“Hey, what business do deserters have with us?”  

Deserters, huh? Without even trying to conceal my discontent, I spoke up.  

“Is that the first thing you say to someone who saved your life?”  

“Um… Well…”  

It seemed they finally realized that we had saved them.   

A middle-aged man coughed awkwardly.  

“Yes, that was impolite of us. I apologize. It was just a mistake, so I hope you won’t misunderstand.”  

“Misunderstand what?”  

I wondered if there was anything to misunderstand from my end.   

If anything, they seemed to be misunderstanding something.  

I wondered how they interpreted the words I had muttered to myself.  

“…We are really grateful for saving our lives! Thank you. But… what I said earlier wasn’t a lie. We don’t have anything to offer you-”  

“No, it seems like the misunderstanding is on your end.”  

Nothing to offer.  

We never expected anything in return in the first place, you fool.  

That’s what I intended to explain, but…  

“We-”  

“Please, just let us go…”  

“…”  

This man.  

It seemed like he came out to talk, but I was the only one feeling like no conversation was happening at all.  

After exhaling deeply, I shouted loudly,  

“We are-!”  

“Eek!”  

“…Not deserters.”  

The man seemed to shrink a bit when I raised my voice, feeling awkward.  

Though I felt a bit sorry, it seemed like conversation wouldn’t proceed unless I did this.  

We had already left the barracks, but we were still in contact with the remaining soldiers there, and we were accompanying Lieutenant Kim, the nominal commander of the unit.  

The discipline of the military unit was still in place.  

It felt unfair to be called deserters.  

“If the term ‘deserters’ was offensive, I apologize. So, what should I call you instead? Elders?”  

“No, it’s not about the word being uncomfortable. It’s because we really didn’t desert.”  

Conversation was really going nowhere.  

Then…  

“What that soldier said is all true. Please believe us just this once.”  

A man among the soldiers spoke up.  

It was none other than our nominal leader, Lieutenant Kim.  

He was the current highest-ranking officer in the 423rd Battalion.  

“You are…?”  

“Hello. I’m Lieutenant Kim Hyun-seok.”  

“W-What?”  

“To be more precise…”  

Lieutenant Kim continued, showing his rank insignia on his uniform.  

“I’m Lieutenant Kim Hyun-seok, from the 12th Corps directly under the Ground Operations Command of the Republic of Korea Army. I’m assigned to the 423rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion.”  

“Lieutenant? Are you… an officer?”  

“Yes. Originally, my position was that of a company commander, but now I’m acting as the deputy battalion commander, nominally.”  

The unit’s evaluation of Lieutenant Kim was that of a retired officer.   

But on a second thought, he could be featured in military training videos for exemplary conduct.  

He had the appearance of a model soldier.  

Besides, he had the eloquence and political acumen of a top-tier officer.  

Considering all these factors…  

“I, I see. Are you really a regular soldier?”  

“Unbelievable.”  

“Were you really a soldier? Not a deserter?”  

It seemed they finally started to believe that we weren’t deserters.  

The survivors looked at us with unfamiliar eyes.  

“…The flow of this conversation is quite different from what I had expected.”  

Now that I think about it, when I tried to talk to Suyeon and Suhyuk, they were also frightened of me.  

But they quickly became friendly with squad leader Lee Sanh-ah.  

Maybe Lieutenant Kim’s good impression played a part.  

Could it be…  

“Did I make a bad first impression?”  

Come to think of it, I’ve heard that I can come off as an intimidating individual sometimes.  

I stood there quietly even after receiving a slight wound on my delicate, sensitive heart.  

As I stood still, Lieutenant Kim glanced at me discreetly.  

He nodded.  

Wasn’t it a gesture that says, “Leave it to me, Young-joon”?  

Maybe not exactly that.  

“Actually, it’s doubtful.”  

When he got my approval,  

Lieutenant Kim immediately engaged in conversation with the man.  

“Why did you think of us as deserters?”  

“Huh? Are you really asking because you don’t know?”  

“Yes. We thought that if survivors like you encountered soldiers, you would request protection.”  

“Oh… Well, in ordinary circumstances, that would be a normal reaction.”  

“But it seems like it’s not an ordinary situation now. Can you explain why?”  

“Um… It’s not difficult to explain.”  

Lieutenant Kim’s question mirrored my own curiosity.  

It might seem natural to think we were soldiers because we were wearing uniforms, but…  

“To put it bluntly, seeing how the world turned out, and how many people died…”  

“That’s right. It’s a tragic event.”  

“I agree. But those who died, died, and those who somehow survived like us started to have doubts.”  

The man who spoke while looking at our military uniforms continued.  

“Doubts about what soldiers were doing.”  

“…”  

It was a natural thing to wonder.  

In a situation where monsters appeared and slaughtered people, soldiers should be active to handle the situation.  

I glanced at vice guild master, who shrugged when our eyes met.  

She was one of those who had doubts like that in the first place.  

Since she decided to lead the group and move to find a military unit.  

It seemed like cases like hers were rare.  

The survivors continued their part of narration.  

“And then we found out.”  

“All the military units have been wiped out.”  

“…What did you just say?”  

“The military units here have been wiped out. At least, all the military units in this area.”  

Lieutenant Kim and all the other soldiers who were listening to the conversation stepped back in shock.  

Wiped out.  

“Is that really true?”  

“Are you really asking that? Or pretending not to know?”  

“For now, it’s the former. Please continue.”  

“You are showing attitude of not knowing when you are the party involved.”  

However, as it was a completely new story for us, we couldn’t help but urge the next part of the tale.  

“Ahem. After somehow adapting to this environment, some people went to find known military bases. Well, aren’t military bases abundant in Gangwon Province? Everyone knew of a base or two and managed to find them successfully.”  

Up to this point, it made sense.  

After all, Lee Sang-ah’s group was one of them.  

But…  

“However, what they found wasn’t resisting soldiers.”  

A man continued with a sigh.  

“The soldiers were wiped out and the bases were occupied by monsters.”  

“…What?”  

“For some reason, particularly powerful monsters had taken hold of the military bases. And not just one or two, but dozens, even hundreds.”  

The man shivered, as if feeling a chill run down his spine.  

“Our group also went to one of the bases. Monsters that seemed more powerful than those we’ve encountered before, and the sight of them gathered in the hundreds… It’s chilling.”  

“…I see.”  

“If the soldiers were attacked unexpectedly like us, it’s understandable why they couldn’t withstand it.”  

The total annihilation of all military bases.   

It sounded unbelievable at first, but there was something hinted in the recent words.   

It seemed I wasn’t the only one catching onto it.   

One of the soldiers nearby, listening to the conversation, muttered with a puzzled expression, “Lizards.”  

The monsters who aggressively attacked our unit.  

The doom of the world.  

Within half a day of their assault, over half of the unit’s members were dead.  

Thinking back, the lizards were indeed formidable monsters.  

The fact that there were no other monsters near the base in the mountains indicated their dominance in that area.  

In reality, among the monsters encountered on the surface, very few seemed stronger than the lizards.  

Perhaps only the “Mac,” who guarded the warehouse, could be considered on par.  

“It was only through understanding their weaknesses and increasing our own power that we barely survived.”  

If we hadn’t known their weaknesses…  

Or even if we had, but hadn’t quickly realized how to increase our power…  

A monster that required dozens of bullets to take down.  

Within a few days, ammunition would run out, and the unit would be wiped out.  

“If it weren’t for Yeong-joon, we would’ve been among the ‘annihilated military units.'”  

When Min-jae murmured softly, all eyes turned to me.  

“Well, hunting lizards bare-handed to understand awakening techniques…”  

“It was Sergeant Shin who understood the lizards’ weaknesses. Considering their tough scales, awakening individuals wouldn’t have been able to penetrate the lizards’ defenses. In fact, aside from their weak points, they were more threatening than any other monsters we encountered on the surface.”  

“Furthermore, think about it. If Sergeant Shin hadn’t been there, we would’ve been wiped out when their chieftain attacked.”  

“In hindsight, it’s a miracle we didn’t become lizard food. If Sergeant Shin hadn’t been there…”  

“Ahem. It’s not wrong, but it’s somewhat embarrassing.”  

“Why only powerful monsters appeared at military bases is unknown. It’s said that the larger the base, the stronger the monsters that inhabit it… Thanks to this, survivors nowadays don’t even approach places with military bases.”  

We barely managed to survive with various factors overlapping.  

If every other military base was in a situation similar to ours…  

Without luck and various factors in our favor, survival would have been difficult.  

“The complete annihilation of military units could be somewhat understandable. In fact, given the silence in the units despite the appearance of monsters… To some extent, it was anticipated.”  

“The real problem lies elsewhere.”  

After pausing, he glanced over our unit with an uneasy look.  

“Deserters.”  

That’s where they began to see us as deserters.  

“To be honest, it’s still hard to trust you.”  

“If we had intentions to attack, wouldn’t we have done so already? Please continue.”  

“Well, you’re not entirely wrong. Among the units that were annihilated by monster attacks, there were soldiers who somehow managed to abandon their units and flee. Being soldiers, they naturally had powerful weapons like guns. It would have been better if they had used those guns wisely.”  

“That wasn’t the case.”  

“Unfortunately. It seems that they target humans more than monsters or zombies.”  

Soldiers who managed to escape the monster attacks.  

Unlike us, who still held onto some sense of military discipline, they had no qualms about abandoning their units and fleeing. And they happened to have guns with them?  

In such a situation, it’s only natural to do what it takes to survive.  

Looting.  

The man continued, his head shaking.  

“The survivors who encountered deserters armed with guns were not few. It would’ve been somewhat acceptable if only items were looted, but sometimes they even took people…”  

“In fact, there have been rumors of deserters in this area as well. We tried to avoid it as much as possible, but other paths were blocked by zombie hordes, so we had no choice but to pass through here.”  

And that’s how we ended up meeting each other.  

“We thought you all were deserters just by seeing their military uniforms. I apologize.”  

“No, I understand.”  

After the man finished his explanation, Lieutenant Kim spoke with a subtle tone.  

“As I’ve said before, we’re not deserters. And…”  

We have surplus supplies now.  

The process of turning survivors into awakened individuals was also underway.  

Judging from what I’ve heard, they seemed like a capable group.  

“We’re looking for allies we can fight alongside.”  

If they could be of help.  

Given the current situation, it was worth considering.  

It seemed Lieutenant Kim had made that judgment.  

“Fight together, and not just protect?”  

“Originally, that’s how it should be, but since our connection with other units has been severed, we don’t have the luxury. It’s almost like civilian recruitment in wartime.”  

“Recruitment…”  

“It may sound like a consolation prize, but if you join us, you’ll definitely gain the power to protect yourselves.”  

We were talking about awakening, but…  

“Does that mean you provide firearms?”  

“Something similar.”  

It would be natural for them to understand it in terms of guns.  

Either way, it didn’t matter.  

The man who heard the proposal seemed to ponder for a moment.  

After a long thought, he finally spoke.  

“I just want to ask. If you call it recruitment, do we have a choice?”  

“Of course. We’re not forcing anyone.”  

“In that case, I’m sorry, but the answer is rejection.”  

It was somewhat unexpected, but hearing his following words, it made sense.  

“You may not be deserters, but you’re still an unfamiliar group. Entrusting ourselves to such people all of a sudden would be too big of a gamble.”  

“Please understand. It’s difficult for us to trust you. It’s not 100% certainty that you’re not deserters, and frankly, even if you aren’t, the perception of soldiers isn’t that favorable. We don’t want to take unnecessary risks.”  

“I see.”  

Perhaps he thought further persuasion was futile.  

Lieutenant Kim nodded with a solemn expression.   

They were the ones who had survived in such a world, where having their own rules for survival wasn’t unusual.  

It wouldn’t be easy to persuade them to go against decisions made based on those rules.  

“I’m sorry. I hope you won’t hold a grudge because of this.”  

“Well, it’s your choice. We don’t intend to make an issue out of it, so don’t worry.”  

“That’s a relief.”  

The man let out a sigh of relief.   

It seemed he had genuinely been concerned about us holding a grudge.  

“Well then, what are your plans from now on?”  

“Hmm? Didn’t I mention that?”  

It seemed like a sensitive question, but he casually opened up, as if it wasn’t difficult for him to share.  

“Well, actually, there’s a reason we decided to come over to this side where there’s intel on deserters.”  

“Really? What’s the reason?”  

“There’s a rumor about a group here that has secured a vast amount of resources.”  

A rumor?  

“Apparently, they’ve raided some kind of government bunker or something, stocked with plenty of food and weapons. However, the problem seems to be the shortage of people. They’re looking for fellow survivors to share those weapons and food.”  

Plenty of food and weapons.  

And they’re just giving them away?  

It sounded almost too good to be true.  

“It sounds like an incredibly good deal, but… can we trust that rumor?”  

“Well, you see, in this world, is there such a thing as information that’s 100% trustworthy? Perhaps joining you would be a better choice. But as I said, survivors tend to trust each other a bit more than soldiers. This rumor is quite famous among survivors.”  

“…I see.”  

“I’m sorry. We truly appreciate the fact that you saved our lives. If we ever meet again, I’ll make sure to repay this kindness.”  

In the end, the conversation with the significant group of survivors we encountered on the surface ended there.  

“Take care. We wish you success in your endeavors.”  

“Likewise. We wish you all the best in surviving.”  

People who glanced back briefly even as they departed.  

They must be worried that we might change our minds and attack them.  

Such vigilance was necessary for survival.  

After the survivors had left.  

“Yeong-joon, how did it go?”  

“You did well, sir. If we encounter such situations in the future, it would be best if you would take the charge.”  

“Haha, I’m confident in my leadership skills, so feel free to rely on me anytime. However, um, what should I say…”  

Unlike when conversing with the survivors, Lieutenant Kim hesitated.  

I had a feeling I knew what he wanted to say.  

“…For the next three days, I’ll provide an extra meal for Lieutenant Kim.”  

“Three, three days? Thank you! I really appreciate it!”  

The reason Lieutenant Kim obeyed me was because of the joy that my cooking brought him.  

Or rather, he was addicted to the happiness that my cooking brought.  

Since he did a good job this time, it wouldn’t hurt to reward him.  

“By the way…”  

“This could be more serious than we think.”  

The soldiers didn’t seem pleased.  

The awakening of the survivors was nearing its completion.  

It would probably be over within two days at the latest.  

“But. Our main goal in descending to the surface is to expand our influence.”  

I thought there would be more survivors on the surface.  

Our original plan was to accommodate them and turn them into awakened individuals.  

“However, there aren’t as many large-scale survivor groups outside as we expected.”  

Surprisingly, most survivors didn’t form large groups.  

The reason was simple.  

“The monsters are too strong.”  

To expand our influence, we needed more awakened individuals.  

Ordinary survivors didn’t contribute much to survival.  

But it was too difficult to increase the number of awakened individuals.  

Although it was said that one could awaken through killing zombies, the probability seemed random.  

The number of those who became awakened by killing zombies wasn’t large.  

Naturally, survivors had to operate in small groups.  

“We need to somehow accommodate these small-scale survivors and increase our strength. That’s the plan.”  

Until recently, I hadn’t been worried about this.  

I thought that the image of being soldiers would be helpful in persuading survivors.  

However.  

“Some people seem to be forgetting that precious image.”  

Ironically, the survivors we needed to absorb seemed to be flocking to other rumors instead.  

For us, whose goal is to expand our influence, this is quite a big problem.  

“Yeong-joon, we need to solve this problem as soon as possible.”  

“As Sergeant Min-jae said. If the perception of soldiers keeps deteriorating, it won’t be good for us.”  

“I know.”  

The problem is.  

“Don’t we need to know where those deserters are to solve the problem?”  

It might be difficult to solve it right away.  

But we had definitely identified the problem.  

“We needed to address it swiftly upon learning about their whereabouts.”  

***  

However.  

“Hey! You there, gentlemen!”  

“…?”  

“There seems to be quite a crowd here, if you have anything valuable, hand it over and leave.”  

That moment had arrived.  

Faster than expected.