Surviving the Apocalypse with Crafting Skills

“Anti-aircraft machine gun nest… huh.”

As Hans put away the radio from which only static was heard, the officers gathered before him.

Below the railing, the operation to move corpses into the incinerator was in full swing.

“It seems the pursuit of the escapees will become difficult.”

“Colonel, then what about the treatment of the wounded…?”

“Daymond of the 2nd Platoon has served as an auxiliary a few times. Deploy Daymond as a temporary doctor for now, and search among the surviving prisoners for any individuals who have worked in medical professions such as doctors, veterinarians, nurses, etc. What about the armory situation?”

“The fire is out, but it’s completely burnt down. There’s nothing salvageable.”

“Most of the ammunition and explosives are gone. Of course, we had enough to arm the guards three times over…”

“Ammunition technologists are currently dissecting and redesigning the structures. They say it has a simple structure, is easy to replicate, and can be used with any shotgun that uses 12-gauge ammunition.”

“Even so, active search operations and expansion will be difficult as before, Colonel.”

“There’s no need for expansion.”

Tearing a page out completely from the notebook and stuffing it into the trash can, Hans began rolling his pen on the fresh page.

“Are you not here because you believe in me, who promises a better life and future?”

“Yes, Colonel.”

“Are we not here to seize power from the pigs drowning in drugs and alcohol, living false dreams, and to build a proper empire?”

“Yes.”

“Then why should we follow the ways they did?”

There was no one to answer the question.

All stood rigidly at attention, their jaws set before the new commander.

The commotion of the passing guards carrying corpses drew the crowd’s eyes to the railing.

The soldier from the guards who was wrapping minor wounds on the prisoners with bandages also turned away.

Having confirmed the convergence of gazes, Hans raised his voice.

“Filth exists everywhere, my men. The beasts that mask themselves as superior ones to sate only their hunger quietly spread like cancer. The current situation has only arisen due to the inefficiency of those incapable of doing their jobs, has it not?”

The speed of the pen increased.

The force pressing on the penholder grew stronger.

“You must understand how pitiful our state has become under the likes who wasted time indulging in their superiority complex and greed rather than doing their job. Is that correct?”

“Correct, Colonel!”

The enthusiastic personnel of the guards stopped their work and boomed a response in a loud voice after standing at attention.

Likewise, those dressed in green uniforms also rose from their seats.

“We will now remove what is useless from the empire. We’ll get rid of everything that is cumbersome and inefficient, rebuilding to move toward a single goal.”

A roughly drawn diagram was extended to the soldiers and officers.

A rough map indicating the location of the bunker where Fortress Zero was positioned.

Simple glyphs marking the locations of the National Defense Force, the Guards, the technicians, the wounded, and the pursuit teams were placed within angles.

“Rome recognized the differences of individuals and valued capable individuals, thus maintaining their vast territory. However, attempting to maintain its size despite lacking capability led to its digestive troubles.”

A red X was drawn over the positions occupied by the severely wounded prisoners.

“What of France? Did they not indulge in greed, captured by arrogance, creating numerous enemies, refusing to aim for anything better under the delusion of superiority?”

Another X was drawn where the hopeless pursuit teams were isolated.

“And how about America, which advocated for Pax Americana? Did they not intervene overseas, spending the taxpayers’ money and precious lives while the citizens scream, contaminating the country of ‘Americans’ with many immigrants who do not understand what it means to be one and yearn for their ‘homelands’?”

A name was written, “Jakob Weber,” on the communication officer, and a red line slashed through it.

Jakob, who opened his mouth in confusion, was immediately grabbed by the soldiers and kicked behind the knee.

The face that had been holding its chin high was promptly turned to the ground.

“And have our incompetent wardens not brought Fortress Zero to this end? Without proper distribution of supplies, necessary maintenance, and appropriate treatment for the soldiers who uphold the empire, did it not all rot in morphine and alcohol? Just like Adolf Hitler at the end of the war!?”

The hand that had put down the pen crossed its fingers.

“Do we follow after drug addicts, my men?”

“No, Colonel.”

“Do we respect and admire the failures who have fallen and failed, my men?”

“No, Colonel!”

“Is what all of us here remember not the empire’s golden age? The splendid time where everyone feared and respected us, the one everyone tried to emulate, isn’t that it?”

“Yes, Colonel!”

“We will not follow in the footsteps of the empires that came before us, my men. We must carve out our own path. We must not follow or inherit the dreams of those who have failed.”

The pen was thrown away.

Then Hans placed both hands on the railing.

Soldiers ready to stake their futures on fortune and pleasure instead of immediate hardships and irrationalities.

Hans Schultz shouted with all his might before those who clenched their teeth, enduring the immediate difficulties, and enduring the unreasonable.

“We will succeed. We will separate those who do their part admirably from those who do not, and we will reconstruct the great empire once again.”

“Correct, Colonel!”

“We begin by completely discarding the useless. And we start by removing the base itself, which supported us and worked hard for our convenience.”

Hans’ pistol was drawn.

And then, pulling up Jakob who had his knee kicked, Hans shoved him against the railing.

“Huh, but Colonel, I was certainly in control of the communication—”

“How does the only doctor run off with an unknown technician, Jakob?”

As the gun was pressed against the back of his head, Jakob looked at his subordinates.

But no one regarded him with pity.

Even the women in labor suits rather than maid dresses glared at him with hatred.

“This is unfair—”

The gunshot reverberated, and the corpse fell to the ground.

The convicts looking at the corpse stood up little by little and started spitting on where Jakob had been.

“You son of a bitch! This is revenge for my sister…!”

“You messed with my chest and said it was small!”

Still, no one intervened.

Even when tools were used to crush the corpse’s head, the soldiers didn’t bat an eye.

Only the officers swallowed tightly in tension.

And eventually, all eyes turned to Hans.

The convicts,

The ones who had been part of the National Defense Force,

And the ones who had been part of the Guards.

***

The newly-established camp reached by walking through the corridor after what seemed like a long journey.

It was a good place with a generator already present, along with shower and restroom facilities that could be fixed with a bit of work.

After scrutinizing the area carefully, it looked safe, unlike previous times, with no traces of other creatures.

“…Is this what you needed?”

Holding the toolbox during the creation of the barricade was none other than Ms. Dieterich.

“Thank you. You’ve done enough to go rest now.”

“No, no. I feel like I should help with something.”

“Even though you’ve probably been exhausted all day?”

“Ah, well— isn’t that true for everyone?”

The blue eyes watching me while I hammered nails into a piece of wood from my crouched position.

“…Can I ask a question?”

“Yes.”

“Old man… um, Curtis Omyn, Omyn, wasn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

“Wasn’t he a soldier in that war…?”

“Were they from a military family. Curtis was a soldier as well, and Sarah was preparing to enlist.”

Does he feel uncomfortable about World War II, considering he’s German?

“They’re all good people. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have told me a story like that in the first place.”

“…No, it’s rather…”

“Then?”

“Brutal, perhaps?”

Taking a deep, heavy sigh, Ms. Dieterich leaned against the wall.

“For a person who saves lives, be it animals or humans, it’s frankly difficult to come to terms with such occurrences, I suppose. Hmm, I know it might sound like an over-indulgence. Still—”

“No, I understand.”

There are many aspects one needs to consider when managing a settlement.

Personal beliefs are one of those aspects, after all.

“To witness people dying in front of someone who has spent their life wielding a knife to save lives. How could such a scene be anything but troubling?”

“…Yet, aren’t they Nazis? So wouldn’t you think it’s deserved, even if they die…?”

“One cannot categorically declare everyone as such.”

Having lived for 27 years,

And having played this game extensively, I came to realize exactly that.

“Some do it to survive, some for their families, others for love. Even the Nazis, as far as I know, appeared due to the hardships after World War I, right?”

“That must be. Well, honestly, I avoided learning it thoroughly because it makes me uncomfortable. That my grandfather was a soldier for the Axis of Evil — it’s difficult for me, isn’t it? He was a good person to me…”

“To someone else, he might have been a demon.”

Sitting beside the bowed head of Ms. Dieterich, I leaned my head against the wall.

“It’s the apocalypse. A world without rules or laws. People aren’t always good in such situations.”

“…I understand intellectually, but I still feel something heavy in my chest.”

“Maybe getting used to it would be better?”

Suddenly, hearing a voice from the darkness, we looked up to find Ms. Sarah walking towards us with a water bottle.

Then Ms. Sarah sat down right between Ms. Dieterich and me without further ado.

“Here, take it. Wet your throat, both of you. Ms. Dieterich, too.”

As we were handed water bottles and drinking, Ms. Sarah wiped my sweat-coated forehead.

“You said you were a doctor, didn’t you?”

“I was a veterinarian. But at Fortress Zero, I acted as a doctor.”

“Ho, a veterinarian, huh? I don’t know if we’ll have dogs down here.”

“There will be. Some people brought in pets.”

Indeed, it was true.

Had I chosen a dog or cat as a partner when picking the trainer’s job?

“How about, so. Does our grandfather or I make you uncomfortable? You mentioned before that killing people was wrong, right?”

Wait, how did she know about that conversation?

Ms. Sarah glared harshly at Ms. Dieterich.

Not a good start.

“A—no. I wasn’t trying to say it was wrong. You saved my life, and actually… because those people died, we’re all safe here—”

“I’ll put it plainly.”

Ms. Sarah turned her body, completely shielding the relatively smaller Ms. Dieterich.

I couldn’t see her expression, but Ms. Dieterich’s body shrank.

“If you think it’s okay to start talking about morality now, you should stop. We’ve had quite enough of dealing with those sorts of people. Especially my father despises such types immensely. Got it?”

“…Yes.”

“It’s tiring hearing about the woes of killing people in the battlefield after returning home from serving the country, isn’t it?”

Her voice grew rougher before I could place my hand on her shoulder.

We couldn’t afford to lose the doctor we had worked so hard to bring in just because of any conflict.

“Ms. Sarah, Ms. Dieterich didn’t mean anything like that.”

“She wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but it did sound like that to me.”

“Ms. Dieterich was a doctor at Fortress Zero. Among those who died, there might have been people she treated earnestly. That’s likely why it weighs on her heart, isn’t it?”

Clearly surprised, Ms. Dieterich looked at me.

Even though she hadn’t shared her story, she nodded slowly, as if understanding how I figured it out.

Given that I’d successfully lured the enemy medic countless times over 2000 hours, it wasn’t too hard to guess.

“That’s why. Ms. Sarah, Ms. Dieterich wasn’t criticizing the efforts made by you or Curtis.”

“….”

Now Ms. Sarah’s expression turned complicated.

This is why bringing in new people causes issues.

If I don’t side with the existing members, their rapport could drop.

But I couldn’t ignore such a precious doctor either.

“Alright, then. For your sake, Xuan Woo, I’ll let it slide.”

“No, no. I should… visit you personally later to thank you—”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Once she tapped the barricade, Ms. Sarah turned her eyes back to me.

“So, what’s next?”

“What?”

“Plans for the future, or… I don’t know, do you plan to bring in more people?”

“No.”

I could say that firmly.

Starting off with too many people would make management extremely difficult.

The sole reason we’re treating Ms. Dieterich so carefully is because we can’t afford to lose more people due to diseases.

Only after Ms. Dieterich is fully integrated can we consider expanding further.

“So, our safety comes first. We don’t know when the pursuit team might return, and drinking and bathing water needs to be secured starting tomorrow.”

“You only think about work. Work, work, work…”

“That’s all I can do. To make everyone live more comfortably.”

“There must be other things you can do besides that.”

“…Other things?”

I thought deeply.

While looking at the differently colored eyes of Ms. Dieterich staring intently at me.

“Massage?”

“Ma… -Huh?”

“Ah!”

I received a hard slap on the head.

Why?

“For being such a dullard.”

Taking a deep breath, Ms. Sarah disappeared down the corridor.

What did I do wrong?

“…phew.”

Watching my confusion, Ms. Dieterich couldn’t hold back her laughter.

What is so funny?

What is it?

“Don’t slap me!”

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