Chapter 2141 – 2141. Eternal Eden
“Aaaaaaaah!”
With a scream, one of the security team members shot into the sky. Then, gunshots rang out in quick succession. I didn’t pay it much mind.
‘Looks like there was an Awakened.’
Judging by the fact that the commotion died down afterward, it seems the Awakened was killed as well.
‘Just because you’ve awakened an ability doesn’t mean bullets won’t work.’
Awakened were still human. Unless they had an ability that made them immune to bullets, they were just as vulnerable to guns as anyone else.
Wooooooong.
One of the combat drones approached me. Through the speaker on the drone, Na Chaeyoung’s voice could be heard.
-Are you hurt anywhere?
“Me?”
-…I was just asking.
“I’m fine. How is the back door?”
There were also looters at the back door. I had sent Choi Hyejin, Son Taehyung, and a few security team members to the back.
-We’ve taken care of them. No casualties either. The looters at the back door didn’t even try to fight properly. They were probably just tasked with checking if we were escaping through the back.
“Over here…”
I glanced around.
Dark red blood soaked the road.
“There are… some fatalities. Looks like there are some injured too.”
-What are you going to do? Are you going to use your healing ability on the security team members?
“They earned it, so I should.”
Honestly, I didn’t want to. Healing others was twice as tiring and annoying as healing myself. However, losing experienced security team members would be a huge loss. And, by putting in a little effort, I could greatly boost the security team’s loyalty.
Right now, the security team’s loyalty to me was ambiguous. They were only working because I provided them with food, clothing, and shelter. In other words, it was an employer-employee relationship. Thinking ahead, I needed soldiers who would move according to my will. The security team would be the start of that.
‘I also need the support of others, so I can’t just hoard my abilities. It’s an ability that can be used on others, so I should use it when necessary.’
Of course, I had no intention of using my abilities recklessly to be hailed as a saint.
I would discriminate.
Benefits should only go to those who have contributed. That way, there won’t be any freeloaders.
I went around and healed the severely injured. Most of them were equipped with gear, so there weren’t many severely injured, but there were many with minor injuries.
“T-thank you, Representative…!”
A security team member, who had been on the verge of death, said with tears streaming down his face, thanks to my healing ability. His eyes were filled with awe as he looked at me. It was understandable, as I had become his savior in an instant. When the time comes for him to betray me, he’ll remember this moment.
I also healed those with minor injuries, like broken ankles or light wounds on their wrists. While doing so, I made it clear to them.
“The reason I’m healing you is because you’ve contributed under my command. You’ve earned it. You are clearly different from the slave bastards over there or the laborers at Seongak Elementary School. You are warriors! Warriors who risk their lives to protect! Therefore, you have the right to own slaves!”
“Waaaaah! Long live Seong Yujin!!”
Most of the security team cheered. However, a few had a disgruntled look on their faces. They felt a sense of revulsion towards the slave system. Even though the world had become like this, there were always some who had a scholar’s temperament.
“If you don’t need slaves, you can sell them to others. I’ll issue a special slave certificate for you. This time, it’s free.”
“…Representative, those people are looters, but they are still human. Isn’t it wrong to make them slaves?”
One of the security team members said. He was a young man with a neat appearance. His face didn’t look like he had gone through much hardship.
“Human rights? Where are human rights in this era? Rights can only be obtained with power. If we hadn’t won against those looters today, you would have died, and your family would have been violated. You might have had your food stolen and been kicked out of this safe place. And yet, you want to give these guys human rights?”
“I acknowledge the crimes of the looters. I just… think the slave system is wrong. The slave system is a barbaric institution.”
“Barbaric? What nonsense. It’s tradition. There has hardly been a time in human history without slaves. And this era is more terrible than any other in history. Well, I respect your opinion, so I’ll ask the security team, including you.”
I looked around. The security team members were gathered around this place. The looters who were to become slaves were kneeling on the ground, bound. The atmosphere was not good. Not hostility towards me, but hostility towards this young security team member.
“Anyone who opposes the slave system? Just raise your hand.”
“……”
In the silence, no one raised their hand. Not even the guy who had said in front of me that the slave system was barbaric.
“Unanimous, then.”
That young guy was going to have a hard time in society.
* * *
Afterward, the slaves were interrogated, and we found out the looters’ base. They were looters who used modified trucks and firearms. It was only natural that they had a considerable amount of wealth.
First, I sent drones for reconnaissance and dispatched the security team according to the scale. We gathered all the looters’ assets.
‘These bastards were keeping prisoners at their base.’
They were called prisoners, but they were slaves. There were especially many women. The women’s main job was, of course, to satisfy the looters’ sexual desires. I didn’t make the looters’ slaves into slaves.
I didn’t care, but Na Chaeyoung wouldn’t allow it.
-They’re innocent. The innocent shouldn’t be made slaves.
I accepted it without protest. Either way, they were slaves even if they weren’t slaves. And the true master of the slaves was only me.
-We’ve obtained quite a lot of resources. We can expand Seongak Elementary School. Isn’t it about time we got rid of the name Seongak Elementary School?
I nodded in agreement with Na Chaeyoung’s words. Our power was growing. It was kind of ridiculous to keep calling it Seongak Elementary School.
“Let’s think about that later and focus on securing the looters’ assets for now. There’s a lot more to do.”
The situation was somewhat settled.
I rode my hoverboard and flew to Busan. I saw a rest area along the way and stopped by for a moment. There were supplies scattered around along with zombies. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the capacity to take the goods, so I had to leave empty-handed.
I found another rest area. It was dominated by mutants, so I didn’t dare to go down.
I was also shocked when I passed a lake. I saw a fish the size of a 10-story building swimming below the surface. That must also be a mutant.
While flying through the sky, I discovered another city. A city that had been devastated. Not by zombies or mutants, but by the military’s bombing.
‘Looks like there was a mutant so dangerous that they bombed the city.’
There were players on the government’s side as well, so it seemed they had dealt with the dangerous mutant by any means necessary.
‘It’s a mess.’
Mutants roamed the mountains and fields, and zombies roamed the villages. In the cities with large populations, mutants were a bigger problem than zombies.
‘Looking at this, Seongak Elementary School is like heaven.’
I arrived in Busan. I was impressed when I saw Busan. People had gathered and were building a wall around Busan. In addition, armed people were patrolling the area. Judging by the clothes they were wearing, they weren’t the military.
It seemed there were no zombies roaming around. It also seemed that the cleanup inside the city was somewhat complete.
‘It’s safer than Seoul?’
I didn’t know what they had done, but the city was organized. Perhaps the safest place in Korea was Busan.
‘I can feel that they were very thoroughly prepared even before the zombie outbreak.’
I increased my altitude. There were quite a few clouds, making it suitable for hiding my presence. The headquarters of Ilwoo Group was in the center of Busan. It was also a super high-rise building, so it stood out.
I looked down at the building and took out my smartphone from my pocket. I dialed a number I had found out in advance. After the ringing tone, someone answered the phone.
“It’s me.”
-…Seong Yujin? How did you find out my personal number?
The voice of Jin Chunghyun, the director of Ilwoo Group, was cold. It was as if he wasn’t even surprised.
“I received the gift you sent. Thanks to those stupid looters, Seongak Elementary School’s resources have nearly tripled.”
-Ha, did you call just to brag about that? Those idiots are just one of the pieces we can use. Be happy with the small victory you’ve luckily obtained. Hell will unfold in your future.
I went into a vertical dive on my hoverboard. It didn’t take long to reach the rooftop of the building.
“I contacted you to declare war.”
-…Declare war?
There was a helicopter waiting on the building’s rooftop. An emergency helicopter. It was quite a tempting item, but… I couldn’t take it right now.
“This body has come to Busan to kill you. I will kill you and your entire family.”
I took out a C4 bomb from the backpack on my back and threw it at the helicopter.
Boom!!
The helicopter was destroyed. Now, he had no means of escape.
-What… are you at headquarters?!
He must have heard the explosion.
“I know you’re at headquarters right now. I’ll kill you within 10 minutes.”
I hung up and put my smartphone in my pocket.
I took out another C4 from my backpack and threw it at the rooftop door.
Boom!!!!
I walked through the shattered door and took out a mask from my backpack and put it on. A cheap black mask with only three holes for the eyes and mouth.
‘Right now, I’m not the hero Seong Yujin, but the terrorist Seong Yujin.’
I drew the cutlass from my waist. The white cutlass was painted red. I had colored the cutlass to hide my identity.
As I went down the stairs, I touched the wireless earphone in my ear.
“Dr. Na, begin.”
-Haa. I never thought I’d end up doing terrorism. You do all sorts of things. Really.
I didn’t come to Busan alone.
Drones from Seongak Elementary School followed me. There was the hassle of changing batteries from time to time, but it was a necessary task.
Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!
The drones that had been flying high in the sky simultaneously increased their output and fell downwards. A total of 12 drones scattered in all directions and crashed into the building, self-destructing.
Boom! Boom boom boom boom!!!!
The building shook with the explosions. The sound of glass shattering and the terrible screams from the burning building.
I recalled the building’s structure that I had learned in advance from the data I received from Lee Yeonhee and headed for the vice president’s office.
