Chapter 77: How a Veteran Defends (2)
Jinhyuk glanced at the sky after giving a brief caution.
It was time for them to appear…
Just as he thought that,
Ding!
[The ‘Solar Energy’ from the first wave has been settled.]
As expected, right on time.
Jinhyuk smiled with satisfaction.
[You have acquired a total of 1,500 ‘Solar Energy’.]
The power of the sun, earned by killing zombies.
With this, he could grow more diverse and powerful defensive plants.
‘It’s clear I can’t rely on projectile plants alone until the end.’
Although the projectile plants that stopped the first wave were strong, they had a delay, making them insufficient to stop a large influx.
As the waves progressed, zombies with significantly enhanced bodies and even unique zombies falling from the sky would appear.
Naturally, the plants had to diversify to match them.
It was a critical key to conquering this floor, a delicate balance between zombies and plants.
[Due to the astonishing amount of energy acquired, you have been granted the title ‘Botanist’.]
[Botanist]
Acquisition Difficulty: SS on the 4th floor
Effect: Performance of all plant defense towers increases by 10%. It is commonly known that plants lack intelligence and emotions. However, that is incorrect. Plants will resonate with the heart of the botanist, responding and exterminating his enemies.
The typical solar energy obtainable from the first wave was a mere 300.
Due to the slow blooming and difficult cultivating nature of plants.
Therefore, most players wouldn’t even consider handling such notoriously difficult plants.
However, Jinhyuk, having chosen the wide alcove of the Sangam Stadium and handling a tremendous number of zombies, secured an amount of solar energy five times greater.
This totally changed the game.
[Melee Plant / Destructive Type / Solar Energy Required: 300]
[Ice Plant / Ice Type / Solar Energy Required: 350]
[Rock Plant / Defensive Type / Solar Energy Required: 250]
[Berserk Plant / Rampage Type / Solar Energy Required: 600]
There were four types of plants to choose from for the second wave.
Of course, the location and placement of each plant had already been determined.
“I’ll plant a Melee Plant each to the east and south, place the Ice Plant in the center. One Rock Plant in the west will be enough.”
Lastly, he pocketed the seed of the Berserk Plant.
‘Good. Next is…’
Jinhyuk also purchased additional items from the coin exchange.
‘Dried-up Highland Cow Dung, 10kg’, ‘Last Autumn Leaves, 5 bags’, ‘100 Pentelus Dung Beetles’, ‘100 Gray Earthworms’.
All ingredients for making fertilizer.
Of course, not all fertilizers are created equal.
Finding the optimal mix among endless combinations was a privilege only a veteran could have.
[The plant seedlings’ leaves quiver.]
[Tasting sweetness for the first time, they drool.]
Hearing the plants’ inner thoughts was a feature of being a botanist.
“Yes, yes, eat plenty and grow big.”
Jinhyuk murmured as he sprinkled the fertilizers generously.
Meanwhile, the faces of the others watching giggling Jinhyuk twisted darker than ever before.
“Sister, I think our brother’s gone mad?”
Taemin gulped nervously.
“I’m seeing it too. How long has he been stuck in the Tower to end up like this?”
“That, that scares me. Seems like Jinhyuk can really communicate with plants, doesn’t it? Please tell me I’m wrong, I hope it’s just a misunderstanding.”
Yeonhwa and Teresa shook their heads, desperately denying reality.
“If it’s that guy, it might really be possible. Can’t… grasp him at all.”
Even Chun Yuseongjo cringed with fear.
Oblivious to everyone’s sentiments,
“Hohoho, Anastasia. Yes, yes, chew well, Christina.”
Jinhyuk lovingly stroked the plants.
***
About 5 minutes later, after entrusting the others with the base, Jinhyuk promptly left the stadium.
“Start by securing food supplies. We have to loot all the convenience stores around every alley. Got it? Food and water are top priorities.”
“We’ll handle medicines and essential goods. It’ll get harder to go outside as time goes on, so we need to secure as much as we can now.”
“Tread cautiously to avoid conflicts with other guilds, but if it comes to it, knock them all out.”
The streets were bustling with numerous players.
With time left before the next wave, they were farming on the streets to prepare.
‘ Tsk, tsk. They shouldn’t be worrying about that now…’
Jinhyuk crossed through leisurely, clicking his tongue.
If they are underprepared from the start, is it logical to prepare for a prolonged battle?
Their base would be likely overturned before it even reaches the latter half.
Wouldn’t it be wiser to invest all their coins to fortify each one’s defense tower to last at least one wave longer?
‘Well, if they knew that, they wouldn’t have struggled so miserably in the 3rd floor.’
For most players, information on the Tower was scarce, akin to facing it anew.
Hence, such clueless acts.
‘I keep forgetting not to judge by my own standards.’
Jinhyuk smirked with a chuckle.
Soon, he arrived in front of a building right next to the supermarket.
Unlike the market held by Murim and the Samhap Syndicate, this building was unclaimed by anyone.
With no defensive advantages or abundant resources, it was deserted.
Jinhyuk walked in.
[You have entered the ‘Eccentric’s Collection of Rare Artifacts’ base.]
Inside, rows of iron-made medieval armors and ceramics were everywhere.
Most showcases were shattered, and the ground was thick with dust from a lack of human touch.
A place that overlaid the ruins of the modern world with lost history.
‘It’s been a really long time.’
Almost 8 years ago?
He had stumbled upon this place while testing how long he could flee from tens of thousands of zombies.
Jinhyuk looked at dozens of paintings hanging on the wall.
Landscapes that once adorned a corner of an art museum, now faded in color.
Just before his death in a dead-end, having lost even his weapon, he reached out to break a zombie’s skull with a frame.
Jinhyuk extended his hand towards the frame, just as he had back then.
Then.
Whooosh!
His hand passed through the painting.
The wall, which seemed flawless to the eye, became a passageway leading to the supermarket next door.
‘I knew it would be like this.’
A kind of bug.
A bug that was not fixed in the game had been replicated in reality.
Jinhyuk quickly crossed to the other side.
‘No guards.’
As expected.
Zombies or intruders would all come through the entrance, thus all their forces had to be focused there.
No one could have imagined there was a hidden passage in the back.
Jinhyuk looked at the mountainous piles of food and resources.
It was enough for at least a few hundred people to survive for two or three weeks.
This was the benefit of a supermarket.
“Thanks to this, our little cutie will get to eat to her heart’s content.”
The last plant he carried without planting in the base.
[Berserk Plant]
It required a tremendous amount of energy but wasn’t there an excess of food here to afford that?
There was no reason to feel remorse since it wasn’t his anyway.
[The Berserk Plant salivates.]
In the deep reaches of a food storage that no one cared for,
Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!
The red-tinged plant began to grow rapidly.
***
“Aaaargh! That damn bastard. I’ll chew him up! I won’t let that guy live!”
Je-gal Chun spat out a curse filled with rage.
His face still vividly flushed looked extremely pained.
Crash!
Bottled water splattered everywhere as containers shattered.
“I agree with Chun. Even if it’s to ascend the Tower, there’s no need to house such an unruly creature, right?”
Dang Soha chimed in accordance with Je-gal Chun’s words.
“…….”
Hwang Bo Gunak remained silent, his mouth sealed shut.
He then nonchalantly asked Namgung Hyun next to him.
“Hyun, do you think the same?”
“I… I…”
Namgung Hyun trailed off.
Hwang Bo Gunak frowned deeply.
“What? Are you scared?”
“Me, scared?”
“Yes, scared. How are you any different from a scaredy-cat with its tail between its legs?”
Hwang Bo Gunak deliberately provoked with a mix of challenge and taunt.
If provoked, he could overcome the fear.
However, Namgung Hyun did not retort and remained frozen.
Completely terrified because of Kang Jinhyuk.
‘So, it was that severe.’
Only the direct opponents who faced him, not the onlookers, could feel such an insurmountable gap.
Perhaps they were attempting to bring in a player they couldn’t handle.
“Everyone…”
Just as Hwang Bo Gunak was about to speak,
Boom!
The supermarket shook violently with an enormous roar.
“Aaaah!”
“Aaargh!”
“Help… someone help!”
Terrifying screams erupted everywhere.
“What happened!”
Hwang Bo Gunak drew his sword, kicking the door open.
The second wave should have given them more time.
So, the shock couldn’t be from zombies.
Moreover, with the highlight video circulated, no fool dared to invade here.
After all, everyone clearly knew where the strongest base on the 4th floor was located.
No.
There was one exception.
A guy brazen enough to do such a thing.
“Could it be…”
Dang Soha’s face contorted.
“A… giant plant is emerging from the warehouse, a huge plant!”
“Players are being devoured! Eugh… We can’t handle this. It’s impossible!”
There was no doubt.
It was that guy.
“Damn it! My base!”
Hwang Bo Gunak cried out in despair.
With not much time left till the second wave, losing the base now meant preparing for the worst outcome.
The base must be protected at all costs.
However, it was too late.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The ceiling crumbled, pillars shattered.
The whole supermarket began to collapse.
And between the chaos,
“Hmm. I brought a housewarming gift, but our little cherry has quite the appetite. I’m really sorry about this.”
Jinhyuk stood there, scratching his head with an innocently bright smile.
