Chapter 177
Chapter 177
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 177
Chapter Title: Separate to Survive - 2
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As compensation for killing the Chinese players, a single spear and a potion regenerated.
"This is pretty damn useless..."
Still, it felt like a waste to just toss it.
I swept up all the gear they had on them and shoved it into the dimension gate.
Glancing at my backpack, I saw the food supply was running low. Guess I'm starting to get hungry.
But...
"...Why aren't I in first place?"
Normally, taking out the Chinese players right then should've locked in the top spot.
The fact that it hadn't meant...
"There's someone else out there. What an idiot."
I'd advertised everywhere not to come to the airport, but some gutsy fool must've decided to stick their neck out anyway.
Or maybe they came specifically to kill me. Or hell, they could've just been passing through by mistake.
One thing was certain.
"Now that the battlefield's active, they have to die by my hand."
A battlefield had formed around the airport area, trapping everyone inside.
Like it or not, anyone caught in it had to fight for their life.
Because their stats wouldn't unlock.
The only way to shake off this shitty sealing effect was to die or claim first place.
"What a goddamn awful game."
What kind of game straight-up tells you to kill like this?
The Killer System was bad enough—this wasn't a normal game at all.
I ducked into a nearby building and opened the dimension gate.
With the level 30 bonus effect sealed, no one could come out.
"Not that they'd want to."
Stepping out would bind them to the battlefield, forcing a fight with me.
Inside, Suyeon was waiting with a basket in hand.
"Sung-ho, you okay?"
"Yeah... First place isn't locked in yet, so I need to scout around."
"I'll give you a buff."
She grabbed my hand and squeezed tight, boosting my stats by 1.2 times.
Wasn't this just supposed to need contact?
Suyeon seemed to like my big hand, kneading it playfully.
It didn't feel bad.
"Be careful."
"Oh, yeah. Thanks."
I took the basket and headed back out.
It was filled with fruits grown in the shelter.
Thanks to Jiman's touch, their effects were massively boosted.
Take the tangerines: used to be +2 Agility for 3 minutes, now +4 for 30 minutes.
"Sun Apple... tangerine... Emperor Honey... sap... horn mushroom."
I couldn't use my pre-stocked items, but buffs were fair game.
Combined with Suyeon's buff, I'd have overwhelming stats compared to anyone else.
"Feels a bit unfair."
But for survival, nothing was off-limits.
Chewing the fruit and swallowing the liquids, I felt stronger—even if not quite like before.
"This should let me take on a physical-type Awakened."
Gun talk first, though.
I slipped away from the airport, hid in a three-story building, and pulled up the map.
From experience, battle royale battlefields were huge.
"This'll cover the airport and the whole area."
If someone was hiding, high chance they were in the shopping district.
I loaded a few guns, stashed them in the dimension gate, and sent Dingo in.
"Come out when I signal, got it?"
Woof.
Now bigger than Dingoong, the pup boasted an impressive size.
Not quite adult Silver Wolf pack level, but close.
With him inside, I closed the gate.
I couldn't use dimension wall or prison effects, but the gate itself could serve as a shield.
"Gotta angle it right..."
With my stats nerfed, a backstab would end me.
"Need to spot them first."
Battle royale sealed items, but not modern tech.
Guns, drones—all usable.
Including pepper bombs, paralyzing poison, net guns.
"Haven't used these in a while."
Lately, bullets solved everything.
From the rooftop, I launched a drone to scan the shopping district.
Suddenly, gunfire—drone down.
"What the hell."
They had a gun and shot the drone?
100% targeting me.
I had spares, so no big loss, but it pissed me off.
"You little shit. Wanna play?"
Probably Itaewon Clan remnants.
Or worst case... someone who stole guns from the Korean shelter.
"...Hyun-woo?"
Nah, no way.
Stubborn as he was, Hyun-woo followed orders to the letter.
Defying Jang Won-taek? Impossible.
Couldn't pinpoint where the shot came from anyway.
Debating another drone, I thought of Yu-hyun.
"Works across the dimension gate, huh."
I checked inside—no Yu-hyun.
Only Suyeon, Jiman, and Yeo-ul left in the shelter.
"A few went to the valley."
"Oh, right?"
I told Yeo-ul,
"You can fly paper airplanes, right? Help me out."
"From inside?"
"Normal folks couldn't, but you have clearance."
"Cool. What'm I looking for?"
"People, not monsters."
Her paper plane passed through the gate and soared into the sky.
It circled for a bit before landing on a rooftop. I went inside.
Yeo-ul pointed out the spot.
"Convenience store rooftop nearby? Someone's there."
"How many... nah, obviously one. Wait right there."
Her face fell.
"Outside's a total mess. People getting hurt, dying..."
"What're you on about now? It's always been like that."
"This is different. Korea's population's gonna drop by fractions."
"Can't be helped."
One survivor per battlefield.
Unless a dungeon miracle opens, death was booked for most.
Yeo-ul crouched, shaking her head.
"No matter how I think about it, this game's fucked up. Wasn't the Killer System supposed to stop random killing? So why now..."
I put a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't overthink it. No one's orchestrating all this."
If there was, we'd be dead or captured from the doctor and nurse encounter.
Yeo-ul's eyes widened.
"You mean... it's just a crazy game overlaid on reality?"
"Balance is trash, difficulty's hellish, and it's a pain in the ass."
"And you cleared it..."
"It was fun."
"Sigh..."
She launched another plane, then urgently added,
"Guy's coming down from the roof. Has a long gun."
"Keep tracking."
I positioned Dingo at the gate entrance and stepped out.
If he left the battlefield, tracking would reveal his trail.
But he stayed put.
Yeo-ul's plane circled a few buildings.
"Hold up."
Munching a Sun Apple, I followed—gunfire again.
Bang! Bang!
The paper plane crumpled mid-air. I stopped nearby.
He's close.
...
...
...
Bottom line: everyone had to endure at least one battle royale.
Luckily, people had spread out well thanks to early intel.
But the Chinese who'd fled Bucheon ignored it all.
Screams echoed from the Gangseo and Yangcheon district battlefields.
Just like Sung-ho battling seven Chinese at the airport, clashes erupted everywhere.
Hid in a Gangnam hideout, Jang Won-taek paused his drone and sighed.
The Chinese swarming from Bucheon looked like Chinese fishing boats invading the West Sea.
'This is worse than I thought...'
He'd gotten the full rundown from Sung-ho.
But seeing battle royale hit for real was devastating.
Hundreds of battlefields across Seoul.
Meaning hundreds survive, the rest die.
What other event this brutal?
'Not just Seoul—every region's getting battle royales...'
Korea—no, the whole world was swept up.
Final survivors: a tiny fraction.
He rubbed his wrinkled eyes with gnarled hands.
A few survivors had snuck near his backup shelter too.
Chief of Staff and Kim So-ryeong were elsewhere—he had to fend for himself.
Jang checked his pistol and chuckled dryly.
"If no dungeon opens, we're all dead... That's the game."
Battle royale ends only when the last battlefield closes.
Some survivors hid in mountains or seas, but useless.
Stepping into an inactive battlefield triggered it instantly.
Jang scowled.
'This is straight-up 'go die' event...'
Someone culling numbers due to overpopulation?
He knew better.
Veteran team's intel: the doctor and nurse at the subway-hospital clash said weird shit.
They were apocalypse victims too.
Couldn't control everything.
Hard to buy fully, but...
'Feels true.'
Jang stroked his white beard, then checked the Korean shelter page.
Yeouido guarded by one: Kim So-ryeong.
With the Korean shelter's arsenal, it'd be weirder if they broke through.
Jang considered messaging Sung-ho, then wryly smiled.
Guy was out there now.
Still, he was the only one who could turn this around.
"Can't help but have high hopes."
Then, whispers outside.
Jang tensed, checking his weapon.
Survivors closing in on the backup shelter.
Whoever they were, they wouldn't leave him be.
"Guess we fight."
...
...
...
'Found you...'
In Gonghang-dong standoff, Gu Myung-jun spotted Kimbap Lover and gnashed his teeth.
That bulk had crumbled the entire Itaewon Clan.
Once the leader and a few died at the art gallery, others started hoarding supplies.
Pleading it was fine, just pick a new leader—useless.
Fights over guns broke out mid-crisis.
Clan collapsing root and stem was inevitable.
'All because of that fucker.'
Gu sized him up in his sights, then looked away.
Instant kill here wouldn't satisfy.
Wanted to drag it out, corner him, then pull the trigger last.
'Abilities sealed for him too...'
One shot to the head.
Revival scroll? Kill again.
Miss now, he'd power up and rampage more.
'Can't let that happen. Better me...'
Succeed, and Gu would be hailed as Kimbap Lover's killer.
Major flaw there, but rage-blinded, he missed it.
'Wait up, you shit.'
He descended, waiting.
Footsteps low—sprang from the corner like lightning, gun trained.
Bang!
Concrete chipped at Sung-ho's feet.
"Move and I shoot."
Myung-jun shoved the barrel close; Sung-ho raised his hands meekly.
"Wondered why I wasn't first. You."
"Don't play dumb, asshole. Saw you with the paper plane."
They'd eyed each other from afar, mind games.
Myung-jun just acted first.
Ecstatic holding Kimbap Lover's fate.
"Ha... Kimbap Lover's nothing special. Hey, what's your name?"
"Didn't know? Kang Sung-ho."
"Kang Sung-ho? Boring name."
"Expected an alien name?"
"Nah, you act like a total psychopath."
"Psychopath's overkill. Just killed the idiots charging me."
Sung-ho grinned; Gu licked his lips.
Pull trigger, dead.
Wanted some story first.
Just them here anyway.
"One question. How'd you kill our leader?"
"Outside the art gallery?"
"Yeah... Leader seemed weak, but stealth master. Hides perfect—no one finds. How?"
"Tracked the grenade trajectory."
"...You saw that?"
Gu inwardly whistled.
Grenades slower than bullets.
Shooter might glimpse trajectory.
Victim seeing it? Bullshit.
'This guy's insane.'
Swallowed dry, tightened finger.
Kill now or regret later.
"Anyway, you die. You made me like this."
"Came from Itaewon to kill me?"
"Tough... but worth it. Get to kill you."
"You? Kill me? Possible?"
Sung-ho tilted head—Gu fired.
No expected splatter.
Transparent dimension gate deflected the bullet.
"Wh-what?!"
Panicking, Sung-ho pulled something from his bag.
Myung-jun shifted aim—something hit his forehead.
Splat.
Pepper bomb burst, powder coating his face.
About to fire, agony overwhelmed.
"Gaaahk!"
Wolfman-melting pepper bomb on eyes/nose—sanity half-gone, natural.
Sung-ho drew pistol, aimed at rolling man.
Bang! Bang!
Two shots, Myung-jun stilled.
"You talk too much."
Save it for after killing enemies.
Battlefield victory: three items dropped.
"Revival scroll, and the other two..."
Amnesty charm and item slot expansion scroll. Jackpot.
Sung-ho pocketed expansion, stashed rest in bag, beaming inside.
Battle royale win partially restored stats; one skill usable.
"Truth-Seeing Eye's lame, but whatever."
Bonus up to level 10: four dimension slots.
Equipped gear in slots.
Auction house check: Seok-hyun and Da-jeong saw no one.
Like I'd go where you're scary asses are.
Sung-ho muttered alone, scanning auctions.
As expected, rumors everywhere.
Especially fake "battlefield cleared" bullshit dominating.
Preying on folks' desire for safe spots.
"End of this, and it'll be mayhem."
Survivors wouldn't trust any info.
Vicious event.
Then, massive dimension gate beside Sung-ho.
Scale dwarfed lairs or dungeons.
Sung-ho didn't notice at first, then whipped around, shocked.
"Already?"
Only one this big: Great Labyrinth.
One of Survival Life's endgame contents appeared.