Chapter 15: Hope

Only one broadcast station had the accident. But its impact was substantial.

Though other stations properly aired the government’s planned public service announcement, the mud splashed by one madman covered everything. No, ruined it.

“The internet’s going crazy…”

Do-hyung muttered while tapping his phone.

The self-diagnosis kits developed at miraculous speed, military and government agencies being reorganized with only uninfected selected, management system for suspected infected using automated phone calls, quarantine measures using soldiers in protective gear.

Those hopeful announcements were now stained with distrust.

“They already blocked visitation to isolation facilities, but after this video families and various groups are practically ready to attack.”

Understandable.

Unable to even see family members who’d turned into zombies, hearing they were in pig pen-like isolation facilities would make anyone want to visit.

Of course that would lead to accelerating the apocalypse…

I suddenly felt my fingers tingling.

‘No, can’t let this happen. Can’t lose to people like that.’

Couldn’t fall behind the apocalyptic madmen. The moment you fell behind, you’d be swept away and eliminated by waves others made. Just look at how the whole world was desperately responding after being swept up in the virus our Chairman spread.

I couldn’t just stay still. I had to create the flow.

I typed rapidly on my phone.

Using a phone stolen from a cafe with the USIM removed, borrowing other homes’ WiFi, after turning on VPN I wrote posts.

How to easily get guns

Police are treasure goblins

The era when we can only trust individual strength has come…

The core message of posts uploaded with different titles but slightly different content was simple.

Attack police who travel in pairs or groups of four. Can get tasers and guns and body armor. Even traffic police are armed these days. Just hit them with cars and take their gear…

“Done.”

Fortunately some posts became popular. Though there were comments cursing the writer, I didn’t care.

I just imagined the police collapse scenario I’d thought about for a while.

‘Just me and Do-hyung can’t touch even one police station. Need to create an atmosphere with benefits and justification for attacking police to make people move.’

Thanks to one PD, an appropriate atmosphere had formed.

I glanced at Do-hyung’s phone. The aftermath of that insane public service announcement.

The government hastily explained those were just temporary facilities, illegal actions by some temporary facilities, and proper facilities weren’t like that, but no one believed them.

And that fundamental distrust would ruin all prevention measures.

I smiled faintly while welcoming the apocalypse.

Day 30 of the zombie outbreak.

Rolling blackouts had begun, many people came out to the streets, and infected cases exploded.

And I sensed danger.

No problems if you stay home no matter how the world turns upside down. Sometimes in apocalypse movies, people who just hold out at home without doing anything surprisingly live long.

With plenty of food, working water, and somewhat reliable electricity, it was practically paradise.

But I seriously considered going out.

‘Those people are dangerous.’

Standing by the window, I watched the cult members who’d rapidly gained power lately.

The people who used to preach alone now formed groups of two or three, shouting and grabbing people. Believe in our pastor, they said, he’s chosen by God, salvation lies with him.

A grabbed citizen shook off their hands.

“Just get lost!”

“You! Unbelievers become zombies!”

“Seriously!”

Even when the citizen raised a baseball bat, the cultists didn’t back down. Their eyes just glinted with madness.

Finally the citizen turned and fled.

That transmission power, blind faith.

“Are they really idiots? Why believe in that stuff?”

Do-hyung clicked his tongue. I glanced at him. To me, this electricity thief seemed susceptible to evangelism.

Being someone swayed by others’ opinions.

Above all, that confidence in not falling for it was dangerous. I decided to warn that they were an extremely threatening force.

“They might believe. That’s why it’s dangerous.”

“Do you have a religion? Like apocalyptic? Seem like you’d believe in doomsday stuff.”

“No.”

I don’t. I don’t believe in that stuff. I just judge religion as one component of society. If I had to find something like an object of faith, it’d be the Chairman.

But I could understand.

“In my opinion, cults like that are mental viruses.”

“…What?”

Do-hyung looked at me with bewildered eyes, like wondering what nonsense I was saying now.

“Like flu or the I-virus. When mental health is weak, it infiltrates and infects. Some viruses will even break through immunity.”

I turned my head to look down at the cultists like enemies. They were mental zombies. That’s why they were dangerous.

“Given time, those church people will take over this neighborhood.”

They’d expand like a spreading virus.

The disaster of the I-virus, government trust fallen from the last broadcast incident, blackouts every 3 hours, society with surging crime.

If minds had health seasons prone to illness, such cult viruses would actively infiltrate.

If we just stayed locked up at home, the whole area might fill with church people before we knew it. Meaning I’d be isolated. The villa might get robbed. This wasn’t good.

‘Better to deal with them quickly…’

Tap tap tap-

I drummed the window while lost in thought. Scenarios for dealing with the church, the pastor.

‘Report to police? No good. Even reporting evidence of illegal acts, they’ll lack manpower to direct this way.’

Zombie lure terrorism? Or does the church have sprinklers? If we put some zombies in the fire water tank and start a fire during service, might cause mass infection.

Arson during blackouts wouldn’t be bad…

“Not quite right.”

All scenarios stopped after writing well. Couldn’t complete them. Lack of research data was the problem.

Church building structure, emergency power, personnel, security systems – all the missing data punched holes in the scenarios.

“No good. Need to go out and check.”

“To attack the church?”

Do-hyung now quickly caught my meaning. But not enough. Too hasty.

I carefully observed the face of one cultist. The habit of observing people around me to reflect in scenarios paid off.

Could tell even with the mask. They lived in this villa. I remembered their voice too.

I pointed at them.

“That person. Seems they live on the first floor. Let’s break in tonight and hear about the church first.”

Deep night came. Rolling blackouts. Blackouts lasting an hour after every 3 hours made the night darker. That darkness was a marauder’s friend.

I put on a mask, pressed down my cap to cover my eyes, wore gloves to hide my skin, then glanced at Do-hyung. Relying on phone light, he too wore the marauder uniform.

“Let’s go.”

Armed with hammer and hatchet. And taser with little battery left.

Do-hyung silently nodded, and we crept down to the first floor. Few signs of life in the deep night.

A human shadow briefly passed outside the main entrance, but we ignored it. A city draped in silence and darkness from blackouts. Only zombies, soon-to-be zombies, or thieves would be out at this hour.

“…”

Taking a deep breath, I nudged Do-hyung. Time to open the door.

Zzzzt-

Blue lightning sparked in the darkness. After the pale light faded, click, the door lock opened.

Thunk-

“…?”

The door wouldn’t budge. Even pulling harder, it just shifted slightly.

“It’s locked?”

Do-hyung whispered while anxiously shifting his feet. Exactly that. The key lock was engaged besides the electronic lock.

I felt deep regret. Thieves. Opening doors, locks, stealing remaining car fuel – thieves. Really wanted to recruit them as main members, but still hadn’t found such talent.

But we had to adapt with what we had. Isn’t that what the apocalypse was about?

“Window.”

If the door was locked, we’d enter through a window.

We carefully left the main entrance. A world where even moonlight was faint, visibility extremely reduced. The streetlights that should light the streets were all dark.

Grrrr, zombie growls came from somewhere.

We carefully circled the villa and saw a window positioned slightly high. One broken by the juvenile delinquent gang.

“Give me a boost. I’ll go in first and open the door.”

“…Okay.”

So we succeeded in breaking in.

Slowly opening the screen and climbing through the window frame, avoiding the sleeping person to open the entrance, standing by the resident’s bedside with weapons.

I gently prodded his head with my hammer. The man woke at the cold metal touch.

“Wh-what? Huh?”

Sleep quickly faded from his voice. I quickly spoke before he could shout:

“Is your pastor real? If he is, I want to repent and join.”

Now I wasn’t a robber. I was someone needing the pastor’s teachings, or a target for the religion to draw in and convert.

That position change worked well on this religious person.

As the slowly rising man’s eyes caught faint moonlight, they seemed to gleam. He opened his mouth:

“He showed us miracles.”

The story of Hope Church began.

When the zombie outbreak started, pastors and other clergy became zombies one by one, and infected congregations turned into zombies.

Hope Church seemed doomed as people disappeared, but a miraculous thing happened.

Some survived the mass infection and symptom onset. One pastor and a few believers. Those still uninfected while clergy and most believers became zombies.

I spoke in a bright voice:

“Then that pastor…?”

“No, now he’s a saint. Since he showed the miracle of defeating the virus like casting out Satan’s demons. If we just believe in him we can be saved!”

What miracle. Just lucky not to get infected.

The pastor saw the opportunity and claimed the title while taking over the church.

I coldly watched this fanatic.

“If you pray to him the virus avoids you, and you can even save family who’ve already become zombies.”

“Really?”

My head whipped around. It was Do-hyung. Already seeming taken in by this nonsense. He grabbed my sleeve as if something felt off.

“Since this impossible virus exists, those kinds of miracles seem possible too… We should at least check-“

“Yes! Come meet him yourselves! There’s service in the evening!”

“What time in the evening?”

“During the blackout!”

We’d heard all we needed to know. Time to return to being robbers. Couldn’t let Do-hyung get more swayed. I gripped my hammer tight.

“Sadly, you’re infected.”

“But I’m not infected?”

“No. With a mental virus.”

Physical therapy was the answer. I brought down the hammer. Crunch, felt the same satisfaction as hitting the zombie at the mart back then. Wouldn’t die from one hit, so I mechanically swung my arm several more times like working.

“Y-you’re just killing him like this?”

“Of course. He lives in this villa. Would’ve had to kill him anyway to take over the villa… Let’s clean up the body.”

The couple’s home was already emptied of resources and moved to my place. Putting the body in that apartment kept empty for storage would work.

Finally I searched the dead man’s wallet to check his ID. So when asked at service, I could say I came on his recommendation.