Stagnant Water of Apocalypse

“The main programmer, huh? I don’t know how high that position is, but its role should be pretty important, right?”

The man shrugged. “With my position, I can approximately answer seven out of ten questions that Seongho wants to know.”

“What about the other three?”

“Things I don’t know. Make no mistake, I’m not omniscient.”

Now, this is odd. The doctor and nurse from back then seemed to be half crazy. But this programmer was able to communicate well.

To my surprise, the man protruded a part of the wall and morphed it into a seat and sat down. The floor on which I was standing also protruded and turned into a chair. I guess that’s what he means by him being able to change some things.

He opened his mouth once again. “Sit down. Seokhyun will be back in a little while. Let’s talk quietly.”

“…what is your name?”

“Even though I think names are no longer important, you would still need something that you can use to call me, right? Since I don’t want to be called Programmer-ssi, please call me Ahn Geun-seok.”

“You speak as if you have transcended over humanity or something.”

“Are you not as well, Seongho-ssi?”

I looked down at my body. It was muscular, rough and quite big. Something which normally could only be seen on athletes or military soldiers. What sets my body apart from theirs was the fact that mine had superhuman power. It regenerates even after being shot; It also has enough power to smash concrete walls.

Can you call someone with this kind of power a human?

If I look purely at my stats, I have already surpassed my stats from the game. Though, it would only reach that level If I add the buffs of several consumables as well as Sooyeon’s buffs.

Ahn Geun-seok looked at me and smiled softly.

“We are on the same side. To show you a favor, I’ll answer three of your questions. I’m sure you won’t ask anything useless. Seongho-ssi is a stagnant water, after all.”

“You are very kind.”

“I have to put in some effort to get what I want.”

The thing he wanted was probably me. No, to be exact, my portal ability. Killing this guy here seemed to mean nothing much.

Where did the resurrection scroll given to Jo Seung-cheol come from?

Or, should I ask a key question?

I didn’t think this guy would give me the right answer.

He said three questions, so let’s ask him one to test the water.

“Since you said you’re a programmer, I’d like to ask you one thing… What’s coming out after the Unknown Monsters expansion pack? Brutra isn’t the end, isn’t it?”

“That’s two questions.”

“What a strict guy. Then tell me what the final boss of Survival Life is.”

“He is in the deepest part of the Great Labyrinth.”

Ahn Geun-seok’s finger pointed to the floor. However, I was more surprised that Ahn Geun-seok used ‘him’ rather than ‘it’ to refer to the final boss.

“Are you acquainted with that monster by any chance?”

“Is that the second question?”

No. No… I shook my head and organized my thoughts. Even if I asked him what his purpose was, this guy would just act ignorant again. He probably would answer by saying ‘we just want to survive, like many of you.’

So instead of asking such a comprehensive question, it’s better to ask what I wanted to know.

“When will the tier 4 system come out?” It didn’t exist in the original game. But if he said it doesn’t exist, I’d be a little sad.

Ahn Geun-seok frowned.

“Are you talking about skills or equipment?”

“Both. Tier 3 skill equipment is also bundled together.”

“We actually meant to make that separately though. But… let me answer that. Defeat Brutra and it will come out.”

So it really exists. It would be safe to say that Brutra was just the first boss of the Unknown Monsters expansion.

That strong monster…

Ahn Geun-seok looked at my face and had a smug knowing expression.

“It’s going to be tough. That feeling, we understand it very well. That’s why we chose this route. Co-existing with them.”

“You mean living together with them? Seriously?”

“There is no other way.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to do that. The doctor and the nurse… Can you call them human?”

“I get asked about that repeatedly, but what would people from a year ago say when they see you today?”

Superpower… Monsters…

I clenched my teeth.

“I am not like you.”

He let out a long sigh, as if pitying me.

“It seems you still haven’t figured it out. Well, that’s fine I guess. What’s the last question?”

“Who made this system?” It was what I was most curious about. After all, except for the unique skills, the system and the status window were present in Survival Life. It was certain that the main programmer made those, but if that’s the case, then Ahn Geun-seok was the creator.

However, that point was denied since he clearly said he didn’t know everything.

Ahn Geun-seok had a complicated face at my question.

Did I hit the correct spot with my question?

“Hmm… I didn’t want to tell you this, but I have no choice but to tell you. The one who created the system… is magic itself.”

“Magic?”

“How many etherstones have you gathered so far? That’s the magic energy source. The superhuman abilities you’re able to use casually… Those are all magic. Magic has overlaid our world.”

Adding the fact that the setting of Survival Life was also covering Earth leads to this conclusion.

“Did the magic of another world… swept your company?”

Ahn Geun-seok smiled bitterly.

“The reason we said we are also a victim, you know now. We too are just survivors struggling to survive the apocalypse. That is, we and you . . .”

“No.”

“Why? Why are you rejecting us?”

His voice rose.

I stood up with my mithril blade on the floor.

“I don’t know exactly what your purpose is, but I don’t want to be a monster like the doctor I met before.”

“What if that was the only way?”

“No one knows for sure, right? You don’t even know what exactly my power is, do you?” If they knew, he would have brought out the word portal right away. However, the doctor, the nurse, and him only called it subspace.

Ahn Geun-seok picked it up and smiled.

“That is a big misunderstanding. We are the ones who made Survival Life. I know that your unique skill leads to another world, The world of Lotus.”

Lotus, huh? I guess that’s the official name of the dimension where my shelter was located. However, I’m not really sure they truly know. After all, Lotus was a dimension that existed in the past. But, they said that Lotus was just the setting they made?

Ahn Geun-seok’s face hardened for the first time when I pointed it out.

He looked around him, brushed his ass and stood up.

“Now that I have answered three questions, you must also answer three of mine.”

“When will Seokhyun return?”

“If you answer, I will bring him right away.”

“Ask away.”

“Are there any intellectual creatures in Lotus?”

Did he mean the scarabs and stag beetles?

I answered calmly.

“I’ve never seen a human-like creature.”

Scarabs and stag beetles were not human-like creatures, so it’s not a lie. And even though we found someone’s backpack, it’s just a thing, not the survivors themselves.

He looked into my eyes.

“I believe it is not a lie. Then second… Where have your colleagues gone?”

“They are in my shelter, why?”

He seemed shocked by my words.

Was it that surprising?

“If there is no next question, please bring Seokhyun quickly.”

He calmed down and asked.

“I will ask you one last time. Are you really unwilling to join hands with us?”

“Of course. I don’t want myself to be forced to change into something so monstrous like that.”

“It doesn’t have to be that way. Jeon Ji-hoon and Seong Hyo-jin changed like that because of some side effects. Even at this moment, we are making progress.”

The doctor was dead, so it doesn’t matter. And turns out, the nurse’s name was Seong Hyo-jin.

“You mean progress to become one with the monster? I don’t need that.”

“Really frustrating… I told you that time is medicine, so let’s wait a little longer. As a side note, the longer you decide, the lower your worth. Maybe one day, I will not need you at all.”

“I wish for that day to come sooner.”

Ahn Geun-seok glanced back, passed his last words, and walked into the wall.

“If you go down to the eighth floor, you will die.”

Thanks for the advice.

His body faded and he seeped into the wall.

That guy looks like an ethereal-type monster, doesn’t he?

Soon after, Seokhyun jumped out of the wall.

“SSEEEEGGGGSSS!”

I dodged his fists, barely calmed him down and explained the situation. After hearing everything, Seokhyun scratched his bald head.

“Does that mean the final boss is here?”

“Maybe?”

“Then we’ll have to delve right through to the deepest part. If we kill the final boss, that Ahn Geun-seok won’t be able to fight you.”

Well, I wasn’t sure if things would turn out that easily. There’s also his warning regarding the eight floor. So let’s be more careful.

“Let’s go back to the shelter and have a meeting with everyone.”

Just like that, we went back to the shelter.

.

.

.

The shelter members’ reactions to my explanation varied greatly. There were surprises, fears, and subtle expectations. The last expression belongs to Sooyeon and Yoohyeon.

“The fact that there is a final boss means that there is also an ending, right? We might be able to end the apocalypse!”

Some agreed with Sooyeon’s words, but the stagnant waters, including myself, were skeptical about it. It was simply hard to believe that all these monsters would someday suddenly disappear.

That’s not what’s important, though. It had been confirmed that new monsters would appear after Brutra. There’s also the tier 4 system, so we had to prepare in advance.

I put my thoughts together and called Captain Scarab and Chief Stag Beetle. As they arrived, they climbed on Jiman’s body and sat on his shoulder.

“These guys only like Poor Man. How much did they owe you?”

“It’s not like that, Noona. It’s because of the nature of my unique skill. Don’t hate them too much.”

When their talk ended, I shot straight to the point. They were both surprised to hear the word ‘Lotus’ coming out from my mouth.

Their eyes look as if they ask how did you know that?

“There was someone who told me about it. This place is Lotus right?”

The two leaned away from Jiman’s neck and looked at each other. Then they nodded their heads.

Now it’s time for these guys to reveal their identities. Up until now, they were trying so hard to conceal it, so I didn’t pry deeper. But now the situation has changed. We must know the secret.

“Lotus dimension…or should I call it Lotus continent? Please draw me a map of it.”

Captain Scarab and The Chief Stag Beetle, who were watching me, came down from Jiman’s shoulder. I took out a large sketchbook from the slot and gave it to them along with a pen.

“Draw the whole thing. Up to where we are.” These guys obviously know about it. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to go to the volcano with Da-jeong.

The two insects took the pen and started drawing a map. When the overall appearance of the continent was revealed, everyone was at loss for words.

“Big…”

“Were we here? on this peninsula?”

“This mountain is in the middle of the peninsula…”

When we stepped out of the forest, we could see the snowy mountains along with the grasslands. The mountain stood tall in the middle of a peninsula just like Florida in the United States.

The overall appearance of the Lotus continent was much larger than I had imagined. The peninsula we are on looks like a small dot. If we head further north from the Black Forest in the north, we will find another sea.

The two insects drew the overall figure and raised their heads.

Need more? They seemed to ask.

“It doesn’t make any sense to draw more right now. We don’t know anything other than the fact that this place is Lotus.”

nod nod.

But one thing was certain. The two insects were the natives of Lotus. Now is the time to reveal their identities.

Da-jeong looked into my eyes and urged me.

“Since we’ve come all the way to this point, can you please draw the real you?”

The two pondered for a long time. Looking back at them, they seemed to be arguing with each other. How could these guys who used to fight because they had a really bad relationship put their heads together like this?

Jiman looked into my eyes. I could read his intentions without saying anything. He seemed to be concerned whether we would be able to keep the current relationship if I were to force them to reveal their identity.

It’s a little too cheesy for my taste, but oh well…

I said to the two insects.

“Whatever you are, we won’t kick you out. If you’ve been cursed so you become like this, I’m willing to help you guys. Though, it’s on the premise that you told us everything.”

The two finished worrying and turned over the sketchbook to draw a new picture. Meanwhile, Geom-in concentrated on the picture drawn by the stag beetle.

Will the Forest Elves come out just as he said?

When the long ears were finally drawn, he silently raised his arms and cheered.

Do you like it that much?

Geom-in smiled broadly as his eyes met mine.

“They have a tattoo on their forehead! A tattoo!”

“Isn’t their hair a little long?”

“Well, it’s because they are women isn’t it?”

“That is prejudice.”

Without paying any regard to the talking, the two continued to work in silence. The work speed of the stag beetle was much faster than the rather relaxed Scarab. Eventually, what was revealed was the figure of a female warrior with rabbit-like long ears. The drawing was looking at me in a leather comfy-looking garment. In the skin which was not covered, various patterns could be seen adorning them. Around her waist, a quiver full of arrows was drawn. She also looked taller and had a fairly solid body.

And what the scarab drew was the figure of a stocky dwarf with a bushy beard.

“Wow, were you really a dwarf?”

“It wasn’t the Scarab Ahjussi, but Scarab Harabeoji…” (P/n Harabeoji = how they call grandfather or just a very old man in Korea)

“It makes sense, their taste is a very old man’s taste.”

The guy finished drawing their own picture without caring about people’s evaluations. In summary, the stag beetle was a warrior working in the forest, and the scarab was an engineer living underground.

I can understand their bad relationship now.

The two finished painting and looked at me.

“It’s what I expected.”

I asked the guys.

“Did you get cursed and become like this?”

Both of their eyes widened. It’s a look that contains so many stories… Let’s take a look at it slowly. We didn’t need to find out right away, after all, there’s no way we can find a solution right now. The important thing was to plan for the future.

I coughed to get people’s attention.

“We’ve only been defending, but let’s do it differently from now on. Let’s actively defeat monsters and secure our territory.”

“Are you going to expand the shelter even more?” Geom-in asked.

“Yeah. We need to expand our territory by hunting and securing supplies much more aggressively than we are now. Especially the Black Forest in the north.” I nodded.

Monsters were not infinite. Since we are on a peninsula, it was my judgment that we could build a safe zone by blocking the road. To do that, it was important to first completely occupy the dangerous Black Forest.

Seokhyun shrugged and muttered. “I want to go back to that wounded Elderwood.”

I don’t know if it was really wounded, but if we secure the Black Forest, the roots of the Elderwood would also be under our influence.

Da-jeong asked while fighting the Chief Stag Beetle with her fingers.

“What about us?”

“I told you that that programmer told me that if we go down to the 8th floor, we will die, so we have to postpone it for now. Let’s just prepare to fight the flying monsters that will soon be spawning in the real world.”

The time also had come for the ghoul flower to release the energy that they had slowly accumulated.

I said to Jiman. “I want you to keep doing what you’ve been doing. However, I want the scale to be a little bigger. I will need a lot of points soon.”

“Is it because of the tier 4 system?”

“Ahn Geun-seok may have lied, but there is a good chance what he said was true. So, I need to start collecting points.”

The price of tier 3 equipment had skyrocketed from what we know from back in the game. So, it’s an easy calculation that the price of tier 4 items would be hellish.

“I understand. I will sell a lot of the product and collect the points you need.”

With his unique skill, he’ll be able to collect a huge amount of points. Even right now, if he goes to the sea right away and throws a few pots, seafood would flock to it as if asking to be eaten.

If we sell it to survivors, they get food and we get points. A symbiotic business model.

I emphasized to the group.

“It’s good to live peacefully like this, but I think we need to be on our toes more than ever as of now. Since bullets are limited, avoid using it as much as possible by using different weapons. We need to build strength. The monsters and enemies that will appear in the future are no joke, and there are insanely strong monsters hiding in the Great Labyrinth.”

Gulp.

At that moment, there was tension among the people.

This is enough. There is no need to make them too anxious. They just need to be prepared.