expect."
"Haha, we don't stay cooped up in there twenty-four-seven."
"We mostly hunted around Gangbuk. Folks in the government shelter wouldn't know much about it."
"How's the situation over there?"
Lee Min-su and Park Kyung-hoo flinched as all eyes suddenly turned to them.
"Uh, but Sung-ho... what's your level...?"
Oh crap.
That wasn't what he'd meant to say.
Too shocked, he blurted out the question he'd only mulled over in his head.
Sung-ho looked ready to glare but surprisingly answered readily.
"Level 33. Went up a bit after the ogre."
The level reveal drew sighs from everyone.
"Level 33..."
"Whoa..."
Oh Jung-min and Kim Ji-eun were especially stunned.
They knew EXP gains tanked hard past level 15.
Auction house lingo called it the 'hell level' zone.
Grinding non-stop just to scrape one level... and 33? No way.
Meanwhile, Su-yeon felt a strange mix of emotions.
Just months ago, these four were big shots across Korea's elite circles.
Sung-ho? A nobody tteokbokki shop owner.
She didn't buy into job hierarchies, but the reversal was undeniable.
Positions completely flipped.
Lee Min-su stammered, still reeling from the shock. His mind raced with desperation to impress.
"Are you and the lady next to you... a couple, by any chance...?"
Kim Ji-eun stifled a smirk inwardly.
Amusing, his frantic networking attempt.
But even as ex-celebs, they paled next to the woman beside Sung-ho.
In these times, her skin glowed fresh—plenty of water?—and her hair was neatly done.
Sung-ho glanced at Su-yeon, then spoke.
"Hmm... She's someone precious to me."
Someone precious...
Not wrong, but awfully vague.
Su-yeon mustered her courage, hooked her arm through his, and rested her head on his shoulder.
Now everyone assumed she was Sung-ho's girlfriend.
Sung-ho checked his watch and straightened up.
"No time to waste. Tell me why you called me here. What do you want?"
Straight to the point.
Oh Jung-min laid it out as planned.
"Uh... you might've heard, but we're building a force around here."
"Centered on you four?"
"That's right... Laughable by level standards maybe, but we've got firepower. Russian imports."
"Use that to rally people and carve out a force? Solid plan."
Sung-ho's real take differed, but no need to voice it.
Just reap the benefits.
Kim Ji-eun leaned in.
"Director Oh has a bunch of celebrities under him. Sky-high name recognition. We're basing a clan around this villa."
"Plenty of clans like that out there."
Sung-ho had smashed about ten while roaming.
But theirs wasn't amateur hour.
"Not like those ragtag groups. We're aiming for a real safe zone, proper organization. Weapons aren't all we've got."
Park Kyung-hoo yanked a list from his pocket in a panic.
...Impressively stocked.
Sung-ho was taken aback by the supply variety.
This much? Tough without prep.
Which sparked a question: How'd they even think of bunkers?
Weird that every Hannam-dong chaebol had one.
No way they'd broadcast it.
"Been wondering... Where'd you get the 'dig underground' intel?"
"Business means scooping up tips."
"When exactly?"
Sung-ho wasn't letting it slide.
Timing on the info was key.
Government started digging when doomsday loomed.
Even chaebols had limits on manpower, gear that late.
Sung-ho suspected an outside source.
"Precisely when? I'll check with Geom-in, so answer straight."
"Wh-who's Geom-in?"
Other veterans shone with wild looks and feats, but Survivor1 flew under the radar.
No recent showboating made him even more obscure.
"Friend of mine. Veteran. Told the government to dig underground."
The four's hearts dropped.
Lie, and it'd clash with whatever Geom-in said. Disaster.
Knew days before apocalypse?
With these stockpiles? Implausible.
Sung-ho pressed the advantage, voice low.
"Weird, right? Bunkers popping up all over Hannam-dong... Don't claim government shelter. Geom-in only told the president."
A bluff, really.
No clue who Geom-in spilled to.
But clueless foursome tensed up hard.
Sung-ho's finger thudded the table.
Sturdy hardwood dented deep.
Monstrous strength...
One gulped hard.
"Visited Joo Seung-chul's bunker too. Got a resurrection scroll as a 'gift' from someone. Bet you got your info from the same someone... Right?"
"..."
The four exchanged glances.
Nothing grand, really.
Just acted on a pre-apocalypse note.
Sung-ho's finger finally punched clean through the table.
Lee Min-su cracked under the choking tension.
"Y-yes... we got a note..."
"Knew your situations too, probably?"
"Yes..."
Game server logs? Piece of cake.
"Dug bunkers and stockpiled after the note?"
Nods all around.
Not beetles, yet heads bobbed in sync.
"No clue who?"
"None at all."
"We know next to nothing."
Four mouths, identical lines.
Figures—they wouldn't tail that easy...
Sung-ho pulled out a map.
"Killed three connected to Kim Boss, Lee Manager... Mark their bunker spots."
Men eyed each other; Kim Ji-eun grabbed a pen and marked instantly.
Quick on the uptake—she knew full cooperation was key.
"Subordinates might linger. Watch out."
"Tame 'em right, they'll clear out."
Probably as corpses...
Sung-ho folded the map, then marked the supply list's back.
"Tons of machine tools. Need this, want that too..."
"Th-that all..."
Sung-ho fixed Park Kyung-hoo with a stare.
"Ran into some quack doctor at the subway station recently. Hundreds of monsters under him. Insane stats, real handful. Connected to your crew...?"
"Absolutely not."
"No ties to that guy."
"But I'm suspicious. Note sender and mad doc same faction? Connects the dots easy. Or am I off?"
Four froze under his glare.
Atmosphere too murderous for gun thoughts.
What good against table-piercing fingers?
Aim? Throat gone in a flash.
Oh Jung-min polled eyes around the room.
"...We'll give whatever you want. In exchange, share some intel..."
"I'll consider it."
Su-yeon nearly burst out laughing beside him.
What a cartoon villain.
Greed for days.
The four produced lists; Sung-ho cherry-picked.
"Clear the bunkers, I'll grab what I want. Ji-eun, you and I click—I'll send paper planes your way."
Her face lit up.
Liaison to Kimbap Lover now.
Solid pull in the new force ahead.
Sung-ho scrawled "Owl Bear" big on paper.
"Shelter-building's fine, but don't clump up. Battle Royale event incoming."
"Battle Royale... Like entering a dimension and slaughtering each other?"
"Hits reality. Zone shrinks; not the last one standing? You're dead. Spread out."
The four edged apart like the event had triggered.
Sung-ho circled Owl Bear.
"Spring hits: zombies, ghouls vanish. Weird plants sprout everywhere. Plant monsters surge, animals too—like Owl Bears. Then Battle Royale. Prep now. And..."
Finger to lips.
"You're the only ones I've told."
For now.
The four bowed frantically; Sung-ho stepped out and called Su-yeon.
"Mind helping me out a bit?"
"Of course."
"Gonna need some exercise too—cool?"
"Way better than rotting in the shelter."
Gov shelter had amenities, but boredom central.
"You've helped tons—how to repay you?"
"Us keeping score? Don't sweat it."
Still, good eats sounded nice.
Bath too.
He whispered; Sung-ho nodded.
"Pasta sound good?"
"Pasta why..."
"Just fits your vibe. Red sports car popped in my head."
Su-yeon smiled faintly.
"I love mackerel kimchi stew."
Surprisingly down-to-earth tastes.
Sung-ho blanked his face and headed in.
"Let's check the goods."
Happy farming time.
.
.
.
The haul took nearly all day.
Sung-ho's crew cleared three bunkers, booted the occupants, scored the loot.
Da-jeong piloted the mini forklift, naturally.
She bashed incoming monsters with ghouls, bellowing,
"Enough already! You farming addict!"
Forest rang; Sung-ho and the other two shifted supplies regardless.
Wrapped next morning.
Everyone bone-tired, they crashed nearby for chow.
Mackerel kimchi stew and grilled fish—posh for apocalypse.
All wolfed two rice bowls, belly-pats ensued.
Sung-ho handed gloves to oddly mopey Seok-hyun.
"Take these. Your old gloves for me."
"Why? You earned 'em."
"Don't suit me."
Ogre Gloves channeled ogre power.
But Sung-ho's frame wasn't tanky; meh utility.
Vitality King and Super Regen boosted recovery, not toughness.
Da-jeong licked her lips.
"Yeah, perfect for To-gong. Dude's built like a brick wall."
Hard Skin, phys resist, Meat Shield—easy fit.
"..."
Seok-hyun's eyes lit kid-like; he slipped them on.
Concrete chunk in fist? Dust instantly.
"Like?"
"...Yeah."
He sprang up; Sung-ho hollered,
"Grab a beetle!"
Forest monster test-run, clearly.
Da-jeong trailed, slapped a beetle on him, returned.
"He's full send. Panties off too."
"Panties mid-meal... Cut the filth."
"Puhaha!"
Da-jeong cracked up.
Laughing fit over, she slung her leg over Sung-ho's crossed ones.
"Sweet gift for To-gong. Me? You ain't skimping, right?"
"Level-up assist. Zombies, ghouls vanishing soon—trouble otherwise."
Technically plant-shifting, same diff.
Da-jeong puffed cheeks, unimpressed.
"More important stuff?"
"Like?"
"Vitality King skill untested? I'll run it. Block a day."
"Dimension Gate quest today. Crew's waiting."
"Tch."
Da-jeong winked at Su-yeon; blanked.
While Sung-ho's group wrapped up, the government shelter hit a milestone.
Metal Plague fully cleared—time to unpack supplies.
News drew crowds.
Jang Won-taek greeted them, face taut.
Harmony? Dicey.
But he believed it humanity's survival shot.
At the entrance, he welcomed entrants.
"Welcome to the Republic of Korea Shelter."
Swarming Survivors - 9 End