Operation Commencement
"Wait, what is this? Why are you here, Lee Jun-ho?"
Major Lee Seok-jin could not hide his shock, mixed with a sense of relief, as he looked at Jun-ho. He was completely different from the last time they had met; he was armed like a foreign special forces operative. Having seen Jun-ho's capabilities when they last parted ways, Lee knew he wasn't an ordinary man, but this was beyond anything he had imagined.
The two lieutenants with him were no different. They stared in disbelief at Jun-ho’s multi-pattern combat uniform, tactical vest, and the weapons—an AR-15, a Glock 17, and more. They couldn't fathom how a civilian in Korea could possess such gear. Even in this world, it made no sense. Their expressions were a complex mix of relief, astonishment, and suspicion.
Jun-ho didn't answer immediately. Instead, he leisurely looked around Lee Seok-jin’s living quarters, set up in a corner of the water treatment plant office. Sleeping bags were laid out over a few joined office desks, and various military equipment—bulletproof helmets, tactical vests, and magazines—were scattered across the table.
"Do you eat and sleep here? It looks like you've been here for quite a while."
"That’s right. It’s been about a week. But… did you come here alone? Why are you here? And what’s with that getup?"
Despite having fought zombies together, Lee Seok-jin’s tone was like an interrogation. It was enough to be offended, but Jun-ho was actually satisfied.
'Don't trust people easily from now on.'
Lee Seok-jin was faithfully following the advice Jun-ho had given him last. If he had welcomed him blindly, Jun-ho might have been disappointed.
"I didn't come alone. I have a group with me. As for why I’m here, I’ll tell you in a moment. But first, this…"
Jun-ho gestured to his own body before continuing. "This is my original appearance. When I met you and your unit, I was briefly in disguise."
"W-what did you say?"
"Excuse me!?"
Lee Seok-jin and the two lieutenants widened their eyes.
"I told you back then, didn't I? Not to trust people easily. I only said that because I was deceiving you. Of course, the result was a win-win for both of us, and I knew that from the start. I can guarantee you, there aren't many people like me in this world."
"…This, I’m supposed to be angry right now, right?"
"Yes. You have every right to be angry. But don't try to kill me. You’ll definitely fail."
Jun-ho’s brazen attitude left Lee Seok-jin with no choice but to let out a dry laugh. Above all, Jun-ho’s assurance that an attack would fail didn't sound like a bluff. That was how deeply the man named Lee Jun-ho had been etched into Lee Seok-jin’s mind.
"Ha… fine. Let’s hear it then. From beginning to end."
"Let’s do that. First, how I found you all…"
Excluding information about The Shelter, Jun-ho spoke relatively honestly about how he had discovered the unit and why he had intentionally approached them and allowed himself to be captured.
"…So, you’re saying that even if we hadn't been there, you would have raided the Nonghyup warehouse with those Gahyeon-ri residents?"
"Yes. It would have taken a bit more time, but I would have succeeded 100 percent. You saw the air rifle I had back then, right? I have dozens of guns just like that. Besides, I have things like this."
The three officers were left speechless as Jun-ho tapped his suppressed AR-15, his Glock 17, and the night-vision goggles attached to his helmet.
"I killed at least half, or at the very least a third, of the zombies in Gahyeon-ri, which is much larger and more bustling than Yeongho-ri. I also took care of all the thugs and gangsters who were treating the residents like slaves."
"……!"
They were horrified by Jun-ho, who spoke so nonchalantly about having killed people.
"I wouldn't go so far as to say it’s all thanks to me, but Gahyeon-ri is safe for now. I’ve blocked most of the roads with vehicles and barbed wire, and the residents are living well, farming and hunting. At the very least, they won't have any problems unless a horde of tens of thousands of zombies comes at once."
"At the very least…?"
"Yes. Because in this world, it’s not just zombies that kill people."
"……."
The three men fell silent, having grasped the meaning behind Jun-ho’s words.
"Do you understand now why I steered you and your unit to go the other way?"
"You mean… the military could be the most dangerous thing? Is that right?"
"Yes."
"Wait, isn't that a bit harsh?"
"That's right. What do you mean about the ROK military?"
The two lieutenants stepped forward, bristling. But Lee Seok-jin simply kept his mouth shut and stared at Jun-ho. After a moment, Lee turned his head toward the lieutenants.
"Have you forgotten what we saw on our way down here?"
"……!"
The memories of the 'things' done by other military units flashed through the minds of the two lieutenants. There were countless units that had occupied villages under the pretext of conscription and requisitioning during the national emergency, settling in and exploiting the residents. Some soldiers had even pointed their guns at people, not zombies, due to clashes with resisting residents.
"Battalion Commander, that’s…"
Lee Seok-jin cut them off with a troubled expression. "Enough. I don't like it either, and I’m angry too, but I think I understand why Lee Jun-ho was worried and concerned. We saw the reaction of the survivors in that area when we took over the Nonghyup warehouse, didn't we? And crucially."
Lee Seok-jin glanced at Jun-ho and continued. "Regardless of the reason, Lee Jun-ho fought alongside us. Thanks to him, we were able to secure a large amount of food without anyone getting hurt. The kids who were struggling were able to stay safe there, too. Am I wrong?"
"…No, sir. You are correct."
"I apologize."
"That’s enough." Lee Seok-jin, having comforted the two officers who had cleanly accepted and apologized, said to Jun-ho, "Anyway, that’s fine. I understand why you steered us away from that village called Gahyeon-ri. But why here of all places? Is there a reason you must take down Daeseonghoe? Are you perhaps looking to gain something from the chaos?"
"It would be a lie to say I have no such intentions. But it’s not just for my personal gain."
"……."
"What I’m about to say might be hard to believe. But I can tell you one thing: this is information cross-verified by two high-ranking Daeseonghoe members. And I’ve also seen and experienced it myself."
"…?"
To the three officers, who were wondering what he could possibly be stalling for, Jun-ho spoke calmly.
"Daeseonghoe collects Alphas. Specifically…"
Jun-ho spoke without holding back about what Daeseonghoe was doing in Namyangju and Gwangju, and what he had witnessed at the Cheongsan Building in Mok-uri. He told them about the fact that they threw innocent people to them as food to maintain the strength of the Alpha zombies, and because of that, other Alphas were attacking survivors to grow stronger faster. Naturally, Lee Seok-jin and the two officers, who were rare examples of true soldiers, could not hide their rage.
"Those crazy bastards!"
"Those scumbag gangsters…"
There was no need to verify the truth. Major Lee Seok-jin’s unit had already used drones to locate their base shortly after arriving, and they had seen with their own eyes how miserably the people were living like slaves there. If they were capable of all sorts of atrocities that made it shameful to even call them human, there was no reason they wouldn't be capable of what Jun-ho had just described.
"…Ah!"
At that moment, Lieutenant Jeong, whose parents had moved to an apartment complex in Deokso a few years ago, flinched and said to Lee Seok-jin, "B-Battalion Commander. Then, about that place. Golden Heights Cultural Center Building B. Could it be…"
Lee Seok-jin nodded with a heavy expression as the lieutenant couldn't finish his sentence.
"I think your guess is correct."
"Ah…"
"Cultural Center Building B? What is that?"
When Jun-ho asked, Lee Seok-jin sighed and said, "Hoo. There are two cultural centers at Golden Heights. Usually, there’s only one, but since it’s a luxury complex, there were two. But Building B is particularly heavily guarded. On top of that, every three days, the gangsters bring two or three people inside… and no one ever comes out."
"…Yes. They must have been keeping the captured Alphas there."
Jun-ho spoke with conviction, as there was no need to say what happened to the people who entered the cultural center.
"……."
The three officers bit their lips with devastated faces.
"Lee Jun-ho," Lee Seok-jin called out.
"Yes, go ahead."
"I’m deeply grateful to you, but to be honest, I still can't trust you 100 percent. I think you’d feel the same if you were in my shoes."
"Of course."
Lee Seok-jin was a ROK military officer responsible for over 200 soldiers, not just himself. A person with such heavy responsibility couldn't easily trust and make hasty decisions, no matter whose words they were.
"But I actively agree that we must wipe out those human trash. And…" Lee Seok-jin stared at the point on the map on the wall where 'Golden Heights Apartments' was marked. "Our unit needs to settle down now. It would be best if it were a place where we could generate power internally, be self-sufficient, and easily obtain water from a river. Furthermore, it would be perfect if it were a place where moving using the subway tracks was also easy."
Though his face looked chapped and tired, Lee Seok-jin continued, staring at Jun-ho with a more determined look than ever before.
"So, just like at the Nonghyup warehouse in Yeongho-ri, let’s do this together."
* * *
Park Cheol-woo, having received the signal from Jun-ho that the conversation had gone well, entered the water treatment plant. Lee Seok-jin and the other officers and non-commissioned officers were surprised to learn that Park Cheol-woo was a former Special Forces NCO, an ace who had been deployed on operations that were still classified. Park Cheol-woo’s identity was easily resolved when Lee Seok-jin verified the names of a few officers he was close to, who were his peers when he went to the Special Forces as a lieutenant.
They were further encouraged when the 10-man combat team, armed with weapons obtained from the warehouse, arrived at the water treatment plant. And unexpectedly, the last shred of doubt remaining for Jun-ho, Park Cheol-woo, and the resort combat team vanished.
"Wait… aren't you a member of Junix? You’re Ducky, right?"
"Huh? You know me?"
"It is you! Wow. I really liked that song, 'Your Universe'."
"R-really?"
There was a sergeant who not only knew Junix—a boy band that wasn't even a girl group and was a 'flop' group at that—but also recognized Park Deok-cheol.
"A celebrity? Is he a famous person?"
"Ah… honestly, he’s not famous. But they’re incredibly talented. I couldn't understand why they didn't make it big, sir."
"Oh, really? But how did a celebrity end up…"
At the sergeant’s fuss, Lee Seok-jin nodded and asked Park Deok-cheol.
"That is, I was with my younger sister…"
"Y-your sister? You mean Sunny from Psyche Flare?"
When the sergeant was surprised, Park Deok-cheol nodded.
"Yes."
"Whoa!"
Through the story that began that way, it was revealed that several celebrities and countless people were safely surviving in the resort. In the end, Lee Seok-jin and the officers were able to cast aside their last doubts about Jun-ho, Park Cheol-woo, and the combat team. And.
"Well done, Deok-cheol."
"Hyung-nim… I really think it was a good thing I became an idol."
Park Deok-cheol, a member of the flop group Junix, was moved to tears by the fact that there were fans who recognized him even in this world.
* * *
"The problem is that it is extremely difficult for the troops to move to Golden Heights." Lee Seok-jin continued, pointing at the map. "At first, I thought about taking the riverside bike path or Gyeonggang Road, but there are over five large apartment complexes between here and there. Even if we move at night, I’m not sure if we can cover 1.5 kilometers without being detected by the zombies. On top of that, the gangsters have completely blocked off the area under Misa Bridge. In the end, as of now, there is no way to get to Golden Heights…"
"There is. A way to get there without being detected by the zombies."
"……?"
To the puzzled officers, Jun-ho grinned and said, "I have electric motorboats. We’ll have to make several trips, but two hours is enough to move everyone there."
"Ohhh…!"
Everyone cheered at the acquisition of an unexpected means of transport. Lee Seok-jin, whose biggest problem had been solved so simply, was able to quickly finalize the operation with the appropriate advice from Jun-ho and Park Cheol-woo.
The combat team slept for one night at the water treatment plant and rested well until the next sunset to replenish their stamina. When night fell, Jun-ho and the combat team, along with Major Lee Seok-jin and about 80 soldiers, followed the shallow stream under Mt. Geumdae down to the Han River. There, they used 10-person inflatable boats equipped with electric motors and batteries that they had re-inflated.
In less than two hours, they were all able to safely re-gather at the Han River Park next to Misa Bridge.
"Shall we begin?"
"Let’s do it. All units, operation commence."
As Jun-ho disengaged the safety on his AR-15 and lowered his night-vision goggles, Lee Seok-jin gave the order in a low but firm voice.
About 80 fully armed soldiers and the combat team moved stealthily, cutting through the darkness in the cold, sharp Han River wind. Their target was the large apartment complex, where lights were flickering on and off, ruled by the nationwide gang.