Surviving in the 121st Century - Chapter 91
Only Noblemtl
Aiman was a little flustered when Jincheol and Doljumeok said they would land, but decided to land the airship for now. While the airship was moving to find a flat place where it could dock and unload the tank it was carrying, Aiman said to Jincheol.
“Are you really going to leave here with that stone-fisted guy?”
“Yes. Why? Are you sad that we didn’t go together to Sandesiya?”
“Well, well… to be honest, that’s true. I don’t know if you know, but the north where Stone Fist goes is an extremely desolate and harsh land. You said you were going to move in search of traces of the ‘special envoy’, right? Instead of going separately and suffering, why don’t we go together to Sandesiya and prepare thoroughly before moving? Finding traces of the gathering is also an important matter for our knights.”
Jincheol smiled and looked only at the child.
“If I go to Sandesiya, even things that were going well will get messed up.”
“why?”
“I don’t avoid fights that come my way. Like this raid.”
“···”
If someone were to go to Sandesiya and pick a fight with Jincheol, Jincheol would end up with that person. That’s the fighting style that’s ingrained in him. It’s the survival method of a soldier who kills enemies to live.
There was no need for Aiman and Harmen to use such a cruel method to explain to the swordsmen of Sandesiya that they were not trying to devour Sandesiya. This would only end up proving that the swordsmen were right.
But instead of explaining it, Jincheol just laughed.
Aiman looked at Jincheol with wide eyes, not knowing whether he knew what it meant or not, and then laughed.
“Well, Sandesiya is a bit narrow to hold a dragon.”
Harmen, who was holding the joystick, snickered at Aiman’s joke. Sandesiya is a city of similar size to Shiol. It doesn’t have a sun temple like Shiol, but it is filled with huge skyscrapers of very old swordsmen. It is a city that even if a dragon came and crouched, it wouldn’t be too narrow. So that was a joke that only someone who knew the size of Sandesiya could make.
Although he didn’t know what Sandesiya looked like, Jincheol was fortunately somewhat perceptive. He smiled slightly at Aiman’s words and held out his hand. Aiman smiled and took his hand.
“There’s nothing we can do. Then we’ll join you as soon as we solve the problem of Sandesiya. It won’t take long. Let’s uncover the secret of the meditation meeting together.”
Soon enough, a suitable flat ground was found. The airship landed there, the hangar opened, and the Stone Fist tank slowly descended to the ground.
The tank, which was a modified version of an existing truck, was completely destroyed in the underground Las Vegas in the past. The current tank was a completely new one, and was quite large for something made in the land of Rabito.
The already large tank was modified by Stone Fist and Rabito Boy Maro, giving it thicker and sturdier armor and caterpillar tracks. However, the luggage compartment on the back and the various hanging bags showed that it was not a simple battle tank.
The tank didn’t even have a gun barrel. Instead, it was modified to carry more people and cargo. Unlike the previous tanks that had been aggressively modified, this one felt more like it was designed for long-distance travel and practical use.
Jincheol landed the airship, opened the hangar door, and while the tank driven by Doljump slowly emerged from there, he stood to the side with his small suitcase on his shoulder and watched the scene.
The chariot driver was a stone fist, and the airship owner Harmen was angry that the track marks were left on the airship hangar floor. Jincheol didn’t care about the two of them yelling at each other. The sight of the red-faced gorilla and the purple dwarf arguing with each other was like an underworld comedy somewhere.
But as I was laughing at that sight, someone approached me.
“···Are you really not going to Sandesiya?”
“···?”
When he turned his head, he saw Haita with a gloomy expression. Jincheol shrugged his shoulders.
“I’m curious about the city called Sandesiya, but if I go there now, all I can see is people fighting. It seems like they’ve already had a blast fighting on the Eastern Continent.”
“···So this is how we break up again. Without making any proper progress.”
“Why is there no progress? The envoy stayed here for quite some time before he died. There must be some traces that can be found.”
At Jincheol’s words, Haita let out a small sigh. Jincheol saw that sigh and whispered.
“Why? Is it because of what we talked about back then?”
“At that time? Ah… that….”
Jincheol and Haita had a brief conversation at the Rabito Revolutionary Army Garrison. At that time, Haita wanted to leave his fate behind and just run away. Jincheol gave him a very appropriate answer, saying that he should try anything and if it doesn’t work out, he should just leave.
Haitha seemed to think about something for a moment, then looked up at Jincheol and continued speaking.
“Do you have any additional advice to add to what I said then?”
How could that be? Jincheol touched the back of his neck and made a troubled expression. Without saying anything more, that was the most Jincheol could give advice at that time. It’s not my life, so how can I give more advice?
Jincheol thought for a moment and then said, avoiding Haita’s eyes.
“Well, I said advice or something, but… how shallow is the person who changes something with just a few words like that? It’s not like it was a big deal, it’s just a few words. So just do whatever you want. What advice would I have?”
“···Really? As I please?”
Jincheol wrinkled his nose slightly.
“It’s your life. No one else can live it for you. The choices and responsibilities are yours alone. Don’t keep asking others for advice. Or, maybe it would be better to ask someone who is older than you. You have a child, right? Someone who always thinks of you will give you the best advice.”
Damn, I should have read a collection of quotes or something back in the day. After all, the squad members were too lazy to speak, so they told me to read something. Jincheol thought as he relaxed his expression and looked at Haita.
In fact, she was looking closely at Jincheol’s facial features and smiling faintly.
“···Why? Is there something on my face?”
“No. Just. Because it’s cute. I try my best.”
What? What’s cute? Who? Could it be me? Jincheol felt the word embarrassment all over his body for a moment and was dumbfounded. As Jincheol felt something similar to fear towards that little girl, she continued to speak.
“If I really do everything my way, Mom will be very sad. It’s also my heart’s desire not to disappoint Mom. I’ll try to find a good balance between the two. It was a sudden remark, but thank you for thinking it through so much.”
“Huh? No, what’s so difficult about that···”
After that, Haitah quietly looked up at Jincheol with a smiling face, and then suddenly fell into his arms. Jincheol hugged her absentmindedly, and she buried her face deep in his arms, snuggling, and then pulled away.
“Bye. See you next time.”
“···Okay. See you next time.”
She turned back into the airship. Her eyes, which had briefly passed by, were red.
[···Damn, how many times do I have to hit Pattara if I’m ten thousand years old? Alright! I’ll give in, so let’s do it once a year! No more, no less, exactly ten thousand! Get going! Right now! If I have to hit ten thousand today, I’m busy, busy!]
“Be quiet, Inma···”
Jincheol, who had dismissed Bonchip’s words briefly, got off the airship without being able to shake off his nervousness. Doljumeok and Harmen, who had been fighting with red faces, had already put the tank down on the ground and were now organizing supplies.
As Jincheol approached, only the child who had been waiting smiled.
“Are you done with the greetings?”
“Yes, well… moderately.”
“Haha. That guy has really good tastes.”
“yes?”
Aiman shook his head.
“No. As I said before, let’s meet again as soon as the problem is resolved.”
Jincheol shook the hand he extended. Aiman also exchanged greetings with Doljumeok and Snow and returned to the airship. Jincheol’s eyes continued to watch the airship as Harmen closed the hangar door without saying a word and the airship rose into the sky again.
Stone Fist, who was organizing the supplies, saw it and said.
“It’s not too late. If you want to ride, call me quickly.”
“Don’t go, you punk.”
Jincheol, who answered like that, started to raise his hand. Supplies such as water, food, fuel, and neatly folded tents were packed inside the tank and on the rear armor. Doljumeok, who was organizing the supplies, looked at Snow as if he suddenly realized something and said.
“But why did you get off?”
“···”
Snow, who was tying the rope over the supplies, blankly stared at Doljumeok with red eyes. Then, naturally, he quickly turned his gaze away and went back to tying the rope. Doljumeok, who was waiting for an answer, blinked with a blank expression before turning his gaze to Jincheol.
“What? You just ignored what I said.”
“Yeah. I ignored it.”
“···Then that won’t work, right?”
“Why not? I ignore them often too.”
Stone Fist looked bewildered and puzzled.
“Is that… how it works?”
“That’s what happened.”
“···That, this tank is mine.”
“so?”
The confusion of the stone fist has now become absurd.
“You’re going to ignore what I say while riding my tram? That’s too much! You’re not even getting a fare!”
“Why are you doing this to me? He was the one who ignored you.”
Stone Fist’s gaze turned to Snow.
“You! Don’t ignore what I say!”
“Don’t ignore it.”
“Ignored you! I asked you why you got off earlier, but you didn’t answer!”
“I was thinking of what to say in response.”
“···Is that so?”
Snow answered without taking his eyes off the hand tying the rope.
“That’s right. So I’ll answer you later.”
“Oh, I see. I understand. If you think of an answer later, tell me.”
Jincheol, who was loading the luggage, stopped for a moment and looked at the conversation between Doljumeok and Snow. Doljumeok was checking the condition of the tank, and Snow was tying all the ropes carefully. Neither of them seemed to know what they had just been talking about. Is this right?
Anyway, Snow joined the group quite naturally.
The tank started to move with a gurgling engine sound. The caterpillar tracks made a rattling noise as they spun, and a long trail was left behind at the back of the tank.
Jincheol did not go inside the tram, but sat outside with his buttocks crossed and looked at the scenery outside.
Harmen’s airship landed them on a flat, grassy hill, the elevation of which was slightly elevated, affording a panoramic view of the surrounding area if they turned their heads.
To the east and south where Jincheol came from, the grass was lush and green. Further south, deep valleys and mountain ranges rose up, filling the area with dense forests.
Going west from the south, the situation was similar. Thick trees, full grass, flowing streams, and ridges with fog on their heads. Perhaps in Sioux, the forest that filled the southern part was called the Cogant Forest. And the long river that ran through the forest to the south was called the Sidalia River.
Ten thousand years. In fact, from a geological perspective, it is almost a moment. It is too short a time for continents to move and mountain ranges to change. However, as Jincheol saw, the world had already changed.
The cause is thought to be the last world war that occurred ten thousand years ago. According to the map that Jincheol saw in Shiol, that war completely changed the topography of East Asia. It was as if a giant claw had cut a long line through part of the Korean peninsula and the continent, connecting rivers and seas deep inland.
Was it a nuclear bomb? Or some other force? Jincheol’s mind flashed with the image of an explosion, a burst of intense light that burned the eyes of anyone who looked at it. The explosion that vaporized everyone he knew.
While Jincheol was lost in thought, the tram rattled down the hill and slowly cut through the low shrubbery. Soon, even the shrubbery became hard to find, and a dry, winding hill of dirt appeared in front of the tram.
Jincheol suddenly felt his vision wide open and looked out into the wilderness before raising his voice inward.
“Hey! Do you know where you’re going?”
“Are you asking Olog if he knows the way? Don’t do that! If you go somewhere and do that, you’ll be called ignorant!”
“···”
[Hehehe! Gorillas are ignorant? It seems like the world’s level of common sense has changed a lot over the years! This is fun!]
When asked what was fun, Bonchip continued to giggle.
[Isn’t there a lot to learn? And the fact that previous common sense has become useless means that previous limitations have also disappeared! Ah! My limitations have disappeared! I’ve now surpassed the best hotel management AI in the underground and become the best hotel management AI in the world! Why? Because now there’s only me left. Hehehehe!]
“···”
Was his choice to look for traces of the special envoy wrong? As Jincheol felt a little skeptical, the tank passed a small hill. Then, what unfolded before him was a truly vast wilderness, a wilderness filled with dirt, gravel, sand, and rocks.
“···That’s really new.”
And there were giant snails crawling across that wide open wilderness, so huge that they made the chariot Jincheol rode in look like a toy.