Northdong Office: Fractured Alliances
But the man didn't respond to my words.
"...Amazing. What is that? Magic? No way, does magic really exist?"
"Calm down first."
I soothed him. For some reason, he seemed more excited than I was.
"Ah, sorry. I just got so shocked."
"No problem. I get it."
Of course. Seeing something like magic for the first time would do that. That look on his face—like he'd seen something that shouldn't exist in the world—was exactly like mine when I first got my Status Window on day one.
The man took a few deep breaths, then cautiously asked me,
"Whew, incredible. Can I touch it?"
"Yeah, sure."
In truth, the Ice Spear was just a massive icicle if I didn't touch it. He gingerly brought his hand to it, then looked at me in astonishment.
"It's amazing. Who knew something like this existed? So, you've always been able to use it?"
"No. Like I said earlier, the Status Window appeared after the zombie outbreak."
"Wait, Status Window? What the hell does that even..."
From his reaction, he clearly had no idea what a Status Window was. Had he never even read a novel or played a game?
I threw a question his way.
"No one else around here has one?"
"...Isn't it weird that something like this exists at all?"
"No one using skills or anything?"
"If there was, I wouldn't be here alone right now. Honestly... I can't believe it. The only thing that makes sense is that you've always been able to do this."
He looked skeptical. Fair enough—who'd believe in something straight out of a game or novel?
Guess I'm really the only one with a Status Window.
But there was a witness right here, and the Ice Spear I'd shown him was real. So he spent a good long while inspecting it.
"Ahem..."
"Ah..."
"But the proof's right here... Though calling you 'that guy' feels off now. What's your name?"
Watching him, I figured we'd waste time like this forever, so I stopped him. He waved his hand and apologized.
"Sorry. I'm Jeong Suhyun, twenty-nine. You're Kim Junyoung, right?"
"Yeah, that's me."
"Right, Junyoung. Sorry for doubting you. But given the situation, I hope you can cut me some slack for being harsh."
The man—no, Jeong Suhyun—bowed his head to me. Of course he'd apologize after I'd shown proof, considering his earlier behavior. But I wasn't the type to nitpick.
Besides, from what he'd said, he'd been through a lot too.
I accepted it.
"It's fine. Happens."
"Thanks. And relax, Junyoung—you don't need to be formal with me."
With that, Jeong Suhyun let out a deep sigh and sank halfway into the sofa. Looked like he'd decided to trust me completely now.
He stretched and muttered to himself.
"Who knows what the world's coming to..."
Time for the main topic.
"Yeah, so what the hell happened? I've been holed up in my villa—I know nothing."
"Right, sorry I got sidetracked. Should I start from the beginning?"
"Yeah, details."
"Got it."
Jeong Suhyun began his story.
The zombie outbreak hit on March 3rd at midnight. On the first day, early morning of March 3rd, he'd made his way alone to the shelter at Northdong Office.
"...Your family?"
"They're on Geoje Island. Hope they're okay..."
His face darkened. I apologized.
"Sorry, that was insensitive. My bad, Suhyun."
"Nah, it's fine."
Anyway, he'd made it to Northdong Office safely, dodging zombies. Soldiers at the entrance, guns blazing on zombies, guided him inside.
There were people inside, but fewer than expected.
"About a hundred, you said."
"Yeah, families, men and women in their 20s and 30s. Old folks and kids too—all ages and genders. Guess the initial outbreak and fast-mutating first infectees caused massive casualties."
"No regular soldiers?"
"There were some, but not many. Mostly reservists on leave."
People wrote their names and resident IDs in a ledger, lined up, got rations of food and blankets. Men around Jeong Suhyun's age without families got drafted as reservists for defense.
"That's why you're in uniform?"
"Yeah, issued here."
"Did the office have ammo stocked?"
I'd heard military bases or nearby stations supplied it in emergencies.
"There's a police station right around here. They brought all the live rounds they had."
Made sense. As a sixth-year reservist, he'd gotten a rifle under the platoon leader and remaining police/military orders, taking position to defend Northdong Shelter.
Wartime or not, zombies didn't have guns, so they barricaded the front gate with cars and defended with M16s.
"So the shelter was running properly? Food seemed okay too."
I recalled the reservist emergency rations on the first floor.
"Yeah, power, water, food—all good. Guns too. Back door's zombie-proof, so blocking the front was enough."
"Night watch?"
"Yep."
Jeong Suhyun nodded. Day one, everything ran smoothly. Internet was down, but power and water held, and radio said evac choppers were coming soon. People huddled together and spent the night.
"Then problems hit."
"Whew... yeah."
It started on day two. A guy with what seemed a minor scrape was revealed to have been bitten by a zombie.
"And he mutated that first night. Sleeping all together in the auditorium was a huge mistake."
"Heard they turn within 24 hours..."
"That's the cruel part. Turning into a monster slowly. Anyway... chaos in the middle of the night."
The nighttime zombie rampage caused massive casualties inside. Armed folks were asleep except for the three on exterior watch, worsening it. Twelve dead or put down after turning.
"After, we shot all the zombies, separated men and women for infection checks... Guess how that went?"
Jeong Suhyun's face twisted. I could only let out a dry laugh.
"Ha... haha."
"Body checks? They rioted, like lab rats or something. Thought that only happened in media."
Jeong Suhyun sighed. Families and friends who'd lost people freaked out. Infected denying it, lashing out. Even blaming soldiers for not checking sooner.
"...Most reservists were civilians. Soldiers weren't kids."
"They needed someone to blame."
But after that incident, Northdong's survivors knew they needed iron control—or it'd be total wipeout.
Platoon leader, reservists, soldiers enforced it with force. Refusers treated as infected. Full nude checks in order, men and women separate.
"Brutal but effective. Found over thirty bitten."
"Middle of the night? After the first night?"
"Yeah."
They were exiled at night. Plus about ten who couldn't abandon family and left with them. Rifle threats quelled resistance.
"Bitter. If not for that hider..."
"Tell me about it."
But no one's fault really. Checks were done day one too—no one spots concealed bite scars. The hider wanted to live bad, but for group safety, unforgivable.
"Early days, people aren't ruthless yet."
"Yeah. Stricter checks could've saved more. Plus... reservists were pissed."
Day three, backlash exploded. Fifty left. Civilians blamed leader/soldiers for no initial checks; military/reservists defended as victims too.
"But it held till then. Busy, but shelter functioned. Survival first."
Zombies no longer a threat. Radio said military rescuing from south Seoul up, skipping nearby areas. Shelter balanced despair and rage, waiting on tightrope.
"Rescue came, though."
"...Yeah. People were fine. Day four, military chopper even landed."
Wait—didn't he say day five earlier? He caught my thought and sighed.
"Same story. Day four: three choppers, 24 seats. Realizing not everyone fits, fighting started."
"Goddamn."
The curse slipped out. Military prioritized elderly, women, injured, sick.
But a 20s guy threatened military and civilians with his gun—spark of conflict.
"Soldier?"
"Probably reservist. 'What'd the country ever do for us? Why save dying old folks and women first?'"
"Tch..."
"Worse, I get it. I was pissed too."
Understandable, but after zombie riot, Northdong couldn't tolerate it. Furious families of elderly charged the reservist. Others tried stopping, but weaklings vs. adult male—futile.
Chaotic rooftop scuffle.
"Whew..."
"..."
Jeong Suhyun sighed. I shut up. I could guess the rest.
"Rat-tat-tat—gunfire."
Reservist fired at chopper. Four dead, two badly hurt.
"Chopper soldiers shot him... but mood was ruined."
After, shady moves among remaining men—mostly 20s guys, some 30s.
No open complaints—muzzles could turn anywhere. Tense night four passed.
"No more shootings after?"
"Yeah, last scraps of conscience. All leftovers, no friendly fire..."
But not what I thought. Jeong Suhyun sighed heavily.
"People vanished at dawn."
"...Killed? Or fled?"
"Fled? Fourteen men recruited two night watch reservists, took rifles and ammo, slipped out."
Day five dawn gunfire woke Jeong Suhyun and rest. Platoon leader mustered, but over half gone. Eleven left.
"Chaos among remainders. Good they didn't harm us..."
Ammo and rifles gone except spares in platoon room and personal holds. Eleven men waited for rescue unarmed.
"Choppers after?"
"Yeah."
Around 2 PM day five, rescue chopper. But military was forceful this time.
"Forceful? On civilians?"
"Yeah. Thought it was gun issues and prior shooting."
Jeong Suhyun sensed something off from the military chopper.
"Three choppers as before, soldiers' actions made sense. But stripping 20s reservists—who could fight—of uniforms, guns, gear? Weird."
"Makes sense if heading to 2nd Fleet base—new assignments, gear there."
But he shook head.
"No. Think: if scared of civilian guns or can't recover, destroy office weapons here. Why haul them?"
"Ah."
"And stripping uniforms from usable reservists/military? Pointless."
True. If armed enough, no need to take extras to fleet. If short, no disarming. Especially not stripping soldiers to civvies.
...But.
"Weird, but plausible. Not sure."
"Yeah. I was only one suspicious. Others followed blindly. When they left, I hid in third-floor shower, waited chopper gone."
He self-mocked for paranoia. But story checked out as suspicious.
"Plus... overheard military retaking Seoul in a week."
"That's over a week ago?"
"...Yeah."
Day five chopper to now: seven days. Exactly week since I pondered going out. He'd held alone here.
No rescue...
His unease is legit.
But.
"Just my take. Don't believe if you don't want."
His words—personal story. Possible 2nd Fleet fine. But credible to me. Korean military's shady rep.
Plus.
If military, no need spin distrust. If raiders, would've just shot me.
Low chance bluffing now...
Early suspicion bad. I shook head at his self-deprecation.
"Nah. Feels legit. Get your choice."
"That so."
He sighed, relieved, words trailing.
I asked about armed group he hadn't detailed.
"Speaking of, what's that armed group?"
He winced, realizing.
"Right, forgot. They're scum basing at mart and church, trading food and people."
"In this apocalypse? How? Zombies everywhere."
I widened eyes. Expected, but 21st century humans doing that?
But how with zombies? Jeong Suhyun continued.
"Remember guys who took guns and left?"
"Ah."
I got it.
"Yeah. Men cleared zombies with guns, set bases near mart and church."
"Armed group with guns... You've been in contact?"
I questioned. How'd he contact, survive, get intel?
"Yeah, contact. They eyed food here—I killed two, captured one."
"Killed? How? And captured?"
Sudden gravity. Murder too. But he gave bitter smile, pointed somewhere.
"I always hole up fourth floor here. See this window?"
—Shrrk.
He drew curtain beside. Northdong Office front: intact parking lot cars, bloodied iron gate fence, piled corpses, shambling zombies ahead.
"See those zombies?"
"Yeah."
"Enemies, but also alarms. Unlike magic-user you, raiders must kill all zombies to enter."
"So..."
He grimaced, continuing.
"Day after day five chopper—day six. Three day four deserters cleared zombies with guns, returned to office."