Chapter 49. Humans Who Eat Humans.
Chapter 49. Humans Who Eat Humans.
"I'd need to examine the body up close to be sure, but in the photos, the muscle tissue has been pulled inward. Normally, zombies are brain-dead — already dead, no different from a corpse. But this..."
The group couldn't hide their shock. Dismembering and eating a living person...
"So they're not just starving survivors who resorted to eating zombies — they're far more deranged than we thought..."
"There are recorded cases of people resorting to cannibalism to survive being shipwrecked... but those all involved consuming the dead. This, though..."
We also told them about the drugs we'd found in the container, and that someone had already taken them.
"We didn't run a lab analysis, so I can't say exactly what kind..."
"Could they have been high and done something like this?"
"That's what makes it strange. If they were high, they'd be too out of it to think straight and would have rushed at you. The fact that they ran is odd."
Humans who eat humans... So as the world falls apart, people driven mad are starting to show up, too. Once the special forces soldiers had been treated, we gathered to brief them on the situation at Incheon Port.
"...And so, the treatment has been completed without incident."
"Is that really true? It's not that I don't trust you, Mr. Sihu, but what you're saying is so absurd..."
"We'll have to warn the personnel transporting supplies to be extremely careful. And we can't accept people like that into our group."
"Haa... I thought things had finally gotten peaceful... and now something like this happens..."
We weren't about to start hunting them down. The meeting ended with the decision to simply inform everyone of the situation at Incheon Port and to caution the supply transport teams.
The helicopters had been diligently moving the containers, and we were supervising the workers while discussing how to convert them. We decided on a two-story layout by stacking two containers, and also using single-story units. Families were given the two-story units, while single people or couples were assigned single-story containers.
Then we checked on the fields and went to look at the livestock, checking their condition and how many eggs had been collected. The fish farm was being managed well, too, without any mass die-offs.
Just then, I spotted someone running toward me from a distance, calling out.
"Representative...!! Pant...! There you are..."
"What's going on?"
"The President and others are at the assembly hall right now, urgently looking for you. They say they have something to discuss."
"...? Understood. I'll go right away."
After delivering the message, he collapsed right there, gasping for breath.
'What could be so urgent that they'd summon me like this...?'
I opened the door and entered the assembly hall. Everyone had been talking with grave expressions, and at the sound of my entrance, they all turned to look at me.
"I heard you have something urgent to discuss."
The President rose from his seat and said hastily,
"It appears the personnel who went to Incheon Port have been attacked!"
"...Excuse me? What do you mean, suddenly..."
"How... our second daughter... sob..." "Brother and Jia... have..."
The group had included Mr. Chu, who was driving, and Jia, who could serve as a concealed sniper. In an instant, fury surged inside me and I erupted with killing intent. The others clutched at their throats, unable to breathe.
"Sihu... calm down...!!!"
I reined in the mana that had been leaking out without my realizing it and looked back at the group.
"Haa, sorry about that."
'Jia and Mr. Chu must not have been able to fight properly because of the hostages. They aren't yet at a level where they can fight while protecting everyone...'
The President explained the situation. He said that as they were moving supplies, their radio communications had started cutting out one by one. Naturally, the personnel standing by in the helicopter went to look for them, and their comms went dead the same way.
"We only found out because the last person fleeing managed to radio us before getting caught."
"But our forces should have been stronger."
"And something else they reported: the attackers apparently pretended to be government forces to get close... Most likely, since our people were regular soldiers, they were taken in."
"Have the ones who captured them made any demands or contacted us?"
"No... There has been no contact whatsoever."
In all likelihood, that place we saw the first time we went to Incheon Port — the one with the crudely set up barricades — is their main base.
'We'll have to go there multiple times anyway. If they're going to be a problem like this, it's best to eliminate them now.'
I told the group we would go ourselves to rescue our people. Those drug-crazed, people-eating lunatics — there was no telling what might happen to the hostages. I made that clear.
"If they're people-eaters, then time is of the essence..."
At that moment, Seo Ji-hoon and Choi Jae-hyeok said they would go, too. They insisted that if any negotiation was needed, they would handle it personally.
We quickly checked our weapons and boarded the helicopter. It took off, heading for Incheon Port.
We entered Incheon Port's airspace and conducted aerial reconnaissance. The helicopter that the advance party had landed was intact. But as if they'd anticipated we'd come to rescue them, they were lying in ambush, waiting for us to land. Of course, I could tell they were hiding.
"I can sense them lying in wait. Everyone turn back. I'll go in alone."
"No matter what, that's too dangerous...!"
"It's not. They've likely taken the weapons from the hostages. Turn back, and when I radio you, come back again."
The people who had been steeling themselves for a fight looked at me with deflated expressions, as if to ask, Are you sure about this?
"I'm not going to repeat myself. Turn back and stay there."
I swallowed the words that followed: 'Unless you want to see something ugly.' Then Chief Warrant Officer Lee Geun-cheol said he would land nearby and let me off.
"No. Open the door. I'll jump."
Normally, that would be an absurd thing to say, but since I was the one who said it, they let it slide and opened the door. And I jumped, my feet imbued with mana.
— BOOOOM!!!
Where I landed, the asphalt floor gave way, forming a crater.
* * * * * * * *
After leaving Sihu there, I returned to Gimpo and assembled the people. Naturally, the President and the advisors who heard the news were worried.
"Wait... Is it really all right to leave Mr. Sihu there alone...? They're armed, too, aren't they...?"
"If anything were to happen to the Representative...!"
"How could we just leave him...!"
At that, Choi Jae-hyeok let out a sigh and looked at the group as he spoke.
"We didn't run away and leave the Representative behind to save ourselves."
"No matter how strong Mr. Sihu is..."
"Haa... I'll put it a little bluntly. What Mr. Sihu essentially said was, 'I don't want to fight while babysitting small fry like you.' And if anything were to have happened to them..."
Recalling Sihu's demonic expression before we departed, and the crushing killing intent that had choked our very breath, everyone swallowed hard, their throats bobbing visibly.
"So... Mr. Sihu ultimately made that choice because of us...?"
"Yes, because he didn't want to show us something ugly, I expect. What's certain is that those people will bear unlimited responsibility for this incident."
Then the Special Forces Commander also described the last sight he'd witnessed.
"That's right... That expression just before he jumped from the helicopter — it was like... the face of a demon. I thought I'd carried out my share of life-or-death operations, but that was..."
"Haa... Understood. For now, gather as many doctors as you can. Once the hostages are rescued, we'll need to assess their condition first."
* * * * * * * *
After jumping from the helicopter, I did nothing. I simply stood still. The ones lying in ambush, seeing me do nothing, gradually approached while keeping their weapons trained on me.
"Hey!!! Just what the hell are you, you bastard!!!"
So these are the bastards who took Mr. Chu, Jia, and our people.
"I'm the representative of the group you've captured."
"Yeah, we figured someone would come to assess the situation. If you want the hostages to stay safe, come along quietly!!!"
They approached me, cuffed my hands, and covered my eyes with a cloth, apparently planning to blindfold me. Then they walked me somewhere for a long while and finally removed the cloth.
"Don't try anything stupid. Just sit tight here until the officers call for you. If you don't want to die."
They shut the door and left. In that place, I saw our people, handcuffed just like me. I approached them and asked about the situation.
"Is anyone injured?"
"R-Representative... sob... We're sorry. This is because of us."
"No, it's all right. There are some people I don't see here. Where are..."
"Those who resisted at first were dragged away. They haven't come back..."
"So Mr. Chu and Jia were dragged off as well?"
"Yes... I'm sorry..."
Honestly, these people had nothing to be sorry for. It was purely an accident. And the ones who caused it should bear the responsibility.
They'd crammed us into a spacious room and left us there without even giving us food.
At some point, morning came, and I heard footsteps approaching from outside.
"You, the one they call the representative. Come out. The captain and the officers are calling for you."
My expression must have looked completely devoid of tension, because the bastard smacked the back of my head loudly, annoyed.
'Haa... I'm remembering your face.'
I followed him to a room where people who looked like the officer cadre were seated, and at the far end, a man who appeared to be the captain sat staring at me. He looked at me and spoke.
"Are you the bastard they call the representative of those government forces?"
"Yeah, that's right. You've kept the hostages alive. Is there something you want from us?"
"Heh heh... It's not that I deliberately let them live."
The bastard made a gesture, and a man left the room, soon returning with several men and the hostages in tow. Among them was Mr. Chu, beaten so badly his body was covered in blood and bruises, and Jia, her lip split and similarly beaten. But some of the faces were missing.
"Heh heh... A little longer and we would've had some fun with that bitch. What a shame."
"Where are the rest of them?"
"Ah, them?"
The guy grinned as he said that.