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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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I picked up my lifting belt and backpack, then stood. Turning to Sung Kyu-hyuk, I said, “Gather the team. Empty the duffel bags. We’re going to the market.”
“Right,” he replied, smiling and rising to his feet.
Chief Secretary Ahn Jun-gyu looked surprised. “R-right now? As soon as we’ve arrived?”
“What’s the point in waiting?” I responded. “Let’s get this done.”
I made a quick stop at the restroom, then stood by the motel entrance, putting on my lifting belt and backpack. While I did, Sung Kyu-hyuk assembled the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th teams. Fifteen men in total. Fifteen well-built men with large bags slung over their shoulders… It was quite a sight. They were all armed with rifles, the straps slung uniformly across their chests. They looked good. They seemed pleased to have weapons in their hands, their faces brimming with confidence. I smiled, touching my chin. “Let’s go.”
We left the motel, and I followed Sung Kyu-hyuk’s lead. The sound of fifteen men marching behind me was reassuring.
“You have a lot of teams,” I commented. “Five in total?”
Sung Kyu-hyuk nodded. “The 3rd and 4th teams are responsible for fuel collection and refueling. The 5th team supports them. The 1st team handles weapon procurement, and the 2nd team focuses on communication and reconnaissance.”
…Impressive. Quite a systematic approach.
“I assume there are more than just the ones I saw at the motel? How many are there in all?”
“Thirty-five, no, thirty-two. We lost three men from the 1st team. That includes nine rescued civilians.”
I looked at him in surprise. “You conducted rescue missions?”
“We did,” he replied, nodding with a wry smile. “But once we secured the helicopter and light aircraft, we couldn’t continue. This way.”
Sung Kyu-hyuk knew the rules of the streets almost as well as I did. Even while walking along the center line of the road, he kept his voice low enough so it wouldn’t carry into the nearby shops and buildings. He also remained vigilant, constantly scanning our surroundings.
Groaaaan
A faint moan echoed from somewhere in the distance. None of us reacted. Walking with highly trained, armed soldiers on all sides was rather comforting. This was what it felt like to have allies.
Still… Thirty-two people. That was enough to go through a box of ramen in a single meal. It couldn’t have been easy for them to manage in this situation. These men must have risked their lives scavenging for supplies, practically dragging the survivors along by the scruff of their necks to keep them alive. Impressive.
Beside a truck, Sung Kyu-hyuk raised his fist. We all crouched down. I moved to his side and looked at the target he was pointing at. A convenience store with its windows completely shattered.
…There were a lot of them. At least twenty human beasts crammed into that small space. That shouldn’t have been possible under normal circumstances. A small wave, stirred up by the helicopter. They must have dispersed and burrowed into this place. What Sung Kyu-hyuk had said on the bridge was true.
But… “…A convenience store? What about the hypermarket?”
“There are a few mid-sized markets like Every Day and Express,” Sung Kyu-hyuk replied. “To raid a hypermarket, we’d have to go all the way to Seocho. About an hour’s walk down that road.”
I nodded slowly. I glanced back at the line of crouching team members. Their eyes were sharp, but their faces were haggard. One meal a day? I doubted they were even getting that much.
I nodded again and spoke to Sung Kyu-hyuk and the team. “Let’s make the most of tonight. We’ll be working through the night without sleep. Is everyone alright with that?”
The team members smiled.
“We have no problem with going without sleep,” Sung Kyu-hyuk assured me.
As expected of special forces. I nodded. “Same procedure as before. I go in alone.” I drew my swords. I’d checked my stats in the restroom. Almost fully recharged. The twelve points of recovery per hour were definitely a huge help.
Shing
Dual-wielding my swords, I stepped away from the truck and walked towards the convenience store. With long, confident strides. Look at me, my demeanor seemed to say.
The convenience store’s windows were half-intact. The team members stood, watching me.
“Growl?!” One of the creatures spotted me. Soon, they all turned, their gazes fixed on me. And they barked.
“Graaagh!”
I took a large step forward.
I bent my knees.
“Screeech!”
They surged out, howling.
Crash!
Glass shattered.
Acceleration.
[Auto Cast: Acceleration]
I became a whirlwind. Blood sprayed everywhere. Heads, pierced and severed, flew like popcorn. Plip Plop Blood splattered across my face, momentarily blinding me.
“Ugh!”
Thud! Crash!
Unable to control their momentum, the charging creatures tumbled forward.
“Phew…”
[Level Up]
Oh. A level up.
Inside the convenience store. I stood under the bright fluorescent lights, catching my breath, head bowed. I listened intently.
…The convenience store was clear.
I stepped over the corpses and exited the store. I swung my swords, flinging the blood off. Splatter! Then, I sheathed them. Shing Click
I looked up and saw the special forces members. Their eyes were wide, unblinking. Even Sung Kyu-hyuk, whom I’d seen in action several times now, looked both amused and surprised, exhaling slowly. I smiled and gestured. Come on in.
The team members rose to their feet. Sung Kyu-hyuk approached and looked at me. Already covered in blood, I was now drenched in even more, it dripping from my hair. He clapped me on the shoulder and entered the store. The other team members followed, each making eye contact and patting my shoulder as they passed. Some looked genuinely impressed. I chuckled and nodded.
With fifteen strong men working, it only took two trips to empty the convenience store and its storage room. But that wasn’t all. While they were clearing out the convenience store, I obtained the locations of a nearby pharmacy and hardware store from Sung Kyu-hyuk and dealt with them one by one. Another level up in the process. Current level: 15. Strength: 60.
By the time we’d cleared out the pharmacy and hardware store, it was well past three in the morning. My stats needed to recharge. I spoke to the special forces members, their bags laden with heavy hardware. “Let’s drop this off and get some rest. A few hours of sleep, and we’ll head out again at sunrise.”
One of the team members asked, “What time should we be ready?” He was smiling. I returned the smile. “Five hours should be enough. Let’s meet in front of the motel at nine.”
The team members nodded.
As we walked back to the motel, Sung Kyu-hyuk asked, “That was incredibly efficient. Did you acquire supplies like this at your previous location as well?”
Hmm. Similar, but not quite like this. I hadn’t been able to completely clear out a store in just a couple of trips before. Having a lot of strong men definitely made things easier. I glanced back and chuckled. “You could say that.”
We returned to the motel just before dawn, having been out all night. We removed the chains and opened the door. I saw people. The reception area was piled high with snacks, drinks, and all sorts of food. Among the supplies, and on the stairs, people were gathered. They applauded softly as we entered. The elderly woman, the young woman, the middle-aged men and women, the Chief Secretary, the two captains, the mechanic, and even the president. Every single one of them was clapping. They couldn’t contain their joy, even though they had to keep the noise down. Thankfully, they had enough common sense not to cheer too loudly. I chuckled and entered with the team members.
President Min Jeong-woo approached me and took my blood-soaked hand. “Not a single gunshot. And yet, you brought back so much. Truly remarkable.”
I smiled and nodded. “Thank you. But this is just the beginning. Make sure you have plenty of space to store everything.”
Chief Secretary Ahn Jun-gyu approached and said, “We’ve already designated five or six rooms as storage. We didn’t expect you to be this effective on your first day. You’re incredible, Sung-hoon.”
Hmm… Praise. I chuckled and nodded. “It was nothing.”
Beside me, on the reception sofa, there was a box of energy bars. I grabbed two and said, “The team and I are heading out again in the morning. We’re going to get some sleep.”
President Min Jeong-woo smiled. “Yes, you should rest. You’ve worked very hard today. Thank you for your efforts.”
Chief Secretary Ahn Jun-gyu gestured, leading the way. “We’ve prepared a room for you on the first floor, right this way, Sung-hoon.”
The president finally released my hand. I walked past him, through the crowd, following the Chief Secretary. More soft applause followed me.
The elderly woman, her eyes glistening, watched me from the top of the stairs. “Thank you, young man.” The elderly woman, the young woman beside her, and a man. A family, it seemed. They didn’t seem frightened by the blood dripping from my chin. Their expressions… I smiled and nodded, then entered the room the Chief Secretary led me to.
“Please rest well. We’ll bring you some clothes to change into.”
“You have clothes?”
The smile faded slightly from the Chief Secretary’s face. “Yes. We conducted some rescue operations in the early days, and there were a few empty houses. We assumed the clothes were…”
I nodded. These days, an empty house meant no owner, and no owner meant free game. “Thank you.”
The Chief Secretary bowed and left.
“Phew…” A typical motel room. I immediately stripped off my blood-soaked clothes and took a refreshing shower. Thankfully, the clothes the Chief Secretary brought me were sweatpants and a sweatshirt. A bit big for me, but nothing was more comfortable. I loaded all my magazines with .45 ACP rounds, one by one, and then I fell asleep.
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