[Charismatic Leader]- You are a charismatic leader. The chance of [companions] turning traitor or leaving among surviving members is reduced.“Hmm.”Good.At first glance, the ability of the high-tier trait [Charismatic Leader] might seem trivial, but it’s actually quite useful—especially at the point of absorbing the Defense Force.Moreover, the [Charismatic Leader] trait becomes increasingly effective over time.The longer a companion stays with you, the less likely they are to deliver a shocking betrayal.The chances of a fundamentally different companion going astray are also reduced.‘Got it at just the right time. I don’t have to worry about the Defense Force defecting… at least for now.’I glance around briefly.They seem noticeably more lively than before.Some even come by occasionally to salute.‘Hmm… no need to salute, really.’“Did you sleep well?”“Yes, thanks to you.”“I’ll have breakfast ready right away!”“Thank you.”Fortunately, there was no mutant attack during the night.Even if they appeared, the troops had already set a rotating watch, so I could rest easy.As a result, after a good night’s sleep…- Stress Level: 0 -+ [Full Vitality]Both stress and fatigue were fully recovered.“Phew…”But that didn’t mean I could let my guard down.Day 1First day of the mutant outbreak.There were countless things to keep an eye on.The most urgent were supplies—and preparations for any unforeseen situations.However, the thing clouding my thoughts most was the lack of response from the central control center.The saying “no news is good news” doesn’t apply in this world.“Eli, any updates?”She replied with a tired expression, probably from a restless sleep.“Not yet.”“I see.”As expected, the central control center had yet to respond.My mind started overthinking… enough to need a small distraction.“So, could I ask a favor?”“I’ve already heard about it. Reinstating them into the regular army? That’s what you’re asking for, right?”“Yes. Is that possible?”She rolled her eyes for a moment.“You really think I’m some kind of jack-of-all-trades person…”“Impossible?”“Of course it’s possible.”“And?”“You want to change all those people, right?”“That’s… haha.”I felt a little awkward at her rebuttal.Now that I think about it, the number of people to change wasn’t small.It must be a tricky problem for her.“Is it really impossible?”Even as I spoke with a smile, her round eyes narrowed before she let out a sigh.“Alright. But not right now. I need to finish the transmitter first.”“Of course, I expected as much.”“…Anyway, next time, at least consult me.”“Yes, understood.”Honestly, I hadn’t thought deeply about it because I assumed she could handle anything.Still, just hearing that it was possible made me feel reassured.Right now, the only thing she might lack is combat power.But even that will eventually be filled.When that time comes, I could leave the rest to her.Thinking of [Bloody Eli], I couldn’t help but nod in agreement.Separately, I felt a pang of pity at how haggard she looked overnight.“Maybe you should try to rest a little?”“I want to, but I can’t sleep.”She shook her head with a bitter smile.She seemed troubled too.Probably every surviving member was restless.Even though the troops had regained some energy, few likely had a proper night’s sleep.Before my thoughts wandered further, Eli suddenly pointed at something with a peculiar expression.“It’s amazing, really. That they can do that in this situation.”She was pointing toward the troops, who had already started basic morning exercises.“Hmm, probably just habit.”“Habit?”“They had to stay disciplined to survive as soldiers.”Perhaps my answer was too literal, because Eli tilted her head in confusion.“If you were someone who wanted to send the 5th Defense Force into society, how would you do it?”“That doesn’t sound too difficult. You could just find some excuse…”“That’s why not giving them a reason to complain can be surprisingly taxing.”Eli looked at me, puzzled.But then she asked curiously,“Then couldn’t you just kick them out easily?”“There must be minimal laws to prevent that. That’s what created the contradiction of the 5th Defense Force.”Hmm…The 5th Defense Force.These members are naturally more capable than ordinary defense troops.The reason is simple: those trying to remove them versus those refusing to leave.If the law doesn’t allow you to drop them arbitrarily, naturally, you’d harass them through legal means.That raises the bar, and the easiest way to raise it is via Defense Force ability evaluations.For example, if you accumulate physical fatigue under the guise of training and suddenly test them, ordinary soldiers would fail.It’s not easy to endure, no matter the method used to raise standards.This isn’t a place where mere endurance guarantees survival.Considering how high their fitness standards are, the fact that they’ve endured proves their capability.In other words, they aren’t just nominal soldiers—they are genuinely competent.That’s the 5th Defense Force.And among them…‘There are some decent ones hiding here too.’Despite some flaws, these survivors’ abilities were exceptional.If memory serves: one sniper, one explosives expert, two combat vehicle pilots.And between them, Benjamin.His deep gray-white hair and striking, exotic features made him look like an actor.Tall and burly, he inspected the troops, boosting morale.‘Benjamin Howard.’Not a sniper or pilot, but as a commander, he possessed combat power surpassing them through his reinforced suit and plasma rifle.I recalled his title briefly.‘Underdog.’A man nicknamed “the dog cornered,” who survived six days despite chronic supply shortages, now approached as our eyes met.“Ah, Mr. Han.”“Did you sleep well?”“Of course. Can’t afford to lose combat power to idle thoughts.”The usual exchange of formalities.“Good…”But at that moment:“Ben!”“What’s happening?”“You need to see this.”Incidents always occurred unexpectedly.I hurriedly followed Benjamin as he moved swiftly. When we arrived, people there showed looks of dismay and confusion.“How many of them is that…?”“This is going to be dangerous.”The conversation left a nasty chill in my stomach.The Defense Force watched me closely.Benjamin /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ did the same.Not because they already regarded me as their leader — there hadn’t been enough time for that — but because they didn’t know what the sensible reaction was.If you don’t understand a situation, asking someone who does is often the wisest move.“Currently, a large number of mutants are approaching from three kilometers ahead of the front line.”“Three kilometers… that’s cutting it close.”“How many?”“Roughly… about a thousand.”I climbed the watchtower.“Those are…”A prelude to a wave.Although they estimated around a thousand, the distance and obstacles made it hard to be certain.I made the preliminary call.“A thousand is the minimum.”“Excuse me?”“Good lord…”Still, it didn’t feel like an outright disaster — more like a warning shot.Then —“Wait.”“Yes?”A sigh escaped me.I’d realized the nature of the situation.‘It’s artificial.’“Hey! People over there!”“Unknown person spotted at the front!”They’d been invisible from afar and blocked by debris. Ahead of the mutant horde rode several people on old-style bikes. Their destination wasn’t this place to begin with — they hadn’t exactly made any enemies here.They’d simply been fleeing and picked up trouble along the way.This kind of situation commonly occurred in the early stages, so I knew at a glance what was happening.‘Even those old bikes would have been fried by an EMP — so these are makeshift. That also means there are likely technicians among them.’“Ben! They’re definitely heading this way!”“Mr. Han, how about rescuing the civilians first?”“We can’t just open the gates. Some of them might be infected.”“What should we do then…?”We fell into a brief, anxious silence. If they came in and one was infected, that’d be a headache.More importantly: how do we handle the incoming mutant swarm? Thoughts became tangled, branching into countless options.We debated until we could find the most rational plan that minimized risk.Then I saw the hover bike marked BLACK WING in my sight. The method was right in front of us.“Benjamin, we can’t let the survivors in.”“Yes, sir.”Without knowing infection status, we couldn’t guarantee full safety. Excluding that possibility, we had to face the mutants.“Pull about one hundred of your best combat-ready troops immediately.”“We need to move position then?”“Not to fight here.”“Then…?”“The moment firearms are used, every nearby mutant will swarm. It’s safer to lure them and fight at a location distant from here.”I took out Zero and drew a line on the ground.Zzzzt —“This is the current map.”“Understood.”“It’s on the outskirts of the city, so there won’t be many mutants nearby. Think of it as the elevated highway on the perimeter.”I drew a distorted line with the tip of the blade.“We’ll lure them like this. This point here is suitable for the battle.”“This place… isn’t it a wasteland? How are you going to lure them from this situation?”“I will be the lure.”“Mr. Han?”I pointed to the hover bike as an answer.“If that’s the case… it should be safe. But shouldn’t we pull more troops? When luring, unexpected numbers might gather.”Benjamin’s question was reasonable. My reply was succinct. I raised my hand and pointed to the mark Zero had drawn.“If they gather there we’ll use explosives. Ammo expenditure must be minimized.”The Defense Force looked bewildered, clearly not fully understanding. But this was basic doctrine to veterans.First: if firing guns will draw aggro, don’t fight at the hideout — fight from a secondary position.Second: minimize ammo usage, and when you must use explosives or guns unexpectedly, make sure it’s worth the value gained.In short, this was a tactic that followed protocol.“If we encounter survivors during the sweep, what takes priority?”“Clearing the mutants first increases survivors’ survival rates.”It needed to be made clear: worrying about rescuing every survivor individually could cause greater damage.On the contrary, hunting down mutants and infected broadly would save more people in the long run.That was why we’d come to the 5th Defense Force — a unit specialized in exterminating mutants and infected.“You can’t do everything with one hand.”“Understood.”‘Still — we should secure technicians if possible.’As I paused to think, the base became a flurry of activity. The troops quickly checked their gear. Then —“Mr. Han.”“Yes?”“Good luck.”Benjamin looked grim, ready for combat.“Battle formation!”And the Defense Force answered in unison.““Yes───!!!!””

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