Chapter 103

The next day, Yohan gathered the reconnaissance team.

“Heukgu, say hello. This is the boss.”

Yohan reached his hand out toward Jung-hwan’s dog. The once-small pup, now significantly larger, panted and licked his hand.

“He’s grown a lot in just a month.”

“Yeah, hyung. He wasn’t in great shape before, but now that he’s been eating well, he’s been growing fast. Judging by his mother’s size, he’s probably going to get even bigger.”

“How’s the training coming along?”

“He’s still too young, but he’s starting to understand commands. I think he’ll improve quickly.”

“Good.”

Yohan wasn’t expecting much. As long as the dog could track people and stay quiet, it would be useful enough.

While he was playing around with Heukgu, the rest of the team gradually arrived.

Among them was Sweeper, who had grown his hair out so long that he had tied it back. He waved at Yohan.

“Boss, it’s been a while, huh?”

“Yeah. Did everyone get enough rest?”

A chorus of energetic responses followed.

The new settlement had left them satisfied—there was no reason for anyone to feel otherwise.

But, unfortunately, today’s news wasn’t going to be pleasant.

“The reason I’ve called everyone here today is to resume scouting operations.”

At his words, some wore expressions that said, It was bound to happen, while others looked intrigued or slightly tense.

“Tch, finally. Honestly, I was getting kind of bored.”

Of course, only one person was reacting this positively.

Luckily, no one voiced any complaints. The only one to speak up was Hajin, who carefully asked,

“What’s the reasoning? Right now, it doesn’t seem like there’s an urgent need to go out scouting.”

“There’s no guarantee that this peace will last. We need to maintain combat readiness, eliminate potential threats, and secure resources before competitors do.”

There were still plenty of survivors left out there.

Hajin nodded at the brief explanation. This was his role—to make Yohan pause and rethink decisions before taking action.

The others weren’t bold enough to question Yohan’s orders, and Sweeper and Seri were the types to simply follow his lead without second-guessing.

Of course, Hajin agreed with Yohan’s reasoning, but he asked questions to clarify things for the rest of the team.

“Yeah, it’s better to stock up on supplies while we can.”

Sweeper chimed in.

“We won’t be taking the whole team. We can’t leave the base undefended. We’ll move as a small, elite unit, while the remaining personnel will focus on defense.”

The group nodded. It was a logical decision.

“I’ll now call out the six members who will be joining the scouting mission to Yeongjong Island.”

Yohan scanned the group before announcing the names.

“Sweeper, Hajin, Seri, Sergeant Ong, Jung-hwan, and…”

As the names were listed, people nodded. It was a solid team of experienced shooters.

The last name was practically a given.

“Jae-ho.”

“…Huh?”

Jae-ho instinctively blurted out a confused response.

Everyone’s gaze then shifted to Hyuk.

He looked just as bewildered—not hearing his name called was completely unexpected.

This was a dangerous mission with no guaranteed return, so taking the strongest fighters made sense.

By that logic, Hyuk should have been an obvious choice.

Though he had once failed during the cultist fight, Yohan had trusted him in key battles since then, and he had proven himself.

Did I do something wrong?

A flicker of uncertainty crossed Hyuk’s face.

“You’ll be leading the island defense team.”

“Uh… okay.”

“I’m counting on you.”

“Boss, but…”

“One of our best marksman needs to stay behind. This is our last safe zone, so we need someone stubborn enough to protect it with their life. Aside from that, this mission, Jae-ho’s extensive knowledge will be invaluable.”

Hyuk’s tense expression instantly brightened.

Yohan hadn’t lost trust in him—that was all he needed to know.

“Well, well. Seems like we’ve got a lone lady on this trip, huh?”

“Oh, shut up. Did you ever see me as a woman?”

“Okay, fine. I take it back.”

“Hand over your life, old man.”

Seri unleashed a flurry of punches, making Sweeper laugh as he dodged.

The lighthearted banter helped ease the tension that had been settling in.

“We leave in two hours. Gather at the dock after getting ready. Jung-su, Ji-won, go pick up our gear from Ji-hye at the welfare center.”

“Got it, hyung.”

—

Two Hours Later – Dock

The scouting team gathered at the dock, their equipment fully prepared.

“This is everything we need?”

“These are the requested supplies from the residents. The team can collect additional loot as needed. Also, if we can find a few more motorcycles, that would be great.”

“We’ll leave them here for now and transport them later.”

“Roger.”

After double-checking their gear, Yohan began the mission briefing.

“First priority—blocking Incheon Bridge. It’s a relatively new bridge, but unlike Yeongjong Bridge, it’s not a complex structure with a subway connection. We should be able to destroy it the same way.”

He circled a point on the map.

“Second, we’ll survey loot locations. We can’t grab everything at once, so we need to document what resources are available nearby.”

The team listened carefully, nodding in understanding.

“Lastly, checking for survivors. Not rescuing. Checking. Remember that.

If we encounter a hostile group, we eliminate them immediately.

If the group is too large, the second-best option is to retreat without being noticed.”

“No plans for zombie cleanup?”

“Not as a priority. We’ll clear out whatever we encounter, but large-scale extermination comes after these objectives are complete.”

Yohan folded the map and tucked it into his pocket before dusting off his hands.

“By now, this probably sounds like nagging, but remember—don’t let your guard down, but don’t let paranoia cloud your judgment.”

“Yes, sir. Mother-in-law.”

Laughter rippled through the group, cutting through the tension of what was to come.

“This situation shouldn’t happen, but if our scouting network collapses and we have to survive alone, hide for at least three days, make sure you aren’t being followed, and then regroup at Shindo before planning the next step. Jung-hwan, are you bringing Heukgu with you?”

“Nah, Ah-young’s here. Heukgu, go to mom.”

As soon as Jung-hwan set Heukgu down, the dog wagged its tail excitedly and bolted toward Ah-young at full speed.

Even though Jung-hwan had told him to go, there wasn’t even a moment of hesitation—he sprinted toward her like his life depended on it.

Jung-hwan’s face darkened.

It was obvious—Heukgu already preferred her over him.

Yohan clicked his tongue.

“Tsk. By the time you get back, he won’t even recognize you. Don’t hold it against him.”

“…Hyung.”

Without further delay, the group set off for Incheon Bridge.

—

Leaving their boat at the dock, they switched to a truck.

Jae-ho, now a fully integrated member of the team, was chatting away.

“This is kind of a lot of pressure. I mean, I’m honored that the boss recognizes my value, but honestly, I won’t be much help in a fight.”

“You worry too much. If you know that, then train harder. Are you keeping up with your logs?”

“Of course! I’ve transcribed all my notes and even stored them properly.”

“I heard you’re starting a library.”

Jae-ho scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.

“I’m just collecting books around the village. Surprisingly, even though this is an island, there were a lot of books. The problem is that we don’t have enough bookshelves, so now I’ve been learning carpentry—something I never thought I’d do.”

“From Old Man Park?”

“Yeah. ‘Aging is the deepening of knowledge as much as the passing of time.’ That’s something he said. He’s truly an incredible person.”

“I agree.”

“Already, egg and goat milk production is stabilizing, and he knows how to care for every type of livestock and crop almost instinctively. If we had more people, things would be a lot easier.”

“That too, I agree with.”

“Why not bring in the people from Bupyeong? Honestly, I think it’d be more beneficial than problematic.”

“It’s too early. Right now, the risks outweigh the benefits.”

“Got it.”

Jae-ho didn’t push further.

But even if he had, Yohan would’ve entertained the discussion.

Unlike the others—Sweeper, Hajin, Jung-hwan, or Seri—who weren’t interested in strategic or logistical debates, Jae-ho had a different mindset.

Conversations with him always felt refreshing. Even when discussing the same topics, his word choices and analytical approach were different.

Talking with him helped organize Yohan’s thoughts.

And when he held deep discussions with Dr. Park Jae-beom about zombie patterns and their origins, Yohan often thought, It’s a shame he wasn’t a biologist or geneticist instead of a journalist.

‘If we had a bioengineer or virologist, we might have already figured out the origins of the zombie outbreak.’

Still, Jae-ho was an invaluable asset.

Even the idea of building a library was unique to him.

Every time they went scouting, he would quietly collect books, believing that knowledge was essential for the future of humanity.

That was why Yohan brought him along.

While Yohan focused on survival in the present, Jae-ho was thinking ahead—for the survival of future generations.

“Hyung, from here on, we’ll have to go on foot.”

Jung-hwan stopped the truck and called out to the team in the back. The road was blocked.

“Sweeper?”

“There are about 30 zombies on the bridge.”

Standing on the truck’s step rail, Sweeper peered through his binoculars and gave a quick assessment.

“Sweeper, Hajin—you two take point. Jung-hwan, Jae-ho, grab the explosives and drills. Sergeant Ong, cover the rear in case of zombies sneaking up. Seri, you support Sergeant Ong.”

At Yohan’s clear and concise orders, Sweeper and Hajin immediately sprinted forward.

With his perfect balance of strength, speed, and technique, Sweeper was an offensive powerhouse.

And Hajin, with his unmatched zombie combat skills, was on par with Yohan when it came to extermination.

The two cut through the zombies effortlessly, like they were playing a survival game.

Meanwhile, Yohan stood back, watching through his crossbow scope, ready for any unexpected threats.

For close combat, Sergeant Ong was unrivaled in marksmanship, and if Seri covered him properly, they had the rear secured as well.

He wasn’t worried about the frontline or the rear—they were solid.

He was just being overly cautious.

Once they cleared a path, Yohan sent Hajin back.

“The explosion will attract more zombies. Sweeper and Jung-hwan, hold the front until we’re ready to detonate. Hajin, head back and assist the rear defense.”

While the others held off zombies, Yohan and Jae-ho began drilling into the bridge support pillars.

Following the same method they used on Yeongjong Bridge, they drilled two parallel vertical cuts in an “11” shape on both sides.

Then, they would simultaneously detonate the charges, causing the center steel plate to collapse.

Since they had done this before, their efficiency had improved—they completed the setup much faster than before.

“Sweeper, support the rear!”

With everything set, they executed the detonation flawlessly.

A loud boom echoed through the air, and the bridge section collapsed perfectly, falling into the water below.

Now, there was no longer a land route from the Korean Peninsula to Yeongjong Island.

Even if a zombie horde formed, they would plunge into the sea like the legendary three thousand palace women of Baekje.

“Good work. Let’s move.”