RE: Survival - Chapter 37

“Sweeper, come here for a second. I need a favor.”

Yohan’s smile as he called for the Sweeper was chilling. Feeling an odd shiver despite the early summer heat, the Sweeper approached cautiously.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Ahn ordered six of his soldiers to load up as many food boxes as they could carry. Even with all six carrying as much as they could, it wasn’t even half of the food they’d been granted. Yet, their spirits were high.

“Lieutenant, isn’t carrying this much all at once a bit risky? Wouldn’t it be safer to make multiple trips?”

“Who knows when they might change their minds? Don’t worry. There were barely any zombies when we came during the day, so we’ll just have to be careful.”

However, their assumptions crumbled as soon as they stepped beyond the parking lot. The road outside was swarming with zombies. They were so tightly packed that it seemed impossible to believe such a horde could exist.

“Lieutenant…”

“This… wasn’t the situation when we came earlier…”

Sweating profusely, Lieutenant Ahn and his soldiers quickly retreated behind the barricade.

Just as they were eagerly returning to their vehicle with the excitement of completing their mission, an unexpected challenge lay in wait.

“Damn it…”

Sneaking past unnoticed was not an option. The streets ahead, the alleyways, and the path to their vehicle were all teeming with zombies.

Carrying all that food around would inevitably lead to them being surrounded and devoured. Lieutenant Ahn sat on the edge of the parking structure, holding his head in his hands, deep in thought.

Should he swallow his pride and ask for help, or should he reduce the load and make multiple trips?

Asking for help was out of the question. Pride aside, revealing their inability to handle the zombies could provoke unpredictable reactions from the civilians.

“Four of us will carry the supplies, and the other four will guard them.”

They had initially tried to move as much as possible at once to avoid multiple trips. But with two soldiers guarding six carriers, it was an impossible task.

They decided to reduce their load.

Half… If they could somehow avoid the zombies, they could make multiple trips. As they began moving, the soldiers carrying supplies nervously called out to the lieutenant.

“Ugh, Lieutenant. I can’t see clearly up ahead. Are you sure this is going to work?”

“Shh! Keep quiet!”

Lieutenant Ahn stuck to the edges of the path as much as possible. But with so many zombies around, it was inevitable that some would get too close.

*BAM!*
The lieutenant struck a nearby zombie’s head with his rifle butt. When it didn’t die instantly and staggered forward again, a nearby corporal let out a startled yelp.

The noise attracted the attention of more zombies nearby. Between the parked cars, the moans of the undead grew louder, and the team found themselves surrounded. The soldiers trembled in fear, frozen like trees in a storm.

“We can’t move forward anymore!”

“Lieutenant!”

“They’re behind us too—Ahhh!”

“Private Kang!”

The situation descended into chaos in an instant. A soldier carrying supplies was bitten, and the others dropped their boxes to fight off the encroaching zombies.

“Retreat! Back to the parking lot!”

The lieutenant shouted the order to retreat, and the soldiers scrambled to escape, leaving behind their supplies. Private Kang became the unfortunate victim, his screams growing louder as zombies piled onto him. His comrades glanced back at him in horror as they fled to safety.

Back in the parking lot, Yohan and his group stood waiting. They watched the soldiers return, their expressions a mix of amusement and detachment. Once the soldiers climbed into the truck, Yohan’s team began picking off the zombies attached to the vehicle using slingshots, crossbows, and zombie harpoons with expert precision.

*Ping!*
An arrow shot through the head of a distant zombie. Yohan climbed down from the top of the truck with a disapproving look.

“It’s a problem if you just leave the food I gave you out on the streets like that…”

“Huff… Th-There were so many zombies…”

“We want to cooperate, but if you can’t even take what we give you, it’s quite the dilemma.”

Yohan’s tone was calm, but it grated on the lieutenant’s nerves.

However, Yohan’s next words turned him from a devil to an angel.

“Would you like us to help move the supplies?”

“Y-You would do that for us?”

“Of course. You’re serving the nation, after all.”

The lieutenant, now reflecting on how he had previously cursed Yohan, offered profuse thanks.

“But we also want to avoid unnecessary risks, so please only take one-quarter of the supplies you originally intended. And in exchange, we’d like additional information.”

“Additional information?”

“Yes. Tell us the location of a base where we can find live ammunition.”

“That’s… impossible…”

“If you can’t, then so be it.”

Yohan clicked his tongue regretfully, then raised his rifle and shot a zombie in the head from afar. The loud gunshot echoed, drawing more zombies toward their location.

It was now nearly impossible to leave the parking lot.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

The lieutenant shouted in frustration, realizing it was Yohan who had attracted the zombies to begin with. This entire situation had been orchestrated.

“You were the one who came to a civilian camp and demanded half our supplies, Lieutenant. We only cooperated under your unreasonable terms. If you can take what you wanted, go ahead. But if not, we’ll return whatever you leave behind to its original place.”

“Ugh…”

“And if you’re wiped out, we’ll just put the supplies back where they were. After all, corpses don’t need food.”

The lieutenant’s face turned pale as he realized he was at Yohan’s mercy. Seeing the defeated expression, Yohan calmly pulled out a map.

“You’re no match for me yet, Lieutenant,” Yohan said, his tone matter-of-fact. “Now, where is the armory?”

“…The ammunition depot is at the 22nd Support Battalion. The location is…”

With a resigned expression, the lieutenant marked the precise location on the map. Under Yohan’s relentless questioning, he even described the internal layout of the depot to the best of his memory.

“Now, is that all?”

“No, not yet.”

“What else now?!”

“Leave half of your firearms behind.”

“That’s absurd!”

To a soldier, a firearm is life itself. Asking them to give up their weapons was unthinkable—an idea so ingrained in them since their training days that it was almost a reflex to reject the notion.

“This demand is unreasonable. We’ve already shared the location of the support platoon!”

“And that’s why we’re giving you a quarter of the supplies. The firearms are for security costs. If you’re unwilling, you’re free to leave without them.”

“This… This is outright disregard for military authority!”

“You have unused firearms in your unit, don’t you? And it’s not like you have any ammunition to spare. In return, we’ll provide you with some weapons you can actually use. Jung-hwan, bring them four knives or something similar.”

“Yes, hyung.”

“…”

“Come on, stop scowling. Your face will get wrinkled.”

Yohan lightly patted the lieutenant’s sagging shoulders. After receiving the firearms, Yohan loaded a bullet and test-fired the weapon. The condition of the guns was satisfactory.

“We’ll cover you. Your team just needs to carry the supplies. Scout party, get ready. I’ll herd the zombies away while you escort the supplies to the vehicle. Hajin, you take charge. Jung-hwan.”

“Yes, hyung.”

“There are only three people stationed over there, so you’ll need to lend support in that direction temporarily.”

“Got it!”

After issuing his commands, Yohan turned to the new arrivals who were standing awkwardly nearby.

“Apologies to our new guests, but please hold on just a little longer.”

“It’s fine with us.”

“And Ji-hye.”

“Yes?”

Yohan called out to Ji-hye, their cook, who still wore a nauseated expression every time she saw a corpse. He gave her a light scolding to toughen up before introducing Dr. Park Jae-beom.

“This is Dr. Park, our new teammate. Show him around the camp and prepare a good meal for him. If he needs anything, don’t hesitate to provide it.”

“Yes, yes!”

Ji-hye stood at attention, overly enthusiastic. Yohan smiled at her over-the-top reaction.

“Doctor, introductions can wait. For now, just rest.”

“Thank you.”

Dr. Park’s expression had already softened as he took in the abundance of supplies and the orderly state of the mart. After experiencing Ji-hye’s cooking, he would fully understand how fortunate he was to have ended up here.

Turning his attention back to the others, Yohan saw faces filled with expectation and uncertainty. Outside the box truck, more zombies were gathering.

“All personnel in the parking lot, move into the building for now. When I give the signal, head to the vehicle. The signal will be three gunshots.”

Yohan issued his instructions succinctly, then exited through the front gate and circled behind the horde of zombies. The first gunshot rang out, drawing the attention of the zombies clinging to the truck toward this new distraction.

Soon, the barricaded side of the parking lot was left empty, leaving the soldiers in awe. Herding zombies like this might sound easy, but in this world, Yohan was probably the only person who could do it so effortlessly.

The soldiers and search party made it to the vehicle without issue—not just because Yohan had drawn the zombies away, but also because of the search party’s efficiency. Sweeper, Hajin, Seri, and Jung-hwan dispatched any remaining zombies with skill and silence. Their methodical approach ensured no unnecessary noise drew more enemies.

It was clear to the soldiers that the search party’s combat style was born of experience. Watching them, the soldiers instinctively understood the importance of avoiding actions that would escalate a battle.

When the group reached the military vehicle, they saw Yohan already approaching from the opposite direction. He had gone the other way, yet he arrived at the same time. Seri’s offhand remark about him being “otherworldly” seemed more fitting than ever.

The truck was not a military vehicle, but a standard box truck with a military insignia slapped on. Inside were scattered boxes of combat rations, explaining how the unit had managed to survive.

After loading the supplies, Lieutenant Ahn approached Yohan and offered a respectful nod. Yohan returned the gesture with a curt nod of his own.

Though he had inadvertently made a fool of the lieutenant, Yohan still felt some semblance of kinship. If nothing else, their interaction had left an impression.

As the truck departed, Yohan turned back toward the camp. His group approached him, and Seri looked around before asking, “By the way, where’s Sweeper? I haven’t seen him since earlier.”

Yohan tilted his chin toward the back. Sweeper was lying atop the departing military truck, waving back at them as the vehicle grew smaller in the distance.

“What’s he doing?”

“Recon.”

To those who had worked with Yohan, that single word explained everything.

Why torment them to such an extent, only to send Sweeper on a reconnaissance mission? Anyone else might have refused outright, but not Yohan.

“He’s cold, ruthless, and utterly meticulous to the end.”

Seri silently vowed never to make an enemy of him. It was a sentiment shared by everyone present.