Rust - Chapter 297



Only Krnovel

RUST -297

Inside, filled with VX gas, the sound of small animals struggling could be heard.

Ms. Kim spoke to the nurse, who was standing there blankly, as if the sound was some kind of spell that would take her mind off things.

[Unit 1 isn’t coming soon? What are you doing standing there?]

[Huh? No.]

[Want to take the lead?]

[No. No.]

It was a nurse shaking her head as if she was surprised.

There was definitely a reaction. Could rats also have feelings, as Baekjeong had predicted? That’s interesting. Kim Yang stared blankly at the nurse.

Jjieeeek-

Every time she heard the sound of rats dying from VX gas, she flinched and trembled faintly. Ms. Kim quickly contacted Maru.

[I think Unit 1 fits the feeling.]

[Oh really?]

Maru was delighted. If crows and rats could do it, then maybe other things could communicate too. What if you could figure out what monsters like coyotes, wolves, and bears were thinking? The possibilities were endless.

Even when I was catching the rats that had overrun the village, I could feel the rats’ screams, and it wasn’t just an illusion.

[Don’t rush it, just squeeze it gently. How far can you go? Can you do it?]

[Of course-possible!]

Ms. Kim was confident.

While Kim Yang was creating a VX ant hell by carrying nurses, Maru and Diana expanded the safe zone to a slightly wider area.

“Let’s finish expanding the outskirts that we were building before.”

[I passed it on to the people who did the construction.]

The construction of the outer wall had been halted by the influx of gangs, and now was the right time. The infected and cannibals who had densely surrounded Vladiak Tower were a source of protein for the Blade Ravens, so there were no safety concerns about the construction.

“If we’re going to expand, let’s do it properly. If we don’t turn here and go straight all the way to the Detroit River, I think we’ll be able to expand the area without too much trouble.”

[Do you plan to include the large building and surrounding buildings?]

“Yes. It’s only been a few months, so even if people hold out, I think as time goes by there will be people who won’t be able to endure it.”

What’s wrong with a small studio apartment? That’s what I thought, but from an American perspective, it feels like being trapped.

‘You feel like you’re locked in a prison or a chicken coop?’

‘Yes.’

Medical professionals have warned that people living in confined spaces for long periods of time can develop a variety of mental illnesses, including depression.

There is a rest area where you can play various games, and it is equipped with a swimming pool, sauna, and gym, but how can you have depression and mental illness?

[As the area to be defended increases, firepower decreases.]

“Because there are crows with blades. It’ll be okay to some extent.”

Once construction is completed as planned, a fairly large area, including the park, will be placed under control.

[A similar place as the underground shelter in Area 14 was also confirmed in Area 5.]

“A nuclear bunker?”

It was a place included in the recently expanded area.

[Yes, it appears to be an old nuclear bunker. According to the information I checked on the emergency server, it was a military facility during the Cold War in preparation for nuclear war.]

“Hmm- It’s a military facility···.”

Since District 5 is an area where CCTV is not yet operational, it is impossible to know the situation. In any case, since it is a military facility, it was necessary to check it out.

If there was something inside that would give this guy or that guy a reason to come in or there were any signs of that happening, it would be better to get rid of it in advance. If that didn’t work out, the scope of the construction had to be reduced.

“Have the armed agents equip exosuits and have them inspect all the buildings within the expansion zone.”

[All right.]

Maru, wearing a ripper suit, disappeared into the shadows.

District 5 is densely populated with relatively low commercial buildings.

A street with a mixture of reinforced concrete and stone buildings that look a bit like the 60s and 70s. The sight of skyscrapers next to low, old shops reminded me of Jongno or Gwanghwamun.

‘What a mess.’

The first floor of the store was full of broken and burst traces. Whether the shutters were down or not, there were hardly any windows left. Only the dark red marks pressed into the floor told of the situation at the time.

Inside the dark shopping mall, which seemed to reject sunlight, there were cannibals hiding. Since they still had some sense left, the cannibals were unable to attack the people working outside and instead looked up at the sky.

Even though he saw the blade-bladed crows floating in the sky, he couldn’t help but drool as if he couldn’t control his instinct for the human flesh floating before him.

Hehehe-

Gurrrrrr- The flowing clear saliva instantly turned into a sticky red. Before the cannibal’s arms, separated into upper and lower parts, could even twitch, his neck was cut off.

‘This kid. Was he trying to grab the gun?’

It’s a gun, but it clearly reacted right before the knife went in. It means that the Ripper suit’s stealth isn’t working properly.

“Diana. There are cannibals left in the commercial building. Tell people to be careful.”

[Delivered.]

Maru confirmed the mutilated cannibals. They were armed with guns and their behavior made it difficult to distinguish them from simple survivors or refugees.

“Never let anyone in if you find a survivor. If anyone starts talking nonsense, kick them out immediately.”

[All right.]

Maru also informed Ms. Kim and the nurse that there were still cannibals left.

[You didn’t see it?]

“Because they might have been hiding. And don’t rely too much on their stealth gear.”

It was clear that he could detect the hiding at close range. It was like a cockroach that, when you raise your hand to kill it, somehow detects it and runs away in an instant.

[I used stealth equipment, but how did they know?]

“As I said before, these guys have a good sense of touch. They seem to instinctively sense when you approach them. They definitely move to avoid the bladed crows. Considering that they’re even armed with guns, you can assume they’re intelligent.”

So, as the anger management disorder progressed to dementia, the infected people who moved like zombies, and the mutants who mutated and ate the brain and heart were clearly distinguishable on the outside.

The mutants were especially easy to distinguish because they grew to be nearly 2.5 to 3 meters tall. In contrast, the cannibals were difficult to distinguish from normal people at first glance.

[Okay. Unit 1 isn’t in good shape, so I’m going to stop for today.]

“Okay, I’ll send the nurse, and you just have to suffer a little longer.”

Maru continued the story, gently calming down Kim Yang, who was brimming with annoyance.

“Don’t be fooled, cannibals are just like normal people.”

[Don’t worry.]

“Because 7.62mm might not work. Use 12.7mm from the beginning.”

[Similar to normal people?]

“It may look like that on the outside, but it’s not like that on the inside. When I cut these guys up, I could definitely see their resistance.”

[really?]

It’s definitely a slightly different feeling of resistance compared to when cutting a block of iron or reinforced concrete. The resistance is definitely greater than when I first cut it in the outer area of ​​the tower.

“Okay. Don’t worry about the liver, just throw it at the strongest one.”

[Okay.]

Choreuk-

Maru, who had brushed away the blood and fat from his blade, looked down at the remains of the cannibals.

======

======

Maru’s worries became reality.

Regarding cannibalism, it was initially thought to be a disease triggered by abnormal appetite. There was an opinion that the mutated virus mutated again and created cannibals, just like the infected people who developed intermittent explosive disorder.

There were claims that it was linked to a specific food, based on information that it spread from a Chinese grocery store in Chinatown, but the majority theory was that it was a mutation of a mutation, as tests detected a virus similar to the Intermittent Explosive Disorder virus.

But the two were different. How could an infected person who lost their memory like dementia and moved like a zombie and a cannibal who was rational but still craves human flesh be the same?

Just as poison that seeps into a small wound eventually kills a person, the cannibals that have infiltrated the refugees have begun to destroy everything.

“Shoot them all.”

“Are you crazy? These are unarmed civilians. They are refugees.”

“You idiot. Just shoot me!”

“What if there’s a cannibal inside me?”

“Can’t you tell when you see those Chinese bastards pushing away?”

Cannibals who were indistinguishable from ordinary people devastated the ROK-US Combined Forces. Corpses with their internal organs eaten were discovered, refugees were terrified and made a mess, and when troops were called out to control the situation, the Chinese army took advantage of the gap to counterattack.

The reason the ROK-US allied forces were able to hold out was because there was a cure. A cure and a preventive medicine. Just like anti-malaria medicine, the cure provided by Ojin Pharmaceutical was effective against anger management disorder and cannibalism caused by the mutant virus.

Although it was a hassle to have to take it once a week, the medicine helped soldiers reduce their stress about infection.

Those who suffered from cannibalism and those infected with the mutated virus did not get worse if they ate once every week. At least they were able to live a normal life. As such, the demand for a cure skyrocketed endlessly.

‘Korea, which seeks only profit from global hardship.’

‘Korea’s giant pharmaceutical companies. Do they pursue profits over human lives?’

‘Korea fills its necks with essential medicines.’

The demand for recipe sharing started in Southeast Asia and spread to Europe, North and South America, Australia, the Middle East, and Africa. The world condemned Korea.

‘There was a terrorist attack against Koreans.’

‘The image of selfish Koreans has emerged…’

‘While Koreans’ preference decreased by 51%···.’

Pressure from all sides has intensified.

‘The National Assembly is considering a bill on the production and distribution of essential medicines.’

Ojin Group responded to that pressure by halting production, but that had its limits. It was the same with them saying that if they were touched, they would blow up the factory and go into exile.

‘Chairman Oh Jin Group. Is he a brilliant scientist? A sociopath who lacks social skills?’

‘Na Ju-yeon’s personality after suddenly becoming the president. Na Ju-yeon as described by her elementary school classmates. She has no empathy.’

Once you start biting, you start digging into the past.

‘Commander of the ROK-US Combined Forces, share the recipe for the cure and mass produce and distribute it.’

‘Europe’s cities are locked down due to lack of medicine. Responsibility for the numerous casualties is···’

‘Countries around the world agree to refuse asylum to Ojin Group members.’

Pressure has also grown in the United States and other friendly countries to disclose the recipe for a cure, whether it be asylum or Nabal.

“Miss… Chairman. What will you do?”

In case there was a threat to my safety, I tried to ensure safety by blowing up the data center, but there was not an ounce of reason left in the global madness.

The stupidity of disguising madness as reason and humanity. It was a mistake to judge that it would be impossible to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.

“Hahaha- In the end, this is what happens.”

How is it that nothing is out of the ordinary? The only person who was out of her expectations was ‘him’. Na Ju-yeon smiled meaningfully.

“Are you saying that Koreans should also disclose their recipes?”

“Public opinion is like that.”

There were all sorts of comments on articles about Ohjin Group and Chairman Na Ju-yeon: people who called her a psychopath or a sociopath, people who drove her away as someone blinded by profit, people who said that people should be saved first, and even people who held her responsible for the selfish image of Koreans due to Ohjin Pharmaceuticals.

“If everyone thinks so, we should reveal the recipe.”

“I will prepare.”

At the same time as the recipe was released, Ojin Pharmaceutical announced that it would not produce the treatment.

“You can’t provide treatment for anger management disorder?”

“What is the reason? Are you planning to kill all the soldiers?”

“What are you talking about now?”

Korea was thrown into chaos by the sudden announcement from the Ojin Group.

“At the request of governments and countries around the world, we have decided to disclose the recipe for the cure.”

“What does that have to do with stopping production of the cure!”

“Are you saying that you will kill soldiers because I asked you to reveal the recipe?”

“Are you saying that you were forced to reveal the recipe?”

The Ojin Group spokesperson smiled bitterly in response to the reporters’ emotional questions.

“Now that the recipe has been made public, other pharmaceutical companies can produce it.”

“Hey, kid. That makes sense.”

“A person is dying, so why are you fighting over a bowl of rice now?”

People were screaming. The Ojin Group spokesperson kept his mouth shut and waited until the commotion died down.

“As a result of disclosing the recipe as requested, we are unable to obtain the essential raw ingredients.”

“What?”

“What does that mean?”

That’s a given.

As desired, the moment the recipe was revealed for the prosperity and safety of mankind, the raw materials for the cure were sold out.

Even the raw materials used to extract the raw materials were completely blocked from import and export. Korea, which depended on imports for key raw materials, was unable to produce the treatment. That was all.

“Because we are unable to secure raw materials, Ojin Pharmaceuticals is no longer able to produce the treatment.”

This is the result of revealing the recipe as you wished. I hope you enjoy it.