Chapter 174
Chapter 174
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 174
Chapter Title: Eroded World - 4
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Crash!
"Argh!"
Screams echoed like a chorus, and then Da-jeong wrapped her arms around Mi-kyung from behind.
"Unnie, you don't have to go?"
"She handles it fine on her own. Why would I need to?"
Gunfire and screams continued nonstop outside.
As Sung-ho vaulted over the fence, human bodies went flying everywhere.
"Whoa..."
"Told you, once that guy's switch flips, he turns into a total beast. Werewolves got nothing on him."
"So what do we do?"
"Just sit tight here. Let's see how much our little white furball has grown."
Da-jeong's hand subtly rested on Mi-kyung's body.
Mi-kyung was practically half-asleep already, used to this kind of thing.
"Huh? What's this? Are you high? Who're you trying to impress in times like these?"
"Unnie, that's..."
As the two snuggled up, footsteps climbed the stairs—several people.
It was Oh Jung-min and So-ye.
They froze at the sight of the werewolves in the office but didn't scream.
They recognized the poised beauty before them.
The top player who dominated zombies, ghouls, and monsters stood right there.
"E-excuse us..."
Oh Jung-min spoke up, and Da-jeong sized them both up carefully.
"What brings you here?"
"We have Sung-ho's permission. He said we could... observe."
"Ah. Problem is, observing might be tricky."
She stepped aside from the window, revealing someone rampaging wildly outside.
Oh Jung-min and So-ye pressed against the glass to watch.
"My god... that's a person?"
"Has to be Sung-ho with that build, but this, this is..."
"Like a werewolf, right? It's a skill effect."
Da-jeong didn't specify which skill.
The Primordial Life skill Sung-ho got from the ogre was a composite with three effects.
Vigorous Vitality gave unending stamina, Super Regeneration unbelievable healing.
Those were great, but the real jackpot was Berserk Mode.
A rare skill held by ogres and a few other monsters—it slightly reduced defense but massively boosted attack power.
Some modifier piled on extra damage, resulting in absurd numbers.
The bodily strain was mitigated by Super Regeneration, Vigorous Vitality, Hard Skin, and more.
Its main drawback, exhaustion, wasn't a big worry.
By the time it ended, the fight would be over.
Boom!
Something exploded, and the fence crumbled in a heap.
Oh Jung-min and So-ye leaned out the window frame for a better look.
Behind the fence, Sung-ho was using someone's body like a club to bash others.
His movements were feral.
Too fast to follow—people tumbled and flew through the air in the blink of an eye.
Guns were useless too.
Two guys with rifles joined in and fired, but he bulldozed right through.
They paid for it—their arm joints shattered as he hurled them aside.
In the apocalypse, injuries like that were nearly impossible to recover from.
'Observation's pointless like this...'
Oh Jung-min laughed hollowly and turned from the window.
He'd planned to recruit the guy, but this was beyond specs.
Even the shelter they were building in Hannam-dong wouldn't satisfy him.
A beast rampaging free doesn't care for rules.
'Gotta change direction.'
Recruitment was out—focus on building rapport instead.
What did he lack?
Weapons were fine, but he pinned hopes on So-ye.
With her looks and ex-idol halo, even this beast of a man would take notice.
'But those two are a problem...'
The short-haired woman with pale skin and the top player, Choi Da-jeong.
Da-jeong, in particular, blocked So-ye's view as she watched Sung-ho's fight obsessively.
"Ah."
"Getting all excited watching him?"
It was blatantly provocative, but So-ye held back.
"J-just watching."
"Crushing on him? You shouldn't..."
"Why? Got a reason I can't like Sung-ho?"
So-ye lifted her chin and spoke clearly.
In the old world, she'd have no reason to glance at him.
Men's value was looks, smarts, money, charm—that sort of thing.
But apocalypse flipped it—combat power and supplies came first.
Sung-ho crushed every other guy there.
His face wasn't bad, and his muscled build excited her.
Da-jeong grinned and wagged a finger at her.
"Because I'm his wife, girlfriend, sex partner, friend!"
Her aura was volcanic.
"Flirt with my man, and I'll chop your tail off. Got it?"
So-ye just gaped; Oh Jung-min turned away with a wry smile.
Another failure.
Meanwhile, the commotion at the gallery site drew hordes of monsters.
Da-jeong glared at So-ye, then snapped her fingers.
"Mi-kyung-ah, let's go."
"Go where?"
"To Sung-ho. No fighting—just hang on the werewolves' backs."
Grrr.
Two werewolves scooped them up and leaped down; Mi-kyung screamed.
"Moooooom!"
Tanks and locusts waiting below followed.
Oh Jung-min finally let out a long sigh.
"They're beyond us."
"Y-yeah..."
So-ye nodded vigorously, eyes still on Sung-ho's back.
He collected the scattered guns, stashed them, and drew his pricey mithril blade.
Why? As she wondered, a massive vine whip appeared.
Shwick!
Silver flashed through the air, slicing the huge vine cleanly—it writhed powerlessly on the ground.
So-ye was entranced.
.
.
.
The Itaewon Clan trying to control the gallery area was big—35 members.
Their claim of backing from a Hannam chaebol was bluff; they'd actually teamed with other clans to raid a reserve shelter.
Armed with the guns from there, control seemed assured.
Monopolizing the high-quality ecstasy from ghoul flowers meant massive points...
Everyone thought so.
But Kimbap Lover crashed the party, ruining everything.
He'd warned via auction house, then started beating clan members.
The control team was only part, but not pushovers.
13 armed with guns—who'd challenge that?
But Kimbap Lover was insane.
He beat the gunmen barehanded.
Guns just didn't work—somehow.
"Argh!"
"That bastard deflects bullets!"
"I saw it! Bullets got pushed back!"
Screams and testimonies poured out wildly.
Some clan members pissed themselves trembling.
Trapped in a dimensional prison, falling from the sky for 5 minutes—most broke like that.
Seong Sang-geun arrived late with his inner circle, nearly losing his mind.
"Where's Un-jae and Min-gu?!"
"No idea! Probably under that fence pile!"
"10 guys gone? Makes no sense!"
Not resurrection via scroll after kills—this was real death. No heartbeats.
Seong Sang-geun tore at his hair.
One man was dismantling his clan.
"Can't let this stand..."
He regretted charging from the auction, but no backing out now.
Needed a plan.
He recalled losing clan to the ghoul flower.
Its vine whips were brutal, but missed invisible foes.
Stealth specialist, he could target Kimbap Lover safely.
'No way he knows my trait is Stealth...'
Even with ogre skills, senses probably weren't that sharp.
'Grenade from afar... he can't dodge that.'
Trajectory was faintly visible, but speed made it impossible.
Even reacting, blast radius would catch him.
'Perfect...'
Mooks clear zombie monsters, he'd position easy.
Act before the guy arrived.
He ordered his men.
"Clear a path to the main body. I'm going in."
"Clan leader, alone...?"
"Not fighting him—the flower. Hide with stealth, grenade him, he'll dance dodging vines."
"Good plan!"
The clan rallied to drive Kimbap Lover out.
Some mooks stirred noise, drawing monsters for gunfire.
Rat-tat-tat!
Even enhanced zombie monsters folded to firepower.
Seong Sang-geun slipped into stealth amid the chaos, positioning before the gallery.
Out of vine reach.
'No presence, no sound... you can't see me.'
Duration was generous—over an hour easy.
He'd stolen goods and intel from other clans with this.
Kimbap Lover was doomed... he believed it fully.
'Here he comes.'
Noise drew him; Seong loaded grenade into launcher.
Gold round chambered silently.
Perfect concealment.
Suddenly ghouls burst out.
Werewolves joined, shredding monsters.
Seong's eyes bulged.
'Women on their backs?'
Did that mean Duck Down Quack, queen of monsters, was here too?
Whether he freaked or not, the werewolves tore into monsters with the women aboard.
The short-haired one's ride shone—blinking everywhere.
Perfect sync—claws severed heads on every swing.
'Where do chicks like these come from?'
Stronger than Kimbap Lover? He wondered.
Seong endured with superhuman patience.
Target was Kimbap Lover—not these intruders.
But the man didn't appear.
Where was he?
Impatient, Seong looked up—and froze.
A man floated mid-air.
'Levitation trait?'
Big guy in black tactical vest stared this way.
At the ghoul flower encasing the gallery, really.
'Chance.'
Seong nearly fired grenade but stopped.
Kill in air? Makes him murderer.
He'd killed before, sure.
'Come down, punk!'
Lips bitten, patience held.
Luckily, Kimbap Lover seemed clueless to his spot.
'Shoot his foot first? Break focus?'
Most traits fizzle if concentration breaks.
His stealth too.
Satisfied, Seong aimed rifle at Kimbap Lover's foot.
'Bet you didn't expect this...'
Ogre skills or not, it'd disrupt enough.
Involuntarily squeezed trigger—bullet sped out.
But Sung-ho took no damage.
Bullet hit dimensional wall, dropped.
Activated super sense pinged someone nearby.
Sung-ho dove down; vine whip greeted him.
Shwick!
Mithril blade cleaved it, sap spraying.
Seong smirked, aiming grenade launcher at Sung-ho's feet.
"Won't kill you, but you'll squeal plenty."
Vines handle the rest.
Thump—grenade launched.
Too fast for human reaction.
But Sung-ho pinpointed the stealthed foe in under a second.
No launch sound, but super sense traced trajectory.
'There.'
He leaped—too late.
Grenade hit ground, impact fuse armed.
Miraculously, Sung-ho glimpsed below pre-blast.
Dimensional wall reactivated, but couldn't nullify fully.
Calf shredded; he endured pain, hurled Emeras knife.
It spun into Seong's knee—smug grin frozen.
Level 2 vest couldn't stop Emeras sharpness.
"Gah!"
Stealth broke; Seong writhed on ground.
Never felt pain like this—stealth life.
As he rolled, vine whip struck.
Mind reeled.
Whip coiled him—he finally felt true terror.
"N-no..."
Shhhick!
Scenery blurred; body smashed against pillar, mangled.
Seong earned the honor of entering the pod.
Poison inside slowly melted his skin.
'Guhhhh!'
He scraped pod walls futilely—limbs limp.
Pain snapped his mind; blackout.
Meanwhile, clan saw leader enter main body—terror struck.
No reason to stay.
"R-run..."
"Go!"
But zombie monsters and vine whips awaited.
Ghoul flower, tasting flesh, blocked escape—delivered ends.
"Gaaah!"
Screams rang; Mi-kyung scooped Sung-ho, fled to nearby building.
Da-jeong yanked at his shoe desperately.
"Why... won't... it!"
"It's fine. Healed already."
"What? Already? No way."
Sung-ho stood, rotated ankle, loosened muscles.
"Phew... back to life. Wasn't direct hit. That's why foot's intact."
"Saying it so casually..."
"Yeah."
Da-jeong agreed with Mi-kyung.
Itaewon Clan was nearly wiped; left were ghoul flower and monsters.
Sung-ho hit exhaustion—couldn't jump in yet.
"Seok-hyun not here?"
Dimension gate opened; Seok-hyun appeared instantly.
Face one big bruise.
Da-jeong asked.
"What happened to your face?"
He rubbed bruise with firebird egg, grinned.
"Elderwood smacked me."
"Those roots? What'd you do?"
Sung-ho newly learned those huge roots could move.
What'd he do?
< Eroded World - 4 > End