Chapter 111
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Paradise Under Siege
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Park Seokgyu couldn't make sense of what Colonel Ki was saying.
"A raid? You're saying someone's trying to attack this place?"
"That's right! I need to lead all my troops to stop them, so please head to a safe location, Representative!"
"Ah, got it..."
The moment Colonel Ki heard Park Seokgyu's response, he bolted out the door.
"A raid? There shouldn't be anyone left who'd try to attack here now..."
To boost the effect of his Power of the Masses skill by gathering people, he'd been calling Yeouido "Paradise" while spreading the word. Naturally, that had lured in groups trying to seize the place.
The name "Paradise" was a tempting word, promising all sorts of sweet rewards in Yeouido.
However, every group that had attacked so far had come relying solely on their brute strength without proper weapons, or at best a gun or two. Colonel Ki had led the military to sweep them all away.
Thanks to that, they'd never posed any real threat to Yeouido, allowing everyone to live without issue up to now.
But Park Seokgyu sensed a clear difference in Colonel Ki's urgent tone and shocked expression compared to previous raids.
'Is this enemy on a whole different scale? Maybe there are way more of them... or could they be fully armed with guns?'
Picturing the worst-case scenarios in his mind, Park Seokgyu quickly changed clothes and headed for safety.
He knew better than anyone why Colonel Ki had told him to evacuate fast.
Yeouido ran on the traits and skills he possessed.
If Park Seokgyu somehow got killed by the enemy, the so-called Paradise of Yeouido would be finished.
That's why he'd prepared a safe spot in advance for such emergencies. Park Seokgyu followed the designated route to the shelter as quickly as he could.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The gunfire echoing from outside seemed to signal just how dire things were in Yeouido right now.
"Huff... huff! At least they haven't breached into central Yeouido yet."
Relieved that the shots sounded distant—meaning the enemy hadn't penetrated deep—he kept running.
Inside the pre-built shelter, former Manager Jeon, who helped run Yeouido, had already arrived.
"Representative!"
"Manager Jeon! You beat me here. And you... ah, Joo Hye-ri, right."
Park Seokgyu remembered Joo Hye-ri not just because he'd often seen her hanging around with his son, but because her father, Joo Jaegun, led one of the organizations handling security in Yeouido.
Joo Hye-ri, who wore a scowl full of dissatisfaction as she addressed him, let out a deep sigh.
"What the hell is going on here? I thought Paradise was supposed to be totally safe, but it's a total mess? You need to manage your underlings better, got it?"
Her mutter was loud enough for Park Seokgyu to hear clearly, and his expression hardened.
Joo Hye-ri pulled out a mirror and fixed her makeup, acting as if nothing had happened.
To Park Seokgyu, Joo Hye-ri had never left a good impression.
She was the classic thug type—rude, loved bullying others, and even eyed his son. He'd wanted to keep her far away, but Joo Jaegun's contributions had forced him to look the other way until now.
But her outright insulting him to his face? That was too much.
"Ah, haha! Joo Hye-ri, why say something like that now? Representative, don't mind her—have a seat here."
Seeing Park Seokgyu's stiff face, Manager Jeon hurried over to calm him down.
But even Manager Jeon's efforts couldn't soothe Park Seokgyu's anger.
'Haa... Once this raid's over, I need to kick out that woman and everyone connected to her.'
While Park Seokgyu stewed in his rage, a fierce gunfight raged on the Yeouido Bridge.
Ratatata-tang!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
After briefing Park Seokgyu on the situation, Colonel Ki arrived at the scene and quickly asked Lieutenant Kim, who was guarding the bridge, for a rundown.
"Lieutenant Kim, brief me on the current situation."
"Yes, Colonel! At 9:40 PM, we got reports of an armed group trying to invade Yeouido. I immediately ordered a blockade. They opened fire on us first, injuring one guard on the bridge and killing another."
Colonel Ki clenched his fist at the news of a soldier—one who'd trusted and followed him—being killed.
"So we started returning fire?"
"Yes! When their attack began and we spotted far more of them crossing the bridge than first reported, we quickly set up barricades and opened suppressive fire. Thanks to our superior marksmanship and real-combat training, we pushed them back off the bridge and resecured it."
Relieved that the bridge hadn't been breached, Colonel Ki let out a sigh.
If it had fallen, hordes of enemies would flood into Yeouido and slaughter the residents.
The people living in Yeouido were essential for amplifying the effect of Park Seokgyu's Power of the Masses skill through sheer numbers—they couldn't afford to lose any.
"But they're still pressing the attack? After losing the bridge, you'd think they'd avoid a disadvantageous fight."
Lieutenant Kim nodded at Colonel Ki's question.
"Yes, they're not backing down. If anything... it feels like they're hell-bent on taking this place no matter what. Like they're prepared to die for it."
"People like that exist? Something's off about this."
From Colonel Ki's perspective—as someone who believed self-preservation was paramount for any normal person—the attackers' behavior made no sense.
He could understand targeting Yeouido at first. It had ample food supplies, and its geography kept zombie threats lower than elsewhere.
A surprise attack for survival made sense, but throwing your life away after the tide had turned? That didn't.
"Whatever it is, something's up. I'll check it out myself."
"Yes, Colonel!"
Colonel Ki activated his Speed Up skill.
[Speed Up Lv 1]
- The Awakener's movement speed surges explosively.
- Movement speed increase: 200%
- Effect increases with skill level.
Using the explosive mobility from his Speed Up skill, Colonel Ki dashed across the bridge in an instant.
"Huh? Who the hell are you?"
"This guy's one of the soldiers from Yeouido, right?"
"What're you idiots doing? Shoot him!"
As the enemies who'd tried to raid Yeouido panicked at spotting Colonel Ki, he zeroed in on one man standing awkwardly among them.
'That one's perfect.'
Colonel Ki rushed him, smacked the gun from his hands, hoisted him up, and sprinted back toward Yeouido.
The enemies fired wildly at the sudden intrusion, but hitting Colonel Ki as he zigzagged at blinding speed was nearly impossible.
Once back inside Yeouido lines, Colonel Ki dropped the captive to the ground.
"Alright, I've got a lot of questions for you. Let's not waste time—straight answers, okay?"
"Uh, y-yeah! Sure!"
His tone was polite, but the threat beneath was clear. The captured man responded immediately.
"No need to ask why you're attacking—it's to take Yeouido, obviously. So why keep going? You know by now you can't break through. You're just burning ammo and time for nothing."
Colonel Ki cut straight to his burning question.
He was certain they had some ulterior motive.
But the answer he got was completely unexpected.
"W-We had no choice! We have to capture this place by the end of today! Otherwise, we'll all die..."
"What? You die if you don't take it? That's why you're fighting like cornered rats?"
"That's what I'm saying! We live by snatching from others, sure, but we never pick fights we can't win... then this monster shows up outta nowhere... damn it!"
"Monster? What're you talking about?"
Nothing the man said made sense to Colonel Ki.
He couldn't grasp what had happened, but hearing that this group had been forced into the attack by some "monster" sounded absurd.
"What kind of lunatic would..."
Unable to fathom the schemer behind this, Colonel Ki grimaced without realizing it.
"Anyway, if they're just blindly charging, defense shouldn't be an issue. Lieutenant Kim, tell the troops to focus on holding the line."
"Yes, Colonel!"
Lieutenant Kim dashed off to relay the orders.
Then, something no one saw coming happened.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out from inside Yeouido lines, and Lieutenant Kim's body crumpled sideways as he ran.
"What? What the—"
"Greetings, soldier."
"That voice... Joo Jaegun?"
Colonel Ki whipped around in disbelief, spotting Joo Jaegun aiming a gun at him with a gleeful grin.
"Why are you attacking us? The enemy's out there!"
"This is the perfect moment. The best chance to take Yeouido."
Joo Jaegun recalled the words of the mysterious man who'd visited him that evening.
'Tonight, a group will raid Yeouido. If you want it for yourself, don't miss this opportunity.'
The man had vanished into the shadows after that.
Joo Jaegun had planned to ignore it at first, but if it was true, he could claim Yeouido. So he'd prepared just in case.
The only reason he hadn't taken Yeouido yet was Colonel Ki's army. Without him, Joo Jaegun could swallow the disorganized military whole.
And now, just as the mystery man predicted, enemies had appeared. Joo Jaegun planned to assassinate Colonel Ki amid the chaos.
"Things are working out too easily. What a stroke of luck."
Joo Jaegun muttered his thanks to the unknown man.
From the shadows, Jaehwan watched with an amused smile.
'It's going exactly as planned. Time to help Joo Jaegun take Yeouido. That way... his revenge on Seo-yoon will hit even harder. The higher they fly, the harder they fall.'