HOTD! Busujima's Step Brother-Chapter 82 – Escort

Something definitely happened outside the camp. And it had affected the choice.

Because there was also a choice to stay in the encampment, something might also happen here soon.

What should I do? I caressed my chin in deep thought. The reward was the highest in option three. It meant something was happening outside and I needed to be there. Perhaps I had to fight against something.

And it was dangerous outside the encampment. I could feel it.

"Are you okay?" Saya's voice pulled me back to the present and I turned my attention towards her.

She stared at me intently.

Protecting them outside might not be possible. And taking only Saeko while ignoring the second option was also not wise.

If I weren't outside, the danger would reach this place and the people in the encampment would die. Perhaps Tania and Lucy would die too.

The girls would probably survive, but I wasn't sure if our transportation would arrive safely in that case. Communication would once again cease and I had to start everything again from zero.

So the most optimal option was me going outside, dealing with the danger, and returning as fast as possible.

Saeko had to stay here to protect our group and to be ready in case I was late to stop the incoming danger. And that danger was big, judging from the amount of the shop points and stat bonus in the option.

And so, I decided to go for option 3.

"I will take a walk for a while. Staying in this encampment makes me go crazy.

***

I put on my combat gear, checking the condition of my equipment. My boots, pants, vest, and sword were all fine, and my backpack had all my necessities inside it.

5 magazines inserted into my vest, fully loaded. And my M1A1 rifle was in a perfect condition. The revolver I took from the Russian sat idly in the thigh holster. Lastly, my last 2 hand grenades hung on the side of my vest.

"You're fully prepared for someone who just wants to walk." Saeko appeared from behind as I finished my preparation.

I turned around and saw her fully geared too, with her sword hung on her waist. She wore the black outfit given by Saya's mother back then, topped with a vest to hold a revolver and the shotgun slugs. The riot shotgun I gave her was slung on her back.

"Just in case, I asked Saya and Miss Shizuka to prepare themselves too. Can I use one of the rifles in the humvee if something happened?"

"Feel free to." I nodded and approached her, touching her shoulder. "Just be safe."

She smiled and put her hand on top of mine, "Be careful out there."

I smiled and kissed her on the lips, savoring the sweetness of her tongue and saliva. After that, I left the tent.

And Saya came after me immediately. She held my sleeve and asked me to stop.

"What's the matter?" I questioned, wondering if something happened while I was inside the tent.

The girl seemed like she was in a deep thought, and I could feel the hesitation from her. She bit her lips and her brows were furrowed.

"Don't die out there. Don't be too reckless, okay?" She suddenly said with a frown, and turned away before I even got a chance to say anything back.

What a cute and adorable girl she was.

I left my group after waving to them goodbye and went to the exit gate, intending to leave the camp.

Along the way, I noticed a lot of activity among soldiers. They seemed to be restless about something, most probably about the secret they hadn't told our group.

Two days ago, the bombardment wasn't carried out of the blue. They must have found something, something worth risking the entire base for the bombardment. Something big enough that they didn't have any other choices.

The Major General must have known what was happening.

But first, I had to deal with the incoming threat. I didn't have the luxury of time to do what I wanted.

And so, I moved faster.

The sun was still hanging high up in the sky. It would take about four to five more hours before the sun went down, giving me plenty of time to return.

When the soldiers saw me fully geared, they looked at me with suspicion. Sergeant Brown, who saw me while talking with his colleague, widened his eyes and approached immediately.

"Are you leaving us, Busujima?" He asked with a worried tone.

"Leaving? No, no. I'm going out to hunt for food. There's not a lot of rations in this place, no? Besides, staying here all day is boring. I need to do something." I lied.

The Sergeant was a smart and a good man, and I knew he could tell when someone was lying to him. He narrowed his eyes and sighed. He then turned his head and stared at the forest outside the base.

"We can't allow you to go out alone. It's too dangerous. Let me find some people to accompany you." He said and left.

A minute later, he came back with two soldiers following him. I recognized both of them: Corporal Williams and Private Clark.

"This guy wants to go hunting, and he will go out alone." Sergeant Brown told his men, who looked at each other and raised an eyebrow.

"Going hunting?" Private Clark said in disbelief. "Alone? Are you kidding? There's no way anyone can hunt in this area. There are zombies out there!" He exclaimed.

"Besides, hunting requires time." Corporal Williams said, shaking his head. "You should have at least a group of people to hunt together, not going alone like that. You need to bring the prey back if you're hunting."

The Sergeant looked at me with a knowing look, "See? Hunting is a group activity. Go with them."

'He knew.' I realized, but he was letting me go.

Being with two people who brought rifles with themselves would be safer than moving alone. But at the same time, I also had to be careful about being betrayed.

Still, I couldn't ask for a better company than these two. I knew these guys. I could trust them to a certain degree. And besides, it was a win-win situation.

"Alright." I agreed and nodded at the two soldiers.