Chapter 84
The ghost fleet’s disgraceful retreat was relayed in real-time to the Balhut Cult through Bahamut, who was observing the battlefield.
“The ghost fleet retreated?”
[Yes. Seol-hwa’s fleet engaged with the ghost fleet, but they retreated without a proper battle.]
Hearing Bahamut’s account of their retreat without a major battle, Choi Yuna looked at him with an expression of disbelief.
It was enough to overturn established norms that zombies, filled with hostility toward humans, had chosen to flee.
Even during the time of God Bahamut’s descent, the Spider Mutant Zombies had shown signs of retreat, but that was because Bahamut was perceived as extraordinary.
However, in this battle, Bahamut had only been observing and showed no intention of participating in the battlefield.
In other words, it was difficult to conclude that they had fled out of fear.
“Was it a difference in power…?”
[Even with the variable of Turn Undead, the undead had the superior fleet size.]
“Hmm. I can’t figure out why they ran away.”
When Yuna asked if they had fled due to overwhelming power disparity, Bahamut responded that the undead had the advantage in terms of scale.
Even considering Turn Undead as a variable, the undead fleet was still larger in size.
Since the South Korean navy’s warships were used, there shouldn’t have been any performance disparity.
The undead also had fishing boats to block the route, fast patrol boats, and a combat-capable command ship.
Even if Seol-hwa’s side gained momentum through Turn Undead, the undead fleet could have overwhelmed them with sheer numbers, as they had done on land.
Yet, abandoning their advantages and choosing such a disgraceful retreat left Yuna puzzled, wondering why they hadn’t utilized their strengths.
[In any case, the Pohang fleet is pursuing them, slowly wearing them down. Even if we can’t completely destroy the ghost fleet, we can weaken it significantly.]
“Seol-hwa must be having a tough time.”
This situation presented a golden opportunity to weaken the ghost fleet.
The Pohang fleet, led by Baek Seol-hwa, immediately began pursuing the retreating ghost fleet, reducing their ships one by one.
With Turn Undead and Seol-hwa’s ability to remotely destroy the keels of fishing boats, as long as the enemy entered her range, they were forced to endure heavy losses.
Even if they couldn’t annihilate the entire fleet, weakening their forces would ensure a decisive victory for the Balhut Cult in this battle.
[Based on the information from this battle, the ghost fleet that appeared at sea was indeed operated by the undead, as we suspected. Turn Undead worked effectively.]
“Then it means that Turn Undead might also work on zombies on land. I’ll test it later.”
[Do so.]
Yuna declared her intention to test Turn Undead directly on zombies on land.
If it worked on the ghost fleet, it was entirely plausible that it would work on land-based zombies as well.
If Turn Undead truly proved effective, it would determine the future direction of the Awakener Project and pave the way for the development of new weapons.
[By the way, let’s inform Steven David, the Special Ambassador, about this matter.]
“Understood. Summon Mr. Steven, please.”
The Balhut Cult decided to share this information with the White House.
Regarding this incident, the Balhut Cult and the White House had agreed to collaborate to ensure safe trade routes. Naturally, Steven, the special ambassador, needed to be informed about this battle.
Yuna immediately invited Steven to her office, and he accepted the invitation without hesitation.
“It seems you have good news, Ms. Yuna. And Lord Bahamut.”
Steven arrived at Yuna’s office.
Although his face bore the signs of exhaustion from overseeing embassy operations, his eyes shone with anticipation as he looked at Yuna.
The fact that Yuna had personally invited him suggested that there was important information for the White House.
Indeed…
[Yes. To get straight to the point, the ghost fleet is real, and its operators are undead. The Pohang fleet engaged them, and we confirmed that Turn Undead works against them.]
“I see. Then does that mean the apocalypse spreading in East Asia is not a Zombie Apocalypse, but an Undead Apocalypse?”
Bahamut, rather than Yuna, explained the events of the battle.
Hearing this, Steven’s expression turned fearful as he asked if this was not a Zombie Apocalypse but an Undead Apocalypse.
[There’s little difference between zombies and undead. You can continue calling it a Zombie Apocalypse if you prefer.]
“Haha. That’s true. But that’s not the important part right now. What matters is that our trade routes remain operational.”
In response to Steven’s lighthearted remark, Bahamut acknowledged that the distinction was trivial, while Steven emphasized that what truly mattered was stabilizing the trade routes between Pohang and the White House.
[There’s no need to worry about that. The ghost fleet’s forces have been weakened, so the safety of the routes will soon be secured.]
“That’s good news for us as well.”
Bahamut assured Steven that the trade routes were being secured and that the ghost fleet had been weakened.
Although Bahamut hadn’t mentioned the fleet’s complete annihilation, Steven understood from Bahamut’s words that the major threat had been dealt with.
Indeed, it wasn’t wrong to assume that the Pohang fleet would now work toward ensuring the safety of the trade routes.
[Still, something feels suspicious.]
“What seems suspicious?”
[As soon as the exchange with the United States began, a ghost fleet led by undead appeared. Moreover, before Seol-hwa awakened as the Priestess of the Dragon, a Spider Mutant Zombie, which countered her abilities, emerged in Pohang.]
Bahamut voiced his suspicion about the current situation to Steven.
In fact, the timing was suspicious enough to warrant doubt.
When the exchange with the United States began, a ghost fleet led by undead appeared, seemingly to obstruct it.
Furthermore, looking back, Pohang had seen the emergence of a Spider Mutant Zombie, a hard counter to Seol-hwa’s abilities.
Initially, it could be dismissed as a coincidence—just a mutated zombie evolving into a counter to Baek Seol-hwa by chance. However, the appearance of the ghost fleet was too deliberate to ignore.
The ghost fleet currently in action seemed like an obvious tool to hinder the cooperation between the Balhut Cult and the White House.
“Indeed, the ghost fleet didn’t appear before our cooperation began. The timing is too perfect to be a coincidence.”
[Exactly. It’s as if the zombies are deliberately evolving in response to their adversaries’ growth. That’s what I find suspicious.]
Steven nodded in agreement, noting that the timing was too convenient to dismiss as mere coincidence.
Had the ghost fleet appeared before the exchange began, it could be understood as proof that zombies also occupied the seas.
However, its sudden emergence during the activation of the cooperation naturally invited conspiracy theories.
It blatantly obstructed the collaboration between the White House and the Balhut Cult.
Moreover, Bahamut’s statement that the zombies’ growth seemed to align with countering their adversaries could not be taken lightly.
“It’s hard to dismiss as mere conjecture when we are facing increasingly tactical monsters, forcing us into hellish urban warfare.”
The United States had also encountered situations that raised similar doubts.
Initially, monsters fell easily to American weaponry. However, over time, they adapted and started countering the weapons intelligently, transforming into adept urban guerrillas.
As a result, the U.S. military and its heroes were being dragged into grueling urban battles.
Steven, having experienced those hellish urban skirmishes as an awakened, could not overlook the fact that humanity’s enemies were evolving to match their growth.
[If you explain it as ghost ships formed from vessels that vanished before the apocalypse, no one could refute the logic. However, the timing of the ghost fleet’s appearance during the most crucial period of U.S. cooperation raises suspicions. There’s no evidence, but circumstantial reasoning points to something suspicious.]
“Are you saying this wasn’t a natural phenomenon, but something created intentionally?”
[Yes. To begin with, the cause of the Zombie Apocalypse in East Asia remains unknown. Right now, survival is the priority, so attention is focused there. But why, and for what reason, did this apocalypse emerge in East Asia? We know nothing about its origin.]
Humanity didn’t know why the apocalypse had erupted across the world.
Nothing had been revealed, and unanswered questions only bred more suspicion.
For now, survival was the focus. But eventually, humanity would have to uncover the reasons behind the apocalypse.
“Even Lord Bahamut doesn’t know?”
[From my perspective, I only began acting after the apocalypse began, when I formed a contract with Yuna. Until then, I had been quietly dormant within the shrine.]
“I see.”
Bahamut lied, stating that he had been asleep within the shrine before his contract with Yuna.
Although, technically, he had remained in the shrine during its reconstruction, making it only a half-lie. This made the deception even more insidious.
“So, Lord Bahamut, you suspect that this situation was not natural but artificially created?”
[There’s no concrete evidence, only circumstantial suspicions. It’s merely my personal opinion.]
Steven neatly summarized the theory and asked if he was correct.
Bahamut stepped back slightly, reiterating that it was merely his personal suspicion without concrete proof.
“However, considering that the apocalypse has brought mythical phenomena into reality, even without evidence, if a god expresses doubt, we as humans would see it as a prophecy.”
Even without proof, if a god shared their suspicions, it would be seen as prophetic from a human perspective.
Indeed, few would dare ignore the warnings of a deity with overwhelming power.
Taking Bahamut’s words seriously, Steven calmly organized the facts and explained the reasoning behind his belief.
‘There’s no denying it!’
Even Bahamut couldn’t refute this.
If he were in the position of a magnificent deity making profound statements, he would believe them himself.
[In any case, we cannot know why the apocalypse happened at this moment. What humanity must prioritize now is not investigating the cause of the apocalypse but ensuring survival.]
“Understood.”
[First, issue orders to Baek Seol-hwa’s fleet to neutralize the ghost fleet in our waters. Do you have any news from your side?]
Bahamut returned to focusing on the immediate problem: resolving the ghost fleet.
He also inquired about the situation on the American side.
“In the Pacific and Atlantic under our jurisdiction, we haven’t detected any ghost fleets like the ones discovered by the Balhut Cult. Of course, there are plenty of ghost ships drifting at sea, but they are merely fishing boats crewed by starving fishermen.”
The U.S. side reported no findings of ghost fleets like the ones in East Asia.
Even if they encountered ghost ships, they were merely abandoned vessels and not operated by undead.
This testimony further fueled the suspicion that the ghost fleet was an issue specific to East Asia.
“Oh, one notable point: pirates have appeared near the Atlantic. Not undead-operated pirate ships, but real awakened criminals operating pirate vessels.”
However, while the Pacific remained uneventful, pirates had emerged in the Atlantic.
Hearing this, Bahamut wore a baffled expression of disbelief.
‘What is this, the Age of Exploration?’
Why would pirates emerge in modern times, especially during an apocalypse?
With an expression that conveyed his utter lack of understanding, he looked at Steven.
[Pirates?]
“Haha. Lord Bahamut, you seem surprised. I’m just as shocked. But yes, pirates have appeared in the Atlantic and are looting container ships bound for Western Europe.”
Steven, sharing Bahamut’s disbelief, sighed in exasperation at the resurgence of pirates in the modern era.
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