Chapter 71

“If you feel wronged, then defend yourself.”

“Defend myself… how?”

“Well, if she’s lying, then you just need to provide a convincing reason why it’s a lie.”

As the conversation continued, Yohan closely observed his eyes. His gaze, breathing, and even the slightest facial expressions—he wasn’t willing to miss a single thing.

After a long moment of hesitation, Jinsu chewed on his fingernail and spoke with a look of extreme grievance.

“But… I’m ten years younger than her…”

It wasn’t a particularly persuasive argument. But at least he seemed sincere.

“Has she ever shown any interest in you?”

“No, not really… We weren’t particularly close, and she was very popular.”

“Did you do anything that might have made her hold a grudge?”

“Not exactly… Oh! There were people who opposed me joining the search team, and I think she was one of them.”

That was an unexpected answer. Someone had opposed him joining the search team…

“Why did they oppose it?”

“Well…”

“Why?”

“I’m not really sure. Just my personal guess, but I don’t think she liked you very much.”

“Me? Why?”

“That part, I don’t really know…”

The conversation brought to mind the saying, ‘Never raise a black-haired beast.’ Parktown Camp had been on the brink of collapse when Yohan rescued them.

Inside the camp, three marauders had been terrorizing the survivors, and the supply situation was dire. The starving survivors were forced into the dead zone by the marauders, ordered to scavenge for supplies with no chance of survival.

It was unlikely to be the general consensus.

When people gather and their bellies are full, dissatisfaction is bound to emerge. The chaff among the grains, the goats among the sheep.

The real issue was trust. One of them was lying, and Yohan needed to discern the truth—

No.

On second thought, there was no need for that. He wasn’t a judge or a prosecutor. He was simply the leader of a survivor group. He just had to make a choice.

It was a simple decision between a victim who lounged in the safety of the camp, relying on others for sustenance, and a suspect who had fought alongside him on the front lines.

“It’s no secret… That woman has a lot of lovers. Even the guy who got kicked out before seemed to have some history with her.”

The answer was clear.

—

The dawn broke as usual, even in an unfamiliar place. Yohan was the first to wake up. Jung-hwan, who had been keeping watch on the rooftop, nodded as Yohan approached.

“You’re up early, hyung. Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah. Good job.”

“You don’t look like you got much sleep.”

“I always sleep lightly outside the camp.”

It wasn’t an unusual response. Yohan silently stood beside Jung-hwan, and an awkward silence settled between them—a strange distance that had formed at some point.

The discomfort wasn’t on Yohan’s end. Jung-hwan seemed to have difficulty facing him. And Yohan knew exactly why. Lately, Jung-hwan had been wanting to say something, and Yohan had given him the opportunity.

“Hyung.”

“Yeah.”

“Could you be more clear about your stance?”

It was the expected timing for the expected question. Yohan stared at Jung-hwan before speaking firmly.

“Jung-hwan.”

“Yes, hyung.”

“Don’t involve me in your feelings. Whether you win someone’s heart or fail, that’s between you and them.”

“……”

“What I mean is, don’t hesitate or blame me if things don’t go your way.”

Yohan drove the point home to the conflicted Jung-hwan.

“My stance has always been clear and unchanged. The search team members are all my people, and the squad leaders are the ones I trust the most. That’s all there is to it.”

There was no romance. Love was a luxury. It wasn’t because he disliked Seri, nor was it because his relationship with Jung-hwan was awkward. It was simply a deeply ingrained belief that had been built over a long time—one that wouldn’t change easily.

“If you’re done sulking, go wake the others.”

“Got it!”

As Jung-hwan walked away with noticeably lighter steps, Yohan let out a dry chuckle.

He had no desire to be involved in the childish love squabbles of the younger ones, yet things like this always seemed to happen. That said, Jung-hwan’s love life seemed pretty doomed from the start. But that wasn’t Yohan’s problem.

Love in this era was fleeting, impulsive, and driven by desire. Even if someone had strong feelings now, they would fade and rekindle again in no time, just like the ‘suspension bridge effect’ described by Arthur Aron.

Yohan didn’t care.

Once everyone was awake, Yohan made a brief announcement.

“We’ll split into two teams for movement. Jung-hwan, Jung-su, and Jung-eun—head out until you can reach the camp by radio. Share our situation with them and check on theirs. Then wait there. The rest will come with me to Bupyeong District Office. No questions.”

People looked puzzled, but Yohan continued with his instructions.

“You will all be transferred to a different camp. Everyone, stand up. Untie them.”

There was another suspicious survivor camp nearby—one where his former coworker, Jung-mi, resided.

He didn’t know what the real motive behind their broadcast was, but if they were attracting danger with it, then he had to either stop them or absorb them. Either way, he needed to verify what kind of camp they were running.

And he planned to use these captives as bait for that.

Conveniently, the remaining survivors were all women.

If Jung-mi’s broadcast was a trap, then he could use them as disposable pawns without dirtying his own hands. And if that gave him an excuse to raid her camp, all the better.

If the broadcast was genuine and meant to rescue survivors, then he could dump these troublesome individuals on them and establish a simple alliance. Even if someone held a grudge, Jung-mi’s camp would serve as a buffer, filtering out potential threats.

That was Yohan’s conclusion.

“Originally, I would have killed you all to remove any future trouble. But I’m giving you one last chance. Think of it as a fresh start in a new camp—survive however you can.”

Of course, no one realized Yohan’s true intentions.

“Jung-hwan, if you notice anything suspicious, report back immediately.”

“Yes, hyung.”

Jung-hwan’s group, along with the unverified new camp recruits, set off in the opposite direction of Yohan’s team.

Meanwhile, Yohan and the search team headed toward Bupyeong District Office. From Gulpo Stream, it was just one subway stop away. Before the regression, it would have been a short trip, but walking through zombie-infested streets made it anything but close.

Especially when carrying a heavy load of supplies. Yohan kept the survivors in the center while spreading out his team in a strategic formation as they advanced.

Recently, he’d begun to notice a pattern—something he couldn’t be entirely certain of, but it felt real. Even without a zombie wave, large groups of people moving together seemed to attract more zombies from further away.

His suspicions were reinforced through frequent scouting missions and border fortifications. Sergeant Ong, who always took the high ground, had pointed it out.

“Normally, zombies that can’t see people just wander aimlessly. But when a large group moves near the perimeter, zombies from much farther away start closing in.”

Dr. Park Jae-beom had proposed a new theory—’human scent dispersion.’

Zombies, including mutants, primarily hunt by scent. And when a group of people gathers in a confined space, their collective scent becomes much stronger.

It was a plausible theory.

“Hey, boss.”

Yohan snapped out of his thoughts as Sweeper called him. He turned with a questioning look.

“We’re heading to that Women’s Foundation place, right?”

“Women’s Family Foundation. It’s not the Ministry of Gender Equality.”

“Ah, I see. Boss, you really are the world’s greatest villain.”

Sweeper smirked, as if he’d figured out Yohan’s true intentions.

Yohan replied sincerely, “You’re too perceptive. I don’t like it.”

As the Women’s Family Foundation building came into view, Yohan altered their formation. He ordered the search team, who had been surrounding the survivors for protection, to hide. If this was an ambush or a trap, it was best to be cautious.

He then handed a signal flare gun to the sharpest-looking woman among the survivors.

“We’ll cover you. Wait at the annex of that building, and the rescue team will come out. If anything goes wrong, fire this out the window.”

“Okay…”

“Go.”

The moment Yohan finished speaking, the survivors hesitated briefly before quickly walking toward the building.

As zombies started gathering around them, panic spread among the survivors, and they broke into a run.

Crossbow-wielding team members picked off the zombies approaching them. Once Yohan confirmed that they had safely reached the building, he grabbed his radio.

“Survivors deployed. Team 1, search and hold position in that gray building with me. Team 2, set up a vantage point in the park behind it. Team 3, search Bupyeong District Office and hold position.”

If that radio broadcast had been a trap, then the enemy was likely lying in wait inside the Women’s Hall or in the surrounding buildings.

In that case, they needed to clear the perimeter first to avoid being surrounded.

The best outcome would be nothing happening, but from experience, things rarely went smoothly. Most situations turned into the worst-case scenario.

However, ever since the camp was established, aside from the battle with Baek Jong-soo and the fight against the mutant David, they had managed to avoid major crises. Yohan forced himself to stay focused and shake off his concerns.

The glass door of the building next to the hall slowly opened. It appeared to be a commercial office building. Inside, there were no signs of zombies—evidence that someone had been using it.

Yohan heightened his senses and began searching the building cautiously. He quickly spotted signs of habitation—remnants of a campfire, bedding that had been recently used, and scattered trash.

He raised his index and pinky fingers, signaling for combat readiness. His three teammates tensed up, holding their breath.

Even after countless battles, fear never fully disappeared. In this world, people still got hurt, and people still died. They only wanted to fight battles they could win, but no one could guarantee victory. And yet, battles always came.

Footsteps echoed. Someone was there.

Yohan raised his hand, signaling his team to halt. At the far end of the corridor leading from the emergency stairs to a large store, he gripped his rifle tightly.

‘One set of footsteps.’

The moment the figure turned the corner, Yohan launched himself forward.

‘Thwack!’ The rifle butt smashed into the man’s face.

‘Crack!’ A loud crunch signaled a broken nose as the man screamed.

“Arghhh!”

“What the hell?! What’s going on?!”

Voices came from deeper inside the store. Two of them. Yohan swiftly subdued the first man and tossed him toward Hyuk.

Hyuk shoved a cloth into the captive’s mouth and tied his hands before he could make any more noise.

Meanwhile, Yohan swung out of cover and fired his rifle.

‘Bang! Bang!’ The gunfire rang out.

A man hiding behind a pillar aimed his gun at Yohan. Instantly, Yohan retreated behind the corner just as the enemy fired back.

‘Click-click!’ More shots followed.

An armed faction. That suspicious broadcast had been a trap after all.

Yohan quickly relayed the situation.

“This is Yohan. Armed hostiles detected in the gray building. Be cautious when searching. If engaging is difficult, report and retreat.”