Why Would You Eat That?
After finishing their three-day, two-night operation, Jun-ho and his party began their journey back to Gahyeon-ri. The only raiders they had encountered were those idiots who had set up a pathetic trap on the bridge, and the only zombies they had dealt with were about a hundred of the regular, non-Alpha-controlled variety that had been wandering the national highway.
"But even for a remote rural area, isn't the number of Alphas and zombies a bit too low?"
"That’s right. There seem to be fewer zombies than last time, Hyung-nim."
Park Deok-cheol and Gu Jeong-mok, who had learned a fair bit about the existence and characteristics of Alphas through Jun-ho, were puzzled.
"It’s natural. Since it’s this kind of region, the food supply is running out, and they’ve likely been pushed out in competition with other Alphas."
"Ah…."
"Besides, this place has more people who came for holiday water sports than actual residents. It’s highly likely the first Alpha that emerged here wasn't a local."
"I see. But then, does that make them different?"
When Gu Jeong-mok asked, Jun-ho nodded and replied, "Yes. Zombies instinctively stay in the areas they lived in or places they are familiar with. Alphas are the same. But what if a tourist who came here to play becomes an Alpha? Such individuals are freer than local Alphas. They lead their slaves and wander toward places with more prey. Then, once they find a suitable spot with plenty of survivors, they claim it as their territory and lay their eggs."
"Whoa. They really are like wild beasts."
"You can consider them almost identical. That’s why I view zombies—especially Alphas—as a new species. And a species is…."
Jun-ho stopped himself before adding more. He wasn't certain enough to go as far as 'evolution,' and he didn't want to cause unnecessary worry. Of course, even if it were evolution, it wouldn't mean they’d change their appearance or gain sci-fi-level bizarre abilities. But there was certainly a high possibility that their abilities would develop to the point where they became more cunning or learned to use simple tools.
"Anyway, the Alpha in this region probably took its slaves and headed toward towns or cities with larger populations. Yangpyeong, Yeoju, or if they crossed the bridge, Hanam would be the most likely candidates."
"I see. Well, it’s unfortunate for the people who survived there, but it’s a relief for us."
"It is regrettable, but yes."
Now, the era of full-scale survival and struggle had truly begun. The chaos of human versus Alpha, human versus human, and Alpha versus Alpha would reach its peak. Especially in the northern and eastern parts of the metropolitan area, where the influence of the troops from Jeju Island—the so-called 'Mainland Reclamation Force'—hardly reached, the fighting would be even more intense. However, since most of those areas were mountainous with rugged terrain and lower population density compared to the capital region, it was easier to survive if one had the strength and ability. At least, you wouldn't face a situation where thousands of zombies popped out simultaneously from every road and alley just because you accidentally made a loud noise.
"That’s why we need to be more wary of people than zombies from now on. Especially the groups coming from directions with many military bases—you have to be extremely careful, whether they are soldiers or civilians."
"Because of… the guns, right?"
At the words of Gu Jeong-mok, who had served in the military in Hwacheon, Jun-ho nodded.
"Correct. By now, those have spread quite a bit even among civilians. They probably have hand grenades, and they might even have anti-tank missiles like Claymores, Panzerfausts, or Hyungung."
"That’s insane…."
"Yes, it is insane. They can't easily use them because of the noise, but in places like this, they can just fire away."
In areas like this, where there aren't many zombies for hundreds of meters around the party, let alone across the river or in nearby villages, there is no need to worry about noise. Of course, if a large-scale force with armored vehicles were to clash, it would be a different story, but if it's just a few dozen infantrymen, it doesn't matter if they use guns or whatever else.
"So, whenever we leave the shelter's safe zone—at least whenever we go outside Gahyeon-ri—we must always conduct drone reconnaissance like we are doing now. If we spot an armed group of platoon size or larger? Then first…."
"We should hide or avoid them."
"Yes. That’s the best course of action. And if that’s difficult, then we have to deal with them quickly and decisively."
"Phew, that’s a heavy burden. Regardless, I will do my best."
"Me too. On it, boss."
Because they had to fight for survival against humans, not zombies, the two of them steeled their resolve anew. In a world like this, they would willingly shoulder the guilt of killing if it meant the survival of themselves and 'us.'
Upon returning to Gahyeon-ri, Jun-ho distributed several boxes of Spam, tuna cans, and ramen to Song Ki-jun and the workers as promised. Since they had also performed additional work that wasn't in the original plan, Jun-ho added a box of canned tropical fruit and a kilogram each of frozen beef and pork. It was only natural that their faces, upon receiving such an unexpected and precious bonus, lit up so brightly that their mouths stretched wide enough to swallow a gourd.
"Thank you. If there’s similar work in the future, please call us again."
At the words of Song Ki-jun, whose smile never left his face, Jun-ho chuckled and said, "I will. By the way, has the Gahyeon-ri safe zone been sorted out a bit?"
"Yes. There are still some people who haven't adapted to group living, but we sent those people to a few villas and told them to live on their own. As long as they don't skip work and work hard, we provide them with standard food rations."
Gahyeon-ri had, of course, blocked the national highway cutting through the center, and they had blocked roads in various places again with vehicles and all sorts of waste, leaving a gap of about 200 meters. Because of this, the entire neighborhood of Jung-dong, where the locals mainly resided, had become safe, and if one lived in that area, there was no need to live collectively in houses adjacent to the elementary school. No matter what kind of world this was, group living didn't suit everyone, and forcing it could actually cause other problems. So, as a man with a sharp mind, Song Ki-jun immediately realized that conflicts were arising because of that, and it seemed he had allowed relocation to one's original home or any vacant house one liked, as long as it was within the safe zone.
"You did well. As you know, if you sense that a problem or conflict is starting, you must resolve it immediately. You can't miss the timing. If you do, there's a high probability you'll see blood."
"Yes. Like Riverview. I will make sure that never happens again. Of course, not for Lee Jun-ho, but for us."
"Naturally."
Jun-ho smiled with a light heart. Most people feared and revered him, but Jun-ho actually preferred that Song Ki-jun didn't. If he hadn't been this kind of person, Jun-ho wouldn't have picked him as the right person to lead the Gahyeon-ri survivor group in the first place.
"By the way, is there anything you're lacking? Things you might need to find elsewhere?"
"Everything is lacking, really. Still, if we save and scrape by, it's manageable. We even collect useful things from vacant houses and store them by category. But still… it’s daily necessities."
In the apocalypse, food and fuel were the most important, but if those were in a somewhat decent situation, the daily necessities that used to be scattered around houses like trash during peaceful times became precious. Once the problems of eating and sleeping were solved, it was only natural for humans to want and pursue other things. And Jun-ho didn't think that was being 'full and gluttonous.' A person who lives without desire and need eventually just becomes lazy, and laziness is the greatest enemy of survival in the apocalypse.
"Daily necessities, huh…."
Our Shelter had all kinds of daily necessities that could last for decades. But those were for the shelter family, and he couldn't use them for the residents of Gahyeon-ri. He had no intention of doing so, either. Then, in the end, only one thing remained.
"How about doing this?"
"……?"
"I’m thinking of going to raid the reserve forces unit in Sangmyeon soon."
"Sangmyeon reserve forces… Ah, that place? I know where it is."
Song Ki-jun, who had enlisted a bit late, had undergone reserve training until a few years ago. Moreover, he had gotten an apartment in Gahyeon-ri over five years ago, so he had been to the Sangmyeon reserve unit before.
"That’s good. There will be live ammunition and various supplies there."
The real target he wanted to secure was the Jinjeon-eup reserve division, which he planned to visit with Lee Seok-jin's unit before summer, but he couldn't ignore Sangmyeon either. Supplies held by reserve units, including ammunition, were all things that couldn't be wasted in the apocalypse.
"To move all that, the soldiers from Yeongho-ri aren't enough. My friends and I also have to be on combat standby at all times in case of an emergency."
"I suppose so. It’s inefficient for people who have to fight to move cargo as well. So, are you saying you want us to help with that?"
"Yes. About ten to fifteen people? If there are more, it gets chaotic and hard to control. Anyway, if you help me then…."
Jun-ho turned his gaze toward the apartment complex where he had finished off the last Alpha and zombies in the parking lot just a few months ago, and continued, "I will raid the Mokuri D-Mart and Homeplus for you."
Large supermarkets are the first targets aimed at by apocalyptic survivors. But Jun-ho knew that everyone always looted the food first and neglected the daily necessities. In other words, at this point, less than a year since the apocalypse broke out, it was certain that there were still quite a lot of daily necessities left that Song Ki-jun and the Gahyeon-ri survivors needed.
"……!"
As expected, Song Ki-jun couldn't hide his surprise and widened his eyes. And Jun-ho knew why he was surprised.
"D-Mart? Jun-ho, are you really okay with that? That’s Mokuri, isn't it? And around there…."
"Yes, I know. It’s a densely populated residential area where large apartment complexes are gathered."
Mokuri D-Mart was not far from the Jaeseong Building, where the 'Welcome Norae Bar' employees and its owner, the building landlord Lee Won-o, were staying. However, it wasn't the area where Jun-ho had drawn massive aggro to wipe out the Cheongsan Building gangsters. To be precise, it was right next to Mokuri Station.
"That’s the neighborhood with the most people in Mokuri, isn't it?"
It was the busiest place in Mokuri, which, along with Hwado-eup, was considered the old town center of Namyangju.
"I know that too. But there’s a way. And clearing that area to some extent is better for us."
"For us?"
"Yes. For me, my party, and all of Gahyeon-ri."
"…If someone else had said the same thing, I would have definitely thought it was nonsense. But since it’s you, Jun-ho, I have no choice but to believe it. First, I understand. I’ll have to hear what the village head and the residents say, but they probably won't object. Using Lee Jun-ho’s name makes everything okay."
"That’s too much credit. I guess this is why people should accumulate virtue in their daily lives."
Jun-ho threw out a light joke.
"Huh? Vi, virtue?"
However, what returned was a straight face and an awkward silence.
"……."
"……."
"Then I’ll be going now. I’ll make a detailed plan later and talk to you again."
"Yes, yes…."
Whether it was virtue, or blood, slaughter, and terror—whatever it was, he comforted himself with the fact that they were living together well without any major problems, and Jun-ho started the multi-purpose electric vehicle.
Wong. Wuwong.
As if to comfort such a Jun-ho, Purdy barked loyally.
Paang…!
One of the turrets protecting the shelter fired a bullet.
Thwack! Kaaack! Kaak! Kaak!
Then, a crow that had been goofing off at the edge of the greenhouse roof fell to the ground, and the rest of them flew up into the sky, terrified. Kamsuni ran over late and barked at the sky.
"Ah, those crow bastards are targeting the greenhouse again?"
"It’s really scary. The chickens can't even rest comfortably in the fallow land greenhouse because of them."
As Baek Su-ho clicked his tongue, Jo Yu-na looked at the crows with eyes full of worry and said, "Ah! Kamsuni, no! No, no!"
Ahn Yu-jeong, who mainly grew crops in the greenhouse with Jo Yu-na, was horrified to see Kamsuni trying to put a crow in her mouth.
"Yu-jeong, put that in the sack."
"Ugh. Okay, Unnie."
Ahn Yu-jeong picked up the crow carcass with tongs and put it in the sack. If it were other survivors, they would have gone crazy calling it bird meat, but in our shelter, it was straight to the incinerator.
"But why are there so many crows here? Was it always like this?"
"No? There weren't many originally. But they started appearing slowly from the beginning of this year, and once the weather warmed up, these damn bird bastards flocked here in droves."
Baek Su-ho hated crows just as much. No, he just hated all birds. Because when he and Kim Ha-yun were in charge of chores before the 'Dolsoe' workers arrived, one of the most annoying tasks was cleaning up the droppings that all kinds of birds had left all over the shelter. Of course, the shelter had several turrets installed, so they could deal with birds. The problem was that the turrets were installed in positions to strike enemies approaching from the outside. In other words, it was difficult to intercept those that flew over the shelter and landed on the greenhouse or where the solar panels were.
"By the way, how do I look? Is it decent?"
Baek Su-ho held his chin high and turned his face this way and that. He had just received a proper 'haircut' from Lee Chae-rin. Until just before, it had been like a chestnut with thick thorns, but now, neatly cut into a two-block style, it looked like a peeled chestnut.
"It, it’s neat, Oppa."
"Neat. It’s cute."
Jo Yu-na and Ahn Yu-jeong praised him with awkward smiles, and soon Baek Su-ho’s mouth hung open. However, Baek Su-ho had no idea that when a woman tells a man he is 'neat and cute,' it is a highly professional and ceremonial attitude.
"Is it? Hehe, if it looks good to you guys, Seul-gi will think it looks good too, right?"
"She will."
"For sure, Oppa."
Unlike just a moment ago, the two idols spoke with conviction. Although he looked like a smooth chestnut, in this world, having hair this neat meant that any man would look much more handsome.
"Then shall we get going? First, let me change my clothes…."
Thwack!
At that moment, something fell with a splat on Baek Su-ho’s head and soon flowed down his face. It was bird poop.
Kaaa…! Kaaaaa…!
"……!"
Hearing the crow's cry that sounded like it was mocking him, Jo Yu-na and Ahn Yu-jeong stared at Baek Su-ho, frozen.
Swoosh.
Baek Su-ho, who wiped the bird poop with his sleeve with an expressionless face, said in a low, sunken voice, "Hey. Have you guys ever eaten crow meat?"
"Ah, no, Oppa. Why would you eat that?"
"I think I might eat it in the future. Because I’m going to tell Jun-ho Hyung-nim to wipe out those bastards. It’s our shelter’s pest extermination period."
He hadn't even forgotten the grudge(?) he had built up during his Dolsoe days, but fire flared in the eyes of Baek Su-ho, who had been hit by a bird poop terror right after getting a haircut he liked for the first time in a while.