Chapter 81

< 81. Reunion (1) >

The interior of the contaminated zone looked as if it had been a long-abandoned F district.

It felt as if he had traveled back in time to a fallen Randa, with damaged roads and sidewalks, buildings and research facilities slowly crumbling, and alleys shrouded in darkness even during the day, making the place desolate beyond measure.

A place truly abandoned.

However, if one were to say it was truly abandoned, that would not be the case.

While it might have been abandoned by its original owners, new residents had made their nests in the distant alleys and buildings, on the streets, and even beneath the ground.

‘There is something a bit strange, though.’

Oliver did not move immediately but checked the map and photos he had received from Forest.

He intended to roughly gauge the geography based on this location before moving, but then a loud noise was heard.

"Let's go, kids...!”

With a loud cry, a group of problem solvers armed with knives, axes, and firearms began to move.

The one leading the group was a man with a large scar on his face, who, upon closer inspection, turned out to be Chip, the one who had asked the official earlier what would happen if he killed someone.

It didn't seem like they were just going to hunt zombies and contaminated organisms.

"You should be careful."

Someone spoke to Oliver.

It was Arthur, a famous problem solver in N district.

"Hello, Mr. Arthur... Is that right?"

"Yeah. Did you ask about me at the warehouse?"

"Oh, yes... I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable."

"No, it's not really uncomfortable. Everyone tries to get to know and gauge the prominent problem solvers. I'm no different. Anyway, it's nice to meet you."

Arthur extended his stone hand.

Since Oliver had no ulterior motives, he shook hands, and surprisingly, the stone prosthetic, instead of being cold, emitted a strange warmth.

"Are you planning to go alone?"

"Huh?"

"I didn't get to ask you earlier. What's your special skill in black magic?"

Special skill... Oliver didn't really have any special skills, so he answered appropriately.

"Firearms."

"Oh, firearms? That's perfect. We happen to lack long-range firepower... How about it? If you're okay, you can work with us. There are a few other problem solvers from X district as well."

Arthur pointed to the group of about twenty problem solvers behind him.

A female sniper with a silk hat, a man with a mechanical arm and goggles, and others armed with exoskeleton gloves—quite a diverse group.

They all seemed to be well-known problem solvers in their own right.

Arthur emphasized this point.

"By the way, I don't want you to misunderstand."

"Huh?"

"I heard about you, but I'm not just inviting you for convenience."

He was sincere.

"We are also seasoned and well-known in this field. If the city hadn't ordered us, no one would do this kind of bottom-of-the-barrel job... unless they needed quick money."

"Ah, I see."

"Our goal is to meet the quota and get out of here as safely as possible. How about it? We have a team of skilled people, and working together will get the job done faster."

Arthur's words were all sincere.

Everyone here had confidence in their abilities as problem solvers.

Oliver's proposal was also aimed at making the job more efficient and safer, and it was a tempting offer.

Cant had said that in the course of his work, he would meet many problem solvers, and it wasn't bad to build some camaraderie if they weren't enemies.

Getting close to people in the same line of work could lead to good opportunities or information. Of course, there were those who would try to use you...

Anyway, from their confidence and words, they didn't seem like bad people. However...

"...I really appreciate the offer, but I'll have to decline."

Arthur didn't seem particularly surprised or disappointed.

The problem solvers behind him felt the same way. They had a "if it works, it works; if it doesn't, it doesn't" attitude.

"Well, it's your choice... Still, meeting you is a kind of fate. Let me give you some advice. Be careful not just of zombies and contaminated organisms, but also of people. There are many looters who target people like us. Be wary of problem solvers like Chip, too."

"Chip?"

"Yeah, that guy is more interested in looters, residents, and black magicians in this area than in zombies. He's quite wealthy... There might be other mercenaries with the same idea, so it's best to avoid getting entangled with them for your own safety."

"Thank you for the advice."

"Sure, I hope you finish your job safely."

"Ah, yes. You too, Mr. Arthur. Finish your job safely."

***

After a brief conversation with Arthur's group, Oliver started moving after a while.

Before moving, a few problem solvers approached and suggested collaborating, but Oliver politely declined, as he had done before.

His goal for this contaminated zone cleanup was to explore and collect useful items.

If visiting the contaminated zone was more flexible, teaming up with Arthur's group might not have been bad, but Oliver stuck to his original plan.

If fate brought them together, there would be another opportunity to work together.

Keek——!

Khaaaaaaaak——!

[Hat Bullet]

With a shout, the bullet of hatred hit the approaching zombie's neck.

The zombie's neck, twisted and dried like a chicken's, burst, separating the head from the body, and the zombie collapsed.

It had returned to a corpse, and the only sign of life was the jaw clacking as it sought life force.

Naturally occurring zombies were indeed very different from the artificial ones created by black magicians.

Zombies resurrected by a black magician were mere puppets without will unless given additional black magic and commands, but naturally occurring zombies moved on their own, endlessly seeking life force.

Oliver had read about this in Anthony's book, but it only described the phenomenon without explaining the cause.

If he had the time, Oliver wanted to investigate this himself.

Isn't it curious?

"But now, the job comes first."

Oliver smashed the zombie's jaw with his quarterstaff and carefully placed the head in the magic bag provided by the city.

Despite its small size, the bag already contained about fifteen zombie heads, and surprisingly, there was no noticeable increase in weight.

It made sense why even a cheap one cost several thousand each.

That's why looters living in the contaminated zone risked attacking problem solvers to steal them.

"But why haven't they shown up yet?"

Oliver muttered, looking around.

The information provided by Forest included not only safe routes and dangerous areas but also precautions for the cleanup, including details about the looters in the contaminated zone.

They do not show themselves within a few hundred meters of the wall surrounding the contaminated zone, but once that point is crossed, they occasionally appear, targeting problem solvers who are relaxed or injured.

Strangely, Oliver had not seen any of them so far.

Of course, he didn't want to meet them.

However, it felt... off.

When he first entered the contaminated zone, he focused his eyes on the surroundings, but saw only zombies and contaminated organisms, not a single person. Even now, after going quite deep, it was the same.

No, it was even more so.

At first, the zombies were somewhat evenly distributed, but now only a few remained on the outskirts, while the rest had gathered in the center and were not visible.

It was suspicious. The cleanup was necessary because the number of zombies and contaminated organisms had increased to the point of threatening to escape the contaminated zone, but now that problem solvers had appeared, they had all gathered in the center.

Naturally occurring zombies, which seek life, should attack problem solvers rather than run away. This situation didn't make sense.

This thought reminded him of what Forest had said.

That there were suspicious aspects to this cleanup.

It was originally supposed to start four months later, but the number of zombies and contaminated organisms had suddenly increased exponentially.

Could it be that a dangerous black magician was playing some artificial trick, as Forest had suggested?

Then, was this also the work of that black magician? (Is it the work of that black magician?)

[Hat Bullet]

Oliver leaped up and fired a bullet of hatred at the ground.

At the same time, a large rat with yellow teeth emerged from the damaged earth and lunged at Oliver.

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