Chapter 3: Deserted Island (3)
TL: Hanguk
The content of the message reminding me of a game is confusing, but that's not the important part.
The biggest problem we currently face is that people's lives are being threatened.
The giant wild dog I saw earlier... no, monsters like the Grand Dire Wolf are indiscriminately attacking people and causing a lot of casualties.
Now is not the time to question why this is happening, or whether this kind of attack will continue in the future. The priority is to secure personal safety.
I was lucky to be safe, but an ordinary person would never be safe if they encountered a monster like the 'Grand Dire Wolf'.
Perhaps even my family on the mainland...
-Beep, beep, beep.
"Damn it......"
Right after the call with the captain ended, I called my parents.
But for some reason, I couldn't reach either of them.
Could something worrying have happened?
'You should have called your parents first, you idiot.'
I cursed myself.
In fact, even if I had called first, it would have been only a 20-30 second difference.
But because my parents didn't answer the phone, that 20-30 second difference felt much longer.
Wouldn't I have been able to hear my parents' voices if I had called a little earlier?
Such thoughts kept circling in my head.
-Awooooooo!
As my mind was in turmoil, a wolf's howl that woke me up echoed from the direction of the abandoned village.
How many are there...
I have to hide before they come this way.
I remembered a container on the opposite beach side of the village, I grabbed a bag with medicine and emergency supplies and a bag with tools like an electric drill, and moved.
-Crunch...
The old container was not locked, so I was able to hide safely.
When I slightly opened the dusty window, I could see the Grand Dire Wolf approaching the pier.
It was sniffing the air.
I held my breath, watching the movements of the Grand Dire Wolf, and fortunately, I wasn't attacked by the giant beast again.
'But why does the thing keep going back and forth between the dock and the ruined village? It's like it's moving according to a programmed script... Could its activity zone be set like in a game?'
Anyway, now that I knew that the Grand Dire Wolf was not approaching this place, I was relieved and called my parents again.
And then.
[Baekho! Seo Baekho!]
"Dad!"
Perhaps it was a blessing from the heavens, but I could hear my father's voice.
The moment I heard my family's voice, I felt as if my choked chest had been relieved.
I let out a deep sigh of relief.
[Sorry, I couldn't answer because I was overwhelmed.]
"Are you okay? And mom?"
[······. We're fine.]
But it doesn't feel fine at all.
I frowned at the hesitant response.
"Why are you hesitating? Did something happen to mom?"
[Sigh, yes. Your mom got a little hurt.]
It was a response like a bolt out of the blue.
Stunned, I asked about my mother's condition.
[But there's no need to worry. It's not life-threatening.]
"How badly was she injured?"
[She has some deep cuts on her right arm and left thigh. But since no major blood vessels were cut, she'll be fine with stitches and proper care.]
Should I be relieved?
I was worried about the fact that my mother was injured, but at least it wasn't life-threatening...
"Are you both in the military base now?"
[Yes, we're in the hospital inside the Gyeryong base.]
My father is a military officer.
Moreover, he is a colonel working at the Army headquarters.
According to my father, both he and my mother were caught in the accident while having lunch outside the base.
They struggled with monsters appearing here and there, but now both are inside Gyeryong base, so they can be considered much safer than me.
[So, you don't need to worry.]
"That's a relief."
[But where are you now? Are you safe?]
At my father's question, I was momentarily speechless.
After all, I only told my parents that I was going to the countryside to shoot a travel video, I didn't tell them I was going to an deserted island because I was worried they might worry.
I carefully explained my current situation...
[What!? An deserted island!? You crazy bastard!]
I was scolded by my father.
"I didn't know this would happen."
[Sigh... Well, that's true.]
"For now, I've found a safe place to hide. I'll have to wait for the situation to calm down."
[Where is that?]
"It's Wolgwangdo in Taean, Chungnam."
[I'll try to send a helicopter. But considering the current situation, it may not be possible right away. It's obvious that the generals will be looking for helicopters to take care of their families first.]
Although a colonel is not a low rank, it's not like he can freely operate a helicopter in an emergency situation.
Especially for personal reasons.
However, since my father graduated from the Military Academy, so he has many connections and can at least try to get a helicopter.
[Do you have food?]
At my father's words, I opened the bag containing emergency supplies, including medicine.
Inside were compressed rations and calorie bars prepared for the worst-case scenario.
"I've prepared food for four days in case of isolation."
[That's a relief. I understand. I'll try my best to get a helicopter there in the meantime. Don't move and hide well in a safe place.]
"Don't overdo it. Don't hinder your promotion."
[Don't worry about unnecessary things.]
Afterwards, my father explained the current situation as far as he knew.
Monsters attacking people are appearing not only in Korea but also in various places around the world, appearing like a mirage out of nowhere.
Basically, the monsters look like creatures straight out of a game, such as goblins, orcs, dire wolves, and black panthers, etc., and there's also information about monsters using magical, mysterious powers.
Also, monsters are more likely to appear outdoors than indoors, and because they continue to respawn even if they are killed over and over, it's uncertain whether the military can solve this situation.
"Then, wouldn't this island be relatively safe? I haven't seen any other monsters except for one wolf."
[That might be true. But it's probably not safer than Gyeryong.]
"I suppose so."
And besides monsters, 'abnormal terrains' that didn't exist before are being found in various places.
Literally new terrains like lakes or mountains are appearing, and facilities that seem out of this world, like buildings and sculptures, are also being discovered.
As expected, working at the Army headquarters, his information gathering is fast.
But additional investigations and data organization are necessary as the incident is still in its early stages.
My father said he would inform me whenever important information comes in.
"Is it okay to reveal the army headquarters' information like this?"
[It's survival information, what could be the problem.]
Well, if my father says so, it must be right.
[Take care of yourself, and contact me immediately if there's a problem.]
"Okay. Please text me first when mom is available to talk. Then, I'll call you."
[Alright.]
The call ended there.
Even though we have a typical father-son relationship, I feel like we have never had a conversation over 30 seconds, this was a record-breaking long call.
“Whew···.”
Anyway, it's a relief in many ways.
Whether it was because I confirmed the safety of my parents, I felt my strength drain from my legs and I slumped down on the spot.
And after spacing out for a while,
I went through the contents of the emergency bag again.
'I'm glad I brought this.'
Inside, there was not only medicine but also emergency rations.
I brought it in case the ship couldn't sail due to the weather, but I never thought I'd use them in this situation.
The food consists of 3 compressed meals of 2500kcal each, 2 calorie bars of 320kcal each, and few fruits picked from the mountain.
'Since it's an emergency situation, I have to conserve food. Let's keep the compressed meals and calorie bars as they are.'
There's plenty of food on this island.
Right now, if I go to the nearby sea walls and the dock, aren't there oysters and seaweeds all over the place?
So unless it's a real emergency, I decided not to touch the long-lasting preserved foods.
I could just trust my father's words and eat them, but I thought it was necessary to consider the worst-case scenario.
The world has gone mad, and there's no guarantee that things will go as planned.
'Shit, it's really turned into a real survival situation.'
Where else is there such a sudden turn of events?
It's so absurd that I can't help but laugh.
'I need to bring the rest of my stuff too.'
The container I'm hiding in now is old, but it's cozier than I thought.
Aside from the window, the entire thing is made of metal, so it seems to have decent defense.
I decided to make this container my base camp.
So, I decided to move the rest of my belongings here.
'It seems like it'll be safe to get them when the wolf heads to the village.'
The Grand Dire Wolf is continuously moving between the ruined village and the dock where my luggage is stacked.
While the time it comes and goes isn't entirely consistent, but even the shortest time it stayed in the ruined village during more than 10 round trips was enough to carry the luggage.
Just as I was about to leave the container....
'You have acquired stat points. Open the status window to distribute your stat points.'
'You have acquired the Wolf Sword.'
Suddenly, I remembered the content of the message window I had forgotten.
The semi-transparent message window still hanging at the end of my sight.
I said to myself in the air, thinking 'just in case'.
"Status window?" ***
[Status window]
-Level: 5
-Title: None
-Stats
Strength: 5 Agility: 5 Magic Power: 5
Remaining Points: 4
-Coins: 90
***
Then, a status window appeared up in front of my eyes.
"Huh, it worked?"
The content seems to have been completely copied from a game, and the situation resembles something from a novel."
I don't know if this is really the work of a God, or the work of aliens, but all of this seemed nothing more than a joke to me.
After briefly clicking my tongue, I examined the status window.
*****
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