Chapter 108

“They’re joining us.”

“I see. Why?”

“They’re too valuable to pass up.”

A fighter, a doctor, a helicopter pilot, and all that food. A group made up entirely of key assets—aside from the nun. And if, by any chance, the nun really could see the future, her worth was immeasurable.

She’d be a goldmine far more valuable than even a regressor who simply knows the altered past.

The fact that all five had survived up to now without incident suggested they weren’t troublemakers either.

‘That brat Pio might be a bit of a handful, though.’

If they could be assimilated into the group without issues, they’d definitely become a strong force.

Having made his decision, Yohan stepped outside the church and approached Rina.

“Have you resolved all your questions?”

“More or less.”

“Then… may I ask what we should do next?”

“Join us. Cross over to our side. I’m the leader. If anyone puts the group in danger by disobeying orders during combat, I might kill them.”

“Yes.”

She answered like she had been expecting it all along.

This meeting had been full of surprises.

Even if Rina’s reaction made sense, the fact that the other four also remained composed suggested they had already discussed this to some degree.

‘This might actually be real…’

Yohan decided to slightly soften his tone toward them. No need to start off with a rift between himself and potentially valuable allies.

“You’re Rina, right? You’ll be moving with us. You’ll join the recon team.”

“Wait, what did you just say?!”

Pio raised his voice. Yohan shot back.

“Didn’t you say you’d follow our rules? This is how we do things. New members are required to participate in at least one recon mission.”

“Rina can’t fight!”

“She’ll learn.”

“Then I’ll go instead! No way I’m letting Rina go alone!”

“Absolutely not!”

Following Pio, even Berda jumped in. The two of them shouting back and forth started to give Yohan a headache. He turned to Rina.

“Try to calm them down.”

“I’m sorry. It’s true that I’m a burden… So no matter what I say, I doubt I can persuade them…”

“I’ll allow one more to go. Which one?”

Both raised their hands instantly. Yohan waved his hand dismissively in annoyance.

“Figure it out between yourselves. Everyone else, disarm and rest. Sister, let’s talk.”

“Yes.”

As Yohan walked ahead, Rina followed after him with light steps, beaming with joy for some reason.

Yohan crossed his legs and leaned back in the church office chair.

“Let’s finish what we were talking about earlier. About the zombies and variants that attacked us—do you remember anything else?”

“I’m sorry. Some time has passed since the dream… and it’s hard to remember the details.”

“Anything’s fine. What did the variant look like?”

“Its jaw stuck out like a shark’s… ah, and it had really sharp claws. It was very strong, too.”

A shark-like mouth. That was a first. But it aligned with known characteristics of variants—generally humanoid with specific, exaggerated mutations.

Her claims grew more convincing.

“Did bullets work on it?”

“No.”

This answer came with firm conviction. Yohan nodded.

“When?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Try to remember anything—what were you all wearing, what condition were the zombies in, were the rice fields nearby harvested? The weather? The state of the trees?”

Yohan’s barrage of questions made Rina visibly flustered. Her expression was on the verge of tears.

Realizing he’d pushed too hard, Yohan took a deep breath and rephrased calmly.

“Take your time. Just tell me what you remember clearly. Don’t mention anything you’re unsure about. Wrong information only causes confusion.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Rina smiled faintly again. Her blue eyes kept drawing his gaze. Perhaps distracted by Yohan’s staring, she closed her eyes briefly as if recalling the dream, and slowly spoke again.

“I don’t know the exact timing, but… I think the rice fields had already been harvested. I think it was winter. Yes—definitely winter. You were all wearing heavy clothing. Coats and padded jackets.”

If the harvest was over and they were wearing padded jackets, that placed the timeline roughly between December and January. That meant they had at least three more months.

“I didn’t get a good look at the zombies’ clothes… I’m not sure.”

“What about their condition? Were the regular zombies bloated?”

He was asking whether a large group of zombies might have washed up on shore.

“Uh, yes, some of them were… but not all. I’m sure about that. There were more intact zombies than bloated ones. Ah—and their clothing looked… a little weird, maybe.”

“Weird how?”

“Like… a bit outdated and foreign-looking?”

“Alright, anything else you remember?”

Rina clutched her head in frustration, but nothing else came to mind. Seeing her struggle, Yohan cut her off.

“Will you continue having those prophetic dreams?”

“Yes.”

“Do they follow any specific cycle or trigger?”

“No, there’s nothing like that. If God deems it something I need to know, and if it’s important, then He will surely show me.”

That talk of God again—it irritated Yohan no matter how many times he heard it. Like a pebble stuck under his mattress.

Yohan stood up. That was enough. He’d already made up his mind. They would accept these people.

“If I have more questions, I’ll ask again.”

“Yes. Anytime.”

As he stepped outside the church, a commotion had broken out.

“What are you doing?”

Yohan chuckled and addressed his team. The Camp Maria members and the recon team had gathered to watch something.

Curious what had caught their attention, he saw Berda and Pio in the middle of the circle, moving with flashy techniques like MMA fighters.

At a glance, it looked like a fight—but it was closer to sparring than actual combat.

Sweeper was grinning from ear to ear like he was watching a fascinating toy, and beside him, helicopter pilot Luca was casually smoking a cigarette.

Already getting along, huh?

“Yohan, look at that kid. His moves are something else.”

Maybe it wasn’t just bluster when they said he was a fighter. The movement from both of them was impressive.

Berda was swinging a wooden staff, and Pio—barehanded—dodged her swift thrusts with successive backflips, twisting in midair to evade with agility.

Pio’s dodging skills were remarkable, but Berda’s control over the staff was equally formidable.

With a whoosh, the staff spun and then shot straight for Pio’s solar plexus. If it landed wrong, it wouldn’t just knock him out—it could kill him.

“That’s pretty amazing for someone so young.”

“They say Sister Rina’s father was extremely strict and had a daughter complex or something, so he only hired young boys or women as bodyguards.”

Pio’s movements reminded Yohan a lot of Sweeper.

‘Not bad…’

After a round of impressive exchanges, it was Pio who had the last laugh. As Berda’s staff flew at him again, he caught it midair with both hands, pulled her toward him, then smoothly hooked both legs around her neck and took her down.

Berda struggled briefly, but with Pio’s legs tightening around her, she was forced to tap out on the ground.

“See? Told you, Berda. You’re still no match for me.”

Pio looked smugly down at Berda, who glared up at him in frustration.

Then, puffing up with pride, Pio turned to Yohan.

“I hereby declare myself Rina’s official bodyguard!”

That whole scene… just for that?

“It’s not bodyguard duty. It’s a recon mission, kid. If you get in the way because of your feelings, you’re out.”

Yohan’s firm tone made Pio instantly deflate. He turned to Jung-hwan beside him and muttered.

“Doesn’t your boss ever get told he’s too uptight?”

“Man, if I had a coin for every time I heard that, I’d be rich. But hey, junior bodyguard, why are you talking down to me?”

“If you’ve got a problem, talk down to me too. I don’t use honorifics for people weaker than me.”

Jung-hwan’s face turned red. Sweeper, who’d been chuckling, suddenly burst into full-blown laughter, rolling on the ground.

“Whoa, this won’t do. Hey, kid. Jung-hwan’s my toy. I get jealous if someone else messes with him.”

“Hmph. So what?”

“Might be time for some education. Hey, boss, mind if I…?”

Sweeper clapped the dust off his hands and stood up. Watching the earlier sparring must’ve sparked his interest.

“Just don’t kill him.”

“Please. I’m not a psycho like you, boss.”

“Try not to spill blood, either.”

“Roger that.”

Pio’s face turned red and blue at the clear tone of mockery. Ignoring it, Sweeper kept going.

“If you win, you can act however you want. But if you lose, we’re setting the ranks by our rules. Fair? Since we’re not the same weight class, I’ll give you a handicap. I’m generous like that. Deal?”

“I don’t need your stupid handicap, old man.”

At the bold response, Sweeper cackled again. He laughed so hard he nearly choked.

“Alright, bring it on, kid. I’ll show you what real discipline looks like.”

“He keeps calling me a kid…!”

It seemed like Pio had a bit of a complex about his small build, given his physical abilities. He charged forward with a shout.

Fast. Definitely using speed to compensate for the height difference between him and Sweeper.

And truthfully, size wasn’t the only issue—Pio was at a disadvantage in terms of information.

Pio didn’t know how Sweeper fought, but Sweeper had already watched Pio’s moves once.

‘That bastard…’

Yohan chuckled to himself. Sweeper was casually dodging all of Pio’s attacks, his body swaying effortlessly. Even when openings appeared, he didn’t strike back once.

It was a handicap—and a way of revealing his own movement style. He was, essentially, showing off.

Whether it was mercy or just for fun, it wasn’t clear.

“Tch!”

Pio’s movements were sharp. Though he was being completely outclassed by Sweeper, aside from a few like Sweeper, Hajin, and Hyuk, no one at Camp Yohan could probably take him in close combat.

‘Though of course, it’s a different story when blades and guns are involved.’

Once he felt like he’d seen enough, Sweeper made his move. He caught Pio’s leg mid-air as the boy attempted a spinning kick.

Using the momentum, Pio launched his other leg—but that too was caught. Then he lunged with his forehead.

Thunk! A solid headbutt.

“Even a dogfight? Not bad.”

Yohan muttered in genuine admiration. Hajin just shrugged.

Sweeper spun him like a top and threw him. Pio flipped in midair and barely landed on his feet to regain his balance. But Sweeper didn’t pause—he immediately sprang forward.

Still unsteady, Pio flinched at the sight of Sweeper charging like a demon. The look alone was enough to give someone chills.

“What the—he’s so fast—”

Pio didn’t finish his sentence. A massive palm smacked him across the face with a loud smack! He flew and hit a tree headfirst, collapsing unconscious.

“A… a monster?”

Berda, who’d been watching the sparring, gaped.

The others just shrugged.

The consensus was simple:

He had picked the wrong opponent.