"Focus.""...Chief, but—"Vergo Heinz.His expression was placid, even though another person had just died right before his eyes."We only think about the job we have to do."The Weizen Pharmaceutical lab had already descended into chaos.Perhaps because a flood of people showing symptoms had arrived right after the disaster struck, the lab, which produced medicine, soon became a target for looters.Vergo, having broken into Weizen amidst this chaos, couldn't help but feel a sliver of guilt.He just couldn't show it.Only the murky depths in his eyes betrayed his feelings."Have the first floor and the basement been checked?""Yes, there was a little friction with the Weizen security personnel, but... they cooperated."At the word 'cooperated,' Vergo's eyebrow twitched faintly.The fresh scratches on his subordinate's face gave a good guess as to what had transpired."It seems the neutralizing agent wasn't there either?""No, Chief."Vergo.His gaze momentarily drifted around him, an effort to collect himself.The situation was a cacophony of shouts and noises echoing from all directions.He couldn't explain why, but a certain voice kept clouding his thoughts.*'Someday, a devastating situation will occur. And when it does, the moment will come when you realize what it was I was trying to do.'*What did he know, and to what extent?*'If mutants are really appearing…'*If the situation really leads to that…*'No, that's too rash a judgment.'*He tried to push away the doubt.But the small seed of uncertainty continued to sprout, soon taking the form of a full-blown suspicion—a doubt about the choice he had made.That doubt was the very source that was throwing his judgment into disarray."Find the neutralizing agent, and we return immediately."Even so, he could not retreat.Having already abandoned his duty, he had to at least accomplish his objective, especially now that he had comrades following his decision."We must... find it."There was no way back.The cloudy, dull light in Vergo's eyes grew even darker.***As the tension eased, I feel a stiffness in the back of my neck. Separately, an awkward silence hangs in the air, punctuated at its end by a sigh that was close to a complaint."Hahh...""In the end, you... you did it."Eli's voice, breaking out a little late."Yes."As if all the pieces fell into place at once, time begins to flow again."What will you do now?"Her tone was remarkably specific. I had to take a moment to consider my answer.*'This is just the beginning.'*Although the most critical problem has been solved, thinking about what needs to be done from now on, I've only laid a foundation, and just a part of it at that.Therefore, there was no time to rest."What time is it now?""The time? Just a moment... it's 7 PM."Five hours still remaining.*'It's enough.'*It felt like a whole day had passed, but there was more time left than I thought.There were a plethora of things I could do.From here on, it's a matter of choice.Because there were many options to choose from, I had to be all the more cautious.*'What I need to do from now is…'*Prepare for the mutants.Soon, I will have to prepare for the mutants who will push forward with overwhelming numbers.*'If I were to stick to my original playstyle, I'd be roaming key locations and farming for supplies.'*But from my current perspective, while that's not the worst option, it is the second-worst.*'If I exclude solo play…'*The choice is already made.I only preferred solo play; it wasn't that I lacked understanding of other options.As I had resolved earlier, I must create a group that focuses solely on hunting mutants and the infected.To survive in this world, all mutants and infected must be eliminated.The first condition for such a group is that the purpose must be the same.The will to fight for the same purpose—nothing is more important than that.This is also why it's a difficult challenge for a player to create a new group.No matter how many capable survivors you recruit as allies, if your purposes are not aligned, you are bound to split up.Building a tower is difficult, but a well-built tower can collapse in an instant.*'There are many examples.'*No need to look far.The numerous clans that will be born in the future.The big ones are the [City Reconstruction Committee] and the [Liberation Alliance].The smaller ones are the [Technicians' Guild], the [Mafia Alliance], the [Scavengers], and so on.The end of such groups is ultimately ruin due to internal conflict. Therefore, if one is to create a group, a firm standard must be set from the beginning.Where could I find people who would follow that path to the end? I recall the answer I've already settled on.*'The 5th Defense Force.'*Those who are called by the title of [Moths].They alone meet all the conditions.*'If I'm going to build up my power, the foundation must be built from there.'*A specialized mutant hunting group.Of course, they are not a force I can use immediately.*'Even if they're lacking right now, I can just train them myself to fill in those gaps.'*The Defense Force is flimsy, but it's a group with some proper power in this world.However, there's a separate reason why it must be the 5th Defense Force.It's because the other Defense Forces, aside from the 5th, are all in disarray.There's a simple inside story hidden.NH-03 is one of the welfare benefits for the Defense Forces.In other words.*'The trained commanders and cadres were slated to become mutants from the beginning.'*The few who remain are just greenhorn recruits.Thus, in the early stages of the ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) mutant outbreak, it's a natural course of events for the new recruits, without their commanders, to be instantly wiped out.However, among them, the exceptional unit is the 5th Defense Force.Unclassified soldiers.A gathering place for those who were encouraged to return to society for individual reasons but refused and remained.In this world, they are called the trash bin, but to players, they are known by the title [Moths].Those who survived because they did not receive the benefits of NH-03, contrary to the prejudice of others, fulfill their duty as soldiers until the end.It might be an expression of the inferiority complex and sense of shame they themselves have felt.It might be an outburst of their desire to be recognized as real soldiers.However, assuming there is no player intervention, the period of their activity is at most three weeks.If I were to intervene... such a future can be easily changed.I can predict the many futures that are to come."Mr. Han?"Was I too deep in thought?Eli, who was showing signs of anxiety, couldn't hold back and asked again.So I tried to clear my thoughts and raised my gaze.What I see right now are Eli, Ken, and the civil servants.*'Eli is necessary. But the others…'*The more I look, the more my thoughts multiply.My gaze suddenly turned to Ken. "Mr. Sasaki."He was also lost in thought.At the sudden call, he answered a tempo late."…Yes?""Will you come with me?"It was an impulsive question.Ken Sasaki.I don't know if he would be of great help in terms of ability.His thoughts and actions are also different.Friction between us will be inevitable.Nevertheless.The reason I asked such a question was… because for some reason, I wanted him to come with me.I don't want him, the one with the title of Humanist, to become a wanderer again."Where to?""I'm leaving now to prepare for the disaster.""..."As impulsive as it was for me, it must have been an unexpected question for him.To hide his surprise, Ken rubs his forehead."That's a very sudden question. Is this a situation where I am needed?""That's not it."I don't lie. Because it was just pure goodwill."Then why…?""I just thought it would be nice.""Are you, by any chance, uhm… into that persuasion?""That's not it either."As I answered with a straight face, Ken blinked his eyes, wiping the uneasy look from his face.It didn't seem to take him long to come to an answer.The choice he made in that short moment was."I'm the highest-ranking person here."Responsibility.Unlike his voice, which was a mix of annoyance and indifference, he chose responsibility."If you were to ask everyone to come, I would have to think about it more… no. If you asked everyone to come, they would probably refuse. These people here."Indeed.Looking at the atmosphere, the civil servants would probably not follow.It was a choice befitting him, so I had no choice but to respect it. His answer was a little disappointing, but on the other hand, my mind was at ease."I understand.""Yes, well, thank you for understanding."*'There's no need to persuade him.'*You can't force someone to be a companion.A forced relationship is like meshing two gears of different standards.They are bound to spin uselessly in the end.So I won't take Ken with me.That being said... I don't intend to let him go indifferently either."Mr. Sasaki, you need to listen carefully to what I'm about to say."I will help him.Even if I don't take him with me, I will help him lay a proper foundation for survival."First, classify the people showing symptoms. If you can't believe they will become mutants, at least you should think of it as an epidemic.""Uhm… yes.""And you must arm the civil servants. Tasers are useless. It's better to pick up a blade. As for defense... wrapping thick cloth around your forearms and hands will be helpful.""Wait, hang on. You're talking as if you've already experienced this." He stops me, a confused look on his face.I didn't want to drag on the conversation by making excuses, so I continued speaking stoically."Lastly…"I warn him of the worst choice he will make."Whatever you do, you must never think of taking refuge in the subway or a high-rise building.""Answer my question…""If you judge it to be a critical situation, it's better to wait here. If you have acquaintances or family who have not received the NH-03 treatment, bring them to the control center. This place will be the safest. If news gets out that people are isolated here…""…""I will come to rescue you."Ken Sasaki.When the mutants appear, he gathers those who agree with him and escapes the central control center.That is the first choice he will make.Immediately after, taking refuge in the subway is his second choice.It won't take long for him to realize that all of it was the worst choice.And in the end, he will lose his companions and wander endlessly.*'I've told him this much, he should be fine on his own.'*When the moment of choice comes for him, I cannot interfere with what choice he makes.I could only hope that my small advice would be a clue that would lead him to make the right choice.Was it because my sincerity reached him?Ken Sasaki took a moment to catch his breath and gave me a vague look."What is your real identity?""I must have heard that three times today.""Are you really from Wayless?""More accurately, I stopped by Wayless on my way here."Was there a need to explain in detail how I foresaw this situation?"Thank you." Ken said no more and bowed deeply."I'm alive thanks to you, and I roughly know what I have to do now, thanks to you."What should I say in reply?I wanted to say something cool, but I didn't have the talent for it. "I'm just doing what needs to be done.""No, it was a matter that had nothing to do with you from the start. The battle that happened just now, too…"Is it better to just stay quiet at times like these?No. It would be better to return it.One of the things the Humanist always said when helping."If you ignore someone in a crisis, when you are in a crisis, no one will help you.""…""Therefore, helping someone in a crisis is the way to save yourself from a crisis.""…""—is what someone once said.""Is it some kind of famous quote?""It is. It's something someone said to me without fail for seven years.""Sounds like a good person.""Yes, a good person."A chuckle escaped.

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