Chapter 106

“I could kill you right now if I wanted to.”

So-hee blinked a few times, then tears began streaming down her cheeks. It was an unexpected reaction.

“That’s just plain cheating.”

Sweeper muttered. If someone with a child’s face cried like that, it really was cheating.

“If only the opponent weren’t Yohan.”

Hajin added.

Just as he said, Yohan was looking at her with a face that said, ‘So what if you cry?’ or ‘What are you crying about, exactly?’

“Help me.”

At last, the answer he wanted came out.

Yohan walked over and brought his face close to hers.

“Can you promise not to act on your own like that again?”

She nodded.

“Can you kill someone?”

“I’ve killed before.”

Of course she had. In this era, it would be stranger if someone hadn’t killed at least once.

“What I want is someone who can pretend to be a kid and stab someone in the neck in one blow when they let their guard down.”

“You… you guys are really that scary?”

Next to them, Sweeper made a playful ‘roar’ motion. Seri nudged him from the side.

“Can you or can’t you? Answer the question, kid.”

“I’m not a kid.”

“Answer.”

“I can. But let me ask just one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Are you good guys or bad guys?”

It was the kind of cute question only a young twenty-year-old would ask. Of course, the answer was already set.

“We’re neither good guys nor bad guys.”

“……?”

“We’re just people who want to live. Don’t worry, kid. We don’t bite unless we’re attacked first. Of course, if you attack first, we’ll bite until there’s not a scrap of flesh left.”

So-hee nodded. Whether her joining would truly strengthen their force was uncertain, but if she was their only gain from a mission where they’d otherwise return empty-handed, it wasn’t a bad outcome.

Yohan turned around with a broad grin.

As if he’d just picked up a useful card.

He didn’t notice the horrified expressions on the faces of those around him.

* * *

As soon as So-hee’s joining was decided, Yohan ordered her to shoot a bow. He already knew she had some skill, but gauging the exact level was a very important task.

The group quietly watched her prepare for the hunt.

She tied several lengths of thread to the end of the arrow. She had tied so many threads that if she slipped up, they would easily get tangled.

Most likely, it was a device for safely retrieving the arrow.

Then she looped the string in a U-shape over the balcony to prevent it from tangling and aimed at her target. The arrow flew instantly and embedded itself in a zombie’s head.

After the hunt, she carefully reeled the arrow back in without snapping the thread. From aiming to firing, the timing was fast, and the retrieval was clean. It was impressive enough to make one say so out loud.

“Done?”

“Excellent.”

“Cut the crap with the fake compliments.”

Even though she grumbled at Yohan’s straightforward praise, a hint of happiness crept onto her face. Before leaving this place, Yohan had one more question.

“How did you get left behind?”

“Left behind…?”

“Everyone else would’ve made it to a shelter. Why were you here alone?”

“I had someone I was waiting for.”

Had. Past tense.

The girl continued.

“I was afraid my brother wouldn’t find me if I left this place. I was scared we’d never meet again, so I stayed here waiting for him.”

“Where is your brother?”

“…In the military.”

It was unfortunate. Even if her brother were still alive, a soldier during a national emergency couldn’t escape the state’s grasp unless he deserted.

A bow-using girl and a brother in the military. Yohan was reminded of someone from his past. He wondered how that guy was doing now.

“What unit?”

“Chuncheon in Gangwon Province.”

“There are tons of units in Chuncheon. Where exactly?”

“I don’t know the details. How would I know?”

Sweeper laughed gleefully, like he was watching something entertaining, as Yohan floundered.

“There were other survivors nearby. Did you run into any of them?”

“I didn’t meet them, but I saw them.”

At that moment, the team members’ expressions all hardened.

“Tell us more.”

“I heard a car. When I looked out, I saw a military vehicle pass by. That’s all I know. They didn’t come this way. Oh, and I heard gunfire. For a really long time.”

“Was there a battle with zombies?”

“I don’t think so. The direction of the sound was different.”

Her puzzling response made the others tilt their heads. The only ones who seemed to understand her were Yohan, Jae-ho, and Sweeper.

“Ah, then there must’ve been a battle between factions. Looks like the soldiers fought each other.”

Jae-ho nodded as if something had just clicked, and the girl nodded in agreement. Jae-ho, who loved explaining things, elaborated.

“Think about it. If the soldiers were fighting zombies, the gunfire would mostly come from one place. But she said the direction of the sound changed. That means there was gunfire from both sides. In short, two armed groups were fighting each other. Civilians wouldn’t attack armed soldiers, so… maybe there was internal strife among the military.”

“There are two artillery units on Yeongjong Island. They’re close to each other, but the relationship between them isn’t great. It’s a plausible theory.”

Power struggles within a single unit weren’t uncommon. If another unit had entered the same area, the chance of conflict would rise dramatically.

A likely cause: supplies. Supplies were so limited on Yeongjong Island that fights over them were inevitable.

“What do we do?”

“Let’s head back for now.”

No need to become a common enemy for two divided factions. And it was best to avoid contact with the military whenever possible.

* * *

As soon as Yohan returned, he summoned the key administrators of Sindo to the welfare center. The sharpshooters of the reconnaissance team and the heads of each production line were among those called. Seo-jun, Old Man Park, and Mr. Kim entered in succession and greeted Yohan.

“Yohan, you’re back early.”

“Yes. Any updates?”

“The former residents had been living quite frugally… Honestly, once harvest season passes, they’ll probably be fine even during winter.”

“That’s good news. What about Old Man Park?”

“No issues. People are working hard too.”

“That’s reassuring. And you, sir?”

“The HAM radio equipment is installed. Go check in the operations room.”

“Ah, it’s finally done.”

It was one of the updates he’d been waiting for. The portable and military radios they had used previously couldn’t reach as far as Bupyeong District Office.

So before departing, Yohan had exchanged a few channels and codes with the old mercenary. It was time to finally try contacting him. The man had promised to reach out once he was settled, but after a month of silence, the old man was probably seething. But more pressing matters demanded attention right now.

“Hyuk, explain.”

The identity of the survivors reportedly on the nearby island. That was the most urgent issue. When Yohan turned to Hyuk, he replied with a stern expression.

“It’s better if you see for yourself.”

“Alright. Lead the way.”

Hyuk guided him to the summit of Dangsan on Modo, one of the Samhyeongje Islands. It was a small hill, less than 100 meters above sea level, but the view was wide open and offered a clear vantage point.

Hyuk pointed toward the west, at the coast of Jangbong Island, beside Modo.

“It’s a bit hard to see now with the lighting, but near those houses by the shoreline, you can see traces of a campfire. After asking around, someone among the locals said they’d seen smoke rising like mist.”

Yohan swept the coastline with binoculars. Just as Hyuk said, there were visible signs of a fire. While it wasn’t certain, the state of preservation suggested the fire had been lit quite recently.

“Anything unusual after that?”

“Not yet. Haven’t seen any survivors either.”

“Hmm.”

If someone had been living on that coastline, they would’ve already been detected by the surveillance perimeter. The fact they were only being noticed now meant these people either didn’t live in the immediate area or had just recently arrived. Perhaps they lived further inland or had come to the island only recently.

Could it be a distress signal?

If the survivors had lit the fire intentionally, that was the most probable explanation.

“Let’s go.”

The best course was to confront it head-on.

They couldn’t leave mysterious survivors right next to their base and still move freely. It would restrict their actions.

Blindly approaching might be dangerous, but leaving it alone was even riskier.

Just like they hadn’t ignored the H Department Store back at the Mart Camp. Eliminating future threats was one of the most important tasks.

Yohan immediately armed and gathered all combat personnel.

The boat departed. This time, not only the elite sharpshooters but even the outer perimeter guards from the camp were included.

Given the emergency, both the production and operations teams were put on alert, and all combat-capable personnel were brought aboard.

Since it was unfolding right next to their base, their mindset was one of total commitment: if battle broke out, they would win—no matter what.

Approaching the coast slowly and cautiously, Yohan docked the boat at the pier.

“Team 2 stays with the boat. Team 1, with me.”

At his command, ten people followed behind Yohan. They moved carefully, using cover and concealment, but the interior of the island was surprisingly lax. It was enough to make one feel a little let down.

Just as they were about to conclude it was simply a group of survivors, smoke from cooking rose from a few houses on the mountainside.

With Yohan’s hand signal, the team began to spread out slowly. Forming a circle, they gradually tightened the perimeter like a noose.

Standby signal.

The source of the smoke was a church.

Yohan waited calmly.

The door opened, and someone stepped out. Unarmed and around Hyuk’s age, he looked like a male college student. He stretched with a yawn as he came out the door.

‘Should we subdue him?’

‘Wait.’

A truck parked in front of the building obstructed a clean shot. If they missed, it would only raise alarms.

As Yohan debated, the college student flinched, scanned the area with a wary look, and then stiffened before heading back inside with a tense expression.

‘Did he sense us?’

Incredible intuition. Their concealment had been perfect, and not a sound had been made. He had sensed the danger purely by instinct. From the opposite side, Sergeant Ong repositioned, securing a better view.

The church door opened again. This time, the college student returned, accompanied by four other men and women. Except for a woman holding a wooden rod unsuited to a maid uniform, the rest appeared unarmed.

Among them, a biracial woman dressed in a nun’s habit spoke up.

“There’s no one here, Pio.”

“I’m telling you, someone’s out there. Try calling out.”

“Excuse me, is anyone there?”

A few members of the team flinched. Yohan still signaled to hold position. When no response came, the nun called out again to the open air.

“Is nobody out there?”

Sweeper looked at Yohan. His eyes said, ‘They’re unarmed, should we try talking?’

Yohan gave a nod.

At his signal, the ten reconnaissance members slowly revealed themselves, still in shooting stance.

“…….”

Apparently not expecting this many people, the five men and women showed visible signs of panic. Then the nun spotted Yohan and gave a polite bow.

“Hello. It’s nice to meet you. My name is Paulina. So… should I call you Yohan?”

click

The moment the mysterious woman said Yohan’s name, the sound of guns being cocked echoed from all directions.