Ch.100100. The Immortal Cult (1)

The misunderstandings between them had been cleared up, and for the first time in a long while, bright lights illuminated Ulsan Airport.

And under those bright lights…

“Ahh! Delicious food after so long! Thank you so much!”

“Being able to eat delicious food until we’re full. What happiness this is! Oh, are we being a nuisance?”

An unexpected feast had broken out.

Though it was difficult to notice during combat, the survivors at Ulsan Airport had been experiencing food shortages.

Having not eaten their fill for a long time, the Ulsan Airport camp members were so desperate for the food provided by the Balhut Cult that they began devouring everything on the table ravenously.

“N-no, not at all. We have plenty of food. You’re not being a nuisance. But I’m concerned—isn’t this too much for your stomachs?”

“We’ve been eating enough to maintain combat readiness.”

“It’s just that what we had tasted like garbage.”

Of course, suddenly filling an empty stomach with enormous amounts of food could cause severe drowsiness or other symptoms, but Jin A-yeon indicated this wasn’t a problem—they hadn’t been completely starving.

They were just complaining because the food they’d managed to obtain had tasted terrible.

Even without Jeong Dong-geon’s help, they probably could have survived a few more months by harvesting crops from nearby farms or using seasonings left in abandoned houses.

“Is this food prepared with crops harvested from farms?”

“Yes. Processed foods like ramen are reaching their expiration limits.”

“Hmm. The crops we harvested didn’t taste this good.”

Now that the apocalypse had passed the six-month mark, even emergency rations like ramen had essentially reached their shelf-life limits, with only beef jerky and canned foods remaining as viable emergency supplies.

The time was approaching when they would need to cultivate and harvest crops from farms in each region to secure food.

“Well, the quality of produce varies depending on when it’s harvested. The taste changes according to the season.”

“Oh! We just ignorantly gathered anything that looked edible… So there are specific harvest times for each season.”

“Yes. By the way…”

Indeed, agricultural products had different harvest times depending on the season, which affected their quality.

Perhaps the reason their food tasted bad was because they had harvested too early or too late, resulting in significantly degraded produce.

While it wasn’t completely spoiled or inedible, it would have been difficult to pursue tasty meals in such an environment.

In truth, seeking delicious food during this apocalypse was a luxury, so let’s move on.

“I’m curious. Why is someone called a hero in Japan staying here at Ulsan Airport? Wouldn’t you have received great treatment if you had remained in Japan?”

“About that…”

As Jeong Dong-geon showed a small gesture of goodwill to the Ulsan Airport group, he turned to Jin A-yeon with a serious expression and asked his question.

Jin A-yeon was the hero who had led the recapture of Fukuoka.

In reality, she had only lost to Jeong Dong-geon due to overwhelming equipment differences and poor condition from food shortages. If they had fought under equal conditions…

‘I would have lost. She probably has power similar to Lady Seol-hwa before she became the Dragon Priestess. In other words, she has enough power to become a ruler or influential figure in a region.’

Jeong Dong-geon predicted his inevitable defeat.

If she had remained in Japan, Fukuoka would have treated her with great honor and respect, and she wouldn’t have needed to live in such poor conditions.

Jin A-yeon seemed to contemplate for a moment before answering.

“We were shipwrecked while returning to Korea.”

“What?”

She described her group’s current situation as being “shipwrecked.”

At the word “shipwrecked,” Jeong Dong-geon looked at Jin A-yeon with a bewildered expression, but she turned her head away slightly embarrassed and slowly began to explain.

“Well, you see, we were worried about our families back home. Living in a foreign country like Japan was uncomfortable. Since we’d made contributions, we received support from the mayor of Fukuoka and took a ship, arriving near Korean waters.”

Fukuoka was a port city, and naturally, fishing boats and vessels remained intact even during the apocalypse.

If administrative orders were issued to requisition ownerless fishing boats to support Fukuoka’s hero, no one would have opposed such orders.

It would have been unconscionable not to help someone who had saved their lives—a hero.

From the perspective of Fukuoka’s leadership, they would have sought ways to help Jin A-yeon and her group safely return to Korea to repay their debt of gratitude.

“That’s not impossible. But wouldn’t Busan have been better?”

But as Jeong Dong-geon pointed out, why were they in Ulsan rather than Busan?

“Wouldn’t Busan be better as a base city for reclaiming the Korean Peninsula?”

As the hero who recaptured Fukuoka, she would have accumulated know-how about reclaiming cities, and if she had returned to Korea to help reclaim the peninsula, Busan would have been more suitable than Ulsan as a foundation.

The Balhut Cult had successfully reclaimed a major city when they unified Gyeongju, so survivor camps in Busan would have sincerely welcomed Fukuoka’s hero Jin A-yeon.

Jeong Dong-geon knew all too well that in this apocalypse, a powerful Awakened who could protect others could become a political foundation.

‘Lady Seol-hwa was such a case before becoming the Dragon Priestess. She might face jealousy or envy, but considering her achievements and foundation, it shouldn’t be a problem.’

Of course, there was a possibility that survivor camp leaders might have envied or been jealous of Jin A-yeon, as the Balhut Cult had experienced during the recapture of Pohang. But with support from Fukuoka, Jeong Dong-geon thought such obstacles could be overcome.

So why was she in Ulsan, which was smaller in scale?

“I thought Busan would be dangerous too. Even in Japan, news about Korea was circulating well. I heard that Seoul, with its large population, is now hell.”

“True. I’ve heard that Seoul is barely defending against zombie waves using the Han River as a defense line, centered around the hero Kim Su-ho.”

Jin A-yeon explained with a troubled expression that she thought Busan was dangerous, so she came to the relatively smaller Ulsan.

As evidence, she mentioned Seoul, and Jeong Dong-geon seemed to have kept up with news about Seoul as he quickly understood when she brought it up.

Currently, Seoul was reportedly using the Han River as a defense line against zombie waves, with a remarkable hero named Kim Su-ho somehow gathering former government agents to establish the Han River defense line.

‘They say it’s an army of a million. Considering Seoul’s population, it’s probably more than that.’

According to community reports, over a million zombies resided within Seoul, and the Han River defense line was considered Korea’s last line of defense.

Rumors suggested that if this defense line were breached, Kim Su-ho planned to retreat from the Han River to establish a defense line at Namhansanseong Fortress before fleeing to Gwangju.

“They say more than half of Korea’s population has turned into zombies. I… even I don’t want to face head-on against a potential army of a million zombies that might be in Busan.”

“Whether it’s 500,000 or a million, it’s all the same, but I understand how you feel. We feel the same way.”

If even Seoul’s outstanding hero was gradually being pushed back by the enormous zombie army, it was natural for Jin A-yeon, Fukuoka’s hero, to be afraid.

Of course, there was a possibility that Busan didn’t actually have over a million zombies, but she couldn’t rely on that possibility alone—she was a hero who had witnessed the apocalyptic tragedy in Fukuoka.

Careless actions invited death in this apocalypse, and targeting an easier city was mentally more comfortable.

Jeong Dong-geon deeply empathized with her feelings.

“So instead of Busan, I came to Ulsan. Since we had a ship, it wasn’t difficult to secretly enter Ulsan through the chaotic port during the apocalypse.”

“…If you knew about the situation in Korea, couldn’t you have come to Pohang instead of Ulsan? We were in the middle of reclaiming Pohang at that time.”

“W-well, about that…”

Jin A-yeon avoided his gaze at those words.

She fidgeted with her fingers and restlessly avoided looking at Jeong Dong-geon’s face.

Not just her, but all her companions who had been watching Jeong Dong-geon immediately turned their faces away at his comment.

“Ah.”

Son Sang-hui let out a regretful sigh at the sight.

This behavior wasn’t unfamiliar to her.

Perhaps this attitude was…

“Is it because of the Balhut Cult?”

“Mmmmm. I don’t want to say this to someone who’s giving us delicious food!”

When Son Sang-hui mentioned the cult, Jin A-yeon and her group all bowed their heads, as if she had hit the mark.

Yes, Jin A-yeon’s group hadn’t come to Pohang because of the Balhut Cult in Gyeongju.

“It’s a name we’d never heard of in Korea, so… I’m sorry. It seemed extremely suspicious! Incredibly suspicious!”

“It’s suspicious.”

“It’s suspicious.”

“I apologize, but… before meeting you all, we thought you were just as suspicious as the Cult of Immortality.”

Jin A-yeon apologized, but her companions simply blurted out that the cult seemed suspicious.

This wasn’t just Jin A-yeon’s group—the capable Awakened leader who previously controlled Ulsan Airport seemed to feel the same way. The young man eating food frantically next to Jin A-yeon mentioned the Cult of Immortality while apologizing.

So the Balhut Cult had struck out with three strikes of suspicion.

“Kuhek?!”

“We can’t deny it! What should we do, boss? This seems to be unavoidable fate!”

“Ahem! We shouldn’t say that.”

The incredibly suspicious Balhut Cult!

While there had been cult groups in Korea before, the Balhut Cult wasn’t even a Christian-based cult. It suddenly appeared as a group worshipping an unknown dragon deity, making it naturally suspicious to outsiders!

Moreover, considering that the cult’s reputation had plummeted at that time, from Jin A-yeon’s perspective—returning to Korea from Japan—relying on the Balhut Cult would have required great courage.

Honestly, why would anyone need to join an unfamiliar cult with a bad reputation?

‘I can’t deny it…! Someone like Jin A-yeon would be valuable anywhere! There’s no need for her to join a cult where she’d have to compete unnecessarily.’

Jeong Dong-geon couldn’t deny this, and knowing the cult’s external reputation in Pohang, he could empathize with their answer.

Moreover, if asked whether Jin A-yeon could be useful in the Balhut Cult, that was also questionable.

Jeong Dong-geon already firmly controlled the military, so from Jin A-yeon’s perspective, she would have to compete with him without any foundation.

Additionally, the naval officer Kim Tae-sik had recently regained his position after being summoned by Baek Seol-hwa, the Dragon Priestess, so she might have had to compete with him as well if she were unlucky.

‘But she seems skilled. Someone at her level could work as a freelancer without problems. Maybe I’m worrying unnecessarily.’

Of course, considering the skills she just demonstrated, she appeared to be an Awakened who could rival or even surpass Jeong Dong-geon.

The cult was known for treating such powerful Awakened well, so perhaps operating in Gyeongju might have been more comfortable for her.

“Of course, everyone in Yeongnam knows the names of Jeong Dong-geon, Lee Hyeon-a, Lee Su-a, and Yu Su-seong. But besides the psychological resistance to joining what seemed like a cult… I didn’t think I could compete with such talented individuals.”

“You overestimate me. I’m just an ordinary soldier.”

Jin A-yeon mentioned the key members of the Balhut Cult and humbly stated that she couldn’t compete with them.

Of course, Jeong Dong-geon felt bitter about the cult being called suspicious, but it couldn’t be helped.

Unless someone directly witnessed the dragon deity Bahamut with their own eyes, many would mistake it for a fabrication or CGI.

Even the United States, which had made first contact, knew Bahamut existed but was internally divided between those who believed it existed and those who didn’t.

“Ahem. So we arrived in Ulsan and tried to settle here. One of my companions was originally from Ulsan.”

“Is that why you settled at Ulsan Airport?”

“No. Originally, we planned to settle in the port area to maintain a connection with Fukuoka. But the situation deteriorated, so we sought refuge with Mr. Han Seong-geun, who was established at Ulsan Airport.”

Jin A-yeon explained that since one of her companions was from Ulsan, she had decided on Ulsan as her destination to establish her own foundation, and it seemed she had built up her forces centered around Ulsan Airport.

When Jeong Dong-geon asked if that was why they settled here, Jin A-yeon said that wasn’t the case, explaining that they had originally planned to settle in the port area.

This made sense given her connections to Fukuoka—she might have been able to get help from them for reclaiming Ulsan if necessary.

However, her situation suddenly deteriorated, forcing her to seek refuge with a collaborator who had established himself at Ulsan Airport.

“To be precise, we were driven to Ulsan Airport.”

“Driven by whom? Was there a force capable of driving away someone of your caliber?”

“…The Cult of Immortality.”

And her collaborator answered Jeong Dong-geon that they had been driven to Ulsan Airport by the Cult of Immortality.