RE: Survival - Chapter 81

“Crazy bastard.” Sweeper muttered.

— “Well then, it was fun, my friend. Let’s never see each other again.”

The radio transmission abruptly cut off. As soon as it did, Yohan urgently turned to Sweeper.

“Call everyone together right now.”

“What?”

“He’s coming.”

“But he just said—”

“He made it sound like he wouldn’t come. But he will. He always does. We’re gathering our forces and moving out immediately.”

Yohan wasn’t flustered. He had accounted for the possibility that Gae Baek-jeong would see through his deception.

Even so, he had proceeded because one fact remained unchanged—Gae Baek-jeong was coming. And Yohan still had a way to turn the tables on him.

As soon as the radio cut off, Gae Baek-jeong would be rounding up his men and heading this way.

That was the fundamental nature of his deceit.

He read Yohan’s thoughts, and Yohan read his.

But there was a crucial difference.

Yohan knew his past actions, his patterns, his habits—whereas Gae Baek-jeong knew nothing about Yohan.

Considering his meticulous and thorough nature, he would assume his enemy was preparing for an ambush.

Since Yohan had already dismantled his advance team, he might even predict that Kim Seol-hwa had revealed the entry route and expect a preemptive strike there.

That meant he would alter his entry point or take multiple paths to throw them off. He would use a diversionary force to draw attention while his main force moved in.

But Yohan had accounted for that as well. Since they aimed to seize the camp with minimal losses, they would also be prepared for a prolonged engagement.

Their supply method involved using motorcycles hitched with carts. That meant at least one route would need to be a wide roadside to accommodate the carts.

A minimum of three routes, possibly as many as four or five. The minor paths would be abandoned, while they focused their firepower on the most impactful areas. The remaining diversions would be left for the mercenaries to handle.

Yohan’s gaze shifted to Kim Seol-hwa.

“How long did it take to get here from your base?”

“If you don’t run into zombies and don’t take breaks… about two or three hours.”

By car, it would take around an hour to an hour and twenty minutes. Factoring in motorcycles and their gear, two hours was about right.

“Good. Sweeper, let’s go.”

Yohan pushed Sweeper forward. The plan was clear, and time was tight. He cuffed Kim Seol-hwa’s free hand and gagged her, but she struggled violently.

“W-Wait! You have to protect me! If you’re just going to hand me over to that bastard, you might as well kill me now!”

“If I were going to kill you, I would do it with my own hands. I would never hand you over to him.”

That was the last thing she heard before her world faded into darkness.

As soon as Yohan stepped outside, he grabbed the radio.

“All search teams, assemble at the gray house immediately.”

The soldiers, who had been relaxing, scrambled together. By the time they all gathered, it was 1 PM.

They had just come out of a battle, yet the sun was still high in the sky. Yohan anxiously fiddled with the radio.

“Jung-hwan, how soon will you be here?”

— “Almost there.”

Yohan remained silent, waiting for Jung-hwan’s group to arrive. Everyone else watched him, sensing the tension in his rigid expression. His eyes were glued to the map, his mind running countless combat simulations.

This had to be the final battle. There could be no mistakes.

The heavy atmosphere tightened around them like a noose.

Finally, Jung-hwan and the remaining search team arrived, hauling carts filled with trade goods and ammunition.

“We’re all here.”

Sweeper nudged Yohan. He looked up and scanned the assembled group—seventeen in total. Every elite soldier in the camp was present.

At last, he spoke.

“This morning, we attacked an outpost of the Seoul Survival Union, a violent group, and eliminated nine of their men.”

The soldiers nodded. Some whispered among themselves.

‘Seoul Survival Union?’

‘That’s the group that broadcasts, right?’

Yohan glanced at them, and their murmurs died down.

“The Seoul Survival Union hunts down and retaliates against any camp that dares to attack them. Once you cross paths with them, there is no avoiding battle.”

He then explained their combat tactics and the horrific fates awaiting anyone taken prisoner.

Particularly, when he described how they would capture lovers, forcing women to watch as their partners were thrown into a zombie pit, screaming as they were devoured—his audience shuddered in horror.

“They’re coming here now. So, we’re going to block every route they might take, set traps, and ambush them before they reach us.”

Even the battle-hardened soldiers, both those who had fought earlier and those who hadn’t seen combat in a while, visibly tensed.

Hajin was the first to ask, “How many are we up against?”

“Estimates say at least thirty, maybe as many as sixty.”

“That’s nearly twice our numbers. Isn’t this too dangerous?”

“It is.”

“Is there a way to avoid it?”

“If we want to avoid it, we need to leave now. But we can’t take all our people and supplies. The more we carry, the slower we’ll move. If it’s just us, we could escape quickly.”

Hajin sighed. Yohan had already considered that option.

But the search team consisted of people who had their own to protect. Dong-seok had his family. Jae-ho had a lover. Sergeant Ong had his comrades. Seri had Ji-hye, who had been like a sister to her since losing her own.

They couldn’t just abandon them.

Even if they fled now, it wouldn’t take long for a group on motorcycles to catch up. Running wasn’t an option.

In the past, after suffering a devastating defeat in his first battle, Yohan had done everything he could to avoid direct confrontation with the Seoul Survival Union.

But no matter how hard he tried to evade them, their relentless pursuit never ceased.

The best way to avoid the Seoul Survival Union was to never get involved with them in the first place. However, Yohan had chosen to stand against them.

Even after settling outside of Seoul to escape their reach, it was as if an invisible thread pulled them toward each other. No matter how far he tried to run, their inevitable clash loomed over him.

And deep down, he knew.

As long as he was alive on this land, even if he avoided them now, one day, he would face them again—stronger, more formidable than before. It was a certainty, not just a feeling.

This was the only chance.

He couldn’t explain it in a way that made perfect sense, but striking first was the right choice—the only answer.

Fortunately, despite Yohan’s vague explanation, Hajin nodded in understanding. No one else raised objections. After surviving life-or-death situations together, their trust in Yohan was absolute.

“For now, these two routes are the most likely entry points,” Yohan explained. “But knowing Gae Baek-jeong’s personality, he might not use either of them. He could take another route entirely or even multiple paths.”

He tapped at the map, indicating the optimal locations for an ambush.

“Once the battle starts, these positions will give us a one-sided advantage. We’ll place the remaining Claymores on the ground here, and after the explosion, we’ll finish them with concentrated fire.”

If the ambush succeeded, it would be a massacre.

Behind the search team’s hiding spot were solid cover points, while in front of them, the only way forward led into an open road and empty fields.

The moment the enemy reached this area, they would be trapped in a death pit.

Yohan continued his briefing.

“Some of them might break off for guerrilla warfare, but at the very least, their supplies will be coming through here. If worst comes to worst and they try to bypass us and head straight for the Family Foundation Camp, we’ll let them engage in battle there—then attack them from behind while they’re off guard.”

A surprise ambush. A pincer attack. Either way, the odds were in their favor.

“We’ll divide into two teams and set up ambushes at the most likely entry points. Team 2, led by Sweeper.”

“Roger that.”

“Team members: Hajin, Dong-seok, Sergeant Ong, Jae-hee, Aeri, Jung-eun, and Ji-won.”

The seven called out responded with firm voices.

“Team 1 will be with me. Hyuk, Seri, Jae-ho, Kyung-wook, Jinsu, Jung-su, and Eddy.”

As Yohan finalized the teams, Jung-hwan raised his hand.

Yohan nodded for him to speak.

“Hyung, what about me?”

“You’re going back to the camp.”

“The camp?”

“Go there immediately and gather everyone at the search team’s camp. Stay completely silent and hidden. There’s no time to grab supplies—just get there and stay out of sight. We still have some leftover provisions for the search team, so you should be able to hold out. Even if you’re discovered, do not come out. Barricade yourselves inside.”

There was a real possibility the battle could spill into the camp. In the worst-case scenario, the camp members needed to be safely hidden away.

Malls, hospitals, and schools were too obvious. But the search team’s camp was just a regular house, making it unlikely to be targeted. And even if it was found, they could defend it from inside.

Jung-hwan hesitated. “What about a zombie wave?”

“One day won’t matter. If a wave does happen, hunker down in the basement, lock the doors, and don’t come out until all the supplies are gone. The zombies will take care of Seoul Survival Union for us.”

“Everyone. No exceptions. Even if they refuse, drag them there.”

Jung-hwan widened his eyes. Yohan was ruthless when necessary, so his insistence on saving everyone came as a surprise.

“What if someone refuses to go, and I have to leave them behind?”

“Kill them.”

“…What?!”

“If someone lingers and gets captured, they could be used as hostages or spill information about the camp. That’s even more dangerous. Do you understand?”

Ah. So that’s why.

Jung-hwan finally understood.

“This is a dangerous and crucial role. I’m counting on you.”

“…Understood, hyung.”

“Oh, and one more thing, Jung-hwan.”

“Yes?”

“If you open my office cabinet… Hm, never mind. Just get moving.”

He could only spare so many people for the camp. Once the battle started, every fighter would be needed.

Jung-hwan was the best choice for this mission—one of Yohan’s most trusted people, someone with sound judgment and decisiveness, and someone well-respected by the camp members.

The people in the camp were the result of Yohan’s months of struggle—doctors, nurses, engineers, farmers. The foundation for a new life.

There were a few troublemakers, but most of them were too valuable to abandon.

With his orders given, Yohan wrapped up the meeting.

“The enemy is strong. This might be the toughest battle we’ve ever faced.”

A few people swallowed hard. This was the first time Yohan had ever called an enemy “strong” since the Mutant David. And that battle had left them with the highest casualties they had ever suffered.

“But once this is over, we’ll leave the city and start fresh in a safer place. We’re all going to make it. Not a single one of us is dying here.”

Please.

“We will achieve a decisive victory.”