Chapter 35
Chapter 35 Each and Their Stories
Jeron spent the entire night moving books around in the library. He took every book that seemed in good condition, thinking they might come in handy at some point, even if not immediately.
Traveling between the winter of Earth and the tropical nights of the Karen continent had him sweating like rain. It felt like continuously moving between a cold bath and a hot bath all night.
Throughout his work, Jeron kept a small solar charger by the library window to charge. Today’s farming was quite successful.
He had found and taken MP3 players, mobile phones, a solar charger, writing materials, and books. Since the school and library’s stocks were extensive, it looked like he would need to farm here for a few weeks.
“It was really a jackpot.”
Besides the items, finding traces of blacksmith Kang was a significant discovery. Kang’s character was highly praised by the townspeople. A man’s diary also contained records about Kang’s goodwill, claiming it was hard to become close initially, but his kindness was such that he would never pass by someone in trouble without helping.
It seemed miraculous that such a person had survived in a world overrun by wanderers and looters. Jeron had seen families, who looked intact, being taken away to be enslaved. The worst case might involve cannibalism, but Jeron decided not to entertain that thought yet.
If such things were truly happening on Earth, the daily farming would feel torturous. The solar charger was about one-quarter full. Connecting the MP3 player, Jeron checked its contents.
“Ah… was this song really here?”
[Following the long shadows into the dim twilight with you~
Holding hands, just being together brings tears to my eyes~
As the wind gets colder~ winter draws nearer~]
Jeron closed his eyes.
He reflected on the days since he had crossed over to Earth, reminiscing about his family and the memories with acquaintances from those times. He sometimes fell into sorrow, walking the brutally changed streets as emotions surged within him.
Yet, Jeron restrained his feelings as much as possible, considering this a journey through a different third world. Months had passed since he began farming on Earth, and now he could listen to its music.
It was his go-to karaoke song, beloved by both his wife and children. The song turned him sentimental, not because the lyrics were sad, but because it encapsulated a myriad of thoughts. Moisture welled up in his eyes.
“Such a fool, really.”
Jeron thought he had worn down his humanity enough not to cry. The time spent living on Earth had given him a tremendous shock. But listening to song lyrics from when Earth was still fine felt like reopening painful wounds. After repeatedly listening to the music for a while, Jeron turned on the mobile phone.
Beep-beep-beep~
A familiar melody. He never thought he’d see the KTS logo again.
[5G-KTS]
It was a mega-hit product from S Group, now starting up with the familiar logo displayed. [No Service] was clearly indicated at the top of the screen.
“Unlock pattern?”
It seemed quite possible. Adults might have found inputting a pattern bothersome, but kids of that time even used iris recognition. It was a relief that it wasn’t biometric. Jeron shone the phone’s surface with a candle.
The pattern was visible, hardened like grease.After several attempts, the pattern unlocked, revealing the image of an incredibly intellectual-looking male student and a female student. Judging by the sight of the female student giving the male student a peck on the cheek, it seemed likely they were in a romantic relationship.
“These kids are quick these days. Even middle schoolers are at it,” Jeron clicked his tongue, only to realize that at this place, he was merely 18 years old himself. Come to think of it, he wasn’t much older than the owner of the phone. He first delved into the phone’s storage.
[InterXtella]
[Murder’s Xpectation]
[AxXar]
…
“Exactly!”
There were about 10 movies and some dramas saved. How long had it been since he last saw traces of civilization? It seemed he could reminisce about his time on Earth by watching a movie or drama before bed for a while. Jeron, listening to music on the MP3, checked the male student’s KakaXtalk.
Countless messages. Among them, there were quite a few conversations with a girl who appeared to be his girlfriend.
[Hanseong, I had fun today. See you at school tomorrow!]
[I had fun too. Love you!]
[Love you too!]
…
Despite feeling a twinge of annoyance at the complex emoticons and the teenagers’ unique language, the interpretation was as above. It’s peculiar to see Hangul so clearly and still need translation.
Truly, an end of days in its own right. The conversation between the lovers continued. The owner of the phone was fortunate to have discovered love so early. Had it been later, he might have died without ever understanding the meaning of love.
But the peaceful time did not last long. On the day the mutants overwhelmed the school.
[Jiyul?? Where are you? Are you safe?]
[I’m in the cafeteria right now, these crazy monsters are killing everyone! What do we do now?]
[Wait! I’m coming.]
[No, it’s no longer safe here…]
[Jiyul? Are you okay?]
[Are you safe?]
[Jiyul! If you’re alive, please respond!]
…
[I’m okay! I’m hiding in a warehouse right now. Don’t come here, wait there. Let’s meet outside when the rescue teams arrive.]
Even amid numerous emoticons and abbreviations, a palpable sense of tenderness could be felt. In a world devastated, predicaments didn’t solely belong to adults. Mid-teens had their own stories to tell.
The notion that only adults have intellectual thoughts is nonsense. The thoughts of children were more mature than one could imagine, a fact Jeron realized even while raising his own children. Had he known, he wished his children also had experienced love before their demise.
Jeron also looked into the conversations the male student shared with his family.
[Hanseong, you don’t need to come home. This place is already overrun by monsters… you must survive…]
[…I love you.]
[Hanseong, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t come to get you. If I had known, I would have been nicer instead of fighting every day. Though we argued all the time, I loved you deeply. Let’s meet as siblings again in the next world. It seems this is as far as I go.]
Judging by the content shared between the male student and his family, it seemed the mutants had invaded their home and possibly killed them all. The male student’s outgoing attempts showed countless call records to his family, none of which were connected.
Communication must have broken down after the world went to ruins. They had communicated via messenger because the internet was still operational.It was a sorrowful situation. Jeron checked the conversation with the female student again.
[“Jiyul, shall we run away to the south when we get out?”]
[“What about your family?”]
[“They’re… all dead.”]
[“…”]
The male student’s message was very simple, but it must not have been easy to say. The weight of the emotions that must have passed between them was palpable. After a while, the female student’s message arrived.
[“Ha, Haseong. I was wrong. The ship has already been…”]
[“Jiyul? Are you okay? I’ll come for you!”]
[“Don’t, don’t come! This place is hell… I wanted to be with you too.”]
[“Jiyul?”]
[“Jiyul…?”]
[“Ah…?”]
And that was the end. It seemed that the male student didn’t use the phone again after that message. Why was the phone in the pencil case, one might wonder.
“It’s the only way to remember his family, girlfriend, and friends,” Jeron thought as he sighed deeply.
The gallery displayed numerous photos, allowing Jeron to see the world before its destruction. He spent a long time flipping through the photo album, lost in thought. Though he became momentarily sentimental, these circumstances were hardly a topic of interest after surviving for nearly 8 years.
The phone contained stories from right after the disaster began, but in a world where civilization had crumbled and law had vanished, there were countless events far worse than that. Jeron exited the messenger and browsed through the basic apps on the phone.
There were the clock and stopwatch, calculator, and such. He had his own clock, but the calculator seemed quite useful. Yet, more importantly, there were movies and dramas. Built-in games were also installed, promising some distraction before bedtime.
While messing with the phone, the battery died. It hadn’t charged much because he had only plugged it in for a limited time, and the decreased sunlight on Earth meant it hadn’t charged fully.
“From tomorrow on, I’ll make sure to charge it by the window while I work. That way, I can afford to listen to some music or watch a movie in the evening.”
“Wait. If I can find a USB cable, I could have unlimited access to movies and music, right?”
Discarded phones were aplenty in this world. It was hard to find one in such good condition, but he was confident he’d find one if he looked hard enough. The thought of a solar-powered phone charger seemed like a brilliant idea.
Even though it might not help much right now, continuously searching for USBs could eventually yield useful information. If he stumbled upon data from ancient military weapon enthusiasts or specialists, it would be like hitting the jackpot.
Turning away from the phone, Jeron then glanced over books. Right now, books had the power to introduce significant changes to his domain. He immediately dove into a text about saddles and stirrups.
[In times without saddles, cavalry battles were a special form of combat unique to people who were proficient with horses from a young age. It was virtually impossible for one who hadn’t grown up on horseback to manage it, as maintaining balance and fighting with just the strength of one’s thighs required immense skill. However, the invention of the saddle made it easier to maintain balance and use various weapons in battle.]
Jeron exclaimed audibly.
“Yes, the saddle is practically a cheat code for cavalry. If used wisely, it could secure a massive advantage in warfare.”
[Stirrups, invented around the 4th century in China but took centuries to reach Europe, acted as a platform on the saddle, enabling riders to exert force more effectively and increase their mobility. This was nothing short of a revolution in cavalry tactics, a true weapon of decisive battle that took 300 years to migrate from ancient China to Europe because of the intense precautions taken to keep it secret.]
Jeron realized that the use of saddles and stirrups required careful consideration. While they represented a shift in thinking, the ease of replicating them was a downside; widespread use would likely enlarge the scale of wars and inevitable casualties.
Therefore, unless one was prepared to annihilate the adversary entirely, it was crucial to maintain utmost secrecy.
“It’s time to begin production. If we use these as decisive weapons in a grand conflict, we could achieve great success.”