49. Spider (1)
The Balhut Cult had converted a factory district near the intersection into an advance base for the expeditionary force, using it as a staging ground to conquer Pohang. With local collaborator Son Sang-hee’s assistance, they gained critical intelligence on the variant spider zombies, the number of survivor camps inside the city, and the tendencies of their leaders.
Based on this new information, the cult's conclusion was straightforward.
"Let's fight them first."
"For the growth of the cult's forces?"
The idea of engaging the new variant head-on came up right away. Honestly, no matter how many zombies lurked inside, the temptation was strong: use Taunt magic to herd them all together, summon Bahamut, and wipe Pohang clean in one thunderous strike. Then Jeong Dong-gun's Balhut Cult forces could mop up the interior, and the conquest would be over. Everyone would agree that was the most efficient, fastest way to reclaim the city.
But pulling that off meant the expeditionary force gained zero growth. Instead of hunting zombies for experience, summoning Bahamut immediately would reclaim Pohang on the spot—but all that zombie EXP would vanish into thin air.
"Yes, that's part of it, but we never planned to summon Lord Bahamut from the start. With the threat of this new variant, the cult needs data on it too. It's time to significantly raise the quality of our forces. Plus, to spread word of Lord Bahamut's advent, we must make contact with the survivor camps inside."
"I agree."
Yu-na persuaded Jeong Dong-gun with these three solid reasons, and he nodded in agreement. They were all valid points, perfectly reasonable even to a military bureaucrat like him—hard to argue against. They needed combat data on the new zombie variant, stronger zombies to hunt for elevating the cult's awakeners, and for voluntary cooperation from Pohang survivors, plenty of people had to witness Bahamut's descent firsthand.
Of course, this approach meant committing to a prolonged battle.
"But with Lady Yu-na here, injuries won't be an issue."
With Choi Yu-na present, the soldiers faced virtually no risk of death. As long as they survived the initial hit, her powerful healing could restore them in no time. Just having such a healer around was reassuring.
"Still, this variant kidnapping humans is concerning."
"Kidnapping, you say."
"Yes. If we're careless and a squad member gets snatched by the variant zombies, that's a massive loss."
According to Son Sang-hee, the new variant abducted humans. If someone got taken, even Yu-na couldn't intervene—consider them dead the moment they're gone. These expedition soldiers were awakeners the Balhut Cult had painstakingly trained; every life was precious. A single major loss could set the cult back badly.
"Lord Bahamut worried about that too. So... we're distributing these to the soldiers heading into Pohang."
Bahamut, aware of the expedition's importance, had prepared something special. Yu-na handed Jeong Dong-gun the gift from her god.
"What is this?"
It was an identification tag etched with a dragon emblem. As Jeong Dong-gun touched it, a surge of immense mana flowed into his hand, reminding him instantly of the cult's enchanted coins.
"Lord Bahamut decreed: if the owner faces mortal danger, it will emergency-teleport them back to the advance base."
"Is that possible?"
An incredible item. Instant relocation to the base in a life-threatening moment meant the recovery magic circles there could stabilize them, and with Yu-na's help, full restoration was guaranteed. It assured every soldier's life once, no exceptions. Jeong Dong-gun gripped the tag Yu-na offered like a lifeline—for himself and his troops in the battles ahead.
"Yes. As long as it can pinpoint the soldier's coordinates, it can teleport them remotely anytime. But keep it close and safe in your pocket. Think of it as your lifeline."
"Understood, Lady Yu-na. Though... the quantity is limited."
"It's still in early research; not even mass-produced or fully practical yet. First time in real combat, so don't rely on it completely."
"A shame. If we could mass-produce it, every soldier could have one."
Still a prototype, the supply was scarce, and performance wasn't foolproof. Despite her warning not to trust it blindly, having an extra lifeline felt reassuring—yet disappointing.
"Oh, and it's not just emergency teleport. It has regular teleport too. Send the signal, and it'll bring you back to base."
"That'll greatly shorten our routes."
Of course, it offered non-emergency returns too, slashing travel time and minimizing unnecessary movement. Jeong Dong-gun lit up at the news. Used wisely, it served as both lifeline and efficiency booster.
"I'll recover my mana for the Pohang push. Barriers and recovery circles drain a lot."
"You've done well."
The Pohang conquest was just beginning. Watching Yu-na settle into meditation in the tent prepared for the Pontiff, Jeong Dong-gun bowed solemnly and headed to his own command tent.
"Oh, you've arrived, Commander Jeong."
"Yes. Good news."
Son Sang-hee, their local collaborator, greeted him warmly. Swapping her ragged clothes for a cult-issued uniform, she almost looked like his adjutant—though her awkward smile betrayed the unfamiliar fit. Jeong Dong-gun explained the recent events, calling it good news.
"...She's even better than I thought."
"What did you expect?"
"Well, internet communities describe the cult's Pontiff as some old man who loves women, hoards massive wealth in warehouses, and is super greedy."
Jeong Dong-gun gave a wry smile at the online caricatures of the self-proclaimed Pontiff. He'd anticipated some backlash the moment they adopted the "cult" label, but this was over the top. Far from an old lech, she was a girl not yet twenty, innocent to romance, driven by pure zeal to spread Bahamut's faith... well, not pure, but still a brave soul rising to reshape the world.
Listening to Son Sang-hee's rundown of the internet rumors, he chuckled.
"Heh, all wrong. Well, one thing's spot-on: the cult warehouses are stuffed with precious metals. If that's 'wealth,' then yes."
"Really?"
"Of course. Emergency funds for unforeseen crises."
That one detail rang true. Though that hoard came courtesy of Jo Sun-do's stockpiling, enabling currency reform—and for that, Jeong Dong-gun felt a grudging gratitude.
"Anyway, Miss Son. We're pushing into Pohang now. It's a dangerous battlefield; stay here if you prefer."
"Not scared?"
At his announcement of entering Pohang, Son Sang-hee asked if he wasn't afraid. Fear? Jeong Dong-gun understood her feelings all too well. Pohang was no safe haven—a zombie-infested hellscape.
"Lucky for me, the Dragon God's blessing gives me one extra chance. I'm scared, sure... but I can press on."
"They say you lose it if you drop it."
"Then I won't drop it. Besides, someone's got to do it."
Someone had to, so Jeong Dong-gun would advance bravely. With Bahamut's grace, even in crisis, he'd have one shot at survival. Yu-na had warned not to trust it fully, but in this apocalypse, you'd stomach minor glitches for a lifeline.
"I'll fight to fulfill that duty."
"I'll come too."
"Thank you for your courage."
Affirming his resolve to fight for duty, Son Sang-hee seemed inspired, volunteering to join. Her local knowledge would help immensely, so Jeong Dong-gun thanked her sincerely.
"Then take this. Treat it as your lifeline—keep it safe."
"Got it."
He handed her a tag too, then led Son Sang-hee and a small recon team into Pohang. They sliced through spiderwebs blocking the roads with enchanted knives, the team sighing at the sheer volume obstructing their path.
"These webs are tougher than expected."
"Easier with severing-enchant knives."
Not just the intersection blockade—Pohang's webs everywhere resisted normal knives. Enchanted ones cut with effort, revealing the strands were twice normal size, incredibly tough, stretchy, and durable.
"They've got faint mana woven in."
"Recover some for the research team."
"Yes, sir."
Son Sang-hee noted embedded mana. Sensing potential for new armor, Jeong Dong-gun ordered samples bagged—essential for variant data anyway.
"Do they burn well?"
"Regular fire struggles. My lighter wouldn't even light it."
"Intriguing. What about magic fire?"
Jeong Dong-gun probed, intrigued. The soldier replied:
"Not really. You can burn it if you pour in tons of mana, but better to hack with a big enchanted sword—more efficient than wasting my mana."
"Resistant to mana, huh."
Heat-resistant like typical webs, but also shrugging off awakener magic.
This variant's gunning straight for mages.
A blatant counter to magic users, heightening Jeong Dong-gun's tension.