Chapter 308: The Glutton (0)
Chapter 308: The Glutton (0)
Perhaps it was the sunlight reflecting off the windshield.
My train of thought cut off for a moment.
However, I soon remembered what I was doing.
Right, I was getting ready to head out.
Maybe it was because I hadn't been in a car for a while, but I seemed to have gotten excited without realizing it.
Let’s see.
I’d heard it was an SUV before taking delivery, so I had imagined stiff seats.
But the interior is more spacious than I expected, and the seats are quite comfortable.
Especially considering my body is… well, on the smaller side compared to the average person, I feel like I’m practically sinking into the seat.
If there’s one problem, it’s that because of that, my feet don’t reach the brake or the accelerator.
Even normally, I could only barely reach them in anything but a small car, so I usually drove perched on the very edge of the seat.
But in this car, even with the seat pulled forward as far as it will go, there’s no sign of my feet reaching the pedals.
Hmm.
It can’t be helped.
With that thought, I summoned The Hammer.
Then, I placed it next to the accelerator.
Now, let’s see… was the accelerator on the left?
“…It’s on the right.”
Thanks, A-bin.
How did she know what I was wondering about?
“Huh? Isn’t it the left?”
“…Si-hyun, you stay away from the driver’s seat too.”
As I thought, this thing is definitely confusing.
If it were just me, I might have reflected on it a bit, but even the brilliant Baek Si-hyun got the position mixed up, didn't she?
There. Now, when I step on The Hammer, its weight creates a toggle-style accelerator that stays pressed down.
It makes the response time slower and using the brakes a bit inconvenient, but…
It’s not like car brakes were meant to be stepped on anyway.
And since it’s a hassle to keep pressing the gas or constantly taking my foot off it, this should be fine.
Military vehicles had lower seats, so I never had to do this.
Anyway, now that all the preparations are complete.
I inserted The Key I received into the ignition and turned it. I waited for the roar of the engine and the vibration to kick in, but…
The needle on the instrument cluster moved slightly, but the reaction I expected didn't come.
For a moment, I wondered if it hadn't started properly.
However, the faint vibration humming through my body and the UI floating in the air as a hologram proved that the engine was indeed running.
The lack of engine noise and the weak vibration must be because this is a luxury car.
“A pricey car really does live up to its cost,” I thought, as I began to manipulate the holograms in front of me.
Operation Assist? Naturally, set to 0.
Speed Control? Also 0, obviously.
Collision Prevention? Hey, if I have something like that, how am I supposed to deal with any anomalous entities that pop out? Definitely 0.
Physical Force Manipulation.
I couldn't tell what it meant just by the name, so I read the description.
It was a function that made the car less affected by ground conditions or the surrounding environment. It ensured that acceleration and chassis control didn't deviate significantly from average values regardless of the situation, maintaining a consistent handling feel.
There was a warning written in red, stating not to raise it above a certain level unless in a special situation.
But as is often the case with warnings in manuals, such disclaimers are just there to dodge liability for when kids who don't know how to handle the equipment properly cause a major accident.
If it were truly dangerous, they wouldn't have put the function in the product in the first place, right?
And I am a veteran who has driven countless vehicles since my time on the battlefield.
Naturally, I set it to 10.
A warning message popped up immediately, but I swiped it away without reading.
The options below that were also filled with values regarding "safety" this and that, so I finished my preparations by sliding anything that looked like it would make driving fun to the far right, and anything that felt like a shackle to the far left.
“Do modern cars really come with stuff like this?”
“I’ve heard that expensive cars have that kind of customization. It’s my first time seeing it in person, though.”
I see.
So even if it’s expensive, it’s technology already being used by civilians?
Actually, that red warning message from earlier was weighing on my mind a bit, and I thought about checking it one more time, but A-bin’s comment made that thought vanish instantly.
If it’s technology circulating among civilians, nothing too bad should happen.
Well then, shall I wet my whistle before we head out?
With that thought, I pulled a silver-shining thermos from my bag.
My personal beverage.
The thermos shone beautifully, reflecting the pouring sunlight.
Just as I was about to twist the cap while admiring it…
An ominous sensation brushed against the back of my neck.
As if a frigid chill had descended.
…What was that?
Startled by the cold, I quickly turned my head.
“Senior? That thing in your hand. What is it?”
“It’s that! Master’s drink!”
“Si-hyun, it’s not that I don’t know what it is… Never mind…”
Where I turned to look, there was only Han A-bin, watching me with cold eyes, and Baek Si-hyun, who failed to read the room and was talking nonsense again today.
…Was it just my imagination?
Or maybe my neck just touched a metal part.
Thinking so, I tried to open the thermos cap again, but…
“….”
Han A-bin’s persistent, piercing gaze bothered me.
I shoved the thermos back into the bag with a rough motion.
“Squeak!”
Brigadier General Un-ho let out a scream from inside the bag where he’d been sleeping, but since no further protest followed, it didn't seem like he’d fully woken up.
“We’re good to go, right? Nobody left anything behind?”
“Nothing.”
“We’re all set!”
“Then let’s go. Destination: the European Magic Academy!”
—Destination: European Magic Academy. Providing route guidance.
Oh? It has voice recognition too.
* * *
“Senior! Slow down a bit!”
“Floor it, Master!”
Between the two conflicting opinions, the one I chose was…
Naturally.
“Hahahaha! It goes faster the more I step on it, so why stop?!”
Baek Si-hyun’s opinion, of course.
Maybe if we were in the city, but on a plain with nothing but rocks and mountains, if I don’t floor it here, where else would I?
“Trees! There are trees!”
“It’s fine even if we hit them!”
CRASH!
A tree, struck by immense physical force, left a faint vibration echoing through the car before snapping and flying off somewhere.
“Kyaaaaaah!”
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard Han A-bin scream today.
Fortunately, the car was fine this time as well.
I was a little worried, but I expected it to be like this.
It wasn't the first thing I’d hit with this car today.
The very first was a boulder I ran into while driving carelessly without looking ahead.
Even then, A-bin was screaming, “Front! Front! Front!” but after the head-on collision with the boulder, I got out to inspect the car and found only a slightly dented frame.
Since there were no signs of any functional issues, I realized it was sturdier than I’d imagined.
Since then, I’ve just been driving wildly.
—Recalculating route.
“Hahahaha! Is there even a road to begin with?”
“There is, you’re just not using it!”
“That’s because a car like this is faster if you just go straight!”
“Exactly! Just like Master says, going straight is faster!”
“Both of you, please just shut uuuuup!”
THUD.
I think I hit something again, but I was too busy looking back to answer A-bin to see what it was.
Unlike when I hit the boulder earlier and came to a complete stop, this time there was only a slight loss of speed, so whatever I hit probably wasn't that big.
Which meant I didn't need to mess with The Hammer on the accelerator yet.
And as far as I could feel, the speed was still climbing.
“Man, technology has really come a long way. How many kilometers are we doing now?”
“Just look at the speedometer!”
“Oh, that? It broke at 300 km/h. The needle won’t go past that.”
“…What?”
What can I say? It’s the truth.
To think an SUV could reach such speeds. I can only offer my gratitude to the technicians at the Management Bureau.
The vehicle is rattling quite violently right now, but…
Compared to the catastrophe happening outside the window, this must be the shock absorbers doing their best to minimize the impact.
We’re running over fallen trees, jumping over mounds, and even catching air.
If it weren't for the shock control system applied with some unknown technology, the interior would have been on the verge of a total disaster by now.
“Kyaaaaaak! Senior, look ahead! Ahead!”
“Ah, a monster. Just ram it.”
Judging by the giant tree growing out of its head, it looked like a mutated Tree-Horned Deer. Our eyes met as it stared at me, but…
Hahahaha, why would I turn the steering wheel when there’s a monster in front of me?
And so, the Tree-Horned Deer was struck by the high-speed bullet of our car, spinning violently as it was sent flying behind us.
A fair amount of blood and flesh splattered onto the windshield as a result, but…
“Uwaaaaaah.”
“Let’s see, ah, is it this one?”
When I pressed a button that looked plausible, foam sprayed onto the glass and the wipers swished back and forth, restoring the windshield to a clean state.
In the process, the blood coated the glass so I couldn't see anything, and I think I hit a few more things, but the car didn't flip over, so no big deal.
By the way, was that monster I hit earlier a high-ranked one?
The windshield hadn't even had a scratch until now, no matter what I hit.
But now, a single rod that looked like that guy’s horn was pierced through the glass.
Regrettably, I didn't get a good look at it, so I don't know what rank it was.
If we were going 100 or 200 km/h, I would have seen it and gauged its strength, but by the time I saw its form, I’d already run it over.
“Hmm, at this rate, we’ll arrive earlier than scheduled.”
I thought it would take nearly a week, but two or three days should do it.
“Senior? Is the place we’re arriving at early… Heaven?”
That biting humor flowed from Han A-bin in the back seat.
“That’s impossible, isn't it, A-bin? I’m practicing safe driving right now.”
I’ve seen plenty of public service announcements saying dangerous driving is a high-pass to heaven, but that has nothing to do with me.
“…Safe. Driving?”
“It is safe driving. Safety is relative, you know. The car is sturdy, I’m not intentionally crashing into monsters, and there are no people around, so how is this not safe?”
Dangerous driving is when you don't wear a seatbelt, stack the car full of vodka, turn the wheel toward any shadow you see, floor the accelerator to run it over, and then laugh while looking at the crumpled frame and the missing windshield.
Of course, that means it’s dangerous driving for the shadow as well as the passengers.
When I mistook Misha for a bear and ran him over along with the vodka guys, that was truly dangerous driving.
Misha, who was in Berserker Mode at the time, recognized us as enemies and swung his claws, and we were busy running away while clutching our vodka. Fortunately, Misha seems to have no memory of it, and the only report we had to write was for the loss of one military vehicle—a happy ending.
“…Senior, let’s switch places. I’ll drive.”
Click.
Whether A-bin sensed some ominous omen in my perfect logic or not, she unbuckled her seatbelt and tried to push her way into the front seat.
THUMP.
“Ack!”
At the same time the car hit a tree, A-bin’s body was jolted, and she slammed her head against the ceiling.
“A-bin, sit still while I’m driving. If you get hurt, I won’t be able to treat you until we arrive.”
“Oh, Master, I can heal her too!”
“Right, and then a horn will sprout from where A-bin’s head cracked open.”
At least the wound would close.
Exchanging such lively conversation, we continued forward in a harmonious atmosphere.
I could hear screams from the back seat, but let’s just think of them as screams of joy.
* * *
“Hmm. Guys, how long has it been since we entered the forest?”
“Maybe… about 2 hours?”
“It has been exactly 1 hour, 51 minutes, and 29 seconds!”
Two hours, huh?
No matter how I think about it, we should have cleared the forest by now.
It would be one thing if I’d been driving slowly out of fear of hitting trees.
But I’d spent about an hour plowing through everything like a bulldozer.
And then, sensing something suspicious, I’d spent another hour driving along a dirt road through the forest.
By now, something is definitely fishy.
Even if I overlook the fog that’s excessively obscuring our vision.
We’re driving at this speed, and the forest still hasn't ended?
“Are your phones working?”
“Not at all. No signal for a while now.”
“Same here!”
As I thought.
I don't know when it started, but both my phone and the car’s navigation have been dead for a while.
The screen just keeps displaying the message: ‘Unable to receive signal.’
“…This is ominous.”
Truly, ominous.
“Ah, Master, I’ve seen a scene like this before. In horror movies, they always start like this…”
“…Si-hyun. Don’t say such weird things. That’s just a movie. It could never happen in reality.”
Hmm. A-bin, I’m sorry, but I was thinking the exact same thing as Si-hyun.
And considering our world is already a mess where all sorts of "Stories" are wandering around, a horror movie scenario seems perfectly plausible in reality.
“…For now, let’s keep driving.”
If we follow horror movie clichés, the moment we get out of the car, we’ll get separated and the massacre will begin.
It’s not confirmed yet that we’re trapped in a suspicious situation, but it wouldn't hurt to move with a bit of caution.
With that, I moved The Hammer off the accelerator.
Gently pressing the pedal myself, I moved forward through the chilly fog seeping into the car.