Ch.5252. Meeting (1)

Someone believed to be from the Pohang survivor camp posted on the Balhut Cult community site.

This was posted on a special board that required a specific password to access, so it definitely wasn’t a typical troll post.

The password could only be obtained from supplies distributed at the Steel Industrial Complex intersection.

This meant the post most likely came from someone at the Pohang campus near that area.

[Meet at the Steel Industrial Complex intersection at 3 PM.]

Though the post was emotionless and to the point, it represented the first step in the Balhut Cult’s conquest of Pohang.

They had successfully made contact with one of the three survivor camps that divided Pohang.

“Pohang is largely divided into three factions. The Pohang University campus that presumably posted just now, the camp north of the Hyeongsan River, and the navy centered around the harbor.”

“Unlike Gyeongju which is divided into North and South, Pohang has three factions. I should have expected this. The navy survived since they could escape by sea.”

“If we’re lucky, this is our chance to bring the Pohang navy under our control.”

After Son Sang-hui’s explanation, Yu-na commented on how Pohang differed from Gyeongju with its three-faction structure, and made a subtle expression at the mention of the navy’s survival.

Had Jeong Dong-geon suggested that if the navy survived, the Balhut Cult could acquire them?

“Um, with our reputation, would the navy really follow the Balhut Cult?”

“Ah.”

Yu-na’s face clouded with worry, apparently realizing that unlike in Gyeongju, the Balhut Cult had a poor reputation elsewhere.

Jeong Dong-geon seemed to share this concern, thinking he had made a mistake.

“Besides those three factions, are there any other medium-sized groups worth mentioning?”

Still, for the safety of his soldiers, he needed to confirm everything, so he continued questioning Son Sang-hui about Pohang.

“There was almost a camp at Pohang Airport centered around Miss Seol-hwa that could have rivaled the three main camps, but unfortunately it fell apart when she went missing. Looking back, that might have been when the mutant spider zombies first appeared. Other than that, I don’t think there are any notable factions.”

“So along Yeongil Bay Road, there are multiple small to medium-sized survivor camps rather than one large camp?”

“Yes. I was there too before I couldn’t hold out any longer and fled here.”

He learned that a major faction had once existed at Pohang Airport, but unfortunately it had disbanded.

Son Sang-hui believed it had been devoured by mutant spider zombies that appeared around that time.

If her words were true, it meant they couldn’t expect cooperation from any major faction if they advanced through Yeongil Bay Road.

“That makes them perfect for recruiting as subordinate forces under the cult.”

“Yes.”

“Huh?”

On the other hand, these smaller groups would be easy for the Balhut Cult to absorb—not as nutritious supplements, but as forces they could cooperate with while maintaining leadership.

Ultimately, to govern Pohang, the cult needed forces that would help them exert influence.

The major factions Son Sang-hui mentioned could greatly help with conquering Pohang, but they would likely demand compensation or influence in return.

Unlike Jo Sun-do, if they demanded fair compensation, the Balhut Cult would have no choice but to comply. This meant the cult needed a champion of sorts to deal with such entities.

“First, let’s handle the meeting. So, Mr. Park Cheol-gon and Mr. Hwang Geun-chul…”

[No. I think Jeong Dong-geon should go instead of those two.]

“Lord Bahamut?”

As Yu-na was about to suggest the two politicians to handle this crucial meeting, Bahamut stepped in and designated Jeong Dong-geon instead.

Both Yu-na and Jeong Dong-geon were surprised that Bahamut had offered an opinion first, and they focused intently on listening.

“Uh, where is that voice coming from?”

Son Sang-hui trembled with fear at the sudden deep voice.

She realized there were only three people in the tent, and the voice wasn’t coming from outside.

Just as she was seriously wondering if it might be a ghost…

[Originally, I was thinking of sending Park Cheol-gon or Hwang Geun-chul as Yu-na suggested. But I realized that at this point, a soldier who can demonstrate the cult’s power is more suitable than a politician.]

“Indeed. Lord Bahamut has spoken.”

“Certainly. That’s not wrong.”

Bahamut, the mysterious voice, explained his reasoning in detail.

He judged that to gain the upper hand in negotiations during the apocalypse, a soldier who could demonstrate power was more suitable than a politician.

Yu-na and Jeong Dong-geon agreed with this assessment.

In a situation where cooperation was uncertain, sending relatively powerless figures like Park Cheol-gon and Hwang Geun-chul could be dangerous.

They might even be taken hostage, so it made sense to send Jeong Dong-geon who could protect himself.

[I’ll give you full authority. Lead them to cooperate with the cult.]

“I humbly accept your command.”

“Huh? What?”

Jeong Dong-geon bowed without hesitation upon hearing Bahamut’s grant of full authority.

Only Son Sang-hui seemed confused by the situation, looking around bewildered.

[…Is it necessary to speak so formally?]

“Isn’t it a cool phrase?”

‘…He has a point!’

Bahamut quietly challenged Jeong Dong-geon’s formal acceptance, but received an irrefutable response.

Indeed, such phrases were, in a way, every man’s fantasy.

* * *

The negotiation site was set at the Steel Industrial Complex intersection.

This location was chosen considering the distance between the Balhut Cult and the university campus representatives.

Moreover, the Balhut Cult had already cleared the zombies around the intersection, making it relatively safe.

“Are you the soldier who liberated this intersection?”

“Yes. My name is Jeong Dong-geon.”

“I’m Ha Jin-woo, the representative.”

Jeong Dong-geon had set up a table and tent for the negotiations, and soon several people from the university campus arrived.

There was someone who appeared to be a university professor and several students. The professor seemed to be the camp’s representative, taking the lead in conversing with Jeong Dong-geon.

‘They’re not in good shape.’

They all had grimy faces and greasy hair, but Jeong Dong-geon deliberately looked away.

He wasn’t cruel enough to point this out and criticize them, knowing that in an apocalyptic disaster, their condition was relatively acceptable.

“Something’s suspicious. That’s not a digital pattern uniform.”

“Are you really a soldier of the Republic of Korea?”

Nevertheless, as if determined to point out what needed to be pointed out, they noted that Jeong Dong-geon wasn’t wearing the digital pattern uniform commonly used, but a navy blue uniform instead.

They knew that any Korean soldier would wear the digital pattern uniform, so they questioned this.

“You’re right. I can’t deny it’s suspicious. Actually, I’m not a soldier of the Republic of Korea. I’m a soldier of the Balhut Cult.”

Jeong Dong-geon answered honestly, judging there was no benefit in deceiving future cooperation partners.

When he admitted he wasn’t a Korean soldier but a Balhut Cult soldier, there were various reactions from the university campus side.

The most intense reaction came from:

“The Balhut Cult… that pseudo-religious cult born in Gyeongju?”

“Yes. From that Gyeongju.”

“Is that cult not satisfied with Gyeongju and now eyeing Pohang?”

Ha Jin-woo criticized with a stern expression, calling the Balhut Cult a pseudo-religious cult and asking if they weren’t satisfied with just Gyeongju.

“That might be the case. But you know well that it’s difficult to survive in this harsh world with just Gyeongju, don’t you?”

“Hmm.”

Jeong Dong-geon’s words were facts.

It was too difficult to survive in this apocalypse with just Gyeongju.

The resources and industries available in the Gyeongju region were limited, so naturally, the Balhut Cult, having pacified Gyeongju, needed to expand outward, and they targeted Pohang with its steel industry that the cult desperately needed.

“Our slogan is simple: Attack Pohang to save our countrymen. Though we belong to different groups now, weren’t we all citizens of the Republic of Korea originally? Moreover, we’re neighbors. What’s wrong with saving fellow countrymen?”

“That’s true.”

But the Balhut Cult members were also citizens of the Republic of Korea.

Though they now belonged to the Balhut Cult, they were once fellow Korean citizens and neighboring city residents, so couldn’t they help and cooperate with each other? That was his logic.

This reasoning seemed to make sense, as the university campus students and Professor Ha Jin-woo nodded heavily.

Realizing they were being somewhat persuaded, Jeong Dong-geon delivered another blow.

“And I promise we have no intention of forcing the cult’s doctrines on Pohang. Our Lord has also stated he has no intention of forcing them.”

From the beginning, they had only engaged in proselytizing when there was nothing, but now that they had become the governing body of Gyeongju, they hadn’t actively engaged in proselytizing.

Bahamut himself actively opposed his own deification and declared freedom of religion, so he hadn’t been particularly active in promoting religion.

Therefore, Jeong Dong-geon could confidently promise that they wouldn’t force religion on anyone.

“Besides, aren’t you all starting to feel the shortage of supplies?”

“…I think we still have enough.”

Then he mentioned supplies as a reason why they should cooperate with the Balhut Cult.

The campus side claimed they still had enough, whether out of bravado or genuine abundance, but Jeong Dong-geon began listing what he had observed on his way here.

“No. On my way here, I confirmed that you couldn’t properly harvest the agricultural products from the farms remaining outside Pohang. Now that we’re well past the harvest season, if you don’t harvest the agricultural products that haven’t rotted yet, in just one month, all edible crops will freeze to death.”

“Ugh!”

Even in a city, there were limits to internal supplies.

Already four months had passed since the apocalypse began, and the season was gradually moving from autumn to winter.

Considering the harshness of Korean winters, Jeong Dong-geon’s statement that all crops outside would either rot or freeze to death if not harvested immediately was not wrong.

“But we have rice harvested from abandoned farms and cleanly purified water. We can also provide you with canned tuna, ramen, and kimchi as much as you need.”

“Really?!”

However, when Jeong Dong-geon mentioned that he could provide food, some campus people’s reactions became favorable.

In the apocalypse, food was a powerful negotiation tool, and Jeong Dong-geon was simply using food as an appropriate weapon.

“Ahem!”

Even those who had shown negative reactions became interested at the mention of food provision.

As if not wanting to miss this opportunity, Jeong Dong-geon began presenting logical evidence to prove his claims.

“Yes. Don’t you all know how much supplies we distributed at this Steel Industrial Complex intersection, which you recovered?”

“Y-yes, that’s true.”

Having recovered those supplies and cooperated with the Balhut Cult, they couldn’t feel that Jeong Dong-geon’s claims were groundless.

They had suspiciously abundant supplies, and they had distributed large amounts of these precious supplies to make contact with them.

“Each time we came out, we distributed enough supplies to feed a family of four generously for two days.”

And they had continuously distributed large amounts of supplies at once.

If consumed sparingly, the supplies could easily last three days, and the university campus had recovered the supplies distributed by the cult, allowing them to forget their hunger a little.

“They say many drops make an ocean. Isn’t the fact that we didn’t use those supplies ourselves but gave them to you evidence that there’s room for negotiation between us?”

“What exactly do you want to gain?”

But conversely, in this time when even food was precious, what did the Balhut Cult want to gain by tempting them like this?

“Trust.”

To this, Jeong Dong-geon replied that he wanted to gain trust.

“We want your trust that we can conquer Pohang.”

Because if Bahamut came, everything would end.

Jeong Dong-geon deliberately omitted the latter part and spoke with a confident expression.