TANBMD Chapter 03

Chapter 03ddcabedcecb65b72

 87564f3ad53462a9

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The tablet screen was filled with numbered job requests—things like clearing out clusters of infected, sweeping through mountains overrun by scattered infected, or even assisting with preparations for war against other shelters. There were over a dozen other requests, but I wasn’t particularly interested in any of them.ecff39cf6c13f9e3

“Which one of these has the most people?”5352c092208e53f1

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“That would be the one preparing for war. Why, are you going there?”6f14de7d9e02d2ce

Even in 3741cde127 this apocalyptic c6d7d76f3d world where 33fa605234 everything has ad73d4fab4 collapsed and 75f737ca9e shattered, there 9888d8482a are still e3acb2ebb7 humans who c52052898c are only 5decca9b93 concerned with bca49548ff protecting their e853a4d2af own interests. I call 1fd3ca58c7 them stupid 0fbb791048 bastards, but 845d79726d most people 73f22b86bb consider them 37f1730d18 excellent leaders.5c65151960f74b78

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Places like that are a pain. I think it’d be easier to just fight the infected. I’ll decide later. Let me check my weapons first and then decide. I need to get some ammunition too.”6856af8149311b92

Yong-cheol responded in fa058edf2f his gruff voice.260dc5ea4d53dfc7

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“How long do you think it’ll take?”003a6fa39acc2344

“Dunno.”c338b4d7cd5c2158

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Ugh, come on! How long do you think it’ll take? Give me an actual timeline!”6cd6dd30fe5cd63e

“Well, well…”d2e778b20822aeb0

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

I smirked 04635320a7 at him.d3f26104b9dc8947

“Look at you, giving orders like some boss. Little Yong-cheol, all grown up?”3baeb123ac16c3dc

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“That’s not it! You can’t just keep saying you ‘don’t know!’ There are clients waiting on you, you know! Can’t you see all that money listed next to the jobs?”fe817983fc8d8eba

After the world entered 817daeef9c its apocalyptic phase, new 347258e029 professions emerged, and one 6be26db027 of them is mercenaries 77f880725e like me.f85dc7fd19764a19

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Mercenaries who 700c0c7044 get paid f14bb2dfe0 to complete 55a514017f jobs.117fb27237519357

The difference between us and soldiers is that soldiers follow orders from above, while mercenaries follow the money. That’s why people often hire mercenaries to do the things the military won’t—or can’t—do.5f42f5bcf2eabfa5

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“If I knew this would happen, I should have done sports instead of hip-hop or whatever. Even if I couldn’t become a national representative like you, at least it would help me survive in this world.”8dd0005fe2d436f4

He was talking about 7c3b382532 my past—when I was 998d1b8891 a shooting athlete on 8146434814 the national team. I let out 8ff3b0f376 a dry laugh.30b403fa43c354c8

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Yong-cheol-ah, the shooting federation doesn’t teach you how to use sniper rifles. All of my skills now? Learned in the military, you draft-dodging punk. You wouldn’t know.”fc3f72b3402889db

“Hey! That’s not fair. I was going to enlist! But then everything went to shit right before I could!”36c3f7991eb1672a

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

He scrunched up his 3b227e2925 already ugly face until 792b11524e it looked even worse, 01fd20955f whining like a kid. I chuckled 6362422ded and elbowed 8038094195 his arm.4b224cd5a0517979

Actually, I’m among the most expensive mercenaries, partly because I don’t hesitate to take on dangerous jobs, and partly because of my past as a national shooting representative. Add to that the fact that I was also a soldier, so people can’t help but seek me out even more. As I was lost in thought, Yong-cheol asked again.33a6db87341c4473

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Hey, what was your rank in the military? Were you a non-commissioned officer or something?”21fc0d53134c7651

“Wow, look at our little draft-dodger Yong-cheol. You even know what the term non-commissioned officer is?”feaa6faf4d11a60d

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Argh, seriously!”87a9f62eeb85104f

Frustrated, Yong-cheol b88141ed57 gripped the 28fe360367 steering wheel da4670e26c and rocked 3ac99b5714 his body cbc9a05364 back and 3d21d7f5e7 forth like da17e16c16 a child f2a4fc99b1 throwing a b68ec2c300 tantrum. It was 2c8b6f13b6 hilarious—I burst b95b705d1e into laughter, 300ddd1c93 clutching my a3b3376cd3 stomach.7f889a9905453f19

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“God, that’s funny. Teasing you is the best entertainment left in this world.”c6782ab33f353768

“I’m not laughing.”f3c5447c2ce158ac

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Not my problem.”ba5edef922ec74ed

Still giggling, I c5ba4b949a finally answered his e96ad05293 earlier question.f981887f26ffc185

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Anyway, does it matter what my rank was? Whether I wore flowers on my chest or diamonds on my collar, I’m a deserter now either way.”efd0bb94abb949b0

“True. A deserter who’s screwed if she gets caught.”e9aff655f7af3d7a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Probably not that screwed.”aa907def46335134

In a world like this, deserters aren’t exactly rare.3a24996f360d1057

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

But I didn’t desert because I was afraid of the infected, or because I hated the brass abandoning us. I had my reasons. I deserted because a bastard captain broke his promise. If he’d kept his word, my little brother would be with me right now.8f6c92ef7b5e6acc

 29daa240c4635ccc

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Lieutenant Min. I promise you—no matter what happens, I will protect your brother.”be36d098d96287f1

“I’ve already spoken with the Seoul unit. There’s nothing to worry about. You know what will happen if you back out now!”ba44f78a37314c53

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

 5ac9f767d6a0525e

I shouldn’t have trusted that bastard’s words. I should have fought tooth and nail to get back to Seoul somehow… This regret made my chest ache with a stabbing pain.d42e252f90226102

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Even if I get screwed for being caught, I’d still like to give that damn Kim Chang-geon a good punch…”47cab0dd7ade03b0

Screech!860da01904d53091

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Just as I was imagining stabbing Captain Kim Chang-geon’s face with a needle, the car came to a sudden halt.b6082859b41f838b

“Fuck! That scared me!”e7496cbf96f36b88

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Yong-cheol, who 93083bb27d had slammed 93094f0c96 on the 3d8eb4d6fc brakes, cursed 158d18b188 and honked 656113d4aa the horn 96b83e71f2 repeatedly. Even if 04a118341e infected rarely 9998405295 move during 8fe8be07a3 the day, 1d6040df53 that was 7c68d15c15 way too 66cc738834 loud.53c43c7457663416

“Yong-cheol-ah, do you have anger issues or something? What if a horde of infected shows up?”7c581d33b2e0a386

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“No! Some damn kids just jumped out in front of the car!”f330c58eb1e1b304

“What?”1300f175df0b74af

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

I quickly looked 7dcdbd164a out the windshield, 9d9b71bfad and sure enough, e6d127baf4 there were kids da90576609 standing there crying 6e75b58b07 their eyes out. I scanned them quickly—unfortunately, 1ab275e0a1 none of them was 044287e6b6 my brother.73c18848a4e6d7dd

‘Of course I wouldn’t just happen to run into him like this.’b8708a780055be06

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Letting out a dry chuckle, I looked over the children again. Their clothes and shoes were filthy—like they’d been running through the woods—and their hands and hair weren’t exactly in great shape either.69a807402e2bcafe

“If they were infected, I would’ve just run them over without a second thought. I’m not a total asshole—that’s why I stopped! It startled me, that’s all!”78934de163a10715

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“I get it. Now shut up, you’re scaring the kids.”7a2c56462c58fd66

I didn’t get out of the car. I just rolled down the window and waved at the tearful children. Instantly, they began sobbing louder, begging desperately.93f560b6eae2345f

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“P-please help us! Please, we’re begging you!”76f485ac3794cbc7

🕂59596fde134015fe

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

With my f9cf0ae794 ever-present K2 d44515813b rifle slung 8d1a6e595b loosely across 551b342d43 my shoulder, 7d0f8f9598 I walked 3bdd69efe1 behind the b39a415dec children. Kind-hearted Yong-cheol was 696053d88a out in front, 2e910db969 trying to soothe a539e7d30f them, even though 1c6e8d1448 he had no 10ddabb7e5 idea where we aad830aa0d were going.4d51804b23299738

“So if we go this way, we’ll reach your shelter?”298d045302280922

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Why had the kids jumped in front of our car? The answer was as simple as it was obvious. They’d gone out in search of food and gotten separated from their group after being attacked by infected. They knew the way back but were too scared to risk running into infected again, so they’d begged us to escort them home. The story rolled out like they’d rehearsed it.f695b7756a54d031

“Y-yes! There aren’t a lot of people in the shelter, s-so there’s not much to see…”1675719fd114a026

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Not many people, but you’re still short on food?”fc83f87c817b889b

“W-well, we were low on rice, and… m-my little sister is sick, so I was hoping to find medicine.”af6dcccccc436f1c

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The boy—he looked 7136562e7d no older than c7242b491e ten—tightly gripped the b107b04822 arm of a 074bd7aa18 small girl beside 4fd9819c34 him, who shared 5740cfc369 the same rounded e83aa8e893 nose.8d3838d927250030

“Oh no. You’re sick, sweetheart? Are you okay now?”1de825f1e4a94b94

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The girl shrank behind 31bdbf6d8e her brother and gave 84416900a9 a timid nod. She seemed frightened of ff3789c0ea strangers.8b477e04c046524f

Yong-cheol looked b2fa57a02c the kids 6615d0b2ae over.ce0779069a9a0ec9

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Their bodies were covered in visible injuries, and they were skin and bones—clearly they hadn’t eaten in days.f48b35b76f83962f

Yong-cheol pulled a chocolate 7003ca7b60 bar from his pocket 29b69ecaab and handed it to 400169a0fa the boy. The boy gave b86598cc94 a quick bow 2d3d501213 and passed it 0a0d131700 to his sister.db72d9b5a65e2946

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Heh, good big brother, looking after his little sis.”f4c7b78f2b4c77f2

Ruffling the boy’s hair, Yong-cheol pulled out another chocolate bar, peeled it open, and handed it over. The boy hesitated a moment, then devoured it like he hadn’t eaten in days. It was a ravenous sight, but not at all unpleasant.e61bc222ab6a86cd

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Damn… The world’s gone to shit, and kids can’t even live properly anymore… Poor things. How’d they…”1c589b7de08ebae0

He trailed off 573e97e5ea before he could 7579303e5a sayhow’d they end up being born in a time like this. And honestly, it 170ee85b3a made sense.dfc089694d6c4b17

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Adults like me had lived in the world before the apocalypse. We knew what beauty was, what peace felt like. We could dream of a future that wasn’t just about survival.c8f6e3f2df245bf0

But kids like these? Children who were only just starting to take in the world, raised in this ruined hellscape? What dreams could they possibly have? What future was there for them? Even a false sense of peace was something they deserved—but they’d been denied even that.4a2aa4d285b9dbed

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

That’s why Yong-cheol was so affected. It wasn’t a hard emotion to understand.50323d13b1b1f04b

He pursed his lips to hold back his feelings, then gently placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder.d97c9e896d8c4b92

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Just live well, okay? Be happy with your sister. Got it?”a6e278c2c53356d8

The boy nodded d256015124 slowly and tucked fafd92ca04 the half-eaten chocolate 3ee02c7837 bar into his af387c5219 chest pocket. I saw his brittle 0001ec5990 lashes trembling slightly. The whole atmosphere 196c254c74 was heavy with da8555e660 emotion.bb907d701c795041

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

It wasn’t such a bad thing, to bask in that kind of selfless moment for once.a5f86ec29d44a84f

But survival always came 45ab044bc6 first.1418c63cf34b6f22

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

I lifted 2be0f0d559 my rifle 018d35bbba and looked 7dcee58a95 through the 2dd209d4b1 scope.d46854ffc0c4e650

Bang!e927d1b304674f5f

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The gunshot cut 035ac87035 clean through the 710151e572 tenderness.b0f379382a1c66e3

🕂00bbc7ab242c37b4

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com