Chapter 26 (1/2)

There were 7 groups who were allied with Choi Hyuk.

Three were very aggressive -Jung Minji’s troops, The Alliance of Comrades in Arms and the Knights of the Korean National Sport University.

And although they lacked the explosive power of the aforementioned three, the other four allies were robust – s.h.i.+nmyung Stronghold, Kangil Riverpark Stronghold, Seonsa Hyundai I’Park Stronghold and lastly, Cheonho Hyunhae Department Store Stronghold.

These strongholds were a large scale force centered around company employees and independent businessmen allied with students and people preparing for examinations.

On the 16th day, all allied forces a.s.sembled at the Hyunhae Department Store. They had initially discussed the formation of a suicide squad but the appearance of new rules made it so that they had to unite together.

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[Additional Rule]

Every night, the number of monsters that arrive through the portal increase by 20%.

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[Additional Rule]

After half a month, the monsters start to act in groups.

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[Additional Rule]

Supplies reduce significantly every 10 days.

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The additional rules that seemed the test the limits of humanity.

There were more than enough reasons to unite. To face the increasing number of monsters that will start to act in groups, humans had to be more tightly unified.

And another deciding reason was the reduction of supplies, to be exact, the limited supply of the Barrier of the Weak. Food could be handled with emergency rations, adjustments of rations and from the stores that haven’t been emptied out yet. The number of people was also decreasing. However, if the Barrier of the Weak collapses, there was no way to fight against the hordes of monsters.

Because of this, the more groups there were, the faster the consumption of these Barriers of the Weak.  There was a need to gather together and reduce the consumption of these barriers.

So all the forces, a total of 130,000 people, started to gather towards Hyunhae Department Store.

The reason they chose Hyunhae Department Store was simple.

There was a healer here.

There were a few large hospitals located in Kangdong District – Sungs.h.i.+n Hospital, Kyung Hee University Hospital, and Hyang Hospital.

On the first day, a game that was modified for these hospitals commenced.

A rule was given to the medical team.

[You are unable to leave unless you kill 3 patients.]

A rule was given to the patients.

[You are unable to leave unless you kill someone.]

After confirming the fact that they really couldn’t leave, chaos erupted. Still, no one immediately started to kill each other. Unlike the schools, the hospitals endured it a while longer.

However, four days… that was the limit. It had been a while since the food supply had been emptied out. The scene of monsters wandering around at night. These people who were starving and stressed became extremely sensitive.

The first to be killed were the critically ill patients who couldn’t resist.

The first time would be difficult but the second and third were easy. In one night, the dignity they had kept all this time collapsed. The medical team grouped up and attacked the weak patients. It was the same for the relatively healthy patients. And they left the hospital as a group. The hallways were filled with screams and profanity. Those who wanted to kill and those who resisted as well as those who wanted to stop them tangled together. While the people who wanted to kill and the people who wanted to stop them got into a fight, an incident occurred and someone died.

Eventually, someone had died.

Bae Jinman was a respected doctor. He wielded a baseball bat at his juniors and even those he could call his disciples who were pus.h.i.+ng their way through the hallway.

“b.a.s.t.a.r.ds! You call yourselves doctors?”

At the criticisms and the resistance of the respected doctor, the doctors who were pus.h.i.+ng their way through retreated. A reason being the swing of the baseball-loving doctor was quite impressive.

After chasing the group away, Bae Jinman entered the critical care ward he was looking after. He locked the door and moved the beds to block the door.

The patients who laid on these beds looked at the doctor in fear. However, Bae Jinman smiled.

“Don’t worry.”

He looked after the patients.

After 5 days had pa.s.sed, only dropouts remained. Those who had ensured their safety by hiding. Those who were unable to kill others. More than ten of these people were spread throughout the hospital as they held the guard against each other.

Bae Jinman exited the critical care ward and he took care of the remaining people. In a hospital without any food, he nursed these patients alone.

After a week, a message appeared.

[Calculating your Retribution Points… Type. Healer. Patients Killed 0. Has continuously looked after the patients. Meets the requirements. Granted the ‘Guardian Trait’.]

At the same time, the around 20 patient he looked after turned into lights and were absorbed into his body.

“Uh… Huh?”

Every time a light was absorbed into his body, his Retribution Points and karma increased. Especially his Control and Recovery stats.

However, Bae Jinman wasn’t happy. In his eyes, he only saw the figures of the patients who had disappeared.

“So…”

Tears welled up in his eyes.

“So they ended up dying in the end…”

He slumped onto the floor and bawled. A body that had not eaten or had drunk anything, he sobbed his heart out but only a few drops of tears would drop at a time before drying up.

And that was the birth of the only healer in Kangdong District.

Guardian, Bae Jinman’s blessing has been cast.

“Get up!”

With his shout, a hazy light s.h.i.+ned above the heads of the 40,000 people a.s.sembled in front of Hyunhae Department Store.

Lalala.

It was almost as they could hear the music. Without realizing it, these people started to mumble to the tune. Though it was as hazy as a fog, the small lights above countless people’s heads were connecting to each other.

They felt a feeling of unity and fellows.h.i.+p that one would feel at a huge concert. They all mumbled and watched as these lights connected with each other. An exceptional scene that brought tears to their eyes.