[Episode 02] Survivors (5)
Seven men and women were crowded around the large table in the living room.
âIâm sorry, what should we do? Thereâs not enough space.â
Ha Dong-geon spoke towards Park Hye-won, who seemed unsure of what to do, glancing around nervously.
âItâs okay. Itâs our fault for barging in like this.â
With seven adults suddenly invading the home where the family of four lived, it was inevitable that there would be a shortage of space.
âWe didnât prepare anything, but enjoy your meal.â
Contrary to Park Hye-wonâs humble words, the table was set with a feast. Freshly steamed rice, neatly folded rolled omelets, fluffy steamed egg custard, and perfectly cooked sunny-side-up eggs adorned the table, creating an abundant spread.
âDonât say thereâs nothing prepared! This is a complete feast, Unni!â
Kim Ga-yeong exclaimed as she praised the table. Park Hye-won clapped her hands and returned the compliment.
âItâs all thanks to the ingredients Mr. Jaehyun provided. If it werenât for him, we would only have rice and tangerines.â
In reality, there was no way the house that had endured for ten days would have any proper ingredients left. The reason all the dishes were made with eggs was due to that scarcity.
As a gesture, he filled the empty refrigerator of Choi Hyeong-junâs family with items like milk and eggs and replenished the nearly empty rice container.
Through this process, Park Hye-wonâs trust level reached 50.
âI never thought sheâd reach 50 before Choi Hyeong-jun.â
Despite starting with the lowest trust level among Choi Hyeong-junâs family, she was a person who found great happiness in small things.
âThank you for the food!â
As the meal began in earnest, everyone was busy with their spoons, continuously praising the dishes.
âMmm! The steamed egg custard is delicious!â
âWow, this rolled omelet is so sweet, like the ones you get at a Japanese restaurant!â
At that moment, Choi Seo-yeon grabbed Park Hye-wonâs apron and mumbled.
âMom, Seo-yeon also wants a rolled omeletâŠâ
âSeo-yeon, sweetheart, Mom will make it for you as soon as the guests finish eating. Okay?â
âSniff.â
Seeing this, Kim Ga-yeong spoke to Choi Seo-yeon.
âSeo-yeon, do you want to eat the rolled omelet with Unni?â
âYeah!â
Without waiting for Park Hye-won to object, Choi Seo-yeon rushed over to Kim Ga-yeongâs side and took the rolled omelet she offered, eating it with delight.
âNom, nom, yum.â
Her appearance was just like a baby bird receiving food from its parent.
At that moment, Ha Dong-geon addressed Choi Hyeong-junâs family, who was awkwardly standing in the kitchen.
âIf you donât mind, please join us for the meal.â
âOh, weâre fine. Thereâs not enough space, and we already ate earlierâŠâ
Contrary to his words, Choi Hyeong-jun was drooling at the sight of the sumptuous feast on the table.
Well, what they ate earlier was just plain rice with water, so it was only natural.
I spoke up, âCome and join us. Thereâs still food left.â
âUm, is it okay?â
In the end, all eleven people squeezed around the table, sitting closely together for the meal.
I picked up a neatly sliced piece of rolled omelet and put it in my mouth.
â!â
Kim Ga-yeongâs reaction was not an exaggeration.
Park Hye-wonâs cooking skills were impressive, and the taste was reminiscent of the rolled omelets sold in Japanese restaurants.
âItâs delicious.â
Not only that, but the steamed egg custard had the perfect seasoning.
Eating the steamed egg custard directly with rice was enough to make it perfect.
âWow. When was the last time I had home-cooked food like this?â
It was an exclamation from Kang Deok-su.
âItâs been a while.â
Not having ramyeon for a meal made me involuntarily think of my mom. Especially with the unnecessarily sumptuous table setting, the feeling intensified.
âI hope everyone is safe.â
I missed my family. Since I learned about Moon Byeong-hoâs situation through the eyes of the Absolute Dweller, my concern for his grandmother was clearly reflected on Moon Byeong-hoâs face. I knew the feeling of worrying about family well.
Moreover, the loyalty of the party members, who all moved together for Moon Byeong-ho, touched my heart. Coming here without hesitation and having a meal together was due to that.
I could see that they were genuinely good people.
ââŠâ
Suddenly, a heavy silence fell over the dining table. When I looked up to see why, everyone was looking at me, and it seemed like my tense expression had made them uneasy.
I tried to soften my expression and pretend everything was fine.
âAhem. Uh, wow, itâs delicious.â
But everyone seemed to find me somewhat difficult to approach.
âItâs strange.â
Perhaps because I have a relatively youthful appearance, there were people who treated me casually or felt at ease around me, so no one had struggled to interact with me to this extent.
However, now everyone seemed to find me somewhat difficult to approach, except for one person.
âMom, Seo-yeon is sleepy.â
It was only the youngest, Choi Seo-yeon, who seemed comfortable with me. Even Choi Na-yeon, slightly older than her, seemed to be cautious around me.
âWell, Seo-yeon. Should Na-yeon and I go to bed together?â
âYeah.â
After Park Hye-won took the two children and went into the room, the conversation resumed in earnest.
Park Hye-won spoke to Ha Dong-geon, âShall we continue with the story we were discussing earlier? Whatâs the reason you couldnât go to your grandmotherâs house, even though itâs so close?â
He slowly began to explain, âItâs because of the goblins.â
âGoblins?â
âYes.â
It was strange.
The scene I witnessed was Ha Dong-geonâs party swiftly annihilating four goblins.
As I made a puzzled expression, Ha Dong-geon continued with additional explanations.
âYouâre aware that thereâs a large space in the underground parking lot of the apartment, right?â
âWell, thatâs obvious.â
âPerhaps because itâs a good place to hide like a cave, goblins from around the apartment complex seem to have gathered there, claiming their territory.â
How spacious was the underground parking lot?
A space large enough to park thousands of cars. How many goblins could it accommodate?
âIt seems like there are at least several thousand.â
ââŠâ
It was a more serious situation than I had thought.
There were thousands of goblins swarming underground.
The dozens I had seen on the sidewalk were just the tip of the iceberg.
âAnd as you know, all the entrances and exits of the apartment are near the underground parking lot. With such a large number of goblins roaming around, we canât find a way in.â
I countered Ha Dong-geonâs words.
âThereâs an escape route, right?â
âYes. Thatâs correct. From the beginning, our plan was to escape through the escape route, butâŠâ
Ha Dong-geonâs eyes shook severely as he trailed off.
âThere was someone there who seemed more dangerous than goblins.â
âSomeone more dangerous?â
Ha Dong-geon responded with a serious expression, âIt seems to be a werewolf.â
âThe exact details are unclear to us. It was too dark, and the danger seemed imminent, so the moment we spotted the creature, we immediately fled.â
If the escape route was unavailable, it was essentially going back to square one.
âEssentially, we have to make a frontal breakthrough.â fđ«đČewebđ»ođŻel.đođș
âYes. Thatâs why weâve been focusing on reducing the number of goblins for the past few days.â
Ha Dong-geon confessed with a dark expression.
âWeâve killed quite a few goblins, but it feels like their numbers havenât decreased significantly, and now weâre gradually reaching our limit.â
âA limit?â
At that moment, Kim Ga-yeong, who was next to Ha Dong-geon, stepped forward to provide further explanation.
âOur main weapons are bows and baseballs. However, since arrows are consumables, they are running out. We try to collect and reuse them, but my husbandâs thrown baseballs are also running out.â
âIf thatâs the case, I can help. Can I see the arrows and baseballs? And the bow as well.â
Kim Ga-yeong brought the items she used: a bow, arrows, and baseballs.
âHere you go.â
After registering these items in the store, I immediately performed the item recovery.
Recovering arrows and baseballs didnât take much.
The problem was the bow.
[âTo restore the âCompound Bowâ in good condition, you need 1,530,000 won.â]
[âWould you like to restore it?â]
After a moment of contemplation, I made a decision.
âRestore it.â
I might not be certain about other things, but bows and arrows would undoubtedly continue to be very useful. If I were to keep buying items in the future, restoring them seemed like a profitable business.
âDo any of you use bows?â
Hearing my question, Ha Dong-geonâs party looked at me with expressions of confusion.
I smiled meaningfully at them and thought.
âPurchase five sets of bows. Purchase five sets of arrows.â
Dingâ
I pointed to the newly appeared five sets of bows and arrows.
âEven if you canât shoot, use this opportunity to practice. Youâll be using it continuously in the future.â
The others were not using baseball bats because it was more useful.
Since they didnât have bows, they swung baseball bats instead.
However, now all five members were armed with bows.
Having a ranged weapon, even if they were inexperienced, was a significant advantage.
[Citizen Ha Dong-geonâs trust has increased.]
[Citizen Kim Ga-yeongâs trust has increased.]
[Citizen Yoo Hye-rinâs trust has increased.]
âŠ
âŠ
The trust of everyone present in this place increased simultaneously.
âIâm sure this will speed up goblin hunting by several times.â
âIf we have this many arrows, thereâs no need to go out of our way to retrieve them. With this, forcibly breaking through the entrance of the apartment is also possible, right?â
Ha Dong-geon and his party were very excited
Especially Moon Byeong-ho, who showed a particularly enthusiastic response.
[Citizen Moon Byeong-hoâs trust has increased significantly.]
It was understandable.
The hope of saving his grandmother was being realized right in front of his eyes.
I said to him.
âItâs not set in stone yet. Before that, we need to significantly reduce the number of goblins.â
âButâŠâ
âNo matter how you escape, if the goblins are still alive, then coming back is the problem. Youâre not planning on not returning, are you?â
ââŠâ
Ha Dong-geon nodded in agreement.
âYes. To ensure safety, we need to first reduce the number of goblins. So, when are you planning to execute the operation?â
Upon hearing that question, Moon Byeong-hoâs expression darkened again.
The more time passes, the less likely it is for his grandmother to survive.
I said, âThe operation will take place tomorrow.â
âTomorrow?â
âYes. This is a problem where the faster, the better.â
âThatâs true, butâŠâ
âTomorrow. I will rescue Mr. Moon Byunghoâs grandmother.â
Upon hearing these words, everyone wore expressions of doubt and uncertainty.
Their reaction seemed to question how much they could achieve in reducing the goblin numbers in just one day.
After observing their reactions, I declared with confidence,
âWe will conduct a concentrated hunt.â
I began to briefly explain the outline of the operation.
All of them listened with determined expressions.
âPerhaps it might be possibleâŠâ
âIf things go wellâŠâ
âWe donât have much time, so letâs finish our meal here and move according to my instructions.â
That was the moment.
[Citizen Choi Hyeong-jun has completed the quest.]
[Quest cost: 30,000 won.]
Upon checking the notification, I furrowed my brows.
âDid I have to spend money?â
Well, if quests could be given for free, it could lead to loopholes.
âFor example, by giving a very easy quest.â
Providing quests like âDo 10 push-upsâ and gaining a small amount of experience as a quest reward would have been enough.
In that case, it would have been possible to slowly raise the citizensâ levels without hunting monsters.
âConversely, it means that as long as you have enough money, you can raise the citizensâ levels as much as you want.â
If the capital was sufficient, it could also be used for tricks.
âUnless absolutely necessary, I donât have to use it.â
My wallet situation was not that comfortable yet.
At this moment, a message suddenly appeared saying that Choi Hyeong-junâs trust had increased, perhaps because he received a reward for completing the quest.
[Citizen Choi Hyeong-junâs trust has increased.]
At the same time,
[Citizen Choi Hyeong-junâs trust has reached 50.]
[Loyalty is unlocked.]
[Citizen Choi Hyeong-junâs loyalty has surpassed 30.]
[Citizen Choi Hyeong-jun has met the conditions for registered status.]
Finally, Choi Hyeong-junâs trust reached 50. Moreover, there was an alert that he surpassed 30 in loyalty as soon as it was unlocked.
âIs that possible? Citizen information, Choi Hyeong-jun.â
ăName: Choi Hyeong-jun (Level 20) [+]
Title: [First Vassal]
Trust: 51 Loyalty: 62
Awakening Ability: Gorillaâs Might
â Quest Assignment ??Expulsionă
Checking the citizen information, Choi Hyeong-junâs loyalty was an impressive 62, higher than Choi Seo-yeon, who was the first to unlock loyalty.
With this, registration as a vassal could be done immediately.
Vassal registration, Choi Hyeong-jun.â
At that moment,
Wooong!
Bright light permeated Choi Hyeong-junâs body.
âWhat, what was that just now?â
âSomething flashed, it seemed likeâŠâ
Ding!
[Appointed as the first vassal.]
[Acquired âVassal Summonâ skill as a reward.]
{Vassal Summon}
Summons a vassal into the room.
However, once a vassal is summoned, they can only be summoned again after two hours.
The newly acquired skill was very intuitive. If used wisely, it could be extremely useful.
In addition, there was a significant change in Choi Hyeong-junâs citizen information.
ăName: Choi Hyeong-jun (Level 20) [+]
Title: [First Vassal]
Trust: 51 Loyalty: 62
Awakening Ability: Gorillaâs Might
â Quest Assignmentă
He had just gained a whopping 11 levels, and a new title, âFirst Vassalâ had emerged. Furthermore, he had awakened the ability called âGorillaâs Might.â
Gorillaâs Might (C) [Passive]
Becomes the possessor of strength comparable to that of a gorilla.
Examining the title closely revealed its effects.
{First Vassal}
Experience points and settlement fees for monsters hunted by the vassal are doubled upon payment.
Creates an area within a 5m radius outside the room where the âThe Absolute Dwellerâs Eyeâ can be summoned.
Now, sending Choi Hyeong-jun for reconnaissance could provide more detailed information about the outside situation.
âWhat is the plus button next to the level?â
[Would you like to spend 1,000,000 won to raise Vassal Choi Hyeong-junâs level?]
Seeing the hefty sum of 1 million won demanded, I immediately turned off the message without any hesitation.
âSurprise.â
Just as I was suppressing my shock, I saw Choi Hyeong-jun staring intently at his hands beside me.
âWhy are you doing that?â
âOh, Mr. Jaehyun. After receiving that light just now, it feels like thereâs energy overflowing in me. It feels like I can do anything⊠Did you do this, Mr. Jaehyun?â
It seemed to be the effect of Gorillaâs Might.
âYes, I did.â
I looked at him and offered a warm smile.
âThank you, Mr. Jaehyun. Honestly, I feel like Iâve gotten ten years youngerâŠâ
I handed him the newly purchased set of bow and arrows, saying, âMr. Hyeong-jun, please participate in the operation as well.â
âUm⊠yes?â
Basically, a 10% experience bonus granted to citizens.
Because the payment was doubled due to the vassal effect, it was equivalent to gaining 220% experience.
Meaning that using Choi Hyeong-junâs hands to hunt monsters was more rewarding than if I did it myself.
âPlease make sure to catch as many as possible.â
I reiterated my request to Choi Hyeong-jun, who was in tears.
âI will do my best.â
Translatorâs Note: This novel makes me question math.