[Episode 07] Seomyeon Station (4)
It had already been decided where Seo Ye-jin’s abilities would be put to use first.
“When you say Nambu-min-dong, are you talking about the area near Songdo Beach?”
“you’re right.”
“I know! I’ve been on a cable car before! The cold noodles there were really delicious.”
By coincidence, Seo Ye-jin had been to Nambumin-dong, where her family home was located.
It goes without saying that they are in a much more advantageous position than the Ha Dong-geun party, which knows nothing.
‘Besides, if you just send mice, that’s it.’
Direct rescue would have to be carried out through the Hadonggun party, but it was possible to check on the lives of the families and send relief supplies using only Seo Ye-jin’s mouse.
“Just leave it to me!”
[Citizen Seo Ye-jin’s trust level increases.]
[Citizen Seo Ye-jin’s loyalty increases.]
I looked at the system message with a strange gaze.
‘It went up again.’
From a while ago, trust and loyalty have been increasing in real time even though nothing in particular has been done.
‘I knew that confronting people would work, but not to this extent.’
Then suddenly, something occurred to me.
‘Is it because of this skill?’
【Spirit of the Absolute in the Corner (Passive) Lv. Max】
Completely immune to all types of mental abilities.
It was a passive skill obtained by raising the skill of maintaining the dignity of the absolute to level 3.
‘Honestly, I thought it was a dud.’
Being immune to mental abilities was basically a useless ability for me, since I couldn’t even leave my home territory anyway.
Only those who had been issued citizenship were allowed to enter here, and anyone among them who was hostile to me would be immediately eliminated.
It’s like when you hunt a group of goblins, all the goblins within the area have their heads blown off.
It’s better than nothing, right?
‘At the time, I thought I had brought it up for nothing, but it was like catching a rat while the cow was backing away.’
The reason I raised the level of the Maintain Dignity skill was because the efficient function called Registering a Vassal came from this skill.
I still vividly remember how disappointed I was when I invested skill points in the Dignity Maintenance skill in the hopes that the registration threshold would actually increase, only to end up getting completely random passive skills.
‘No. Maybe it’s just because the level of the Maintain Dignity skill has gone up.’
I already noticed that the Maintain Dignity skill had a similar effect. Perhaps the effect was strengthened as the level increased.
In either case, since the growth of trust and loyalty was faster, it seems that raising the skill to maintain dignity was not completely meaningless.
“Then can I ask you to do it right now?”
“Of course!”
Contrary to her sharp first impression, Seo Ye-jin was actually a very gentle person.
“If possible, please move along the subway tracks.”
“···If you mean subway line 1?”
“Yes. I plan to use that route for a rescue operation later.”
At that moment.
“No!”
I was a little surprised by Seo Ye-jin’s sudden rash behavior, so I asked her why.
“Why?”
“There is a monster living in Seomyeon Station.”
“A monster?”
Seo E-jin nodded with a face filled with fear.
What kind of monster is it that makes it react like that?
“Could you please send just one mouse to where that monster is?”
“···yes.”
***
Seomyeon Station is surprisingly very spacious.
There was also a long underground shopping mall extending on both sides, and it was a transfer station where lines 1 and 2 intersected.
As is often the case with transfer stations in Seoul, it was much larger and more complexly structured than the average subway station.
As expected from a subway station in a busy area, it was always crowded with people during normal times.
But now, Seomyeon Station has become one of the quietest places anywhere.
It was because of one being that had made a nest there.
A place steeped in history, the Line 1 tracks.
Slurp-
Densely spaced reptilian scales.
Long vertically slit eyes.
A black tongue that flickers.
Occupying the cold tracks was a giant snake.
The belly of the guy who ate all the orcs near Seomyeon Station was bulging.
That’s why the written word was so quiet and empty.
All the monsters and humans who entered the Seomyeon Station without knowing anything ended up in this guy’s stomach.
The reason I’m sitting here quietly right now is because my stomach is full.
Once digestion is complete, it will return to the surface and begin devouring any living thing it sees.
Click-
The owner of the station slowly raised his head in the direction of the sound.
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Because I am sensitive to the vibrations of the earth, I had already noticed that small being long ago.
However, the reason I didn’t move was because I felt it was a waste of energy to move just to eat a single rat that wouldn’t even reach the liver.
Moreover, because of its small size, it would run away into a hole and there would be no way to catch it.
He had no intention of moving to eat the little thing, unless it came into his mouth willingly.
Slurp-
But on the other hand, if you approached it willingly, there was nothing you couldn’t eat.
As a natural eater, his appetite is indiscriminate, and he eats everything regardless of whether it is small or large prey.
Just a little closer.
Just a little closer.
It waited patiently to catch and eat the rat using only minimal energy.
The stupid rat kept coming towards him, wondering what was wrong with his head.
Just a little more.
Slurp-
As I licked my tongue, the mouthwatering scent of a rat wafted through the damp basement humidity.
The moment I tried to move, unable to hold back my exploding appetite.
Tick tick –
The rat that had been approaching without fear until now got scared and ran away.
The giant snake licked its lips as it felt itself disappearing into a mouse hole in an instant.
At the same time, I pledged.
I’ll pounce on you the next time you show up.
***
“······.”
As Seo Ye-jin said, something incredible was living in Seomyeon Station.
Who would have thought that a monster with a body length of tens of meters would be coiled up there?
‘I wonder what level that guy is.’
Just by looking at its size, it seemed like it was easily over level 30.
‘Maybe I’ll go over level 40.’
As I pretended to have a serious expression on my face, Seo Ye-jin opened her mouth first.
“Jaehyun, you saw this too, right? You’d better give up on using Seomyeon Station.”
That’s what happened.
Because it would be better to go through the monsters on the ground than to go through the place where those monsters were holding out.
“How about skipping one stop and going to Beomnae-gol Station? I know the skills of Jae-hyeon’s colleagues. With their skills, they should be able to make it there without any trouble.”
Seo Ye-jin was right.
It seemed like the country would have planned the same strategy as Seo Ye-jin.
‘That is, before Seo Ye-jin joined.’
Before she joined, there was absolutely no way to deal with that monster.
But not now.
I smiled brightly at Seo Ye-jin and said.
“You can go to room 2701.”
“yes?”
“You can stay there from today. Oh, you’ll have to do some cleaning.”
“Go, thank you.”
Although more than 800 new members had joined, there were still many empty rooms.
It was because I didn’t give them an empty room.
These were to go to the citizens who had done their utmost to earn the credit.
Seo Ye-jin deserved one of them.
“Then let’s go.”
“Yes, take a rest.”
After sending Seo Ye-jin away, I immediately activated construction mode.
‘Installation of solar power generator.’
[Time remaining until completion of solar power generation facility]
-23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds
Solar power plants were built in two newly joined buildings.
Since there was still 350 million won in subsidies remaining, both units could be built for free.
‘This is surprisingly effective.’
It felt that way even more because it was built using grant money.
Because anyway, it was money that could only be used for construction.
‘Let’s increase public facilities in the newly joined neighborhood.’
People were taking turns eating and using the bathroom in public facilities, and they were behaving well on their own.
However, two units on the 21st floor were not enough to accommodate the nearly 800 people.
‘I guess I have to announce some new things again.’
Fortunately, Kim Da-bin is quite capable, so I don’t think I need to worry too much about this part.
Kim Da-bin was also working enthusiastically because she was being paid a certain amount of salary.
Although Kim Da-bin was only paid 700,000 won a week, she was very satisfied with it for now.
In the current situation, it was money that could be earned by slaughtering a whopping 700 goblins. In the current situation where goblins were drying up around, its value was even more precious.
She’s earning more money than her younger brother, Kim Min-ho, so that says it all.
‘I think we need to increase the number of people working.’
Although he did not appeal to me directly, I have heard him appeal to me through the eyes of the Absolute many times that he was having a hard time.
It was a natural thing.
Because she was working alone for more than 16 hours out of the 24 hours that the public facility was in operation, and Kim Min-ho was watching over the remaining 8 hours.
It was practically abuse.
If there had been a company operating this way before the end of the world, it would have been reported long ago.
‘At least a three-shift system must be created. The same goes for newly built public facilities.’
There was a lot to do.
As I was busy with various things, the next day arrived in no time.
‘Shall we begin?’
It was hunting time.
***
The Hadonggun party was moving to Seomyeon Station via Jeonpo Station.
Although it was a basement where not a single ray of light came in, all eight of them were wearing headlamps, which brightly illuminated the path.
“Coming!”
-Kyaaaaah!
The subway tracks from Jeonpo Station to Seomyeon Station were occupied by human-sized bat monsters.
But they were no threat to the Ha Dong-geun party.
Wheaaaak! Phew!
It was also thanks to the fact that there weren’t that many of them, and the presence of Kim Ga-young, who accurately pierced their brains every time she appeared.
After a few battles, the bats disappeared altogether.
While quietly following the tracks, Yoo Hye-rin asked Kim Ga-young.
“Sister. But, that snake at Seomyeon Station that Jaehyun mentioned. Can we really hunt it by ourselves?”
“Wouldn’t it be okay? In case of an emergency, Jaehyun will summon us.”
“Oh, that’s right. I was worrying for nothing.”
They all knew about the summons that was coming.
Even when fighting the enemy, Yoo Hye-rin was able to survive thanks to the exquisite timing of her summons, so her faith in him was even stronger.
“You don’t have to worry too much.”
Everyone at the Hadonggun party had high trust in Kim Jaehyun.
I have faith that even if things go wrong, he will somehow find a way out.
It was when we finally arrived at Seomyeon Station after the long tunnel.
“hmm···.”
There was a tragedy unfolding there.
A subway train had completely derailed and flipped over, with bloodstains and bodies left everywhere.
There were also corpses that looked like they had been eaten by bats.
“Ugh.”
It was an environment that made me gag because of the stench that came with it.
Ha Dong-geon spoke while picking on such a group.
“Go to Line 1.”
I stepped on the fallen subway and entered the station.
It was just as miserable here.
There were corpses everywhere.
What was strange was that there wasn’t a single monster like a goblin or an orc.
Thanks to this, I was able to easily get to Line 1 by following the transfer area.
and.
“!!!”
Ha Dong-geon and his group, who had shone the light of the head lantern inside Line 1, were frozen in place.
This was because a monster of enormous size was looking at them from inside.
At that moment, when everyone was frozen in indescribable fear, Kang Deok-su shouted in fear.
“How can I fight something like that!”
And at that moment.
Kwaaaaang!
“Ugh!”
“Get down!”
An explosion that came out of nowhere shook the entire basement.
Beep――――Eeeee
A familiar sound was heard along with the tinnitus.
Tiring!
《Party Quest》
Quest Content: Finish off the Giant Snake.
Time limit: 10 minutes 00 seconds
Reward: A large amount of experience points.
Failure Penalty: None.
‘This is…? The ending?’
Hadong Geon slowly got up and looked at the place where the monster had just been.
There was a giant snake panting there.
‘Why are you doing that?’
When the smoke cleared, what was revealed was the horribly mangled body of a giant snake.
The internal organs were scattered in all directions, as if an explosion had occurred from within.
‘I don’t know what happened, but···.’
Anyway, it was an opportunity.
Hadong Geon lifted his spear and threw it with all his might at the head of the giant snake that was still breathing.
Phew!
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