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A boring afternoon, even at home, the heat feels like slowly roasting you alive.

We gathered in one house to settle the tolls we’ve collected so far. Cigarettes, lighters, wet wipes, batteries—small items but quite valuable.

But the quantity wasn’t much. Not enough to significantly help our lives, just pocket money. I muttered in disappointment.

“Now I see why bandits are poor.”

Maybe tolls are just a side income? Maybe their main income is pillaging? It seems like they can’t sustain themselves without a big raid to rake in profits.

The resources we got from cleaning Peace Villa can’t compare to what we gained by taking over Villa Street.

Park Yang-gun flicked a cigarette and picked up the menu Rider Zero had given us.

“No one here smokes. Should we order some meat from them?”

“Dog meat? That’s a bit…”

“Old folks used to eat it as a health food, haha. I don’t like it though. Pigeon isn’t great either.”

Meat. It’s been a while since we’ve had real meat, not just spam. Forget grilling, we haven’t even had bacon or sausages.

But I was also hesitant about dog meat. We’re not starving yet, and it feels… off.

Dogs have been bred as pets or hunting companions. If there were dogs bred for eating, I might try it, but those probably stink and taste bad.

‘This is all just talk from someone with a full stomach.’

If I were starving, who cares if it’s a dog? Rats, pigeons, sparrows, cats—I’d eat them all.

The mood wasn’t great, so Park Yang-gun grumbled and waved the menu around, clearly disappointed.

“It’s summer, we need health food to survive! Let’s eat pigeon instead of chicken.”

“Uh, you go ahead.”

I quickly backed off. It’s food cooked by someone I don’t know well. Who knows if it’s been contaminated with zombie saliva? We should be suspicious of why the Delivery Vigilante Group runs a place like this.

They might gain trust with decent food, then strike when that trust is high.

Jeondohyeong and Sajihyeok also shook their heads and got up. Jeondohyeong jingled the car keys.

“Let’s go sit in the car and enjoy the AC. It’s unbearably hot today.”

The car’s still fine, and we have fuel left. Should we waste it just for cooling? We could save it for winter to start fires.

I hesitated for a moment, then got up. What’s the point of saving? I’m melting right now.

“Let’s go.”

So we grabbed our dead phones and power banks, piled into the car, and enjoyed the cool air.

***

Is this proof that modern society is collapsing? People’s activity times have shifted based on the environment.

We avoid zombies during the day and only venture out cautiously when the summer sky is still bright at 8 PM, when zombies sleep. Or we move in areas without electricity.

We lounged in the cool car until sunset, then stepped out as darkness fell.

The moment we opened the car door, hot air hit our skin. It’s cooler than daytime, but still unbearably hot and humid.

“I’m going crazy. Can we even sleep properly?”

“Isn’t this a tropical night?”

Complaints poured out from everyone. In the face of an unbeatable enemy like the weather, all we can do is curse.

Park Yang-gun, sulking because we didn’t order food, stayed in the car.

“I’ll stay a bit longer.”

“Did you bring your weapon? If a fight breaks out, back us up.”

I glanced at his waist. Did he forget his handgun? We’re still collecting tolls. If things go south, Park Yang-gun will need to provide firearm support.

As Park Yang-gun waved his hand dismissively, a commotion reached us. From beyond the alley where we hid the car, at the center of Villa Street.

The sound of many people walking and murmuring. And two women’s voices calling Park Yang-gun’s name loudly.

“Dad!”

“Where’s Park Yang-gun!”

I signaled to wait, then crept to peek around the corner.

There were many people. Ragged folks in hiking gear, carrying bags. They wore headlamps like hats, and their free hands held spears made of branches with nails, awls, or knives tied to them.

Listening to their conversation, it didn’t sound good. The headlamp beams swept across rooftops and streets.

“This place looks livable. There’s a water tank on the roof. High ground, so less worry about floods. If the gas pipes are intact, we can use gas too.”

“Electricity’s a shame, but it’s better than living in the mountains. No people around.”

…Unwelcome guests. Invaders encroaching on my territory. Especially that leader. A woman around Park Yang-gun’s age and a girl who might be a high school or college student. They kept calling for Park Yang-gun.

Probably his ex-wife and daughter.

I quickly returned to the alley and whispered to Jeondohyeong.

“Get ready to push them with the car. They’re planning to settle in Villa Street. We need to stop this. Go around the back of the villa quietly.”

“Got it.”

“Sajihyeok, you go to the back of the first-floor villa and head to the roof. If a fight breaks out, throw bricks or ladders from above. No fire, though. Bring a pot of water or something.”

The two pillagers skillfully hid their presence and disappeared into the darkness behind the alley. They glanced at Park Yang-gun.

They must’ve realized his family had arrived. Park Yang-gun, being the one involved, probably knew better.

He sighed deeply, bowing his head.

“Why did they come all the way here? Why?”

“What are you going to do?”

I’d love to kill them all, but we’re outnumbered. Fighting now would be disadvantageous. If we’re prepared to kill…

A few scenarios played out in my head, but there’s no time to review them. I urged Park Yang-gun to decide.

“I don’t plan to have them as neighbors. Will you save your family or kill them? Choose quickly.”

Park Yang-gun, perhaps regaining some faith, clasped his hands as if praying. He muttered quickly behind his mask, then slowly raised his head.

“I’d like to spare them.”

“Then let’s go out together. Here’s the plan: we give them one villa building, then trap and kill them. Later, we’ll extract your family.”

I quickly suppressed the rising urge to kill. Adjusting my baseball cap, checking my handgun, and gripping my hammer, I stepped out.

The vibe of a survivor who’s not to be trifled with. Park Yang-gun and I trudged out of the alley, making noise.

***

Chaos erupted. They acted like Villa Street was already theirs, dropping bags on the road and picking out villas to live in.

It was so absurd I couldn’t help but laugh. So I immediately pointed my handgun at the sky and pulled the trigger.

Bang, the loud gunshot silenced everyone. They all turned to look at me. The headlamp beams focused on me like spotlights.

I aimed my handgun.

“What are you doing in someone else’s territory?”

“People live here?”

A man in black hiking gear also drew his handgun. So the Delivery Vigilante Group trades vegetables and meat for resources, huh? I guess they got guns that way.

We can’t back down here. At the very least, we need to make them think twice about fighting. I shouted loudly.

“Start the engine! Get the roof ready!”

In response to my booming voice, the car at the end of the street roared to life. The engine revved loudly.

It was a siege. The car behind them, me in front.

A brief silence followed. The hikers stared at me, unsure what to do, murmuring among themselves. Some glanced back at the car, others tapped their spears on the ground.

‘Have they never fought people before? Well, they’ve been living wild in the mountains.’

It seems we can establish dominance.

Park Yang-gun, who had been trembling, wiped his face and stepped forward.

“You lived without contacting us, and now you show up like this?”

“Dad?”

His daughter blinked, unfamiliar. Then, his ex-wife hesitated before slowly stepping closer.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect to meet like this.”

“This isn’t right. You should’ve just brought the kid. Why drag all these people here?”

An awkward reunion. The leader of the hiking group, dressed in black, cleared his throat and slowly lowered his handgun.

“We’re acquaintances through mutual friends. Let’s talk this out nicely. Looks like there aren’t many people here anyway. Just empty buildings.”

I also lowered my gun, glancing at Park Yang-gun. Sometimes, the best kindness is a bitter one.

“…You can only have one building.”

“Why? There are so many of us.”

“We set a trap with zombie corpses in the water tank.”

He flinched.

“Has the city gotten that bad?”

“Have you only lived in the mountains? There are pillagers, scavengers, criminals, and crazy people everywhere.”

I shivered, pretending to be genuinely scared. The hiking group leader closed his mouth, then slowly pulled out a plastic bag from his backpack.

“When you move, you give rice cakes to your neighbors, right? These are canned vegetables from the mountains. Good for you. Take it.”

“Leave it on the ground. You can use that villa over there. I’ll get the keys for you right away.”

And so, we exchanged keys and vegetables. The tension eased slightly, and the hikers relaxed a bit.

I made an excuse to find the right key and opened the villa door myself, gauging the distance between the door and the wall. To block it with a plank or furniture later.

 

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