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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Zaped
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A plump man.
Thick, upward-pointing chin fat.
The background, unmistakably the ground. A selfie taken while lying down.
A soldier in the middle of an operation taking a photo at such an angle?
It might happen in a dire situation, but considering the long text accompanying it, it doesn’t seem like a moment of frantic combat.
I needed to find out what was going on.
Turning on my phone’s video, I pointed it at the guy lying on the ground and showed him the photo, covering my mouth with a fist to conceal my voice.
“Hey. You’re with the Liberation Corps, right? What’s this about?”
“Do you really think I’d tell you?”
“Thanks.”
After ending the recording, I snapped a photo of him and uploaded both to the group chat.
“W-what do you mean, thanks?”
“If I didn’t know, I’d have said, ‘What’s this?’ Instead, you said, ‘Do you think I’d tell you?’ If someone from the Liberation Corps dressed in military police gear doesn’t want to reveal their activities, isn’t it obvious?”
I typed out a friendly caption in the chat for everyone to see.
– Snapped a pic underground at the District 13 shopping mall^^* By the way, Mr. Oberon, why are you lounging around taking selfies here of all places?
Whistling, I began confiscating gear from the fallen agents.
Opening pouches and pulling out magazines was a hassle, so I just stripped off their vests and threw them into the trunk. Rifles and handguns went in as well.
The rest? Leticia could handle that.
“Alright, I’m off. If you keep whining, Mr. Zombie over there might just come over and take a bite out of you.”
I grabbed his phone, hopped into the running vehicle, and roared out of the underground parking lot.
“Shame.”
It was a good vehicle.
A rugged off-road car capable of carrying a full load and towing a small trailer with ease.
The problem?
It was camouflaged military gear labeled 14th National Military Police Operations Vehicle.
No way to sell it anywhere.
The same went for the C4 in the trunk—it screamed military issue.
Even if I tried to sell it on the black market, syndicates with ties to the military controlled this area.
Not worth the risk.
“A total burden… but oh well.”
I decided to abandon what needed abandoning.
Clinging to too much and dying in an explosion would be my loss alone.
I already packed solar panels, a power bank, electronics, and cash in the backseat.
That was good enough.
As I reached the surface, flocks of birds still circled the sky, but their numbers had thinned. Instead, zombies crawled out from alleys, sewers, and buildings.
These zombies were different from those in unprotected zones.
Those ones were frenzied with hunger, attacking anything edible nearby.
These, however, were unpredictable—some ate, some stood still, but most charged at nearby humans in rage.
The people, too, didn’t sit still.
Soldiers and civilians fought fiercely, though they were mostly isolated like islands, their firepower too scattered.
Fanatics were there as well, holding shields and long glaives, slicing through approaching zombies. Their swings were sluggish, and their shields gradually lowered, but the makeshift armor and plastic wrapping around their joints held off bites and scratches for now.
Still, they wouldn’t hold out long.
Below the rooftop of the shopping center.
Crow numbers had dwindled, but zombies rising from below increased.
Rifles overheated, and ammunition needed conserving.
Meanwhile, the chatroom buzzed with updates.
“What’s all this?”
Leticia couldn’t believe her eyes.
A soldier from the 14th Military Police Transportation Corps kept posting bizarre photos:
– Delivering C4 to hardworking soldiers!
Photos showed soldiers setting up C4 in alleyways.
– Donating supplies to volunteer groups protecting civilians!
Fanatics firing R-15 rifles and throwing grenades.
– Despite the weather, a scenic city drive ^^
A short video showed a car towing hordes of zombies before leading them to a C4 trap set by the military police.
– Great news 🙂 Mr. Oberon shared a rendezvous point where C4 is being delivered! First come, first served! Use it wisely!
The chat lit up with photos of shared locations.
Smarter soldiers used live location sharing to mark positions on a map.
Officers and soldiers began coordinating based on these updates.
Despite their previous chaos, the military police were skilled at dispersing crowds, this time focusing on zombies rather than rebellious citizens.
Two hours later, under Commander Camio Minto’s name, martial law was declared in Hampton.
Six hours later, the chaos subsided.
Electricity was restored, buildings lit up, and cleanup crews cleared bodies.
Military police protected the workers, shooting any remaining zombies.
Survivors, both military and civilian, hugged in makeshift quarantine tents, celebrating their survival.
It was a rare miracle to see people who previously distrusted one another now blessing and cleaning each other.
At least for today, it was a good day.
Leticia sat stiffly in a chair, clenching her teeth.
Lying down to sleep was unseemly for an officer, even on such a joyous day.
Worse, she’d lost her bag.
‘…I’ll have to ask my fiancé to buy me another one.’
Commander Virginia entered the tent, tossing a cigarette butt aside.
Leticia staggered toward her.
“Just sit on the ground. Don’t salute. You look exhausted,” Virginia said.
“…What exactly happened here?”
“V.”
Virginia lit another cigarette. “V tipped us off that a 14th Military Police vehicle and phone were left somewhere in Hampton. With things feeling off, I kept the 8th on standby. When it got worse, I moved in. Didn’t expect to find you here.”
Leticia frowned. “Didn’t you act after martial law was declared?”
“No, the other way around. I arrested the mayor and officials for dereliction of duty, then our main force arrived to declare martial law.”
“W-what?!”
Leticia was speechless. Virginia remained composed.
“Administration was paralyzed. Declaring martial law restored order quickly. That was my judgment.”
Virginia’s calm demeanor seemed both elegant and unsettling to Leticia.
“What happened to the 14th Military Police?” she asked.
Virginia explained.
Liberation Corps operatives used the incoming zombie crows as cover to disable power and attack the 14th’s HQ and communications hub.
Commander Oberon was already dead.
“…Their plan was to force zombies into the inner safe zones and destroy trust in the government and military,” Virginia concluded.
It almost succeeded.
But thanks to V’s cryptic guidance and Leticia’s quick thinking, Hampton was saved.
Virginia smirked. “Quite the achievement, Lieutenant. Let’s see how they reward or punish you for it.”
Leticia sighed. “Can I just sleep for a day? Medals or not, I’m exhausted.”
Virginia chuckled, handing her a familiar bag. “Rest. But don’t forget—Minzk wine pairs well with triumph.”
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