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I went out into the street. My companions on the street were trembling, their eyes meeting mine. Looking around at them, the atmosphere was anything but normal.

In the Survivor Zone, there were those who had lost family to IEDs, those who had wrapped their wounds with clean towels, those who seemed to harbor distrust due to meaningless deaths, those who seemed worried about an uncertain future, those who seemed suspicious due to the gunshots heard yesterday and the disappearance of Jeondohyeong…

The moment I opened my mouth, it felt like a flood of questions and words would pour out.

I chuckled. Since I wasn’t wearing a mask, my smile must have been clearly visible.

For a moment, my companions seemed taken aback. They stared at my face, then made puzzled expressions.

“Why aren’t you wearing a mask? Be careful. Even though we all wear masks…”

“Don’t worry. I’m already infected.”

“Ah, if that’s the case… Huh?”

I answered calmly, and those who had initially brushed it off raised their voices.

For a moment, everyone was stunned. I didn’t miss the opportunity and continued speaking. Jokingly, I thrust sharp words into their minds like a knife.

“But why are you all wearing masks? You’re infected too.”

“Us too…? Don’t tell me the boss is trying to get us all killed together?”

The pupils of those who couldn’t grasp the situation dilated. The combat personnel instinctively gripped their rifles, and just as some kind of killing intent was about to explode towards me, Sajihyeok urgently stepped in.

“No, why are you saying that? Everyone, it’s not like that. Did anyone eat the food Jeondohyeong made yesterday?”

What did I say? I was just joking.

But seeing them immediately direct hostility towards me, it seems my position as leader has been greatly shaken. Not that I care much now.

My companions blinked, then flinched in surprise.

“That guy?”

“Yes. Yesterday, he committed a viral terror attack and even tried to assassinate Ms. Kim Da-in. Ms. Kim Da-in executed Jeondohyeong yesterday.”

“Why, why?”

Those who had mindlessly eaten Jeondohyeong’s food muttered in confusion. Probably because Jeondohyeong had been somewhat sociable and friendly with them.

I sighed as I looked at them. Maybe because my heart had already left. They’re all disappointing.

What reason does a pillager have? They should drag out Jeondohyeong’s corpse and vent their hatred. And they should think about having fun in the little time left, not feeling confused.

‘Pillager, disqualified.’

I judged their pillager qualifications for the first time in a while and smirked.

“Well, that’s how it is. What will you do? It seems we can’t maintain this organization anymore.”

I spread the chaos to those who weren’t infected. About half were infected, so even the uninfected have a big problem. It’s not the time to feel relieved just because I’m not infected.

How would they react? I watched with curiosity, but their reactions were calmer than expected.

“I heard that being infected doesn’t immediately spread to others. It takes a week to become a transmitter, so let’s wrap things up by then.”

“Anyway, we have to wait until the snow stops…”

Minds worn down by the apocalypse. They easily accept even significant shocks. They remain calm even when accidents and incidents occur. They just think about what needs to be done immediately to survive.

In this world, loss happens too easily and too often.

Even the infected companions suddenly laughed hollowly and put down their guns.

“I had a lot to say to the boss. But now it’s unnecessary.”

“Three weeks… Let’s eat a lot of food.”

“Let’s take off this damn mask first.”

Those who ate Jeondohyeong’s fried rice started taking off their masks one by one. About half of them were combat personnel.

They gave up on questioning me further and started taking out the food they had saved from their luggage.

“Let’s have a good breakfast.”

People moved busily.

I quietly observed them. No conflicts? Why are these soon-to-be zombies wasting food? And haven’t they decided what to do next?

Brushing the snow off my head, I suddenly saw the fierce will to live in their eyes. I laughed.

‘Each of them is thinking about how to survive. They’re just like this because they can’t decide what to do immediately.’

A dark undercurrent seemed to flow. The uninfected could join hands and kill the infected. They could run away with weapons and food like Park Yang-gun.

I think I know why they’re not questioning me. There’s nothing to gain from questioning in this situation.

I revoke the pillager disqualification. They are excellent survivors, and excellent survivors are soon to be pillagers.

As people hid their true feelings and carried food ingredients into the building, Sajihyeok approached me.

“I have something to say.”

***

Sajihyeok was dressed differently than usual. He was wearing a suit, just like when he came to Villa Street, and had on cracked glasses.

Clothes that didn’t keep him warm and lacked combat functionality. Sajihyeok, pale from the cold, rubbed his hands.

“The world is so cold.”

“Yes. Are you thinking of leaving?”

I could guess Sajihyeok’s thoughts. He must be planning to escape from this hopeless organization. After all, he’s the type who said that scamming and running away is the most important thing.

Sajihyeok’s eyes sparkled with a snowy glow as he suddenly brought up an unexpected topic.

“Yes. Because you were wrong, and I was right.”

Suddenly saying this?

I quietly looked at Sajihyeok. His demeanor was like when he had once worn the mask of a sage. No, not a mask.

Sajihyeok’s eyes held the conviction of someone who had found their own answer after deep contemplation. Eyes similar to mine, with the conviction of a pillager.

“The way to survive in this world is through goodwill, cooperation, and consideration. If people had systematically cooperated and responded from the beginning, the world wouldn’t have fallen this far.”

He said that if people had cooperated and maintained production activities from spring, if they had collectively repaired the damage from the rainy season and typhoons, perhaps more people could have survived.

“Do you think that’s possible?”

I laughed hollowly. It’s a delusional story.

In the first place, with the most systematic government collapsed, what systematic cooperation are we talking about?

Sajihyeok nodded seriously.

“It’s nearly impossible. But maybe it could have been possible. And if you live according to your thoughts, even that ‘maybe’ possibility disappears.”

A nonsensical story in the apocalypse.

I worriedly examined Sajihyeok’s head. Did he get hit? Even if he’s leaving, I’d send him off, but I’m worried about him moving in a mentally unstable state. After all, the longer he lives, the more people he can kill and pillage.

Regardless, Sajihyeok continued with a faint smile.

“I’ll leave behind everything I gained with you. Take care.”

That’s it. Without hesitation, Sajihyeok turned around, leaving footprints in the snow as he walked away step by step.

I spoke to his retreating figure.

“You’ll die. Either freeze to death or get killed in an attack.”

“I know. I’ll die. But maybe.”

Sajihyeok smiled as he walked away. His figure blurred into the snowstorm. His voice reached me.

“Maybe I’ll find someone who accepts me with goodwill. I’ll leave in search of that warmth.”

Sajihyeok’s figure disappeared. The footprints he left were soon covered by snow. The wind blew fiercely, and the cold penetrated to the bone.

I brushed the snow off my head.

All my criminal companions are gone. Jeondohyeong to the afterlife, Park Yang-gun and Sajihyeok to their impending deaths. But they moved according to their thoughts, prepared to die.

A laugh escaped me.

“Can’t lose.”

As a leader, I can’t lose. In three weeks, I’ll be a zombie. Not just prepared for death, but death is scheduled. I can’t act worse than those criminal companions.

***

Returning to the house I stayed in, Jeondohyeong’s corpse greeted me. I laid Jeondohyeong’s corpse straight and took out the batteries from the flashlight.

‘He was a good student.’

We should show some respect to an excellent student. Like putting coins in a corpse’s mouth somewhere in the past, I opened Jeondohyeong’s mouth and put batteries inside.

For a vicious electric thief, batteries are better than coins.

“One isn’t enough?”

After a moment of thought, I put in a few more batteries and slowly searched the house.

There was much to do and many preparations needed. For example, paper and pens. Fortunately, I found a large notebook the homeowner had used for accounting.

I sat at the desk with the notebook and pen.

“Three weeks.”

It was three weeks ago that I locked myself in a room to challenge a scenario contest. Three weeks later, the zombie outbreak happened.

The chairman’s face vaguely appeared in my mind. It took the chairman three weeks to release the virus and turn the world upside down.

‘I might not change the world like our chairman, but I can change a few people.’

I smirked and moved the pen over the clean paper. This isn’t a scenario. It’s only my way of living, my thoughts, the insights and techniques gained through pillaging.

A pillage manual that even those who don’t know pillaging can easily read and learn.

I moved the pen as if possessed, muttering.

“If I write it simply, I can make multiple copies. One week should be enough to distribute to people. And in the remaining time…”

I can’t stop until I die. There’s much to do. Many people to kill, many ways to make them die.

 

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