A Survival Guide for a Counselor in the Apocalypse – Chapter 73

Author: Cireng

Chapter 73

The thunderous noise was familiar. No matter whether it was dawn or midday, they would swarm in, and sometimes they came in overwhelming numbers. That was why it was familiar, the flares bursting like mad as well.

And yet, something felt off. Was it because this event was nearing its end? Because these excessive invasions had become too frequent? I reflexively got up from my seat, opened the window, and leaned out to look at the sky. In all directions, east, west, south, and north, the color of emergency, red, was blazing. The sky was completely crimson.

Soon after, with the sound of sirens, dawn turned into day.

Lights flicked on in every house, and people rushed outside. The elderly, children, and the sick headed toward the inner fortress, while those who could fight all moved toward the barracks.

“Wh-what is this…?”

Even in Shin Yerim’s murmured voice, fear was evident. This kind of chaos was her first time experiencing it. The medical unit was also placed on emergency alert. All personnel were called in.

From the communicator attached to Shin Yerim’s chest, transmissions kept pouring in.

“I-I th-think I h-have to go….”

With that dazed remark, Shin Yerim ran downstairs. Just as I turned to follow her out, the door burst open.

Bang!

Standing there, having flung the door open, was Leon Wolf.

“You going?”

Unlike the force with which he opened the door, his voice was calm. When I nodded, Leon Wolf tossed something to me.

“This’ll help fill that pitiful mana pool of yours a bit. Keep it on you. It’s old, but more useful than it looks.”

“…Thank you.”

What Leon Wolf handed me was a small brooch.

—

[Hermadion Magic Department (v174): Core Reinforcement Brooch (1)]

This is for immature children whose cores aren’t fully developed yet!

It seems to have been made a long time ago.

However, its stability is guaranteed!

※ Mana +10

※ Mana Control Lv.1

※ When equipped: Grants the trait Mana Control temporarily

—

[Maybe all that getting your head smashed taught you something?]

[But honestly, you can barely summon a fireball, do you even need this? Who knows! Haha!]

—

I took the worn-looking brooch and put it on.

“…Thank you.”

“I’m not giving it to you, you ungrateful brat. Return it. It’s important to me too.”

Leon stepped aside. As I turned my back on him and headed south toward where Lee Hoin was, his voice came from behind me.

“…I’m sorry. I have no face to show you all.”

Strangers. People with absolutely no reason to risk their lives. Yet those strangers were now forced into a situation where they had to do exactly that.

The back of the old man, well over 190 cm tall, looked small.

There wasn’t much I could say to that back. Partly because I was never good with embarrassing, sentimental words, and Leon Wolf had never said anything like that either.

I don’t have a father, so I wouldn’t know, but from what I’ve seen in internet memes, this is often how fathers and sons are portrayed. If I had one, would it have been like this?

‘…Or maybe not. Maybe it’s something you can say precisely because we’re strangers.’

Because we’re strangers. Because you’re from this world, and I’m from another. Because I don’t share your blood, maybe that’s why I can say it.

“When I first came here, I had choices. There were two other places besides this one. And the place I chose… was Hermadion.”

At my words, the old man slowly turned around. His large frame shifted toward me.

“I chose Hermadion, and at this very moment, I’m moving forward by my own will. So this is my choice too.”

Leon Wolf had no reason to apologize. If anyone should be apologizing, wasn’t it the narrator? To us… to me, to Lee Hoin, to him.

Hermadion does not present choices. Other worlds would show choice windows again and again, but Hermadion does not.

When I realized that, I thought this entire world resembled a single concept. Ludwig, Johanna, and Leon all shared the same nature. And Hermadion was the same.

A damnably straight blade. That was Hermadion. A blade swung until it broke. And even if it breaks, it’s swung again using the part of the edge that’s still sharp.

The people of Hermadion quietly did what they had to do. Even knowing the world was dying, they baked bread, sang songs, laughed, treated the sick, and conducted research. Hermadion did not give choices, but it showed itself… and waited for people to choose.

“I’ll be back.”

Leon stared at me for a moment. I gave a small bow, turned my back on him, and moved quickly. I stopped by the unit, checked my equipment and weapons out of habit. I didn’t take a spear. Just a dagger.

Johanna’s gaze lingered on me for a moment before disappearing with a complicated expression.

—

[Everyone’s wearing faces like they’re heading to their deaths!]

—

There were so many people. A baker who used to sell bread, a craftsman who made ornaments from flowers, a hunter who always seemed busy running around, and a server who would call people in to try new dishes.

Familiar faces and unfamiliar ones alike, all holding weapons, waiting for assignments.

“I’ll go south.”

At my words, Johanna looked at me briefly, then nodded.

“South C-9. Move as support.”

I moved immediately. The sound of footsteps as people scattered to their assigned positions, and Johanna’s voice, echoed behind me.

The sound of military boots rang out. From the communicator came constant requests for support, the same voices I had grown sick of hearing just days ago.

“Lee Hoin!”

Lee Hoin, who had been swinging his massive greatsword against a long, snake-like Glatcherling, turned at my call, planting his sword into the ground.

“You’re here?”

His clothes were splattered with black blood. After wiping his face roughly, he gripped his greatsword again.

“Can you run?”

“I can.”

Even though I had lost a lot of muscle, my current physical condition was better than usual. I gripped my dagger tightly. I couldn’t shoot fire anyway.

Not that it was just about mana or anything, I simply wasn’t at that level yet.

“I’ll cover your blind spots. You take the front.”

Lee Hoin nodded. After exhaling sharply, he activated his skill and lunged forward.

Dagger techniques. The trajectory of my blade was clean. Back then, when I fell below the wall, all I used was dagger techniques; I’d raised its level quite a bit.

Though it had quieted down lately because of magic.

—

[Intermediate, huh. Still doesn’t look that skillful.]

[Is it the skill’s problem, or the pilot’s?]

—

I ignored the window, laughing mockingly.

When Lee Hoin swung his greatsword in front, I slipped into the blind spots, the areas he couldn’t cover.

“Nam Muyeong!”

Whenever Lee Hoin signaled that I was too close, I immediately pulled back.

Slash!

The sensation at my fingertips felt less like cutting flesh and more like slicing ice, which made it slightly better.

‘They called them ice snakes, huh.’

Glacier snakes? Ice snakes? Creatures that had hibernated in glaciers, only to have cold seep into their bodies until they turned into something like ice. I wasn’t even sure if that legend was accurate. Snakes are cold-blooded, after all.

‘Honestly, it’s more believable that the ice itself transformed.’

Exhaling, I slowly coated my blade with fire. If their bodies were ice, fire should work better, right?

—

[Wow. You’ve slightly evolved from a caveman.]

[From the Paleolithic to the Neolithic, perhaps?]

[You’ve opened a new era! Of course, if you can handle it.]

—

The problem was the cost. Creating the flame took 3 mana. Maintaining it costs 1 mana every 5 seconds.

Damn it. I only had 25 at best.

Of course, if I stopped the skill, it would recover.

Even that was thanks to this brooch. Without it, controlling the mana would’ve been worse, and creating and maintaining fire might’ve taken three times the effort.

—

[Your self-awareness is impressive! This is why I like you. Haha!]

—

If the maintenance cost is that high, then just use it at decisive moments.

I changed my grip. The dagger’s edge now faced inward toward my arm. I moved in, burned through it, split it in two, and retreated.

Plans should be simple.

—

[Or perhaps your brain just isn’t capable of detailed planning…]

—

I lunged again. Just before the blade pierced through, I altered its form to maintain the flame.

Sss

With a sizzling sound, I heard the ice melting. The blade went in more easily. I extinguished the flame and pushed harder.