Chapter 34

The doctor trembled as he recounted the events, his voice heavy with dread.

“They came right up to the hospital. But the zombies swarming the fire doors kept them from getting inside. Instead, they approached the windows, banging on them for a while… but when the zombie crowd grew too thick, they retreated. Later, we discovered that message scrawled on the glass.”

Yohan, listening carefully, posed a question that had been on his mind.

“Why didn’t you flee immediately? It must have been dangerous to stay here.”

“They… they cut off the man’s leg and left it outside the window. It drew the zombies in—countless of them. Escaping was impossible. Breaking the glass would have been a suicidal move, calling the zombies inside. Fortunately, starting yesterday, the zombies began to migrate somewhere. We were just about to make a final attempt to escape when you arrived.”

“Because of the zombie wave,” Yohan mused.

The zombies that had gathered here must have flowed toward the department store. His gaze shifted to the zombie outside the window.

As described, a torso-less zombie lay there, mutilated and savaged, with two fingers missing from its hand. The scouting team members behind Yohan wore grim expressions as they observed the scene. Even Sweeper, who had seen his share of horrors, looked visibly shaken.

For them, this was likely their first encounter with a true human enemy.

It’s a common belief that humanity would quickly lose its morality in an apocalypse, but in reality, humans are social creatures raised with societal norms. Outside of criminals or individuals pushed to extreme desperation, acts of extreme savagery in the first six months are rare.

Faith in the remnants of the military, government, or law enforcement, and hope that the chaos would eventually end, often served as a moral constraint. This is why groups like the Goldmoon raiders emerged only hesitantly.

But as even the faintest vestiges of that belief vanish and chaos takes hold, Yohan’s survival instincts and vigilance sharpened like a finely honed blade.

The group with painted faces and blood-smeared symbols—these beasts in human guise—were enemies Yohan couldn’t afford to leave alive.

Yohan reached out and grasped the doctor’s trembling hand as if to reassure him, then turned to Gap-soo.

“We’ll help you,” Yohan said decisively.

“What?” Gap-soo blinked in disbelief. “Help us? Under what conditions?”

“We’ll clear the zombies from the hospital and supply you with resources regularly. Additionally, we’ll protect you from those raiders.”

Yohan intentionally displayed his rifle, ejecting the magazine to reveal it was fully loaded. He then handed over a walkie-talkie.

Gap-soo’s eyes widened.

“We’re only 15 minutes away from here. We have plenty of supplies and weapons. If you’re in urgent need, you can call us for immediate assistance.”

“Are you serious?” Gap-soo’s expression was no longer hostile but filled with suspicion—why such generosity?

“Tell me what you want in return.”

A reasonable question. Nothing is more dangerous than unconditional generosity without a clear motive.

And Yohan’s kindness came with a clear purpose.

“Form an alliance with our camp.”

Gap-soo looked puzzled, still unable to fully grasp the proposal. Yohan noted his confusion and mentally filed away the idea of creating a pamphlet for situations like this.

“You won’t need to move from here. All we ask is for cooperation and adherence to some guidelines. For example, follow the survival rules we provide, accept survivors we bring here, and allow us to relocate individuals we may need to other camps. It’s not much, and it’s entirely manageable.”

A tempting offer.

“Our goal is to unite as many survivor camps as possible to create safety for the largest number of people.”

It might have sounded too good to be true—a ripe, red apple that could be poisoned. Yet, it was an offer they couldn’t easily dismiss.

“I understand your distrust,” Yohan continued, “but you’ll have to trust us.”

Whether it was an angel’s saving hand or the devil’s snare, the choice was theirs.

Gap-soo shut his eyes tightly, deliberating.

“What do we need to do?” he finally asked.

Yohan’s eyes gleamed. The bait had been taken, and now it was time to reel it in.

“First, let’s clean up the hospital. Once the cleaning is done, as a symbol of our alliance, one of your group will accompany us back to our camp. Doctor?” Yohan turned to the physician, still holding his hand.

The doctor looked troubled. The other survivors also wore uneasy expressions, prompting Gap-soo to interject.

“That’s difficult. We can’t send one of our people to an unknown place, especially the doctor. Without him, we’d be lost.”

“We understand your concern,” Yohan replied calmly. “But our camp has many elderly and a significant population. We’ll visit frequently, and the nurse here can assist in the meantime. Should there be an urgent case, the doctor can make a visit.”

“No matter how often you visit, we can’t send our people somewhere with unclear intentions…”

“Mr. Gap-soo.” Yohan’s even tone cut through the air, causing Gap-soo to flinch.

“If we had any ill intent and only wanted the doctor, it would have been far easier to kill all of you and take him.”

“That’s… a horrific thing to say.”

“It’s to prove a point. I understand your apprehension, but you must take risks in this world, or you’ll face even greater danger later.”

Yohan’s voice turned firm.

“Don’t regret it when the time comes.”

The ultimatum was clear: cooperate or face abandonment. Gap-soo’s expression darkened, but before he could respond, the doctor stepped forward.

“I’ll go,” the doctor said.

“Doctor!” Gap-soo and the others exclaimed in alarm.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Hyun-soo’s father. Nurse Jeong has experience in operating rooms and will handle things here in my absence. Nurse Jeong, I trust you to take care of everyone while I’m gone.”

“Yes… doctor,” the nurse replied hesitantly.

Yohan smacked his lips in thought. A surgical nurse—an invaluable asset. He would have liked to take both the doctor and the nurse, but doing so would surely have caused the group to reject the alliance outright.

“To strengthen ties between allied camps, we’ll also frequently exchange personnel. It’s not a permanent separation,” Yohan explained.

Gap-soo, adopting a pleading tone, suggested an alternative.

“Well, there’s nothing left here. Can’t we just move to your camp instead? We won’t be a burden…”

Unaware of the zombie wave, Gap-soo’s request was understandable. Yohan, wearing a bitter expression, shook his head. If avoiding the wave were possible, he would have already gathered as many survivors at his camp as he could.

“I’m sorry, but our camp is already at capacity. In fact, we’re planning to relocate some of our people here to free up space. We’ve accumulated so many supplies that we’re running out of room.”

He decided to delay explaining the wave and survival rules, opting instead for a plausible excuse.

Despite his explanation, the group still looked doubtful. Yohan sensed the need to make an emphatic point and turned to Seri.

“Seri, open the door. It’s noisy outside.”

The group gasped, horrified. The groaning and shuffling of zombies could still be heard beyond the door. Before anyone could stop her, Seri pulled the heavy metal door open with a loud creak. The undead’s wailing grew deafening.

“Form a semicircle around the entrance!” Yohan commanded.

The scouting team immediately moved into position, forming a half-circle at the door. They began systematically slaughtering the zombies pouring in. The survivors stared, their jaws dropping at the display.

“Th-those…”

Even the petite, seemingly delicate Seri crushed zombie skulls with practiced efficiency. Her skills far surpassed Gap-soo’s, who was considered the best zombie fighter among them.

The dozens of zombies that had relentlessly pursued the group earlier were swiftly reduced to lifeless heaps on the floor. Yohan wiped the blood from his knife and turned back, causing the survivors to flinch once more.

“We’ll start clearing the hospital now. If anything happens or anyone approaches, use the radio immediately. Someone should always keep watch through the window. Hold this button down, wait for the tone, and then speak after two seconds. Address me by name so there’s no confusion,” Yohan instructed.

Gap-soo nodded feverishly, his awe evident. It was clear he had never seen survivors this organized and skilled before. It wasn’t surprising—this world, where mere contact could mean infection, made even facing slow-moving zombies a terrifying ordeal. The ability to control one’s fear and act decisively was a skill not easily attained.

“Let’s get started. Don’t enter dark areas, and take your time,” Yohan said.

He mentally reviewed the hospital’s layout, which he had noted earlier.

“We’ll start by locking all the doors we can. There are too many entry points, so we need to seal off as much as possible to prevent zombies from wandering in from outside. After that, we’ll set up a position to lure and eliminate the remaining zombies.”

“Same as at the supermarket,” Seri murmured.

Yohan looked at her approvingly, impressed by her observation. “You’re finally starting to pull your weight. Give it another two weeks, and you’ll be fully competent.”

Seri frowned at his condescending tone.

“What’s with that ‘puppy potty-training’ look you’re giving me?”

“Oh, you have moments of real sharpness,” Yohan teased.

“…”

Before Seri could fire back, Yohan continued explaining the plan.

“Just like Seri said, this procedure will work for securing new shelters in the future. Identify and seal entry points, find high or spacious safe zones, and maintain perimeter vigilance while dealing with zombies. Only clean up the bodies after the area is fully secured. Remember this process—it’s the same whether I’m here or not. Safety always takes priority over speed.”

The scouting team moved methodically through the first floor, locking doors and sealing emergency exits. They blocked access between the annex and the main building using fire shutters.

“Locked!”

“Good. Move to the next one.”

“Wow, the annex is crawling with zombies.”

“Leave it. There’s nothing worth retrieving there.”

Yohan grabbed Sweeper, who was peeking through an emergency exit at the annex’s zombie horde.

“I said be thorough, not reckless.”

“You’re too strict, boss,” Sweeper grumbled.

Before the operation began, Yohan had carefully studied the hospital’s layout via its information boards. Understanding the building’s structure was a fundamental step in securing it.