episode_0015

The barrier blocking Zones 2 and 3 was opened. Immediately heading towards the 3rd floor, Ha Ji-yoo and I were joined by Ian. We apprehended the injured remnants and retrieved Kim Moon-hyuk’s body.

It was unexpected. I thought Ian wouldn’t kill Kim Moon-hyuk this time.

In the original work, Ian had the revolver that I had used up all the bullets for in my hands. The lights went out due to a power outage, and we aimed our guns at each other. Both sides were pointing their guns at each other. It was impossible to properly suppress Ian, who was firing a gun for the first time.

As expected, Ian was in a half-dazed state from the shock of killing a person for the first time.

After subduing all the remnants that first rushed into Zone 1, we gathered the people on the 1st floor.

There were seven dead. Kim Moon-hyuk and four of his subordinates. And two others he shot and killed. Apart from Kim Moon-hyuk’s group, there were no casualties due to zombies.

The people abandoned on the 1st floor were all glaring at the subdued remnants with angry expressions. Those bastards who took the elevator to escape, thinking only of themselves.

The sound of murmurs filled with hatred was heard one by one.

“Those bastards. Running away on their own.”

“Tear them apart.”

“They should suffer the same fate.”

The remnants trembled with their heads bowed, anticipating the impending fate. Except for one person.

Kim Yeoreum stared at the people surrounding her with a disdainful look.

As the atmosphere that could easily lead to a stone-throwing contest began, Ian, still in a daze from the shock of killing a person for the first time, absentmindedly stared into space.

Unable to easily shake off the shock of killing a person for the first time with his own hands.

I sighed and offered a customary word.

“It was inevitable. Don’t dwell on it too much.”

Whether he didn’t hear it or chose not to respond, Ian only nodded his head after a while.

Pathetic. I don’t understand why he’s making such a big deal out of killing one bad guy.

Once everyone gathered, Isang-yeop, who had played the role of a mediator between Kim Moon-hyuk’s group and the residents of the 1st floor, stepped forward.

There were some who criticized him from behind for being Kim Moon-hyuk’s lackey, but since his actions were not bad and he had helped us evacuate the people until the end, no one raised any objections.

However, everyone knew that Kim Yeoreum had been planted there to monitor the people on the 1st floor. She was Kim Moon-hyuk’s sister and had been with us even when she abandoned the people and fled.

Starting off with a smile and a light atmosphere, Isang-yeop continued.

“Well, thanks to these heroes here, we were able to fend off the zombies without much damage. When I saw that big guy and the zombie that melts people, I thought we were done for….”

After a long speech that resembled a principal’s lecture, the lengthy public address finally came to an end.

“Alright, let’s clap!”

Clap, clap, clap…

Applause rang out without hesitation.

It wasn’t that we weren’t grateful. It was already after the storm had passed.

Me, Ian, Ha Ji-yoo, and Chadoa had to accept the grateful greetings and hugs from everyone we met, pouring out their emotions of gratitude and awe.

Perhaps due to the sight of me being the first to rush out towards the oncoming horde of zombies, some people sent me looks of awe that were burdensome.

Pouring out their emotions of gratitude and awe for surviving, all that remained in the hearts of the people now was anger. Their focus was on those who had sacrificed the rest to save themselves.

“Now, regarding the treatment of these people….”

Sweat beaded on Isang-yeop’s shiny bald head.

Perhaps he wanted to delay this moment as much as possible and made a fuss about it.

It was Isangyeop who had been mediating the relationship between the two sides. Thanks to Kim Munhyuk, he had been living comfortably, so pretending not to know and turning a blind eye would prick his conscience. Even the people who were being oppressed looked at Isangyeop with such expectations.

“Well… Even if they did something for us, it’s not like they did it out of the goodness of their hearts…”

Isangyeop hesitated for a moment, his body trembling slightly.

The air had already changed. The ominous gazes of the people. Isangyeop, who was good at reading the atmosphere, didn’t miss a thing.

If he said the wrong thing here, he might be the first one to be beaten up.

Suddenly, Isangyeop narrowed his eyes and raised his eyebrows.

“No matter how much they helped us in the past, even if it’s just a tiny bit! Running away while shooting people to death and leaving us to fend for ourselves in a life-or-death situation! That is absolutely unforgivable!”

Applause and cheers erupted from all around.

“Kill them!”

“Kill those bastards!”

Somewhere, harsh voices mixed in.

The faces of the bound individuals turned pale. Some were already trembling, their teeth chattering.

Isangyeop didn’t hesitate in his speech, thinking that they had already crossed a river of no return.

“Yes! That’s right! What did these people do to those who raised issues with Kim Munhyuk? They threw them off the second floor if they had any complaints! We should throw them to the zombies just like they did!”

“Wow!!!”

“Exactly!!”

Cheers and applause erupted. A society where laws had disappeared. Even I felt a chill at the vivid scene of a people’s trial.

“Wait a minute!”

Someone shouted amidst the madness. Those who turned around, ready to curse, calmed down for a moment.

There stood Ian, the hero who had protected the people and smashed Kim Munhyuk’s head. Isangyeop also trembled. If Ian and the people’s opinions clashed here, he would be in the most difficult position.

“Even so, killing them is not right. No matter how much they have sinned, they have the right to a fair punishment.”

In a world where common sense had disappeared, it was a cliché. I had no intention of intervening. Immediately, murmurs broke out.

“Didn’t you kill Kim Munhyuk yourself?”

“That was an accident that happened during battle. I was threatened with a gun, and I failed to control my strength.”

Although he spoke confidently, I didn’t miss the trembling in Ian’s eyes.

There was a rumbling all around. While Ian, Hajiyu, and I all had our own strengths, when it came to physical appearance and the aura we exuded, everyone saw Ian as the leader.

If we hadn’t been there, everyone would have died. If Ian strongly opposed and stood up, even they would be in a difficult position.

There were also those who witnessed Ian and Hajiyu’s powerlessness. In this place where common sense and laws had crumbled, strength was the new rule.

There were murmurs of discontent all around, but no one came forward openly. The faces of the oppressed individuals began to brighten with hope that they might survive.

“Haha, hahaha, hahahahahahahahahaha.”

A maniacal laughter erupted from the direction of the oppressed individuals.

It wasn’t difficult to find the source of the laughter. Among them, there was only one woman.

The laughter, as if it could hardly breathe, suddenly stopped.

“These idiots are pretending to be righteous.”

“What!?”

“What are you saying, you bitch!”

“You son of a bitch!”

Curses erupted from all around. Without backing down, Kim Yerim twisted the corners of her mouth upwards.

“Why? It’s true, isn’t it? You hypocrites. You’re just like murderers too. What? Deserving punishment? Accidentally killed someone? In the old days, you would’ve been just another criminal, you bastard.”

That was something she knew best about herself. That’s why Ian couldn’t meet Kim Yerim’s gaze and remained silent.

No need to step in when everyone around me is already cursing me without any hesitation.

The people around Kim Yeoreum gave subtle hints as if to say, “Please stop,” tapping her on the shoulder. To them, it must have felt like a taste of death. The person with the most authority was trying to protect them, but now they were being criticized.

However, Kim Yeoreum paid no attention. When Ian showed no reaction, she glared around with a fierce look in her eyes this time.

“You’re all the same. Pretending to be victims? You’ve all been selling your daughters and bodies to live comfortably all this time, right? When I begged you to take my daughter and me with you, you were nowhere to be found, and now you’re pretending to be victims.”

The faces of those who were singled out turned pale. They must have been trembling at the thought of this accusation reaching them.

“That, that was because you threatened us! I was forced to do it! You forced us to do it! I’m the victim here!”

In response to the almost tearful explanation of a young girl, it wasn’t Kim Yeoreum who spoke this time. The man who had been sitting quietly suddenly stood up and burst out like a shot.

“You son of a b**ch, when did you ever say you loved me!”

“What, what’s going on? Grab that guy!”

Although he was quickly restrained, he too seemed to have lost his mind as he ranted aggressively.

“Isn’t this too much, sir!? After treating us like that, now you act like you have nothing to do with it… Ugh!”

Was he that quick? In the blink of an eye, Isangyeop ran over and punched the man who was ranting aggressively in the face.

“These damn brats! They welcomed me with open arms, and now they treat me like a fool!”

It’s a common tactic for accomplices to become more aggressive to cover up their mistakes. Isangyeop’s eyes sparkled as he punched the man’s face.

“These brats are trying to sow discord between us because they’re at a disadvantage! Didn’t we all vote because that b**tard Kim Munhyeok threatened us!? We expelled all the dissenters and fed them to the zombies, so how could anyone oppose us!? Everything we’ve done so far is because of threats. Isn’t that right!?”

The once friendly faces were now almost inciting a riot.

“That’s right!”

“Our lives are at stake, how can we rebel!”

“It’s all Kim Munhyeok’s fault!”

Those who had even slightly sided with Kim Munhyeok were overly supportive.

“If we leave these brats alone, who knows when they’ll stab us in the back again! We don’t have much food, and there’s no one to manage the prisoners! We need to expel them all!”

Shouts and applause erupted here. Expulsion meant death sentence in this context.

“If anyone opposes, raise your hands!”

Ian, with a vacant expression, remained silent. His mental state had completely collapsed after being punched by Kim Yeoreum, the sister of Kim Munhyeok, whom he had killed before the shock of the first murder had even subsided.

With Ian silent, there was no one to stop them.

It was like a farce, but it wasn’t wrong. Kim Munhyeok’s subordinates were all big, tough fighters. If left alone, they might seize the opportunity to stage a coup.

Except for Kim Munhyeok’s subordinates, everyone’s interests aligned with the decision.

In the original work, everyone dies just like this.

“Yes, kill them! You’re all the same, trash murderers! Just like you killed my brother, kill me too!”

In the overwhelming atmosphere, only Kim Yeoreum poured out meaningless hatred, but now people didn’t bother to respond. They were all going to die soon anyway, begging for mercy as they were torn apart by a horde of zombies.

“Well, then, let’s consider this unanimous…”

As Sangyeop was about to come to a conclusion, his expression hardened. It was because he saw my hand raised high.

I extended the hand I was holding up and pointed it directly at Kim Yeoreum.

“I’ll take her with me.”