Chapter 43
Pohang!
A crucial city for South Korea’s industry, often referred to as the city of steel. It’s also the city that Bahamut openly mentioned to Yuna, recognizing its geographical advantage and the potential to address the needs of the Balhut Cult.
Why does the Balhut Cult need to expand to Pohang?
To explain this, it’s necessary first to discuss the geography of Gyeongju, where the Balhut Cult is based.
“To the west of Gyeongju is Gyeongsan, through which you can reach Daegu. To the north is Pohang, and to the south is Ulsan. And beyond Ulsan lies Busan.”
“God Bahamut declared that Pohang should be the first target for Gyeongju’s expansion.”
To the west, one could travel through Gyeongsan to reach Daegu. To the north, there was Pohang, and to the south, there was Ulsan, which led directly to Busan.
Although one could consider the east of Gyeongju, the eastern region was dominated by large mountain ranges and reservoirs, effectively forming a natural barrier that could not be used for expansion but served as a natural defense against those approaching Gyeongju.
In other words, Gyeongju’s defenses faced the zombie hordes approaching from the west, south, and north, and Bahamut asserted that it was necessary to first expand into Pohang in the north.
Hearing this, Yuna gathered the Balhut Cult’s leaders and convened a council meeting.
“It’s not a bad strategy. Pohang has traditionally been strong in the fishing industry. And, most importantly, it houses one of the largest steelworks in the world—Pohang Steelworks. The city also has industrial complexes related to steel, making Pohang a significant asset for the Cult’s weapon manufacturing.”
“I don’t see any issues with it.”
Most of the leadership was favorable toward the plan to expand into Pohang.
After all, relying solely on Gyeongju to withstand the apocalypse was a difficult challenge, and it was naturally necessary to strengthen the Cult’s power. Pohang offered most of the industries that the Balhut Cult required.
With the steel industry and related industrial plants, they could manufacture powerful weapons to combat zombies. The fishing industry through its ports could also significantly aid in the smooth supply of food.
Therefore, Lee Hyuna, who managed the Cult’s economy, nodded in agreement with this expansion, and her sister, Administrative Official Lee Sua, also gave a passive nod, seemingly finding no issues with the plan.
The two appeared to have concluded that expanding into Pohang would bring more benefits than risks.
“Now that I think about it, before the apocalypse, there was news that Pohang had attracted heavy industry factories, and it was solidifying its position in the machinery industry, in addition to steel. Moreover, although minor, there were research centers and factories related to the electronics industry.”
Additionally, Han Geun-chul mentioned that recently, there had been not only heavy industry factories but also research centers and factories related to the electronics industry in Pohang.
This led to speculation that South Korea’s technological research might still be dormant in Pohang, and taking over the city could allow them to gain access to some of that advanced technology.
“Like it or not, Pohang has been a cornerstone of South Korea’s industry. Reclaiming Pohang from the zombies, whether sooner or later, was a mission the Cult had to undertake.”
“We need to let all of Korea know that our Republic isn’t over yet.”
“Yes, indeed. Our people in other cities need the confidence that victory is possible!”
It wasn’t just about technology; there was also a sense of symbolism.
Park Cheol-gon followed up on Han Geun-chul’s words, appealing that expanding into Pohang would grant the Balhut Cult significant justification.
Reclaiming Pohang, which had been the backbone of South Korea’s steel industry since 1973, was not only important for the material benefits but also served as a symbolic act, signaling to the people across the Korean Peninsula that this land was not yet lost.
It was a message that the world was not yet at its end, and hope still lingered on the Korean Peninsula.
‘If we can gain either passive or active support from other cities through this, it would be a significant advantage for us.’
‘The Cult can’t fight all the zombies across Korea on its own.’
With that hope, even if it was faint, they believed that stirring up even minor resistance against the zombies could weaken the zombie threat, thereby lessening the burden on the Balhut Cult’s efforts against the zombies.
Politicians like Park Cheol-gon and Han Geun-chul envisioned the political gains that would come with conquering Pohang and were strongly in favor of expanding there.
As the influence of the Balhut Cult expanded, it was inevitable that their power as early leaders of the Cult would also grow.
“If we secure the sea, we could even connect with Japan or the United States. Establishing trade through the sea doesn’t seem like a bad idea either.”
Above all, securing the sea would open opportunities for exchanges with foreign countries.
Though most of Japan had been overrun by zombies, similar to the Balhut Cult, there were reports of cities being reclaimed there. The United States, too, was in disarray across its land, but the government itself was still functioning.
Yoo Soo-sung speculated that if physical connections with those two countries could be made through the sea, there would be additional advantages.
At the very least, he believed that if trade routes could be established, it would be possible to buy and sell necessary goods or technologies—a straightforward yet crucial thought.
“I think it’s a good idea as well. However, the problem is that we have yet to produce a single First-Generation Awakened.”
“Liberating other cities is something the Balhut Cult must do someday.”
“But can we really reclaim Pohang with just Gyeongju’s forces? As far as I know, Pohang’s population is double that of Gyeongju’s. This means there’s a high probability that the number of zombies there is also more than double.”
However, Jung Dong-gun, who was in charge of the military, seemed to think that it would be challenging for the Cult’s current forces to capture Pohang.
Though the expansion plan itself was good, he was skeptical about whether it was necessary to force an expedition at this stage when the Cult had yet to produce a First-Generation Awakened.
One of his reasons was that Pohang’s population was twice that of Gyeongju, leading to an expectation that there would be more zombies in Pohang than in Gyeongju.
“Moreover, we have yet to prove that our military can reclaim a city from zombies without God Bahamut’s help.”
“Hmm.”
Can they truly drive out the zombies in Pohang without relying on Bahamut’s assistance?
Jung Dong-gun’s realistic assessment darkened the expressions of the other leaders.
“Right, we only have about 500 troops available for deployment, right?”
“Yes, if you include the advance and reconnaissance teams, the maximum is 550.”
“If a single critical mistake results in losing all of them, Gyeongju would be doomed.”
While they were eager to reap the benefits of capturing Pohang, the leaders were visibly concerned about the challenges of the campaign.
If asked whether a mere 500 troops could capture Pohang, the leadership couldn’t help but remain skeptical.
Unlike the northern part of Gyeongju, Pohang would require a true expedition, and fighting in unfamiliar terrain meant that facing the hordes of zombies in Pohang would be a daunting challenge.
Of course, all these concerns could be resolved.
“If it’s a battle against zombies, God Bahamut will join in.”
With just a word from Yuna, all worries vanished.
If the battle was against zombies and not humans, there was no reason for Bahamut to hesitate.
When Yuna announced that Bahamut would participate in this expedition,
“I agree.”
“I agree.”
“I agree.”
“Of course, I agree.”
“There is no one in opposition.”
“Yes! Unanimous agreement.”
The involvement of God Bahamut changed the situation entirely.
The sudden change in stance was swift, but the previously skeptical leaders all shifted to unanimous support.
Ah! A swift change of attitude is inevitable!
The descent of Bahamut was practically like a cheat, and just like in Gyeongju, if Yuna could gather the zombies and take them all down in a single strike, the issues they had just discussed could be easily resolved.
Even if there were some remnants left, the Balhut Cult could manage them on their own.
“…However, even with Bahamut’s participation, we will surely reclaim Pohang. But knowing him, it’s odd. I thought he would only declare expansion after stabilizing Northern Gyeongju and the emergence of the First-Generation Awakened.”
With the confirmation of Bahamut’s participation, the atmosphere in the council brightened.
The focus of the meeting shifted from whether they could successfully reclaim the city to understanding Bahamut’s intentions.
The value of Pohang was already recognized by the leaders, and with Bahamut’s planned involvement in the reclamation, any concerns were significantly diminished.
Thus, the remaining question was why Bahamut had chosen this moment to decide on expanding into Pohang.
“The situation has changed. The God is considering something.”
“What do you mean?”
Yuna told the leaders that Bahamut had something in mind.
What exactly was Bahamut contemplating when he mentioned this directly to Yuna?
The leaders of the Balhut Cult looked at Yuna with tense expressions.
“Mutant zombies.”
“…Mutant zombies are formidable adversaries that even ordinary Awakened cannot easily defeat. However, with the Bahamut Rounds that the Balhut Cult uses, they are no longer our enemies.”
Mutant zombies were indeed powerful foes.
Before the emergence of the Balhut Cult, many Survivor Camps were unable to fend off mutant zombies.
Now, with the invention of the Bahamut Rounds at Mr. Choi’s foundry, they could easily be dealt with through powerful firepower, but before the advent of the Bahamut Rounds, they were terrifying beings that brought disaster.
Even now, in regions outside of Gyeongju, whenever mutant zombies appeared, many survivors turned into zombies, or even Awakened would become infected, turning into Zombie Awakened, posing a constant threat.
“Yes, I’m aware. With those rounds imbued with his power, even mutant zombies are no longer a threat. But… if there were a zombie stronger than that, would the Bahamut Rounds still work?”
“So, you mean there could be an enemy even greater?”
Choi Yuna spoke of a zombie stronger than the mutant zombies.
Her words caused the other leaders to look at her with expressions of fear and doubt.
“That is…”
“No, it’s not impossible.”
Jung Dong-gun firmly stated that it was not impossible, addressing the skeptical leaders.
The reason was simple.
“Thanks to Bahamut’s blessing, all zombies in Gyeongju disappeared. But it’s not the same for other cities. Many survivors remain within those cities, allowing the zombies to grow into mutants.”
The reason the Balhut Cult had not encountered zombies beyond mutant variants was solely due to God Bahamut eliminating all the zombies in Gyeongju.
“Just like our Awakened, mutant zombies can grow by consuming human flesh and blood, right? We were able to sweep them away before they could evolve further, so it wasn’t a problem for us. However, I personally believe that the mutant zombies in other cities still have the potential to evolve. Moreover, the other cities don’t have the means to deal with these evolving mutant zombies like we did in Gyeongju.”
However, the other cities did not receive Bahamut’s blessing.
Many mutant zombies likely still roam within their city limits, and if these zombies evolve further, there is a possibility that a new being stronger than the existing mutants could be born.
And if these evolved mutant zombies were to become enemies that even the Balhut Cult’s new weaponry couldn’t overcome…
“Just the thought of it is terrifying.”
Jung Dong-gun’s grim assertion left only Yoo Soo-sung, the most seasoned among the leaders, able to respond.
The other leaders fell silent, fully realizing why Bahamut had his eyes set on Pohang.
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