What They Want, What We Want (3)
Special Forces Captain Seong Gyu-hyuk spoke up.
"Then, regarding what you mentioned earlier, Sung-hoon, joining us is difficult due to the zombie wave. We can help with that."
"How?"
"They're drawn to noise, right? We have a rescue helicopter we're using for missions right now."
Ah! I let out a gasp, and so did Jun-hyeok and Hoon-i Ajae.
A helicopter. Definitely. In those YouTube videos, the zombies had climbed buildings, lured by the engine and rotors.
No doubt about it. If a chopper shows up, they'll be provoked and swarm it.
"Where do you plan to lead them?"
Jun-hyeok chimed in on my question.
"How about dumping them in the Han River?"
Captain Seong Gyu-hyuk replied.
"The Han River. Good idea, but they just walk across the bottom and crawl out the other side."
Jun-hyeok and Hoon-i Ajae's faces fell realistically. I'd expected as much.
These things aren't mountains or corpses. The bright red blood that splattered every time I hit them. If they were dead bodies, after nearly a month, the blood wouldn't still be fresh red.
It would've rotted black long ago. But they're not alive either. If they were, they wouldn't convulse without hearts.
When I sliced a bird in half, the heartless side still flapped its wings, trying to bite me, entrails dragging.
They only rot after their heads are fully destroyed and they're dead for good. That's why the blood stays red—they're not dead. And since they're not alive, they don't need to breathe.
These are monsters.
I nodded.
"Got it. A helicopter could work. But I'm not committing to full integration yet."
Captain Seong Gyu-hyuk spoke slowly.
"...What do you mean? That's not what I heard."
"This isn't for you to decide, Captain. Just pass the message along since we're on the line."
"What message?"
I looked at Jun-hyeok and Hoon-i Ajae. My people. And the ones working hard downstairs right now.
...My women.
I said, "There's a condition. We've got dozens of people here who can't fight, including civilians. People I'm responsible for. We want weapons so they can arm themselves."
Jun-hyeok added, "Grenades and claymores, tons of 'em."
Captain Seong Gyu-hyuk responded.
"That's not something I can approve. But I can tell you this: we don't have weapons to spare right now."
Doubt flickered across my face and everyone else's.
"What? Aren't you Special Forces?"
"Yes. Right now, we've got two pistols and two K-2 rifles. About 200 rounds total. That's it. Grenades would be nice, but we don't have any."
...What?
Jun-hyeok and Hoon-i Ajae's faces changed in real time. Mine probably did too.
"That's pretty light armament for Special Forces."
"Agreed."
Captain Seong Gyu-hyuk sighed.
"Securing weapons is our top priority. The Chief of Staff probably mentioned it—we need arms urgently."
...Right. He'd said they'd secure weapons.
I nodded and smirked. What a fucking mess.
"So, I guess you don't have enough manpower for missions either."
"Correct. If we did, we wouldn't have printed flyers looking for you. Right?"
True enough. I chuckled, feeling a bit absurd. Yeah. This was the government's level now. The nation's military power.
Annihilated—that's what the Chief of Staff and the captain had called it, multiple times. Literally.
Everything was there, but no one left to use it. All dead. Or turned into human beasts.
I smacked my lips and said, "Yeah. Fair enough. Here's the deal: when you get weapons, I take half."
Captain Seong Gyu-hyuk went quiet for a moment.
"...Half?"
Jun-hyeok and Hoon-i Ajae looked surprised too, whispering half?
I said, "Yes. Half."
"Isn't that too much? You don't even know the mission site."
"No. Half. In return..."
I said, "I'll handle it alone."
Captain Seong Gyu-hyuk didn't reply right away. Then, slowly and deliberately:
"...Alone?"
"Yes."
A sigh came through the phone.
I said, "You lose nothing either way. No Special Forces casualties. Just drop me off by chopper or light aircraft, and I'll handle the rest. Then, half the weapons go to me and my people."
Long silence on the other end. Then a disbelieving Ha, damn.
I smiled as I listened. They had no idea what I could do.
And we needed weapons. To protect ourselves.
Half for solo work? They might think it's a steal.
But they had something we didn't: helicopters and pilots. Air transport. Half was a fair trade.
After a wait, Captain Seong Gyu-hyuk spoke.
"I'll pass it along, but... if you get hurt or die, we can't help. As you said, we're short on men. Securing arms is priority over rescue. We won't risk our team for you."
I nodded. Reasonable.
I was a civilian. Reserve soldier, sure, but not a pro like him. No patriotism here.
Patriotism comes after a nation exists. What borders now? Guardians and invaders alike turned to monsters.
End times. My survival mattered more.
So his stance made sense to me.
"I'll go in alone, come out alone. Don't worry about it. Just drop me off."
"...Understood. I'll report to the Chief of Staff. Anything else?"
I nodded and said, "I want to find my family. Lots of us here don't know where ours are. After the mission, help us search."
Yeah. This was it. What we wanted.
Captain Seong Gyu-hyuk said, "...You want to find family... I'll report that too. But frankly, both conditions might be hard to accept."
I smiled. "You want something too. From what the Chief of Staff said, secure weapons, build forces, rescue people. Right?"
"Yes."
"That's what you want. Not us. We want to live. Find family. The nation collapsed—what protection? We survive on our own."
Captain Seong Gyu-hyuk didn't respond.
Staring at the quiet phone, I said, "Half the weapons. I handle it solo. Help find our families. If not, no deal."
He replied slowly. "...I'll convey to the Chief of Staff."
"Thanks. Talk soon."
I hung up.
Jun-hyeok and Hoon-i Ajae stared at me. Hoon-i Ajae muttered, "Half the weapons..."
Jun-hyeok nodded. "We'll see how much, but half would secure our firepower, Sung-hoon."
I nodded. Hoon-i Ajae said quietly, "Sir, will the government accept?"
I shook my head. "Who knows."
I took a long drag and exhaled. Sunset was falling in the distance.
"No government anymore. Like our group, they're just another faction. If they're no help, better cut ties."
Jun-hyeok and Hoon-i Ajae's eyes sharpened. They hadn't thought that way.
I said, "Survival first. Go handle work. I'll update if news comes."
"Got it, Sung-hoon."
"Yes, sir."
They nodded and headed down.
I leaned on the rooftop wall, gazing below.
Yeah. Borders, nations, races, religions—irrelevant now. Just survivor factions.
No call that night or the next. People moved supplies, reinforced windows and stairs, stayed busy. I leveled up daily with my bow.
About a week later, I maxed Wild Hunter.
Time for a new specialization.