45. One Day, Two Days, and Four Days. (2)

When we descended to the entrance on the first floor, Seong Gayeon and one of the Special Forces members were on guard.

Her gaze wasn’t very friendly as she looked at us.

Of course not.

She must have heard the entire conversation.

She removed the earphones from her ears and waited for us to approach.

“What are we going to do now?”

“We need to report to the President.”

Seong Gayeon looked at the Special Forces Commander with a frustrated expression.

“I understand the report, but what about the operation? Are we going to turn off the power?”

“We have to.”

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk looked at us and said:

His face looked quite tired.

“That employee is right. We need to reduce power consumption to extend the power supply period as much as possible. We can’t afford for the power to go out until we find other survivor groups in the country and restore national functions.”

Sergeant Song twisted his lips and said:

“The problem is that we don’t know what that crazy man might do. Turning off the power is one thing, but the electric fence will be useless during that time. What if he does something then? How can we know what he’ll do?”

Sergeant Song looked at the Special Forces Commander and said:

“You told me to stay with him. Yes, I’ll learn from him. But if that guy tries to do something strange, I’ll shoot him in the head. I mean it.”

The Special Forces Commander looked at Sergeant Song.

“That’s your judgment. If you think it’s necessary, shoot.”

The Special Forces Commander looked at us and said:

“It might become dangerous when the power is off. I hope it doesn’t, but I don’t think we’re that lucky. If someone becomes a threat in that situation, eliminate them first. This isn’t a rescue mission. We need to secure the power plant and adjust the power output. That’s our mission.”

Seong Gayeon, the Special Forces member, and Sergeant Song nodded.

The Special Forces Commander gestured to me with his chin.

It was a signal to talk privately.

He walked a bit away from the others and said to me:

“Han Seong-hun. I have a difficult request to make.”

I already had an idea what he was going to say.

“The wild boar, right?”

The Special Forces Commander nodded.

“In Seo-rae Village, I’ll ask the captains to bring heavy weapons, including anti-tank rockets. But we can’t do it alone. If they were just animals, we could plant Claymore mines and landmines, but that wild boar…”

The massive wild boar we encountered at the Pyeongtaek U.S. military base.

The Commander seemed to recall the monster, trailing off.

I agree.

That monster wild boar, it charged through the walls and pillars despite being hit by several miniguns from the roof. If I hadn’t used my Spatial Claw to create an internal shockwave, everyone there would probably have died.

…But there’s something that bothers me.

The man in the white coat clearly said he heard something like an owl’s hoot.

Does a wild boar make a sound like an owl?

…Who knows.

It’s a monster, so it can make whatever sound it wants.

I just need to kill it.

I nodded and said:

“I’ll take care of it. You focus on the mission’s success.”

The Special Forces Commander looked relieved and smiled.

“Thank you.”

“But don’t we need to turn off and on other power plants as well?”

The Special Forces Commander smiled and said:

“Yes, but for now, I just want to focus on the success of this mission.”

“Right. Then report to the President. I’ll be back in a bit.”

The Special Forces Commander tilted his head and asked:

“Where are you going?”

I glanced back at him as I walked away.

“To the village. I need to check if there are any survivors.”

“Do you need any support?”

With only ten of us covering this vast power plant, he’s offering to send someone with me?

No need.

“I’m fine. See you later.”

I summoned a Wind Scooter and mounted it, heading straight for the electric fence.

Vroom!

Behind me and to the side, Seong Gyu-hyuk and the Special Forces members exclaimed in surprise.

The high-voltage electric fence.

I was getting closer.

I raised one hand and grabbed the space above the fence.

The Wind Scooter, like riding an invisible hill, smoothly passed over the fence.

As I landed on the road, the back wheel skidded on the ground.

Ignoring the gazes from behind, I continued to ride the Wind Scooter towards the village.

It’s definitely convenient.

Having a means of transportation makes me feel so much more at ease.

I don’t know the maximum speed, but it’s fast.

Long-distance travel is no problem.

…Speaking of long-distance travel.

Hanul Nuclear Power Plant.

It definitely had a freshwater purification facility.

That means it can be used as a water source with the Chinook helicopter.

I don’t know if the water is safe to drink, but if it’s not used as reactor coolant, it should be safe to drink as freshwater, right?

Considering other potential survivor groups, we should secure the water supply as well.

But Hanul Nuclear Power Plant is a facility that satisfies both water and energy needs.

Once we secure this place, I need to go find my family.

Water and electricity are essential for survival.

I came here for that, but there’s no reason to delay further.

I couldn’t leave when I was weak and struggling to survive, and when I became strong enough, I lacked a means of transportation.

Now I have everything.

I’ll leave after this mission.

I’ll just find my family and come back.

A deep-seated fear crept up on me, wondering if I have any family left.

I shook my head to dispel the fear and rode the Wind Scooter along the coastal road.

After a short ride, a village with a few low-rise apartments or houses appeared.

The buildings looked old and worn out.

They seemed like well-maintained antiques.

There were a few modern-looking shops, but it was mostly a rural neighborhood with a few apartments.

I parked the Wind Scooter on a road in the middle of the village, where a few trucks and cars were abandoned, and looked around.

It was quiet.

Still and silent.

The only sound was the low hum of the Wind Scooter.

But the apartments and shops were clearly full.

I dismounted the Wind Scooter, dismissed it, and drew a sword and a bow with both hands.

…Are there any survivors here?

I took a deep breath.

Huff!

Then, I shouted:

“Is anyone there! Is anyone here?!”

Roar!

With a loud screech, the shop windows shattered as human beasts burst out.

I immediately threw the sword.

Swoosh!

A Shadow Warrior sprang from my hands and feet, grabbing the sword.

Kill them all.

The Shadow Warrior immediately charged at the human beasts.

“Roar! Roar!”

The beasts rushed at me.

I turned my hand that threw the sword and grabbed a handful of arrows.

Acceleration.

[Automatic Cast: Acceleration]

“Roar-ah–“

I drew and released the arrow in one fluid motion.

Thwip, thwip, thwip, thwip!

After two accelerations, I shot a dozen arrows and stopped.

It’s a small village, so there aren’t many.

The acceleration ended.

“Gah!”

The arrows pierced the heads of the human beasts.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

The human beasts around me fell to the ground, and the Shadow Warrior, having decapitated a dozen more, returned to me.

I extended my hand to catch the sword and slashed it to the side.

Slice!

Blood splattered.

As the Shadow Warrior disappeared into the air, I looked around again.

It was quiet.

I shouted as loudly as I could:

“Is anyone there! I’ve come to help!”

I sheathed the sword, now emitting white smoke, and stood still, listening.

After a long wait, there was no sound.

This village must have been wiped out.

I’ll shout one more time, and if there’s no one, I’ll loot and return.

I took a deep breath and shouted as loudly as I could:

“Is anyone there! Is anyone…!”

Splash.

Footsteps.

I turned around.

Behind me, far away, a power pole.

An old man stood there.

Dark skin, a face full of wrinkles.

He looked to be a hundred years old.

“…Are you a police officer?”

He has no teeth.

His pronunciation was slurred.

I could barely understand him.

A police officer…

I don’t know what to say.

I can’t say I’m the Chosen One.

I looked at the dark, bent old man and said:

“I’m from the government forces. I’ve come to rescue survivors. Are you alone?”

Tears welled up in the old man’s eyes.

“…Is the government of our country still around?”

“Yes, for now.”

The dark old man, tears streaming down his wrinkled face, said:

“…Please help us. We’re all… starving to death.”

…They’re here.

Survivors.

I nodded and entered a convenience store with shattered glass, filling a few bags with snacks and drinks.

The old man, too weak to stand, clung to the power pole, just watching me.

I approached him, opened a Gatorade, and offered it to him.

“Here, have this.”

The old man took the Gatorade, crying.

“Thank you. Thank you so much. I’m really grateful.”

…There are still many survivors out there.

There must be many in other places as well.

I watched the old man drink the Gatorade and said:

“Where are the others? Let’s go.”