Prep Work (1)
Prep Work (1)
Three shelters lined up in a row from north to south.
The Blue House, Gyeongbokgung Palace, and even this Yongsan Shelter.
However, they say that this Yongsan Shelter is the only shelter currently existing in Seoul.
Gyeongbokgung Palace reportedly collapsed early on because the site was too wide to defend with insufficient troops, and there were no buildings capable of withstanding the zombies continuously climbing over the low sections of the wall; the Blue House reportedly fell due to a single wrong choice.
"So you're saying that even after blowing up the building suspected to be a breeding ground, they couldn't wipe out all the zombies at once, so the zombies swarmed to the Blue House and killed the president and all the people? How do you even know that? Did you see it yourself? The zombies wouldn't even know who did such a thing, isn't that just a simple coincidence?"
"This is direct testimony from survivors of the Blue House."
"Survivors? I thought even the president died, yet there are survivors?"
"Upon receiving a radio transmission sending a rescue request, we urgently scrambled a helicopter and went to the Blue House. However, the situation was so bad that we couldn't even land; we lowered a net and rescued only a few people hanging onto it, but we were unable to bring President-nim back. And according to the testimony of the people we rescued, as soon as we blew up the gymnasium of a nearby school suspected to be a breeding ground, the zombies flocked all at once to the Blue House."
"How is that possible? The zombies we've encountered so far weren't that intelligent..."
"That's right. Aside from the explosion, didn't the Blue House do something that might have attracted the zombies?"
Even Minseo and Kwon Juha, who had been listening quietly, spoke as if they couldn't believe Kim Hyunjun's words, and someone other than Kim Hyunjun stepped up to answer them.
"The fact that the zombies showed such collective behavior is probably high probability due to the zombies' instincts."
"Ha... Look here, ajumma. Why are you casually barging into someone else's house?"
"The door was open?"
"......Does that mean you can just barge in if the door is open?"
"I came because I had something to say. Please forgive the rudeness."
"Something to say? To me?"
Yeo Eunjung, a biology doctor known as a world-renowned authority, walked over with ttubuk ttubuk(clacking) steps, placed the papers she was holding onto the living room table, and sat down on the floor.
"This is a report on direct observations made by me and my research team on people who became zombies, as well as zombies and even stronger zombies. That monster Hajin-ssi killed in the hallway was also one of the zombies we're observing. Ah, and this is the report observing the zombies near the Memorial Hall."
"Do we really have to look at it?"
"No. I can explain it simply, so you just need to listen to my explanation. If you want detailed, accurate information without my personal opinions mixed in, you can look at the report."
At a glance, it's A4 paper that easily exceeds 100 pages.
I have neither the confidence nor the desire to read all of that.
"Well then, let's begin. First, starting with the newly discovered fact this time. About five minutes after the helicopter landed on the museum roof, including Hajin-ssi, all the zombies trapped in the underground laboratory turned their bodies toward one place all at once."
"Don't tell me... toward the Memorial Hall??"
To Minseo's question with widened eyes, Yeo Eunjung nodded slightly.
"Yes, that's right. And then they started pounding on the walls. As if pleading to be sent there."
"No way..."
"Seeing such behavior from the zombies, they have an instinct to protect the breeding ground. Well, to be precise, it's not entirely certain whether they're trying to protect the breeding ground or the queen that lays the eggs. Anyway, zombies detect the danger to the breeding ground or the queen from quite far away, and to protect it, each individual exhibits a certain behavioral pattern, making it look like collective action. In fact, zombies aren't engaging in collective action; they're just moving individually according to their instincts."
"But aren't there zombies that command other zombies?"
"Yes, of course there are. But even though that zombie wasn't in the underground lab, they showed the exact same behavioral pattern."
"Ah..."
"Then how can those zombies control other zombies?"
This time, Kwon Juha asked with sparkling eyes, but Yeo Eunjung shook her head and replied.
"I don't know that either. Our research team speculates that the voice of the zombie with command authority might emit a different frequency from other zombies, but the only experiments we can do here are observing behavioral patterns. If a proper laboratory is equipped and we manage to find that frequency, we might even be able to control zombies."
"Then you can just buy it from the shop!"
"Unfortunately, those kinds of research equipment aren't sold in the shop."
"Then can't you just take a helicopter to another research institute and bring those equipment back?"
"Yes, that's the only way. But to do that, quite a lot of fuel is needed, and especially..."
At Yeo Eunjung's gaze staring intently at me, not only Minseo and Kwon Juha, who suddenly became talkative, but even Kim Hyunjun stared intently at me.
These bastards are trying to work someone to the bone!
"We absolutely need the help of a strong person like Hajin-ssi."
"Wake up from your dream. There's no such thing happening."
"Please help us, Hajin-ssi. Hajin-ssi might perhaps change the fate of this country... no, this world."
"Ha... Instead of asking me a favor, wouldn't it be faster to persuade the higher-ups who prevent people from even properly using coins due to power struggles? If you just produced even one person with around 20 stats per faction, you might even be able to take over the entire research institute wholesale."
"That's strictly impossible. What the current leadership fears isn't the collapse of the balance of power between factions that Captain Kim mentioned, but rather the emergence of an individual with power."
"What do you mean by that, Doctor?"
"Think about it, Captain. It wouldn't be too late to fight over power after making this place safe first. Then why aren't they using the method that might make this place safe, even when it exists?"
"That is..."
"The reasons can be largely seen as two. First, to instill in people the perception that they cannot survive without their help. Because power can only exert its strength within a controlled environment. And second, because of the dangers an individual with immense power can bring. The moment someone with power beyond control appears, all power and authority will belong to that person. And they will tremble in fear. Because someone with such power could kill them at any time to take everything. No, there's even no need to kill them. In this changed world, the current leadership are just old, weak, powerless old men."
"Yeah, this is much more convincing~ as a reason for making such a ridiculous pact. Isn't that right, Captain Kim?"
"......"
Kim Hyunjun's expression hardened without a single word.
The bastard is empathizing with it too.
That the leadership of each faction in power used the opposing faction as an excuse to shackle their own ankles.
That Brigadier General Sangho of the 1st Special Forces Brigade, too, entered into such a pact because he feared that someone among his subordinates, including Kim Hyunjun, would replace his position.
"Then the reason everyone wants oppa is..."
"To make him their own person. Because that is both the safest way and the way to grow the faction's strength."
"Or sticking a knife into your back with a smiling face."
"......Perhaps."
After a brief silence at my words, Yeo Eunjung agreed.
Is this ajumma really a biology doctor? She seems more like someone in the political arena.
Anyway, why did the conversation veer off so much while talking about the breeding ground?
Both I and Yeo Eunjung pulled ourselves together and returned to the topic of the breeding ground, and Yeo Eunjung said that the zombies attacking the Blue House seemed to be in order to create a new breeding ground.
"So if we use bombs to crudely blow up a building, all the zombies will flock here and turn this place into a breeding ground?"
"Yes, that's what I think. They eliminate dangerous humans around them and turn the place where they stayed into a breeding ground to secure an even safer breeding ground."
"Then what should we do now? Captain Kim said that if things stay like this, ammunition will run out and this place will soon be overrun."
"We have to make it so they can't create a new breeding ground."
Unlike me, who nodded at Yeo Eunjung's words, Minseo and Kwon Juha tilted their heads and asked back.
Even if Kwon Juha didn't catch on, given Minseo's usual perceptiveness, the context didn't really need explanation.
"Make it so they can't create a new breeding ground??"
"What does that mean??"
"Would Hajin-ssi explain it instead?"
"Eliminating the Queen Zombie. However, the risk in this operation is whether the Queen Zombie actually exists, how strong she is if she exists, and where she is. We have zero information about that."
"That's right. So what we need to do right now is first confirm the existence and location of the Queen Zombie."
"Doctor."
"Yes, Captain."
"You said that if the Queen Zombie exists, her appearance will be different from general zombies, right?"
"Yes, I did. At least she'll be much bigger than a zombie. To produce eggs of that size you mentioned yesterday."
"Then I'll attach a thermal imaging camera to a drone and send it out."
"That's a great method!"
If there's a drone and a thermal imaging camera, it will be the best way to find the Queen Zombie without danger.
This is why gear matters in everything.
"Kang Hajin. What will you do after we find the Queen Zombie? Will you help us?"
"Well. Even if you find the queen, isn't the risk too high to fight a creature whose strength you don't even know?"
"Does that mean you won't help..."
"No, I'll help. Because that's the condition for me staying here instead of where the murderers stay. Instead, I have a condition too."
"A condition?"
"Let's take our time, slowly make a perfect plan, and attack. Life isn't multiple; there's only one. And it's a bit awkward to help empty-handed."
"......What do you mean?"
"1 thousand coins. We're going to fight a queen whose strength we don't know, so we need to do some preliminary preparation. And you can invest at least that much for a mercenary who will kill the queen for you, right?"
If they genuinely intend to kill the Queen Zombie, they will have no choice but to accept my proposal.
Even if they deploy troops armed with guns, the troops that can be transported by a single helicopter are limited, so they cannot guarantee success.
And if the operation fails, there is a high possibility that zombies sensing the danger, much like what happened at the Blue House, will storm into this place.
That is why eliminating the queen is an operation that must succeed in a single go without fail.
"That is not a matter I can decide alone. I will let you know after consulting with the Brigade Commander-nim."
"Good."
"Then I'll head out with the Captain too."
"I'm not going far."
Kim Hyunjun and Yeo Eunjung stood up and slipped out of the house.
However, the biggest problem here is whether the zombies will storm into this place after the queen dies.
Because if the zombies still attack this place even after the queen dies, it would truly turn out to be a damn stupid thing to do.
We need to set up precautions for that, though...
"Oppa, can I ask you just one thing??"
"Ask."
"Why are you trying to help? Given oppa's personality, if this is a place that might collapse at any moment, walking away would be the end of it... Going to kill the queen is too dangerous of a thing."
"It's a dangerous thing, but it's also a charming thing to match."
"A charming thing??"
"First of all, you earn 1 thousand coins for free~ And if you kill the queen, you might acquire a good trait. Also..."
"Also?"
"There's such a thing."
"What is it?! Why do you stop talking!"
If I succeed in killing the Queen Zombie and returning, as Yeo Eunjung said, the leadership who fear the power of a strong individual will try to kill me.
Probably, the moment I get off the helicopter, there's a high chance my body will become a beehive.
However, if I just do a few preliminary preparations, my body won't become a beehive.
Instead, I might even ascend as a hero who saved a shelter that might otherwise collapse someday.
A hero of this place full of new women I haven't tasted yet, women whose faces I haven't even encountered.
Hehehe... Just thinking about it is great, isn't it?
Of course, for that to happen, a few preliminary preparations must be successfully carried out.
"Krak!!"
"Kraaak!!"
Minseo and Kwon Juha ran side by side toward the two screaming zombies.
Hwi-ik(whoosh)!! Seog-eok(slash)!!
Shwi-ik(swoosh)!! Pu-uk(stab)!!
By two rapidly moving weapons, the zombies' necks were cut off and holes were punched through their heads.
Did their stats go up more? Their movements have become cleaner, haven't they?
And when did they buy those weapons?
Not only me, but Minseo and Kwon Juha too had left their weapons in the apartment that was the breeding ground, but unlike me who was empty-handed, those kids were holding unfamiliar swords and long spears in their hands.
"When did you buy those? They look quite expensive."
"When oppa went to the Memorial Hall, we followed the soldier ajusssis who went out hunting, and those soldier ajusssis asked if we didn't have weapons and bought them for us."
"For free??"
"Yes, they seem like nice people."
"They're kind people."
Turning my head to look at the soldiers Minseo and Kwon Juha were pointing at with their fingers, I snickered.
Because the faces of the soldiers who were allegedly nice and kind were heavily distorted.
Morons, buying two weapons that look like they cost over 100 coins just to gain favor?
Those bastards probably imagined eating out Minseo and Kwon Juha after buying them weapons to win their affection.
Too bad for you guys, huh? You just did good things for someone else.
"You're such kind soldiers, even taking care of another man's women~ Then to commemorate meeting such kind people, shall we do it one more time after the hunt ends?"
"Again??"
"C-Can't I rest for just one day..? Today, only with Minseo eonni..."
"Fucking hell!!!"
"Uaaaa!!!"
"Die, you zombie bastard!!!"
"Puhup..!"
Were their ears perked up? Suddenly getting furious, the soldiers rushed toward the zombies.
Anyway, it's about time for someone to come...
Oh dear, looks like I can't be a nobleman.
"Kang Hajin-ssi, I am James Lee, whom you greeted this morning. Could you spare a moment of your time?"
"Sure."
Is it the US military first, then?