21. Cheongju Elementary School (1)
21. Cheongju Elementary School (1)
I gave Seo-yoon 10 more bullets.
"Uh... is this okay?"
"Yeah. Counting the unused ones, that'll be about 20 rounds."
Just in case others come.
I'll just have to tell her to spray fire if needed.
"Do the women look okay?"
"...Contract-wise, there are no issues. Honestly, it's my first time, so I'm not sure."
"I bet."
There hadn't been any lies in what I'd asked them so far.
When I asked if the story about Mirae Middle School was true, they said yes.
But I can't trust them.
Just like Seo-yoon.
Unless Seo-yoon's ability levels up and she can control them perfectly, that is.
'Seo-yoon's ability is the key.'
I need to figure out how to nurture that to control the group perfectly.
Just look at this instance.
'Arm Enhancement and Taming.'
They seem like minor abilities, but they looked quite useful. Yun-ji becomes stronger than me when she uses Arm Enhancement.
And Taming, which allows her to handle animals at will.
What if they level up by catching Infected? Especially if A-rin's ability increases?
But that's only after the contract levels up. One day is too short.
'......'
I'll have to speed up raising Seo-yoon's level to 2.
Of course, not today.
I headed outside.
#
I stopped by Eunha-go.
I had to pass through here anyway when moving.
"Uh... you're here?"
Yun-ji and A-rin were hanging around in the hallway.
I asked.
"What are you doing there? Why aren't you inside?"
"Ah, we were organizing the food by expiration date."
"Is that so?"
Well, they'll figure it out on their own.
As I was doing that, Yun-ji asked.
"Um."
"Why."
"What should we do?"
What should they do?
I brought them here in the first place because of their superpowers.
But it would be a waste if they died after I brought them. So...
'I'll have to have them enhance their abilities somehow once Seo-yoon levels up.'
It doesn't seem like they'll figure it out on their own, so I'll have to play babysitter again.
If I don't do at least that, they won't be able to pull their own weight.
"Just stay put for now. I'll always stop by here when I go out."
"Ah. Okay."
"Understood."
They don't ask about Seo-yoon, even though they must be curious.
Well, at least they have some sense.
There were too many vicious ones. And selfish ones, too.
Well, I shouldn't have brought them if it was going to be like this in the first place.
'Ah, I forgot to ask about Mirae Middle School.'
I'll ask when I get back.
#
I headed to Cheongju Elementary School.
I quickly passed through the familiar underground mall and headed to Imedi Apartment.
The scene I saw from up there was...
People were still alive and well.
But most of them didn't look too good. Well, they were told rescue was coming, but it never did.
I'll just go and ask.
I came down from the apartment and headed to the main gate of Cheongju Elementary School.
Tap
Tap
There are definitely fewer Infected.
The people inside must have cleared them out somehow.
I approached with my gun.
A man and a woman who were behind the barricade saw me and approached.
"...Uh?"
"......"
I was in a standoff with the man and woman in front of me.
They looked to be in their 30s.
I said.
"I heard this was a rescue. A shelter."
"Ah. Ah. Yes. Are you... by any chance related to the military?"
The man asked.
I shook my head.
"No. I just picked up this reserve force gear."
"Ah... then did you come from another shelter?"
"Well. Yeah."
It's similar enough.
I can just say I came from Eunha-go. Everyone there is dead anyway.
"Then what about there?"
"Gone. Everyone died."
"Ah..."
"So, are you going to keep me standing here? Or are you not letting me in?"
"Ah, that's not it. Eun-bin-ssi and the people in the situation room said to let everyone who comes in."
The man was chatty.
The woman standing next to him had a vicious look on her face.
They would, wouldn't they.
It was clear they valued people.
Like idiots.
"Are, are you going to stay here?"
"No."
There's no need to stay.
"I'm just looking for someone and wanted to get some information. I think I heard something about rescue on the radio."
"It didn't come."
When I said that, the vicious woman next to him spoke up.
"And it doesn't look like it will in the future, either."
The man cut off the vicious woman.
"Haha... seems like there's a problem. More importantly, who are you looking for...?"
"I met Park Jin-cheol-ssi and Lee Jin-woo-ssi outside."
"Ah... you must mean the External Team. The External Team should be on the 1st floor. You can go right in."
"Don't you check people or anything?"
I have a gun.
The man glanced at my gun and shook his head.
"Our policy is like this."
"Ah. Right."
They're still living soft.
If the crazy bastards from Eunha-go came, they'd get wiped out.
The man grunted with effort, moved one of the barricades, and opened the locked door.
"Yes. Thank you."
I headed inside.
The interior of Cheongju Elementary School was quiet.
However, unlike Eunha-go, the hallways were full of traces of people.
Blankets.
Clothes.
Trash.
Food scraps.
But unlike Eunha-go, there were so many people that there was surveillance in the hallway, too.
Two women in their 30s.
Of course, the two women didn't even show any interest in me.
'I'm carrying a gun and they don't even care?'
How on earth have they survived until now?
Ah.
It's not surveillance.
They just looked like they came out to hang out because it was stuffy inside.
When I went toward the central stairs, I saw quite a lot of people.
People bundled up tightly in padding.
Wow, no surveillance either.
The hallway I passed through.
This time, some rough-looking men were chatting in the hallway.
The men made eye contact with me.
But they didn't say anything.
'......'
The vibe was like gangsters or thugs.
Nod
The men bowed their heads to me.
I also nodded back.
Just as one of the men was about to talk to me.
Someone in the middle made a loud noise.
"...Uh?"
Coincidentally, someone I knew.
Lee Jin-woo recognized me.
The men slipped away.
Lee Jin-woo said he'd talk to the men next to him for a moment and then came out.
"Long time no see."
"Yes. You were Yu-seong-ssi, right?"
"Yes. Who are the people next to you?"
"Ah, those are the External Team members."
External Team.
Right.
They looked like they could use some force.
Although the men from last time weren't visible.
As I was doing that, Lee Jin-woo opened his mouth.
"What brings you here? Are you going to stay here now?"
"Not really, I heard rescue was coming, but the people here seem to be just as they were."
"Ah...."
Lee Jin-woo's expression turned sour.
He said.
"Eun-bin-ssi and the situation room said they made contact. Rescue. But it didn't come. Two days ago. So everyone thought there was a problem and decided to wait for now..."
"So it didn't come."
"Yes.."
"Then what are you going to do?"
"I don't know. Food is running low, so we were about to head out today."
Heading out.
Well, people from here haven't come to the underground mall in a few days.
'Must have been waiting.'
Because rescue might come.
Anyway.
"Do you have any ability to make meat? Or make food?"
"I wish we did."
"I see. Any other ability users? Besides strength enhancement?"
"No... right now we only have two with 20% vision and hearing, and one with 70%. The rest are all like me and Yu-seong-ssi, strength enhancement. But is that meat-making ability real?"
"No. Just wishful thinking. Haven't had pork in a long time."
"Ah. Right."
There are 100 people and nothing. I'll have to figure out how to use A-rin's taming well.
"By the way, what about Jin-cheol-ssi and the others?"
"External Team? They're resting. The situation got bad because of what happened the day before yesterday. We decided to wait a few days."
I feigned ignorance and asked.
"The situation is bad? Why, what happened?"
"Sigh. Some crazy lady said she had to be rescued no matter what, claimed it was a lie, and opened the back door. A lot of people died and got hurt then."
"I see."
"But one of the External Team said we should kill that person, but Eun-bin-ssi and the people in the situation room said is it right to kill someone even if they did wrong, so the situation is a bit weird now. We were all working together to wait for rescue... so we haven't been able to go outside for two days. We're about to head out now."
"......"
They would be.
No rescue, internal conflict. And food is running out.
"Is there plenty of food?"
"No. It's a mess. Don't know what to do. We think we need to leave Cheongju, but the situation room side says we should wait a bit more..."
"Aren't you scared? Monsters roaming outside."
"...Better than starving. You're the same, right, Yu-seong-ssi?"
"True."
That's true. But I don't scavenge for people who aren't my own.
"Uh... who's that? With Jin-woo."
As I was doing that, a voice was heard from behind.
A familiar voice.
"Ah, Jin-cheol-ajussi. It's Yu-seong-ssi, who we met before."
Nod
I just bowed my head.
"Ah, yes. From the underground mall. Are you... here to stay?"
"No. I didn't come to stay, I'm just checking the situation here."
"Ah..."
Then he let out a small sigh looking at Lee Jin-woo.
Right, thanks to Lee Jin-woo, I knew all the information.
Park Jin-cheol shook his head when I told him that.
"The situation is pretty bad. Little food, no External Team, and rescue didn't come."
"What are you going to do now?"
"...Yeah. We're of the opinion that we need to leave Cheongju and be self-sufficient, and Eun-bin-ssi's side says we should wait for rescue here and have the external team get food."
"The latter relies on the External Team?"
"...Yes."
Wow.
Whatever.
It's not my business.
I changed the subject.
"I hope it works out. Anyway, about the rescue, did you hear it directly, Jin-cheol-ssi?"
"Ah yes. Heard the call with the 32nd Division. Heard it after the first time, right?"
"Yes."
"We decide these things with all External and Internal teams. So info is shared. We stay in the faculty office. That's the only place with contact."
I narrowed my eyes.
"From the Division Commander?"
"Yes. Why?"
"No. Must be some problem there too."
"Probably. Phew."
"Can't contact them from here?"
"No. Tried radio, they don't pick up."
Well, I'll tell them to figure it out themselves.
I got enough information. From these people.
I heard that rescue didn't come.
I confirmed they were alive and well.
What else was there.
Then Lee Jin-woo asked.
"Yu-seong-ssi, we're going up to the situation room, want to come?"
"The person with the healing ability?"
"Yes."
Hmm. Healing.
Ah, speaking of healing, I remembered.
"Actually, I have a few more questions. Have you seen a car like this?"
I described the vehicle I saw at Green Fresh Market.
A black truck.
And the special forces people who got off.
"Saw some people in special forces gear passing by Green Fresh Market recently, maybe you don't know either."
"...What?"
Lee Jin-woo's face looked strange.
Park Jin-cheol asked.
"Is that for real?"
"Yes. Be careful. They have guns, and if they aren't rescuing people, they might be a new group or warlords."
"...Nah. Where would you find that these days."
Lee Jin-woo joked.
Park Jin-cheol had a similar expression.
I wanted to say "You think it doesn't exist?", but I barely closed my mouth.
"Let's go up? Jin-cheol-ajussi. Need to report if we're going out."
"Ah, yeah. Okay. Yu-seong-ssi, you coming too?"
"Hmm... do you go out every day?"
"No. Every two days. External team is 2-shift. Seems they rested for three days the day before yesterday."
"I see. Let's see then."
It would be different from just hearing from the External Team. I thought it would be okay to meet that woman named Eun-bin and the situation room once.