Chapter 297 – Storm’s Envoy (7)
After the infection war that collapsed the national order in the past entered a lull, the survivors had some free time.
People who fled to islands, high Rocky Mountains, or the edge of the land established large and small camps.
They engage in simple garden farming and fishing, and the brave go into dangerous areas to search for supplies, etc.
Even though it was just a waiting period for the infected to form a large colony and push down more fiercely.
What is important here is that they show a tendency to form groups.
There were many individuals that wandered disorderly in the wild or settled in structures, but over time, colonies were formed naturally.
It was like a mystery of the universe. Just as the tiny gravity of each animal combines to form greater gravity, which attracts more individuals and eventually creates a planet.
These large and small groups of infectious agents wiped out everything they encountered like a tornado.
And today, a survivor camp just a short distance from the Citadel building was unluckily placed in the tornado’s path.
“Everyone, come to your senses! All you have to do is maintain the barricade! They can’t destroy this anyway! People with guns, keep your eyes wide open and look behind you! “If the spitting bastard jumps out, kill him right away!”
The camp leader shouted.
Hundreds of infected organisms, half of which are walkers and the other half are mutants derived from beasts and insects.
They rushed to the camp entrance in a frenzy and were shot with shotguns, burned with Molotov cocktails, and pierced by the wooden spears that stood thickly on the barricades.
Because it was a fortified camp in a well-defensible location, the number of people who could enter at one time was limited.
Still, there were so many people that I didn’t know how long the battle would take.
“Don’t look down there! Just look at the front!”
Shouts poured out to the new recruits who were raising the bamboo spears with trembling hands.
There were many infected people on the floor who had suffered fatal injuries and were unable to move, but they had not stopped breathing.
My hands were covered in blood with all my fingernails pulled out while scratching at the barricade. It trembled and headed towards people, but did not reach them. There was no one who would feel threatened by something like that.
But beyond that, the eyes burning with hatred were as bright as the sun. It was like a dead person who had crawled up from hell.
Dozens of twisted eyes look up and vomit blood from beneath their feet.
This was a threat and instantly broke the morale of new recruits with no combat experience.
“Fix your gaze forward! “Can’t you hear me?!”
Empty!
Only after a punch was delivered to the back of the head by a rookie wearing a motorcycle helmet did he come to his senses and look forward.
“I will cut off future business with those who back out here! We will distribute all personal information to other camps as well!”
Meanwhile, the camp leader did not miss the explorers, mercenaries, and peddlers who were secretly watching and thinking of leaving.
This is not just a village. It serves as a trade route for exchanging supplies not only with the fortress building but also with several nearby camps.
There were as many diverse visitors as the residents, and these people could be converted into troops at any time.
Whether you are exploring or playing as a merchant, you must know how to use at least a weapon to survive.
Kyushu has a strong, closed regional flavor of mutual aid. Here, when faced with this type of crisis, it is customary for visitors to join forces to fight.
“We must abandon the village! “You have to run away while you have stamina!”
“No, fuck, can’t you see what they are made of?”
The camp leader shouted in frustration at his subordinate’s words.
“Are your legs faster than those bastards? “Half of them are animals, and if you turn your back on them, they will all die.”
Battles with infected entities are noisy due to the monsters’ screams.
In this case, the walker rate was low, so the place shook with the unique howl of the infected animal.
“Hold on for now. There are no big ones, right? As long as he holds his position well, he won’t be breached.”
“But the number is hundreds, right?”
“So it will collapse soon. Look at that. “The baby is already foaming!”
The camp leader pointed to a slave dog that ran into the barbed wire and got stuck in it.
The skin on his entire body was torn and covered in blood, and he was spitting out dark red liquid from the corner of his mouth. There were definitely no penetrating wounds.
Hope shone in the eyes of those who saw it.
Everyone in Japan knows that the vaccine recovered by the Jinsu Tanis Expedition is being spread across the Earth’s convection currents.
Of course, I don’t completely believe it 100%.
-You really went to an alien planet?
-Ah, it was developed in some research lab, so they’re probably lying to increase their presence.
There were many people who looked at it with distrustful eyes.
However, it was only a suspicion about the manufacturing and acquisition process, and did not deny the existence and effectiveness of the vaccine.
It may not be a coincidence that all the colonies that were rushing in like a tidal wave were destroyed, corpses of huge monsters were floating in the sea, and even threatening higher-level variants were becoming difficult to find.
“Keeeee… Gurgling!!!”
One walker, who was screaming and swinging his sharp claws, suddenly stumbled around, making the sound of boiling phlegm.
There is no strength in the arms that sit down and stretch out to the barricade.
Even the eyes of another walker running next to him had turned gray-white.
It looks like he can’t see clearly because he’s floundering in the air.
“Wow!”
The morale of the camp defenders soared after seeing that.
“Hold on just a little longer! If you can stop this, today is a special meal! “I’m clearing up all my spam!”
“Wow!!!”
A louder shout than before rang out.
Just as infectious diseases such as Covid-19, cholera, and Spanish flu that were prevalent in the past spread more easily in densely populated areas.
The vaccine against infectious agents also spread quickly as more people gathered together.
The ones that collapsed after receiving the fatal blow immediately after the vaccine was sprayed were the giant colonies, followed by the large individuals.
This is why only relatively small infectious agents exist scattered here and there today.
Even if a malicious coincidence happens once in a while and a group is formed, the end of collapse is determined at the point where the group gathers.
The survival of nearby camps is only determined by how quickly it collapses. Those fighting today still seem lucky.
“Alternating between the front and back rows!”
Following the camp leader’s instructions, seven men wearing riot shields and homemade combat armor retreated. The position was immediately filled by five new people.
Everything is perfect, as if you were watching an ancient Spartan or Roman military ceremony! It is the result of daily training.
In today’s era, battles between humans are similar to those of the American Wild West, but battles against infectious agents flowed like ancient cold weapon battles.
The formation soon decided everything.
The new people on the line were fewer, but they were carrying body bunkers with wheels, making the defense stronger.
A group of peddlers quickly took it out of a truck.
“Because it’s used, are you paying for it?”
“Ha… I got it.”
The camp leader was naturally irritated by the peddler’s attitude of not taking any losses even when his life was at stake.
“Ugh!”
A man screamed as his flesh was torn by a claw that unfortunately slipped through the shield.
“Quek!”
Likewise, Walker, who was hit in the neck with a bamboo spear and was spouting blood foam, also screamed.
However, if this happens, the damage to the infectious agents is greater.
When a human shed sweat and blood, there was only a slight odor, but when an infected organism spewed out blood and rough breath, there was a mixture of poison that killed each other.
People felt that the offensive was becoming increasingly easier to block. There was hope that this fight would end within a few hours.
“Great! Now it’s over…”
The camp leader’s voice suddenly weakened.
“Oh my god.”
And the murmur among the people grew rapidly. Among the miserable monsters, a large figure was clearly visible.
It was a giant mutant monster, the Juggernaut, whose entire body was covered with muscle mass.
Although its size has become about half as large as that of the tank-like tanks of the past, it is still one of the worst enemies.
“Shoot! Shoot!”
There was no need for a long explanation for those who survived in this world for several years.
Everyone fired their own hunting crossbows, shotguns, and police pistols that they had saved.
But even if the weight class gets smaller, a tank is still a tank. The Juggernaut could not be stopped without a full-fledged high-firepower military weapon.
“Damn it…”
Every time the limbs, with dark red discolored veins exposed, swung, the barricade collapsed in an instant.
Kwasik!
The wooden barricade that had been blocking dozens of walkers broke like a piece of corn.
Ujikkeun!
A strong wall made of car bodies and industrial steel plates was dismantled and flying around.
“Kwoaaaaa Unit (-)-!) -!)?
When tearing off the barbed wire, there were slight scratches on the skin of the grip, but that only made Juggernaut’s anger grow more.
A roadblock to prevent terrorism, which was the last bastion. It shattered when kicked by a foot the size of an elephant’s face.
“Do, run away…”
“Aaaaah!”
People lost their will to fight at the sight of their hopes being shattered before their eyes.
No, hope didn’t matter anymore. These are the people who have survived so far by focusing their defense in the hole narrowed by the barricade. They began to be rapidly pushed back by the monsters pouring out of the widened crack.
But salvation came from an unexpected place.
Really, really, in a place you couldn’t even imagine.
* * *
“Thank god. “I arrived just at the worst possible moment.”
A temporary operational base built on the roof of the Citadel building. A survivor camp on the verge of collapse appeared on the command monitor there.
[After 12 seconds, there will be many deaths.]
A stalker dispatched to the scene as a relief soldier reported.
In the current battle against infectious agents, the formation determines everything, but that has now collapsed.
They were divided into those who turned their backs and ran away, those who stayed where they were, and those who were confused and couldn’t do anything.
“Intervene.”
[Roger!]
Infectious agents rush in greedily, as if trying to taste the flesh inside the hard-peeled peel.
But what they ate were heavy lead chunks.
The ones who arrived were two heavily armed squads of stalkers. The sound of the large-caliber firearms they were carrying firing at once had already exceeded the range of gunshots.
Rumbling!
The people who were running away fell into even more panic amidst the thunderous explosion.
If it were a normal gunshot, you would be happy and think, ‘Help has arrived!’, But if it was a loud noise like this, your thoughts wouldn’t reach that point at all.
A man who tripped over a rock while running away reflexively looked back.
[Keeeeek-!]
Just a few meters in front, a walker was charging forward with its sharp maw sticking out.
[Hi!]
She sat down without even thinking about getting up, crossed her arms like an X and closed her eyes tightly.
Poop!
But it wasn’t teeth or nails that attacked him. It was hot blood.
[Hiroshi! Wake up!]
The man who barely opened his eyes at the camp leader’s should saw the corpse of the walker who had been targeting him just now.
His body, which had disappeared completely over his chin, fell to his knees and to the side helplessly.
[Reinforcements!]
Shouts rang out among the survivors on the screen.
If they had been more calm, they would have realized that the firepower was too strong, but they couldn’t afford to do that right now.
Infected entities fall like dominoes on the screen. Blood and flesh poured out with the sound of leather bags exploding from all directions.
When the stalkers participated, the battle was a one-sided massacre, but that did not mean it was an easy operation.
This is because it was not a battle of annihilation, but a battle to protect someone.
[There are too many enemies. Enter close combat.]
As it was a fortified camp from the beginning, there were many blind spots, so long-distance shooting was limited.
Moreover, because the number of pathogens was large, some infectious agents were rushing towards the survivors like grains of sand slipping through fingers.
The best way to prevent this is for the stalker robot itself to attract their attention with its body.
The stalkers, who cut off the lead of the chase with the first salvo, raced toward the camp at incredible speed.
[W-what is that?! Bike?]
The camp leader, befitting his age, was the first to look around and spot the relief force.
While others only looked at the infectious agents swarming in front of them, he observed beyond with a wide perspective.
When he saw the stalkers rapidly approaching from the other side, raising dust, he seemed to have mistaken them for bikes.
[I survived!]
This illusion seemed to be shared by other people as well, as shouts of joy spread out.
Bang bang bang!
Every time a loud noise rang out, blood bubbles rose from behind the swarm of infectious agents chasing them.
[Wow!]
The people’s cheers grew even louder as the infected appeared to be sandwiched between the camp defenders and the stalker rescuers.
[We will draw attention between the survivors and the infected.]
The stalker who was running at the forefront, firing his gun, leaped forward.
It far surpasses human jumping ability and passes over the heads of infected entities as if flying.
Poop!
In the middle, he used one of the walker’s heads as a stepping stone and made a second jump.
The walker in question broke his neck and fell down, as if his cervical spine had been damaged by the impact.
The stalker took off again with momentum and fell on the head of the frontline infected that was engaged in a bloody fight with the survivors.
[Waaaaa…?]
The cries of the survivors who saw the incomprehensible scene subsided and ended with a question.
The stalker that flew in threw a kick before he even landed. A kick like a tiger’s paw explodes into Walker’s head.
Kwaang!
A walker with its head crushed on top of the camp survivors flew down and landed on the other side. Everyone looked at that with blank eyes.
[Hey!]
Some people were startled and even pointed bamboo spears at the stalker.
It’s not strange. From their point of view, they thought it was a rescue army, but it turned out to be a strange entity they had never seen before.
A robot is a robot, but it somehow felt alive. It had red burning eyes, a face like a great white shark, and teeth as vicious as those of a walker.
Ta-ta-tang!
When the stalker fired the gun he was holding and destroyed the surrounding walkers, the agitation quickly subsided.
In any case, they seem to be convinced that this newly appeared being is on their side, originating from civilization.
[Everyone gathers together! You have to scatter and run away to die!]
The camp leader, who came to his senses first, shouted and everyone gathered around him.
“Dustproof?”
Those holding shields lined up in the front, those holding spears lined up behind them, and those holding ranged weapons lined up in the innermost row.
“Japanese kids are definitely good at this.”
It was a ritual that clicked together as if it had been practiced dozens of times.
[In the Kyushu region, formal training is taught at survivor camps even at the age of 15. Holding a shield, stabbing a spear, running away in formation, stopping a wound, moving the wounded, etc.]
The security officer robot next to me spoke.
“Is Ssang8nyeon a revival of training? Well, maybe that’s what the world needs these days.”
Poop!
Kwasik!
The second and third stalkers leapt and fell between the camp survivors and the infected group.
Each time, the infected fell here and there with their necks broken and their foreheads sunken.
Meanwhile, the only Hercules robot that was deployed did not bother to jump on stepping stones.
Thud! Thud! Boom!
As he pushed into the body like a rugby player, all the infected substances that hit it fell out like bowling pins.
Although it was a simple and ignorant method, it was powerful, and it was also excellent at attracting the attention of infectious agents.
This is because the infected entities that were targeting the survivors turned their attention one by one and flocked to Hercules.
However, even those guys were nothing more than ragtag irons and were crushed to a pulp and trampled to death.
The finale of this fight was the power struggle between Juggernaut and Hercules.
It may be an entity before the vaccine was distributed, but the current weakened Juggernaut is fully capable of 1:1 combat.
The unique sight of people holding both hands together and giving their all did not last long.
Poop!
This is because when the supporting fire flew and pierced the leg and shoulder of the juggernaut, the axis of weight tilted in an instant.
This is not a fair wrestling match, but a war.
Hercules held on to the hole in his shoulder and gave strength.
The extremely tough muscle tissue suddenly broke and blood poured out.
[Kyaaaaa-!]
The Juggernaut screamed in excruciating pain.
However, it became quiet as Hercules immediately used a leg kick and slammed the man’s face into the ground.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Before he could even raise his head, the head of the Juggernaut, which had been trampled upon, began to crumble like clay.
Even if I tried to struggle, it was impossible because my arms were being held.
Every time he was stepped on, his head sank into the ground, and his shoulder blades became wider and wider.
Sigh!
Finally, his movements stopped only after his arms were torn off from his shoulders and his neck was buried.
It was a comical ending for a mutant who tried to bring destruction to the camp in an instant.
Hercules, covered in blood all over, held up the torn off arm of the Juggernaut and looked at the group of survivors.
[…
Camp survivors shivering, not even happy that they lived under those gazes.
They seem to be confused whether to thank the new monsters who are covered in blood and carrying heavy weapons, or to run away.
Considering that people could be seen sneakily withdrawing their feet on screen, people seemed to have decided on the latter.
