Chapter 170
Chapter 170
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: Metal Plague Vanishes - 4
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The nurse's abilities that I'd figured out were as follows.
Blink, tentacles.
She'd withstood Seok-hyun's punch not with toughness, but regeneration.
The moment she got hit, her neck stretched out long, but it reattached itself.
That damn doctor and Kim-something-or-other were no normal people, that was for sure.
A brief scene flashed by of her extending tentacles and Seok-hyun batting them away.
Chwaaak!
A tentacle from the nurse whipped past my head.
I glanced sideways and saw Dajeong dodging one too.
Kurheong!
Dajeong's werewolf clung to the ceiling before leaping straight at the nurse.
That wasn't the movement of an ordinary werewolf.
Buffed to the max, its muscles bulged prominently.
But the nurse blocked its attack with ridiculous ease.
She wrapped a tentacle around the werewolf's neck, spun it around, and used it to block Seok-hyun's strike.
Seok-hyun, who had been about to throw a punch, couldn't smash Dajeong's first-ever pet and had to pull back.
He couldn't risk wrecking it after all.
Dajeong charged in, but the nurse hurled the werewolf right at her.
It felt like she was venting some frustration too.
"Kimbap Lover was mine! But you! You!"
"Who said he's yours? He's mine."
Dajeong dodged the werewolf, then swung her mithril blade downward and kicked off the wall.
With a tatak, a white gleam flashed from the darkness.
The blade had sliced through the tentacle.
But the nurse didn't care and lashed out tentacles indiscriminately, even checking Seok-hyun.
Did her regeneration really have no limits?
"This is getting boring."
Seok-hyun, who'd been swatting tentacles for a while, grabbed one coming at him instead of dodging.
"Hup!"
A contest of strength ensued, but she couldn't match an ogre's power and got yanked into the air.
Just as Seok-hyun went for a high kick, her body vanished and reappeared behind me.
Her blink was insanely well-timed.
"Euhuhu."
The moment I heard the sound, I pulled the mithril blade from my dimensional slot and swung backward.
A red line slashed across the nurse's face, and a few tentacles got severed, floating in the air.
"Kyaaak!"
She clutched her tentacle-arm and retreated frantically.
Dajeong and Seok-hyun charged again, while I kept an eye on the mask men rushing this way.
Every one of them had bloodshot eyes and was screaming their heads off.
Not the Battle Instinct skill—probably brainwashing.
"Kimbap Lover! Do you know how much I wanted to see you?"
"You can't say you don't know me!"
"That bastard in the Swamp Labyrinth! Huh?!"
Swamp Labyrinth? Why'd that come up out of nowhere?
I parried the mask men's attacks with my blade while racking my brain for any recognition.
But with masks on every one, I couldn't tell them apart.
In that case...
I slotted the blade away and clenched my fist.
The left mask man showed an opening when the blade suddenly vanished.
"Huh?"
You're the one.
I activated my skill and charged him.
The barrage of long knives was intimidating, but I trusted my senses and regen.
"Haat!"
"Hup!"
With our shouts, the long knives grazed my shoulder and head by a hair.
I ducked the target mask man's attack, then sprang up.
But he anticipated it and bent backward to dodge.
Well, well?
Even high perception wouldn't dodge that easily.
This mask man in front of me seemed to have sensory traits.
He retreated quickly, and another mask man swung his long knife at terrifying speed.
You're the physical enhancer type.
I blocked their attacks with a dimensional wall and fell back.
Behind me, Seok-hyun and Dajeong were making weird noises fighting the nurse.
You're the ones who sound more like monsters.
Smirks crept across the mask men's lips.
"Heh, not like before, huh?"
"You got us good back then... but not this time."
"...Have we met before?"
At my question, all three shuddered.
"Met? Of course... in the Swamp Labyrinth, right? Forgot already?"
"This punk."
"Maybe smashing his head'll jog his memory."
That confirmed it.
These mask men were the trio from the Swamp Labyrinth who attacked the sword user.
But they were definitely dead.
Resurrection was possible, but no revival scrolls.
Could that faction even revive the dead?
I drew the mithril blade from my slot.
The trio mocked me at the sight.
"Look at him panicking."
"Murderer. We didn't kill anyone."
"You couldn't if you tried. That's why you lost to me."
"Fucking asshole talks big."
Chat time's over.
I might not kill them, but lopping off a limb or two was fine.
I wall-ran toward them.
"He's wall-running!"
"What circus shit is this?!"
Your arms are about to fly like circus props.
I summoned a dimensional wall midair to change direction.
The mask men panicked at my sudden charge and swung their knives.
But mithril blades outclassed long knives in durability.
I thrust forward, smashing the knife and slicing.
Puk.
"Huh?"
The knife split in half, and I grabbed it to slash the mask man's arm.
With slight resistance, the arm cleanly severed at the shoulder.
Surprisingly, the mask man who should be writhing didn't push me back instead.
Not physical enhancement, but pain resistance?
As I was shoved back, I eyed the shoulder stump.
No gush of red blood—just nothing.
Don't tell me... you're not human?
Then I'll kill you.
I pried off the clinging mask man with force, blocked the other two's attacks.
Then, in the gap, I pulled a shotgun from my slot.
Chak-chak.
As I chambered it, the mask man scoffed.
"If you kill me..."
Bang! Bang!
Point-blank shotgun blasts turned the mask man's head into Swiss cheese.
Shockingly, he withstood two shots before collapsing on the third.
Dajeong screamed from behind.
"Sung-ho, you!"
"It's fine! These bastards aren't human!"
Killing humans gives 50 points.
So these weren't human.
Durability and points suggested ghouls—but how were they made?
I aimed at the remaining terrified mask men's heads.
Then the nurse appeared suddenly.
I laid a dimensional prison in front of her as she approached with tentacles spread like a hug.
"Kkiyaaak!"
The nurse vanished screaming, leaving two mask men.
Seok-hyun and Dajeong rushed over and started beating them down.
"They're not human, so it's fine to kill them."
"Not human? They were cursing though."
"Doesn't matter."
"Then no holding back."
No mercy for non-humans.
Moments later, the two mask men met gruesome ends.
As expected, Dajeong and Seok-hyun didn't become murderers.
We surrounded the area as the dimensional prison faded.
Dajeong crossed her arms and tapped her foot.
"From what they said, weren't they guys you killed?"
"You saw them too. The three attacking the sword guy in the Swamp Labyrinth."
"Their builds are a bit off."
She'd just watched, so she could focus on details like that.
I nudged a corpse with my foot to show the cut surface.
"No blood, right? 10 points too. Ghouls, not humans."
"Ghoul bodies with human minds inserted? Possible?"
"Infinite revivals exist—what's weird about that?"
Seok-hyun scratched his bald head and stood where the nurse might reappear.
"So she might not be human either?"
"Probably. Need to lop off a leg or something besides tentacles. To check."
Dajeong thought for a bit before speaking.
"They're definitely messing with humans. That sniffing guy, ghouls pretending to be human."
I agreed.
"They've got some goal for sure... Let's hear it from the nurse."
Dajeong tilted her head.
"Think she'll talk nicely? She's the villain here."
"Show her we're bigger villains."
"Good plan."
Soon, the dimensional prison reappeared and spat out the nurse.
Her uniform was in tatters.
"...Huff!"
Her tentacles shriveled, and fear filled her face.
"I fell! Kept falling off a cliff!"
Too injured for regeneration, huh.
Seok-hyun grabbed her from behind, Dajeong ready for a blink escape.
But she just laughed.
"Heh... Good to know. Kimbap Lover, you can use space like that too."
I pressed the blade to her chin.
"I know you're not human. Killing you here is fine. Got some questions—cool?"
"Mission's done anyway... Sure, what ya wanna know?"
Surprisingly compliant.
"Your identity and goal."
"Tell ya, and you'll join? FYI, I haven't given up on you. Someday I'll... eat you up."
"You don't have that."
"I'll make it."
Oh, really.
Reminded me of Dajeong in some ways.
Dajeong smirked at that, squatting in front of the nurse.
Oho, time to speak her mind.
"Wanna eat him together? Sung-ho's ass is killer."
"Sounds good."
"...My fault for believing."
I pressed the blade harder.
The nurse hurriedly said,
"Waste of time. I'll just revive."
"Got revival scrolls, huh?"
She smirked with her torn lips.
"Scrolls are old-school. See this on my back?"
Through the ripped uniform, unknown script was tattooed on her smooth back.
Revival scrolls etched into the body, huh.
Seok-hyun stroked his chin.
"Been thinking this for a while—you guys seem to have a ton of info. Pretty strong too. So why all this?"
The nurse said something unexpected.
"To survive."
"Explain clearly."
At my urging, she laughed and continued.
"You're misunderstanding. Thinking we have some huge faction, massive power... Nope. We're just adrift in the apocalypse too. Like you guys..."
"For drifters, you're going too far."
She stared straight at me.
Her mouth twisted mockingly.
"You never killed anyone? We're the same... Just reusing corpses usefully."
Parallel lines, as always.
I sliced her neck without another word.
The head rolled on the floor, its stump twitching before stopping.
Then the body vanished in light.
Dajeong moved to snap her fingers, but I stopped her.
"No point. She'll blink away."
"Right... Damn, this pisses me off. Nothing confirmed."
"We did confirm something."
Seok-hyun looked out the window.
The man first brainwashed by tentacles was getting attacked by survivors.
"They're not invincible. Doctor, nurse—kill 'em, they die."
"What? Kill means die, duh."
"Means we can handle them. No sweat. Grind levels, gear up, fight. Done."
Fair point.
If absolute, they wouldn't need me.
Means they can't control the whole system.
Clear they're ahead—body scrolls, reviving dead—but still.
I slung arms over Dajeong and Seok-hyun's shoulders.
"Anyway, grind those levels."
"Last doc was tough, but this nurse was weak."
"Nurses study less than docs."
"What nonsense."
We chatted as we left the hospital.
Dajeong's werewolf trailed behind.
...
We focused on hunting around Yongsan District.
Seok-hyun broke level 30 and got Body Reconstruction as an extra effect.
His body glowed, emerging shockingly youthful.
Scars gone, lean frame bulked with muscle.
Dajeong poked his body suspiciously.
"You're not the Bunny Duo. Fess up."
"Sex."
"Knew it... How does a person change like this?"
"Dunno. Feels lighter. Stats up too."
Basically, optimized for combat...
Like bone refinement in wuxia novels?
Anyway, stronger—good news.
I opened a dimensional gate in front of the National Museum of Korea for hunting.
Shelter members handled inside autonomously.
My job ended moving the gate when time was up.
They couldn't use gates, but current monsters were manageable.
Got tons of exp from the nurse—hit level 34 fast.
Days later, shelter folks requested gate move.
I bagged a troll and hit 35.
"Good stuff?"
"Dimension Warehouse. Sounds shabby, but these are gold."
If it's what I hoped, perfect.
We headed to the museum to check the extra effect.
"Open Dimension Warehouse."
A massive door appeared in the plaza.
Several times bigger than standard gates.
Dajeong and Seok-hyun's jaws dropped—they saw it too.
"What, why so huge."
"Could fit a truck."
Redemption for those tiny gates?
Inside was a vast space welcoming me.
Dajeong pounded outside, but no sound reached me.
I waved, then surveyed.
Big enough for a few houses easy.
"Air's a bit stuffy..."
Floors and walls white material—punched experimentally, solid.
Won't break easily.
I exited, fielded questions, then brought Dingo in.
Surprisingly, he froze right after entering.
"Dingo? Dingo-ya?"
From bounding in happily to statue.
Time stopped inside?
I move 'cause I'm the owner?
"If time stops, no spoilage inside..."
Fantasy novel stuff, but our world's fantasy.
Satisfied with the function.
This size and utility? Thanks.
Out with Dingo—he bolted around panting like nothing happened.
I explained to the two.
Seok-hyun looked subtle.
"Food inside won't spoil?"
"Time-stopped, probably."
Test confirmed it.
Everything halted except me.
Dajeong tugged my cheek.
"Hogging all the good stuff. Greedy."
Anyway, treasure storage secured.
I hauled shelter folks' treasures in diligently.
Museum had lesser-knowns; these were legit national treasures.
King Jinhung's stele—textbook only before.
Skipped oversized like stone pagodas, alternated with palace museum—spring neared.
Outdoor folks sneezed.
Weird plants sprouted around ponds, growing unbelievably fast.
Erosion had begun.
End of Metal Plague Vanishes - 4