Descent into the Sewer
??? Knock knock. The moment I opened the door— whoosh. It hit like stepping into a midsummer sauna, hot air slamming into my face.
“……?”
What I saw were Kim Miyeon and Lee Seoyul, the mother and daughter duo. Their faces were flushed tomato-red, beads of sweat glistening on their foreheads and the napes of their necks. Their damp clothes clung tightly, accentuating their curves, and their slender necks trembled faintly.
“Don't leave the house tomorrow, no matter what.”
I said it firmly, handing over the backpack stuffed with food. Kim Miyeon nodded, while Lee Seoyul cautiously gauged my reaction. Her hand wiped at sweat from her forehead, but her fingertips quivered ever so slightly.
“Were you... working out or something in here?”
At that instant— twitch. Both their shoulders jerked simultaneously. Their gazes dropped straight to the floor, and the air grew even thicker, more stifling.
Kim Miyeon cleared her throat hastily, and Lee Seoyul half-hid her face, bowing her head deeply.
“N-No! It's just... so hot in here.”
Kim Miyeon's voice trembled subtly, like she was forcing it out. I could sense they were hiding something from that reaction. Still, I didn't press further and just nodded.
...Not the time to pry. Tomorrow's the real issue.
“I've packed plenty of food. You should be good for the whole day.”
I left those brief instructions and stepped out of the studio apartment. Outside, Yoon Seoyeon waited with her arms crossed. She glanced up at the sky, muttering in wonder.
“They say the Black Moon is rising... but it looks like morning?”
The world appeared as bright as midday to me. Yet even in that glare, an eerie foreboding weighed down the air. The light itself felt out of place.
Yoon Seoyeon pressed close to my side as we walked and asked, “Where we headed?”
I glanced at her and shot back, “You got a strong stomach?”
Her brows furrowed. “What's that supposed to mean all of a sudden?”
“Just follow me and find out.”
I dodged the question and quickened my pace. Before the Black Moon fully rose, I had to find that NPC.
From afar—
“Aaaahhh—!!”
A scream erupted from the apartment complex we'd passed yesterday. Yoon Seoyeon's face hardened in an instant. We ignored it and raced toward our goal.
*
The crumbling buildings stood like massive skeletons. Cracks etched into the concrete stood out starkly in the darkness. I'd scoured the area relentlessly before the Black Moon rose and finally found this place.
“What's here?” Yoon Seoyeon asked in a tense voice.
Before I could answer—
“...Huh?”
Her gaze froze. A door of darkness. Thanks to my Black Eyes, everywhere gleamed like sunlight, but that spot was shrouded in pitch-black shadow, untouched by light.
“...Something's there.”
Yoon Seoyeon eyed it suspiciously and approached the door. Thud. Without hesitation, she kicked it and said, “But this is obviously a mouse hole. How the hell are we supposed to fit?”
I grinned at her. “Seoyeon, sometimes you need muscle over brains.”
Then I slammed my fist into the ground.
-BOOM!!
The ground split, concrete chunks flew, and the underground opened wide.
“Kyaaah!!”
Yoon Seoyeon's scream echoed into the depths. I landed lightly, and she dropped right into my arms in a princess carry. Our eyes met for a moment. A strange silence hung in the air—
“Warn me before you pull shit like that!!”
Her face flushed red as she punched my shoulder hard. It felt oddly novel. In the game, I'd found it by interacting with walls and yas while wall-running. I hadn't expected this. Swallowing my frustration, I set her down.
First Visit to the Sewer!
Achievement Unlocked: [Pioneer]
Pioneer: Chance to encounter ??? increased.
“...Oh.”
Not even surprising anymore. Sometimes I wondered if this was really the game I'd played. Or maybe it got an update when it merged with this world. Whatever—good was good. I pressed forward.
And from the deep darkness of the sewer, something—low laughter echoed.
*
The musty stench of mold and rotting water assaulted our noses. Black mold clung to the walls, rotten meat chunks floated on the water. Yoon Seoyeon pinched her nose, grimacing.
“So why the hell are we here...?”
“To make a deal.”
“A deal? With who?”
“There's a black market merchant NPC that only shows up here.”
Black market merchant NPC. A special entity that appeared only during the Black Moon. But finding it wasn't the end. You had to max affinity to 100% to trade, and you only got one shot per encounter to raise it. Once a month, basically.
Truth be told, the merchant was secondary—my real goal was something else.
Yoon Seoyeon asked again. “So it's safe here? No zombies?”
I shook my head. “Nah. Zombies here too. Worse ones, actually.”
Round the corner—
Screeech... screeech... Along with the sound of metal scraping, the thing crawled out.
Wheel Zombie (Rare)
2m giant cockroach. Legs made of six human arms, face a humanoid shape topped with antennae.
“Eugh...”
Yoon Seoyeon grimaced in instinctive revulsion.
Splash! Ripples erupted behind us— tatatatat!! It charged, whipping its six arm-legs in grotesque frenzy.
Before I could brace—
“Seal of Corrosion!”
Yoon Seoyeon shouted first. Her bat glowed red as it smashed the wheel zombie's skull repeatedly.
-Thud!
-Thud!
-Thud!
Her hands shook, breath ragged, but her eyes burned steady.
“Kim Geon... like you said, pumping stamina and strength... it actually works.”
I checked her status window right away.
Her old question popped into my head. “You're a debuffer—doesn't it make sense to pump mana?”
Mana mattered, sure. But I'd always prioritized stamina and strength first. To survive, you had to protect your own body.
“What if we're fighting together and get separated? What if I die and you're alone? Can you tank with debuffs?”
Those words I'd thrown at her echoed in my mind.
Shunk! I swung my knuckled fist. A blue orb shot straight, piercing the wheel zombie's head.
Durability 49/50
Attack Power +35
Fires a 'wave' dealing 70% of Attack Power as damage.
Simple description for an elite weapon, but the ranged attack meant fewer messy close-ups with these bastards.
“Hey, I said think of the next one when I kill a zombie?”
“I was waiting for it!”
Yoon Seoyeon grinned, regripping her bat. I took stance and said, “Get ready, Yoon Seoyeon.”
Cockroaches... outnumber humans.
That instant— screeech... screeech... screeech... Dozens, no, hundreds of red eyes flashed in the dark. Ceiling, walls, floor. The whole sewer writhed like a living thing. Grotesque shadows sliced through the water, arm-legs crawling walls, antennae quivering toward the scent of blood.
Yoon Seoyeon's face drained white. “We... can we really survive this...?”
I adjusted my knuckles slowly and chuckled low. “Survive?”
If I couldn't handle these bug shits, I wouldn't have come.
*
“Ha... these fuckers are so gross I can barely kill 'em...”
Yoon Seoyeon finally couldn't hold back and bent over, retching. Pale face, trembling lips. Even I felt my stomach churn at the wheel zombie remains scattered on the floor. Cockroaches were creepy enough—zombie hybrids? Next level disgust.
“Gimme a magic stone. Effect's wearing off.”
Her voice cracked. I pulled one from inventory and handed it over.
Achievement: Pioneer Activated
Encountering ???
That instant, an ear-splitting eerie noise echoed from the dark.
Mechanical, yet beastly. We instinctively headed toward the sound.
At the end of the mold-thickened passage— a black fluffball squeaked, chased by wheel zombies. I smashed the zombies with my knuckles and grabbed the fluff.
It kept repeating the weird noise in my hand. But soon—
First encounter with ???
Achievement: Pioneer Enhanced
Pioneer:
- Chance to encounter ??? increased.
- Can now converse with all ???
The fluffball spoke clearly.
I narrowed my eyes. NPC, for sure. Activated Black Eyes.
Black Rat: Black Moon-only sewer black market merchant
“Hey, can you hear me?”
The black rat twitched, rolling its beady eyes.
“What?”
“Your wife got captured? By who?”
“King...?”
Was it that 'king' I knew? Needed to confirm.
“Want me to help?”
The black rat's tiny eyes welled up.
??? Exclusive: Save the Black Rat's Wife
Perfect chance to boost affinity. I set the quest aside and replied, “Of course.”
I placed the black rat on my head and asked where it went. Yoon Seoyeon whispered in my ear from the side.
“That's the NPC, right? The black merchant?”
I nodded. Yoon Seoyeon reached out curiously— and got bitten.
“Ow!”
“You okay?”
“I touched you and I'm fine?”
Achievement: Tutorial Clear
- Luck increased
- NPC affinity starts at 50
Was it the tutorial clear achievement shining through? Lost in thought for a moment— we ran into another wheel zombie swarm.
*
Crunch, crunch. Squelch... squelch... Deep in the sewer. From shadows too dark for shadows, the sound of something chewing and swallowing reverberated.
Kim Miyeon
