Chapter 23: How Am I?
*
Gang-ho drew an X on the map spread out before him.
Swish, swoosh.
“The third village was fine too. But the Lich and the undead definitely moved south.”
He slid his finger along the predicted path, and Reina, following his movement with her eyes, voiced her opinion.
“Well, it’s a good thing nothing happened, so shouldn’t we just keep going like this?”
Gang-ho shook his head in response.
“We’re not going to check every village. That’s not an option.”
He was certain that somewhere, the same horrific events they had witnessed before were repeating. They had to hurry to stop even one instance of that carnage.
“Major Han. You seem overly absorbed. Let’s cool off for a minute.”
Inder calmly patted him on the back. Without saying a word, Gang-ho stepped away from the situation board and sank into a sofa.
Thud.
‘Is there really no way to stop this?’
The more honest worry gnawed at him from within. If they had to confront the Lich, would they be able to survive? Based on his memories and sensations, it seemed impossible, but the thought couldn’t be entirely dismissed either.
‘We’ve gotten stronger. We’re continuously growing.’
He assessed the abilities of the two individuals nearby.
[Name]: Reina Diaz.
[…]: ……
[Traits]: Executor. Ranger.
[Level]: Lv. 16.
[Enhancement]: 40%
[Attributes]: Transparency. Acceleration. Skin Hardening.
[Special Skill]: Eradication. Dual-wielding.
[Basic Effect]: Contamination Resistance (Poison Resistance).
[Auxiliary Skills]: Element Extraction. Leap. Watchfulness.
[Limit Effect]: Full Swing.
Her level was definitely rising quickly. Additionally, “Contamination Resistance” had appeared as a new basic effect in Gang-ho’s attributes.
‘She must have traded that for Leap.’
Recently, she had acquired a limit effect as well. The name was quite intuitive, but how that ability had materialized was a mystery.
[Name]: Lisa Azbel.
[…]: ………
[Traits]: Element Sorceress.
[Level]: Lv. 13.
[Enhancement]: 20%.
[Attributes]: Four Great Elements (Flame Specialized).
[Special Skill]: Elemental Phase Transformation.
[Basic Effect]: Insulation Barrier. Flash Point Control.
[Auxiliary Skills]: …….
[Limit Effect]: Flame Barrier.
Each time he checked, it felt like she was getting stronger, and her level had risen quite a bit. She had also newly acquired a limit effect.
‘If taken literally, that’s a pretty useful skill she’s gotten.’
Even though it had limitations as an active attribute, it was exactly what she needed now. He expected it would greatly assist in team tactics. If she could defend herself, they could allocate Satoshi to offense.
After reviewing the abilities of both individuals, Gang-ho summarized the patrol process and results from the third village. He then hurriedly shared the information from the Disaster Manual that he hadn’t managed to share until then.
“As Dr. Inder said, it doesn’t seem impossible to handle.”
After hearing the explanations about the other world, the different races, especially the undead, Lisa spoke up.
“Aliens come, Predators can come too, so who’s to say the undead won’t show up?”
“But that’s a movie….”
Reina groaned as Satoshi hesitated before speaking.
“Up until now, we’ve gone through things way crazier than movies.”
“…….”
Reina had no rebuttal; his words were factual.
The topic of conversation shifted to the agenda for the next day. As they discussed opinions like it was a meeting, they were able to establish and organize their priorities relatively thoroughly.
“It’s getting late, so we should wrap this up and rest.”
Inder concluded the session. However, Gang-ho hadn’t been able to sleep properly since encountering the Lich. His nerves were on high alert.
“Don’t forget to put a shield around the exterior of the armored vehicle. I’ll be stepping out for a bit.”
The moment he got up, a shrill shout pierced his ears.
“Gang-ho!”
“Going alone again!”
The protests from the two women regarding why he kept taking on risky situations contrasted sharply with the lack of disagreement from the other two men. However, Inder displayed concern.
“How about just resting today? We’ll reach our destination, Pyongyang, tomorrow with plenty of work ahead.”
He wasn’t wrong. And suddenly, Reina and Lisa’s faces came into sharp focus.
Gang-ho hesitated, feeling somewhat uncertain despite his resolve.
‘Come to think of it, they look really exhausted.’
Even surviving in the storage of beings had left them without a single rest day. It wasn’t just his body; his mind and spirit were so worn down they were bordering on devastation.
‘Shouldn’t I also consider their feelings?’
Gang-ho nodded shortly.
“Let’s do that. This village is the safest place we’ve surveyed so far since we came above ground.”
As soon as he finished speaking, relief washed over everyone’s faces. Seeing this, Gang-ho felt a twinge of guilt.
‘Though I didn’t pressure them, everyone followed me believing in me.’
For a moment, he thought. Was it really okay to rest today? He found himself hesitating.
“Reina, Satoshi, and the Security Agency members.”
The sudden calling of names caused a slight tension among those mentioned.
“Help me set up some temporary barriers and fences around the armored vehicle. After that, I’d like to have a little party.”
“……?”
“……!”
Everyone was dumbfounded by Gang-ho’s unexpected words. They looked at each other with wide eyes, unsure of what he meant.
Silence fell for a moment, which made Gang-ho uncomfortable.
‘Did I say something silly?’
But before such thoughts could fully form, cheers erupted.
“A party?!”
“Yay!”
“Oh, thank you! Thank you!”
The excitement was reminiscent of the time when they emerged from the underground hangar, and Gang-ho was surprised.
Then he belatedly realized something he had overlooked.
‘Even though we survived, it seems we haven’t had time to feel alive.’
The invigorated group moved outside, erecting the barriers and fences. They used the armored vehicle like a structure to create a spacious courtyard. Tarps and lights were set up overhead.
“Oh, this looks pretty good?!”
“It’s awesome!”
A wonderful party venue resembling a café terrace emerged in the dark of night. The tasks wrapped up quickly, and a simple party began promptly.
“Wine and vodka?!”
“Where did all this alcohol come from?”
People asked with satisfied expressions.
“Satoshi’s been gathering them bit by bit every time he explored an empty village.”
“Oh, of course! Our most humane hero! Haha.”
Hearing his name called from a distance, Satoshi perked up and ambled off towards the pantry with a grin.
‘Hero, huh…’
He scanned his surroundings and confirmed no one was watching. Then, he reached deep into a gigantic commercial fridge and slowly pulled out a plastic box.
Heh…
The box came out, filled with various soju and beers. He felt the bottles; they were icy cold.
“Some soju and beer, this should earn me the title of hero, right? Hehe.”
Gang-ho usually liked to drink. He had never been drunk anywhere. He enjoyed it. Particularly, he relished whiskey poured over ice for an on-the-rocks treat.
But right now, he simply couldn’t get the alcohol down.
‘Better blend in and keep it moderate to not spoil the vibe.’
He held onto a glass and walked around, enjoying the sight of people laughing and chatting freely instead of drinking himself.
“Hey, Han Gang-ho! Gang-ho!”
He found himself in an awkward situation, particularly unable to handle Reina’s flirtations.
“Is being handsome all it takes?! Look at me~. Aren’t I pretty charming too?”
As she clung to his arm, the soft sensation on his elbow and her warm breath in his ear sent him into a daze.
With her eyes half-lidded from drinking, she radiated an alluring charm, typical of Hispanic beauties.
‘If she weren’t in uniform, I’d think Reina, who always seemed like the perfect soldier, looked like this all along.’
The combination of her usual timid demeanor and unexpected flirtation was too foreign for him to manage.
But it drew considerable attraction from everyone around. People were running around looking for Reina.
“How did it feel? Did you enjoy it?”
Just as he broke away from Reina, Lisa stepped in.
“Uh, what?”
“What do you mean? Reina is quite charming, isn’t she?”
“Um, she is charming.”
“So, did you enjoy her?”
“…….?”
Gang-ho had no clue what she was quizzing him about, but he vaguely realized he might have done something wrong.
‘Did she catch me not drinking?’
In reality, he was more surprised by something else.
The party had started, and Lisa had consumed quite a bit of alcohol. Gang-ho had seen her several times, keeping track of her.
The people drinking with her were already down for the count. It wasn’t just a few; plenty of them were out.
Yet somehow, she appeared perfectly fine, prompting him to wonder how it was possible.
‘If I had a hefty drink, I can’t guarantee I wouldn’t be out too.’
A heavy-drinker, Lisa. That was as surprising as Reina’s flirty drinking antics.
Her usually calm, demure, and cool demeanor transformed into something beyond what he could imagine.
While it was true that Lisa had an impressive drinking capacity, she was also slightly tipsy. It just didn’t show on the surface.
It fueled the fire of jealousy when she saw Gang-ho kindly chatting closely with Reina.
‘I won’t fall behind in any regard.’
Her lips pursed tightly, and she threw herself at Gang-ho.
This time, the cushy sensation around his chest was far more overwhelming than what he had felt from Reina’s elbow.
“How about me?”
Looking up into those blue eyes, Gang-ho found himself swallowing hard without realizing it.
Gulp.
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