Survivors (2)
"First off, does everyone have somewhere to go back to? Any family or friends you need to find?"
Silence fell at my words. Three pairs of eyes stared at me steadily.
"No one? Kim Yunjin."
"No... they're all probably gone. I haven't heard from them since the first day."
"What about Dojin and Yuri?"
"Us too. We kept trying to call... hic..."
A heavy gloom settled over us.
"I see."
I cleared my throat once. It felt awkward bringing this up in such a mood, but it had to be said.
"We're going to keep moving. We'll punch through the zombies and switch bases constantly as we go."
There was no hope in the city.
"Downtown becomes unlivable once the infrastructure cuts out—specifically, when the electricity and water stop. For now, we're lucky it's still coming through."
I swallowed hard.
"But we don't know when that'll end."
"......"
"Our goal is to find our families. Me, Jeong Suhyun—same for both of us. A base, somewhere livable, is just a side objective. That's why bringing you all along is tricky. Food, shelter, safety—it's a lot."
No one spoke up. They knew it too. In this ruined world, with society collapsed, they had no skills to offer. And after two weeks holed up at home, they knew nothing about the outside.
Surprisingly, no one's picking a fight.
But even so, their quiet acceptance caught me off guard. They just waited for me to continue.
"So..."
I spat out the shitty truth.
"We have no obligation or responsibility to help you beyond this. We have to keep moving, and dragging along people without strength would be tough."
A chill silence. The three pairs of eyes trembled with anxiety.
"However."
I liked how perceptive they were. Even if they had ulterior motives, they weren't the type to throw tantrums, demanding payment after being rescued like some clichéd trash humans.
"If you want to join our group and pay a fair price, we're open to traveling together."
"...What do you mean by a fair price?"
Kim Yunjin asked with a hesitant expression. Yeah, in this broken world, "fair price" probably sounded off. But it wasn't what they might think.
"Show your abilities. Don't interfere with our goals. And follow my orders. That's the three conditions."
"......"
"Um..."
"Yes."
Choi Yuri raised her hand to ask.
"The other two are fine, but what kind of abilities do you mean?"
Ice Spear.
Instead of answering, I summoned two Ice Spears and floated them in the air.
All eyes locked on instantly.
"The zombie outbreak—after midnight on March 3rd—a Status Window appeared. Jeong Suhyun."
"Ah, yeah. Awakening."
Jeong Suhyun's eyes shifted from black to red. That must be how his power manifested.
I pointed to his eyes and my Ice Spears.
"Can you see it?"
Their faces showed utter disbelief—but the proof was right in front of them. Superpowers, magic, skills—call it what you want.
"......"
I continued, looking at them.
"Jeong Suhyun and I got a Status Window and powers. And the guys here probably did too. That gas-like thing you mentioned? High chance it's a power."
"Ah, so that time..."
"Yes. And you all probably have a shot at getting powers too."
I handed each a sheet of paper.
"Say nothing but 'Status Window' out loud. You might get powers like us. It sounds stupid and weird, but this is reality."
I turned to the three, who sat dazed, clutching the papers.
"Anyone who doesn't want to join us or do what I said? You can leave now. Or take another room here. I'm not forcing you."
"No."
"I'm fine with it."
"Me too."
None refused. I nodded and went on.
"So you all want to join. Even if you don't get powers, it's okay. We don't fully understand how the Status Window or powers work yet either."
I didn't tell them this, but as the "first" ones, I planned to take them all into my team regardless. With or without powers—this was my first group in this destroyed world.
I stood to leave and called Jeong Suhyun.
"Jeong Suhyun. Can you have them write down their powers and Status Window here?"
"Ah, yes. If they refuse...?"
"Doesn't matter. Refusing means they don't travel with us."
"Got it. But where are you going?"
"We haven't finished clearing Our Love Church yet, right? I'll head to the back gate. You stay here, and come to the back gate when done."
"Understood."
"The rest of you—be honest with Jeong Suhyun about everything. Obey well."
"Yes."
Plus, nothing was more vital than gaining experience building bases as we went. I nodded at their replies and stepped out.
Screeech
"Hoo..."
Thud
Jeong Suhyun would handle the rest. I wanted to do it all myself, but I had important work left.
Good thing no enemies showed while we bullshitted.
I'd planned to wipe out the murderer gang squatting here, but we'd ended up looting their empty house instead.
This place is too damn big.
I headed to the back gate where I'd killed the enemies earlier. Right away, the guard room came into view—smeared with blood and brains.
"Nngh..."
I dragged the corpse—head and upper body half gone—by the legs and tossed it into the flower bed.
Honestly, we got careless.
To be cold about it, I should've cleared the enemies before chatting with those three survivors. In isolated Our Love Church, if someone found the guards' bodies, who knows what they'd do to the place.
But does that shit just happen on command?
Enemies could show anytime. Call it luck. If they'd attacked mid-talk, it'd have been a mess. But my gamble paid off—no assaults during the conversation.
Wonder if that was the right call.
I sighed. I'd recruited the three, but blindly growing the group felt off.
Can't do it solo forever.
But two wasn't enough either, no matter how I thought. I sat on the chair outside the back gate guard room and surveyed Our Love Church grounds. The building looked several times bigger than a normal house, wide parking lot, tall walls.
Five's honestly too few.
I had reasons for taking in these first survivors. I shifted my gaze to below the back gate of Our Love Church.
The back gate road was a one-way street lined with shops. Follow it down, and you'd hit Northdong Station; keep going from there, and you'd reach our target—Yuseong University.
Those bastards definitely came from Southdong below.
In Northdong, aside from Jeong Suhyun, I hadn't seen a soul. I'd checked over twenty buildings—if that many people were looting villas or apartments, they'd have crossed my path.
So Southdong had a group big enough to sustain that many. Probably living survivors like Kim Yunjin, Jeong Dojin, and Choi Yuri too.
If we made Our Love Church our base, we'd need to defend like them. Originally, I'd planned to save dozens here, set up base, then head south slowly out of downtown. But survivors were fewer than expected.
That made it tricky.
Funny how snagging three feels like a win.
I rubbed my brow. But I doubted all three would awaken, or get good powers.
If they get movement, living, or housing abilities, that'd be ideal.
Our Love Church group's powers suddenly seemed valuable. I glanced at the corpses I'd dumped. Guards mostly had weapon summons or small fire-from-hands abilities. Per Choi Yuri, they had gas for kidnappings too, and powers for safe zombie navigation.
In this shitty spot, they might even have food-supply powers.
If only we hadn't killed the babies.
We could've approached friendly. In just two weeks of apocalypse, they'd adapted, lost all humanity. Just pleasure killers raping and murdering.
Wonder if talking would've worked.
But I shook my head. Negotiating with those humans felt gross even as an option.
What about torture? I floated an Ice Spear above me.
Threaten with spears and rifle, extract info—would that have worked? Realistically, yeah.
Status Window, powers, Our Love Church, these humans, Southdong, zombies, monsters—they knew some of that.
Dragging a couple and Kim Yunjin from Southdong meant they knew safe and dangerous spots well.
But.
Too emotional.
I spared no one here. Hell, I didn't even try talking. Indiscriminate killers, rapists, kidnappers—regardless of age or gender. I turned more violent than I realized.
No regrets. Just wished I'd been more efficient.
Saving that Kim Kwonyong would've gotten us tons of info.
Killing him was suboptimal. Obvious boss or leader type. Could've taped his mouth, yes/no questions.
Regret crept in.
"Hoo..."
But nothing changed. Six humans gone to the afterlife; now just three survivors and unknown enemies coming back.
So, capture one returning to Our Love Church and interrogate.
"Junyoung."
Then Jeong Suhyun approached from behind, flapping three sheets of paper. Already done?
"Jeong Suhyun? That fast?"
He smirked and handed me the papers.
"How long could saying that take?"
Rifle slung on his back, bag packed—survivors must be somewhere else.
"Where are the others?"
"Sent Dojin to the front gate, had Yunjin and Yuri tidy inside."
Damn, he'd even chatted them up already. Charisma king.
"Good call. Front gate took a while anyway."
Sending Jeong Dojin to the front was smart. I'd cleared it fully; low chance anyone came. If they did, they'd head straight to us for response.
I nodded, and Jeong Suhyun grinned.
"Yeah. On the Status Window thing—good news and even better news. Which first?"
"Huh?"
...Wasn't it good news and bad news usually?
I started to nitpick, but he beat me.
"Kidding. Relax, you look scary. Anyway, good news: all three got Status Windows and skills."