episode_0163

My heart felt strangely unsettled heading towards Konkuk University.

Though I’d never even set foot in a university, wasn’t that the famous university in Seoul?

I was now approaching a place I’d never dared to dream of, but for a different reason.

‘Life… hah…’

There was a time when I yearned for knowledge and dreamed of campus romance.

It was all futile, though.

The journey to Konkuk University Shelter was relatively smooth.

Aside from Chairman Kim getting so grumpy she practically sulked, and a few zombies clinging to us.

The convoy followed the exact route that the former team leaders had taken.

The road had been cleared enough for one car to pass, but it was still messy.

They said they’d forged a path in a rather crude way, simply pushing and squeezing through the road, which was a bit tight for large vehicles.

Assemblyman Pyo explained that thanks to what they did on the first day, the current travel was a bit smoother.

“Though it meant two military trucks ended up in tatters,” Assemblyman Pyo added, unable to hide a slightly bitter expression.

Even so, he quietly gave a brief account of the situation inside the shelter.

In contrast, Chairman Kim kept her mouth shut and maintained silence.

She completely sulked when I ignored her question about being an arsonist.

Assemblyman Pyo, caught in the middle, looked troubled, but I didn’t care.

In fact, I preferred her quiet now.

‘A chaebol family member…’

From her appearance to her actions, she was the embodiment of a modern noble lady.

It seemed I didn’t appeal to her in many ways.

Before, countless people would have groveled before her.

Whether she was a chaebol or not, as long as she stayed quiet like this, I didn’t care.

Just as I was trying to dismiss her from my mind.

“Battle stations!!”

A rough shout from outside the window broke the silence.

Zombies appeared.

We were clearly moving through the pushed-aside abandoned cars, but they suddenly clung to us.

‘…….’

Zombies rushed towards us, letting out agonizing sounds.

It was broad daylight, so every single one of their movements was clearly visible.

But I didn’t step out; I simply watched the situation from inside the car.

I watched the soldiers move with surprising speed.

The number of zombies that appeared wasn’t large.

It was a simple thought, but I wanted to see the soldiers’ response capabilities.

My curiosity grew as I observed Assemblyman Pyo and Chairman Kim, who remained calm even as zombies rushed at them.

‘Oh…’

The soldiers’ response was swift, skillful, and efficient.

Even from inside the car, I could see strong tension on their faces, but the soldiers moved smoothly.

They didn’t open fire recklessly, waiting for orders.

Their calm trigger pulls, even under orders to fire, showed the exact image of a seasoned soldier from a movie.

They might be careful because they said ammunition was scarce.

The pressure of limited resources might have sharpened their focus.

In any case, the soldiers demonstrated deterrent force in an instant.

And Captain Lee and his two subordinates.

These three were definitely of a different caliber.

They didn’t miss the openings created by the other soldiers and finished them off decisively.

‘They… shoot well?’

The three, calmly firing and taking charge of different directions, were almost one-shot, one-kill. Thanks to them, the zombies quickly fell.

Meanwhile, Captain Lee continuously surveyed the overall situation.

And the direction his gun pointed accurately hit spots where zombies had come close or clumped together.

‘His vision is wide too….’

The overall handling and coordination felt very good.

It’s hard to achieve this with just training.

It’s the power of humans who survived breaking through the line of fire.

Because without such experience and strength, it’s difficult to face the fear of death right before your eyes.

This was my first time witnessing a real military combat.

I was impressed by the short battle waged by these soldiers, who looked to be in their early twenties.

They’re good.

I felt a strange sense of coolness watching the soldiers control their flame-spitting firearms.

My evaluation of the “Balloon” and “Thug Girl” who challenged me also improved.

About 0.5 points out of 100.

Seeing this, I realized Incheol’s shooting skills were indeed on a different level.

Being introduced as a sharpshooter was no empty boast.

Even in terms of experience, Incheol, who survived with only a few others, felt extraordinary.

I was once again proud to have a powerful dealer next to me.

‘Should we train together when we get back?’

I don’t know what Incheol will think, but I’ve made up my mind.

To make him a man with the best combat power.

Anyway.

Both “Balloon” and “Thug Girl” and the soldiers were excellent.

Furthermore, Captain Lee was definitely a capable individual.

Even after the battle, the way he cared for his subordinates and assessed the aftermath exuded the strong aura of a reliable leader.

He was not just a combatant, but a talent capable of leading people.

It seemed calling Captain Lee a “captain” was not just empty praise.

And I learned one more thing.

‘Indeed…’

Trust in his subordinates, his comrades.

I understood the source of Captain Lee’s confidence.

It might seem like an overly humane and emotional trait for a soldier, but…

“Hey! Mr. Villain!”

“……”

Someone was finally having a positive thought, and she had to ruin it.

“Aren’t you going to help the people fighting outside?!”

Chairman Kim fumed and shouted at me.

I clicked my tongue and glanced back, and my mind went blank for a moment.

Assemblyman Pyo was using his entire body to restrain her, as she held a cool-looking pistol she’d acquired from who knew where.

A question slipped out of my mouth before I could stop myself.

“…What are you doing right now?”

“Can’t you tell?! I have to fight!”

“With that toy gun?”

“Ugh! This is real!”

“Oh, Chairman Kim, please stop… Seonghan, please restrain her.”

“Ah! Assemblyman Pyo, let go of me!”

I barely managed to suppress a laugh at Chairman Kim, who had completely lost her fear.

And I seriously advised the overflowing-with-courage Chairman Kim.

“Chairman Kim.”

“Why!”

“Even if you ‘flick flick’ them with that toy gun, zombies won’t die.”

“Wh-what?! Fli-flick…! Are you making fun of—”

“And the battle ended a moment ago.”

“…Huh?”

“Look, Captain Lee is coming.”

At my words, the two of them, spotting Captain Lee through the window, quickly composed themselves. And then they both pretended nothing had happened.

*Knock knock-*

At the knock on the window, the glass slid down.

“Were you very surprised? A situation occurred, but it was resolved immediately. There are no casualties.”

“Captain. You did well. Haha~”

“…Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No, no. We’re perfectly fine. We were just inside the car.”

“Then we’ll depart immediately.”

“Please do.”

Assemblyman Pyo, dealing with Captain Lee with a polite smile, seemed skilled.

Chairman Kim, who had somehow hidden her pistol and was now pretending nothing happened, was the same.

I let out an empty laugh, feeling as though I’d just watched a short skit between the two of them.

“Seonghan. Is there anything uncomfortable…”

“No.”

“Understood.”

With Captain Lee’s rather polite retreat, the situation concluded, and the vehicle began to move again.

In the brief silence that followed, Assemblyman Pyo spoke.

“Well… Chairman Kim is just so full of spirit… Haha.”

“No, Assemblyman Pyo. I told you I can fight too!”

“…Please don’t say things like that anywhere else. If the Chairman finds out, he’ll give you a severe scolding.”

“When we’re in a situation where even one person is precious, truly…”

‘A naive noble lady who’s lost all sense of fear.’

I summarized the epithet for Chairman Kim.

At that moment, the arrow turned to me.

“Hey. Do you also think women should just watch from the back?”

At Chairman Kim’s words, Assemblyman Pyo shrugged helplessly and backed away.

“No.”

“See!”

“But if it were me, I wouldn’t send Chairman Kim out.”

“Why again!”

“Because you’re weak.”

Chairman Kim shut her mouth at my blunt reply.

I decided to humor the clueless young lady for a bit.

“Have you ever fought and defeated a zombie?”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yes.”

“Uh, no.”

“Have you ever been trained?”

“…No. But I can just get trained, can’t I?!”

Her fearlessness is acceptable, but she thinks too lightly of it.

“Have you ever seen a friend, acquaintance, or close person attacked by a zombie?”

“……Yes.”

“And despite that, you want to go out and fight? Like those soldiers?”

“Yes! I want to fight too! You go around burning and killing everything by yourself, don’t you?!”

“That’s because I have the ability to do so.”

“I’m perfectly capable…”

“Chairman Kim looks very weak. Just holding a gun isn’t everything.”

“……”

Was there some story behind it?

Seeing her clench her jaw and flush, I suspected there was.

I don’t know what Chairman Kim’s story is, but I have no intention of disparaging her.

But now, among survivors, there would be no one without a story.

I couldn’t cater to every single one, and acting emotionally would only cause harm.

“Let’s say Chairman Kim went out with Captain Lee.”

“Hmm…”

“There’s a high probability you’d die on the spot.”

“……”

“And your death would create a huge opening for Captain Lee’s group. You can imagine what would happen after that without me saying it.”

I spoke calmly, but Chairman Kim’s eyes completely lost their light.

She seemed to have a surprisingly vivid imagination.

“Many people would die because of just you.”

“Um, Seonghan. That’s enough…”

“Those who are unprepared cannot fight.”

“But I…!”

“Of course, there might be a time when Chairman Kim needs to step out with that pistol. But as long as Captain Lee and the soldiers are here, I don’t think that moment will come.”

Chairman Kim, who was on the verge of tearing up, as if something was unfair, did seem to have some kind of story.

“If you absolutely must fight, it’s not like there’s no way.”

“…Huh?”

“If you can’t fight directly, why not fight indirectly?”

“……”

“I’ve heard that everyone has their own role. Rather than fixating on what you can’t do, you should do what you can. I believe Chairman Kim also has things she can do besides just holding a gun.”

“……”

Silence briefly settled in the car.

Chairman Kim, who had been quietly catching her breath, murmured softly.

“…He talks just like my grandfather…”

“…What did you say?”

I gave her some thought-out advice, and she treated me like an old man.

“No, my grandfather.”

“Ah.”

“My grandfather often said that everyone has different things they can do.”

“He was a wise man.”

“Hoo……”

Chairman Kim, whose demeanor had softened slightly, exhaled a long sigh and quietly asked.

“Who did you hear that from?”

“From a site foreman.”

“Huh??”

“I mean, I learned it at a construction site.”

“Oh…”

“What is it? What does that reaction mean?”

When I lowered my voice at her annoying reaction, Chairman Kim waved her hand dismissively.

“Ah, no! No!”

“……”

“Hmm… *Cough cough*.”

Chairman Kim pretended to be busy and turned her gaze out the window.

With that, the childish conversation did not continue.

As Chairman Kim quieted down, Assemblyman Pyo looked relieved.

I also didn’t object further.

There are many wise people in the world.

And it doesn’t matter their gender, age, or social standing.

Chairman Kim’s reaction just now was a no-go in my book.

‘Not completely clueless, but…’

Chairman Kim, who appeared to be in her early to mid-twenties, clearly showed her lack of experience.

I stopped paying attention, expecting the people around her to take care of her.

In any case, the conversation with Chairman Kim was a good way to pass the time.

While we were talking, we arrived near the Konkuk University Shelter.

‘…….’

The appearance was quite different from when I had looked around at night previously.

The wire fences and barriers obstructing movement were still there.

But the heavy machinery that had been busily moving was almost nowhere to be seen.

The few pieces of equipment that remained occupied their spots with their engines off.

And military equipment was the same.

Equipment that looked sturdy, though I didn’t know much about it, was gone.

We passed through a somewhat desolate landscape and entered the shelter.

‘Huh…’

The sight that immediately met my eyes left me a little bewildered.

It was so different from what I saw from a distance to what I saw up close now.

And I was seeing things I hadn’t noticed before.

Devastation.

The scene I encountered upon entering was exactly that.

It was dark, difficult, exhausted, and heavy.

It wasn’t a feeling I got from people, but from the scenery itself.

The air inside the defensive perimeter was crushed by desolation.

A significant number of the heavy machinery I saw previously were gone.

Whether for combat or work, whatever.

At least the firearms placed in various spots remained.

I remembered there being at least three helicopters, but now there was only one.

The helicopter resting in the wide space, shaped like a dragonfly, was clearly not military-grade at first glance.

While I was busily taking in the shelter with my eyes, the car slowed down.

“We’ve arrived. Please get out.”

I got out of the car at Assemblyman Pyo’s slightly subdued voice.

People poured out of the military truck too.

‘…?’

The expressions of the survivors from Sagajeong Market were impassive.

I had expected them to be disappointed or despairing upon seeing this sight, but they weren’t.

Their expressions seemed to say they knew everything and were prepared.

On the contrary, they maintained order according to the merchant representative’s instructions and showed great cooperation with the soldiers.

“Those people will be escorted inside and given guidance. You don’t need to worry.”

Assemblyman Pyo, who had approached my side, quietly spoke.

I wasn’t particularly worried.

I was just drawn by their unexpected demeanor.

Four people approached me from among those leaving the area.

“Seonghan.”

“Dr. Jang.”

“Haha. It seems I’ve joined as well.”

“I’m sure Dr. Jang will handle things well on his own.”

Dr. Jang didn’t say much, just gave me a deep smile.

“Let’s talk more inside.”

“I will guide you.”

I and the others followed Captain Lee, who volunteered to guide us.

Walking slowly, I took in the surrounding scenery.

A significant number of tents that had filled the empty lot were cleared.

The refugee camp-like atmosphere remained, but the number had significantly decreased.

While there were some organized spaces, there were also areas cluttered with trash.

It was a desperate situation.

“……”

As I moved, I felt gazes turning towards me.

On the ground, inside tents, or from unseen places.

The eyes of the people I met were dead.

Their vitality was completely gone, and no energy could be felt.

Compared to these people, in some sense, the zombies’ eyes shone much brighter.

Half-dead eyes followed my group’s footsteps.

…It felt intrusive.

The feeling of devastation I had upon first entering seemed to originate from these people.

An atmosphere that was so similar, so stifling, crushing the breath out of you.

People who had fled from zombies.

The survivors here were crushed by the harshness of life.

I felt an unknown weight settle on my shoulders as I entered a modest white building.