Chapter 45
The Balhut Cult, of course, was not embarking on an expedition to Pohang right away.
Waging war required a lot of preparation, and stockpiling military supplies and weapons for the soldiers was essential.
They also needed to draft the operational plans for Pohang and secure a safe route leading there.
“There are two routes from Gyeongju to Pohang.”
Currently, there were two roads from Gyeongju to Pohang.
“The first is the route along the Hyeongsan River. If you follow the road along the river, you can reach Pohang. By car, it would take 30 minutes. With no traffic jams, 20 minutes would be enough.”
The first route involved taking the road along the Hyeongsan River.
Following the Hyeongsan River would quickly lead to the center of Pohang.
While it was the fastest route,
“I believe there are many villages and towns along the way.”
“Yes, we’d have to fight the zombies there. More importantly, the road only provides a single entryway into Pohang.”
The problem was that there were numerous villages and towns along the way, and the zombies or Mutant Zombies inhabiting those places would need to be dealt with.
In other words, unless they cleared out the zombies along that path, their advance could be hindered later, and it would significantly affect their supply chain and operational plans.
Moreover, from the perspective of the Balhut Cult, which needed to assault the entirety of Pohang, having only one entrance between Gyeongju and Pohang wasn’t a particularly favorable option.
“The second option is using the Gunpo Industrial Road. As long as we maintain the mountain tunnels, it would be a highly viable route for transporting supplies for the Balhut Cult.”
“Really?”
The second option was using the Gunpo Industrial Road.
It involved passing through the mountain tunnels towards Pohang, and if they secured the area around the tunnels, the rest of the route would be through the mountains, greatly reducing the chances of encountering zombies.
“Of course, we have some concerns about the zombies nearby or the monsters in the mountains, but since the Gunpo Industrial Road runs straight to Pohang, if we set up observation posts along the way, our forces should be able to manage the supply lines.”
It was also a more manageable route compared to the Hyeongsan River route, which required passing through many villages and towns.
And the advantages weren’t limited to the route itself.
“From our perspective, aiming to conquer all of Pohang, using the Gunpo Industrial Road is essential. If we proceed through the Gunpo Industrial Road, there’s a path leading directly to the Pohang Steelworks. Additionally, if we use the Yeongilman Highway along the way, there’s a route leading to the Hyeongsan River and another leading to Pohang Airport. With three potential routes for advancement, the Gunpo Industrial Road could become the central axis for our assault on Pohang.”
Jung Dong-gun mentioned that this route could serve as a transportation hub for their campaign in Pohang.
From the Gunpo Industrial Road, they could branch onto the Yeongilman Highway, which led directly to the Hyeongsan River, while another route headed towards Pohang Airport.
If they continued straight on the Gunpo Industrial Road, it would lead directly to the Pohang Steelworks, making it an appealing choice with three possible routes for advancing their campaign.
“Moreover, there’s a significant difference in scale between Pohang and Gyeongju. A direct frontal assault would be difficult, so a flanking maneuver via the Gunpo Industrial Road seems ideal.”
Pohang’s scale was roughly double that of Gyeongju.
In terms of land, population, and industry, it was a city far more formidable than Gyeongju. Because of this, the scale of the zombies in Pohang was also expected to be more than double that of Gyeongju.
In the worst-case scenario, if the entire city of Pohang was overrun by zombies, the number of enemies they’d face would be even greater.
“Then, how do you plan to proceed with the assault?”
“I plan to use a suitable location as a forward base and recruit the local survivors living in Pohang.”
Jung Dong-gun intended to enlist the help of the survivors still living in Pohang.
While fighting alone would be difficult, if they could gain the cooperation of the locals, they could gather more reliable information about the terrain and the city.
Moreover, if any of the local collaborators were awakened individuals, they could be integrated into their fighting force, reducing the burden on the cult’s resources.
“So, Gyeongju and Pohang need to be physically connected. To easily recruit the locals, that is.”
“Yes. First, I will lead an advance party to secure the Gunpo Industrial Road.”
“I’m counting on you.”
Of course, there was also the option of recruiting through online communities.
But in the age of the apocalypse, few people took internet community posts seriously.
A few awakened individuals using fixed nicknames posted credible information, but in the target area of Pohang, such individuals were scarce.
Even if there were potential collaborators, the Balhut Cult’s external reputation wasn’t particularly high, given their identity as a cult.
Thus, they had to prove themselves through strength rather than words to recruit the local survivors, which necessitated a physical connection between Gyeongju and Pohang.
“Wow, there are a lot of zombies.”
“Be careful. This isn’t the relatively safe southern Gyeongju area but the vicinity of Northern Gyeongju, ruled by Do Josoon. Plus, Pohang is still overrun by zombies.”
“I understand, sir.”
Following Yuna’s orders, Jung Dong-gun assembled an elite advance party from the cult’s soldiers, and they began clearing the route to Pohang.
The path from Northern Gyeongju towards the Gunpo Industrial Road was filled with stray zombies.
Jung Dong-gun and the cult soldiers took down the zombies one by one as they advanced.
“Wow, you really have to fight this many zombies outside.”
“It’s a zombie wave. A zombie wave. Are you sure there are any survivors in Pohang?”
They had to face a massive wave of zombies.
Their military trucks and buses, modified for combat, served as barricades, allowing them to fire continuously, cutting down the charging zombie hordes. Yet, the overwhelming numbers, reminiscent of a human wave attack, left them astounded.
While the area around Gyeongju had never seen such large zombie hordes thanks to the power of Bahamut, this was the cult’s first encounter with such a massive wave of zombies.
“About 100 zombies at a time, maybe?”
“It could be more.”
Where they usually fought against 20 to 30 zombies, now they faced between 100 to 300 zombies at a time, a daunting prospect.
The cult soldiers sighed as they turned to look at their leader, Jung Dong-gun.
“Can we really clear a path to Pohang with just 20 of us?”
“Haven’t we already made it halfway?”
Although the soldiers complained about the difficulty, they had already won multiple battles against the zombies.
Without suffering any losses, the Balhut Cult had achieved consecutive victories in their encounters with the zombies.
So, while they voiced their complaints, their morale remained high, and their spirits and confidence soared from their successful experiences.
“Commander, there’s a suspicious zombie up ahead.”
“Is it a mutant?”
“It appears so.”
A scout using binoculars to survey the surroundings reported back.
When the scout mentioned a suspicious zombie, Jung Dong-gun immediately asked if it was a mutant, to which the scout replied with a tense affirmation.
“No one would say it’s not a mutant after seeing those bulging muscles.”
“Is it coming towards us?”
“Well, uh… yes. It seems to have noticed us. It’s definitely running at us with clear hostility.”
The soldier, observing through binoculars, saw a Mutant Zombie that was noticeably different from the others.
It wasn’t the typical appearance one associates with zombies; many of them had uniquely developed features, appearing distinct in some way.
Some zombies had enhanced jumping ability, others had increased strength, and some even had the ability to command other zombies.
The zombie that the soldier spotted seemed specialized in strength, as it charged towards the advance party with fierce aggression upon discovering them.
“Then load the bullets. Make sure you don’t set it to burst mode by mistake.”
“I know.”
Even though Mutant Zombies were more powerful than ordinary zombies, once they were detected by the advance party’s surveillance, they became easy targets.
A soldier, armed with a sniper rifle, loaded special bullets and aimed at the head of the charging Mutant Zombie.
With a bang, the Mutant Zombie’s head burst open like a watermelon, and it fell lifelessly.
The soldier discarded the empty bullet casing, loaded a new bullet, and fired again, this time aiming at the body of the fallen Mutant Zombie, causing a massive explosion that incinerated everything nearby.
“Works like a charm.”
The soldier picked up the bullet casings marked with fire and water motifs from the ground.
With the Mutant Zombie silenced, the soldier collected the fallen casings and murmured about how reliable they were.
“Yeah, it sure is reliable. But if a stronger Mutant Zombie appears, will these bullets still be effective?”
Jung Dong-gun nodded in agreement with the soldier’s assessment but expressed concern about whether the bullets would work if stronger Mutant Zombies appeared.
If, as God Bahamut feared, a more powerful zombie emerged, even if Gyeongju remained safe, the soldiers at the frontline might suffer serious injuries or casualties.
For Jung Dong-gun, who had fought alongside the soldiers like comrades and shared meals with them, the thought was a bitter one.
However, the soldier, perhaps unaware of Jung Dong-gun’s worries, cheerfully responded with a confident voice.
“They’ll work, sir. Bahamut Rounds are invincible. After all, they’re capable of firing shells or high-pressure water cutters from a gun.”
“Right, they are invincible.”
But it was a statement grounded in fact.
The weapon could fire shells or high-pressure water jets, all from a simple rifle.
With a single rifle bullet, the soldier could unleash the power of a cannon or a cutting effect similar to that of a high-pressure water cutter, demonstrating immense firepower with a single shot.
Moreover, since they were mainly fighting zombies, they hadn’t often used them, but there were bullets specifically designed for subduing awakened individuals.
Awakened individuals who had observed these bullets in action had no reason to doubt the power of the Bahamut Rounds.
“But our God has warned that stronger zombies could appear. It could mean that there might be enemies these bullets won’t work against.”
“That’s… terrifying.”
Jung Dong-gun gravely nodded in agreement, acknowledging that this concern had been directly raised by their deity, God Bahamut.
It was a worry he couldn’t ignore, even if he wanted to.
The soldier, too, responded with a serious expression, admitting that the thought was indeed frightening.
“But I believe in the potential of these bullets. Not just the bullets, but also the gradual improvement of the guns themselves. And then, the power of the bullets will also increase, won’t it?”
“That’s a reassuring thought.”
Still, the soldier insisted that if it were the Balhut Cult, they could definitely overcome this challenge.
To be more precise, he believed in the potential of the bullets.
Right now, due to the limited facilities, they couldn’t fully harness that potential, but he believed that as the quality of the guns improved, so too would the power of the bullets.
Jung Dong-gun nodded in agreement and turned his attention back to the battlefield, ending the conversation.
The battlefield was littered with the decaying bodies of zombies, while the Mutant Zombie struck by the Bahamut Round continued to burn in flames.
“Now, let’s gather the bodies where the Mutant Zombie is burning and incinerate them all. It will clear the path for the expedition to pass through later.”
“Ugh. I hate this part of the job.”
“We have no choice. If we leave them as they are, they’ll all rot and start to smell. Plus, if wild animals eat them, it could lead to more dangerous mutations.”
After that, the soldiers’ task was to handle the disposal of the zombie corpses.
If they left them there, not only would the stench be overwhelming, but the rotten smell could attract wild animals to scavenge the bodies.
There hadn’t been any cases of wild animals turning into zombies after eating their corpses, but to prepare for any potential risks, Jung Dong-gun always made sure to gather the bodies in one place and burn them to ashes.
In the case of using Bahamut Rounds, it was as simple as throwing the corpses onto the already burning Mutant Zombie, making the task easier.
Of course, the soldiers complained about the unpleasant task of moving the bodies.
“Winter is approaching; maybe they’ll freeze over?”
“Even so, they were humans once. It’s better to cremate them properly than to leave them lying around like this.”
“You’re right.”
It was also a matter of honoring the dead.
The zombies they fought had once been human, and for Jung Dong-gun, it seemed only right to at least perform a simple funeral rather than leaving bodies scattered on the streets.
And just as the smell of burning zombies and the smoke started to clog their noses and leave a bitter taste in their mouths,
“Hey there, soldiers. You’ve been working hard.”
The long-awaited snack time arrived.
“What’s this? It’s the PX! Hey there, PX guy.”
“I’m not just the PX guy. I’m Kim Taehyun!”
“But you’re basically the PX guy, right?”
“I can’t argue… with that!”
Of course, the food wasn’t provided by the cult, but rather purchased from a mobile food truck. Many soldiers eagerly awaited the arrival of Kim Taehyun’s food truck.
Inside the food truck, hot, freshly cooked meals and cool drinks were waiting for them.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ve prepared some delicious food for you guys. Ah, but I’ll still have to charge you.”
“Put it all on credit. Bill it to the cult.”
“Got it.”
Most of the soldiers relied on credit, unable to carry coins while on an expedition.
As awakened individuals, they were already well-compensated and received significant salaries from the cult, so even if they splurged a bit here, it wouldn’t hurt their wallets too much.
In fact, the soldiers of the cult, who had few opportunities to spend money due to their demanding duties, saw Kim Taehyun’s food truck as a small slice of paradise on wheels, allowing them a moment of enjoyment in their day.
Honestly, could you even compare preserved rations, which sacrificed taste for long-term storage, to freshly cooked hot meals?
“Was the road okay on your way here?”
“Don’t even ask. There were so many zombies. If I weren’t awakened, it would have been dangerous.”
“So, your parents didn’t come with you?”
“No, they haven’t awakened yet. I have to handle everything by myself.”
Jung Dong-gun, sitting down at the food truck as if he’d been waiting, noticed that only Kim Taehyun was present inside and asked about his parents.
Taehyun replied that he couldn’t risk bringing his unawakened parents into such a dangerous area, and Jung Dong-gun nodded in understanding.
“My parents are working at the market. They receive and sell goods there. Besides, with the expedition heading into increasingly dangerous areas, we have to prioritize safety.”
“Yeah, it’s a dangerous place. A world completely different from ours.”
Taehyun’s bitter smile was met with a nod from Jung Dong-gun, who acknowledged that the world outside Gyeongju was indeed entirely different.
“So, the usual order?”
“One, please.”
With a smile, Taehyun prepared Jung Dong-gun’s usual order of warm fish cakes and a cool drink.
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