Chapter 21

19. Theme Park (1)

I once read an article that said the most distressing nightmare for South Korean men before the war was about being drafted again.

In my case, it's a nightmare about loans.

I received relentless debt collection notices, and the endless stream of documents stands out in my memory.

Summons, payment orders, complaints, notices of argument, judgments, property disclosure orders, notices of voluntary auction, and so on. A diverse collection of fan letters.

I don't really want to imagine what the future would have been like if the war hadn't happened.

Without a job, personal bankruptcy would have been impossible, and I probably would have ended up declaring bankruptcy.

As a result, if I'm honest, I was a little glad when I heard the news that the war was coming...

Destruction isn't always negative for everyone, as in my case.

Some people even gained a new vitality and even found meaning in life in the midst of this new change.

My only internet friend, the human hunter, was a fish that could only swim freely in the turbulent waters of disaster.

*

The day Kim Daram insulted my hideout, the human hunter, as usual, sent me a message.

Message from Defender: When are you coming? Skeleton. I'm waiting with bated breath.

I'm the kind of person who, while I might not pay my debts, I generally keep my promises.

SKELTON: Wait for me. I'll bring a gift.

To maintain my social standing in the community, I have to keep my promises.

I deliberated over my mode of transportation but ultimately chose my trusty cargo bike.

It's quiet and easy to abandon if needed.

If I get ambushed, I'll die anyway.

Since there are no mutations, being quiet is the best option, even if it means going slowly.

I bought this one used from a secondhand site, intending to use it briefly and then discard it, but it turned out to be the hardest worker.

Life is full of surprises.

Before setting off, I oiled the chain, pumped up the tires, and loaded the ammunition box.

My weapons, as usual, were a rifle, a pistol, and two axes—a minimalist travel set.

However, I wore a bulletproof vest this time, unlike usual.

It won't stop rifle bullets, but it's better than nothing.

According to the information provided by Defender, there are three major danger zones around the rendezvous area.

The first is a monster-controlled area.

From what the human hunter described, they seem to be sedentary, rooted in one place rather than wandering. As long as you don't enter their territory, they are generally harmless.

The second threat is a zombie-controlled area.

A large number of zombies have taken over an abandoned apartment complex and entered a dormant state, but some still patrol the area looking for unlucky victims.

However, the zombie zone is a different route to the southwest of the rendezvous point and is quite far away, so it doesn't pose a real threat.

The third threat is the rest of the area.

Indeed, the final threat is humans.

The human hunter couldn't give a definitive answer on where they might be or how they might attack.

Unlike monsters or zombies, humans constantly change their positions, develop new tactics and strategies, and set unexpected traps.

However, the human hunter provided detailed information on the ambush spots and activity areas where raiders often hide.

The human hunter gave a lengthy explanation of the areas and groups to avoid, emphasizing the importance of appearance.

Message from Defender: Try not to mess with the guys in red pants.

As always, the more you prepare and think ahead, the less dangerous the operation becomes.

The journey, which was quite dangerous, was unexpectedly peaceful and smooth.

As I reached the halfway point, the veil of night began to lift, covering the landscape.

From a hill by the river, I saw ghostly white lights illuminating the abandoned streets.

This is the monster's territory.

The mission of the invasive species that can survive independently in the Earth's environment is not to kill or destroy humans.

Their role is to gradually transform the areas they control into something similar to their homeland.

Humans are merely obstacles to be removed in this process.

The darkness that concealed me also concealed the monster's territory, so I couldn't identify the type of monster, but I confirmed that they were sedentary.

On the other hand, the human raiders I was most concerned about were nowhere to be found along the route.

After passing the three ambush spots, all I found were abandoned vehicles, debris, and charred corpses.

The threat appeared from an unexpected place.

Zombies.

The ones that were supposed to be far from the route were active around it.

I couldn't see them, but the eerie chorus of moans under the pale moonlight suggested a large number of them.

At least a hundred.

Had they woken from their dormancy?

I proceeded cautiously, trying to minimize noise.

We agreed not to use radios beforehand.

Unlike my empty hideout, this area has quite a few people and factions, so using a radio would only reveal our presence.

If the human hunter had a personal identification number, we could have used a private frequency instead of a dangerous public one, but only I have one.

Instead, we agreed on a detailed meeting place and estimated time, and the human hunter even sent a photo of the meeting spot.

The meeting place was under a large pine tree that seemed to be leaning against a large Ferris wheel, as if it were leaning on the Earth's axis.

As I approached the theme park, I looked for a similar tree.

There it was.

From a different angle, the Ferris wheel didn't seem to be leaning against the tree but jutting out, but the tree in the moonlight was the same as in the photo.

No one was in sight.

I drew my weapon and approached slowly.

All my senses were on high alert, prepared for any possibility.

After a while, I sensed movement.

A person.

Someone was standing behind the tree.

My heart skipped a beat.

Was I finally meeting the troublemaker from the human hunter's board?

What did they look like?

Maybe they had a surprisingly kind face.

A person's nature has nothing to do with their appearance.

But this breathing.

It was too fine to be a man's.

In a moment of shock, the shadow behind the tree revealed itself.

A woman.

A long-haired woman with pale skin like the moonlight.

A very attractive woman was looking at me with a mix of curiosity and fear.

She waved awkwardly and greeted me.

Instead of responding, I raised my pistol and aimed behind her.

"Come out."

Another one.

Click.

"I said, come out."

I sensed the woman moving slightly at the edge of my vision.

"Stay still."

I pointed my axe at her with my right hand as a warning.

The shrubs rustled.

"Wow."

A young man's exclamation echoed from the shrubs.

Soon, a black shadow sprang out from the shrubs and slowly revealed himself under the moonlight.

A tall, handsome man was grinning at me.

"This is the first time someone hasn't fallen for our trap."

I took a step back, keeping both of them in my sight.

"Are you a Jonnaenun?"

The man chuckled.

"No, why would I use a name like that? That's disappointing. I'm Defender."

My eyes darted between the man and the woman.

The man smiled, and the woman turned her head, avoiding my gaze.

"Both of us. My brother often posts, but I also write when I have time. I often comment too."

"What?"

I stared at the woman.

Was it her?

The cynical commenter and killer who posted on the human hunter's board?

She doesn't look like it at all.

Her face looks kind.

Well, you can't judge a person by their appearance.

The man glared at the woman.

"My brother is a hamster in real life but a Lu Bu on the internet. I also post and comment often."

"Is that so?"

The identity of the human hunter was revealed.

They were not one but two people, a brother and sister.

Both in their mid-twenties, they looked well-nourished and psychologically stable.

"Since we introduced ourselves, you should too."

Their bodies smelled of burned grass, not the scent of corpses I expected.

I maintained a blank expression and answered briefly.

"I'm Skeleton."

I hadn't planned to come.

Feeling an inexplicable regret, I pointed to the bike.

"That's the ammunition. Take it."

Why?

Because there were two of them? Because they were different from what I expected? Because their overly friendly attitude made me uncomfortable?

No, I think I know why.

Their method reminded me of a bad memory.

The man would attack and kill the victim when the woman made them let their guard down.

A scene I often saw in the ruins of China.

A fellow hunter, not on my team, was beheaded and his head hung under a traffic light after falling for that cheap trick.

It's not that I have a problem with their methods.

I just didn't want to see the same scene I saw on the battlefield repeated in front of me.

"Why are you so cautious?"

The man asked while moving the ammunition.

The woman had been watching me cautiously with her arms crossed.

After a while, she took something out, rolled it, and lit it.

It smelled like burning grass, not tobacco.

This must be the source of the smell on their bodies.

"Want to come in for a drink?"

The man asked suddenly while moving the ammunition to a cart.

"No, I have to go. You go ahead."

"Why are you so cautious? Aren't we friends?"

"..."

"Why are you silent?! Skeleton, are you disappointed in us?"

I nodded.

"Why?"

Both the brother and sister asked, looking quite shocked.

To be honest, I just don't want to look at them, but I can't say that. Is there a polite way to express it?

While I was thinking, a strange sound carried on the wind from not far away.

"Mom... Mom... Aaaah."

It's not a ghostly sound.

It's a child's cry.

Two children, under ten years old, were crying pitifully, looking for their parents.

That's a characteristic of the theme park, but not now.

"Skeleton."

Defender, the man, frowned.

The woman was already holding the cart, ready to pull it.

"Come to our place for a moment."

"What's going on?"

"Those kids."

The man revealed a clear killing intent for the first time.

"That's why I need bullets."

*

Defender's base was not a bunker but an old house in the mountains overlooking the theme park.

It was more of a mansion.

Although it was old and dilapidated, it was a luxurious setup with a main house, a warehouse, and a garage.

That's why they chose to kill rather than hide.

Under the moonlight, a small greenhouse made of plastic contained various plants, but the steam made it impossible to see what they were growing.

The woman looked at the fancy box in my hand with a timid expression.

She still seems cautious, but her persistent gaze suggests interest.

"Skeleton, what's that?"

She asked timidly.

"This?"

It's high-end snacks from Kim Daram.

I brought the leftovers, intending to give them to the human hunter as a gift.

I thought it would improve Defender's opinion of me and my reputation.

But the real Defender was worse than I imagined.

And there's one more mouth to feed.

I thought about taking it back and eating it myself, but I ended up bringing it because I was invited.

"It's a gift... "

Reluctantly, I offered the snacks to the woman.

She opened the box and looked at me with a bright smile.

"Skeleton!"

She really seemed happy.

"..."

I avoided her gaze and looked around the house.

Unlike my bunker, the spacious hall was open and stimulating to the eyes.

It's a rich person's house.

Signs of wealth were visible everywhere.

However, it couldn't escape the unique decay and wear of the post-apocalypse, and parts of it were old and crumbling.

Soon, the man brought out a steaming cup of tea.

"Oh."

He smiled widely at the snacks.

"Skeleton! You're a real man. I recognize a true man when I see one!"

"..."

Silent, the woman whispered something in the man's ear.

"My brother says, 'Why are you so scared, even though you're a man?'"

"?"

Who's talking about whom?

The woman averted her gaze, pretending not to hear.

I sighed and spoke.

"What's with the crying kids?"

That's the main issue.

The sound of crying children brought me here.

"Let's have a drink first."

The siblings raised their cups simultaneously.

I smelled the tea.

It smelled good.

A luxurious aroma, unlike the cheap iced tea in my bunker.

But I didn't drink it.

Don't eat or drink what you're given.

That's a rule for surviving in the post-apocalypse.

But unlike me, the Defender siblings greedily ate my snacks.

Unable to resist, I took one and, with the snack in my mouth, took a sip of the tea.

It was delicious.

A perfect match.

Maybe I should have trusted my internet friend a bit more.

Lost in regret, I was licking my lips at the empty box when the man spoke.

"Scavenger."

"Scavenger?"

"The guys who camped in front of Keystone's house. They're the same kind."

"Really?"

"But they're much worse than those guys."

The man snapped his fingers at his sister.

The woman opened a laptop and showed me the screen.

The photo taken with a phone showed an armored vehicle and a group of middle-aged men with guns standing awkwardly.

At first, nothing seemed special, but then I noticed they were all wearing red pants, and two children were crouching under the armored vehicle.

"What is this?"

The man snorted coldly.

"Child labor."

"Child labor?"

"Using kids to lure out the rats hiding in bunkers and then..."

The man made a slicing motion across his throat.

"Taking everything and killing them. Killing the men, raping the women, and using the kids for the next round of child labor."

"Those are scumbags."

"That's why we're going to kill them."

The human hunter grinned, revealing his teeth.

For some reason, his expression when talking about killing looked very pleased.