167. Sanggyeok Courthouse Assault (2)
Heo Jin-ho and Gyeon Gwan-im's bold exchange succeeded in swaying the hearts of some agents stationed at Daegu's Sanggyeok Courthouse, but it failed to turn more than expected. In other words, Gyeon Gwan-im had also succeeded in inheriting the Daegu provisional government and convincing its members—he was a warlord with more than enough vision for the future and charisma to back it up.
Yet even after defending against defections with Heo Jin-ho's rallying cry, Gyeon Gwan-im's expression remained grim. This fight isn't between me and Heo Jin-ho. It's essentially between Daegu and the Balhut Cult. Tough. This is getting really tough.
If Heo Jin-ho had gathered the remnants and attacked, seizing the courthouse alone would have meant victory. Unlike Gyeon Gwan-im, who already controlled Daegu as his base, Heo Jin-ho would have no rear support for his assault. Dragging things out would lead to his self-destruction—it was a straightforward judgment.
But this battle had twisted into a clash between Daegu and the Balhut Cult, throwing all calculations into disarray. Even if time dragged on, Heo Jin-ho—with his new foothold—wouldn't collapse. In fact, the longer it went, the more dangerous it became for Gyeon Gwan-im, fighting on his home turf in Daegu.
The worst-case scenario I prayed would never happen...! It was the absolute nightmare. Expecting the enemy to self-destruct was unrealistic now; instead, Gyeon Gwan-im himself might implode. The longer the stalemate, the more doubts would creep into his leadership. Agents still loyal to Heo Jin-ho would gradually nurture thoughts of betrayal.
He had convinced Daegu's power players, but many followed him reluctantly. If they turned traitors, defending the courthouse became a reckless gamble. And this is the standard for the more reliable provisional government agents.
But the forces Gyeon Gwan-im had to worry about weren't just the provisional government's troops. As a warlord, he commanded soldiers who had followed him from the start—especially the raider types among them.
"If we sell out that bastard, maybe we'll get mercy?"
"Yeah, it's all his fault anyway!"
These were the kind who prepared to betray him the moment the tide turned against them. Gyeon Gwan-im had already spotted signs of mutiny during the parley earlier, letting it slide without a word. But one defeat, and betrayal would spread like wildfire.
Expecting loyalty from raiders is a luxury to begin with. Considering the sacrifices and luxuries he'd lavished on them, they deserved scorn as ungrateful wretches without honor. But that's what raiders were in the apocalypse—betrayal and group selfishness were baked in. They'd sell out their lord for a high price if it came to it. Results are all that matter, right?
Did anyone think the king of ingrates himself, Gyeon Gwan-im, hadn't noticed?
"Planning to betray me?"
"B-Boss..."
"Fine, go ahead and sell me out. But... will Heo Jin-ho forgive you lot?"
"Th-That's..."
Of course, Gyeon Gwan-im had braced for betrayal from the start. He began persuading these ungrateful fools on those terms. Sure, sell him if their lives were on the line. But could one warlord's head atone for dragging things this far? Normally, no forgiveness—just swift purges, or delayed bloodbaths down the line.
"Die now or die later—what's the difference? Sure, you might grovel to Heo Jin-ho and scrape by. But... your negotiation partners aren't just Heo Jin-ho. There's the Balhut Cult too, right?"
"B-Balhut Cult?!"
"Think that fanatic bunch will tolerate traitors? Or unbelievers? No way in hell!"
It sounded plausible enough. Twisting sophistry into convincing rhetoric was step one for any warlord, and Gyeon Gwan-im had real talent for it. Of course, they're no cult. They're one of Yeongnam's top powers. Not someone you want as an enemy.
Gyeon Gwan-im knew full well the Balhut Cult wasn't some pseudo-religion but a legitimate government born of democratic processes. But who cared? With his own neck on the line, he'd paint them as devils if it meant survival. Live first—then flee, negotiate, kneel, prove his worth somehow.
Getting stuck under Kim Su-ho again pisses me off, but... Survive, and opportunities would come. Having pulled off a miraculous comeback once, he envisioned another amid Seoul's chaos, using it to sway these wavering pups.
"No way! To them, we're not the Daegu provisional government—we're raiders! You know what happens to raiders in this apocalypse, right? No human rights for them! They're no different from monsters! Ever seen a force forgive the underlings after capturing their monster leader? Nah, they wipe 'em all out to kill the root!"
"R-Right! We gotta resist! To survive, we win!"
"And our scattered comrades outside—they'll send reinforcements if they know we're holding out!"
"Not a bad head on your shoulders!"
It was a solid-sounding plan. The Balhut Cult's forces were elite but only about 500 strong. Though Heo Jin-ho led Daegu provisional government agents, their numbers did not exceed a thousand. Gyeon Gwan-im's dispersed troops for securing Daegu outnumbered them—and if they all rallied, victory seemed plausible at a glance.
Ha. As if. Equipment and training are on another level. War isn't just numbers. Could we swarm the Balhut Cult with human waves? No way.
Gyeon Gwan-im, sizing up the power gap by eye, judged even full muster offered slim odds. Same soldiers or not, gear, training, and levels varied wildly. Balhut Cult troops were equipped powerfully and drilled to perfection; most of Gyeon Gwan-im's, barring his elites, were ragtag bandits preying on the weak, with shoddy gear and zero discipline. Sure, every Korean male had basic training or two years' service—but so did the enemy.
Only choice is to hold out. Sanggyeok Courthouse is Heo Jin-ho's final defensive line. Hold and hold until some variable pops up. Or at least snag a bargaining chip for negotiations.
In the end, he'd endure until the Balhut Cult pushed for a ceasefire or talks. A grueling fight loomed, but eyeing Heo Jin-ho's leftover defenses, Gyeon Gwan-im prepared to mobilize. Heo Jin-ho spotted the moves.
"Defensive battle it is. Never thought I'd assault my own fortress. Tricky."
He knew Sanggyeok Courthouse's sturdiness all too well from using it as a stronghold. Even he hesitated to charge rashly. But trusting the Balhut Cult's loaned elites, Heo Jin-ho joined Jin A-yeon in the assault.
"Maintain formation! They can only hold using the fortress! Mages, prepare attacks—fire on signal!"
The enemy wasn't pushover. Impeccable command kept ranks tight, mages primed, targeting assaulting foes precisely. The leader himself hit the frontlines, felling alliance troops one by one, showcasing why he ruled Daegu.
"Prepare to suppress! Load Bahamut Bullets! No need for fair fights!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Balhut Cult troops had zero intention of clashing head-on with high-level awakeners. Spotting Gyeon Gwan-im leading his guards forward, they readied Bahamut Bullets for pinpoint sniping. "...! Shields up! Shields—enemy's loading something!"
"Too late. Fire at will!"
Gyeon Gwan-im sensed killing intent and ordered shields the instant he saw them arming, but Jin A-yeon unleashed merciless Bahamut Bullets before they could raise them.
"Gaaahhh!"
"Damn stun guns! And they work on awakeners!? Guards—withdraw, carrying the fallen!"
As Jin A-yeon's unit poured Bahamut Bullets relentlessly, Gyeon Gwan-im's guards screamed and dropped one by one. Recognizing the suppression stun effect, he swiftly recovered them and fell back.
"Quick on the uptake. If he weren't a warlord, I'd recruit him."
Jin A-yeon rated Gyeon Gwan-im decent despite being foes—spotting the bullets' threat instantly and countering perfectly. She'd expected panic flight, but knowing retreat meant doom, his bold stand was a trial. Overcoming it to chase slim odds amid overwhelming disparity proved his caliber.
"He's got the skills. But not every commander on that line is Gyeon Gwan-im."
"Right."
Gyeon Gwan-im's guards retreated smartly post-assessment, but raider units chasing his momentum got suppressed in seconds. Balhut Cult sniped their leaders; struck raider captains fell captive fast. Witnessing it, the raiders lost will, breaking from Gyeon Gwan-im's control—rampaging wildly or fleeing. Such fractured foes were ripe for the alliance's seasoned hunters.
Gyeon Gwan-im's coalition held without total collapse from a few fallen commanders, but morale across the line began crumbling.
"Enough! We've fought plenty! All units, hole up in Sanggyeok Courthouse!"
Gyeon Gwan-im rallied to regroup amid the chaos, but...
"Total rabble."
"Feels more like mopping up thugs than fighting trained soldiers."
Unlike disciplined police, raiders ignored Gyeon Gwan-im's orders, chasing glory or bloodlust independently—only to get picked off.
"Prep to arrest all captured raiders. Got the awakener cuffs?"
"Of course."
"Sheesh, so many. Rounding 'em up one by one'll be a chore."
With the front stabilizing, Jin A-yeon ordered mass arrests, then rose herself—done spectating for her subordinates' growth. To suppress Gyeon Gwan-im holing up inside, she needed to step in. Barricades, abandoned buses, iron gates blocking paths—her solution?
"Whoa, feathers?"
She bolted on foot, leaping once to vault every obstacle. Heo Jin-ho, overseeing from afar, muttered "feathers?" in disbelief at her leg power.
"What the—how's an awakener doing that!?"
Gyeon Gwan-im, commanding from the courthouse, gaped. Heo Jin-ho's fortress countered not just zombies but awakeners—designed to thwart ordinary ones. But Jin A-yeon wasn't ordinary; she was a superhuman past level 20. Leaping the defenses in one bound, she faced the stunned defenders.
"What, you think you can stop me? Bad idea."
"Uh... wha...?"
Gesturing them to drop weapons, she eyed the slack-jawed troops gawking at her leap.
"C'mon, drop 'em. Weapons down, and sis here'll go easy."
"Y-You're the enemy!? Gahk!?"
Defenders snapped out, grabbing arms to resist—but Jin A-yeon smacked their weapon hands with her spear shaft, kicking them down one by one.
"Guhk! Ack!"
Her relentless kicks expelled all air from their lungs, leaving them gasping. Approaching with mild annoyance, she cleared airways and slapped cheeks to revive them.
"Hey, breathe. Breathe. C'mon, breathe."
"Gahk!"
"Good, you're breathing."
Kindly aiding the wheezing foes, she sauntered weapon-ready into Sanggyeok Courthouse, casual as ever. Inside, sporadic defenders raised guns to stop her—but...
"Kehk!"
"Guak!?"
She downed each approaching squad with single kicks, strolling leisurely toward Gyeon Gwan-im.
"Th-That monster bitch!"
Guns missed; close quarters failed against her iron body. A level-20+ superhuman was pure despair for regular awakeners. Jin A-yeon simply demonstrated her might, swatting defenders like flies.
"...No way. A superhuman."
From the command office, Gyeon Gwan-im watched her enter, chuckling hollowly in defeat. He'd banked on holding a week; not even half a day, and she was at his door. A few guards who'd dodged Bahamut Bullets earlier remained, faces etched with despair.
"...We surrender."
"Huh? No fight?"
"Fight's pointless. No survival there. Better beg a superhuman for mercy."
Judging odds nil, Gyeon Gwan-im surrendered without hesitation. Surprised at the lack of resistance, Jin A-yeon questioned it—but he replied you resist when there's hope, not in doomed fights that just risk your neck. Surrendering offered a shot at mercy through cooperation.
"What a crazy outfit."
With that curt assessment, Gyeon Gwan-im submitted meekly to arrest.