I Became the Dystopian Swordsman
In Apocalypse City, countless survivors exist.
Among them, some are friendly to the player.
Some are hostile.
And then there are those whose alignment is ambiguous.
Survivors who become strong allies if their favorability is high—but turn into deadly threats if it drops.
These are the so-called dual-natured survivors.
Though things didn’t go well, Vergo was clearly a friendly survivor.
On the other hand, Ellie Wayris was an extreme example of a dual-natured survivor.
Her defining trait? Versatility.
Nothing about her stood out as exceptionally brilliant, but she lacked nothing either.
A high-value asset—capable of being an engineer, a doctor, or a researcher.
Her combat skills were also decent.
However.
Dual-natured survivors have trickier conditions for raising favorability compared to friendly ones, so conflicts with her were common.
Her playstyle inherently leaned toward solo play, disregarding favorability entirely.
Despite her setting as a platinum-blonde, red-eyed woman who had just reached adulthood, she was tenacious and ruthless.
As such, my memories of Ellie weren’t exactly pleasant.
Given that backdrop, managing to build favorability in our first encounter was quite meaningful.
In a situation like this—where survival takes priority over a clear run—choosing to go solo wasn’t the wisest move.
A player character can’t do everything alone.
“You seem to know a lot.”
“……How did you get here?”
“I was at a loss for where to go next… so I followed you out of curiosity. I didn’t expect you to come all the way here, Mr. Han.”
She looked exhausted from the climb, her face pale.
But the situation wasn’t lenient enough to accommodate her.
“You should head back down. Staying here is dangerous.”
“If this place is dangerous, where isn’t?”
“There has to be somewhere. You just have to find it.”
“Are you heading somewhere safe?”
“I’m going to make somewhere safe.”
“Then I’m coming with you.”
“……?”
The situation was taking an odd turn.
Instead of answering, she pointed at the floor—
At the deep gash left by my slash.
“Hmm……”
Ellie Wayris.
Having her around would undoubtedly be helpful.
But not now.
Given how urgently I needed to move—
She’d clearly tire out quickly.
‘A shame.’
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have the luxury of escorting anyone right now.”
Despite my firm stance, she grinned.
Her smile faintly resembled Gale’s.
“You’re going to the Central Control Center to shut down the reactors, right? That won’t be easy.”
“Sounds like you have a way to make it happen.”
“Of course! The name ‘Wayris’ carries more weight than some mysterious man named Kyle Han.”
“Doubtful.”
I already had the master key.
The authority to shut things down was mine.
But there was no need to tell her that.
“I’ll figure it out myself.”
With that, I walked past her, heading down.
This conversation might’ve lowered the favorability I’d worked hard to build, but it didn’t feel important.
At least, not until her final words stopped me.
“Don’t you need transportation?”
Outside HQ
The situation outside was exactly as expected.
The screams of those suffering had grown louder.
The number of people panicking at the sight had increased.
Buildings engulfed in flames and smoke had doubled.
Amidst it all—
At the end of my gaze stood a shabby electric bicycle.
“This……?”
“What do you think?”
“Hmm.”
“It’s an employee’s e-bike. I scouted it out earlier.”
“It’s security-locked.”
“……Didn’t think you’d notice that. Still, it’s faster than running.”
“Well… I suppose.”
An electric bike.
The acceleration function was fried by the EMP, but the basic mechanics remained intact.
There were five in total.
I picked the most functional-looking one and raised my greatsword.
“Hup.”
Shhk—
[+ Electric Bicycle Acquired]
“……Bok-dong?”
“Huh?”
“Never mind.”
Still, it was a relief.
With a bike, I could reach the Central Control Center much faster.
And if it was just a bicycle…
The chances of Ellie falling behind were low.
She was a survivor with decent stats.
Someone who could be useful later if I kept her around.
So I had to ask—
What she truly wanted.
“What do you really want?”
“Hmm……”
Was the question too sudden?
Ellie hesitated, her expression troubled.
“When you were talking to Vergo earlier… you mentioned NH-03 was the problem, right?”
“……Yes.”
“If that’s really the issue… then nowhere is safe for me.”
Nowhere is safe?
I wondered what led her to that conclusion.
“Is your safety really your only concern?”
“Yes.”
“Then wouldn’t it be better to return home now?”
“NH-03 was administered to 30% of the city’s population. Everyone wants to stop aging, but only three out of ten got the treatment. Do you know what that means?”
Instantly—
I understood what she was implying.
But I asked anyway.
Her reasoning would showcase her competence.
“I’m curious.”
“The wealthy and capable were prioritized.”
“If you imagine a pyramid—you know, the triangle thing—only the top 30% were given the treatment.”
“There are exceptions.”
“Right. People like me—too young to worry about aging—or minors wouldn’t have gotten it……”
Ellie’s lips curved into a smile.
“But the untreated demographic is still clear.”
“The socially vulnerable.”
“Exactly. The vulnerable.”
“Now, here’s the problem.”
She took a deep breath.
The smile vanished from her face in an instant.
“In a chaotic situation where the ruling class has collapsed… how long do you think it’ll take for the vulnerable to turn into mobs?”
Hmm.
Was there even a need to guess?
It was probably already happening.
“For criminal gangs, this chaos is an opportunity. They’ll start by looting small stores… but soon, they’ll aim bigger.”
“Then all the more reason to go home?”
“My neighborhood’s probably already been looted.”
Her predictions were all correct.
So I told her—
“That’s a smart judgment.”
She was a Wayris.
If someone recognized her, things could get ugly.
‘Though she’d probably survive on her own.’
“You came up with that hypothesis in such a short time?”
“I’d rather not be called a know-it-all.”
“You’re capable.”
“……?!”
That was enough to pass.
“That said, I’m not offering protection.”
“If I follow you… you’ll help me when things get dangerous, right? I’ll help too, when I can.”
Her expression hardened as she drove in the final nail.
“Fine. I’ll help.”
For the effort invested, she might not contribute much.
But without taking these small steps, forming allies would be impossible.
If I wanted to maximize survival odds, a minimal group was necessary.
This was a chance to test—
Whether she could truly become an ally.
The Central Control Center was urgent, but ignoring the future would be foolish.
“Now, open one for me too.”
“……”
Shhk—
I cleared the neatly severed security lock.
Then tested the pedals.
Luckily, it wasn’t a high-security model requiring a key to start.
“If it’s too much, you can take your time.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
I had no intention of slowing down for her.
If she collapsed from exhaustion midway, so be it.
No matter how much I thought ahead, priorities were clear.
Creak—
The pedals turned smoother than expected.
Instead of cool wind, scorching heat and thick smoke brushed past my face.
‘I’ll get there as fast as possible.’
One lesson from playing Apocalypse City—
Time must be used sparingly.
“L-Let’s go!”
Central Control Center
Being a civil servant was supposed to be a stable job.
Work moderately.
Kill time moderately.
Leave at a reasonable hour.
That’s what civil service was supposed to be.
And yet—
“W-Why is this happening?!”
An unmanageable crisis had struck.
The Central Control Center was already paralyzed.
The only ones still functional were Sasaki Ken and a few low-ranking officials.
Superiors had collapsed one after another, foaming at the mouth.
Meanwhile, the incoming reports only added to the chaos.
“Citizens are trapped in subway stations!”
“Sir, the criminal containment facility has already—”
“Mr. Sasaki! The Silverman Shopping Center is being robbed—!”
“Sasaki! What do we do?!”
“SHUT UUUUP—! Stop calling my name! What the hell am I supposed to do?!”
There was nothing he could do.
The communication network had collapsed.
Most updates were word-of-mouth.
Apart from critical city facilities shielded from the EMP, no signals were getting through.
Security and fire departments couldn’t coordinate.
Even after barely contacting the military, their situation seemed no better than the Control Center’s.
“W-What about the mayor? Is there still no change?”
“Unfortunately……”
A catastrophic situation.
Ken asked himself if he could navigate this—
But the answer was already clear.
‘……We’re screwed.’
The crisis had spiraled beyond control.
The city had frozen in an instant.
Countless citizens were suffering from unknown symptoms.
Meanwhile, the prison containment facility had breached, releasing criminals into the streets.
Hospitals had shut down, patients dying in real time.
Gangs were looting department stores—and that was the least of their problems.
Perhaps that’s why Ken’s decision came surprisingly fast.
“Uuuaaaghh—!”
“S-Sir?!”
“C-Cough! I’m getting symptoms too…!”
“Not you too, sir!”
Ken believed he’d made a rational choice.
‘Better to fake it than panic. If things stabilize later, I can avoid responsibility.’
A survivalist mindset, protecting his iron rice bowl, led him to let out a convincing scream.
Just as the commotion peaked—
A voice colder than ice cut through.
“Sir… you might want to come see this.”
“C-Cough! Haaack—!”
No—
It wasn’t the voice.
It was the expression on the messenger’s face.
“The chief’s in bad shape. What’s going on?”
The next words—
“It’s… the gangs.”
Sent a chill through everyone.
“Gangs? Why would they—?”
Ken, pretending to be unconscious, cracked his eyes open to eavesdrop.
And what he heard jolted him awake.
“They’re breaking down the front gate……”
“Huh……?”
“T-The gangs?! Why?! There’s nothing to steal here!”
“Sir! Snap out of it! The gangs are here!”
‘Why would gangs come here?!’
“H-How many… how many are there?”
“Sir! Are you okay now?!”
Ken couldn’t help but open his eyes fully.
The idea of gangs reaching the Central Control Center signaled a new disaster.
“I-I don’t know the exact number… but dozens? Yeah, at least dozens!”
Dozens was an understatement.
Armed criminals were a different beast from unarmed civilians.
Ken felt his stomach churn as the situation grew more hopeless.
“Why the hell… are gangs here?!”
The answer came from someone else.
“Maybe… they want to destroy the Control Center?”
“Don’t talk nonsense—”
Wait.
Only now did it click.
“T-They want to make the chaos worse?!”
“If not that, then……”
“Those insane bastards…!”
With the city in unprecedented chaos, gangs and looters were running rampant.
Yet, despite the ongoing large-scale events, they were battering down the Control Center’s gates.
There was only one reason.
They wanted to prolong the chaos—to loot even more.
“G-Grab the riot batons and tasers!!”
With a scream, Ken had no choice but to stand up.
