Chapter 37: The Empty Mart (Part 1)
“Is this some kind of Mad Max?”
Vehicles equipped with horns, spikes, and blades here and there.
The designs were excessively apocalyptic.
As I stare in disbelief at these vehicles,
“Attention! Sergeant Shin, you’ve arrived!”
Corporal Lee Gong-woo approached me.
With his shoulders puffed up, he proudly asks,
“How do you like our work?”
“Well, how should I put it…”
It certainly looks impressive.
In various ways, to say the least.
“Haha, the design is a bit much, isn’t it?”
Sensing my hesitation, he laughs awkwardly.
I feel bad about criticizing something they worked hard on.
But I didn’t expect him to bring up the design first.
“To be honest… Is this your taste?”
“No way. We prioritized functionality.”
I turn my gaze towards the vehicle upon hearing that.
Still covered in horns and spikes.
…This is functionality prioritized?
“Well, listen to this.”
He taps one of the spikes attached to the vehicle.
“Before modifying the vehicles, the engineers had a brief meeting. We concluded that these vehicles are not meant for road driving.”
“Not for road driving?”
“Of course not. They’re for combat.”
Ah.
“We had to consider that the situation has changed significantly from the old gunfight-centric wars. The enemies have transformed from armed soldiers to clawed monsters. So, we need to adapt accordingly, right?”
With that explanation, something clicks in my mind.
If the design is meant to combat clawed monsters…
“These spikes. They’re meant to prevent monsters from approaching, right?”
“Exactly.”
I envisioned a medieval battlefield.
Where sharp spears were arranged to prevent enemy advances.
Even in modern warfare, there are similar things.
Like barbed wire fences around unit perimeters.
These spikes and blades serve that purpose.
“They’ll function offensively as well. Look here. If we drive through a horde of monsters with this vehicle… see those blades on the side? They’ll slice through the enemies.”
Corporal Lee Gong-woo makes a cutting gesture with his hand.
The blades looked quite sharp.
A mere brush against them would likely result in a fatal wound.
“Well, they might be ineffective against tough monsters like lizards.”
Some monsters are incredibly resilient.
“But against zombies, they’ll be more than enough to turn them into minced meat. At the very least, it’ll be a significant deterrent.”
“They do seem difficult to deal with.”
“Think of them as a combination of barricade and tank.”
At first, I thought these were just promotional vehicles for a movie.
But on second thought, the vehicles in ‘Mad Max’ were also modified for combat.
Prioritizing performance isn’t just talk.
“That’s not all. We also soundproofed them as much as possible.”
“Shouldn’t a ‘Mad Max’ vehicle be roaring and screaming?”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, never mind.”
I spoke my mind without thinking.
“Anyway, though they’re not completely silent, we’ve significantly reduced the noise, so we’ll draw less attention from the monsters. And their defense is solid.”
“That’s… really impressive.”
Corporal Lee Gong-woo’s explanation continued.
“And here we also considered-.”
“You thought of even that?”
Details I hadn’t even imagined.
Each aspect was meticulously thought out with real combat in mind.
The vehicles that initially seemed ridiculous now felt incredibly reliable after his explanations.
“It was all possible thanks to the quality materials we secured. We managed to get them because of your decision.”
“You’re giving me too much credit.”
Speaking of materials…
“What happened to that guy?”
“Ah, would you like to see?”
The one who enhanced these materials.
I knew the engineers took him, but I hadn’t heard what happened next.
“This way, please.”
Following the engineers, I see a small wooden building in a corner of the barracks.
It looks sturdy for something that has been hastily assembled.
“Be careful. He’s quite ferocious.”
Creak.
As the door opens…
Ah! A sharp scream echoed from within.
The monster we captured earlier.
Ah! Ah! Ah!
Trying to pose some sort of threat, it seemed.
The monster inflated its fluffy body with force.
But…
“Not much of a threat, really.”
Its body was small and fragile.
It felt more like a kitten’s hiss than a serious threat.
“Are you raising it here?”
“Yeah. It’s not particularly strong, so as long as we keep it contained, it won’t be able to escape.”
Ignoring the monster still hissing away, I surveyed the inside of the wooden building.
It was basically empty, except for a few sheets of metal rolling around.
“Is it safe to leave those metal sheets like that? This thing seems pretty hostile.”
“Yes. We’ve investigated, and those sheets don’t seem to pose a big threat.”
“Hmm.”
This monster.
Mac reinforces metal with his magic.
Plus, the stocks are also metal.
“If we leave non-threatening metal like this. Some of it seems to be consumed as a meal. See these marks, looks like this one has been gnawed?”
“I see.”
“But it doesn’t seem to consume much. And here’s the important part.”
The creature tapped the metal it held.
I felt like, I could understand what it wanted to say.
“Reinforced with Mac’s magic.”
“The leftover metal that’s not consumed is reinforced like this, with magic.”
“So, by leaving it like this, we can periodically obtain reinforced materials.”
“Yes. It seems to be an instinctual behavior.”
The reinforced materials can withstand attacks from awakened beings.
Just by putting them in a simple wooden building, we can secure such materials.
“Unbelievable efficient.”
“Yes. The reinforcement speed isn’t fast at the moment, but we’re trying to optimize it. Once enough materials accumulate, we might be able to build barriers or something.”
“Barriers?”
“Yes. Even now, soldiers stand guard 24/7 to deal with incoming monsters. But if we build barriers, it will significantly reduce the soldiers’ workload.”
The combat engineers spoke with enthusiasm.
Listening to their explanation, I glanced at the monster.
Grrr…
Still inflating its body and showing hostility.
The soldiers’ approach isn’t bad.
But one thought lingered in my mind.
“Hmm. There might be a better way.”
That monster showing its intent to kill.
Our current method is essentially exploiting it.
It’s understandable if it gets angry from its perspective.
Either way, we’re benefiting.
It’s not bad as it is now.
But I wonder if there’s a better way.
In fact, there’s a specific idea that came to my mind.
“Well… for now, things are going well enough.”
I probably don’t need to intervene.
“If I ever need to, later on.”
When the situation calls for trying out a new method.
* * *
While the combat engineers utilized the materials.
Other unit members weren’t just idling around.
“We’ve been consistently scouting the area. And tried our best to secure resources…”
But.
What can I say?
“There was nothing remarkable.”
“Well, what can we do.”
Our base is already a small military town in itself, located at Inje-gun.
And even there, it’s standing quite isolated in a remote area.
Which originally meant there were no people around.
It’s not without its advantages.
With no people around, there are fewer zombies.
And it seems there are relatively fewer monsters roaming around in search of prey.
Especially, since we can’t use the ‘mobile fortress.’
In terms of safety, it’s a decent temporary base for the time being, isn’t it?
“The problem lies in resources.”
Food, fuel.
And various medicines on top of that.
Essential items for survival.
Naturally, such items were in demand…
In other words,
People tend to gather where there’s a high demand.
“It means there’s hardly any connection with the outside near this base.”
But traveling long distances is also risky.
Thanks to that, the operations so far have focused on securing the surroundings.
“The engineers have finished modifying the vehicles.”
It was now possible to begin full-fledged activities.
“The performance is better than expected. We can start being more proactive.”
“We can finally try to do something.”
The rush to secure supplies was with the intention of making future activities easier.
Now that the engineers have finished modifying the vehicles.
We can finally engage in active operations.
“If we’re around here, there might be a supermarket.”
The one who spoke was Lee Sang-ah, representing the survivors.
She was a local who actually lived around here.
She probably has more accurate information than us, who used to visit this place for occasional outings.
“It’s here. I haven’t been here often, but I’ve seen a small supermarket around here.”
“It’s relatively on the outskirts. It may seem safe, but…”
Pointing to a corner of the map, she spoke.
In terms of distance or danger, it seemed like a decent destination.
“But there is one problem…”
“Hmm?”
She trailed off with a worried tone.
I wondered if there were any dangerous elements nearby.
“It’s about whether the items we need are still there.”
“Ah.”
“That’s true.”
It’s been almost two months since the monsters started appearing.
The survivors from the surface must have struggled fiercely to survive as well.
“While this supermarket may be relatively unknown, it was still used by people living nearby.”
“There’s a high possibility that other survivors have already passed through. Is that so?”
“Exactly.”
There’s a good chance it’ll be empty even if we make the effort to go.
But.
“Zero possibility isn’t the case.”
We might still get something out of it.
The unit began preparations for the expedition.
* * *
A small mart on the outskirts.
The distance is relatively close, but it’s still a bit ambiguous to just walk there aimlessly.
After all, we’ll need to transport supplies anyway.
We decided to immediately deploy the vehicle that our engineers have just modified.
We’re on the move towards our destination in the vehicle.
And we encountered a few zombie groups along the way.
“Hold on tight!”
Thud!
Two zombies standing on the road. They got sliced by the blade edges at the front of the modified vehicle.
“Oh my.”
“Haha. I’m already getting a cold sweat.”
Said the soldier who was driving the modified vehicle.
Looking at his face, he seemed slightly pale.
Engaging with human-shaped figures on the road was an act that contradicted conventional wisdom.
It must have been quite hard for him to adjust to his new reality.
Anyway, the important thing is that the vehicle’s performance is reliable.
Even though we just hit zombies, there was no sign of monsters gathering around.
It probably means that reducing the noise, as mentioned by the engineers, is effective.
Although the road conditions are not as good as before, and encountering a horde of monsters could change the situation, the constraints on our movement seem to have been significantly decreased.
“There it is.”
We managed to arrive at our destination.
“The front of the car was a mess.”
“Ugh, disgusting.”
The vehicle’s front, where the zombies were shredded, was in a grotesque state, smeared with grotesque chunks and rotten blood.
It was quite a shocking visual.
“Well, when you see something that gross, it doesn’t matter much.”
“The real gross part is that we have to clean that up.”
Fortunately, the soldiers were quite accustomed to such gruesome scenes.
They were even considering the hassle of cleaning up.
Whether getting used to such things is a good or bad thing is a headache for another day to think about.
Soldiers got out of the vehicle and checked their gear individually.
I looked at them and said, “Did everyone bring the combat rations I provided?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s eat number 3.”
The soldiers were provided jerky that I had prepared as combat rations.
I categorized them based on the effects of the cooking.
The effect of the Number 3 cooking was something I had experienced before.
[Acquired Temporary Attribute – Enhanced Hearing (Eavesdropping)]
“Ugh, I think my ears are already hurting.”
“Everyone, let’s refrain from making loud noises.”
It was a dish prepared from the large-eared Alahfur.
It had the effect of significantly enhancing hearing abilities.
With this ability, even in narrow spaces, we could locate enemy positions.
After confirming that all the soldiers had put the jerky in their mouths,
“We’re entering.”
Creak-
We slightly pushed the half-broken glass door and entered the mart. We were prepared for the possibility of monsters or zombies popping out from the inside.
“Hmm.”
“This is…”
Inside the mart there were no monsters or zombies, as we feared.
The problem was…
“It’s clean.”
“Well, we sort of expected some of it, didn’t we?”
It wasn’t just that there were no monsters or zombies.
“Well, look over there. Amidst all this, there are still some toy-like things left.”
“We’re in a hurry to survive. There’s no reason to take those.”
Toys, household appliances, and everything that wasn’t essential for survival had already been looted. Amidst all this, one soldier pointed to a corner of the mart.
“Look over there. Even the pet food section is empty.”
“Huh? Why pet food?”
“That’s not exactly essential for survival, is it?”
Some soldiers expressed their doubts.
But that only applies to units like ours where we never went hungry.
“The taste matters, humans can eat it too, right?”
“Ah.”
“Because it’s a situation where we could starve to death. Whether it’s for humans or animals, as long as there’s something to eat, it’s all the same.”
In reality, we’re not so different.
Whether it’s pet food or monster meat.
Ordinary humans wouldn’t even consider putting it in their mouths.
“There might still be some necessary items left. Let’s search thoroughly.”
“Got it.”
Still, you never know.
There might be something useful among the remaining items.
The soldiers dispersed to begin their search.
“Over here. It’s a zombie corpse.”
One of the soldiers found a zombie slumped in a corner.
Perhaps it was a mart employee.
A zombie wearing an apron with the mart’s logo on it.
“Um. I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to call a zombie a corpse.”
“…That’s not important, let’s move on. Any other peculiarities?”
“Well, there’s a wound on its head like it was struck with an axe.”
“An axe, huh. Perhaps it was dealt with by survivors who came through earlier.”
As feared by Sang-ah.
It has been two months already since the beginning of the apocalypse.
It seemed that others had already come through, disposing of the zombies and looting the items.
“They’ve cleaned it out.”
“While we were holding up in our base, the survivors on the surface surely weren’t idle. It’s inevitable.”
It’s a bit disappointing, but…
Even as we investigated, we couldn’t help but think there wouldn’t be anything left.
They were starting to consider giving the order to return.
I was considering an immediate return order.
That’s when it happened.
…Crackle.
“A sound!”
We heard a faint sound from somewhere.
Not a particularly loud or notable sound.
Normally, we might have missed it and moved on.
But we couldn’t avoid it with our heightened senses.
“Sang-ah.”
“Yeah, I heard it too.”
All the soldiers, who had been looking around, stopped in their tracks.
Soldiers speaking in hushed tones from a distance.
It was possible because they all shared the same enhanced senses.
“What do you think we should do?”
That question left me somewhat perplexed.
The power of their enhanced senses was formidable.
Though it was a small sound, they had already pinpointed its origin.
“Inside the butcher’s corner.”
There was a small iron door there.
The sound came from inside there.
The problem was…
It was certain that there was something inside.
The question was whether we should check out that place or not?
“That thing. It seems to be deliberately suppressing the sound, doesn’t it?”
“It appears so.”
After that initial sound, no other noises were heard.
It seems likely that it’s deliberately suppressing its presence.
A creature that attacks prey that becomes complacent due to the absence of enemies.
A monster that acts while concealing its presence.
There must be a reason for it to conceal its presence.
“It’s likely a creature vulnerable to head-on attacks rather than ambushes.”
Otherwise, it would have confidently launched its hunt from the front.
“Let’s take care of it.”
“Yes.”
Simply ignoring it and passing by might not pose a significant issue.
But this creature could potentially cause other problems later on.
It’s advantageous to deal with it while they can.
Several soldiers who heard the conversation approached.
A warrior wielding a hammer looked at me.
I drew a kitchen knife from my waist.
“Smash it.”
I nodded towards the creature.
And then…
“Whoom!”
The hammer struck forcefully, smashing the door.
As the broken door flew open, the soldiers quickly pushed their way inside.
That was the moment.
Swish!
Something from inside the room lunged at me.
“Above!”
But I was prepared.
I swung the kitchen knife towards the object coming at me.
Squelch.
The sensation and sound of cutting through something as solid as wood.
I judged that I had blocked the attack and turned my gaze towards where the attack came from.
“Even if I don’t know what kind of monster it is, if I can identify its weaknesses, I can win.”
As I turned my gaze towards the beast that attacked us, my skill, [Chef’s Eyes] got activated.
But then…
[You have already grasped the preparation method of this material]
[You have already grasped the recipe of this material]
[Skill: Chef’s Eyes won’t be activated]
“…What?”
The expected skill did not activate.
Instead, something else did.
[Ingredients Identification]
[Primates – Human Species]
“…Primates – Human?”
A message appeared before my eyes.
Looking beyond it.
Two humanoid figures appeared from inside.
A pair of a boy and a girl who still looked young.
The girl who attacked me opened her mouth.
“P-please don’t eat my brother.”
Huh?
What’s she talking about?
Chapter 37: The Empty Mart (Part 1)
“Is this some kind of Mad Max?”
Vehicles equipped with horns, spikes, and blades here and there.
The designs were excessively apocalyptic.
As I stare in disbelief at these vehicles,
“Attention! Sergeant Shin, you’ve arrived!”
Corporal Lee Gong-woo approached me.
With his shoulders puffed up, he proudly asks,
“How do you like our work?”
“Well, how should I put it…”
It certainly looks impressive.
In various ways, to say the least.
“Haha, the design is a bit much, isn’t it?”
Sensing my hesitation, he laughs awkwardly.
I feel bad about criticizing something they worked hard on.
But I didn’t expect him to bring up the design first.
“To be honest… Is this your taste?”
“No way. We prioritized functionality.”
I turn my gaze towards the vehicle upon hearing that.
Still covered in horns and spikes.
…This is functionality prioritized?
“Well, listen to this.”
He taps one of the spikes attached to the vehicle.
“Before modifying the vehicles, the engineers had a brief meeting. We concluded that these vehicles are not meant for road driving.”
“Not for road driving?”
“Of course not. They’re for combat.”
Ah.
“We had to consider that the situation has changed significantly from the old gunfight-centric wars. The enemies have transformed from armed soldiers to clawed monsters. So, we need to adapt accordingly, right?”
With that explanation, something clicks in my mind.
If the design is meant to combat clawed monsters…
“These spikes. They’re meant to prevent monsters from approaching, right?”
“Exactly.”
I envisioned a medieval battlefield.
Where sharp spears were arranged to prevent enemy advances.
Even in modern warfare, there are similar things.
Like barbed wire fences around unit perimeters.
These spikes and blades serve that purpose.
“They’ll function offensively as well. Look here. If we drive through a horde of monsters with this vehicle… see those blades on the side? They’ll slice through the enemies.”
Corporal Lee Gong-woo makes a cutting gesture with his hand.
The blades looked quite sharp.
A mere brush against them would likely result in a fatal wound.
“Well, they might be ineffective against tough monsters like lizards.”
Some monsters are incredibly resilient.
“But against zombies, they’ll be more than enough to turn them into minced meat. At the very least, it’ll be a significant deterrent.”
“They do seem difficult to deal with.”
“Think of them as a combination of barricade and tank.”
At first, I thought these were just promotional vehicles for a movie.
But on second thought, the vehicles in ‘Mad Max’ were also modified for combat.
Prioritizing performance isn’t just talk.
“That’s not all. We also soundproofed them as much as possible.”
“Shouldn’t a ‘Mad Max’ vehicle be roaring and screaming?”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, never mind.”
I spoke my mind without thinking.
“Anyway, though they’re not completely silent, we’ve significantly reduced the noise, so we’ll draw less attention from the monsters. And their defense is solid.”
“That’s… really impressive.”
Corporal Lee Gong-woo’s explanation continued.
“And here we also considered-.”
“You thought of even that?”
Details I hadn’t even imagined.
Each aspect was meticulously thought out with real combat in mind.
The vehicles that initially seemed ridiculous now felt incredibly reliable after his explanations.
“It was all possible thanks to the quality materials we secured. We managed to get them because of your decision.”
“You’re giving me too much credit.”
Speaking of materials…
“What happened to that guy?”
“Ah, would you like to see?”
The one who enhanced these materials.
I knew the engineers took him, but I hadn’t heard what happened next.
“This way, please.”
Following the engineers, I see a small wooden building in a corner of the barracks.
It looks sturdy for something that has been hastily assembled.
“Be careful. He’s quite ferocious.”
Creak.
As the door opens…
Ah! A sharp scream echoed from within.
The monster we captured earlier.
Ah! Ah! Ah!
Trying to pose some sort of threat, it seemed.
The monster inflated its fluffy body with force.
But…
“Not much of a threat, really.”
Its body was small and fragile.
It felt more like a kitten’s hiss than a serious threat.
“Are you raising it here?”
“Yeah. It’s not particularly strong, so as long as we keep it contained, it won’t be able to escape.”
Ignoring the monster still hissing away, I surveyed the inside of the wooden building.
It was basically empty, except for a few sheets of metal rolling around.
“Is it safe to leave those metal sheets like that? This thing seems pretty hostile.”
“Yes. We’ve investigated, and those sheets don’t seem to pose a big threat.”
“Hmm.”
This monster.
Mac reinforces metal with his magic.
Plus, the stocks are also metal.
“If we leave non-threatening metal like this. Some of it seems to be consumed as a meal. See these marks, looks like this one has been gnawed?”
“I see.”
“But it doesn’t seem to consume much. And here’s the important part.”
The creature tapped the metal it held.
I felt like, I could understand what it wanted to say.
“Reinforced with Mac’s magic.”
“The leftover metal that’s not consumed is reinforced like this, with magic.”
“So, by leaving it like this, we can periodically obtain reinforced materials.”
“Yes. It seems to be an instinctual behavior.”
The reinforced materials can withstand attacks from awakened beings.
Just by putting them in a simple wooden building, we can secure such materials.
“Unbelievable efficient.”
“Yes. The reinforcement speed isn’t fast at the moment, but we’re trying to optimize it. Once enough materials accumulate, we might be able to build barriers or something.”
“Barriers?”
“Yes. Even now, soldiers stand guard 24/7 to deal with incoming monsters. But if we build barriers, it will significantly reduce the soldiers’ workload.”
The combat engineers spoke with enthusiasm.
Listening to their explanation, I glanced at the monster.
Grrr…
Still inflating its body and showing hostility.
The soldiers’ approach isn’t bad.
But one thought lingered in my mind.
“Hmm. There might be a better way.”
That monster showing its intent to kill.
Our current method is essentially exploiting it.
It’s understandable if it gets angry from its perspective.
Either way, we’re benefiting.
It’s not bad as it is now.
But I wonder if there’s a better way.
In fact, there’s a specific idea that came to my mind.
“Well… for now, things are going well enough.”
I probably don’t need to intervene.
“If I ever need to, later on.”
When the situation calls for trying out a new method.
* * *
While the combat engineers utilized the materials.
Other unit members weren’t just idling around.
“We’ve been consistently scouting the area. And tried our best to secure resources…”
But.
What can I say?
“There was nothing remarkable.”
“Well, what can we do.”
Our base is already a small military town in itself, located at Inje-gun.
And even there, it’s standing quite isolated in a remote area.
Which originally meant there were no people around.
It’s not without its advantages.
With no people around, there are fewer zombies.
And it seems there are relatively fewer monsters roaming around in search of prey.
Especially, since we can’t use the ‘mobile fortress.’
In terms of safety, it’s a decent temporary base for the time being, isn’t it?
“The problem lies in resources.”
Food, fuel.
And various medicines on top of that.
Essential items for survival.
Naturally, such items were in demand…
In other words,
People tend to gather where there’s a high demand.
“It means there’s hardly any connection with the outside near this base.”
But traveling long distances is also risky.
Thanks to that, the operations so far have focused on securing the surroundings.
“The engineers have finished modifying the vehicles.”
It was now possible to begin full-fledged activities.
“The performance is better than expected. We can start being more proactive.”
“We can finally try to do something.”
The rush to secure supplies was with the intention of making future activities easier.
Now that the engineers have finished modifying the vehicles.
We can finally engage in active operations.
“If we’re around here, there might be a supermarket.”
The one who spoke was Lee Sang-ah, representing the survivors.
She was a local who actually lived around here.
She probably has more accurate information than us, who used to visit this place for occasional outings.
“It’s here. I haven’t been here often, but I’ve seen a small supermarket around here.”
“It’s relatively on the outskirts. It may seem safe, but…”
Pointing to a corner of the map, she spoke.
In terms of distance or danger, it seemed like a decent destination.
“But there is one problem…”
“Hmm?”
She trailed off with a worried tone.
I wondered if there were any dangerous elements nearby.
“It’s about whether the items we need are still there.”
“Ah.”
“That’s true.”
It’s been almost two months since the monsters started appearing.
The survivors from the surface must have struggled fiercely to survive as well.
“While this supermarket may be relatively unknown, it was still used by people living nearby.”
“There’s a high possibility that other survivors have already passed through. Is that so?”
“Exactly.”
There’s a good chance it’ll be empty even if we make the effort to go.
But.
“Zero possibility isn’t the case.”
We might still get something out of it.
The unit began preparations for the expedition.
* * *
A small mart on the outskirts.
The distance is relatively close, but it’s still a bit ambiguous to just walk there aimlessly.
After all, we’ll need to transport supplies anyway.
We decided to immediately deploy the vehicle that our engineers have just modified.
We’re on the move towards our destination in the vehicle.
And we encountered a few zombie groups along the way.
“Hold on tight!”
Thud!
Two zombies standing on the road. They got sliced by the blade edges at the front of the modified vehicle.
“Oh my.”
“Haha. I’m already getting a cold sweat.”
Said the soldier who was driving the modified vehicle.
Looking at his face, he seemed slightly pale.
Engaging with human-shaped figures on the road was an act that contradicted conventional wisdom.
It must have been quite hard for him to adjust to his new reality.
Anyway, the important thing is that the vehicle’s performance is reliable.
Even though we just hit zombies, there was no sign of monsters gathering around.
It probably means that reducing the noise, as mentioned by the engineers, is effective.
Although the road conditions are not as good as before, and encountering a horde of monsters could change the situation, the constraints on our movement seem to have been significantly decreased.
“There it is.”
We managed to arrive at our destination.
“The front of the car was a mess.”
“Ugh, disgusting.”
The vehicle’s front, where the zombies were shredded, was in a grotesque state, smeared with grotesque chunks and rotten blood.
It was quite a shocking visual.
“Well, when you see something that gross, it doesn’t matter much.”
“The real gross part is that we have to clean that up.”
Fortunately, the soldiers were quite accustomed to such gruesome scenes.
They were even considering the hassle of cleaning up.
Whether getting used to such things is a good or bad thing is a headache for another day to think about.
Soldiers got out of the vehicle and checked their gear individually.
I looked at them and said, “Did everyone bring the combat rations I provided?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s eat number 3.”
The soldiers were provided jerky that I had prepared as combat rations.
I categorized them based on the effects of the cooking.
The effect of the Number 3 cooking was something I had experienced before.
[Acquired Temporary Attribute – Enhanced Hearing (Eavesdropping)]
“Ugh, I think my ears are already hurting.”
“Everyone, let’s refrain from making loud noises.”
It was a dish prepared from the large-eared Alahfur.
It had the effect of significantly enhancing hearing abilities.
With this ability, even in narrow spaces, we could locate enemy positions.
After confirming that all the soldiers had put the jerky in their mouths,
“We’re entering.”
Creak-
We slightly pushed the half-broken glass door and entered the mart. We were prepared for the possibility of monsters or zombies popping out from the inside.
“Hmm.”
“This is…”
Inside the mart there were no monsters or zombies, as we feared.
The problem was…
“It’s clean.”
“Well, we sort of expected some of it, didn’t we?”
It wasn’t just that there were no monsters or zombies.
“Well, look over there. Amidst all this, there are still some toy-like things left.”
“We’re in a hurry to survive. There’s no reason to take those.”
Toys, household appliances, and everything that wasn’t essential for survival had already been looted. Amidst all this, one soldier pointed to a corner of the mart.
“Look over there. Even the pet food section is empty.”
“Huh? Why pet food?”
“That’s not exactly essential for survival, is it?”
Some soldiers expressed their doubts.
But that only applies to units like ours where we never went hungry.
“The taste matters, humans can eat it too, right?”
“Ah.”
“Because it’s a situation where we could starve to death. Whether it’s for humans or animals, as long as there’s something to eat, it’s all the same.”
In reality, we’re not so different.
Whether it’s pet food or monster meat.
Ordinary humans wouldn’t even consider putting it in their mouths.
“There might still be some necessary items left. Let’s search thoroughly.”
“Got it.”
Still, you never know.
There might be something useful among the remaining items.
The soldiers dispersed to begin their search.
“Over here. It’s a zombie corpse.”
One of the soldiers found a zombie slumped in a corner.
Perhaps it was a mart employee.
A zombie wearing an apron with the mart’s logo on it.
“Um. I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to call a zombie a corpse.”
“…That’s not important, let’s move on. Any other peculiarities?”
“Well, there’s a wound on its head like it was struck with an axe.”
“An axe, huh. Perhaps it was dealt with by survivors who came through earlier.”
As feared by Sang-ah.
It has been two months already since the beginning of the apocalypse.
It seemed that others had already come through, disposing of the zombies and looting the items.
“They’ve cleaned it out.”
“While we were holding up in our base, the survivors on the surface surely weren’t idle. It’s inevitable.”
It’s a bit disappointing, but…
Even as we investigated, we couldn’t help but think there wouldn’t be anything left.
They were starting to consider giving the order to return.
I was considering an immediate return order.
That’s when it happened.
…Crackle.
“A sound!”
We heard a faint sound from somewhere.
Not a particularly loud or notable sound.
Normally, we might have missed it and moved on.
But we couldn’t avoid it with our heightened senses.
“Sang-ah.”
“Yeah, I heard it too.”
All the soldiers, who had been looking around, stopped in their tracks.
Soldiers speaking in hushed tones from a distance.
It was possible because they all shared the same enhanced senses.
“What do you think we should do?”
That question left me somewhat perplexed.
The power of their enhanced senses was formidable.
Though it was a small sound, they had already pinpointed its origin.
“Inside the butcher’s corner.”
There was a small iron door there.
The sound came from inside there.
The problem was…
It was certain that there was something inside.
The question was whether we should check out that place or not?
“That thing. It seems to be deliberately suppressing the sound, doesn’t it?”
“It appears so.”
After that initial sound, no other noises were heard.
It seems likely that it’s deliberately suppressing its presence.
A creature that attacks prey that becomes complacent due to the absence of enemies.
A monster that acts while concealing its presence.
There must be a reason for it to conceal its presence.
“It’s likely a creature vulnerable to head-on attacks rather than ambushes.”
Otherwise, it would have confidently launched its hunt from the front.
“Let’s take care of it.”
“Yes.”
Simply ignoring it and passing by might not pose a significant issue.
But this creature could potentially cause other problems later on.
It’s advantageous to deal with it while they can.
Several soldiers who heard the conversation approached.
A warrior wielding a hammer looked at me.
I drew a kitchen knife from my waist.
“Smash it.”
I nodded towards the creature.
And then…
“Whoom!”
The hammer struck forcefully, smashing the door.
As the broken door flew open, the soldiers quickly pushed their way inside.
That was the moment.
Swish!
Something from inside the room lunged at me.
“Above!”
But I was prepared.
I swung the kitchen knife towards the object coming at me.
Squelch.
The sensation and sound of cutting through something as solid as wood.
I judged that I had blocked the attack and turned my gaze towards where the attack came from.
“Even if I don’t know what kind of monster it is, if I can identify its weaknesses, I can win.”
As I turned my gaze towards the beast that attacked us, my skill, [Chef’s Eyes] got activated.
But then…
[You have already grasped the preparation method of this material]
[You have already grasped the recipe of this material]
[Skill: Chef’s Eyes won’t be activated]
“…What?”
The expected skill did not activate.
Instead, something else did.
[Ingredients Identification]
[Primates – Human Species]
“…Primates – Human?”
A message appeared before my eyes.
Looking beyond it.
Two humanoid figures appeared from inside.
A pair of a boy and a girl who still looked young.
The girl who attacked me opened her mouth.
“P-please don’t eat my brother.”
Huh?
What’s she talking about?
