WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Editor: smol_anon

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 34: Episode 8 - Emergency Defence (2)

The appointed time arrived. I gathered with my companions on the Line 3 platform. Each of them was checking their weapons. It seemed that Lee Hyeonseong had handled things properly.

“I distributed everything as you requested, Dokja-ssi.”

Since our weapons were quite worn out, I had asked Hyeonseong to craft new ones. The materials came from the tier-8 underground species, the groll, which we had hunted during last night’s battle. The new swords and spears were made from the groll’s horns. They wouldn’t last long, but they would serve as temporary replacements.

Huiwon smiled in satisfaction.

“They’re much lighter and sturdier.”

“Ah... Dokja-ssi, Hyeonseong-ssi, thank you so much.”

Sangah bowed her head gratefully. Since blunt weapons couldn’t be made from groll horns, only Gilyeong was still wielding his ground rat weapon. I gently patted the top of Gilyeong’s head as he stared dejectedly at the ground. The kid looked so down...

“This won’t be easy. It could be even more dangerous than yesterday. Is everyone ready?”

My companions nodded heavily.

“Then, we proceed as planned.”

From this point on, it was a race against time. We had to act quickly before the ‘Landlord Coalition’ caught on to what we were doing. Jeong Huiwon, Yu Sangah, and Lee Gilyeong went off to handle their assigned tasks on different floors, while I started to climb the stairs with Lee Hyeonseong. He spoke up, his voice uncertain.

“Dokja-ssi, I’m not sure this will work.”

You shouldn’t say that when you’re the key to this operation. I replied in a deliberately firm tone.

“It has to work.”

But Hyeonseong still looked discouraged.

“It feels like the others are relying on me more than I expected. I don’t know if I can do this.”

“You’re someone worth relying on, Hyeonseong-ssi.”

“Thank you for saying that. Honestly, this is a first for me. Even when I was in the army, I never had anyone place this kind of trust in me.”

That was the first time I had heard such a thing. Come to think of it, I didn’t really know much about Hyeonseong’s military service. Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse had only touched on it briefly.

“When this is over, I’d like to hear more about your story, Hyeonseong-ssi.”

It was a casual comment, but Hyeonseong seemed more affected by it than I expected.

[The character Lee Hyeonseong is beginning to open up to you.]

[Your understanding of the character Lee Hyeonseong has significantly increased.]

“Sometimes when I talk to you, Dokja-ssi, I get a strange feeling.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“It feels like you’ve known me for a long time… I can’t really explain it…”

Hyeonseong scratched his cheek awkwardly, trailing off.

“Ah, I didn’t mean it in a weird way. I just...”

“I understand what you mean.”

“Thank you. Talking to you, I’m starting to get curious about your story, too.”

“My story?”

“Yes. I’ve never met anyone like you before, Dokja-ssi. I’d like to know what kind of things you did before all this started.”

I felt a bit strange. One of the ‘supporting characters’ from a novel I used to read was now getting curious about my past. It was both unsettling and oddly touching.

“It’s not a very interesting story.”

“I still want to hear it.”

A thought crossed my mind. Had ‘Lee Hyeonseong’ been living in the same world as me before Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse became reality, or was he a character who only ‘appeared’ when the novel became reality? There was no way to know. What was certain was that, regardless of his origin, Hyeonseong was now a ‘living person,’ standing right in front of me.

It was then that a group of middle-aged men approached us from the front.

“Oh, Yu Junghyeok’s friend. Have you come to negotiate?”

They were here—the Landlord Coalition.

“Hm, but it’s just the two of you? Where are the others?”

The middle-aged man had a woman by the collar, one of the members who had been occupying the five-slot Green Zone until yesterday. Noticing my gaze, the man chuckled.

“Oh, this one didn’t want to sell her land… You don’t need to worry about her.”

“S-save me, please! Save me!”

The woman looked at me with pleading eyes. In my mind, constellations of the ‘Absolute Good’ faction began to stir restlessly. But I waited. After all, there was someone else who needed to step forward in this situation.

“Let her go.”

It was Hyeonseong.

“And who are you?”

The middle-aged man sneered, but Hyeonseong glanced at me, as if seeking permission. I gave him a nod.

[The character Lee Hyeonseong wants to act on his own sense of justice.]

[The attribute of the character Lee Hyeonseong is on the verge of evolving.]

The coalition members drew their weapons, exuding a menacing aura. I checked my watch. It was time to begin. I used my extra coins to boost my stats.

[You have invested 1,200 coins into Vitality.’]

[Vitality Lv.15 → Vitality Lv.18]

[Vitality level has increased!]

[You have invested 1,200 coins into ‘Strength.’]

[Strength Lv.15 → Strength Lv.18]

[Strength level has increased!]

At this moment, I needed to get the maximum efficiency with minimal investment.

[Coin balance: 20,450C]

The remaining coins were for something else I needed.

Boom!

A series of small explosions echoed throughout the subway. More noises followed, growing louder. It was a signal from my companions.

“Hyeonseong-ssi!”

Hyeonseong nodded. We charged at the men standing at the front. Startled coalition members shouted.

“What the hell, these bastards!”

[The exclusive skill White Flash Qi has been activated!]

“Gaaah!”

The arm of the middle-aged man holding the woman’s collar was severed, blood gushing out like a fountain. The sight of the spraying blood momentarily froze the coalition members. Ignoring them, Hyeonseong and I kept running. By the time they snapped out of it, they were chasing after us.

“Those crazy bastards! Stop them!”

The hallway on the second basement level. It led directly to Gong Pildu’s ‘Private Property.’

[You have trespassed into private property!]

“Surround them!”

The Landlord Coalition members stationed ahead spotted us. Some of them were missing, so there were fewer than I had anticipated. Twenty behind us, twelve in front. Still, too many for just the two of us to handle. Not that we planned to handle them all.

Just as we were about to clash with the coalition members in the lead, Lee Hyeonseong charged forward, raising his iron shield.

[The character Lee Hyeonseong uses the stigma Great Mountain Push Lv.1!]

“Uwaaaah!”

With incredible strength, Hyeonseong barreled forward, knocking down the men like a line of dominoes.

[The character Gong Pildu activates the stigma Armed Zone Lv.4!]

Turrets began to rise from various spots within the Private Property, charging with red magical energy. There were five mini-turrets in total. It seemed like Gong Pildu had leveled up his Armed Zone again.

“Dokja-ssi!”

I pushed past Hyeonseong and grabbed his iron shield. The sturdy shield settled in my grip, but the next moment, I felt a heavy impact.

Bang! Boom! Bang!

It was like getting hit by cannonballs. My arm ached from holding the shield. As expected, the Level 19 mana of Armed Zone was powerful. But this time, I could withstand it.

[The item Unbreakable Faith boosts your Constitution beyond Lv.20.]

[A higher degree of endurance protects your body.]

“A presumptuous tenant has arrived.”

Pildu’s indifferent voice echoed from behind the shield.

With the suppressive fire from the turrets pinning us down, the coalition members started to relax, regaining their composure. The shield’s durability was diminishing rapidly. At this rate, it could only withstand about a dozen more hits.

Pildu’s voice, laced with amusement, echoed again.

“Considering you came armed, I doubt you’re here to pay rent. What’s your business?”

“I’m done being a tenant.”

“Interesting. So, you want my land?”

“Well, it’s more like…”

[The character Gong Pildu’s skill Private Property decreases the stats of intruders.]

…It’s begun. What made Gong Pildu’s abilities truly dangerous was this. The debuff from [Private Property] combined with the special defensive effects of [Armed Zone]. The red-tinted barrels of the turrets began to charge with even more concentrated magical energy.

[The character Gong Pildu’s skill Mini Turret prepares to fire enhanced mana shells.]

As long as the combo of [Private Property] and [Armed Zone] was intact, almost no incarnations could face Gong Pildu in the early game.

“Die.”

Just as the enhanced shells were about to fire, distant screams echoed through the space. Injured Landlord Coalition members were running toward us in a panic, bleeding from fresh cuts.

“P-Pildu-ssi! The ground is…!”

The marks of sharp, curved blades were visible on their bodies. Lee Jihye had made her move.

Now was the time. I glanced at Hyeonseong.

“Hyeonseong-ssi, now.”

Hyeonseong’s eyes were shaking.

“Show them what hell looks like.”

As if he’d been waiting for this, Hyeonseong raised his fist high. His eyes held a mix of anxiety and determination, but there was a resolute expression that said he wouldn’t back down.

[The character Lee Hyeongseong is awakening his attribute.]

A radiant glow enveloped Hyeonseong’s body, and a silver aura began to swirl around him.

I watched the scene unfold with a sense of awe. Lee Hyeonseong’s attribute evolution was one of my favorite moments in Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse. The reason why the Iron Armored General ‘Lee Hyeonseong’ was one of the strongest supporting characters was—

[A new stigma has been unlocked due to attribute’s awakening.]

When it came to delivering a ‘single blow,’ Hyeonseong was among the strongest in Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse.

[The character Lee Hyeonseong has activated the stigma Great Mountain Crush Lv.1!]

White energy gathered around Lee Hyeonseong’s fist, his arm expanding to an unnatural size, far beyond what seemed possible.

“Haaaaaaah!”

Hyeonseong’s fist crashed down onto the ground. A deafening roar swept through the area, and the shattered floor exploded upwards. The coalition members screamed in panic.

“Wh-What the hell?!”

Cracks spread rapidly across the ground, twisting the turret’s placements. Misfired shells exploded in the wrong spots, and a cloud of dust swallowed everything. Moments later, the entire second basement level began to collapse with a massive rumble.

[The Green Zone has been destroyed.]

[The character Gong Pildu’s Private Property has been destroyed.]

Watching the floor crumble, I grinned at the pale-faced Pildu.

“Let’s go back to a time when you didn’t have any land, shall we?”

Footnotes:

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