Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Island and Dungeon - 1
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“Follow me.”
At those words, Poor Man trailed after me like a little kid.
I could feel his eyes darting all over me as he followed.
Was it because he was finally seeing in person someone he'd only heard about?
I mean, I was half feeling the same way myself.
Poor Man was a famous user on streaming sites, thanks to that unique concept of his.
Sadly, he had more recognition than I did.
I looted the weapons and backpacks from the dead bodies, then moved us to a suitable two-story house.
I sat Poor Man down in a room and handed him some water.
“Here... drink this first. And calm down.”
“...Okay.”
He gulped down the water roughly, then coughed.
I just watched him silently.
About two or three minutes passed. His breathing finally steadied.
His gentle eyes rolled around, sneaking peeks at me.
I asked him,
“You don't have to answer if you don't want to. You're Poor Man, right?”
“Yes. My name's Eom Ji-man. Your voice...”
“I'm Kimbap Lover. Name's Kang Sung-ho. Do you know what business I ran?”
If he was the real Poor Man, he'd know this for sure.
And he answered right away.
“You ran a snack bar in Busan.”
Bingo.
I slowly sat down on the floor.
“Whew... Never imagined we'd meet like this.”
“Me neither. I figured Kimbap Lover would be hanging out with a bunch of people...”
“Couldn't be helped. Because of my trait.”
“Mine's Bio Affinity. You probably know the gist? Plants grow well around me, animals follow me everywhere.”
I pondered for a moment.
Could I really reveal my secret to Poor Man?
He seemed pretty docile, not the type to blab secrets.
Plus, we went way back.
In a way, he was closer to me than even Bunny Duo or Duck Down Quack.
We'd chatted every time I streamed.
I said seriously,
“You're the first person I'm telling about my trait, Ji-man.”
“Ah...”
He glanced around nervously.
“Maybe it's better if you don't say it.”
“Why? Planning to tell someone else?”
“No... I'd never say a word. But you know, 'daytime words are heard by birds, nighttime words by mice.’”
“No one's around... Anyway, I figured it'd be good for you to know. If you don't want to hear it, I won't say.”
“...”
Ji-man rolled his eyes, then said,
“I-I'm kinda curious, though. No one knows Kimbap Lover's trait.”
“Yeah. Not a soul. Not even Bunny Duo. Duck Down Quack kinda figured it out but never asked.”
“You've met those two?”
“Met Duck Down Quack, but not Bunny Duo yet.”
“You have... That's a relief.”
“Relief about what?”
“You three got along so well. In this situation, I was worried you might fall out.”
He was concerned we might fight?
A rare good soul in these times.
We're total opposites... but maybe that's why we'd click.
Anyway, I decided to tell him my trait.
He'd be sticking with me from now on.
“My trait... opens dimension gates.”
“Dimension gates? Where do they lead?”
“Better to see it than hear about it...”
Oh, right. It's invisible due to stealth.
Still, he could probably sense it indirectly.
“Open dimension gate. Dingo.”
As I called Dingo, Ji-man's eyes widened bigger and bigger.
To him, it must've looked like a dog jumped out of thin air.
“There's a dimension gate here. About the size of a door... but no one sees it except me because of the stealth function.”
As I gauged the gate's size, he reached out and flinched.
“I can feel something?”
“That's the dimension gate. Exclusive, so only I can go through.”
I pulled out a can from the shelter.
Something that couldn't exist in reality.
The can crumbled into mush soon enough, but it did its job conveying the info to Ji-man.
“There's a forest inside. You get the idea now?”
“A forest without Metal Plague... Ah, that farming dungeon?”
“Yep. A limited-time farming dungeon. I can enter unlimited. Built a shelter inside too.”
“That explains it... why Kimbap Lover hid your identity...”
“I'd have announced it if it was combat-related. But it's this.”
Ji-man nodded vigorously.
“I'd do the same. Smart not to share the info. Some scary guys came looking for me.”
“...Scary guys?”
No way.
The government I knew was led by President Jang Won-taek, dutiful people.
They shut down hazardous facilities, built time shelters for the future.
No way they'd harm an info giver...
Maybe they came to protect him? But he said absolutely not.
“The vibe was off. Can't explain it, but they didn't seem normal...”
“...I see.”
The government's not monolithic, huh.
Need to be careful when I contact them later.
As we whispered seriously, Dingo rolled over for Ji-man's belly rub.
Dingo, who doesn't approach strangers easily.
“Bio Affinity is impressive. He looks like a husky, but he's actually a wolf.”
“Wolf...?”
“Yeah. Silver Wolf. Adults are ox-sized. So I'm pondering how to explain him later.”
“Ah... Inside must be pure nature.”
“Forest, ocean... No signs of intelligent life. Haven't explored much, though.”
“Is it dangerous inside?”
Ji-man showed interest in the forest beyond the gate.
I explained my experiences roughly.
First time entering the forest, meeting goblins and owlbears, running away.
Then holing up in a cave, stockpiling, fencing with barbed wire.
When I got to orcs and werewolves, Poor Man—Ji-man—squeezed his eyes shut.
“It really is a dangerous forest...”
“But worth risking exploration. Lots you can't get out here.”
“True. Too bad it's exclusive to Kimbap Lover—no one else can enter. Ah... no, that'd be disastrous if they could.”
“Could spark jealousy. Some in, some out. If it wasn't exclusive and got out, I'd be dead long ago.”
“Yeah, for real...”
“Telling you because it's you, Ji-man.”
“I won't tell a soul.”
He swore repeatedly.
Then a stomach growled loudly.
I stood up and said,
“Let's head to my shelter first, Ji-man.”
“Don't have much to grab...”
“Nothing? You must have some stockpile.”
Ji-man shook his head without much thought.
“No. Just bottled water. I was in a fishing village.”
“Fled from that Jeong Sa-mo lady and holed up there, huh?”
“Yes.”
“Forget it then. Just bring yourself.”
“Not sure if I should...”
“Work it off. There's a pier by the shelter—trap fish, fish, tend a garden.”
Ji-man's face brightened.
Happy to have a role?
I patted his back.
“Not letting you go easily now that I spilled my secret. Kinda like confinement.”
“I-I'm fine with that. Confine me, please.”
“Dangerous words.”
Anyway, Ji-man had decided.
No need to stay in this corpse-filled place.
I led the way, and Ji-man followed like a puppy.
Felt like I gained a little brother.
The obedient, good kind from fantasies.
.
.
.
I brought Ji-man to the shelter and had him wash up first.
Needed to feed him, but what...
I settled on pheasant.
A bit big, but native chicken Ji-man caught would do.
While he washed, I grabbed one pheasant.
The kids fed them, watered, collected eggs—I just checked occasionally.
“...Gotta call the kids too.”
Pheasants weren't turkey-sized, but big enough a few needed to dig in.
I raised a small flag on the roof, and the kids poured into the shelter.
“Yeoul didn't hitch a ride again, right?”
I teased, and she pouted.
“No. I climbed the rope myself.”
“Watching hyung climb rope would kill me laughing.”
“Kuh... pfft.”
“I'll kill you two if you say it.”
Yeoul glared fiercely, and they shut up.
She called into the shelter, then perked up toward the front office.
“Huh? Uncle, someone's here?”
“You'll be shocked.”
“Who?”
Ji-man emerged, and all three lit up.
“Ji-man oppa!”
“Hyung's alive.”
“Good to see you. Kim... Sung-ho hyung saved me.”
“What happened?”
Ji-man had his story set: chased by monsters, rescued.
Jeong Sa-mo crew's deaths unrelated to us.
Our identities secret for now.
Casual speech was a bonus.
Ji-man said he was hunting native chickens when monsters chased him, and they eyed the plucked pheasant.
“...But for native chicken, it's weirdly huge?”
“Yeah. First time seeing chicken this big.”
“It's chicken, chicken, heh heh.”
Not really chicken, but whatever.
Anyway, the four were excited to eat.
I started prepping the pheasant.
Yeoul glanced over, then squatted beside me.
“Uncle, anything I can help with?”
“I got it. Go play.”
“Still wanna help somehow.”
“Why?”
“Always mooching—gotta contribute to keep mooching.”
More practical than chatty Jun-ho and Do-hyeong.
But I wasn't feeding them for free.
“I'll have jobs for you later.”
“What kind?”
“You'll see soon. Nothing hard or tough, so relax.”
Just a bit dangerous.
“Uncle didn't frown.”
“Anyway, make seasoning if bored. Doing dakdoritang.”
“Chicken stew, right?”
“My way, so dakdoritang.”
“Hmm... okay.”
Yeoul shut up and made the seasoning as told.
Then grumbled about something odd.
“Uncle came empty-handed, but how do you have all this stuff? Total farming king.”
Referring to my stocked spices and such.
I brushed it off.
“Got lucky.”
Soon, savory smells wafted from the pottery pot.
I gathered everyone and spoke gravely.
“You probably know... Ogres are out. No more laughing and fooling around. Got it?”
“Ogres... supposed to be super strong.”
“Heard Iron-jun hyung and Yoo-joo noona say a group took one down.”
“Oh yeah, saw that Jeong Sa-mo crew gathering for a first kill before.”
Both tied to me—awkward to admit.
Ji-man eyed me; I played dumb.
“Unrelated folks. Anyway, ogres are here, zombies'll get stronger soon. No wandering. Always be ready to evac the shelter.”
“...”
They swallowed hard, glancing at each other.
Coming like a picnic, then thunderbolt news.
Then Ji-man pulled something from his backpack.
“I was into Geom Island, drew a map. Thought it'd make a good shelter.”
“Geom Island? Oh, that one ahead?”
Everyone stared at the map.
Ji-man's handmade map marked facilities, remaining boats, fishing spots.
“Apocalypse day, barely anyone there. Maybe two caretakers? Probably gone, so no zombies now.”
“High chance no monsters either.”
Monsters respawn near humans.
Not in empty deserts.
A few might spawn if we settle, but we could hunt them.
Looks good.
“Seems solid for long-term. What do you think?”
The three didn't look thrilled.
“Nothing there really.”
Masan kids went there for most field trips, apparently.
Old facilities, no popularity, boat ride—lots of complaints.
Jun-ho ranted.
“Hyung gets it. Field trip ends, wanna hit PC bang fast, but island—no escape.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“That's why it's good. Few monsters.”
“...Live here, only go out for farming?”
Yeoul showed real interest in Geom Island.
She had the knack.
“See the boat? FRP boat—plastic basically. Ferry between island and mainland.”
“Buildings inside for shelter... garden too.”
“And one more perk...”
“What perk?”
Yeoul asked; I explained vaguely.
Imagine gym folks joining later.
Normally, need hundreds of meters apart to avoid zombie raids.
Geom Island fits perfectly.
Too big: swarming zombies/monsters. Too small: no facilities.
Geom Island: ideal for a few survivors.
Might even avoid zombie raids—they perked up.
“Then we can live with others!”
“Let's go, quick.”
“Hold up. Possible, but no guarantees.”
“Zombie raid conditions say...”
Then dakdoritang bubbled furiously.
Smell too strong.
Goblins might swarm—eat fast.
I killed the fire, opened lids.
Spicy dakdoritang aroma exploded.
“Meeting later. Eat first.”
“Thanks for the food!”
They dove into meat smartly; Ji-man hesitated.
I urged him; tears welled in his eyes.
“I... really glad I came here.”
“Been a while, huh? Dig in.”
“Yes. Had it as a kid, never since...”
“...”
The three inhaling meat froze.
Jun-ho caught Yeoul's glare, dropped his big drumstick back.
I resolved to hunt boars with real bullets.
Gotta feed 'em well for now.
End of Island and Dungeon - 1