Chapter 113 – Back to Yeongdo (2)

The people hiding in Jodo gained some time when the breakwater connecting Jodo and Yeongdo collapsed from the explosion.

The soldiers remaining in Jodo desperately blocked undead that crossed to Jodo before the breakwater collapsed,

During that time the crew brought the container ship as close to Jodo as possible.

*screech*

As they approached the island, scraping sounds came from beneath the container ship.

Though the captain and crew brought the ship close enough to run aground, without a port at Jodo there had to be some distance.

Still over 300 meters to the island.

A distance good swimmers could easily swim, but unfortunately the sea was quite rough.

Looking at the distant island, some people looked at Zahina.

They had seen her freeze the container wall earlier.

But Zahina just tilted her head looking back at the people watching her.

Standing beside Zahina, I shook my head.

“Even archmages struggle to make paths by freezing rough seas.”

At my words, Zahina answered with an obvious expression:

“Yes. Even if barely made it would break immediately.”

When Zahina confirmed, people turned away with disappointed faces.

David who had been watching Zahina with others turned to ask me:

“Then what do we do? Not being a passenger ship, probably don’t have many lifeboats…”

Instead of me delayed finding a solution, a crew member checking water depth nearby answered David:

“The disposable boats without engines would be useless. Plus being installed so long ago, no telling what would happen with many people.”

No way with Zahina, boats won’t work…

As paths were blocked one by one, I looked over the ship again.

The massive container ship still stacked with containers.

What could we use from this ship?

Looking at the stacked containers, I asked a nearby crew member:

“Are all those containers full?”

The crew member shook his head at my words.

“No. More are empty. If we had time we would have unloaded at port, but ended up just bringing them. Made the ship heavier so we couldn’t get closer to the island.”

I asked again at the crew member’s words:

“How much does an empty container weigh?”

“One empty container? Over 3 tons. Pretty heavy right? But filled they go up to 30 tons so actually fortunate they’re empty…”

3 tons.

Could it work? Seems possible…

I asked the crew member again:

“I heard empty containers float?”

“They do… but can’t float forever. Even floating long, 8 hours is the limit. But why? Don’t tell me…”

Looking at the startled crew member, I nodded.

“Let’s drop the containers in the water. Make a floating bridge with containers.”

“No, even unlocking them they’re not easy to move. Even empty they’re 3 tons. Not something people can move by grabbing on.”

Though the crew member shook his head vigorously opposing my words, Zahina rather asked me:

“3 tons is about 40 people?”

“With the knight’s strength and my help… should be possible.”

I had the same thought as Zahina.

3 tons was definitely possible.

“There will be work to help with, I’ll call the soldiers.”

David ran off first to where the U.S. soldiers were.

Seeing David run off, the crew member sighed and said to me:

“You all really think this will work… I’ll tell the captain.”

He pressed the radio button.

“Captain! Bow here. Captain?”

*static* *static*

“Damn, not working again. Was fine earlier but doesn’t work close to land. Please wait a bit.”

He clicked his tongue looking at the radio then ran to one side of the bow.

There was a wired phone in a hidden corner on one side of the bow.

He picked up the phone and shouted:

“Captain! The knight here says he’ll throw containers into the sea!”

The captain’s voice came faintly from the phone but no need to confirm it.

Could sufficiently guess from the crew member’s response.

“You’re asking if it’s possible? They say it will work… Understood. I’ll gather people to unlock them.”

He put down the phone and gestured to me.

“Follow me! The ship’s balance will collapse if we throw any random ones. Plus it’ll take longer than you think. Need to release the ship’s locks and undo the binding locks between containers.”

Sorry but we didn’t have that time.

Though the breakwater being cut temporarily stopped undead crossing to Jodo, there were undead that crossed to Jodo before.

Loud gunshots still came from Jodo as they blocked those undead.

Moreover, on the opposite side from the breakwater, undead were walking into the sea from Yeongdo.

Soon those undead would climb onto Jodo.

Shortly after arriving where containers were stacked, the crew member pointed to where containers met and container locks while telling me:

“We’ll unlock bindings one by one from the top. After releasing the container locks and ship locks, we can move containers. Not sure how to lower them but need to lower them in order from top.”

I nodded at the crew member’s words.

Since he said lowering random ones would endanger the ship, I planned to follow the crew member’s words.

‘Just the order of lowering containers.’

I shouted to the gathered people:

“Everyone step back! I’ll release the locks too!”

With those words I launched myself up.

“No! What are you saying!”

While hearing the crew member’s screaming words, I kept climbing up stepping on containers.

While climbing up, I drew a sword from my pocket.

The newly acquired military supply sword.

The sword’s performance wasn’t bad.

Sufficient performance for handling zombies and skeletons, and very usable for cutting iron.

*slash*

I swung the sword cutting off the locks. And cut the locks connecting containers too.

After cutting locks on both sides and breaking the fasteners, metal scraping sounds came from the containers.

*screech*

Along with metal scraping came screams from below. The crew member’s screams.

“Aah! You can’t cut those! If you cut those we can’t use the containers and can’t load containers without repairing the ship!”

Indeed, as the crew member said, but I didn’t stop…

Anyway, no chance of reusing containers dropped in water, and no chance of stacking containers on this ship again.

After destroying all locks and fasteners of one container, I stood on the container behind.

The container moving slightly as the ship rocked.

I looked at Zahina who had somehow climbed up beside me then launched myself at the unlocked container.

I filled my armor with mana and rammed into the container.

*crash*

The container dented and pushed outward.

Pushed outward like that, the container finally rolled down.

*crash* *crunch* *crackle*

The container smashed the ship’s railing, scarred the ship’s side, then fell into the sea.

*splash*

The container fallen in the sea slowly began moving toward the island.

The container moving now was thanks to Zahina moving the seawater.

Though the ship was slightly damaged, confirming it worked as planned I continued dropping containers into the sea.

The crew member who first looked at me with an incredulous face sighed then advised which containers to drop.

Like that I kept dropping containers into the sea, and Zahina moved the fallen containers making a path on the sea.

After dropping about 30 containers, the containers connected the island and ship.

Seeing the path made on the sea, I came down to the deck.

Seeing me come down to the deck, the captain who had come out sighed.

“You’ve completely wrecked my ship.”

Had nothing to say to his words.

The ship became a mess while dropping containers in the sea.

Both railings were crushed and the deck was a mess.

The ship’s sides were full of damage making long voyages difficult.

“Can’t help it after doing this. More importantly, that side seems more urgent…”

People were running toward the beach where the container bridge reached on the opposite side of the ship.

People ran toward the beach with no luggage, carrying children, with families.

Gunshots came from behind them too.

Undead were following the running people.

“Leave this to us. Actually, that beauty is doing everything.”

Without me saying anything, U.S. soldiers and crew members were throwing ropes to fallen containers, climbing onto containers and connecting containers to the ship.

Though everyone worked hard, as the captain said, the containers staying as a bridge on the sea now was all thanks to Zahina.

After checking Zahina and people, I shouted to Hoffman:

“I’ll go first, follow with Ye-rim!”

“Understood.”

Hearing Hoffman’s response, I launched myself from the ship.

*thud*

Soon after landing on the rocking container on the water, I ran forward again.

30 containers, 300 meters was a very short distance.

Landing on the beach after a few steps, I ignored the running people and kept running forward toward the gunshots.

*bang* *bang*

“Block them!”

*roar*

“Aagh! I’m bit!”

“Damn, keep retreating! Leave the bitten ones!”

Past the beach came gunshots, people’s shouts, and undead’s roars.

Then a battlefield appeared before me.

Fallen soldiers and undead writhing on the ground with severed limbs.

Above them rushing zombies and soldiers shooting at the zombies.

The lieutenant colonel shouting with a pistol, soldiers screaming while spraying bullets, NCOs dragging soldiers.

Though methods differed, scenes I’d seen many times fighting undead.

“Mom! Mom! I don’t want to die!”

I ran to a soldier trembling holding a grenade with bitten hands.

Snatching the grenade from the crying soldier, I threw it at rushing undead.

*boom*

With the explosion zombies flew in all directions.

Meanwhile I grabbed the bitten soldier and threw him to the startled lieutenant colonel.

“Take him! If not dead, bites can be treated!”

The lieutenant colonel who reflexively caught the soldier muttered looking at me:

“Honestly didn’t think you’d succeed…”

As expected.

He had sent us to save even one more person.

Anyway, we had returned.

Now was time to save people.

“I’ll block the rear, retreat with the soldiers!”

“Ah, understood.”

And while swinging my sword, I asked the retreating lieutenant colonel:

“Where are the soldiers who came with us?”

They weren’t among the people running to the beach or the soldiers here.

At my question the lieutenant colonel shook his head.

I clicked my tongue.

They were good people…

As always, good people died first.

I sighed then swung my sword again.

For the dead too, I planned to save all remaining people.

That day we were able to load over 300 people onto the ship.