Rust - Chapter 125



Only Krnovel

RUST -125

Boo-boo-

A bottle of liquor floated into the air. Its shadow, illuminated by the light from the stand, rotated in the air.

Viewung- tak-

Maru lay slumped on the bed, tossing and catching a bottle of Jack Daniel’s, lost in thought.

I was curious as to why Ms. Kim and the nurse wanted to go together. I could say that Ms. Kim, who had been supporting and roasting me since Korea, was okay, but I was really suspicious of the nurse.

When I think about how you helped Ki-soon and Kim-yang when they were injured, I feel grateful, and I paid them back with American citizenship and money, so didn’t I do my duty?

‘Your name is Ono Nanae.’

Whether or not you ask her to call you by your name, why would you call her a nurse and spend your entire life staring at a sea of ​​blood that you might only see once in your life?

‘HOXY?’

No, that couldn’t be true. Maru hadn’t had anything to do with a girl since middle school, but he knew that.

‘Not me… Then Miss Kim?’

Could it be? Did she fall in love with Ms. Kim? The nurse who had been crouching and clinging to Ms. Kim’s leg came to mind. She also remembered the way Ms. Kim had affectionately taught her how to fish. And the way the nurse flinched and knelt when Ms. Kim had punished her and scolded her.

Maru shook his head. That wasn’t it. He had been so irritated by Kim Yang that he would have had a hole in his head. Anyway, if that was really the case, he wouldn’t die right away after seeing her hamburger skills today. Probably.

Booooooooo- ting

For a moment, I was lost in thought, and failed to control my strength, causing the bottle to hit the ceiling and fall. I tapped the neck of the bottle with my finger, causing it to spin in reverse, and it landed gently on my palm.

‘Is this kid Kisun doing well?’

As he twisted open the glass, the distinctive scent of bourbon whiskey rose. Maru took in a little of the golden scent and opened the letter that Gisun had left him.

The USB in the envelope contained the data that was on Manager Hong’s laptop. It was definitely a dangerous item for Ki-sun to carry around. And there was a slightly thick letter in the envelope.

As I opened the letter, a familiar handwriting caught my eye.

[Fuck···]

Is that a curse word from the first word? Maru’s expression, which had started reading with a smirk, gradually hardened.

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The catamaran carrying Ki-sun picked up speed as it cut through the night sea. There were three ships when they started out, but one more was added later, making a fleet of four yachts as they crossed the Pacific Ocean.

‘You little brat. You haven’t had an accident yet, have you?’

I was asked if I should scout Maru and Kim Yang to the company, but I told them absolutely not to do that. I liked the fact that the scouting story came out because it showed Maru’s power to some extent. I decided to hide it as much as I could before leaving, but it wasn’t easy.

In Korea, we struggled to survive, and it was the same in Japan.

There were fights against armed gangsters, but also crazy infected, schools of rampaging sea fish, birds swarming like clouds, flesh-eating cockroaches and cement-gnawing rats, black monsters that absorb and multiply, rock-throwing Japanese monkeys, and even mutant barnacles.

There were many situations that would have been dangerous if it weren’t for Maru. That meant that Maru was always facing death. His friend had seen too much blood in a short period of time. That was what worried Ki-soon.

Among the American soldiers who were deployed in the Iraq or Afghanistan wars, there were more soldiers who suffered aftereffects than expected. Even soldiers who seemed fine became completely different people when the wounds in their souls opened.

There were many cases where people became dependent on alcohol or drugs without realizing it, and it was common for people to be unable to control their impulsive emotions or, conversely, to fall into depression.

So I advised Maru not to get blood on his hands as much as possible, but things didn’t go so smoothly.

And it seemed like it would be the same in the future. The world he had known was collapsing. Ki-sun could feel it. The world heading towards destruction was vivid in his eyes.

dripping-

“yes.”

“Mr. Bernard, do you have a minute?”

The voice of the Virginia staff. Ki-sun jumped out of bed and put on his pants.

“I’m going out. Please wait a moment.”

“I will wait.”

Ki-sun, who had put on her outerwear, came up to the lounge on the second floor of the catamaran. She saw an employee sitting at a table on one side. It was the employee who offered Ki-sun a glass of alcohol when she sat down.

“How about a drink?”

“Okay.”

The glass was filled with whiskey.

“Did something happen to my colleagues?”

The employee smiled bitterly at Ki-sun’s question.

“There was a small problem, but it was resolved well.”

“I see… I’ll tell you in advance, I’m not going to Tokyo.”

“···Is there no room for inventory at all?”

“Yes. Not at all.”

In the cold winter sea, the scent of whiskey grew stronger in the still silence.

“Mr. Bernard, the company, not the United States, values ​​your abilities.”

“······.”

“That’s why I’m giving you so many conveniences. To you and to your colleagues.”

“······.”

The staff looked at him coldly. It was cold. But Ki-sun was not discouraged. Compared to the murderous intent that Maru had exuded, compared to the moments when he had taken a step closer to death, this level of coldness was rather lukewarm. Ki-sun opened her mouth quietly.

“Do you know what people who lose money gambling usually say?”

“If I had more money, I could have gotten it?”

Ki-sun laughed at the employee’s immediate response.

“That’s true. But I’ve also heard people say this a lot. I’ll quit once I get my initial investment back. Do people who say that really mean to quit after getting their initial investment back? Or are they just trying to rationalize their continued gambling under the pretext of getting their initial investment back?”

“······.”

“Isn’t it funny that you don’t check the game properly before you step into the gambling table, and then you keep saying that you’ll get out once you get your initial investment back, but then you keep getting screwed? That’s why I don’t go into a gambling table where I’m sure I’ll win. I don’t want to think about getting my initial investment back later.”

This time the employee chuckled.

“It’s a gamble. Are you saying that going to Tokyo is a gamble?”

“······.”

Ki-sun answered in silence.

“I’ll be honest and blunt. I think we can win if we have enough chips.”

“I can tell you from my experience getting out of the gambling table that in some gambling tables, the amount of chips doesn’t matter.”

Quality was important. We needed someone with overwhelming abilities like Maru. But who else but Maru could do that?

“How about if we go with a rescue team comprised of Marines, and Delta Force as well?”

“Marines and Delta Force… Just hearing them makes me feel secure, but I don’t have the courage to go back in.”

One of the employee’s eyelids twitched slightly.

“At this point, I’m really curious. It sounds like you’re saying that your comrades, Mr. Bernard, are more awesome than our Marines and Delta Force.”

“Did you hear that?”

Ki-sun thought to himself, ‘You heard me right. You piece of shit. I said I wasn’t going, so why are you being so sticky and annoying?’

Ki-soon and the employee were having a staring contest that wasn’t a staring contest. The employee’s cell phone on the table shook. The employee clicked his tongue after glancing at the content that appeared on the phone screen.

“Tsk- I heard Mt. Fuji just erupted.”

“······.”

“Since things have changed, let’s stop talking for today. I hope to talk again when we arrive in Guam.”

“······.”

“Then that’s it.”

As the staff left, Ki-soon, left alone, slowly emptied his whiskey.

‘Did Mt. Fuji erupt?’

Fortunately, if Tokyo is covered in ash and smoke, it is likely to be safe from animals. Japanese macaques, rats, and birds will probably run away to other places to avoid the volcanic eruption.

‘Maybe the crazy schools of fish will disappear from the nearby seas.’

The wavy winter night deepened.

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Maru, soaking wet with sweat, sat on the bed.

Squeak- The old mattress creaked with the sound of rusty springs. I thought I had a dream, but I couldn’t remember it. I ran my hand through my hair, feeling like it was rusty like a spring. The beads of sweat splattering were uncomfortable.

‘What was that dream?’

Even if I don’t remember, it’s so hard to remember. It was clear that this was because of the letter that Ki-soon wrote.

Just thinking about the letter made me feel dirty.

‘Fuck.’

Maru swallowed his curse and roughly opened the bottle of water. He threw away the bottle cap that had cracked open and drank 500mL in one go, but his thirst did not go away.

‘Fuck.’

It was only after I drank another bottle that I began to hear the TV intermittently.

[···Mt. Fuji in Japan erupted last night···. According to satellite observations, smoke from a large-scale explosion was seen in the sky··· It is expected that a huge amount of volcanic ash will be carried by the winter winds to cover Tokyo and nearby cities···]

[Traffic and communications have been cut off in the Tokyo area due to the aftermath of the earthquake… Basic infrastructure such as electricity, gas, and water are also expected to have collapsed… Diplomats and correspondents are also unable to contact each other…]

[The government dispatched a rescue team… A rescue team consisting of special forces departed from Guam to Tokyo… As the entire southwestern region of Japan became a restricted air zone due to the continuous volcanic activity in Kyushu, the restricted air zone was expanded due to the large-scale eruption of Mt. Fuji in the Kanto region…]

[Amid expectations of difficulties in the rescue operation, a Chinese Air Force fighter jet squadron is crossing the air identification zones of Taiwan and Japan, putting the US military base in Okinawa on alert.]

“This is fucking crazy. Seriously.”

First, I need to take a shower.

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After taking a shower, Maru walked towards the restaurant.

My mind was in turmoil. The letter that Ki-sun wrote was full of hopeless predictions about the future. I came all the way to America to live a peaceful life, even if it wasn’t happy, but I felt suffocated at the thought that my intestines might burst.

[Fuck… I hope my prediction is wrong, but I’m writing it just in case.]

[The world is in shambles with just one infectious disease like Corona, so what would happen if the crazy infected people in Japan, who eat brains and hearts, spread all over the world?]

[Infected people are bad enough, but imagine if something like cockroaches or rats were to sweep through China or Russia. No, what would happen if they landed in Korea, which is just a stone’s throw away, and burst its side?]

[Wouldn’t there be a country that would try to weaponize it? Even with the coronavirus, the economy was already reeling, so what would happen if people were infected with a variant of the coronavirus? It’s impossible to imagine, but if it really spreads around the world, it’s certain to be a disaster no matter where you are.]

[Don’t act however you feel like, think carefully. What kind of crazy thing would it be if you and I went back together? Anyway, one of us had to stay and the other had to go back.]

[Whether it’s the US or Canada, make a shelter and stock up on as much as you can. Gather everything you need for survival, whether it’s weapons or food. Things like helicopters and airplanes. Unlike Korea, if you have money, they’re easy to get.]

Maru shook his head.

‘Fuck you.’

As if he had known what was going on, the letter ended like this.

[···If something really happens, Korea will be safer at first. Later, you will have to flee to places with low population densities like the US, Canada, or Siberia. If something happens, I will take Naru, my mother-in-law, and my father-in-law with me, so hold on tight there.]

Judging from the fact that he even made a joke about his mother-in-law, it seemed like he had made up his mind.

It was perhaps fortunate that Mt. Fuji had erupted. The mutated animals would have scattered and fled or died out. Since flights were completely canceled by the volcanic ash and smoke, it was assumed that the spread of the infection had been stopped for the time being. The coast guard and navy had already blocked the ships.

“I was planning to take a leisurely trip to Canada···.”

This sucks.

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Tokyo, Japan, South Donan Hospital

The winter sunlight was obscured by thick gray curtains. Beyond the thick curtain of volcanic ash and smoke, people were busy breathing hard, their masks quickly clogging the air.

Gasp-gasp-

“Don’t move quickly.”

“Do you all want to die?”

The woman who was carrying the luggage collapsed as if she had lost all strength. Director Yoo ran over and kicked the fallen woman.

“Where the hell are you kidding me, bitch? Do you want to die? Aren’t you going to get up?”

Puck – The woman stood up, staggering, as he kicked her in the stomach again.

“Why? Is it shit? If it’s shit, you should take up arms and fight instead.”

At Director Yoo’s words, the woman started moving her luggage again.

The burdens that piled up little by little filled the collapsed barricades here and there.

ding-

Ding! Ding! Ding!

“Coming!”

“Three o’clock! Coming from the three o’clock direction!”

What the fuck-

Director Yoo turned the cylinder of the Colt Python.