Chapter 1871 – 1871. Eternal Eden
D-Day.
7 AM.
I headed to the confinement room. It was a place remodeled from the athletic dormitory at Seongak Elementary School. It wasn’t a great place. It was more like a detention center, solely focused on confinement. Private rooms were out of the question. Instead, they had made sure the handcuffs and shackles were solid. Even if someone awakened as a physical ability user, they wouldn’t be able to break free easily.
I entered the iron cage of the first confinement room. The three women wearing handcuffs and shackles looked at me with fear in their eyes. I brought a wooden chair from outside the cage and sat down.
“…I have some money saved up.”
Yang Subin said cautiously. She was a slender beauty, a surgeon who had her hair tied up tightly. If she wasn’t wearing a white coat, you might mistake her for a model. She was a B-cup.
“I don’t want money. I want the abilities you have. But there’s no guarantee you’ll do it properly if I force you. It’s better for both of us if we form a cooperative relationship.”
Two of them had to take care of my meals, and the other had to take care of medical needs. It wasn’t something that could be forced. Na Chaeyoung had also said that high-level personnel should be treated as well as possible.
“You kidnap people and then ask for cooperation… Are you out of your mind?”
Yang Subin said venomously. Maybe it was because she knew her own worth. Her fear had lessened a bit.
“It’s true that it’s a kidnapping, but ultimately, I saved you.”
“Stop talking nonsense. You came right into the hospital and kidnapped me. The police are already investigating. They’ll be here by the afternoon at the latest.”
“The police won’t come. No, they can’t come. They haven’t even started the investigation, probably. They wouldn’t have had the time.”
“…What do you mean?”
“I can even give you a smartphone if you want. If you really don’t like it, I’ll let you out. But only after you see this.”
I got up from the chair. Instead, I placed a laptop on the chair and opened it. I went to a video site and showed them live news. The number of viewers was in the millions.
In the video, there was a male announcer with a dark expression. The announcer, who looked like he was about to burst into tears, spoke in a trembling voice.
-Citizens! A zombie virus has spread all over the world! Zombies are roaming the streets, attacking people! If you get bitten by a zombie, you become a zombie! Please stay home! The United States has named this zombie virus the D virus! They have also identified the 128th meteorite as the cause of the virus! Those of you who are alive must not go outside! Please wait for rescue, wait for rescue as much as possible!
The video showed a road. The road between the tall buildings was a mess. Cars were parked haphazardly, and zombies were wandering around. The road was a mess, so cars couldn’t move.
A man came out of the driver’s seat of a car. The man looked around. The zombies didn’t pay much attention to him. Then, at some point, one of the zombies turned its head towards the man. And then it started running towards the man.
Running.
They didn’t walk slowly like the zombies in American movies or dramas, they ran. And they ran quite fast. As one zombie ran, the zombies nearby also started running after the man. The man, who was being chased by dozens of zombies in an instant, quickly lost his stamina and slowed down.
The zombies ate the man alive.
-These zombies run! They are also a little stronger than adult men! They have almost no eyesight and are sensitive to sound! And they can smell! If you have to fight a zombie, aim for the heart, not the head!
“That’s a lie… It’s a manipulated video, right? There’s no way zombies actually exist!”
Kim Hyunsuk’s daughter, the chef at Youngsinjeong, shouted. She was trembling pitifully.
“See for yourself if it’s manipulated or not.”
I gave them their smartphones back. They quickly touched their smartphones and checked the situation in their own ways.
Shin Hajeong checked social media, Yang Subin checked internet articles, and Kim Hyunsuk contacted acquaintances.
In less than three minutes, they accepted that the zombie situation was real. They had no choice but to accept it.
“……”
They were silent.
The only thing that was talking in the silence was the announcer in the laptop video. The announcer repeatedly gave information about the zombies. The advice to wait for rescue was a bonus.
“You can report it to the police.”
“…I already did. 119 and 122 only give a calm message to wait.”
Kim Hyunsuk said. Maybe it was because she had dealt with a lot of high-ranking people. She was quite calm.
“Who are you? According to my acquaintance, the zombie virus spread at 5 AM. You kidnapped us the day before. How did you know the zombie virus would spread?”
“I’m not the only one who knows that information. The government knows too.”
“…Ah. So that’s why the congressmen said that last time… If they knew, then why…”
“I don’t know about that, but the government won’t be able to move for a while.”
“If there’s an army, they can suppress it quickly.”
“Does the virus avoid the army? The army is the most severely affected by the virus.”
“……”
Kim Hyunsuk’s face turned pale in an instant. It seemed she had been relying on the army. She must have vaguely believed that the army would step in and resolve the situation. The South Korean military is among the top 10 in the world.
“I’m going to the bathroom for a bit. I’ll be back in 15 minutes, so you can use the laptop as you please.”
They would need time to sort out their thoughts. Well, the choice was obvious.
‘The important thing is that I’m giving them a choice.’
I went outside the confinement building. The morning sunlight was as dazzling as yesterday.
Bang!
An explosion was heard from beyond the wall. It sounded like a gas explosion.
‘The timing of the D virus outbreak was bad.’
5 AM Korean time. The D virus spread while people were sleeping. If they turned into zombies, they would have targeted their families nearby. The doors inside the house would be wooden, and the zombies’ strength was a little better than humans. In other words, they could easily break down a wooden door.
-How’s it going? Do you think it’ll work out?
Na Chaeyoung asked on the radio. Since the base station could be destroyed at any moment, we decided to communicate by radio instead of smartphones.
“It’ll work out. Objectively speaking, they have no choice but to side with us. Unless they want to go outside and die.”
-You never know with people’s hearts. And there’s also the variable of family.
I didn’t say anything more. The results would come out in a little while.
‘It’s hot.’
It was summer.
I stayed outside for 15 minutes and then went back into the confinement room. The atmosphere was even more gloomy than before.
“What are we going to do?”
Kim Hyunsuk was the first to speak.
“We’ll stay here. Where is this place, and what do we need to do?”
“Why do you think I brought a chef? I brought you to cook. This is a remodeled abandoned elementary school in Gangseo-gu. I even made a freezer, so you can use any ingredients you want.”
“……Is this place really safe?”
“The walls are high, and the front and back gates have been modified. Zombies can’t get into the school. You can live here in peace.”
I used the key to unlock the restraints of Kim Hyunsuk and her daughter, Shin Hajeong. I subtly glanced at Shin Hajeong, but she was half out of it and didn’t notice.
This was also an opportunity. If I just coaxed her a little, she would come over. It was using the swaying bridge effect. They went out of the confinement room.
I turned my gaze to the doctor, Yang Subin.
“…I have to go.”
“What?”
I was taken aback by her unexpected words. Yang Subin looked me straight in the eye and handed me her smartphone. The smartphone was on a call.
“I have a boyfriend. I want to meet him. He said he wanted to talk to you… Why don’t you talk to him?”
I took the smartphone for now.
-I’ve heard the story. You knew about this situation in advance and kidnapped Subin. I understand that you needed a doctor. But that doesn’t justify kidnapping someone.
His voice sounded like he was suppressing his anger. I chuckled and mocked him.
“Okay. I’ll let your girlfriend go, so you take care of her. Well, I don’t know how well you’ll do in a situation where zombies are everywhere.”
-You said it’s Seongak Elementary School in Gangseo-gu, right? I’m in Guro-gu.
“So what? Oh, you’re going to come pick her up? If you’re coming, you better come quickly. I have no intention of sharing food with someone who isn’t my ally.”
-Please help us. We are currently isolated. If you help us, we will work for you. Our company is PS Security. Our employees have more than 5 years of security experience, and several of them are former special forces.
“So you’re so great that you’re asking for help? You can take this woman yourself. The time is 6 PM. If you don’t come by 6 PM, I’ll banish her.”
-…This call is being recorded. And the internet in Korea is still working. Is it okay if this content spreads? Many people will come to Seongak Elementary School. Even those with bad intentions. Maybe even the government will come. The infamous NIS might move.
“That’s a really simple threat. It feels like my head is heating up for the first time in a while, but… I need to deal with it calmly. Okay. I’ll go save you. Where are you, you bastard?”
-…Are you perhaps a former soldier? I can feel the murderous intent in your voice. I hope you don’t misunderstand. We want to cooperate with you. We are all professional security guards with combat experience. We will definitely be of help to you.
“Fuck off.”
I hung up the smartphone.
I glared at Yang Subin with murderous intent in my eyes. Yang Subin flinched and staggered.
‘Should I put the doctor in a special confinement room and use her as an onahole? What was it called? Gaslighting? I should try that once.’
Vrrrr.
The smartphone vibrated. That guy was calling again. Seeing that he was calling again without much hesitation, he must be really desperate.
I threw the smartphone away and ignored it. The smartphone with the cracked screen was still vibrating.
Thud!
Yang Subin knelt down. She clasped her hands together as if begging and looked up at me.
“Please help me… If you help me, I will fully cooperate. Please, please help me.”
