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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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Two swords.
A bow and a quiver with 30 arrows.
I wished I could bring more arrows, but the others needed to protect themselves while I was gone.
Soo-hyun, Eun-seo, and the men had been practicing archery diligently, so they should be fine.
I hoped they would be.
The building should be secure.
They must have reinforced the shutters and windows properly.
A wave of anxiety washed over me, and I looked back.
I chuckled and lit a cigarette.
One month and one week since the apocalypse began.
Soon, it would be two weeks.
In that short, yet long period, I had grown quite attached to them.
I already missed Soo-hyun.
And Ye-eun, Eun-seo, and the nameless woman.
…My women.
Stay safe until I return.
“Huu.”
I exhaled a long stream of smoke and continued walking.
Yongsan.
Han River Middle School was just ahead.
The tree-lined street was filled with parked cars, some of them overturned from collisions.
There wasn’t a single undamaged road since the apocalypse began.
I followed the map, and I could see the school in the distance.
Several people were standing by the roadside in front of the school.
They were dressed casually and looked relaxed.
But they weren’t ordinary men.
Their physiques were different.
They were all tall, at least 180 centimeters, with broad shoulders, thick chests, and muscular arms. They clearly worked out.
They carried themselves with a natural confidence, as if they knew the streets were deserted and there was nothing to fear.
It was them.
They noticed me.
One by one, they turned to look.
One of them stepped forward and raised his hand.
He was waving.
I waved back.
There were four of them.
Judging by their appearances, they were in their late twenties to late thirties.
I arrived in front of them and said,
“Special Task Force?”
The man who had stepped forward and waved…
He had short, neatly styled hair, thick eyebrows, and a handsome face.
He extended his hand and said,
“Han Sung-hoon, I presume. You look exactly like you do in the video. I’m Sung Kyu-hyuk, Special Task Force Team 2 Leader.”
Oh.
He was the Special Task Force Leader I’d spoken to on the phone.
I shook his hand and said,
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Han Sung-hoon.”
“These are my team members. Let’s talk as we walk.”
Special Task Force Leader Sung led the way, saying,
“Our team’s mission is to escort you to the operation site. And then observe the operation and return.”
He glanced at me.
“Whether you’re with us or not.”
I smiled.
I had already heard several times that they wouldn’t conduct a rescue operation.
They weren’t even going to rescue Team 1, let alone a man they’d only seen in a YouTube video.
Especially when they barely had any weapons.
I noticed the task force members were armed with tonfas and expandable batons.
They must have found an abandoned police station.
I nodded and smiled.
“Where is the operation site?”
“The US military base.”
…The US military base.
I tilted my head and asked,
“Didn’t the US military withdraw from there? I think I saw on the news that they’re turning it into a park.”
I wasn’t entirely sure.
News about society or the economy wasn’t something I paid attention to.
Special Task Force Leader Sung nodded.
“That’s right. They were supposed to relocate to Pyeongtaek in stages. That plan’s on hold now, though. There are still some facilities remaining. And US soldiers guarding them.”
“So, there’s an armory as well?”
“Yes. There might not be much left, but there should be enough for our immediate needs.”
The five of us walked down the deserted street.
I nodded as we walked.
“Did you say Pyeongtaek? Where they’re relocating?”
“Yes.”
Tsk.
I clicked my tongue.
“That’s a shame. We could have gotten a lot more if they hadn’t relocated.”
I didn’t know where the President and the Special Task Force were based, but considering they had chosen this as the target, the closest military base to them, and to us, was probably Yongsan Garrison.
Special Task Force Leader Sung glanced at me.
It didn’t seem to mean anything.
He asked,
“Are you sure you’ll be alright? Alone?”
I chuckled.
“It depends on how many there are. How many do you think are inside?”
Special Task Force Leader Sung said,
“I don’t know. I haven’t counted them, but there are at least a few hundred. The problem isn’t the remaining US military facilities, but the park. They’re swarming in that wide-open space, and it’s close by, so it’s dangerous.”
A park…
I looked at Special Task Force Leader Sung.
“So, Team 1 was overwhelmed by the ones in the park?”
He slowly nodded.
Hmm…
Swarming…
“You’ll be alright, right?”
Special Task Force Leader Sung looked at me.
His expression changed subtly.
I realized I was smiling.
…A lot of them.
I’d been leveling up against the zombie wave, so a large number of them was actually good news.
I felt a thrill of anticipation at the thought of leveling up.
I met his gaze and nodded.
“I’ll be fine.”
The area where the park was being built.
The former US military base.
We arrived at Yongsan Garrison.
“We’ll wait here.”
They climbed onto a low wall and sat down.
They had chosen their positions well.
High enough to observe the base, but not close enough to attract the attention of the human beasts.
Special Task Force Leader Sung said,
“The armory should be inside the base, next to the hospital. Be careful; it won’t be easy getting there.”
“Yes. I will.”
I replied and started walking.
“Sung-hoon.”
I stopped and turned around. Special Task Force Leader Sung nodded and said,
“Good luck.”
I nodded back and turned around.
And then I drew my bow.
Swish-
The bow slid smoothly from its case.
I could already see them.
The park is under construction.
Swarming with them.
I glanced towards the base.
It looked like a typical American suburb.
Large houses and smaller buildings lined the wide streets, occupying square blocks, a scene straight out of an American movie or drama.
The signs and small billboards were in English.
And there was nothing on that side.
There seemed to be quite a few inside the facilities and houses, though.
…Using a bow indoors would be difficult.
I drew an arrow, aimed towards the park, knocked it, and drew the string.
Thrum-
The transparent circle appeared.
The horde of human beasts, about a hundred meters away.
One of them began to glow red.
I released the string.
Thwip.
The human beast jerked as if electrocuted and collapsed.
I continued drawing and shooting, picking them off one by one.
The arrows, constantly duplicating as I walked, now numbered over 40.
I knocked, drew, and released, without hesitation.
I shot rapidly, almost one arrow per second.
A headshot with every shot.
After a while, I checked my quiver and saw I had only one arrow left. I lowered my bow.
“Huu.”
I had killed all the ones closest to me.
It should be relatively safe even if I walked a few steps closer.
As I placed my bow in its case and stood up, I felt their gazes.
The Special Task Force members were staring at me in surprise.
They couldn’t believe I had hit every single head from almost a hundred meters away.
Special Task Force Leader Sung muttered,
“You’re an excellent archer. What did you do before all this?”
Hmm.
It would be difficult to explain the status window.
I chuckled, placed my hand on the hilts of my swords, and started walking.
“See you later.”
The US military base.
There wasn’t anything particularly special about it, except for the low, sprawling houses and buildings.
The problem was the windows.
The hospital was located beyond the houses and a large restaurant building with a patio.
I would have to pass at least six buildings.
I hadn’t noticed it from afar, but many of the windows were broken.
Some had shattered inwards, others outwards, scattering shards of glass.
And in the distance, I saw bloodstains.
They were slightly dark, but still tinged with red.
It was recent.
Team 1 must have been overwhelmed there.
I looked around as I slowly walked forward.
And drew one of my swords.
Shing-
The first building was a cafe.
…There were quite a few inside.
The wooden fence surrounding the patio and the flower beds along the street…
Team 1 must have used them as cover to infiltrate the base undetected.
I stopped and took out my phone.
And called Special Task Force Leader Sung.
“Yes, Sung-hoon?”
“This might take a while. Is that okay?”
“What do you mean by ‘a while’?”
I spoke slowly and deliberately,
“I’m going to clear every single building, starting with that cafe, before I move on.”
Silence followed.
He seemed surprised.
It would be best to allow enough time for at least one full stat recharge.
At least five hours.
After a moment, Special Task Force Leader Sung asked,
“Can you do that?”
I looked to the side.
The Special Task Force members were sitting on the low wall, not too far away.
I couldn’t see their faces clearly, but they seemed worried.
I replied,
“Yes.”
I hung up.
And entered the cafe.
Taking long strides.
Groar?!
The human beasts inside spotted me through the window.
Their heads swiveled.
I slammed my shoulder against the door, throwing it open.
“Kraaaa!”
They surged towards me.
And I whirled through them.
Whoosh!
Blood sprayed in all directions.
Severed skulls and brains erupted like fountains of blood.
They all collapsed simultaneously.
“Huu…”
I wiped the blood dripping down my cheek with the back of my hand and stepped out of the cafe.
Creak-
I must have hit the door pretty hard.
The hinges seemed damaged.
I flicked my swords, scattering the blood.
And sheathed them.
Shing Click
I went down the steps at the cafe entrance and glanced to the side.
I met the gazes of the Special Task Force members.
Their eyes were wide with shock.
Their faces were almost expressionless.
Even seasoned special forces operatives would never have seen anything like this.
Special Task Force Leader Sung gave me a thumbs-up.
I chuckled.
They shouldn’t be surprised yet.
I hadn’t even started.
I turned around and continued walking, giving them a thumbs-up in return.
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