Chapter 173
Chapter 173
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 173
Chapter Title: Corroded World - 3
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Ghoul flowers produce a white powder to lure in pitiful victims.
At first, no one knew about this powder.
It was surrounded by fruit, and the area around the flower was extremely dangerous.
Ghoul flowers need organic matter, so they attract all sorts of animals.
The various fruits growing from the stems were enough to entice them.
And it was a natural progression for monsters to approach, drawn by those animals.
Some people fearlessly examined the ghoul flowers.
They dodged the long whips extending from the main body and harvested the plump-looking fruits.
The white powder from those fruits turned the auction house upside down.
Some people harvested fruits from nearby ghoul flowers but whined that they had little effect.
The size of a ghoul flower tends to be proportional to the size of the corpse it bases itself on.
The one that claimed the ogre's corpse was enormous, covering an entire building.
Thanks to that, the whole art museum turned into a demonic realm.
All sorts of grotesque plants covered the grounds, and unfamiliar animals along with monsters preying on them swarmed in.
People called those who braved the danger to pick fruits heroes.
Auction house attention focused on the Hannam-dong art museum.
And so, the corroded world didn't bring only despair to people.
New ecosystems formed, providing new fruits, crops, and meat.
People went hunting, and the auction house boomed.
Occasionally, some got sick from buying weird stuff.
Since the auction house was anonymous, incidents like this kept happening.
Complaining did nothing, so people had no choice but to be careful themselves.
Korean shelters started collecting reports on poisonous plants and animals.
People were gradually adapting to the corroded world.
.
.
.
We headed to Hannam-dong.
Oh Jung-min, Lee Min-su, and others invited us to their bunker, but we declined.
Couldn't leave such a massive ghoul flower behind.
"It's huge, alright..."
Probably because it ate the ogre, it was bigger than any I'd seen.
Hundreds of stems coiled around the entire building, grotesque to behold.
Those hanging down were whips swung by the flower.
"Those are dangerous too."
Easy to let your guard down with flowers, but one hit from a whip changes your mind.
The thorns on the whip stems secrete poison, paralyzing you and dragging you into the flower.
Not as potent as a goblin's paralyzing stinger, but hard to resist.
The fate of dragged animals is obvious.
Melt away in agony for hours.
"Better to suicide. This is hell."
I told Mi-kyung to scout around, then checked the auction house.
"These idiots are nuts."
Sure enough, mudslinging over the drugs.
Control.
Behavior straight out of old online games revived.
Not from Hannam-dong conglomerates, but some clan from out of town.
Auction house showed them openly declaring it theirs. A spectacle.
Nice try.
Oh really.
Ecstasy?
Guess that's the name of the drug from ghoul flowers.
"Hmm."
I crossed my arms and looked outside.
Sure enough, roads to the museum were sealed tight, not even a rat in sight.
A monster shows up, it's instant beehive.
Itaewon Clan had guns.
"Partnered with some corporate group..."
Hopefully not anyone I know.
I don't know every chaebol in Hannam-dong, so can't help that.
But control? Suddenly ridiculous.
"Should be wiping it out, not monopolizing. Geez."
Itaewon Clan planned to monopolize ecstasy and sell it on auction.
Ecstasy from other ghoul flowers was known to be weaker.
Auction house had folks agitating that Hannam-dong museum was the answer.
"Because they shared totem crafting method...?"
Korean Shelter spread zombie-repelling totem recipes widely.
Lucky shelters that looted elderwood were already using them.
Itaewon Clan somehow got one too, no zombie raids.
I stared at the stem-covered ghoul flower.
"Gotta go inside..."
Too big for a rocket launcher or two.
Need to enter and hit the core directly to kill it.
Problem: unknown internal structure.
That big, might have multiple cores.
Mi-kyung returned after a bit, pulling out her phone.
"Oppa, here. Took pics."
"Core pics?"
"Not sure if cores, but some weird lumps."
Scaredy-cat risking danger...
I praised her.
"Good job. Really good."
"Hehe."
She stuck close, showing the screen.
Four massive lumps wriggling inside layers of shell.
"Even rocket launcher might not cut it."
"How in game?"
"Didn't care much. Fun to leave it."
"How?"
"See? Absorbing lifeforms like crazy? Energy goes to roots. Roots extend, wreck roads. Weak quake."
"You left it?"
"Fun in game."
Not immediate, so okay to leave for now.
Anyway, ghoul flowers destroy surroundings and expand ecosystems that way.
World turning fantasy.
I recalled messing around.
"Later, super tall but flexible tree appears. One hangs on tip, others lasso ogre. What happens?"
Mi-kyung rolled her eyes at the cryptic explanation.
"Uh... ogre pulls, tree bends?"
"Tip snaps, catapults person. Trebuchet."
"Whoa."
Mi-kyung looked dumbfounded.
Embarrassing admitting it.
"Just messed around. Us three."
"Geom-in bullied?"
"Not really, hung occasionally but mostly sheltered. Collections more important to him."
"Hence separate cabin..."
"Already building?"
"Yeah. Seok-hyun oppa helping everyone."
Diligent bunch.
Borrowing hands for ghoul flower no good, handle ourselves.
I checked Yongsan bunker list from Jang Won-taek.
"Grenades or rockets no..."
Mithril blade up close risky too.
Chopping stems splashes dangerous sap.
Could tank, but no need extra risk.
Found flamethrower at list end.
This it.
"Nothing beats this for burning plants."
Tapped paper, Mi-kyung pointed at her chest.
"Oppa, I'll fetch. Show location."
Bunker entrance drilled, but...
"You sure?"
"I can handle that much. Trust me."
Sent her off, checked auction.
Oh Jung-min's secretary Kim Ji-eun calling me.
Reply came late.
Then probably from reserve shelters.
Rumors of Gangbuk reserve shelters found too.
New comment from Ji-eun.
Hated back watchers, was gonna refuse, but she offered.
Just how prepared are they?
No reason to refuse anyway.
Shared location, then from open dimension gate, Da-jeong and werewolves poured out.
Dubbed wolfies.
She liked werewolves, nicknamed them 1, 2, etc.
Handsome compared to other monsters.
"Sung-ho, whatcha doing?"
"Gonna wipe that."
She peered at ghoul flower from window, then wrapped arms around my neck.
"Not horn shrooms, how 'bout ecstasy? Heard effects killer."
"That's drugs."
"So? No one's judging."
Da-jeong pressed close, pulling my arm.
I palm-blocked her duck-bill mouth.
"Monsters'll teach ya. Don't eat stuff that clouds mind."
"Mmph."
Sorry.
Kept blocking.
Removed hand, Mi-kyung appeared suddenly.
Saw us hugging, eyes wide.
Da-jeong slipped out, grinning.
"Oh, our whitey here. What's that?"
"F-Flamethrower... Oppa said bring it..."
"Burn ghoul flower with this?"
"Yeah."
Memorized flamethrower use, slotted in dimension.
Now, punch through those punks...
Da-jeong said,
"FYI, To-gong's at black forest. Elderwood sap harvesting."
"Yeol too?"
"Dropping kids one by one. Elderwood picky."
"Don't fuck it up."
"Think they'd do pervy shit?"
Worrying.
But took dung beetle or stag beetle, trust for now.
Focus on ours.
Explained, Da-jeong scowled hard.
"To-gongje? Online game LARP? Idiots doing that?"
Then commotion.
Group burst from building, approaching museum.
Gunshots, surprisingly some clutched legs, fell.
"Aaaak!"
"Fuck, hit!"
Controllers targeting legs.
Tough bodies, won't die.
I organized thoughts.
"First... warn on auction. Might back off."
Da-jeong snorted, arms crossed.
"Shooting people, back off on warning? No way."
"Worth a shot."
Found Itaewon Clan's warning post.
Folks cursing up storm.
This guy's it.
Pretends polite, but mask off, rages. I know.
Checked name with Truth-Seeing Eye, commented.
Reply late.
Revealed identity, comments stopped.
Unexpectedly, new from Sung Sang-geun.
Look at this punk.
Da-jeong's face darkened ominously.
She summoned auction, commented.
Huh? Why she do that?
Me and Da-jeong clueless, eyed each other.
Sung Sang-geun raged.
Infiltrated Korean Shelter.
Jang Won-taek's problem.
I warned.
Parallel lines as always.
Asks to be smashed? Fine.
Without turning,
"Mi-kyung stay here, Da-jeong follow behind."
"Whoa, frontal assault? Bullets incoming."
"Test skills or what."
Drank elderwood sap, dashed to pre-scouted building.
Air-stepped, two smoking cigs startled.
Too late.
Through broken window, approached.
"Itaewon Clan?"
"D-don't come!"
Fear obvious.
As I neared, they aimed guns.
"Move and we shoot!"
"Shoot."
"R-real shoot!"
"Shoot already."
Bang!
Thigh stung.
Primordial Life skill activated, rapidly healed skin, expelled bullet.
Regen done, bullet clinked floor.
Vision reddens
Fury Skill: ON
Vision reddened, Berserk skill ignited.
Cigs fell from their mouths.