RE: Survival - Chapter 51

After Yohan finished speaking and did not continue, one of the survivors asked. It was the young man who had been classmates with Hyuk in college.

“I have a question. When you say treatment… what kind of treatment are you referring to?”

“You will live in the best-equipped state, in the best environment, no matter where our base is located. Even if everyone else in the camp goes hungry, the scouting team will be the first to receive supplies. Additionally, you’ll always have what you need without shortage. And no one will dare treat the scouting team members poorly.”

The people nodded in agreement.

They were taking on dangerous missions that could cost them their lives. Creating allies who could guard your back wasn’t possible with fear alone. Motivation, goals, and rewards were essential.

The reason the Seoul Survival Union could commit such vicious acts and still hold together as an organization wasn’t due to fear or safety. It was because of the sweet power and rewards that came with being in the upper ranks.

Those intoxicated by the rewards would soon fully conform to the organization’s atmosphere.

“I’ve got a question, boss.”

Yohan nodded at Sweeper’s words.

“Do you have another location prepared, just in case?”

“Another location?”

“I mean a place where supplies are stored. When you said earlier that we’d live in the best locations no matter where the base is, I wondered if you’re planning to move us somewhere else.”

Few people noticed the subtle change in Yohan’s expression.

How much should he answer truthfully? How far could he trust these people?

“Yes.”

“Oh?”

“Apart from here, I’ve prepared a second shelter in an isolated area outside the city. It’s not just remote but also private property, making it hard for people to access. There are even livestock roaming in the wild, various supplies, and seeds for planting. This is just a guess, but maybe even zombies will have a hard time getting there.”

After all, they hadn’t encountered any zombies that could swim or fly.

The murmuring among the people grew louder at Yohan’s words. Sweeper lowered his hand, signaling he’d gotten his answer, and others started asking questions.

“Where is it?”

“That’s difficult to say.”

“…Excuse me?”

“If a fight breaks out with intruders and someone gets captured or tortured, I don’t want the last refuge to be exposed.”

“Ah…”

The second shelter wasn’t just a beacon of hope for gathering survivors but also a leash to control them. It would be troublesome if anyone tried to sneak away from the camp and break into the shelter.

“So when are we moving? Why are we still staying here?”

“First, manpower. To sustain life, we need skilled people for food, supplies, technology—architects, farmers, engineers, doctors. Right now, we can’t be self-sufficient. And more importantly, we need to strengthen our armaments before heading to the second shelter. Absolutely.”

Even in the second shelter, there was no guarantee they’d be completely free from zombies. Besides, there was the constant threat of raiders as well.

Once they had weapons, ammunition, skilled people, and fully vetted allies, they would move the survivors to the shelter.

Yohan wanted to protect the final ark he had poured his soul into creating—the last sanctuary of humanity that would never fall.

“Uh… I don’t know if I should ask this question.”

“Go ahead.”

Hyuk’s friend cautiously spoke.

“When did you start preparing all of this? This place, and the second shelter too?”

“A long time ago.”

“Wow… How did you know the world would end up like this?”

“Well, actually, I’m a messenger sent by God to prevent humanity’s downfall.”

“What?!”

“I’m joking.”

Seeing the college student’s exaggeratedly surprised expression, Yohan chuckled and answered.

“I didn’t prepare in advance. When everything fell apart and the soldiers were out conscripting people, I started preparing little by little while moving on my own. Any other questions?”

“No, that’s all.”

Yohan gave the excuse he had already thought up.

There was no need to reveal everything.

“The scouting team might recruit additional members depending on their abilities, and we might remove some from the team as well. Seri.”

“Huh? Oh, yes.”

“Circulate the recordings we just made so that everyone in the camp can watch them.”

“Understood.”

Seri, who seemed absent-minded, nodded.

“This location will only serve as a base for a few more days. It’s too far from our camp to be a proper scouting team camp. Starting tomorrow, we’ll conduct long-distance searches. We’ll secure weapons and ammunition from a military base, and once this mission is over, we’ll reestablish the scouting team camp at Sangdong Station.”

Yohan finished speaking and pointed to a female member of Scouting Team 2.

“You there, what’s your name?”

“It’s Aeri…”

“Aeri, and Jung-hwan.”

“Yes, boss.”

“You two stay behind. Guard this place. Mr. Kim, please check the generator to make sure it can be moved.”

“Boss, let me come too.”

“No. You’re still recovering. Stay put.”

At Yohan’s firm response, Jung-hwan sulked. Of course, it was partly because of his injury, but more importantly, someone trustworthy needed to stay behind to guard the supplies.

Leaving such valuable resources entirely to untrustworthy people was not an option.

With Jung-hwan injured, the timing provided a perfect excuse, making him the ideal candidate.

“I’ve talked too much. Please finish your meals and rest well for tomorrow. I don’t want to see any of you die in vain.”

After leaving those words, Yohan downed his beer in one go and climbed to the roof to stand guard.

The remaining people were in a state of mixed emotions. Some were filled with newfound hope, while others were terrified of the upcoming missions.

And there were even those who complained about the ruined mood of the drinking session.

“That guy, he must have been an outcast in school, right?”

Seri’s comment made Sweeper burst into laughter.

—

“Boss, should we leave one cart behind? We’ll need to move stuff from here too.”

“Take all five. We’ll have to make two trips anyway.”

Early in the morning, Yohan’s team was already busy.

In areas where the roads were blocked, they had to move on foot instead of by vehicle. To transport ammunition, the scouting team brought out five L-Trainers and a couple of spare pushcarts to carry supplies.

“Boss, how many shotgun shells should we bring?”

“Take as many as we can carry. We’re going to resupply ammunition anyway, so use them all if necessary. For food, pack enough to last each person for two days. Seri, how about the medical supplies?”

“Disinfectants, antibiotics in oral form, and dressing materials should be enough, right?”

“Don’t forget anti-inflammatory drugs. Oh, and Dong-seok, grab the tools too. We’ll need a cutting tool. Jung-hwan, what’s that?”

Yohan tilted his head as he noticed Jung-hwan struggling to carry something.

“This? I thought it might be useful. I picked it up while cleaning out the electronics store.”

“Hm.”

What Jung-hwan had taken from the truck was a drone. He added that it was the most expensive one in the store. Yohan shook his head. He had tried using drones in the past, but they were harder to control than expected and weren’t very practical, so he had given up after a few attempts.

“Does it transmit live video?”

“Not without Wi-Fi… but it can record, and we can watch the footage on a laptop.”

“Really? Anyone here know how to operate a drone?”

Hoping for the best, Yohan looked at the scouting team members. If anyone was skilled at using it, he figured they might as well bring it along.

The others exchanged glances with Yohan and Jung-hwan but quickly went back to their tasks, shaking their heads.

“Doesn’t seem like it’s usable right now. Keep it with you for now.”

“Got it…”

“Who knows, it might come in handy later.”

Yohan patted Jung-hwan on the back, trying to console him as he looked dejected.

Before their departure, the scouting team tried to steady their nerves. Yohan’s warning about a potentially large-scale battle at the military base loomed in their minds. He explained the possible scenarios and the expected scale of combat calmly and thoroughly.

After briefing the team on all scenarios and routes, Yohan radioed each camp for a status update.

“This is the scouting team. Reporting status from the mart to each camp, over.”

– “This is Seo-jun. All clear.”

“Lieutenant Ahn?”

– “No issues.”

“The hospital?”

– “All good.”

“Alright. If anything happens, contact us immediately. While we’re away, maintain heightened vigilance. Scouting team departing at 08:00. Over.”

With Yohan’s hand signal, the scouting team moved in perfect coordination. A total of fourteen members.

The group formed a diamond formation: three at the front, three at the rear, and four on each side, with the L-Trainers in the center.

Even though they had applied noise-reducing lubricant, the sound of five L-Trainers moving still drew considerable attention from the zombies. The team encountered zombies within moments of departing.

As before, the formation prioritized newer members with less experience, allowing them to gain combat practice and ease their tension before the actual operation began.

The further they moved, the more fluid everyone’s movements became.

The military base was farther than anticipated. This was the longest trip the group had undertaken so far with this number of people.

Fortunately, Yohan’s biggest concern—encountering other survivors—did not come to pass.

Whether it was a group or an individual, running into other survivors during an operation would be troublesome. It would be hard to either rescue them or turn a blind eye.

Yohan’s team rested twice before reaching their target destination when the sun was fully overhead.

Before entering the base, the team positioned themselves on a flyover bridge to survey the area with binoculars.

The 271st base. Although not division-level, it was the largest base in the vicinity with an ammunition depot, and it was fairly sizable.

As expected, zombies filled the interior. Surprisingly, there were more zombies that seemed to have been civilians than those wearing military uniforms. The main gate was open, but apart from that, the fences and barriers were intact.

“It collapsed from within. There was a zombie wave, but that’s not what caused the initial collapse.”

Yohan briefly summarized the situation.

“It seems like there were two waves of attacks. First, the zombies that appeared within the base brought it down. Then, survivors who flocked to the base attracted a second zombie wave, which got sucked into the chaos.”

“Got sucked in?”

“Probably. Waves of zombies likely started over there or over there. People fleeing the zombies would’ve thought the base was safe and ran toward it. That brought the zombies closer to the base, and the remaining survivors inside got caught in the wave.”

Currently, zombies were scattered in groups, but there were no signs of an active wave.

It appeared that the zombies that had entered through the main gate during the wave had stayed inside after the situation calmed, unable to leave.

Like fish trapped in nets, swept ashore by the tide and left behind when it receded.