Ch.5353. Meeting (2)

“Is that even possible? We in Pohang tried with the help of the Navy and North Pohang, but we failed.”

The university campus representatives shook their heads with gloomy expressions.

It wasn’t that they hadn’t tried to reclaim Pohang from the zombies using all available forces.

Rather, they had worked with Marine Corps forces and the survivor camp across the Hyeongsan River to try to recapture Pohang from the zombies, but they were closer to having failed.

“Yes. But this time we’ll have Gyeongju’s help too. Besides, despite failing, you’re all still alive, aren’t you? Isn’t that proof that there’s still a chance?”

“…That’s true.”

Jeong Dong-geon explained that this time would be different because they would have Gyeongju’s help.

Certainly, with Gyeongju’s assistance, they could find an easier way to recapture Pohang than before.

Moreover, Pohang’s forces were still alive, and as long as they lived, they could seize an opportunity someday.

The university campus group nodded heavily at Jeong Dong-geon’s words.

“We’ve already secured Geonpo Industrial Road and can deploy troops anywhere in Pohang.”

“That’s correct.”

Jeong Dong-geon explained that there was good reason for this confidence.

They had secured three advance routes through Geonpo Industrial Road and were already using those routes to make contact with the university campus.

Having witnessed this firsthand, the campus representatives couldn’t argue against the logic.

As the university campus side showed signs of being convinced by Jeong Dong-geon’s confident words, he opened his mouth with an expression full of certainty, not wanting to miss this opportunity.

“Right now we’re only deploying platoon-sized forces as if conducting reconnaissance. But if you wish, we can deploy over a thousand Awakened soldiers to Pohang at once.”

“A thousand?! And all of them Awakened?!”

A thousand.

The university campus representatives wore skeptical expressions at the claim that the Balhut Cult possessed a thousand Awakened.

While a thousand might not sound impressive just by the number, if they were all Awakened, that was a different story.

Having experienced firsthand how powerful Awakened were in this apocalypse, the campus representatives wondered if this claim could possibly be true.

A thousand Awakened soldiers deployed at once… were they lying just to persuade them?

‘That’s a bluff. We can only deploy 500 at once. But it’s true that we have over a thousand on the books.’

Of course, Jeong Dong-geon’s statement was half truth and half bluff.

His claim was exaggerated to gain an advantage in the negotiations.

But it was true that the cult had over a thousand Awakened members, and they were all indeed soldiers.

“Is it really possible to deploy over a thousand soldiers at once?”

“Of course it’s possible.”

This was a lie.

While the cult’s records did show over a thousand soldiers, they were all dispersed to protect the main base in Gyeongju, maintain security in farming areas, and manage supply routes.

In this situation, the maximum number the cult could normally deploy was only half that—500 people.

However, since the total number of soldiers involved in this war did exceed a thousand, Jeong Dong-geon could proudly claim he wasn’t lying.

Five hundred were already deployed in various regions to support the war effort, so if they deployed the rest from the forward base, they would reach exactly a thousand, wouldn’t they?

“We need to discuss this among ourselves.”

Faced with Jeong Dong-geon’s confidence, the university campus representatives decided to deliberate.

He seemed so confident that if they asked for proof, he might actually be able to provide it, so the campus representatives gathered with a sense of expectation to discuss their options.

Jeong Dong-geon watched them and thought they were almost convinced.

“Have you made your decision?”

“Yes. We will cooperate with the Balhut Cult.”

The Pohang University Campus decided to cooperate with the Balhut Cult.

Jeong Dong-geon smiled with relief at successfully completing the mission assigned by Bahamut.

“I’ll make sure to meet your expectations.”

He shook hands with Ha Jin-woo, the representative of the Pohang University Campus, as if truly grateful, and Ha Jin-woo smiled back as they shook hands.

Having succeeded in forming an alliance, Jeong Dong-geon told the university campus what the cult wanted in return.

“Can you make contact with other camps? If you can introduce us, we should be able to convince the other camps as well.”

“That’s possible. Especially with the Navy, since they’re relatively close. If we exert some influence, we should be able to arrange a meeting.”

Contact with other survivor camps!

This was extremely helpful for the Balhut Cult, which particularly wanted to make contact with the Navy.

“That’s excellent. If you can help us, it will be a great boost to our efforts to recapture Pohang.”

“Before that, prove to us that what you say is true. Meetings with other survivor camps will come after that.”

Of course, since the Balhut Cult had made a request, the Pohang University Campus also had the right to make a request in return.

The campus representatives asked Jeong Dong-geon to demonstrate the cult’s power as payment.

“Ah. I understand perfectly that words alone aren’t enough to convince you. How should I prove it to you?”

“Recapture Pohang Steel Industrial Complex Zone 1 for us.”

As if agreeing with Jeong Dong-geon’s question about how to prove themselves, the campus representatives mentioned without hesitation the industrial complex located near the campus.

From their demeanor, it seemed the industrial complex had already fallen to the zombies and was full of them.

In other words, they wanted to use the Balhut Cult’s power for their own benefit.

“Is that sufficient?”

Jeong Dong-geon asked if that would be enough, as if he had expected this request.

For Jeong Dong-geon, recapturing an area was practically routine, and the industrial complex was a place the Balhut Cult would have needed to recapture anyway, so he was secretly pleased that he could raise the university campus’s trust by doing something they would have done regardless.

“If you fail, our survival will become even more difficult. So we’re using you to ensure our own survival. It’s not just about that.”

“It’s natural for you to be suspicious of the Balhut Cult.”

However, the campus representatives seemed to take Jeong Dong-geon’s words as a provocation and responded somewhat irritably that they were saying this for their own survival.

Realizing his words had been too dismissive, Jeong Dong-geon adjusted his stance to appear more accommodating.

“…Anyway, recapturing it. Yes, by all means. I have been given full authority by the High Priest and the Dragon God. If that’s the only way to gain your cooperation, the Balhut Cult will keep its word.”

“…Sure you will.”

“Haha. We will recapture Pohang Steel Industrial Complex Zone 1 for you today.”

He declared that he could easily keep that promise and showed strong confidence, but unfortunately, the Pohang University Campus representatives seemed to think Jeong Dong-geon’s confidence was baseless boasting.

They looked at him with a skeptical expression, wondering if it was really possible, and in response, Jeong Dong-geon vowed to the Pohang University Campus that he would definitely recapture it, then bowed his head in farewell.

“It was a meaningful meeting. Well then, goodbye.”

“……”

Thus ended the first meeting between the Balhut Cult and the Pohang University Campus, and the campus representatives returned to their base.

Now alone in the empty tent, Jeong Dong-geon slowly reviewed the contents of the meeting, and a woman entered the tent that had been used for the meeting.

“Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?”

Having apparently heard the contents of the meeting, Son Sang-hui asked if he was being unreasonable.

“It’s not unreasonable. I accepted their proposal because it’s something we can easily accomplish on our own.”

“R-really?”

Despite Son Sang-hui’s concern, Jeong Dong-geon showed confidence and said it was perfectly doable.

He had already proven it by recapturing the Steel Industrial Complex Intersection with just himself and a small number of troops.

If they really deployed all 500 soldiers as he had mentioned in the meeting, they could easily fulfill the condition requested by the campus.

“But just recapturing an industrial complex? I was prepared to recapture this entire area.”

“I think it’s dangerous to be overconfident.”

“True. But recapturing places is… so familiar to us. It’s routine.”

Son Sang-hui warned against overconfidence when Jeong Dong-geon said it would be easy.

From her perspective, it seemed like Jeong Dong-geon was accepting an unreasonable task and being overconfident.

At her advice, Jeong Dong-geon smiled bitterly and said it was a familiar task and there would be no problem.

“But isn’t it a loss to recapture the nearby industrial complex just for one meeting?”

However, she pointed out that it seemed like a bad deal to recapture an industrial complex just to get introductions to other survivor camps.

In reality, while the Balhut Cult had to expend manpower and resources to recapture the industrial complex, the survivor camp just needed to use their connections in Pohang to arrange meetings with other survivor camps.

Considering that various communication systems had already been established within Pohang to fight against zombies, it wouldn’t be strange to say that the Pohang University Campus was taking advantage of the Balhut Cult.

“No. The very ability to meet with other camps is valuable to us because it can hasten the advent of Lord Bahamut. It’s plenty beneficial for us too.”

“Lord Bahamut… That was the god of the Balhut Cult, right? Does he really exist?”

But Jeong Dong-geon shook his head and said that being able to meet with other camps was actually beneficial because it could hasten Bahamut’s advent.

At the mention of the name of the god worshipped by the Balhut Cult, Son Sang-hui asked with a skeptical expression if he really existed.

“Yes. He exists. He is someone who truly exists in reality.”

Jeong Dong-geon smiled bitterly and said he really did exist.

‘At first, we were just like her.’

In truth, he understood Son Sang-hui’s feelings.

At first, Jeong Dong-geon had felt similar emotions to Son Sang-hui when listening to Yu-na’s words, and while secretly hoping for Bahamut’s advent, he had made coldly realistic judgments.

But Bahamut did exist, and the Dragon God Bahamut who had descended upon Gyeongju was still with the Balhut Cult.

“And we are now preparing for that advent. Though rather than an advent, it’s closer to finding the safest way to deploy Lord Bahamut.”

And the ultimate goal of the Balhut Cult was to find the perfect timing to summon Bahamut.

“His power is so immense that if we make a mistake, we could wipe out Pohang along with everything else.”

They had to be careful with its deployment because a mistake could destroy Pohang’s industrial complex as well.

“That sounds scary.”

Son Sang-hui smiled bitterly, saying it was a frightening story if true.

In any case, she seemed to understand that the Balhut Cult had some kind of secret weapon that could recapture Pohang, and they were working on preparations to use that secret weapon.

“Shall we go recapture the industrial complex as they asked?”

“Huh? But there are only twelve of us?”

“That’s enough.”

Indeed, the twelve people led by Jeong Dong-geon were sufficient to recapture the industrial complex.