I Became the Dystopian Swordsman
“……You’re really going to swallow that here?”
Ellie looked disgusted.
But what choice did I have?
If I didn’t eat now, I’d risk gaining a negative trait.
Even if it felt like chewing sand rather than food.
I couldn’t exactly explain the High Metabolism trait to her.
“I haven’t eaten anything for days.”
Munch, munch—
I felt bad for Ellie, but the food disappeared in an instant.
Three sandwiches.
Two canned hams.
A whole bottle of drink.
Only after consuming all of it could I deactivate High Metabolism.
Despite my guilt, I didn’t feel the slightest bit wasteful.
Eating didn’t just deactivate the trait—it had other benefits too.
[Stress Level: 80]
The stress level dropped instantly.
‘Nothing lowers stress as reliably as a solid meal.’
Sure, deep sleep or entertainment could also reduce stress, but in this world, “deep sleep” was a luxury for the well-fed, and there was no room for leisure.
So, the easiest solution?
Good food.
Thanks to that, I could finally breathe again.
“Thank you.”
“Yeah… whatever.”
Her tone was sullen.
Despite her attempt to seem indifferent, her eyes still carried a troubled look.
“What were you thinking, doing something like this?”
“Something like what?”
A momentary dissonance.
But soon, reading her bewildered expression, I understood.
“Ah, you think I went too far?”
“This isn’t ‘too far’—it’s insane. Once things stabilize, this will come back to bite you.”
Ah.
So that was it.
Her misunderstanding reminded me of the gap in our knowledge.
She still believed this situation would eventually end.
She didn’t know about the impending Mutation Outbreak.
To her, this was just a severe disaster.
She—like everyone else—was still trapped in the world she once knew.
The only difference?
She was sharp.
“The chairman… no, the director even gave you glasses. You didn’t seem like the type to act so recklessly…”
Her voice was laced with doubt.
For a moment, silence fell between us, her gaze distant.
Then, as if sensing something, she spoke quietly.
“Is there something I’m missing?”
If she was knocking on the door of truth herself, it was time to tell her.
“Do you want to know?”
“…Of course.”
“It’s not something I need to hide, so I’ll tell you. Whether you believe it or not is up to you.”
For some reason, the gray sky felt even duller.
A cloudless yet murky sky.
Even in this monochrome world veiled in smog and smoke, sunlight still filtered through.
And beneath it, hushed voices exchanged words.
Her pupils trembled.
Then her expression twisted into one of utter disbelief.
Whether she believed me or not, she didn’t dismiss it outright.
Her stiff questions and answers told me she was trying to process it.
But I didn’t expect her to accept it all at once.
Still, this conversation would at least serve as a vaccine for her.
A mental preparation for the horrors to come—so she could act when the time arrived.
So, I laid out the facts as starkly and objectively as possible.
And after some time passed—
When the explanation reached its end—
Her distorted expression burst into outright shock.
“Ha! You expect me to believe that? That’s insane!”
“Believing is your choice. But I’d prefer if you chose to believe.”
“So you’re saying the reactor shutdown was to prevent a meltdown when it happens?”
“Yes.”
“If that’s true… then we only have a few hours left?”
“Not ‘only’ a few hours—we still have a few precious hours.”
“…This isn’t the time for wordplay.”
“I’m dead serious.”
Only a few hours?
No—roughly six remained.
Enough time to alter the starting point of this world.
So, it was time to move.
We couldn’t afford to relax just because there was still time.
“Let’s head inside the center first.”
“One last question.”
“Go ahead.”
“Why go this far? If what you say is true, you could’ve just taken a bunker and waited out the disaster.”
Why, indeed?
I couldn’t answer easily.
Part of me wanted to give an awkward reply.
Or maybe it was because our relationship wasn’t even at the level of comrades yet.
“Trying too hard to understand others makes it hard to understand yourself. The more you know, the more confused you’ll get.”
“Just say you don’t want to tell me.”
“Yeah. I don’t.”
Too harsh?
Ellie’s eyebrows shot up in irritation.
The air inside the control center had changed.
More awkward. More tense.
The moment Ellie and I stepped inside, an inexplicable discomfort settled in.
The eyes of the civil servants held fear and hostility.
No—something even stickier than that.
With every step I took, people unconsciously retreated.
Ellie frowned.
“Aren’t these the people you helped?”
“Guess they didn’t like how I helped.”
She nodded subtly.
Maybe it was inevitable.
The apocalypse hadn’t started yet.
From a normal perspective, witnessing such carnage firsthand would be hard to accept.
I could understand that.
But despite my understanding, a weight settled in my chest.
The civil servants had clustered together, adopting defensive postures.
Some even raised tasers.
“D-don’t come any closer!”
“If I hadn’t acted, you’d be the ones dead.”
Still.
I didn’t want to drag this emotional standoff out.
Fortunately, someone stepped forward with a scowl to break the tension.
“What the hell are you all doing? Lower those tasers.”
“Supervisor, didn’t you see? No matter how bad those gangsters were, what he did was—”
“Letting him in is just asking for trouble!”
“Do you really think this will stop him? The guy who took down an entire gang alone? If anything, you’re making things worse!”
Sasaki Ken.
Exhaustion lined his face as he stood between me and the others.
“Sorry about this. I stepped away for an important report, and this is what happens.”
“I understand.”
“Well, I’m glad you do.”
He spoke casually, but his body was trembling.
Was he afraid of me too?
No… probably not.
“Did something happen while I was dealing with the Monello Family?”
“Ah, that… I guess there’s no harm in telling you. The prison break inmates just raided the 3rd Garrison Base and stole their weapons.”
Ah.
So that was it.
Good.
A comparatively worse situation had diluted their fear of me.
Not surprising.
This was bound to happen.
‘The Liberation Front starts with the 3rd Garrison.’
The reactions around me grew more frantic.
“S-supervisor, what are you saying? The military base is in the hands of criminals now?!”
“…Yes. We just received a transmission from the 3rd Garrison’s command.”
Even Ellie, who had remained composed until now, staggered as if dizzy.
“This is bad…”
“Ellie, don’t worry too much.”
‘The Liberation Front’s foundation is criminals and gangs, but they’re not entirely enemies.’
In fact, they could become allies when needed.
At first, they’re little more than looters, but over time, they solidify into a proper faction.
‘Their combat ability even surpasses the Reconstruction Committee’s.’
This was just the birth of a faction.
No need to worry about it.
As I pondered, Ken revealed his conflicted thoughts.
“I’ll be honest—I don’t know if I should thank you or be wary of you.”
Ken wasn’t so different.
His eyes, too, held the same fear as the others.
But he bowed his head.
“Thank you.”
No response was needed.
I didn’t want to complicate his feelings further.
It was time to do what I came here for.
No more delays.
I walked past Ken.
This time, no one blocked my path.
‘Finally… I’m here.’
All my focus zeroed in on the heart of the control center—the central control device.
I only vaguely registered the two following me.
Ellie Wayris.
And Sasaki Ken, who had silently trailed behind.
Step by step.
My heart pounded like it would burst.
A feat only possible at the prologue’s turning point.
To seal away the root of the apocalypse.
This was where it all began.
My steps quickened.
And so did the footsteps behind me.
It didn’t take long to reach the core of the central control center.
Bzzzt—
Clank—
Here, oblivious to the chaos outside, people scurried about busily.
“Any updates from the 3rd Garrison?”
“We just got a call from the director of Vizen Labs—intruders are trying to break in! They’re requesting immediate support!”
Pleas for help were flooding in from the city’s key facilities before communications were cut.
Even in a large-scale disaster, they were scrambling to do something.
I almost pitied them.
‘They have no idea what’s coming.’
“H-hey! No unauthorized personnel— Supervisor Sasaki? Who are these people?”
Someone tried to block me, but I gently pushed past.
I was finally here.
To change the apocalypse’s starting point, even if just a little.
This was the moment.
The faint tension weighing on my shoulders soon spread through my entire body.
I fiddled with the ring on my finger as I approached the city’s control console.
The massive screen displayed countless red dots.
