The Cook of a Perished World - Chapter 96

Episode 96: The Avengers (1)

“Because this is something that needs to be properly stated in court…”

…Anyway.

It seems that many people died for other reasons.

“Can I ask you a question too?”

at that time.

One of the soldiers behind him raised his hand and asked.

“So there are no zombies here?”

“zombie?”

“Is this some kind of metaphor?”

“People look like zombies…”

It seemed like there weren’t even any zombies.

It felt a little similar to the situation in our unit.

‘For some reason, zombies didn’t appear in our unit.’

Thanks to this, I was able to do my best to deal with the Lizards.

Because it was such an environment, we were able to turn the unit members into awakeners.

And these too.

[Food Ingredients Identification]

[Lv. 3 Lancer]

[Lv. 6 Flame Wizard]

The proportion of awakened people was significant.

The only enemies in this space are monsters wandering around in the water.

Information about the awakening method must have spread quite quickly.

“Well… Anyway, that’s what happened. After that, food was somehow transported upwards and fish caught through fishing. And there is bread obtained through some kind of method. “I’m holding on to that.”

“fishing?”

“ah. There are quite a few fish in that water. “I don’t know why.”

It reminded me of the dam or lake that Jeongsooah had seen.

He said the water there had decreased noticeably.

‘It looks like the water came into this space.’

Did fish come along in the process?

“So you are the only ones who survived?”

“no. That’s not it. “It’s small, but there are some people we interact with.”

“Exchange.”

Interacting with other places in this building?

Are we going to get through those monsters in the water and get to another building? I did it though.

“I think I’ll understand this only if I show it to you. “Follow me.”

We moved along following Taewan’s guidance.

The place where I had a conversation with him was around the middle floor of the building.

But where we are headed now.

‘rooftop?’

Let’s open the rooftop door and go up.

The sight that unfolded before my eyes was quite amazing.

Water flowing down the wall of a building like a waterfall or the moon floating even though it is broad daylight.

and.

“Captain. “Are you here?”

“okay. “Is there anything wrong?”

“yep.”

Those standing guard on the rooftop.

What they are protecting is nothing else.

“Overpass?”

“That’s right.”

These were sky bridges connecting buildings.

“It’s pretty crude, but these bridges allow you to interact with people in other buildings. “If you need something, you can do a barter.”

A cloud bridge.

I moved to the outskirts of the rooftop, looking at the precariously shaking legs.

Let’s look down at the floor from there.

I saw a waterfall flowing down the exterior wall of the building and black figures moving around underneath it.

‘Have the earth been taken away and you had no choice but to escape to the sky?’

That skybridge may be the result of the humans of this city contriving to survive.

I felt miserable.

Humans, who were originally the owners of the earth, were taken away from it and driven into high-rise buildings.

And now.

The monsters that have taken over the land are gaping in the water.

A precariously shaking skybridge.

To receive and eat the humans who fall while passing there.

* * *

“ah. I think you might also be curious about how these sky bridges were made. As I said before, there are people who have gained special powers. Those people hung a rope on the building on the other side and threw it…” “

…If you’re talking about awakening, we know.”

“uh? “You know?”

Taewan, who was surprised by my answer, thought for a moment and then opened his mouth again.

“Now that I think about it, I think I only talked about our situation too much. I also want to hear about the situation outside. “Can you tell me?”

Those who saw us come in were hopeful.

Although I feel a little sorry for crushing that hope.

But I can’t lie.

“I think they thought the outside world was fine when they saw us.”

“huh?”

“…actually, that’s not the case.”

After entering the building, my unit members and I reported the situation outside in detail.

They were excited by the fact that the military had come to save them.

“…oh my god.”

Those who cover their faces and cry out loud.

The hopeful attitude from before was gone.

“It’s not just fishmen, it’s all kinds of monsters running around?”

“zombie? What are zombies again? “It’s not even a movie.”

“Shit. It would have been better to think that everyone else was under water. “You’ve become a zombie… It’s worse news than just dying.”

Tae-wan, who was talking excitedly, also spoke with a blank expression.

“then. “Are you really the ones who came to help us?”

“yes.”

“There won’t be any reinforcements?”

“you’re right.”

Those who saw us and were filled with hope.

It would have been better if it had been a situation without any hope.

“…Fuck you.”

Those who were burning with a little hope lost it.

“Haha… Then there is no way to get out of here after all.”

The feeling of despair that came over me was enormous.

Taewan’s eyes were slightly watery as he spoke with his face covered.

“We are trapped here and have to live the rest of our lives.”

“no. “That’s not it.”

“what?”

Those who look at us with their eyes wide open.

The way to escape from here is simple.

“Somewhere in this dungeon, there must be the main culprit who created the dungeon. He’s probably the leader of those monsters… You just have to kill him.”

“…Tsk. what.”

“That was just nonsense.”

Although it did teach you how to escape the dungeon.

The response that came back was very lukewarm.

“Do you know how many of those monsters there are? “To fight that monster, you have to go into the water, their battlefield?”

“….”

“I guess I can somehow hunt just one or two. Because we were awakened like that too. But hunting down their leader? “That’s impossible.”

I was a little annoyed by the attitude of treating it like nonsense even before it started.

“You won’t know until you try, right?”

“There are things you know before you try them. It’s unfortunate, but admit it. “Since you are here, you are destined to die with us.”

I must have been quite heartbroken.

Taewan lets out a laugh.

“I think the conversation is over. “Get out now.”

“yes?”

“Didn’t I tell you earlier? “This building is our territory, so get out of there.”

A sudden declaration.

“We don’t have any spare time either. All the food we have stored up is about to run out. The only things you can get are fish obtained from fishing and rye bread bought with points. Why is rye bread so expensive that it has no taste?… I don’t have any food to give to you. I have no intention of sharing the fish that roam around here. So go.”

I thought about it while listening to that story.

‘Then shouldn’t they kick us out even more?’

at that time.

A man approached Taewan and said.

“Captain. “Please think again.”

“What are you doing?”

“Those people. Still, you’re a soldier, right? The numbers are quite large. “They even came here on their own.”

Is there someone who had similar thoughts as me? I wanted to, but.

It wasn’t.

“Don’t you have some sort of combat rations?”

“hmm.”

“It would be a bit of a waste to just send it away.”

Taewan, who heard that, nodded and said.

“That is correct. You!”

“….”

“There’s quite a bit of information you heard from us, right? “You have to pay the information fee.”

Information fee?

“If the information fee is a bit high. It’s okay to pay tolls to go somewhere else or to just live here. “At that time, we will have to charge accommodation fee.”

“….”

“If you came here, wouldn’t you have a lot of food? “Let’s share it with the same people.”

A shameless appearance.

‘This man may not be a particularly evil person.’

In a situation that was already difficult.

This is the person who heard the news that the outside world, which had at least some hope, was destroyed.

You may be unable to make the right decision due to despair.

but.

‘But there’s no need for us to be considerate.’

I shrugged my shoulders and looked back.

“Gwangil.”

“yes.”

“There will be some leftover military combat rations among the combat vehicles below. “Just bring a third of that.”

“yes?”

Sergeant Seo Soo-hyuk frowned after hearing what I said.

“Sergeant Shin. Why not…”

“It’s okay.”

As they said.

It is true that I obtained information.

Besides, it’s just combat rations.

“It’s not the food I made, but the combat rations that were piled up in the ammunition battalion and tank battalion.”

“ah. If that’s the case. understand.”

You can give as much as you want.

“You’re more obedient than I thought.”

“It is true that I received information as you said. “I don’t plan on staying here, so don’t worry.”

“Hehe. “I’m grateful for that.”

However, this is only a transaction.

You need to be sure about the amount of money you will send and receive.

“We will distribute food, but I would like to hear more information.”

“That’s it. “Ask whatever is convenient for you.”

“You said that this building is your territory and that you occasionally interact with other buildings. “I would like to know some information about other forces.”

Taewan’s face frowned a little when he heard those words.

“That’s going to be a bit complicated.”

“What if you don’t like it? “Let’s pretend there was no food.”

“what?”

Toward Taewan, who was trying to get up.

I slowly opened my chest and showed off the pistol I wore on my chest.

“I’m telling you just in case. “I have no intention of taking it from you just because you take it by force.”

“….”

“It looks like you guys have quite a number of awakened people. “Don’t think it’s easy for us.”

“Tsk. Yeah whatever. “It’s not that difficult to just give information.”

I said it was complicated information.

When I actually listened to it, there was nothing special.

“The people living in that building are rather small…”

Which people are living in which building.

To the extent of occasional exchanges through interconnected sky bridges.

and.

“Sometimes there are battles.”

“battle?”

“It’s relatively stable now, but there was one big fight in the middle.”

An environment where food is inevitably depleted.

It is said that there were looters who attacked other buildings in search of food.

“The looters all died due to an incident in the middle. After that incident, it became an unwritten rule that approaching from the first floor was a hostile act.”

Enemies coming to the air bridge can just cut off the bridge.

No matter how much you block the stairs, enemies who come up from the first floor to avoid the monsters in the water will eventually break through.

As I listened to that story, I thought about it again.

‘These guys. Even if I made a wrong choice, I was definitely wrong.’

Just when you thought you had all the information you needed.

“I think this is enough. “Let’s go now.”

I said, getting up.

at that time.

“Now just wait a moment.”

“?”

“Captain. “Please give me your ears for a moment.”

Someone among those behind him approached Taewan and whispered.

-Captain. Think about it. Those people…

-Ah. Does that happen…?

Tae-wan’s eyes seemed to get bigger as he heard his story.

He immediately cleared his throat and said.

“Big. “I don’t think there’s any need to leave.”

“yes?”

“Because they gave us so much food. I think the information we provided is rather lacking. “We’ll provide you with a place to sleep, so why not stay with us?”

“That’s right.”

“Earlier, our captain was so excited that he made a mistake with his words. Isn’t it true that same people make mistakes together? Let’s make up and stay together!”

A look that has suddenly become brighter.

The cause of that attitude was understandable.

‘Have you finally noticed it?’

All of our food reserves are running out.

Since there is no sunlight, there is no way to farm, so the only way to get food is from points and fishing.

Rye bread bought with points boasts the worst efficiency, so fishing is practically the end.

However, this is not a place where fishing is quite good.

There is no way you can get enough food by casting a line and fishing near this building.

in other words.

If this situation continues.

‘Soon, there will be a fight for space between those who occupy each building.’

Did you say that not long ago there was a fight to steal food from others?

The fight ahead will probably be different.

‘To secure more space for fishing.’

The fight will probably continue until only enough people survive to make a living from fishing alone.

To survive there.

Securing usable power is essential.

These people have been surviving here for several months.

We already know that each other’s strengths are at their best.

In that situation.

We have entered the dungeon.

‘You know that not only are we soldiers with guns, but we are also a mix of awakened people.’

in other words.

We have tremendous power that can change the landscape of the power war between these humans.

If you judge it calmly, you would say that no matter how hard you try to tempt them, it won’t be enough.

They showed us the attitude of ‘get out of here’.

“it’s okay. What’s the place to sleep? “It will come out when you find it.”

“Don’t do that!”

People who come and catch us as we try to leave.

What significance do we have in their current situation?

“I apologize for my mistake earlier. So please. “Please at least listen to what I have to say!”

If I had understood it correctly, there would have been no telling me to get out of the way or to give up food.

and.

“Please let go of this hand.”

There is no need for us to worry about their misjudgments.

I said as I stood up, shaking off Taewan’s arm that was trying to grab my sleeve.

“Thank you for the information you provided. I will leave behind the combat rations that I agreed to give in return. “Enjoy your meal.”

“Why are you suddenly in such a hurry! “Maybe we can at least talk about it!”

“If our captain’s rude remarks bother you, we will apologize on your behalf…!”

“I don’t care about that.”

Those who realize our value too late and cling to it.

To those people.

“There was only one thing I could say.”

“…If you really want to hold us back, it’s not like there’s no way.”

“What way is there?”

“You are giving me something in return.”

“…what?”

They first defined our relationship as a transaction.

As if I bought information from them for food.

They too will have to buy our strength.

of course.

“Only if you can afford to pay that price.”