202 – Surviving in the Wild #3
“Juyun, the surroundings are all sorted out. The center of the ‘downtown’ area is temporarily ours. Since this is the tallest building, we can see well in all directions.”
Han Juyun’s team, ‘Elemental,’ had joined in the downtown area and cleared the entire area.
Although there were disruptions from the ‘rat swarm’ contaminated by radiation and magical power, Team ‘Elemental’ consisted of highly skilled elemental ability users, and clearing out the C-rank ‘rat swarm’ was not a challenge for them.
“Is there anything useful? I hope there’s food. Don’t we have any food?”
Kang Jeongyeol, the A-rank 7th fire-type ability user, asked while looking around.
The five team members were rummaging through buildings that had once served as the headquarters of a game company, gathering useful items.
Finding food was their top priority.
After dealing with the ‘rat swarm,’ everyone was quite hungry.
Five people.
To find enough food for five people, they needed to move quite diligently.
However, the ‘downtown’ area was indeed richer in supplies than everyone had anticipated.
Kim Si-hyun, the 19th-ranked ice-type Awakened, was able to find some edible snacks and instant ramen in the break room.
“Hey, I found food!”
“Hey, this is food from eight years ago! How can we eat this? Don’t you know I only eat A++ grade Hanwoo beef?”
Kang Jeongyeol, who had always been picky about his eating habits, grumbled.
But there was no other choice in a situation like this. If they didn’t eat, they would starve, and if they starved, they would fall behind.
And if they fell behind, their teammates might kick them out, just like a lizard cutting off its tail to survive.
At that moment, A-rank Oh Deok-su, who could manipulate water, appeared.
“Oh, lucky! This is a limited edition figure…! It’s preserved quite well since it was in the display case…! If we take it outside, we could sell it for a good price…?”
Since the building had been used as the headquarters of a game company, there were many game-related items inside.
As Oh Deok-su reached for the limited edition figure, a clink was heard, and his smartwatch vibrated.
“Rare item obtained. You can earn +1000 P upon survival and escape.”
“Oh?”
Oh Deok-su, being a fairly experienced A-ranker, was quick-witted. He understood the system that the points go up when someone finds or collects items.
He neatly placed the figure into his bag and concealed the wristwatch.
He thought there was no need to share all the information he had discovered with everyone.
Although they worked as a team, ultimately, they were all competitors.
Buzzing—
At that moment, everyone’s smartwatches vibrated.
A coordinate was displayed on the smartwatch, marked with an X. It was not far from the center of ‘downtown.’
“What could this be?”
Ice-type ability user Kim Si-hyun expressed her curiosity.
Soon, Oh Deok-su, who had a lot of knowledge about various games, spoke first.
“It’s a coordinate marked in the survival game… It seems like it’s a supply drop, right? There might be other predictions as well, but it seems like a supply item is the prevailing theory…! You guys all got the coordinates too…?”
Oh Deok-su’s analysis sounded quite plausible and reasonable.
Supply.
It was quite enticing to think that edible food might have been delivered by drones or other means.
These A-rankers had just settled for food that had been abandoned for eight years, so the prospect of this supply drop was highly appealing.
Other teams or competitors were likely thinking the same.
Han Juyun, who had been quietly observing the situation, made a decision.
“It’s clear that having more supplies is advantageous for survival. If Oh Deok-su is right about the supply drop, we have to get to it first. Let’s go.”
Team ‘Elemental’ moved according to the coordinates. They arrived at the pedestrian crossing of an eight-lane road situated between buildings.
There, a fluorescent mist was billowing up from what had once been a busy commuting spot.
Kang Jeongyeol shouted.
“Over there! There’s a box! It looks like a real supply drop! Let’s hurry!”
He bolted toward it, but suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He noticed that someone was also approaching the box from the opposite side.
It was the team of the A-ranker ranked first, known to have been spotted near the ‘downtown’ shopping district.
“Juyun, what do we do?”
Ice-type ability user Kim Si-hyun asked the team leader Han Juyun.
Should they claim the supply or retreat—
The decision was quickly made.
# # #
Boom!
A sound like compressed air bursting echoed suddenly.
What a bolt from the blue!
“It seems that Han Juyun’s team has started to engage with someone.”
I guessed lightly from the recent shockwave.
It seemed plausible.
For a situation to arise where they were already clashing with full force on their very first day of survival was surprising. I had thought the first day would typically be a reconnaissance phase.
What if there was a pressing reason to fight?
I quickly thought of various possibilities.
“Could there have been supply crates that fell in other regions?”
If the coordinate -X- truly indicated a supply crate and many teams were converging on it, that would certainly provide enough reason to fight.
The disparity between the team that claimed the supplies and the one that did not would be substantial.
It wouldn’t be surprising if a struggle broke out over a shared desire to obtain it.
“Let’s go quickly.”
I urged Lee Jin-A, and we darted through the ‘Park Forest’ under the cover of darkness.
The coordinate marked near us was alongside an abandoned lake.
There, we saw a container emitting a bright fluorescent mist, clear enough to be seen even at night.
Lee Jin-A reacted strongly.
“Isn’t that a supply marker? There must indeed be a supply! There might be food inside! Let’s hurry and check it out!”
She looked as happy as a pirate who had found treasure.
I also felt quite good about it.
But there was also a nagging feeling that things were going too smoothly. If someone were aiming to ambush me, they would likely target me when I was the most relaxed, just before obtaining the supplies.
There was no guarantee that among the 30 A-rankers, only the two of us started in this ‘Park Forest.’ If someone started out in the ‘Park Forest’ alongside us, they would undoubtedly be here after the supplies.
While I had these thoughts, I noticed something glimmering in the bushes near the lakeshore.
“Lee Jin-A, get down!”
I grabbed Lee Jin-A’s arm and forcefully pushed her to the ground.
At that moment, something whizzed by us with a sharp sound.
It pierced through a nearby tree.
It was a very powerful arrow that swayed violently while making a loud noise.
“Oh, shit…!”
My hair stood on end.
The moment it became clear that something had been lying in ambush nearby, targeting us!
And there weren’t many A-rankers who used bow-type weapons.
“Hit – Kim Yu-mi.”
She had been an Awakened who initially used a spear, but after receiving a consultant’s advice from Yu Ah-ri saying, “You’re better suited for a bow than a spear,” she improved her skills daily and became an A-ranker.
Rumor had it that she could hit an ant from over 3 kilometers away.
Whether that was true or not, she was undoubtedly a skilled sniper.
“Haildo! You’re so lucky! I was going to take you down like that! The most famous guy making a quick exit first—would have made a brilliant scene! Thanks to that, I’ll become even more famous!”
A loud voice came from somewhere in the bushes.
It was hard to gauge where the voice was coming from due to its booming nature.
I decided that I needed to get out of the clearing by the lakeshore. If Kim Yu-mi was there, it was clear that her partner, ‘Goblin – Do Joon-hwan,’ was likely nearby too!
Bang!
At that moment, with a loud sound, something struck the gravel and soil next to my leg.
Bullets were flying.
It was definitely Do Joon-hwan’s shot.
As far as I knew, Do Joon-hwan was an expert in sniping, stealth, and ambush.
That’s why he was called ‘Goblin.’
“Hey, Haildo…! What should we do?”
Lee Jin-A, hiding behind a thick tree trunk, asked me.
I also hid behind a nearby rock and said to Lee Jin-A.
“What do you mean, ‘what?’ We fight! As far as I know, their sniper range is mostly over 3 kilometers! If we run away now, we’ll be hit in the back with magical bullets and retire!”
It would be better to fight.
Soon, Lee Jin-A asked.
“Fight? How? This is a total open field! We don’t even know where they’re hiding! We’re completely at a disadvantage! My ability is useless if I don’t know where the opponent is…!?”
It was indeed a complete disadvantage.
Was there anything more reckless than entering an open field where snipers were watching?
But conversely, it was clear they were completely relaxed.
Because they were in a situation that favored them.
Utilizing that point would be beneficial.
Of course, I had a feasible tactic in mind.
“Lee Jin-A, when I shout, don’t look back and just run!”
“What?”
“Now!”
“Yikes…!”
With my signal, Lee Jin-A dashed out from behind the rock.
Swish!
Soon, there came the sound of a bowstring said to be made from the ‘Dragon’s Tendon’ tightening.
Whoosh!
The diamond arrow shot out like a laser.
It barely grazed Lee Jin-A’s thigh.
“Ah…!”
She rolled on the ground.
It was a dire situation in many ways, but I was able to vaguely pinpoint Kim Yu-mi’s location from seeing that flash earlier.
I dashed toward that spot and spotted Kim Yu-mi, who was aiming her bow from the bushes, and grabbed her mouth and body tightly.
“Whuhh…!”
Kim Yu-mi let out muffled screams, struggling as if trying to break free, but I tightened my grip on her body like an octopus hunting.
# # #
Do Joon-hwan was an Awakened capable of hiding his body.
Literally, he could make himself invisible.
Complete stealth ability.
That was why he was called ‘Goblin’ and could execute various espionage and stealth missions around the world.
‘Haildo, even your animals can’t track me as long as I’m completely invisible.’
Of course, when he used ‘stealth,’ he himself couldn’t see anything as images would not be reflected onto his retina, a disadvantage.
Do Joon-hwan overcame this weakness, after awakening as an A-ranker, by utilizing ‘synesthetic olfaction.’
‘You can’t see me, but I can see you.’
His highly developed sense of smell sometimes provided clearer spatial information than sight, drawing a simulation in Do Joon-hwan’s mind.
Right now, Do Joon-hwan’s nose was gathering olfactory information from a radius of 1 kilometer.
‘A-ranked rookie Lee Jin-A is collapsed on the ground over there. Seems like there are no variables. This might end more easily than I thought. I just have to be careful of Haildo’s animals. As long as I don’t release my stealth…’
Do Joon-hwan expected that Haildo would have chosen the ‘Park Forest’ as their starting point.
And fortunately, the ‘Forest’ was also a good hiding place for snipers.
Do Joon-hwan believed he would win the mini-game of taking down Haildo first. If that happened, he could absorb some of the fame that had recently inflated around Haildo.
‘Haildo, where are you? It seems like you’re trying to hide your scent, but it’s impossible to completely mask your body’s odor. Let’s see where you are—.’
Sniff-sniff.
Just then, a strong scent of Haildo entered Do Joon-hwan’s nose.
“There you are.”
Swish.
Do Joon-hwan aimed at that spot and completed the aiming and firing in less than a second. It was indeed the skill of a pro among pros.
Bang!
A magical bullet was fired.
With a sound that broke the sound barrier, the bullet swiftly struck Haildo in the chest.
It was enough to knock him out, though it wouldn’t kill him.
“Tango down. It’s over. What? This is easier than I thought.”
Lee Jin-A was down from an arrow, and even Haildo was taken down by him.
Do Joon-hwan moved to retrieve the watch attached to Haildo’s wrist.
Only after arriving at the spot where Haildo had collapsed did he finally release his hidden stealth.
Swish.
Immediately, something strange caught Do Joon-hwan’s eye.
“Eek, uh…”
What was writhing on the ground was not Haildo.
It was Kim Yu-mi, who he had partnered with.
“What? Kim Yu-mi, why are you wearing Haildo’s outer clothing?”
Bang!
From the darkness, Haildo revealed himself.
Now that he looked closely, the real Haildo was odorless.
“It seems you mistook the smell? It’s a common tactic used by Kkungkkungi to deceive Kalilnoi in low light conditions. You thought I was you, but it was your partner Kim Yu-mi… covered in my scent…!”
“Wait, did you hide your body’s scent with civet cat perfume!? You little…!”
Click!
Just as Do Joon-hwan hastily drew his gun from his waist.
Woof-!
Whew-!
Meow…!
Animals that had suddenly appeared crashed into Do Joon-hwan’s body with great force.
He fell over, and the animals bit at his arms and legs, shaking him violently.
Grrr…!
“Ahhhh! The Squirrel Beasts are so strong…!”
