Chapter 79

43. Worry (6)

It was difficult to kill the monkey, but transporting it was also a challenge.

Even with five adult men struggling, we couldn't figure out a solution, so we eventually had to use a wire to secure the mutation's body and barely managed to escape the zombie zone.

Naturally, as we left, thousands of zombies gave us a passionate send-off, but in that situation, I felt more amusement than a sense of crisis.

The scene of the armored monkey being dragged along, with thousands of zombies running after it, glowing with rage, was like something out of a cartoon I had seen as a child.

It felt like a dream.

Not a good dream, but a common nightmare.

So when we returned to the city, it felt like I had just woken up from a deep sleep.

Poverty, destitution, hunger, anxiety, fear, illness, and despair.

The atmosphere in the city was a harsh reality in itself.

What must it feel like to live every day in such a place?

"Wow, is this the one?"

Unlike the people on the street, there were those who still retained the vitality of pre-war times.

The research institute staff.

Every time I visited, they always pretended to be busy, but behind the scenes, they were only stealing their salaries. When they saw the mutation's body, they laughed cheerfully and took pictures one after another.

One of the staff members stepped on the mutation's head and posed like a famous hunter.

"Come on, how about it?! Here comes the demon hunter!"

We hunters didn't say anything in response.

In this small world, we were the underlings.

After a while, the staff member we had been waiting for appeared.

"Good job, hunters. This is a token of our appreciation. Ah, this is like a bonus, so your actual payment will be combined and given to you later."

A gentle female staff member we had never seen before gave us our reward.

The cart the male staff member had brought contained meat, rice, other provisions, and alcohol.

"Wow, rice! Rice!"

Even with a broken leg, Cheon Yeong-jae was very happy to see the rice.

"I really wanted to eat rice!"

The pain seemed to be forgotten as he drooled at the sight of it, showing how much he had missed it.

The others also looked quite pleased when they saw the meat.

Especially the red meat wrapped in paper looked like beef.

"Is this refrigerated meat?"

Ha Tae-hoon couldn't take his eyes off the meat.

"Refrigerated meat still exists in this world?"

"Exactly. Look at the marbling. Wow, where did they get this?"

Bae Seung-hyun and the others were also amazed at the sight of the meat.

"Really?"

"Real beef."

But as usual, Bang Jae-hyuk, who always had a skewed perspective, showed his twisted view once again.

"Isn't this mutation meat?"

No one responded to his comment.

It's similar to how, on our forum, when someone starts spouting nonsense, everyone unites to ignore them.

On our forum, we can block such people to avoid seeing their nonsense, but in reality, there's no such function.

"Mutation meat. The Legion kids started eating it first."

Bang Jae-hyuk tried to start a conversation, but no one responded.

That wouldn't make him stop talking.

"They inject the mutation factor into calves to make them grow bigger, then slaughter them for meat. They say you get five times more meat than from regular cows. One cow can feed an entire division."

Ha Tae-hoon, with a blank expression, said to the excited Bang Jae-hyuk.

"Is that from PaleNet again?"

"Yeah."

"Stop using that weird site. I checked it out once, and it was full of lunatics."

"No, where else can you find the truth? PaleNet is the light! The light!"

"......"

"Come on, senior. Just listen."

"Don't call me senior. I've given up on my school background."

"Bro!"

That's how the two hunters bickered as we returned to the street.

"Hey, everyone! Let's eat meat! Meat!"

Cheon Yeong-jae, limping, called out to the people.

At the mention of meat, everyone in the street came out and gathered around the grill set up next to the water fountain.

There were quite a few people.

About 30.

"Wow, meat! Meat!"

Strangely, there were many children.

There were also many elderly people.

As I watched the people silently gather around the grill, Bae Seung-hyun approached me quietly.

"Many people stayed because of their families."

"Yeah, it seems so."

"From what I saw earlier, Bang Jae-hyuk's shooting skills are S-class. Even with his injured leg, he can still be useful."

During the chase with the zombies, I saw Bang Jae-hyuk's shooting skills.

Unlike his usual behavior of giggling at his phone and spouting nonsense from PaleNet without filtering it, he used the powerful 45-caliber pistol to shoot only the heads of the zombies coming at lethal angles.

Next to him, a middle-aged woman, presumably his mother, sat with a smile, celebrating her son's return.

"He may look like that, but he's a filial son."

Bae Seung-hyun added with a wry smile.

The women, including Bang Jae-hyuk's mother, prepared food with vegetables and meat.

It was like the magic of cooking.

With limited ingredients and spices, they managed to make quite a decent meal.

Still, the star of the day was the beef.

Sizzle—

The meat sizzled and emitted a fragrant aroma on the grills placed around.

The amount of meat was quite substantial for those who participated in the hunt.

But it wasn't enough to feed the entire hunter district.

Sure enough, about three pieces per person?

Just enough to taste.

Still, the atmosphere was warm and friendly.

It felt like a community.

Everyone gathered, chatting, sharing food, drinking, and reminiscing about the past.

"......"

But was this right?

In the midst of everyone laughing and chatting, I felt like an outsider.

I didn't feel isolated.

It was just that this atmosphere, this forced sense of unity, didn't suit me.

It felt a bit overdone.

Most of all, the expressions of the people looking at the insufficient meat and the empty grills were hard to ignore.

Sharing a single bean might sound like a small thing, but it's a sign of how dire the situation is.

Bae Seung-hyun's wife tried to comfort the people.

"Here, have this! It's sausage!"

The sausages I made were placed on the grill.

Sizzle—

The meat wasn't necessary for me, but it was treated specially here.

"Wow, it's delicious!"

"Really good!"

I tried one.

"Wow."

Surprisingly, it was quite good.

"Why don't you fit in?"

Bae Seung-hyun brought me a glass of soju.

After exchanging glasses, Bae Seung-hyun, looking at his wife and child chatting with others, said with a slightly drunk expression.

"You've been living alone, right?"

"Yes, something like that."

"It might be hard to get used to, but you will soon."

"Are you going to Jeju Island?"

"Of course. We caught it, after all. Not only will the second fleet be secured, but they'll also provide a place to live there."

Bae Seung-hyun, unusually excited, looked at his wife and child with a deeply affectionate gaze.

"Now this tedious life will be over."

"Do you not use the internet?"

"I used to."

"PaleNet seems to work well here. Don't you use PaleNet?"

"PaleNet? Ah, that. I don't really like using my phone for anything. Besides, there's that."

Bae Seung-hyun rubbed the back of his head with a wry smile.

As I stared at him, he met my gaze and continued.

"When I use the internet, people start hating me to an extreme."

"Why?"

"I don't know. They just say they want to kill me."

What exactly does he do on the internet?

Anyway, Bae Seung-hyun needs to use the internet.

Not to watch Jeju Island's one-hit wonder m9's lectures, but to have some doubts about the trip to Jeju Island.

"Enjoy it. I have something to do with my wife."

As Bae Seung-hyun left, someone limped up to me.

It was Cheon Yeong-jae.

He appeared with a cast on his leg, poured soju into a glass, and spoke in a low voice.

"I don't usually call people senior, but you deserve it. Let's have a drink. Senior Park."

Despite his rude tone, the way he poured the soju was as delicate as a well-bred lady.

We drank together, and I asked him.

"Does this mean we've caught all the difficult ones?"

Honestly, it was tough.

What kind of mutation was this, being so difficult?

But Cheon Yeong-jae.

"What are you talking about?"

He looked at me as if I were crazy.

"We've only caught one of the Seven Abominations."

"What? There are six more like that?"

"Seven? There are more. Above the Seven Abominations are the Five Mysteries, and above the Five Mysteries are the Three Sacred Trees, the Three Sacred Trees......"

"......"

Defender was right.

I shouldn't have come to this place.

*

"You want to leave?"

The staff member, who rarely made eye contact, looked me in the eye.

In that awkward eye contact, I could feel his anxiety and irritation.

"Why?"

Instead of answering his question, I returned his irritated gaze.

After a brief staring contest, he realized my sincerity, quickly averted his eyes, and contacted his superior.

"Ah, ah, Director! Ah~ Yes! Ah! Actually......"

After finishing the call with Woo Min-hee, he returned to me.

"Director said he will provide transportation to wherever you want to go."

"......"

"Ah, and Director said he has prepared a small gift for you."

"Gift?"

The gift prepared by Woo Min-hee was surprisingly a laptop with a Viva! Apocalypse! account and satellite communication equipment.

"He said you might get lonely, so you can use this to access the internet."

"I don't use the internet."

"Really? Can I have it then?"

"Can I give it to someone else?"

"Yes."

I gave it to Bae Seung-hyun.

"What, why this?"

I didn't particularly like him.

He was still unlikable.

What can I say, we're just not the type to mix.

But he is now a father.

No matter how many times I tell him not to go to Jeju Island, he won't listen. It might be better for him to learn about the world through the internet.

I don't like PaleNet, but who knows.

He might fit in well on our forum.

"Ah, really."

Bae Seung-hyun's mouth was wide open.

"I get a lot of hate when I use the internet. It's serious."

Since there was time before the armored vehicle arrived, I watched him use the equipment.

I didn't help him, pretending not to know how to use the internet, but Bae Seung-hyun, being skilled with machines, successfully logged into Viva! Apocalypse!.

dongtanmom : Nom

"Huh?"

"Park Gyu, what's going on?"

"Nothing, nothing."

Nom?

More importantly, the username was unusual.

Dongtanmom?

Was it someone who died from a heart attack?

Looking at the laptop's condition, it seemed the satellite equipment was recovered, and the account was traced.

According to the Viva! Apocalypse! user manual, if you lose the equipment, you can recover your account by retrieving the satellite equipment.

Still, why Dongtanmom?

He must have his reasons.

I don't really regret it.

Watching a young wife and a newborn baby, about to step into the unknown world of our forum, made me feel something.

"Hey, Park Gyu."

On the day I was leaving, Bae Seung-hyun called out to me.

"Take this."

"What is this?"

Bae Seung-hyun brought his trademark motorcycle.

Riding it with a straight back, like a horse, was one of the typical images of Bae Seung-hyun in my memory.

He was giving it to me.

"Anyway, it's hard to take it to Jeju Island, and honestly, I feel bad sending you off empty-handed because you helped me get to Jeju Island."

This was an unexpected bonus.

"Use synthetic oil, and don't worry about it. I've already done the maintenance."

"Thank you."

"No, I should be the one thanking you."

Bae Seung-hyun gently patted his motorcycle, as if a father sending off his grown daughter.

"Hey."

Now seems like the right time.

Why did this person come to my territory?

I had several chances to ask but didn't.

My intuition was leading me in a bad direction.

But now, I think I can ask.

"Did you, by any chance, try to contact me with a radio near where I live?"

"Huh? Oh! Yes, I did."

Bae Seung-hyun looked slightly flustered.

Just from his reaction, I could confirm the answer.

Feeling a chill in my heart, I asked.

"Why did you try to contact me?"

Bae Seung-hyun gave an awkward smile and looked away.

"Well, I thought I might see you for a moment."

"Really?"

"No, I was in a tough spot back then!"

As expected, this guy and I don't get along.

*

I returned to my bunker.

Dark, quiet, and sometimes it feels like a tomb, but as soon as I came back, I felt a sense of relief.

In the end, the answer was one.

I have to live here.

I can't live anywhere else now.

How long can a fish survive out of water?

Even if a fish adapts to air, can it still be called a fish?

Looking at the fake goldfish in the aquarium, I made up my mind.

I will die here if I have to.

Thinking about the armored mutation.

At least, it must have been happy until the end.

It probably didn't think its happiness would last forever.

This is my home and my sanctuary.

I will die here if I have to.

That's the conclusion I reached after much deliberation.

But to get that answer, I committed another sin.

dongtanmom : Nom nom... I can't go to Jeju Island, so I'm just venting... Nom nom... Why do people complain when they can't go? Nom nom....

It's no longer surprising when the dead reappear on the forum, but the return of Dongtanmom, with even more horrific content and concept, brought shock and horror to the forum.

dongtanmom : Nom nom... Why does the government kill people? Nom nom... Pioneers? They just threw away people over 55 who don't listen and complain a lot? Nom nom... Could you be in that age group? Nom nom....

Dongtanmom has returned.

With even more terrifying content and concept.