Stagnant Water of Apocalypse

Sponsored Chapter 3/11

When I crossed the blue portal, what stretched before me was a vast land covered in white snow. Dozens of big strange rocks rose to the sky, and at the end of it, a hat-like fog covered the tip.

“This is Zhangjiajie, huh?” 

We, stagnant waters, called this place like that because the topography was similar to the real Zhangjiajie. Here, as long as we were careful of flying monsters, there would be danger. Scratch that, the cold was dangerous. Compared to the forest where my shelter is, it was much colder here.

Isn't winter over yet?

At that moment, Yeowool's head pierced through the portal. It seems she couldn't overcome her curiosity.

“Wow, where is this ahjussi?”

“I don’t know either.”

Yeowool took a long breath and shook her head. “It’s very cold here… By the way, what are we supposed to do here?”

“I don’t know about that either.” 

Actually, I know very well about this place and what we should do here. But, I couldn’t just say it.

At that moment,

Kaaahkk-!!

Through the mist, we could hear the sound of something wailing.

Yeowool's face hardened as she took in a deep breath. “Di-did you hear that, ahjussi? What is that?”

“It seems that there are monsters flying in the sky.”

“Woah, isn’t that dangerous?”

“Not really. You have to overcome at least this much if you want to eat meat.” Not only meat, various resources could also be obtained. "I've heard from people before and they said that this door can only be used once."

“Are you saying that once we go in and leave, we can’t go back in again?”

“Yeah, at least until the next portal opens. They say once it opens, it lasts for 3 or 4 days. Can you ask the others whether they want to come in or not?”

"Wait. Oh, can I really do so?”

“It will be okay since your body isn’t fully inside yet.”

Nodding at my words, Yeowool exited the portal. After a while, Yeowool showed her face again. “They said, even if it’s a little risky, they want to try it.”

"Okay. Tell them all to come in then.” Even if we leave the island unattended, there won't be any problems since all FRP boats on the surrounding coast have already been collected by us. So there won't be any intruders suddenly barging in.

Soon the children came in with two large backpacks.

“Oh, it’s cold!”

“It’s totally winter here!”

Unlike the three who trembled, Jiman got used to it surprisingly well. After all, it would be like a daily routine for him.

“This is… griffon dungeon.”

“When you say griffon, you mean that winged monster, right?”

"Yes. It's insanely dangerous. Despite that, there is so much to farm from them.”

“This is going to be my first time seeing a flying monster, so I don’t know what it will be like…”

“Aren’t they just going to attack us from above?”

That's right. However, it would be difficult to detect them in advance since there was heavy fog at the end of the peak.

“Calm down, what we're going to do first is build a base camp. We have to build it in a place where we can see the portal, okay?” I gathered the kids who ran around curiously.

“The portal disappears after three or four days, so you have to get out before that.” Poor Man, who acted as the knowledgeable one instead of me, chimed in.

Yeowool asked, tilting her head. “What if I can’t go out and the portal closes?”

“Well, you’ll be stuck here. At least until the next portal opens in this area.” But since there’s a way to fix the Farming Dungeon, you don't really have to stay for that long. At most for 1 or 2 months.

In Rapwi's case, he used to deliberately go in and stay alone for several months. But since it is no longer a game, no one in their right mind would ever do that.

After that, we moved around the area and looked for a good place to use as a base camp. The ground was wet so it was difficult to even set up the tent. I wish there was a cave. Shortly thereafter, a suitable place could bee seen on one side of the cliff.

“I think it’s about 7 meters deep. It should be okay, right?”

“It’s perfect because the floor is dry.” 

Most importantly, the ceiling was blocked, so attacks from the griffon could be prevented. There were also a few portals we could see from this place. We pitched a tent there and laid out thin mattresses on the ground.

“Scrap the branches around you and make a fire with it.”

"Okay."

Once the fire was lit, everyone sat around it. It's like camping.

“It would be perfect if we have meat to grill.”

“If you want to get meat, you have to hunt.”

“Since Jiman hyung is here, all we have to do is find the animals, right? Brother, what is the range of your unique skill?”

"Huh? I haven’t been able to confirm that.”

“Let’s go check it out together later.”

“Okay.”

They made plans to hunt amongst themselves and become quite noisy even though I told them to be quiet. Jiman looked at me and I nodded. There are times when you guys have to move by yourself. I can't always support you.

The three men were in good spirits and decided to go hunting, and Yeowool and I decided to stay at the base camp. It seems like because they were boys, they have a strong sense of adventure.

I took the potatoes from the shelter which I put in my backpack beforehand and put them on the fire.

“Eat this before you guys go and take a good look around. If you meet anyone, come back and let me know.”

“Is there anyone other than us here?”

“Because the portal appears in random locations… the famous Rabbit Pwincess might be here.”

“I really want to meet that person…”

“A few days ago, Cheol-jun hyung told me that he is now in Jinju.”

I know that he’s there too. I don't know what the hell he was doing there, though. I keep telling myself to go there to meet him, but why does it always get postponed I wonder? After the Farming Dungeon event is over, I should leave the island to the kids and go to Jinju.

After a few minutes passed, the potatoes were finally baked, and I served them with a bit of sugar on top of it.

Yeowool looked at me shyly. “Ahjussi, you are really amazing.”

"What do you mean?"

“Where did you get potatoes like this? We stayed in Masan, but we didn’t even get to see it.” That's because it was grown in the shelter…

However, what I used as an excuse was: “I planted this in the village where Jiman was staying. That’s all.”

“Ugh.”

“Come on, don’t nag anymore and eat two each.”

“I’m not nagging!” At that moment, a cry of an animal was heard from somewhere.

woo woo woo-

Everyone was startled by the unknown vague sound of something which was probably a wolf or some other animal. But moments later, they shrugged their shoulders as they saw Jiman.

“It should be okay since Jiman hyung is here.”

“But it might not be too big an animal. I confirmed that it could even be an elk.” Jiman said. However, the problem is, the wolves here are much bigger than an elk.

I warned the kids not to rush and explore carefully. The three of them ate the potatoes in an instant, then packed their clothes and left. Meanwhile, Yeowool and I cleaned up and unpacked our luggage. In fact, there were more things to do at camp compared to exploring.

“Yeowool, let’s make some wooden spears.”

"How can we make it, ahjussi?"

“You can follow me. First let’s cut this tree.”

I cut down two trees with the stone ax that Jiman made. A popping sound echoed through the valley. Soon after, the tree fell and I pruned it with a long knife and brought it to camp. Then,

I handed the mithril knife to Yeowool.

“You hold the tree tightly with your hands and cut it into a spear shape with a knife. It's sharp, so be careful."

After trying a few times, Yeowool finally got the hang of it.

“Is it really this easy to cut a tree?”

“No. It’s because you are using a mithril knife.”

“How much does this knife cost in the store?”

“150 points.”

“Eh? If you catch one zombie, you get two points.”

“It was originally 100 points in the game. But the price has increased.”

"Annoying. Who increased it?”

“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be doing this. I would instead be looking for them…”

We sharpened the wood and put it in a fire to burn the surface.

“Be careful, if you burn it too much, it will get weaker. We only need to burn the outside a little.”

“Like grilling seaweed?”

"Yes, like that."

After that, a few wooden spears were thus completed. The next thing we would need were pickaxes. After all, there’s a chance that we might stumble upon a piece of land containing glowstone or ignition stone.

Even though the hard work, such as bringing stones and cutting down trees and fixing them, continued, Yeowool did not complain. I felt sorry to see those tiny hands of hers labor through such hard work, but I had no intention of helping. I already taught her how to do it, so now she has to do it herself.

While Yeowool sprawled on the ground when we finished, I put the pickaxe down and looked around the area. The environment was damp but it’s still fine as a good amount of water was flowing through the area. We also have plenty of food, so now we need to get resources and preserves.

It would be great if I could catch a wild boar. But are there wild boars here too?

At that thought, I became frustrated and regretted that I didn’t go on a reconnaissance. But since it was also important to protect the base camp, there was nothing I could do about it. At that moment, I looked up. And, above that mist, griffons were flying… If we could go to its nest, we could get our hands on their eggs and cubs, but that was nigh to impossible for the current us. Climbing up the strange rock formation was similar to rock climbing. Except, there were no safeguards in this situation.

With that in mind, I turned around and a bighorn goat came through the bushes. It didn't come any closer and only looked at me.

“Yeowool, can you bring me a bow?” I'm talking about the 100 pound hunting bow in the cave. She carefully took the bow and some arrows and handed it to me and me. Then, she hid behind my back and stared at the goat.

"Wow… it's so big… But why does it have a ‘big horned goat’ on it?"

“Shh, lower your voice."

Yeowool put her head on my back and nodded. It's ticklish. I placed the arrows on the string and aimed at it. Shooting in the head was stupid because of its horn so I had to target the main organs. If an arrow hits the heart or lungs, it would fall within a minute. But that is if I am lucky. The common sense to hunt a game was to chase it while making it bleed.

When I was about to let go of the bowstring, I was startled by the sudden sound of the wind around me.

Whoosh-!!

The wind blew fiercely, it was as if a typhoon suddenly occurred.

I turned around, hugged Yeowool and lowered my posture.

"Ahjussi!"

“Shh, something is coming!”

Before long, a large silhouette fell through the mist. From its majestic figure, I could easily know what it was; Griffon. A monster with the head of an eagle and the body of a four-legged carnivore. It snatched the goat with its forelimbs. It was so massive; the size was similar to the goat. The goat, unable to resist, was pulled up and disappeared above the fog. All that was left was the leaves shuddering because of the gusts of wind it left behind.

“…is that a griffon?”

“It seems so.” In my old days, I used to catch a griffon with just a net and an Emeras spear. Of course, at that time, my status window was filled with tier 1 skills, that’s why it was possible. Even though the basic stats were limited to about 17, but if you receive boosts and get the correct skill, it will approach 30. At that point, the movements that could only be done by superhumans in movies becomes possible.

Anyway, Yeowool quickly hid in the tent because she was terrified by the griffon. Then, not long after, the three boys who went on an expedition came back in a hurry. I thought it was because of the griffon, but I was wrong.

“Hyung, there are zombies here.”

"Zombies?"

It’s not a place where zombies would appear, though?

Unlike other monsters, zombies only respawn when there’s a human to be infected.

Did humans like us ever live here?

“There are a lot of them. But they didn't attack us for some reason."

Jiman added that the attire was pretty neat for a zombie.

A zombie with a neat outfit… Somehow, it reminds me of someone

“Jiman and Doyoung stay here, Junho, lead me there.”

"Yep. I will go slowly.”

“You can run at your usual speed.”

“You won’t be able to follow me. You know my unique skill don’t you, hyung?”

“You talk too much. Just run.”

When I urged him, he started sprinting. I did not have Terrain Mastery skill, but since my overall stats were quite high, it was not difficult to chase after him.

Junho, who looked back, muttered with an incredulous expression. “Wow, really. How do you run so well, hyung?”

“I think it’s because I lost a lot of weight.”

“Hyung, when I see you, you have a perfect body type. Your shoulders are also wide.”

“I used to be a pig.”

"Really? Wow…."

Well, even if it's not a pig, I can't say that I was slim before the apocalypse.

Anyway, we approached the terrain where they found the zombies. A large tree had fallen by the lake, and it was so big to the point it could accommodate 2 tents on top of it.

Junho said excitedly. "There it is hyung. There are zombies around that woman.”

What a coincidence… It seems like my hunch was right. Those zombies were Dajeong’s subordinate zombies. She was sitting on a zombie chair and staring at the lake.

Did tents in the trees belong to the gym members?

It was very strange to share a Farming Dungeon like this. I tapped Junho on the shoulder and approached Dajeong. At my action, the zombies started to move, but they stood still again at Dajeong’s command.

"Who are you and why are you approaching me so proudly?” Dajeong said as she leisurely turned around. “What? Look who’s here…”

“Of course, it’s me.”

Dajeong looked at me. Then she stood up and ran towards me.

I suddenly want to run away.

.

.

.

"Welcome!"

“Haha, nice to meet you. My name is Jang Wontaek.”

People flocked to the government base camp. According to the reconnaissance done by the government people, dozens of people had entered the valley. Users who had played the original game were surprised that it was the first time the Farming Dungeon was so crowded.

“Originally, Farming Dungeons are like, you go in in a small group, and you just farm and come out. It's not as crowded as this."

“That’s right… and it’s good because there are no zombies.”

“The president is very popular.”

"Isn't this the first time we've seen each other since the apocalypse? The presentation on TV worked great.”

“A president who fulfills his duty to the end… isn’t that wonderful?”

“Well, that’s why I came here in the first place…”

People scattered behind Geom-in who sat on the plastic chair. Everyone flocked to check out the government group. After all, the government base camp was the biggest force in this farming dungeon.

‘I don’t like it.’ 

Geom-in clicked his tongue. His plan had been ruined yet again. He originally wanted to bring some talented people who rarely opened their hearts to him into the farming dungeon and form networks with them as well as the other users. But with President Jang Wontaek here, his presence became fainter.

Moreover, the first location of the farming dungeon was gryphon habitat. Dozens of people came in, but Geom-in guessed that the actual count would be at least 100 people. And currently, there were only 30 people in the government base camp.

“Duck Buttock is also here!”

When someone shouted loudly, people's attention quickly shifted. They instantly tried to pinpoint where she was.

“She’s near the lake.”

“How many people are with her?”

“There won’t be that many. If the president decides to go there, we will follow.”

“You speak very well.”

“Because of the zombies, outsiders can’t even get close to her. I wonder if that will happen if we go there.”

“Would you like to visit?”

“I’m busy meeting people right now…”

That's funny. Geom-in laughed at them. Among them, there must be people who had fought with each other at the auction house. That's why, even though everyone had greeted each other, the atmosphere was still awkward.

On the other hand, Jang Wontaek was more interested in the other Stagnant waters, including Duck Buttock.

“If she’s in the lake… I’ll have to go meet her. Has anyone seen I Love Gimbap?”

He shouted loudly, but everyone shook their heads.

“No one knows who he is.”

“If you look at the rankings, he must be hiding somewhere.”

"That bastard." Someone joked, but no one laughed at his words. This place was not an anonymous auction house, it was reality. They understood that talking like that here would be risky for their lives.

Who can guarantee that there’s no I Love Gimbap amongst the crowded people here?

“If I Love Gimbap is here, you will be the first to die.”

“I-it’s not something I made up. That’s what people called him.”

“Don’t you know that because people cursed at him so much, he even made a statement by using it as his nickname on the ranking?”

“Everyone swore at I Love Gimbap at the auction house, right? Is there anyone who hasn't?"

“I didn’t.”

"Me neither."

“How come you didn’t curse at all? So, are the people who cursed at the auction house somewhere else?”

Geom-in felt tired of their chattering. He sighed and stood up.

“Let’s just do what we should do here.” When he spoke, people's eyes turned to him. Even though things had gone against his original plan, it was also an opportunity. If he proves his leadership here, many people would naturally follow him.

Geom-in said in a confident voice. “I am  looking for people who are going to catch the griffon. I'll take first nine people with me.”