Chapter 85: Chapter 85

As the night deepened, the temperature dropped. Thick rain began to mix with snowflakes. The sleet was sharp and harsh, melting the instant it touched anything. Still, it insisted on sticking to the lens. Gyeo-ul pondered whether he should remove his night vision goggles. However, the surroundings were enveloped in black mountain ranges. Even if the boy's eyesight was extraordinary, there were limits to what he could see with the naked eye.

His breath turned white in the cold wind. The reason why the boy was out of breath was because he had been running for a long time. Even if it was just at a light jog, he had already been running for half an hour. Fortunately, the difficult road sections on the mountain track were not lengthy, so it looked like they would reach the end before another half-hour passed.

The torrential rain was a disaster for non-humans as well. The corpse floating at the roadside puddle, buoyed by the waves, was, in fact, not human. It was a ghoul, its flesh swollen and white. Gyeo-ul decided to approach briefly and examine it. He needed to gather information, and he also needed a moment to catch his breath. He signaled for the vehicle to stop and carefully proceeded into the pooled water.

Since it was off the road, his footing grew slippery beneath him. Mud. The water level came up to his waist. The current was almost nonexistent, but where two streams intersected in a scoop of earth, there was a bit of a whirlpool. However, the suction was nowhere near strong enough to sweep a person away. Gyeo-ul cocked his head once in curiosity and switched weapons. For close-quarters combat, a handgun was preferable.

He pressed the muzzle to the ghoul's head and cautiously prodded it with his other hand. No movement. Was it really dead? This time, Gyeo-ul struck strongly with the grip of his pistol. Whack! With enough force to split the back of its head. The floating head sank beneath the surface, then bobbed back up, driven by buoyancy.

The gray monster convulsed in seizure-like spasms. It wildly flailed its arms, slapping at the water. Gyeo-ul stepped back a few steps, raising a hand to stop the soldiers from firing.

It looked like a drowning person. If flustered, even in shallow water, a person could drown. Unlike most animals, humans acquired swimming as a trained skill. If you didn't know how to breathe properly, you couldn't even float. It was the same for the other things that took humans as hosts.

'Probably, it tripped and couldn't stand up again. Faced with mortal danger, it must have shut down its bodily functions.'

Mutants infected by the parasite could shift themselves into a state of suspended animation. Their muscles would go rigid, and their breathing almost disappear. Then, if they received external stimuli—touch, sight, hearing, smell—they would suddenly react violently, awakening just like before.

Gyeo-ul had first witnessed this behavior in mutants locked up at Atascadero State Hospital in this world. Originally, it was a method to conserve energy. However, it could also serve to save oxygen. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel-fire.ɴet

Of course, as far as Gyeo-ul knew, it couldn't last forever. The oxygen consumption was reduced, not eliminated. If this ghoul had just been left alone, it would have died eventually.

Noticing Gyeo-ul, the ghoul thrashed with a savage struggle. Its teeth chattered violently, and it swallowed more and more water. Watching its pathetic flailing, Gyeo-ul, relying on experience, reaffirmed that mutants would not be able to swim for the time being.

Gyeo-ul fired two bullets into the ghoul's head. The gunshots were drowned out by the thunder. Watery blood trickled from the bullet holes in its skull, and its ashen body slackened.

Another officer was waiting for the boy officer as he came ashore. Jeffrey asked,

"What was that just now? It looked like a dead one came back to life."

"Jeffrey, do you remember the ones in the hospital room at Atascadero?"

"Oh... so this was the same as those. Huh, well. Thanks for showing me something good. From now on, I guess I'll have to reevaluate corpses floating in water. If you mess with one for no reason, you might die a dog's death."

"That's right. We should transmit this same warning to other bases. Especially San Diego North Island."

Jeffrey, who had taken Gyeo-ul's experiment at face value, hardened his expression at the last words. Even if someone acted frivolously, Jeffrey was still a properly trained American officer.

"It's impressive that you think that far ahead. I respect you, first Lieutenant."

San Diego North Island, the last military stronghold on the North American west coast, was mounting its defense using the bay's inner waters as a natural barrier. That was because the belief that mutants couldn't cross water had taken strong root. This was the same for American citizens who had evacuated onto ships.

But if half-dead things could drift on water, and someone, not knowing any better, disturbed one, chaos would erupt instantly. Maritime refugees lived with their boats pressed shoulder-to-shoulder. If infection began, the plague would spread at a speed no different from on land.

Jeffrey looked quite troubled by the possibilities he had realized. Gyeo-ul reassured him,

"Don't worry too much. It's already been confirmed that mutants fear water. There's still time before they're able to use this deliberately."

"But it's pouring rain here. It's not strange if a few dumb mutant bastards fell in and drifted away. I'm already worried something might've happened..."

"We can't do anything about that. Maybe someone else has already given a warning."

This was a world where everyone alive was on guard against mutants. It was not strange if someone else had realized what the boy just noticed. There were people at the Department of Defense who got paid to do exactly that.

Gyeo-ul nudged Jeffrey.

"That's enough time wasted. Let's move on."

The time needed didn't stray from their estimates. Before another half hour passed, Gyeo-ul reached the point where the mountain road intersected a two-lane highway. From there on, Gyeo-ul didn't have to lead the way anymore. They'd been running in the rain for nearly an hour.

Gyeo-ul undid the winch hook at his waist. Seeing the boy officer return to the vehicle, two soldiers sighed heavily with relief. The private first class, who'd been manning the turret, suggested Gyeo-ul take a break.

"Thank you for your hard work, sir. Please rest now."

"Rest? We're still in the middle of the operation and I'm the commander. Get down from the gunner's seat. Whether you sit out there or in here doesn't make much difference, does it?"

"First Lieutenant, I couldn't honestly call a Humvee a hotel, even as a joke. But I do think someone who's been running outside in the rain for a whole hour deserves to rest somewhere warmer and more comfortable, even if just a bit. You should at least eat something inside. While you were running, the other vehicles finished their meals in turns."

Now that he thought about it, he hadn't eaten dinner yet. It seemed Jeffrey, as acting deputy, had taken the initiative to instruct the meal. Even without instructions, the soldiers probably took care of themselves.

Gyeo-ul hesitated for a moment, then agreed. The soldiers' abilities couldn't match Gyeo-ul's, but his various sensory augmentations wouldn't be significantly reduced just by being inside the vehicle.

"Alright, I'll leave it to you for a bit."

The private first class sighed again.

"You can keep leaving it to us. Please, just stay in there for a while."

The driver chimed in.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day where the soldiers are sitting and the officer is the one running. It's my first time seeing something like that in four years of service. Man, you can really feel the world's ending."

Gyeo-ul offered a quiet smile. The soldier seemed to appreciate that.

The vehicle rolled along stably without a bump. It was only a two-lane road, but being a highway in name, it seemed well built. Before disaster struck the west coast, it'd surely been well-maintained.

That also meant eating in the vehicle was fairly easy. At least, there was little risk of spilling water while transferring containers.

The field ration (FSR) Gyeo-ul had eaten in the lobby of Atascadero State Hospital had been much more simplified. What he was now unpacking was the standard meal, a Meal Ready to Eat (MRE). As Gyeo-ul unpacked it on his lap, the driver shot him a sidelong glance and commented,

"It probably tastes bad, but enjoy."

Gyeo-ul hesitated—not because he simply sympathized with the soldier. Whenever he heard people say the rations tasted bad, there was always something the boy thought every single time.

'No matter what, this isn't such a bad meal, but isn't the nickname Massive Rectal Explosion a bit much?'

Anyway, it was better than the energy gels he'd eaten so often in his past life. Gyeo-ul truly hated their artificial flavor and chemical taste. Thanks to his older sister Han Ga-eul's efforts, he sometimes got to enjoy real food. If not for her unusual dedication, Gyeo-ul would've grown up not knowing the joy of eating. They were so poor, they hadn't even had a single virtual reality account that everyone else supposedly used.

'Who knows. Maybe my parents had accounts, and I just didn't know.'

Lost in thought for just a moment. Gyeo-ul realized he was wasting time. It was a meaningless reminiscence, and a meaningless regret. No need to make a heavy burden even heavier.

He turned his focus to the meal.

The MRE included a heating pack. Add a bit of water and the temperature would rise rapidly. You could use it to heat a variety of foods and drinks. It was a process that required caution because burns were easy, but even as he moved his hands, Gyeo-ul's eyes remained mostly on the road ahead.

When he opened the cheese spread, which had warmed against the heating pack, the savory aroma drifted up as half-melted cheese oozed out. He spread a suitable amount on a cracker, waited for the moisture and fat to soak in, then took a bite.

It was delicious. Gyeo-ul smiled lightly, without embellishment. The sharp saltiness almost stung his tongue, but just having a hot meal on a cold day was worth high praise.

The chicken stew had a strong artificial aroma. He disliked that part. Still, the texture of the breast meat, as close to the real thing as possible, was satisfying. After a few chews, rolling the meat to the tip of his tongue, the flesh, soaked in broth, flaked apart perfectly. The bland sweetness of the hot drink also clung pleasantly to his mouth.

"You act like you really enjoy that stuff, sir."

To the driver's bewildered question, Gyeo-ul replied,

"Right? Jeffrey isn't sitting by me."

Hearing this made the other two soldiers stifle laughter. Apparently, Jeffrey had ruined several meals with his toilet talk.

Static and indistinct voices came over the radio. Several people's words, all jumbled together—it was a familiar pattern. The soldiers held their breath. The tension was palpable. Gyeo-ul spoke with calm, reassuring authority.

"Don't mind it. Judging by the strength of the static, they're pretty far away. Probably to the west, toward Santa Margarita. They must have already checked several times that there's nothing around here, so there's no way—not in this weather—they'd be out here wandering for no reason. Tell the vehicles behind us not to worry either."

The gunner relayed the message as instructed.

After a while, the static and pointless transmissions faded, and as the convoy left the highway and began heading south, it cut out completely. It was due to the terrain: a 1200-meter-high peak was blocking the signal.

After finishing his meal, Gyeo-ul opened a map. Even with the help of 「Cartography」 skills, since his "Memory" level was low, it was a good idea to check the map frequently. The boy nodded.

"We're almost there. There are no more difficult sections ahead. We just have 11 kilometers more to go."

A soldier stole a glance at the map and asked,

"It's a straight stretch of flat terrain. Should we pick up the pace?"

With Gyeo-ul's permission, the driver gradually increased their speed. The intention was to ensure the following vehicles kept up without confusion.

However, the sprint did not last long. Upon reaching the riverbank, the convoy slowed. There was nothing where the bridge was supposed to be—only the rough current of the river. The river looked to be over 30 meters wide. On the tactical map, the place was marked as a long-dried stream called Burrito—a strangely appetizing name, but the real thing was not so inviting.

Perhaps the bridge had sunk beneath the surface, but there was no way to confirm it.

'Besides, with a current , even a bridge would feel unsafe.'

You couldn't trust the durability of any structure submerged in water.

What to do? Gyeo-ul stood with his feet just in the water by the bank, searching for a way to cross.

--------------------------- Author's Note ---------------------------

Q. 淸流蓮: @Thank you for the great story today as always. I leave a comment first, then read carefully—your novels are always full of dreams, hope, and childlike wonder. I've recently been marathoning "Resetting Humanity."

After reading your work, this story reads like a sweet love story. Also, have you ever read Magic & Dragon or Machanaraka? They're ten years old but still so charming—I revisit them often. Especially the ending of Machanaraka... Magic & Dragon finished on Here, machanaraka on Munpia. I recommend them to you too!

A. I'll try reading them if I have time. Or I could take a break from serializing to make time...no, no. Just kidding. Hahaha.

Q. 도화원: @Do denture-clicking BJs usually play as swordmasters when they game?

Q. Ghozt: @This seems like a good time for a game introduction or gallery chat full of dreams, hope, and child's heart.

A. Even taking this episode into account, it's only been three updates since the last time, so isn't it a bit early?

Q. 호랭이사탕: Are you full of childlike wonder, author? Your KakaoTalk messages seem so cute. Thanks for a great work again today. Gyeo-ul is still capable and cute. The soldiers are so anxious watching Gyeo-ul. The recent chapters have been calm, so is blood and gore about to return soon?

A. It's hard to give a precise time, but blood and flesh are components of childlike wonder.

Q. 섹갤: ㅆㅅㅌㅊ It's a top-tier zombie novel; will it turn into fantasy or martial arts after about 300 chapters?

A. No, that won't happen.

Q. 14C2A58H2: After reading today's afterword, does that mean that the protagonist predicts and thus causes the mutants to evolve and act strategically?

A. The actions of mutants directly influenced by Gyeo-ul can be affected by Gyeo-ul's TOM readings. And TOM readings are different from conscious predictions.