Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Outsider - 2
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Arf! Arf!
Dingo barked loudly, and the goblins all rushed toward the sound.
The hobgoblin in the nest slammed its club into the ground, berating its underlings.
Keeek!
Arf! Arf!
Dingo's barks and the goblins' shrieks filled the forest with chaos.
Dingo kept its distance from the goblins, barking fiercely without engaging.
"Were you a herding dog in a past life?"
It was doing exactly what I wanted, perfectly.
I'd give it beef when we got back... well, can't buy that anymore.
Hopefully a wild boar piglet gets caught in a trap.
I hid in the bushes on the west side of the nest.
I could see the traps the dung beetles had marked.
"Figured they'd notice since they're smart."
They'd painted the markers exactly at my eye level.
Smart doesn't even begin to cover it.
I'd need to maintain friendly relations with them going forward.
After I wrecked this nest, anyway.
I checked my gear.
As long as I didn't make any mistakes, I could take the nest without a scratch.
"This is why I prepared."
Seeing the goblin's shiny bald head on the back, I couldn't resist.
I pulled my bow from my slot and drew the string.
An arrow flew out without me even thinking about it.
Hit.
One goblin toppled forward, but the nest was so noisy no one noticed.
If things go well, I can clear it like this?
I shifted positions and kept firing arrows.
Only when two had fallen did the hobgoblin finally notice the attack.
But it hadn't pinpointed my location.
Relocate, relocate.
I moved as cautiously as possible.
Dingo was barking its head off, like the nest was about to fly away.
If I toss in a couple of firecrackers here!
Brilliant fireworks erupted in the nest.
The goblins were thrown into complete chaos, not knowing what to do.
Wolves barking outside, fireworks and smoke exploding inside―must be hell for them.
I circled the nest, firing arrows nonstop.
The enraged hobgoblin roared, and the goblins came scrambling out of the nest.
But they fell one by one to my arrows.
"Shooting great today."
Must be from that hour of practice.
The hobgoblin couldn't take it anymore and charged straight at me.
"Come on."
I drew my orichalcum long knife and shield from my slot, and it flinched.
But only for a moment.
Its nose wrinkled in fury as it let out a roar.
Kuooo!
"Another roar."
I wasn't the same guy climbing Gayasan anymore.
After countless fights, I'd regained much of my old instincts.
Not quite at the level of Bunny Duo bulldozing everything with raw stats.
But 5,541 hours of playtime wasn't something to be ashamed of.
A single confused hobgoblin? No problem.
Kuok!
It swung its club down with full force.
I sidestepped and deflected the trajectory with my shield.
That created a brief opening for me to attack.
"Hah!"
I lunged in and slashed my long knife from its shoulder blade down to its waist.
Too shallow.
The wound tore open wide, but it wasn't fatal.
The hobgoblin panicked as I closed in and swung its club wildly.
I didn't engage and backed off.
Several whooshes of air later, the hobgoblin lowered its club, panting.
Next comes the charge.
I twisted out of its charge path.
It slammed shoulder-first into a tree.
Kuok!
Right now.
I mercilessly stabbed my long knife into its back and twisted.
Then rolled sideways to escape.
The hobgoblin staggered with the knife embedded in its back.
One final shot.
I grabbed my bow and aimed at its wobbling head.
"Goodbye."
An arrow lodged in the hobgoblin's philtrum.
It collapsed, but plenty of goblins remained.
I hunted them down over the next few hours.
Thoroughly.
"Ow, my shoulder."
Cleanup's harder than the fight.
I gathered the goblin corpses in one spot and severed their ankles.
One or two, I'd bury, but 21? No way.
Better than bone creepers targeting my shelter.
Next, looting.
I carried the dung beetles on my shoulders and wandered with Dingo.
I wanted to see the birds the goblins were raising.
Behind the huts, there was a crude aviary, just as expected.
Inside, a few plump birds resembling turkeys waddled around.
"Smaller than a turkey..."
About midway between chicken and turkey?
In the corner, a few eggs rolled around―much larger than the jumbo eggs at the mart.
Dingo barked, and they flapped to the corner in panic.
"Can't fly, huh."
That's why they were stuck in a roofless pen.
With those fat bodies, they probably couldn't even jump high.
"Hmm..."
Looks tasty. Raise them?
I hadn't brought chickens because they were too noisy.
But these were relatively quiet.
Shelter's complete, so no worries about wild animals snatching them.
"Let's raise them right and have some chicken."
Another hut was filled with animal carcasses.
I held back nausea and left.
"Pouches separately..."
I checked each goblin pouch, but nothing worthwhile.
Just rotten fruit, meat scraps, crude weapons.
At least I found a poison frog enclosure in the corner.
"So this is how they got the paralyzing poison."
I put four poison frogs into lunchbox containers each.
Five total with the one at the shelter―poison will accumulate fast.
Time for goblins to appear in reality soon, so building tolerance early is smart.
If not, oh well.
"This flour?"
I scoured every corner, but nothing useful.
Foolish to expect much from a forest nest.
In-game goblins nested in cities, so they had all sorts of loot.
But in forests, farming's tough.
Just food at best.
"Found the firefowl, that's enough."
And most importantly, secured my safety. Satisfied.
I demolished all the huts, pulled dry grass, and covered the goblin corpses.
Then tied ropes around the firefowls' necks.
"Come on, come here."
Surprisingly docile.
I gathered the eggs too, then headed to the shelter with Dingo and the dung beetles.
"Saw that? Your turn now."
Leader dung beetle nodded.
I set them down, and they scurried off somewhere.
Bring 10 gifts next time.
Checked the capture cages on the way back to the shelter―nothing.
"Can't get full overnight."
I renovated the warehouse into an aviary and herded the firefowl in.
"Brought them, but what to feed..."
Tried rice; they ate it eagerly.
Grains stockpiled in excess, so no issue short-term...
"Need to find feed."
Gangseo-gu rice center should have tons.
No people, so few zombies.
Stock up more rice too.
Perfect.
After a few hours, the cabbage was perfectly wilted for kimchi.
Odd to wipe a goblin nest then make kimchi, but kimchi's that important.
"If a wild boar gets caught, sukiyaki too, right?"
Dingo placed its front paw on my arm.
Like it was asking for something...
I went to the firefowl pen, grabbed an egg, and cracked it in a bowl.
It slurped it up noisily.
"Good?"
Woof.
Looks like it.
Looking forward to eating firefowl someday.
August brought scorching heat.
Air like a sauna, sweat dripping just sitting.
If media existed, it'd be "worst heatwave ever."
"These guys endure it well."
Zombies, under spore control unlike humans, handled the heat better.
Some zombie hunting in July, but now zero activity.
Hot enough already; fighting zombies in stab suits? Torture.
"Forest cold, here hot..."
If choosing, forest.
Cold? Layer clothes, light a brazier.
But cooling off in reality? Tough.
Ice packs from forest helped briefly.
Dingo refused to leave the forest.
For long fur, sauna worse than Siberia.
"Stay there."
I minimized my backpack and headed to Gangseo-gu rice center.
Dodging zombies, running and hiding―stab suit soaked in under 30 minutes.
"Short break."
Cooled in dimension gate, came out better.
Suburbs had fewer zombies.
Could live here?
"Farming's the issue."
Cities convenient despite collapsed buildings and zombies.
Plenty of hiding spots and loot.
But eventually, must go suburbs.
Stockpiles have limits.
"Can buy food from shop, but..."
Too expensive.
10 zombies for a palm-sized hardtack.
Even that unavailable now; updates after certain monsters.
"Goblins, right..."
Better to loot goblin food than buy.
But would people try? In-game meat scraps; real goblin meat dubious.
"Grilled, probably edible."
When starving, eat anything.
Lost in thoughts, arrived at half-collapsed rice center.
Remote; no zombies.
Outbreak hit while "at home."
"Let's see..."
No need for processing equipment.
Want rice and feed, not broken machines.
Back warehouse: jackpot.
Hundreds of rice bags on plastic pallets.
"Yes. This is looting."
I happily hauled bags.
Not just rice―tons of feed too.
Secure this, no starvation.
"Could sell later."
Shelter space limited from stockpiles.
But pallets stacked well; more than expected.
"Satisfied today."
Warehoused feed looked reassuring.
Could raise a thousand firefowl.
Back home, Yoo Hyun-i's paper airplane awaited.
Rio Officetel―by the intersection.
Gym, now academy members.
They've settled nearby.
"No reason to stay in the villa."
Sweltering sauna here.
I stripped shirtless for ice pack.
Feels guilty enjoying luxury others dream of.
"Wonder if anyone'll buy ice."
Hot cola'll make 'em crave it.
List low; try?
No sales, lower price.
Auction anonymous; no one knows it's mine.
Forest shelter: hand-sawed ice into chips.
Bagged in plastic, cable-tied: nice ice pack.
Auction listed.
Clicked ice pack soon after: comments appeared.
All hate.
Don't wanna scam, fine.
A small stir in the auction house with a few users.
Someone listed an ice pack.
People panicked.
Survival Life served only in Korea.
Even survivors elsewhere wouldn't be auction level yet.
Or not Awakened.
People raged: buy this junk for 5 points?
Amid complaints, one quietly watched: Choi Da-jeong.
Enduring heat among zombies, she instant-bought without hesitation.
5 points gone; ice pack appeared on desk.
"...Real?"
Chill wafting, packed with cold ice.
She pressed it to her neck unconsciously.
"Ah... cool..."
First coolness since outbreak.
She ordered a zombie to fetch lukewarm-hot cola and tub.
"Put it there."
Waiting to cool, checked comments: laughed.
"5 pts precious to you, not me."
Da-jeong kicked off shoes, soaked feet in tub.
Ah...
Feet melting.
Who listed ice?
No social contact; never imagined ice-making trait.
"Useless in winter?"
Might change traits.
She rubbed ice with toes.
Zombie control meant points flowed endlessly.
5 pts for brief coolness? Worth it.
Not for those raging in comments.
"Cooling nicely."
Da-jeong popped cola like a CF, gulped.
Gulp gulp.
Foam down neck and chest; ignored.
Drained it; burped.
"Burp."
Feet in ice, she yearned for more.
Whole body cool... imagining big tub full of ice, shivered.
Couldn't resist; commented on ended auction.
No reply.
Pouted at first; soon inwardly begged.
Buy any amount; please list!
Da-jeong waited all day for more ice.
End of Outsider - 2