Chapter 105
Evacuation preparations were proceeding quickly.
The awakened individuals from Ulsan and Pohang, led by Han Seong-geun, informed the collaborators in northern Ulsan about the evacuation.
They instructed the evacuees to simplify the belongings they would bring as much as possible.
“Alright, everyone. No cutting in line, please line up properly. Everyone will be able to evacuate safely! Even if you miss this bus, there will be another one, so don’t worry!”
Pohang Airport quickly filled with people preparing to evacuate to Gyeongju. The awakened group led by Jina Ahn managed traffic and began loading evacuees onto buses.
The Balhut Cult also strengthened its vigilance, organizing traffic and preparing for a potential attack by the Immortal Cult to ensure the safety of the evacuees.
“Are the evacuation preparations complete?”
“Yes, we instructed the evacuees to minimize personal belongings for the evacuation. However, most evacuees couldn’t leave behind the possessions they had barely managed to hold onto and packed their trunks full of luggage, disregarding our instructions.”
“Ask them to understand that heavy items cannot be transported. Please ask them to reduce the weight and size of their luggage as much as possible. The more unnecessary baggage there is, the fewer evacuees we can transport at once.”
“Understood. However, not just from Ulsan Airport, but people from all over northern Ulsan are coming here to evacuate. We’ll notify them to use the next bus.”
They maintained order and control as best as they could to prepare for the evacuation. The 100 buses gathered at the site began to ready themselves for departure.
When Jung Dong-gun asked Han Seong-geun if the preparations were complete, Han Seong-geun nodded and shared the issues that had arisen during the process.
The most troublesome issue during the preparation was:
“…We mobilized 100 buses, so this evacuation will transport approximately 4,000 people. Are there still many left?”
The main problem was the overwhelming number of evacuees arriving at Ulsan Airport upon hearing about the evacuation.
Even with 100 buses, which should have been sufficient, there were still many evacuees arriving at the airport.
“Yes, evacuees are coming not just from Ulsan Airport but from all over northern Ulsan. There are even a few coming from southern Ulsan.”
Considering Ulsan’s population of about a million people, the 4,000 evacuees boarding the Balhut Cult’s buses were just the tip of the iceberg.
People were arriving from all over northern Ulsan, and surprisingly, there were even evacuees from southern Ulsan, which was under the Immortal Cult’s control.
The sheer number of evacuees made Jung Dong-gun clutch his head in frustration.
“There are so many survivors. I thought… half the city was already wiped out.”
“Do you think we can handle this?”
From the perspective of the Balhut Cult, it was shocking to see so many people alive.
For the evacuees arriving at Ulsan Airport, it might have seemed like a tone-deaf statement, but even Han Seong-geun seemed to share similar concerns.
There were simply too many.
The number of evacuees made it difficult for the Anti-Immortal Alliance to handle them.
Without the collaboration with the United States, the Balhut Cult would have had to deplete its stockpile of supplies to sustain the evacuees.
“It’s not beyond our capacity. Recently, our trade with the United States has increased significantly, and food imports are steadily growing.”
Fortunately, thanks to the trade with the United States, the Balhut Cult was not at its limit.
As exchanges increased, the amount of food imported from the United States also grew, and the surplus was stored in the Cult’s warehouses.
By distributing this food, especially the older grains nearing their expiration, under the guise of humanitarian aid, they could support the evacuees while also bolstering Gyeongju’s position.
This influx of evacuees might even benefit the Balhut Cult by elevating Gyeongju’s importance.
“That’s reassuring. However, we should be cautious about those coming from southern Ulsan. People crossing the river are not under our jurisdiction but the Immortal Cult’s. We haven’t been able to fully assess who they are. For now, let’s prioritize evacuating the survivors from Ulsan Airport and the surrounding ports.”
“Are these survivor camps trustworthy?”
“Most of them are camps that have been fighting against the Immortal Cult. Of course, I can’t guarantee there aren’t any suspicious elements.”
The concern was whether all the evacuees heading to Gyeongju could be trusted.
Han Seong-geun admitted he couldn’t be certain.
As small survivor camps, they lacked the administrative or informational resources to vet every evacuee thoroughly.
“How many people are expected to participate in this evacuation operation?”
“At least 10,000 or more.”
“10,000? Considering Ulsan’s population, that’s a small number. Didn’t the city have a population of 1 million?”
Han Seong-geun estimated at least 10,000 evacuees, to which Jung Dong-gun nodded, assessing that it was a small fraction of Ulsan’s total population.
“One million… It’s unlikely all one million could have survived. Assume only a fraction—perhaps even just a quarter.”
“Still, that means 250,000 survived.”
“Should I grieve for the 750,000 who died or celebrate the survival of 250,000? Truly, I don’t know how to feel in this apocalypse.”
“Agreed.”
Han Seong-geun lamented the reality where human lives had become so expendable, unsure whether to mourn or be grateful for what remained.
The sheer numbers felt overwhelming. The likelihood of that many undead remaining in Ulsan only added to Han Seong-geun’s fears.
Jung Dong-gun, sharing his sentiment, resolved to expedite the evacuation process.
“Yes. Then we’ll depart in 30 minutes. Once we safely transport the evacuees to a safe location, we’ll send the buses back.”
Preparations for departure continued quickly.
“There’s one thing I’d like to ask.”
“What is it?”
“Wouldn’t it be simpler to use teleportation magic instead of relying on these buses?”
Han Seong-geun, curious about the use of buses over teleportation magic, posed his question.
It was a reasonable point. Using teleportation magic would avoid the hassle of using buses and would safely transport everyone to the Balhut Cult’s main sanctuary with just a click.
“I would prefer that too, but large-scale use of teleportation magic is difficult. There’s a risk of magical accidents. We can’t gamble with 4,000 lives.”
“Ah… I suppose that makes sense.”
Jung Dong-gun’s explanation immediately convinced Han Seong-geun.
For the sake of safety, some inconvenience had to be endured, and that inconvenience was the use of transport buses.
Frankly, if teleportation magic failed and caused an accident, no individual could take responsibility for the lives of 4,000 people.
Understanding the reason for using transport buses, Han Seong-geun made an expression of resignation and got to work on evacuation preparations.
“If we reach the checkpoint at the East Sea Expressway, it will be safe. Guard posts have been set up along the way, so if there’s an attack by the undead or monsters, you can get help from the troops stationed there. I’ve already instructed the stationed personnel to escort the evacuees upon your arrival.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
Finally, preparations for departure were complete.
Han Seong-geun expressed his gratitude for Jung Dong-gun’s thoughtful arrangements.
“I intend to entrust the evacuation of the refugees to Ahn.”
“I’ll stay here, but my deputy, Sang-hui, will accompany the refugees.”
When it came to recommending a commander to lead the refugees, Han Seong-geun suggested Jina Ahn, while Jung Dong-gun recommended his deputy, Son Sang-hui.
Both were trustworthy individuals and skilled awakened ones.
With the confidence that these two could handle any threat, Jina Ahn and Son Sang-hui were assigned to lead the evacuation.
“I may be the leader, but can I really manage such a large number of people?”
“…I’m worried about that too.”
However, both Jina Ahn and Son Sang-hui seemed daunted by the enormous scale of the evacuation operation and expressed their doubts about whether they could handle it.
It was only natural to feel the pressure, given the sudden responsibility of safeguarding the lives of 4,000 evacuees.
Of course, there were subordinates assigned to assist Jina Ahn and Son Sang-hui, but…
“Honestly, it would be better if you led the refugees, Uncle Seong-geun, and I stayed here instead.”
From Jina Ahn’s perspective, it made more sense for someone like Han Seong-geun, who excelled at leading people, to handle the refugees rather than herself, who was better suited for combat.
As the evacuation procession prepared to depart, Jina Ahn couldn’t help but feel concerned about what lay ahead. At that moment…
“Could I interview you?”
“Huh? Who are you? Are you a YouTuber?”
A man approached with a filming camera and a microphone.
Around his neck hung a notebook and pen, giving him an appearance that seemed out of place in the apocalypse. Confused, Jina Ahn called him a YouTuber.
“I’m a war correspondent.”
The man introduced himself as a war correspondent.
“A war correspondent… You mean a reporter who follows battlefields, right?”
“Yes, I document the events of the battlefield and relay them to the Balhut Cult.”
Though she was familiar with the term, Jina Ahn clarified her understanding, and the man confirmed it. He explained that he reported on battlefield conditions to inform civilians.
With newfound interest, Jina Ahn observed the war correspondent and quickly realized he was also an awakened one.
However…
“You’re quite bold, aren’t you? This is a dangerous place, you know. And you’re not exactly strong.”
Noticing that the man was weaker than Han Seong-geun, Jina Ahn warned him about the risks of staying in such a perilous area.
Instead of taking offense, the war correspondent scratched his head and responded with a wry smile.
“Haha, I get that a lot. Oh, I’m Kang Jaewan, the war correspondent. I know this is a dangerous place, but someone has to report the truth, right? Besides, you’re all here to protect us.”
“If the evacuees leave Ulsan Airport, there won’t be many people left to protect this place.”
“Well, I have a friend I can rely on. He’s reasonably strong and quite wealthy, so I think I’ll be fine.”
Kang Jaewan, the war correspondent, brushed off the warning, insisting that his presence was essential to deliver the truth.
When Jina Ahn pointed out the vulnerability of the area after the evacuation, he assured her that his wealthy and capable friend would ensure his safety.
“Wealthy…? What’s the point of wealth in the apocalypse? Everyone’s broke.”
“Haha, in the Balhut Cult’s territory, wealth still matters.”
Perplexed, Jina Ahn questioned the relevance of wealth in the apocalypse, where even the rich struggled to survive.
Kang Jaewan explained that wealth held significance within the Balhut Cult’s domain.
“Oh, by the way, I don’t believe I got your name during our random interview.”
“It’s Jina Ahn.”
“Jina Ahn… Jina Ahn… Oh.”
Upon hearing her name, Kang Jaewan’s face lit up with recognition.
“You have the same name as the Hero of Fukuoka.”
“That’s me.”
“The Hero returned to the Korean Peninsula!”
Realizing her identity, Kang Jaewan expressed his astonishment, referring to her as the Hero of Fukuoka.
To Kang Jaewan, it was remarkable to see a hero who could have lived comfortably in Japan return to Ulsan to aid the survivors.
And indeed, this perception wasn’t far from the truth…
“I came back. I promised I would return to Korea. The problem is, I got stuck at Ulsan Airport when I did.”
“That must have been a disaster.”
“It was. I went through a lot, but I managed to save people who were being dragged away by the Immortal Cult. So, in the end, it worked out.”
As a leader, she had protected countless lives from the Immortal Cult, earning her the title of hero in Ulsan.
“You’re full of a sense of justice.”
“Justice, huh…? Is this really driven by justice? Hmm, I’m not sure. But I do know that I’m just doing what I can. That much, I’m certain of.”
Kang Jaewan, impressed by her actions, praised her sense of justice, but Jina Ahn seemed slightly conflicted.
For her, attributing her actions solely to justice felt inadequate.
Her explanation for her actions was simple—she was merely doing what she could.
“In the apocalypse, that alone saves many lives. Even what seems small to you can leave a profound impact on others.”
“Ah, I think I understand that.”
Kang Jaewan asserted that her actions could save countless lives.
Acknowledging this, Jina Ahn nodded, appearing to understand his point.
“Indeed. That’s a good story.”
Smiling brightly, Kang Jaewan seemed delighted to have found an excellent piece for his report.
—
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