Ch.120Chapter 16. Dispersion (6)

* * * * *

Before those guys could even break into the first house, Camilla, Cassandra, and I had already gathered on the laboratory rooftop, fully prepared. In truth, they were impossible to miss, approaching with loud gunfire from a distance.

But I couldn’t figure out what kind of people they were.

“Look at that movement. They’re definitely not street thugs. See how organized they are.”

Yet for being so organized, they were wasting too much ammunition. Right now, they were only focusing their firepower on the closest zombie. If it were me spraying bullets, I’d shoot broadly toward the bridge area instead.

Slowing down the entire horde is more effective than taking down a single zombie—that’s the most basic principle when dealing with zombies, but these guys clearly didn’t know that.

“They’re well-armed, but they don’t know how to fight zombies…”

While I was muttering this, Cassandra looked at me like I was some kind of weirdo.

“What?”

“Don’t you think you’re the strange one, Johan?”

“Me? What?”

“Cassandra has never seen anyone who fights like you before.”

Even Camilla was nodding in agreement. I felt betrayed. I’ll have to torment her tonight.

“I agree with that. I fought very inefficiently before I met you. Actually, the Liberation Army had a guideline that ‘shooting zombies is a waste.’ Our policy was to avoid zombies whenever possible.”

So these armed forces were just slightly better than average in this world.

“Let’s just watch for now.”

The men approached the first house. They broke down the door and fired from the entrance before going in. But the zombies were incredibly aggressive. They definitely weren’t usually this active.

“The zombies seem oddly angry. Why are they acting like that?”

Camilla and Cassandra gave me strange looks again.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Um, Johan. Do you… really not know?”

I could understand Camilla giving me grief occasionally, but why Cassandra too?

“I don’t know.”

“You locked them up, Johan.”

“Is that something to get so angry about?”

“Um, Johan. Zombies are animals, animals…”

I mean, I know that, but… Animals? Something clicked in my mind, but it was too early to say it out loud.

I stayed calm and observed the men.

A direct confrontation with them now would be dangerous. I didn’t care if they died, but we couldn’t afford to get even slightly injured.

We needed to find their pattern. If we could exploit gaps in their pattern, we might be able to turn the tables surprisingly easily. And I think I just found one.

“Camilla, can you check if those guys have grenades or something? Maybe grenade launchers?”

“No, they don’t. No flash grenades or smoke grenades either. Why?”

“Don’t you think it’s strange they came so heavily armed but don’t have a single grenade?”

Of course, this was different from the games I used to play, but men armed like that were practically mid-level bosses.

And those types would throw flash grenades the moment they encountered hostile forces.

Not getting hit is always best, but if you do get hit, you need to jump back immediately. Better to take a bullet or two than be blown to pieces by the grenades or launcher rounds that follow.

But these guys had no such weapons. Why? Why didn’t they bring area-of-effect weapons?

To approach stealthily? That’s nonsense. These guys were firing wildly from the field over there. There’s no reason not to use explosive weapons.

“…Those guys seem to be looking for something.”

Camilla scratched exactly where it itched. I narrowed my eyes, looked through the scope, and confirmed it.

“You’re right. They’re searching for something, meticulously going from the upper floors to the lower floors. That’s why they didn’t bring grenades at all. Either they’re being careless or… hey, look over by the elm tree.”

I could see a vehicle standing on the road by the elm tree. It was a truck with a trailer attached. A mounted machine gun on the truck was spitting fire at approaching zombies.

“Maybe they’re relying on that. And as far as we know, there’s only one thing worth looking for in this small town.”

Cassandra’s face turned pale.

“D-d-do you think th-they’re after the l-laboratory?”

Nothing else made sense. Those guys were definitely here for the laboratory. And judging by their behavior, it wouldn’t benefit us.

But we shouldn’t strike now. Even with a surprise attack, their firepower was too strong. So…

“Cassandra.”

“Y-yes?”

“You know how to shoot, right?”

“I-I’m not confident, but y-yes, I can do it.”

Gone was her confident demeanor, replaced by that of a shut-in exposed to sunlight. I shared my plan with Camilla, who looked at me in disbelief.

“Do you think it’ll work or not?”

“I-if that’s all, even C-Cassandra could do it…”

“What about you, Camilla?”

“…Johan. Don’t die, seriously.”

“Alright, I’m going. Oh, and if you see a zombie with chains, don’t shoot it, just leave it alone.”

Camilla’s lips twitched.

“I’ll decide that.”

“Thanks.”

I gave her a quick kiss. Camilla shuddered. As I passed by wide-eyed Cassandra, I thought I heard her say “What about Cassandra too…” but I ignored it.

I was about to go to my room but headed to the recovery room instead.

There was a musty smell. The source was a blanket. I yanked it off the vinyl-covered bed. It was a blanket soaked with my sweat and scent from when I was suffering from the infection.

I grabbed it tightly and quickly slipped outside. I waited until the men entered the second house, then threw the blanket onto the street.

I whispered into the radio.

“Camilla, is it safe to go?”

– It’s fine, hurry up. Yeah, they won’t spot you there.

Arrogant bastards. They weren’t making any effort to reduce noise. I could hear zombies angrily stomping inside the house. They were getting excited by the human voices and gunfire.

I can’t believe I was so stupid.

Zombies are animals. To train an animal, you need to make them understand “why they should be trained.” But I just threw down a blanket with my scent on it.

There are two methods of training: positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement.

When dog trainers give food and treats to dogs that obey them, that’s positive reinforcement. Good behavior gets good rewards.

On the other hand, when falconers starve their falcons and only give them a small piece of prey when they bring it back, that’s negative reinforcement. They deliberately put them in a bad situation and reduce the “discomfort” when they obey.

But I didn’t do either for the zombies. Before asking what zombies could do for me, I should have thought about what I could do for them.

I should have starved them.

I climbed onto an abandoned car by the fence. After quickly improvising a flag, I waved it.

“Hey! Need help?”

A gruff voice came from the other side.

“Who’s there!”

“Someone waiting for the Goddess’s blessing! Are you such people too?”

Perhaps caught off guard, they whispered among themselves. Then came this reply:

“Don’t stick your head over the fence. It’s dangerous. Can you hear me well?”

“This is fine.”

“Good. We’re here to help you. We were ordered to rescue as many people as possible. We’re from the Elza government!”

Liars who deserve to die. But for now, I’ll play along. I need to know their exact purpose.

“Ah, thank goodness. Thank goodness… Finally, the Goddess has answered our prayers! Um, can I come over…”

The man on the other side panicked.

“No, no! Don’t come yet. It’s dangerous here.”

It wasn’t dangerous until you came.

“Hmm. Anyway, you’re citizens of Elza, right? We’ll clear these houses one by one. Oh, where are you staying right now?”

“In that four-story building over there.”

I told them honestly.

“Ah, you mean the one with all the windows boarded up? Right?”

I could hear subtle expectation and excitement in his voice. Their intentions seemed transparent.

“Yes.”

“By any chance, do you have computers there, or maybe research equipment… anything like that?”

“Ah! Yes, we do. But why…”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing. That’s fortunate! Then, how many people are alive… you said ‘we’ earlier.”

Even a dog in front of food would drool less than you.

“…I’m alone.”

“Really?”

This bastard.

I’m not angry because he switched to informal speech. I can hear footsteps faintly. While this guy is keeping me talking, he’s sent his subordinates around the corner. They’re planning to attack me.

“Ah, thank goodness! I can finally leave this place!”

Shouting as if truly delighted, I pulled out a gift I had prepared for them. A flash grenade.

“May the Goddess’s blessing shine throughout the world!”

I pulled the pin and threw it.

“Argh! You son of a bitch…!”

I hadn’t stayed in this neighborhood without thinking. I had carefully examined infiltration routes and planned escape routes in advance. The kind of paths only known to those familiar with the area.

Before the remaining men could come around the corner, I crouched and ran, then jumped onto a box and leaped over to the next building.

“Shoot!”

Gunfire erupted from the rooftops. Bang! Crash! Clang!

“Kyaaaaa!”

Camilla and Cassandra had shot off the doorknobs and windows of each house. Liberation. The imprisoned zombies poured out onto the streets all at once.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Footsteps shook the ground. Hungry and enraged, they all converged on one spot.

The blanket I had thrown.

“I’m a bit hurt. After all I did for you guys…”

The zombies who smelled the blanket rushed at it in a frenzy. Even the confused ones followed when they saw others running.

Then they tore the blanket to shreds as if it were me.

“Zombies! Zombies!”

But that didn’t last long. The mercenaries gathered in the street and started shooting. The zombies immediately dropped the blanket.

And they ran toward the greater threat.

“Kyaaaaa!”

“It’s a trap! A trap! Units 7 and 8! Come quickly! Unexpected situation…!”

Now.

This is the crucial moment.

Time for sincerity.

“Cassandra, now!”

It couldn’t be helped if he didn’t come. But I believed my sincerity had reached him. He would surely understand my true feelings.

– Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

The sound of my whistle, pre-recorded on my phone, blared like a siren from the speakers on the four-story building’s rooftop.

– Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

– Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

– Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

“Grrrrrr!”

Then, I heard the clanking sound.

“You bastard. I was counting on you…”

“Gyaaaaaaaa!”

From the far end of the alley, the military police zombie came running like a dog finding its master, swinging its chains.