episode_0246

Thud-!

Jihyeok hyung, grunting as he lowered the box, repeatedly patted his lower back.

“Oh, my back.”

Seeing him groan, I realized it was an opportunity.

“Hyung, you’re weak.”

“…No, I’m not? Phew~ Is that all moved now?”

“Yes.”

He bristled, but I kept the words ‘for now’ to myself, seeing him trying to brush it off. His expression was too bright for me to say that.

“Good. Shall we open them one by one now?”

I was only surprised for a moment when I saw him suddenly bring a truckload of boxes. My hyung and the rest of the family quietly watched with gleaming eyes.

Right after everyone teamed up to move the luggage inside.

For now, hyung took charge of opening the first box. Seeing him itching to open the box the moment he saw it, I realized he had a surprisingly down-to-earth side for a star.

Click-

“…Is this protective gear?”

“Hmm.”

Black protective gear, neatly divided by body part and stored in shock-absorbing material. Gloves were kindly included as well. Seeing it like this, it felt like opening Batman’s equipment box.

In reality, it was just Taeseong’s soldier set.

Anyway, it was a good start.

“The performance of this is good. Let’s discard the clothes and only use the parts.”

“Why the clothes?”

“If we wear all of it, we’ll look just like them.”

It was a minor but important issue. Hyung nodded at my words.

“Ah~ Hehehe~ Okay. Next.”

Hyung, who opened the second box, tilted his head. This time, there was a lot of stuff, even divided in plastic wrapping.

“What’s this?”

“…It’s a gun.”

Sohee-ssi, who was watching from behind, recognized it at once.

“This?”

“That’s the magazine, and this is the gun cleaning kit.”

“Ah…”

Sohee-ssi pointed them out one by one and explained. As she did, she picked up a small booklet.

“This is a manual…”

“Oh… an instruction manual.”

Instruction manuals are importan—

Whiz-

Sohee-ssi threw the booklet away as if there was nothing to see.

“No need.”

“……”

“Nobody reads it anyway.”

“B-but…”

“I’ll explain the details directly. It’s faster that way. Ah, and this…”

The last item, revealed as she explained and pulled out each one. She pulled out a firearm wrapped in brown paper, which was said to absorb moisture. The gun, which gave off a strong impression of being a very latest model from its appearance—

“This is…”

“…Shit.”

“What’s wrong?”

Sohee-ssi was a little flustered, and Heize also looked surprised. Heize’s expression, in particular, had hardened. The voice that soon uttered a question was also stiff.

“Han. Where did you get this?”

“Huh? I took it from them, why?”

“…Taesong?”

“Yeah.”

“This is one of the weapons adopted by the U.S. military.”

“This?”

I looked down at the cool rifle Sohee-ssi was holding.

“SIG MCX. It’s a good weapon in many ways.”

“And?”

“The fact that our country, especially a private company and not even the military, has this…”

“Aha.”

Heize and Sohee-ssi’s expressions were not good. Every country wants strong and excellent weapons to protect its own. Therefore, weapon trade is a very sensitive issue. The two women explained that the United States, which fancies itself the world’s police, is very sensitive about weapon exports.

‘For all that, they export them just fine.’

Of course, I didn’t say it out loud. Anyway, a weapon designated as the military’s next-generation weapon was found in a faraway foreign country. Moreover, that country was one where gun ownership is illegal, and it was even owned by a private company. And then I took it, and it ended up in my hands. It was truly a comical situation in many ways.

But.

“Is there any problem with using it?”

“No. The condition is very good.”

“Then it’s fine.”

I took the gun that Sohee-ssi was carefully holding with both hands and tossed it to Incheol.

“Whoa?!”

“You take it.”

“Hyung-nim?”

“Someone like you should at least use a weapon like that.”

Incheol, who lightly caught the gun, soon had sparkling eyes. I subtly spoke to the two stiff female soldiers.

“I understand how you feel, but since it’s already like this, we should make good use of it.”

“…That’s true.”

“Heize, I’m sorry, but let’s just use it well. Okay?”

“Mhm. But that’s not the problem.”

“Then?”

“I don’t know how much more Taesong has.”

“Ah…”

Heize’s concern was different.

“They’re more formidable than I thought.”

“Heize-yang is right. It might be more dangerous than we thought.”

‘Certainly…’

It’s true that a well-armed group is dangerous. Especially if they’re the ones I’m hostile towards. But on the flip side, it means there’s a lot to plunder. If we plundered this much from an outpost, what would it be like at their main base?

‘Plunder’ was added to my default setting of ‘destroy’.

As I was putting in a new setting, hyung gave me a wary look.

“…Why is your expression like that?”

“Why?”

“You look like a problematic middle schooler right before doing something bad.”

“What was that? That unnecessarily detailed explanation.”

“It means you look incredibly villainous.”

…Perhaps this hyung has become too familiar with me. The first time he saw me and froze is still vivid in my memory. Compared to back then, now it’s really…

“Han… You look like a villain.”

Even Heize cast a strange glance.

“Alright, enough. Let’s open the others quickly. The one rolled up in the blanket is also a gun. Check it out. Everyone, open the boxes and show the weapons to Heize and Sohee-ssi.”

Starting with my words, everyone clung to the boxes and carefully began to open them. First, a few more boxes containing protective gear came out. Similarly, boxes containing MCXs kept appearing. Of course, other items also appeared.

For example…

“Uh… isn’t this a grenade?”

“Don’t touch it, set it aside.”

“What’s this?”

“It’s dynamite. Close the lid again.”

“……”

People broke out in a cold sweat because of the explosives that popped up occasionally. Thanks to this, the two women who could recognize weapons moved busily.

“Oh…”

“…M32….”

Heize clutched her forehead. From the box I opened, an item I had seen before appeared. A six-shot grenade launcher that looked like a large toy, colored like the desert. It was the weapon I had learned how to operate from Heize. Personally, it was a weapon whose firepower I greatly anticipated.

Unfortunately, not many grenade launchers appeared. For now, most of them were guns. The guns wrapped in blankets, which were originally on stands, were modified K-2s. Since good things are good, wouldn’t it be better to have more?

As everyone was opening boxes with pounding hearts.

“Squeal!”

Heize let out a shrill scream. Startled, I turned my gaze and saw Heize trembling. And she was carefully holding a gun, her eyes even glistening with tears.

“Benelli… *Sigh*~”

“…What’s wrong with her?”

The way she gently caressed the barrel with her index finger was a bit… unpleasant to watch.

“…Magnificent….”

“……”

Even Sohee-ssi had an enraptured expression, her gaze captivated. My hyung, unable to watch any longer, cautiously asked the two women who seemed to have lost their minds.

“…What is it?”

“It’s a shotgun called the Benelli M4.”

“A shotgun? This?”

The shotguns I knew didn’t look like this…

“Yes. It’s a masterpiece.”

“It’s a masterpiece.”

“……”

The men and I wore dumbfounded expressions. I know women like luxury goods. But I also know they prefer things like shoes or bags. But Heize and Sohee-ssi were looking at a shotgun with expressions of being in love. Tastes should be respected, but this was truly…

“…If you like it, take it. Sohee-ssi, you too.”

“Really?! Hehehe~”

“Ahem… I’ll use it well.”

Women whose expressions crumbled into giggles while holding shotguns. It was a refreshing sight in its own way.

While the luxury shotgun made the two women happy, there was also an item that shocked them.

“What’s this?”

“That’s…!”

Sohee-ssi was slightly surprised when she saw the gun I picked up. According to the explanation, it looked like a rifle, but it was also a shotgun.

USAS-12

It was the name of an automatic shotgun, even banned in the United States. My curiosity was piqued by the fact that it was even made in Korea. This gun, which even had a magazine, was apparently a vicious and cruel weapon. That part, for me, was very appealing.

Besides that, it was a succession of relatively docile items. Plenty of spare magazines and useful knives. Though small in quantity, there were even subsonic rounds and deployable explosives. I was a bit puzzled that handguns and heavy weapons didn’t appear, but since the weapons right before my eyes were enough, I moved on.

‘I should open more boxes.’

Advanced weapons are good, but I need something with more power. As I was thinking that, hyung approached a large box.

“What’s in this one~?”

The last remaining box.

Click-

“Whoa…”

Hyung, who opened the lid with deep curiosity, let out a genuine gasp of admiration.

“Wow.”

“So there was something like this too.”

The minigun I had set my eyes on. Everyone was filled with admiration at its imposing presence. Hyung, seemingly very curious, grunted as he lifted the minigun.

“Th-this is too heavy??”

“Jihyeok-ssi. That’s not a weapon you fight while holding. Put it down, you’ll hurt your back.”

“Gah!”

Thud-

At the minigun’s weight, similar to a sack of rice, hyung made a disgusted expression.

“This needs to be set up on a stand and—”

Grab-

Lift-

“…Set… it… up…”

“Waaaa…”

“Nice.”

I effortlessly lifted the minigun and tried out various stances. I liked the reassuring bulk filling my hands as much as its weight. Everyone fell silent, seeing me a little excited while holding the massive minigun.

Meanwhile, Heize, who suddenly snapped back to reality, immediately examined the minigun.

“Oh. Power pack.”

Heize immediately recognized the battery. According to her, a company had attempted to modify the minigun for portability. She explained that it unfortunately fizzled out because there was no way to deal with the excessive weight, and she looked at me with curiosity.

“This is… a prototype.”

While everyone was marveling, Sohee-ssi, who had read the manual, continued with additional explanations.

“It seems the rate of fire has been significantly lowered due to the battery connection. The weight has also increased.”

“What’s the original like?”

“Modern miniguns fire 6,000 rounds per minute. This one weighs well over 40kg.”

“Oh…”

“Even if the rate was halved, if the operating time is less than 10 minutes… it can’t be considered good.”

Heize and Sohee-ssi showed negative opinions in many ways, but well. If I can fight while holding it and only use it when I need instant firepower, it’s a good option for me. Like a burst mode? Like a special move activated by pressing A+B? To me, the minigun felt like that.

‘No reason not to use it.’

I set aside the impressively heavy minigun and announced.

“I will be using this.”

At my words, Heize couldn’t hide her dumbfounded expression.

“Han. Are you sure?”

“Of course. Just teach me how to use it later.”

“Hmm… Understood. But know this.”

“What?”

Heize explained with a hint of pity.

“That thing uses a ton of bullets, okay?”

“Ah…”

“That’s why it’s not used much.”

“That’s right. It consumes the ammunition for an entire company in an instant.”

I agreed, listening to Sohee-ssi, who echoed Heize’s opinion and expressed regrettable concern. 6,000 rounds per minute means 100 rounds per second, consuming 3 magazines per second. Considering those who had to carefully load only 10 rounds into magazines due to bullet shortages, this was an operation method beyond their wildest dreams. It seemed the talk of even the US military being reluctant to use it wasn’t an exaggeration. How much trouble did Incheol and Sohee-ssi go through because of empty magazines? Sohee-ssi’s concern, perhaps due to such experiences, led her to advise me carefully and seriously.

But I was different. The problem was how to use this so well that word would spread. My mouth was itching to tell the unspeakable secret, but I endured it.

After happily tidying up the boxes, Heize subtly spoke.

“It’s good that we have weapons. But there are no bullets. What should we do?”

What do you mean, “what should we do?” I’ll get them out.

I pulled out the cargo truck’s keys.

“I’ll be right back.”

Seeing me head towards the entrance without hesitation, hyung quietly asked.

“Surely… there’s more?”

“Yes.”

“……”

“I’ll be right back.”

Hyung, looking at me as I calmly replied, had an expression that spoke volumes. Putting his expression aside, I dissuaded hyung and Dong-woo, who wanted to come along and help.

‘Not yet.’

My family members had somewhat figured out my powers. My fighting style was far from ordinary, and they had seen it multiple times. Hyung and Dong-woo were already completely open about it. I had told them, as a sign of trust, not to worry about me moving alone often, but not about the inventory. This was something I was also pondering what to do about. They might have even noticed that I have something special. Especially since Shia had briefly been suspicious of me. If we continue to live together like this, I might be found out someday.

‘……’

Not yet. For now, I decided to endure the annoyance and hassle a bit.

…I forcefully pushed down the needlessly unsettled feeling.

…Anyway…

I made three more round trips, moving ammunition boxes and other containers. Finally, I also brought out the heavy weapons I had picked up from on top of the barrier. Thanks to this, everyone had to move busily and sweat profusely all day long. Still, no complaints were heard. It was clear that everyone felt reassured upon seeing the ample supply of weapons and ammunition. They even showed eagerness to choose guns and learn how to shoot. The atmosphere in the shelter was greatly uplifted. The heated atmosphere continued late into the evening, and finally, it only calmed down after everyone had a light drink.

…I, too, couldn’t sleep until late at night, reading the minigun’s instruction manual.