Chapter 100
Misunderstandings were cleared, and for the first time in a long while, bright lights illuminated Ulsan Airport.
Under the glow of these lights…
“Ah, it’s been so long since I’ve had delicious food! Thank you so much!”
“Being able to eat good food until I’m full… what a blessing! Oh, are we being a burden?”
A sudden feast broke out.
It had been hard to notice during the combat, but the survivors at Ulsan Airport were clearly struggling with food shortages.
Having gone so long without a proper meal, the survivors at the Ulsan Airport camp were overwhelmed by the sight of the food provided by the Balhut Cult.
They began devouring the meals on the table with fervor.
“No, not at all. We have plenty of food, so it’s no trouble. But… isn’t this amount hard on your stomach?”
“We managed to eat enough to keep going during battles.”
“It’s just that the food we had was unbearably terrible.”
Although eating large amounts of food after prolonged hunger could cause digestive issues, Jina Ahn assured them it wasn’t a problem. They hadn’t been starving entirely—just forced to eat terrible-tasting food.
Even without Jung Dong-gun’s help, they could have harvested crops from nearby farms or used seasonings left in abandoned houses to survive for a few more months.
“Is this food prepared from crops harvested from nearby farms?”
“Yes. Instant foods like ramen have mostly reached their expiration dates.”
“Hm. The crops we harvested didn’t taste this good.”
Now that the apocalypse had lasted over six months, even emergency food supplies like ramen were reaching their limits. Only jerky and canned goods remained as viable emergency rations.
From this point onward, survivors needed to start cultivating crops from nearby farms to secure a stable food supply.
“Well, the quality of crops depends on their harvest timing. Seasonal changes also affect their taste.”
“Oh, I see. We just grabbed anything that seemed edible. I didn’t realize there were proper harvest seasons.”
“Yes, exactly…”
Crop quality varied depending on when they were harvested. It seemed the survivors had eaten poorly harvested crops, leading to inferior taste.
The crops weren’t inedible or spoiled, but enjoying truly delicious food was a luxury in such harsh conditions.
In fact, seeking delicious food itself was a luxury in this apocalypse. For now, let’s move on.
“I’m curious. Why is the hero of Japan, known as a savior, staying here at Ulsan Airport? If you had stayed in Japan, wouldn’t you have been treated with great respect?”
“Well, that’s because…”
As he extended a small gesture of goodwill to the Ulsan Airport camp, Jung Dong-gun looked at Jina Ahn with a serious expression and asked his question.
Jina Ahn had been the key figure in reclaiming Fukuoka—a hero.
In truth, she had only been at a disadvantage due to the stark difference in equipment and her weakened condition from lack of proper nutrition. If the battle had taken place under equal conditions…
‘I would have lost. She’s likely as powerful as Baek Seol-hwa was before becoming the Priestess. In other words, she has the strength to become the ruler or leader of an entire region.’
Jung Dong-gun concluded that his defeat was certain.
If she had remained in Japan, Fukuoka would have ensured she was highly respected and well-treated. There would have been no need for her to endure such a humble life.
After a moment of hesitation, Jina Ahn replied.
“I got stranded while returning to Korea.”
“What?”
Her situation was described as being stranded, leaving Jung Dong-gun visibly baffled. Embarrassed, Jina Ahn averted her gaze and hesitantly began to explain.
“Well… you see, we were worried about our families back home. Living as foreigners in Japan was also uncomfortable. So, after making a significant contribution in Fukuoka, we received support from the city’s mayor and boarded a ship to approach South Korea’s waters.”
Fukuoka, being a port city, still had functional fishing boats and ships even in the apocalypse.
When the city’s leadership decided to provide administrative support to their hero, no one would dare object.
After all, helping a hero who had saved their lives was a moral obligation.
Since Jina Ahn and her group had been instrumental in reclaiming the city, Fukuoka’s leadership likely felt indebted to her and sought ways to ensure her safe return to Korea.
“That’s not impossible. But wouldn’t it have been better to go to Busan?”
Jung Dong-gun pointed out the question everyone was likely thinking—why was she in Ulsan instead of Busan?
“If you aimed to establish a base for reclaiming the Korean Peninsula, wouldn’t Busan have been a more strategic choice?”
Given her experience in reclaiming Fukuoka, she would likely have the knowledge to reclaim other cities.
If she had come to Busan with such intentions, the survivor camps there would have welcomed her with open arms.
In this apocalypse, powerful awakened individuals capable of protecting survivors were invaluable assets.
‘Baek Seol-hwa before becoming the Priestess was a similar case. While jealousy or envy might arise, her achievements and leadership potential would outweigh those issues.’
Jung Dong-gun believed that even if survivor camp leaders in Busan were envious or jealous of Jina Ahn, with the additional support of Fukuoka, such hurdles could be overcome.
But instead, she chose Ulsan, a smaller city.
“Busan seemed too dangerous. Besides, even in Japan, we received updates about South Korea. I heard Seoul, with its large population, has become a living hell.”
“True. From what I’ve heard, Seoul is barely holding off zombie waves with Kim Suho at the center, using the Han River as a defensive line.”
Jina Ahn, looking troubled, explained that she thought Busan was too dangerous and decided to settle in Ulsan instead.
As evidence, she cited the situation in Seoul. Jung Dong-gun, who had also kept up with information about Seoul, quickly agreed.
It was reported that Seoul was resisting the zombie waves using the Han River as a defensive line, and a remarkable hero, Kim Suho, had somehow managed to gather former government officials to establish this Han River Defense Line.
‘A horde of one million, they say? Considering Seoul’s population, it might even be more than that.’
According to the news circulating on community boards, over a million zombies resided within Seoul, and the Han River Defense Line was considered South Korea’s final line of defense.
Rumor had it that if the Han River Defense Line were to be breached, Kim Suho had plans to retreat from the Han River, establish a defense at Namhan san-seong, and eventually fall back to Gwangju.
“There’s even a rumor that over half of South Korea’s population has turned into zombies. Honestly… I wouldn’t want to fight a horde of a million zombies head-on, either.”
“Whether it’s 500,000 or a million, the difference is negligible. But I get the feeling—we feel the same way.”
Even the extraordinary hero of Seoul was reportedly being pushed back by the overwhelming zombie horde, so it was only natural for Jina Ahn, the hero of Fukuoka, to feel apprehensive.
Although there was a chance that the number of zombies in Busan was far less than a million, relying on such a possibility was risky.
After all, Jina Ahn had witnessed the horrors of the apocalypse firsthand in Fukuoka.
Carelessness in this apocalypse was a direct path to death, and targeting a less dangerous city was a far more rational choice.
Jung Dong-gun deeply empathized with this sentiment.
“So, instead of Busan, you came to Ulsan. Since you had a ship, sneaking into Ulsan through the chaotic harbors caused by the apocalypse must not have been too difficult.”
“…If you were aware of the situation in South Korea, wouldn’t it have been fine to come to Pohang instead of Ulsan? We were in the process of reclaiming Pohang at the time.”
“Well… about that.”
Jina Ahn averted her gaze at this remark.
She fidgeted with her fingers, visibly uneasy, avoiding making eye contact with Jung Dong-gun.
It wasn’t just Jina Ahn. Her companions, who had been quietly observing, also turned their faces away from him.
“Ah.”
Son Sang-hui let out a sigh of pity at the sight.
That behavior was all too familiar to her.
Perhaps this attitude meant…
“Was it because of the Balhut Cult?”
“…Ugh. I don’t want to say this to someone who just gave us such delicious food!”
When Son Sang-hui mentioned the cult, Jina Ahn and her companions all lowered their heads as if struck in the heart.
Indeed, Jina Ahn’s group had avoided Pohang because of the Balhut Cult.
“I… I’d never heard of such a name in South Korea. It just… felt suspicious. Extremely suspicious!”
“It does seem suspicious.”
“Highly suspicious.”
“Sorry to say this, but… before meeting you all, we thought you were just as shady as the Immortal Cult.”
Though Jina Ahn apologized, her companions bluntly voiced their suspicions.
It seemed that even the capable Awakened leader who had previously controlled Ulsan Airport shared the same sentiment.
A young man, who had been devouring food next to Jina Ahn, apologized while mentioning the Immortal Cult.
The Balhut Cult was, metaphorically speaking, out of the game with a strikeout from suspicion.
Cough!
“There’s no denying it! What can we do, Leader? It seems fate is unavoidable!”
“…Ahem! We’re not supposed to admit that.”
The Balhut Cult was far too suspicious!
Although South Korea had seen its share of cults, the Balhut Cult wasn’t based on Christianity.
Instead, it was an enigmatic group worshipping an unknown Dragon God, which naturally raised eyebrows among outsiders.
Considering the cult’s previously abysmal reputation, it would have required immense courage for Jina Ahn to rely on them while returning to South Korea from Japan.
Why take the risk of joining a suspicious cult with a bad reputation?
‘It’s undeniable…! Someone like Jina Ahn could succeed anywhere. There’s no reason for her to join such a competitive cult.’
Jung Dong-gun couldn’t deny this reasoning. The Balhut Cult’s external reputation was well known in Pohang, so he understood why Jina Ahn and her group might feel that way.
Moreover, even if Jina Ahn joined the Balhut Cult, there was no guarantee she would be treated well.
The military was already firmly under Jung Dong-gun’s control. From Jina Ahn’s perspective, joining the cult would mean competing against him without any solid foundation.
Additionally, Kim Tae-sik, a naval officer, had recently regained his position under the Priestess Baek Seol-hwa’s guidance. If things went poorly, Jina Ahn might have had to compete against him as well.
‘Still, she’s clearly a skilled individual. Considering her strength, she could function as a freelancer without issues. Perhaps my concerns are unnecessary.’
Based on the skills she demonstrated earlier, Jina Ahn seemed like an Awakened individual on par with—or even exceeding—Jung Dong-gun.
Given how the Balhut Cult treated powerful Awakened individuals, operating in Gyeongju might have been easier for her.
“Of course, in Yeongnam, there’s no one who doesn’t know the names Jung Dong-gun, Lee Hyuna, Lee Sua, and Yoo Soo-sung. The cult’s label as a suspicious group is also psychologically hard to shake off. And honestly… I just don’t think I can compete with such skilled individuals.”
“You overestimate me. I’m just an ordinary soldier.”
Jina Ahn humbly praised the main leaders of the Balhut Cult, claiming she couldn’t compete with them.
Naturally, the remark about the cult being suspicious made Jung Dong-gun grimace internally, but he couldn’t argue against it.
Without witnessing the Dragon God Bahamut with their own eyes, most would dismiss it as CGI or some form of trickery.
Even the United States, after verifying Bahamut’s existence, remained divided internally between those who believed and those who doubted.
“Ahem. So, we arrived in Ulsan and decided to settle here. Some of my companions even have roots in Ulsan.”
“Is that why you’re based at Ulsan Airport?”
“No. Originally, we intended to establish a base near the harbor to maintain a connection with Fukuoka. But the situation worsened, so we’re currently relying on Mr. Han Seong-geun, who had already established himself at Ulsan Airport.”
Jina Ahn explained that they had initially aimed to build their base near the harbor, partly to maintain ties with Fukuoka.
However, due to worsening circumstances, they ended up depending on Han Seong-geun, who had already settled at Ulsan Airport.
“Essentially, you were driven to Ulsan Airport.”
“Who forced you here? Was there a force capable of driving you out?”
“…The Immortal Cult.”
Han Seong-geun revealed to Jung Dong-gun that they had been driven to Ulsan Airport by the Immortal Cult.
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment