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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: High Risk High Return (2), Paso Robles
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Winter invested in 「Map Reading」. He benefited from Talent Advantage, but it didn't increase much. Experience points always needed to be saved as a buffer.
The higher the level of 「Map Reading」, the less need there was to orient the map correctly, the chance of misreading decreased, information analysis was provided, and furthermore, maps seen once were automatically memorized. Memorization meant mini-map updates. It even provided augmented reality conveniences.
For now, it was just making map reading easier. For example, the shortest path stood out on the map, or terrain features were brightly highlighted when compared.
The destination, Daniel Lewis Middle School, wasn't far. The odds of getting lost in the well-organized town were low. Still, he learned it for safety.
Unread messages. The augmented reality signal blinked. He'd been ignoring it. He couldn't keep doing that forever. He opened the chat window. The viewers wanted information. He organized his thoughts. The thoughts turned directly into sentences.
「Map Reading isn't essential, but having it makes things much more convenient in many ways. Getting lost at a critical moment invites criticism. There's a related challenge called 「Not This Mountain?」. The achievement effect is reduced misreading probability.」
He closed the window without checking the reactions.
Broadcasting still felt uncomfortable. He did it out of necessity. However, virtual reality was a newly given life. Even if its foundation was false, he wanted it to be his own, at least.
'No helping it...'
If there were obstacles, they had to go around. Four people couldn't clear them all. Compared to the distance, it took too much time, and mixing in combat midway distorted distance sense. That was why he invested in 「Map Reading」.
The leading boy raised his fist. A halt signal. He aimed his gun in the direction 「Survival Instinct」 warned. They waited a moment. A halted truck, then one infected variant rounding the corner. One eye had a cloudy pupil. Probably blind. Sure enough, it only rolled its other eyeball toward them.
Before it could scream, the boy pulled the trigger. Pfft. The suppressor muffled the gunshot once. The slide racked back, ejecting the spent casing. The variant collapsed with its eyeball burst. Thick brain matter oozed from the shattered back of its skull.
The point where they parted from Lieutenant Capston was the intersection of the highway and Paso Robles 24th Street. From there, they headed south to 13th Street, then east for a good distance. Map Reading estimated about 4.3 kilometers. If the roads were clear and no other threats, it would take an hour.
They didn't choose the highway for the southward route. Too many obstacles on the main road. Stopped vehicles. Lots of vehicles meant lots of people infected while evacuating. A good path for gaining experience. But high risk of not reaching the destination before sunset.
So they took another route, south along Riverside Avenue. A road running parallel to the highway inside the city. Fewer obstacles than the highway.
A Baptist church along the way stood out. Bible verses and desperate pleas to God covered the walls in red.
"That writing there... it isn't blood, is it?"
The balding middle-aged man's voice trembled faintly. Winter recalled the introductions. An augmented reality hologram popped up with intelligence correction. His name was An Jejung. Former Marine, but surprisingly timid. He'd volunteered to come along surprisingly well.
There must be some calculation behind it.
"Hope not."
The following woman's voice also trembled. Then everyone except the boy screamed. A bloody handprint smeared against the church window. Above it, a face with yellowed sclera slowly rose. Oops. It spotted them. He'd been focused on the group, so his aim was late. Had to blow its head off before it called others.
Kraaaaaah—
The stifled roar through the glass—how thunderous must it be inside? Dull suppressed shots rang out several times. It took two bullets in its open mouth. Blood from the dead splattered on the cracked glass, forming dark red streaks flowing down.
The church front door rattled. Clunk clunk. It wouldn't open. Pounding sounds inside. Probably barricaded. Every creak revealed dozens of bloodshot eyes peering through the gaps. Rage and hunger emanated. Winter quickly scanned around. An abandoned camper on the shoulder.
"Hide behind that! Hurry!"
The three bolted toward it, then stopped abruptly realizing Winter wasn't following.
"What about you, Winter?!"
Instead of answering, the boy drew his jungle knife from his waist. He gestured with his free hand.
"Don't worry about me!"
The three hesitated, but the widening door left no choice. They hurriedly hid.
The door burst open. That was the most apt description. One side tore off, the remaining twisted grotesquely. Infected variants poured out. The first ones weren't normal. Crushed by those pushing from behind, skin and muscle torn in places. Unable to walk, they rolled out.
Starving death poured forth. No better than panicked human crowds in chaos. Worse, even. Those tripped and trampled were crushed flat. Reduced intelligence meant no obstacle avoidance. They kept tripping. Tripping meant death. Still, more intact ones outnumbered. Limbs flailing wildly as they charged.
The boy lured the herd. He banged the flat of his blade on abandoned vehicles. Boldly, he only walked a bit faster. Variants weren't completely brainless, so he avoided looking at the group. They'd look the same way. He just raised his voice for the group to hear. The full-face gas mask filtered it, so he strained until it hurt.
"When they turn their backs, shoot! No full-auto! Use aimed three-round bursts! Target vitals! Head! Heart! Wait, too soon! Don't shoot yet!"
Leaving wounded ones would make them turn, spot the group, and scream. Variants could communicate at an animal level, though it varied.
Multi-run experience kept his commands clear even in urgency. How was it at first? Even knowing it was VR, overwhelmed by the sight. Mind went blank white. Now, heart rate stayed normal.
Even among variants, physical abilities varied. Human hosts. Fitter ones surged far ahead of the herd.
The boy sidestepped one step, slashing. Charging momentum met slicing force. Top half of the skull flew off. Without 「Melee Weapon Proficiency」 or 「Close Combat」, he'd have been swept away by weight or at least off-balance.
Three more closed in succession. He dodged easily. Infected humans gained strength but lost agility. Non-elite variants couldn't move precisely. Even humans struggle changing direction at full sprint. Variants worse.
A few meters out, 「Combat Sense」 signaled evasion point and path. His own senses sufficed anyway. Variant's upper body twisted toward the boy veering right. Lower body still charging. Sudden center of gravity shift. He stabbed the knife into the tumbling neck. Full swing from left shoulder outward. Blade pierced spine and withdrew; variant rolled inert. Twitching was just death throes.
Last one too far for the knife. Variant lunged with a screech. Near miss, boy dropped low. Shoulder thudded into him. Variant flipped in air, flailing to grab. It landed headfirst, neck snapping. Crack.
Four infected down in just six breaths. To watchers, instantaneous. The group huddled against the camper side, gasping in shock at the unscathed boy. Stark contrast to their unshot aimed rifles.
"Not yet! Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"
Boy blocked shooting with raised hand, eyes fixed on approaching threats. He repeated. Urgent commands needed repetition. Extreme tension and fear paralyzed reason. Many heard but didn't comprehend.
Winter commanded quickly.
"One of you three... no, Lee Yura, watch the other direction! New herds might come at the noise!" He slashed a newly approaching variant dead, voice still steady. "Park Jinseok, search the camper inside while there's time! If it gets dangerous, hide inside, lock the doors, and hold out!"
After fitter ones, the main herd reached smelling distance.
Winter drew attention louder. He was bait. Bait needed sharp direction changes like speed. Side-to-side, front rank reacted, but blind rear pushed blindly. Frequent pileups. Weaving obstacles amplified it.
Density thinned eventually. Environment for few against many. Boy's strikes mostly horizontal. Vertical stabs powerful but blade stuck in skull, hard recovery. Shallow cuts avoiding bone best. Sever airways. Variants needed breath like humans.
"Now! Shoot! Fire!"
Three heads exploded instantly. Three? He'd anticipated poor discipline... Winter raised his voice.
"Yura! Rear! I told you to watch behind!"
"Sorry...!"
Damn. She'd yelled back unconsciously. Her voice louder than suppressed shots. Tense people erred easily.
She clamped her mouth. Too late. Part of herd slowed, turned back. Winter stomped a nearby car hood to the roof. Sheathed jungle knife, shouldered rifle. Click click. Selector to full-auto, stock tight to shoulder. Personal Firearms Proficiency, Combat Sense, experience—swift aim.
Prffft-prfft-prft!
Suppressed fire dull and eerie. Casings flew wildly. 30-round mag emptied before 4 seconds. Still couldn't silence all screams. Half the lured herd reacted. Mostly stragglers. Near twenty.
Instinctively reloaded, twisted off suppressor. It spun away. No time to retrieve. Shoulder, aim, fire in half-breath.
Tutututututang!
Uns suppressed, rifle roared insanely. Volume hard to fathom uns shot. At least 140 decibels. Momentary, but ~100x aircraft noise.
Noisy enough. Drew most attention. Most, not all. Those heading to group exposed to boy's burst. Heads burst or chests penetrated. At least mobility lost.
Response not long, but enough for vehicle encirclement. Two already climbing. Without mutual hindrance, more would be up.
What now? Grenade? Too wasteful now. Special variants possible at school... Ammo burn too fierce.
Finally shouldered rifle, drew jungle knife again. High ground in melee a strong advantage. Short blade flaw, but skill compensated. Group's fire whittled from rear, but slow.
Faces below reaching, screaming. Cacophony like wailing. Boy thought.
All these were in the church.
If real apocalypse came, would people still seek God in this glory-faded age? If God existed, what of this era? Selling bodies, living in brain-only fantasies.
One finally crested; Winter grabbed its neck. Jammed knife into open mouth, killed it. Shoved corpse one way. Dense mob didn't collapse from one body. Boy bounded across floating corpse like stepping stone, rolled to open ground beyond.
Roll hurt back badly. Rifle strap chafed. Ignored, rose running that way. Rear screams closer than real. Front yard fenced waist-high. Grabbed sharp tip, vaulted over. Five more steps slowing, then turned.
Crunch! Sharp fence speared a human. Guts spilled from torn belly. Pushed by chaotic rear. Alone, easy climb. Fence collapsed. Herd tumbled. Winter exploited gap.
Combat boots excellent weapons. Sturdy. Hard stomp snapped necks. Crunch crunch. Cervical vertebrae crushed. Careful of flailing hands, he ran-stomped-kicked space and time. Gaps in herd eased fighting.
Pistol in one hand, priority shots to dangerous ones. Pain numb, but startled muscles spasmed uncontrollably. Lung hit, no fast moves. Still moved. Not just because infected.
Even healthy humans hard to drop with one shot in rage.
Infected trickier than drugged humans. Pistol tough without headshot. Time for knife. Relying on skill corrections, Winter became butcher. Blood, guts, flesh, groans. Hellish scene. Variant groans dwindled; final slash sprayed dark red.
Aftermath: streets littered with corpses. Near seventy. Some crawled with damaged bodies. Missed shots. Finished them; true silence fell. Previous uproar unreal.
Took time retrieving tossed suppressor. Reclaimed, approached camper. Two men's gazes dazed. System alerts: awe Favorability up, intimacy down. Awe and fear mixed.
Good enough. Boy eyed still-shaking woman. Couldn't turn, rear-aimed gun trembled. Whispered scream, near sob.
"Wh-what's happening there?! Huh?! What's going on?! Why'd it go quiet?! Is Little Captain safe?!"
Answering for mute men.
"It's over, Yura. You can turn now."
Hic. Startled by voice, she slowly turned statue-like, still vigilant. Winter sighed, grabbed returning muzzle, raised it.
"Don't point muzzles at people."
"..."
Frozen, unresponsive. But system updated. Favorability shift differed from men. First, guilt and sorry; second, hadn't seen fight.
Trembling gaze brief. She hugged him fiercely, sobbing muffled.
"Sorry, sorry... I did something stupid..."
"It's okay. No one hurt."
Pulled shoulder, patted. Alert updated again.
============================ Author's Note ============================
Around 11 PM on the 23rd. A bar near Garak Market.
Author: Look. No bad comments on my new novel.
Manga artist friend: Hate comments only come with fame. You're not famous.
Programmer friend: People who didn't like it probably just left without commenting.
Author: Sob...