Our Love Church (3)
Jeong Suhyun picked up on my words.
"You mean setting up a base?"
"Huh?"
"Weren't you talking about creating a survivor camp? Gathering capable people there and heading south."
Camp. I hadn't thought that far ahead.
"Not bad—no, it sounds like a damn good idea. Now that we've confirmed the monster in that mart and the existence of status windows with abilities, more people is definitely better. And..."
Jeong Suhyun trailed off.
"...we could use those survivors over there."
"Is that right."
Thinking about it, yeah. Capturing people requires attack power to survive zombies, mobility to move, and group survival skills to hold together. Even if their personalities are shit, with threats and torture, we could make use of them under our thumb.
"Then, should we try making contact first?"
But Jeong Suhyun shook his head.
"No. Kill them all."
"Why?"
Didn't you just say to use people?
"Setting up a base is fine. But using those people? No. The survivors I meant aren't those tattooed bastards—they're the ones we capture. Like you said, Junyoung, gather people, but run the base with just them."
What? Then why the hell confuse me like that.
I frowned.
"Sorry for the mixed words. But you don't want people who kill so casually as allies, right?"
True enough.
"And... Junyoung."
"Yeah."
Jeong Suhyun's face grew deadly serious. What the hell was he about to say?
"...Have you ever killed anyone?"
I clamped my mouth shut. No, and that's normal, isn't it?
"Nope."
"Then..."
"......"
He paused. Jeong Suhyun let out a hollow chuckle, grabbed his M16, stood, and said to me, "So, what're you gonna do with them now?"
I thought it over. His question probably included whether we'd kill them or not.
And. Why's he asking this?
"...Can we beat those guys into submission with brute force?"
"Who knows."
Jeong Suhyun wagged his head side to side. Then he fired back at me. "Junyoung."
"Yeah."
"Got any magic to mind-control them or turn 'em into slaves?"
Nope. Would've been nice, but no convenient bullshit like that in my kit.
"Nah."
"Figured."
Frustrating bastard.
"What? Why even ask. Just ram an Ice Spear through their skulls."
Ice Spear
"Right? Heh heh."
Jeong Suhyun laughed. I laughed along.
And the instant both our laughs cut off together—
"Kill 'em."
"All of them?"
"Yeah. Every last one."
Right. This was the apocalypse. Lawless chaos with freakish lifeforms, status windows, and superpowers in a fucked-up world. I didn't like killers, but we had to kill. A hypocritical shitshow where it's do as I say, not as I do.
If the world won't change, we will.
But to survive that place and hit my goals, I was ready for anything.
Even murder.
As I mulled it over, Jeong Suhyun stepped closer. "Then, hit 'em from here now?"
"No."
I shook my head. From a day's watch, people came out but none went in.
Which meant—
"They're dragging people in through the back."
"Gotta be. No one's shown at the front gate all day."
Probably sweeping Yuseong University to the southeast for people. Or clearing local zombies for survivors and supplies.
Or they've got a camp and kill inside it.
Unlikely, though. Numbers were king in a survivor camp.
Whatever the reason, hold off on long-range kills for now.
"'Cause if we snipe with magic or bullets from afar, the ones inside might bolt."
"...Fair point."
We needed to wipe these murderers clean to claim Our Love Church as our temp base.
Sniping guards and outgoing folks was efficient, but attacks from nowhere would terrify humans into fleeing.
So, frontal assault it was.
"...Charge now?"
"Yeah."
"Guards?"
"I got 'em."
Gunshots were way too loud. My Ice Spears weren't silent, but quieter than rifles—my job.
Click.
We packed up. Not much gear anyway, so quick work.
"Ready."
"Good. I take point, you cover rear."
"Got it. Like last time, right-rear?"
"Spot on. Close in, drop the two guards, breach."
Checked Jeong Suhyun's rifle and pack, then headed down the cafe's emergency stairs. Straight up the uphill path to Our Love Church.
"Let's move."
A bit past noon.
The front of Our Love Church was eerily quiet.
No people. Burned all the bodies?
Somehow they'd torched yesterday's corpses. But those two fresh bodies ahead meant new victims.
Tap. Tap.
We crept to a spot hidden from the guard post by a wrecked car. They couldn't see us.
Not that they're watching properly anyway.
Movement inside the post, one stepped out for a smoke.
This might actually be their back door.
Geographically the north-east villa-end front gate, but for the occupiers, likely the back. Just two guards. And body-dumping, burning.
High security means only two on watch. That's their fuck-up.
"Junyoung?"
Jeong Suhyun called, puzzled that I'd stopped, gripping his rifle.
"Yeah."
"Not pushing farther? Looks clear up to that SUV."
He pointed to a big SUV parked ahead—about 30 meters from the gate, 20 from us.
"Naked eye sees nothing. This skill's boosting my vision like crazy."
He'd checked with his ability. But I shook my head.
"Drop one guard from here, then move."
"...From here?"
"Yeah. Lure out the one inside too."
Might be more than two.
"Ah... gotcha."
"Wait. He'll come out for a smoke."
Goal: Seize Our Love Church. Sub-goal: Total wipeout of occupiers.
Best play: Surprise blitz.
"Yaaawn~"
Right on cue, one guard stumbled out yawning huge.
Ice Spear
I summoned an Ice Spear above the tattooed bastard's head as he puffed away.
Clueless to his doom, tired-ass face.
Nod.
Shook my head at Jeong Suhyun watching me, then launched.
BOOM!
His upper body detonated. Brains, blood, chunks sprayed everywhere.
Dead before a scream.
"Jeong Suhyun."
"Yeah."
No shock from killing. Wasn't hands-on, body-burst like a zombie's. And these fucks were irredeemable trash.
"Move."
Dash dash.
Straight to the church gate.
"What the—!"
The other guard burst out, checking the body.
No wonder—upper torso gone.
"You fuckin'..."
As he gawked rigid at the mess, I hurled an Ice Spear at the church guard too.
Ice Spear
Whoooosh!
"Huh?!"
Quick instincts—or gut feel—he reacted, thrusting arms forward.
But he didn't count on the Ice Spear's power matching a concrete-smashing bomb.
BANG!
Both arms exploded like they'd never existed.
SPLATTER!
"Aaaah! My aaaarms! Fuuuuck! Aaaaah!"
Dumbass howling tears and snot. Left arm shredded below elbow, right from the shoulder—blood gushing as he rolled.
Bleed-out death incoming without care.
Closed in, pickaxe raised for the kill—changed mind, Ice Spear instead. Didn't wanna touch scum.
Ice Spear
Crunch.
Upper body caved. Screaming stopped. Dead.
"What! I Jinsu! What happened! What's going on!"
Then another guy burst from the outdoor shitter, frantic. Smoking in there, looks like.
"This..."
Eyed the rolling guard called I Jinsu, then me and Jeong Suhyun—summoned an axe from somewhere, charged me.
Summoner, huh. Blades too.
Nothing special.
"You fuckin' dogshit bastard. You know where you are?"
Ice Spear
BOOM!
Point-blank summon pulverized his head in an explosion.
Blood and brains fountaining.
Clank.
Checked the downed pair, then hauled ass over the tall iron gate.
Church on a hill, but nearby shops exist. Big noise, screams—zombies incoming for sure.
Huh.
But past the gate, no zombies trailing us.
They cleared 'em all.
This much racket with zero zombies meant none around the church. Explains no zombies at our cafe—they swept the area.
Makes sense they'd claim a spot like this with that power.
Occupiers no pushovers. Outbreak hit at night, low-access hilltop church—few people or zombies anyway.
But clearing apartment complex zombies in three days, fortifying, posting guards? Not amateurs.
Especially their boss. High chance—damn near certain—of a strong Awakener ability.
Commands summoners, so must pack real power.
Ice Spear
Floated three Ice Spears, launch-ready.
But soon, I cocked my head.
All that chaos out front, yet zero signs of life inside.
Even accounting for two guards (one smoking), our quick kills—total silence to front-yard mayhem? Off.
"Junyoung."
"Yeah."
Jeong Suhyun felt it too, calling to ask next move.
But deed done. No backing out.
Gripped pickaxe hard, told him, "Push in straight. Shoot-ready anytime."
"Roger."
"No hostages, nothing. Our safety first—shit hits, light 'em up."
"Yes, sir."
Click.
Jeong Suhyun chambered a round.
Slipped carefully over the gate to the parking lot left.
Step step.
The lot—meant for churchgoers and staff—had just one vehicle.
One SUV?
SUV windows gutted, mid-mod or unfinished.
"Kidnapping with the SUV?"
"Dunno."
Broken world, cars a pain. Roads jammed with wrecks, zombies, corpses, debris.
Who knows.
Some skill maybe, but unknown.
Left empty lot behind, headed to the dark main entrance.
"Opening."
At the doors, pickaxe-slow for ambushes.
Creeeak.
No people.
Opened to silence. Reason no one rushed out despite guard screams.
Still, stay sharp.
Moved whisper-quiet despite the hush.
Church first floor: weirdly zero life signs.
Strange.
Prayer hall, meeting room, pastor's office. Bibles splayed pre-apoc style—no real use traces.
So actual living quarters 2F and up...
No basement.
Swept 1F top-to-bottom, checked for hidden cellar—nada.
Rapists and torture freaks usually go underground, but none here.
Confirmed, crept to stairs up to 2F.
And—
"Hold."
"Aye."
Creak creak.
Ugh! Heuk! Heuk! Fuck. Bitch. Squeeze tighter, fuck.
Mmph! Ugh!
Heuk! Heuk! Fuckin' good. Fuck.
Slap!
People.
Barely hit 2F, bam—human traces. Creaking bed far off, sex noises kicking in.
2F: hall to upper prayer/meeting rooms, six side rooms, inner pastor suite path.
Sounds from the pastor room depths.
Filthy.
Slow-checked rooms one-by-one en route, ambush-proof.
Clear.
Sound room aside, six rooms stocked food, blankets—human leavings, no bodies.
All out?
2F cleared, padded to pastor-room hall.
Sounds screamed rape, but maybe consensual—listen longer.
What the hell.
But at the pastor door: a guy. Youngish, but trussed head-to-toe in ropes to a chair, mouth gagged.
Eyed Jeong Suhyun behind me.
Step step.
He prodded the guy's back with his rifle muzzle.
"You."
Blond highschooler type, tears and snot streaming—eyes bugged at sudden us.
"Quick question—is this your kink?"
Jeong Suhyun shoved the rifle barrel, dropping the dumbest line.
"Mmph! Mmmph!"
Terror-face first, then furious head-shake: hell no.
Sighed at the absurdity, turned to Jeong Suhyun. "What the fuck was that."
"Hey, maybe he's into it—boss's playtime or whatever."
"Sigh..."
Yep, Jeong Suhyun's nuts.
Sighed again, approached the guy.