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“…”

“…”

A tense silence settles. The Electric Thief’s eyes darted around nervously, looking at me, while I calmly met his gaze.

Killing two people or three, there’s no difference. Maybe the brakes broke the day I accidentally killed someone. It might be accurate to say they were worn out.

Hesitation appeared on the Electric Thief’s face as he alternated his gaze between me, the axe, and the camping car. Fear, anger, determination. I watched the changes in his expression without even blinking.

So, the moment a decision formed on his face, the moment he tried to turn and retreat, I spoke first.

“Trying to run? Not happening. If you do, I’ll stick this axe in your back.”

I made a gesture. Pretending to loosen the leather sheath and swing the axe.

If the enemy turns their back, I can attack with plenty of room. I’ve got a hammer too.

Under the dark sky, the pale light of the streetlamp fell on the Electric Thief’s face. He trembled and bent his waist. Carefully, he placed what looked like a new model phone on the concrete floor.

“Good job. Now kick it over here.”

The Electric Thief gritted his teeth and kicked the phone. It slid roughly under the camping car. I frowned slightly as I glanced at it.

“Playing tricks, huh.”

The moment I bent down to pick up the phone, it’d be the perfect chance to attack.

“No, it’s not that!”

The Electric Thief shook his head quickly, but I wasn’t fooled. After all, it’s day 5 of the zombie outbreak, and this guy has the same survival experience as me. Can’t underestimate him.

He’s a criminal who steals public electricity in the first place. Clearly, his morals are as broken as mine.

‘If I want to deal with him without getting hurt….’

I paused for a moment, then chose the appropriate action.

“Get in. Go inside and take out all the camping gear.”

I stepped aside from the door and pointed the axe inside the car. I even pushed the axe further in, just in case he tried to close the door after entering.

The Electric Thief slowly approached. He kept glancing at me and the axe. For a moment, I sensed hostility in his expression.

I reached into my hoodie pocket and gripped the hammer. If he lunges, I’ll swing the hammer.

‘Ah. If he gets too close, the hammer might not be efficient.’

Luckily, the Electric Thief didn’t lunge. He got into the car and spoke.

“What should I hand over first?”

“The pot.”

I gestured with my chin. The Electric Thief picked up a large pot with some brand logo on it. It rattled as if there were smaller pots inside.

Then, with his lips clenched, the Electric Thief suddenly threw the pot.

“Get lost!”

The pot flew toward me. Prepared, I quickly raised my hand to block it. It was light and didn’t hurt, but I screamed dramatically and pretended to collapse in pain.

Of course, the axe was still hooked inside the car.

“Where does this pathetic homeless guy get off!”

The door slammed shut but got stuck on the axe handle. From inside, there was a loud clattering sound, like something was being tossed around.

I calmly twisted the axe. Using it as a lever, I pulled the door open and forced it wide with the axe.

Beyond the door, chairs and luggage were piled up like a barricade.

The Electric Thief was already climbing over the sink, scrambling toward the driver’s seat. His limbs flailed as he moved.

‘Not so easy after all.’

If I hadn’t hooked the axe, I would’ve lost him. Truly, a criminal who steals the nation’s electricity. No different from a modern-day bandit.

I kicked the chair aside and climbed into the car. Immediately, I removed the axe’s leather sheath. The snap button popped off with a click.

I bent my arm and aimed the sharp edge of the axe at the Electric Thief’s neck as he sat in the driver’s seat.

“Ah, ahh.”

The Electric Thief gasped for breath, swallowing hard. His Adam’s apple moved, and the blade touched his skin. A thin line formed, and droplets of blood appeared.

“P-please spare me. I won’t report you. Money? Do you need money? I have money.”

I chuckled.

Money? What’s the point of money when the Apocalypse comes?

I slowly moved the axe. The blade rose gently, like a caress, from his neck to his cheek, then to his head.

The Electric Thief’s eyes followed the blade. He breathed heavily, like someone hyperventilating or after a sprint.

“Phone unlock pattern.”

“It’s fingerprint recognition, but if you want, I can change it to a pattern-”

As long as his fingers are intact, that’s all that matters. No need to hear more.

I pulled the axe closer, pressing it lightly against the Electric Thief’s head. He only looked at the axe. Now, with his focus entirely on the axe, was the perfect opportunity.

A chance to kill him without resistance.

I pulled out the hammer with my other hand and gripped it tightly.

Now, if I swing the hammer from the opposite side of the axe, it’ll be a clean kill. No issues with cleanup either. Blood might flow from the crushed skull, but if I cover his head with a bag and tie it tightly with a charger cord, it won’t spill over.

“Please, please.”

“…”

Tears welled up in the Electric Thief’s eyes and streamed down.

Fake tears.

At best, I’m a murderer, a jailbreaker, a bike thief, and an extortionist—crimes committed against ordinary people. But this Electric Thief is a heinous criminal who steals the nation’s electricity.

Given his guts, there’s no way he’d cry over something like this. The trick with the phone earlier proves he’s a skilled criminal.

I slowly raised the hammer.

After some thought, I hid the hammer again.

“Throw the car keys on the passenger seat floor. Unlock the phone.”

“Yes…!”

“And get into the sleeping bag.”

There’s still value in keeping him alive.

***

“How long until this thing finishes charging?”

I have no idea how long it takes to charge an electric car. I made an awkward face and tapped my foot in the driver’s seat.

I’d rather get out of here as soon as possible. If I escape in someone else’s car, I won’t have to worry about the police catching me.

A voice came from behind. It was the Electric Thief’s voice.

“You can leave now! There’s plenty of battery left!”

I glanced back at him.

In the space I had rearranged, a cocoon lay there. The Electric Thief, trapped in his sleeping bag prison. I had tied several layers of camping rope over the sleeping bag. His hands were tied too, so he couldn’t escape on his own.

At least his complexion looked fine. His cunningly shining eyes suggested he was looking for a chance to escape.

I put myself in the Electric Thief’s shoes and wrote a scenario. Criminal, kidnapping, escape.

‘Is he planning to scream for help in a crowded place? Or ask for help from a passerby when I’m not around?’

Well, if I blast music loud enough to blow out the speakers, it’ll drown out any noise.

I spoke briefly.

“How do I play music in this car?”

“That’s….”

When I raised the axe, the Electric Thief quickly explained. I nodded, then went out to retrieve the charging cable. Even if the Apocalypse comes and the power goes out, a sturdy cord will still have value.

Then, as I sat in the driver’s seat and grabbed the steering wheel, I froze.

There’s a problem. A big one.

I made an awkward face, hesitated, and then asked.

“Uh. Which one’s the accelerator again?”

I have a driver’s license, but I’ve never actually driven. Nothing memorable about it.

The Electric Thief’s eyes widened.

“Oh, no! Don’t drive! I’ll do it-”

“Right. I’ll figure it out by pressing it.”

“Ahh! Don’t! This camping car is expensive! No! Don’t do it!”

He’s being overly dramatic. I grinned and turned the music up as loud as possible. A song that comes to mind when traveling blasted through the speakers, drowning out all other noise.

Great. I pressed some pedal I didn’t recognize.

The entrance to the public restroom grew larger. I had charged forward and crashed into it. The collision sound was drowned out by the music. The car just shook violently.

“This is the accelerator. This is forward. Got it.”

I laughed loudly, humming the song as I shifted gears and backed the car out. A scream seemed to come from behind, but I didn’t need to care. And just like that, I excitedly left the mountains.

Day 5 of the zombie outbreak.

I got my hands on a camping car and a phone, talked to someone, and returned from being a primitive mountain dweller to a civilized city person.

***

Day 6 of the zombie outbreak.

The world is smoothly falling apart.

***

A remote highway on the outskirts of the city.

I parked the car on the shoulder and slept soundly. After refreshing myself with water from the camping car’s kitchen, I opened a lunchbox and ate.

It was a lunchbox the Electric Thief had bought for camping. A bibimbap-style lunchbox, somewhat like combat rations.

‘Tastes good.’

After chewing on chocolate bars and cereal in the mountains, eating proper food felt amazing. The tension eased, and the feeling of fullness made my mind relax.

“Hey, I’m hungry too.”

I glanced down. The Electric Thief, still trapped in the sleeping bag, gave me a pitiful look. I shook my head.

“Humans can survive three weeks without food.”

Was it the rule of 333? Three minutes without air, three hours without warmth, three days without water, three weeks without food. According to that rule, the Electric Thief didn’t need to eat.

Of course, I needed to eat. I quickly shoveled the bibimbap into my mouth, chewing and speaking.

“Keep talking about what you were saying.”

How the outside world had been while I was huddled in the mountains.

“I’ll talk, just give me some water.”

The Electric Thief blinked desperately. I nodded at that. I heard there were tens of liters of water in this camping car. A few sips wouldn’t hurt.

“Talk, and I’ll give you some.”

The Electric Thief’s eyes sparkled as he spoke.

“Where did I leave off? Ah, the military. The military’s in chaos too. They say infected people showed up at training camps, and some places shot the infected with guns.”

“With guns?”

I suddenly put down my spoon.

Guns. A military armed with guns.

What if the Apocalypse doesn’t come? Honestly, no matter how strong zombies are, they can’t stop tanks or fighter jets, right?

My hands trembled. That really can’t happen. If it does, I’d lose too much. The Apocalypse has to come.

Luckily, the Electric Thief eased my anxiety. He grumbled.

“It’s insane. They’re calling them zombies, but they’re patients. The military shot sick people. It’s a huge mess. They’re saying, ‘Were you planning to shoot people with COVID too? Are you killing citizens? Who’s next after zombies?’”

That’s it.

The world is on my side. A world where zombies are still considered people. Hope and optimism are rampant.

I couldn’t help but smile.

“Originally, if vaccines and treatments are developed, zombies could recover, right? Families of the infected and human rights groups are giving the military a hard time.”

At this rate, the military won’t be able to act freely. Instead, they’ll slowly lose strength as they get infected by the virus.

Tanks and fighter jets still need people. Pilots to operate them, mechanics, soldiers to transport and supply them. If all those people become zombies, the future is obvious.

I smiled contentedly and continued eating.

“Are there many infected in the military?”

“Probably, right?”

The incubation period was that long. Soldiers, non-commissioned officers, and officers alike would get infected. No, it’s not just the military.

A vision unfolded before my eyes.

All government institutions would lose function. The world collapsing before the wave of zombies and the virus. It felt like a drop of black ink contaminating a glass of water.

The Electric Thief continued.

“It’s not just the military, everything’s a mess. They’re trying to quarantine infected zombies, but there’s no proper space. Hospitals are short-staffed too. They’re too busy treating people attacked by zombies.”

“What about the police?”

I asked casually.

“They say tasers can stop zombies, but from the news, they’re short on people too, overworked…. Can I have some water?”

The Electric Thief’s voice was dry.

I tilted the water bottle and slowly poured it, and the Electric Thief focused only on drinking, even as the water ran down his face.

After a moment, I asked the final question.

“Tell me about zombies and the I-Virus.”

“There’s a lot of fake info…. Droplet infection like COVID is certain, and blood transmission? They say blood is dangerous too. Some say water is dangerous too. Waterborne? Waterborne transmission?”

I clenched my fist. Such a dangerous virus. Such a powerful biological weapon. A disease that can destroy the world.

And a world that’s actually falling apart.

Suddenly, the face of the chairman of Immortal Company came to mind.

‘Our chairman is the best!’

No wonder he was smiling even as he was dragged away. He had it all planned. I wasn’t wrong. The Apocalypse is coming!

At that point, I looked down at the Electric Thief. A dilemma arose.

“…”

Looters need to form groups. Moving alone doesn’t make you a looter. You’re just a wanderer or a survivor. That’s prey, not a hunter.

Under my gaze, the Electric Thief’s face turned pale. He must have felt his value was completely depleted.

“P-please don’t kill me. Please.”

Honestly, he’s a decent talent.

Morals as broken as mine, the guts to steal national assets, the cunning he showed when opposing me. He has what it takes to be a looter in the Apocalypse.

Though he’s below the lock-picking thief or the deserter with guns and ammo, who I considered top recruitment targets.

 

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