Stagnant Water of Apocalypse

One of the best ways to survive in the current world was to avoid fighting other people. No matter how powerful a person is, they can’t always win. A single moment of hesitation and recklessness or a single mistake will cost their life.

There were quite a few people who avoided fighting altogether. Which means, currently, 70 days since the apocalypse began, there are still people out there who haven’t grown a single level or gotten a single point since day one.

-If you don’t fight, you won’t die.

That’s logical. But there were others who survived in a completely opposite way than them. The Murderer of Changwon, Kim Cheol-seong, belongs there. His first murder on the apocalypse was committed as soon as the apocalypse began. Then, once he become a murderer, he deliberately seek other survivors in order to trigger the murderer event. When it happened, the confused survivors who got caught in it became his point.

With nearly 4,000 hours of playtime under his belt and thorough preparation to raise his abilities to the limit, it could be said that he’s a well prepared murderer. He did not take advantage of loopholes in the system like Seongho. He committed murders openly. Thanks to that, the survivors around him are all either already dead, or already escaped. It’s only natural. Afterall, A powerful murderer is lurking around the area, so who in the world would be stupid enough to stay?

However, not long after, Kim Cheol-seong acquired an amazing skill. It’s Friendliness―a skill that anyone who has played Survival Life wanted to acquire. However, because of the burden of becoming a murderer, only a few people chose to maintain that skill.

Friendliness is an amazing skill which prevents it’s bearer from being attacked blindly by monsters. After obtaining the skill, Cheol-seong went to several people to discuss things.

-From now on, you are my subordinate.

-Aren’t you going to kill me?

The man who was caught by Cheol-seong by the collar trembled as he said that. Around him, a loud thumping heartbeat could be heard. It’s a proof that the giant who lifted him up was the infamous murderer.

Cheol-seong gave the trembling guy a faint smile.

-If I want to kill you, wouldn’t it be easier to kill you right here right now? Listen well. I need a subordinate… someone who obeys all of my commands.

―…

The man was silent for a moment. He seems confused about the purpose of the man in front of him. Then, Cheol-seong pushed him against the wall, and a pained moan broke out from the man’s mouth.

-Keuk!

The power in the hand that tightened his neck was so great that he couldn’t even pull it off even though his unique skill was physical reinforcement. (Note : Changed “unique ability” to “unique skill”)

Cheol-seong put his face before the man. At that moment, the man thought, perhaps all murderers looks like him, with pale skin and expressionless faces.

-I want a subordinate who has no hesitation. If you do it, in return, I’ll give you control over the area that I’ve cleaned up. I don’t care what you did as long as you keep your loyalty to me.

-A-anything?

-Anything. It doesn’t matter if you loot, rape… or whatever. I’ll only kill. Wouldn’t this be convenient for you too? Because you can cut down your competitors without having to get blood on your hands.

This was the security guarantee that comes in return for his loyalty. It would give people who loyal to the murderer an absolute edge in the fight against other survivors.

The man tried to think about it more, but the murderer didn’t let him think.

-Why are you thinking? If you refuse, you will die here and now.

-I-I’ll follow you!

-That’s good.

The murderer dropped him right away.

-What’s your name?

-It’s Jo Kyungsoo.

-My name is Kim Cheol-seong. Just call me the boss.

Surprisingly, after saying that, the murderer left Kyungsoo alone and started to walked away.. Kyungsoo looked at his back. In his eyes, it felt like a huge target was painted on his back. However, the moment Kyungsoo unsheathed the long knife in his waist, he heard the murderer’s voice.

-The price of attacking me is your death. Do you want it?

-Ummm…

Just what kind of skills did he have to be able to see what’s behind him? Kyungsoo thought.

The killer spoke bluntly as the Kyungsoo was shaking with humiliation.

-There is no second chance. Follow me.

At that words, Kyungsoo walked helplessly behind the murderer.

-I want a powerful force. I want you to find the location of nearby survivors.

-Then do you plan to personally visit them and make them kneel, boss?

-Yeah.

-If the number of people increases, wouldn’t a zombie raid occur? There is also a deathmatch…

-Just like the Gimhae Clan, you guys just have to stay apart. Are you stupid enough to cause a deathmatch? Only two people need to convey my will to people. Or perhaps, you can’t even do that?

-Oh, I didn’t mean it like that.

Then, the murderer suddenly asked.

-Which one do you fear the most? Monsters? Or humans?

For Kyungsoo, it’s a simple question. There’s nothing to think about.

-Humans are scarier.

No matter how powerful a monster is, it’s still a monster in the end. There’s a lot of countermeasures to fight against them. It would certainly become harder in the future, but for now, it’s still bearable.

But humans were different. From the outside, there was no way to tell whether they were predators or survivors. If they were predators and pretended to be friendly before suddenly stabbing you in the back, you can’t even respond.

The murderer put his hand on his shoulder. For a moment, his body shivered because of the chilling touch, but Kyungsoo endured it.

-I will be the one who fights those scary humans. You should only focus on building more strength.

Kyungsoo shook his head hard and finally came to a conclusion. There’s not much harm done to him if he followed the murderer in front of him. At most, he just had to endure the loud sound of heartbeat.

On the other hand, what he would get was quite large. First of all, he would be able to avoid a fight with humans which was not profitable by any means. Even if he had someone he wanted to kill, he could just asked the murderer to do it. Thus, he didn’t have to risk himself to become a murderer. On top of it, he would get the best benefit from going under him: the power to rule.

Kyungsoo bowed his head to him.

-I will follow you, boss.

-Well thought. From now on, you are my ally.

From then on, they started their project. When Kyungsoo finds a survivor, he captures them and then the murderer makes them their subordinate and kills anyone who choose otherwise. In the process, Cheol-seong continued to grow stronger.

By October, it was impossible to resist him even if a few people attacked simultaneously. Looking at the sight, Kyungsoo completely abandoned the thought of fighting him and came to the idea that it was better to be under him. Afterall, even though it’s not a perfect life, he still had a lover and was leading a prosperous life.

What more do he need?

It was also during this time that Kyungsoo learned that his boss was a stagnant water in Survival Life with 4,000 hours of playtime. Not only that, the boss also told him that most of the time he lived as a murderer.

He was such a monster.

Then one day, the boss called him.

-Something happened. They say Rapwi is coming from Jinju. If you find him, take your time.

As always, there is no need to have any doubts on the boss’ words. Afterall, the boss only gives orders his subordinates can do. So Kyungsoo took his men and waited for Rapwi. When they meet Rapwi, overconfident because the boss is behind him, he decides to have a go towards Rapwi.

However, Rapwi didn’t say anything anymore and just moved.

At that moment, Kyungsoo realized just how terrifying the stagnant waters are.

.

.

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Swish-!! Swish-!! Swish-!!

Ceramic scissors cut my hair. It was something Mikyung carried while moving from place to place. She said the reason for keeping it with her was because she wanted to trim other people’s hair.

Now that I would leave the island, I have decided to entrust my hair to her. As I quietly closed my eyes to enjoy the peaceful moment, Mikyung whispered into my ear.

“Didn’t you get a cut from me too before, oppa?”

“Yeah. Was it back in June?”

“It’s June 20. You want a sports cut to signify a fresh start.”

It’s been over 3 months already. At that time, I had no idea that Mikyung would live this long. Although she has Blink as her unique skill, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that it’s weird if a woman with such a small and frail-looking body could endure the apocalypse for a long time.

However, contrary to my expectation, she was quite talented in all fronts of survival such as looting, farming and hunting with her Blink. According to Hyung-jun Hyung, the current Mikyung was an indispensable member of the group.

When Mikyung finished with my top hair, she trimmed my sideburns with a razor.

“Oppa, are you close with Da-jeong unnie?” She looked around her and said in low volume. “Da-jeong unnie talked a lot about you, Oppa. Both of you met for the first time in Gimhae, right? and Oppa left almost immediately after Unnie came. So, it’s kind of weird.”

Ah that girl… she made it obvious. Well, it’s unavoidable. I just hoped she didn’t tell the group that I was I Love Gimbap by a slip of tongue.

“She seem to like me as a slave because I look strong.”

At the same time I answered, Mikyung came in front of me and trimmed my bangs. She was only wearing a T-shirt and short pants, revealing her body lines. There were no monsters in the hideout so she was able to wear something comfortable like that.

I had thought about it before, but her body lines were so perfect.

“It didn’t seem like that. I heard Unnie talk about it when she’s drunk. Have you ever been in contact with her before, oppa?”

Well, we met everyday back in the game.

As I kept my mouth shut, she continued to chatter. “Even when I listen to Sooyeon unnie and Yoohyeon, it’s like… Oppa had played Survival Life before. On top of it, a lot, too.”

There is no way to hide it beyond this point. But it would be better to let them know that going further will only hurt you.

“Are you the only one who thinks that way, Mikyung? Or does everyone else also think that way?”

“The manager is probably noticing it too. Da-jeong unnie mentioned Oppa a lot to him.”

“Are you thinking that maybe I’m stagnant water of Survival Life?”

“It’s not that far, but everyone thinks that Oppa has seen something they’ve never seen before.”

“So you think that, I’m lying right?”

When she heard what I said, Mikyung panicked and quickly wield woman’s best weapon: aegyo. (Aegyo = basically flirting)

“Oppa, that’s not it… Don’t be angry like that~” She said as she touched my shoulder, but my vigilance was not relieved at all.

“Didn’t I say it before? I saw it all in the stream…” I wanted the people I looked after to keep their mouths shut. Even if they feel a question or something strange about my actions, it’s easier for each of us if they just move on.

Sooyeon and Yoohyeon wisely kept their mouths shut, but it seems like it was difficult for Mikyung to do so.

Is it because she has an active and curious personality?

Mikyung finally hugged my neck.

“Ahjussi, I don’t know anything about it. I’ll just pretend I don’t know.”

She called me Ahjussi again… Well, this isn’t bad either. I put my hand on her arms which were wrapped around my neck.

“Sometimes it is more convenient not to know. Right?”

“Yes Yes.”

“I want to be friends with Mikyung for a long time, do you feel the same?”

“Me too…”

“Then… You just have to keep it to yourself.”

“Well then… Can I be comfortable with you like before?” Mikyung asked carefully, and I nodded my head. I’m going to keep my mouth shut, but there’s no need to ruin the atmosphere.

Mikyung said she was happy, and started chattering again. Well, she’s the type of person who will recover quickly.

After Mikyung finished the haircut, I looked at my reflection in the mirror and noticed that I had lost a lot of weight.

“It’s good…”

“Oppa, I will wash your hair.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Just bend over.”

It seems like she didn’t have any intention to back down whatever I did. After washing hair and wiping it with a towel, Mikyung asked. “Oppa, you aren’t angry because of the last conversation, aren’t you?”

“Not at all. Because I already forgot what we are talking about. Mikyung needs to forget it too. it just didn’t happen.”

“Hehe.”

Her smiling face is cute. I went to my room and packed my things. Outside, Hyung-jun Hyung, Sooyeon, and the two high school students were repairing nets and windows. It was preparation in case werewolves appeared. This island was a good shelter, but they couldn’t keep hiding here forever. They have to go out on land to farm. Other monsters were also dangerous, but werewolves were the most dangerous of them all.

They have a very sensitive sense of smell, so they can quickly find survivors. Against them, a clumsy escape won’t work. The net would be the last resort for that time.

Meanwhile, Yeowool, Yoohyeon, and Jiman were casting their fishing rods to the sea.

Maybe it was because of Jiman’s skill, I could see them lifting the fishing rod as soon as they threw it into the sea.

With my backpack on my back, I looked back at them and said my goodbye. Everyone said that it was a pity that I had to go, but they were waiting for the day I would return.

“Dingo, let’s go.”

Mikyung took us across the land with Blink. It’s really comfortable compared to rowing the boat. Then, I said my goodbyes to her.

“See you again.”

“You must return, Oppa.”

“Of course.”

Mikyung hesitated to leave. Only after a few goblins ran out towards her had she returned to the island.

Tuck-!!

I felt a slight sting on my skin. After that, my knees become quite wobbly. Though, I’m not concerned or afraid at all. On the contrary, I feel refreshed after getting hit by a paralyzing dart in the morning.

But, in return, they must die. I charged towards the goblins with a long knife. Behind me, Dingo barked and followed close after.

.

.

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“Huff… Huff…” Seokhyun took a deep breath. In his hand, a man’s collar was held. It took some time for him to arrive at this point since the abilities of the guys who blocked his way were quite above average. He also had rescued Yoon-jeong, letting her escape.

“Hu…” Seokhyun took a breath and put the man down as heartbeats continued to echo around the area. Turning back, he could see a giant was watching him from a distance. He seemed to be over 2m tall, perhaps because of the intimidation skill.

‘How many murders have he commit to exude such a sense of intimidation?’ Seokhyun thought.

“Long time no see, Rapwi.”

“Who are you? I don’t remember.”

“WIll you know me if I say I’m a bastard who wants to kill you guys?”

“Nope.”

The giant’s lips twitched. He was the boss of those who stood in the way of Rapwi. He’s a murderer who had killed dozens of people as well as the ruler of Changwon.

As for who he was in the game, he was someone who had fought a lot of users while working as a murderer for a year. But he had never fought against the 4 original stagnant waters. That was because they were reluctant to have a deathmatch with him because they said they were protecting an endangered species or cultural asset. That reasoning was a humiliation for Cheol-seong, who was proud of himself as a murderer.

In the end, somehow, he could have a fight with I Love Gimbap, one of the four stagnant waters. But it ended absurdly. He used a bug in the system to paralyze Cheol-seong and leisurely escaped among the zombies.

When he woke up, only the message of him remained.

-Our endangered species, live well!

Who do you call endangered species?

That was a humiliation. After that, his hatred for the stagnant water really rages. And he has been waiting for the day to meet them since the apocalypse.

“I play as murderer most of the time back in the game. Do you remember now?”

Only then did Seokhyun realize the true identity of the giant. “Ah, the endangered species!”

Cheol-seong smiled menacingly as he walked towards Rapwi. If he beats the guy, he was certain that he would be able to find I Love Gimbap. If not, at least his whereabouts.

His eyes gleamed red. “Come on.”

“No.” Seokhyun left those words and started running away. He was someone who enjoyed fighting, but he knew that the guy in front of him was too much for the current him.

But Cheol-seong was faster than him, unfortunately. He hit and crushed Seok-hyeon while leaping from behind. The two rolled around on a pile of concrete. And it was Cheol-seong who took the stance first.

“Heh heh! I have been waiting for this day!”

“You are too immersed in the game!”

“I don’t want to hear it from you who played for more than 5,000 hours!”

Cheol-seong rushed and swung his fist. It was loaded with great power. Seokhyun’s arm trembled when he blocked it with his two arms.

“Even though your immortality unique skill is good, your body doesn’t look like much?”

“You are strong.” Seokhyun snorted.

“My skill slots are currently full. How about you? At most, maybe two or three, right?”

“How many people have you killed until now?”

“Do you remember how much bread you have eaten in your life?”

It was an absurd answer.

The two grabbed each other’s fists and started a power struggle. However, anyone could see that Cheol-seong had the upper hand.

“Heh, if Rapwi in this world is this weak. Gimbap or duck won’t be a big deal either.”

“My friend…is stronger than me.” He was certain of it after confirming through the two events that had passed. Seokhyun made some concessions, but Gimbap was strong enough not to need that concession.

“Of course you would want to believe that!” When Cheol-seong gave strength to his arm, Seokhyun’s face distorted.

When the two of them were struggling, Seongho, who had already entered Changwon, checked the two from afar. The Griffon’s Eye skill gave him a tremendous increase in vision. Now he could see as far away as an eagle.

“What is a murderer doing, standing there?” Seongho took out the elderwood longbow and an adamantine arrow without thinking too much. He had a belief that he wouldn’t touch other people unless they were threatening him. However, it’s a different story if it’s murderer. Afterall, there’s no repercussion of killing murderer; there’s only reward.

Seongho pulled the bowstrings after taking his time to aim. An adamantine arrow slithered through the air as he released the bowstring. It travel a great distance and zoomed into the murderer’s back.

Cheol-seong heard the ripple of the air and stretched out his hand. He thought that it must have been an arrow shot by a survivor who bore a grudge against him. He tried to grab it, but contrary to his expectation, the arrow absurdly pierced his hand.

“Keuk!” Cheol-seong grabbed his bloodied hand. But at that moment, someone covered the sun and came down at him. It was the naked Rapwi.

“Falcoooooooonnnnnn puuuuuuuuuunch!!!!!!”

(E/N this chap is filled with references and memes lmao)