NOVEL NEXT chapter 3
3 – Ascended to 1st place in the rankings
“Messenger!”
Pop-!
“Oh, surprised!
The smartphone suddenly lit up, and it startled me. hehehehe.”
Looking at the simple UI of the messenger window.
“Oh? Wow! This is! ··· Only one bulletin board is activated.”
Touched the bulletin board for now.
Bulletin Board (0)
“Hmm… No one has posted anything yet.”
With a nervous heart, I clicked on “Write New Post.”
– Creating a new post incurs a cost of 5 points.
– Do you want to proceed? Y/N
“hahahahaha, the host is here! Right on time.”
Who spends 5 points just to write a post? Is this madness?
“Yeah, I’m doing it.”
Hmm, what should I write for the title? Something calm, slightly provocative, witty, and future-oriented…
Title: I’m the First Place
Author: Fluffball
Views: 0
Body: Achieved first place for the first time. Unstoppable even if I die. hehehe.
“Ah, satisfying writing.”
Then, I pressed submit.
“Huh? What’s the view count status?”
I saw the view count rapidly rising in real-time, surpassing 100 million in an instant, then crossing 1 billion shortly after, and eventually exceeding 5 billion.
“Ah, this is why people become addicted, feeling the excitement from down below, huh? hehehe…”
There must be an overwhelming number of comments, right? Huff, huff…
Comments (0)
“Hmm?”
The views have surpassed 5 billion, yet there are no comments. What on earth is going on here!
Touch to write a comment.
– Would you like to write a comment? Y/N (Cost: 1P)
“Huh… you even get paid for commenting? These guys are even worse than 3N.”
Comment: 1st place ^^
Phew… can’t miss out on being the top commenter.
＜01:31:01＞
It’s been 30 minutes just watching the views go up.
“It was kinda fun, wasn’t it?”
Thinking of provoking some attention, I bought some tissue.
– 3P
Available points: 784,229
Let’s go big this time.
– Bam!
After taking care of some business, I turned on my observer ability to look at the other shelter guys, but as expected, the distance must be the reason why I couldn’t see any numbers.
“I need to get closer to see… but can’t go outside here, can I?”
I gently placed my hand on the shelter wall and felt the smooth glass surface.
– Thud!
– Bang!
Even if I hit it hard, I didn’t feel like it would break.
But what time is it now?
“Current time”
···
“Why don’t you tell me the time? It’s really frustrating.”
– Rustle rustle –
As I absentmindedly nibbled on the remaining chicken leg, I gazed at the floating gray flame and before I knew it.
＜03:26＞
“There’s not much time left…”
Still, after trying it twice, I felt a bit less nervous.
“Status Window”
Eun Gyeon (Lv.1) (1)
Health: 27
Mana: 147
Strength: 18
Agility: 16
Trait: Observer
“The number next to the level seems to indicate the stage clear level… Fortunately, my health has been restored. I wonder what’s good about leveling up?”
Durability 500/500
Durability check is also okay.
＜00:00＞
– Wheeek!
“Ah… Are you guys tired too?”
It felt like watching a working professional struggling to commute to work on a Monday.
“But what’s with those protective shields all over your bodies?”
– Tingtigtigtigtig-!
White spheres fired bullets that bounced off the protective shield draped around the zombie’s necks, gradually puncturing the shelter.
“Ugh! What are you doing! My love house!”
Durability: 487/500
“Ugh, Wilson’s attacks are strong, aren’t they? At this rate, my durability will be ruined! I should’ve known better and upgraded everything.”
If I were a returnee, I wouldn’t make such a mistake!
– Thumpthumpthumpthumpthump!
That’s when the gray sphere’s bullets began to rattle the front guy’s shield. After taking about ten hits from the gray spheres, the shield grew thinner, revealing its core.
– Tudududududud!
– Kreeek!
As the shield was stripped away, the white Wilsons started to do their job. Leaving them as they were seemed like it would lead to a smooth clear.
“Initiating synchronization.”
The senses of the gray spheres and the fused hands gradually dimmed.
– Geeeng- Crash!
“Ah! One shot, one kill!”
17, 18, 19
“Stop, stop!! Release!”
Since firing the 19th shot, I sensed the anomaly more than the last time and immediately released it. The area around the shelter was scattered with chunks of zombies, already turned into ashes.
Shiiing-
Chunks of flesh transforming and disappearing soon after. Suddenly, I found it amusing that I had adapted to such a grotesque environment in just a few hours.
“I wonder if the other shelters are doing well.”
My neighbors still couldn’t be seen, surrounded by shielded zombies.
“It seems like the gap between me and them is widening.”
Having purchased a study chair, I leisurely leaned back, rotating the chair 360 degrees while observing.
＜Cleared Stage 2 for the first time. Obtained 400P.＞
＜Cleared Stage 2. Obtained 20P.＞
＜Shop list will be randomly unlocked.＞
＜Ranking function activated.＞
＜Regressor trait activated.＞
“I’ve been through a lot waiting! So many new things have appeared?”
Hmm… If it’s the regressor trait, did those who regressed receive one trait each as expected? Or did they, like me, originally have a trait and received an additional one?
Whatever it is, I feel a bit unfair. Sob, non-regressors’ treatment improvement… Maybe I should wear a headband and go on strike.
– Mask (KF 80), trash bag, metal chopsticks, microwave, three-line slippers, cotton swab
“Oh, this time there’s nothing to eat…”
I wonder if the mask is for preventing zombification?
Yay! I’ve acquired the trash picker and completed the cleaning set!
Actually, nothing else caught my eye, except for the microwave!!
Isn’t it a must-have for someone living alone?!
I need to buy it right away!!
Microwave
– Price: 105P
“Hmm… Let’s think about this for a moment.”
21 Wilson’s price… It’s not easy to reach for it without hesitation. It’s important to carefully consider and develop the habit of thoughtful consumption.
“But does this work without electricity?”
Well, the bathroom is connected, so water comes out.
“Ranking Ranking”
Planet-20685 Point Rankings
1. Cutie (735P)
2. Richard Fineman (165P)
3. Ring Ring (90P)
.
.
.
– Ugh!
An indescribable pleasure tingled through my body.
Mungmungi dominates the world!
“hahahahaha-“
Ahem-
Below the 3rd place, everyone had the same 15 points.
“It gives rewards up to the 3rd place that clears quickly… Only three out of 8 billion…”
The rewards seemed too meager.
A few minutes later, the rankings were updated.
Planet-20685 Points Ranking
1. Mungmungi (735P)
2. Richard Fineman (385P)
3. Lingling (210P)
.
.
.
Cleared up to the 3rd place.
＜05:00＞
The countdown begins.
However, as soon as the countdown started, the host’s message popped up.
＜Congratulations on clearing Stage 2! It’s very satisfying to see the clearing speed getting faster! From the next stage, all the characteristics you received when regressing are activated, okay? Good, right? ^ㅠ^ Fighting for the next stage too! Ppyong~＞
“Excuse me… Can I get some too… Huhu, feeling left out here!”
Hmm… Should I upgrade Wilson?
“Maybe if I upgrade, there will come a day when Wilson and I can have a conversation.”
···
“Silent fellow! I like that about you!”
The remaining white Wilson also underwent an upgrade.
-20P
Purchased Triple Sun Slippers.
-3P
“Hmm, it’s starting to feel more and more like a bachelor pad… Must be just my imagination.”
Suddenly, I looked around to see if my male neighbors were all okay.
“Huh? Everyone seems to be shouting something when they see me.”
At that moment, a male student in the shelter behind me showed a message written in magic on a towel.
– Bro! Let’s team up after Stage 5! I’ve got amazing skills!
Team up? Is that even possible?
“Seems like if we clear Stage 5, shelters can merge together.”
Come to think of it, even in other shelters, people were shouting something at me with desperate eyes. The guy in gym clothes was even drawing hearts with both arms.
“Hmph! You think you can win me over? No way!”
You can’t catch a departing bus. Let me think for a moment. What benefits would there be if the shelters merged?
Sure, adding attack units would definitely increase defense, but whether 1+1 equals 2 is uncertain. Especially since the attack units target the one in the front, as the numbers increase, inefficiency is bound to arise, isn’t it?
“Or, a crisis could arise with the emergence of two individuals’ mana.”
However, the allure of obtaining information from a regressor is considerable. Up until now, things have been going smoothly by sheer luck, but if everything had flowed this uneventfully, there’s no way I would have only reached Stage 51 in the previous round.
“Hmm, this is a dilemma.”
Rationally, combining forces seems like the better option.
Honestly, I don’t want to live together.
Even if he’s a high school student, spending the rest of my life in this cramped room with a grown man?
“It’s uncomfortable. It won’t work. It’s better to go alone until clear benefits are apparent.”
There’s nothing as challenging for someone who’s lived as a loner all their life.
In the end, I raised an X sign towards the student.
Then, the guy with sparkling pupils, instead of swearing, took out a cigarette and lit it. Wasn’t he supposed to be cursing at me?
“Is this something to get angry about?”
It was so absurd that I didn’t even get mad.
“I don’t know. I’m in the first round, so I don’t know how desperate you are.”
Anyway, I scratched my head and slouched in the chair.
＜03:48:29＞
There’s still quite a bit of time left. Looking outside as the shadows gradually lengthened, I closed my eyes for a moment.
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