Rust - Chapter 183



Only Krnovel

RUST -183

Maru wondered if this was how it would turn out.

Just in case something were to happen, I destroyed all the Marine Corps action cameras. As a result, rumors spread that there was someone among the refugees who had the ability to kill monsters, though it was unknown who or what their abilities were.

It wasn’t just on one side, it was flashing here and there, so it was enough to make you think there were multiple people there.

The refugees’ abilities were acknowledged by the Marines who fought alongside them. They blocked the front and drew aggro, making it easy to take down the monsters.

By the way, what would have crossed your mind when you saw a refugee fighting against monsters with only a single knife? Surprise? Envy? Fear? I don’t know, but it certainly wouldn’t have been a peaceful feeling.

[They’re idiots.]

Kim Yang laughed. Baekjeong cut more than 60% of the meat by himself, so where are the Saojeong guys acting so proud? But did they cut about 3 to 40% of the meat by themselves?

But if you really think about it, it was barely a scratch on the skin. At best, it was just a slight stab in the front leg? If the American soldiers hadn’t shot at it from behind, wouldn’t it have been impossible to catch it? What kind of confidence are you talking about? Are you saying that you wounded it?

Well then, I guess I have to admit it. Yeah.

If they hadn’t caught even one, I wouldn’t know, but since they killed some of them together, it was clear that they had lost their sense of propriety.

“This is difficult.”

Kim Yang tilted her head at Maru’s monologue.

There’s no reason to worry, is it because the prices are rising these days? It’s nice to look more relaxed than when I was struggling to survive, but it looks like it needs some management.

[Worried?]

“No, I just feel like I have some responsibility.”

Inside the exosuit helmet, Kim Yang’s face smirked.

It’s soft. Get out of the way.

And then suddenly, it went like, whoosh- whoosh- but yeah.

He wasn’t a butcher who just went around chopping things up.

That’s right.

As expected, Baekjeong needed management. Yes.

Now that I think about it, I have a lot of work to do, including maintaining the chest and taking care of the youngest who just came in.

Glance-

I guess I’ll have to manage it carefully, 100 times. Yeah.

If an error occurs, the future is clouded.

[Don’t worry about it.]

“···Well, it’s not like it’s something that will work out even if I worry about it. But it’s strange.”

[?]

“How on earth did these people survive? Even if there were monsters, there must have been infected people as well.”

Miss Kim turned her head.

He was a fucking disobedient bastard. I told him not to worry about it.

======

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The outcome was already decided.

It was difficult to control and protect tens of thousands of people with the current escort force. However, they could not just sit there and forcibly take away the refugees they had been escorting from the forward base.

Starting with the old man Kadama, even those who had made a name for themselves in Japanese politics and business began to say that they would hold out, so it became difficult to persuade people.

“Are they crazy as a group?”

The commander was just frustrated.

‘Why did you abandon the people who asked you to take them from Afghanistan?’

‘The Kurds were like that too···.’

‘Isn’t it still the same now?’

“Crazy things.”

Are you going to compare Afghanistan to this place? Is the situation in Kurdistan the same as it is now? Those who are tempted by that are not in their right minds.

“Communication?”

“Volcanic ash and smoke have risen into the stratosphere, making satellite communications difficult.”

I thought that Japan, a country that is well prepared for earthquakes, would have a landline telephone network, but that too was down.

“Anyway, in order to communicate with the camp, we need to go to the port city where the transport ship is waiting. Let’s spend the day here, and we’ll leave early tomorrow morning.”

“All right.”

“Tell them not to let loose in the city and to keep watch and be on guard.”

“four.”

There were quite a few hotels, perhaps because it was the area where the Winter Olympics were held. Although running water and heating were issues, just getting a good night’s rest in a proper bed would help restore your fighting spirit.

“Manage the children properly so that no accidents occur.”

“four.”

Knock- knock-

[Mr. Vladimir Kalin is here.]

“Did you call?”

Maru, who had overheard the conversation going on outside, spoke indifferently.

“Please sit here.”

After a brief summary of the situation and a series of non-complimentary remarks, the commander finally opened his mouth.

“It seems like it will be difficult to complete the mission of transporting refugees. There is opposition from refugee representatives and local residents.”

“I heard that too.”

“There are refugees here who want to join the militia… No, in fact, all of the refugees are saying they want to stay here.”

“okay.”

The commander spoke frankly to Maru’s reaction, who seemed to be watching a fire across the river.

“I hope Mr. Kalin and Ms. Kim will remain here and serve as the focal point of our defense.”

“······.”

“There are capable people, but I don’t think there’s anyone who can finish off a monster in one go. If the Marines are gone, there’ll be no long-range deterrence, and if the monsters are targeting this place, it’s virtually impossible to defend it with them alone.”

“······.”

Maru’s attack power and Kim Yang’s exosuit could certainly be the focal point. If they were them, there would be no need to clash with the old man Kadama, who suddenly showed anti-American sentiment, and the local influential figures. It’s not like they’re going to leave the Marines behind, and there’s no need to get upset about two mercenaries remaining.

“I refuse.”

“Think about it again. In fact, can you not say that you are not responsible for the refugees coming out like that?”

The commander knew that they were actively using stealth equipment, so he guessed that Maru was the most active in the monster attack.

‘also···.’

I came because you called me, and it was as expected.

“That’s their choice. It’s ridiculous to talk about who is responsible for what in this situation. If that’s all you have to say, I’ll get up now.”

“What are you going to do with the request? Wasn’t the request to transport refugees to the camp?”

At the commander’s words, Maru handed over the contract.

“What does item 2 of the special provisions say? ‘If the refugees refuse to be transferred.’, ‘If they are uncooperative with the transfer.’, and what does it say under that? ‘The request is considered completed.’ Did you see that? The request ends here.”

As expected, America is the country of contracts. Contracts had to be meticulous. Verbal contracts? Contracts based on trust? Heh-

When the contract was brought up, the commander’s face became stiff as if he had never asked for it.

This. This atmosphere. This shit atmosphere. I even saved Lieutenant Colonel Gilbert Brown, and did everything he asked me to do, and if this is happening… Really…

Before the commander could even speak, Maru, who was getting irritated, opened his mouth first.

“···If you’re going to say something boring like, ‘It’s critical to national security,’ or ‘It’s important to military operations,’ then really···.”

The commander was speechless for a moment.

What are concentrated emotions?

petulance?

Living?

Are you saying that you’re annoyed?

It’s like something black is spreading out. An illusion?

Even in the horrific terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, or on the battlefields overflowing with hatred and death pouring in from all sides, there was nothing like this.

The breathing became increasingly tight. The feeling of the lungs being squeezed and the heart being squeezed. The commander clenched his teeth. The sound of teeth grinding came out, and the veins bulged out.

“···You will be disappointed.”

“······.”

The shadow of death that disappears in an instant.

Huh- Huh-

The commander exhaled roughly without realizing it.

What was that just now?

Superpowers?

Living?

Am I crazy?

The trembling fingers told me it was reality.

reality?

“You seem to be under a lot of stress. Get some rest.”

“······.”

Maru told her to get some rest and then quickly went outside.

I was shocked. Who would have thought that someone would get so upset just because they made a face? Just because I was a little irritated, I had trouble breathing, and seeing the veins popping out on my face, I thought that I had high blood pressure.

‘Blood pressure is dangerous.’

What if you keep doing that and collapse from high blood pressure?

By the way, did you lose your temper because I cut you off? Do you really want to live with such a dirty personality? Did you lose your temper because the kid talked back? Thinking about it again, I get angry.

As I was walking with a heavy heart, I found myself back at my lodgings without realizing it.

Kkeuyung- Kkeuyung-

The exosuit that had been killed for muffling the sound approached stealthily.

[What did you say?]

“Just as I expected. He asked me to stay and clean up after him.”

[······.]

“I said I wouldn’t do it.”

Kim Yang nodded her head in satisfaction at Maru’s answer, opened the door, and pushed Maru inside.

[Rest first.]

Kkeuyung- Kkeuyung-

Before I could answer, the exosuit disappeared into the end of the hallway. It was nice that they told me to rest first, but…

“Why is he like that again?”

What happened to the guy who always said he would rest first?

======

======

Kkeuyung- Kkeuyung-

When they saw Kim Yang’s exosuit, the marines on guard were the first to speak.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

[effort.]

The Marines were doing well. They were keeping watch. They were keeping watch.

Things seemed to be going well. Now it was time to stop by Korea for a bit and then head back to Detroit, where my heart was warming.

‘Why don’t you contact the servant or your baby?’

You little punk. Die! Die!

Huh? If I die, Baekjeong will go crazy and run wild. That wasn’t it.

Next time we meet, I’ll have to hit him a little. If I hit him until he comes to his senses, he won’t do it again. Yeah.

Byuk-byuk- kyungwoong-

Jab-jab-straight-

Kim Yang, who was punching the air, caught sight of something moving quickly. Judging from the thermal imaging and infrared camera images, it wasn’t a monster. After all, it was bipedal.

‘sport?’

If it was a mutant, it would have screamed ‘Kwaaaaah!’ first.

If that’s the case, then he’s a human, but if he’s moving like that, he’s not an ordinary person. Why is a person with supernatural powers coming out of that window? Isn’t that where the Marine Corps officers are?

Kim Yang started to chase the red dot that was moving away silently.

Kkeuyung- Kkeuyung-

The place we arrived at after stealthily chasing after with cat-like steps was the area where the refugees were staying. The red dot that we entered was the most extravagant place among the various accommodations.

‘Where are you going?’

It was a place where people with inspiration and influence gathered. But why in a place where the commander was…? Kim Yang waited quietly.

How long had it been? Two hours? Three hours? Wasn’t it nothing? Just when I was thinking that I should go change shifts, the motion detector rang.

Beep-

Beep-beep-

Beep-beep-

There was movement, but it wasn’t being picked up by the heat detectors or infrared cameras.

‘Stealth equipment?’

That sound, four in number, entered the place where the red dot had entered earlier.

======

======

Maru, who had woken up from a deep sleep, looked back once more.

“So. Are you sure the hiding device is working?”

[Certain.]

It was blurry even with the thermal imaging and infrared. It was clear. Maru stretched his head from side to side at Kim Yang’s answer.

That means the Chinese kids came, but how did they know about this place? Were they tracking them? Since they arrived quite a while later, that means they were tracking them from a long way away.

“You went right in without even waiting outside?”

Nodding, nodding. Ms. Kim nodding.

‘hmm.’

Even if you say you tracked them, they went straight inside?

This was strange. Do you know who is inside? With so many empty houses and hotels, do you know where people are? That means they have some way of communicating with each other.

‘liaison?’

The guys who were cut down on the 15th floor of the hospital were communicating with each other using a transmitter. That means there is someone among the refugees who has a transmitter.

Tablet PCs came to mind.

A tablet filled with all sorts of information.

You take that to China? How?

The 12.7mm firearm was also strange.

Why did you bring a 12.7mm assault rifle that is difficult to distribute when there is a 7.62mm?

Even if you buy Russian ones. Why?

How did you know that you would need that much personal firepower?

Where did the troops that surrounded Lieutenant Colonel Gilbert Brown come from?

To mobilize that number of troops, they would have needed a base within walking distance.

Since we couldn’t use a vehicle, we had to walk.

Walking distance?

position?

Even if there were no monsters, there must have been a few. How did the people here survive? They survived as vigilantes? With revolvers used by the police and weapons used by the yakuza?

Even if there were no monsters, wouldn’t there have been infected people? What if a mutation occurred among the infected people? How did they stop that mutation? Who?

12.7mm?

Maru woke up wide awake.

“What the hell.”

[?]

“What about the battery?”

[45% remaining, 1 spare.]

“What about the bullet?”

[About 540 feet···?]

There was no time to explain.

If they were, they would try to annihilate the US military and destroy the evidence. If the Marines were annihilated, what about the transport ship? Walking 700-800km from here to the camp? Throwing away the exosuit with its dead battery and all the loot along the way? I had to take the transport ship no matter what.

“Get more bullets. This is an attack.”

[???]