Ch.165164. Operation to Recapture Daegu (1)

Yuna’s words were not empty promises. After that day, Heo Jin-ho was discharged from the hospital and began rehabilitation training to recover his rusty strength while simultaneously preparing for the Daegu offensive operation.

Of course, the Balhut Cult couldn’t directly dispatch military forces beyond the police forces led by Han Seong-geun. The main forces were being led by Jeong Dong-geon at the Ulsan front, the Gyeongju Defense Division couldn’t be used for the cult’s safety, and the navy in Pohang couldn’t exert any power in the inland city of Daegu.

However, there was little need to worry about manpower issues.

“Well now. When did you gather my subordinates?”

“We used SNS and surveillance-type Awakened to help with that.”

After all, the main force for the Daegu offensive operation wasn’t the Balhut Cult’s forces, but the Daegu forces directly trained by Heo Jin-ho. The Balhut Cult had gathered the scattered forces after Heo Jin-ho’s defeat, brought them together, armed them with equipment made by the cult, and prepared them for immediate combat.

The Balhut Cult only needed to add police forces to support them, which would include Jin A-yeon, making it an almost excessive force.

“And we also have this.”

“So this is the legendary mystical bullet I’ve heard about.”

Not only were there weapons and protective gear made by the Balhut Cult’s craftsmen, but for a decisive victory, they decided to deploy the cult’s strongest weapon for the Daegu recapture operation.

Yes, they had distributed the police’s restraining Bahamut Bullets to all of Heo Jin-ho’s subordinates, and Heo Jin-ho gave a hollow laugh at the sight of the Balhut Cult’s mystical bullets he’d only heard rumors about.

‘The debt is piling up enormously. What are they planning to demand? Really.’

Of course, Heo Jin-ho knew this wasn’t pure goodwill but all debt.

This level of support meant they would have many demands after recapturing Daegu. The debt would be too much for Heo Jin-ho alone to bear, essentially mortgaging not only himself but Daegu’s future as well.

‘Without their help, I wouldn’t even have a chance.’

But Heo Jin-ho just laughed hollowly without pointing this out.

Yes, frankly speaking, the Balhut Cult’s help was burdensome. However, without that help, Heo Jin-ho would have no more chances and would have to face a lonely end.

In that case, he would be remembered as a foolish warlord who trusted someone he shouldn’t have and was betrayed, and his name would surely be ridiculed in communities forever.

‘Just having this chance is enough.’

If he cooperated with the Balhut Cult and became a founding contributor, wouldn’t he have the opportunity to restore his fallen honor and transform from a loser to a victor?

Above all, the fact that they had invested this much meant the Balhut Cult wouldn’t betray Heo Jin-ho because they wouldn’t want to waste their investment.

“Hey, mister. You’re looking refreshed.”

“I’ve received excellent treatment. It’s about time I earn my keep. Are you the support force helping me?”

So to secure that investment, this Daegu recapture operation had to succeed.

As Heo Jin-ho sighed with tension, he heard someone’s voice beside him. When he turned his head, he saw Jin A-yeon greeting him with a casual demeanor.

Seeing Jin A-yeon armed not with a police uniform but with combat protective gear and weapons, Heo Jin-ho realized she was the support force helping him, and Jin A-yeon scratched her head as if annoyed and spoke.

“Yeah. The police will help easily subdue the rioters who’ve settled in Daegu. I’m the leader of these guys.”

“You’re the commander? You’re younger than I expected.”

“Ha. Despite appearances, I’m a key player who’s recaptured a city.”

He had thought she would be in a high position, but she was in an even higher position than expected.

On the surface, she seemed to be on the boundary between a girl and an adult, yet Heo Jin-ho looked at Jin A-yeon with a surprised expression at the fact that she had the charisma and leadership to command an organization. Under his gaze, she proudly boasted of her achievements, puffing out her small chest and claiming she was a key player in recapturing a city.

“You seem quite famous. I should introduce myself. I’m Heo Jin-ho.”

“I’m Jin A-yeon.”

“Jin A-yeon?! I never expected the hero of Fukuoka to be here. Small world indeed.”

At first, he thought she was just showing off, but upon hearing her name, Heo Jin-ho bowed his head, evaluating the woman before him as more of a big shot than he had thought.

Indeed, there was no one on the Korean Peninsula who didn’t know the name Jin A-yeon.

‘An Awakened said to rival Kim Su-ho. I never expected her to be here. Can the Balhut Cult use such a powerful Awakened as part of their forces?’

She had been missing since leaving Japan, and he never expected her to join the Balhut Cult.

Heo Jin-ho could clearly feel the Balhut Cult’s potential upon seeing this unexpected force, and he became curious about what would happen after recapturing Daegu.

“Well, it feels like I was dragged in like a bull with a nose ring.”

In reality, Jin A-yeon had become the police special forces captain because of Han Seong-geun; she had actually wanted to focus on recapturing Ulsan.

She had helped because Han Seong-geun asked for her help, but if someone else had pointed at her, she would have crushed that annoying finger.

“Ha. Either way, I heard you’re a superhuman who’s surpassed level 20 like Kim Su-ho. This is definitely a win.”

However, just the fact that Jin A-yeon was there made Heo Jin-ho confident of victory.

After all, the power of a superhuman who had surpassed level 20 was well known through Kim Su-ho, and when Kim Su-ho’s fame for recapturing beyond Seoul Station to Myeongdong spread throughout the Korean Peninsula, Heo Jin-ho truly thought Kim Su-ho was the hero who would save Seoul.

However, after the defeat in Myeongdong and the loss of all recaptured territory, with the expedition ending in failure, that expectation had faded.

Still, the power of a superhuman who had surpassed level 20 was firmly imprinted, so he could have high expectations for Jin A-yeon’s performance.

“Don’t trust me too much. In a real war, even a level 20 superhuman can’t turn the tide alone.”

But Jin A-yeon warned him not to underestimate the situation.

While Jin A-yeon’s power could recapture a city single-handedly when fighting undead, in battles between humans—that is, between factions—Jin A-yeon alone couldn’t solve everything.

The Ulsan War was a prime example. Despite the participation of Jeong Dong-geon, Jin A-yeon, Han Seong-geun, and even Baek Seol-hwa, the Dragon Priestess, they couldn’t completely push back the enemy.

“This is from someone who’s experienced real war.”

“We’re still in one now. A war between factions.”

“…What’s been happening in other regions while we’ve been focused only on Daegu and Seoul?”

At Jin A-yeon’s serious words, Heo Jin-ho lamented about what was happening on the Korean Peninsula.

He knew that factions were fighting within the Korean Peninsula, but who could have known it would be this fierce?

“More than you might think. But were you only focused on Seoul?”

“Well, from my position, since zombies weren’t coming to Gyeongju, I couldn’t pay attention to other regions where zombies were coming. I especially focused on the Seoul area.”

But given Daegu’s political situation, it was natural for Daegu to prioritize Seoul, the center of the Korean Peninsula, rather than getting involved with the cult-possessed neighbor.

That neighboring city wasn’t targeting Daegu, and if they had decided to advance toward Pohang and Ulsan, Daegu had to focus its capabilities on Daejeon and Seoul.

“Besides, considering that the looters we had to face came from Seoul or other regions, we didn’t have time to pay attention to Gyeongju back then.”

“True. Daegu was vulnerable from all sides.”

“So we fortified important residential areas and adopted a strategy of defending fortresses… but we failed due to betrayal.”

Of course, Daegu also had natural defensive lines in the mountains, but unfortunately, Daegu’s main enemies weren’t monsters but undead and looters flocking to Daegu from surrounding cities.

It was realistically difficult for the Daegu interim government to control all roads in Daegu, and once one place was breached, others would start to be breached in succession. So the interim government had adopted a strategy of establishing strongholds in easily defensible areas and holding out there.

This strategy had been successful until now, but it had completely failed due to internal betrayal.

“But today, we’ll make them realize that their choice was wrong.”

However, today Heo Jin-ho would demand payment for that betrayal.

“All the troops have gathered. Thank you for the distributed equipment.”

“Well, thank the Balhut Cult rather than me.”

“I will.”

All the prepared forces had gathered, and they were now waiting only for Heo Jin-ho’s order to deploy.

The forces equipped with shiny protective gear and weapons seemed so elite that Heo Jin-ho doubted his own eyes.

He wondered if these were really the Daegu interim government agents who had followed him, but as he saw himself ascending the podium, he stopped his wandering thoughts.

And then…

“Today, we go to take revenge on the traitors and looters who stole our homeland!”

Remembering how they had been betrayed by all the Daegu interim government agents gathered here, he declared that this fight was clearly one of revenge.

With an expression more angry than anyone else’s, Heo Jin-ho shouted powerfully without a microphone, using only his own voice, loud enough to be clearly heard by everyone gathered here. It was a scene that showed why he had become the leader of the Daegu interim government.

“We made blood-spitting efforts to protect Daegu… our homeland! We always called for compromise and cooperation, and advocated harmony and peace. And we thought our efforts were somewhat realized in Daegu, but traitors and looters denied our efforts and arbitrarily plundered. Can you forgive those beasts who try to trample on that meaning? I cannot forgive them!”

“”””We cannot forgive them! We cannot forgive them!””””

Their anger soon turned into hatred, and the Daegu interim government agents sympathized more than anyone with the fact that all their efforts had been in vain, and they could fill themselves with the will to fight.

“We who were even deprived of opportunity have been given another chance with the help of the Balhut Cult. We cannot miss this opportunity! We must deliver bloody revenge to those who usurped Daegu! We must deliver righteous judgment!”

“”””Righteous judgment! Long live Heo Jin-ho! Long live the Balhut Cult!!!””””

In an instant, Heo Jin-ho had captured the hearts of the crowd and given them meaning for the life-or-death battle ahead.

As all the soldiers’ morale peaked in a single moment, Jin A-yeon, watching from the side, spoke to Heo Jin-ho with a surprised expression.

“Well, I guess you’re a key player who formed the interim government. You’ve got skills, mister.”

“Well, it wasn’t the talent I wanted.”

“True, in this apocalypse, most people discover talents they didn’t know they had.”

While Jeong Dong-geon and Han Seong-geun governed their forces meticulously and with discipline, Heo Jin-ho, in contrast, elicited public response with explosive, passionate displays.

It’s hard to say definitively which is better, but for a short decisive battle, this was nothing less than Heo Jin-ho’s stage, where he could exert tremendous explosive power at once.

Heo Jin-ho himself just sighed, lamenting that he hadn’t wanted this talent, and Jin A-yeon sympathized, saying that in this apocalypse, many people find talents they didn’t want.

“Let’s depart then. The operation time is approaching.”

“Well, you’ll guide us properly.”

“I know.”

And maintaining this explosive energy, Heo Jin-ho began heading toward Daegu with Jin A-yeon.

Of course, deploying forces meant there was an operation to attack Daegu, and Heo Jin-ho’s plan was…

“We’re initiating a decapitation operation. Contact anyone who’s still cooperating with us immediately.”

To return the same decapitation operation that had brought down Heo Jin-ho.

After all, the Daegu interim government was Heo Jin-ho’s home, and no one could stop the homeowner from returning to reclaim his house.

The design of this operation was to contact those who couldn’t escape during the decapitation operation and ended up cooperating with the usurper government, elicit their response, and carry out the decapitation operation.

“It’s easy to say, but for this to actually…”

However, theory is just theory, and the most important thing for the success of this operation was that there needed to be collaborators in Daegu who still followed Heo Jin-ho.

But Jin A-yeon thought that if the usurpers weren’t fools, they would have already purged any Daegu interim government agents who supported Heo Jin-ho, leaving none behind.

“Welcome, sir!”

“Is this for real?”

Contrary to Jin A-yeon’s expectations, when the news of Heo Jin-ho’s survival and return was delivered to the interim government agents inside Daegu, Heo Jin-ho’s subordinates welcomed their old master’s return without hesitation.