Stagnant Water of Apocalypse

3/10

“Ah seriously!" I grumbled at the white poop dust falling from the sky. If I could, I wanted to make a super long spear and stab the ass of the demon that caused all of this.

“AHHH!” Birds flew away, startled by my shouting. The snow which had piled up on the branches also fell, joining the snow on the ground. Let's do some work.

I started off with the snow that had piled up on top of the warehouse. Then, once I had finished with those, I cleaned places around the shelter which snow piled up on. However, as the size of the shelter was around 200 pyeong, the amount of snow I had to clean was beyond my imagination. However, I couldn't just neglect it, as it might be dangerous for me if I did that. Who knows when bad luck would hit me in the head, making me fall over my head because of the slippery ground.

I shoveled the snow away for 30 minutes, then warmed my body up for 10 minutes in the cave. I keep repeating this routine, which allowed me to fully focus on shovelling the snow without being overly exhausted. And after repeating it for 3 or 4 times, I finally threw one last pile of snow into the ice wall.

“Ouch.” I stretched my back while lightly hitting my waist with my hand. Beyond the fence, the forest was completely covered in white. It was beautiful. But since I knew what kind of danger lurks inside the forest, I couldn’t get completely immersed in its majesty.

“When will spring come…” It was so cold to the point I wanted spring to come sooner. Though, it seems like the current temperature was perfect for Dingo. I put the shovel away in the warehouse and entered the cave. When the scarabs noticed that I had entered, they quickly added a couple more firewood into the brazier.

"Oh, thank you." The heat of the brazier permeated into my body and warmed my half-frozen body. I sat on a chair and was starting to doze off when I found the scarabs melting something strange in a bowl, a thick and transparent liquid.

“What is that?” When I asked that, the scarab leader moved his hand and made an eating gesture. As my curiosity flared up, I asked permission from him to try it. As soon as the scarab leader nodded his head, I scooped a little bit of the liquid using the tip of my pinky finger and put it in my mouth. The slight sweetness spreads around my mouth instantly.

So, this is the main food of the scarabs. I nodded my head. According to the picture the scarab leader drew, it was difficult to find food in winter because the sap from which these liquids came from freezes. It seems like that was the reason why they lurked into my cave.

“You guys too had to work hard…” Fortunately, now they can live together with me in this cave. It’s warm, free from menacing monsters, and they could eat their fill while living here. What I asked for in return from them was simple: metalworking. And these days, as it seems like they had more free time, they started making something using the gold ore I collected. It was a gold bar the size of a finger.

“Well done…” When I looked at the heavy gold ingot despite its size, nothing but admiration came out. If it were properly processed, it would certainly become useful. Though, I can't do it now because currently, the world is still in apocalypse. So, maybe in the future.

I warmed myself up moderately, applied some paralyzing poison to the needle, and stabbed myself on the thigh. As I had been doing this for a few days now, my Paralyze Resistance skill had become level 2. I can now move properly even if I was hit by the paralyzing sting of the goblins. (E/n changed "Paralysing Poison Resistance" to "Paralyze Resistance")

“If you can withstand the paralyzing poison, goblins are nothing.” And, the kobolds, which would appear along with the labyrinths, were not that difficult. The only thing that one had to look out after from those guys was that they have a great night vision. Well, they would be a disaster for those who farmed at night to avoid the goblins, though. But after the appearance of kobolds, the difficulty will jump sharply. The reason was because the long-awaited orcs and werewolves would appear after the kobolds.

Orcs were creatures which were active during the day, while werewolves were active during the night. Of course, what I meant by ‘active' is that most of them will only be actively hunting for prey at those designated times. So, some of them would still be hunting outside of their active period. 

For example, there were some orcs who would go out hunting at night. Speaking of which, dealing with orcs from afar was extremely difficult. Its vitality was very high, so it would take quite a lot of arrows to kill it.

“Though, it would be easier if I had more ignition stones…” Currently I only had 2 ignition stones with me, so at most I could only make a few bombs to hunt the orcs. It was not nearly enough. Capsaicin spray was also unusable as of now since the corrosive disease was still going strong on Earth.

When I thought about capsaicin spray, I suddenly remembered about the bull peppers. I rose to my feet and quickly went out to pick some bull peppers from the garden. After wearing two gloves and a mask, I start to grind them into a paste. The pungent smell spread through the cave from the very first hit, making Dingo run away into the vacant lot.

“This thing is like a poison…” If I could throw this at the nose of an orc or werewolf, it seemed like it would deal a great deal of damage to those monsters. Werewolves, in particular, have a very sensitive sense of smell, so with this much, there’s a chance that they wouldn’t be able to get back up for quite a long time.

The question is, how do I turn it into something which would spread only after I threw it?

"Hmm…" While looking at the liquid sap the scarabs had melted, an idea came to mind. How about making a lump by combining ground bull pepper and flour and then coating it with the sap? If I just leave it in a cold place, it should stay frozen, then when I throw it, it would break, pouring the bull pepper all over the target.

“Let’s try it.” What I had plentily besides snow in this place was time, so even if this method didn’t work well, I could just try another method. I mixed bull pepper paste and flour, then put it in a sap container and rolled it. Then, itt became a little sticky lump. After leaving it for quite some time outside, it turns into some sort of candy-like substance.

“I don’t know if it will work.” I put it on my slingshot and tried to shoot in the cave, but I stopped myself in the nick of time. I almost made a big accident. I went to the area near the ice wall and shot the pepper bomb towards the ice wall. The sap-coated thing crumbled as soon as it hit the ice wall and the contents spread.

"…is this going to work?" There was no need for me to try and turn into a weapon which could subdue monsters in one hit. Buying a few seconds was already good enough, as other weapons would take over from there. If this pepper bomb works, it would fit that criterion perfectly. Though, the downside of this pepper bomb was that it can only be used in winter, but that issue could be solved later down the line.

As I got closer to the ice wall and sat down around the area where the pepper bomb exploded, a violent strong smell shook my brain.

“Cough! Cough!” My breath was caught in my throat while tears and snot were dripping down my face at the same time. It was worse than the time I entered the gas chamber for training back in the army. It was my fault for thinking that the pungent smell would have gone away when it had shattered and spread.

(T/N quick reminder, South Korean male have to perform compulsory military service.)

“Wow, this is better than I thought…” On top of it, It made me feel better when I thought that the monsters would suffer even more, since their senses are higher than mine. I went into the cave, put the metal gloves on, and looked at the blade of the emeras spear.

“If I turn this into a throwing knife, its power will be no joke.” Though, since the blade was so sharp, it wouldn't make much difference whether it became a throwing knife or spear blade. When I gave it to the scarab leader, he skillfully made a hole in the emeras and attached a handle into it. Not only was he good at metalworking, he seems to be good at many other things as well.

“Great.” I promptly threw it to a piece of wood, but unfortunately, my throwing skill sucks. So, the knife bounced off and buried itself on a roll of tissue far away from the original target.

“That’s dangerous.” If I threw it incorrectly, I would have an extra hole in my body. It would take a lot of practice to master it too.

I asked the scarabs to make a few normal throwing knives about the same size as this emeras throwing knife. I also asked him to make me some sheath coated in iron powder so I could keep all the throwing knives around my thigh. Without thinking much, the scarabs readily agreed.

These guys are really good guys.

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August passed and September came. It was still quite hot on Earth, but at least now, a cool breeze could be felt in the night. Meanwhile, in the forest, the cold which had been occupying the forest had subsided considerably.

In one of the gardens I made, I sat around while digging into the wet soil. Before long, a potato the size of a fist showed itself. “When did these things grow this big?”

Didn’t I plant the potatoes around the times the goblins appeared on Earth? If it was growing at normal speed, it should only be entering the sprouting phase. But now, all of them had grown around the size of a fist. I cut the stems, returned the vinyl into its original position and made a cut on the potatoes. Some were cut based on where the seed is and would be used as seed potatoes. 

“Tonight’s dinner will be a delicious steamed potato.” Dingo ran into the dug up potatoes and made quite a fuss. I ignored his antics and put the basket inside the cave before searching for a particular video. It was a video about an event which happened after the appearance of the goblin's den.

“It’s a speedrun event.” In this event, rewards would be given to the fastest user who managed to reach the deepest part of the labyrinth first. It was some sort of simulation for when the real labyrinths spawned, which had the same function as the real one, to connect numerous dimensional doors around the world. Hopefully, I would be able to meet Rapwi or the other stagnant waters through this event.

Speaking of which, the labyrinth would be filled with monsters which have appeared so far. Anyone who entered it would be able to hunt the monsters inside for the points, but it's not the wisest thing to do since they wouldn’t be able to really see anything, as the inside would be pitch black.

“There are only a few ways for people to be able to see in the pitch black labyrinth.." At best, they can only use torches or glowstones, but those things weren’t good as they would surely attract monsters. In the end, those who decide to enter have to walk around relying only on their naked eye, so it would be extremely dangerous to people who didn’t have the suitable skill.

“Will there be others who knew about this event?” In the original game, this event happened at the very early phase of the game. So, I don’t think there would be a lot of people who know about it. Just in case, I opened the Auction House to look for information regarding the event.

But contrary to my expectation, the topic was a hot potato here. Practically everyone was talking about it.

-Guys, when will the speedrun event happen?

-Don't know.

-There’s probably no one in this place who knows about it.

-There's one. That bastard should know about it.

Am I really going to be called ‘that bastard' for the rest of my life?

-All I know is that it happened not long after the release.

-Well damn, my Terrain Detection skill is only level 1 now, how can I run in the labyrinth?

-You're showing off, aren't you?

-You can try running around inside while carrying the glowstone.

-Then the monsters will chase after you. If you have a brain, please, use it to think.

-Fuck you, you bastard.

-In the game, a ranking window will appear to show the list of people who have cleared it.

-From the information I heard in the past few days I spent here, it seems like it was a very famous event, but is there anyone who knows about the details of it?

-Back then, everyone was busy doing something else. I bet even the original four wouldn't have done it since it was so early, just after the release.

-Except for that bastard.

-Is that bastard going to be number one this time?

-Of course no, you stupid. Unlike in the game, we have our unique abilities here. Those with blink ability would be much faster than that bastard.

-If you run while avoiding monsters, you are guaranteed to be number one.

-But guys, does anyone know about that bastard’s unique ability?

-That's the biggest mystery around right now.

-Rapwi is resurrection, Duck Butt is zombie ruler, I think? But what about I Love Gimbap and Survivor 1?

-Who is I Love Gimbap? Wasn't ‘that bastard’ his ID?

-Oh my god… How are you even here? Are you a spy?

-Anyway, I'd be satisfied if that bastard didn't get first place.

-Same.

-Shall we work together to make that happen?

-Should we?

-LOL….

-It would be funny if the IDs of people who always go ‘That bastard this, that bastard that’ were revealed later.

-There's no way that's going to happen.

-Do you know about the balancing patch? The chance was quite high for it to happen.

-Oh fuck.

Anonymous communities were always like this. Just filled with bullshit. The hatred for me was also still there. Even if I decided to share my videos, it would have been the same. After all, people will always find a way to vent their frustration on something.

“I can win only if I have more shadow grapes…” However, for some reason, the scarabs didn't bring it. I searched the Auction House for it, but there were only a few items being auctioned. It was only natural, since currently, everyone was living a tight life, so there wouldn’t be a lot of items to sell 

“Let’s take it easy for once.” However, when I checked the schedule, my to-do list of exploring the forest beyond the valley caught my eye. Should I go since I have the time? Before, I couldn't afford to go because of the owlbear, but I already killed that guy, so it’s now possible.

“Dingo, do you want to go outside?" The guy’s tail went wild at my words. It seems like he loved the forest more rather than going to Earth. Well, I also share that sentiment since I don’t have to hide anything while I’m here.

"Good. Wait a bit." I packed all the necessities in my backpack and put the pistol in the slot.

Then, I flew the drone over the valley and saw a lake.

“It’s huge.” To be honest, I was afraid that some kind of monster might be living inside such a big lake. However, after flying over it for quite some time, nothing jumped out of it, so my fear was quite quelled.

I think it would be safe to explore there now. I quickly went out with Dingo in tow.

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The atmosphere in the forest beyond the valley was different from the part of the forest I was familiar with. It was dark because there were many tall trees around the area, and the thick fog added more gloom into the already spooky atmosphere. However, Dingo, who did not care about the atmosphere at all, moved forward bravely.

“I believe only in you.” I spoke quietly. By the way, in a dark and gloomy forest like this, it wouldn't be strange if a werewolf popped out. A human being in an unfamiliar place, isn't that the best kind of situation for werewolves?

"Oh my god." I stopped and exclaimed as I found a thicket of shadow grapes under a big tree. This is how exploration should be. Fun and rewarding. I opened my pocket and put some shadow grapes into it. For the time being, I would be able to go around at night without any worries.

At that moment, goosebumps swept over my body.

“…” Dingo also lowered his stance and looked around frantically. There’s undoubtedly something here. Without delaying even a second more, we entered the portal. Then, I saw something panting past the portal. Black fur, reminiscent of night, and ferocious set of teeth. It was a werewolf.

“I don’t think I will be able to cross the portal again.” Unlike normal monsters, werewolf is a tenacious monster. It wouldn’t stop chasing until it couldn’t smell its target's odor anymore. After all, even if the presence couldn’t be felt anymore, the odor would still linger.

Crackle.

The guy sniffed around the portal. In terms of strength and agility, it was not an opponent I could fight directly.

“There is no need to take any risks.” Let's just wait until it gives up.

Or should I use the gun? It was disappointing that the gun I brought in my quickslot was the Togarev, which didn’t have a lot of bullets left. It definitely can inflict damage to the werewolf, but it would be difficult to inflict fatal wounds because of the low amount of ammo.

The black werewolf kept on sniffing, and finally, it was right in front of the portal. My body froze at that moment. Did that place have the most odor lingering?

If I could kill this guy, I will undoubtedly get a good skill. Something like Wolf's Sense or Fighting Instinct skill would come out. I was about to take Togarev out of the slot in the moment of greed, but managed to come to my senses and stopped.

The place I am currently at was my new room on Earth. Which means, the gun will be affected by the corrosive disease if I took it out. It was still fine when it was inside the quickslots, since they were akin to a subspace. But the moment I take it out, it will crumble to dust in seconds.

"Shit." I have to get out somehow but I can’t use the gun. So, I pulled the emeras spear out of the slot and aimed at the curious werewolf. When I stabbed it as hard as I could, I felt it go in through its fur without any resistance. However, to my surprise, the werewolf actually grabbed my spear. Then, it tried to pull me out of my portal.

“Ugh!” I groaned as I let the spear go. I would have been dragged out if I didn’t do it. While massaging my hand, I stared at the werewolf. The wound caused by emeras spear had closed due to its amazing regeneration ability.

The werewolf's eyes flashed. It turned sharper than before in an instant. Moreover, it seemed to be territorial for some reason.

“Is this because it’s your turf?”

If so, I’ll break it, that territorial sense of yours.