“The main programr, huh? I don’t know how high that position is, but its role should be pretty important, right?”
The man shrugged. “With my position, I can approximately answer seven out of ten questions that Seongho wants to know.”
“What about the other three?”
“Things I don’t know. Make no mistake, I’m not omniscient.”
Now, this is odd. The doctor and nurse from back then seed to be half crazy. But this programr was able to communicate well.
To my surprise, the man protruded a part of the wall and morphed it into a seat and sat down. The floor on which I was standing also protruded and turned into a chair. I guess that’s what he ans by him being able to change so things.
He opened his mouth once again. “Sit down. Seokhyun will be back in a little while. Let’s talk quietly.”
“…what is your na?”
“Even though I think nas are no longer important, you would still need sothing that you can use to call , right? Since I don’t want to be called Programr-ssi, please call Ahn Geun-seok.”
“You speak as if you have transcended over humanity or sothing.”
“Are you not as well, Seongho-ssi?”
I looked down at my body. It was muscular, rough and quite big. Sothing which normally could only be seen on athletes or military soldiers. What sets my body apart from theirs was the fact that mine had superhuman power. It regenerates even after being shot; It also has enough power to smash concrete walls.
Can you call soone with this kind of power a human?
If I look purely at my stats, I have already surpassed my stats from the ga. Though, it would only reach that level If I add the buffs of several consumables as well as Sooyeon’s buffs.
Ahn Geun-seok looked at and smiled softly.
“We are on the sa side. To show you a favor, I’ll answer three of your questions. I’m sure you won’t ask anything useless. Seongho-ssi is a stagnant water, after all.”
“You are very kind.”
“I have to put in so effort to get what I want.”
The thing he wanted was probably . No, to be exact, my portal ability. Killing this guy here seed to an nothing much.
Where did the resurrection scroll given to Jo Seung-cheol co from?
Or, should I ask a key question?
I didn’t think this guy would give the right answer.
He said three questions, so let’s ask him one to test the water.
“Since you said you’re a programr, I’d like to ask you one thing… What’s coming out after the Unknown Monsters expansion pack? Brutra isn’t the end, isn’t it?”
“That’s two questions.”
“What a strict guy. Then tell what the final boss of Survival Life is.”
“He is in the deepest part of the Great Labyrinth.”
Ahn Geun-seok’s finger pointed to the floor. However, I was more surprised that Ahn Geun-seok used ‘him’ rather than ‘it’ to refer to the final boss.
“Are you acquainted with that monster by any chance?”
“Is that the second question?”
No. No… I shook my head and organized my thoughts. Even if I asked him what his purpose was, this guy would just act ignorant again. He probably would answer by saying ‘we just want to survive, like many of you.’
So instead of asking such a comprehensive question, it’s better to ask what I wanted to know.
“When will the tier 4 system co out?” It didn’t exist in the original ga. But if he said it doesn’t exist, I’d be a little sad.
Ahn Geun-seok frowned.
“Are you talking about skills or equipnt?”
“Both. Tier 3 skill equipnt is also bundled together.”
“We actually ant to make that separately though. But… let answer that. Defeat Brutra and it will co out.”
So it really exists. It would be safe to say that Brutra was just the first boss of the Unknown Monsters expansion.
That strong monster…
Ahn Geun-seok looked at my face and had a smug knowing expression.
“It’s going to be tough. That feeling, we understand it very well. That’s why we chose this route. Co-existing with them.”
“You an living together with them? Seriously?”
“There is no other way.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to do that. The doctor and the nurse… Can you call them human?”
“I get asked about that repeatedly, but what would people from a year ago say when they see you today?”
Superpower… Monsters…
I clenched my teeth.
“I am not like you.”
He let out a long sigh, as if pitying .
“It seems you still haven’t figured it out. Well, that’s fine I guess. What’s the last question?”
“Who made this system?” It was what I was most curious about. After all, except for the unique skills, the system and the status window were present in Survival Life. It was certain that the main programr made those, but if that’s the case, then Ahn Geun-seok was the creator.
However, that point was denied since he clearly said he didn’t know everything.
Ahn Geun-seok had a complicated face at my question.
Did I hit the correct spot with my question?
“Hmm… I didn’t want to tell you this, but I have no choice but to tell you. The one who created the system… is magic itself.”
“Magic?”
“How many etherstones have you gathered so far? That’s the magic energy source. The superhuman abilities you’re able to use casually… Those are all magic. Magic has overlaid our world.”
Adding the fact that the setting of Survival Life was also covering Earth leads to this conclusion.
“Did the magic of another world… swept your company?”
Ahn Geun-seok smiled bitterly.
“The reason we said we are also a victim, you know now. We too are just survivors struggling to survive the apocalypse. That is, we and you . . .”
“No.”
“Why? Why are you rejecting us?”
His voice rose.
I stood up with my mithril blade on the floor.
“I don’t know exactly what your purpose is, but I don’t want to be a monster like the doctor I t before.”
“What if that was the only way?”
“No one knows for sure, right? You don’t even know what exactly my power is, do you?” If they knew, he would have brought out the word portal right away. However, the doctor, the nurse, and him only called it subspace.
Ahn Geun-seok picked it up and smiled.
“That is a big misunderstanding. We are the ones who made Survival Life. I know that your unique skill leads to another world, The world of Lotus.”
Lotus, huh? I guess that’s the official na of the dinsion where my shelter was located. However, I’m not really sure they truly know. After all, Lotus was a dinsion that existed in the past. But, they said that Lotus was just the setting they made?
Ahn Geun-seok’s face hardened for the first ti when I pointed it out.
He looked around him, brushed his ass and stood up.
“Now that I have answered three questions, you must also answer three of mine.”
“When will Seokhyun return?”
“If you answer, I will bring him right away.”
“Ask away.”
“Are there any intellectual creatures in Lotus?”
Did he an the scarabs and stag beetles?
I answered calmly.
“I’ve never seen a human-like creature.”
Scarabs and stag beetles were not human-like creatures, so it’s not a lie. And even though we found soone’s backpack, it’s just a thing, not the survivors themselves.
He looked into my eyes.
“I believe it is not a lie. Then second… Where have your colleagues gone?”
“They are in my shelter, why?”
He seed shocked by my words.
Was it that surprising?
“If there is no next question, please bring Seokhyun quickly.”
He cald down and asked.
“I will ask you one last ti. Are you really unwilling to join hands with us?”
“Of course. I don’t want myself to be forced to change into sothing so monstrous like that.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way. Jeon Ji-hoon and Seong Hyo-jin changed like that because of so side effects. Even at this mont, we are making progress.”
The doctor was dead, so it doesn’t matter. And turns out, the nurse’s na was Seong Hyo-jin.
“You an progress to beco one with the monster? I don’t need that.”
“Really frustrating… I told you that ti is dicine, so let’s wait a little longer. As a side note, the longer you decide, the lower your worth. Maybe one day, I will not need you at all.”
“I wish for that day to co sooner.”
Ahn Geun-seok glanced back, passed his last words, and walked into the wall.
“If you go down to the eighth floor, you will die.”
Thanks for the advice.
His body faded and he seeped into the wall.
That guy looks like an ethereal-type monster, doesn’t he?
Soon after, Seokhyun jumped out of the wall.
“SSEEEEGGGGSSS!”
I dodged his fists, barely cald him down and explained the situation. After hearing everything, Seokhyun scratched his bald head.
“Does that an the final boss is here?”
“Maybe?”
“Then we’ll have to delve right through to the deepest part. If we kill the final boss, that Ahn Geun-seok won’t be able to fight you.”
Well, I wasn’t sure if things would turn out that easily. There’s also his warning regarding the eight floor. So let’s be more careful.
“Let’s go back to the shelter and have a eting with everyone.”
Just like that, we went back to the shelter.
.
.
.
The shelter mbers’ reactions to my explanation varied greatly. There were surprises, fears, and subtle expectations. The last expression belongs to Sooyeon and Yoohyeon.
“The fact that there is a final boss ans that there is also an ending, right? We might be able to end the apocalypse!”
So agreed with Sooyeon’s words, but the stagnant waters, including myself, were skeptical about it. It was simply hard to believe that all these monsters would soday suddenly disappear.
That’s not what’s important, though. It had been confird that new monsters would appear after Brutra. There’s also the tier 4 system, so we had to prepare in advance.
I put my thoughts together and called Captain Scarab and Chief Stag Beetle. As they arrived, they climbed on Jiman’s body and sat on his shoulder.
“These guys only like Poor Man. How much did they owe you?”
“It’s not like that, Noona. It’s because of the nature of my unique skill. Don’t hate them too much.”
When their talk ended, I shot straight to the point. They were both surprised to hear the word ‘Lotus’ coming out from my mouth.
Their eyes look as if they ask how did you know that?
“There was soone who told about it. This place is Lotus right?”
The two leaned away from Jiman’s neck and looked at each other. Then they nodded their heads.
Now it’s ti for these guys to reveal their identities. Up until now, they were trying so hard to conceal it, so I didn’t pry deeper. But now the situation has changed. We must know the secret.
“Lotus dinsion…or should I call it Lotus continent? Please draw a map of it.”
Captain Scarab and The Chief Stag Beetle, who were watching , ca down from Jiman’s shoulder. I took out a large sketchbook from the slot and gave it to them along with a pen.
“Draw the whole thing. Up to where we are.” These guys obviously know about it. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to go to the volcano with Da-jeong.
The two insects took the pen and started drawing a map. When the overall appearance of the continent was revealed, everyone was at loss for words.
“Big…”
“Were we here? on this peninsula?”
“This mountain is in the middle of the peninsula…”
When we stepped out of the forest, we could see the snowy mountains along with the grasslands. The mountain stood tall in the middle of a peninsula just like Florida in the United States.
The overall appearance of the Lotus continent was much larger than I had imagined. The peninsula we are on looks like a small dot. If we head further north from the Black Forest in the north, we will find another sea.
The two insects drew the overall figure and raised their heads.
Need more? They seed to ask.
“It doesn’t make any sense to draw more right now. We don’t know anything other than the fact that this place is Lotus.”
nod nod.
But one thing was certain. The two insects were the natives of Lotus. Now is the ti to reveal their identities.
Da-jeong looked into my eyes and urged .
“Since we’ve co all the way to this point, can you please draw the real you?”
The two pondered for a long ti. Looking back at them, they seed to be arguing with each other. How could these guys who used to fight because they had a really bad relationship put their heads together like this?
Jiman looked into my eyes. I could read his intentions without saying anything. He seed to be concerned whether we would be able to keep the current relationship if I were to force them to reveal their identity.
It’s a little too cheesy for my taste, but oh well…
I said to the two insects.
“Whatever you are, we won’t kick you out. If you’ve been cursed so you beco like this, I’m willing to help you guys. Though, it’s on the premise that you told us everything.”
The two finished worrying and turned over the sketchbook to draw a new picture. anwhile, Geom-in concentrated on the picture drawn by the stag beetle.
Will the Forest Elves co out just as he said?
When the long ears were finally drawn, he silently raised his arms and cheered.
Do you like it that much?
Geom-in smiled broadly as his eyes t mine.
“They have a tattoo on their forehead! A tattoo!”
“Isn’t their hair a little long?”
“Well, it’s because they are won isn’t it?”
“That is prejudice.”
Without paying any regard to the talking, the two continued to work in silence. The work speed of the stag beetle was much faster than the rather relaxed Scarab. Eventually, what was revealed was the figure of a female warrior with rabbit-like long ears. The drawing was looking at in a leather comfy-looking garnt. In the skin which was not covered, various patterns could be seen adorning them. Around her waist, a quiver full of arrows was drawn. She also looked taller and had a fairly solid body.
And what the scarab drew was the figure of a stocky dwarf with a bushy beard.
“Wow, were you really a dwarf?”
“It wasn’t the Scarab Ahjussi, but Scarab Harabeoji…” (P/n Harabeoji = how they call grandfather or just a very old man in Korea)
“It makes sense, their taste is a very old man’s taste.”
The guy finished drawing their own picture without caring about people’s evaluations. In summary, the stag beetle was a warrior working in the forest, and the scarab was an engineer living underground.
I can understand their bad relationship now.
The two finished painting and looked at .
“It’s what I expected.”
I asked the guys.
“Did you get cursed and beco like this?”
Both of their eyes widened. It’s a look that contains so many stories… Let’s take a look at it slowly. We didn’t need to find out right away, after all, there’s no way we can find a solution right now. The important thing was to plan for the future.
I coughed to get people’s attention.
“We’ve only been defending, but let’s do it differently from now on. Let’s actively defeat monsters and secure our territory.”
“Are you going to expand the shelter even more?” Geom-in asked.
“Yeah. We need to expand our territory by hunting and securing supplies much more aggressively than we are now. Especially the Black Forest in the north.” I nodded.
Monsters were not infinite. Since we are on a peninsula, it was my judgnt that we could build a safe zone by blocking the road. To do that, it was important to first completely occupy the dangerous Black Forest.
Seokhyun shrugged and muttered. “I want to go back to that wounded Elderwood.”
I don’t know if it was really wounded, but if we secure the Black Forest, the roots of the Elderwood would also be under our influence.
Da-jeong asked while fighting the Chief Stag Beetle with her fingers.
“What about us?”
“I told you that that programr told that if we go down to the 8th floor, we will die, so we have to postpone it for now. Let’s just prepare to fight the flying monsters that will soon be spawning in the real world.”
The ti also had co for the ghoul flower to release the energy that they had slowly accumulated.
I said to Jiman. “I want you to keep doing what you’ve been doing. However, I want the scale to be a little bigger. I will need a lot of points soon.”
“Is it because of the tier 4 system?”
“Ahn Geun-seok may have lied, but there is a good chance what he said was true. So, I need to start collecting points.”
The price of tier 3 equipnt had skyrocketed from what we know from back in the ga. So, it’s an easy calculation that the price of tier 4 items would be hellish.
“I understand. I will sell a lot of the product and collect the points you need.”
With his unique skill, he’ll be able to collect a huge amount of points. Even right now, if he goes to the sea right away and throws a few pots, seafood would flock to it as if asking to be eaten.
If we sell it to survivors, they get food and we get points. A symbiotic business model.
I emphasized to the group.
“It’s good to live peacefully like this, but I think we need to be on our toes more than ever as of now. Since bullets are limited, avoid using it as much as possible by using different weapons. We need to build strength. The monsters and enemies that will appear in the future are no joke, and there are insanely strong monsters hiding in the Great Labyrinth.”
Gulp.
At that mont, there was tension among the people.
This is enough. There is no need to make them too anxious. They just need to be prepared.
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