Chapter 89

A chilling, cackling laughter pierced the air. No one could understand why this madman was doing this or what he wanted from them.

Gae Baek-jeong clicked his tongue as he looked at the trembling survivors.

“Well, well. This welcome party is lacking in effort. It wouldn’t be fun to end it here, would it?”

His gaze swept over the survivors before stopping in front of Marco. Feeling the weight of that stare, Marco shuddered.

First Lieutenant Ahn and Seo-jun, the camp leaders, had died miserably. If the madman was looking for the next highest-ranking survivor, Marco knew he was next. But he had no intention of dying like this—not after surviving for so long. No, he refused.

“You, over there.”

Gae Baek-jeong pointed at Marco. Inside, Marco cursed non-stop.

“Bring me a woman. One that suits my taste. If I like her, I’ll have my fun. If not, I’ll take your head instead.”

“W-What…?”

“Huh?”

Marco grabbed his head, his eyes bulging. He didn’t want to die. He couldn’t die like this. His mind turned white with fear.

Then, suddenly, he reached for Ji-hye’s hand.

“Aaah! What are you doing?!”

Ji-hye struggled desperately, trying to resist, but Marco dragged her forward.

She screamed and begged him to stop, but he saw nothing. Marco, panting heavily, shoved her toward Gae Baek-jeong.

The madman lifted her chin, examining her tear-streaked face. Her features were delicate and well-formed, a classic beauty.

“Oh, not bad. Alright, you can stay.”

Marco let out a heavy breath and slumped back to his seat, ignoring the furious glares around him.

“You see? I’m a generous man. If you listen, I won’t hurt you. Now, what are you waiting for? Strip.”

He nudged the sobbing Ji-hye, making her flinch violently.

This lunatic! The other survivors screamed inwardly. He was really going to rape her—right here, in front of them all.

“Dwarf.”

“Yes, boss?”

“Start killing one person every thirty seconds until she’s naked. Anyone will do.”

“I-I’ll do it! I’ll take it off! Hic…”

Ji-hye sobbed as she began unbuttoning her blouse.

Just then, Old Man Park slowly stood up and stepped forward.

“What now, old man? I didn’t tell you to get up.”

“This is enough. Stop now…”

A fist slammed into Old Man Park’s face, crushing his nose and sending blood gushing down. He collapsed but pushed himself up with trembling arms.

“How can you do this… to another human being…?”

“Are you stupid? You’re dogs. Act like it.”

“…There’s a rooftop garden. In a month or two, fresh crops will be ready. If you want, I’ll help you grow food wherever you choose. Just… stop this.”

Gae Baek-jeong tilted his head, intrigued, and slung his rifle over his back. He no longer even glanced at Ji-hye, who had stopped undressing and was trembling violently.

“Alright. I like your courage, old man. You can live. From now on, you’ll work my farms. Now, let me finish my business here. Hey, you—”

Just as he turned back to Ji-hye, Jeanie burst into the underground shelter.

“Honey! Come here for a second!”

“What? I’m in the middle of something fun. Talk later.”

“It’s urgent. Really important.”

Gae Baek-jeong scowled. He didn’t like being interrupted, but Jeanie rarely got in his way. If he was interfering now, there had to be a good reason.

“Sit tight, puppies.”

Striding away, Gae Baek-jeong followed Jeanie to the second-floor office that had belonged to Yohan.

The locked door had been smashed open, the latch completely destroyed as if beaten by a club. Inside, the office looked ransacked, with open cabinets and scattered papers covering the floor. Maps, lists of survivors—documents that seemed important.

But none of that mattered to Gae Baek-jeong. He frowned, about to voice his irritation, when Jeanie handed him a stack of papers.

“Look at this.”

The documents were titled Zombie Apocalypse Response Manual. They listed the rules of zombie behavior, descriptions of mutated variants, their types, and characteristics.

As he read, Gae Baek-jeong’s eyes widened. There were over twenty listed mutant zombie types.

It was too detailed to be just personal accounts.

They had encountered a mutant zombie before, but only once. Even then, the refugee camp’s soldiers had suffered heavy casualties trying to subdue it.

The fact that someone had so much information on these creatures—and had survived this long—was unfathomable.

His eyes drifted to the bottom of the document.

Zombie Wave Patterns, Mutation Triggers… Airborne Infection.

The last page specifically discussed airborne infection. The idea alone was enough to send chills down his spine.

—

Zombie Rule 7 (Hypothetical):

Regarding the Probability of Airborne Infection: There is speculation that airborne transmission may be linked to the emergence of mutant zombies. During a Zombie Wave, even small wounds led to rapid infection. However, during normal periods, even large injuries rarely resulted in infection. If mutants are releasing a specific virus into the air, triggering airborne contagion, then avoiding Zombie Waves might be the key to preventing airborne infection. However, there is still no conclusive evidence.

—

“Hah…”

“And that’s not all. Look at this.”

Jeanie handed him another document.

It was a list from the Seoul Survival Union—a registry of survivors.

His name was there. So was everyone else’s. Their nicknames, traits, and even estimated dates of recruitment were listed.

What unsettled him the most, however, was that the document contained records of events beyond the current year.

The entries extended into 2019, listing people who hadn’t even joined yet.

It could have been dismissed as the ramblings of a madman, but the document listed the names of their camp’s top operatives—those secretly planted inside enemy forces to disrupt them from within.

Even Kim Seol-hwa didn’t know those names. There was no way their enemies should have known them. A chill ran down Gae Baek-jeong’s spine.

“What the hell is this bastard?!”

He shouted, an inexplicable sense of dread creeping into his mind. Gae Baek-jeong turned to one of his subordinates holding a radio.

“Mad Dog! Cola Bear! Still no response?”

“…N-No, sir.”

“You sons of bitches… What the hell is going on?”

Snatching the radio, Gae Baek-jeong pressed the call button repeatedly.

“Mad Dog! Cola Bear! Answer me!”

No response. No matter how loudly he yelled, only silence returned. Had they really been wiped out by him? But how? This was supposed to be a straightforward battle.

No matter how skilled the survivors were, they shouldn’t have been able to handle the war-hardened warriors of the Seoul Survival Union. That was how it should have been.

Grinding his teeth, he tried again.

“Yohan! I know you’re listening… Answer me, Yohan! I’ve found your precious little camp. More than a hundred people were hiding here! Oh, but I suppose there aren’t a hundred anymore—since I’ve killed over ten myself! It was beautiful! Your devoted followers screamed your name, ‘Yohan! Yohan!’ before I crushed their skulls!”

Gae Baek-jeong’s voice was almost desperate.

But still, the radio remained silent.

Yet, he knew the enemy was listening. He could feel it. That same instinct—his survival instinct, the one that had kept him alive through the apocalypse—told him that Yohan was hearing every word.

“You bastard! What the hell are you?!”

For the first time since the zombie outbreak, fear gripped Gae Baek-jeong.

—

The Recon Team had taken position at Gulpocheon Station, halfway between the mercenary camp and the enemy headquarters, lying in wait to ambush the Seoul Survival Union from behind.

Thud.

Yohan slammed the enemy’s FM radio—one he had taken after killing Cola Bear—against the ground, frustration evident in his expression.

Seeing his face, Yun Seri asked cautiously, “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Yohan took a deep breath, steadied himself, and spoke evenly.

“Our main camp has been hit. There are casualties. The rest have been taken hostage.”

“W-What? What about Jung-hwan?!”

Yohan shook his head. He didn’t know.

But Seri, assuming the worst, collapsed to her knees. “T-This can’t be happening…”

“Stay strong.”

As she muttered in disbelief, Yohan steadied her, then picked up the camp radio.

“Everyone, move to Sangdong. We’re surrounding the Recon Camp.”

– What’s going on?

“The enemy hit our main camp. We’re switching to Plan D.”

Over the radio, Sweeper’s grim voice came through. Of all the scenarios discussed in their briefing, this was the worst—the one with the highest potential for casualties.

Just before signing off, Yohan’s voice darkened.

“Listen carefully. No hesitation. Especially you, Hyuk. No matter what happens, hold your position. If anyone disobeys orders or acts recklessly, I will personally kill them.”

His words were practically a growl.

This was happening because someone had failed to follow his instructions.

Gae Baek-jeong and his forces arriving at the main camp was Plan D, the fourth scenario they had prepared for.

Yohan had hoped they wouldn’t have to use it.

Fighting Gae Baek-jeong hadn’t been part of the original mission. Their goal had been to rescue Hyuk. But now? Every single piece had to fit perfectly. If they made even one mistake, the casualties would be severe.

The centerpiece of the plan was the underground shelter beneath the Recon Camp.

Yohan had always anticipated that if he wasn’t there, the main camp might be attacked. That’s why he had fortified the underground shelter—to ensure the Recon Team’s survival, no matter what happened aboveground.

From the very beginning, when selecting a location to relocate their supplies, he had prioritized finding a site with an underground bunker.

His goal had been to build something that could withstand anything—even a nuclear bomb.

The original plan was simple: Jung-hwan, the specialist in fortifications, would lead the survivors into the shelter. They would lock themselves inside while the Recon Team pinpointed the enemy’s position.

There had been no alternative plans—because running wasn’t an option.

Gaeko and his tracking hounds were unmatched.

Even if they abandoned the camp and fled, they would be hunted down. Splitting up would only lead to them being picked off one by one.

The shelter being discovered was expected.

Not if, but when.

That was never the issue.

The real question was: How do we keep the enemy contained long enough to eliminate them?

They needed a trap—one that would keep the Seoul Survival Union from moving freely, one that would pin them down and allow for a decisive strike.

And the final piece of the puzzle had been set into motion before they even left.

Back when Yohan had first devised the scenario, he had hesitated. Then, he remembered something—the documents he had left in his office cabinet.

They contained detailed records:
– The Apocalypse Survival Guide.
– Everything he had learned about the Seoul Survival Union.

Originally, the documents had been meant to preserve his knowledge in case he died or went missing—so that whoever succeeded him as leader could carry on his work.

But when he realized their true potential, he made a decision.

That’s why, when he sent Jung-hwan, he hadn’t ordered him to destroy or hide the documents.

Instead, he had left them in plain sight, where the enemy would inevitably find them.

– I know who you are.

– You’re already in the palm of my hand.

(T/N: What a fking man! Yohan, you are truly the GOAT!)