Gaeseong High School (3)
"...No, that's not right. I misspoke."
But I quickly shook my head. I'd seen too much blood today—my head wasn't on straight either. What she'd gone through wasn't trivial by any means.
"You said it was recovery, not healing, right? We've got a healer at our base."
I caught myself before slipping into casual speech. Then I stood there, choosing my words carefully.
"Just maybe, she could regenerate your limbs. If the Liberation Army called it recovery, it's probably a different skill from healing."
Creak. I opened the door.
The woman might be dangerous. But I wanted to give her the chance to crawl away on her stumps and bash her head in, or slice herself open with something sharp and bleed out. That would be her choice too.
I had no obligation to drag along some woman without a purpose in life. No reason to save her, either. I was just saying what I could.
"Anyway... what I meant by 'test' was about that skill. Not you. Sigh. I mean, uh... I'll scout around. If you want to live till then, let me know."
That was my final offer. If she rejected even this, she'd die here—wallowing in filth, blood, and guts.
"......"
No answer. Her head hung low.
"Hoo." I stepped out and sighed.
The quiet hallway. The fourth floor was clean, but a gloomy vibe hung in the air.
'Get it together.'
It had happened before. When my body got tired, my judgment went off.
Slap. I smacked my cheeks with both hands.
Outside, dusk was settling. But I still had work to do.
Clack. Clack. Descending the central stairs, I thought.
The main building—the largest one—was sorted. But the cafeteria attached to it, and the gym I'd passed on the way, were unchecked.
The gym looked half-collapsed from outside, so I headed straight out.
Crunch. Sand underfoot. The silent sports field.
'They really bailed.'
I gazed at the twilight sky and sighed. No ambush this time, either. The wide field and front gate ahead were empty of humans. Just traces: countless footprints, blood.
Probably from dealing with the women on the first and second floors. I scanned them as I looped back toward the main building. But my target was the cafeteria next door.
Screech. The door revealed rows of tables and chairs. Chairs neatly stacked on tables—no one had used this place.
'Makes sense. The apocalypse hit at night.'
I got it. The Liberation Army had food summoners to fill their bellies; no need to cook here when they had the science labs or home ec rooms in the main building. So it stayed pristine.
Clack. I headed to the kitchen beyond.
Industrial cauldrons for mass meals, huge pots and pans, ovens. Utensils and trays—all spotless, unused.
Click. Tick-tick. I lit a big stove.
Whoosh. Flames roared instantly. Infrastructure intact—gas and fire worked fine.
'People can eat here.' Maybe even house more survivors.
I double-checked the cafeteria was empty, then banged the door shut and left.
Next: the gym.
Creak. But I grimaced as soon as I opened it.
'Caved in.'
I'd expected bad from the outside, but the door was blocked solid.
'Windows...'
No good. Gym windows were small—unlike the main building or cafeteria. Frost Blink through one would drop me straight from the third-floor height.
Squish.
'No need to bother.'
Sticky blood on the floor told the story. No sounds from inside—not even signs of life. Have someone check later.
I turned away.
Click. Phone on: 18:22.
'Time to go.'
Wandering more wouldn't flush out hiders. Now I needed Jeong Suhyun and Lee Yoon—specifically, Lee Yoon's detection waves to scan for humans inside the base.
'This place too.'
Cafeteria and gym included. Main building first, though.
I headed back to the fourth floor. Room 410.
Creak. She hadn't died.
But tears streamed down her face now.
Bang. I shut the door and asked, "So, made up your mind?"
A nameless woman. Limbs hacked off, used as a Liberation Army fucktoy... ex-soldier. That's all I knew.
Staring at her, she spoke. "...Yes. I'll live."
"Good."
I nodded. Then apologized.
"Sorry."
"......"
She clamped her mouth shut. But I had to say it.
"I must've lost it after all the shit today. Couldn't weigh what you went through properly."
I skipped words like rape or fucktoy.
"......"
Her face said she knew I knew. And questioned why bring it up.
Makes sense—she'd seen how the other women lived after capture. Resentment too, for dredging it up.
I continued. "No need to accept the apology. Just know I mean it."
"......"
Silence.
"I'm Kim Junyoung. Skills? Yeah, got a few. Use these mostly."
I floated two Ice Spears.
"Killing Liberation Army scum with 'em. You know what bastards they are."
She asked softly, "...Why fixate on me? What's my body good for? No limbs—just dead weight. Hell, only useful for fucking."
Yeah. Only reason to take a limbless woman was that. Her doubt made sense.
But.
"Not what I meant. No need to trash yourself like that."
"......"
"Call it goodwill."
In this ruined world, hauling a quad amputee burdened the base. But.
I was human before leader. Kim Yunjin's healing test? Symbol of my remaining humanity? Bullshit.
'No.'
No reason. I always justified killing innocents after. At Benefit Mart, my safety and future. Here on the third floor, my skill limits.
But her? No justification needed post-kill.
So.
'It's my whim.'
Doing good to jerk off to my own kindness later. But it comforted me. I wasn't a psycho reveling in kills.
That's why I gathered people, led them.
"So, let's go. You can't refuse anyway."
"......"
I killed plenty else, but yeah.
Then she—the quiet listener—spoke softly. "Okay. I'm Yoon Mina. And... I'll take the apology."
Agreement. A sliver of goodwill. Enough.
"Nice to meet you, Mina."
"Not really nice. But I'll trust you. First person to talk to me since the end."
"I see."
I didn't pry. Instead, Frost Blink—right in front of her.
Yoon Mina's eyes widened.
"Our base's goal: escape to Seoul."
"......"
Fire lit her face. Will to live. Rage at Liberation Army or me—didn't matter.
"People gathered, formed a base. At Our Love Church in Northdong."
"......"
"Liberation Army are our enemies. Came here to claim it as our next base. Cleared the trash."
"...Here?"
"Yeah, one of our targets. Will decide our path forward from here."
"......"
Yoon Mina stared, stunned, silent.
"One thing: bad memories if we stay here?"
Key question. Choi Yuri got over it somehow, but minds don't heal easy.
But Yoon Mina shook her head. "...No. Place doesn't bug me. Wasn't here long."
"Got it."
"Yeah, just not this room."
410. I nodded.
"Sure, we'll handle it. Anyway, our base: three women, ten men. Total thirteen. Good people, follow rules."
I reached for a handshake, stopped. No hands anyway.
Instead, I leaned down, eye level.
"Healer there too. Might heal you with her skill. Even if not, no problem living inside."
I smiled. "Right? So behave and let me carry you. No time to chat. Questions? Later."
I tore curtains from next door, bundled her up. Lifted her.
Her face flushed. Anger? Shame? Not refusal.
I glanced outside.
'Took too long.'
Sun setting. I hurried out.
"......"
Yoon Mina was light. Adult man's limbs weigh near half the body. Plus, starved woman on my back.
"Uncomfortable, say so."
"...Okay."
Out the Gaeseong High School gate—zombies staggered in the distance.
"Ice Spear."
I summoned one and advanced.