Chapter 57
It was an outrageously arrogant statement.
It practically belittled Pohang, implying that they were inferior to the Balhut Cult, so it wouldn’t have been surprising if this hard-won meeting fell apart on the spot.
However, from the perspective of the three main camps of Pohang, there was no ground to refute Choi Yuna’s words.
To counter her statements, the Pohang camps themselves needed to show they had achieved the recapture of Pohang. But had they already done so, there would have been no need to hold this meeting with the Balhut Cult to reclaim Pohang.
“This is not a negotiation. It is an announcement from us, the Balhut Cult, who hold overwhelming dominance over you.”
Choi Yuna openly declared that the Balhut Cult held the upper hand in this meeting.
Yet, no one gathered there could dispute the high-handedness of the Balhut Cult… or Choi Yuna.
In truth, the Balhut Cult had already shown several accomplishments in Pohang, and they were on the verge of launching a solo operation to recapture Pohang Airport.
Had it not been for this meeting, Jung Dong-gun, who was here as Yuna’s bodyguard, would have already started the operation to seize Pohang Airport.
“Then why did you bring us here for this meeting? Did you come just to show off your strength?”
There was always the possibility that their campaign to retake Pohang Airport might fail.
However, given the achievements they had shown so far, everyone judged that it would take an act of God for them to fail.
Seeing that the Balhut Cult had seized control of the meeting with Choi Yuna’s declaration, Seo Un-jae began to criticize them, questioning if they were merely here to flaunt their power.
“Hmm. Would you like me to offer you all an attractive proposal?”
“A proposal?”
At this, Choi Yuna, as if amused, suggested making an interesting proposal to Pohang’s three main factions.
What kind of proposal could it be that the High Priestess of the Balhut Cult would personally mention it?
“How about you, too, witness the advent of Bahamut?”
“Bahamut?”
“Yes. Back when the internet was still up… Well, I suppose you could still confirm it now through Starlink if you wanted. Do you recall that video that circulated in the Gyeongju community?”
At her words, the people gathered at the meeting pondered for a moment but quickly remembered.
When the Korean internet communities were still functioning, there had been a video circulating in the Gyeongju community.
When it first circulated, people dismissed it as a game CGI or edited footage and moved on. Later, the zombie crisis left no room for anyone to care about videos circulating on the internet.
“Could it be… the dragon that appeared in Gyeongju?”
However, there had been a few who wondered if it could be real, and it certainly left a strong impression.
Ha Jin-woo tentatively mentioned the dragon sighting in Gyeongju, and Yuna nodded with a bright smile.
It was an unspoken confirmation.
“Are you saying you’ll show us that?”
“Yes. If you wish to see it.”
At that, Kim Tae-sik received a positive answer, saying that it was possible if they wanted it.
“We just so happened to find a suitable location to summon Him, so I think we’ll be able to show you clearly.”
In reality, the Balhut Cult had searched for a suitable location to bring forth Bahamut and had successfully designated an operational site.
Thus, Yuna was able to confidently promise to show Bahamut to Pohang’s three main factions.
“When He descends, we shall see if those stiff necks of yours can hold up to the arrogance.”
“……”
No one responded to Yuna’s arrogant remark.
Although this was a time when people were becoming accustomed to the mysteries and magic wielded by awakened individuals, it was still unbelievable that a giant dragon would appear in Pohang.
Furthermore, the dragon shown in that video had been powerful enough to annihilate a horde of zombies in Gyeongju with a single strike.
Was such a dragon really something that a mere awakened individual could control?
“Well then, we shall end today’s meeting here. There’s no need to continue this discussion further since it won’t progress unless we, the Cult, prove our power to you.”
In the end, the meeting concluded under the control of the Balhut Cult.
At least, they had exchanged communication channels, and the three main factions of Pohang reached a point where they could view contact with such a powerful external force as hopeful for the recapture of Pohang.
“Should we trust the Balhut Cult?”
Ha Jin-woo, the leader of Pohang University Campus, was skeptical, showing a doubtful expression about trusting the Balhut Cult.
If only Jung Dong-gun himself had personally stepped forward, declaring he would retake Pohang, Ha Jin-woo might have found some faith in their promises.
After all, Jung Dong-gun and his subordinates had already succeeded in reclaiming areas near Pohang Airport, and before coming here, they were just on the brink of launching the operation to seize the airport.
However, in the meeting, Jung Dong-gun was merely a bodyguard, and the figure leading the discussion was a young girl who claimed that everything would be resolved if a dragon appeared.
Even though it was the apocalypse, her claims felt so exaggerated that Ha Jin-woo found himself doubting her words all the more.
‘Did we rush into this alliance too quickly?’
And so, the leader of the Pohang University Campus, Ha Jin-woo, who had been quick to forge an alliance with the Balhut Cult, deeply regretted his decision.
Yet, now that they had formed this alliance, Ha Jin-woo had no choice but to see it through to the end.
‘After all, weren’t we the ones who gained the most from this deal?’
The camp that had benefited the most from this meeting was Ha Jin-woo’s Pohang University Campus.
Thanks to the Balhut Cult, they were able to receive benefits faster than anyone else, and the threat of zombies surrounding the camp had almost entirely disappeared due to the Cult’s efforts.
Now, even if they voiced complaints, the other camps wouldn’t care.
From the perspective of other camps, Pohang University Campus was the camp that had gained the most from this alliance.
Thus, they had no choice but to feel conflicted about cooperating with the Cult.
‘I acknowledge that awakened individuals are strong, but is it truly possible to command a dragon?’
On the other hand, Major General Kim Tae-sik of the Pohang Marine Division acknowledged the power of awakened individuals but remained skeptical about the idea of controlling a dragon as seen in the video.
Since the zombie crisis began, he had witnessed how awakened individuals were far stronger than ordinary people and could wield unheard-of mysteries like magic in actual combat.
However, Kim Tae-sik was well aware that even awakened individuals had limits, and it was precisely these limits that had prevented them from fully reclaiming Pohang.
Kim Tae-sik’s skepticism toward the Cult was, in a sense, only natural.
“It would have been reassuring if the army of awakened ones led by Jung Dong-gun were the ones to launch the reclamation. While they might not have had much armored support to back the soldiers, each soldier alone displayed the power of a hundred. And the specialized equipment for the awakened was also remarkable.”
Still, there was at least something he could rely on.
Kim Tae-sik had secretly observed the strength of the awakened army led by Jung Dong-gun.
Kim Tae-sik had witnessed the feats of the Cult soldiers during the campaign near Pohang Airport, and he couldn’t help but feel envy at the powerful martial prowess of the awakened and the special equipment they wielded.
“Unlike us, who have no fallback, they have Gyeongju as their support base. They can continue to receive supplies of special weaponry. They might not even need the dragon from the video; with Jung Dong-gun’s army alone, they could easily reclaim Pohang, couldn’t they?”
Given that they had Gyeongju behind them, unlike Pohang, it was easy to conclude that the army of awakened individuals armed with special weapons could defeat the mutant spider zombies and successfully reclaim Pohang.
Any commander with proper judgment would place their trust in the steady, awakened army led by Jung Dong-gun rather than waiting for the divine descent of Bahamut.
“The problem is what happens after the reclamation. If they exercise the rights of the victor, wouldn’t my position be at risk?”
Rather, it was the post-reclamation period that worried him.
The Balhut Cult would emerge as the victor, and if they exercised the rights of the victor over Pohang, Kim Tae-sik felt a sense of crisis that his position might be jeopardized.
This made him even more reluctant to collaborate with the Cult.
“It’s true that the Balhut Cult has managed to recapture the areas around Pohang Airport, a place notoriously overrun with zombies. Doesn’t this mean they truly possess the power to reclaim Pohang on their own?”
Even Seo Un-jae, who had opposed Yuna so fiercely before, now accepted without question that the Balhut Cult was powerful enough to reclaim Pohang.
This was an army that had already achieved the feat of reclaiming areas near Pohang Airport.
Unlike Pohang’s three main factions, they had the support of Gyeongju, and with the supplies from Gyeongju, they could maintain peak combat power. In that sense, they were the most powerful faction in Pohang right now.
The penalty of traveling a long distance wasn’t an issue either, as the roads leading to Pohang were wide open, only about 20 minutes away by vehicle.
That distance hardly counted as a penalty.
“Then, who will pay the highest price for us? The Balhut Cult? Or should we establish an organization to assert Pohang’s rights?”
Whether it happened sooner or later, Pohang would eventually be reclaimed by the Cult’s power.
Thus, the leader of the Hyeongsan River Survivor Camp, Seo Un-jae, had to make a choice.
After Pohang was reclaimed, whom should he align with?
Should he throw himself to the highest bidder? Or, should he form an obscure organization to assert Pohang’s rights against Gyeongju?
Most would say that following the Balhut Cult, the dominant force, was the logical choice.
“No, that’s not right. I don’t need to willingly become the tail of a dragon. Isn’t the head of a snake still a head?”
Seo Un-jae’s answer was to choose the head of a snake over the tail of a dragon.
In any case, even if he joined the Balhut Cult now, he would have to compete with other survivor camps to climb to a high position.
Seo Un-jae was skilled enough as an awakened individual to call himself a camp leader, and his political acumen wasn’t lacking either, given his prior experience as a politician in the Pohang Assembly before the apocalypse.
“It’s certainly possible. If I collaborate with other camps, I can assert Pohang’s rights within the Balhut Cult.”
In his mind, this was entirely feasible.
For the Balhut Cult to govern Pohang after reclaiming it, collaboration with the existing factions within Pohang was essential.
If Seo Un-jae were to take the lead and assert Pohang’s rights, he could make a name for himself in Pohang by fighting for its rights in cooperation with the Balhut Cult.
In a sense, reputation could be a significant political asset even in an apocalypse. If he were to challenge the Cult for Pohang’s rights, the citizens of Pohang would inevitably pay attention to Seo Un-jae’s words.
“In that case, if the Balhut Cult is as overbearing as they appear, this plan would be impossible. However, contrary to their name, they operate not as a cult but as a governing body.”
Research revealed they weren’t as reckless as they appeared. In fact, they were running as a government, not a cult.
In the meeting, he had dismissed them as a cult, but Seo Un-jae had actually investigated the Balhut Cult thoroughly for this meeting to understand their disposition.
“It’s feasible. Entirely feasible.”
Ultimately, Seo Un-jae’s goal wasn’t to oppose the Balhut Cult but to build political assets within it.
In other words, he intended to play by the Cult’s rules but use their weaknesses to his advantage.
“Eventually, sooner or later, someone will assert Pohang’s rights. I’ll just be the first to take that position.”
He believed that someone would eventually emerge to challenge Gyeongju, and if he preemptively secured that position and helped the Cult manage Pohang’s public sentiment, it would be a favorable deal for both him and the Cult.
Seo Un-jae thus reassured himself and looked forward to what lay ahead.
And then…
“Ahem! Everyone seems to be eagerly awaiting the advent of Lord Bahamut again!”
[……That’s unlikely.]
In contrast, Choi Yuna, who had made such a shocking declaration to the three main factions of Pohang, was unfazed.
While her declaration had deeply troubled the opposing side, Yuna simply wore a peaceful smile, laughing cheerfully.
From Yuna’s perspective, if Bahamut descended, the residents of Pohang would naturally come to believe in God Bahamut.
For Yuna, who was more concerned about the Cult’s influence rather than her own power or prestige, this was what mattered most.
As Yuna beamed brightly, Bahamut, who disliked the idea of the Cult growing into a religion, awkwardly retorted that it wasn’t likely.
“No! If Lord Bahamut takes the field personally, all the misfortunes in Pohang will disappear! Yes, just as Gyeongju was saved, so Pohang too can be saved!”
As if unable to hold back, Yuna firmly declared that if Bahamut intervened, the zombie crisis in Pohang would surely end in no time.
‘It makes sense…!’
The problem was that this was indeed a fact.
Even Bahamut couldn’t refute Yuna’s words.
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