episode_0139

***

Early morning, after Seonghan had checked the Konkuk University shelter and left.

Within the grounds of Konkuk University stood a relatively modest white building.

The Administration Building, housing the Chancellor’s office and the Chairman’s office.

From the Chancellor’s office, a deep sigh could be heard.

“Huu… This is tough….”

The man, repeatedly massaging the back of his neck and craning his head, clearly looked exhausted.

A good number of white hairs were mixed in the head of the man, who had a refined and benevolent impression. The fine wrinkles on his face easily showed he was of middle age.

Deep fatigue was undeniably etched on the middle-aged man’s face.

His tired eyes, on the verge of losing focus, were bloodshot.

His pale, almost deathly complexion clearly showed how much the middle-aged man was struggling.

“I can’t see a way out….”

The man murmured to himself, repeatedly dry-washing his face.

Restlessness and frustration seeped from his rough movements.

“Even if we were united, it would be difficult, but for us to go our separate ways….”

The man gritted his teeth, recalling the two groups that had left the shelter recently.

“I don’t know what kind of scheme they were up to, but it clearly didn’t go as they intended.”

The man didn’t simply blame those who left.

Corporations are, after all, businesses.

He wasn’t unaware of their pursuit of profit.

Their departure must have also been a result of calculating their gains.

But he never imagined they would split off during a national disaster like this.

“…At least Daesan stayed, that’s fortunate.”

Taesung, a representative of South Korea, and Jincheon, another massive group following them, had turned their backs on the Konkuk University survivors. If anything, it was fortunate that Daesan Group remained.

While incomparable to the two preceding groups, they were undoubtedly a great help.

“Should I be grateful that they at least withdrew quietly without causing a scene? Heh heh….”

The man, letting out a self-deprecating laugh, still tried to think positively.

The middle-aged man stood up and walked to the window.

He monologued to himself, as if making a pledge, as he watched the morning sun slowly rise.

“I will never give up. There must be a way. I will not collapse like this.”

A firm spirit emanated from his weary, exhausted body.

The man looked at the tents visible through the window.

In his eyes, sorrow, hardship, and pain were faintly reflected.

“…There must be a way. I have to think. Think…”

As the middle-aged man continued to deliberate deeply.

Knock knock knock-

The knocking sound in the early morning woke the man from his thoughts.

“…Come in.”

At his low, subdued voice of permission, the Chancellor’s office door slowly opened.

And a young woman entered with precise steps.

“Congressman. Did you stay up all night again?”

“Welcome. Secretary Choi, you don’t seem to have slept properly either.”

“I’m still young, after all. I did manage to get a short nap.”

“Haha~ Yes, yes.”

The man, forcing a smile to hide his grim expression, welcomed the woman called Secretary Choi. From his demeanor, she seemed to be a valued subordinate.

“So… what brings you here so early?”

“I’ve confirmed the status of the remaining supplies after Taesung and Jincheon withdrew.”

Shifting into work mode, Secretary Choi immediately adopted a crisp demeanor.

The man nodded at her change and straightened his posture.

“What’s the situation?”

“After conducting an investigation with the help of military personnel… it’s been determined that with the remaining resources, it will be d-difficult to get through winter….”

“…I see….”

“…I’m sorry.”

“No. There’s nothing for you to be sorry about, Secretary Choi. So… how much time do we have?”

“…One month, or a maximum of two months if we adjust the rationing.”

“We’re already distributing a significantly small amount, and if we reduce it further….”

“……”

The air in the Chancellor’s office grew heavy, reflecting the grim reality.

For a moment, the two couldn’t speak, finding it difficult to open their mouths.

The atmosphere within the Chancellor’s office pressed down on their shoulders.

Knock knock-

Amidst the heavy atmosphere, another knock sounded.

The man showed a hint of fear.

He worried what bad news might be delivered to him next.

“…Come in.”

Soon, the door opened, and a sturdy man entered with firm footsteps.

Click! Clack!

The man, saluting with disciplined precision, was a soldier.

His tall stature, solid physique, and stern impression instantly conveyed that he was a strong soldier.

“Welcome. Commander.”

“Commander? That’s too much. Please call me Captain Lee.”

“Hahahaha~ The Commander is still so stiff.”

The man, warmly greeting Captain Lee, also met him with a smile.

Despite his utterly exhausted body and mind, his eyes were full of trust towards Captain Lee.

“Has something happened?”

At the middle-aged man’s cautious question, Captain Lee flinched briefly.

“No additional problems have occurred.”

“…Then?”

Captain Lee took a moment to steady his breath, then continued immediately.

“Last night, survivors entered the shelter.”

“Survivors? Last night?”

“They are survivors from Daehan Security.”

At the mention of Daehan, the people in the room slightly frowned.

“Indeed. It’s truly fortunate that even they survived and returned.”

“Upon questioning, it was confirmed that they were a rear support team, unlike the original teams.”

“A support team? How is that different?”

To the man, who tilted his head in question, Captain Lee calmly added an explanation.

“These are individuals with completely different dispositions than the Daehan Teams 1 and 2 you know. They aren’t secretive like those guys. And they are also the survivors from the Cheongnyangni Shelter I mentioned.”

“Then they…?”

“Yes. We thought they were wiped out, but they weren’t.”

The man was greatly impressed by Captain Lee’s words.

His dying eyes faintly lit up, and he rejoiced as if it were his own good fortune.

“That’s truly fortunate. So, how many survived?”

“Out of a total of five, one died from shock due to excessive bleeding, one showed symptoms of mental derangement and was quarantined, and the remaining three are awaiting after quarantine.”

“…I see.”

Only five out of what was said to be a considerable number of personnel.

Furthermore, the news that one of the survivors had already died made the man’s heart heavy.

“One of the three was confirmed to be an investigator from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.”

“An investigator?”

“It seems they happened to join and acted together.”

“Hmph…”

The man, who knew what had happened in Cheongnyangni, kept marveling that someone had at least survived and returned.

“I knew the operation had unfortunately failed, but it’s truly good news that someone managed to return alive.”

Although it wouldn’t help resolve the situation, the middle-aged man showed a warm smile at the rare good news.

But Captain Lee’s report wasn’t over.

“And…”

“Is there something else?”

“Please look at this.”

Instead of explaining, Captain Lee handed over the tablet he had tucked under his arm.

The middle-aged man alternated his gaze between Captain Lee and the tablet, then fixed his eyes on it.

“…Are you telling me to watch this video?”

“That’s right. Please watch them sequentially. Secretary Choi, you too.”

At Captain Lee’s words, Secretary Choi moved closer and began to watch the tablet.

And on the tablet, a video began to play.

“This… I’ve seen this before. I know it’s a hoax or digitally altered. Why show me a video of a criminal committing arson—”

“Keep watching.”

“……”

At Captain Lee’s firm words, Secretary Choi closed her mouth.

Then, with suspicious eyes, she continued to watch the video.

The two silently watched several more videos.

‘Why is he showing us this garbage….’

The middle-aged man was suspicious of Captain Lee’s intentions.

The videos were like a movie.

And a quite realistic one at that.

In the video, a man repeatedly appears.

Dressed entirely in black with his face covered, he looked like a criminal.

The man burned zombies and leaped between buildings.

In narrow alleys, he swung a club, smashing zombies.

Watching him even leave the streets with soldiers felt like watching a short action movie.

It was flashy action that, at any other time, would have felt exhilarating.

But…

“…Is there something wrong with this video?”

“Please watch the next two videos.”

“……”

Already exhausted, he decided to comply with the inexplicable urge for now.

Because the Captain Lee he knew was never a frivolous man.

Tap-

As he tapped the screen, the video began to play again.

This time, the video quality was a bit poor.

The video was choppy and its condition was generally bad.

First, the location seemed to be inside some supermarket.

In this video too, the mysterious man was beating up zombies.

And he exited the supermarket at an incredibly fast speed, just by looking at it.

A very short video.

The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes.

“This is…”

“Someone obtained CCTV footage from a large supermarket in Gaean-dong, and that video spread online. If you look at the date, it’s three months ago.”

“Meaning?”

“It’s footage from immediately after the disaster erupted. As a result of expert analysis, it was concluded that it is indeed CCTV footage.”

At Captain Lee’s words, Secretary Choi spoke in a bewildered tone.

“So you’re saying… this is real?”

“You’ll see that in the next video. …Please be advised, there are cruel scenes.”

At Captain Lee’s words, the middle-aged man played the last video without hesitation.

And the two immediately began to widen their eyes.

The starting video was so chaotic it was dizzying.

From the dim screen, loud gunshots and harsh curses poured out.

Soon, a bright, eye-straining light burst forth, then the vision cleared, and the content of the video became more discernible.

The relentlessly firing bullets aimed at something but all missed.

Whatever was moving at high speed definitely didn’t seem to be a person.

Because it would be impossible for a human to move at that speed.

In the video, people fell one by one with dull thuds.

Soon, a woman’s piercing scream was heard, followed by a young man’s desperate yell.

“Gasp?!”

And in the next scene, the two people watching the video gasped.

“We’re all going to die to these zombies—Aaaah!”

“Do you want to die? Who are you calling a zombie?”

“Huh…?”

“A, a person?”

“Yes, I’m a person. You bitch.”

Hearing the conversation in the video, the man paused the playback.

“T-this is now…”

“Captain Lee. Are you saying the man in all these videos is this one man?”

Captain Lee nodded, urging them to finish watching the video.

At his gesture, the man continued watching the video.

They saw everyone bound and engaging in a brutal conversation, almost like an interrogation.

Upon seeing the scene where a leg was crushed with a hammer, he barely suppressed a gag.

But the middle-aged man and Secretary Choi watched the video to the end.

“Ugh!!”

“O-oh my…”

Despite their efforts, they nearly vomited at the end.

The end of the video showed the bound individuals barely escaping.

The process of them making their way outside, relying on the faint light of a small flashlight they had barely found.

In the process, they directly witnessed an enormous number of corpses.

The video ended there.

The complexions of the two, who had just witnessed quite cruel scenes, turned pale.

“It might be difficult, but please look at the corpses.”

“……”

“They weren’t taken down by guns or bombs. All were cut down and taken with sharp weapons.”

“Surely not…?”

“It’s true. It’s the result of our own internal analysis.”

The middle-aged man, taking a moment to catch his breath, cautiously spoke.

“This… requires an explanation.”

“The man in the video has the nickname ‘Arson Villain’, but contrary to popular rumor, he is judged to be a real person. The evidence for this judgment is the last video. That video was recorded by a miniature recording camera attached to the bodies of the surviving Daehan Support Team Leader and his subordinate.”

“…Their attire and physique are indeed similar.”

“However, since we can’t confirm his face, it’s difficult to be certain.”

“That’s true.”

Seeing Captain Lee agree, the man’s eyes gleamed.

“There must be a reason you showed us this video, correct?”

“We intend to find that man and make contact.”

“T-this man?”

At Secretary Choi’s slightly surprised words, Captain Lee nodded gravely.

“When comparing the conversations in the video with the survivors’ testimonies, it’s understood that he’s located not far from here.”

“…Where is that?”

“Myeonmok-dong.”

“Myeonmok-dong, Jungnang-gu… It’s certainly not far.”

At Captain Lee’s words, the middle-aged man began to ponder deeply.

Secretary Choi, standing beside him, quietly remarked in an offhand manner.

“Even after seeing this, it’s hard to believe….”

“To be honest, I feel the same way.”

“…Even you, Commander?”

“I’ve never even imagined a human could rampage like that. Aren’t those just things that end in imagination?”

“Indeed… you’re right….”

Whether it was disbelief or confusion, even Secretary Choi’s stiff tone softened.

Unlike her, the man adopted a more serious demeanor.

“The reason for contact is an offer to join us, correct?”

“That would be ideal, but if not, we aim to seek cooperation.”

“…Is that possible?”

To the man’s serious question, Captain Lee hesitated before answering.

“…I can’t give a definitive answer, but I believe there’s a possibility.”

“Looking at the video, he seems to have an uncomfortable relationship with Taesung, and he appears to harbor considerable animosity towards the military and government as well.”

The man, inferring his disposition from the conversations heard while watching the video, pointed this out. Indeed, judging solely by the dialogue, it seemed obvious they would be turned away at the door.

“…It’s worth trying. If we can get this man’s help, it will undoubtedly be a great asset.”

“……”

“We could even commence the operations that have been postponed until now.”

“He doesn’t seem like he’d move for patriotism or the sake of the country.”

As if regaining her composure, Secretary Choi asserted her opinion.

And the middle-aged man also began to express his thoughts.

“He seems to be a very opinionated person. Leaving aside other things, if we make him an enemy, he seems like the type to see it through to the end.”

“……”

“…There’s a high probability he’ll harbor animosity towards us.”

Though phrased delicately, he acknowledged the man was a rebellious individual with a stubborn, “my way” temperament.

But Captain Lee did not back down.

“That may be true. But just once! If we can get his help just once! We can lay the foundation to overcome this current crisis.”

At the strong appeal, the middle-aged man fell into deep thought.

“Congressman Pyo Sangsoo. We cannot just sit here and do nothing.”

“It’s too dangerous.”

“What do you mean…”

“What if that man’s blade is turned against us? Can we handle it?”

“Th-that…”

“Even if we attempt to make contact, we might be attacked instead.”

“…I know.”

Captain Lee admitted it with a stern expression.

In reality, the military, including himself, had faced hostile threats multiple times.

They had directly endured animosity born from selfishness and anger with nowhere to go.

The man in the video seemed just as dangerous.

But Captain Lee could not back down like this.

Captain Lee was keenly aware of being a soldier.

A soldier who defends the nation and protects its citizens.

Although he, too, was in an unfair position, bearing the people’s resentment, he did not despair.

Captain Lee intended to try everything possible on his own.

…Even if it meant burning his own life.

But he encountered an unexpected variable.

A character who seemed to exist only in comics was real.

The moment he confirmed it, Captain Lee felt electricity surge through his body.

-If only they could get that man’s help!!

They could ensure that the comrades who had been senselessly sacrificed until now had not died in vain.

They could reduce the immeasurable sacrifices that would occur in the future.

Now that he had found a clue that could be the key to recovery.

“…You have no intention of giving up.”

“That’s right.”

Congressman Pyo also knew.

If the man in the video lent his strength, many problems could be solved.

But the risks were equally immense.

Manpower was severely lacking.

Judging by the atmosphere…

‘It seems the Commander will step forward himself.’

Captain Lee was a vital man, indispensable to the current shelter.

Though he had a pleasant demeanor, he was also a politician.

Congressman Pyo’s mind began to race.

Tap- tap-

Congressman Pyo, who had been tapping the desk with his index finger, spoke with difficulty.

“Does Taesung or anyone else know about this?”

“No. I’ve ensured their silence as well.”

Congressman Pyo’s fingers stopped, and he soon clenched his fist.

“…Let’s do it.”

“!”

“However, let’s confront this with thorough preparations.”

“I will prepare for smooth negotiations.”

Captain Lee’s expression, hearing even Secretary Choi’s supportive words from beside him, lit up slightly. And soon, as if making a firm resolve, his face became utterly serious.

It was the moment vitality surged through the beleaguered leadership of the Konkuk University shelter, and a new order was given.