Chapter 50

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Translator: True Detective

Chapter: 50

Chapter Title: Channel 3 Broadcast

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'I wonder if it's started by now.'

I woke up in the morning, finished all my tasks, and headed back to the first floor of the Great Labyrinth with the Hero Party.

On the way, I remembered the war on Channel 3 and decided to check it out by entering the gallery broadcast.

'Has the war... begun?'

I clicked on a broadcast showing zombies, and the same overhead view from the sky appeared as before.

'More precisely, it's an angle looking diagonally down from above.'

Like this, we can reduce their numbers and help the Incheon Alliance too.

The broadcaster who said that started hurling Molotov cocktails at the zombies after lighting them.

He had prepared a ton of them and threw them non-stop, gradually spreading flames below.

'Flight ability, huh.'

Watching it made me think I could do something similar with my Telekinesis.

Castaway, what are you looking at so seriously?

Oh.

I must have been staring at the broadcast with a grim expression without realizing it.

I told Elisicia honestly about Channel 3.

I was watching a Channel 3 broadcast. It looks like the war's about to start soon.

When I mentioned it, Rubyel seemed curious too and spoke up.

With those zombie monsters? Castaway, share your gallery window.

Share it?

Yeah, then we can see what they're saying.

That made sense, so I nodded and shared my gallery window.

But it's small. Can you enlarge the screen?

You can enlarge the screen too?

Yeah. Grab the corner and pull.

Sure enough, pulling the corner expanded it proportionally.

Rubyel even taught me how to move the gallery window.

And if you grab both sides, you can move it wherever you want.

Grabbing both sides let me drag it to my desired position.

But... it only moves as far as I can reach with my hand.

I tried moving it 45 degrees above my line of sight and pulling back, but it stopped at arm's length.

If my hand left the window even briefly, it wouldn't move freely.

Huh? Isn't that obvious since you're moving it with your hand?

It felt a bit limiting to me, but...

'Now that she mentions it, yeah.'

I accepted it and positioned the gallery screen above my field of view so everyone could see.

Oh, but isn't watching the gallery like this dangerous?

On the 7th floor?

Elisicia asked back as if it was ridiculous.

Apparently, on the 7th floor of the labyrinth, even a few monsters charging weren't a threat.

Castaway, this is a broadcast, right?

Yes. Think of it like a live video call.

If it's like a video call, what's the difference?

Broadcasts can be seen by multiple people. See the chat window? Comments are coming in.

I pointed to the chat, where comments were still scrolling fast.

So people are posting comments in real-time, right?

Yes.

It's definitely very different from just video.

Anyway, watching further, the broadcaster was now dropping rocks via 1:1 trades.

'That seems like a solid strategy.'

If they kept supplying items like this, they could take out more zombies than expected.

Thwack!―

Ouch!

...?

The screen shook suddenly with some sound.

I couldn't figure out what happened, but Elisicia did.

Something like a thorn flew in.

A thorn?

Yes. It was faster than expected.

...

I hadn't seen anything.

'Did a thorn really fly in?'

Looking at the chat puzzled, others were guessing the same.

Y-Yes. I'll retreat.

The broadcaster said it in a trembling voice.

At the same time, a particularly massive zombie among the horde made a move.

'Stage 5 zombie, Gigas.'

On screen, it was building-sized, maybe 20 meters tall.

Anyway, the Gigas zombie took a throwing stance, then swung its massive arm.

Whoosh!―

'Huh?'

The Stage 5 zombie Gigas had thrown... other zombies.

Precisely three, hurled by hand at tremendous speed toward the broadcaster.

Anyway, Frog zombies had abnormally developed legs.

And as the ones launched by Gigas closed in rapidly, they opened their mouths and shot out tongues.

'No way...'

The tongues extended frog-like, long and sticky, latching onto the retreating broadcaster.

You crazy...!

My flight speed depends on my stamina... Aaaagh!

In the end, the broadcaster plummeted to the ground with the Frogs.

Zombies swarmed him immediately, tearing into his flesh.

...

Watching someone die live like a snuff film shocked me deeply.

It felt chillingly different from movies, almost goosebump-inducing.

'Is the Hero Party okay?'

Looking at them, they were calmly unfazed, unlike me.

'Ah.'

They'd fought a war on the surface where over 90% of the population died.

They'd seen countless deaths, so this probably didn't faze them.

'Uh...'

Realizing that made the Hero Party feel strangely distant now.

That guy was careless. Should've had defenses ready.

Rubyel coldly called the dead broadcaster careless.

He was pretty far from the monsters. Probably got complacent.

Ultimately, carelessness led to his death.

I tuned out their casual chat and checked the Channel 3 gallery.

The gallery atmosphere was business as usual.

Just posts about the dead broadcaster, Incheon Alliance, and zombies.

'Is this really okay?'

A 60-to-1 numerical disadvantage.

Zombies commanded by the Zombie Queen.

And people treating it like someone else's problem.

'Even Water Ghosts couldn't block them all.'

With 200-300k zombies, some would inevitably leak through.

The question was whether they could hold if 100k+ broke through.

'Not like there's anything I can do...'

The moment I thought that, my still-unleveled [Modern Item Purchase] caught my eye.

'Considering how much I've bought so far.'

It was probably close to Level 4.

I checked my current points.

From item sales, Channel 4 auctions, and what I got from Yu Hyun-min.

With this many points, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I could probably level Modern Item Purchase to 4.

'The issue is not knowing what Level 4 brings.'

And it was unlikely to be something useful for Channel 3's war.

Still, my eyes oddly fixated on Modern Item Purchase.

Channel 3.

Han Soo-yeon, I brought her.

The next day, Lee Jung-woo, the spatial transfer ability user, brought someone.

The rain-maker awakener Han Soo-yeon had requested.

Thank you for coming. Drizzle.

Han Soo-yeon and Incheon Alliance leader Lee Gun-woo had posted in the gallery seeking a rain ability user.

Standing before them was nickname Drizzle, real name Choi Isul, who contacted them and was escorted by Lee Jung-woo.

Yes. Y-You're really just giving food and points for rain, right?

Exactly. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠You could join my group if you want.

Your group? No, that's a bit...

Drizzle shook her head at joining Han Soo-yeon's group.

Her timid expression hid a straightforward personality.

...If Drizzle doesn't want to, no choice. Anyway, tell us about your ability's level and effects.

Ah, yes. My ability is 'Downpour,' Level 3, so 3 minutes of rain. But the area isn't huge.

Can I ask the rank too?

D-rank.

D-rank Level 3.

And cooldown to reuse?

About 2 hours.

Han Soo-yeon assessed her and recalled her Bloodstone stock, just in case.

First, we need to level Drizzle up.

If she hadn't found one, she'd planned to fetch Water Ghosts from Lake Siwa.

Lee Jung-woo's spatial ability had weight limits, requiring direct escort, but now it wasn't needed.

Let's move now. No time to waste.

Then Han Soo-yeon took Drizzle outside the defensive line.