85. Jeungpyeong Hotel Complex (2)
85. Jeungpyeong Hotel Complex (2)
The man agreed.
It meant he had the sense to seize an opportunity that suddenly appeared.
"Alright. Then, first off, what's your name?"
"I'm Kim Young-jin."
The man's name was Kim Young-jin. 34 years old. His ability was Plant Growth.
An ability with 65.8 compatibility.
He was about 8 years younger than me.
"Plant Growth."
"Yes. It's an ability that accelerates the growth of plant-like things."
"What's it feel like?"
"Growth speeds up a bit. If lettuce usually takes about a month and a half to harvest, you can consider it cut down to about a month."
"What level are you?"
"Level 1."
A 20% reduction, then? 20, 30, 40, 50.
Even at level 4, if it's at least 50%, it's a massive ability.
Plant Growth.
'That means there's Animal Growth too, then.'
It would be great to take him along if I visit later.
Plant Growth is also a massive ability.
I nodded and said.
"You probably saw my ability earlier, but can you explain what happened here?"
"What do you mean?"
"Since January. From the time of the outbreak until now. I know the gist, but I want to compare."
"Ah..."
Kim Young-jin started explaining.
#
The man didn't really know much.
Since he had joined this side after March.
It meant he had hunkered down at home for 3 months.
"How did you survive?"
"I held out at home."
"Must have had plenty of food?"
"Yes. I bought bags of rice... had kimchi, and water was running, so..."
"But were you at home when the outbreak happened?"
"Yes. I was on vacation. I'm a civil servant."
That makes sense for a civil servant on vacation.
But...
"Didn't you get a call to report? I got texts about reserve forces and stuff."
"I was mobilized immediately. By the county office. But I had a family, so I couldn't leave. I knew something was up. I just hunkered down here."
"You were lucky."
"Right. Plus, my whole family was at home at the time. My parents' and in-laws' sides had problems, though."
3 months like that.
The 37th Division came to them as they held out at home.
They welcomed the military that came from the outside.
"I was relieved they were soldiers. I thought maybe things were getting better."
They took people.
To the county office and the Hotel District.
That was March. The timing is tricky.
'That's probably when Park Young-ho went into the bunker.'
"Do you know Park Young-ho?"
"Uh. Yes?"
"Colonel Park Young-ho. The big boss here."
"No. Here, it's Lieutenant Colonel Kim Sang-chul... Anyway, that's when I got my ability."
"Ah. By eating Infected blood or something."
"Yes... but was that Infected blood?"
"Yes."
The man's face looked weird.
"Then we gave the kids Infected blood..."
"Well, that's the fastest way to get an ability."
"No... ha."
I suppose so.
Whatever.
I changed the subject.
"So, that's how you got the Plant Growth ability?"
"Ah, yes. Fortunately... my ability was pretty good too. Lieutenant Colonel Kim Sang-chul called me and told me to stay here and help the farmers."
"Farmers?"
"Yes. People who knew how to farm were dividing land and planting things, and I used my ability on that. It failed miserably, though."
"Why?"
"Farming is based on a year cycle. But since growth sped up, there was a discrepancy."
"Ah."
"Anyway, because of this ability, my family could stay safe. I got special treatment even though I was supposed to work. My wife isn't in good health."
"You don't go where they send people?"
"Ah, yes. That's right. Civilians kept disappearing..."
"Then what about the men over there?"
"They're the farming crew. I don't know where the others went. Young women went to the hotel, but... the others, I'm not sure..."
I see.
"What are your wife and kids' abilities?"
"My wife has Hearing Enhancement. The kids have Vision and Hearing Enhancement."
"Two hearing, one vision."
They are pretty useless abilities.
Anyway, the situation had continued since the soldiers started taking people. The Warlords were growing.
Civilians were coming in.
Among the civilians coming from outside, there were many with good superpowers. The Warlords were maintained as one of them.
Mostly, they were just mobilized for farming.
"So it's just you, your wife, and your kids?"
"Yes... so there is a problem."
"What kind of problem?"
Kim Young-jin made a savage expression.
The sound of teeth grinding.
"One of the soldiers touched my wife. A guy named Captain Lee Chan-hyuk. He has a Paralysis ability... He touched her while talking about me. The mother of my kids knew they were getting special treatment..."
"Don't others stop them?"
"...They ignored it. Some even mocked us."
Paralysis ability.
They definitely didn't send people down and built a system here.
"So you clashed with them?"
"Yes. But... well, obviously this is how it ended up. I didn't know they'd act like that just because I was getting special treatment..."
I need to ask this.
"This is a bit delicate, but it's not an affair or anything, right?"
"It is not."
The man said firmly.
"Then is your wife okay now?"
I asked indirectly.
Kim Young-jin's face crumpled more than any man I've seen so far.
"...No. She wakes up startled at night sometimes."
"......"
The man said bitterly.
"....Lieutenant Colonel Kim Sang-chul tried to brush it off too. He'd come secretly to harass her, then act like a jerk again. I told him about that too, but ha... I want to kill him, but I can't because of the kids."
"I see."
It's that kind of situation.
Don't know if it's the truth.
"So, Young-jin-ssi, you're just unable to do anything."
"That's right."
"Because your ability isn't good?"
"Yes."
Information was completely controlled.
The wall got bigger and thicker.
That means the barricade ability user leveled up.
Seeing as there's a Captain Lee Chan-hyuk with Paralysis, they seemed to have built their own group.
'As expected.'
In March, Park Young-ho went into the IN Company bunker, and Jeungpyeong is far.
Naturally, they had to build their own system.
'Still, this is on the mild side.'
They didn't kill them, right?
Though raping the wife is a bit much.
They killed everyone at Cheonan University.
Well, they probably have people working for them because they have farmland.
'......'
More importantly, Paralysis ability.
"Have you seen any other good superpowers? Like breathing fire, besides paralysis?"
"Hmm... I don't think I've seen any. I don't do outside activities."
"Then what about Communication ability? Do you know Ha Ha-yoon?"
"...I don't really..."
Communication was hidden. That means other ability users are hidden too.
'At most, it won't be lv.5.'
Doesn't matter if they have mental abilities. It means I can wipe this place out.
"Is there anyone you need to save?"
"Yes?"
"I'm asking if there's anyone you need to save besides your family."
He answered immediately.
"No."
"Enough that they can all die?"
"Yes."
"Then can you farm by yourself? You said you needed farmers."
"My wife and I know how."
"Well, good. Lastly, have guys in gas masks and black clothes ever come here? A black truck."
I took out my smartphone and showed him the truck.
"No."
Then it's easy to handle.
Just take this guy and his family.
"Can you bring your wife and kids out now?"
"...It's possible."
"Is there a problem with getting them out?"
"That's not it, but if there's no one inside, the patrol people will probably come to check the farmland."
"Then we have some time. I'll send you back, so bring them out. Just your family."
"Yes."
I sent the man back into the dark inside the barrier.
Soon after, the man, woman, and two kids holding their parents' hands came out.
'......'
I levitated them.
They might be surprised, but maybe the dad told them, because they didn't even scream.
I brought them to the front of my vehicle.
"Get in."
Kids with wide eyes.
A woman looking unwell.
She's quite young and pretty. A face worth getting NTR'd.
Four family members in the back seat.
The woman looks at me with fearful eyes.
I asked the man.
"Did you tell them?"
"...No."
"Is that so? Well, I'll explain on the way. First, get settled."
"Yes."
"That wife of yours."
Kim Young-jin and the woman looking at me with anxious expressions.
I ignored him and asked the woman.
"Yes..."
"What's your name?"
"Seo Ji-hye."
"Alright, Seo Ji-hye-ssi. Is there anyone here you absolutely must take? Or someone else using other superpowers."
"No. I don't really know about those superpowers. We were always in the barracks..."
"Really? You don't know Ha Ha-yoon? They say she has Communication ability."
"No."
The Communication ability user must be really well hidden.
"What's wrong with your health?"
"...I'm not sure."
Why don't you know? That.
Seeing my puzzled expression, Ji-hye said.
"My chest has been hurting since February. Now it just stings sometimes... but it hurts when I exercise."
"What about the kids?"
"The kids are fine."
Chest hurts.
Well, taking her to Seo-yoon will solve everything. Along with Eun-bin.
"Well, whatever. Last thing, do you know exactly where Lieutenant Colonel Kim Sang-chul is?"
"Yes. Over there, on the top floor of the Line Hotel."
"How do you know that?"
"Because he gives speeches and goes in there every time."
"Do you have any photos?"
"No. It's been a long time since I threw away my smartphone..."
"Alright. Let's go."
Going to talk about more important things after taking them to Seo-yoon anyway.
#
I explained to Seo Ji-hye.
"That's how it is. If you don't like it, tell me. I'll take you back."
"No... thank you for helping us."
I see the woman bowing her head in the rearview mirror.
Two kids staring blankly at their mom.
Kids are quick-witted.
That's probably why they are quiet even at such a young age.
'No.'
Maybe the loud kids are all dead?
"......"
"......"
"Let's talk when we get there. Since the kids are here."
"Ah. Yes..."
'I won't say everything Kim Young-jin's side said is right.'
They might have said it in their favor.
I just needed Kim Young-jin's side right now.
Farming ability user.
Civilian. And got a promise of cooperation.
That woman and the kids are the inhibitors to handle Kim Young-jin.
As long as the wife and daughter are there, he won't act out. Hiding things? That'll all be solved when I take them to Seo-yoon.
'What if that's all a lie?'
Then I'll kill them all and just use the man for his ability.
If I put absolute obedience on him, he can't do anything.
'More than that, "everyone else can die except us".'
Even assuming their words are all true, it's a cruel thing to say.
But that's why it's credible.
Still, I'd feel like shit too.
If I were in their shoes.
If I were in a place where my wife was being raped and the guy who raped her was hitting me, and I didn't feel like shit, I wouldn't be human.
Then I'll just ask Kim Sang-chul where the Communication ability user is and if there are any other good ability users, then deal with him.
Arrived at I-Pension.
"......"
"......"
Terrified family.
But they relax when they see Seo-yoon's face.
"Oh, oppa...?"
"Oh, first, make a contract and have them wait here."
"Ah, yes."
Result of checking by applying a contract that prevents lying.
'So this is the truth.'
Probably something like that.
I checked if they had trackers or anything, had them wait inside the pension, and came back to Jeungpyeong.
#
'They're searching.'
I thought, looking at the Jeungpyeong Hotel District where the patrolling soldiers are scurrying about.
'......'
Normally, I would have thought about how to get people from here.
If there was just a logistics center, I would have saved the civilians here and made it self-sufficient.
But I changed my mind.
Such uncontrolled groups can collapse at any time.
Like Second Lieutenant Kim In-seop's logistics center.
And I don't want to make the place I'm currently at, I-Pension, a place with such risks.
'A completely controllable group capable of self-sufficiency.'
And I need a completely controllable group capable of self-defense.
Then, after that, I can leave places like the logistics center and outsource.
If I make a Multi before the main base is even properly established, it becomes like the logistics center.
I need a place I can leave without any worries.
A group that can safely protect people like Seo-yoon.
To do that, it's right to just clear out places like this.
So, first... let's see what to do about Kim Sang-chul. If I do this and that to him, information will come out like this and that.