Chapter 56
The day the talks began was right before the Balhut Cult recaptured Pohang Airport.
Since the Balhut Cult showed the strength to attack Pohang, this sudden meeting was arranged. While their intentions were clear, the Cult’s side didn’t bother mentioning it.
After all, they knew they would eventually need the support of these groups for stable governance over Pohang.
“There’s no need to mention or intimidate them.”
“Rather, we should display a relaxed tolerance. That way, they might be able to trust and follow us.”
“It could be more effective to apply silent pressure than to convey it in words.”
It was the advice of the two aides to show tolerance by not bringing up this fact.
If they intended to turn Pohang into an enemy in the future, they wouldn’t need to show tolerance; outright hostility would suffice.
However, since the ultimate goal of the Balhut Cult was to gain control over Pohang, they had no choice but to accept any petty political maneuvering with a laugh.
By not mentioning it, they could even silently pressure the three main camps of Pohang, so it was not a loss for the Cult either.
“I am Ha Jin-woo, professor at Pohang University Campus, hosting today’s talks.”
“Yes, I’ve heard about you from Jung Dong-gun.”
Right on time, they arrived at Pohang University Campus, where Ha Jin-woo, the head of the campus, was already there to greet them.
It seemed he intended to engage in some sort of power struggle, displaying the awakened individuals from the campus to the Cult. Unfortunately, the Cult had also prepared by selecting the elite for this meeting, equipped with top-grade gear. In the end, the university camp was overwhelmed.
With immaculate uniforms and protective gear covering their bodies, and weapons polished until they shone brightly.
It was a sight that showed they were backed by considerable investment, leaving nothing lacking.
“Isn’t Jung Dong-gun the representative?”
“I am merely the bodyguard of High Priestess Choi Yuna of the Balhut Cult today.”
“You’re merely a bodyguard?”
Above all, Ha Jin-woo couldn’t hide his surprise at the fact that even Jung Dong-gun, who had recently demonstrated overwhelming martial prowess in Pohang, was nothing more than the bodyguard of the girl before him.
How many awakened individuals did the Balhut Cult have to treat someone like Jung Dong-gun as a mere bodyguard!
Though he harbored a slight fear of the Cult, he was hopeful about the prospect of having such powerful awakened individuals and forces as allies if this meeting went well.
“Are you the Balhut Cult that’s gained recent fame?”
“Yes, and you are…?”
After a brief wait, a soldier arrived at the scheduled time of the talks.
Though he wore a relatively clean military uniform, his face had already yellowed with age—a middle-aged man showing signs of fatigue and exhaustion. But his eyes, filled with a sense of determination, were fixed on Yuna, seemingly holding onto a glimmer of hope for these talks.
“I am Major General Kim Tae-sik of the 1st Marine Division in Pohang.”
“A major figure indeed! So, the division commander came personally.”
He was the commander of the 1st Marine Division, overseeing the Hwangryong Unit at Pohang Naval Base and a core commander within the Navy.
Considering his subordinate units and direct command alone, he was one of the most prominent figures at Pohang Naval Base.
“To think you survived this apocalypse.”
“I was lucky. We managed to escape to the sea. But, despite the sacrifices of many Marines, there was no other choice.”
He was the sole high-ranking commander to survive without becoming a zombie, preserving much of the combat strength needed to launch an attack on Pohang.
Although his camp, which dominated Pohang’s port area, made a significant name as one of the three main factions in Pohang, it faced one major issue.
“A fancy Marine Corps that can’t properly operate its expensive ships or tanks.”
“Hmm.”
The military was an organization that consumed massive amounts of money and resources.
Operating a single ship required enormous amounts of fuel and supplies.
Back when South Korea and Pohang were intact, obtaining such resources wasn’t an issue, but after the apocalypse and the zombie takeover of Pohang, it became impossible to supply fuel for Marine equipment.
“Still, we take pride in having preserved our combat power to some extent in Pohang.”
“So, for how long can you operate your armored forces?”
“……”
In the first month or two, they managed to operate the fleet against zombies with the resources in reserve, but now, with fuel too precious to waste, they either turned off the engines and drifted at sea or anchored aimlessly at the reclaimed harbor.
The tanks led by the Artillery Brigade?
They barely had enough fuel or shells to operate, and even starting them was nerve-wracking.
Major General Kim Tae-sik was at a loss for words in response to Jung Dong-gun’s remark.
“Well, everyone’s here, then. It seems I’m quite late?”
Lastly, the leader from across the Hyeongsan River appeared.
Seeing the middle-aged man, who smiled warmly and remarked on his tardiness, Ha Jin-woo, the professor from Pohang University, finally called his name with a look that said, “He’s finally here.”
“Seo Un-jae.”
“Yes, Professor Ha Jin-woo. It seems something good has happened to you recently? I heard news from beyond the Hyeongsan River that Pohang University Campus has been thoroughly cleaned up.”
“Are you congratulating me?”
“Yes, of course, it’s a celebration.”
Offering his sincere congratulations for the recent positive developments at Pohang University Campus.
However, his eyes focused solely on the Balhut Cult—specifically, Jung Dong-gun.
“Are you with the Cult?”
“Yes, but today, I am here simply as a bodyguard.”
“That’s surprising. So, the politician for the talks is…”
The soldier from the Balhut Cult who came from Gyeongju.
Seo Un-jae was well aware of the overwhelming display of power during the recapture of Pohang’s First Industrial Complex.
He had also heard the news that they had even retaken Pohang Airport just before this negotiation, making them the most important counterpart in the talks.
It seemed he was slightly taken aback and intrigued by the fact that Jung Dong-gun, whom he presumed would lead the talks, was here merely as a bodyguard. He looked around, seemingly expecting a politician.
“That would be me, Mr. Seo Un-jae. Nice to meet you.”
“…A young girl?”
It was truly unexpected; instead of the politician he had anticipated, it was a young girl.
“Wasn’t it supposed to be Jung Dong-gun?”
“No. I am merely a subordinate of the High Priestess.”
Not only Seo Un-jae but also Kim Tae-sik, who had just arrived, shared the same reaction.
They had both thought that Jung Dong-gun, who had demonstrated overwhelming martial prowess in Pohang, would lead the talks as the representative of the Balhut Cult.
But instead, it was this rather young girl… To be honest, from Seo Un-jae’s perspective, it felt like a child the age of his daughter had come forward as the representative.
‘Though I had known beforehand… seeing it in person, it’s still surprising.’
Since he had been an active politician before the apocalypse, even Seo Un-jae, an ordinary person, was momentarily at a loss for words.
“I am Choi Yuna, the High Priestess of the Balhut Cult.”
“The High Priestess of the Cult…”
“The ruler of Gyeongju…!”
But once her identity was known, they couldn’t dare treat her as a powerless young girl.
As the High Priestess of the Balhut Cult, her title was almost synonymous with being the ruler of Gyeongju.
How someone with such a young appearance became the leader of Gyeongju was beyond their imagination, but this was an era of awakened individuals and the apocalypse.
It had become quite common for a powerful awakened individual to rise as the leader of a survivor camp or even a region.
So, there was no need to insensitively bring up Yuna’s age.
“We came here because of Jung Dong-gun’s words, but now that the High Priestess is here, does that mean you intend to absorb us into the Cult?”
Since the High Priestess of the Balhut Cult was present in person, they had to be prepared for any possibility.
Kim Tae-sik spoke as if suggesting that Yuna had come with the intent of forcibly integrating them into the Cult.
“No, the High Priestess is here to lead this negotiation as our representative and to show respect toward you all. There is no intention to provoke you, and the promise made previously will be upheld without fail.”
“Ahem.”
At those words, Jung Dong-gun stepped forward to reiterate that they would keep their promise.
With that, Kim Tae-sik, whose boldness had slightly waned, stepped back.
Though they continued to reaffirm the promise, he couldn’t very well spit in the face of someone smiling at him, especially when zombies remained a shared enemy, making internal conflict something to avoid.
“Are you truly a military force dispatched from Gyeongju? As you know, the Balhut Cult’s reputation within the Korean community is that of a typical doomsday cult that emerged in the apocalypse.”
In place of Kim Tae-sik, who had stepped back, the leader of the Hyeongsan River Camp, Seo Un-jae, spoke.
He openly mentioned the Balhut Cult’s reputation, questioning whether they were truly a military force dispatched from Gyeongju.
Considering their display of strength, organization, and power, it was evident that the Balhut Cult indeed ruled over Gyeongju and was a well-organized governing force, contrary to the negative external reputation.
But it was also a tactic to subtly target a potential weak point of the Cult and try to gain the upper hand in this unfavorable situation.
It was, after all, an attempt to test if the Cult could overcome its inherent weakness.
“Yes, we are indeed a righteous army from Gyeongju. We came here to save our compatriots by advancing on Pohang.”
In response to Seo Un-jae’s words, they countered by expressing that they were a righteous army from Gyeongju.
And, as justification for their assault on Pohang, they stated that they came to save their compatriots.
“Ha. Ultimately, isn’t it just because you desire Pohang Steelworks and its industrial facilities?”
Bluntly, he pointed out that they had launched their attack on Pohang out of a desire for the steelworks and industrial facilities.
He was saying outright that the Balhut Cult was no righteous army.
“Yes, I do desire it. Quite a lot, actually.”
“What?”
In response, Yuna openly admitted her desire, agreeing with Seo Un-jae’s accusation.
Seo Un-jae immediately attempted to rebuke her, pointing out the contradiction in her words from moments before about being a righteous army.
“But it’s currently a facility that no one can use, isn’t it? No one has been able to fully reclaim Pohang, so the industrial infrastructure within the city isn’t operational either.”
“Ugh.”
Seo Un-jae couldn’t find a response to Yuna’s cutting remark.
Whatever the case, Pohang’s three main factions had lost the city to zombies, and they hadn’t managed to reclaim it.
Even if Pohang Steelworks was desirable, as long as it remained under zombie control, it was a facility that no one could use. It was now difficult for anyone to claim ownership over it.
In truth, it was an abandoned facility and industrial base, and whoever reclaimed it from the zombies and planted their flag could very well call themselves its owner.
“I heard from Jung Dong-gun that modern weaponry is highly dependent on supply lines. Yet, with four to five months having passed, you don’t have any force supplying you with resources, correct? In fact, aren’t you also reaching your limit?”
“A limit… yes, that’s true. In this situation without supplies, we’re even having Marines catch fish just to secure food.”
Next, she decided to target Major General Kim Tae-sik of the Marine Division, highlighting the disadvantages of a modern military.
Of course, Kim Tae-sik could have bluffed to try and seize control of the meeting, implying that they still had plenty of resources, but he opted against it.
‘The fact that they’re targeting Pohang Airport right now means they’ve probably absorbed the surrounding small-to-medium-sized survivor camps. If they’re this invested in Pohang, they could’ve easily gathered intelligence on our situation.’
The Balhut Cult knew them well.
They had gradually integrated the smaller camps within Pohang, consolidating power and gathering information on Pohang’s circumstances.
Attempting to bluff against such a well-informed opponent would have been a suicidal move.
“It’s honestly difficult not to doubt whether you truly have the strength to keep fighting.”
“Are you implying we’re weak?”
In turn, the Balhut Cult started to question the military capabilities of Pohang’s three main factions.
“Yes. After all, results are beginning to show in other regions. From what I hear, the heart of Daegu to the west of Gyeongju is slowly being reclaimed. In Jeonju, while the city remains lost, some towns and villages have been taken back. And in Seoul, known for having the densest zombie population, a remarkable hero named Kim Suho has appeared.”
She cited the emergence of notable heroes across the Korean Peninsula as a reason.
“Meanwhile, you all have yet to reclaim Pohang and are still wasting away, aren’t you? Ah, I hear Pohang did have a remarkable hero, Baek Seol-hwa, but isn’t she currently missing?”
And she continued, diminishing Pohang’s status by suggesting it was not on par with those other regions.
Even if they once had a hero, she pointed out the harsh reality that their hero was now missing.
Seo Un-jae wanted to refute Choi Yuna’s arrogant stance but…
“We have no accomplishments to counter that statement. Haha. I can’t argue against that.”
Unlike the Balhut Cult, which had reclaimed Gyeongju and grown into a legitimate government, Pohang had no achievements to counter their claims.
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