Yuseong Station (1)

Lazy afternoon. Classroom 409. Jeong Suhyun, Kim Jungshik, Lee Yoon, and I had gathered together. It was because the first major meeting without me had just wrapped up.

"No problems. Everyone shared good ideas, and we finalized everything for night watches and the cafeteria."

The topics from the meeting flowed from Jeong Suhyun's mouth.

"The important part is this—skills and abilities first."

Jeong Suhyun pulled out a binder and showed it to me. What I saw were the status windows and abilities he'd meticulously rewritten by hand. Jeong Suhyun, Jeong Dojin, Kim Yunjin—their proficiencies had all surpassed the 60% mark.

"Almost all D-rank now?"

"Yes."

Ever since the early days, my skills hadn't gained proficiency just from use. I could only grow by taking down remnants. But their status windows were different from mine. As long as they used their abilities in any form, proficiency went up.

That's why most of our base's people were stuck in the 50-60% range of D-rank abilities.

I nodded.

"Only Yoon Mina's still E-rank?"

"Yes."

Jeong Suhyun nodded and flipped the page to show me. Yoon Mina's status window.

"Blue flag. Pretty straightforward."

"Right? But because it's so simple, the effect is solid."

Jeong Suhyun explained. Food ability users who could summon twice a day were now doing it three times. I got the gist.

"...So it lets them summon even while sleeping."

"Exactly."

An ability that eliminated wasted time. More precisely, it covered the downtime inherent to humans.

"And for someone like Kim Yunjin, she can heal larger amounts at once."

"That makes sense. But what's this 'allies' bit mean?"

"Oh, it activates if Yoon Mina considers them allies. Not sure on the exact criteria."

"...Huh."

Boosting max mana was hugely effective. For summoners like food producers, it erased downtime. For healers or drug summoners, it increased the volume they could produce in one go.

Interesting.

I'd felt the effect too. A quick glance at my status window showed my max mana had risen from 112 to 114.

Level it up more, and it'll get even better.

"So, Jeong Suhyun. How many days until C-rank?"

This was a key question.

"Hmm. About ten days?"

Ten days. Long if it felt long, short if it felt short.

"But why do you ask?"

Jeong Suhyun inquired. The answer came from Kim Jungshik.

"Well, uh, probably because of Yoon Mina."

"The relocation talk?"

I shook my head. Yoon Mina without limbs. Kim Jungshik's sharp guess—that we'd set the move date based on whether Kim Yunjin's C-rank healing could fix her—was off the mark. My thinking was different.

"Whether healing works or not, we're delaying the move."

This time, the migration had gone smoothly. But that was due to the old downtown quirks between the rich district and Northdong Station, plus using the subway.

I continued, eyeing their puzzled faces.

"We haven't even crossed Cheonggyecheon, let alone left Seoul. And the monsters will keep multiplying. Plus groups like the Liberation Army."

Moving like this, who knew when we'd reach home. Dodging monsters, remnants, wiping out enemies—it was too slow.

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So I'd shifted the goal to my own growth.

"That's why I'll focus on hunting remnants."

Simply put, I just needed to get stronger. More mana, more skills, and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I could handle monsters, remnants, enemies—everything, including my goal.

"Hmm..."

"If Junyoung says so, you must have a plan."

After hearing Kim Yunjin's confession, I'd thought a lot. Even in safety, she'd contemplated death. She was one of the people I was responsible for. I'd saved her, convinced her to join the base, and she was pulling her weight.

But I couldn't keep leading them on these pointless treks forever. One district per month. It took this long for just a few kilometers—200km was impossible.

So I needed to grow. Physically, not just mentally. And openly clear zombies and remnants on the way south.

Jeong Suhyun nodded.

"So next target is the black fog beyond Yuseong University."

"Yes."

I agreed. That was the only remnant lead right now.

"...Heading out right away?"

Jeong Suhyun asked. It made sense—I always moved fast.

"Yeah, but I'll tidy up the surroundings first."

Clear zombies, help secure Gaeseong High base. Watch for internal issues, scout supply spots. With me around, Liberation Army remnants were easy pickings, so fortify defenses.

"That's the ten days."

After that, healed or not, head to the black fog in ten days. Faceless ones aside, the fog was almost certainly a remnant—prime for new powers.

"Relocation after. So focus everything on skill grinding and base defenses."

Delegate the details. That's why I'd handed meetings to them.

"Got it."

"Sounds good."

No objections. Jeong Suhyun and Kim Jungshik had never opposed me, not once.

"Dismissed."

And the meeting ended.

Frost Blink.

I headed straight outside. I stood on the rooftop of a fourth-floor building in Dongsung Market. The ruined city glowed orange in the sunset. Far off, the charred Benefit Mart; nearby, Yuseong University's silhouette.

Nothing.

Minutes ago, chatting with people—here, no sign of life. March 27th today. Twenty-four days post-collapse. Anyone unable to forage had starved. Only clustered survivors with status windows remained. And raiders like the Liberation Army. A world of wandering zombies and remnant monsters. A world where status windows appeared for some reason.

I turned my gaze. Gaeseong High School's white building. The pristine high school. I stared at it. A place teeming with the people I'd built up. Settle there, and life would be easy. After Kim Yunjin's confession, I could love her, mingle with folks, live long.

Rescue stragglers now and then, farm flowerbeds simply. Sure, inconveniences—like sudden infrastructure loss. But I could summon water; electricity and fire from the school lab with matches. Worst case, scavenge outside. Food? Bulk summon via skills, store in an underground ice-shield freezer. No sweat.

......

But.

I turned away. The blazing Benefit Mart, shadowy Namdong Station, murky Yuseong University. And the unseen black fog over Mirae Apartments.

Zombies, Liberation Army, faceless ones. Remnants. I'd chosen to abandon comfort for one goal: home.

I hadn't laid my parents to rest yet. I believed they lived.

So, no matter what I did. No matter the bullshit.

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I'd return home.

*Tap.*

For that, I needed more mana. And for mana, remnants—unknown monsters shrouded in black fog over Mirae Apartments.

But not yet.

Base wasn't stable. I'd tasked Jeong Suhyun and Kim Jungshik, but we were short-staffed. Plus unconfirmed Liberation remnants and likely their Yuseong University base.

So.

*Click.*

Next target set. Clear around Gaeseong High—Yuseong University. Specifically, purge Liberation remnants and dismantle the base. Handle any survivors.

Frost Blink.

I blinked to Namdong Station beside Dongsung Market.

Yuseong Station this way, right?

No need to burn mana blinking all the way—plenty of intact subway.

*Click, click.*

I entered Namdong Station, stench of decay thick.

Subway line from Namdong Station to Yuseong Station.

"......"

*Crack!*

A zombie's head caved under my bat.

*Splatter!*

It slumped, painting the wall red.

"Hm..."

Zombies crawled out one by one at Yuseong Station. But they didn't look naturally spawned. Even without my Ice Spears, they were in rough shape.

Female, naked.

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I crouched, inspecting. Many were naked or half-stripped women, scattered.

Liberation Army eating and dumping girls, normally.

But this didn't scream their style. Bluntly, they'd hack limbs and skewer mouths to asses before dumping neatly. See Northdong Station, Benefit Mart, Gaeseong High.

Yuseong U was definitely Liberation turf.

I chewed my thumb. Yuseong Station hugged the university's back gate—no room for rivals.

Something else? Hwang Jutae, fire summoner codenamed Haoraegi. Kwon Yunhwan with lightning discharge. Per Lee Seoyul, did Kwon Yunhwan's crew oust the Liberation Army?

Who knows.

*Crack!*

I bashed a ragged female zombie's skull and pressed on. Whatever group, their sloppy cleanup suggested no real skill.

I'll see soon enough.

Bonus for me, anyway. Another group nearby meant intel on handling Yuseong U. People at the station? Not bad—Liberation, survivors, whoever...

*Click.*

*Click.*

That's when I reached Yuseong Station along the line.

"Fuckin' bastards. Front and back different, crazy shits. Not even human."

"Right? Fuck. Hey, Seol Minyoung, any way out? You brought us here."

"...None. This is as far as I planned. We gotta bounce quick. They might catch us anytime. Or already have..."

Voices of a man and woman echoed from the underground mall side.