Reaping What You Sow

Whether I was going to teach them a hard lesson or help them grow, the first priority was getting an accurate read on the situation.

"How many people total?"

"Forty-seven. Twenty-one men, twenty-six women. Three under ten, five over fifty."

Only forty-seven people?

That meant the villa survivors were included in the quest as well, didn't it?

"Any difference from when I first arrived at this department store? Compared to after we cleared out all the zombies that day."

"Two more people... passed away."

"Why?"

"That was... my mistake."

"You kill them?"

"No! Nothing like that...!"

Apparently, not long after I left the department store to rejoin my group, they had gone out to an apartment complex for water and food. Two people died on the way back.

On the way there, I had drawn every zombie in the completely opposite direction, so they had arrived relatively safely. Coming back, that advantage was gone, and the casualties happened. Of course, they hadn't managed to bring back a single drop of water or scrap of food either.

Even counting the two dead, it still didn't reach the fifty people required to clear the quest.

So the villa people were definitely included.

"Hayun."

"Yes, Oppa!"

"How many people at the villa can actually fight?"

"A little over twenty, maybe. A lot of people have already... gone."

"Seong Eunho, how many people are on the first floor right now?"

"Twenty-two, including me."

If I forced it, I could make the numbers work.

But there was a problem.

"Is it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠good?"

"Yes! It's delicious! Hehe~"

"Eat lots~ There's plenty~"

"Yes!! Ah...."

"What is it?"

"Unnie should... eat too..."

"So cute..!! Unnie's fine, so Seyon should eat lots~~!!"

"Uuuung...!! I can't breathe...!"

That little lady Seong Eunho had prioritized first, the woman limping on one leg, the middle-aged woman sitting blankly with the vacant face of someone who had already given up on living—there were far too many people here who simply could not be taken outside.

The villa side was the same. Women and children who had never once fought a zombie.

No matter how carefully you protected them, when hundreds of zombies came pouring in, protection alone would not keep anyone alive.

They needed at least some ability to protect themselves or run.

From that perspective, the department store people were the absolute worst survivors imaginable.

Even Seong Eunho, one of the strongest people in the department store, was only at the level I had been when I cleared the sauna quest. Jeong Sora, who represented the average here, still had her completely initial stats.

At this level, it was a miracle they hadn't been wiped out completely when they went to the apartments for water and food.

How the hell did only two of them die on the way back?

Because the story still needed them alive?

But Seo Hamin, the murderous psycho who was supposed to butcher these people without mercy, never went dark in the first place.

"Hmm..."

"Kang Juhan...?"

"Go wash up first. We can talk about the rest over a meal."

"No! We can't waste water just to wash."

"Wash. You'll get sick. An epidemic breaks out here and everyone dies."

"Ah...."

The others might be fine, but Seong Eunho and a few others who had been dealing with contaminated water and had come back from the apartments looking like hell absolutely needed to clean themselves.

So I went down to the first basement floor with Seong Eunho.

To pick up some basic necessities.

No—to confirm their attitude.

"What the hell..! Why is that bastard back here again?!"

The middle-aged woman I had briefly argued with on my first visit ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠department store glared at me with pure disgust and tried to pick a fight. I ignored her completely and started talking to the men who were gripping golf clubs and looking extremely wary.

"Don't come any closer!"

"We came to get wet wipes, toilet paper, water, food, and shower supplies."

"We're not sharing anything, so leave!"

"You're just sitting on all of it and you can't even use it. Let's share a little."

"You think we don't know what you're doing?!"

"Know what?"

"You already snuck water and food into the list of things you're asking for! You're trying to gaslight us into thinking sharing is natural while you walk off with the useful stuff!"

"Shameless."

"What's shameless about it?! We rightfully claimed this place! And we're going to pay for everything here. So the ownership is ours."

"Ownership, payment, cut the bullshit. We fought zombies until we looked like beggars trying to save the people here, and you can't even spare wet wipes or shower supplies?"

"I said no."

"If you really need something, go ahead and try to take it! If you've got the guts."

"Even if you're stronger than us, you'd better be ready to break something."

"Ha..."

I was so speechless I couldn't even form words.

Frogs in a well, right here.

Though I could see how they might think that way. When I received the quest and cleared the zombies in the department store, I hadn't moved in any particularly flashy way.

But still—I was someone who walked around outside. Did they actually think they could win a fight against me?

Or did they think I was some saint who wouldn't lay a hand on people?

It was ridiculous, but I had no intention of doing anything to these people right now, so I just said fine and went back up to the first floor.

"Sora! It might be dangerous, so come with me, hahaha!!"

"I-I'm fine..."

Why was this idiot tanking his own score again?

"Hey, tone it down."

"Why are you empty-handed? And what did I do?"

"Sigh... Forget it."

I shook my head and let out a long breath. Jeong Sora, who had come over specifically to avoid Gihun, forced a bright expression and said,

"It's okay! We can just get shower supplies from the employee shower room! We always wash there, so there's plenty for us! I'll go get them right now!"

"I'll help you, Sora!"

"I'm really fine..."

"Jihye, Eunseol. You two help her."

"Okay. Let's go, Eunseol."

"Yes."

"Sora~ Come with us~"

"Ah..! Yes! Thank you!!"

"I could carry more though...."

Gihun was clearly destined to live alone for the rest of his life.

But did these people here have no brains at all?

In a situation where the water wasn't even running, why were they acting this selfish?

"If we give them what they need, we should get what we need in return. Eunho, isn't that just common sense?"

"Huu... What do you need?"

"Send some of the women up."

"What..? What are you saying right now..?"

"Drop the good-guy act, you bastard!"

"Mister..."

"We're out of water and the food's almost gone anyway! If we're all gonna die, we might as well enjoy ourselves a little!!"

"Mister!!!"

"They'd rather drink water here than die of thirst down there, right? Go ask them! Don't just decide on your own!"

"Why are you doing this?! Honestly, the water we have here is what I collected just in case!!"

"So what?!! It's our water now."

There was more water on the fifth-floor food court than expected.

Seong Eunho had filled every pot, bowl, container, and water bottle he could find, just in case.

Food in the basement food hall, water on the fifth-floor food court.

These people had spent the last three days ignoring the people on the first floor while trading water and food among themselves.

"This is some next-level bullshit."

I couldn't just listen anymore, so I cut in.

"What did you say?!"

"The water here is what Seong Eunho collected, and every time zombies showed up, the ones who risked their lives fighting to save your asses were Seong Eunho and the people on the first floor. The reason there's still food left in the basement food hall is because Seong Eunho managed it properly this whole time."

"S-so what?! What does that have to do with anything!!!"

"Fuck it..!! Let's just go, Seong Eunho."

"....Yes."

The people in this department store were blank sheets of paper.

Taken one by one, they were nothing.

In a situation where they needed to combine even one more person's strength to find a way out, they were showing the absolute peak of selfishness.

The method for teaching people like that a proper lesson was very simple.

Time would take care of it.

For the past few days, I had been taking Seong Eunho and a few others who had at least raised their stats a little and walking around the area near the department store.

To make people grow, they needed to receive quests, and to receive quests, they couldn't just stay in a safe place—they had to move around.

"Kieeeeek!!!!!!"

"Aaaagh!!!"

"Wh-what is that?!!"

"Kang Juhan!!"

"Can't you tell? It's a mantis. Just a little big."

"That's a mantis...!"

"Th-that's not just a little big!! Hiiik?!!"

"Kieeeeeeeek!!!!!!"

Just like in the webtoon, insects had finally started showing up in Apgujeong as well.

And occasionally, completely naked real zombies mixed in among the normal ones, screaming their heads off.

It was about time to find the Spawning Ground.

To do that, I needed to clear the "teaching them a lesson" quest and get the hint about the Spawning Ground's location.

"Shit..!! Junseok, careful! This one's faster than the ones that were in the department store!"

"I can see that!!"

"I'll draw its attention, you attack!! Charge!!"

By the way, had I raised Jaemin and Yeonghun well, or had Choi Junseok just failed to grow enough?

Even though he was overshadowed by Baek Sihyeon, Cha Suho, and Yu Eunseol, Choi Junseok was still holding onto the position of fourth strongest in the ever-growing original protagonist group—and he was only at Jaemin and Yeonghun's level.

Calling it "only" was unfair since Jaemin and Yeonghun were actually pretty strong, but still—Choi Junseok and the others needed to get stronger.

Leaving aside Lee Jeongcheol, who was originally supposed to die in Yeouido, and An Gyeongsu, who never even appeared in the webtoon, Yu Eunseol needed to reach Suho and Jaeyeol's level, Baek Sihyeon needed to be stronger than that, and Choi Junseok needed to at least reach Gihun or Mingu's level.

To make that happen, they needed quests, but because we had come to Apgujeong too early, none of the quests I knew about were ready to trigger yet.

On top of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that, Seo Hamin never became a murderer, and we were going to find and destroy the Spawning Ground ourselves, so those two quests were gone.

Just like in Yeouido, I needed to create thugs that didn't even exist so new quests would appear, but for some reason, no matter how much we walked around, no quests wanted to show up.

"Let's head back for now."

"Sh-shouldn't we help them..?"

"No need. It's just one mantis. Yeonghun! Finish it quick and come to the department store! We're going first!"

"Yes!! I'll finish in three minutes and come!"

"Finish in one minute and be back in three, you idiot!"

"Got it!!"

I left Yeonghun, Jaemin, and Choi Junseok to deal with the mantis and returned to the department store first.

And it seemed the time had finally come.

"What's going on?!"

"Eunho!!"

"Eunho!"

"Uncle Eunho... those uncles and aunties are yelling so much... hiiing...!!"

Seong Eunho soothed the little lady who was hugging her legs and sniffling, then walked toward the crowd of people holding golf clubs, kitchen knives, frying pans, and broken chair legs with a face full of barely contained rage.

"What are you all doing here..!"

"That's what we should be asking!"

"Yeah!! You guys are the ones being too much!"

"I'm disappointed, Seong Eunho..! You shouldn't be like this!!"

"What are you talking about?!"

"What am I talking about? You bastard! We don't even have enough water to drink one cup a day now! And you people are washing every day and even doing laundry?!"

"Where are you getting the water?! Hand it over!!"

"Ha... You people are really something. When we asked you not to do this, to help us, to join forces, you wouldn't even pretend to listen. Now you're doing this and it doesn't even prick your conscience?"

"Cut the crap and hand over the water!!"

"Bring the water..! Or we all die here today!!!!"

"So you want water, is that it?"

"Oppa..."

I tossed out a single line, snatched the two-liter water bottle from Nari's hand, and walked over to stand beside Seong Eunho, who was facing the crowd.

Then I opened the cap, put the mouth to my lips, and gulped the water down noisily.

"Ahh~ Refreshing~!"

"Are you trying to piss us off right now?! Hand over the water!!!"

"Tell us where you got it! Where did that come from?!"

"Are you really going to be this selfish?! People shouldn't act like that!!"

"Give us water! Those people at least got one cup a day! We haven't had a single sip for two days!!!"

"Ugh, the smell of booze. You drink alcohol when you're thirsty and wonder why you're even thirstier. Do you people even have brains?"

"Give us water!!!!!!!!!"

The middle-aged woman who had picked a fight with me earlier shoved through the crowd and screamed at the top of her lungs.

So I gave her a response.

Glug-glug-glug-glug—

Water poured from the bottle tilted in midair and soaked the floor.

"Wh-what the hell are you doing wasting water like that?!!!!"

"You wanted water? I'm giving you water."

"Just give it to us normally! Why are you pouring it on the floor?!!!"

"This is water I obtained legitimately. The ownership is mine. Whether I pour it on the floor or not is up to me."

"This crazy bastard...!!!"

The woman glared at me like she wanted to kill me, cursed, and dropped to the floor as if she was going to drink the spilled water.

So I took a small step forward with my right foot.

Squelch—

The moment my shoe touched it, the water pooled on the floor mixed with zombie blood and filthy dirt.

Just in case she still tried to drink it, I swept my foot left and right, thoroughly dirtying it.

"Oh~ My shoe's clean now."

"You!!!!!!!! Give me that at least!!!!"

The woman shot to her feet and lunged at the water bottle that still had a tiny bit left, both hands outstretched.

So I decided to give it to her.

A little roughly.

Thud!! Crunch!!!

The hollow sound of an empty bottle ringing out mixed with the sound of it crumpling.

But the louder sound was the scream of the woman who took the water bottle straight to the cheek and went down.

"Aaaagh!!!!!!"

"One crazy bitch and now I've lived long enough to hit a woman."

"You animal bastard!! Hitting a woman?!!"

"Want me to hit you too?"

"......"

"Wh-what the hell is this?!!"

"You looking for a fight right now?!"

"Fuck..! Let's stop going easy on them! Just take it by force!!!"

"Hand over the water!!!!"

"You son of a bitch!!!!"

"Going easy, my ass."

That day, I learned something new.

A plastic bottle with even a little water left in it made a truly threatening weapon.

Of course, it might have just been because my Strength stat was ridiculously high.

Crunch!!!

"Gyaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!"

For a while, the first floor of the department store was filled with nothing but the desperate screams of people. After those screams faded, the tiny amount of food left in the food hall and the tiny amount of water left in the food court disappeared into the stomachs of me and the people on the first floor.

They tried to take it first, so taking it from them was only proper manners.