Chapter 10

“Hold on tight!”

The moment I was flung out of the car, I used gravity to pull myself back and repulsion to offset the impact. A life-or-death gamble.

But thankfully, our gamble paid off with a decent gain.

“About four of them are toast.”

As the car flipped, it crushed four of the mutts, who couldn’t react in time to the sudden situation. I wish more had been caught.

A sudden turn of events. And for us, it was an opportunity.

“We’re low on ammo, so let’s shoot carefully, one bullet at a time.”

Single-shot mode.

I pressed the stock against my shoulder and aimed through the sights. The target… the head.

Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger.

With the gun’s distinctive bang, the bullet flew and pierced through the mutt’s ear.

Missed.

These guys must have faced gun-wielding humans before, as they quickly recovered from panic and started circling us, closing the distance.

They couldn’t recklessly charge at us with guns around, but they also couldn’t let go of their prey.

Guess that’s how it is.

“Just looking at their skinny legs, they must be starving and desperate. If we stall, they might give up.”

“Bald guy, those mutts are already starving. They won’t stop until they tear us apart.”

Survival instinct or hunger—which comes first?

“Mina, don’t let go of my back.”

“…Okay.”

Mina, the only non-combatant among us, clung to me from behind. Normally, this would be dangerous, but it was more comfortable for me this way. My power only works when I’m in contact with others.

Soon, the impatient dogs charged at us. Ten of them. The remaining one must be the leader or waiting for an opening.

Without time to think, I pulled the trigger twice.

“You can dodge this, right?”

These mutts must have fought gun-wielding humans before.

“Ah, Uncle…”

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

If I were a normal human, I’d have sensed death by now. But unfortunately, I’m a superpowered individual.

“Alright, let’s give it a shot.”

As the dogs charged again, I unleashed repulsion from my entire body. The dogs were helplessly pushed back by the sudden force.

And, inevitably, gaps appeared in their bodies as they were forced back.

“Eek…”

One dog, shot in the head, collapsed, creating a pool of blood on the ground.

One down.

And now… you’re next.

I reached out with my left hand and pulled a dog about ten steps away. Its massive size made it hard to pull completely, but that’s exactly what I wanted.

I immediately fired a bullet at it.

“Using one hand is tough. Ouch, my arm…”

My whole body aches.

“Damn mutts! You think you can pierce my skin with those dirty fangs?”

“Take this flashbang!”

Where did he even get that flashlight?

…It’s seriously funny how the dogs charging at the bald guy stopped in their tracks, startled by the light reflecting off his head.

I pulled the trigger at the wolves charging toward the bald guy.

“Easier than I thought, huh?”

“Well, they’re just mutts! Without guns, they’re not that threatening!”

Says the guy whose arm is being chewed like gum.

I repelled the wolves clinging to the bearded guy with repulsion and pulled the trigger.

The dog, unable to withstand the force, collapsed into a pool of blood. The remaining dogs, realizing they should retreat, slowly backed away.

“Damn mutts, I’ll kill you all!”

“Nah. Let them go. Bullets are precious.”

We still have a long way to go, so for safety’s sake, we should conserve.

We lowered our hot gun barrels and watched as the mutts left.

Until the defeated were completely out of sight.

———————–

Is this where I’ll stay for a long time?

After walking for over an hour, we arrived in Hanam, a place that felt both rural and oddly urban, creating a strange atmosphere.

“Security Chief, welcome to Hanam. Well, it’s an old name now, and we just call it the Swamp Area…”

“I’m going to check on my shop. If fate brings us together again, we’ll meet.”

“Bald guy, take care!”

As the bald guy left, the three of us crossed the city.

The Swamp Area.

A nickname mentioned in the original work.

It was said that once you enter this city, you can’t escape, like a swamp.

It was definitely that kind of city.

After the vague end of World War III, with the country barely functioning, there were few livable cities, and finding work was even harder.

So, even in this city built on ruins, we had to find a way to survive.

There was some farmland, and food supply wasn’t entirely cut off, so it was relatively better off among cities.

The problem was that fists ruled here more than the law.

The law existed but didn’t function well, and factions in the Swamp Area were constantly fighting for territory.

And if things went as in the original, the Swamp Area would plunge into chaos in a few years.

The chairman of the Crocodile Bird, the largest faction in the Swamp Area, would be assassinated, forcing a chaotic era.

And Quaker would unify it… or so it was.

It wasn’t revealed who did it until the latest chapter, but most comments speculated Quaker was behind the assassination.

I thought so too.

Of course, I have no intention of getting involved, so the Crocodile Bird’s chairman will live longer than in the original…

“Security Chief, I’m thinking of returning to the Crocodile Bird. You have no ties here, right? I can feed and house you for a few days, so come along!”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you? You saved my life; this is the least I can do!”

Since it’s hard to work until my body fully recovers, I’ll go along.

We followed the bearded guy deeper into the Swamp Area.

People bustling about.

A humid environment, buildings made of concrete and steel.

And streetlights that clearly showed they were made by abilities.

Thinking about it, in this world, electricity users had it the easiest.

It’s the tail end of the 21st century, and even though civilization declined after World War III, electricity was still necessary.

Electricity users could make a decent profit just by charging batteries.

Or work at power plants.

The treatment and salary were so good that in Seoul, if a child was born with electricity powers, they were guided toward that path from the start.

Recalling the original setting, I wondered how long we walked when the bearded guy suddenly stopped and headed toward a fairly large building, unusually three stories tall.

Above the entrance was a strangely clean sign, unlike the old building.

Backdoor Hotel. What a peculiar name.

And sitting on a chair by the entrance, a skinny guy with glasses was smoking a cigarette, staring blankly ahead.

When the bearded guy approached, his eyes widened, and he jumped up, shouting as he ran over.

“Hey, who’s this? Isn’t it Yeongdeok?”

“Hey, Cheolsu! Good to see you again, you bastard—where have you been all this time?”

“Had a tougher time than when I fought those vipers 17 to 1. I’ve got a lot to tell you.”

A comrade?

I watched the bearded guy and the skinny glasses guy embrace, then looked up at the building.

This building seemed particularly well-maintained.

“20-year friends.”

No wonder they’re happy.

It’s like seeing a friend’s face after dying and coming back to life.

“So, who are these two?”

The glasses guy, after the reunion, turned his attention to us. I stepped forward to introduce myself, but the bearded guy answered faster.

“Ah, they’re my saviors. If it weren’t for Security Chief here, we’d have been dissected by now!”

“Oh! I see! You saved my friend’s life; I owe you a proper thank you! Come on in! I’ll prepare a feast!”

“He also manages the motel, so no worries about a place to stay.”

“Finally, we can rest…”

I looked at Mina, who let out a sigh of relief, genuinely relieved as she looked up at the building.

She’s been through a lot too. Must have been tough supporting me while walking.

“Lots to do… but let’s rest first.”

“Okay, Uncle.”

We followed the glasses guy into the building.