Stagnant Water of Apocalypse - Chapter 180

 Chapter 180 – The Great Labyrinth is dangerous (1)

Two portals appeared before me. The first one appeared right in front of me, while the other one was to my right. Both of their surfaces were the same. It was also the case for the gently waving surface.

“Just where…” When I put my arm in the new portal, it went in without any problem. I felt a considerably colder temperature inside compared to Earth. When I pushed my head in, the shelter on the beach entered my view. The place it leads to was around my hut. When I moved my gaze towards the center of the shelter, several people were there. They seemed to be talking to each other.

“Considering the new portal leads to this place…” I pulled my head back to Earth and leaned towards the old portal. When I crossed over, Mi-kyung saw me and waved her hand.

“Oppa, are you done?”

When all the gathered people turned their heads at me, I could feel blood rushing towards my face.

“Ah, no. Wait a bit.” I replied roughly and shook my head before returning to Earth.

“Close portal.” When I said so, only the portal closest to me–the one in front of me–slammed shut.

What if I approach the portal on the right and order the portals to close?

“Close portal.” Just as expected, the portal on the right vanished.

In summary: I have one more portal that leads to another world.

Usually, having an extra door in a room would be considered useless. But the portal was different from a normal door. After all, it wasn’t a stationary one, but a mobile one. If I put the second portal in a suitable place, I would be able to travel from one point to another in an instant.

“This is like the warp gate magic from a fantasy game…” The only downside was that I had to go to the target place first to put the portal before I could use this cheat-like ability.

After doing some experiments, I figured out how to control the second portal. The method to open it was the same as the old one. The difference was that now I had to approach one of them first in order to close it.

“I think the conditions for the other portal to open would be different too.” I had to experiment with that later.

When I looked at my skill list, I noticed that the Toughness skill had been listed on it.

“This is a great skill.” In the past, there’s almost no chance for me to be a murderer with a lot of killcounts, so it felt amazing to get this skill.

Is it because I was using a bug?

Anyway, the effect of Toughness was quite good. It reduces the effect of any status ailments by a whopping 70%. It includes exhaustion, weakness, and many others. Though, it couldn’t prevent any status abnormalities granted by the system, such as the Shackles of War.

“It would make the Berserk skill even more dangerous.” Everytime I activated that skill, I would suffer from exhaustion after the effect waned. But with the Toughness skill, I would still be able to move properly.

When I wore all my item, my status window looks like this:

「Level: 40 Points: 26840
Vitality: 12 (+6) Strength: 14 (+4) Agility: 10 (+4) Dexterity: 12 (+2) Perception: 10 (+6)
Attribute: Dedicated Dimensional Door
Skills: Hard Skin 2, Griffon’s Eye, Resolute Strike, Ferocity, Water Breathing, Stamina Regeneration, Elemental Resistance 2, Super Sense, Primal Life, Fatal Strike, Toughness
Buff: Mental Tolerance」

However, that’s not all. If I receive a buff from Sooyeon and activate Primal Life and Berserk, my stats will increase by 1.7 times. I could also increase the stats with the Moon Tangerines, Royal Honey, and Fire Mushrooms.

“Then my stats will be…”

Vitality 41, Strength 34, Agility 34, Dexterity 27, and Perception 31…

“Monstrous.” It felt like the ceiling was getting closer. But in reality, there was still room for improvement. It was through tier 3 skill and buff-embed items.

“Finally, I can get to level 40.”

By the way, two skill slots on my status window were empty. Since I became a murderer for quite a long time, I acquired a unique skill given to a murderer, so my Eye of Truth and the Stigma of Death skill disappeared. And even though I had returned to the state of a normal survivor after using the Crime Pardon Scroll, the two skills didn’t return.

“Can’t be helped. I should just acquire new skills.” Which also means, I could grow even more. But since the current spawning monsters are owlbears, and coupled with the fact that they wouldn’t drop anything since its level was low compared to my level, I think it would be best to just wait until griffins or other monsters appear. Or maybe, I should just go to the Great Labyrinth.

“The level of monsters inside was quite high, though…”

Unless someone was a pervert who was obsessed with the settings of a game like me, they wouldn’t know. The Great Labyrinth surely had a lot of ordinary monsters inside, but its level was quite high compared to its counterpart that you usually meet. So, even though I had surpassed the level zone of the lizardmen, it wouldn’t be a surprise if I managed to obtain their skills in the Great Labyrinth.

Though, I wouldn’t do it now. Now that a lot of Battle Royale battlefield has been cleaned up, I need to look for Hyung-jun Hyung. From what I know, he had cleared the battlefield by fighting other Chinese. Sister-in-law was hiding, so I should quickly bring him to a safe place.

“I should also get Seokhyun.”

Surprisingly, there’s still a lot of work to do.

I got on the motorcycle and turned the machine on.

.
.
.

When I finished everything I needed to do, it was already night. A normal person would be exhausted after moving frantically the whole day, but for me, who was under the influence of stats and skills, it was nothing but a light exercise. But just because my body was fine doesn’t mean my mind was also fine.

“I expected it, but it’s really dark out here…” The area where survivors could freely travel had shrunk compared to the time before the Battle Royale event took place. Even though the Korean Shelter actively collected information and gave instructions to all survivors, the recovery was far from over. There’s also a possibility that some land would not be able to be recovered forever.

“If the ghoul flower explodes the energy it has gathered, it would be a complete mess…” Traces of civilization would disappear and Earth would become a complete fantasy world. A sturdy structure would still remain, but it would be nothing but a structure without any real use.

“Our situation is better than most.” After all, we have a comfortable shelter. Considering the upcoming patches and expansion packs, other survivors would probably die in droves. Especially in the last expansion pack…

“For now, let’s just focus on the Great Labyrinth.”

I scratched my head and entered the portal. People flocked to me wondering what was going on.

“…that’s what happened. So, in the future, you shouldn’t go anywhere alone. Yeowool, make me a large map of the Seoul area…”

“Here, Ahjussi.” She held out a large map to me in an instant as if she had prepared it in advance. When I asked how, she said she made it after looking at information provided by the Korean Shelter.

Ah, so it’s because she’s quick-witted rather than her ability to read the bigger picture.

“These places are the only land we can travel through, right?” Her finger traced the route from Yeouido to Gimpo Airport.

I nodded at her question. Then, I drew a circle under Gyeongbuk Palace in Gangbuk. “This place too. The area is currently growing, but it’s still dangerous for the time being. It’s definitely these two places, so it’s best not to leave.”

Mi-kyung, who was looking at the map carefully, whined.

“Are we going to die if we go out here?”

“It’s not that you will die instantly, but the Shackles of War debuff will get you and mess up your ability. To solve it, you have to kill someone else.”

“Scary…”

Everyone had a sad face at my revelation. Da-jeong patted Yoohyeon and Mi-kyung, who were sitting next to each other, on the back.

“No worries. The invincible Gimbap ahjussi will recover the area soon.”

“By sacrificing the Chinese…” Jiman added.

“There is nothing we can do about it because it is necessary to do so if we want to live. Let’s get this sorted out.” I said as I nodded.

I took a highlighter pen out of my backpack and painted the map.

“I don’t know what happened in the province, so let’s make an exception of it. We should call the area we could travel as a safe zone, while the rest is the danger zone.”

“Survivors scattered all over Seoul are certainly rushed to the safe zone right now. They must be sensitive after fighting a lot because of the Battle Royale event.”

“Looking at the Auction House, it was no joke. A lot of people were spreading false information so that more people would die; there are also some who decided it would be best to just search for other survivors and hunt them down…”

Everyone sighed at Sooyeon’s words. The real horror of the Battle Royale event came after it’s over. All kinds of information and the overly sensitive emotion turned every relationship into a bad one and would create a bloodshed. Thanks to that, the Korean Shelter, where a lot of people were now gathering, was in a state of chaos.

“We are at a much better position because everyone is alive and safe. We just need to be more careful from now on.”

After saying a few more words, I revealed the new additional effect I just got. When two portals appeared, they were all surprised.

“Huh? There’s two now?”

“Isn’t that one a bit different from the usual one?”

“I’ll go in.”

Seokhyun entered the second portal and came out again.

“This one didn’t need any payment to enter.”

“Really?”

“Wow, that’s good…”

When I heard it, I felt the burden in my heart disappear. The 100 points needed to enter and exit the portal was a burden to me and others. Even though it looked cheap, the only person who have no hesitation to spend it was Da-jeong. Everyone else was in a situation where they were saving points, which indirectly meant that they were dedicating their point to me. Thanks to that, my points broke through 2.7 million mark.

I looked around everyone and said.

“Anyway, an additional portal has been created. It’s completely separate from the existing portal, so I think it’d be better to have it fixed somewhere. Any thoughts?”

Geom-in, who was only listening up until now, opened his mouth.

“How about making a shelter inside the Great Labyrinth?”

“In the Great Labyrinth?” My brows furrowed. Everyone was also puzzled, but Geom-in offered no further explanation, went and brought over a laptop, and played a video.

Uh, yeah. I know I should be used to it by now, but my voice actually sounds very annoying when I was streaming back then.

“I kept reviewing the video of Seongho’s attack on the Great Labyrinth, and I found a place where we can make a shelter. It was a cave accessible only after we dive from a specific lake on the second floor.”

“Oh, I remember that place.”

“It’s where we played with the lizardman, right?”

“Yeah, that time when Rapwi came with a group of lizardmen when we were resting.”

As Da-jeong grinds her teeth, Seokhyun tilted his head.

“Did I really do that?”

“Did I really do that, my ass! It’s always the assailant who never remembers the case!”

While they bickered, Geom-in and I kept searching through the videos.

“But this place is much more dangerous than the first floor. Though, it didn’t really matter to us…”

“That’s not the case. There is a passage leading to the first floor in an area close to the cave. We can hunt there.”

“You have a very good memory.”

“Actually, back in the game, after you guys went further down to the Great Labyrinth, I went back and made a shelter in that cave…”

Ah, this shelter fanatic…

Nevertheless, Geom-in’s idea was pretty good. There were a lot of people around the entrance of the Great Labyrinth. But it wouldn’t be too much trouble for us to break through them. However, to turn that place into a shelter, I would have to go and open the second portal there first.

We will also need a lot of supplies…

I said to Jiman, “Jiman, do we have enough Shadow Grape to attack the Great Labyrinth?”

Darkness inside the Great Labyrinth was very different from the city night. It was no exaggeration to say that it was pitch black compared to the night in a city where moonlight still existed. Of course, there were some wild plants that emit light inside, but the effect of Shadow Grapes was desperately needed.

Jiman smiled and said, “They are growing well. Not only Shadow Grapes, other things are also growing effectively. It will be usable for the raid.”

“Great. Then I will put the portal in that cave. I’ll open the portal later, so let’s set up our living arrangements appropriately.”

I rummaged through my backpack and laid out Resurrection Scrolls. In addition to the previous two, there were a total of four scrolls now.

“I used the Skill Slot Extension Scroll, the Item Extension Scroll, and The Crime Pardon Scroll.”

Even though I said that, no one said anything. It’s actually me who struggled, so it seemed like they didn’t have an argument regarding the distribution of the items.

I gave one to Da-jeong and took one for myself. “The two of us travel a lot outside, so we need to have one each. As everyone knows, Seokhyun doesn’t need it, so there are two left. I’ll keep the two for common use.”

“Speaking of it…” I spoke again. “Whenever you go out, you must take one other person with you. And then, you will have to be accompanied by either me, Da-jeong, Seokhyun… or Geom-in.”

Geom-in looked slightly excited. Seems like he was happy that I called him. Seokhyun, who was watching quietly, opened his mouth.

“Is it okay for me to go to the Great Labyrinth now? Some of the survivors have already entered.”

Even though Seokhyun and I had done everything to warn the survivors, we couldn’t stop people’s curiosity. Thanks to that, the Auction House was overflowing with people reporting things like finding a foreigner or falling into a trap and dying in real time.

The Great Labyrinth was a very dangerous place, but it also gives an equal amount of loot in comparison to the dangers hidden within. Therefore, it’s simply impossible to stop people from being greedy.

I held up two fingers and said, “You can’t go alone, you have to go with at least two people.”

“Okay.”

“The others just have to do what you’ve been doing. It is a pain in the ass to get lost in the Great Labyrinth.” Aside from how massive it was, the pathway of the Great Labyrinth had many traps. That is without counting the fact that the monsters inside were also strengthened.

Da-jeong got up and came over and stuck to my back.

“Are you done talking?”

I knew what she wanted without having to ask. When I stood up while coughing, Da-jeong’s feet left the ground.

“Well then… let’s do what we have to do until evening.”

Having said that, I was trying to leave to go to my hut. However, Yoohyeon came and said cautiously.

“Hyung, here’s the summary of the most discussed things in the Auction House…”

The information written in the notebook was surprising even for me. It looked like when the shelter personnel were free, they wrote any notable rumors they stumbled upon in the Auction House.

-I saw some Chinese people on the first floor of the Great Labyrinth. Be careful.
-Skeletons are found in the Great Labyrinth. The difference from the Bone Creepers is that they are carrying old weapons.
-Hannam-dong Clan are gathering people for the Great Labyrinth raid.

It was easy to see because it was written in such a concise way. Though, there’s no very important information written.

I returned the note back as soon as I finished reading it.

“Look good. It will be helpful if you keep doing this in the future.”

“Yes I will. After all, it’s the most I can do to help you, who are active on Earth.” Yoohyeon smiled. However, when he saw Da-jeong, he immediately ran away.

I pinched her thigh saddled on my hips.

“Ouch.”

“You scared him…”

“I did not do anything, though?”

Yeah, whatever.

Upon entering her cabin, Da-jeong leaned against the table and poked her ass towards me.

“Hurry up!”

What’s with all this sudden rush?

When I saw the short hot pants she wore and her posture, a desire crept over me. Then, I did what she wanted.

.
.
.

The Battle Royale event carved a huge scar on the mind of the survivors. Fights broke out everywhere, and the result was always the death of someone. Since the survivors were only looking for the safe area, the monsters in the dangerous area multiplied at a rapid pace. All kinds of monsters roared, and eventually the environment began to change. The city with dilapidated gray buildings could no longer be seen, replaced by forests with tall trees and creeping plants.

Meanwhile, the appearance of the Great Labyrinth became an opportunity for people. According to the testimony of some people who entered, it was a risky place, but the reward was worth it.

-I thought it would be an underground space because it was called a labyrinth, but there are forests and lakes inside.
-Has anyone caught any animals inside?
-We caught a mouse and roasted it, and it was surprisingly delicious.
-Ewwww, you ate a mouse?
-It’s a mouse the size of a head, it was pretty meaty.
-The monsters here seem to be quite strong… Has anyone killed them yet?
-I bet there isn’t.
-It’s so dark here… it’s hard to get around…

Glowstone was available to be used as a lighting source, but it’s not bright enough to make the path ahead visible. Therefore, it’s hard for people to see whether they would fall into a pit or get impaled by a trap.

Due to the information, a lot of people from all over the country gathered at the entrance of the Great Labyrinth. Some clans even set up a tent and formed a force.

Amidst the anticipation, the four stagnant waters appeared together in one of the entrances. When people found them, murmurs could be heard everywhere and they cleared the way for them.

“They all look amazing…”

“Who said Duck Butt was ugly? Look at her!!!”

“Wow, we’re in an apocalypse, but their skin is so shiny…”

“I’m envious of her for having a werewolf…”

“This is my first time seeing Rabbit Pwincess… Is he a rabbit or a princess?”

“Don’t you feel like they are not human for some reason?”

“That person is I Love Gimbap…”

“Look at his body. I think the name I Love Protein fits better than I Love Gimbap.”

People admired the stagnant waters. However, they were disappointed when they laid their eyes on Geom-in.

“Is that Survivor 1?”

“He looked like nothing but a college student?”

“If I fight him, I bet I’ll win.”

The swordsman walked proudly without regard to the harsh evaluations given by the public. After all, he was someone who, unlike the people who can only watch and whisper to each other, could stand shoulder to shoulder with the other three.

The four passed through the crowd and entered the Great Labyrinth portal. People tried to enter after them, but they were startled by Rabbit Pwincess’s face that suddenly appeared from the inside of the portal.

“If anyone follows us, I’ll beat you up.” After he said that, his head entered the portal once again.

Meanwhile, no one dared to go against Rabbit Pwincess’ words. After all, he’s known to be someone who wouldn’t hesitate to beat people up just to stop them from entering.

People waited patiently, but they did not come out.

Even after so many hours passed.