Marauder of the Apocalypse
Chapter 138: Flames

The flies' eyes darted around. They weren't alliance members to begin with; they had just somehow become alliance mercenaries.

For homeless survivors like these, personal gain was most important. If our offer was better, they could easily betray the alliance.

One of the flies slowly spoke.

"The traitor must have told you everything. We agreed to annoy you in exchange for a little food and pistols. They also promised to return the townhouse to us once you leave."

He was telling me to offer something better.

I smirked and waved my rifle. The barrel's path brushed past the bodies of all four flies.

"And I can kill all of you. Let's calculate the costs and benefits properly."

"We can kill you too. This is an equal exchange."

"Then should we forget about any deal? Just part ways here?"

I deliberately looked into each of the four flies' eyes. I had created this situation, so I could control it completely. I had more ways to threaten them anyway. Even if they were just bluffs.

"Be careful when you eat from now on. You never know when the virus might enter your mouth."

At my hint about the existence of a traitor, the flies' faces hardened.

In their minds, the traitor was already among them. For some reason, they didn't think I would have kept the person I captured alive, so they suspected one of their own.

In a way, this was their last chance. Otherwise, they would inevitably fall apart in suspicion and distrust.

"A traitor... is there really one?"

But some were quick-witted. One fly muttered skeptically.

"If you were going to use that method, there'd be no need to mention it. It would be better used secretly."

"Haha. Isn't it fun? Is there a traitor? Or not? If there is, who could it be? Is there really none? Should you trust each other? Nothing is more entertaining to watch from a distance."

I observed them with genuine enjoyment. As if both the ploy using a traitor and the plan to use them against the alliance were just for fun.

'Actually, fun is the most important thing.'

Nothing in this world ever goes according to plan anyway. No matter how carefully I constructed a scenario, unexpected accidents would happen, and I had to adapt to whatever outcome emerged to find enjoyment.

The flies' eyes moved restlessly. They looked at me, then at each other, and remained wary of my criminal companions surrounding them.

I boldly lowered my gun and stepped aside, opening a path for them.

"Go if you want to go. Oh, and next time, recruit more people. Since you've managed to get a promise to reclaim the townhouse, shouldn't you make use of it?"

If they failed, I'd still gain something. I advised them with good intentions.

"Couldn't you recruit people around here by using your future right to occupy the townhouse?"

It's been difficult to find survivors lately. Hard to raid, in other words. We needed to use bait to attract people, and these flies could serve as that bait.

"..."

"..."

Even though I had opened a path, the flies kept their mouths shut and didn't move. They seemed lost in thought.

I started to look bored and aimed my gun again.

"Time is precious. Make your choice quickly?"

"What exactly do we have to do, and what benefit do we get?"

After much deliberation, the flies finally spoke. The most important point. I glanced at Sa Gi-hyeok, but thinking he might not fully understand my improvised plan, I spoke directly.

"The reward is simple. Not having to risk your lives fighting us. Basic supplies. As for what you'll do..."

I quickly laid out the scenario for them.

"Continue what you've been doing. Recruit survivors as I said, extract resources from the alliance, and provide us with information along the way."

Use the townhouse occupancy rights to gather people. Use the increased numbers as an excuse to get more pistols and food from the alliance. Push those people into traps we designate.

We'd collect the pistols from the dead.

Sa Gi-hyeok, true to his con artist nature, immediately understood my plan and chimed in.

"Hahaha. It's an easy job. Even without occupancy rights, many would join if food is provided."

"I don't know. People on the streets are more suspicious than you'd think."

A fly muttered in a dejected voice, and I waved my hand dismissively.

"What wouldn't people do when food is scarce? Just try it."

"We'll do that. But how should we deliver information?"

"When you come to provoke us at night, secretly throw a paper note. About alliance movements, meeting places or patterns, anything that's changed."

The flies sighed and nodded, then suddenly asked.

"We'll do that. But who among us is the traitor? Is there really one? Now that we're on your side, you might as well tell us."

"There isn't one."

I answered honestly. The truth didn't matter anyway. Suspicion exists in people's hearts, doesn't it?

I grinned and said lightly.

"But betrayal is always welcome. If you notice anything suspicious, come report it immediately. We'll make room for you in the townhouse."

Just by casually suggesting the possibility of betrayal, I forced them to monitor each other. Like our chairman's virus, it drove people apart.

The flies sighed heavily or frowned deeply, as if frustrated.

"You really... never mind."

They turned around and began filling their plastic bottles with stream water. Their backs completely exposed. For a moment, my finger instinctively moved to the trigger, but I deliberately restrained myself and signaled to my companions.

"Let's go."

"Good to save bullets."

While chatting lightly, we kept our guard up against the flies and backed away carefully. Just as I had wanted to crack their skulls, they might be looking to target our rear.

After slowly retreating until we could no longer see the flies...

Sa Gi-hyeok asked briefly.

"Do you trust those people?"

"No."

I don't trust them. There are no trustworthy people in this world. I just make plans that can fail without major consequences.

Sa Gi-hyeok glanced back and said in a serious voice.

"That's right. We shouldn't trust them. They didn't ask if they could return to the townhouse in exchange for working for us. That should be their greatest desire."

"You're right about that."

Thinking about it, that was true. Their main goal was to reclaim their residence. Yet they suspiciously avoided mentioning it.

Park Yang-gun grumbled.

"They probably know their place. They've wandered the streets. They must realize that caught between the alliance and us, they can't dream of the townhouse and will only suffer. They'll just try to extract whatever benefits they can."

"Double agents, you mean?"

When I asked, Park Yang-gun nodded.

"From their perspective, getting resources from both us and the alliance is the best outcome."

I adjusted my mask. That made sense. It was a precarious balancing act, but as long as they stayed on the tightrope, they wouldn't starve.

Just then, Jeon Do-hyung, who had been walking silently ahead of us, stopped. We had reached the place where we'd hidden our bicycles. He let out a short, startled sound.

"Oh."

"What?"

"Weren't the bicycles placed here? They're gone."

"What?"

Rushing forward, we found the space between the streetlight and wall where we'd left the bicycles was empty. We looked around in disbelief.

"This is definitely the place. Huh... did we just get robbed?"

"No way."

This was definitely the right place. We had been robbed. Us, who always raided others. We who had always taken from others, never had anything taken from us.

I let my rifle hang limply.

"They stole bicycles because there was nothing else to take... well, they are valuable items. But still."

"Haha. That's great. I was worried about falling anyway. Walking on two feet is best, isn't it?"

Sa Gi-hyeok spoke cheerfully, but we just glared at him. Finally, Jeon Do-hyung snapped at him.

"Do you know how far it is from here to the townhouse? We can't make it back today. We'll have to sleep on the streets."

"That's nice. Like camping, isn't it?"

"No, this isn't camping, it's being stranded... ah, seriously."

I stared blankly at where the bicycles had been, then clenched my fist.

"From now on, anyone seen riding a bicycle gets shot on sight."

***

It was too late to return immediately. The sun had already disappeared beyond the horizon, and darkness had fallen. And darkness always brought danger.

We ended up entering a commercial building that Park Yang-gun selected and set up makeshift beds.

We built barricades, spread clothes stripped from corpses and bundles of fallen leaves haphazardly on the floor, and lay down. Of course, sleep didn't come easily in an unfamiliar place.

We turned on electric lanterns and sat dazed, exchanging meaningless conversation.

"It's really cold. Is it because that window over there is broken?"

"There's nothing to make a fire with either... Mr. Park Yang-gun, can you find the way back?"

"No. I can't find it."

Park Yang-gun looked at the window. We had blocked it with various junk to prevent light from leaking out, but it wasn't hard to imagine the scene outside.

Darkness. A maze of dense concrete buildings forming walls that made people wander aimlessly.

"This is our first time on this route. Even I don't know the way."

"It's difficult to find our way, and if we encounter zombies or raiders and get separated, that would be a serious problem. Better to stay one day and go back tomorrow."

I laid out my thoughts.

It's better not to wander around the city at night. Especially on unfamiliar routes.

Sa Gi-hyeok took out a simple canteen and emergency rations from his pocket and put them in his mouth. After chewing for a while, he sighed with relief.

"Good thing I brought emergency rations."

"Essential, since you never know when you might get isolated."

The conversation died there. Everyone fell silent, having nothing more to say. A cold wind blew in through a distant broken window, and we could faintly hear what sounded like zombie groans or human screams.

We remained still. Jeon Do-hyung even turned off the electric lantern.

"I'll turn this off just in case. It would be annoying if it attracted people or zombies."

"Zombies would be a nuisance."

People could be raided, but zombies gave you nothing even if you killed them.

I pressed my electronic watch firmly. It lit up, showing the time. It was still too early to sleep, but we had no choice.

"Let's take turns standing watch as we decided earlier, and move as soon as it gets light tomorrow."

"Let's do that. I wonder who stole our bicycles, really."

"We must find them and kill them."

Though we lay down to sleep, rest wouldn't come. The floor was uncomfortable, the air was cold, and safety wasn't guaranteed.

'Come to think of it, I've been sleeping comfortably in blankets and beds this whole time. Have I been living too comfortably?'

This must be the environment of ordinary survivors. No, maybe not quite. Blankets are resources that can be obtained relatively easily.

As I thought about this, Jeon Do-hyung suddenly muttered to himself.

"I wonder if the townhouse is okay? With all of us not returning."

The leader—me—and the executive criminal companions went out to work and haven't returned. Naturally, there could be various reactions. Some might trust and wait, others might harbor different thoughts. Some might grow suspicious.

I thought lightly.

"One day shouldn't be a problem."

Since we left aiming to return by evening, one day should be fine. But if it gets longer, discord would likely arise.

Did they flee on their own because things looked bad with the alliance? Did they die? Who's the leader now? What happens to us...?

Imagining my companions causing division, sleep gradually came to me. I closed my eyes and drifted off.