Headhunting (1)

I had spent my entire life with my sister within the boundaries of Sion Mountain Fortress and Gucheon Village—the cult’s sphere of influence. It had been that way since the day we were born. My sister occasionally left as the cult’s public face for advertising, but I never did. From a young age, I had called the cult leader “auntie” and thrown away the chance to become his honored male concubine. After that, I became the cult’s problem child, the rebel. The only reason I survived was because Ahn Seong-ho, the cult leader’s closest aide, had defended me for a brief moment. The cult leader himself was also curious to see when this defiant child would finally submit. So I had lived with the constant feeling that simply staying alive was already a stroke of luck. Leaving the cult’s territory was unthinkable. If I got caught, I’d be killed and buried, just like all the other traitors who had tried to escape. That was why I had vaguely assumed the outside world would be more or less the same.

“…It’s really different.”

I muttered without thinking as I walked hand-in-hand with my sister. The world beyond the cult’s influence was far more different than I had imagined. First of all, the people themselves were different. Unlike the cult members who constantly glanced sideways at one another with watchful, suspicious eyes, these people simply… walked. Some moved busily, others didn’t, but contrary to my expectation that most would be sitting around listlessly without hope, the majority were actually working.

“Yeah…?”

My sister sounded equally surprised. Carpenters hurried about carrying ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lumber and building things. Nearby, people were farming inside greenhouses they had constructed themselves. It was far more orderly than I had expected. That was the surprising part. They had clearly captured people who had fled the cult, and they obviously knew about the cult leader. Was the president’s authority weaker than I thought? Having lived under the absolute rule of a cult leader who stood above all others, I found it hard to believe that anyone could hold imperfect power. Was Exodus Arcadia really okay like this?

“Ah.”

While we were walking around with puzzled expressions, we stopped in front of an amusement park.

“Whoa…”

Roller coasters, rides that looked like they would spin wildly while hanging or fly through the air, bumper cars, and countless others whose names I didn’t even know. My heart raced. The park wasn’t even that far from the cult. It would have been nice if they had taken me here at least once. A sudden wave of irritation hit me, but we quietly continued walking toward the resort. Man, that amusement park looks like so much fun. Too bad we can’t just drive in and enjoy it ourselves. I barely swallowed my disappointment. Who knows? Maybe later we could find an abandoned but well-preserved amusement park or theme park and have some fun. Fortunately, no one stopped us or recognized us. I had been worried that someone might recognize Ahyeon since her face was so striking, but the glances we received were less “I know her” and more “She’s incredibly pretty.” Well, it had been over a year since Ahyeon stopped being the cult’s public face. Even if they remembered her, they probably wouldn’t immediately connect the dots.

That was when it happened, as we headed toward the resort.

“Hey, oppa.”

“What?”

“Over there…”

My sister poked my forearm repeatedly and pointed. A crowd had gathered in that direction. People had stopped working and were flocking over even though they had been in the middle of their tasks. What on earth was going on? I glanced at my sister. She didn’t seem to know either. Even the workers were drawn in by whatever was happening. Was it something they absolutely had to see? I exchanged another quick look with her and we approached.

It was some kind of performance area. A man in a suit stood on the stage, and soldiers had gathered nearby, holding rifles. Oh. This must be it.

I slipped into the crowd with my sister. Securing the armory was important, but this was my second objective: finding out how much the president knew about this whole Rapture bullshit and why he was looking for the cult leader. This was the perfect opportunity. We both looked up at the stage. The president had taken the microphone and begun his speech. At the same time, something appeared in my vision.

Fuck. There really was a skill called Oratory? It was surprising, yet at the same time, not really. Park Do-hyun—most likely the president—had an appearance that suited his position. Black hair streaked with gray, neatly combed back in a way that suggested his age. A clean-shaven, smooth jawline. He wore a suit. He was quite tall, neither fat nor thin. The build of someone who exercised moderately. A healthy-looking middle-aged man. He scanned the crowd from the stage with a gentle smile. No one was murmuring. His mere presence carried a strange persuasiveness.

The security agent who had followed the president, Kim Chae-hyun, practically worshipped him. One month. One month since the Rapture bullshit began, the government collapsed, and not just zombies but actual monsters started roaming around. How ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had the president managed to control the people during all that? Now I understood his method.

Tap. Tap, tap. He lightly tapped the microphone so it wouldn’t be obvious. The subtle noise and static drew everyone’s eyes and sharpened their focus. In that moment, he opened his mouth with a warm expression.

“I won’t take up too much of your time and interfere with the work you all need to do.”

Then don’t fucking stop us, you asshole. No one said that. If it were me, I definitely would have. So this is what the outside world is like? Instead, the people simply stared up at the president in silence.

“I have seen the exhaustion etched on your faces. I have seen the calluses, the dust on your clothes, the blood from scratches earned through grueling labor.”

True to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his words, the people were dressed quite shabbily, and quite a few bore visible injuries.

“But at the same time, I see the proud citizens of the Republic of Korea. You are not here because you have nowhere ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠else to go. You are here because you chose this path and are making yourselves proud.”

No one pushed back against those words. Instead, the crowd remained silent, hanging on the president’s lips. It was obvious that most of them hadn’t come here willingly. They had simply been lucky enough to reach this place and were staying because they didn’t want to die. Without guns, fighting zombies was no easy task. Even I would turn into a zombie if I got bitten. That was why my tactics always involved provoking the enemy with the suspicion of being a holy warrior, forcing them into one-on-one fights. But could ordinary people without guns really stand against zombies? No way. These people were here because they had nowhere else to go.

But truth has no meaning in itself. Having lived my whole life in the cult, I knew that. What mattered wasn’t the truth, but what people chose to believe as truth. They were intoxicated by the lies the president fed them.

“This week, the crops you planted in the greenhouses will yield their first harvest.”

Now that I was paying attention, I could see everything. The hand gestures, the way he directed his gaze, the subtle modulation of his voice’s intensity. He truly lived up to having Master-grade Oratory. Even though I knew exactly what lay behind his words, his persuasiveness still worked. Even when you knew the truth, you couldn’t help but admire the intelligence and strategy behind it. You became moved by it. If I hadn’t experienced the cult and learned exactly how these things worked, I would have fallen for it too. My sister, on the other hand, looked completely uninterested.

“From this barren land that once held only a resort and theme park, this is the future you yourselves have grown and created.”

It wasn’t the truth. It was a lie. This place wasn’t barren at all. Just from the reed fields and trees we had passed on the way here, it was clear the island was quite fertile.

“But that is only the beginning. Peas, spinach, lettuce… From now on, this island will produce even more crops. More farmland will be reclaimed, and more food will be distributed to all of you.”

He clenched his fist and declared firmly.

“You will enjoy warm homes and food that nourishes not just your bodies but your souls. The Republic of Korea Army will secure more islands and land, and you will receive rewards befitting your hard work.”

He made promises. The future. Hope. All kinds of optimistic things. The president made those promises openly, as if to show them off.

“Even when the work feels endless, when your body aches and your heart wavers, when tears well up in the face of raging storms… do not yield. Remember that you are the very foundation of this Republic of Korea.”

And then he reminded them of their duty. Just as I was about to sigh at how familiar the technique was, the president finished his speech.

“It is only right that your names be carved into that very foundation.”

Thunderous applause erupted. My sister and I clapped along so as not to stand out. As we did, I saw the president smiling brightly on the stage. It was similar to the cult leader’s style of speech. I wasn’t sure whether he had learned it from the cult leader or taught it to him, but there was definitely a connection. If we secured the armory and either subdued the military or threw them into chaos… maybe we should pay him a visit? Would security be too tight? No, even so, just once…

While I was lost in thought, my field of vision suddenly expanded dramatically. I could now see almost all the way behind my shoulders. Not quite directly behind, but my field of view exceeded two hundred degrees. At the very edge of that vision, something moved. We were at the very back of the crowd, which made it easy for someone to approach from behind. Who was it? This wasn’t just a passerby. I entered a state of vigilance. The effect created by my exceptional perception and the Aspect of the Wolf’s Glance. I saw a blade approaching at the edge of my vision. The blade was aimed at my pocket. It was trying to tear through the leather jacket’s pocket. Fuck, a pickpocket? In the middle of this apocalypse, someone’s picking pockets? And it was the pocket with my automatic pistol in it. If the gun fell to the ground, it would be a disaster. I had to stop it.

The moment I reached out to knock away the hand holding the knife—

My body moved on its own. I spun around. The face that met mine had wide, startled eyes. It was the man I had seen earlier. A woman stood a step away, watching. A man and a woman. These bastards, seriously…?

But I didn’t stop. My left hand grabbed his collar while my right hand, which had knocked away the knife, automatically seized his wrist. A technique I had used often lately emerged. Faster than conscious thought, driven by muscle memory. I had used it just yesterday. Before going to sleep, while clearing out the zombies in the pension. Because of that, the entire sequence of movements didn’t even feel like separate actions. With Master-grade close combat and partial bonuses from Master-grade shooting—

In half a motion, the man’s body flew through the air.

CRAAAAAASH!

With a sound like something shattering, the man’s body slammed into the ground head-first. His skull burst open, spraying blood everywhere. His twitching limbs soon went still. The crowd split apart to either side. Everyone turned at the roar that was louder than the applause.

“…Ah.”

His head was completely crushed, barely retaining its original shape. Instant death.

“E-eek, kyaaaaaah!”

The woman screamed. The crowd panicked, screamed, and vomited. The soldiers, who had frozen for a moment, finally moved. The barrels of their rifles came down in unison with a series of metallic clicks. But I was faster. I pulled the pistol from my pocket and aimed. Even my sister had drawn her pistol and was aiming it. Ah, fuck. We’re screwed.

“Get down! Get down right now!”

“Drop your weapons! Drop them!”

They were panicking. I had killed a man with my bare hands. I hadn’t even used a weapon. But that didn’t mean I was unarmed. There was a machete hidden behind my leather jacket. An automatic pistol in my hand. A .22 caliber powder pistol at my waist. My sister’s eyes were sharp. The situation had gone to complete shit. Utterly fucked. Fuck, even if I counterattack, is this really the time? I suppressed the dry laugh that tried to escape and kept my gun raised. A way out. How could I—

Five men had their guns trained on me. Could I shoot faster than they could pull their triggers? Should I use Tadol to create distance and adjust my aim before firing? Could I take them all down before getting hit? If my sister took care of the rest, could we make it? And even if we somehow solved this, what then? Run while carrying my sister? Go back to the boat and arm ourselves? Fuck, if they swarmed us in the meantime…

That was when someone caught my eye. The politician who had erased his smile and was staring at me intently. The president, Park Do-hyun. He was walking toward us. His gaze was fixed on the pistol in my hand. Ah, right. This was Kim Chae-hyun’s gun. Should I take the president hostage? Yeah, that might be—

“Everyone, please lower your weapons. It seems there has been a misunderstanding.”

At that moment, the president stepped right in front of my gun barrel. A misunderstanding? What the hell was he suddenly— While I was still confused, the president turned his back to me. He looked at the bewildered soldiers with a smiling face.

“Look. Didn’t this person just splendidly stop someone who was trying to stab me with a knife?”

At the tip of his outstretched hand lay the dagger that had failed to tear through my pocket and now rolled on the ground.

“Y-yes? What… what do you mean…”

It wasn’t just the soldiers. I was stunned, and so was my sister. The president continued with a smile.

“These two are my new security agents.”