Chapter 92
Lee Hyuna created a smuggling route to Daegu with Jung Dong-gun’s help.
And through this route, she was able to use Lee Sua to select a collaborator in Daegu.
The next step was incredibly simple.
“Alright, it’s finally happening.”
Using Daegu’s community website, she made contact with the selected collaborator via the internet.
At this point in the Apocalypse, it was widely known that any relatively stable survivor camp would be active on online community forums.
Especially over six months into the Apocalypse, connecting to an internet community was considered a luxury and a sign of having some level of comfort as a survivor.
Of course, this was only true from an outsider’s perspective. For Gyeongju or Pohang, where Bahamut’s protection ensured established safe zones, the situation was entirely different.
“Uh, sister? Are you seriously planning to contact Ko Joon-woo?”
“Yes.”
Lee Sua asked worriedly, doubting whether her sister’s plan was wise.
Ko Joon-woo was the candidate Sua had originally introduced as a leading figure in Daegu with the flexibility to collaborate with the Balhut Cult.
Above all, he was trusted and recognized by the citizens of Daegu. Partnering with him could undoubtedly smooth future operations.
“Isn’t this risky? You told me to recommend someone like Do Josoon. So I did, but… still…”
However, what Lee Hyuna requested was someone dissatisfied with Daegu’s current power structure. If it were discovered that the Balhut Cult had supported or collaborated with such a person, relations between Daegu and the cult would undoubtedly deteriorate.
Internal chaos in Daegu could be sparked by Ko Joon-woo’s actions, and there was no guarantee that any new leadership emerging afterward would be friendly toward the cult.
Even if Ko Joon-woo gained power, would he remain loyal to the cult?
‘There’s no way.’
Thinking of Do Josoon’s track record, Sua concluded that it was highly unlikely.
But why was her sister intent on connecting with someone like Do Josoon?
“Is this because of what happened in Pohang?”
It seemed like the events in Pohang had influenced Hyuna’s change, prompting Sua to bring it up.
At that time, the cult had made numerous concessions to establish stable governance in Pohang.
Yet, even that generosity had sparked resentment, leading to the Pohang Three Camps attempting to manipulate the selection of the Priestess of the Dragon to create their puppet.
“Yes. Back then, even God Bahamut and the Balhut Cult approached negotiations with generosity. I have complaints about the foolish ones who didn’t willingly come under Bahamut’s grace. Honestly, I admit I want to vent my frustration.”
Having witnessed the events in Pohang firsthand, Hyuna had grown distrustful of the Three Camps and harbored thoughts of retribution.
However, before she could act, Baek Seol-hwa, selected as the Priestess of the Dragon, took charge and ruled Pohang not as a puppet but as a legitimate leader. Even now, she governed Pohang as Bahamut’s Priestess.
Though Hyuna had wanted revenge against the Three Camps for betraying Bahamut’s mercy, doing so could politically implicate Baek Seol-hwa, making it seem like she had purged them under the guise of her role. Thus, Hyuna abandoned her plans for bloody retaliation.
“But in the end, it was resolved well, wasn’t it? Pohang has Priestess Baek Seol-hwa, and they won’t betray us anymore.”
“True. Pohang won’t betray us now. But do we really need to take responsibility for cities that aren’t yet on our side, like Daegu?”
“Well…”
From a pragmatic standpoint, the answer was no.
Daegu wasn’t under the Balhut Cult’s control, nor was it their responsibility. The interim government in Daegu was already managing its own affairs.
Governance was their duty, not the cult’s.
“It’s ethically questionable.”
“It is. I know that. And I’m doing it anyway.”
Sua pointed out the ethical issues, and Hyuna acknowledged them without hesitation.
“But this is the Apocalypse. Survival of the fittest is the rule of this era. The ethics of the pre-Apocalypse world have long since been discarded.”
“…”
“If you’re weak, you’ll be consumed by the strong. Ultimately, we must subjugate others through power and prove our strength across the Korean Peninsula. Weakening our rivals is a necessary step we must take.”
In the Apocalypse, survival of the fittest dominated all logic.
As a member of the IRS, Hyuna had witnessed resistance to even legitimate administrative actions, with rogue Awakeners raising weapons against them, claiming property rights.
Observing this, Hyuna realized that in this era, strength and force, not words or mercy, were needed to prove oneself.
Sua had no argument to refute her sister’s reasoning.
‘She’s not wrong, but… isn’t this problematic? If we eventually govern, won’t it be our job to clean up the messes we create?’
As someone with experience in fieldwork, Sua understood the immense stress placed on citizens during the Apocalypse.
If such issues persisted for too long, the damage could eventually backfire on the cult. Sua wanted to dissuade Hyuna but found herself too late.
“Our agents have already loaded the transport trucks with supplies. When the time comes, they’ll leave for Daegu.”
“Already!?”
Unfortunately for Sua, it was too late to stop her sister.
Hyuna announced that the transport trucks filled with supplies for Daegu were ready and would depart as soon as the time was right.
Overwhelmed by her sister’s swift execution, Sua asked nervously.
“Wh-where did the supplies come from?”
“From Kim Ha-yeon’s hideout. We confiscated them.”
“Ah.”
Hearing the source of the supplies, Sua realized she had no further argument.
Sighing, she asked her sister one final question.
“Then… are you going to negotiate directly? Is that why you’re getting makeup done by an IRS agent right now?”
“Yes. Of course, I’ll negotiate personally. Who else can I trust to handle this? I must see it through myself.”
At that moment, Hyuna was having her makeup applied by a professional IRS agent.
The makeup wasn’t for aesthetic purposes but for disguise, gradually transforming Hyuna’s face to resemble that of Kim Ha-yeon.
To thoroughly deceive her negotiation counterpart, Hyuna was fully disguising herself as Kim Ha-yeon.
“Ahh. Hmm. Maybe I should lower my voice. How does it sound?”
“I can’t hear your usual voice at all.”
“Then let’s go with this tone.”
She even altered her voice to match Kim Ha-yeon’s.
The transformation was so thorough that even Sua, who knew her sister best, could barely recognize the person standing before her.
Even after witnessing the entire process, Sua found herself questioning whether the person in front of her was truly her sister.
“Alright, then. Let’s head out.”
“Yes.”
Ignoring the trembling gaze of her younger sister who stared at her in disguise, Lee Hyuna set off for Daegu with her IRS agents.
Five transport trucks, following the route handed over by Jung Dong-gun, began their journey to Daegu. Lee Hyuna and her IRS agents arrived safely in Daegu without encountering any resistance or obstacles.
When they reached the meeting place agreed upon via the community platform, their contact, Ko Joon-woo, was already there to greet them.
The young man, nervously shaking his legs, waved enthusiastically as soon as he saw the large trucks led by Lee Hyuna.
“Are you the one investing in us?”
“Yes. If you’re the famous Ko Joon-woo of Daegu, we’re here to invest in you.”
Ko Joon-woo appeared to be around 19 years old, a young adult who had just stepped into adulthood.
With a mischievous face that still carried traces of youth, he exuded a pretentious air, flaunting his bravado. Yet, Lee Hyuna, finding his demeanor amusing, nodded slowly and prepared to deceive and persuade the naïve young man at his pace.
“I can’t believe it.”
“Of course. Suddenly offering to invest is hard to believe. But we lost our righteous leader to a wicked cult.”
To support her story, she had already prepared a plausible false narrative before arriving at the meeting.
Especially for the foolish and greedy young man in front of her, she crafted a narrative he could empathize with.
“To that cult?”
“Yes. We were followers of the leader of North Gyeongju, Do Josoon. However, the despicable actions of the cult that dominated South Gyeongju cost us our esteemed leader.”
Lee Hyuna introduced herself as a former follower of Do Josoon.
This wasn’t exactly a lie, as the identity she was using had indeed belonged to someone under Do Josoon’s influence.
“And so?”
It seemed Ko Joon-woo was somewhat familiar with Do Josoon, as he didn’t ask further. Instead, his gaze questioned why one of Do Josoon’s subordinates had come to him.
However, Hyuna noticed a glimmer of expectation in his eyes.
Smiling faintly to herself, she began to say words that Ko Joon-woo would likely find appealing.
“Therefore, we plan to entrust our fate to you, a future strong leader.”
“A strong leader…!”
“Yes. In today’s world, we need strong and young leaders rather than old ones. Don’t those decrepit rulers who cling to power under the excuse of having lived longer infuriate you?”
Flattering him as a strong leader and expressing her intention to entrust their fate to him, Hyuna’s words seemed to resonate deeply with Ko Joon-woo, whose vanity knew no bounds. He smiled broadly as though waiting for such praise.
Then, Hyuna’s subsequent remarks addressed the frustrations he harbored, hitting a nerve and boosting his confidence.
“That’s right. I can rule Daegu. Why should those old geezers try to rule over me just because they’ve lived longer?”
“Exactly. In this world ruled by the law of the jungle, strength determines everything. If you have power, you can achieve anything.”
Clearly dissatisfied with the current leadership in Daegu, Ko Joon-woo began lamenting and complaining about the situation. Hyuna subtly encouraged him to seek power.
She specifically invoked the survival-of-the-fittest principle dominating the Apocalypse, affirming that strength could achieve anything.
“Our leader sought to create a better world through power but, unfortunately, fell to a cult.”
“I’ve heard of it too. Those Balhut Cult scum, right? All cults are the same. You’ve had a tough time!”
Hyuna brought up a narrative Ko Joon-woo could easily empathize with, and he responded with understanding, offering words of comfort about the hardships caused by the cult.
“Of course, we have a conscience too. We didn’t come empty-handed. We brought supplies from Gyeongju as a gesture of sincerity!”
“S-supplies…?”
To dispel any suspicion, Hyuna revealed the supplies they had brought as a gesture of goodwill.
The trucks were filled with numerous necessities, including luxury items that were rare in the Apocalypse.
Although some items were close to their expiration dates, they included ramen, canned tuna, and ham—commodities often used as currency in the Apocalypse. There were also cigarettes and alcohol for indulgence.
To a young man like Ko Joon-woo, these supplies were mesmerizing. He couldn’t take his eyes off them, imagining how wonderful it would be to eat a hot bowl of ramen.
Just the thought made his mouth water.
“Th-this is….”
“Yes. Unlike Daegu, Gyeongju still has its grain-producing regions intact. This is just a portion of it.”
“This? Just a portion of it?”
For Ko Joon-woo’s group, the supplies could sustain them for a week of indulgence and plenty, leaving excess for other pleasures. The sight only deepened his longing.
Desire began to fill Ko Joon-woo’s eyes, and Hyuna, sensing the moment, smiled and spoke softly.
“With these supplies, surely you, Mr. Ko Joon-woo, can take control of Daegu?”
“Of course, I can. No, I definitely can! If it’s me, it’s possible!”
“That’s all we ask. If you can take control of Daegu and oppose the Balhut Cult, we’ll be satisfied.”
Could he truly conquer Daegu with just these supplies?
‘Of course not.’
The answer was no.
Hyuna knew that if it were that easy, the Balhut Cult would have already conquered Daegu.
“Hahaha. Of course! So, Gyeongju has this much food?”
“Yes, plenty.”
“Then if I conquer Daegu, I’ll just set my sights on Gyeongju next.”
All Hyuna wanted was for Ko Joon-woo to cause internal chaos in Daegu using the supplies. Judging by his attitude, it seemed her plan was already succeeding.
Without much thought, Ko Joon-woo declared that Daegu was already his and even voiced his ambition to conquer Gyeongju.
Hyuna sneered inwardly at his greed.
“Good, good! By the way, what’s your name?”
“I am Kim Ha-yeon, leader of the Ha-yeon faction in North Gyeongju.”
When asked for her name, Hyuna gave the alias she was using—Kim Ha-yeon.
All of this would be attributed not to the Balhut Cult, but to Do Josoon’s remnants.
—
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