00002 - The Little Prince in the Ossuary
#Journal, page 21, Camp Roberts
Food supplies were dwindling, and it had already been a week since the government last sent a relief helicopter.
Many places needed aid, and there were not enough aircraft. Supply through vehicles was postponed due to high risk and potential losses.
Communication lines seemed operational, but it was evident that the U. S. government was losing control over the California area.
The stock of hygiene products, which was insufficient to begin with, had run out. People's spirits were growing more vile.
The season was transitioning into late autumn.
Camp Roberts was not prepared for winter. Heating arrangements were necessary, and there was not enough food or supplies.
The refugees within the camp decided to accept volunteers to go out and find what was needed.
The camp commander gathered the representatives of the refugees to pool opinions.
Since the living dead wandering outside the fences did not discriminate between people, it was deemed fair that volunteers, too, should not discriminate based on age or gender.
Except for the very young or the very old, everyone should strive to survive.
The biggest motivation for those making this argument, of course, was not fairness.
They merely wanted to minimize their own chances of facing death, but the commander allowed it.
Thus, minors and the elderly also became eligible to volunteer.
The protective barrier of civilization that looked after children and the elderly disappeared by general consensus.
The San Francisco police who joined the camp were in charge of personnel management.
Ration cards were given priority to mission volunteers, so those who remained idle would likely starve if food ran short.
Despite this, many chose to huddle in corners and starve rather than go out.
After all, death awaits either way, but they believed starving to death in a safe place was better than being eaten alive outside.
There's also a possibility that the food shortage might not worsen to that extent.
The military did not force them to participate either, as they could pose a risk to the accompanying military personnel if they didn't follow control during the mission.
「Player's Choice: Accept the supply procurement mission.」
I was different.
If I became debilitated due to malnutrition, I could die from something other than a food shortage.
I wanted to struggle before that happened.
When I went to the recruiting office to volunteer, an officer present in the office dragged me back out.
Lieutenant Robert Capston. He was among the more moderate of the military officers.
He mentioned that among interim managers who had no specific affiliations, I was the only one.
I asked whether it was because I was a minor. He suggested reconsidering, as they would give me just enough ration cards so I wouldn't starve.
「AI Help (Insight Level 4): Accepting the offer improves community stability. You can gain favor from moderate military officers. Increases player's influence within the community and leadership. Refusal enhances player's willpower, charm, and leadership.」
「Player's Choice: Still, volunteer for the supply procurement mission.」
I appreciated his kindness but still declined, expressing that I didn't want to remain powerless and wished to help people.
Lieutenant Capston showed a stunned expression but didn't hold me back forcibly. He merely patted my shoulder, telling me to come back alive.
There are good people in any situation. It's fortunate that there are people like the lieutenant even in these times.
#Supply Procurement, Camp Roberts
This was the setting.
Situations preceding the game were provided through videos and journals, varying based on the set nationality, gender, age, occupation, traits, and starting point.
Even if restarted under the same conditions, the content would not be completely identical.
That was why the boy paid close attention to the journal, even after dying and restarting multiple times.
Except in rare cases, the journal—presented in a monologue format—contained a wealth of information about the player's situation.
The virtual persona narrating the journal became more refined with each cycle, gradually learning the player's tendencies.
To the boy, viewing the journal was not a tedious task. The monologue served as narration, allowing him to experience it as virtual reality.
However, he merely felt unilateral outcomes rather than making decisions on words and actions.
It was akin to an ultimate evolutionary version of a 4D movie.
The boy looked around.
Under the early morning light, rows of yellowed white tents and gloomy military tents stretched out.
The camp's size was close to a city. People avoided meeting each other's eyes.
Following the holographic guide visible only to the player, he sought out the mission, when a heavy and low rumbling sound was heard nearby.
When he first played this game, he had no idea. Now, he knew just from the sound. It was the sound of someone stabbing another with a pointed object.
A woman, who had dropped a knife with a clang after seeing a middle-aged man clutching his stomach in front of her, looked around and caught sight of the boy.
Flinching and hesitating for a brief moment, she grabbed the ration card from the dying man and bolted away, keeping an eye on the boy.
The boy watched the scene with narrowed eyes, simply observing. This wasn't the first time he played this game.
Knowing from multiple deaths how events proceeded, he understood the woman was merely a low-level member of an organization.
Chasing her would mean facing the entire action unit of that organization.
Different areas made different sounds when stabbed in a person. The boy knew from experience.
It was inevitable.
The enemies outside that fence, the infected mutants, were originally human.
The stabbing sensation was not much different from that of humans.
Most importantly, in the virtual reality world of 「After the Apocalypse」, humans with evil inclinations posed a greater threat than the infected mutants.
Even those with good inclinations might commit murder when driven to desperate situations.
Ultimately, it was a world where progression was impossible without killing people.
A notification blinked with augmented reality holograms: 「Viewer messages have arrived. 77 messages. Please check the logs.」
It had been blinking for some time. Reluctantly, the boy opened the message log.
A semi-translucent window categorized into system logs, General message logs, and viewer message logs popped up.
Viewer messages were only active when playing games as a public broadcast. Upon adjusting the tabs, multicolored strings of text filled the vision.
「Dodo's Princess♡: Oppa, why aren't you chasing that woman?」
「SALHAE: Chase her and kill her! You are SALHAE; therefore, you exist! Women only need their lower half! Killing and violating is a man's path! Who's the real man? You're the real man! How real? So freaking real! You're a real man, scoring 12 out of 10! Only women hesitate! There's no need to waver! Just do it!」
「ㄹㅇㅇㅈ: Damn, the guy above is crazy lol Is he even aware of the broadcast host's age?」
「Cashmere: Aren't those with posthumous insurance exempt from VR age restrictions?」
「BanditHom: ㄹㅇㅇㅈ excessively virtuous- Cashmere pretending to know- If it's excessive, ojima?」
「Ryu Kwon-nae Lau: Ojima, what an old-time person... Bandit confirming he's an old man... Grandpa, can you still get it up?」
「Golden Spoon: Ugh, filthy commoners.」
It was deflating.
For a boy new to public broadcasting, his face burned.
He hurriedly closed the log window, and after hesitating several times, he cautiously opened it again to enter a message.
The "TeleType" module of virtual reality instantaneously turned the user's thoughts into sentences while automatically translating if there was a language difference.
Thus, thinking and input happened simultaneously.
「Han Gyeo-ul: As announced beforehand, I will not accept hints. Please use polite language.」
He quickly closed the window. The number of messages was exploding, but he wasn't keen to know their contents.
But why such intense rejection and disgust?
The boy shivered.
A long-forgotten stone in his chest rolled around, painfully knocking here and there.
Ignoring it with effort, he hastened his steps.
There were several mission signs to follow.
Much would change based on the choices. But he didn't hesitate, having already made a decision.
A line of vehicles awaited at the destination.
They were different from the U. S. military he had seen in life.
It couldn't be helped as the era's setting was the early 21st century.
An extinction event caused by biological disasters would be less realistic if set on Earth during the rapidly evolving mid-century.
A control AI actively responding to the user's subconscious displayed the vehicle's names.
Humvees equipped with machine guns lined up at the front and back of the convoy, with uniquely designed military trucks in between.
It seemed they also planned to procure fuel, as two camouflaged military tankers (M978A2) were stationed in the center.
The area around the vehicles was tightly controlled.
They were evidently wary of refugees attempting to hijack the vehicles.
The boy quietly stood in line and waited his turn.
Volunteers were body-searched before being handed a bulletproof vest, a gas mask, and a duffel bag each.
Weapons would be distributed upon arrival at the destination, the sergeant in charge of frisking repeated mechanically.
When it was his turn, the black sergeant, chewing gum, looked less than impressed.
"Too small! Are we accepting volunteers like him?"
"It's not mandatory."
The sergeant grumbled, but the corporal beside him interjected. The sergeant was new, but the boy had met the corporal before.
Glancing sideways, he continued speaking.
"This kid's favored by Lieutenant RoboCop. Says he volunteered claiming he wanted to help people."
"How can you believe that?"
"He has no organizational ties. Speaks decent English, and lately, he's even picking up bits of Japanese and Chinese. Could be useful for managing volunteers."
RoboCop was Lieutenant Robert Capston's nickname.
It sounded similar when you pronounced the initial parts of his name and surname together.
Mentioning Japanese and Chinese referred to the skills the boy acquired through investing experience points.
Rather than originally knowing them, it was more akin to a translation system operating through system compensation.
Language was an extremely crucial survival skill in the virtual reality world of 「After the Apocalypse」, where social interaction was paramount.
The sergeant asked,
"How old are you?"
Once again, the hologram displayed the help and cues from the interface and control AI, which automatically responded to the subconscious and situation.
It showed appropriate dialogue, keywords, and hints, differing based on the player's intelligence and the height of leadership skills like 「Insight」,「Perception」, and 「Deception」.
For now, it merely displayed the character's age setting. There was also a choice to lie, but the boy answered honestly.
"Seventeen."
"Seventeen? Damn, not twelve? You can't gauge an Asian's age just by looking at them."
The grumbling sergeant gestured for a body search.
Thump-thump.
After a cursory patting confirmed there was nothing on him, the private handed the boy a bulletproof vest, gas mask, and duffel bag like everyone else.
There was no evidence of the epidemic being airborne, but no proof said it wasn't either.
The sergeant warned to not remove the gas mask during the mission unless specifically directed otherwise.
Passing through, he proceeded into the tent set up according to control.
Soldiers sat the volunteers in order.
Mostly Koreans occupied the boy's vicinity, suggesting they were classified by nationality.
Whispering among themselves, some Koreans greeted him.
Though reluctant, he returned the greetings. Ignoring them wouldn't benefit him.
While waiting for the seats to fill, lieutenant Robert Capston, who had climbed onto the platform, signaled to the soldier.
The soldier directed a projector's light onto a white screen, displaying a map.
After scanning the room, the lieutenant called a few refugees forward to serve as interpreters.
"Those called, please interpret my words accordingly."
Once the boy and others nodded, he clicked his fingers against the microphone to grab attention and began the briefing using the unfolded map.
"What you're seeing now is the map of San Miguel County, our destination. As you can see, it's not a large town. Its original population was around 3,300, but by now, it should be deserted. Our primary target is the solitary gas station in the town."
The gas station he pointed to was situated right at the junction leading into town from Highway 101.
"The convoy will stop here. We plan to fill the tankers while waiting for all of you. You will be divided into two groups to secure supplies. The first target is the church two blocks south of the gas station. It served as a temporary shelter during the evacuation order, so there's a good chance substantial supplies are left behind. The second target, albeit farther, is the center of 14th Street, four blocks up north here. There are restaurants and a mill here, offering the highest likelihood of securing food, justifying the risk."
With this said, he glanced around the people.
"As you've heard, heading to the mill is riskier. While you've bravely volunteered for this mission, I'd like to ask you all once more. If anyone wishes to go to the mill, please raise your hand."
After interpreting these words, the boy promptly raised his hand, making it seem as though he had volunteered and raised his hand at his own suggestion.
Lieutenant Capston and others regarded him with intrigue. Many logs of affinity adjustments were displayed, with the military side being particularly favorable.
Among them, one log remained unchanged.
「Corporal Elliot's affinity has increased. Unknown level of affectionate affinity boost. Unchanging level of affectionate affinity boost.」
Human relationships are variable. Being close with someone once doesn't mean it remains forever.
Thus, affinity can decrease with time or events. But unchanging adjustments are different. They do not diminish regardless of circumstances.
The unknown level stemmed from a lack of 「Insight」.
'It probably isn't much.'
He harbored no great expectations.
"No one else?"
Despite the lieutenant's inquiry, the crowd exchanged only glances.
Though praised for bravery, the majority of them came for the ration cards, intending to avoid danger.
The lieutenant looked somewhat grim but also slightly resigned.
The use of refugees for supply procurement was likely due to two main reasons: Firstly, the camp's atmosphere was tense, making it difficult to draw a large number of soldiers.
Secondly, there was a hesitance to risk military personnel in hazardous tasks. It was unreasonable to hope for more active engagement from the refugees.
"I have a question."
Upon the boy raising his hand, the lieutenant nodded.
"The amount an individual can carry in a bag is limited. Why can't we take a truck to the front of the mill?"
He asked knowingly, aiming to expedite the proceedings.
Without missing a beat, lieutenant Capston nodded again and instructed the soldier handling the projector to display a satellite image.
"A good question. I intended to explain this, so please pay attention. These are satellite images of San Miguel County taken before the evacuation. Do you see the vehicles stopped at intersections? They collided when the evacuation order was issued, some ignoring the signals. Others came from different areas. You will be given walkie-talkies. If you manage to clear these vehicles, radio in. The transport truck will move to that position. However, if you think removing the obstacles might attract the notice of the infected mutants, securing food individually will be safer. Leave the judgment to us and simply follow orders."
This prompted several minor inquiries.
The least useful question was from a Chinese individual, asking how many ration cards the participants would receive.
Although Lieutenant Capston looked deflated, he answered dutifully as always.
"You'll receive a basic three-day supply, but be aware that rewards may vary in proportion to your individual conduct and performance."
This information was reflected in the quest details, indicating that rewards varied based on the accompanying military's evaluation.
It was an ambiguous part. If the evaluating personnel or officers held prejudices like racial discrimination, there was a good chance of being unfairly assessed.
This was typical of realistically oriented virtual reality realms.
"If there are no further questions, please proceed to the sand table exercises as directed by your respective leaders. Thoroughly familiarizing yourself with the map and understanding potential moves in the operation zone will help avoid unforeseen incidents on-site, especially for dangerous missions. Dismissed."
Upon Lieutenant Capston stepping off the platform, sergeants and corporals took over the management of volunteers.
Sand table exercises, as the name suggests, involved training with maps to familiarize the operation area and discuss potential movements.
For players, these exercises offered a chance to acquire a minimap.
Characters with high "map reading" skills or intelligence ended up with a complete minimap, while those lacking ended up with rough and inaccurate ones with void spaces.
The only person who volunteered to head for the mill was the boy, so the remaining participants were chosen by drawing lots.
The ones selected were invariably crestfallen.
Essential as it was for safety, the process didn't require much time due to San Miguel County's diminutive size.
Regarding difficulty, it corresponded to the tutorial, the introduction phase. It mustn't be overly challenging.
#Intermission, character Setting Advice
The character settings of the player significantly impact the progress of the game.
Depending on the starting nation, there can be discrimination based on race, nationality, and gender. Enduring such discrimination grants an experience boost.
Minors experience a stat debuff by a certain ratio, but earn an experience boost in return.
Clacky's Corner:
A few things I learned in this chapter:
1. The MC is a boy. His name/handle is Han Gyeo-ul.
2. He is broadcasting/streaming his gameplay.
3. Apparently this is a streaming novel.
4. The game he is playing is 「After the Apocalypse」. The previous translator translated it to "Days After Apocalypse".
5. I'm tired now, and my brain isn't working properly. I need rest.
P. S.
I'mma rest for a bit then work on the next chapter. See ya later!