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Chapter 28
“After creating the camp, we had so many disagreements and it was really tough, but now that they’re gone… I miss them a lot.”
“What kind of person was your close friend?”
“They were kind of frustrating. At first, we got along, but after that, they just opposed everything I said.”
Even as he said that, James smiled faintly.
“I can’t go into details, but they suggested giving up the goal we had been working toward.”
“Now that I think about it, Anna, it might have gotten worse after they appeared.”
Come to think of it, Anna had said she had tried her best.
Anna must have worked hard to persuade Hans. Of course, Hans gradually lost motivation as he neared death.
“So the last three months, we really fought like our lives depended on it. If I had known Hans Shale would die during the Creature Wave, I never would have done that.”
Perhaps if Hans Shale hadn’t died during the Creature Wave, this camp might have looked much better than it does now.
Of course, thinking about it now changes nothing.
“What do you think now?”
“About what?”
“About your deceased friend’s opinion. You said they suggested giving up on the goal.”
“I could never give in to that.”
James’ eyes sharpened.
“No matter what happens, I’ll never give up.”
“……May I ask why?”
I was curious. Even though he fought with someone so precious, why was James so obsessed with maintaining this camp?
If you know your enemy and yourself, you win every battle. The more we knew about James, the more it worked to our advantage.
“I’ve lived my life for this goal. How could I give up something that’s practically my entire life?”
“Your entire life?”
“Exactly. Because it’s what I’ve been striving toward my whole life.”
His expression was unusually serious, so I asked seriously as well.
“……Your goal was so important to you, your dear friend must have known that, right?”
“They did.”
“So even though your friend opposed it, there must have been a reason, right?”
“…….”
James stayed silent for a long moment, then suddenly snapped.
“Why do you care about that! Today’s your last day here, remember?”
“That’s true, but……”
“No matter what you say, I’m not listening.”
“……I see.”
“Now, go.”
“Yes.”
As I stood and moved away from James, I clenched one fist tightly.
Even after all that, he stubbornly insisted on his opinion. It was impressive.
James had no intention of changing the structure of this camp. No matter what happened.
Sadly, today would be the last day he could enjoy all of it.
Anna sat in her quarters, staring blankly at Hans’ affinity bar.
[‘Hans Shale’ Current Affinity: 74/100]
She had possessed this body six months ago and lost Hans three months ago.
The time she had spent with Hans Shale was barely three months—extremely short.
Yet, just thinking about him made her head spin and her chest ache every day.
There was no denying it: her body was honest. She loved Hans Shale.
She realized this love belatedly. Only after Hans’ death.
Grasping her chest in a suffocating pain, she tried to regain composure.
Today was extremely important.
This afternoon was when Lariana and Isis would leave the survival camp. Before that, she had something to do.
Something that would shake the entire camp.
When she declared she would help for the camp, Lariana came that morning and explained what Anna needed to do. The responsibility was larger than she expected, but in the end, she agreed to do it.
Once she agreed, there was no turning back.
Trying to calm her pounding heart with deep breaths, she longed desperately for a calming pill she didn’t have.
…In fact, this task was originally Anna’s own.
Before the Creature Wave, she had been the second-in-command of the survival camp and had tried to persuade Hans Shale to initiate changes in the camp.
She had steadily talked to Hans about the camp’s problems, and eventually, he had agreed to her persuasion.
She had raised her voice and fought against James, trying to implement changes.
But everything completely changed that day.
“Anna, run!”
“No, Hans!”
At the moment Hans shielded her from the Creature’s attack.
Her world collapsed a second time.
The fear was greater than when she first possessed this world without knowing anything.
She barely survived the Creature Wave, but she felt as if she wasn’t really alive.
Everything looked colorless.
Even after taking Hans’ place as the camp’s second-in-command, after the camp had been somewhat reorganized and James began to rally the people again, she did not step forward.
She was too exhausted to intervene.
The heavy burden on her shoulders—her most trusted person gone, the harsh reality of having to survive here for life, and the dear family she would never see again…
Her only outlet was…
[Sansan: Is everyone still alive?!]
[Am I the Heroine?!: That’s a brutal greeting, lol.]
Even for a short escape from reality, the chat window was a lifeline.
Maybe because it was unrealistic, or maybe because she missed her smartphone so much.
Talking freely in the chat allowed her to ignore the crushing reality.
People in similar situations. People she could comfortably talk to about her past, which she could share with no one else.
Even if she didn’t know their faces or exact locations, the people behind the chat were becoming increasingly important to her.
But just as online counseling couldn’t change reality, her real situation remained the same.
With Hans gone, the camp’s state worsened. The number of people decreased rapidly after the Creature Wave, and it kept dwindling.
She thought total annihilation was imminent, yet she remained inactive.
‘If Hans ignored the advice of a lifelong friend, would they listen to me when we haven’t even known each other a year?’
‘Yeah… maybe this is a justified revenge.’
She reassured herself in self-defense.
She gave small portions of food to starving people to convince herself she wasn’t bad.
Days spent meaninglessly eventually changed.
It started with a chat from a new possessor:
[Ria: Is anyone near the Drain Marquis estate?]
The Drain Marquis estate.
It was where Anna’s previous survival camp had been before the Creature Wave.
[Sansan: That place must be swarming with monsters. I heard even the survivors there were wiped out.]
[Am I the Heroine?!: Seriously?]
[Sansan: Yes. I was near that town. A month ago the Creature Wave hit, and the number of creatures suddenly increased, so we had to move our base.]
Even as she typed, countless thoughts flooded her mind.
Why were they asking about the Drain Marquis estate? Were they coming here?
If so… could she meet them?
Her heart pounded at the thought of meeting someone she had only known through chat.
She had known from the names of places that these people were somewhere in the empire, but to see them in person with her own eyes…
She sent a message with a hint of anticipation.
[Sansan: I’m at a survivor camp in the Saber territory, right next to the Drain Marquis estate. If things get dangerous, come here!]
[Ria: Okay, thank you.]
