Chapter 59: Small Paradise
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 59: Small Paradise
Room 202 was cozy.
Even though it was mid-March, when temperatures dropped below ten degrees Celsius at night, the air inside the room was warm, and the floor was nice and toasty.
There was no bed, but a thick futon was laid out so their backs wouldn't ache, and Kim Ji-hee had brought them water and some light snacks to tide them over.
"Thank you."
"Please make yourselves at home. I think we'll be seeing a lot of each other from now on, so I look forward to getting to know you. I'm Kim Ji-hee."
"Yes..."
"You really are beautiful."
"Hoho. Thank you, ma'am."
It was late in the night, almost dawn.
The sun would rise soon, and though they were exhausted, they couldn't bring themselves to sleep comfortably on the bedding laid out for them.
How could parents sleep when their sick daughter was out of their sight?
As Oh Yoon-seop's wife grew anxious, Oh Yoon-seop took her hands in his.
"She'll be fine. Let's believe that."
"Honey..."
A fifty percent chance could be considered high or low.
According to the young folks who had played zombie apocalypse games, fifty percent was a probability you could just shrug off and gamble on, while others said that if you got bitten and didn't have a vaccine, you might as well prepare to restart the game.
It was literally fifty-fifty.
But even without playing a game like Zombie Apocalypse, Oh Yoon-seop and his wife, Lee Mi-sook, had already seen plenty in their short time here.
They had seen many people who, as part of the so-called Hunting Squad, pushed themselves too hard to earn Coins for food, only to return bitten.
Most of them had turned.
They said the probability was fifty percent, but very few actually returned without being infected.
That was why, when their daughter was bitten, those faces overlapped in their minds, and they had reacted as if the world were ending.
It was no different now.
They had grasped at a final straw, but they didn't even know if it was a real lifeline.
Seeing the state of this place gave them some hope, but still...
There was no way they could sleep.
They waited like that for a long time.
They didn't even have the energy to speak.
They could only pray.
Just then, the door opened.
Oh Se-i, who had been pale and burning up like a fireball, walked in. Their daughter's face was now full of life.
"Se-i!"
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, Mom, Dad... I'm all better."
The three of them fully embraced their emotional reunion.
"What happened?" Lee Mi-sook asked.
Seeing Oh Se-i's troubled expression, Oh Yoon-seop stopped his wife.
"It doesn't matter. As long as you're alive, that's all that matters."
Oh Yoon-seop made a firm resolution through this ordeal.
From now on, he had to adapt to this changed world.
The standards of justice and Integrity he had wished to uphold had changed drastically in this world.
And he felt as though he had finally gotten a small taste of the safety and family happiness he had so desperately wanted.
"Let's sleep for now."
He had a vague idea of what might have happened.
His mind conjured up many scenarios, but they might not be true.
In times like this, asking directly was the only way to be sure.
But he didn't have the courage to face the truth.
Since Oh Se-i's expression wasn't all that dark, he thought it might be better to leave it as his own private speculation.
Still, just in case, he asked.
"You're really okay, right, Se-i?"
"Yes, Dad. I don't know if he's a good person... but I don't think he's a bad person. Unlike that other guy..."
"...Right. That's enough then. Let's stay here from now on."
They didn't know everything yet.
They would have to wait and see, but for now, they had no desire to return to the Seongsu Multiplex.
As the built-up tension and fatigue melted away, sleep washed over them.
*
Morning passed, and afternoon arrived.
Oh Yoon-seop and his family slept in for the first time in ages.
With absolutely no noise to disturb them, there was no reason to wake up.
No one woke them up to go out and earn Coins, and no one barged in to tell them it was time to get up.
They slept deeply, waking up with a profound sense of Refreshment.
Even when they stepped outside, no one bothered them.
In front of the door were a few Thermal Pouches, and inside them were several meal options.
"My goodness, this..."
"She's such a pretty young lady, and her cooking skills are incredible..."
Lee Mi-sook, who had been in charge of cooking at the Seongsu Multiplex, was full of admiration.
When food is served hot, half the battle is already won.
The other half is the taste, and it was delicious enough to impress even her, a culinary veteran of several decades.
"These ingredients aren't easy to come by..."
Moreover, these weren't simple dishes; some were made with ingredients that were incredibly hard to find in their current situation. There were various soups and side dishes that even the Multiplex couldn't easily prepare, so she couldn't help but be amazed.
She had also heard about the existence of the 3rd Floor Bathhouse from Oh Se-i.
However, remembering what he had heard last night, Oh Yoon-seop headed to the first floor first.
When he knocked on the door, Kim Ji-hee came out.
"Ah, Oppa is sleeping... For now, you can live in the building across the street. We've installed automatic doors, and the rooms have been cleaned, so you'll have electricity and running water. Oppa said he'll build a public bathhouse for you soon. Would you like your meals served as Special Meals like today? Or if you prefer to cook, I can give you the raw ingredients."
"I'll... have to ask my wife about that."
"Sure. If you need anything else, just let me know anytime. Oppa told me to take good care of you."
"Thank you once again."
"Oh, there's no need to thank me. Oppa also said that the Lieutenant Colonel is someone he absolutely needs."
"...I'll have to become someone he needs."
"I feel the same way. You might not realize it yet, but this place is a Small Paradise. It has everything we need. As long as we remain useful to Oppa, he won't be the first to abandon us."
Oh Yoon-seop's family immediately moved to the building across the street.
Even though it was right across the street, it was only a few steps away. The building itself was actually more spacious than the other one, with larger rooms and a kitchen.
Just as Kim Ji-hee had said, there was running water, hot water, and electricity. Everything worked perfectly.
They were even utterly astonished to hear that trash was automatically disposed of.
"Just what is this place..."
Oh Yoon-seop wanted to check out the Warehouse attached to the side of the building as well, but unfortunately, that was off-limits.
It wasn't until late afternoon that he finally met the man.
Oh Yoon-seop bowed deeply.
"Thank you. What would you like me to do?"
He was a soldier.
For decades, obeying orders from superiors had been a rule as natural to him as breathing.
As long as his family's safety was guaranteed, he had resolved to bow his head, no matter how young the man was or what his personality was like.
"First of all, you do know I'm not exactly a good guy, right?"
"I know."
"I might be even more of a bastard than the piece of trash over there. You're still okay with that?"
"As long as my family is safe, I am fine with it."
"Good."
The man didn't ask any more questions.
Instead, he made a demand.
"Go and bring back everyone you can trust. We're going to dismantle the Multiplex."
"..."
Oh Yoon-seop looked at the man with a startled expression.
How?
He had, after all, been part of the core leadership of the Seongsu Multiplex.
Though it had been a short time, he knew how the Seongsu Multiplex operated and was well aware of its combat power.
First of all, a headcount of over two hundred was not something to be taken lightly, even if not all of them were combatants.
In particular, with the geographical advantage of the Multiplex and Seo Se-hu's Mode active there, their combat power was vastly inflated.
On the other hand, what about this side?
He didn't know if there were more, but the only people Oh Yoon-seop had seen so far were just the two of them.
Even assuming the man was incredibly strong, he couldn't take down over two hundred people all by himself.
Even now that Oh Yoon-seop had joined him.
The same went for him.
But he didn't argue.
"Should I only bring back those who are trustworthy? Or should I bring back people to help dismantle the Multiplex?"
Instead, he asked for clarification on his mission.
The man replied.
"I don't accept pieces of shit into my Paradise. It'll just be a pain to clean them out later, so only pull out the trustworthy ones. I can clean up the rest myself anyway."
Where did that arrogant confidence come from?
He couldn't help but wonder.
Oh Yoon-seop bowed once more.
It might be a suicide mission.
But he decided not to overthink it.
Even if yesterday's miracle was just a stroke of luck that beat the fifty percent odds.
The moment he denied that miracle, he would also be denying his own choice to abandon the Multiplex.
Whatever lay ahead, he had no choice but to board this train and ride it out.
Watching him, the man extended his hand.
Oh Yoon-seop naturally shook it.
And then.
[You have been registered as a "Resident" of the Safe Base.]
[All Stats increase by ★★ within the Safe Base.]
[Access authority to the "Resident Quarters 1" automatic door has been granted.]
[You can add access authority to the "Resident Quarters 1" automatic door.]
Perhaps it was at this very moment that he felt a surge of certainty.
The Small Paradise Kim Ji-hee had spoken of.
He clenched his fists.
A wave of confidence washed over him, making him feel as though he could accomplish anything, at least within this place.
"Ah. And tell Ji-hee to get you geared up."
They truly had everything.
He couldn't help but compare this place to the Multiplex.
The Multiplex had everything they needed too.
But those necessities belonged to the leadership, not the ordinary people.
The faces of those who had helped him leave came to mind.
The faces of those who must be suffering because of it.
If he brought them here, wouldn't they be able to live in comfort?
He was absolutely certain that, at the very least, it would be better than over there.
That was why he could go back with his head held high.
Back to the Seongsu Multiplex.
Oh Yoon-seop set off.
"I shall return, carrying the name of Paradise."
"...That's a bit cringey. But hey, it's fucking awful, so I like it."