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A room with shattered windows, now a ruin. I placed a chair in the middle and sat down, calling Sajihyeok and Jeondohyeong. It was to proceed with a deal with the Police Officer Leader.

“Mr. Sajihyeok, Jeondohyeong. Casually, subtly, let some information slip.”

“What should I say?”

Sajihyeok spoke without much thought, while Jeondohyeong looked at me suspiciously.

I tapped my fingers on the armrest of the chair. The survivors on the streets weren’t my subordinates. I had to guide their actions. It wasn’t a difficult task.

If you let a starving dog catch the scent of food, it’ll find its way on its own.

“How wealthy the Alliance’s Survivor Zone is. How simple hunger can turn into hatred.”

Sajihyeok, who somewhat understood my plan, nodded in agreement. Jeondohyeong also seemed to grasp it, letting out a reluctant sigh.

“Rumors aren’t hard to spread. But everyone already knows the Alliance is wealthy. There’s nothing special for us to stir up.”

“It doesn’t have to be true. For example, say the Alliance has so much food that they throw it away as waste. That they use spoiled rice as ashtrays.”

I leaned back in my chair, looking at the ceiling as I continued.

The situation was already prepared. People starving from hunger. People who would ignore the threat of machine guns. If left alone, they’d naturally attack the Alliance.

All I had to do was give them a little push to accelerate the flow, and emotions would be a great booster.

Sajihyeok tilted his head, intrigued.

“If it’s a lie, we need to be careful. Spread it like fake investment info, like it’s a real secret.”

“Yes, handle it as you see fit.”

I glanced at Jeondohyeong for a moment.

“Jeondohyeong, you… mutter or complain as if to yourself. Let the info slip, like why the Alliance isn’t sharing their overflowing food.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Jeondohyeong muttered while looking out the window. Outside, the voices of companions and family could be heard.

“You’re planning to send the hungry survivors to the Alliance, right?”

“Exactly. If we become the target, things will only get harder for us.”

That’s also one of the smaller goals.

We’ve already recruited nearby survivors as members, but if we don’t gain resources, they’ll stab us in the back. It’s better to make them attack others.

“The police have plenty of guns and ammo. We can’t be the only ones burning through our supplies.”

“Uh, I get it. But can I warn the Hope Community? I have a girlfriend there.”

Jeondohyeong averted his gaze like he was being cautious. I thought for a moment, then nodded.

“Do that.”

The deal with the Police Officer Leader remains a secret. Secrets are hidden by other truths. We can use the warning to the Hope Community as a cover.

I clapped my hands and gestured for the two to leave.

“Let’s get to work quickly.”

“We’ll handle it thoroughly. Feels like old times.”

The two left the room. I closed my eyes. The black void became a canvas for the unfolding scenario. Flames flickered across the dark vision.

‘If we’re attacking, arson is the best way.’

Fire extinguishers are also a resource we can’t easily replenish. It’s better to deplete them now, preparing for the day I’ll truly annihilate the Alliance.

As I was deep in crafting the scenario, I suddenly shivered.

“Ugh. Real fights are worthless.”

Ammo waste, manpower waste, time waste, fire extinguisher waste. Defensive combat is the epitome of waste and extravagance. Only pillaging is somewhat productive.

***

The rumor spread like wildfire across a dry field. I added the spark, but it was only possible because the survivors were like dry kindling, ready to ignite.

Before I could even fully set the scenario in motion, news of raids started coming in.

People breaking into the shopping district, grabbing pigeon skewers and raw meat before fleeing, others taking Alliance members hostage, and some threatening arson.

Amidst it all, many were shot by the police or killed by the Electric Nomad’s makeshift explosives, but the hungry survivors flocked to the Survivor Zone daily.

“I didn’t expect the reaction to be this intense.”

Sajihyeok, who brought the news, awkwardly scratched his head. I fiddled with my mask and let out a sigh of relief.

Now I see the city was a powder keg. Ready to explode at any moment. It’s a good thing we redirected the target to the Alliance.

“People are desperate. They’ve been starving in the dark.”

“That’s true, but it’s also because the Alliance is genuinely wealthy. I saw them throwing away food.”

My eyes widened. Is the Alliance insane? Throwing away food?

Sajihyeok chuckled and added more.

“You know the doctor, right? They throw away anything that could cause health issues. They have plenty of food, so why risk using spoiled food and wasting precious medicine?”

“…Then why not just give that food to the survivors?”

It still doesn’t make sense.

Manage the survivors’ morale, and at the same time, weaken them by making them sick. It’s such a good strategy, so why throw it away? Ah, is it the police?

“Could it be the police?”

“Yeah. I heard the police and the archers opposed it. They said, ‘How much expired food is left anyway? The moment we start sharing, those people will turn on us.'”

I was left speechless.

The Alliance is a mess too. Groups with different tendencies came together. Even if there’s one problem, their judgments differ. The issue is that each judgment has its own logic.

Even the groups that came together are close to ten, so conflicts are inevitable.

For a moment, another thought crossed my mind.

‘Should I even attack properly?’

I was planning to convince some survivors to set fire to a gas station, but seeing the Alliance’s situation, this might be better. If they feel the threat of annihilation, they’ll unite. It’s better to let them fight among themselves and split.

I pondered for a moment, then clenched my fist.

‘No, that’s not it.’

The Alliance won’t collapse anyway. Let’s just attack. I looked at Sajihyeok.

“Do you know any survivors who listen well? Someone we can trust with a task.”

“Who can you trust in this world? But depending on the task, we can subcontract.”

Sajihyeok spoke half-heartedly. He wasn’t wrong.

In the end, it’s about profit and loss. If the profit we offer and the loss we threaten are significant, people will follow. Otherwise, they’ll turn on us in an instant.

“Well, I want to set fire to the Survivor Zone…”

I hesitated, dragging out my words. Setting fire to the Survivor Zone is something even the bravest survivors wouldn’t dare. Doing that would mean certain death.

The Electric Nomads would unleash their drones, and the police would come after us with guns. No matter what profit I offer or how I threaten, it’s impossible.

As expected, Sajihyeok jumped up in shock.

“Who would do that! Even the Immortal members wouldn’t dare! If someone agrees, they’ll just run to the Alliance and report it.”

“But I still want to set fire to the gas station…”

“Then you’ll have to do it yourself. No, even if you do it yourself, it won’t work. They’re too vigilant about fires.”

I sighed.

To set fire to a gas station guarded by the Delivery Vigilante Group, one or two people won’t cut it. They’ve prepared fire extinguishers in case of oil fires, and there are always a few people on fire watch, like night watchmen.

We’d have to take down the gas station’s watchmen and set a big fire.

There’s no other way.

“Alright. I’ll handle this myself.”

The police will have to do it. We’ll have to stage it like a self-inflicted act. I’ll send some survivors to the gas station to create chaos, and…

***

The next day, I visited the Police Officer Leader. As always, he was spinning his sawed-off shotgun, smiling brightly, but his expression hardened when I brought up the topic.

“You want me to set a fire?”

“You don’t have to do it yourself. Don’t you have family in the police?”

“…”

The Police Officer Leader seemed to ponder, then placed the shotgun on the desk and leaned back.

“Thinking about it, we don’t really need a fire. The voices are loud enough as it is.”

The hungry survivors are attacking daily, so it seems manageable. After all, in the apocalypse, force is the most important thing, and right now, force is crucial. The strongest group in the Alliance is the police.

But I smirked and stared at the Police Officer Leader.

“There are two ways to raise your voice. The first is to prove it with results.”

“The second is to silence other voices.”

The Police Officer Leader caught on immediately. He placed his finger on the shotgun’s trigger and slightly bowed his head, but he seemed unable to make a decision, furrowing his brows.

“The Riders, firefighters, scavengers—they’re all annoying. But setting a fire directly…”

Well, the fact that he’s considering it already makes him a fine madman.

Plus, he’s the Police Officer Leader. Like me, he lives only for the moment. He doesn’t think about the future.

‘If he thought long-term, he wouldn’t have made such a request.’

The hungry survivors attacking the Alliance is an unstoppable flow. It would’ve happened even without my involvement. But he couldn’t wait and resorted to this.

I whispered in a low voice, mimicking Sajihyeok’s tone.

“I’ll set the stage for you. I’ll make a group of survivors take over the gas station. All you have to do is one thing.”

“…What?”

“Suppress them. Kill the survivors who dared to take the precious oil hostage. But, oh no, the cornered survivors set a fire.”

The Police Officer Leader stared at me intently. I met his gaze without hesitation.

He suddenly asked suspiciously.

“Why do you want to set a fire so badly? No matter how I think about it, there’s no benefit for our side. We’ve already given you guns and ammo, so why not just cleanly wrap up the deal?”

“Ah, that.”

I chuckled. No grand reason is needed. Just show sincerity. Clear irritation and murderous intent.

“Rider Zero. I hate that person.”

“Did they mess with you?”

“They badmouthed me.”

The Police Officer Leader suddenly laughed.

“I hate that person too. Let’s see how the situation plays out. If it’s set up cleanly, I’ll do it myself.”

 

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