WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator/Editor: Ryuu
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◈ The Little Prince of the Ossuary

00003 <-- The Little Prince of the Ossuary -->

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#Material Procurement (2), Camp Roberts

Only after completing procedures such as tactical drills, tactical movements, basic hand signals, and mental training did the material procurement mission commence. It was all just a formality, though. Many people came out to see us off when the vehicle departed. It was still unclear why they had come to bid farewell. Perhaps if my rank in leadership skills like Insight or Perception had been higher, I might have been able to discern their thoughts.

Thinking about skills, the control AI, sensing my subconscious, displayed some AI Advice.

「AI Advice (Insight Level 4): You have unused experience points. Experience points are consumed when acquiring skills, and acquiring skills also improves a player's basic stats. A significant amount of experience points is required to learn skills without prior knowledge. Even checking for the existence of a specific skill can consume experience points. The amount of experience points needed decreases if you have prior knowledge and experience in the skill. Such knowledge can be obtained from books or friendly NPCs. Skills previously acquired in past playthroughs require less experience points to relearn depending on the number of times acquired. In some cases, acquiring a skill without any prior knowledge, despite the high experience point cost, might be more beneficial. The choice is yours.」

I knew this already.

The boy opened his skill list. Skills unknown to him didn't even show up. There was a method to check for the existence of a skill by entering specific keywords, but doing so would consume experience points as the control AI warned. Moreover, acquiring that skill would require several times more experience points. This was called the ‘Ignorance Penalty – Unknown Penalty.’

For example, a player could obtain high-level mechanical engineering skills without any relevant context. It would cost a considerable amount of experience points, though. One might wonder if it's worth acquiring such skills at such a high cost, but the advantage lies in being able to instantly obtain hard-to-acquire specialized skills when needed.

However, certain advanced skills that require specific skills as a prerequisite were exceptions.

Another advantage players had over NPCs was the concept of ‘Inheritance.’

Skills obtained even once in previous rounds were not subject to the ‘Unknown Penalty.’ Instead, if the skill was relearned, a ‘Talent Advantage’ applied, varying according to the number of times the skill was learned. Meaning, it could be reacquired with fewer experience points. However, this benefit only applied up to the rank previously achieved. If the highest rank achieved in a previous round was 6, there would be no benefit for ranks 7 and above.

Along with this Talent Advantage, additional effects from completing challenges were the only perks given to multi-round players.

The boy prioritized distributing his experience points to combat-related skills. Being essential skills, he could reach a decent rank with fewer experience points due to the number of times he had learned them. Of course, this also meant the boy had faced numerous dead ends in previous rounds.

Grade 9 ‘Close Combat’, Grade 10 ‘Melee Weapon Mastery’, Grade 8 ‘Firearms Mastery’.

While traveling in the vehicle, Sergeant Elliot, the US soldier in charge, was diligently writing something in a green-covered notebook. Seeing the date written at the top, it seemed to be a diary. Catching the boy staring, the sergeant awkwardly covered it with his hand and looked embarrassed.

“Not sure about the manners in other countries, but peeping like that doesn’t seem very polite, does it?”

“My apologies, it was unintentional.”

“…Well, it’s nothing important anyway.”

The sergeant closed the notebook. It seemed to be a supply item.

In the corner of my vision, a function notification flickered. It was the time acceleration feature. When wanting to fast-forward travel to a specific location or shorten the time until a mission starts, using the acceleration function makes time in the virtual reality flow rapidly.

During this accelerated time, the situation is determined by the control AI’s situation calculation, and if there is any information the player needs to know, it is provided in journal format. Essentially, time acceleration is another form of journal progression.

However, using time acceleration in the early stages, when one could not overlook the benefits gained from minor events and interpersonal relationships, was considered a last resort. Indeed, even without doing anything, someone approached to strike up a conversation.

“Hey, kid. What’s your name?”

A soldier from another seat asked. Judging by his skin color, he seemed to be Mestizo. True to the melting pot that is America, the diverse ethnicities of the US military were apparent, and his name tag did not bear a typical Anglo-American name.

「Guilherme」

I could read the letters, but only broken hologram characters appeared when I wondered about the pronunciation. It meant the player didn’t recognize the name’s language format.

“It’s Gyeoul.”

“Gee-uh-loor?”

“It’s Korean. It means ‘Winter’.”

“Sounds kinda similar to my name.”

The boy pointed at the name tag and asked.

“How do you pronounce it?”

The soldier seemed amused. As I wondered about his psychology, Level 4 ‘Insight’ activated.

「Everyone else seems tense or intimidated, but he appears curiously calm. Seems like they think he’s got guts. (Error possibility 72% / To reduce error probability, a higher level of ‘Insight’ and ‘Perception’ along with an intelligence adjustment is required.)」

Really, is that so? It’s a guess within the bounds of common sense. The soldier replied.

“You can call me Guilherme.”

“Private Guilherme, sir.”

“Just Guilherme is fine.”

The other soldiers burst into laughter. The Korean honorific ‘-nim’ had translated to ‘Sir,’ hence the amusement. He was grumbling about not being teased.

The time for conversation wasn’t long, though. The village’s outlines became visible shortly after, as it was only a 5km distance. Even from afar, the landscape seemed eerie. Anxiety spread among the refugee volunteers. Private Guilherme sighed deeply.

“Creepy. I was already upset about the lockdown, and now we’re greeted by this sight.”

Lockdown meant a prohibition on leaving or staying out. It’s usually a punishment concept for military discipline violations. However, currently, all soldiers were basically forbidden from leaving the base.

The convoy turned left off the national road, heading south. The gas station was located to the south of the village, so the convoy appeared to pass by the village.

The Chevron gas station sign became visible, recognizable by the overlaid blue and red bars and the famous Chevron corporation name. Sergeant Elliot pulled out a key and unlocked the gun carrier’s lock. It was a metal frame where guns were stored and locked.

“You’ve been briefed, but do not attempt to escape. If you try to move east and are detected by aerial reconnaissance, you will be shot without warning. With the mobilization order in effect, crossing the blockade safely is impossible. You must follow my orders precisely. Depending on the situation, you may be executed on the spot. Do you all understand?”

The refugees nodded with grim faces.

As if they heard the convoy’s movement, several infected mutants sprang out from the village. A soldier sitting on the turret of the lead Humvee immediately opened fire. However, instead of the mounted machine gun, he used a rifle equipped with a suppressor.

The low, drawn-out moans of the charging mutants turned into a chaotic tumble. Their running posture alone made it clear they weren't normal, but their speed was terrifyingly fast. Even after being shot, they struggled to rise and continue their charge. Ordinary human reactions to pain and blood loss weren’t enough to stop their movements.

“Stay seated, it’s dangerous. We’ll handle it upfront.”

Despite Sergeant Elliot’s scolding, the refugees wouldn’t listen. Another soldier on the opposite side, Private Blake, grumbled.

“I heard San Miguel was mostly cleared early on, with hardly any mutants, but we get a welcoming party right as we arrive.”

“They must’ve drifted in from other areas.”

Private Guilherme replied curtly and kept watch, aiming his gun outside the railing.

Eventually, the convoy stopped. As the sluggish tankers crawled into the gas station, firearms, large swords, and machetes were distributed among the refugees. Even after selecting those who seemed mentally stable, there was evident caution against someone possibly going on a shooting spree. The boy also received a weapon. The bladed weapons were incredibly sharp, honed by an electric grinder. I had seen the sharpening process before, and the sparks were like those from toy fireworks.

“Disembark!”

At the low command, the soldiers led the refugees out of the vehicles. As planned, the soldiers took charge of perimeter security, and the designated soldiers stepped forward to check the refugees' headcount. Meanwhile, troubled voices came from the gas station.

“Damn, it’s a card-operated pump, but we can’t unlock it. What do we do?”

A sergeant scratched his head under his helmet, clearly troubled. Dandruff fell onto his shoulder, visible even from a distance, suggesting a lack of proper supplies for personal care items like shampoo or just plain laziness.

“We'll proceed as planned. If the situation is safe, we'll clear any obstacles on the road and call for the truck. If not, fill the duffel bags provided to each person with supplies and return. There are extra duffel bags, so making several trips until dark is also an option. Your enthusiasm for this mission will be assessed, and rewards will be distributed accordingly. Please do your best.”

The refugees hesitantly nodded.

“Let’s get going. We’ll cover the rear. Please lead the way in order.”

The soldiers moved to the back. This was agreed upon by the base commander and the refugee representatives beforehand. In a situation where replenishing troops was difficult, the US military couldn't afford to suffer losses, and there had been complaints from the refugees when this was announced. The current volunteers had accepted these conditions to undertake the mission.

#Public Service Announcement, First Half of 2040, KBS

A rundown neighborhood, a dilapidated corner. The camera focuses on an elderly man collecting waste paper. Worn sleeves, flapping in the autumn breeze. The wind cuts through. Patches stitched haphazardly, soaked in brine and grease. Clearly unwashed for a long time. A passing schoolgirl grimaces and pinches her nose. The stench. The elderly man feels embarrassed. His lonely thoughts become words on the screen.

「Still, I need to sell this to afford a meal…」

The shot changes. Deep focus. A sloping road. The camera angles from top to bottom. The elderly man struggles to climb up, dwarfed compared to the cart laden with waste paper. The setting sun in the background symbolizes the twilight years of life. The lonely atmosphere and the shabby surroundings hint at the poverty and hardships of life's end. It's a scene that elderly viewers can empathize with. The soft and compassionate voice of a female narrator follows.

“At 86 years old, Mr. Park Woo-cheol survives by collecting waste paper. Although he receives a monthly pension of 630,000 won, it’s not enough. As of 2040, the government's estimated minimum cost of living for a single-person household is 1,645,053 won. Prices rise every year, but the national pension fund, depleted, has been stagnant for years. Life for the elderly in South Korea is incredibly hard.”

Finally, the elderly man makes it up the slope. Close-up. Sweat beads on his forehead. Deep wrinkles. The scene shifts again. The scrap dealer sorts the paper. Not all paper is worth the same. The elderly man waits anxiously beside him. After some quick calculations by the dealer, the total comes to 13,325 won. A pouch hanging on the cart contains slightly more valuable waste like aluminum cans and rusted iron. After weighing and pricing those, the total barely exceeds 20,000 won. The kind-hearted dealer rounds it up to 21,000 won. The elderly man is profoundly grateful.

The narrator's voice flows again.

“At least Mr. Park Woo-cheol is in a relatively better situation. There are only a few legally permitted scrap dealers in Seoul. With many closing down due to lack of profit, most elderly people wanting to sell waste paper can’t even find a place to do so. They have no choice but to rely on the meager pension.”

Now the elderly man finishes his late meal and lies down in his small room, almost devoid of possessions. It's too early for sleep, but there's nothing else to do. Fiddling with the broken TV yields nothing. He tries to sleep. It's not easy. The room is too small to stretch out fully, and the old house lets in the cold autumn air. He curls up under the blanket. The elderly man's thoughts flow on the screen.

「I need to save the briquettes for winter...」

It's not about being frugal; it's about survival.

「I wonder what Su-yeong is doing now…」

The elderly man thinks of his daughter. The camera zooms in on his eyes, reflecting the image of the daughter he raised. The narrator, still tender but unsettlingly so, explains.

“Every parent in South Korea knows the feeling of not wanting to be a burden to their children. In these harsh times, it's difficult to live alone without becoming a burden. But is this really the right way?”

The scene changes again. Technicians sweat as they build facilities, and scientists and doctors in white coats debate. The mood is dramatically brighter compared to the previous footage. The screens the scientists and doctors look at display a human brain with bright bioelectrical signals.

One after another, various landscapes show people smiling happily.

A young woman soaking her feet in a stream under the summer sun. The caption reads 92-year-old Elderly An Mi-young. A youth walking through a flower garden in the spring breeze. The caption reads 88-year-old Elderly Choi Dae-yang. Many other elderly individuals enjoy seasons and youth they couldn't possibly have in reality, along with limitless happiness.

“Convert your national pension into posthumous insurance. It's not about living anymore; it's about existing. Any South Korean citizen over 65 can abandon their physical body and gain the freedom of the mind and limitless happiness. South Korea's posthumous insurance guarantees life after death.”

The screen now alternates between the sad reality of Elderly Park Woo-cheol and the happy existence of countless people in virtual reality.

“There's no need to insist on a life filled with anxiety and pain in reality. Don't be afraid of ideotomy extraction surgery. The failure rate is lower than that of an airplane crash. The life support and neuroconnection devices of the globally recognized posthumous insurance foundation will keep your brain healthy beyond its natural lifespan. If virtual reality seems unfamiliar, request a preliminary experience. You can directly experience and decide about the world you will live in. The virtual reality experience facilities are open to the public year-round.”

The experience facility is clean and orderly. Elderly people in small groups try out virtual reality. Marvelous. Wonderful. The elderly smile contentedly, among them is Elderly Park Woo-cheol. He walks down a flower path on a bright spring day, rejuvenated.

“A happy South Korea for everyone, created by posthumous insurance.”

As the commercial ends, the screen is filled with a fluttering Taegeukgi (Korean flag).

“This campaign is a joint effort of the Public Service Advertising Council, National Pension Service, and Posthumous Insurance Foundation.”

Footnotes:

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