When I crossed the blue portal, what stretched before me was a vast land covered in white snow. Dozens of big strange rocks rose to the sky, and at the end of it, a hat-like fog covered the tip.
âThis is Zhangjiajie, huh?â
We, stagnant waters, called this place like that because the topography was similar to the real Zhangjiajie. Here, as long as we were careful of flying monsters, there would be danger. Scratch that, the cold was dangerous. Compared to the forest where my shelter is, it was much colder here.
Isnât winter over yet?
At that moment, Yeowoolâs head pierced through the portal. It seems she couldnât overcome her curiosity.
âWow, where is this ahjussi?â
âI donât know either.â
Yeowool took a long breath and shook her head. âItâs very cold here⊠By the way, what are we supposed to do here?â
âI donât know about that either.â
Actually, I know very well about this place and what we should do here. But, I couldnât just say it.
At that moment,
Kaaahkk-!!
Through the mist, we could hear the sound of something wailing.
Yeowoolâs face hardened as she took in a deep breath. âDi-did you hear that, ahjussi? What is that?â
âIt seems that there are monsters flying in the sky.â
âWoah, isnât that dangerous?â
âNot really. You have to overcome at least this much if you want to eat meat.â Not only meat, various resources could also be obtained. âIâve heard from people before and they said that this door can only be used once.â
âAre you saying that once we go in and leave, we canât go back in again?â
âYeah, at least until the next portal opens. They say once it opens, it lasts for 3 or 4 days. Can you ask the others whether they want to come in or not?â
âWait. Oh, can I really do so?â
âIt will be okay since your body isnât fully inside yet.â
Nodding at my words, Yeowool exited the portal. After a while, Yeowool showed her face again. âThey said, even if itâs a little risky, they want to try it.â
âOkay. Tell them all to come in then.â Even if we leave the island unattended, there wonât be any problems since all FRP boats on the surrounding coast have already been collected by us. So there wonât be any intruders suddenly barging in.
Soon the children came in with two large backpacks.
âOh, itâs cold!â
âItâs totally winter here!â
Unlike the three who trembled, Jiman got used to it surprisingly well. After all, it would be like a daily routine for him.
âThis is⊠griffon dungeon.â
âWhen you say griffon, you mean that winged monster, right?â
âYes. Itâs insanely dangerous. Despite that, there is so much to farm from them.â
âThis is going to be my first time seeing a flying monster, so I donât know what it will be likeâŠâ
âArenât they just going to attack us from above?â
Thatâs right. However, it would be difficult to detect them in advance since there was heavy fog at the end of the peak.
âCalm down, what weâre going to do first is build a base camp. We have to build it in a place where we can see the portal, okay?â I gathered the kids who ran around curiously.
âThe portal disappears after three or four days, so you have to get out before that.â Poor Man, who acted as the knowledgeable one instead of me, chimed in.
Yeowool asked, tilting her head. âWhat if I canât go out and the portal closes?â
âWell, youâll be stuck here. At least until the next portal opens in this area.â But since thereâs a way to fix the Farming Dungeon, you donât really have to stay for that long. At most for 1 or 2 months.
In Rapwiâs case, he used to deliberately go in and stay alone for several months. But since it is no longer a game, no one in their right mind would ever do that.
After that, we moved around the area and looked for a good place to use as a base camp. The ground was wet so it was difficult to even set up the tent. I wish there was a cave. Shortly thereafter, a suitable place could bee seen on one side of the cliff.
âI think itâs about 7 meters deep. It should be okay, right?â
âItâs perfect because the floor is dry.â
Most importantly, the ceiling was blocked, so attacks from the griffon could be prevented. There were also a few portals we could see from this place. We pitched a tent there and laid out thin mattresses on the ground.
âScrap the branches around you and make a fire with it.â
âOkay.â
Once the fire was lit, everyone sat around it. Itâs like camping.
âIt would be perfect if we have meat to grill.â
âIf you want to get meat, you have to hunt.â
âSince Jiman hyung is here, all we have to do is find the animals, right? Brother, what is the range of your unique skill?â
âHuh? I havenât been able to confirm that.â
âLetâs go check it out together later.â
âOkay.â
They made plans to hunt amongst themselves and become quite noisy even though I told them to be quiet. Jiman looked at me and I nodded. There are times when you guys have to move by yourself. I canât always support you.
The three men were in good spirits and decided to go hunting, and Yeowool and I decided to stay at the base camp. It seems like because they were boys, they have a strong sense of adventure.
I took the potatoes from the shelter which I put in my backpack beforehand and put them on the fire.
âEat this before you guys go and take a good look around. If you meet anyone, come back and let me know.â
âIs there anyone other than us here?â
âBecause the portal appears in random locations⊠the famous Rabbit Pwincess might be here.â
âI really want to meet that personâŠâ
âA few days ago, Cheol-jun hyung told me that he is now in Jinju.â
I know that heâs there too. I donât know what the hell he was doing there, though. I keep telling myself to go there to meet him, but why does it always get postponed I wonder? After the Farming Dungeon event is over, I should leave the island to the kids and go to Jinju.
After a few minutes passed, the potatoes were finally baked, and I served them with a bit of sugar on top of it.
Yeowool looked at me shyly. âAhjussi, you are really amazing.â
âWhat do you mean?â
âWhere did you get potatoes like this? We stayed in Masan, but we didnât even get to see it.â Thatâs because it was grown in the shelterâŠ
However, what I used as an excuse was: âI planted this in the village where Jiman was staying. Thatâs all.â
âUgh.â
âCome on, donât nag anymore and eat two each.â
âIâm not nagging!â At that moment, a cry of an animal was heard from somewhere.
woo woo woo-
Everyone was startled by the unknown vague sound of something which was probably a wolf or some other animal. But moments later, they shrugged their shoulders as they saw Jiman.
âIt should be okay since Jiman hyung is here.â
âBut it might not be too big an animal. I confirmed that it could even be an elk.â Jiman said. However, the problem is, the wolves here are much bigger than an elk.
I warned the kids not to rush and explore carefully. The three of them ate the potatoes in an instant, then packed their clothes and left. Meanwhile, Yeowool and I cleaned up and unpacked our luggage. In fact, there were more things to do at camp compared to exploring.
âYeowool, letâs make some wooden spears.â
âHow can we make it, ahjussi?â
âYou can follow me. First letâs cut this tree.â
I cut down two trees with the stone ax that Jiman made. A popping sound echoed through the valley. Soon after, the tree fell and I pruned it with a long knife and brought it to camp. Then,
I handed the mithril knife to Yeowool.
âYou hold the tree tightly with your hands and cut it into a spear shape with a knife. Itâs sharp, so be careful.â
After trying a few times, Yeowool finally got the hang of it.
âIs it really this easy to cut a tree?â
âNo. Itâs because you are using a mithril knife.â
âHow much does this knife cost in the store?â
â150 points.â
âEh? If you catch one zombie, you get two points.â
âIt was originally 100 points in the game. But the price has increased.â
âAnnoying. Who increased it?â
âIf I knew that, I wouldnât be doing this. I would instead be looking for themâŠâ
We sharpened the wood and put it in a fire to burn the surface.
âBe careful, if you burn it too much, it will get weaker. We only need to burn the outside a little.â
âLike grilling seaweed?â
âYes, like that.â
After that, a few wooden spears were thus completed. The next thing we would need were pickaxes. After all, thereâs a chance that we might stumble upon a piece of land containing glowstone or ignition stone.
Even though the hard work, such as bringing stones and cutting down trees and fixing them, continued, Yeowool did not complain. I felt sorry to see those tiny hands of hers labor through such hard work, but I had no intention of helping. I already taught her how to do it, so now she has to do it herself.
While Yeowool sprawled on the ground when we finished, I put the pickaxe down and looked around the area. The environment was damp but itâs still fine as a good amount of water was flowing through the area. We also have plenty of food, so now we need to get resources and preserves.
It would be great if I could catch a wild boar. But are there wild boars here too?
At that thought, I became frustrated and regretted that I didnât go on a reconnaissance. But since it was also important to protect the base camp, there was nothing I could do about it. At that moment, I looked up. And, above that mist, griffons were flying⊠If we could go to its nest, we could get our hands on their eggs and cubs, but that was nigh to impossible for the current us. Climbing up the strange rock formation was similar to rock climbing. Except, there were no safeguards in this situation.
With that in mind, I turned around and a bighorn goat came through the bushes. It didnât come any closer and only looked at me.
âYeowool, can you bring me a bow?â Iâm talking about the 100 pound hunting bow in the cave. She carefully took the bow and some arrows and handed it to me and me. Then, she hid behind my back and stared at the goat.
âWow⊠itâs so big⊠But why does it have a âbig horned goatâ on it?â
âShh, lower your voice.â
Yeowool put her head on my back and nodded. Itâs ticklish. I placed the arrows on the string and aimed at it. Shooting in the head was stupid because of its horn so I had to target the main organs. If an arrow hits the heart or lungs, it would fall within a minute. But that is if I am lucky. The common sense to hunt a game was to chase it while making it bleed.
When I was about to let go of the bowstring, I was startled by the sudden sound of the wind around me.
Whoosh-!!
The wind blew fiercely, it was as if a typhoon suddenly occurred.
I turned around, hugged Yeowool and lowered my posture.
âAhjussi!â
âShh, something is coming!â
Before long, a large silhouette fell through the mist. From its majestic figure, I could easily know what it was; Griffon. A monster with the head of an eagle and the body of a four-legged carnivore. It snatched the goat with its forelimbs. It was so massive; the size was similar to the goat. The goat, unable to resist, was pulled up and disappeared above the fog. All that was left was the leaves shuddering because of the gusts of wind it left behind.
ââŠis that a griffon?â
âIt seems so.â In my old days, I used to catch a griffon with just a net and an Emeras spear. Of course, at that time, my status window was filled with tier 1 skills, thatâs why it was possible. Even though the basic stats were limited to about 17, but if you receive boosts and get the correct skill, it will approach 30. At that point, the movements that could only be done by superhumans in movies becomes possible.
Anyway, Yeowool quickly hid in the tent because she was terrified by the griffon. Then, not long after, the three boys who went on an expedition came back in a hurry. I thought it was because of the griffon, but I was wrong.
âHyung, there are zombies here.â
âZombies?â
Itâs not a place where zombies would appear, though?
Unlike other monsters, zombies only respawn when thereâs a human to be infected.
Did humans like us ever live here?
âThere are a lot of them. But they didnât attack us for some reason.â
Jiman added that the attire was pretty neat for a zombie.
A zombie with a neat outfit⊠Somehow, it reminds me of someone
âJiman and Doyoung stay here, Junho, lead me there.â
âYep. I will go slowly.â
âYou can run at your usual speed.â
âYou wonât be able to follow me. You know my unique skill donât you, hyung?â
âYou talk too much. Just run.â
When I urged him, he started sprinting. I did not have Terrain Mastery skill, but since my overall stats were quite high, it was not difficult to chase after him.
Junho, who looked back, muttered with an incredulous expression. âWow, really. How do you run so well, hyung?â
âI think itâs because I lost a lot of weight.â
âHyung, when I see you, you have a perfect body type. Your shoulders are also wide.â
âI used to be a pig.â
âReally? WowâŠ.â
Well, even if itâs not a pig, I canât say that I was slim before the apocalypse.
Anyway, we approached the terrain where they found the zombies. A large tree had fallen by the lake, and it was so big to the point it could accommodate 2 tents on top of it.
Junho said excitedly. âThere it is hyung. There are zombies around that woman.â
What a coincidence⊠It seems like my hunch was right. Those zombies were Dajeongâs subordinate zombies. She was sitting on a zombie chair and staring at the lake.
Did tents in the trees belong to the gym members?
It was very strange to share a Farming Dungeon like this. I tapped Junho on the shoulder and approached Dajeong. At my action, the zombies started to move, but they stood still again at Dajeongâs command.
âWho are you and why are you approaching me so proudly?â Dajeong said as she leisurely turned around. âWhat? Look whoâs hereâŠâ
âOf course, itâs me.â
Dajeong looked at me. Then she stood up and ran towards me.
I suddenly want to run away.
.
.
.
âWelcome!â
âHaha, nice to meet you. My name is Jang Wontaek.â
People flocked to the government base camp. According to the reconnaissance done by the government people, dozens of people had entered the valley. Users who had played the original game were surprised that it was the first time the Farming Dungeon was so crowded.
âOriginally, Farming Dungeons are like, you go in in a small group, and you just farm and come out. Itâs not as crowded as this.â
âThatâs right⊠and itâs good because there are no zombies.â
âThe president is very popular.â
âIsnât this the first time weâve seen each other since the apocalypse? The presentation on TV worked great.â
âA president who fulfills his duty to the end⊠isnât that wonderful?â
âWell, thatâs why I came here in the first placeâŠâ
People scattered behind Geom-in who sat on the plastic chair. Everyone flocked to check out the government group. After all, the government base camp was the biggest force in this farming dungeon.
âI donât like it.â
Geom-in clicked his tongue. His plan had been ruined yet again. He originally wanted to bring some talented people who rarely opened their hearts to him into the farming dungeon and form networks with them as well as the other users. But with President Jang Wontaek here, his presence became fainter.
Moreover, the first location of the farming dungeon was gryphon habitat. Dozens of people came in, but Geom-in guessed that the actual count would be at least 100 people. And currently, there were only 30 people in the government base camp.
âDuck Buttock is also here!â
When someone shouted loudly, peopleâs attention quickly shifted. They instantly tried to pinpoint where she was.
âSheâs near the lake.â
âHow many people are with her?â
âThere wonât be that many. If the president decides to go there, we will follow.â
âYou speak very well.â
âBecause of the zombies, outsiders canât even get close to her. I wonder if that will happen if we go there.â
âWould you like to visit?â
âIâm busy meeting people right nowâŠâ
Thatâs funny. Geom-in laughed at them. Among them, there must be people who had fought with each other at the auction house. Thatâs why, even though everyone had greeted each other, the atmosphere was still awkward.
On the other hand, Jang Wontaek was more interested in the other Stagnant waters, including Duck Buttock.
âIf sheâs in the lake⊠Iâll have to go meet her. Has anyone seen I Love Gimbap?â
He shouted loudly, but everyone shook their heads.
âNo one knows who he is.â
âIf you look at the rankings, he must be hiding somewhere.â
âThat bastard.â Someone joked, but no one laughed at his words. This place was not an anonymous auction house, it was reality. They understood that talking like that here would be risky for their lives.
Who can guarantee that thereâs no I Love Gimbap amongst the crowded people here?
âIf I Love Gimbap is here, you will be the first to die.â
âI-itâs not something I made up. Thatâs what people called him.â
âDonât you know that because people cursed at him so much, he even made a statement by using it as his nickname on the ranking?â
âEveryone swore at I Love Gimbap at the auction house, right? Is there anyone who hasnât?â
âI didnât.â
âMe neither.â
âHow come you didnât curse at all? So, are the people who cursed at the auction house somewhere else?â
Geom-in felt tired of their chattering. He sighed and stood up.
âLetâs just do what we should do here.â When he spoke, peopleâs eyes turned to him. Even though things had gone against his original plan, it was also an opportunity. If he proves his leadership here, many people would naturally follow him.
Geom-in said in a confident voice. âI am looking for people who are going to catch the griffon. Iâll take first nine people with me.â