Stagnant Water of Apocalypse

Geom-in limped until he saw a dilapidated house. On the way there, The question ‘why’ kept running through his mind.

Why did Gimbap save him?

‘What the hell is the reason?’

Wasn’t he one step away from gaining 50 points by killing him and winning the Battle Royale?

Why did he take the risk by bringing me past the monster wall?

“He told me it’s not my time to die just yet…” In other words, he told him that there’s still something he needs to do. Maybe, just maybe… Did Gimbap recognized his competence?

“Whew…” Geom-in rested his back on the wall and relaxed his body. Even though Gimbap pushed him and forced him against his own will, in the end, they cooperated to kill the owlbear.

-Well done.

-You were pretty good earlier.

It was the first compliment he had ever heard. Of course, he hears it often from his few colleagues, but it was his first time hearing those words from someone as capable as I Love Gimbap.

Even when he was cursed in the Auction House, didn’t he still do well?

He had the best unique skill and his performance was unmatched by anyone else. That kind of guy had recognized him!

“He said I was pretty good…”

Geom-in was not recognized by other stagnant waters. Da-jeong openly said that he was pathetic while Seokhyun openly rejected him. However, I Love Gimbap was different. He not only acknowledged him, but even let him escape the Battle Royale with his life intact.

‘But now that I think about it, he threatened me with a gun, didn’t he?’ However, it’s understandable for Gimbap to treat him harshly. After all, it might have something to do with the bug. The very bug which was known only to himself, which he used to save him.

‘I should consider someone who saved me to the length of exploiting a bug as a… friend.’ No matter how harsh he was treated, he would never consider such a person as anything but a friend.

When his thoughts reached that point, Geom-in felt a sense of pride budding on his heart. He even assured himself that it was fine for someone like Gimbap to have guns.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a strong friend?

‘Well, I can get a gun later. I can use it too when the corrosive disease is gone.’

Geom-in got up slowly and walked around the room. He was kicked out of the battlefield, so all of his stats and skill had returned to normal. He can use blink’s additional effect: long-distance travel again, so returning to the government shelter won’t be difficult.

At that moment, he wondered if the Auction House guys were aware of the fact he just uncovered. Geom-in entered the Auction House and looked through the comments related to the Battle Royale event.

-I am currently inside the battlefield. I will accept any question regarding it!

-What a b*ll*hit. If you are really inside the battlefield, you should’ve struggled as hard as you could! No way you have the time to open the Auction House.

-This hyung-nim of yours was so damn good, that he killed everyone else and got first place immediately.

-Which area’s battlefield are you on?

-Can you tell us how’s your stats look like now after the limitation?

Of course, the man can’t tell them. Thus, the people cursed him for being a jerk.

Then, someone else commented.

-If you look at it, all the people here don’t know how much the stats would drop. Afterall, we didn’t even participate.

-LMAOOOOOO

-That damned Strawberry Princess b*st*rd blocked the entrance of the battlefield by mobilizing his clan members.

-Who’s Strawberry Princess?

-You don’t know? Rumor said he boasted that he was famous as the two greatest princesses in Survival Life. Along with Rabbit Princess.

-Is she pretty?

-It’s he, not she. Moreover, he’s a muscular man.

-Why do all the princesses in Survival Life look like that?

“Heh heh.”

Rapwi, who walks around wearing only panties, and Strawberry Princess, a muscular man. Geom-in smiled while imagining the two of them before turning serious once more.

‘I shouldn’t be doing this.’ He should start praising Gimbap on the Auction House from now on.

After thinking for a while, he wrote a comment. And it instantly gained an audience.

-You guys… I Love Gimbap turns out to be a really nice person.

-?

-What the hell is this guy saying?

-Maybe he’s crazy.

-I think I might’ve misunderstood I Love Gimbap. He thinks of me as a friend, but I think of him as a rival and tried to compete with him.

-Refrain from making new waves!

-Isn’t this guy a spy?

I Love Gimbap was extremely famous to the point of malicious comments pouring like a flood every time his name was mentioned. At that moment, Geom-in felt something like euphoria. Most of the time, people don’t even know about his existence, as if he was invisible. But when he wrote something related to I Love Gimbap, he got the kind of attention he himself always wanted all of his life.

He continued to praise I Love Gimbap, regardless of the people’s swear words. Naturally, the response he got turned even harsher.

-Is that a follow-up? Are you I Love Gimbap’s ass licker?

-Go follow that b*st*rd for the rest of your life.

“These F**ker…” Geom-in’s emotion flared up. However, his emotion soon died down when he thought about what Auction House guys say about Gimbap. Some of their words were actually not wrong.

The attention he got from the people was due to envy. Which means, everyone, without an exception, recognized him as someone strong. It would be a miracle if those who claimed that they’ll kill Gimbap if they managed to find him didn’t pass out once they met him. Afterall, he even had a gun.

‘I don’t know how he got that…’ but the most important thing now was that he needed to grow stronger, strong enough to be able to stand next to his friend. As of now, he still lacks many things to stand next to him.

‘Guns, I need guns.’

Jang Won-taek had said: ‘Even though right now, the awakeners are overly dominating and can do whatever they want, but once the corrosive disease subsides, the status of the government will rise tremendously and they would be able to control them to some degree.’

His words also means that no matter how powerful a human is, they were meaningless in front of a gun.

Geom-in had originally tried to take over the government shelters by attracting Da-jeong. But that plan crumbled to dust when she left the shelter without telling him anything. He had some subordinates under him, but they were not someone he could trust his works to.

It means his power was not enough to dominate government shelters.

‘Should I hold hands with him…’ It was with Joo Seung-cheol. Since he was a very suspicious man, Geom-in had kept distancing himself from him. He also feels repulsed by the fact that he invested in the production company of Survival Life. On top of that, even though he had his own shelter, he chose to stay in the government shelter.

‘Above all, no one knows what his unique skill is.’

Of course, the unique skill of all higher-ups in the government shelters, including his own unique skill, was largely hidden. But it’s not like there’s no rumor regarding it at all.

There’s even rumors that Jang Won-taek’s unique skill was similar to telepathy, but no one ever talks about Joo Seung-cheol’s unique skill.

Geom-in remembered what he had said to him.

-Maybe it will work with Mr. Geom-in. If you come to my shelter, I will treat you well.

‘He hasn’t set a deadline for that…”

Which means he could just tell him now.

Geom-in quickly prepared his return to the government shelter.

While he was making a big mistake in Incheon, big things were happening in Seoul.

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.

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The blue portal, which appeared in the middle of Seoul, caught the attention of a lot of people. Since there were rumors about the Battle Royale event in the Auction House, everyone wanted to check it out. However, it didn’t mean they wanted to fight with their lives on the line. They just want to see what kind of place the battlefield is before returning to Seoul again.

But amidst those curious people, there’s someone who really came to fight. He was Rabbit Pwincess.

He entered the portal wearing only his panties, cloak and rabbit headband. His each and every step was firm. He had no hesitation whatsoever.

Then, the Auction House exploded. Those who entered the battlefield through another entrance discovered Rapwi. They saw him standing with his hands at a fountain in the middle of a devastated village.

-Have you guys seen it? Rapwi is doing a handstand in a fountain.

-Even though his stats are lowered, he can still do that?

-What happens to the stats of people who went inside?

-Unique skill is still available. However, the additional effect is gone.

-Damn, Rapwi’s unique skill is immortality. That means he can live again even after getting killed?

-Everyone is afraid of dying because of that. But if his unique skill is immortality…

-Why is this world so unfair?

Everyone either cursed at their luck or blamed the unfair world.

Needless to say, the unique skill of Rabbit Pwincess–infinite resurrection– was a natural counter to the Battle Royale event. There’s no way someone can win against someone who could come back to live once killed.

Then, someone claimed this.

-Isn’t it worth fighting him, since his stats and skills are all gone? If a few people work together, Rapwi wouldn’t be a big deal…

-His immortality would definitely have its limit. Just keep killing him.

-Anyone who can stalk Rapwi?

Of course there are none. Rapwi’s fighting ability and sense is just that high. It was said after he appeared in Seoul, there were some people who shot arrows at him out of curiosity. After a fierce battle, the people who shot the arrows can finally take a break, with a couple limbs and bones broken.

Aside from that one story, there are also a lot of stories about him in the Auction House. Therefore, his status in the Auction House was untouchable. Thanks to that, the winner of the Battle Royale that appeared in the middle of Seoul was Rabbit Pwincess, Hwang Seokhyun. He obtained the resurrection scroll without even having to fight a single proper battle.

When he came out of the portal, countless people’s attention were pointed at him. But none of them were foolish enough to approach him.

Seokhyun returned to the government shelter, and Yoon-jeong, who could be said as Seokhyun’s best friend now in the shelter, spoke to him.

“Seokhyun-ssi, you won the Battle Royale?”

“Yes.”

“Well, by any chance… if you don’t mind, can I know what the reward was?”

Seokhyun took the scroll out of his panties and unfolded it without saying a word. Yoon-jeong, who was watching the movement of his hand, closed her eyes tightly for a moment. It was because she saw something she never wanted to see.

“Didn’t you say you want to see it? Look at this.”

At Seokhyun’s urging, Yoon-jeong opened her eyes and checked the scroll.

“Oh my gosh.” She opened her mouth wide.

「Resurrection Scroll: Consume 1,000 points to resurrect the dead. 」

Resurrection…

What’s with all these absurd rewards?

Unknowingly, Yoon-jeong’s hand reached for the scroll and flinched. She then realized.

What’s the use of having a resurrection scroll for someone immortal like Seokhyun?

She then asked Seokhyun, who started walking away.

“Where are you going to use it? It’s something that Seokhyun-ssi doesn’t need.”

“I don’t need it, but my friend needs it.”

“Which one?”

Seokhyun, who was about to tell her, bit his mouth. Then, with his arm, he pointed down the hallway to prevent Yoon-jeong from following him. And their conversation ended there.

Yoon-jeong could chase after him, but if she did so, she would only make him angry–the last thing she wanted to do in this apocalyptic world. She still remembered his anger vividly as she had been traveling with him for quite some time.

She quickly headed to Jang Won-taek’s room. When she entered the room, Jang Won-taek was having a serious conversation with Lee Beom-seok, and he was pleased with the information Yoon-jeong brought.

“These days, you’ve been getting along very well with him, Yoon-jeong ssi. Are you certain he won’t sell it at the Auction House? You said he wants to give it to his friend?”

“Yes.”

“It means that the scroll can be transferred to someone else.”

Jang Won-taek nodded his head at Beom-seok’s interpretation. “It seems that was precisely the case. Normally, scrolls have to be torn to be effective, but I think the resurrection scroll can be activated just by holding it.”

“If he auctioned it on the Auction House, it would surely be sold for a very high price.”

However, Beom-seok never thought that Seokhyun would put it up for auction. What was certain was that several awakeners have an extra life now.

The two men checked the map and chatted among themselves.

“There’s only one battlefield in an area as big as Seoul… Therefore, there should be more than 10 of those scrolls in our land.”

“It would be an even bigger problem in the future. They say that the Battle Royale event wouldn’t only happen this time, but in the future as well.”

“Once the second wave of the event began, chaos would ensue. It wouldn’t end with just a couple shelters being destroyed.”

“We need to prepare ahead of time.”

“I need to gather information about that. When Geom-in returns, tell him I want to talk with him.”

“I understand.”

The reason they chose to ask Geom-in, who hadn’t returned yet, rather than Rabbit Pwincess, who was in the shelter, was due to the last incident. It became harder for Jang Won-taek to talk with Seokhyun. However, he was not particularly violent, and when being asked to do some work through someone else, he would listen to it. He’s not an ally, but he’s not an enemy either. The relationship between them was just that ambiguous.

However, Jang Won-taek did not think of that as a bad thing. Afterall, at least he can still ask him to do things that are necessary or urgent.

Yoon Jeong sneaked out of the room when the two men made serious expressions.

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I sent Geom-in away and focused on the Battle Royale. A fierce battle was happening at the snowy mountains and the lake. However, I wasn’t the main character of the battle, as the Chinese, who noticed what the event was about, started to fight among themselves.

“If things continue to be like this, this event will soon end.”

I know that in China there’s a lot of gang fights. I don’t know about the details but it often happened between the native and the immigrants. Just like that fight, the fight that happened in front of me unfold in the same manner; A lot of cursing was heard and there’s a lot of death. As a result, the number in my field of view continued to decrease.

3 people. That was the number of people hiding at the foot of the mountain, including myself. I have a rough idea about both of their positions, since my drone keeps flying in the sky from time to time, updating me of their location.

The location was also giving me an advantage, as they are currently hiding behind trees, while I’m hiding between the trees and bushes. Even though I was superior in the armament front, I still couldn’t be complacent.

“Our stats are the same…” If I get hit by an arrow, I will be dead. I looked at the trees on either side with my telescope. I could feel the breathing of the monsters behind me. When the walls narrowed once again, there will be nowhere to hide for us. It will happen in 5 minutes at most… so I have to finish it before that.

Should I just charge while using the portal as a shield?

I do have a couple concerns, but the other two should have even much more difficult matters to be concerned about. After all, If they choose to run, they’ll die, and if they choose to stay still, they will also die. It was the very example of being stuck between a rock and hard place. (En definition of “stuck between a rock and hard place” = you are in a difficult situation where you have to choose between two equally unpleasant courses of action)

Usually, in this kind of situation, the one who couldn’t handle the pressure would be the one who will make the first move.

“AHHHHHH!”

One man roared and rushed towards me. But before I even pulled the trigger of my crossbow, an arrow flew and pierced the man’s head.

With the man’s death, there’s only 2 survivors remaining.

I jumped up and blitzed forward. When the monster wall narrowed, the last survivor also appeared. He was smiling broadly while pointing his bow at my chest. He must’ve been convinced that he had won.

“Open the portal.”

However, the arrow he shot was deflected by the portal.

“What nonsense…”

“Close the portal.”

The moment the blue door disappeared, I aimed the gun at the man’s chest.

Bang-!!

The man fell to the floor right after the gunshot rang. At almost the same time, light enveloped my body and I was sent off from the battlefield. I had returned to the street of downtown Ganghwa with a scroll in my hand.

When I unfolded it, it was indeed a one-time resurrection scroll..

“It’s done.” In the apocalypse, an extra life was incomparable to anything else. I had to store it well and use it when I truly needed it.

By the way, where is Dajeong…

Without fear, a nearby ghoul nodded at me.

“You want me to follow you, right?” It’s a bit cheeky to my liking, even though it’s only a ghoul. But as it was Da-jeong’s subordinates, I decided to be patient.

After following him, Da-jeong was waiting for me on the second floor of a building.

What does the ribbon tied around her body mean?

She smiled and asked me.

“How’s the Battle Royale?”

“I met Geom-in.”

In an instant, her face turned dark ever so slightly.

“Is that so… He’s dead then…”

“No. he was kicked out of the battlefield.”

“Yes? How can that happen?”

“He was kicked out of the battlefield thanks to a bug. Though, the chance of it happening was only 50%. Guess he’s a lucky guy.”

“…so Geom-in went all the way here, didn’t manage to get anything, and just got kicked out of the event?”

“Well, by now, he should be returning to the government shelter while wondering why I saved him.”

“Tell me what happened inside.”

“Wait, let me rest for a bit.” I drank some water and then explained everything I’ve been through in the Battle Royale. When my story ended, Da-jeong closed her eyes and burst into laughter.

“HAHAHAHA. Wouldn’t he be completely mistaken after hearing your praise? And isn’t this the first time you’ve hunted an owlbear?”

“I’ve hunted one before.”

“Anyway, you two cooperated to kill it. You even complimented him. I bet he will be on cloud nine right now. Did you calculate everything that far?”

“Well, he was rude and rough, but he’s patient. I think he knows that what I did was the only thing which could save him.”

“He’s a bit delusional, so right now, he might be acting too much after over-interpreting what you’re saying.”

“Well, I’d love that.”

If it motivates him, I was fine with it. Because if he’s motivated, he’ll move more actively, which would make the crack inside the government shelter grow even quicker.

At that moment, Da-jeong told me that Seokhyun had also participated in the Battle Royale.

“The Auction House is in an uproar because of that right now. A guy with an immortality unique skill got a resurrection scroll.”

Well… That’s weird. Only a few people know that the Battle Royale event’s reward is a resurrection scroll. So how can the people in the Auction House just talk openly about it?

“It seems like someone had spread the word.” I murmured. “By the way, why are you wearing that ribbon?”

“This? This is…” Da-jeong slowly untied the ribbon and raised her arms. “Surprise!! I am the Battle Royale’s victory reward!”

“I refuse…”

I opened the portal and headed inside. Da-jeong stood in front of the portal and banged on it.

“Dear customer! What has been bought could not be returned! Pay your due!”

Why should I?

I made eye contact with the scarabs and then went to pat Dingo in the head. As I looked out the window, it was snowing. Somehow, I feel that this winter is going to be a long and cold one.