Chapter 58: Joining
Chapter 58: Joining
12. Joining Forces
"Seon-yeong~ Are you in there? Kim Tae-sik's Raid Party~"
Our tension proved unnecessary when a cheerful voice called out in search of us.
Seon-yeong and Ga-yeong each sighed with relief and welcomed the women entering the café.
"So-ra? Eun-mi and Su-jin are with you too. Did only the three of you come out?"
"Yes, Seon-yeong. Su-jin saw the three of you passing, so we followed."
Three women from the Prugia group entered the PC café.
So-ra, who had spoken for the group when they thanked us yesterday, stood at the front carrying a large wooden plank she must have scavenged somewhere.
"Hello, Raid Leader."
"Hello, Eun-mi. Did you rest well?"
"Yes, I rested comfortably."
They had been apart for only one day, yet the women greeted one another with broad smiles as though reunited after ages.
Leaving them to their apparently endless conversation, I returned to the counter and kicked in the door so I could prepare ramyeon.
Bang!
As Seon-yeong had said, the door opened easily.
I pushed the precariously hanging door panel aside and examined the room beyond.
One wall held shelves stacked with many kinds of ramyeon and cooking supplies. Opposite them stood a sink, a ramyeon cooker, and even a gas range.
I'd assumed it was a storeroom, but it was actually a small kitchen.
"Seon-yeong."
"Yes, honey. Coming!"
I raised my voice to call her, and moments later the entire group of women came crowding in.
"Hmm... I called only Seon-yeong. We're about to eat lunch. Have the three of you eaten?"
"No. May we join you?"
"Of course. The menu is ramyeon."
The cramped kitchen became far too crowded, so I sent everyone else back outside.
Their chatter resumed beyond the door. Ga-yeong, seemingly uncomfortable among them, returned to my side and helped prepare the ramyeon.
"What can they possibly have so much to discuss?"
"They are talking about what they did with those three men yesterday and the zombies they killed while they were out this morning. So-ra has an offensive ability, so the three of them went zombie hunting together."
"Really? It's impressive that they immediately decided to go out and fight zombies. They had a fair amount of food stored away."
"Yeah, but they can't live on it forever. I think they decided they needed to strengthen their abilities and gain more combat experience."
"They think much like we do."
Was that because we'd rescued them?
They were all adults, and I was hardly their guardian, yet I still felt proud of them.
"Ye-jin still isn't feeling well, so Ha-na stayed behind to care for her."
"Ye-jin was the first woman we found, right? And Ha-na is the Healer?"
"That's right. Mister, I'll carry out the ramyeon that finished in this cooker first."
When the ramyeon was ready and I stepped outside, the women had dragged over PC-café chairs and gathered together.
There was no table large enough for all of us, so despite the inconvenience, we ate standing on opposite sides of the counter.
"Are the three of you physically alright?"
"Slurp... Ah, yes. Ha-na treated all of us. Ye-jin is the only one who still has trouble walking, but she should be back on her feet soon."
"That reminds me, honey. We should ask Ye-jin to use Information Display on us too. Apparently, having her analyze someone and explain what she sees is very helpful."
"Oh, really? So-ra, would it be alright if we visited this evening?"
"Of course. Please speak casually with us too. I'm the oldest, and I only turned thirty this year. The others would be more comfortable that way as well. Right?"
"Certainly. Raid Leader, you saved our lives. Please speak to us however you like, and if you need anything else, we'll gladly help."
As we ate, we completed the introductions we had missed yesterday and spent time getting to know the Prugia women.
Seon-yeong had already met everyone, but Ga-yeong and I were only now learning their names, ages, abilities, and backgrounds.
#
"Let's stop here for today. This is harder than I expected."
"It is. I thought we'd clear the entire route today, but we ended up dragging the trolley around for nothing."
"Exactly. Why are so many zombies tucked away in hiding spots? Ah, not that they hid there deliberately..."
"They were probably cornered while trying to escape and became infected there. In a way, every zombie causing us trouble now represents someone who met a terrible end."
Buildings stood densely along the route to the elementary school, creating numerous alleys and narrow gaps.
The problem wasn't merely the number of zombies. We repeatedly found groups of two or three in blind spots, making the clearing work much slower than expected.
I'd considered Ga-yeong's question about why zombies were scattered through so many corners. Most had probably been trapped there while fleeing and overwhelmed.
Ga-yeong had made an offhand remark, but I'd apparently answered far too seriously.
The mood abruptly sank.
"We didn't finish, but that's that. We still have our own work to do. Let's stop by Prugia Apartments, then return home."
"Okay. Ga-yeong, none of that was your fault. Why are you suddenly so dejected? It's alright."
"Hmph... I complained about them jumping out from hiding without once considering how terrified those people must have been..."
"I was irritated too. That reaction is natural, so don't torment yourself over it. Besides, those things are no longer people. You need to keep that firmly in mind."
Seon-yeong comforted the crestfallen Ga-yeong as we headed toward Prugia Apartments.
Ga-yeong wasn't especially young, but the age gap between us sometimes made her seem almost childlike.
No. On second thought, she didn't behave like a child. She was simply tenderhearted.
She worked diligently and never complained about hardship. Despite her youthful appearance, she possessed considerable grit.
"That reminds me, honey. Have you decided? If we're going to invite them, we might as well mention it while we're there."
"Oh, Assistant Manager Choi Seon-yeong. Do you believe I've decided in favor of bringing them into the group?"
"Yeah. I think you'll choose to let them join for my sake and Ga-yeong's, if nothing else. They have Ha-na, after all."
"Ga-yeong, what do you think?"
"I'll follow whatever you and Seon-yeong decide, Mister. Just don't make a choice that disadvantages you because of me."
"Then let's decide to invite them. We'll ask what they want when we arrive."
Even if both groups agreed, we would still need to decide where everyone would live.
We also needed to ask Manager Lee's group what they wanted.
"Seon-yeong, what do you think about Manager Lee's group?"
"I considered them yesterday too, but Director Kim worries me. I think she'll clash with you."
"Hmm... you think so?"
Ga-yeong apparently knew too little about Manager Lee's group to comment. She remained silent and watched our surroundings.
"What about simply discussing it with Manager Lee? Both he and Assistant Manager Jeon have pure combat abilities. Combining our groups would give us a better balance."
"But the moment you raise the subject first, the choice passes to them... Are you comfortable with that?"
"That can be handled by setting clear terms beforehand. But what exactly are you asking whether I can tolerate?"
"Director Kim. Will you really be comfortable around her? She'll certainly try to place herself at the center and act as the group's strategist. You're unquestionably in charge of us, and the Prugia women will see you the same way if they join. Director Kim may challenge you at every turn, even over trivial matters."
Was Seon-yeong worried about a power struggle?
Apparently, she feared that kind of friction.
"Ah, that's what you meant. You don't need to worry about office politics now, Seon-yeong. You spent years in a company, so I understand why you think that way, but consider our present situation. We're no different from a pride of lions. If two leaders clash, there's no need for maneuvering and intrigue. One yields or is driven out. Those are the only outcomes."
"That may be true... but the problem is whether Director Kim understands it."
"If she doesn't, she'll learn. Manager Lee and Assistant Manager Jeon may support her out of loyalty, but we won't."
In the end, we decided to sound out Manager Lee's group as well.
Since we were already out, we decided to continue all the way to Manager Lee's officetel before returning home. Anticipation for Information Display quickened my steps.
#
"First, only I can see the results of my ability, as though a Status Window appeared before me. I'll copy down exactly what I see, so please don't be too disappointed."
"Wait a moment. Ye-jin, how much have you strengthened your ability?"
"I've only killed one zombie so far..."
"Understood. Please proceed."
After reaching Prugia Apartments and greeting the women, we were shown to the room where Ye-jin was resting.
They must have cleaned extensively since yesterday, because the apartment was now remarkably tidy.
Ye-jin also looked far healthier than I'd feared when she greeted us.
Yes. We absolutely needed a Healer.
Seeing women who had been in such terrible condition recover this quickly convinced me that we needed to recruit a Healer and prioritize strengthening her ability.
"Huh? I definitely used my ability on the Raid Leader. Why did it..."
"Is there a problem?"
"Ah... I think I made a mistake. Give me a moment. I'll write down the result first. I can still use my ability again, so it's alright."
* Enhanced Wooden Bat
* Maple, 33, 990 (Enhanced)
* Durability 2 (Enhanced), Hardness 2 (Enhanced)
"Huh? What's this? Did you use your ability on my baseball bat?"
"It seems so. This is the first time an object has produced three lines of information. Normally, I see only two simple lines. I've also never seen the word 'Enhanced' appear before."
"Could this be...? Seon-yeong, hand me your baseball bat. Ye-jin, please examine this one too."
"Certainly. One moment while I write it down."
* Enhanced Wooden Bat
* Maple, 33, 800
* Durability 2 (Enhanced)
"Oh? This bat is enhanced too. What's going on...? No, none of the other objects show any enhancement..."
Ye-jin murmured to herself as she apparently tested her ability on other objects around the room.
Could it really be...?
Had my weapon genuinely evolved into a blood-soaked bat?
Judging by the comparison with Seon-yeong's bat, had mine already reached +3 enhancement?
Wait. She was supposed to use Information Display on us too.
Puzzled by the results, Ye-jin began burning through her ability on every object nearby.