Chapter 20 – A not-so-short distance
Chapter 20 – A not-so-short distance
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“Ah, so someone new is coming?”
Sua asked in an excited voice.
“What kind of person are they?”
At that, I thought about him for a moment. A guy who went through the all-boys middle school, all-boys high school, engineering college, and military pipeline… He was the kind of guy who was almost pitiful.
In terms of personality, he was a bit of a lunatic.
No, should I put it more nicely and say he has ‘individuality’?
‘Well… there were plenty of people like that among my Past Life Comrades.’
There was a reason they were the ones who managed to survive until the end.
‘Wait… does that mean I’m…?’
T-that couldn’t be right, could it?
I shook my head and answered Sua.
“Huh? Ah… it’s my first time meeting him, so I’m not quite sure yet. But he doesn’t seem like a bad person…”
“That’s a relief! But you said he’d solve the electricity problem… Is he an Electricity User then?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
It would have been great if he were an Electricity User… but the problem was that I didn’t know any decent Electricity Users.
Electricity was one of the greatest luxuries, and it was also incredibly useful in combat. Consequently, Electricity Users enjoyed a corresponding amount of power, and I had seen many of them fall into corruption.
Much like the Water Ability Users, who were essential for survival.
Also, according to the guy… he claimed he could produce electricity more stably and efficiently than an Electricity User.
‘What did he call it… that electricity is a resource consumed the moment it’s used?’
I searched my memory.
‘Think of it like this. Water comes out of a faucet, but it’s water that disappears completely once you use it. To keep using it, you have to keep generating water constantly.’
‘And?’
‘But even if you don’t use the water in time, it still disappears. In other words, water must be used the very instant it is created.’
‘What is this, you can just use a water tank.’
‘A water tank? In this case, that would be a battery, right? Sure. If you piled up batteries the size of an apartment building, it would be possible.’
‘It has to be that big?’
‘It needs to be at least that size to store power for a city-scale operation. But once it reaches that scale, the batteries themselves become astronomically expensive.’
‘Then how on earth did people do it?’
‘You just keep producing the water. Just enough to exceed the required amount. It doesn’t matter if the unused portion disappears, so you just keep making it.’
‘It’s that simple?’
‘It might sound funny, but it’s actually much more economical. In fact, modern society was ultimately that precarious.’
‘Then, if an Electricity User produces electricity…’
‘Hmm… since it would be hard to find enough batteries for current needs, they’d eventually have to hold onto the wires and run their ability 24 hours a day. But if you’re smart like me, you only have to check in once in a while, like I do now.’
‘So it was just bragging in the end.’
‘And in my way, temporary electricity production is possible even when I’m not around. Hey, isn’t that worth bragging about?’
It was true. Thanks to that, among the survivor groups scattered after the fall of the Last City, our power supply was by far the best.
Of course, Sua, who knew nothing of the past, only tilted her head in confusion.
“But how is he going to solve the electricity problem…?”
“Well, you’ll see when you meet him.”
I gave her a wide grin.
* * *
As more communication took place and a concrete plan for the meeting began to take shape, Sua suggested that she wanted to come along.
“Sure.”
I readily agreed.
‘It should be okay by now, right?’
Once combat techniques were established to some extent, the sooner they had practical experience, the better. If their understanding of their own characteristics increased, they could determine their future direction based on that.
‘By the way… she’s really hardworking.’
Lately, she had been finishing her daily routine quickly and immersing herself in combat training. Come to think of it, even in my previous life, people who were this dedicated to combat training were rare.
Even in situations where their lives were under immediate threat. Yet, even in a relatively safe situation under my protection, she was training every single day until her whole body felt like it was crumbling.
It was almost at the level of an obsession.
‘Was she always like this…?’
I found myself becoming curious about the reason.
* * *
Meanwhile, I was spending every day preoccupied with the maintenance of the Assault Cannons.
“Haa… haa…”
The Assault Cannons looked somewhat sullen and lacked energy.
“Sigh… I did push them too hard…”
It was an unavoidable choice to obtain Nest Mana Stones.
During the Nest raid, the ones that poured out endless firepower had absorbed too many low-grade mana stones at once, resulting in their malignant energy not just churning, but condensing and hardening.
The Worker Bugs were also making constant efforts to remove such malignant energy.
“Phew.”
That wasn’t the only problem.
Currently, the Assault Cannons were made of steel, but ‘mere’ steel posed difficulties in exerting the maximum capability of the Assault Cannons.
The barrels, which had not only overheated but actually melted, were in a state where many required a complete overhaul.
Furthermore, due to the design characteristic of the Assault Cannons—looking like giant barrels with short, stubby legs—the overload on the barrels led to an overall performance drop, including their movement speed.
And it was my job to fix that.
Whenever a Worker Bug brought me a broken part, I had to personally manufacture the replacement and swap it out.
It was quite a tedious task, but since summoning new ones would require a massive amount of initial mana… for now, I had no choice but to work with the Worker Bugs, gritting my teeth.
Of course, it was a job I could do while lying in bed, occasionally checking the Observation Probes, browsing Apoin with one hand, and eating snacks with the other.
“Ding!”
“Uh, just put that there.”
All the annoying parts were the Worker Bugs’ role.
‘I need to build the Production Facility soon…’
No matter what, I wanted to be liberated from this kind of labor as quickly as possible.
* * *
About two days passed. Before I knew it, it was the day before the promised date to pick up ‘that guy.’
During that time, I not only finished the maintenance of the Assault Cannons but also stopped by the dungeon site Deokchan was constructing to check on the progress and exchange opinions.
I also spent busy days regularly dispatching Magitech Armor to the vicinity to clear out monsters and collect mana stones.
Of course, I also scouted the rendezvous point and checked for threatening enemies. In the process, I increased the number of Observation Probes and spread them wider, beyond my immediate territory…
Having a broader information network gave me a lot to think about.
‘To think it would already be like this.’
There were many clear differences from the past.
The biggest difference was that people were gathering more quickly than before. Whether it was as survivor groups or plunderer groups.
‘This must be the influence of my writing.’
In the past, people, including myself, had helplessly relied on the military and waited until the situation worsened.
Now, there was a certain level of conviction that the situation would deteriorate. In other words, those who had secured resources banded together to protect what was theirs, and those who lacked them banded together to steal from others.
‘Exactly as I hoped.’
To secure more survivors from the monsters, who would only become stronger and more numerous, this was ultimately the best way.
This way, at least those who could survive would do so. And to survive, they would eliminate monsters. That was true even for the marauders.
The only ones who deviated from this formula…
Were none other than the villains who had undergone mutantification. Those who had literally given up being human would sometimes hide among humans, or openly side with the monsters to attack humanity.
‘Come to think of it, that guy should be appearing around now, too.’
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
A villain who, amidst a collapsing society, claimed that only he inherited the legitimacy of the Republic of Korea government. The culprit who eventually drove the country into a civil war, drastically reducing the number of Koreans.
‘You won’t be able to do that this time.’
There was no way I would just stand by and watch.
I had to stop him, no matter what it took.
It was while I was deep in these thoughts.
“Mr. Siwoo, what are you thinking about so deeply?”
Sua sent a worried glance my way.
“Ah, there’s just something on my mind.”
“Your eyes looked scary for a second.”
“Really? Hahaha, it’s nothing.”
I brushed it off lightly.
Meanwhile, come to think of it, there was one part I was worried about.
“By the way, Ms. Sua.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“I looked into the place we’re going to in advance.”
“Yes…”
“It seems there are not only monsters… but also plunderer groups.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“Ms. Sua… we might end up facing not just monsters, but people. And if that happens, I intend to leave no one behind to cause future trouble.”
“…”
Sua’s eyes widened.
“Do you understand what this means?”
Her eyes trembled slightly.
However, she soon steadied herself and answered.
“Yes. Thinking about it, it’s perhaps only natural.”
“…I understand.”
And so, we finished our conversation. How strong her resolve was would be confirmed on the field.
* * *
The next morning.
[Composite Research in progress… 47%]
After checking the research progress, I had one last conversation with Deokchan regarding the construction of the dungeon building.
“I’ll have it finished by the time you get back!”
He had a confident expression.
‘It should be fine.’
After all, it was just a small building to hide the dungeon.
I had also stationed four Magitech Armor units for his escort. Four units were guarding the base, and two Assault Cannons were prepared as reserves.
He just needed to focus on the work.
“Then I’ll look forward to it!”
‘Once I get back, I can open the dungeon immediately!’
Artifacts, mana stones, rare mines!
I cheered inwardly.
Meanwhile, Sua was waiting beside me, watching. She looked as if she had completed all necessary preparations.
“Mr. Siwoo. Shall we go now?”
I felt an unexpected emotion from her.
‘Somehow… she seems a bit reliable?’
I tilted my head, then stopped thinking about it.
‘Better to be reliable than not.’
Reliable combat power was always welcome. However, Deokchan didn’t seem to think so.
“Sua… are you really going to be okay?”
“Yes, Father. I told you I’m really okay.”
“Don’t get hurt… always be careful…”
“Geez, I said I’m fine!”
“It’s because this father is worried!”
It seemed to be the inevitable heart of a parent. Only after spending a long time reassuring her father was she finally able to join me, leaving behind a resigned-looking Deokchan.
Her expression looked truly bright.
‘Was she always like this?’
I, too, was a bit worried.
“Ms. Sua, are you really okay?”
“Why are you acting like this too, Siwoo?” I’m disappointed.”
“No… just, well, you actually do seem a bit reliable.”
“Hehe, really? That’s good then.”
When I spoke honestly, Sua smiled with a somewhat innocent expression, looking pleased. The story of her revealing her true inner thoughts to me was a tale for much later.
‘Phew…’
I sighed inwardly and made a decision.
“Then is it okay to head out?”
The distance to meet ‘that guy’ was by no means short.
“Yes! Let’s go!”
Well, at the very least, it didn’t seem like it would be boring.
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Errors:Grammar: Are you an Electricity User like that man?”
It would have been great if I were an Electricity User
Man: “No, I don’t think I am that man.”
Capital city: ‘Think of it this way. Water comes out of the capital city tap, but it’s water that completely disappears when you use it. To make this water available for you to use, you have to keep generating water.’
Deification?: Chief Deity…?”
Transformer!: Once her Fighter Jet skills were somewhat established, the sooner she gained practical experience, the better. If her understanding of the Loyalty Fortress increased, she could determine the future direction based on that.
Castle: overall decrease in the Castle’s performance
…
legitimate castle of the Republic of Korea Government.