CHAPTER 60

Building a Solid Foundation (2)

"A rifle at a police station? Isn't that for the military?"

"Yes. As you know, South Korea is a country in a ceasefire. So, as a precaution, police armories store a sufficient number of weapons."

While searching for people in need of rescue, I had scanned the area with the eyes of an absolute being and had seen a police substation before. But there was no sign of an armory there.

"So larger police stations must have separate armories."

I turned to him and asked,

"Where's the nearest police station?"

"The closest one should be Busanjin Police Station in Seomyeon."

"Which direction is that?"

"It's near Seomyeon Station, by Lotte Department Store."

Immediately, I used the absolute being's vision to expand my field of view and scan the area.

But…

The place he mentioned had been completely destroyed by Cyclops.

"I can't tell where it is."

The area was full of wrecked buildings, making it impossible to locate the police station.

I looked at the person who had brought up the police station and said,

"Yang Ji-ho, assemble a team and head out."

"Me?"

"Yes. Don't worry too much. The scope of my vision has expanded, so the police station should be within it. If it's outside the area, don't push yourself."

Yang Ji-ho tilted his head and asked,

"And by team members, you mean…?"

"I'll temporarily assign anyone you choose an official position. You can select them yourself."

"Oh, thank you!"

If the police station was outside the area, we could use Seo Ye-jin's rats to secure the armory.

"Then, please depart immediately."

"Understood!"

As Yang Ji-ho left, the discussion with the remaining members continued.

"Who was it that mentioned we'd need police personnel?"

"That was me."

"If we were to form a police force, how would we recruit members?"

"We'd actively hire those who worked as police officers before the world collapsed. They've already proven their abilities once."

That was a reasonable suggestion.

If they had served as police officers before, they likely met physical and ethical standards.

While the internet was full of disdain for various professions, in reality, most people were dedicated to their work.

Take Professor Lee Seong-min, who was leading the medical team—he was a person of integrity, committed to saving lives as a doctor.

Most former police officers would be the same.

It was thanks to people like them, who fulfilled their responsibilities with good intentions and strong convictions, that society had functioned relatively well until now.

"Alright. To start, what would be a reasonable scale for a trial run?"

"For a test run, around ten members should be appropriate."

"Got it. Assemble and operate the team yourself. Let me know if you need more personnel."

"Yes!"

At that moment, another person raised their hand.

"Our team is working on a project. You might remember from our last report—we've been running cafes, bakeries, and ice cream shops with your approval. We'd like to expand further."

I had heard about it through Kim Da-bin.

Providing electricity and gas wasn't difficult, so I had supported them without hesitation.

I knew that among their projects, the cafe had been especially well-received by the citizens.

"I'll fully support you. Expand as much as you can."

"Thank you!"

One by one, roles were assigned, and tasks previously concentrated on Kim Da-bin were now distributed.

"Alright, let's get moving right away."

"Yes!"

That day was spent frantically assigning positions to the newly selected department heads and supporting their teams.

Meanwhile, the first team to depart, led by Yang Ji-ho, had reached Busanjin Police Station.

Or rather, what used to be Busanjin Police Station.

Through the absolute being's sight, I saw Yang Ji-ho's team surveying their surroundings with disheartened expressions.

One of his team members let out a sigh and asked,

"Team leader, you said the armory was underground, right?"

"That's right."

"There's no way to even attempt to get in here."

The Busanjin Police Station building was completely destroyed.

Unluckily, it had been in the path of the Cyclops.

It was in such a wrecked state that there was no way to even try getting inside.

"Should we at least scout the area?"

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea. We might even find some firearms."

Yang Jiho's team carefully began searching through the rubble of the ruined building.

'This is the place.'

I immediately shifted my vision underground, searching for what looked like an armory.

And then—

…Could this be it?

I found what appeared to be an armory.

It was a pitch-black basement, but that wasn't a problem for me.

This place, too, was within my domain.

I could perceive everything in the darkness.

But then—

'Nothing.'

The gun racks, where firearms were likely stored, and the areas where ammunition should have been kept were completely empty.

'Someone took all the guns from here!'

And that was before the Cyclops trampled the police station.

I had no way of knowing whether it was the police or regular civilians like Yang Jiho—people who knew there were weapons in the station.

But one thing was certain.

'There's a group of survivors armed with rifles.'

Judging by the state of the armory, it wasn't just a handful of weapons that were taken.

This was an armory that could have easily supplied hundreds of people with rifles.

With that kind of firepower, goblins or orcs wouldn't even be a threat.

A single bullet would be enough to take them down.

'Where did they go?'

The fact that everything had been so thoroughly cleaned out meant that an organized group had taken them.

'This is dangerous.'

Until now, I had granted citizenship to everyone who entered my domain.

Even when my territory expanded through skill upgrades, I continued to accept everyone—regardless of age or gender.

The criteria for acceptance were vague. After all, how could I decide who to accept or reject when I was meeting them for the first time?

So I took in everyone.

I figured that the benefits of a growing population outweighed any potential downsides.

And in reality, I had gained far more than I lost.

'But armed people are a different story!'

Guns could kill not just monsters but humans with a single shot.

If they could be controlled, they would be powerful weapons—but not everyone granted citizenship was under my command.

Even now, there were more people still stuck in their homes than those who had made it to the apartment complex under the relief team's guidance.

That meant there were at least several thousand people I hadn't accounted for.

'Some of the newcomers could be armed with guns!'

I immediately activated my Absolute Eye skill and scanned the area.

My suspicion was correct.

Not too far away, in a relatively intact villa, I found people with rifles.

I quickly registered an M16 lying on a sofa into the shop.

'Item registration.'

Next, I searched for bullets.

'Where's the ammo?'

No matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find any.

In the living room, a family of three sat around a table, breaking apart a single pack of ramen to share.

"Dad, this is the last one, right?"

"Yeah. But don't worry, I'll find more."

"You're going out again?"

"I have to."

He reached for the rifle on the sofa.

His daughter spoke.

"…There aren't even any bullets left. What are you going to do with it?"

"I'll figure something out."

"Are you planning to beat monsters with it? Do you even hear yourself?"

Silently, I provided them with water, ramen, and other relief supplies.

"Huh?"

They froze at the sudden appearance of the supplies.

'They'll take care of themselves.'

I even left them a portable stove, so they could finally have a warm meal.

After providing only the basics, I left them alone and continued my search for ammunition.

Finally, I found a man holding a loaded rifle.

He was no longer breathing.

He had likely been crushed under the rubble when the Cyclops rampaged through.

Bzzzt.

I retrieved the gun from his hands and set his body ablaze.

Whoosh!

Kami's fire magic had grown stronger with level-ups, now capable of completely incinerating a corpse.

'Rest in peace.'

It was my own way of paying respects.

After searching the area for a while longer, I found more people with the same type of rifle.

But even counting all of them together, they numbered only a few dozen.

'There's no way that's all of them.'

The estimated number of rifles presumed to be stored in the police station armory was at least several hundred.

This meant that there had to be a heavily armed group somewhere, but for now, none could be found in the vicinity.

"Let's distribute the rifles where they're needed first!"

Immediately, one of the Absolute One's Eyes focused on Jang Sung-jun.

Jang Sung-jun and his group, who had set out to find their families, were each holding their pistols carefully.

Before they knew it, they had ventured beyond their designated territory.

Watching them, he activated the Ring of Communication.

[Jang Sung-jun.]

"Huh? Yes?"

[Take these.]

Ziiing—

As soon as Jang Sung-jun's group received the rifle set purchased from the shop, their expressions visibly brightened.

"This is…!"

Even though both were firearms, there was a huge difference between a pistol and a rifle.

Moreover, the pistols they had been using weren't even automatic—they were revolvers.

These models had various drawbacks in terms of reloading and firing speed.

Because of this, they had been avoiding combat with monsters as much as possible, only using their weapons when absolutely necessary.

But with rifles in their hands, their combat capabilities would be on a whole different level.

"Screech!"

Just then, a group of orcs in the distance spotted them.

"Sung-jun! The orcs saw us!"

Jang Sung-jun shouted urgently.

"Kyung-taek, Sora, Eun-byul—fire at them! The rest of you, grab your rifles and load your magazines! Move!"

Bang—!

Gunshots echoed through the ruined city as they followed his orders.

However, the shots failed to deal any real damage to the orcs. It made sense, considering the creatures were over 100 meters away.

It was merely a warning shot.

Fortunately, it worked.

"Grrrrk…"

The orcs, who had looked like they were about to charge, hesitated and started to stand on guard.

The loud explosion of gunpowder instinctively triggered their fear.

Perhaps they had experienced this terror firsthand before.

Meanwhile—

Click!

Jang Sung-jun and two other former soldiers had finished loading their rifles.

They skillfully took aim at the orcs and pulled the trigger.

Bang—! Bang!

One orc's head exploded, while two others clutched their chests and collapsed.

[You have hunted an Orc (Lv. 18).]

[You have gained experience.]

[1,221,005 KRW has been deposited into the Wallet of the Absolute One of the Household.]

The one shot in the head died instantly, and the two hit in the torso would soon follow.

Bang! Bang!

The former soldiers continued their precise, calm shooting. After years of training, hitting a stationary target from just over 100 meters away was nothing to them.

"Screeech!"

In an instant, half of the orc horde had been gunned down.

"Squeal! Squeal!"

Realizing they were outmatched, the surviving orcs panicked and started fleeing.

"This is…!"

Watching the creatures scramble away, Jang Sung-jun's group felt a spark of hope ignite within them.

"We can do this!"

"Let's go!"

With newfound confidence, the group moved much more boldly than before.

They even demonstrated the ability to take down sea monsters roaming the area with ease.

"So this is the power of rifles…"

This wasn't just about Jang Sung-jun—any team composed of trained military personnel could have achieved the same results.

And with that realization came certainty.

"The South Korean military is still standing."

As long as they hadn't encountered colossal monsters like Cyclopses, the military was likely still intact.

Goblins and orcs? They could be wiped out with firearms alone.

Tanks, fighter jets, landmines, grenades—

There was no way an army equipped with modern weaponry had been easily defeated.

Barring a few unlucky units, most should still be operational.

Then why…?

Why weren't they coming to rescue the civilians?

There must be a reason…

For now, he had no way of knowing.

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