Marauder of the Apocalypse

My head hurts. Did I make the wrong judgment? Both the hopeful community and Dokdo, whenever I plan something, it feels like something subtly goes wrong and gets messed up.

As a looter, I'm also pondering what to pursue. My head is full of all kinds of thoughts.

I couldn't even hear the conversation between Rider Zero and the shop owner well.

"Owner, I saw a corpse at the entrance, you're doing some knife work there?"

"It's a sushi restaurant, knife work is basic. Cutting zombies or cutting fish, the basics are the same, you know."

"If you think you won't be able to run the store, let me know!"

I look at Rider Zero trying to recruit the shop owner with resentment for no reason.

Why, the person who brought the bad news seems to be annoying for no reason. Rider Zero, who is already dislikable, feels even more unpleasant.

Of course, Rider Zero didn't notice my gaze and was focused on persuading, waving his hands.

"You can just cook the same way over at our place. This is my goal..."

The shop owner, who was diligently packing the sushi, seemed to catch Rider Zero's eye, and their gazes met.

I also briefly set aside my resentment and focused on her voice. As an aspiring screenwriter and as a looter, I'm very interested in other people's dreams.

The sushi restaurant with corpses rolling around, Rider Zero's cheerful voice rang out with a bright light.

"We want to be the thread that connects people to people. If we keep going like this, the city will eventually collapse, right? Zombies will occupy the space, and the means of communication will be cut off-"

A world where zombies are abundant and it becomes difficult for people to face each other.

The Delivery Vigilante Corps wants to become an analog communication channel. Like the postal workers of the era without the internet or phones.

The dark future she is predicting, and the romance that can only be dreamed of in such a future.

Of course, there were also practical measures to maintain the group. Delivery, requests, compensation, products that will become special like proper food.

Rider Zero concluded his words.

"Anyway, if you're interested, please let me know."

"Sounds good."

The shop owner responded positively. The expression that had been subtly hardened after killing the vigilante group had loosened.

It was only natural. Their dreams did not clash with each other. Rider Zero wanting to connect people, and the shop owner wanting to cook and serve food for the rest of his life.

There is room for them to coexist and move forward together.

I've also deepened my own thoughts.

'Coexistence. The purpose of binding together various looters.'

As the leader of the looter group, I already had the idea that I need to imprint the benefits and losses in the minds of the other looter members.

"If you trust and follow me, you can live. But if you betray and oppose me, you will lose your life."

However, the long-term vision needed to lead them is...

*taps fingers on knee*

Around that time, the shop owner finished packing. He gave a subtle nod.

"Enjoy your meal! And if you need any more side dishes I've prepared, feel free to come by. I can't provide them often, but I'll try to prepare some for you occasionally."

It's about the puffer fish poison. I shook my head.

"I don't think I'll be coming by for that anymore. If the supply of seafish stops, we won't be able to eat them."

It would be better to look into hospitals or pharmacies instead. The medical drugs used precise chemical technology, so they would be far more potent than natural toxins.

'After all, people are more terrifying...'

And so I finished my outing and started heading back to the villa.

***

Rider Zero's motorcycle was stopped at the entrance, engine running.

'Should I pull out the brake?'

I briefly paused my steps, but since there were people around, I decided to just play a small prank.

*clink*

I pulled out the motorcycle key and tossed it into the drainage ditch. The key slipped through the wire mesh - it would take some time to fish it out. I couldn't help but chuckle.

Before Rider Zero came out, I quickly grabbed the bag of sashimi, shook it vigorously, and ran away. It wasn't enough to fully vent my resentment, but at least I felt better.

It's already such a gloomy and bleak world as it is. These small pleasures are important for mental management.

"Haha."

As I ran, with people eyeing me suspiciously, wondering if I was a zombie or a madman, I adjusted my mask. A faint smile crept onto my lips.

Looking back, I haven't truly enjoyed a hearty laugh in a long time. If anything, the apocalypse has made me laugh more often.

When escaping the holding cell, stealing a bicycle, ramming the electric thief's car into the public restroom, getting revenge on the informant, punishing the security elder.

'...Is committing mischief fun?'

It seems the thrill of committing crimes without real danger is what I enjoy.

It's not that strange. The electric thief who delights in theft, the professional thief addict Park Yang-gun. All the members are mentally unstable criminals.

Suddenly, the complex worries about the future and vision seemed to wash away.

I looked around the streets.

Daytime. Clumsy zombies come out only to get beaten by the vigilantes or passersby - the time of humans.

People live day-to-day without any grand purpose or hope. In that sense, the looters who live with intense pleasure are on a higher plane.

"What does the future matter?"

Why not just live moment-to-moment, committing mischief and enjoying it? As long as I gather looter members who enjoy survival and looting itself, that should be enough.

Even during that time, my feet moved diligently, and I returned to the villa without any major problems.

Just before entering the front door, I saw a strange person. An ajumma who hides something like a food bowl near the road or building.

'Is she a cat mom?'

I thought she was a person who feeds cats, so I was just going to pass by, but the food bowl she was putting down seemed unusual.

It was instant rice that seemed to have been heated up and seaweed soup. No matter how I looked at it, it was a meal for a person, not a cat.

Feeling my gaze on her, the ajumma turned her body. Her face, with deep wrinkles and a sense of depression, forced a smile.

"Student, do you live here?"

"No."

I live here. But honestly, I have no reason to tell her that. Why should I give my information to a stranger I just met? I might get into trouble later.

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The ajumma seemed a little flustered, and I pointed at the rice with a hammer.

"What is this? It doesn't seem to be cat food."

"It's rice for my son. My son left home, and I'm worried if he's eating well."

The ajumma, who seemed anxious, hid the food bowl behind her back as if guarding it.

She seemed mentally unstable. She seemed to think I was going to knock over that food bowl, so she rambled on with excuses.

"My son went shopping with me and turned into a zombie. Fortunately, he recognized my face, so he attacked other people and ran out to the street."

Ah, so she's not a cat mom, but a zombie mom.

It was a bad thing. Cat food would have been much more useful. Someday, when the city's resources are extremely depleted, at least I could catch wild animals to eat. Feeding zombies is a bit...

The zombie mom looked like she was about to cry, but she forced a smile while holding back her teary eyes.

"My son, who used to be cooped up in the room all the time, looks much better now that he's running around outside... But I'm so worried that he might meet bad people and die, or that he might starve..."

"Oh, I see. You've been through such a thing."

I pretended to empathize appropriately.

It's a world with many zombies. There won't be just a few people who have a zombie locked up at home, and there won't be few people who see the faces of their family members in the wandering zombies.

Maybe as time goes on, many people will harbor a few zombies in the corner of their hearts.

When I responded calmly, the zombie mom hastily took out her phone and showed me a photo of someone.

A middle school student in a school uniform? His expression and posture seemed shy and introverted.

"If you happen to see this child..."

She trailed off, but I think I know what she means. She wants me to kidnap him and contact her, and she'll pay the price. Of course, I have no intention of taking such a risk.

"Okay, I understand. Now, please go."

"Yes, yes. Thank you for listening to me."

The zombie mom slowly turned her body and, with a groan, carried the basket full of instant rice and seaweed soup side dishes and left.

I saw the back of the zombie mom.

'It seems like we can cooperate now.'

I found value in cooperating with her.

She herself provided the bait to feed the zombies. I was a bit concerned about using my own food, but this worked out well.

I waited until the zombie mom disappeared from sight, then quickly poured a lot of puffer fish poison into the seaweed soup.

I also searched the area and found a few rice bowls, pouring the puffer fish poison into them. It was mechanical labor. There was no fun or meaning in it.

'Dealing with zombies is not fun.'

It was more enjoyable to plot in the church.

Come to think of it, the poison didn't seem like a good strategy either. To feed the poison, I would have to consume a lot of food as bait, and this was not good in the long run.

After using up all the puffer fish poison, I carelessly threw the trash on the side of the road and returned to the villa with an expressionless face.

I need to talk to the members about the community of hope.

***

I bought sashimi, but there was no sharing it nicely. Because of the fear of the virus, everyone ate separately at their own homes.

"The community has changed that much?"

Poking the sashimi of some unknown sea fish, Park Yang-gun rolled his eyes. He seems to want to escape here and return to the church.

On the other hand, Jeon Do-hyeong let out a sigh of relief. He unconsciously took a praying posture.

"I'm glad. So Ye-ji won't get hurt."

I pressed my head down.

These are the members of the looters. They seem to be tightly united, but they can scatter and change their minds at any time.

There is no one who thinks like me and follows my style. It's a relief if they don't betray me seriously.

Park Yang-gun said,

"Then isn't it better to go back? Not that I don't like you, but if that place is safer."

I closed my eyes tightly, and decided to turn the crisis of the looter members scattering into an opportunity.

An opportunity to lead the looters with the vision I envisioned. An opportunity to use the community of hope. If I want to steadily maintain the group of looters in the future, I must test and succeed now.

"Let's just steal resources and knowledge cleanly."

"...Steal?"

Park Yang-gun leaned forward, seemingly tempted. Jeon Do-hyeong was similar. It seems he likes this more than just going back.

These criminals really do prefer crossing the line over normal behavior. If I just provide the opportunity to commit crimes, these people will follow.

"Isn't it more fun to steal slingshots, shields, and knowledge? It would be boring to just join the community."

"I like it!"

Jeon Do-hyeong quickly answered. The vicious electric thief seems to have changed under the influence of the professional thief Park Yang-gun.

The professional thief Park Yang-gun also seems to have changed his mind.

"That's great, I like it. Yes."

"Mr. Park Yang-gun. Think of it as regaining your youth. You've regained the passion for stealing you had in your younger days."

"Haha... It is exciting."

Alright, I somehow managed to integrate the looters. It's really difficult with just 2 people.

And I need to come up with my own plan.

'Should I find someone other than the deserters who can think? ... The professor's daughter?'

The professor's daughter who advocated the massacre of 1 million people might be able to help me a bit. According to my online research, she's currently attending a university in this city.

Anyway, I'll put the future plans aside for now, and focus on planning for the community of hope.

'I'd like to rejoin and then cause internal strife, but when have things ever gone my way?'

It's better not to make such long-term plans.

It might be better to maintain a friendly relationship. The pastor has passed away, so the cult-like expansion has been eliminated.

Or I could create an impulsive incident depending on the situation.

So we reduced our meals for a few days and deliberately didn't wash to look shabby, and then visited the community of hope.

We didn't want to look well-fed and well-off, in case we get added to the looting list.