Stagnant Water of Apocalypse

this one is Friday’s chapter.

Among the 4 stagnant waters, Survivor 1’s standing could be said to be rather awkward. It was fine and fun when they all played together, but when there was only him and one of the other three, things would be awkward. Moreover, because he enjoyed being in the shelter so much, the three hardly had any memories of playing with Survivor 1 personally.

Every game has an item collector. And since the theme of Survival Life was survival, it was not at all a problem to place importance on shelter. However, when the other characters sometimes decided to do some crazy thing, Survivor 1 always took a step back and declined to participate. When Rapwi or Duck were in danger of being slaughtered, Gimbap always came to help them, albeit while cursing a lot in the process. However, Survivor 1 was always reluctant to help them. He always stood a few steps away from them.

Maybe that’s why Da-jeong wasn’t very happy when she met him. She had memories of playing together with him, but she didn’t have any memories of doing crazy things with him like what she has with either Rapwi or Gimbap.

“Long time no see! How are you doing?” Da-jeong greeted him in a friendly tone. Her tone was totally 180 degrees from what she truly felt. When Da-jeong moved and gave him a hug, he just stood there and gave her an awkward smile.

“I’m fine. I’m in the government shelter now.”

“I’ve heard! Have you met Rapwi or Gimbap yet?”

“I’ve met Rapwi few months ago, But have yet to meet Gimbap?”

“You’ve met Rapwi?”

“Yes. And as rumored, he only wore panty, cloak and boots.”

“Oh… he’s a real man. Now I want to kidnap him.”

For Geom-in, her words sounded as if she was saying that he was not a man since he was only sitting in the shelter rather than going out there and doing crazy things.

“Your real name is Choi Da-jeong, right? I’m Bae Geom-in. Age doesn’t matter between us, so should we stop talking formally?”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

“Can you move your zombies now? I will do the same to my subordinates.” As he said that, Geom-in beckoned the people who came with him to move away for a while.

They were a little annoyed by his gesture. They were irritated by Geom-in’s audacity of asking them to move back with a simple chin gesture even though they were not his real subordinates. However, since the infamous zombie queen was in front of them right now, they didn’t dare to kick any fuss and obeyed.

While they retreated, the zombies quickly surrounded Seongho. He used that opportunity to open the portal and entered that.

Geom-in revealed his true nature only when they were alone.

“Never did I think that Duck Butt would be such a beauty. If I knew, I would have surely looked for you earlier, haha.” While saying so, his eyes swept through every inch of Da-jeong’s body. She was currently wearing a long dress and high heels that people wouldn’t even wear if they weren’t quite confident in their body. Those clothes were something that made absolutely no sense in an apocalypse. But considering her unique skill and personality, it made perfect sense for her to wear those. After all, she had no need to engage in direct fights. She was not called the Zombie Queen for nothing.

At that moment, Da-jeong noticed his gaze. “Now that you’ve met me, what are your plans?”

“…Among the four of us, it seems like you and I are the only ones who behave properly.”

“Is that so?”

“Rapwi is indeed strong, but he’s out of his mind, and Gimbap is only hiding like a mouse. Of course, considering that he won first place in the event, he is definitely quite strong. But not as healthy as I am.”

“Really?” Da-jeong lifted her head and urged him to speak more. Though, Geom-in was struggling to say more about himself. In the end all he said was,

“I am the ruler of the government shelter.”

“You are? Isn’t Jang Won-taek there?”

“That is only a front. I am the one who is in direct control of the shelter. My unique skill is to strengthen the shelter. Even now, zombie raids are happening non-stop there. Who do you think is blocking it?”

“Is that so?” Da-jeong tilted her head. Just like what Seongho told her before, Geom-in’s unique skill was really mysterious. First of all, it was known to people that his unique skill was to strengthen the shelter, but there were many suspicious things about that information. In the first place, how could he place 4th in the first kill event if that was his unique skill?

“For someone who has such unique skill, you killed the orc quite quickly.”

At Dajeong’s words, Geom-in spread her arms left and right as if there were subordinates around him. “I have a lot of subordinates… They helped me.”

“They didn’t help you voluntarily, did they? It was a deal, wasn’t it? Those people just didn’t seem like your real subordinates.” Even though Da-jeong only saw them for a brief moment, it was enough for her to deduce so.

Geom-in quickly changed the subject. “Anyway, there are a lot of people in the government shelter who helped me… How is it? Will you join me and live a comfortable life?”

At his question, a smile bloomed on the lips of the zombie queen. “Even without doing so, I’m living a comfortable life.”

“I guess so. But if you decide to come to the shelter, you will get a lot. Food, clothes, fuel, medicine… Everything you need is in our shelter. You just have to name it.”

“I’m sorry, but you can’t lure me with that. You’ll have to think of something better if you want to stick yours into mine.”

At those straightforward words, Geom-in’s eyes opened wide. He realized that he had been staring at her body too much. He organized his thoughts as he ran the palm of his hand across his face. He still had something to attract Da-jeong to join him, but was it worth it to tell her about it?

He didn’t want to give up Da-jeong, though. Apart from her unique skill, her appearance was also attractive. Even though the survivors shouldn’t have enough supplies now, her appearance still shone brightly. Of course, when he looked closely at her, she also had some dirt and what not on her, but those things only made her charm stand out even more.

‘I want to make her my woman.’ Geom-in felt such an impulsive desire. And so, he spilled something he should have kept secret.

“I am only telling this because it’s you…”

“Okay! I like secrets.”

Like a child, Geom-in curled his hand into the shape of a trumpet and placed it near Da-jeong’s ear. He looked around him for one last time before opening his mouth.

“We have guns in our shelter.”

“A toy gun?”

“Haha, it’s a real gun. It should even work well because we buried it deep underground.”

“But you know that the Corrosive Disease can even destroy metal buried underground, right?”

“Is that so? Even if it was buried 500 meters underneath?”

“…” Now, it was Da-jeong’s turn to have a blank look on her face. At that moment, Geom-in who felt that he had piqued Da-jeong’s interest, opened his mouth once again.

“Corrosive Disease is a particle beam. In other words, it’s like radiation. So, there is a limit to its penetration power. Back in the game, while you guys were playing with monsters, I researched them. I dug a hole in the shelter to see just how far the Corrosive disease went.”

“In the game? Where is the metal… ah.”

Geom-in was talking about magic metal. Basically, magic metal was immune to Corrosive Disease. However, it was also possible to completely eliminate the immune option on it by using some special methods. If it was performed, it would return to being a normal metal.

To test something like that was a stupid action, but there were a lot of people like that in Survival Life.

“You couldn’t have dug hundreds of meters by yourself, could you?”

“That’s right.” He graciously admitted. “The one I dug by myself was only about 20 metres. But when I checked, even at such depth, the Corrosive Disease became weaker. I got a hint from that.”

“So, are you saying that if we dig further, the metal might be completely free from Corrosive Disease?”

“That’s how I persuaded the government people. When they built the government shelters, a lot of guns and live ammunition were sealed in mineral oil and buried underground. Do you know that the government shelter is in an unopened subway station?”

Seongho, who had been eavesdropping, was shocked. The government was hiding guns. Doesn’t that mean, once the Corrosive Disease subsides in a few months, they would be able to use it? There wasn’t any Awakener who could ignore guns. After all, it had the power to fatally injure anyone from a distance.

When the conversation continued, Seongho realized it wasn’t just guns which were hidden.

“Generators, computers, geiger counters… and even bombs. We’ve stockpiled various things. In other words, after a few months, it would become difficult for Awakeners to go crazy with their unique skill alone.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Of course not. This is just a sales pitch. You can be the owner as long as you hold my hand.” Geom-in smiled wide and held out his hand towards Da-jeong. However, Da-jeong had no interest in such things. She picked up a branch from the nearby bush and slapped his palm with it.

The smile on Geom-in’s mouth instantly disappeared. “Why are you rejecting me? Aren’t we friends?”

“I don’t like it. There’s nothing I like about you. Whether it was your bragging in the auction house, your action after getting 4th place at the Orc event or even your bluffs right now. I don’t like it at all. Are all the weapons in government shelters yours?”

“Making the shelter mine will be easy as long as you help.”

“And by doing so, will I be your subordinate?”

“Of course not! We are friends and will always be. It’s just continuing the relationship we had in the game. Nothing will change.” Geom-in held out his hand again.

He emphasized that they were friends, but unfortunately, in Da-jeong’s heart, he was not a friend. Not like when they were in the game at the very least. When she actually met him, she could read the frivolity in his words and actions. He also gawked and ogled at her body. Moreover, in addition to the bluff of having many subordinates, he had the audacity to say that the government shelter’s vast supplies belonged to him. In other words, there wasn’t a single word or action of his that appealed to her.

In comparison, Seongho was a pretty good friend. He didn’t do anything fun, but when she was with him, things which she really liked happened. Who would have known that she could eat savory chicken porridge in Apocalypse? He even introduced her to a nice guy named Yoohyeon. Although Yoohyeon wasn’t her lover, he was still a big help in relieving the pent-up feeling in her heart.

‘Once I fix his timidity, we will be able to have fun together.’ Since his timidity was stemming from his unique skill, Da-jeong could still tolerate it. She was really looking forward to how Seongho would surprise her in the future.

On the other hand, she did not expect anything from Geom-in. Since he said that he would rule over people and the supplies, he must have a good unique skill, but that’s it. He didn’t give her that feeling that she was searching for.

As her face turned cold, Geom-in’s expression soured quickly. He could force her here, but by doing so he knew that he would garner resentment from his subordinates… no, his colleagues. So, he decided that it wasn’t the time for it. The Zombie Queen’s rejection was a pity, but he had no choice but to shake it off and focus on hunting the gryphon. The important thing is to win people’s hearts.

He withdrew his hand. “Okay. I will never offer it again to you.”

Da-jeong smiled and gently waved her hand at him.

“Okay. Goodbye.”

“…”

At that moment, something snapped inside Geom-in.

He glared at her and then quietly left.

.

.

.

“This is worrying.” Da-jeong was surprised when I came out of the portal and I said that.

“Appearing out of nowhere like that…”

“Shh.” I put my finger on my lips and pointed to the sky. Then, she called Yoohyeon’s paper airplane, apologized to him and then tore it.

“Always be careful because Yoohyeon might be listening.”

There were limits to hearing and seeing through paper airplanes, but there was nothing wrong with being careful.

“He’s not a kid who easily changes his mind, don’t worry.”

“A person can change their mind any time they want. Especially if they knew who I was.”

Da-jeong inflated her cheeks. “You are really timid! I think it would be better if I followed Geom-in.”

“Follow him? What are you talking about? You don’t even give it a thought!”

“Hehe. What can I do? There are guns over there. I don’t want to be on the receiving end of the shot.”

Of course, I had the same thought as her. It’s best to detect it in advance and not give it time to shoot. However, some guns were simply hard to detect. Take a sniper rifle for example, once it shoots from a distance, that’s it.

“He dug under the subway… In the game it was what he did in the shelter every day. He even researched it.”

“Hey, we were busy catching monsters. It is not unreasonable to not know.” Her words did not comfort me. In the next few months, the effect of the Corrosive Disease will gradually fade away. At least that’s what the setting says and we didn’t actually experience it back in the game. But considering the events that have taken place so far, it won’t be wrong.

Hundreds of guns would soon come out into the world. If Geom-in really succeeds in taking control of the government shelter, it would become a big problem. It means that unfriendly forces can turn their guns on us. It won’t be easy for them to find us if we’re hiding, but we are bound to bump into them someday.

When I said that, Da-jeong’s expression turned pale. “Will we be shot in a few months? I hate that.”

“It’s not definite. Even now, you refused to join him because you didn’t agree with each other, didn’t you?”

“I feel like he won’t talk to me ever again.”

I organized my thoughts. There’s a possibility that Geom-in’s words were nothing but bluff, but let’s put it aside for now. Considering the president’s determination to prepare for the apocalypse in a short time, it would be safe to say that they truly buried it. And as of now, they didn’t belong to Geom-in yet. In the government shelter, Jang Won-taek and Bae Geom-in were fighting for power. If we dig into that gap, we will have a chance.

“Da-jeong-ah, can you go to Seoul for a while?”

“What? I barely met you, but you want me to go there? Hell no.” She flatly refused.

“I don’t want us to split off either, but I need to work somewhere else for a while. I want you to go to the government shelter and hang out with the president, not with Geom-in.”

“It’s not fun there. I will die of suffocation.”

“Just wait a little. I’ll also go there with Rapwi.” Da-jeong’s eyes widened at my words.

“Really?”

“I’m just asking you to buy some time there until I arrive. If the three of us are going to play, the island I currently live in as well as the surroundings are too small. On the contrary, Seoul is big, so let’s play there.” I said that simply to entice Da-jeong. After all, if the three of us stick together, I will become a living target from that day forward.

She crossed her arms and contemplated. To my eyes, she looked like a fish which was circling around the bait. In this situation, I just need to nudge her a bit.

“I will provide you with unlimited dishes of your choice.”

“Ummm…can I have fried chicken?”

“It’s possible.”

Da-jeong tilted her head and looked at me viciously. “What? Didn’t you say that it was impossible before?”

“I never said it was impossible, it’s just difficult. I don’t have a fryer, so if I want to make fried chicken I have to cook it in what I currently have.”

“Can you give me tuna sashimi?”

“Hey, that’s a little…”

Is there anything similar to tuna in the otherworld sea? Guess I would know once I catch it.

I barely persuaded her to compromise with her request.

After a long negotiation, Da-jeong snapped her fingers. “You are going to make as many dishes as I want, okay?”

“Okay. Instead, you stay with Jang Won-taek in the government shelter until I tell you otherwise. If possible, I want you to spy Geom-in too.”

“But there is an important issue which hasn’t been addressed here.”

“What is it?”

“Seongho, you said as if we were a team, but strictly speaking, we are not a team, right? I can just call that uncle and join him instead of doing what you want from me, right?”

“Didn’t you say that you had no intention of doing so?”

“That’s why you have to convince me! Ugh!”

Da-jeong walked closer to me with a strange smile. Then she ran past me and hugged me from behind.

No way?

Is this what she wants?

I don’t hate it at all, but for me, she was nothing but a friend…

She said as she buried her face in my back. “Oh, I want you. I want a d*ck.”

In the end, it was as I expected. I forgot for a moment that she’s not a normal woman. I twisted my body and pushed her off.

“Didn’t you say you like Yoohyeon?”

“There is no difference between a handsome boy and a muscular man.”

“In terms of wanting to get down with them, right?”

“Yep.”

Let’s not go further down that road.

I turned back and placed my hand on her shoulder. “You are my friend. Rapwi is the same. It won’t change until I die.”

“Okay. Does that mean you’ll never betray me?”

“Yes. So let’s survive together.”

It wasn’t just about surviving against monsters and the surrounding environment. We also have to fight against people and win. And there was a high probability that it was Geom-in we would have to fight against.

Da-jeong’s eyes twinkled. “Are you going to invite me to that door where the raccoon is, in the future?”

It seems that she misunderstood the world beyond the portal as a fantasy land with raccoons. Regarding her question, I couldn’t answer easily. But maybe someday, I could give her a concrete answer. But for now, let’s promise first.

“I promise I’ll take you in someday.”

“Deal.” She patted my ass and called her zombies.

“Then, can I go out via Seoul portal just like this?”

“Not yet. You must help me kill the gryphon first.”

“Aren’t we just going to rob the nest?”

“Change of plan. I need the Gryphon’s Eye skill.” It was a skill that provides a field of vision superior to that of a crude telescope.

“With our current stats, it will be dangerous… Even if I mobilize everyone from Boys generation, it’s still questionable whether we can do it or not.”

“I have some plan and I’m confident in it, so please help me.”

I don’t have to catch the gryphon on my own, right? After all, as humans, there are times when you will need help from others.

I’m sorry, Mr. Geom-in

I’ll have to get the monster this time too.

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