Safety or Gamble (1)
"As expected, that's what they were planning to do to us."
When I relayed my conversation with Park Donghyuk word for word, Kim Jungshik let out a heavy sigh. His crew was all packed up behind me, their faces grim. They had to be anxious about heading outside.
'It's weird there's no pushback.'
But it also meant they had that much trust in their leader, Kim Jungshik.
As I was thinking that, Kim Jungshik spoke up from behind me.
"Hey, but are we really leaving these guys here?"
"Who? Park Donghyuk's bunch?"
"Yeah. They look like the type who'd stab you in the back later."
True enough. And since Park Donghyuk had been planning to take out Kim Jungshik's group, who knew what they'd try with me down the line.
But.
"Doesn't matter."
In all sorts of ways, I didn't care what they got up to. Whether they attacked with their people, schemed behind my back, or came at me later.
"This place is just an... well, 'experiment' doesn't quite fit. First alliance test? Test isn't right either."
This wasn't my base—it belonged to someone else as leader. They had their own self-sufficiency, rules, worries, circumstances. Even after the apocalypse.
"It's about whether you can build a place you can trust in this world or not. Same for you guys."
Otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered talking to Park Donghyuk or Kim Jungshik. I could've just swept them all away like I did with Our Love Church and secured the base.
But human reasons, practical reasons—I judged this more profitable.
"So, everyone, just stick close and don't die."
"......"
The men fell silent.
After that, I went to Park Donghyuk and asked him to open the door.
"Fine. I'll tell Lee Euna."
"See you later."
"Yep! Be careful out there!"
After exchanging goodbyes with Park Donghyuk, we headed north through the passage and ran into Lee Euna.
"......"
"......"
Click.Rumble...
The barricade vanished. I gave Lee Euna a nod, then led the men up to the surface, where the stench of rotting corpses hung thick in the air.
"Ugh..."
"Man, sunlight after all this time."
The men muttered as they took in the lingering corpses and smells. I scanned the surroundings.
'No zombies.'
Once I confirmed it was safe, I pulled out my smartphone. Time: 3:06 PM.
'Gotta wrap this up before evening.'
The timing was tricky. But perfect for executing my plan.
'Deal with the hordes coming our way, then take out their head.'
Taking Kim Jungshik's group would definitely draw the blood clump zombies. Processing them and their main nest would take hours at least. At this rate, we could finish before sundown.
"Let's go. Stay behind me, nice and slow. And keep quiet."
I moved while pondering, passing corpse-strewn areas toward the dark-red flesh city where I'd killed zombies before. We arrived at the boundary line where one had fled.
"Do we really have to go in there?"
"Suck... Isn't there space near the station? What is this, straight out of a horror flick?"
"Ugh, so disgustingly real."
The men recoiled at the grotesque flesh masses, muttering complaints. But I shook my head.
"Then there'd be no reason to pull you out of there."
"....."
"Besides, didn't you say you want to escape Seoul? We're grabbing a base while moving—gonna leave the enemies right above us?"
"But there's the south too."
"That's where the Liberation Army is, right? Didn't Park Donghyuk tell you? Want to catch a bullet?"
Mention of guns shut them up quick. From what they'd said, more had gone down south than north, so they knew.
But.
'They just can't get used to that sight.'
I sighed, eyeing the dark-red old city in the distance. Even I hadn't wanted to enter at first—worse for people who'd been underground.
Still, we had to push forward.
"Let's go. Everyone ready? Speak up if anything shows."
"Got it."
"Understood."
Outside, I could handle any horde. Leading the worried, fearful men, we cautiously stepped into the old city.
===
Problem.
'Why no attacks?'
We advanced steadily down the one-way path, but no blood clump assaults like they'd described. I didn't know how Northdong Station survivors lived, but they said south: humans, north: blood clumps. There should be blood clump zombies here.
Yet.
No zombies, no monsters, even as we roamed their territory. I even tested by leaving the men idling to lure out ambushes—nothing.
The men voiced the mystery too.
"...Did they wipe them all out on the way here? Can't be no monsters..."
"No."
"This is weird. Those bastards have been quiet lately, but they still hit us now and then."
The deputy tilted his head.
"They swarm people like maniacs. Ugh. Gross. Why's it so slippery?"
Kim Jungshik voiced doubts too. Definitely odd—no attacks despite us bringing bait.
"When was the last one?"
"Three days ago. During night watch with Gapsu and Youngchul—scratched the barricade and left. Right, Kim department head?"
"Yeah. Barricade held, so they bounced, from what I heard."
They confirmed recent north-side attacks.
'Just look at how they blocked the north.'
Blood clumps hit Northdong Station sometimes.
'Something's wrong.'
Plan: Use men as bait for inevitable attack, eliminate blood clump source in this dark-red city.
But no assaults at all.
'Tch...'
Plan derailed. Only option: Hunt them in their territory.
I'd crossed unscathed before—no obstacles beyond visual/olfactory terror.
But.
'Too risky.'
I shook my head. Station folk feared blood clumps. No attacks on me, but unlikely for others. Zombies avoid flesh zones, station gets hit—they're aggressive.
'Gone recently?'
But three days ago...
Possible, but low odds.
'Or something about us drives them off?'
Me? Self-conscious maybe, but they sensed something from me.
What differed me from others?
'Unique status window. High-kill magic.'
My attack spells outclassed others'. Normal zombies no threat; even humans/zombie hordes, I'd hold or win.
'Nah, too unrealistic.'
Why would blood clumps avoid me?
Unless status window linked.
'Wait.'
If status-linked? Not natural variants. Humans, intelligences, or... Rocket Mart silhouette-like. Ruin Remnants.
High chance status-linked.
'If intelligent? Detect status windows, sense threat?'
Suddenly serious. Not certain, but possibility unsettling.
'Can't ignore the bad feeling, but too dangerous with the men.'
I frowned. Contact inevitable.
But.
"Whoa, what's gonna jump out?"
"Feels weird stepping on this."
I had baggage. Clearing paths with men vs. storming nest—worlds apart in risk.
"Hoo..."
Quiet old city. I floated an Ice Spear, walking slowly, sorting thoughts.
'Assuming we hunt with men...'
No big buildings. Northhyang Hospital (briefly seen), elementary school in apartments, or high school opposite.
'Neither great.'
Schools perfect for sieges. Open field front, defensible back gate—but narrow halls, many rooms: isolation trap.
'Plus empty inside.'
Hospital no better. Flesh-overrun, more complex than school.
But prime blood clump spots.
'Nothing much between rich villas and station.'
Hardware stores, small shops—empty. Big marts relocated east/west; only small supers I'd hit.
Apartments biggest, but...
'Tch.'
Apartments had less dark-red flesh. Awkward structures—not ideal bases. Low odds.
'Sigh...'
I knew. Highest odds: flesh-heavy Northhyang Hospital, where I'd felt off before.
Post-outbreak, it screamed horror movie.
'Searching all that...'
I glanced back. Men squelching after me.
Losing Kim Jungshik's crew in an assault? Waste. Rescued for nothing; today's work undone.
'Daylight coverable, but night...'
Half support/production, weak attackers—indoors means casualties.
'This is how it goes.'
I shook my head. Park them safe, clear city solo.
'Less than a day passed.'
Church might risk, but...
'Set boundaries, no-contact zones.'
Safety vs. gamble. Couldn't bet—especially zero-win odds.
No choice: Shelter them temporarily at my base.
"This way."
I sighed, turned direction.
===
An hour later, dark-red world brightened.
"...Here?"
"Rich villas this way, right boss?"
"Yeah, but Kim Junyoung, weren't we heading somewhere to fight?"
"Plan change."
Out of dark-red: orange-dyed sky, hilltop villas. Men puzzled.
Made sense. Talked fight, base-hunt—now this?
"Ice Spear."
No answer—instead, spears. Morning promise to Jeong Suhyun's group mattered more.
"...!!!"
"!!!!"
As promised, two spears up—climbing Our Love Church hill. Presence afar: shattered ice shield, Jeong Dojin and Kim Yunjin before it.
"Boss!"
"You're here?"
They spotted us, faces grave—then bright at spears. Tensed again at seven men behind.
"Th-those behind...?"
"Who are they?"
Jeong Dojin and Kim Yunjin asked, but I waved it off.
"Just temps I brought."
"Temps?"
Temporary stay, no need for mingling.
I left awkward Jeong Dojin, Kim Yunjin, Kim Jungshik crew—and questioned.
"First, what happened here?"
Shattered ice shield. Rear gate side, smashed by heavy force—shards unmelted on ground.
Tough against impacts—what hit it?
"And night watch like this."
One below, one above—supposedly. What happened in my hours away?
Kim Yunjin approached, whispering.
"Ah. Problem while you were gone."
"Problem? Damage? What went down?"
"Well..."
Kim Yunjin hemmed, explained.
"Some foreigners busted in, smashed that. But Jeong Suhyun saw and..."
Jeong Suhyun again? What'd he do?