Chapter 113

Colonel Jin Juha attempted to reach out and reconcile with Yohan, but Yohan coldly ignored him. He had no intention of offering a gesture of peace here. All Yohan wanted was the justification to eliminate them, a plan for total victory, and the perfect timing.

Over the course of a few days, even the navy command seemed to shift their stance. Realizing, perhaps, that Yohan was intentionally trying to drive them out, they stopped pretending to be friendly.

Naturally, they could no longer demand meals or hospitality. In fact, they had come to view Yohan’s group as the ‘enemy.’

Bang! Bang!

“Ah! Dammit, again. Those goddamn bastards.”

A woman tending the fields scowled. Officially, they were conducting ‘search operations’—knocking on doors, entering locked houses, and rifling through empty homes.

With the sounds of breaking objects echoing all around, it was only natural for the residents to be terrified.

Of course, all viable scavenging on the island had long since been completed. Now, they were just fishing or secretly picking fruits here and there.

Still, they hadn’t set sail. They lingered, clearly eyeing the island for themselves. And of course, Yohan didn’t want them slipping away easily either.

Having people who knew the location and value of this base was a risk he didn’t even want to consider.

Like a Balkan powder keg on the eve of World War II, the tension between the two groups, already seething hot, finally exploded into a full-blown incident on the third day.

“What happened?”

Yohan arrived late and quickly surveyed the scene.

In front of a house in Sindo District 2, all the villagers had gathered in a circle around the house. Opposite them, a few petty officers stood with mocking smirks, their chins lifted arrogantly.

From afar came the clacking sound of leather shoes. Soldiers were approaching.

‘Let’s see…’

Judging from the expressions of the officers, this wasn’t some accidental outburst.

‘They’ve made their move.’

Having failed to win the hearts of the islanders and unable to find a solution, they decided to show their true colors after just three days. Most likely thinking, Let’s stir up a scene, round them all up, and give them a good dose of discipline.

The one facing off with the officers was Hyuk. He stood in front of a woman, glaring at the officer with burning eyes. Yohan, having grasped the situation, asked him:

“What happened?”

“This bastard sexually harassed Yunhee.”

“W-what are you talking about? I thought the house was empty!”

At the clumsy excuse, Yunhee screamed:

“How could it be empty when I was right there?! And you touched me!”

“I told you, I was just checking under the blanket for anything! Still, even so, does that justify attacking me without hearing the full story?! This is just an excuse to get revenge for the last incident, isn’t it?!”

“You—!”

Perfect target, perfect timing.

It was good that the incident had fired up the villagers and drawn them all together—but choosing Hyuk as the opponent? That was a mistake. The villagers’ expressions were already turning grim.

To Yohan, this was the best-case scenario.

Hyuk couldn’t tolerate injustice.

If it were anyone else, the villagers might wonder what Yohan was scheming again—but if Hyuk got angry or caused a scene, people would instinctively think, The other side must be in the wrong.

It was unfair to Yohan, but that was the reality.

And the justification was sound.

Soldiers—supposed to be protectors—harassing a defenseless woman? Absolutely unforgivable.

Yohan waited until the main actors arrived. As the colonel and officers leisurely approached the scene, he stepped forward.

‘They’re armed.’

The officers wore holsters at their waists, and even the petty officers, who usually didn’t, were fully equipped.

Less than ten of them had firearms.

Yohan spoke in a calm tone.

“Sailors of the Republic of Korea Navy. We can no longer stand by and watch your acts of violence.”

“Hoho, Mr. Yohan. There must be some misunderstanding.”

“Perhaps. But before clearing up any misunderstanding, I ask that you disarm.”

“W-what is the meaning of this!”

A junior officer shouted, but Colonel Jin held him back.

“Are you giving orders to the Republic of Korea Navy right now?”

“Orders? Of course not. But anyone can see we’re the ones being oppressed here. We simply want to protect ourselves from violence. So please disarm, or leave the island immediately.”

“Violence? That’s absurd. And leave? You’re not even a native of this island!”

“Maybe not. But we’re the ones who cleared the zombies, gathered the resources, and built this place up.”

“Legally, that’s called unlawful occupation.”

The heated exchange was starting to wear thin. Draw your weapon. Threaten harder. Push further.

Just one mistake was all it would take. Yohan pressed their weak spot.

“Let’s be honest—if the government has already collapsed, then what is the military? Nothing more than an armed gang.”

“…You arrogant bastard!”

At last, a junior officer drew his weapon. The air turned ice-cold in an instant. The gun wasn’t loaded yet. Yohan slowly moved his hand toward his thigh, pretending to wipe sweat from his palm.

‘Now.’

Drawing, loading, and firing his pistol happened almost at once.

Bang!

The first shot hit the officer pointing the gun at him. The second hit the colonel square in the forehead.

The bullet lodged in his skull, and he collapsed backward, pupils dilated.

Third and fourth shots were aimed at the other officers reaching for their weapons.

“Aaaaahh!!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Sweeper and Jung-hwan had been watching only Yohan’s hand. The moment his gun fired—

They simultaneously stabbed the throats of the two nearest officers and seized their sidearms.

“Everybody down!”

“Ah! Aaaaah!”

The villagers dropped to the ground in a panic while the navy sailors scattered, fleeing in total confusion.

Bang! Bang!
In an instant, the center of the village became a battlefield.

Some petty officers attempted a counterattack but were immediately riddled with bullets.

Once the officers and senior staff fell, the battle turned into a massacre.

The number of bullets fired by the navy could be counted on one hand, and even those only pierced the air.

The recon squad pulled their triggers with mechanical precision.

Hajin drove his prosthetic arm into a charging sailor’s throat. The rest of the sailors, charging alongside him, crumpled on the spot, skewered and stunned into submission.

“Stop them! Stooop!”

Someone lunged at Junghwan with a bayonet, but Heukgu bit into the attacker’s leg. Junghwan smashed the man’s head with the butt of his rifle.

The fleeing soldiers’ path was blocked by Pio, Berda, and Sohee. Sounds of bones breaking and bodies hitting the ground echoed from all sides, and arrows lodged into the backs and legs of those already fleeing.

Sindo was soaked in blood, groans, and screams. In just a few minutes, not a single soldier remained standing. Anyone who staggered back to their feet was immediately cut down by Sweeper or Hajin’s daggers.

It had started as a battle, but ended in slaughter.

Yohan stood tall at the village entrance, now painted with blood, lighting a cigarette.
Fwoosh—the acrid smoke billowed from his mouth and nose.

This was a clash between two sides with vastly different experience.

Those who thought they could get what they wanted through brute force…
…versus those who had resolved to kill the moment they crossed paths.

The outcome was obvious. A completely one-sided result.

Even without the zombie battles, most of Yohan’s team were battle-hardened veterans—those who had survived fights with Goldmoon, Baek Jongsoo, special forces, mercenaries, and Seoul Survivor Union.

They had killed to survive, and were always prepared to kill again. They were people willing to sacrifice innocent soldiers if that’s what it took to wipe out corrupt officers.

Even if the aftermath would haunt them.

Most of the soldiers were either dead or dying.

The only survivors were those captured by the people from Camp Maria or the ones Sohee shot in the legs.

“…Did we kill all of them?”

Pio and Berda returned with bound survivors, eyes wide with shock.

“It’s more surprising that you managed to subdue them without killing a single one.”

If there hadn’t been a fight, maybe. But once the battle started, it had to end in a kill. Wounded could turn into zombies or strike back at any time.

Looking at the grim expressions of the newer members, Yohan muttered,

We’ll need to correct their mindset.

Yohan instructed them to destroy the brains of the dead, then radioed Sergeant Ong.

“Ong. Clean up the ones left on the main deck.”

— “Yes, sir.”

“W-wait. Hyung.”

Hyuk finally came to his senses and called out in a panic. He probably never imagined things would escalate this far.

He must’ve been thinking: No one had to die over this.

“Hyuk.”

“……”

“You did good.”

It was annoying to have to do this kind of emotional support after every fight, but this time, the top contributor deserved recognition.

“Thanks to you, we saw their true colors. They needed to be put down. If we’d left them alone, they would’ve turned into raiders.”

“Y-you think so?”

What a useless thing to feel guilty about. Yohan sweet-talked him: You did what needed to be done. You saved the villagers.

“Of course. They would’ve plundered, pillaged, and violated people here.”

“Yeah…”

“People with unrestrained power are always like that, Hyuk. They were no different from the Communion Church or Seoul Survivor Union. No—worse. They pretended to be friendly, but were ready to drain us dry.”

At those words, Hyuk finally nodded.

“Guess there’s no use for soldiers in a world like this, huh?”

Sweeper, visibly satisfied, cleaned up the corpses. They’d spent some ammo and food, but considering what they’d gained—it was a fair trade.

They had gauged the new members’ combat potential and made their stance clear:

We’re not pushovers.
We’re not innocent victims.
We’re not heroes saving people.

We are those who take—and protect what we’ve taken.

And for the villagers, it had planted an unshakable belief: These are the ones who protect us.
Hearing it was one thing. Seeing it was another.

Of course, some would resent their violence. Some might be furious over the killing of innocent soldiers.

But most, as they stood before the corpses and saw the recon team standing tall, were likely thinking:

The recon team is strong.
The recon team has power.
Thank God they’re on our side.

— Clear.

Sergeant Ong’s voice came through the radio at just the right moment. Yohan wiped off some blood and smirked.

“Seriously, boss. Could you not smile right at that moment? It’s terrifying.”

“What? It’s sexy.”

Seri chimed in, making Yohan grimace slightly. What were those two even saying?

The team finished cleanup, sent the villagers back, and went to retrieve the spoils of war.

Honestly, laughing after killing people wasn’t right—but the loot in their hands brought a small, involuntary chuckle.

It was just too absurd.

A warship.

“First a helicopter, now a warship. Never saw that coming.”

“Looks good, sure—but what are we gonna do with it? It’s not like we can operate it.”

The problem wasn’t just the personnel or technical know-how. It was the fuel—how could they possibly sustain it? Yohan wasn’t interested in the cake—just the crumbs.

Heavy weapons were often useless without proper operators or technical skill. Like a picture you couldn’t touch.

But the machine guns and anti-aircraft guns mounted on the deck? Different story.

“Mistral, huh.”

Mistral portable surface-to-air guided missile.

That had been Yohan’s specialty during his active duty in the Air Force—even had live fire training with it at the Daecheon range.