Apocalypse Survival Guide

Chapter 14. On an Ice Satellite (2)

"......."

I woke up in a room that felt unmistakably familiar.

A work uniform hung haphazardly on a chair, an unwashed cup was left on the table, and heavy curtains were drawn across the window, casting the room in darkness. This was the place I had both first and last secured for myself.

My head felt foggy. Perhaps because I hadn't fully woken up yet. My throat was parched and burning, maybe due to the sweat I had produced in my sleep.

"......."

I ran a hand over my disheveled face and looked around with a dazed gaze. At first glance, it seemed as if everything was just as it had always been; nothing had changed, and it seemed like I could get ready to head to the mining base called Heaven as usual, as if today were just another turn in the hamster wheel of daily life.

But I knew better. I knew all too well.

It started with the shuttle crash, escaping the base on a cargo orbital vehicle, and the return to the residential area only to find it had become a hellscape akin to the base. I needed to reach the central tower of the residential area within the designated time to catch a shuttle to Earth.

In snippets of memory, I recalled Nadia capturing a monster with a crane's claw and dropping it, and Carry slicing through another with a cutting laser. The scenes flashed before me like a panorama.

'I was hoping it was a dream.'

It was a nightmare, yes, but at least in a dream, the nightmare wasn't real. Upon waking, reality as I knew it would be intact.

Yet, the memories of yesterday left no room for denial; they weren't dreams but reality. They were vividly recorded in my senses.

Even now, closing my eyes would vividly bring back the journey home from the farthest reaches of the residential area. People screamed, trapped in a burning tram, monsters were thrown to the ground by the shockwaves released by security robots, the stench of acrid smoke stung the nose, eerie cries scratched at ears, and the sounds of helpless pleas from those trapped under debris and the brutal killings of prey rendered immobile filled the air.

As images of us fleeing the chaos-filled streets in haste resurfaced, a strong headache struck me. Wincing in pain, a faint groan escaped my lips unknowingly.

The return home wasn't easy. Buildings overtaken by monsters were abundant, and these monsters had flooded the ground from there. I assumed they probably occupied the underground as well, their numbers likely far exceeding what was visible.

My arm throbbed. I had been injured while holding back a monster that had detected Nadia and me. I considered myself fortunate my bones weren't broken after being hit by the protruding blue crystal.

Gazing at my bruised, swollen arm, I then turned my attention to Nadia, who was fast asleep on a makeshift bed. Though I remembered her being extremely worried about the urgent situation and whether it was alright to be sleeping at such a time, she had fallen asleep as soon as she lay on the bed. In her words, her body had reached its limits, despite what she said.

While wondering how anyone could sleep through the turmoil outside, I realized that the human body doesn't necessarily follow the mind.

Had we departed immediately without a brief respite, we probably would have collapsed somewhere in the middle. Our minds couldn't process the sudden disruption of our daily routine.

If the broker hadn't informed us of the shuttle's arrival time or informed us the landing site had changed, as Nadia had said, we wouldn't have had time to rest. We were able to catch a short rest, thanks to having that information.

'...... Not all information was good, though.'

I could trust the information's authenticity because the broker never lied when credits were on the line. Unlike other people, the broker was very reliable in that regard.

I manipulated my bracelet to bring up a holographic display. It showed that the countdown I'd set was steadily decreasing, now showing 9 hours remaining.

"Whew......"

Despite the vividness of yesterday's events, they seemed unbelievable. Pureblood supremacists suddenly committed a bomb attack, monsters appeared, killing people, and I killed those monsters with my own hands.

Strangely, though, I felt calm, almost as if I hadn't done those things myself. Typically, when confronted with the unfamiliar, people tend to freeze, knowing in their mind that what they face is beyond their understanding but unable to act immediately. The unfamiliar naturally evokes fear.

'Am I crazy? Or perhaps......'

Was I rationalizing that I had no choice?

It was as I clenched and released my fist that Carry, always intuitive to my expressions, tapped me lightly with his auxiliary arm. Just like always, it thumbed up encouragingly, indicating I should rely on him.

【ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌ )】

"Are you trying to comfort me?"

Finding that endearing, I couldn't help but chuckle. While others might see Carry as no more than a delivery robot, to me, it held special meaning.

It was the only reliable thing in a situation where I couldn't trust anyone. Indeed, there were instances where thanks to Carry, I had walked away with my life. Even just the day before was a prime example.

I might've entertained mischievous thoughts like naming him pointlessly, getting too attached to switch him out for a cigarette, but those weren't my true feelings.

Carry was my buddy. Who in the world would sell out their friend for a few coins?

'Oh, they do exist.'

I couldn't be certain in this cruel world, but I wouldn't put myself in that category.

"Nadia, wake up. It's time to move."

I gently shook Nadia, who grumbled softly in her sleep, her soft aqua hair becoming tousled, her tail tapping the bed. Her pleas for five more minutes indicated she was having a hard time waking up.

But there was no choice. Our allotted rest time was over, and we had to consider the time it would take to get to the central tower. Granting her a final five minutes, I lifted my sore body. As much as I wanted a shower, the thought of water noises provoked concern about potential outside reactions.

So, instead, I used the pre-filled water to make a quick wash and put on the work suit I had taken off. Lastly, I packed the plasma cutter, an item nearly as essential as Nadia and Carry.

Due to repeatedly jabbing the high-output nozzle into monsters, the nozzle was slightly bent. Nevertheless, it was still usable. Besides, I had some spares.

As the remaining traces of sleep receded, Nadia's five minutes expired.

"Nadia, five minutes are up."

"Water......"

Nadia reached out as if expecting a water bottle by her bedside, like in the room she used to occupy. Since this was my room, her trembling hand searched the space fruitlessly.

I rose quietly and placed a packet of purified water into her hand. Simultaneously, Nadia tore off the packet's corner with her teeth, downing the contents as if she had found an oasis. Realizing that one wasn't enough, her hand reached out once more, prompting me to hand over another packet.

"Phew—"

Having drained a total of three packets dry, Nadia seemed to have regained her vitality. She tapped her still-groggy face lightly with her palms.

"Good morning, Hyun-woo."

"It's not really a good morning. It's still early."

"...... Oh."

As I made a subtle face, realization hit Nadia, and she quickly glanced around, her expression darkening. Apparently, she too had thought yesterday's events were just a dream.

Her ears and tail drooping momentarily, her gaze caught the bloodied plasma cutter resting against the wall and the securely barricaded door preventing any intrusions. Her shoulders slumped.

I tossed her a pack of utility store food. Quite like a beast, Nadia reflexively caught it with impressive reflexes.

"Eat that, and let's move out."

"Okay......"

"I hope resting helped somewhat, even if it was just two hours."

"Yeah......"

I also handed Carry a small shard of refined blue crystal, which it accepted with a smacking gesture. Thankfully, there had been a store near where we were staying. Otherwise, the low battery warning would have been disconcerting.

Honestly, I wanted nothing to do with it, refined or not, especially after seeing monsters integrated with full raw blue crystal. Just thinking about those raw pieces nestling among skin oozing with fluid made me feel nauseous. Yet, necessity had its demands.

Carry ran on blue crystal power, and the only weapon we had, the plasma cutter, required blue crystal. Granted, it utilized a specialized battery containing a minuscule amount of it.

Thus, blue crystal was embedded in nearly everything around us. Dislike didn't mean we could avoid using it.

'If only I had more credits.......'

I could have purchased more refined blue crystals beforehand. But, given that I owed the broker 2.5 million credits, spending any portion of that was out of the question.

Even if, by some miracle, we made it to the Central Tower after blowing through every last credit we had in a “screw it” kind of mindset— by then, it wouldn’t just feel like our guts were tearing—it’d be for real.

Despite the unappetizing taste, we chomped down on the chewable sticks, stuffing them into our mouths and chewing until they were almost flavorless. Once our stomachs were adequately filled, we swiftly prepared to head out, conducting one last inspection of our tools.

Once outside, we wouldn't have the luxury to leisurely check our gear.

The hacking program for the tools, sent by the broker yesterday, had been transferred to Nadia's bracelet as well. Though I advised against disabling the safety system of tools through hacking because being found out could result in unknown punishments, Nadia was adamant. She insisted on jointly accepting any punishment and forcibly downloaded the program. Thanks to that, now she could properly use the plasma cutter.

"Nadia, is your equipment all set?"

"Yep, it should last for today."

"Alright, that should be enough."

After repeating the same conversation we had in the mining equipment storage a few days ago, we began dismantling the barricade at the door. We carefully and silently set each piece aside to avoid any noise.

The monsters seemed concentrated in the central part of the residential area, but there was no harm in being cautious.

Eventually, the path to the door was clear.

"......."

"......."

From this point, silence was paramount. Clutching our tools once more, we started our trek back into the chaos.

***

The residential area was now devoid of screams. Just minutes ago, the air had sporadically echoed with cries mixed with shrieks, but at a certain point, silence had taken over the residential area.

The crackling of security robots discharging shockwaves had ceased, and the crashes of monsters ravaging facilities no longer pierced the air. Yet, the stench of death permeated more intensely.

The current time was 2:20 AM. It was pre-dawn, and the dark sky attempted to cloak the horror engulfing the residential area. However, the flickering street lamps illuminated the aftermath left by the monsters with stark clarity.

Not a single thing remained intact. Several bodies with their skin brutally peeled lay discarded, decorating the scene like mere ornaments.

Vehicles that had once sped haphazardly along the roads were now utterly wrecked, lodged into buildings. The familiar scent of oil stung my nostrils.

Adjusting my respiratory mask, I lifted my gaze. Above was not a sky of blue, but one bleached by darkness, faintly serene.

And in that sky hung an artificial light source, not a real star, beyond which loomed the immense, ringed planet Saturn.