Chapter 89
Chapter 89
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: A New Catastrophe Has Been Updated
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I headed up to the rooftop before noon.
I planned to gaze out at the world and pick my achievement rewards.
By the way, everyone had already finished their level-ups. After baths, we huddled together one by one, faces close, selecting skills. They were thrilled—it had been so long since their last level-up.
And with this level-up to 16, Mer's Magic Power stat hit 99. Just one short of 100, which was a shame, but still an impressive number. All her stats were in the 90s now. Mine were higher thanks to devouring two inner cores, but Mer was a natural stat monster. She was rock-solid reliable.
She'd probably break 100 Magic Power on the next level-up and unlock the 'Mana User' achievement.
'Mer’s a warrior type, so her achievement rewards will differ from mine.'
Mer now outpaced me in overall stats—excluding my overwhelming Magic Power, that is.
'Come to think of it... I think I got an achievement after drinking that Nagaraja sap...'
As I pulled up achievement rewards, I suddenly remembered I hadn't checked the 'Molt' one. It had been buried under other notifications. I dug it out from the corner.
'The agony of evolving into Half-Human Half-Demon made me forget all about it.'
I checked the 'Molt' reward first.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Choose your reward.] [0. Sesha's Serum: Administer to molt three times. On the final molt, gain the true body of a Nagaraja.] 'What the hell is a Nagaraja? Some kind of snake-man?'
It didn't seem useful right now, so I skipped it.
Molting sounded like it'd involve ripping off my skin—terrifying. If I used it now, I'd be writhing in agony for hours, and I couldn't risk missing the noon update.
'Hold onto it for now...'
Next, I claimed the 'Overwhelming Firepower' reward from firing Totsmir's Blunderbuss.
It seemed to trigger from using ridiculously high-firepower weapons.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Choose your reward.] [1. Full Metal Jacket: Single-shot hand cannon. Pierces anything in its path.] [2. Tsar Boom!: Round bomb. Lights in 10 seconds—obliterates everything nearby.] [3. Inferno: Throw at your most hated foe. Burns until death.] Why were these achievement rewards all weapons of war? Perfect for one big blast.
'Tsar Boom could go off prematurely and kill me. Inferno's napalm would wipe me out too. Safest bet is the hand cannon, Full Metal Jacket.'
I picked Full Metal Jacket. Piercing anything would make it a last-resort against shielded foes or tough monsters.
'Next, Rotten Fetus subjugation reward...'
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Choose your reward.] [0. Rotten Fetus's Umbilical Cord: An impossible umbilical cord. Burn for +10 to all stats.] Stat booster item. Obviously for me. Might as well widen my lead.
'This'll put my stats ahead of Mer's again...'
Thrilled, I selected it and burned it with Salamander right away.
"Whoa..."
As smoke rose, all my stats rose by 10. My totals were about to break 100. Wonder what achievement that'd unlock?
"Oppa, what're you doing alone? What's that you're burning?"
"Oh, Eun-ji."
"You didn't pick up something weird to eat again, did you?"
"N-no. Just some zombie corpse residue... finishing burning it."
"Hmmm... You look suspicious, Oppa..."
"No, really. I haven't eaten anything sketchy this time."
"Hmmm... Fine. Anyway, it's cold—hug me."
"Sure. Come here."
I pulled Eun-ji into my arms. She always assumed I was scarfing down weird stuff if she lost sight of me. Like I was some kid and she my mom.
What image did I even have with them? All my girls thought I ate random junk.
Of course, their worry for my safety was touching.
"Sniff sniff... Milord! Smells like grilling! Squid?"
"No! Zombie corpse!"
"Oh..."
Ha-rin came running from afar, nose twitching. Sadly, no squid—just Rotten Fetus umbilical cord.
She'd been fretting over pregnancy, but I calmed her by promising a solution. Still, no creampies for her anytime soon.
"Anyway, everyone's up on the roof? It's almost noon."
"Hee-sun Unnie's in the bathroom."
"Ah."
Everyone but Hee-sun Noona was on the roof. Other Awakened planning to spend the night with us dotted the space. Non-Awakened were barricaded below. Not much combat help, so grouped together.
Ha brothers, Hwang Su-min, Kang Eun-jeong, and some level 15s guarded the first floor.
Max prep done. Now, face the catastrophe.
Soon, the update notification appeared before my eyes.
A new Monday dawned. A new catastrophe began.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Update complete!] Survivors still kicking, welcome! March is almost here. Spring vibes! Maybe the cold eases up. But... can you even feel it? [Update Details] 1. Melting Flesh. As spring starts, snow melts—and so does some zombies' flesh. They become Skeletons: Skeleton Soldiers. Clack clack clack! The white noise of walking bones fills the world! Even dead bodies can revive if flesh melts off undamaged! Skeleton Soldiers are far smarter than zombies, specialized as warriors, archers, etc.! 2. Nights of Ghostly Wails. Ghosts roam streets at night. Physical attacks don't work. Ghosts drain Sanity over time. Prepare for possession or hypnosis. Ghosts spawn heavily where many died. These spots are 'Haunted Zones'—ghosts emerge nightly. 3. Zombie Type Consolidation. All Named become Evolution Zombies. Normal and special zombies evolve into Evolution Zombies. Only Evolution Zombies roam now. 4. Feast of the Dead. Field Boss types increase. They replace Nameds. From 3 to 5 types. Field Bosses spawn randomly every night. Undead gather around them. [Field Boss List] [1. Rotten Fetus: Turns nearby corpses into Meat Golems.] [2. Crawling Corpse Giant: Won't die unless head/heart destroyed.] [3. Polluted Head: 40% chance to nullify skills.] [4. Awakened Gravekeeper: Fights with shovel. Very strong.] [5. Eternal Sorcerer: Drains life force. Magic master.] 5. Always-On Shop Items. Too harsh? Added disaster-prep items to Peddler sales. Peddlers now stock 3 always-available items + 6 limited. 'Goddess's Tear' x3: Heals wounds/illnesses. No limb regrowth or chronic cures. 'Ghost Ward Talisman' x5: Withstand ghost mental attacks. Essential for peaceful nights. Has expiration. 'Dawn Seven' x10: Awakeners' fatigue reducer. Sleepless for a night. OD kills. 6. Missing Persons' Forest. Most players formed groups. Special event to boost survival: 'rumor' of treasure forest from high Peddler affinity. Pay info fee for 2-person event dungeon access. Server-wide event. Compete/cooperate to find 'Shrine' in Missing Persons' Forest. Claim 'God's Idol' at Shrine to unlock exit. God's Idol designates 'Sanctuary' zone. Ghosts can't enter Sanctuary. Zombies weaken in Sanctuary; no Ghost Gates nearby. [Player reading this is on 'East Asia Server'.] [Includes China, Japan, Korea, North Korea, etc.] Keep surviving! No big updates soon! Weekly minor patches—see you next week! "What bullshit is this...?"
The massive update log hit like a truck.
Every point was hopeless, mind-numbing.
All zombies evolving? Fine. But Skeleton Soldiers and Field Bosses too?
And Ghost Gates?
'Why connect afterlife to reality? And clues to end 'Eternal Night'? Hmm... Underworld Lords. Zeke the dragon-slayer and Kyseria might take them.'
"Haa... Insane."
This malicious update spiked my blood pressure. I felt faint.
My neck throbbed. It screamed "die already" instead of survive.
'There's a line, damn it. This crossed it hard...'
Shop additions and Missing Persons' Forest seemed like balance attempts... but how long could others last?
Fewer survivors meant fewer offerings or slaves. Big loss.
'Maybe some will beg to join as slaves now.'
Solo players or small groups left would seek bigger camps. Catastrophe scale was too high for tiny bands. Nights were terrifying now. Sunset meant unknown horrors. Unity or die.
'Grab dungeon pass ASAP, find Shrine—might navigate this crap. But Peddler timing's random. We might enter late...'
Peddler needed to show fast. Affinity was high—likely get Missing Persons' Forest Pass.
'Two slots. Me and who?'
Death trap. Couldn't send others alone.
'Server event—Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, North Koreans all swarming Shrine. Insane brawl. Can't skip. Strongest are me and Mer. I go, she guards mart. Third: Ha-rin’s senses or Hwa-young...'
One Shrine? Bloodbath guaranteed. Snipers at exits. Needed human-detectors like Ha-rin or Hwa-young.
Bloody event ahead.
'Only high-level elites will swarm Forest. Trap for top tiers, special classes. Culling the strong now...? Plan to wipe humanity? Why the hassle if they could?'
If they ran this game, they'd have ended us already.
'What do they gain keeping us barely alive?'
Couldn't fathom the devs' twisted minds. Mere amusement? Or deeper meaning?
"Oppa... What do we do? Ghosts...?"
"Yeah..."
Ye-won-i, done reading, clung to my left arm in terror.
I get it, Ye-won-i. I'm losing it too.
Ghosts were expected, but not wanted.
Ghosts haunting streets? Bleak.
'No physical attacks...? Fuck, what now?'
Magic works?
Tentacle Ejection's physical—no good. Abyssal Maw's magic—might work.
'Hwang Su-min and captives had a couple Mages. Need their power.'
Three Mages total. Chain them for management. My girls had anti-ghost skills, but normals didn't. Mages shone there.
'Maybe claim Su-min too...?'
Not harem-level yet. Talk later.
Mer pointed one way.
"Milord. There. Far off. See?"
"Huh? Where, Mer?"
"That side. Place we raided."
"Ah... Sports Center... Wait, what’s that...?"
Blue glows rose from the wrecked Sports Center, floating eerily.
Ghoulish laughter too. Ghosts.
"Not all ghosts, right?"
"Seems so, Milord. Some heading here. My skills can kill, but... too many, and I'm overwhelmed."
"R-right. Get everyone ready."
Sports Center: mass innocent deaths. Haunted Zone now.
Far from mart, but flying ghosts could reach. Two or three incoming already.
"Kiyaaaa!!!!"
Zombies everywhere screamed, evolving.
Crunch!
Splortch!!
All normals turned monsters. No plain zombies left.
All Evolution Zombies.
Night deepened.
Until dawn, we’d struggle to survive.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇