073 – Z Apocalypse #1
—
8:00 PM.
Right at the heart of Seoul.
“Step back! Step back!”
“Nam Tae-geon, step back!”
The glow of cellphones held by the crowd gathered for the protest condemning and demanding the impeachment of the president illuminated the surroundings, making it as bright as day.
“Let there be light—.”
As the opposition leader Yoo Dogwan watched that satisfying scene, quoting a line from the Bible, he noticed some lawmakers had brought candles and quickly had to intervene.
“This is a place to mourn the victims who died tragically in the N Mart arson! Please avoid fire. The cellphone lights are enough. Speaking of which, did you do what I asked?”
The lawmakers exchanged glances at Yoo Dogwan’s question and then whispered to him in hushed tones.
“Chairman, no matter what, creating fake evidence when there isn’t any and manipulating an incident seems like a bit of a problem, doesn’t it? Besides, the winds already seem to be blowing in our favor…”
“Ah, so these people still haven’t come to their senses! The real issue is that monster dictator Nam Tae-geon staying in the presidential office! This isn’t the time to care about the means!”
The size of the impeachment rally increased daily.
100,000, 200,000—.
But to Yoo Dogwan, these citizens were of little actual help. They merely filled the numbers; in the current state of South Korea, ordinary citizens truly held neither value nor power.
‘To bring down that madman Nam Tae-geon, ordinary measures won’t work. We need a decisive blow. Something truly impactful. But even this still feels insufficient…’
Yoo Dogwan glanced at the armed state of the policemen controlling the rally. The black straps of the machine guns slung over their shoulders shimmered strikingly.
‘How violent does the rally need to get before Nam Tae-geon issues the order to fire?’
Just one b*llet.
If only the other side fired just one round, everything could flow smoothly.
Ideally, it would be best if innocent civilian protestors were mercilessly massacred by the overwhelming might of the military and police forces. If the journalists and foreign media gathered to cover the rally were to capture such a scene on camera, all the high ground would shift to Yoo Dogwan’s side.
At this realization, Yoo Dogwan felt it was time to execute the operation he had planned.
“Hem.”
Sssshhk.
As Yoo Dogwan cleared his throat and straightened his collar, someone in the rally crowd raised a fist and shouted.
“We shouldn’t just stay here! Let’s march to the Presidential Office! Let’s show the power of democracy!”
“Let’s go! To the Presidential Office!”
“Nam Tae-geon, step down!”
Soon, as if waiting for this moment, the crowd responded in agreement. Thus, approximately over 100,000 protestors began marching toward the Presidential Office.
At this sight, the young and inexperienced legislator Kim Min-se stirred in panic and questioned Yoo Dogwan.
“Chairman, the people seem far too excited! Shouldn’t you step forward and try to calm them down? If things escalate, it could become a major incident! What will you do if the troops guarding the Presidential Office open fire?”
The young legislator Kim Min-se was terrified, imagining the potentially injured or dead. Because of this fear, he was unable to realize that Yoo Dogwan had initiated the march precisely to intentionally harm or k*ll people.
Just as the enraged crowd stormed toward Yongsan to change the era’s fate, when everyone was bracing themselves for a confrontation with armed forces…
Surprisingly, there were no police or soldiers guarding the entrance to the Presidential Office. Instead, a single man stood there like a scarecrow.
Just one.
The sight of the man in black military uniform, draped with a national flag as a cape, caused even the agitated members of the rally to halt their steps and movements.
“…Isn’t that ‘Supernova’?”
“It’s really him. Seeing him in person for the first time!”
“The number-one-ranked Awakened One?”
“That ranking isn’t officially recognized, though…”
The excitement among the crowd transformed into a different form. In today’s Korea, there was no one who didn’t know the man called “Supernova.”
The hero who infiltrated North Korea’s nuclear facilities, destroyed them entirely, and saved the Korean Peninsula from nuclear threats. The hope of the 21st century.
He shouted.
“Please disperse, rally participants!”
Paaaaahhhh!
A light that matched his title erupted from the body of the man called “Supernova.” The brilliance far surpassed the lighting from the rally participants’ cellphones, forcing everyone to close their eyes and making it impossible to take another step forward.
Thud, thud.
Amidst this scene, someone approached Yoo Dogwan and whispered into his ear.
“Chairman Yoo Dogwan. Shouldn’t we call it a day today? If this continues, we might have to release the recorded evidence and videos we possess.”
“…”
Crrrrrrk.
Yoo Dogwan gritted his teeth in this tense situation.
To have his plans ruined by a single Awakened Individual…
This “Supernova” was not comparable to the ordinary citizens who merely gathered in masses. He was truly President Nam Tae-geon’s strongest asset.
“Yu Yeo-reum! If only she had been here!”
Of course, even a veteran like “Supernova” would’ve been impossible for Yu Yeo-reum to face head-on, but it wasn’t entirely without options.
“The Concept Stone.”
Awakened Individuals who consumed it gained immense power, though it was said there were fatal side effects. That didn’t matter though. After all, Yu Yeo-reum was not his bl**d-related daughter.
Yoo Dogwan thought of finding his daughter as soon as possible.
“Yu Yeo-reum, if you’ve been hiding to avoid the experiment, I’ll make you come out willingly.”
—
# # #
“The rally marching towards the Presidential Office was stopped by none other than [Supernova]—”
“Thanks to Chairman Yoo Dogwan’s persuasion out of concern for it turning violent, as well as the spontaneous cooperation of the citizens, the rally dispersed peacefully without any incidents.”
“Such a peaceful demonstration, rare in world history, was lauded internationally—.”
“An incident occurred where some overly excited demonstrators bit each other, causing injury. The victims were taken to the hospital—.”
The convenience store clerk watched the news on his phone so loudly it sounded like a TV was on.
But at least the good thing was that the college student, who seemed interested only in the phone, wasn’t paying attention to us.
Because of this, Seugal could wander around the convenience store for ten minutes, lost in thought.
Though her face was covered by a cap and hoodie, reducing the risk of being recognized, staying this long might make the clerk suspect us.
“Hey, are we almost done? You were the one who suggested coming here.”
“I don’t know what to choose! It’s been a while since I’ve been here because of you!”
Seugal insisted on stopping by two specific places when agreeing to come out. One of them was this convenience store, which is why we were walking around inside.
“Urgh, everything looks so good.”
Seugal was hesitating in front of cup noodles. She seemed undecided between the most expensive cup noodle at 4800 won and another at 4200 won.
Why would someone spend 4800 won on a single cup noodle?
Is it because she’s bourgeois? Is it because it’s on my dime?
No, both assumptions are wrong.
“Amateur! Liberating one’s desires should be less awkward. When you rarely go out, you should go for the most expensive option—it’s logical, isn’t it?”
“Huh?”
“Does your body truly desire this 4800 won cup noodle? I think otherwise. My opinion differs. You’re Korean, and every Korean loves kimchi. When was the last time you had kimchi?”
Swoosh.
Seugal’s eyes darted toward a small bowl on the shelf.
“Kimchi Cup Noodle.”
Priced around a thousand won.
Gulp.
Seugal swallowed her saliva. She put down the expensive cup noodle and picked up the “Kimchi Cup Noodle.”
“Haha, that’s right. A kimchi-based cup noodle goes best with a cold broth. Now, time to choose a triangle rice roll. Since we have a cool broth, the rice roll should have a slightly milder taste.”
Seugal listened and chose the “Tuna Mayo” roll after hearing my advice. Though its flavors were milder, it was still a product that had endured the test of time.
The convenience store ecosystem was much like a post-apocalyptic one: “Survival of the strongest.” If something survived long enough, it was strong.
Meaning something that persisted was powerful.
It was time to choose the main attraction.
I picked a big smoked chicken drumstick from the store and handed it to Seugal. A large, thick piece that included the thigh.
The feeling of indulgence made her eyes waver with just the right amount of guilt.
“Such a big one…!?”
“Releasing your desires means doing things like this.”
Kimchi cup noodles, Tuna Mayo triangle rice roll, and a smoked chicken drumstick.
After finishing the payment, Seugal sat at a convenience store table, added hot water to the noodles, and ate the triangle roll during the wait. Once the delicious kimchi-based cup noodle was fully cooked, Seugal scarfed it down with large bites, tearing into the big chicken drumstick.
Truly, a devilish set menu.
The irritability Seugal had shown toward me softened like the microwave-warmed chicken drumstick, dissolving into something much kinder.
“So what’s this secret weakness of mine that you seem so confident about? Why do you think I won’t run away and report you to the police?”
Yes, Seugal had a weakness.
This weakness was more dangerous than a peanut allergy. In a roughly doomed world, everyone who possessed this weakness had perished.
At least everyone I knew.
Do I show you the proof?
“Seugal, if you run away, I can’t guarantee what will happen to Yu Yeo-reum alone.”
“What? Are you threatening me with Yu Yeo-reum? Haha, funny. If I ignore her and run away, why should I care what happens to her?”
“No, you can’t do that. I’m certain. And if you run, I’ll catch you within 10 seconds. After that, you won’t even get the chance to step out like this anymore.”
“…What a crazy a**hole!”
There was more to say, but we should get moving. The clerk was starting to glance at Seugal’s muttering with suspicion. Her voice sounded like a cuckoo bird’s.
We stepped out of the convenience store into the dim night.
—
Now, it was time to accomplish the purpose of this outing with Seugal.
Just as I thought that, Seugal spoke first.
“I’ll think about not running away. But first, there’s somewhere I want to visit. Even though the timing may not be ideal, you’ve clearly demonstrated you don’t care much for rules anyway.”
Saying this, Seugal headed for the outskirts of City D.
10:00 PM.
We arrived in front of a wall filled with photographs.
This was the D City Memorial Park’s columbarium.
Seugal stood among the many hanging photographs, then touched the smiling portrait of a woman who closely resembled her.
“This is my mom. Pretty, isn’t she? Her anniversary was just a few days ago. But what’s this?”
Seugal’s expression suddenly turned chilly.
Could she suddenly escape? Should I take out the “Shrinking Net” from my bag?
“This….”
Seugal peeled something from beside the photo with tape. It was a ring. A gold ring with a maple leaf pattern engraved, though it was scorched black.
“What is this?”
“This is my mom’s engagement ring. Nam San-ho took it and never returned it… Why is it here? Why…?”
Nam San-ho. I’d heard that name before.
Who was he?
“Nam San-ho? Wasn’t he the guy who went missing on the day of the N Mart fire?”
The third-tier Awakened Individual who started the fire that made it impossible to find any bodies.
Wasn’t he President Nam Tae-geon’s adopted son?
Regardless, now did not seem like the time to discuss that.
“Oooohh…”
“Grind, crunch…”
Behind us, people appeared whose limbs were falling off in tatters, and whose skin was rotting away.
Did some of the people buried here get cremated hastily?
“Seugal, come behind me.”
“What is this? Ugghh, the smell—Uwaaaahhh!”
“Absolutely do not get bitten or scratched. If you’re bitten or scratched by one of them, you’ll contract a disease, and within three days, you’ll turn into one of them. Though for Awakened Individuals, it might take a bit longer.”
“What are these things?”
If you don’t know what they are by looking? They’re “zombies,” the living dead. They could be called the seasoning of the apocalypse.
According to my memory, these creatures were not supposed to appear for at least another half-year. The news at the convenience store earlier came back to me.
“Some of the agitated demonstrators bit each other and were injured. The victims were rushed to the hospital—”
Could this be connected too? Hmm, I guess Seugal’s plans are going to get a bit complicated.
But!
Since I already knew about the infection treatment through my future knowledge, this situation wasn’t entirely bad.
If anything, it was good.
Let’s treat this as an early access to the apocalypse and enjoy it.
“Seugal, since it’s such a rare chance, you should try knocking one of these down. You have to destroy their heads.”
This was a great opportunity to overcome Seugal’s most critical weakness. Of course, Seugal was greatly shaken.
“Hey! What do you want me to do?!”
Even if they’re dead bodies, it is difficult to attack something that resembles a human being.
The expected result.
“Seugal, one day, your weakness is going to strangle you. In the world that’s coming, if you can’t make the first move to k*ll, you won’t survive.”
The most dangerous thing in the apocalyptic world isn’t peanut allergies, nor itchiness, nor even the wicked Demon Beasts or antagonists—it’s one’s own altruism.
