Chapter 210
Chapter 210
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 210
Chapter Title: People Living in the Apocalypse - 5
-----------------------------------------------------------------
There were quite a few survivors gathered near Houston's downtown.
Zombie raids kept breaking out, of course, but they didn't seem to care.
Surviving in such extreme conditions was what real Texas was all about, they said.
These guys had way too much Texas pride pumping through their veins.
Anyway, the Houston Braves clan had taken control of downtown.
Judging by their auction house activity, they were the biggest clan in Houston.
They had high combat prowess and seemed pretty well-off too.
No telling what would happen if things got dire, though.
I met up with them in a back alley of downtown alongside Upper Shin.
A muscular Black man who looked like the leader came out with two others in tow.
"I'm Huxley."
"Nice to meet you."
Huxley was living proof of every stereotype I had about Black people—no sugarcoating.
He was taller than me, with glistening muscles that were downright intimidating.
I recalled Hyung-jun saying that no matter how much an Asian guy lifted, they couldn't match Black muscle.
The White folks were the same, and even the woman looked like she could outlift Upper Shin.
Was it always like that, or did survival force it on them?
Their gazes lingered on Upper Shin for a moment before shifting to me.
Huxley flashed a bright white smile.
"You're... even cooler than I imagined. Looks like you'd prefer protein powder over kimbap."
"Eh, I've never really worked out separately."
I'd just lost fat and built muscle from moving through the forest and hunting monsters nonstop.
We exchanged greetings with Huxley's companions too.
The young White guy was Oliver, and the woman was Natalie.
"Full names are a hassle these days. You know how it is in the apocalypse—quick communication is key."
Kind of like code names.
Anyway, all three showed a ton of interest in me.
Oliver stuck out his hand, then awkwardly pulled it back.
"Right, no handshakes. But your trait is physical enhancement, right? Still no?"
I was wearing a mental resistance ring anyway, so it should be fine.
I offered my hand to Oliver, and he grinned as he took it.
He was subtly testing my strength, from the way he squeezed.
Wrong opponent for that, buddy.
I was wearing Ogre Gloves.
The veteran team was traveling by griffon, so I hadn't needed them and borrowed a pair.
Veins popped on Oliver's forearm, but I barely felt a thing.
"With that build and a physical enhancement trait, your strength stat must be pretty high, right?"
He started sweating bullets.
"26... or so..."
An impressive stat that dwarfed my normal strength.
But with Ferocity and Primal Life activated, I'd have the edge.
And I had the Ogre Gloves on.
I tightened my grip just a bit, and Oliver looked like he was about to panic.
"Wh-what the hell kind of strength is this? You a monster or something?"
"These are Ogre Gloves. They let you borrow an ogre's power. A light squeeze like that could shatter bones."
Huxley, who'd been watching with keen interest, shook his head.
"Of course, he wouldn't go that far..."
"No reason to."
I relaxed my grip.
Oliver's face was beet red as he shook out his hand.
"Whoa! Thought it was gonna snap!"
"I told you they were Ogre Gloves. Why'd you even try?"
Natalie looked equally dumbfounded.
She had her dark brown hair tied back in a ponytail and a strong jawline.
Americans sure had impressive builds.
Huxley gave his teammate an exasperated look before speaking up.
"We done now? Proof enough?"
"I was the idiot. No proof needed."
"Took you long enough to realize. You think someone who made it from Korea here is weak?"
"Didn't know the strength was this level."
"Catching a single werewolf pumps your stats like crazy. Sung-ho's gotta have a skill like that."
I didn't, but I had the superior Primal Life instead.
"Anyway, enough of that."
I addressed the three of them.
"Where do drakes show up a lot? I wanna go hunt one right now."
"More curious about that starved-for-a-week-lookin' guy first."
He meant Upper Shin.
He was standing there like a total scarecrow, which apparently came off as amateurish to these folks.
"Telekinesis. You three together couldn't take him. Don't bother trying."
Huxley's eyes went wide.
"I've dealt with telekinesis before. That strong? Hard to believe."
"He looks like that, but he's over level 30."
"Leave out the 'looks like that' part..."
Once his level came up, Natalie perked up.
"Hey, what happens when telekinesis gets that high? Can you float people like a magic carpet?"
"Ah... don't pay attention to me... it's a hassle..."
That's just how Upper Shin was.
I changed the subject to liven things up and pressed Huxley.
"I came here to hunt drake. Any more delays, and I'll go solo."
Huxley raised both hands.
"Sorry about that. We'll guide you right away."
.
.
.
We were led to the I-45 Freeway.
The road cutting through central Houston was crumbling in spots from the aftermath of the ghoul flower plague.
Drakes frequented this wide stretch, apparently using it as a nest and playground.
"It drags monsters here, toys with 'em, then eats 'em. Watching from here is straight fire."
"Monsters are tough and chewy. Probably not its favorite."
"That's why it grabs wild boars a lot. Not sure about cows."
"It'll love 'em for sure."
Me, Upper Shin, and Huxley were hiding behind a pillar under the elevated road.
A cow we'd pulled from a shelter was mooing pitifully up on the road above.
Upper Shin had begged to be the bait instead of the cow.
Was gukbap that important to you?
I'd calmed him down by saying Ji-man's trait would let it pop out a calf soon.
Now we just waited for the drake to spot the cow and swoop down—then we'd lasso it with Elderwood Rope and attack.
"Kinda sucks there's no cover around."
"You can tank the breath without it, right?"
I could, sure.
Elemental Resistance cut the damage, Elderwood Sap dulled the pain.
Super Regeneration would heal scorched skin quick.
But my body hair? Total goner.
"Growing it back from the scalp takes forever."
"Ah... yeah, fair."
Upper Shin shut up, and I messaged the team via auction house that I was going after a drake.
Most comments were "be careful," but Da-jeong's stood out.
—Drake! I want a drake!
—Mine to eat.
Blue Scale would be jackpot.
Source of drake defense, though inferior to ogre Stone Skin.
Stone Skin halved all damage, after all.
Still, Blue Scale over Hard Skin? Profitable trade.
Da-jeong grumbled that she wasn't coming here and professed endless love for drakes.
—Drakes are so cool. Breath attacks, badass scales. Griffons are chickens compared to that.
—Chicken Boy's gonna cry.
Chicken Boy was her griffon's name.
Apparently, griffon meat tasted like chicken.
Poor Chicken Boy.
Might end up as chicken stew if the drake showed.
Anyway, Da-jeong started singing drake praises.
—I'll catch one for you later, so drive straight.
—How many "laters" have you promised?
Honestly, I could barely remember.
My silence prompted a random question from Da-jeong.
Drakes were basically mini-dragons, so were there actual dragons?
—Dunno... haven't seen any in the lore.
—But it's a fantasy world, right? Gotta be some.
—You're at Lotus. Check with the Whispering Gem or whatever.
—...I'll ask later. But you're not dumping this on me, right?
Guilty as charged.
Truth was, I'd felt pretty liberated while she roamed Lotus.
Da-jeong was clingy, which got burdensome sometimes.
Pretty face, killer body, top-tier skills.
All great, but her fiery temper and obsession were intense.
Not bad, just... needed space like this occasionally.
Shhhiiik—
I heard a sound and closed the auction house.
Definitely the wind from a drake gliding.
The cow wailed louder as it appeared.
Sorry, but you're bait.
I got Huxley's and Upper Shin's okay, then moved to another pillar and opened a dimension gate.
—Mi-kyung. Mind helping out?
I slipped the note in, and she emerged in under five seconds.
"Out that fast?"
"Hehe, knew you'd call, oppa. Was waiting."
"Lucky. No chains here. When the drake dives for the cow, we go up too."
"Then what?"
"Get me to its head. I'll handle the rest. Keep this gate open and hop back in."
Then the cow let out a massive MOOO!
Tense Huxley glanced my way, and soon the cow was bellowing like mad.
Hyper Sense pinpointed the drake's location.
Now!
"Mi-kyung."
The word barely left my mouth before I landed on the elevated road.
She'd blinked me up twice.
At the far end, the drake was crushing the cow's back with its talons.
"Wh-what's that huge?!"
"That's normal size. Biggest flying monster around."
"Flying around on that would be fun..."
Can't. Da-jeong's touring Lotus.
I hesitated a second, and the drake landed on the ground.
Thud!
Debris and dust billowed from its massive bulk.
It bit the cow's neck and slammed it down—neck snapped, instant death.
Usually toyed with prey, but must've been starving.
I patted Mi-kyung's shoulder.
"Drop me near the head and bail right away, got it?"
"Yes."
Mi-kyung grabbed my hand and blinked.
As the afterimage faded, the drake's snout was right in my face.
It looked puzzled at my sudden appearance.
Where'd you come from? Maybe.
"Hey."
I smashed my fist into its snout.
Kuung!
Its scale-covered head slammed into the ground.
.
.
.
When the drake appeared over the elevated freeway,
the Houston Braves clan members were watching from a building across the way.
Some had bragged about witnessing the world's greatest ground show, but they bolted inside when it showed.
"Damn, what the hell is that thing?!"
"You've seen it plenty."
"Not the biggest, but decent show. Highlight's that Korean snagging the drake."
"Eh... bet he can't."
The clan bet on whether Sung-ho could take it down.
Oliver, who'd felt his power firsthand, was cautious.
"He might actually pull it off."
"Oliver, you sulking 'cause you lost the grip contest?"
"Real value shows in actual fights. He'll be shocked in combat."
"Nah, that's not it."
Oliver shook his head.
Truth was, he, Huxley, and Natalie had wanted to help.
But only Huxley hid under the bridge.
Sung-ho figured the other two wouldn't help much.
He'd said:
—Physical stats don't matter. Whether you can assist depends on your traits.
Oliver had grumbled inwardly about how cocky that was, but seeing the drake eased him a bit.
How was he gonna take that monster?
"We'll see how."
Natalie muttered as they watched it descend.
The cow's bellow drew groans.
"Why a cow... could've tied up a monster."
"Needed a surefire lure."
"Anyone know where they got it?"
Texas had tons of cows, but hauling one downtown was another story.
"Mysterious guy, huh."
Oliver asked Natalie,
"You into him?"
"Plenty interested. Wonder if following him would make me stronger."
"You're Houston Braves."
She stared him down.
"Not as of today. No one's stopping me."
"Not saying that."
Oliver stepped back.
Huxley was the face of Houston Braves, Oliver the easy No.2 pick.
But real No.2 was Natalie.
Her Acceleration trait gave insane speed.
Full throttle? Hard to track with the eye.
"Just sizing up his combat power."
"If he measures up?"
"...Won't happen, but I'd ask to be his disciple."
"Oof. Bad idea."
"My call."
"Fine, fine."
Oliver backed off with raised hands as the drake pounced on the cow.
Clan crowded the windows.
"There it is!"
"One-shot that cow!"
Cheers erupted as it bit and tossed the cow.
But then—
The black-clad Korean appeared at the drake's head.
With a petite woman beside him.
Clan members blinked in shock.
"What the fuck."
"Blink? When'd that chick show?"
Sung-ho then smashed the drake's head with his fist.
Thud—head hit pavement, road shook.
Oliver threw his arms up instinctively.
"Fuck yeah!"
"You see that? I just creamed my pants! Creamed 'em!"
"Brag much, dumbass."
"Don't underestimate Texas!"
No clue how Sung-ho's punch tied to Texas, but damn, it felt good.
Drake was dazed from the hit as rope slithered up from below.
Clan buzzed.
"Gonna lasso it?"
"Sneaky like a snake."
Sung-ho looped the rope around its neck.
Snickers spread.
"Brave, but drake won't stay tied."
"One chomp and it's rope confetti."
Didn't happen.
Drake recovered, shook its neck at the foreign feel—but it went taut.
Tied to a freeway pillar.
Krrrk!
It strained; road wobbled but held.
Clan went from surprised to hair-pulling.
Scene was straight unreal.
"What the hell's that rope made of?"
"Looks like a leashed dog!"
"It's opening its mouth!"
Enraged drake gaped at Sung-ho.
Clan winced, expecting him engulfed in flames.
Not Natalie.
Her eyes locked on him.
Whoosh—
Breath engulfed him.
But somehow—
Flames split like hitting a wall.
Something burst through.
Boom!
Drake reared its head skyward, screaming.
Grooooaaar—!
Not its usual roar—pure agony.
Mouth agape, a pillar-like thing jammed inside.
Natalie clenched her fist as Sung-ho caught a blade mid-leap at the drake.
"That's real combat! Right?!"
Everything they'd done was child's play.
Oliver and the rest nodded blankly.
No counterarguments.
End of People Living in the Apocalypse - 5