Ch.168167. Assault on the Sanggyeok Headquarters (2)

The discussion between Heo Jin-ho and Gyeon Gwan-im at the Sangyeok Government Building in Daegu succeeded in turning the hearts of some agents, but fewer people than expected shifted their loyalty to Heo Jin-ho.

In other words, Gyeon Gwan-im had also succeeded in persuading these people as a warlord who inherited the Daegu Provisional Government, showing he had sufficient future vision and charisma to convince them.

However, despite Heo Jin-ho’s sharp rebuke, Gyeon Gwan-im’s expression wasn’t good even though he had prevented the defection of agents from the Sangyeok Government Building.

‘This fight isn’t between me and Heo Jin-ho. It’s essentially a battle between Daegu and the Balhut Cult. This is difficult. Very difficult.’

If Heo Jin-ho had gathered the remaining forces and attacked, Gyeon Gwan-im could have claimed victory just by not losing the Sangyeok Building.

Unlike Gyeon Gwan-im who had secured Daegu as his base, Heo Jin-ho would have attacked without a stronghold, making it possible to conclude that simply stalling for time would lead to Heo Jin-ho’s self-destruction.

However, the problem was that this fight had transformed from a battle between Heo Jin-ho and Gyeon Gwan-im into a conflict between Daegu and the Balhut Cult, which greatly complicated the calculations.

Even if they stalled for time, Heo Jin-ho, who had secured a base, wouldn’t self-destruct. Rather, the longer they dragged things out, the more dangerous it became for Gyeon Gwan-im fighting in his home base of Daegu.

‘This is the worst-case scenario I prayed would never come…!’

It was truly the worst-case scenario.

Counting on the enemy’s self-destruction was practically impossible, and instead, Gyeon Gwan-im might be the one facing destruction.

The longer they dragged things out, people would begin to doubt Gyeon Gwan-im’s leadership, and agents still loyal to Heo Jin-ho would gradually develop thoughts of betrayal.

From the beginning, although he had persuaded Daegu’s influential figures, many were forced to follow Gyeon Gwan-im, and if these people contemplated betrayal, defending the Sangyeok Building would become a dangerous endeavor.

‘And these are the relatively decent Daegu Provisional Government agents.’

Moreover, the forces Gyeon Gwan-im had to consider weren’t just those belonging to the Daegu Provisional Government.

As a warlord, there were soldiers who followed him… particularly those classified as looters.

“If we sell him out, couldn’t we be forgiven?”

“Yeah. It’s all his fault anyway!”

These were the type ready to betray Gyeon Gwan-im the moment they sensed an unfavorable situation.

In fact, Gyeon Gwan-im had witnessed forces showing signs of betrayal during the recent discussion, though he had let it pass without comment. But once they suffered even a single defeat, betrayal would spread uncontrollably.

‘Expecting loyalty from looters is a luxury to begin with.’

Considering the sacrifices and luxuries Gyeon Gwan-im had provided for them, they were not only ungrateful but also deserved criticism for their lack of faith.

But that’s how looters were in the apocalypse.

Looters living in the apocalypse came equipped with ingratitude and collective selfishness as standard, and they were the type to betray even their lord and sell him at a high price if necessary—literally having an “as long as the outcome is good, it’s OK” mindset.

Did they think Gyeon Gwan-im, the king of ingratitude himself, wouldn’t notice their betrayal?

“Are you thinking of betraying me?”

“W-well, boss.”

“Fine. Sell me out if you want. But… will Heo Jin-ho forgive you?”

“T-that…”

Of course, Gyeon Gwan-im had been prepared for their betrayal from the beginning and started persuading these ungrateful fools with betrayal as a premise.

Yes, they could sell him out if they valued their lives.

But the question was whether Heo Jin-ho would forgive the forces that had driven the situation this far with just Gyeon Gwan-im’s life.

Usually, they wouldn’t be forgiven and would be decisively purged, or the purge might be temporarily set aside only to be properly carried out with bloodshed much later.

“Die now or die later. Not much difference, right? Of course, you might somehow cling to life by sucking up to Heo Jin-ho. But… the negotiating party isn’t just Heo Jin-ho. There’s also the Balhut Cult.”

“T-the Balhut Cult!”

“Would those fanatics tolerate traitors? Do you think they could accept non-believers? There’s no way they would!”

When they heard it, it sounded plausible.

Turning sophistry into something plausible was the first step of being a warlord, and Gyeon Gwan-im truly had talent as one.

‘Of course, they’re not a cult. Rather, they’re one of the powers established in Yeongnam. An opponent I’d rather not antagonize.’

Of course, Gyeon Gwan-im, who knew everything, was aware that the Balhut Cult wasn’t actually a cult but a government organization following democratic procedures, but what did it matter?

In a situation where his own life was at stake, he had to survive even if it meant antagonizing the Balhut Cult for now.

If he survived, he could run away, negotiate, or kneel before someone—somehow proving his worth.

‘Though it infuriates me to be tormented by Kim Su-ho again…’

If he survived, opportunities would come again.

Having experienced a miraculous loser’s revival, he sensed another chance for revival amidst Seoul’s chaos and persuaded the panicking beasts.

“No way! From their perspective, we’re not the Daegu Provisional Government but looters! You all know what fate awaits looters in this apocalypse, right? Human rights are a luxury for looters! Looters are no different from monsters! Have you ever seen a force that forgives the monsters under a monster leader they’ve captured? No, they believe the best course is to wipe them all out and eradicate the roots!”

“T-that’s right! We must resist! To survive, we must win!”

“And there are our comrades scattered outside. If they learn we’re holding out, they’ll surely come to our aid to save themselves!”

“So you do have a plan!”

It was indeed a plausible plan.

While the Balhut Cult’s forces were elite, they numbered only 500.

Heo Jin-ho led agents of the Daegu Provisional Government, but their forces didn’t exceed a thousand.

In fact, Gyeon Gwan-im’s forces, scattered to control Daegu, were even more numerous, and if all these forces gathered, there seemed to be a chance of victory at first glance.

‘Ha. As if. The equipment and training are on completely different levels. They say war is about numbers, but are we capable of pushing back the Balhut Cult with human wave tactics? Not at all.’

Of course, Gyeon Gwan-im, who had visually assessed the power difference between the two sides, judged that the chances of victory were slim even if all forces were gathered.

Even among the same soldiers, there were stark differences in equipment, training, and levels.

While the Balhut Cult had well-trained soldiers equipped with powerful gear, most of Gyeon Gwan-im’s forces, except for a few, had poor equipment and were essentially thieves who preyed on the weak rather than trained soldiers.

Of course, Korean men had basic military training or served in the military for two years, but wasn’t that the same condition for the other side as well?

‘I have no choice but to hold out. The Sangyeok Building is the final defense line created by Heo Jin-ho. I need to hold out and create some variable. Or at least gain enough points to negotiate.’

In the end, the only option was to hold out and induce the Balhut Cult to consider a war of attrition or negotiations.

Though a difficult battle was anticipated, Gyeon Gwan-im prepared to activate the defense system, thinking of the defense line left by Heo Jin-ho, and Heo Jin-ho could also grasp these movements.

“So it’s a defensive battle after all. To think I’d end up attacking the fortress I created. This is troublesome.”

Heo Jin-ho was well aware of the sturdiness of the Daegu Sangyeok Building, which he had used as a fortress until now, and even he found it challenging to attack recklessly.

However, trusting in the strength of the forces borrowed from the Balhut Cult, Heo Jin-ho began attacking the Daegu Sangyeok Building alongside Jin A-yeon.

“Maintain formation! Just hold out using the fortress as much as possible! Mages, prepare to attack! Fire the prepared spells at the enemy the moment the signal is given!”

But the opponent was no pushover.

The command skills to maintain troop formation, have mages ready their spells, and precisely target attacking enemies.

And the commander himself took to the frontlines, demonstrating outstanding combat prowess by taking down allied forces one by one, showing why he could rule Daegu.

“Prepare for suppression! Ready the Bahamut Bullets! We don’t need to fight them head-on!”

“Yes!”

The issue was that the Balhut Cult soldiers had no intention of directly confronting high-level Awakened.

Seeing Gyeon Gwan-im leading his royal guards to the frontlines, they prepared Bahamut Bullets to decisively suppress him with precision shots.

“…! Shields! Raise your shields! The enemy is firing something!”

“Too late. Fire!”

Gyeon Gwan-im, seemingly sensing the killing intent, noticed the Balhut Cult loading something and immediately ordered his royal guards to raise their shields, but Jin A-yeon mercilessly fired the Bahamut Bullets before they could do so.

“Aaaaargh!”

“Damn it, is that a stun gun?! And one that works on Awakened?! Royal guards! Pick up our fallen comrades and retreat!”

As Jin A-yeon’s unit fired Bahamut Bullets relentlessly, Gyeon Gwan-im’s royal guards who were hit fell one by one, screaming.

Seeing this, Gyeon Gwan-im judged it to have similar effects to a suppression stun gun and immediately gathered his fallen royal guards and retreated to the rear.

“He’s quick to judge. If he weren’t a warlord, I’d want to make him an ally.”

Jin A-yeon evaluated Gyeon Gwan-im as a worthy opponent, despite being an enemy, for his quick assessment of the bullet’s danger and perfect follow-up measures.

She had actually expected him to just panic and flee, but he knew that fleeing meant downfall and bravely faced the challenge.

Overcoming that and seeking even a single chance of victory despite the overwhelming power difference proved that Gyeon Gwan-im was a capable individual with qualities worth learning from.

“He has sufficient ability. But not every commander on the frontline is Gyeon Gwan-im.”

“That’s right.”

While Gyeon Gwan-im’s royal guards assessed the situation and quickly retreated with their fallen comrades, the looter units that had followed Gyeon Gwan-im’s momentum began to be suppressed rapidly.

The Balhut Cult started sniping the leaders of the looter groups, and the looter leaders hit by Bahamut Bullets were instantly suppressed and captured. Witnessing this, the looter groups lost their will to fight and broke free from Gyeon Gwan-im’s control.

They began to act recklessly or flee from the frontlines, and these fragmented looters were nothing more than ripe prey for the allied forces.

Since the forces led by Gyeon Gwan-im were a kind of coalition, the entire force didn’t completely collapse just because a few commanders fell, but it started to significantly affect the morale of the frontline.

“Enough! We’ve fought enough! Everyone, let’s hold out in the Daegu Sangyeok Building!”

Seeing this, Gyeon Gwan-im was trying to somehow gather his troops, but…

“They’re truly a ragtag bunch.”

“It feels more like cleaning up thugs than fighting trained soldiers.”

Unlike the police forces who received strict training, the looters didn’t listen well to Gyeon Gwan-im’s orders.

To somehow gain achievements or satisfy their bloodlust, they moved recklessly and began to be exterminated just as recklessly.

“Prepare to arrest all captured looters. Did you bring the handcuffs specifically for Awakened?”

“Of course.”

“There are so many of them. Arresting each one will be quite a task.”

As the frontline began to be suppressed, Jin A-yeon ordered her adjutant to arrest all of them and began to prepare for battle herself.

Until now, she had deliberately taken an observing stance for the growth of her subordinates, but to suppress Gyeon Gwan-im, who had started to hold out inside the building, it was faster for Jin A-yeon herself to step in.

In this situation, with numerous barricades, abandoned buses, and iron gates blocking the way, the method Jin A-yeon chose was…

“Wow. Like a feather.”

She suddenly started running on foot and, with a single leap, cleared all the obstacles blocking the way.

Heo Jin-ho, who was commanding the scene, responded with a deflated voice, comparing it to a feather, given her incredible leg strength.

“What the hell! Can an Awakened do that?!”

Gyeon Gwan-im, commanding from the building, was also shocked.

Naturally, this fortress built by Heo Jin-ho was designed with not just zombies but also Awakened in mind, and it was designed so that ordinary Awakened couldn’t easily jump over it.

However, Jin A-yeon was no ordinary Awakened; she was a superhuman who had surpassed level 20, and after clearing the defense line with a single leap…

“What’s this? Are you guys thinking of stopping me? That’s not a good idea.”

“Uh, uh, uhh?”

Seeing the soldiers who were blankly staring with expressions that said “this is impossible” after witnessing Jin A-yeon’s leg strength, she gestured for them to lower their weapons.

“Come on, drop your weapons. If you drop them, this big sister will go easy on you.”

“E-enemy! Gwaak?!”

The defense forces, who had been in a daze at the sight, began to resist Jin A-yeon by raising their weapons, but she lightly struck their weapon-holding hands and delivered kicks, suppressing them one by one.

“Kuh, kuhuk, kuhuk!”

Jin A-yeon’s relentless kicks forced all the air out of the defense forces’ lungs, causing them to suffer from respiratory distress.

Seeing this, Jin A-yeon approached the defense forces with a somewhat troubled expression, secured their airways, and began slapping their cheeks.

“Hey, hey, breathe. Breathe, I said.”

“Kuhuk!”

“Good. You’re breathing.”

After kindly helping the defense forces in respiratory distress to breathe, Jin A-yeon casually picked up a weapon and began to storm the Sangyeok Building.

Even after entering the building, there were occasional defense forces trying to suppress Jin A-yeon with guns, but…

“Kehek!”

“Kwuek?!”

She suppressed each approaching force with a single kick and leisurely walked towards Gyeon Gwan-im’s location.

“Y-you monster woman!”

No matter how much the defense forces shot at her, they couldn’t hit her, and in close combat, they couldn’t break through her robust physique.

A superhuman who had surpassed level 20 was truly a desperate existence for ordinary Awakened, and Jin A-yeon simply advanced, swatting away the defense forces like flies while fully demonstrating her power.

“…I never thought she’d be a superhuman.”

And Gyeon Gwan-im, commanding from the office in the Sangyeok Building, could only laugh emptily as he saw Jin A-yeon entering the office with a dejected expression.

He had thought they could hold out for at least a week, but the defense line collapsed in less than half a day, and she had reached the office.

Around Gyeon Gwan-im were some of the royal guards who hadn’t been suppressed by the Bahamut Bullets in the earlier battle, but their expressions showed only despair.

“…I surrender.”

“Oh? You’re not resisting?”

“Even if I resist, there’s no way to survive. I might as well beg for mercy from a superhuman.”

Seeing this, Gyeon Gwan-im seemed to have judged there was no chance of victory and declared surrender without hesitation.

Jin A-yeon was somewhat surprised by Gyeon Gwan-im’s surrender declaration and asked if he wasn’t going to resist, but Gyeon Gwan-im replied that one should only resist when there’s a chance of victory; resisting in a hopeless battle would only endanger one’s life.

He said it was better to surrender and cooperate, as it might allow him to beg for the victor’s mercy.

“What a crazy faction.”

And with that brief comment, Gyeon Gwan-im was obediently arrested by Jin A-yeon.