Chapter : 12
Survival Mission (5)
The people who had survived this far didn’t need long explanations.
The persuasion was already enough.
They stayed silent in agreement, and Park Chang-hoon moved on to the next step.
“We’ll divide into 8 groups.”
He selected four top-ranked members and four additional strong players, then split everyone into eight teams.
After that, he ordered them to rotate and eliminate zombies in the outer areas, excluding the supply point zones.
“The rest will train in the safe zone.”
The training instructors were Rainer and Dan-yoon.
Rainer handled physical training and strength building, while Dan-yoon led combat training.
It felt strange.
All he had ever done before was fight games with his fingers on a monitor, yet now he was a combat instructor.
But in this place, the one who had hunted the most mutated zombies was Dan-yoon, and the one with the most real combat experience was also him.
“As you know, I’ve only fought since being summoned here. So I don’t have much to teach. My training method is simple: focus on defeating the opponent in front of you.”
Endless repetition of combat.
That was enough, in Dan-yoon’s judgment.
The results were excellent.
Although there were some casualties, the survivors were steadily growing stronger.
At first, they struggled even against a single zombie, but now they could handle two or three at once.
Even sparring between survivors had become intense and high-level.
A strange sense of unity had formed between them as a bonus.
After a week, all survivors had reached Physical Enhancement Level 2, and all zones except the final one had been cleared of zombies.
“222 people…”
“That’s a meaningful number.”
“Yeah… it feels like we should say it twice.”
Dan-yoon smiled faintly.
It reminded him of a former pro gamer he had known—someone always stuck in second place, almost like the “number 2 symbol” in the scene.
“Are we really going to clear this final supply point?”
“Are you scared?”
“It just feels ominous. They made it so obviously red on the map.”
“Someone might die. But we have to do it—and quickly.”
“True. 222 people already… it’s funny to hesitate now.”
At that moment, Dan-yoon’s door suddenly opened.
“Oppa Dan-yoon, can I—”
It was Bae Ji-hyun.
She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Park Chang-hoon.
“Why does everyone keep coming into my room…”
“I came to ask for a spar with you.”
“Today isn’t training for that group. Didn’t you just return? Tomorrow we attack the final supply point. Save your stamina.”
“I leveled up my archery skill during the last mission. I want to test it in PvP, and you’re the only one I can safely shoot at.”
“Ji-hyun. Stop bothering Dan-yoon and go rest.”
“It’s fine. Taking a few arrows isn’t a big deal.”
“…It’s not supposed to be a target…”
“Let’s go.”
Dan-yoon stood up from his sleeping bag.
It wasn’t a bad idea.
Her arrows were sharp, and it would help maintain his combat instincts.
She was one of the few survivors whose attacks could actually threaten him.
They moved to the center of the field.
The rules were simple:
Dan-yoon starts from one end, Ji-hyun from the other.
If he reaches her, he wins.
If even one arrow hits him, she wins.
A faint tension filled the air.
Ji-hyun smirked as she drew her bow.
“One arrow to rule the world.”
“You’re getting too into your role.”
“You’re so mean.”
Dan-yoon didn’t respond.
He launched forward.
As soon as he entered her range, a powerful arrow shot toward him.
It felt like wind itself wrapped around the arrow as it flew.
Instead of blocking it, Dan-yoon twisted his body sharply to the side.
The distance closed instantly.
Then three Mana Arrows formed on Ji-hyun’s bowstring.
Archery Lv.2 — simultaneous triple shot.
Dan-yoon slowed slightly, preparing to evade or block.
Whoosh!
The arrows flew.
“…Hm?”
But something was different.
Previously, she aimed one arrow at his chest and two along predictable paths.
This time, all three arrows scattered in completely different directions.
As if she wasn’t even trying to hit him.
Ji-hyun already prepared her next shot immediately.
Dan-yoon stopped and raised his sword.
At that moment, the seemingly missed arrows curved mid-air and shot back toward him.
Clang! Clang-clang!
Clang-clang-clang!
Instead of closing in, Dan-yoon deflected the incoming arrows one after another.
Arrows changing direction mid-air.
Even in a game-like world, an unpredictable arrow like that could easily kill someone who wasn’t careful.
Ji-hyun had a large mana pool.
This would not end in a normal exchange.
Dan-yoon caught one arrow with his hand while grabbing a Zombie Lancer spear with the other.
Then he threw it.
Whoosh!
The spear flew straight and struck Ji-hyun’s bow precisely, forcing her aim off and knocking the weapon backward.
It was the effect of his newly obtained Spear Throw Lv.3 (Passive) skill.
This was his first time using it in sparring.
“Ow!”
Dan-yoon quickly moved and tapped her head, signaling the end.
Ji-hyun rubbed her hand and looked up.
“You lost. So? How was it?”
“Nice. Is that a full auto-tracking skill?”
“Not that extreme. It can change direction once within a fixed angle.”
“If your archery level increases, it might become a fully guided arrow. Impressive.”
Ji-hyun blushed slightly at the unexpected praise.
They cleaned up and walked back.
“Oppa.”
“Yes.”
“When will you start speaking casually with me?”
“When it feels natural.”
“Hmph. You keep your distance.”
Dan-yoon glanced at her.
She didn’t seem very social, yet she was unusually friendly toward him.
Probably someone drawn to strength.
Not necessarily a bad trait.
Building rapport with her was beneficial.
She was one of the fastest-growing among the four top players in this zone.
So he decided to maintain a good relationship.
He listened as she talked, occasionally asking questions.
“You said you have a younger sister.”
“Yes. I need to find her.”
Everyone had their own painful story.
Years ago, there had been a major scandal involving her father—a sports star involved in corruption and misconduct.
He went to prison.
Her mother divorced him and left overseas, leaving the two sisters behind with relatives.
Family was complicated for her, but her sister was likely the only family she truly had left.
“Don’t look at me like that. Everyone has their own situation. Chang-hoon oppa and Rainer are the same. They want to find their families too.”
“Most people probably do.”
“Do you have family, Dan-yoon oppa? And is your surname Dan? Or is Dan your given name?”
“I do have family. I just haven’t contacted them in a while. And yes, my surname is Dan.”
“There really is a Dan family?”
“Yes. I’m from the Yeonan Dan clan. Descendant of Dan Yuin.”
“….”
“Why?”
“You just know that much detail…”
Dan-yoon smirked slightly.
Even he thought he talked too much sometimes.
“See you tomorrow.”
“Yes! Rest well!”
Ji-hyun smiled brightly and waved.
The day of the final battle arrived.
Day 9 of the mission. 21 days remaining.
If they cleared this stage early, they could achieve at least a B rank, possibly even A rank depending on difficulty.
The survivors of Zone 36-E lined up in front of the final supply point.
Zombies wandering outside had almost completely disappeared.
Only a few remained occasionally.
Dan-yoon redistributed antidotes for the final battle, ensuring each person had at least one.
Frontline squad leaders received at least two each, in preparation for a long fight.
Everything was ready.
They stood before the entrance.
The final supply point was a massive warehouse.
From the outside, it had no windows, only a large double iron door—completely sealed.
A chilling atmosphere filled the space.
Even with over 200 people gathered, not a single sound of breathing could be heard.
Dan-yoon broke the silence.
“There is one enemy detected.”
A sigh came from somewhere.
Park Chang-hoon approached.
“Do you think it’ll be easier than expected?”
“I don’t know. But one enemy usually means something far more dangerous.”
Someone would definitely get hurt—or die.
“Shall we go in?”
Dan-yoon grabbed the iron door handle.
At that moment, a system message appeared.
[WARNING!]
A short, simple message.
Dan-yoon instinctively pulled his hand back.
“Did everyone see that?”
“Yes…”
They weren’t the only ones seeing it.
A gaze from above could be felt.
[Constellation Master Stella is showing interest in Zone 36-E.]
This was the first warning signal.
It meant a different level of difficulty was coming.
“Let’s think for a moment.”
Dan-yoon stepped back from the door.
Something felt off.
Not purely ominous—but dangerous enough to be careful.
An event even the Star Master was watching.
“Hey, Master. Are we supposed to go in?”
[Stella urges you to enter quickly.]
“So she’s just watching without stopping her own players…”
[Stella sends a message: “You are the third.”]
“Third?”
At that moment, another system notification appeared.
[Exclusive Skill ‘Gambler (Passive)’ activated.]
“You’re really pushing this.”
Dan-yoon dismissed the message.
Someone had already cleared it.
This was possible.
An S-rank event.
A situation even Stella was interested in.
A high-risk, high-reward scenario.
‘Well… I chose this path anyway.’
Dan-yoon turned around.
“I’ve changed my mind a little.”
