Chapter 90

These shocking notes that Yohan left behind had become the trap that ensnared them. As predicted, Gae Baek Jung lost his composure and called out for him. While he panicked and tried to figure out Yohan’s identity, half of his forces were cut off. There was no denying that this unknown enemy knew about them in great detail. Anyone would have been scared in this situation.

Typically, Genie would be one step ahead of the enemy, controlling the situation by making decisions based on the enemy’s characteristics. He would stop and observe the situation carefully until he came up with a plan.

‘They wouldn’t be able to move.’

The Union was still in its expanding phase. They no doubt wanted to take the hostages with them. However, they wouldn’t be able to do this quickly. The underground shelter was fortified and contained plenty of food and water, meaning the camp members inside could wait them out. While the Seoul Survival Union was fixated on the underground shelter, the recon team would surround the building and trap them inside. Once surrounded, they wouldn’t be able to set the place on fire to smoke out the camp members in the underground chamber. And since they would be cut off from their supplies, they will eventually have to choose between starving or getting shot by the recon team outside.

‘The plan was perfect up to here.’

If only the camp wasn’t discovered. Since Gae Baek Jung knew how many survivors there were, it was clear that he had broken through somehow. This was something that Yohan didn’t understand.

‘How did they break through to the underground chamber so fast? It’s too early.’

If the camp members had locked themselves underground and used the supply boxes to barricade the door, they could have held off the intruders for at least an hour. It’s true that the Union could use fire to smoke them out, but Yohan believed that they wouldn’t risk killing all the survivors as they wanted to keep them as slaves. Additionally, a fire would destroy the supplies.

And even if they did decide to use fire, they had to surround the whole building to prevent people from escaping. So how did they break through so quickly? Yohan quickly reviewed everything that happened. Jung Hwan wasn’t in trouble. This meant that Jung Hwan managed to carry out his orders and got the camp members to the recon team’s shelter. However, for some reason, Jung Hwan probably didn’t join in on the evacuation. Maybe someone was not listening and giving him a hard time. Without Jung Hwan at the underground shelter, someone must have stepped over the line and acted on their own. It was a stupid act that put the entire camp in danger.

“Whew…” Yohan was furious. There were support team members there that he couldn’t lose. Doctor Park Jae Bum, Elder Park, Mr. Park, Ji Hye… Unfortunately, Yohan neglected the fact that the survivors that he had lovingly nurtured were dumb and pathetic. They had managed to destroy what little expectations that he had for them. All he wanted was for them to stay in the underground shelter and have a few of the stronger men bar the door. They just had to endure it until the recon team arrived and lent their support, which turned out to be only 30 minutes. They couldn’t even hang on for 30 minutes.

“Team two, ready to move?”

— “Ready.”

“Good, move out.”

They were still going to proceed with the original plan D. Even if all 100 people died in the process, they had to eliminate Gae Baek Jung. This was the fate of those that didn’t follow his orders. Someone had to lock the underground and protect the people and supplies from the intruders. Even if they had to point their gun at a comrade, there just needed to be one person that did that. Since no one did, there wasn’t anyone in that room that deserved to live.

From Yohan’s perspective, he couldn’t afford to lose this opportunity just to save people who didn’t deserve to live. He wasn’t going to miss a single person. He would bury each and every one of their bones in the place where they had invested the most of their efforts. If the hostages wanted to live, they would have to prove to him that they were worth saving.

‘Jung Hwan, stay alive.’

Even though Jung Hwan didn’t fully succeed in completing his task, Yohan was sure he would survive this ordeal. Naturally, those fated to survive will survive. Saeri was still moping on the ground. Even though she said that she didn’t see Jung Hwan as a man, he was at least like an older brother to her. She still cared for him and was close to him.

“Calm down. I’m sure Jung Hwan is alive. He’s not the type to die easily.” Yohan comforted her. He then called the mercenaries on the radio for one last trade. “Old man, it’s me.”

— “Oh, kid. How’s the situation?”

“They went to Bucheon City Hall. I would like to request one last trade. There’s something that I want.”

— “No way kid!”

“You’re going to agree to do it.” Yohan said confidently.

* * *

After finding Ah Young, Jung Hwan noticed the sound of motorcycles moving towards them from far away and lifted his head. The enemy had arrived earlier than expected. Thankfully, they had managed to evacuate in time. However, the problem was Ah Young and himself. Going to the recon team shelter now was too dangerous. They might be discovered along the way and, if they got caught, the enemy might find out where everybody had escaped to. He couldn’t put everyone in danger.

‘Should we escape in the opposite direction?’

If they got spotted going the other way, at least everyone else would be safer. Of course, he would be in more danger. Jung Hwan looked at the trembling Ah Young. He couldn’t put such a small and frail girl in danger.

‘Let’s hide.’

Hiding was the best choice given the situation. They would wait until the enemy passed by and then sneak out carefully to join up with Yohan. Ah Young was still holding on tightly to his sleeves. Jung Hwan grabbed her hand and they entered the apartment building before them.

“It’s Jung Hwan. Have you finished evacuating everyone?”

— “Oh, yes we have, Jung Hwan. What about Ah young?”

“I found her. However, I can hear motorcycles. They’re here.”

— “Already?”

“Yes. Like I’ve explained before, everyone needs to stay underground. Don’t take one step outside. Don’t!” Jung Hwan emphasized the last part. This was Yohan’s direct order. The underground chamber had a steel door that not even a grenade could destroy. As long the armed camp members guarded the door, they would be able to endure the invasion without any problems.

— “See, you heard Jung Hwan, right?”

— “No, we must take the high ground. We have to fight from the high ground!”

— “If you want to die, go die by yourself!”

— “Seo Jun! Don’t you think that’s a bit harsh!?”

Jung Hwan heard more voices through the walkie-talkie. It sounded like they were having an argument. Jung Hwan felt frustrated. He had already explained to them that, if they waited in the underground shelter, then the recon team would come and save them. So why!? They had to stay inside the shelter no matter what! Jung Hwan anxiously tried to say something, but someone was holding down the transmission button on the other end and no one heard him. He tried a few more times, but to no avail. The motorcycles were getting closer. Jung Hwan tried one more time, whispering quietly through the walkie-talkie.

“Stay underground. Underground…”

The motorcycles sounded like they were right in front of him. Jung Hwan quickly muted his walkie-talkie and grabbed Ah Young. They ran up to the third floor as fast as they could, stopping by a hallway window to catch their breath. He could see that the motorcycles were just outside the apartment building and people were heading toward the pavilion that they were at just minutes ago. Jung Hwan felt terrified.

‘How did they find that location right away?’ As soon as Jung Hwan asked the question, he got the answer. The two motorcycle riders had a large hunting dog. The dog’s heads stood at waist-level. Even though it was just standing there, panting with its tongue out, it looked fierce. Just one bite would be enough to rip off a chunk of flesh. Jung Hwan gasped and held his breath. He could just barely hear the two men talk outside.

“Dog Nose, sir. Genie has asked you to come back.”

“Shut up and wait a second. I can smell a woman nearby.”

“…I can only smell rotten corpses.”

“I said shut up. Swallow, where are the people that were just here?”

“Woof!” The large hunting dog barked once and started sniffing the area. Its nostrils flared wide open and the dog immediately started moving toward the apartment building that Jung Hwan was in. It was a dog adept at finding people.

‘Shit. So this is what Yohan meant when he said that running away was pointless.’

This was the reason why Yohan said that hiding in a sturdy place was the best strategy. If the enemy was using a hunting dog, they would quickly catch them no matter how fast 100 people moved. Splitting up and hiding was no better. Yohan already knew that, the moment the camp was discovered, hiding was useless.

As Jung Hwan was thinking, the dog was coming closer to the building. Jung Hwan pulled out his gun. He had to strike first before the enemy was aware of his location. Ah Young held onto Jung Hwan, trembling with fear. The physical contact surprised Jung Hwan and he got an awkward feeling as blood started rushing to the lower half of his body.

‘Stupid, not now! Besides, she’s a student…what are you…!?’ Jung Hwan shook his head and refocused on the intruders.

There were two people and one dog. They didn’t seem to know Jung Hwan’s exact location yet. Based on the numbers, he was more than capable of overwhelming them. Of the two men, Jung Hwan had to decide who he was going to shoot first. He noticed one of the men, the one holding the dog, slap the other man on the head. This man had a higher rank. He had to shoot him first. Jung Hwan slowly opened the window.

The fact that he was attacking preemptively made his whole body stiff. He was nervous. He had a lot of experience fighting, but this was the first time he was fighting by himself. Could he do it? Honestly, Jung Hwan was not confident. Strictly speaking, he thought of himself as just an ordinary survivor. If he was being generous, he was only a little bit better than ordinary.

His shooting was average, close-range combat ability was average, and his brain was average as well. He was just an ordinary man. However, Yohan called him ‘Shutter Man’, ‘The Closer’, ‘The Faithful’, and other nicknames. He always gave him important roles. There were times when he felt like it was a burden, but Yohan was always grateful to him because he was reliable. He was just a coward who happened to be a zombie otaku. Yohan was the one who helped him grow to his current form.

‘Whew…’

Jung Hwan didn’t want to disappoint Yohan. He pushed weak thoughts out of his head and aimed through the open window. He lined up the crosshairs over the face of the man holding the dog. He didn’t aim at the body, as the man could be wearing a bulletproof vest. Jung Hwan did not hesitate. If the sun reflected off the gun, they might notice the glare and things could get dangerous. He didn’t have a second to spare. The first shot had to be a headshot. It would be disadvantageous if he missed, as it would be a two against one situation. No, there might be more people hiding nearby and it could be worse. He had to get rid of the two men, then the dog, and then he could just hide. Jung Hwan took a deep breath. His eyes focused on the target and it felt like time had stopped.

‘Pretend it’s a zombie. You’ve killed many of them from this distance. You can do it.’

Jung Hwan’s finger squeezed the trigger and a loud gunshot could be heard. The bullet landed right on Dog Nose’s face.

“Woof! Woof!” The hunting dog barked loudly.

‘Bullseye!’ Jung Hwan felt chills course through his body. It was a pleasurable feeling. However, he didn’t have time to enjoy it. He immediately moved his crosshairs and aimed at the other man. The enemy pulled out his gun and ran for cover.

‘Unless you’re safe at camp, no matter where you go, and regardless if you’re facing a zombie or another human, going for cover is a basic tactic. Always travel so that you can get to cover within a few steps.’

Yohan’s lesson flashed in Jung Hwan’s mind as he fired three shots. His opponent obviously did not learn this lesson as he was wide open. As he ran toward cover, he was struck in the body and fell to the ground, writhing in pain. There was no blood, indicating that he was definitely wearing a bulletproof vest. The man grimaced in pain, but managed to fire a shot in the direction that the dog was barking at. Jung Hwan quickly ducked back in through the window and waited for the shooting to stop before he returned to his firing position.

Jung Hwan fired once more at the man crawling on the ground and hit him in the head. Immediately, he adjusted his aim and shot at the hunting dog that was still barking at him. Jung Hwan pumped his fist subconsciously. Fighting an ordinary fight from an advantageous location was something that Yohan always emphasized. The enemy was overconfident. On top of that, they were careless even though they were inside enemy territory, thinking that everyone had ran away. If they were fighting on even ground, the corpse on the cold ground could have been him. However, in the end, he won. Victory. This was the first time Jung Hwan had won a battle single handedly. Jung Hwan celebrated in his head. He couldn’t wait to share this moment with Yohan.

— Ω —