Chapter 171
Chapter 171
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 171
Chapter Title: Corroded World - 1
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Before long, March had arrived, the time when flowers bloomed.
It was also the season when life began to stir as the cold retreated.
However, what had taken over the Korean peninsula was spores from another world.
Gates had opened everywhere, spreading otherworldly spores.
The sheer volume was immense, blotting out the sun for days.
People trembled in fear, donning masks and staying indoors.
But the real issue came next.
The spores invaded every inch of soil and grew at a rapid pace.
They sprouted into bizarre forms unlike anything Koreans had seen before.
This comment garnered massive agreement in the auction house.
The otherworldly plants devoured native flora and claimed the empty land.
Some had thorns on their stems—that was cute. Others oozed slime or blood-like sap.
Of course, it wasn't real blood, just some weird juice with strange effects, but it was creepy enough.
If that had been the extent of it, it might've been manageable. But these plants grew to enormous sizes.
Some were so massive they seemed like they could devour people.
Players of Survival Life posted info in the auction house.
Zombies wandering outside became prime nutrients for these plants.
Plant monsters that absorbed zombies grew even larger, and in severe cases, they eroded entire buildings.
Ghouls all had split-open heads, signaling the blooming of spores inside.
Ghoul flowers blooming in corners shot out stems that absorbed every organic matter in reach.
Once fully nourished, they burst spores, infecting nearby monsters.
Thus, goblin zombies, orc zombies, and other variants appeared.
These had enhanced strength and toughness compared to their base monsters.
They moved fast and in numbers, making them extremely tricky to handle.
But the crucial info was that getting bitten by these zombies turned you into one.
Government shelters announced it, and the auction house exploded.
Amid the chaos, some folks caused a stir claiming they'd found drugs.
Following the plants, otherworldly animals appeared too.
Rabbits, deer, boars—basics were similar, but breeds unseen in Korea roamed the streets.
Survivors cheered and hunted them.
To those hardened by monsters, animals were easy prey.
The problem? Hunting exposed them more to plant monsters.
A true world of predator and prey unfolded—hunt or be hunted.
In the auction house, after monsters, plants, and now animals, the hot topic was: why no otherworld humans?
No one knew.
Anyway, even in this apocalypse, people found ways to survive.
The doomed die, the survivors live.
A true world of the strong devouring the weak unfolded.
We moved to the coastal spot Geom-ini suggested.
The river and sea acted as natural barriers, halving the risk of monster attacks.
Water was easy to access, and the flat terrain made fortress-building straightforward.
Geom-ini proposed dismantling sandwich panels and linking them into a large warehouse.
"This way, you save space."
It actually worked.
I thought it wouldn't make much difference, but weirdly, it did.
Anyway, the shelter crew got to work on the fortress under Geom-ini's command.
The site was several times larger than the old shelter, but barbed wire was no issue.
River on one side, sea at the back.
"Stockade for phase 1, barbed wire phase 2. Phase 3: cement walls with embrasures."
The hilltop location meant high walls wouldn't block visibility.
While some built walls, Yoo Hyun focused on pump designs.
Geom-ini, the veterans, and I assembled sandwich panels for temp housing and set up tents per his instructions.
"Cabins would be best, but they take time. We'll make do with this for now."
"Tents aren't bad? Soundproofing sucks, though."
Da-jeong crawled into a tent and let out an exaggerated moan.
"Haaaang!"
She popped out and asked the stunned crew.
"Hear that?"
"Unnie, what was that noise?"
"My moan!" Everyone's faces screamed, What kind of person is she? We were used to Da-jeong's pervy antics, so it didn't faze us. She sidled up and smacked my ass. "Heard it all. Guess we'll do it in the dimensional storage, huh?"
"People can't enter."
"Dimension gate was like that at first. Limits'll lift later." Everything inside froze except me—unsure how that'd work. Anyway, we got to our tasks. I opened the dimensional storage and moved food supplies. If it'd unlocked sooner, I'd have stored all the short-shelf-life stuff. Regrettable. But dwelling like that leads nowhere. Better to appreciate my privileges and use them wisely for mental health.
"Just a few months' worth—move it all."
As I hauled, Yoo Hyun approached. "Hyung, this tank size good?"
"Nine people... Needs to be bigger, right?"
"Then motor needs more power. Hold on." He calculated on the spot and grinned wide. "This'll work." "Good." As I resumed moving, Yoo Hyun changed topics. "But hyung, feels like we're playing Cave Craft, right?"
"Cave what?"
"Cave Craft. Game where you drop into another world right away. Dig caves, build houses, survive."
"Just like when I first got here."
"What'd you do first?"
"Opened dimension gate to a forest. Wandered with just a backpack."
"Sounds fun..."
"Fun? Ran like hell from an Owl Bear in that valley."
"Oh, no gun back then..." I reminisced.
"Only had a hunting bow and machete. Found a cave, stockpiled—things improved."
Those stockpiles were finally paying off. No qualms sharing with the group. I trusted they'd handle it well—they were. Yoo Hyun mimed digging with a shovel. "Dig here, find ores or something?"
"Yeah. Like this."
I led him to the ore storage.
"Total Cave Craft... No people?"
"People? Found this once." Showed him the worn leather backpack from the rock monkey nest. His eyes widened.
"You make it?"
"Too worn for that. Inside stuff too... Geom-ini! Come here." Geom-ini arrived; I showed the old book. He got excited.
"Found this here?"
"Rock monkeys around old shelter. From their nest."
"Script matches dungeon finds."
"Monsters don't write, so people exist. Look at those." I nodded at the stag beetles farming. Yoo Hyun blurted,
"They're people?"
"You newbies might not know, but I do a bit. Herbivores, love growing crops. Tied to Elderwood... Good with wood. Ring any bells?"
"Uh, elves from my bias."
"Ask 'em—bet they bite." Yoo Hyun laughed awkwardly.
"Hyung, joke?"
"Wasn't meaning to..."
"Elves... Tall, pale, pointy ears?"
Geom-ini was lost in fantasy.
"Not necessarily. Might not even be real elves."
"Nah, definitely. That prickly attitude? Forest elves, hostile to outsiders..." Now he's writing novels. Geom-ini and Yoo Hyun shoved each other toward the beetles.
"Rock-paper-scissors."
Yoo Hyun lost, trudged off with a pout. Moments later, a short scream. "Ack!" Told him it'd bite.
I'd helped Jang Won-taek and got two promises: 30% of government shelter supplies and Yongsan Bunker.
He notified after Korean shelters stabilized; I'd waited silently.
Early March, as corrosion ramped up, contact came.
Lee Beom-seok guided me and Seok-hyun to the warehouse.
Jang Won-taek waited with a grim face.
"Welcome. Haven't seen you around."
"Building a shelter. More people now." He smiled faintly.
"Ten total... Nine without Hyung-jun? Prime time anyway. Camping with like-minded folks."
"Not leisurely enough for camping."
"Haha, never had it, so old man's imagining. I'll guide you."
The warehouse was field-sized, packed with goods. Geom-ini said it wasn't this much—plans changed. Jang pulled a tarp: hundreds of hard drives.
"Backups from broadcasters: dramas, variety, movies. Torrented."
I gasped,
"That's illegal. Government's doing this?"
"Don't want 'em?" I straightened,
"No, we take 'em."
Other supplies were fine, but drives could fail over time. Want max security? Reveal extra effect. No choice. No harm spilling here... Opened dimensional storage; their eyes grew.
"This huge door..."
"Big..."
"My exclusive dimensional storage. Time stops inside."
"Time stops—meaning no physical or chemical reactions?"
"Tested with hot water. Stayed hot."
"Heh..."
Jang poked the door, disbelieving, then asked,
"Museum treasures too...?"
"All here except too-big stuff like stone pagodas."
"Well done. Truly..."
He grabbed and shook my hand, moved. A twinge of pride for past me rushing levels. Lee Beom-seok whispered to Jang—loud enough. "President, entrusting everything to him?"
"Problem?"
"Not my place, but giving so much..."
"In this situation, must. Can't lose our culture."
I'd anticipated that opening the storage. They're tight-lipped; won't blab in auction house. Even if, only I enter. Jang smiled at me.
"Sung-ho's ability is impressive. Headache gone—feels clear."
"What happened?"
"Auction house rumors. Drugs circulating..."
"Drugs... Ah." I'd heard. Ghoul flowers in final stage produce lure fruits with white powder. In-game, just shaky screen and bad controls—ignored it. Reality? Potent as hell. Rumor: idiots approach for powder, get nabbed. Guides posted via Korean shelter, yet... Jang grew serious.
"Some avoid, but Chinese groups in Bucheon-Incheon harvest en masse. Worst: use humans as bait."
Apocalypse madness on display. Using people as bait. Jang asked,
"Battle royale after this mess, as you said?"
"Probably after Owl Bears."
"Real-world battle royale... Everyone scatters. Worry they'll follow controls."
I recalled a guy griping about no weapons.
"Question: why accept randos? They'll go rogue in battle royale."
"Old saying: strength in numbers. Single twig snaps easy; bundle doesn't."
Then Seok-hyun, messing with construction materials, broke a pillar log barehanded. Waist-thick timber snapped; Jang lost words, chuckled meekly.
"Sometimes solo's better if strong enough. Heh."
My point exactly.
End of Corroded World - 1