Chapter 117 – Rematch (1)

After ending the meeting, the carrier group began heading north toward Jeju Island.

Seems the President approved operations after seeing us directly.

“We plan to stop near Jeju’s waters and talk with the Korean government. Though pushed from the mainland, the government in Jeju is still Korea’s official government. Since U.S. forces withdrew earlier, we need Korean government approval to enter the peninsula.”

Though David’s words seemed considerate of the Korean government, the carrier group planned to station off Jeju’s coast without permission first.

If they truly recognized the Korean government in Jeju, such show of force was unnecessary.

Moreover, America had already sent drones and helicopters to Daejeon without telling the Korean government.

But I couldn’t object to David’s next words:

“When they see the carrier group, the Jeju government won’t ignore people from Busan.”

Indeed, David was right.

The Jeju government had abandoned the Busan people.

Without America’s backing, they might have refused people arriving by container ship.

Even now they might be quarantining them separately.

Showing carrier group force to those people…

Though they likely had other motives, as a non-Korean now I was rather grateful.

“I’ll be going along again this time. Though official envoys are being prepared back home, they told me to move first.”

David grumbled while boarding the ship with us.

He sighed saying his original mission was just bringing us here, but with no one else available he got assigned another mission.

“You’re going to Daejeon with us?”

“No. Until after that…”

I could only tilt my head at David’s words as he sighed deeply.

Before I could ask again, he spoke:

“Seems the White House and company are overwhelmed by a national-level expedition force suddenly appearing. Sending a mere employee like me to another world because things are urgent. If not for the current situation I would have quit immediately.”

Seems the U.S. government planned to send this spy to our world.

“But aren’t the U.S. soldiers who were with us going?”

“After various coordination above, seems they decided on two initial visitors to that world.”

“Who else is there?”

David was the only one who boarded the other ship with us.

David pointed at Ye-rim.

When he pointed at her, Ye-rim spoke excitedly:

“I finished talking with the priests. Both said it would be better for me to get priest certification from the main temple in that world. They said that would be better for organizing holy power and confirming abilities, so I decided to go.”

First time hearing this. Naturally I had questions.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Wanted to surprise you. Did I do well?”

I couldn’t help but sigh.

Though she certainly did well…

Seeing that expression wanting praise made me less willing to say she did well.

Actually, I had planned to persuade Ye-rim to come to our world during this vacation.

Couldn’t leave my newly acquired party priest alone.

Who knows what accidents might happen, who might take her away.

So I was waiting for the right timing to speak, but for her to handle everything herself like this…

Though very convenient, couldn’t praise a party member who made decisions without telling the party leader.

As I tried to scold her, Hoffman beat me to it.

He grabbed Ye-rim’s shoulders and scolded:

“Come here. What do you think you did well?”

“Huh? Uncle Hoffman, why?”

Hoffman winked at me while pulling away the confused Ye-rim.

“Don’t worry. I’ll talk to Ye-rim properly.”

Thanks to Hoffman, seems I wouldn’t need to give unwanted lectures.

Though grateful to Hoffman, the middle-aged man’s wink was horrifying.

After Ye-rim was pulled aside, I asked David again:

“But you’re going alone without guards? Won’t that be dangerous?”

“They said your side would provide protection. So our side wanted someone familiar… That’s why I’m returning so urgently.”

Didn’t make sense. Felt like I heard something wrong.

If they knew the Expeditionary Force well and that’s why returning with us.

“Don’t tell me… I, no, our party is the escort?”

“Yes. That’s what I heard.”

“That #@$%& Count, calling it vacation!”

Curses burst from my mouth involuntarily.

Damn class society.

This is why I tried to distance myself from nobles.

Unless I became a noble myself.

Returning to Daejeon, they’ll make excuses to give work.

Saying it’s the only way for the expedition force to return…

I could hear the conversation with the Count already.

“Damn, if I refuse they’ll probably say no vacation?”

But deserting over something like this would be ridiculous too.

“Fine, if that’s how you want it. We’ll see what happens after I return.”

I’ll do what they say, but no one knows when vacation will end.

Other things might come up preventing easy return.

With luck might get recalled home.

‘Well at least I’m not in debt, so even if not an estate could buy some land.’

While half thinking about not returning.

David came beside me and casually handed over a map.

“You’ve helped in many ways but seems inadequate repayment for the person involved, so the company prepared this. From what we’ve observed you seem very interested in precious metals. So marked the location.”

Thought this wasn’t discovered, but seems the U.S. government even found out I was collecting precious metals via satellite.

But the map I briefly checked only had one mark.

Not a jewelry store?

Well, U.S. intelligence wouldn’t give such an ordinary map.

Looking questioningly at David, he explained further:

“Location of gold bars the Korean government couldn’t bring to Jeju. Heard they received quite a lot from Britain before everything happened.”

Wait a minute. What’s this mark?

“Don’t tell me, Bank of Korea gold?”

“Oh, you know the Bank of Korea too. Correct. Part of the 100 tons of gold bars at Bank of Korea. The gold they couldn’t bring when moving government to Jeju during the crisis is there.”

The map pointed to a location in Seoul.

“After everything happened, with most who knew dead, almost no one in the Jeju government knows. Though impossible now, you could get it when retaking Seoul or operating there.”

Bank of Korea gold bars.

Though uncertain how much remained, outwardly this wasn’t a gift suitable for one person.

Seems they gave this to me because of the gold’s location.

Central Seoul… The center of a city of 10 million zombies even I couldn’t enter.

Clearly this was bait.

U.S. intelligence’s vicious bait to keep me here.

Damn, problem was the bait was too tempting.

If I could get these gold bars, could buy not just an estate but territory.

Though buying territory wasn’t just about money, if that money was mountain-sized gold bars, would clearly be hard to refuse.

I put the map in my pocket and erased the plans just written in my head.

As a knight belonging to the expedition force, proper to spend vacation well and return promptly.

Like that only our party and David boarded the new ship besides navy crew operating it.

Already finished greetings with the fleet commander, and carrier sailors eyeing us gradually disappeared from view.

After separating from the carrier the ship raised speed with tremendous noise.

*vroom*

The ship with completely different shape from normal ships powerfully turned two propellers, rising up and gaining speed.

The hovercraft floating above sea powerfully rushed north away from the fleet heading to Jeju.

“Satellite confirmation shows strange monsters roaming not just the seabed but in the water near the Korean Peninsula!”

David shouted loudly from the hovercraft’s bow rushing over water.

With the two huge propellers attached to the back, seemed normal people couldn’t hear their own voices without shouting like that.

“Seemed difficult with normal ships to avoid those monsters so prepared this LCAC!”

Though I could hear without shouting loudly, I nodded listening to his shouts.

The monsters he mentioned must be corpse mermaids.

Though not seen in the South Sea, seems they roamed the West Sea.

Indeed this hovercraft seemed difficult for corpse mermaids to board.

No corpse mermaid could board a 70km/h ship floating in air with rubber tubes under its wide hull.

Thanks to that we could ride various never-before-seen ships.

As David boasted, we could safely arrive where we could see the west coast on this ship.

Long tidal flats stretching underwater and short beach visible at their end.

The tidal flats and beach had guests who arrived before us.

“Multiple monsters in tidal flats! Zombies visible on beach too!”

Following the navy soldier’s shout, the captain’s roar came through the noise:

“Just break through! Our job is getting guests to shore!”

The hovercraft charged across tidal flats ramming corpse mermaids with upper bodies out of water.

Though the hovercraft could move on land, couldn’t move as fast over tidal flats as over water.

Corpse mermaids started clinging to the hovercraft, and machine guns mounted on it started spewing fire.

*ratatata*

Corpse mermaids fell into water spewing black smoke, and more monsters clung to the ship again.

When I tried to help, the captain shouted again:

“Don’t worry! We can handle this much. Guests just focus on disembarking!”

At the voice spread through speakers I had to lower my hand gripping sword.

As he said, now wasn’t time for me to act.

I stood at the ship’s front narrowing my eyes glaring beyond the coast.

Death energy gradually spread from far beyond the coast.

“Bad luck? Or were they waiting?”

“Yes, what do you mean?”

At my words David hanging on the railing beside me looked at me.

Before I could answer, soldiers shooting machine guns shouted loudly:

“They’re retreating!”

As soldiers said, attacking corpse mermaids were withdrawing.

Same with zombies on the beach. Before we arrived zombies were scattering in all directions.

“Haha, what did I say? Said we could handle it fine right?”

Though the captain chattered excitedly through speakers, I quietly drew my sword.

Zahina took out her sniper rifle, and Hoffman sighed standing behind Ye-rim.

Though David looked at us surprised, I just watched death energy surging toward the coast.

Death energy encountered many times since coming to this world.

Quite a persistent connection.

So the one that fled west back then arrived at this coast?

As we prepared like that, the hovercraft gradually approached shore, and pillar-like things suddenly rose beyond the coastal windbreak forest.

*roar*

Simultaneously came an enraged monster’s roar.

An octopus head rose up among the pillar-like tentacles.

Indeed it was that one.

The octopus monster that fled after being badly beaten by Count Schönheim.

It had been waiting at the beach.