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“Help me!”

A mercenary covered in debris rolled on the floor. I just stared at him. Maybe I didn’t count the timer right, or maybe the soldier’s bullet missed its mark, but the bomb exploded right after I threw it out the window.

Even though the bomb went off at close range and the shrapnel was embedded like a dartboard, the mercenary didn’t die right away.

He wasn’t even wearing proper armor.

‘The soldiers would be in better shape, right?’

Just the bulletproof helmet alone would keep his head safe. If the bag had exploded at the soldier’s torso or leg level instead of mid-air, the damage might’ve been less severe.

Outside, explosions and gunfire continued. I could hear the squad leader’s voice and radio chatter.

“What’s 3rd Squad doing? Cover us!”

“Take cover! Take cover!”

I peeked out the window and quickly ducked. The scene burned into my mind like a photograph.

The bombs had injured so many. Some collapsed on the road, others limped and stumbled, bleeding as they tried to hide.

Some used cars as cover, while others moved to the building across from us.

They stuck their gun barrels out like porcupines, firing sporadically.

Bang, bang—bullets flew through the shattered glass, hitting the ceiling above us. Ricocheting bullets, concrete dust, and broken fluorescent light fragments rained down like snow. Tracers drew pretty lines in the air.

I calmly thought to myself.

“How’s the poison working?”

“Huh?”

Sajihyeok asked back. He looked pale, drenched in cold sweat, and his hands were shaking. The explosions and gunfire had clearly rattled him.

He’s no help. Actually, the whole atmosphere is like this. These are survivors who’ve been through the military, thrown grenades, and killed people in the apocalypse, but even the mercenaries seemed to be panicking.

One mercenary hugged the explosives bag like a pillow, another mindlessly threw boxes, Jeondohyeong stuck his handgun out the window and pulled the trigger, and Park Yang-gun moved toward the opposite window like he was about to run.

Park Yang-gun glanced out the opposite window and quickly came over to me.

“Another squad is coming in through the first-floor window!”

“Tell them to come up!”

While 2nd Squad was under attack, 3rd Squad had flanked around and entered our building. No big deal.

We’d set up bombs on the stairs that would explode if opened. That would stop them. Sure enough, I heard shouting from the stairs.

“We’ve got explosives stacked here too! Can’t advance!”

The 3rd Squad trying to come up the stairs must’ve seen the barricade of boxes.

I checked the mercenary covered in shrapnel to see if the poison was working. The mercenary, who had been screaming, had died in a strangely stiff position.

It’s working. The gunfire outside had stopped too.

We just needed to drive out the 3rd Squad that had entered the building. I gestured to the comrades who were still somewhat sane.

“Let’s get ready to fight, just in case.”

“Wouldn’t running be better?”

Park Yang-gun kept glancing out the window, shifting his feet nervously. Being a thief, he clearly wasn’t fond of this kind of combat.

I shook my head.

“We need to steal their guns.”

Whether it’s rifles or machine guns, isn’t that why we’re risking our lives here?

Plus, we need to deal with these mercenaries. Giving guns to the panicked mercenaries might help us gain their trust.

Even though the world is filled with gunfire, screams, and explosions, everything feels strangely clear. My heart is pounding.

‘This is pillaging. I’ve been living too safely until now.’

The greater the risk, the greater the reward. And the greater the reward, the more risks we can take. It’s a virtuous cycle of pillaging.

Then, I heard a voice. 3rd Squad.

“The commercial building is armed with explosives! Unknown number of enemies, unknown amount of explosives inside!”

– Static.

The radio was hard to hear. There was too much noise, and my ears were ringing.

But I could hear the squad leader’s voice.

“Copy that! …Fall back!”

***

Silence fell. Gradually, my hearing returned, and I could hear faint sounds—retreating boots, the groans of mercenaries, heavy breathing.

I crouched by the window, hands clasped. Is this really how it ends?

‘If only one squad is left, they might retreat.’

They didn’t know the building’s layout, the number of enemies, or how many explosive traps were set. Since their goal wasn’t to secure the building but to pillage for food, they probably didn’t want to take unnecessary risks.

But would they really retreat like this?

I clenched my fists until my knuckles turned white, thinking hard. Then, I spoke to Park Yang-gun.

“Check where they’re retreating. They might set up an ambush and attack us.”

They didn’t use grenades. Their guns have long range. They could be waiting for us to come out, hiding in nearby buildings.

We’re about to go for their guns, and they might be waiting for that moment…

But Park Yang-gun stood by the shattered window, watching the squad retreat, then quickly ducked.

Bang, bang—gunfire and a few bullets grazed the ceiling. Park Yang-gun spoke.

“They’re retreating. But they’ve got their guns aimed at us.”

“Hey, let’s just use the drone to scout. No need for us to look.”

Jeondohyeong, pale-faced, came over and whispered. Not a bad idea.

I immediately grabbed the radio and made the request. Since the general hospital was far, the communication team had to relay the request up the chain, so it took some time.

“Let’s grab the guns as soon as we get word from the drone.”

The mercenaries, still out of it, just sat there dazed. They’re nothing compared to the real pillager comrades I’ve gathered.

Then, I heard the sound of slapping.

Jeondohyeong was slapping Sajihyeok, trying to snap him out of it. He even waved two fingers in front of Sajihyeok’s dilated pupils.

“Are you okay? Are you okay? How many fingers am I holding up?”

“People have ten fingers, right? Why are you asking such an obvious question? Did you not know?”

“No. Just worried for no reason.”

Sajihyeok wiped his face with his hand.

“This is no joke. It’s way harder than scamming people. I don’t think I can do this kind of fight again.”

The aftermath of the battle was severe. Even though it was just setting and throwing explosives, it was intense. Close-quarters combat will do that.

Honestly, if it weren’t for the explosives, if it weren’t a surprise attack, we’d all be dead. Even in the chaos, some mercenaries died from mistakes.

I walked around, tapping the mercenaries.

“Come on, smile. We won, didn’t we?”

“But the military… They’re too strong. One wrong move, and we’d all be dead.”

One mercenary, who had finally come to his senses, trembled as he spoke. He looked at the corpse of the mercenary who had been covered in shrapnel.

I grinned.

“Now we’re the military. We’ll use their guns, their helmets. We’ll become the ones to be feared, right?”

Around that time, the report came back. The squad was retreating.

I clapped my hands.

“Let’s go.”

The mercenaries sluggishly got up.

***

Outside the commercial building was a mess. Shrapnel was scattered everywhere, embedded in cars, and even the intact windows were completely shattered.

I clicked my tongue as I surveyed the area. The throws weren’t accurate. Most of the shrapnel had hit the surroundings instead of the soldiers. Some bags didn’t even explode.

The damage we inflicted on the military was less than I thought.

“Bulletproof vests?”

They were wearing bulletproof vests, so the shrapnel didn’t hit their torsos. I tapped a soldier’s head to confirm the kill and rummaged through the corpse.

Helmet, bulletproof vest. One unlucky soldier had shrapnel stuck in his face, his mask fused to his skin. Most had shrapnel in their limbs.

These weren’t fatal wounds. This was all the poison’s doing.

“What did those hospital guys give us?”

According to the doctor, it was a cocktail of various poisons. But they died from shrapnel in their limbs. I have no idea what they used.

It’s almost like they mixed some real drugs in there.

“This guy’s vest is pierced though?”

“Really? That’s good.”

Meaning only the good vests are left.

We quickly moved around, stripping the corpses of their gear. I swapped my baseball cap for a bulletproof helmet, put on the best vest, and slung a heavy machine gun over my shoulder.

It’s heavy and hot—I feel like I’m going to die. It even smells like the military, which is weird and unsettling.

But I smiled as I looked at the intact magazines and ammo belts.

Finally, we’ve got proper gear. Pillager-style gear. With this, plus the mercenaries, we’re a decent pillager group now.

The mercenaries had come to their senses too.

“We’re short on guns…”

“There are probably dead guys in that apartment over there, so don’t worry. I said I’d divide things fairly, didn’t I? We risked our lives together, so no one should lose out.”

 

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