Marauder of the Apocalypse-Chapter 78: Alliance

For several days, we worked hard, sweating profusely.

Park Yang-gun and Do-hyung handled the trading.

They sold planters to the police planning the survival zone and purchased three handguns, then sold televisions, computers, and wiring to the electricity nomads in exchange for electric spears and a few improvised explosives.

They also stripped car hoods to provide to Hope Community in exchange for slingshots and shields.

Sa Gi-hyeok spread rumors in his own subtle way, and when those rumors ripened, I went around meeting people.

I was looking for companions who would raise their voices with me and who would raid when a substantial target presented itself.

I walked quietly through the moonlit streets, holding a map.

"Today's destinations are..."

Numerous. Several red circles were drawn on the map.

The hideouts of robbers who scammed with fake deals, bandits who blocked roads and collected tolls like me, scavengers who searched corpses, places where people who'd abandoned morality and pursued only survival lived.

The result of checking areas where warnings to be careful of certain people circulated by word of mouth.

I rustled the raincoat I'd put on in case of rain and checked the map again.

'It's hard to find my way when I can't turn on my phone.'

Even with bright moonlight, this was a city without electric lighting. The dense concrete buildings had become maze-like walls, and the dark, garbage-strewn streets robbed me of my sense of direction.

I kept my eyes wide open and carefully took one step at a time. I avoided any zombies or people I spotted, occasionally examined unlit neon signs closely, and sometimes stopped to make sure I was on the right path.

After quite some time, I reached my first destination.

'Is no one here? I heard robbers who lure people with fake deals appear around here.'

Looking around the road bathed in white moonlight, it seemed familiar. A road littered with buses and delivery trucks. A memory flashed through my mind.

The scammers who'd wanted to buy lettuce. The con artists we'd killed when they entered our territory around the time Park Yang-gun received his family's letter.

I closed my eyes, then opened them and looked up at the sky.

"So those were people I killed."

A bust from the start. I'd wanted to join hands with them, but they were already corpses. If I'd known things would turn out this way, I would have kept them alive.

The thought that people had value when kept alive crossed my mind, but I sighed deeply and scattered the thought.

What future value was I thinking about? Better to walk one more step than waste time on this.

'I didn't mess with the bandits, so they should be fine.'

I walked the streets again and arrived at my second destination.

An alley where bandits collecting tolls like me appeared. In the path where shadows were thick because moonlight was blocked by walls, rough breathing could be heard.

"S-stop. You, you."

"Yes, I've stopped."

I put my hand in my pocket where my gun was holstered and turned my head. There was a clear presence between an electric pole and a wall. The sound of someone painfully leaning against a wall, heavy footsteps.

Soon a dark figure appeared before me.

It was a man leaning against the wall with one hand on his stomach. In the hand covering his stomach was a gun, acquired by who knows what means, and that gun was trembling badly.

"Antibiotics. Give me antibiotics. Die if you don't have any."

"...They're expired, so I can't guarantee they'll work, but is that okay?"

I quietly observed the man. He was clearly in bad shape. As he stepped into a patch of faint moonlight and thrust his face forward, I could see his features.

Greasy hair that hadn't been washed in who knows how long, unfocused eyes, skin drenched in cold sweat. Looking down, I could see blood seeping through his clothes at the abdomen.

I quickly recalled Professor Kim's knowledge and spoke like a doctor.

"You're infected. The antibiotics I have won't be effective for this type of infection."

There are many types of antibiotics. Some for skin diseases, some for bronchial inflammation, others for sepsis or various other illnesses.

It was at a level where proper use was difficult without specialized knowledge. No wonder doctors and pharmacists were considered high-value personnel in the apocalypse.

At that moment, the man shouted in anger and pointed his gun at me with a click.

"Shut up and hand them over!"

"Yes, well then..."

I subtly shifted my body sideways while pretending to search my pockets. My hand gripped the gun. Glancing at the man, I could see he was already suffering from a high fever and his reactions were slow. The muzzle of his gun couldn't keep up with my movement.

"I have some medicine here. It will at least ease your pain."

I hid behind the electric pole, pulled out my gun, and fired. I pulled the trigger repeatedly. Bang, bang, bang, the gunshots rang out. The sound of my gunfire, the bullets that flew as he reflexively pulled his trigger in response.

Thud, thud, dust flew from the wall. I held my breath as I saw a bullet embedded at my feet. If I'd been a little unlucky, there would be a hole in my foot.

Soon I heard the sound of a body collapsing. The gunfire ceased. Silence fell over the alley.

'Did I get him?'

I waited, pressed tightly against the pole. He might be playing dead.

I cautiously extended my hammer, but there was no response. Carefully peeking out my head, I saw the man lying motionless.

I threw my hammer at the man, and when he still didn't move, I ran over, picked up the hammer, and repeatedly struck his head.

"What the hell. Why is everyone like this?"

I sighed involuntarily as my legs gave out. Leaning against the wall, I looked down at the corpse.

Despite being people who committed enough evil deeds to become infamous by word of mouth, every one of them was either dead or dying. It was as if being a raider was a profession without prospects.

While massive groups were discussing a survival zone, raiders were all dying off.

After adjusting my mask briefly, I searched the man's corpse, retrieved his gun, and picked myself up. Surely the scavengers wouldn't be in such a state too.

***

I walked for quite a while longer.

The area where scavengers gathered to sleep was near a stream, quite far from the villa district. They supposedly lived under a bridge by the stream.

As I approached the stream, the humidity in the air felt increasingly sticky. The police vest, leather jacket, and jeans I wore clung to my skin. Even my mask was already damp with sweat.

Walking with my rustling raincoat, I finally reached my destination.

The soft gurgling sound of flowing water, a small bridge blocked by abandoned cars. Going down the stairs leading to the walking path by the stream, I could hear people stirring in the deep shadows under the bridge.

Murmuring voices, cursing voices.

I was in the right place. Honestly, I couldn't understand why they slept in a place like this instead of a safe building, but as long as there were people, that was enough.

"Anyone here?"

I clicked on my flashlight. The scavengers sprawled around the stream's edge began to rise one by one.

People sitting on makeshift beds of cardboard boxes, newspapers, or mats. Because of the heat, they wore t-shirts and shorts without any protective gear. Their disheveled hair was relatively clean, perhaps washed with water from the stream.

People who squinted at my flashlight beam immediately grabbed iron pipes.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"Shining a flashlight on people who are sleeping?"

There were quite a few people. I pulled the trigger aiming at the stream first. Gunshots were best for friendly conversation.

"I'm here to talk. Put down your weapons. And don't think about circling behind me to hit the back of my head."

The scavengers who heard the gunshot stood awkwardly, then threw glances at someone. Someone at the innermost part under the bridge.

When I shined my flashlight in that direction, I saw someone wearing sunglasses even at night, gesturing.

"Everyone, pick up your weapons. If he wants to talk, we should be armed first."

Chaotic sounds came from all directions. Quickly sweeping my flashlight around, I caught glimpses of scavengers pulling out bows and handguns.

They really did collect all sorts of things. A brief glance revealed what looked like medical tools in boxes too.

The person who seemed to be the scavengers' leader tapped the space in front of them.

"Sit here. Don't worry, we won't hit you from behind."

"..."

I slowly walked over and slumped down in front of them. I'd thought scavengers all operated individually, but from the looks of it, they'd united around this person.

A human whose face was completely covered with a bucket hat pulled down, sunglasses, and a mask.

Even their voice was difficult to distinguish as male or female.

"Call me Ho. So what do you need? Weapons, tools, medicine. We can provide anything if the price is right. Or if there's something specific you need, we can scavenge it for you."

"..."

I kept my mouth shut. A realization hit me. This was bad. These scavengers had already evolved into a survivor group.

A group that connected with other groups by selling scavenged items or finding requested items. In other words, mercenaries and subcontractors.

'They have the capacity to participate in the survival zone. At the very least, they can coexist with it.'

I couldn't propose cooperation anymore.

I lifted my baseball cap slightly and wiped my forehead. Sweat soaked through my leather gloves. I couldn't help but laugh dryly.

"Nothing's working out."

"What? ...Are you in some kind of trouble?"

Ho tilted their head suspiciously. I felt like I could sense their gaze behind those sunglasses reflecting my flashlight beam, but they were so thoroughly wrapped up that I couldn't be sure.

Just then, one scavenger sauntered over and made a hand gesture. I didn't understand its meaning.

But I instinctively felt uneasy. Thoughts raced through my mind.

'The rumors to be careful of people. These aren't people who trade cleanly. They're the type who'd kill someone and take their belongings if necessary.'

Ho responded with hand movements. One hand clenched into a fist, the other opened wide. Just as they were about to strike the palm with their fist.

I jumped up and lunged at Ho.

"You bastards!"

There was a commotion as our bodies tangled. I immediately got behind Ho and took them hostage. With one hand, I pressed my gun against their temple, and with the other, I choked their neck.

Ho coughed and tapped my arm, and I held Ho out as a shield.