Chapter 11

. Survivors (1)

After realizing that there was no way for us to summon the perks we had obtained right away.

We decided to return to the barracks for the time being. Even if we couldn’t use them now, we figured there would come a day when we could.

Lunch time had already passed long ago..

I did think about how maybe we should go back to the cafeteria and prepare dinner at least.

“Everyone else is probably too exhausted to even think about going to the cafeteria.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s better to just take out some combat rations and eat. You should rest a bit too.”

Following what Minjae hyung said.

We decided to take a short break.

“Yeah, I guess I should rest for a day too.”

It’s a bit awkward to say this myself.

But I’ve been working way too hard. Just the fact that I was the only cook left and had to handle all the cooking alone was already insane.

On top of that, making buff food for the Awakened. And special meals to feed to the soldiers with fragile mental states.

I went through every kind of hardship there was.

Still, in my own way, it felt rewarding.

‘And that sense of reward isn’t just in my head.’

『Awakened: Shin Young-jun』

『Class: Rookie Cook Lv. 9』

『Stats: Strength 12, Agility 13, Mana 10, Luck 10』

『Traits: Lowest-Grade Dagger Mastery, Lowest-Grade Cooking Mastery, Lowest-Grade Ingredient Appraisal, Lowest-Grade Fire Affinity』

『Skills: The Cook’s Eye, The Chef’s Special Sauce』

『Points: 1,032pt』

The sense of reward was visible in numbers.

‘Level 9!’

My experience had been steadily accumulating. Whenever I hunted monsters, or completed dishes. And there was another source of income I had discovered recently.

『Someone who received your meal has distinguished themselves in battle.』

『The Cook’s fame spreads! Experience increases.』

When someone who ate my food performed well in battle with the buff.

That also turned into experience!

‘Thanks to that, I earned a ton from yesterday’s battle.’

Each time I leveled up, my stats went up by one. And now I had reached numbers that only the me from level 1 could have achieved by eating buff food.

I was saving them just in case a moment came when I needed them. But I had also accumulated quite a lot of points.

According to what I’d heard from other Awakened. There was no one in the unit with a higher level or more points than me.

“My growth is good. After yesterday’s fight, the number of lizards attacking the unit dropped by about half, and the Awakenings among the unit members are going well too…”

Everything was going smoothly.

When monsters first started killing people, all I could think about was not wanting to die myself.

Now, I was even starting to feel a little bit of leeway.

When I thought about how hard we had struggled to reach this situation.

There was no way it wouldn’t feel rewarding, even if it might only be a short-lived peace.

If we kept responding well like this in the future…

“Hey, Young-jun!”

Just as I was feeling content while lost in thought.

Someone called my name…There weren’t many people left in the unit who would call me by name. Thinking it might be Minjae hyung, I turned my head toward the voice.

“Have you come…?”

I Miraculously managed to keep my expression from souring.

“Lieutenant Kim…”

“You’ve worked really hard! Good job!”

The one who called me was Lieutenant Kim, the company commander of our unit and the only officer left in the unit.

In other words, the current highest-ranking commander.

“…It was nothing. It was only natural that I did my duty.”

“How many people can’t even do what’s ‘natural’! Huh?! Have some confidence!”

The words sounded nice enough, what he said was technically praise.

If it hadn’t been Lieutenant Kim saying it, I probably would’ve felt good hearing it.

‘People who can’t even do what’s natural.’

It had already been more than ten days since the monsters appeared.

The soldiers gathered to fight monsters.

We increased the number of Awakened. Those who failed to Awaken were somehow pushed to Awaken anyway.

We built defensive lines around the barracks. We conducted reconnaissance of the surroundings, we even fought the Lizard Chieftain.

During those ten days, what Lieutenant Kim had done was as follows.

『.』

To explain what that means.

Nothing…Just, nothing.

Lieutenant Kim, over the past ten days.

Had astonishingly done absolutely nothing!

When we decided to increase the number of Awakened.

‘Really? Then let’s do that.’

When we gathered supplies near the barracks and built defenses.

‘It’s nice to see everyone working so hard.’

When the Lizard Chieftain was first discovered.

‘There’s such a monster? We should be careful. I have to wait for possible contact from higher command, so I’ll leave that to you guys.’

He talked a big game. But in the end, he just dumped everything onto the soldiers.

No…If he had simply left everything to the soldiers and truly done nothing else.

That might’ve been better.

After the monsters first appeared. Our unit had no further fatalities, though there were injuries.

There were two missing soldiers.

‘The two drivers that Lieutenant Kim insisted on sending out to contact higher command.’

Because wired and wireless communications weren’t working. He insisted that someone had to be sent out in person to try contacting higher command.

The drivers who went out…Still hadn’t returned, even after ten days.

‘Maybe they couldn’t do it.’

A few soldiers who had been close to those two were furious. They openly went around saying it was basically Lieutenant Kim who had killed them.

If anything, that was being generous. On top of that, he patrolled the unit constantly under the pretense of being the commander. And every time he did, he went on a full-blown charm offensive.

In my case, it went something like this.

— “Young-jun, good work. I’ll enjoy lunch today too! Oh, today’s lunch is stir-fried sausage with vegetables…? I’m not really into that… can you make me pasta?”

Rejecting the meals we carefully rationed and prepared with limited supplies, and placing orders instead.

It made you wonder how someone could be so shameless. Thanks to that, I had to use precious high-grade ingredients like olive oil and minced garlic that we were already short on.

And serve him aglio e olio. Because of things like this, Lieutenant Kim’s current reputation within the unit was rock bottom. It hadn’t been good even before the monsters appeared. But as if proving that there was always a lower bottom, it was plummeting straight down every day.

I wondered what he had come to say this time.

Sure enough.

“I heard you’re not running the cafeteria today and everyone’s just eating combat rations. Why don’t we cook something just for ourselves?”

Of course, that was his intention.

“I’m sorry. I’m a bit exhausted right now, and we also need to conserve ingredients. It doesn’t sit right with me to cook just for us.”

“Ah, why are you worrying about that? If anyone complains, have them come to me. I’m an officer, you know.”

I’m the one who wants to complain.

“And you’re funny, you know? You think I don’t know you guys sometimes cook and eat on your own?”

“Huh?”

What was he talking about now?

We were struggling to conserve what little ingredients we had left.

“So, what was it, you were giving food to the guys who were about to Awaken, right? The other day, you even cooked something proper for the Awakened to eat together.”

‘Good grief. I never thought he’d nitpick about that.’

“That was because the Awakening process is dangerous, so it was meant as a special meal to ease their tension. If you’re thinking of Awakening as well, Lieutenant Kim, I can prepare something for you anytime…”

“Then what about the food you gave to those who already Awakened?”

“That was, as I reported before, in preparation for the monster attack…”

“That food buff thing or whatever? How much can food even boost you anyway…”

To him, everything I said was just excuses. He muttered that we were probably just eating among close friends.

‘There’s really nothing I can do about this.’

Even if he was useless right now. He was still the only officer left in our unit, even if he was practically worthless at the moment.

If the outside military still existed. And if we ever made contact with them someday.

He would become an extremely important person.

“The buffs are bigger than you think.”

“Whatever. I won’t eat that crap.”

I was the one who should’ve been offended. But Lieutenant Kim spoke as if he were the one who was angry.

“You shouldn’t only take care of people you’re close to like that.”

After throwing those words at me, he opened the door and left.

I could only stare blankly at his back as he stormed out in reverse indignation.

‘I’ve never smoked in my life, but why do I suddenly crave a cigarette this badly.’

As I grabbed my head, my temple throbbing strangely. Someone else opened the door and came in.

Knock, knock!

“Sergeant Shin Young-jun? You don’t look so good.”

“Lieutenant Kim just came by…”

“Ah…”

It was Corporal Jeon Gwang-il.

“Ha ha, well. I don’t know what he said, but anyway. You’ve worked hard.”

“Don’t even get me started. Haa… seriously.”

“But you know, like they say, every cloud has a silver lining. When something hard happens, something good tends to follow, right?”

“Huh?”

Seeing me sigh with a headache that just wouldn’t go away.

He suddenly smiled and said that.

“Sergeant Park Taejun has woken up.”

“…!”

My buddy had opened his eyes.

* * *

“There’s no issue with his overall health, but walking will be somewhat difficult”

“Even with a healer and a priest, it was still hard?”

“Yes… If he had been treated immediately after the injury, it might have been possible. But perfectly healing wounds that are already ten days old was impossible. I’m sorry.”

“No, no, it’s fine. You don’t have anything to apologize for. Thank you. You did well.”

As soon as I heard that Taejun had woken up.

I hurried to the unit’s infirmary.

‘My only batchmate.’

Radar unit Sergeant Park Taejun. Along with me, he was the most senior among the enlisted soldiers in this unit. We had even lined up our leave dates to go on our end-of-service vacation together.

But on the day before our leave, he had been attacked by monsters.

When I found out that killing a monster allowed Awakening. He was the first one who wanted to attempt Awakening.

Unfortunately, at that time, we didn’t know how much vitality the monsters had. And he was severely injured when the monster, which still had strength left, bit and tore into his leg.

He fainted and only now had he woken up.

‘It was such a severe injury that you could see the bone.’

After that, Eui-jun, the medic, kept changing his bandages and taking care of him, but Eui-jun was a physical therapy major.

He might know how to deal with sore bones. But there was no way he’d know how to treat a wound where the bone was fully exposed.

In the end, all he could do was prevent it from getting worse.

Then, during the recent battle, Eui-jun Awakened as a healer. And along with the chaplain Joongsu, who Awakened as a priest, they began treatment.

As a result they achieved half a success. He could no longer walk properly, but his overall health was stable.

‘Even that much means they did their best.’

“Yo, Park Taejun. Long time no see?”

“You’re here. To me, it feels like I just saw you yesterday.”

As I opened the door to the ward.

Taejun, who looked a bit gaunt, greeted me.

“Are you really better? Show me how many fingers I’m holding up.”

I waved my index finger in front of Taejun’s eyes.

“One.”

“There are two. You bastard, looks like your head hasn’t healed yet.”

“Sergeant Shin Young-jun… you’re not supposed to tease a patient.”

“Heh heh. Crazy bastard.”

After exchanging some rough greetings.

I told Taejun what had happened in the unit during the time he was unconscious.

From the day he fainted…To the current situation of the unit.

“A lot happened, but for now, things seem pretty stable.”

After we secured the mountain range as our territory.

The monster attacks dropped to less than half. It was strange that attacks were still happening even after we dealt with the Lizard Chieftain. But they didn’t seem to be moving under orders. So we assumed that leftover stragglers were still attacking.

With the number of Awakened allies having increased considerably.

The lizards that attacked one by one were easily dealt with. So we were using them as Awakening material as they came.

Just as he said, a very stable situation.

“Yeah. While you were lying down, we went through hell.”

“Ha ha.”

“At this point, you’ve got nothing left but to enjoy the easy life. You lucky bastard.”

“Young-jun. You don’t have to be considerate like that.”

…

“I’m not being considerate, it’s just that now, realistically…”

“No. You’re talking lightly like that under the pretense of being considerate toward a friend who can’t even walk properly. You think I can’t tell?”

“…Tsk.”

‘Damn it. This guy’s always been too perceptive for his own good.’

“Just because the monsters have decreased doesn’t mean there are no problems.”

We still couldn’t contact the outside world. The power was out, and we were running on generators.

“The generator power won’t last forever. Food will become an issue too. In this situation, how can I just lie here and waste rations?”

“Well, we’ll figure something out somehow…”

“That’s why I’m telling you not to be considerate.”

Sergeant Park Taejun looked me straight in the eyes and said.

“Did you already forget? I Awakened too.”

“How could I forget?”

He had finished off the monster even while getting his leg bitten off.

He had Awakened and then fainted.

The reason I hadn’t brought it up was because having one more Awakened who couldn’t walk properly wouldn’t change the situation much.

“Haa!”

“Fine, then let me ask. What did you Awaken as?”

Since things were like this…I decided to ask about what I was already curious about anyway.

“A warrior? No, thinking about your personality, you seem more like a mage type.”

“A mage, huh. Close, but not quite.”

If not a mage, then probably some kind of warrior class. Which wouldn’t mean much for a guy with injured legs…

“Astrologer.”

“Astrologer?”

‘Astrologer, huh.’

‘Hmm…’

“What’s that supposed to be?”

“If you look at the description, it reads the movement of the stars, glimpses the will of heaven, and divines the rise and fall of journeys—”

Taejun started muttering out some explanation. But from the very beginning, it was nothing but vague, cloud-like nonsense. So I could only stare blankly at him.

“Forget it. It’s complicated, so let’s skip it. Even I don’t really get it.”

“Ahem.”

“Instead. Take me outside for a bit.”

“Outside?”

At Taejun’s request.

I brought over a wheelchair from the corner of the ward, seated him in it and took him outside the building.

“This is one nice thing about our unit.”

Late at night.

The moon and stars were sparkling beautifully in the sky.

“There aren’t any lights around, and since we’re up in the mountains, the stars show up really well.”

“Well, yeah. The scenery around our unit is pretty nice.”

“Thanks to that, I figured out two things.”

‘Huh? Two things?’

“Tomorrow, guests will come.”

‘Guests?’

What was he suddenly,

“And… it’d be better to hide your claws.”

* * *

At first, I had no idea what he meant, but the very next morning, I found out right away.

“I-It’s real! There’s a military base here!”

“Se-See, what did I tell you! Look over there! There are soldiers too!”

“M-Mommyyy.”

“Sujin, we’re saved now…”

Eleven days after the monsters attacked the unit…Survivors appeared.