Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Veteran VS Newbie - 3
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Something felt off.
The two who entered the vine apartment were definitely not ordinary survivors.
But he couldn't guess who they were.
Could one of them be Bunny Duo?
No way... Bunny Duo always walks around in just his underwear.
According to what Yeong-seok had heard at the auction house, Bunny Duo's entire outfit consisted of underwear, a cape, and boots.
And when battle started, he'd strip them all off, earning him flak for being an exhibitionist.
But the men who went inside looked perfectly normal.
No way a clean-shaven guy is Bunny Duo...
The shaggy hair and beard were symbols of Bunny Duo, right alongside the underwear.
Or at least, that's what he'd heard countless times.
The auction house was buzzing with all sorts of rumors even now.
Yeong-seok scrolled through the comment thread sharing Bunny Duo updates, but there was no real info.
The only news was that he'd headed south looking for Kimbap Lover.
Maybe the guy next to him is Kimbap Lover?
What if he'd disguised himself to hide his identity upon meeting up?
But parading around so openly was suspicious.
Yeong-seok pondered, then posted a question with their descriptions.
Someone else had the exact same thought as Yeong-seok.
But the comments were converging on "nope."
The topic suddenly shifted to Duck Down Quack.
It had been a while since someone from the government shelter spilled the beans, so her presence was known.
Now the comments were flooding with how pretty Duck Down Quack was.
It always devolved like this.
"Ah... no clue."
Yeong-seok closed the auction house and stroked his chin.
Truth was, info on the veteran duo was such a mess that nobody really believed it anymore.
People had grown numb from the constant hype.
Even if the real Bunny Duo posted a comment now, most would dismiss it.
He recalled the intel that Kimbap Lover had a creation-type trait.
It might be fake, but where there's no smoke, there's no fire.
Just confirm if it's really creation-type.
If not, he'd drop it clean.
If yes?
Yeong-seok imagined calling out to the two emerging from the wrecked vine apartment as Bunny Duo and Kimbap Lover—what reaction would they have?
Cold sweat trickled down his back.
Bunny Duo's trait suddenly came to mind.
"Kill everyone then suicide—no murder charge, clean slate..."
Someone at the auction house had mentioned it once.
Dubious if it actually worked, but no desire to test it.
No guarantee he wouldn't end up the sacrifice.
Yeong-seok decided to zip it.
"Hit 20."
"What? Already?"
Seok-hyeon, who'd left the finishing blows to me and was resting on the floor, shot up in surprise.
The orc's head flew off from the force I put into the knife, but that wasn't the point.
He'd been level 18; now up two levels.
Thanks to the experience piled up getting here.
Not just one or two kills.
I handed Seok-hyeon the long knife with its new option.
"Item dropped. Yours."
"Don't need it."
"Hands sure moved fast for that."
Seok-hyeon tilted his head at the long knife's options.
"Enhancement option? First time seeing one."
"Someone said a scroll dropped during that speedrun event before."
"Sketchy. Does that mean gacha's next?"
You think so too, huh.
Seok-hyeon ranted about how the gacha designers deserved gacha paychecks too, all fired up.
Guess he'd dumped a ton in.
Anyway... additional effect: Dimension Wall.
Sounds like it makes a wall... but isn't the dimension gate basically a wall to others right now?
"Open dimension gate."
Just the dimension gate I knew appeared.
Not that.
I stared at empty air, and suddenly a round dimension wall popped up right where I focused.
Aha, that's how it works.
After a few tests, I figured out the trait.
It generates instantly where my gaze lands, vanishes when I look away.
Exclusive dimension gate spawns about a meter from my body; this can go anywhere.
Minor perk: no command needed.
"Wish I could angle it."
Seok-hyeon gave me a weird look.
"Muttering to yourself again?"
Whoops, too used to being solo.
I moved to his opposite side.
"Toss a rock this way, lightly."
What's with the windup?
The pebble he threw bounced off the dimension wall in midair.
"What, another dimension gate?"
"Invisible to you, right? Transparent wall here bouncing it. That's what I mean by angle."
"Ooh. Wall makes sense now."
Seok-hyeon tested its toughness by slamming into it—and bounced right off.
A few more experiments, and I could roughly control the angle.
Key was focusing like reflecting an attack back at the enemy.
This could be useful.
Original dimension gate reflection only worked around me.
This? Long-range.
Make walls anywhere, reflect attacks at will.
Broad applications.
I thought of one and told Seok-hyeon.
"Jump in place."
"Like this?"
I placed a dimension wall under his jumping feet; he hovered in midair.
Even he was impressed.
"Whoa, insane."
Great for reaching high spots easily.
Couldn't fit me too? Actually a plus.
Meant for footing; him falling in would suck.
Downsides: only one at a time, breaks on lost focus.
Seok-hyeon landed and peered outside.
"You good? They know we cleared it now; won't be easy slipping past. People down there."
"Bunny Duo worrying?"
"I'm fine, but you can't get exposed."
"No sweat, just bail."
"Bail right away? They'll report to auction house."
"Stuff here buries fast anyway. You know how much bullshit floods the auction house?"
Even now, rumors Bunny Duo died swirl there, with people buying it hook, line, sinker.
So much noise, even solid info gets buried quick.
I checked the opposite base—no people. Head that way.
Seok-hyeon sidled up, patted my shoulder.
"Test the new toy."
Then leaped off.
"Crazy bastard."
I caught him mid-fall with a dimension wall.
A few repeats, and he landed unscathed.
He waved up at me.
"See? Works fine!"
"Shh!"
Guy gonna wake the neighborhood?
Sure enough, footsteps—people onto us.
Damn.
I jumped down straight into the dimension gate.
Leaped out; people rounding the apartment toward us.
They froze spotting us.
A big guy hesitated, spoke up.
"Are you... Bunny Duo...?"
Sung-ho figured Seok-hyeon would correct him to Bunny Duo.
That's how it'd gone so far.
But he glared fiercely at them.
"Me, Bunny Duo? Comparing me to that underwear pervert?"
Guess he was committing to the duck-out here.
Yeong-seok flinched, waved hands.
"N-no! Just figured with clearing this apartment, had to be Bunny Duo. Sorry for assuming."
"Told you no—don't drag innocents into it."
He flailed his arms, shot Sung-ho a look.
Meaning: let's bounce.
Best play, yeah.
Cleared the vine dungeon; no reason to linger.
But some folks itch to pick a fight.
Hyeon-hwa skated across asphalt, blocking their path.
"Hold up. Need to check. What was inside?"
"Don't feel like telling."
Seok-hyeon crossed arms, glared.
Hyeon-hwa flinched but held firm.
Debris floated around her.
"Not hard to say, right?"
"Don't wanna. Go check yourself."
Seok-hyeon ignored her, kept walking; Sung-ho quietly advised.
"Better not poke the bear. Guy's brutally strong."
But Hyeon-hwa wasn't letting them go.
Outsiders wreck Miryang, snag something—who knows what?
Her crew would see her weak.
Her standing would tank...
She blocked them again.
"What I'm curious about is what you got. I know monsters crawled inside."
Sung-ho turned.
"Not scared we might do something to you?"
"You won't kill. Makes you murderers. And I'm no pushover."
"So let's see?"
"Argh, seriously! Spill it—hurt ya? You trashed the place; what're we supposed to say if I just let you walk?!"
"Yak yak, annoying."
Walking Seok-hyeon stopped, raised a fist at her.
Hyeon-hwa threw up debris shield.
That kicked it off.
Seok-hyeon rocketed at her.
She startled, clustered debris to block.
But it scattered like hitting something.
"Wh-what?"
No way the big guy's a telekinetic too?
In that instant, Seok-hyeon closed in on her face.
Fist slammed hard into her gut.
"Hngh!"
She groaned short, clutched her stomach.
Breath caught, head spun.
"Y-you..."
Hyeon-hwa crumpled forward, out cold.
Others didn't dare approach.
Seok-hyeon grabbed her collar, tossed her to them.
"Don't make it a hassle. Nothing happened here. We just passed through. All good, right?"
"Y-yeah."
Yeong-seok agreed.
No point charging the guy who one-shot Miryang's top telekinetic.
No loyalty to uphold anyway.
Sung-ho tsked.
"If this uncle was Bunny Duo, you'd all be dead. Kill everyone, suicide—resets clean. Easy, huh?"
Might be true.
Yeong-seok and his crew nodded vigorously.
After they left, Hyeon-hwa came to.
"Ugh..."
"Gut okay?"
"...Not really."
"Why provoke? Looked nasty-tempered."
She glared.
"Who expects a sudden charge? And if the other guy hadn't helped, who knows."
"Helped from the side?"
"My debris bounced off thin air. That guy's a telekinetic."
So not creation-type.
Wrong tree.
Yeong-seok scratched his head, helped her up.
She growled often, but no need to fight here.
Hyeon-hwa stared at him, then looked away.
Truth: even without telekinesis, she wouldn't have won.
Felt it the moment she saw his moves.
I'm done.
Awakened telekinesis, but world full of veterans.
November hit; government shelter got busy.
"Heave! Up!"
"One, two, three!"
They pried open the sealed room's concrete lid, revealing a black hole.
"Metal 500 meters down, right?"
"Yep. Checking if Metal Plague sank it. Monthly from now on."
Da-jeong, seated in observation, hmm'ed and recrossed her legs.
Joo Seung-cheol sat beside her.
This 500m underground metal seal to dodge Metal Plague? Geom-in's plan.
So he was on-site, not observation.
Still glancing at Da-jeong—regretting not staying close.
She waved lightly; he smiled.
Lightweight guy.
Test drew big interest.
Proof Metal Plague receded changes everything.
500m-down sealed facilities and materials? Game-changer for life.
"Yes! Hook the grapple there!"
Under Geom-in's orders, they lowered ropes, snagged concrete chunks.
To see the metal case, clear at least 30.
Creak creak—
Winch turned, hoisting concrete; piled in corner.
How much time passed.
"Yawn..."
Da-jeong yawned, bored—then gasps erupted.
Plastic case from 500m depths emerged.
Geom-in grabbed it, carried to room center, rubbed hands.
"July 20th, that fateful day—three months and ten days later. Our fate in this case..."
"Just open it already!"
Impatient Da-jeong bellowed; chuckles all around.
Geom-in cleared throat, opened it.
"Uh...?"
"Ooh?"
Spoon inside, perfectly preserved.
Metal spoon—now impossible to find.
All admired it.
Geom-in lifted it gingerly.
"Holding... holding."
"Whoa... Metal Plague's gone?"
But like always, it crumbled to bits, betraying hopes.
Not sand at least—progress.
Geom-in smiled at fragments.
Not long now.
And Sung-ho and Seok-hyeon, free of Miryang, ran the same test.
Unlike shelter chaos, just pulled a nail from a cave.
"Ooh, holding up."
"Yeah."
Applied force—snapped.
Not long left.
He chucked the broken nail, shouldered pack.
"Let's go. Seed Vault."
With Dingo, they headed north.