Chapter 97
“The process itself is smooth, so there’s no issue.”
In truth, the only problem was the suspicious circumstances, but in terms of expedition outcomes and progress, it was going exceptionally well.
Since they hadn’t encountered zombies or had to fight, the only resources consumed were electricity or fuel for the vehicles. For the Balhut Cult, which could procure Texas crude oil through exchanges with the United States, this was no significant loss.
Moreover, while the main force had been dispersed for defense and surveillance, the valuable personnel of Awakened individuals were still well-distributed and stationed without losses.
Jung Dong-gun’s vanguard crossed Gyeongsangbuk-do and arrived in Ulsan Metropolitan City, liberating many villages and towns along the way in an unstoppable advance.
“The problem is that out of all these villages and towns, we haven’t had a single proper engagement or encountered any survivors.”
“Still nothing detected?”
“No.”
However, the issue was that it wasn’t through Jung Dong-gun and his subordinate forces’ efforts that these places were being liberated.
If Jung Dong-gun were to describe his feelings, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that these places had been “liberated for him” rather than him actively liberating them.
To be frank, all he had to do was arrive at an empty village, plant a flag, and move on—a task so simple it felt almost absurd.
“If we liberated villages and towns without any losses, it should feel good, but for some reason, it doesn’t.”
From a results standpoint, liberating the numerous villages and towns on the way to Ulsan should have made him a hero, earning him fame and praise.
But in reality, the villages were all empty, devoid of survivors or supplies. Except for farmland and farms built nearby, there seemed to be no real value.
Instead, the fact that forces had to be dispersed to guard these villages gave Jung Dong-gun an uneasy feeling, as if they were being led by someone unseen.
Even now, after liberating another village, they had to pull more troops from the headquarters to station here for defense.
“It doesn’t feel ominous, does it? At least things are progressing smoothly.”
“I know. The situation is extremely favorable for us.”
But that didn’t mean the situation was bad.
Everything was going so well that the cult had doubled its liberated territory with this expedition alone.
Excluding Pohang, the area of liberated territory had more than doubled, and when considering the potential resources, especially food, that could be harvested from these lands, it was difficult to say this was a bad outcome.
In the apocalypse, territory equated to resources, and if the infrastructure within that territory was intact, then this expedition was an undeniable success.
“But in these apocalyptic times, achieving this much so smoothly feels strange. It’s like layers of suspicion keep piling up.”
“In that case, how about pausing the expedition and reorganizing the forces for a while?”
“Hmm.”
Hearing Jung Dong-gun’s concerns, Son Sang-hui, his lieutenant, suggested halting the expedition and stabilizing the newly gained territory before moving forward.
Jung Dong-gun pondered her proposal for a moment.
“…But since there are no survivors or zombies in the villages we liberated, there’s no real reason to stabilize them.”
“Oh.”
The issue was that there were no survivors to reassure or zombies—the enemies of humanity—to fight.
Even raiders, who might disrupt internal order, were absent. So deploying security forces to stabilize these liberated villages felt paradoxical.
If raiders had at least appeared, he could have used that as a pretext to reorganize his forces.
“As long as we can control the roads, the monsters hiding in the mountains aren’t a real threat.”
“That’s true.”
The monsters in the mountains flanking the area were certainly threatening, but as long as the roads could be controlled, they weren’t a significant danger to the Balhut Cult and were largely being ignored.
“But consolidating the liberated territory and reorganizing the forces isn’t a bad option.”
Acknowledging that the large amount of newly liberated territory warranted some time for regrouping, Jung Dong-gun decided to temporarily halt their advance.
“Let’s set up a checkpoint at this intersection. If we can establish a checkpoint here, we can call in some of the dispersed forces to this location.”
Jung Dong-gun suggested setting up a checkpoint at the intersection leading to Jung Mountain.
To make it happen, he contacted Choi Yuna at the Balhut Cult headquarters.
“…Oh, you’re contacting me frequently, Jung Dong-gun. You’re advancing like a storm.”
“Yes. As I already reported, there were no survivors or zombies in the villages and towns we liberated.”
“In that case, doesn’t that mean there’s no real value in guarding them?”
Even Choi Yuna at the headquarters commented that there was no value in guarding the liberated villages.
With no survivors to protect or zombies to fight, deploying precious Awakened as security forces seemed unnecessary.
Closing his eyes briefly, Jung Dong-gun responded.
“Yes, there’s no real need to guard them.”
It was a regrettable statement for those who once lived there, but from the cult’s perspective, if no one resided in those villages, there was no need to force themselves to protect them.
As mentioned earlier, simply placing personnel to control the roads and stationing forces at the checkpoints would stabilize the expedition’s rear, which aligned with the cult’s interests.
Conveniently, the intersection Jung Dong-gun chose to fortify was critical for the Ulsan operation. From this location, multiple strategic routes could be utilized.
“From our current position, we can retake Ulsan Airport head-on, proceed to the vicinity of Ulsan University through the Aye-ro route, or head to Ulsan Port via Auto Valley Road, which could significantly aid in potentially integrating marine forces.”
As it was an intersection leading to multiple strategic routes into Ulsan, the importance of this Jung Mountain intersection could not be overstated.
Reflecting on the Pohang operation, where securing multiple routes into the city allowed the forces to deploy widely under Bahamut’s command, this Jung Mountain intersection was similarly a critical transportation hub for deploying the cult’s forces across various routes.
[Not bad.]
“Lord Bahamut? Thank you for your evaluation.”
Jung Dong-gun bowed his head with a moved expression, thanking God Bahamut for providing an assessment of his chosen location.
Despite Jung Dong-gun’s sudden display of reverence, God Bahamut remained composed and began speaking again.
[…However, the absence of enemies is truly strange. With these recent abnormalities repeatedly appearing, it feels as if the enemy is observing our movements and acting accordingly.]
It seemed that God Bahamut had also been informed of the situation, finding it odd that there had been no encounters or battles on their way here. His conclusion suggested that the enemy was monitoring the cult’s actions.
To Jung Dong-gun, Bahamut’s conjecture provided a clear answer to the suspicions he had harbored. With an eager expression, he posed a question.
“Yes, we’ve also had our doubts. What do you think, my lord?”
[Hmmm.]
Given that God Bahamut had never steered them wrong, Jung Dong-gun’s trust in him reflected the common perception within the cult.
God Bahamut’s response followed shortly.
[…To be blunt, this is ominous. I sense that these occurrences are some sort of premonition.]
“A premonition….”
It was difficult to pinpoint, but Bahamut’s words indicated a foreboding sign.
However, as this warning came from none other than God Bahamut, Jung Dong-gun and the vanguard could not help but tense up.
To the Balhut Cult, Bahamut was a deity who had guided and protected them numerous times with his foresight.
If God Bahamut issued such a warning, there had to be a reason.
[There is a high probability of a high-level undead possessing exceptional intelligence. Alternatively, it could be something other than undead causing this.]
“The former makes sense, but what do you mean by the latter?”
[Necrophilia—no, let me phrase it more clearly: a necromancer, or a death sorcerer, if you will. Simply put, if a mage capable of necromancy is controlling the zombies, it would explain the recent strange phenomena.]
God Bahamut warned that there might be a necromancer in Ulsan.
Jung Dong-gun summarized Bahamut’s statement in one word.
“A necromancer.”
The existence of a necromancer.
Awakened individuals were granted powers based on their innate talents, and it was entirely plausible that some had Awakened to necromancer abilities.
If someone truly had the ability to control zombies…
‘If used correctly, they could be acknowledged and even become a hero to the people.’
Jung Dong-gun initially considered the potential benefits of using such power properly.
In the past, necromancers were often perceived as evil or malevolent mages, and they largely fit those descriptions. However, in modern times, many fictional works had portrayed necromancers as morally ambiguous or even as heroes fighting for the greater good.
If a necromancer could control zombies to neutralize their threat, they could be celebrated as the hero of Ulsan and respected by countless people.
‘But if misused, it would be catastrophic.’
However, if abused, it would spell disaster.
Using an endless supply of zombies, a necromancer could rule over a city with fear and despair.
The hordes of zombies, endlessly pursuing the living until their heads were destroyed, could number in the hundreds of thousands. If such a force were completely controlled…
“A hundred-thousand-strong army. One that requires no food.”
It would be no different from a vast army under control.
While individual combat prowess might not be guaranteed, the presence of powerful mutant zombies within the horde would make the thought unbearable for Jung Dong-gun.
“So, you’re saying that the lack of news from Ulsan could likely be due to the control of an Awakened individual.”
[If there had been total annihilation, there would have been reports of refugees. Yet, there’s no trace of them heading toward Gyeongju, is there? That suggests that Ulsan might still be a habitable area.]
“Thank you, Lord Bahamut. I feel like I can see a clearer path now.”
With Bahamut’s advice, Jung Dong-gun felt as though some clarity had been brought to their uncertain path.
Without any information to guide them, the way forward had seemed dark. Now, they could at least make some predictions about Ulsan’s situation and plan accordingly.
[The good news from our side is that we’ve begun researching and developing a new weapon against the undead. Our exchanges with the United States have provided me with opportunities to refine a variety of metals with my own hands.]
“A new weapon?”
[Yes. We’ve accidentally created a metal that, if utilized correctly, could be a remarkable asset in winning a war against the undead.]
Above all, the cult had already begun preparing weapons for their battle against the undead.
While Jung Dong-gun was leading the expedition, Bahamut had managed to organize internal affairs and commence research on a new weapon. It seemed that they had already made some progress.
If successful, this weapon would bring a decisive advantage in their war against the undead, filling Bahamut with confidence and reassuring Jung Dong-gun.
“I look forward to it.”
[The issue lies in developing a method to mass-produce this newly created metal. Deploying it in actual combat is still a long way off.]
While God Bahamut’s confident words sparked anticipation in Jung Dong-gun, Bahamut advised against premature optimism.
[So, proceed cautiously. You don’t yet know who your enemies or allies are. At this point, be careful not to pull the trigger in the wrong place.]
“Yes, I understand.”
Jung Dong-gun nodded in agreement, understanding the need for caution.
In a situation where it was still unclear who their adversaries were, there was no need to provoke an inactive enemy and turn them hostile.
With heightened vigilance, the expedition began their march toward Ulsan Airport.
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