Marauder of the Apocalypse

Chapter 16: Hope [2]

*Knock knock knock*

A faint voice and knocking sound can be heard.

"Are you up? You didn't turn into a zombie, did you?"

I opened my eyes with difficulty. I slept very deeply through the night, so I'm not fully awake yet. A heavily muffled voice came out like the roar of a zombie.

"Uh, uh..."

"Ah, damn. Did you turn into a zombie?"

The door suddenly opens, and a raised hand axe comes into the room. That sharp blade. The weapon glinting in the sunlight.

I startled and grabbed the hammer by my bedside. The drowsiness completely disappeared, and an urgent voice burst out.

"No! Put that axe down!"

"Why are you making zombie-like sounds? You're a really strange person."

Jeon Do-hyeong awkwardly lowered the axe. I wiped my face a few times with both palms, then put on a mask.

Of course, that was a good action. I've had that experience with him too. Worrying that I might turn into a zombie while sleeping, I would sleep in a different room with the door closed, and in the morning, it was a daily routine to confirm if I was still human.

But when it happened to me directly, my heart dropped. I was afraid he might just throw the axe at me.

I waved my hand.

"I'm going to eat, so stay in your room."

"Okay. After eating, let's talk about what to do with the church."

*Click*, the door closed.

I found some food to eat. Food with expiration dates that are not too far away. Yogurt, tofu that's about to go bad, and eggs that were in the house. Foods that I wouldn't be able to eat if the apocalypse hits.

It was an abnormal meal, but I kept shoving it into my mouth, feeling like I was refueling.

The yogurt, tofu, and eggs mixed in my mouth. I blankly thought,

'Have I been gaining weight lately?'

My body feels heavy, probably because I've been eating the food that's about to expire, trying to use it up.

After the meal, dishwashing, and bathing, I boiled barley tea in the kettle, then knocked on Jeon Do-hyeong's door with a hammer.

"First, I'm going to try to go to the evening service, but what about you?"

"I feel cooped up just staying at home... I'll go with you."

The plan was set.

We rested well until the evening, and when there was no sign of activity, we went out to the street.

***

The service was said to start at 8 PM, which was the time when the power outage occurred in our area. They start the service as soon as the power goes out.

"You're leaving an hour early? The church isn't that far, it's about a 20-minute walk, right?"

Jeon Do-hyeong seemed to be reluctant and swung the axe back and forth. It seems that going out itself is dangerous, so I want to reduce the time spent outside.

But I shook my head.

"It's not for worship. It's a reconnaissance."

It's an outing to measure the opponent's capabilities, to see how many people there are, and whether there is a gap to stab with a knife.

There should be enough time to go around the church building.

'At least that evangelist? The pastor? That person should show an opportunity to assassinate.'

Of course, such stray thoughts didn't last long.

Because we came out to a dangerous street. I don't have the mental energy to invest elsewhere.

I'm busy keeping an eye out for zombies or madmen with my eyes wide open. We were constantly looking around, ready to wield weapons at any time.

There were still cars driving on the road, and there were quite a few people on the street. Of course, there were zombies too.

"..."

"..."

It's a strange coexistence that you'd only see in a transitional period.

People sneaking around to avoid provoking zombies. Zombies bared their teeth towards the cars running on the road, but they didn't throw themselves onto the road. They seemed to have a minimum of judgment left.

Of course, this coexistence won't last long.

'How many infected people are there now? 1.5 million? Didn't they say there are more than 400,000 zombies? If we stay here longer.'

The increasing number of zombies.

Almost no one was going to the government-run test sites, and the self-diagnosis kits, which were only supplied in small quantities, instead drove the infected out onto the streets.

It's because the PD who will go down in history properly instilled suspicion.

I swallowed my saliva.

'The numbers are a problem, and if they get hungry, they'll actively hunt people.'

No matter how I think about it, the future looks dark. It's an apocalypse.

The atmosphere on the streets has already sunk close to ruins. The restaurants that were only allowed to deliver were deserted, and I couldn't hear any music flowing from the various stores.

The people walking the eerie streets gripped weapons to kill people while keeping watch in all directions.

In the midst of the prevalent threat, where individuals must protect their own lives, a sense of ominous tension seems to flow through the air.

Thud-thud-

Jeon Do-hyeong and I tensed up and gestured to indicate the direction, winding our way to avoid the zombies.

Of course, it took time. In the dusk of the evening, we arrived at the church after taking a detour that would have taken 20 minutes, taking almost an hour.

***

It's the church grounds where no zombies are visible. We rushed and panted at the entrance of the sanctuary. There was no time to reconnoiter.

'If only I had come out a little earlier!'

As I was berating myself, an old lady standing at the entrance of the sanctuary smiled, her eyes crinkling.

" are devout believers. They are rushing here so as not to miss the pastor's words."

"Ah, that's it."

"Oh dear. Just wash your hands quickly and go in. The service is about to start soon."

I was about to say something, but the grandmother suddenly handed us an alcohol disinfectant. Looking closely, there was a Post-it note attached.

'Hand sanitizer blessed by the pastor himself!'

A thought flashed through my mind. Such a rational judgment using science. Is the pastor a cult leader? Is he trying to create a survivor group under the guise of religion?

Jeon Do-hyeong awkwardly said,

"Wouldn't it be okay not to wear gloves?"

"I thought something might have gotten on the gloves. Let's disinfect the gloves first. And then write down the visitor list."

I quickly rubbed the sticky disinfectant on the gloves and looked at the visitor list. It was the same one used for epidemiological investigations at stores and restaurants during the COVID-19 outbreak.

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Suddenly, I felt a chill. Name, number, address. Yes, the address.

'Are they trying to identify people's locations to loot later...?'

My guard went up. I've encountered something more dangerous than zombies. Humans like me who have already adapted to the apocalypse, and they're organizing a group under the guise of religion.

I was about to turn my eyes away. This is not a simple cult. The pastor is my superior. I have to deal with him somehow.

I quickly grabbed a pen and carelessly recorded false personal information - a fake name, made-up address, and random numbers.

I nudge Jeon Do-hyeong.

"Hey, we don't have much time left. I've written yours too, so let's go in quickly."

"Okay. Since it doesn't seem like anyone else is coming, let's go in together."

"Yes, grandma can come with us too."

Jeon Do-hyeong, with a bewildered expression, was dragged by me, and the grandmother followed us in. The sound of the grandmother's slow footsteps behind us and the loud closing of the church door were chilling.

'Did I arouse suspicion? Why are they keeping such close surveillance on me?'

Cold sweat trickled down my back.

Amidst it all, I naturally observed the scene unfolding under the bright lights. The spacious sanctuary. The evil wooden chairs torturing the spine. The people sitting densely, a mix of all ages.

The number is large. Men, women, and the elderly are all gathered, waiting for the service and the pastor. The power the pastor can wield with a single word. They are even armed with baseball bats, crowbars, axes, and kitchen knives.

I had a sinking feeling.

How do I deal with this? Fire? But there are fire extinguishers everywhere. Virus attack? But everyone is wearing masks.

"There are no seats left. Let's set up a chair here."

Thud-

The grandmother lightly tapped the folding chair propped against the wall. I quickly pulled the chair and set it up near the entrance of the sanctuary. It's the optimal position for escape. The grandmother followed me there.

A pleased voice was heard.

"It's great that there are so many people in the church thanks to our pastor. It's all because God is guiding us."

"Grandmother, is that miracle really true?"

"Yes! I experienced it myself. The congregation is like family, and even the pastor and everyone else became zombies. But our pastor prayed-"

As Jeon Do-hyeong continued the conversation in a friendly manner, I discovered something and tightly closed my eyes. I may have hidden it, but I couldn't deceive my own eyes.

'That's a police revolver!'

Among the elders, deacons, or security guards/observers lining the walls, a few had pistols peeking out from their waists.

How did the police, who are also believers, obtain guns? Could it be that they looted them after seeing my post on the internet? If that's the case, I would have given my enemies the guns. No, it can't be. They must be plain-clothed police officers.

Just then, Jeon Do-hyeong turned his attention to the people standing.

"Why are they standing? Aren't their legs hurting?"

"Hoho. They are all people who have been saved by the pastor. They are brothers and sisters like me who have directly experienced the miracle. The pastor himself has driven out the virus-"

I couldn't help but sigh.

So they're not police, but faithful believers appointed as leaders. They have only given firearms to those leaders.

This church was already well-organized, far exceeding my expectations. If I try some clumsy tricks, I could end up being the one in trouble. If I make a mistake, I'm sure the armed believers seeking revenge with both firearms and faith will come after me.

'I can't come up with a plausible scenario.'

Just then, darkness fell. The power went out.

A silence descended upon the sanctuary. The people who had been chatting quietly all fell silent. The darkness and silence weighed heavily on my mind.

No one turned on their phones, nor made a sound of coughing or breathing. The cohesion of that group.

The darkness blurred the sense of time. Seconds or minutes passed, I couldn't tell. Jeon Do-hyeong whispered softly.

"Grandmother, when will the service-"

"Shut up."

The kind grandmother instantly changed her personality and snapped sharply. Jeon Do-hyeong closed his mouth.

And then, a warm flame flickered in the place where the pastor was preaching. One by one, candles appeared on the long wooden pulpit, casting an orange glow on the pastor's face.

'Is this guy a bit of a showman?'

For a moment, the scriptwriter in me emerged, but it quickly disappeared in the hopeless situation.

'I can't touch this.'

I looked at the pastor's face in despair. To have already organized such a large group.

The young man, who didn't look much older than a college student, closed his eyes and brought a portable microphone to his lips. His trained voice resonated solemnly.

"Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night; nor of the arrow that flieth by day; Nor of the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor of the destruction that wasteth at noonday."

A Bible verse.

I listened to that voice blankly, trying to grasp the cult-like doctrine of this church.

The pastor continued to solemnly recite the Bible.

"The Lord is my refuge, and you have made the Most High your dwelling, so no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent."

Keywords: plague, disaster, protection.

Continuing the prayer.

"Oh, Lord. Almighty God. God of life. I believe that you will save the lamb from the affliction and plague that originate from wicked humans."

As I listened to the continuing words, I slowly grasped the core.

The chairman of Immortal Company is a minion of Satan, the I-virus is a machination of Satan, the weak in faith become zombies, the faithful are not even dared to be invaded by the virus, and even those who become zombies can return.

The miraculous deeds of the pastor and the doctrines that fit the current situation create synergy.

I reached a conclusion.

This is unbeatable. Like a police station, there is nothing I can do with my own hands.

"Amen."

- Amen!

The pastor spoke briefly, and a wave-like cry returned. I pretended to pray haphazardly, swept away by the waves. After all, it's dark, so no one can see.

I recalled two old adages.

If you can't beat them, join them!

'With a group this size, it might be better to join them. Of course, the system of faith and belief is not quite right...'

Isn't it just a matter of acting like a fanatic? As long as I can survive the apocalypse, what can't I do?

The second adage was as follows.

The enemy within is the most fearsome!

'If I have a chance to quietly assassinate them by approaching, or if I can raid the church by secretly entering the visitor log under the church's name...'

I blinked my eyes in the darkness.

Whether it's good or bad, it's just a choice based on self-interest. I just have to choose a bright and hopeful direction depending on the situation.

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