Stagnant Water of Apocalypse
chapter-27

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-President Jang Wontaek is currently holding a National Security Council meeting. The opposition demanded that any kinds of information related to underground emergency bunkers be open to the public. This is Reporter Kim Ho-jong reporting.

The faces of the people attending the meeting were all heavy. The cause was, of course, the hobgoblin and goblin corpses. At this point, most of the citizens had also known about it thanks to the news program which showed all kinds of videos regarding them.

“They blurred it, huh?” On one particular news program, they blurred a sight of goblin corpses being dissected. And when the screen changed, the operation table was replaced by the sight of a white-haired man draped in a lab coat being interviewed by a reporter.

-Dr. Lee Hyung-tae, can you tell us what kind of creature this is?

-They are from a species which hasn’t been discovered on Earth.

The sample’s height and weight are 136cm and 37kg…

Doctor Lee Hyung-Tae proceeded to give a detailed explanation about the goblin. But all of it went over my head, as his words were too hard for me to understand. Thankfully, the reporter cut off the doctor’s explanation.

-Rumors circulating on the internet said that this monster is actually a goblin. And its appearance fits the description of goblins from many sources. What do you think about the matter?

-Until now, I thought it was nothing but a joke… but now that I have witnessed it with my own eyes, this creature is surely not something that originated from our planet, but a creature from another world. Therefore, we have to prepare.

-What kind of preparation are you talking about?

-Preparation for the end.

Those words come out from the white-haired doctor.

“It is only a matter of time before it becomes known to the world.” Of course, some people would think that it was nothing but a fabrication and propaganda made by Korea. But with evidence as clear as this, there would be no sane governments who dares to simply ignore it. Sooner or later, key figures from various countries would surely visit Korea to find out the truth.

“At this point, it’s getting dangerous for me too.” Things got too big. Unless the government were an idiot, they would surely figure out the situation. They would try to find the production team behind Survival Life. They would also search all over the Awakened community for an answer, leaving no stone unturned. Up until now, I had only been concerned about other people and their superpowers.

“But when the goblins popped out on the news, everything was revealed to the world.” Maybe, about me too.

“At this point…” Should I just expose everything? What would happen if I announced that I’m I Love Gimbap and that I have videos containing all the information about the incoming apocalypse?

A few days ago, except for some awakeners, no one else would really care if I did so. But now as goblins have appeared, what the awakeners claimed was becoming reality. Therefore, the government would definitely try to secure me first.

“And they would also be interested in the world beyond the portal.” They would surely ask me to bring evidence, samples and a lot of other things from there. And then what? Except for myself and animals, no one could enter the portal. At the end of the day, there’s no way to save other people with my portal.

What do they think the people would do once they know that the zombie apocalypse is unavoidable?

“Protests…riots…terrorism…” Only negative thoughts came to mind. The actual results won’t be much different from that, unfortunately. In the end, there was a high possibility that people would create a bloodshed just to stay by my side.

It would be great if everyone can just stay together. “But it’s very dangerous for more than 5 people to gather…”

So, the conclusion I came to was that spreading the video would undoubtedly put myself in danger. Anonymous tactics? With all kinds of false information circulating around the internet, it would not be surprising if people cursed at me instead of trusting me. And if I revealed that it was me, I Love Gimbap, who uploaded the strategy, the government would track me down like hungry hounds from hell.

My reluctance became bigger after remembering how Kwon found out where I was through my IP. And if it were the authorities, they would definitely be able to find me even faster than Kwon did.

“I can’t.” It was selfishness disguised as force majeure. But to ensure my own safety, there was nothing I could do. Let’s just do what I’ve been doing.

By the way, it was still questionable whether the government would be able to find the production team of Survival Life. Afterall, even though the situation had boiled up to this point, those guys still haven’t said a single word. It seems like they’re hiding something.

There were so many things I wanted to ask them, but since there’s not even a single news or rumour about their current location, there’s no way for me to ask. I hope they won’t ever be found, together with my private information.

I rubbed my eyes and searched the internet. It’s messed up there too, as always.

.

.

.

-Is it true that a hobgoblin appeared?

ㄴWell damn… it’s enormous…

ㄴJust who killed that one? Is it one of the four stagnant waters??

ㄴIf it’s one of the four, it should be that bastard.

ㄴBut didn’t the news say that the cause of death was a gunshot wound? Is there a reason for I Love Gimbap to use a gun?

ㄴThat’s right… he probably has a cheat-like unique ability, so there should be no reason for him to use a gun…

ㄴWasn’t there several people who said that they’re planning on hunting it? Where are they?

ㄴThey are probably arrested by the police and being investigated right now.

ㄴCrazy bastards LOLOLOL

ㄴOther than points, is there other kinds of rewards that you can get after killing a hobgoblin?

ㄴIf the level difference is large, there’s a chance that a skill would drop.

ㄴAh damn! I’m so envious of whoever killed it!

ㄴWe can’t even guess who killed it.

ㄴThat person may be reading this post right now.

“Yeah, I’m reading it.” I scoffed. I don’t think it’s still time to chat around while relaxing, now that the whole world knows about the apocalypse. Soon, the government will issue a search and seizure warrant for the server. Yet, these people were still busy discussing the recent goblin incident. Then, in one particular post, someone posted a translation of the reaction of a foreign community server.

―A green monster appeared in Korea… Hey guys. To what extent do you think this article is reliable?

ㄴThey say that the front page of a Korean newspaper today are all showing same picture. The TV over there had also been raging since morning. So the credibility should be guaranteed.

ㄴAre you kidding me? This is a goblin. The same one that shows up in games and novels. Did they really show up? In Korea?

ㄴDoes anyone know some Korean community server?

ㄴI’ve been looking for it, but I’m completely confused right now. The Korean government is silent as they seem to be taking measures on their own, and a lot of community servers are truly becoming a melting pot of chaos.

ㄴJesus. Is this picture real? I don’t know what happened. Can someone explain to me?

ㄴFriends, that’s what I heard…

It’s pretty chaotic there too. When Korea was buzzing with awakeners and superpowers, they regarded it as nothing but nonsense. However, when the news about the goblins finally appeared, the situation changed.

―I can’t believe it, but just now, our President tweeted that he has sent the Secretary of State and National Security Advisor to South Korea.

ㄴAre those two going to Korea now?

ㄴIt’s probably because of the green monster…

ㄴThat means the President know about it.

ㄴSo what’s the conclusion? Are gates gonna open soon and monsters will invade our land, like in novels or movies?

ㄴ It’s similar but incorrect. According to my Korean friends, a zombie apocalypse will soon come.

ㄴDid they got hit by 22 bullets in the back of their head? (Note: it’s probably a reference to the movie “22 Bullets” where the MC got shot 22 times, the joke here is that the MC didn’t die even after being shot so many times, making him similar to an undead, or in this case, zombie. Do tell me if I’m wrong about the reference by leaving a comment below.)

ㄴIt’s not a joke. Do you know about the Silver Dragon meteor that broke because of Jupiter’s gravitational field a while ago? It’s pouring down towards Earth.

ㄴEven at this moment, the fragments of that meteor are pouring down towards Earth.

ㄴThat meteor is different. Because it contains something that will turn us into zombies. I don’t know whether it was a virus, spore or bacteria… But what is certain is that most of us will become zombies.

ㄴWow. That’s cool.

ㄴThe time has come for my shotgun to show off its power.

ㄴSo, when will us survivalist’s turn comes? When exactly is the date of this ‘apocalypse’?

ㄴNo one knows about the exact time. Also, there’s no guarantee that you survivalists won’t also turn to zombies. To put it bluntly, nothing is certain yet.

ㄴWow, it’s sounds fantastic.

You think it’s fantastic, huh?

By the way, it’s really surprising. I thought they would be completely in the dark about the whole situation, but turns out, they knew quite a lot.

“Do they know about the corrosive disease?” I wanted to see more of those foreigners’ reactions, but I couldn’t do so as I had a lot of work to do. I have to buy seeds, and I also need to stock up several books, in case I get bored in the apocalyptic world, since when the apocalypse begins, the world will be turned back to the stone age, with no technology in sight.

The forest would be no different, since there would be no internet there, even if I have the technology such as a laptop or a phone.

I also had so many other things to buy such as medicines, various nutritional supplements, clothes, and blankets.

Moreover, I had to dig a moat around the cave to keep me and my supply safe!

“Shit.” My head hurts just by thinking about it. Digging a moat was such a pain, but it was a must, so I had no other option but to do it.

Meanwhile, the awakeners from Korea were still busy laughing and chattering in the community at the foreigners’ reaction. Afterall, it was their opportunity to laugh at them in reverse as they were saying that the goblins were nothing but fabrications created by the Koreans.

“I can’t do anything like that anymore…”

Then someone suddenly chimed in.

―It would be better for you guys to quickly delete all your comments. The government now knows about the goblins, which means they’ll know about the apocalypse and Survival Life too. Do you think they’ll leave this place unchecked? They will confiscate the server.

ㄴScrew them.

ㄴThere is no delete all options in this site…

ㄴWhat are the admins doing?

They only start erasing all their comments once someone warns them and reminds them about the government. I closed the community tab window and updated the list of things I needed and placed an order.

Then, as soon as I finished, my phone suddenly rang. When I checked the caller, it was Hyung-jun Hyung.

―Seongho, did you watch the news?

“I did, I was really surprised.”

-People are gathering at the gym right now, can you come?

“I can’t join your group, Hyung.”

-No, it’s not about that. Let’s just talk. You know… I’m just frustrated.

It seems that he’s frustrated because even though there are awakeners in his group, he doesn’t seem to know a lot of information about the incoming apocalypse, and even if he did, there’s no way to check whether the information is fake or not.

I got into the rented SUV parked in front of my store and went to the fitness centre.

When I went up to the 4th floor, unlike usual, the gym was silent with only sounds from the TV, echoing throughout the room. There’s also no people who are exercising as everyone is gathering in front of the TV.

Hyung-jun Hyung raised his arm and waved it as soon as he saw me walking in.

“You are here? Everybody knows who Seongho is, right? He’s the owner of the snack bar close by.”

“Oh. The person who delivered snacks here back then.”

“Hello, I’m Kim Bora.”

“Nice to meet you.”

I greeted the man who greeted me with my eyes while I gave my full name to the woman named Kim Bora. Mikyung, who’s sitting on an exercise machine, walked towards me and said,

“Ahjussi, did you come here after working out somewhere?”

“No, I was at home.”

“Your face is so thin.”

“Sorry?”

When I looked at my reflection on the full-length mirror at the gym, I was gobsmacked. Just when did I become like this?

Behind me, I could see Hyung-jun Hyung standing while giving an intense glare towards me.

“Seongho, are you really not working out anywhere? Take off your clothes.”

“Hey, Hyung-nim, why should I take my clothes off?”

“You don’t know today’s rules of the gym. If you are a beginner, you need to take off your shirt and get checked. Take it off quickly.”

“What kind of rules change every day?” I grumbled and quickly stripped. It was something unthinkable for me from a month ago because I was shy and didn’t want people to see my bare skin. However, after going through many hardships in the forest, I could feel the change in my body, so I was confident.

When I took off my shirt, Mikyung’s eyes went round.

“…”

“…”

Hyung-jun Hyung then looked around my body with a serious expression.

“Hey Seongho, did you get into a fight?”

“Sorry?”

Oops. All the wounds from rolling in the forest still remained on my body. Minor wounds such as bruises could be found in many places, while quite severe wounds such as cuts from where the bone creeper’s bones were embedded could be seen around my wrist. My body looks like a canvas for an abstract painting.

“It’s not from a fight. I fell a few times while running.”

“How did you fall while running at your age? And this one… it’s not a bruise, is it?”

Hyung-jun Hyung grabbed my arm and looked closer to the wound from the bone creeper’s explosion. It was really painful, but seeing that it hadn’t healed yet, my heart aches.

I coughed and turned around.

“It’s nothing. It’s a wound I got after falling down the stairs while carrying things. Don’t you know I have another staircase in my house?”

Will he believe the gruesome excuse that a young man rolled down the stairs while carrying things?

Fortunately, Hyung-jun Hyung didn’t dig that deep.

“You need to be careful.”

Then the screen on the TV changed. A spokesperson for the Blue House was standing behind a podium. It seems like he was about to give a public statement. (Note: Blue House is the equivalent of USA’s White House in South Korea)

“Manager, they are doing a press conference.”

When the man spoke, Hyung-jun Hyung ran to the TV.

I’m still standing in my place and putting my clothes back on. Mikyung approached me and whispered with a smirk.

“Ahjussi, you’re so cool.”

“What do you mean cool?”

“Your shoulders and arms look so strong. I was surprised at how wide it was.”

Yes, it’s as big as a pig.

I smiled at Mikyung and walked together to the TV. It seems that the government had reached a conclusion from the conference this morning. The spokesperson examined the manuscript hidden in the desk once more before opening his lips.

―I will tell you about the government’s stance on the current situation and guidance for the future. A group of monsters that appeared in Gaya Mountain National Park have been identified as a species of goblins. It is a lifeform that does not exist on Earth…

He started with a long winded intro full of basic things which was prepared for people who don’t know about goblins at all.

―…Based on the following facts, it is judged that it is necessary to find out to what extent the words of the awakened with supernatural powers are true.

-In response, the President delivered two instructions. First, we are going to find the trace of the Survival Life developer team. And second, we will listen to the opinions of those who might know the truth of this situation. For a prompt resolution of this situation, the cooperation and interest of the people and related organizations is desperately needed. That is all.

The spokesperson said and withdrew from the podium. He gave no time for questioning unlike usual, so the reporters were quite stunned. Sighs erupted from all over the press conference room.

Meanwhile, Hyung-jun Hyung, who was watching, said.

“It’s going crazy. Kyunghoon, aren’t you going to be arrested as well? You are an awakened.”

“No one can catch me.” The man in question shrugged his shoulders and laughed.

Then, the woman who identified herself as Kim Bora asked him.

“Then why didn’t you go to Mt. Gaya as well? They say that if you catch a goblin, you will get some items.”

“Ah, items? What nonsense. They only give points.”

They also give you item and skill, you stupid. It seems like this Kyunghoon guy is the one behind the misinformation at the gym. If he only searched the awakened community, he would be able to find the information. Just where did he hear about those stupid information?

Mikyung sat on the bench and shook her legs.

“The person who caught those goblins… his level must have risen, right?”

“Currently he should be at level 1 or level 2. Not too far to catch up. Trust me.”

“Yes…”

I’m sorry but… it’s level 6.

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