Chapter 5
Chapter 5
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: ACT 1. The Beginning of the End (5)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[You have acquired the Trait, ‘Accustomed to Battle (D)’.]
“What?”
[Accustomed to Battle (D)]
Increases all stats.
The amount of increase depends on the rank.
If Mana is not unlocked, increases the Mana stat by an additional 1.
Current Increase: 3
A smile spread across my lips.
I didn't expect to get this trait so soon.
‘Accustomed to Battle’ was one of the so-called ‘unique traits.’
A trait that only one person could obtain.
‘End of Apocalypse’ was a single-player game, so there was no competition with other players, but if you took your time, an NPC might suddenly appear with a unique trait.
But now, there were other people besides me.
That's why I had intentionally provoked a fight to get it as quickly as possible, and I ended up obtaining it faster than I thought.
My eyes naturally drifted to its effects.
‘All stats increased by 3.’
The number was low, but it increased all stats.
Plus, the increase grew with each rank, so the boost would become substantial at higher ranks.
‘The most attractive part is that it unlocks the Mana stat for free.’
The base Mana stat is 0.
Unlike other stats, which cost 100 coins to increase by 1, raising Mana from 0 to 1 cost ten times that: 1000 coins.
It was too much to spend just to raise it by 1 in the early stages.
Getting it for free meant this was a pretty decent start.
Better than any of my previous playthroughs.
‘And…’
There was another benefit I hadn't mentioned.
The fact that there were now many people besides Lee Seon-yul who could fight off the monsters had been imprinted on the minds of the civilians.
“...At this point, it seems like following them is definitely the safe bet…”
“If there are a lot of people like that at the stadium…”
Sure enough, the atmosphere changed immediately.
The feelings of those who had agreed to go but were still filled with anxiety began to shift.
[You have achieved the [Accomplishment – Standing Out].]
[You may choose one of the following rewards.]
1. 800 Coins
2. 5 Basic Potions
3. Acquire 1 skill matching your combat performance
Coins were important.
From now on, they were as good as currency, and there was a lot you could do with them.
No matter how many you had, it was never enough, and having too few put your very survival at a disadvantage.
The importance of skills was self-evident.
The difference between having one and not was significant. A skill was something you could draw efficiency from, one way or another.
However, I gave up on both of those.
“I’ll take reward number 2.”
Five potions of different colors appeared in my inventory.
A healing potion that mended wounds, a stamina potion that restored energy, a potion that increased fire resistance, a potion that increased agility, and a potion that increased jumping power.
These were on a different level from the simple wound treatments you could find in any pharmacy.
They were literally the potions you’d find in a fantasy world.
Even if you were cut so deeply that bone was exposed, sprinkling a healing potion on the wound would seal it shut.
Unless the situation was hopelessly dire, it could grant you one chance at a miraculous recovery.
‘Besides, the fire resistance potion was something I absolutely needed.’
“You’ve taken down a lot of Death Bites. At this rate, I don’t think we’ll have to worry about being pursued while we move.”
Lee Seon-yul’s face had brightened considerably.
He must have been worried as well.
He couldn't protect everyone by himself. Depending on the situation, he might have to mercilessly abandon some people.
He probably felt like a bit of that burden had been lifted.
“I never thought there wouldn't be a single moment for me to step in. Even if something happens to me, it seems we'll be fine with you around, Kim Se-hyeon-ssi.”
“Do you really have to say something that raises a flag like that?”
“Hahaha. It’s just an expression. Now, let’s go. First, to Jeungsan Station.”
Lee Seon-yul took the lead, and the players split into two groups, moving with the civilians positioned between them.
As we left the alley and entered the main street, a desolate scene unfolded.
The road was broken in places, making it impossible for cars to pass. Store windows were shattered, display shelves overturned, and products scattered across the floor.
And above all, a dead silence where no sign of life could be felt.
No monsters, no humans. Not even a single corpse from either side. The wide street was empty.
“Don’t worry. Most people have already evacuated. We’re just a little late, that’s all.”
Even with Lee Seon-yul's words, the mood didn't improve much.
Realizing it was pointless, he didn't say anything more on the matter.
“You’re Se-hyeon-ssi, right?”
As I was walking silently behind Lee Seon-yul, a woman cautiously approached and spoke to me.
She was one of the people who had shown some skill in fighting the Death Bites.
Her name… was it Jeong Ha-yeon?
“Yes.”
“About when you were fighting the monsters earlier… how did you know so much?”
“I didn’t know that much.”
“You’re lying. You moved as if you knew exactly what they were going to do.”
“I just guessed what they would do. They were lacking two important senses: sight and hearing. That means their other senses must have been heightened. It’s like how your hearing gets a little better just by closing your eyes. And for an animal-type, its only means of attack are its mouth and front paws.”
“You figured all that out the moment you saw them?”
Lee Seong-chan, who had joined the conversation at some point, clicked his tongue in amazement.
Jeong Ha-yeon’s eyes were sparkling as if she was deeply impressed.
‘I can’t tell them the truth.’
Who would believe me if I said I learned it all from a game?
It might be different if there were many others who could testify that this was similar to the beginning of ‘End of Apocalypse.’
‘No.’
I shook my head.
Would anyone even bother to say that?
It was possible. Someone with a silver tongue could use that information to make people follow them.
I always had to consider the possibility of becoming hostile with such a person.
…Though the chances of meeting someone like that so soon were slim, considering not many people had even made it past the early stages of the game.
“You were amazing too. Overpowering that monster with sheer strength.”
“Ha, haha… I found out I have a skill called Superhuman Strength. I think that’s why. I used it without even realizing.”
“Looking at you, I can kind of see why. Do you work out often?”
“I do lift as a hobby.”
“I’ve seen people whose hobby is working out, and they hate it when their routine gets messed up, saying they’ll lose muscle mass. Are you like that too?”
“...Yes. Turns out I have a trait for that. And it was almost time for me to go to the gym, too.”
“Ah…”
Jeong Ha-yeon wore an expression as if she didn't know what to say.
‘Anyway.’
I finally had a team to catch my breath with.
Now was the time to resolve a question I had.
“Lee Seong-chan-ssi. Have you received any coins?”
“Coins? What are those?”
His wide-eyed question, as if he’d never heard of them, made me feel that something was off.
The existence of the main quest alone should have made him aware of coins. It was clearly listed in the rewards.
That’s why I had asked indirectly instead of asking about quests outright.
And yet, his reaction was one of complete ignorance.
Something was strange.
I mumbled a vague reply and organized my thoughts.
‘They don’t know about the quests.’
The question I had back on the rooftop.
The quest had clearly told us to escape this place, that we would die if we didn't, yet some players had said they would stay.
I had considered the possibility that they just didn't believe the quest's words.
That’s why I had asked the question to find out.
‘Does this mean I'm the only one receiving quests?’
I suppressed a laugh.
Quests came with rewards.
Without quest rewards, their coin income would be much lower.
This meant I had an advantage that would let me grow faster than others.
‘Then the accomplishment rewards might also be for me alone.’
It was just a guess for now, but it was highly possible.
By the time I reached the 00th ending, I had achieved 99% of the accomplishments.
In other words, I knew the rewards and conditions for most of them.
‘I should start by getting the easy ones quickly.’
I needed to act with a bit more precision.
“The atmosphere seems to have improved, at least.”
Lee Seon-yul brought everyone's attention back to the present.
It was really time to move.
“We’ve dealt with the monsters, but not everything is resolved. We don’t know what else might happen, so let’s move quickly.”
“What else could happen?”
“That is…”
*Crack.*
Before Lee Seon-yul could finish, the ground split open, and several cars disappeared into the chasm.
The cracks spread in all directions as if a sudden drought had hit.
A building that had lost its foundation tilted and began to fall.
Faced with another disaster, people stood dumbfounded, so I yelled at the top of my lungs.
“Run!!”
The sound of collapsing buildings, the sound of the earth splitting, and the screams of people all mixed together, numbing my hearing.
I saw Lee Seon-yul moving busily to help those in danger.
The bewilderment on his face spoke volumes about his feelings.
His character in the game was also the type to raise flags left and right.
He brought even the useless parts with him.
[A Sub Quest has been generated.]
[Sub Quest – Evacuate]
Evacuate to Jeungsan Station while avoiding the natural disaster.
Time Limit: 60 minutes
Reward: 200 Coins
※Failure to reach the destination within the time limit may result in fatal danger.
This was the problem with this damn game.
Whether it was a main or sub quest, failure was often met with death or a similarly grave danger.
This unforgiving difficulty was why so many people deleted the game before even finishing the first chapter.
“Jeungsan Station is straight down this road! Run!”
A man, who had just been saved by Lee Seon-yul from being crushed by a telephone pole, nodded frantically with a terrified expression and started moving his legs.
As he said, our route was a straight shot down the road to Jeungsan Station.
However, things were never that easy.
That’s just how this game was.
“The, the building!”
“A building is collapsing!!”
Perhaps because the earthquake had weakened the ground, all sorts of large buildings near the road began to tilt and fall.
And of all things, the ones taller than six stories on both sides of the road were falling *onto* the road.
*CRASH!*
A thick cloud of dust rose, obscuring our vision.
But even without seeing, I knew.
We couldn't advance any further this way.
“This way!!”
While most people were standing in a daze, Jeong Ha-yeon immediately moved to a different path.
“If we go this way, it’s a bit of a detour, but we can still make it!”
We can make it.
We can live.
At those words, people’s feet moved before their minds could think.
But I turned in a different direction.
“Hey! That’s the wrong way!”
Someone shouted at me in alarm, but their voice was quickly drowned out by the crowd and the screams.
As if I didn't know.
Without a moment’s hesitation, I entered a specific building.
I ran up the stairs, cluttered with all sorts of items from a hasty evacuation, and headed for the location I remembered.
There was something I needed to get before reaching Jeungsan Station.
‘It should be around here.’
“Grrr.”
I heard a familiar sound.
Inside a room dimly lit by a broken window, two Death Bites detected me and lowered their stances.
The triumphant growl of a predator that has found its prey.
I, too, smirked as I looked at the Death Bites.
“Looks like I came to the right place.”