“So, let me get this straight. A monster appeared in the base, and you guys thought staying there would inevitably lead to annihilation, so you decided to make an escape?”  

“Y-yes… that’s right.”  

In a corner of the building, soldiers were interrogating the deserters who had been disarmed and incapacitated.  

“And you figured the other soldiers left behind would die anyway, so it didn’t matter if it happened a bit sooner. Correct?”  

“Yes, that’s correct.”  

“You’re a bunch of real scums, aren’t you?”  

Whack!  

The interrogating soldier struck the deserter on the head.   

If it had been a subordinate, it might have been a distressing sight.  

‘Strangely, I don’t feel much.’  

These guys are deserters who abandoned their comrades to die.   

They deserve at least this much.  

“Well, I understand that you thought you were all going to die anyway. Once you run out of ammo, it’s over.”  

“Uh, no, we actually had plenty of ammo.”  

“What? Then why did you think you were doomed?”  

“Because… the monsters were hard to kill even with bullets, and there were so many of them…”  

The interrogation continued, while I and the other soldiers watched from a distance.   

It had taken us less than five minutes to subdue them, a surprisingly quick result.  

“No matter how you look at it, they were armed soldiers.”  

“Are we really that strong?”  

The soldiers, amazed at their own actions, were in disbelief.   

Though we had been awakened for quite some time, we had only fought monsters until now, and never with other humans.   

Armed soldiers are supposed to symbolize modern military power.   

Subduing them so easily was indeed surprising.  

“We’ve leveled up a lot, and the buffs from Young-joon’s cooking are no joke. It’s only natural.”  

“Really? Thinking about it that way, it was a winnable fight, but it still feels different.”  

Of course, we mustn’t get cocky.   

These were just deserters, not a well-organized and fortified army.   

If we had faced a proper military unit, even a hundred awakened soldiers might not stand a chance.  

While we chatted, the interrogation continued.  

“By the way, what’s this about having plenty of ammo?”  

It was an interesting point raised by the interrogating soldier.   

We were nearly out of bullets ourselves, a fact that had been causing concern, especially among the marksmen who relied heavily on their firearms.  

‘But these guys seemed quite relaxed about their supplies.’  

After subduing the deserters, I and the soldiers took a quick look around the building.  

What we found was a significant amount of supplies, including food, fuel, and a substantial stockpile of ammunition.  

While the food could have been looted, the ammunition couldn’t be explained so easily.   

Considering our current shortage, this information was vital.  

“How much ammo can a regular unit stockpile to have a surplus like you guys?”  

“Well…”  

The answer from the deserter exceeded our expectations.  

“Our unit is an ammunition supply unit.”  

“An ammunition supply unit? What’s that?”  

“Yes, it’s also called an ammunition battalion. In simple terms, we manage the ammunition that needs to be supplied to nearby units.”  

“So, how is it different from an ammunition depot?”  

“Think of it as a downgraded version of an ammunition depot. If you haven’t worked in this area, you might not know about it.”  

“Where exactly is it?”  

“It’s not too far from here…”  

An ammunition battalion.   

Hearing this, the soldiers’ eyes were focused on the deserters.  

“This could solve our ammo problem in one go.”  

If true, this could significantly improve our situation.   

Despite the noise and the consumption of bullets, the firepower of our marksmen was crucial.  

At that moment, I noticed one of the deserters slowly moving towards a corner.   

The other soldiers, engrossed in the interrogation, didn’t seem to notice.  

“You there, stop.”  

It was clear he was up to something suspicious.   

Just as I was about to intervene…  

“Nobody move!”  

The deserter stood up and shouted, holding a pistol in one hand and something else in the other.   

The pistol wasn’t the main issue.   

It was the other item.  

“A grenade, huh.”  

I frowned at the sight.  

“Didn’t we confiscate all their weapons?”  

“Yes, we took everything they had on them…”  

“Tsk, it looks like there was something hidden in the room too. “The soldiers who searched that area better see me later.”  

“S-sorry!”  

The soldiers who had searched the room turned pale.   

But that was a minor issue now.  

“I said, nobody move!”  

“……”  

“I know you guys can reach me before I shoot, but can you survive a grenade blast? As soon as I pull the pin, everyone in this room is dead.”  

“And you think you’ll get out of this alive?”  

“If I’m going to die anyway, I’d rather take you all with me. Right?”  

The problem now was how to handle this guy.   

He seemed quite deranged.  

I glanced at his uniform, noting the name tag: Hwang Jin-yeong.   

He was the same guy who had threatened us on the ground and whom I had personally subdued.  

Just then, a voice from behind me spoke up.  

“Sergeant Shin.”  

“Yeah?”  

“Should I handle this?”  

Corporal Gwang-il, standing behind me, stepped forward.   

His physical abilities were outstanding, even within our unit.   

If anyone could deal with this, it would be him.  

“Hold on.”  

“Yes?”  

I stopped him, despite his eagerness.  

“Let’s give him a chance first.”  

I decided to observe.  

“What are you waiting for, idiots? Grab your guns!”  

Hwang Jin-yeong, still holding the pistol and grenade, shouted at the other deserters.  

They began to rise, moving towards the weapons we had set aside.  

“You guys.”  

“Huh?”  

“Are you sure you won’t regret this?”  

I tried to give them one last chance.  

“Looks like he’s scared now, huh?”  

“No regrets here, you bastard.”  

“Regret? Do you even understand what’s happening?”  

Their sudden shift from subservient to defiant left no room for second chances.   

They had made their choice.  

Sighing, I called out to Gwang-il.  

“Gwang-il.”  

“Yes, Corporal Gwang-il reporting.”  

“Take care of it.”  

His response wasn’t the usual ‘Yes, sir’ or ‘Understood.’  

“Grrrrrrrrrrrr…”  

A beast-like Grrrrrrrrrrrr emanated from him.   

Corporal Gwang-il, our unit’s strongest warrior and ‘Berserker’ awakened, let his fury engulf him.  

Boom!!  

His massive frame charged towards the deserters.  

“You think I’m bluffing!?”  

Hwang Jin-yeong reacted immediately.  

Ping!  

He actually pulled the pin from the grenade and threw it high.  

Crazy.  

I never thought he’d actually throw it.  

“You, you crazy bastard!”  

“What the hell are you doing pulling it for real?”  

“Screw it, you assholes! If we’re dying, let’s all die together!”  

Even the other deserters looked shocked.  

If the grenade exploded, everyone in the room would be in pieces.  

But…  

“Well. I don’t really care.”  

From my perspective, it didn’t seem particularly dangerous.  

“Graaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!”  

With a beast-like roar, Corporal Jeon Gwang-il charged.  

He jumped to a height with such eerie elasticity that it seemed almost impossible with his body.  

His hand reached for the grenade in mid-air.  

Like a dog catching a toy.  

He effortlessly snatched the grenade…  

“Grrrrrrr!”  

…and hurled it out the window.  

Boom—  

The grenade exploded outside the building.  

The tremendous explosion and shockwave were felt even from afar.  

“You insane monster!”  

Seeing this, Hwang Jin-yeong fired his pistol at Corporal Jeon Gwang-il.  

However…  

Bang, bang—  

“Grrrrrrr…!!!”  

“The bullets don’t work either?”  

If even assault rifle bullets couldn’t pierce our uniforms, a mere pistol wouldn’t stand a chance.  

Bang!  

Eventually, the deserter named Hwang Jin-yeong had his head smashed into the wall by Gwang-il.  

“…Huh?”  

“What, what the hell.”  

“What just happened…?”  

It took less than five seconds for Gwang-il to subdue Hwang Jin-yeong.  

The situation reversed in an instant.  

The other deserters, who were moving to grab their guns, muttered in bewilderment.  

“Grrrrrrr!”  

“Uh, ugh…”  

“Don’t, don’t come closer!”  

Their confident demeanor vanished completely.  

The deserters were overwhelmed by the menacing gaze of Gwang-il.  

“Haha… What a crazy monster.”  

Hwang Jin-yeong, who was rubbing his face against the wall, spoke up.  

“It was supposed to be our last stand, but it didn’t work at all.”  

“It was a good attempt. But you should’ve chosen your opponent more carefully.”  

If the soldiers here were regular soldiers, or if Gwang-il wasn’t here, it might have been a more effective attack.  

But they weren’t dealing with ordinary opponents.  

“Haha… Do whatever you want now.”  

“Hmm?”  

This Jin-yeong guy.  

He’s been acting strangely cocky all this time.  

“Hey, mister.”  

“Do whatever you want, kill me or let me live.”  

“Look, I don’t know if you have a midlife crisis or something.”  

He still didn’t grasp the situation.  

I decided to give him a little clarity.  

“We’re not the ones deciding your fate.”  

“…What?”  

At that moment.  

From a distance.  

Strange sounds began to emerge.  

Graaah…  

Creak.  

Screeeeech—  

“What’s that sound?”  

“They’re coming.”  

“Wh-what do you mean coming?”  

The once-confident deserter asked nervously.  

I responded with disbelief.  

“Do you think we didn’t shoot because we have no bullets?”  

“What are you talking about—”  

“In a situation where even we are trying to avoid gunfire noise, you threw a grenade? Are you nuts?”  

“Ahh.”  

Even a pistol makes significant noise.  

Throwing a grenade on top of that.  

With all that commotion, every monster and zombie around must be heading this way.  

“Hey. Um, mister.”  

Finally, realizing the gravity of their actions.  

The deserters began to speak in pitiful tones.  

“What?”  

“We were wrong. Please, spare us just this once.”  

“A demeanor quite different from the time when we threw the grenade with the determination to take all of us down.”  

“We’re fellow soldiers. We should help each other out, shouldn’t we?”  

“If you spare us, we’ll definitely repay the favor—”  

“Throwing the grenade was all Jin-yeong’s doing! We surrendered, didn’t we?”  

“…Crazy bastards.”  

Even the other deserters joined in the groveling.  

“You should have taken the chance when you had it.”  

Sergeant Lee Min-jae looked at them with cold eyes.  

“Sorry, but the rule for deserters is immediate execution.”  

“What?”  

“Be thankful we’re not killing you ourselves.”  

At that, one of the deserters shouted in desperation.  

“You think you’re any different?”  

“Of course we are.”  

I replied nonchalantly and turned to our soldiers.  

“Lieutenant Kim!”  

Then, Lieutenant Kim emerged from among the soldiers.  

“Young-joon, did you call?”  

As the deserters caught sight of that scene, murmurs began to spread.  

“The Lieutenant… and even some officers?”  

“No way… Could those guys not be deserters?”  

“No way. Those survivors that we had brought in as slaves mentioned it. They said all the other military units were wiped out too. With those monsters swarming in like that, there’s no way anyone could survive…”  

I wondered if they might be in a similar situation.  

Did they mistake us for fellow deserters?  

Ignoring them, I turned to Lieutenant Kim and said, “Lieutenant Kim, please issue the command for retreat.”  

“Understood. Everyone, retreat as safely as possible!” Lieutenant Kim shouted.  

As Lieutenant Kim yelled out, a strange vitality surged within our soldiers.  

[Commander’s Roar – The ‘retreat command’ echoes out]  

[A bonus has been granted to those who are retreating]  

With the monsters closing in, there was hardly any room to engage them all.  

When I was about to withdraw, someone grabbed my ankle.  

A familiar face.  

It was Hwang Jin-yeong, who had been plastered against the wall just moments ago.  

“A minute ago, you were willing to die together just now. And now?”  

Whenever it’s convenient, whether to kill or spare them, isn’t it?  

Now, they were begging for their lives.  

I wanted to let them to die as they wished, but at the same time, a thought crossed my mind.  

A recent memory.  

Witnessing my two juniors being slaughtered by monsters before my eyes.  

A small obsession.  

“I don’t want to see monsters killing humans.”  

It was a deeply personal issue.  

However…  

It would have been preferable to let them face the consequences of desertion.  

But leaving them defenseless to be slaughtered by monsters…  

That didn’t sit well with me.  

“Maybe they won’t be able to make use of the opportunity even if given.”  

Just one more chance.  

An opportunity.  

“Here, eat.”  

“This…?”  

What I tossed before them was jerky I had just made.  

It was combat rations.  

“They’re not awakened, so their stats won’t increase, but…”  

Perhaps their traits might apply.  

Saving these guys was impossible for me.  

All I could do was throw this and hope they’d survive on their own.  

“If they have enough will to live…”  

After picking up the jerky, they only needed to put it in their mouths.  

[Deep sense of guilt -]  

I had already sprinkled the [Chef’s Special Sauce] on the jerky.  

If they managed to survive after eating it…  

“Eat it. If you admit your sins, come find our unit.”  

After that, they would struggle with guilt.  

To those who came seeking redemption, they would receive the punishment befitting deserters.  

That was the plan, but…  

“Oh, jerky?”  

“Do you mean that I should fill my belly before I die?”  

Seemingly incomprehensible to them, who didn’t know the effects of my combat rations.  

They pushed aside the rations I’d given and whimpered.  

“We… won’t beg for mercy.”  

And then, some of them said this.  

“Instead… Could you just… Could you just kill us?”  

What they begged for wasn’t their lives.  

“Well, I can’t avoid dying, I suppose. After all, this is a life that should have been lost in the unit… And since you’ve taken everything from me, even if I manage to survive here somehow, I won’t live for long anyway.”  

“…”  

“But… But if we could choose how to die… I’d rather not be eaten by monsters.”  

Death was unavoidable.  

But there were different kinds of death.  

If executed by our hands.  

At least the moment of suffering wouldn’t be prolonged.  

But…  

“Being torn apart and devoured by monsters… That’s a completely different story.”  

It was incomparable to being shot.  

It would be a time of agony and terror.  

“So. Please…”  

“We’re not asking to be spared! Just that… Just that you could at least grant us the mercy of being killed!”  

They seemed to want to avoid such a death.  

Watching their desperation, I inwardly cursed.  

“Giving up this easily?”  

I had done everything to survive.  

If there seemed to be no way out, I’d make one.  

But…  

They didn’t even attempt to fight for their lives.  

“The most important thing is to survive.”  

If these were my unit members…  

I would have urged them on.  

“But these guys… They’re not my unit.”  

I sighed and turned to the soldiers behind me.  

“The pistols Gwang-il had taken out earlier.”  

“Yes.”  

“They must be lying around in some corner over there. Let them be.”  

“Are you sure about that?”  

“Since escaping from here is close to impossible anyway. And they are low on bullets. It’s not like they can plunder with those pistols.”  

This time, I addressed the deserters.  

“There should be bullets in the magazines. How you use them is up to you.”  

“Ahh.”  

“Whether you use them to kill monsters or something else. It’s up to you.”  

“Thank you… Thank you…”  

With pistols, at least they could die more comfortably.  

And if, by some chance…  

“Those with the will to survive. Even if it’s just one.”  

If they have a gun.  

Somehow, they might survive.  

Especially.  

“If they eat those combat rations they threw in the corner.”  

The chance of survival is definitely not zero.  

“They have been provided with a way out.”  

Whether they will use that way with determination to escape.  

Or they will simply choose a comfortable death is up to each of them.  

After pushing the one hanging onto my leg aside,  

I left the room with my comrades.  

“We need to hurry!”  

“Alright….”  

As I tried to rush out of the building as fast as possible,  

Bang…  

“….”  

The sound of gunfire from above.  

All the soldiers down here knew what that sound meant even before the arrival of the monsters.  

“You fools.”  

Even though a way out for survival had been provided.  

To be overwhelmed by fear and not even consider using that way to survive.  

“I don’t know how many have chosen death.”  

But such weaklings cannot survive for long anyway.  

“Young-joon! We need to hurry!”  

“We might be better than deserters, but we’re still in danger!”  

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel sick.  

But there was no room to worry about those who had already chosen death.  

“We are different from them.”  

The difference between simply being a deserter or not doesn’t matter.  

The most important thing is.  

“The difference in having the will to survive or not.”  

As the sound of gunfire echoed,  

I silently vowed.  

“I will never die like that.”  

Until the day I can open my own restaurant.  

I will definitely survive.  

“To do that, first.”  

The monsters that are about to swarm from all directions.  

We had to get away from this building before they arrived.  

Even with the enhanced physical abilities of the awakened.  

And with Lieutenant Kim’s buffs stacked on top.  

“This won’t be enough.”  

“Yes?”  

“What do you suggest then!”  

It seemed difficult to completely escape before the monsters arrived.  

Then there’s only one way.  

To the soldier’s question of how,  

I answered calmly.  

“Everyone. Take out the combat rations.”  

“Yes?”  

“The ones we’ve been saving….”  

There’s only one answer in this situation, isn’t there?  

“Cooking.”  

I took out a piece of jerky from my pocket.  

From the combat ration series, we’ve been saving.  

Among them, the one I’ve never tried before.  

[Lightweight Trailblazer’s Jerky with the dedication of a junior cook]  

[Light Foot Slypa Jerky made with care by a Junior Chef]  

I tossed it to the deserters just now, but they threw it away themselves.  

A “way out” for survival.