My Strange Savior - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After staring pitifully at Gia’s red lips as she blabbered on about nothing when asked to reveal her affiliation, Kalion got up from his seat, pushing aside the hand resting on his shoulder.

“If you won’t reveal it, there’s no reason for me to stay here.”

He could no longer believe in the notion of being a savior of life. Kalion, who looked at the knife lying on the rock, never relaxed his tension, ready to grasp it at any moment.

His gaze was still directed toward the weapon, and he put on dry clothes near the campfire.

“Hmm. It’s not that I won’t reveal it.”

The situation had now changed. It was an unfamiliar place, an unfamiliar situation. She might need this man’s help to find Dr. Morrison.

Wasn’t he the commander of the Empire’s Order of Knights?

Being a commander implied high status and reputation.

If Morrison infected someone here as well… In the worst-case scenario, the zombie virus could spread in this world too.

Just thinking about it was so horrifying that it sent shivers down her spine. Gia, who had survived the apocalypse, wanted to prevent that sight at all costs.

It had to be prevented at all costs, and the idea that the virus her father had discovered might be spread in this unknown dimension was terrifying.

It felt as if it were her responsibility.

Gia silently stared at Kalion’s broad back as he stood still. Suddenly, she noticed that he was wearing rusty silver armor in various places, tainted with monster blood.

Yeah, she should have realized that she had been moving dimensions since he carried that shoddy armor and a single sword.

The monsters had unusual appearances, but due to Dr. Morrison’s influence, she had casually overlooked the fact that many zombies had already undergone mutations. 

“I’m with N.L.S. 1st Division.”

The only thing that could be understood from Gia’s words was the mention of division and affiliation.

“See? Couldn’t understand, right? Me neither. So, let’s… have a conversation.”

A pair of dull, light brown eyes, uncharacteristically devoid of playfulness, turned to Kalion.

Kalion, who calmly faced Gia, carefully observed her demeanor. 

As she grabbed him to talk earlier, she now clenched her fists, closed her eyes, and breathed heavily, without making any other movements. 

Gia’s voice occasionally emitted painful moans, making Kalion realize that he couldn’t easily leave his position.

What on earth is this woman?

Although Kalion still didn’t let his guard down, knowing she had no intention of attacking, he observed her with a bit more ease than before.

Unfamiliar attire. Women typically didn’t wear pants. Except for the rare women who became knights, most women wore skirts. Even the peasant women who went outside to work in the fields wore skirts.

Kalion’s eyes shifted to her waist as he noticed the unconventional clothing style.

She dispatched the goblin with that blue-glowing thing made of iron. And it was done in one stroke. He remembered how she effortlessly defeated a goblin, which even a senior knight couldn’t easily cut down with a sword.

What could her identity be?

The words about belonging to an unknown organization didn’t make it any clearer. Unable to even gauge her identity, Kalion’s mind was tangled in complexity.

Kalion was trying to deduce Gia’s identity in his way, rolling his thoughts, but he couldn’t come up with a single definite answer.

“It might be a long explanation.”

“Please go ahead.”

As if he was ready to listen at any time, Kalion, with his straight and upright posture, as usual, faced Gia with a solemn expression.

“I know it might be unbelievable. I find it hard to believe myself. Still, I hope you’ll listen to the end. My current situation is very difficult and complicated. But… it’s not just me right now.”

Why is she giving such a verbose explanation? Pausing for a moment, Kalion stared intently at Gia, who was catching her breath.

“It seems like your world is also in danger?”

In a single sentence, she needed to convey the message that they were in this together. 

Kalion noticed Gia’s brown eyes sinking solemnly and tightly sealed his lips. What on earth does she want to say? Is this woman who casually mentions danger really in her right mind?

He couldn’t shake the feeling that they were wasting time, yet strangely, he couldn’t bring himself to get up and leave. Was it because her light brown eyes were undulating like waves?

Gia had the look only someone who had experienced fear could have on their face, and shadows hung heavily in her pupils. When Gia exhaled, the emotions contained within reached Kalion.

“It’s going to be a very long story.”

After that, Gia spoke without pause, eyeing Kalion cautiously. 

It had been like that from the beginning. Even at that moment, when they were surrounded by the creatures and about to die, his expression was the same.

Gia anxiously gazed at Kalion’s face, which didn’t display the various emotions a person should have. Does he think she’s crazy? With no words coming from his mouth, it was impossible to know. She’s going crazy here.

Unable to bear it any longer, Gia, who had a fiery temperament, parted her lips, ending Kalion’s long silence.

“So.”

Staring at Gia as if he were about to ignite, Kalion maintained the same intensity in his eyes as before.

By looking into his eyes, it was easier to discern what he was thinking than she had initially thought. Although his face remained expressionless, she could feel the emotions simmering within those intense eyes.

The emotions she sensed from Kalion’s burning gaze were vigilance, anger, and concern.

“So, you’re saying this person named Morrison is here with us?”

“Yeah. So, do you believe me?”

“For now.”

Assuming her words were true, they needed to act swiftly. It was for the sake of the empire he belonged to and the innocent people. He couldn’t believe every word Gia said, but he had to prepare for the possibility that even a single thing she said was true.

It was difficult to easily dismiss Gia’s claim of coming from another world. Knowing that she had single-handedly defeated half of the goblins with an unknown weapon of an unknown origin, Kalion couldn’t dismiss it as a lie.

Gia’s lengthy monologue consisted of unbelievable claims and an abundance of incomprehensible terms. However, as the commander of the knights, responsible for protecting the empire, Kalion had a duty to fulfill.

Regardless of whether it was an unimaginable threat or something that would never happen.

Looking at Kalion with calm, composed eyes, Gia, on the other hand, seemed to be taken aback and pursed her lips. It’s hard to believe even for her that she has crossed dimensions. Is this kid… acting strangely?

What kind of life did he live to believe such absurd stories? She was thankful for believing her, but should she warn him that he might be easily deceived?

As Gia worried that Kalion might be deceived, she suddenly shifted her gaze to the beeping sound emanating from her wrist.

What’s this…? It’s been quiet until now.

Turning the dial on the edge of the watch’s round dial, an alert window appeared.

[Warning! Satellite transmission is unstable. Updating changed terrain. 10% complete.]

Suddenly, it was updating the terrain. Was it initially confirmed that they had crossed into a different dimension? Why was the watch receiving satellite data? With curiosity, Gia glanced at her wrist, and Kalion sitting in front of her showed a momentary change in his expression.

“It’s a watch.”

“Is that so?”

To give him a better view, she pushed her slender wrist towards his face, and Kalion’s chin lifted slightly.

“Suddenly, the satellite connected, and it’s receiving data… um…”

Gia thought that maybe she could make a call so she hastily turned the dial and touched it with trembling fingers.

“Oh… I got my hopes up for nothing.”

Instead of hearing a signal, nothing connected. The screen displayed only an informational message, with the terrain updating, and that’s it.

“Just in case… I thought maybe I could contact the unit.”

A call? Can she make contact? Kalion, looking at the incredibly convenient device, glanced around slightly.

In an instant, he noticed tools that spewed fire and a cup that seemed to be made of iron and appeared sturdy. There was even a sleeping bag that preserved body heat, made of an unknown material.

Alchemy tools were similar to what they had, but they seemed to be more efficient. He had to admit that the quality of the items appeared far superior.

“Ugh, damn.”

By the way, how is it possible that the terrain is updating, but there’s no sending or receiving? Can that even happen? Looking at the watch she had procured according to her preferences, Gia scratched her head in frustration.

“In that place, being a soldier means…”

“In your words, it’s probably something like a knight.”

“Are there many soldiers like you in that place?”

“Yeah, there are. It’s an unavoidable choice if you want to survive.”

Originally, these kids should have been playing freely. However, they ended up trapped in underground bunkers, where even a ray of sunlight was not allowed, and they were handed guns… It was all for the sake of surviving intact.

The thought that her father’s invention of the virus might have led to all of this made Gia feel extremely uncomfortable as if grains of sand were rolling around in her mouth.

Even if her father hadn’t developed the virus… would such events have been avoided? She often found herself asking these pointless questions.

Her father hadn’t released the virus, but he had created it. Despite knowing all the circumstances, the feeling of guilt couldn’t be easily erased.

Sigh.

Gia brushed aside the thoughts that were flooding back in. She knew that such thoughts were useless, given that what had already happened couldn’t be changed.

“I need to capture that doctor now, so I might need some cooperation.”

“Is it because of your grudge, or is it your goal to save this world?”

Gia curled her lips inward because she hadn’t said anything about how the virus was created.

She had simply informed him that Morrison, who was exploiting the virus, had come to this world, and that he had killed her father. She also mentioned that she was a soldier dispatched to capture him and that nobody knew when the zombie virus might spread.

As she spoke, she unconsciously clenched and unclenched her fingers in anxiety. Whenever she had to mention the word “virus,” even to Kalion, who knew nothing about it, her heart tightened strangely.

Was it because the creator of the virus was her father? Even though nobody knew that her father had created it, and there was no one to blame her, the habit of self-blame that had persisted for several years continued to gnaw at her heart.

Like a person whose foot had fallen asleep.

As if he could penetrate all the truths at any moment, Gia’s eyes, which had a vivid shade of red, seemed to avoid his pupils, looking downward.