Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Monopolizing is Fun - 1
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After pushing through the monsters and terrain to escape the forest, a vast open plain stretched out before me.
It was a refreshing expanse I hadn't fully appreciated from the drone footage.
I raced across the plain, feeling the now-warm breeze on my skin.
Thankfully, the terrain wasn't too bumpy, making it bearable.
Though I wondered if the beetles bouncing into the air every time the ATV jolted felt the same.
The loud noise sent animals drinking from the nearby lake fleeing in droves.
"What's with all these guys?"
There were tons of creatures I hadn't seen in the forest.
I wanted to catch one, but they were too far away, so I had to settle for regret.
Vroom―
Following the river with the ATV, a massive lake soon came into view.
Damn, that's huge.
The wild boar family on the opposite shore looked tiny.
And so did the pack of silver wolves charging at them.
I spotted them and slammed on the brakes.
Dingo stood up in the cargo bed and rested his muzzle on my shoulder.
"Aren't those your relatives?"
No matter how I looked at it, they were Silver Wolves.
A few wolves that didn't flinch at the boars' massive bulk boldly surrounded them.
Was the hunt about to start?
But with me here, things could get dangerous.
ATVs weren't the fastest on open plains anyway.
I prepared to flee, but luckily, the wolves ignored us.
The hunt ended in the blink of an eye.
Grrr― Woof woof!
A few wolves pounced on a boar, and the rest scattered.
Through the scope, the caught one looked old, with patches of missing fur.
"Looks like a sacrifice no matter how you slice it..."
The Silver Wolves slit the boar's throat and backed off.
The largest one pressed its muzzle to the steaming carcass.
The leader, huh.
It devoured the boar voraciously.
No need to interrupt their meal.
I checked the map and adjusted my route.
Circumventing the lake should let me reach the flower cluster without running into the pack.
That's when Dingo leaped from the ATV.
"Hey? Dingo!"
I called, but he glanced back and bolted straight for the wolf pack.
Did his instincts finally kick in?
But would the pack accept him? Doubtful.
One wrong move, and he'd get torn apart.
"Damn it."
I hopped on the ATV and chased after him.
Worst case, I could open a dimension gate to save us both.
The wolf pack noticed Dingo and the noisy ATV, going on high alert.
The leader let out a long howl, and the others joined in.
Dingo stopped and howled along.
Awoooo―
The plain filled with the Silver Wolves' cries.
I watched tensely as Dingo made contact with the pack.
Up close, the size difference was insane.
I thought Dingo was pretty big, but next to the adults, he looked like a pup.
"You're still a baby, huh..."
The wolves eyed Dingo curiously.
Wolves on either side parted, and the leader stepped forward.
Sniff sniff.
They sniffed each other from a cautious distance.
They say things can go south here.
Dingo didn't back down from the leader's size, sniffing diligently.
Well, well.
Even the butt sniff?
Was Dingo joining the pack?
As anxiety sprouted, a relatively small Silver Wolf approached Dingo.
Small compared to the other adults, but next to Dingo, she looked three times bigger.
Surprisingly, she oozed affection.
Flopping beside him, panting, rubbing against him...
The other wolves glanced at me once, then dragged the boar off into the distance.
Leaving just the two.
What kind of nonsense is this?
As I stood dumbfounded, Dingo and the new wolf bounded toward me.
"Oh, hell."
Dingo was fine, but no guarantee this wolf wouldn't attack.
I gripped my weapon, but they just nuzzled and licked at me.
Up close, it felt like play-fighting.
Was this one a female?
Her ears and eyes were slightly different from Dingo's.
No way she left the pack looking for a mate, right?
Dingo hopped up and into the ATV cargo bed.
The new wolf stared at me, then lowered her head and sat beside.
Guess she planned to follow if we left.
Feeding that bulk wouldn't be easy. What to do?
She seemed to like Dingo, so shooing her felt wrong...
"Screw it."
I'll raise them both for now.
She'd hunt her own food.
As I started the ATV, the Silver Wolf kept pace.
She was fast—no worries about falling behind.
This is awkward.
An unwanted companion.
The new Silver Wolf proved she could fend for herself right away.
Upon reaching the cluster, she hunted a small rabbit and brought it over.
I thought she'd ditch Dingo, but she fetched food.
She dropped it in front of me and backed away awkwardly.
Did she see me as the leader?
The rabbit was too small to share.
I gutted it and tossed pieces to them; they eyed me warily before devouring it.
The distance between me and the new wolf shrank a bit.
Should I be happy about this?
Anyway, I surveyed the cluster.
"What kind of flower is this..."
Its name was Emperor Flower.
Did Emperor Honeybees harvest Emperor Honey from Emperor Flowers?
The honey itself had effects.
"Not paralysis poison—just straight poison."
From my experience, poisons in Survival Life fell into categories: goblin paralysis venom, dungeon goblin blinding poison, and plain lethal toxins.
This honey seemed to resist all poisons.
"This is huge."
Three minutes was short, but permanent would break balance.
Harvest from flowers or raid the hive?
Asking the boss beetle, he said eating straight from flowers was fine, but hive honey was the real deal.
No comparison in effects.
"Then we raid it."
The boss beetle climbed me and hopped to an Emperor Flower.
He yanked out the central nectar tube and offered it.
Like salvia?
Salvia in Korea—red flower kids suck nectar from.
Not sure if real honey, but childhood memories.
Sucking the tube, a sweetness like a Texas stampede hit—way beyond memory.
Emperor Honey was even better? What flavor was that?
Eyes blazing, I searched for hives.
Dingo and the new wolf sniffed honey and wandered.
They looked cozy together.
Like a mature 20s woman and teen boy...
"Let's call you Ding-sooni."
She might hate it, but I decide nicknames.
Squatting and waiting, Dingo and Ding-sooni barked at me.
Found it.
I grabbed the boss beetle, fired up the ATV, and followed.
We found a huge hive at the base of a mountain tree.
"Rip that down, and I'd get swarmed bad."
Dozens of Emperor Honeybees buzzed around it.
Wing hum reached me.
Hive size of my torso.
Lots inside...
But I had a secret weapon.
I pulled out prepared firecrackers and plastic bags.
Noise, light, acrid smoke would confuse them.
Snag the hive and run.
Sizzle―
Flame ate the fuse fast.
I hurled firecrackers under the hive.
Gloves, muffler, sunglasses—full gear against stings.
Ding-sooni barked at me suddenly.
Forgot my face already?
Bang bang boom!
Fireworks erupted in sparks and smoke; bees scattered.
Now!
I rushed, sliced the top with my long knife.
Honey pooled at the bottom.
Hive thudded down; panicked bees burst out.
Fireworks dazed them.
Noise helped too.
Some bees flew wobbly and dropped.
I bagged the hive quick, sealed it.
Bees buzzed but no real attacks.
"Run! Run!"
Hive on head, I bolted; Dingo and Ding-sooni followed.
At the ATV, tossed it in; bees pursued buzzing.
Time to bail.
Lake had life, but no time to sightsee.
We raced to the forest.
"This is delicious."
Emperor Honey lived up to the hype.
Umami in honey? Never imagined.
Subtle aroma—no cloying.
Scooping honey threads, I met the beetles' gazes.
Black eyes looked sad.
...Gotta hold back.
This was for them.
But not skipping it.
"Can't pass up these effects."
First item to boost a stat by 4.
Lives up to the name.
Plus tangerine Agility +2—total +6 stats.
Like three extra items.
"Won't tire easily in fights now."
No HP recovery, so preemptive eating. Minor downside.
That'd be OP otherwise.
I served honey to the beetles in a dish.
Four huddled and lapped it up.
No instant change.
Long-term: bigger size, etc.
Anyway, Ding-sooni gonna camp outside forever?
Followed here, but nested outside—no shelter entry.
Doesn't fully trust yet.
Fair; adult Silver Wolf inside would spook me.
She ambushed a passing Valley Deer herd, snagged a fawn, left it outside the fence, and retreated.
Her gift, I guess.
Dingo stared at his "mate" from inside.
Honey's dripping, kids.
I gutted the fawn, hung it inverted, and dug up shelter ground.
For near-expired food.
Better auction for points than rot.
Checked unearthed food—still good.
"Smells fine..."
But warming weather; can't bury forever.
Hauled to cave, listed one by one.
Bids exploded instantly.
Yeah, that's me.
I ignored the flood of comments.
You bark; I'll earn points.
Instant-buy prices meant sales flew off—points hit 7,000.
Selling well.
People listed their own items, sparking fights there.
"Fight-watching's fun."
"Got it, why not."
I delisted some, bundled a tteokbokki set on the spot.
Sauce splitting annoying—200 points.
Two-person tteokbokki set hyped the crowd.
Like backing that up, the set sold fast.
Other food too—points finally broke 10k.
Nice haul.
I checked other info.
Dungeon spawn.
Everyone yelling to clear it, but registrant had no plans.
Not funny...
Crowd at entrance, zombie raid chaos.
Everyone guarding to block entry amid confusion.
No clue what dungeon—total mess.
"Where's Gil-dong Station?"
Mapped the spot—not far, but dead center Yangjae-daero worried me.
Geared up outside.
Arriving, chaos everywhere.
Hundreds of zombies rampaging Yangjae-daero.
Hit people fled for survival.
Amid it, dimension gate flaunted itself boldly.
Center of Yangjae-daero.
Go there, arrow barrage.
Suddenly, guy with shields strapped everywhere dashed.
"Let's snipe that!"
Someone yelled from a window.
Arrows rained; he bailed.
Ferocious zombies chased.
Dusk fell; glowstone shards flew from everywhere.
Gate area lit up.
Neighbors' warm welcome: kill all who approach.
"Gee, thanks."
No one's entering soon.
But not impossible.