Arson (1)
—Tatata-tak —Thud crash —Bang!
"Kieeeek!" "Kreeeek!" —Bang! Bang! Bang!
I barely managed to drag Jeong Suhyun into the underground parking lot staff passageway. From outside came the sound of zombies pounding on the door.
—Click. I swapped gear with Jeong Suhyun first.
"Here's the gun and bag."
"Huff... huff! Y-yes, sir!"
Jeong Suhyun was panting like he'd run a marathon over that short sprint. Looking guilty, he sneaked glances at me and took the rifle and ammo bag.
"Um..."
Jeong Suhyun hemmed and hawed. I shook my head, swinging the pickaxe idly. No urge to chew him out.
"Why the guilty look? Like you fucked up."
"B-because of me..."
"Forget it. I dragged your ass here anyway."
No point picking a fight—he'd done fine. We'd hit the underground entrance clean, and losses were nil except a couple Ice Spears.
"Phew. Guess so."
"Yeah. Cool your jets first."
—Thump! Thump! Rattle. I dragged the cart back and locked the staff door.
Wondering about it, Jeong Suhyun asked.
"Junyoung, didn't you say you'd gun down the zombies?"
I had. But I shook my head.
"Yeah. But no real need to clear outside first. We're here to scout the mart inside."
"...Didn't you say they were all dead?"
Jeong Suhyun pressed. Right. I'd half-assed the explanation—just bullied him into coming.
—Bang!
"Over here first."
Time to show him. I led him past the ramp I'd spotted before, to the entrance overlooking the mart's first floor.
"...What the..."
"Mart's like this now. Too dicey solo, so I grabbed you, Suhyun."
Truth: alarm for my blind spots. But no need to spell it out. My real target was the Seventh Ruin Fragment inside.
"...No people, yeah."
"Yep. Assuming you didn't bullshit... they're gone."
"Wish I had."
Jeong Suhyun sighed, face uneasy.
"Junyoung, we gotta go in? Sketchy as hell."
"That's the plan."
Why come otherwise? But he clutched his rifle, pressing his eye to the glass.
"Phew... I'll buy whatever you say from now on. Even the threats—water under the bridge. I was a dick too."
"And?"
"So let's bail. Sixteen armed guys wiped. No vibes inside—anyone who went in is toast."
"Then why'd we come?"
"...Secret something here?"
Quick on the draw, surprisingly.
"Family? VIP? Girlfriend?"
"Nah."
"Your power then?"
Damn perceptive. Convinced already. Yeah, for that cursed Seventh Ruin Fragment. But I owned it.
"Bingo."
"......"
"Gear up. Can't solo the way back."
Without me, he'd croak too. Coming here was hairy—he knew best.
"Let's roll."
I headed for the half-open door to the humid mart guts. Better loot something than dip empty.
But then.
"Junyoung."
"What."
This guy grated nonstop. I'd dragged him, so bitching was off-table. About to tell him to zip it if more crap—
"Got a solid idea."
"Spit it."
I released the back door handle, turning. Serious tone, not whiny.
"Not hunting people, right?"
"Right."
Nod. Seventh Ruin Fragment pinged close—not alive. No humans in this dead-silent freakshow.
"Item hunt?"
"Close."
"Specific?"
"Nope."
I opened my Status Window. Fragment, sure—but form unknown. Just knew it was inside.
"Intact needed?"
Relentless. Honesty time.
"Suhyun."
"Yeah."
"No clue what it is."
"Huh?"
Explained: my Status Window, the ping at the parking entrance U-turn, the Seventh Ruin Fragment.
"...Fucking unreal."
"Deal with it. Facts."
Jeong Suhyun's face twisted—disbelief. But my Ice Spear sold it; he nodded.
"Safe spilling to me?"
"What'll you do? Hurt me?"
"Fair. Hm..."
Zero threat. Magic/status window? Others'd scoff. Physically outmatched too.
"Phew..."
Quick buy-in. I hit him with my question.
"So, what pitch? Person/item quiz why?"
Persuade to bail? Off-mark, wildly.
"...Burn it all?"
"...What?"
Ballsy pitch.
"The mart."
Torch whole Rocket Mart. Stunned.
"...For real?"
"Yep."
"People?"
"None, you said."
True.
"Fragment mandatory? Penalty?"
"Nah."
Just ping to collect.
"Your goal it?"
"Not exactly."
Family reunion. Power up, status origins—mart run. Ping urged fragment.
"Problem?"
"....."
True. What problem? Outside blaze—inside irrelevant.
His logic hooked me.
"People'd smell smoke, hit exits."
"Yeah."
"Right? Nothing emerges, per you."
"Yep."
Outside ignite optimal. Something inside, but parking levels/outer lot dead—solid.
'Fragment object odds...'
Scrap? No headfirst risks.
"Plan shift."
Minimal recon first. Huge mart blaze tricky.
"Suhyun. Fire logistics?"
"Flammables, lighter, dip?"
"Ignite proper?"
Modern marts: suppression. Piddly flame snuffed.
Jeong Suhyun: "Raid gas station?"
"GOS below?"
"Yeah."
GOS underneath. Gas pour around/inside, spark—blaze guaranteed.
"Zombies?"
Bustling strip adjacent. Zombie central; haul/pour nightmare.
"Point."
Groan.
Sudden spark in his eyes.
"Junyoung."
"Yeah."
His nutty vibes spooked now. Braced for bullshit, eyed him.
Eyes gleaming: "Outer lot EV chargers?"
"...Yeah."
Northdong Rocket Mart outer lot, ~20m front. No EV, unused.
Meaningful smirk.
"News vids: EV stations boom, fire apocalypse."
"So...?"
Predictable follow-up.
"Wreck it—fire to mart? Lot cars fuel spread. EV chatter; few shots, kaboom?"
Dumbass genius. EV blast: no mere fire. Boom, roar, lot inferno. Unchecked? Mart engulfed.
Arsonist fights zombie rush.
But.
"Do it now."
Perfect for us. My anywhere-Ice Spear. Zero close peril.