I’m In A World Infested By Zombies… But I Have Special Perks As A Formerly Isekai’d Person! - Chapter 19: Restarting the Car

Chapter 19: Restarting the Car

Hayato, having acquired a substantial amount of gasoline, moved to a rural area.

He wanted to attempt replacing the battery, but not in an area swarming with zombies.

He headed to the countryside, as far as his memory could recall, got off his bicycle, and walked through the overgrown rice fields until he reached the middle, where he retrieved his car from the storage space.

In an open area, he took out the battery, a ratchet, and a wrench.

“Ideally, a repair shop or a school gym with a roof would be better.”

Repair shops might have zombies lurking inside, and gyms could either be occupied by refugees or filled with zombies if they’ve collapsed.

As he looked up at the sky, thinking both options were out, he saw heavy clouds floating menacingly.

It was as if the clouds were saying, “Let’s bring rain to lighten the load.”

—Perhaps the refugees would be happy with the rain, though.

If a majority vote were taken among the survivors in the city, the majority would likely vote for rain.

If voting continued, every day would surely be rainy.

It was indeed the tyranny of democracy.

—-Is it possible to collect rainwater?

They could spread a blue tarp on the rooftop, create a slope to direct the water to a single point, and place a bucket there.

A large, new garbage can obtained from a home center might be better than a bucket.

To prevent bugs from entering, they could cover it with a water-permeable sheet, creating a device to collect clean rainwater.

—If the spring water is not an option, that might be the worst-case scenario.

Hayato was not keen on managing sanitation, as he lacked confidence in maintaining it.

The best option was to have a spring that required no maintenance.

With that thought, Hayato began the battery replacement process.

First, he opened the bonnet and started removing the old battery.

Using the ratchet, Hayato loosened the nut on the battery’s negative terminal and carefully removed the firmly attached end.

He then did the same for the positive side, loosening the clamp that held the battery in place.

With the battery free, he was able to lift it out.

“Well, at least I understand this much…”

However, he had given up on the memory backup process.

Kobayashi had warned him that there might be temporary glitches in the car’s performance, but Hayato decided that as long as it moved, it would be good enough.

Hayato placed the old battery in the rice field and opened the new battery’s box, which was at his feet, and put it in the battery holder.

After it fit perfectly, he reversed the process, attaching the new battery. Once secured, he tightened the nut on the positive terminal by hand and then used the ratchet to fix it firmly.

Of course, he tightened it within a reasonable range to avoid breaking it with his superhuman strength.

He also attached the negative terminal, completing the battery replacement.

Next was the gasoline, which was not as complicated.

Hayato took out a bucket filled with high-octane gasoline from the storage space, opened the fuel tank, and began pouring the gasoline using a hose and a pump.

He visually estimated the amount to avoid overflowing.

After pouring for a while, he closed the fuel tank and got into the car.

“Let’s see if it moves.”

If it didn’t work, it would be sad, but at least he had acquired batteries and gasoline, so if this car didn’t work, they could look for another one.

There were restrictions on the type of car due to battery compatibility, but it was much better than starting over from scratch.

Hayato started the engine.

The starting sound echoed, and the car moved powerfully, causing the tires to spin in the rice field.

“I’m sorry…”

Apologizing for getting the car moving in such an odd place, Hayato turned off the engine.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

After storing the repaired car, Hayato returned to Yui’s house.

The work had taken a long time, and it was now completely dark outside.

He quickly entered through the unlocked door, locked it, took out the lamp as a light source since the electricity was out, and headed upstairs to Yui’s room.

He called out to Yui, who was hiding behind the door.

“I’m back.”

“You were late.”

Yui, realizing it wasn’t a zombie or a family member at the shelter, replied to Hayato’s voice and opened the door.

“I went looking for a battery, got a hose and a pump, recovered gasoline, and fixed the car. I pushed myself too hard today.”

“I see. Shall I prepare dinner?”

“Please.”

Yui, who felt safer now that Hayato had returned, came down the stairs illuminated by the lamp.

Hayato followed her to the dining room.

The meal consisted of the usual rye bread, cheese, dried meat, and dried fruit.

They had powdered drinks, but no hot water.

Yui placed the food on a plate and dissolved powdered green tea in water, creating a semblance of a meal from before the collapse of civilization.

“Let’s eat.”

“Please do.”

Yui, who seemed to have already finished her meal, only drank the tea… or so it seemed, as she took a dried apple from Hayato’s plate.

She picked it up with her fingers and examined it for a moment.

The dried apple, thinly sliced and thoroughly dehydrated, appeared small and shriveled, but a subtle sweetness and sourness wafted from its surface.

As Yui bit into the apple, the crisp sound echoed in the quiet dining room.

With each bite, the sweetness and sourness of the dried apple filled her mouth, and a momentary look of satisfaction crossed her face.

“It’s delicious.”

Yui, with a childlike innocence, smiled and said so.

After chewing the dried apple, she swallowed the last bite and wiped her hands lightly.

Hayato smiled at Yui, whose behavior was a mix of childishness and refinement, and then reported his achievements.

“I got a lot of gasoline. Once we’ve gathered as much as possible, I’d like to set off.”

“That’s fine, but where are we going?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

Currently, Japan was without electricity from power plants.

While supply might continue on Hachijojima, it was unlikely for most of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.

There might be places with hydroelectric power generation, but those would eventually stop too.

The turbines used in hydroelectric power plants rotate at high speeds, leading to wear and tear or damage. Without oil and component replacements, they would malfunction.

Additionally, the electronic devices in the power plant’s control system had a limited lifespan for their batteries and electronic components.

If left unattended, they would likely fail within a few months to a year, typically within one to two years, and at most, three years.

It had already been a year since the collapse of civilization.

“There’s no air conditioning.”

“It’s tough in the cold, and I don’t like the heat either.”

“So, neither Tohoku nor Kyushu, then.”

Tohoku’s winters seemed cold, and Kyushu’s summers hot.

While the cold could be endured with many blankets, the snow and sub-zero temperatures outside would be challenging.

As for the heat, it would be difficult to tell people to endure it with sheer willpower, given the risk of heatstroke.

If they had to survive without air conditioning, they had to choose a place with a moderate climate.

After some thought, Hayato suggested a potential destination.

“What about Nagano? It’s in the middle of Honshu, and it has the second-largest number of natural hot springs after Hokkaido. I think we could find water from natural springs. The pump that draws hot water from the source might be electric and stopped…”

“That’s not bad.”

Nagano has a cool summer and a warm winter, and agriculture is thriving.

It seemed like a great idea, but there was a critical flaw: the hot springs might not be functional.

Hayato gave up on the idea of Nagano and reconsidered a region that was neither in the north nor the south.

“What about Yamanashi, which borders Nagano to the southeast and is adjacent to Mount Fuji? It’s said to have an abundance of spring water.”

“But we don’t know where the spring water is.”

“I don’t know either.”

The Japanese government should have designated and informed the public about the final refuge in case of a zombie outbreak.

While there might be an issue with too many people flocking to the area, the opposite could also be a problem, leading to the demise of Japan.

But it was too late now.

“Shizuoka might be warmer than Nagano, and we could fish in the sea.”

“That’s fine, but if all we need is a place to fish, there might be other options.”

“Japan is an island nation, after all.”

In Japan, there are fewer prefectures without a coastline.

Among the 47 prefectures, only 8 are landlocked: Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Yamanashi, Nagano, Gifu, Shiga, and Nara.

Nagano and Yamanashi, mentioned earlier, are among those landlocked prefectures.

“How about Mie? It has a coastline and a warm climate, I think.”

Mie is known for the “Yokkaichi Asthma,” one of the four major pollution diseases taught in Japanese schools, but it is originally blessed with abundant natural mountains, a wide coastline, and thriving agriculture and fisheries.

There is Iga City, where ninjas once lived in hiding.

With Hayato’s current physical abilities, he might be welcomed by the Iga ninjas.

“So, what do you think about the four places I mentioned as candidates?”

“That’s fine. Are we leaving right away?”

“No, I want to gather more high-octane gasoline first. I’ll look for supplies to exchange for it, like plant seeds from Kirigaoka Agricultural High School, and then we’ll leave. Please wait a little longer.”

“Alright. I understand.”

Hayato and Yui had roughly decided on the final destinations they should aim for.