Ch.6363. Pohang Reconstruction

# Balhut Cult and Pohang’s Reconstruction

After negotiations between the Balhut Cult and the Three Major Camps of Pohang concluded, the reconstruction of Pohang began to progress rapidly.

This was due to the Balhut Cult’s aggressive investment in reactivating the POSCO steel mill and industrial facilities, along with active cooperation from the Three Major Camps of Pohang.

Of course, looking at what was happening behind the scenes…

“From now on, goods for citizens of Pohang and Gyeongju can be manufactured in Pohang.”

“Is this… a concession?”

“Yes. I’m conceding this to you. From now on, Pohang will produce industrial goods for both Pohang and Gyeongju.”

They had transferred all industrial production of everyday goods from Gyeongju to Pohang. Naturally, not only daily necessities but also construction materials needed for Pohang’s reconstruction began to be produced locally. This accelerated Pohang’s rebuilding while allowing the city to earn substantial income.

Of course, this wasn’t a one-sided concession from the Balhut Cult.

“From now on, Mr. Choi’s ironworks will be remodeled into a weapons research lab and industrial facility exclusively for the Awakened.”

“Thank you for your consideration, Lord Bahamut.”

While Gyeongju transferred everyday industrial goods production to Pohang, they decided to focus on weapons industries exclusively for the Awakened. As a result, Mr. Choi’s ironworks handed over all production of everyday industrial goods to Pohang, and instead was reorganized to concentrate all its capabilities on developing new weapons for the Awakened, including the Bahamut Bullets that had been used effectively by the military.

It was a strategy of selection and concentration. By giving up the production of everyday industrial goods to Pohang, the Balhut Cult was essentially monopolizing military power.

“Still, this is our foundation. We should take care of our own.”

“Of course!”

This policy was actually the result of Bahamut himself consulting with Yu-na. After all, the entire foundation of the Balhut Cult came from Gyeongju, and most of the people supporting the Balhut Cult were Gyeongju citizens.

Although more people from Pohang were joining the Balhut Cult, from the cult’s perspective, the Gyeongju citizens who had shown overwhelming support until now were more trustworthy than the newly joined Pohang citizens.

Therefore, not just Bahamut but the entire Balhut Cult needed policies to benefit the Gyeongju citizens who formed their foundation. They decided to foster the Awakened industry as a policy for Gyeongju citizens.

The number of Awakened would gradually increase, and with it, the related industries and their necessity would grow as well. In a way, Gyeongju seemed to be monopolizing what could become the industry of the future.

“Let’s plan to make Gyeongju a central city for the Awakened.”

“That’s a good idea.”

In conclusion, Bahamut planned to transform Gyeongju from a tourist city into a central city focused on the birth and training of the Awakened.

The first step was concentrating the weapons industry for the Balhut Cult’s Awakened at Mr. Choi’s ironworks. From now on, numerous weapons and tools for the Balhut Cult’s Awakened would be designed there, using the coins created by Bahamut as materials.

“It’s hard to find workers in Pohang since reconstruction just started.”

“Yes. Gyeongju is also undergoing reconstruction like Pohang. Most people have taken jobs as reconstruction workers or at industrial goods factories.”

One reason for transferring the industrial goods production to Pohang was to create jobs for the people living there. The newly liberated residents of Pohang essentially had no jobs to make a living, and those without special skills would have no choice but to become unemployed and end up on the streets.

Citizens forced onto the streets without social protection would soon harbor extreme thoughts, which would inevitably lead to weakened public safety. Therefore, the Balhut Cult, having liberated Pohang, needed to provide a foundation for these people to make a living, and they made considerable concessions for this purpose.

Thanks to this, the currency used in Gyeongju gradually began circulating in Pohang as well, activating the market economy. The biggest beneficiaries were the logistics operators transporting food.

“By the way, he started his own company named after himself—Kim Tae-hyun Company.”

“Still, he’s just a boss with only five transport trucks.”

“In these times, being able to operate five trucks on your own is quite impressive, isn’t it?”

Unlike Gyeongju, which distributed food from the beginning, Pohang distributed currency as daily wages to circulate money. Naturally, this was a golden opportunity for Gyeongju citizens who already had active commerce to secure a new market. In the apocalypse, the most popular goods were weapons to protect oneself and food.

While weapons were monopolized by the Balhut Cult, food was different. Kim Tae-hyun, who now had his own company, supplied large amounts of food to Pohang through direct delivery from farmlands recaptured by the cult, earning substantial profits. Conversely, he purchased fresh fish produced in Pohang at low prices and supplied them to Gyeongju, essentially making trade his main business.

“Isn’t this good for everyone? Pohang gets fresh rice and vegetables, and Gyeongju gets to taste fresh fish directly from the source, something they haven’t seen for five months.”

“That’s true. I’m moved to tears seeing fish after so long.”

Thanks to this, Pohang could quickly receive the freshly cooked rice and fresh vegetables they had been craving, while Gyeongju could eat fresh fish delivered directly from the source after a long time.

Especially for Gyeongju residents who hadn’t seen fresh fish for a long time due to disrupted logistics, the popularity of freshly caught fish skyrocketed. Frankly, in this apocalypse where meals mainly consisted of canned tuna and pickled vegetables, this was an opportunity to taste fresh meat at a reasonable price. It couldn’t help but be popular.

“Plus, there’s no competition yet.”

“Should I write an article about hoarding in today’s newspaper?”

“No, no. This is unavoidable, you know? There are still wild zombies and monsters outside North Gyeongju’s farmlands and beyond Pohang. The subjugation forces are busy with other matters too.”

Regarding Kim Tae-hyun’s statement about having no competitors, journalist Kang Jae-wan wanted to criticize him for hoarding, but in reality, the logistics transport structure itself made it difficult for competitors to emerge.

The journey from Gyeongju to Pohang takes about 20 to 30 minutes by car. Depending on the route, there was a high probability of encountering wild zombies or monsters, and if encountered, one needed the skills to survive against them.

Considering the mutant zombies and powerful monsters roaming in the wild, this transport business was essentially a significant gamble that required risking one’s life. Although the Balhut Cult was aware of this and had established checkpoints to secure the routes, there was an unavoidable risk with each transport as long as wild zombies and monsters weren’t completely eradicated.

“Considering the price of life, this is quite conscientious, isn’t it?”

“Well, that’s true.”

This high risk was also the key to earning substantial profits. Since the outside was full of monsters and zombies, transport fees were inevitably expensive, allowing for large profit margins.

In this way, new ways of making money and new cultures began to emerge in each city, and the road between Pohang and Gyeongju gradually began to connect. And then…

“Is this person the elected mayor… I mean, the Dragon Priestess?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Um…”

Once the reconstruction project was on track, the Balhut Cult requested the Dragon Priestess elected from Pohang, and Seo Un-jae showed the elected priestess to Son Sang-hui.

This was the most important matter for the Balhut Cult and Pohang, a new priestess who would prove Bahamut’s promise and become the face of Pohang. The Three Major Camps were expected to do their best in selecting the Dragon Priestess, but Son Sang-hui, now officially a member of the Balhut Cult, was speechless when she saw the priestess selected from Pohang.

“Is there a problem? We matched the gender as female.”

“Ah, yes.”

The gender was understandable. Since they were selecting a priestess, it made sense that she was female. However, the problem was…

“May I ask about her age?”

“She’s 14 years old. In about two months, she’ll be 15. There’s no problem with that, is there? Ms. Yu-na is also 17.”

She was too young. Currently 14, and in a few months, she would turn 15—a young girl. They had selected a girl who had just entered her third year of middle school as the mayor and priestess to govern Pohang.

Son Sang-hui suspected that the Three Major Camps of Pohang were blatantly planning to use the priestess as a puppet. Of course, it was strange to ask about age when it came to the Awakened, and since being an Awakened was one of the conditions for selection, the girl before her was indeed an Awakened. The reason Son Sang-hui was speechless was…

“Why is she wrapped in medical bandages around her eyes?”

“Ah, before the Balhut Cult arrived, she accidentally got hit with poison on her face during a battle with a mutant spider zombie. It would be unsightly to look at.”

The selected girl’s condition was alarming. Her face was wrapped in medical bandages, which were now sufficiently supplied, but Son Sang-hui thought the appearance beneath the bandages would be disfigured.

Out of concern, she briefly lifted the cloth covering the eye area and confirmed that the girl’s face and eyeballs had melted away. She was an Awakened who had been taken off the front lines after suffering from the powerful poison of a mutant spider zombie.

“Why the wheelchair?”

“Her spine was damaged, causing lower body paralysis.”

“Haha, I guess you’ll say her vocal cords were burned too.”

“Oh? How did you know?”

Moreover, the girl’s disabilities weren’t limited to that. Not only had she lost her eyes and face, but due to her injuries, she also suffered from lower body paralysis and burned vocal cords.

With injuries this severe, she would normally have died given the apocalyptic conditions, but it seems she managed to survive until now thanks to being an Awakened and with the help of the camp she belonged to.

“…Is this what I think it is?”

Seeing the girl’s condition, Son Sang-hui truly suspected that the Three Major Camps of Pohang were blatantly planning to use the Dragon Priestess as a puppet.

Of course, Bahamut himself had only said to select an Awakened to be chosen as the Dragon Priestess, without specifying detailed conditions. So the Pohang side had merely exploited this subtle gap, and it would be difficult to argue that they had said something different.

For now, the Pohang side had satisfied all the conditions set by Bahamut, but they could claim they had something to say. Of course, the Balhut Cult couldn’t help but be suspicious of Pohang’s true intentions.

“Do you really intend to serve this person as the mayor of Pohang?”

Son Sang-hui, who belonged to the Balhut Cult but was from Pohang, bluntly asked Seo Un-jae if they would accept this girl as the mayor of Pohang. Since she was not an outsider but a member of the Balhut Cult from Pohang, her words naturally carried significant weight.

It was a reproachful question asking if they would sacrifice a young girl from Pohang for the greed of the Three Major Camps, but…

“If I tell you this is the best compromise we could reach, would you believe me?”

“I don’t believe it.”

Surprisingly, Seo Un-jae said this was the best compromise they could reach. Covering his aged face with his hands as if he had a headache, he said he didn’t want to do this either.

Even for a politician without blood or tears, there was still a line that shouldn’t be crossed. Using a child like this for political purposes would inevitably face severe criticism both morally and ethically. Considering that he could be attacked by political opponents for this in the future, this was clearly a loss for Seo Un-jae as a politician.

“The fact that we are a coalition of three forces means we have three heads thinking.”

“You don’t mean…”

“Yes. Our Hyeongsan River Camp, Pohang University Campus, and the Marine Corps each wanted to select their own candidate as the Dragon Priestess. They thought this could completely disrupt the balance of power in the Three Major Camps of Pohang.”

However, considering Pohang’s internal circumstances, the story changes. Just as Gyeongju was divided into North and South Gyeongju, Pohang was also divided into three factions.

They had temporarily united to gain sovereignty from Gyeongju through the liberation of Pohang, but ultimately, they were a coalition government. Once negotiations with Gyeongju successfully concluded, they would inevitably act selfishly for their own gain, and the position of Dragon Priestess set by Bahamut was seen as a perfect opportunity to disrupt this balance of power.

Since the person selected as the Dragon Priestess would become the mayor, they could rise to the center of power and legally deal with competitors from that position.

“In fact, there are those who are not satisfied with what we gained from this meeting. Even though the Balhut Cult negotiated generously, some question why Pohang as a city should kneel to Gyeongju. Especially Commander Kim Tae-sik, who lost Pohang’s military power, was greatly dissatisfied.”

“Ah.”

Moreover, there were forces that were not satisfied with the outcome of the meeting. Considering that even Seo Un-jae had initially been greedy before giving up, it was entirely possible for people to be dissatisfied with the negotiation results.

Even if they didn’t doubt Bahamut himself, some questioned why Pohang should kneel to Gyeongju as a city, and some even suffered losses according to the meeting’s content. To compensate for these losses, they became strongly attached to the position of Dragon Priestess.

“Eventually, through negotiation, we agreed to select this child who has no connection to any of the Three Major Camps of Pohang and whom everyone could accept. Do you understand? From our perspective, this is the best choice.”

“Are you saying a civil war almost broke out?”

“Yes. There was certainly that possibility. Human greed knows no bounds.”

Hearing this terrifying background, Son Sang-hui asked if a civil war almost broke out, and Seo Un-jae confirmed that there was certainly that possibility. After all, human greed is endless.

Even if repeating meaningless actions, acting for inner greed is human nature.

“Instead of appointing someone with political connections, we divided the actual power and rights into three equal parts and enjoy Pohang’s autonomy. That’s the secret agreement of the Three Major Camps of Pohang.”

“Is it okay to tell me this?”

“Haven’t our Three Major Camps already shown our blatant intention to use the Dragon Priestess as a puppet? It’s safer to inform the Balhut Cult about Pohang’s intentions and internal circumstances this way. Oh, of course, what I just said was a soliloquy. If Ms. Sang-hui happened to hear this, it can’t be helped. It’s all my mistake.”

So, as if talking to himself, Seo Un-jae revealed the secret agreement made by the Three Major Camps of Pohang. Son Sang-hui asked incredulously if it was okay to tell her this, but Seo Un-jae seemed to think this was the best approach.

It was so obvious that even Son Sang-hui immediately realized they intended to use the priestess as a puppet. Seo Un-jae said it was safest to inform the Balhut Cult about Pohang’s intentions and circumstances through Son Sang-hui.

At the very least, the Balhut Cult shouldn’t doubt Pohang’s true intentions. It was like a prearranged game.

“Besides, this child is physically disabled. Even divine arts might not guarantee her recovery. If we can open a way for her to make a living like this, isn’t that not bad for her personally?”

“Uh.”

“In this apocalypse, there aren’t many kind-hearted adults who would take care of a disabled orphan. Everyone lacks the capacity. The morality and conscience from before the apocalypse have already hit rock bottom.”

Moreover, when asked if being selected as the Dragon Priestess would at least provide a way for the girl to make a living, Son Sang-hui couldn’t argue. Although she would be a puppet, the Three Major Camps of Pohang would diligently take care of this child precisely because of that.

According to Seo Un-jae, this child was even an orphan without adults to care for her. Considering the reality that Pohang couldn’t yet properly operate an orphanage due to its internal circumstances, if she wasn’t selected as the Dragon Priestess, this child would have to worry about making a living right now.

“…Yes. I understand.”

Son Sang-hui, wondering if this was truly the best option, had no choice but to accept it. Besides, her mission was to bring back the Awakened selected as the Dragon Priestess, not to criticize the Three Major Camps of Pohang for selecting this girl as the Dragon Priestess.

Seo Un-jae also seemed to feel ashamed, turning his face away to avoid Son Sang-hui’s sharp gaze. It seems this truly was the best option from Pohang’s perspective.

“Then what is this child’s name?”

“Baek Seol-hwa.”

“…Huh? Did you just say Seol-hwa?”

When Son Sang-hui asked Seo Un-jae for the name of the child selected as the Dragon Priestess, she made an expression of disbelief upon hearing it. Son Sang-hui looked at Seo Un-jae with an expression that genuinely questioned if this child was Baek Seol-hwa, and Seo Un-jae opened his mouth with a gloomy expression.

“Do you now understand why other camps recognized this child? She had a reputation in Pohang.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. This is the real Baek Seol-hwa.”

Son Sang-hui couldn’t help but know her. She was the survivor leader who created a new camp that rivaled the Three Major Camps of Pohang at Pohang Airport, and was known as Pohang’s strongest Awakened.

Having met Baek Seol-hwa directly at Pohang Airport, Son Sang-hui asked Seo Un-jae several times with an expression of disbelief if this was really Baek Seol-hwa, but Seo Un-jae’s answer was affirmative.

Upon Seo Un-jae’s assertion, Son Sang-hui, with an expression as if her soul had left her body, silently pushed Baek Seol-hwa’s wheelchair and slowly left Pohang.

“Damn it.”

And Seo Un-jae, seeing them off, sighed toward the sky as if his head hurt.