Marauder of the Apocalypse

Chapter 31: Strength [1]

Nutrient deficiency is a terrifying risk. Just look at one of my role models, the pirates. They died from scurvy due to vitamin C deficiency, didn't they?

In other words, the crisis of death is right at our doorstep, with only rice and kimchi left for us!

We have no choice but to resort to looting. Since essential supplies have run out.

As I prepared to go out on the street, carrying a large bag on my back and hiding various weapons all over my body, the two members also returned after arming themselves.

"Let's start with the house of a former parishioner living around here."

A target selected by comparing the attendance list of a few days ago. A former parishioner who had left in the meantime.

"Ah, that guy deserves it. Daring to betray and turn his back on the pastor."

"That's right. This is righteous revenge."

Jeon Dohyeong let out a hollow laugh, about to say something, but then firmly shut his mouth.

I pointed at him with a hammer.

"You go first."

"Me? Is it because I laughed just now?"

No. I'm not that petty a person. There were rational reasons for everything.

Jeon Dohyeong indicated Park Yang-gun with a troubled expression.

"But that's also-"

"I didn't go far, you fool. I was practicing burning gas pipes in the nearby buildings."

Ah, so he was practicing theft. I'm not sure if he just practiced, but I nodded.

"Then, Pastor Park, please watch the escape route in the rear. I will prepare to fight in the center."

That's how we went out on the street, in formation, where zombies were visible.

There were quite a few zombies on the street. Two or three zombies armed with blunt weapons were wandering around, looking for something to eat. Some zombies seemed to have been feeding, with dried, dark red blood around their mouths.

Jeon Dohyeong skillfully evaded the zombies' line of sight, weaving through the alleys.

Sometimes we would enter the entrances of nearby buildings and wait for the zombies to pass by, and at other times we would climb through broken windows and exit through windows in a different direction. We were never chased by the zombies.

"As expected, an electricity thief."

I murmured in admiration. He had been stealing the nation's electricity for a long time without getting caught - a true thief's instinct. Jeon Dohyeong showed a shy expression at the sincere compliment. His skin around the eyes flushed slightly red.

"What does that have to do with being an electricity thief?"

A voice filled with suppressed emotions. We couldn't speak too loudly outside, for fear of attracting the zombies. It was an apocalyptic world where it was difficult to openly rejoice at a compliment.

And so we circled the streets and arrived at the public housing of the former parishioner we had targeted.

***

Knock, knock, knock -

"Brother, are you there? This is the Hope Church."

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I stepped forward as the representative and knocked loudly on the front door. It was alright to be a bit noisy here, as this was a high-floor public housing unit, so there was no concern about attracting zombies. I continued to speak in a friendly tone.

"The church has come to distribute food to the brothers. It's just a simple donation activity, so you don't need to worry."

There was a presence beyond the cold front door. It was clearly a person, not the distinctive cry of a zombie, but the rustling movement of a human. Cautiously, they approached the door and hesitated.

Park Yang-gun chimed in beside me.

"It's just a proselytizing activity. These days, even the church lacks people. If you don't want to talk, you can just take the items."

"..."

After a brief silence, the door opened slightly, the top safety latch still engaged. A person with dark circles around their eyes peeked out through the narrow gap - a young man wearing a mask. His complexion was poor, and he looked emaciated, his cheekbones prominent, likely from frequent hunger.

'As expected, a betrayer of the faith, with considerable wariness.'

He examined the three of us, then spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Show me the food."

"Ah, of course."

I quickly presented the bait. To lure a person, bait is naturally necessary, isn't it? Seeing the two containers of kimchi and rice, the former parishioner swallowed hard. He spoke hastily, almost stumbling over his words.

"Leave the food at the door."

And then, a loud slam as the door closed. The sound of the door lock engaging.

We looked at each other for a moment. I scratched my head. Indeed, in this harsh world, a mere name is no longer enough to open a door. Especially when the recipient is a cruel individual who has turned his back on the pastor.

"There's nothing we can do."

We had tried to be benevolent visitors, but now we had no choice but to become robbers.

"Why is fishing the only way to catch fish? You can also use a spear."

"Move aside."

Park Yang-gun stepped forward. Jeon Dohyeong and I quickly made space for him. Park Yang-gun took out things like a rope, flour, and a flashlight.

"A 4-digit password? This should be doable. People usually use numbers like their birthdays, so it's easy to guess."

After checking the fingerprint marks, he excitedly punched in the numbers. Beep beep beep beep, beep beep beep beep, the door lock made consecutive sounds. A frightened voice came from beyond the entrance.

"What, what are you doing!"

"We've come to deliver hope. Please receive it with an open heart."

"You don't have to give me rice, so just hurry and leave! Ugh!"

Ding - the door lock opened. Park Yang-gun gleefully waved his hand. Through the gap in the open door, he somehow threaded the rope and hooked it onto the safety latch. Of course, a scream-like shout came from the other side.

"You, you guys! If you come in, I'll kill you!"

At the same time, a loud thudding sound and someone's desperate cries were also heard. It sounded like someone struggling as if their mouth was covered.

"Mmph, mmph! Ugh!"

...What's that? Did they have a zombie tied up or something? Anyway, it's good. The former parishioner behind the door was busy dealing with something struggling, so he was late in reaching the door, and during that time, Park Yang-gun had successfully opened the door.

The door swung open wide. In the bright sunlight flooding in from the other side, the former parishioner stepped back, holding a kitchen knife. The muffled sounds came from behind him. I chuckled.

"Hello? I'm a robber. Put down the knife."

"You, you."

Hesitating but ready to pounce like a crouching cat, with the knife firmly gripped. We entered, filling the narrow entryway, and each of us drew our weapons. Especially me, I took out a gun.

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Click - My courage and the other's anger management therapy. His complexion changed several times in a short period, and then he raised both hands like cheering.

"I'm a robber too. I'm your partner, so please spare me."

The stammering words became very calm. And then, a woman rolled out from the door behind him. Her mouth was taped shut, her wrists and ankles bound with rope. Her body squirmed like an insect.

"Mmph! Mmph!"

I blinked and grasped the situation.

'I see. The name wasn't a man's after all.' That woman was the real former parishioner, and the man with the kitchen knife was the robber.'

"I committed the crime because I was so hungry and felt like I was going to starve to death. Could you please just ignore us and walk away?"

The robber drooped his eyes like a pitiful person. A sorrowful voice flowed out. Of course, he still held the kitchen knife.

"Uncle Dohak, please throw the rope to that robber."

"Okay, Damram."

We naturally brought up fake names. Honestly, the commotion was quite large. The neighbors around might lend an ear. We tried to hide the traces as much as possible.

Thud, the thrown rope was looked down by the robber.

"Why this..."

"Tie your wrists or thumbs. Or even your ankles. We'll untie you after we're done."

"I'm a livelihood robber, so please let me go quietly-"

Clang, he pointed a gun and held a hammer in the other hand.

The robber looked around and put down the kitchen knife. It was a close distance. He might try to cut the rope with the knife if he saw a chance.

But that wouldn't happen. He wouldn't be able to cut the rope, and he wouldn't be tied up in the first place.

As the robber bent down to pick up the rope,

Swoosh, he struck with the hammer. The well-swung hammer hit the back of the robber's head, twisting his wrist. The robber fell down.

"Pretending to be dead won't work."

I bent down and swung the hammer a few more times, making a dent in the back of his head.

After the finishing shot, I got up and saw the other members doing their tasks. Yang-gun was opening the fridge, and Jeon-do-hyeong was reaching to remove the tape from the tied-up woman's mouth.

I was startled. Why are you freeing the mouth of the person we're going to kill?

"What are you doing! Stop!"

"Huh? Ah, I mean, no."

Jeon-do-hyeong reluctantly withdrew his hand, seemingly disappointed.

I slowly raised the hammer. The hopeful eyes looking at us darkened and died with a dull thud. I wiped the blood off the hammer on the ex-believer's clothes and stood up.

"Do we have any food?"

"Not much, but there are some retort foods. We also have some instant noodle soup packets."

Retort foods that can be simply heated up. Curry, black bean sauce, and the like. The expiration dates are long, and the taste is good. I nodded contentedly.

"Lacking in fruits and meat, but it's decent enough."

Fresh food is actually hard to come by. Even if there is, it's all spoiled.

It's the aftermath of the disruption in logistics. The city was a land that couldn't produce anything.

We thoroughly emptied the refrigerator's side dishes, retort foods, canned tuna, coffee mixes, and cheese with remaining expiration dates, and put them in our bags before slowly returning to the villa.

***

Going out is dangerous. The idea is to harvest as much as possible in one outing before returning.

We visited a few more houses and also looted the pharmacy. No, it wasn't looting, it was more like scavenging. The pharmacy had already collapsed anyway.

"As expected, if it's on the first floor..."

Pharmacies are usually on the first floor. Of course, they are the most vulnerable to zombie attacks. Of course, we didn't touch them anymore since there was nothing to eat.

We looked around the ransacked pharmacy.

"Masks and disinfectants have already been cleared out."

"Are there any self-test kits left?"

"Probably not."

Self-test kits were supplied in very small quantities, and you had to record your personal information and report it to the government to buy them.

Since you can use them without any obligations when looting, they were the top priority target for looting.

Regrettably, we gathered a lot of remaining supplements and left. The bag was heavy, but our hearts were light.

The world seemed to be shining with hope.

The zombies wandering the streets, the groups of people going out together, the zombies and humans avoiding each other warily - everything was good.

But that good feeling plummeted into an abyss in an instant.

"Stop right there."

It was the police hiding by the roadside. Two police officers wearing bulletproof vests, drawing their guns from the start. They approached us with strange gleams in their eyes.

"Suspicious? Suspicious? What's in the bag?"

"Just food..."

Jeon-do-hyeong was cautious. We were all secretly surprised. We were criminals.

The other police officer looked back, keeping watch, and the one approaching us pointed a gun. A voice with a hint of laughter was heard.

"Food? Are these legally purchased goods? I doubt it. How about we go to the station? Or..."

Poke, a gunshot pierced the bag. It's a way of saying "share it nicely."

I immediately smiled amiably.

Police robbing robbers.

The police have changed for various reasons. Citizens attacking the police to seize their weapons, a vulnerable work environment on the frontlines against zombies, a rapidly declining police force due to zombification, and a world where there are hardly any regulations to curb corruption.

They can become friends of criminals.

"Officer. Seeing you exhausted and deficient in nutrients while working tirelessly, my heart aches."

Welcome the police turning into a gang.