Chapter 88: Family Interests
The information the officer referred to was not an invitation for civilians to come to the military base seeking shelter.
Nor was it an attempt to purchase equipment or resources.
Instead, it consisted of emergency treatment methods, combat techniques, and basic survival tips that had been hastily compiled by military personnel for ordinary civilians.
Although being injured by zombies now essentially meant there was no hope of survival, making an effort was still better than simply waiting for death.
Joo Joowon could only speculate about the extent to which zombies could infect living people.
The soldiers here, however, had personally witnessed their former comrades gradually transform into mindless monsters before their very eyes.
No matter whether they injected antibiotics or any other type of medication, nothing was able to stop the transformation.
They could not even slow the process down.
"Yes, sir!"
Someone hurried in from outside.
"Report! The people suffering from fevers have already begun losing consciousness. The soldiers who took fever medicine or received injections seem to be experiencing rejection reactions. They’ve started vomiting and suffering from severe diarrhea."
Upon hearing the report, the officer immediately followed the messenger out.
After yesterday’s rainfall, they had not paid much attention to it.
After all, fighting in the rain was hardly an unusual situation for soldiers.
Even more so when it had only been a light drizzle.
No one had expected that the rain itself would be dangerous.
By the time Ashfall posted his warning, many soldiers had already been exposed to it.
Only after the apocalypse began did humanity realize that the technological achievements they had once been so proud of were utterly powerless in the face of supernatural forces such as these.
All they could do was watch helplessly as events unfolded beyond their control.
...
Inside a private estate.
"Grandfather, are we really not going to send medicine to Uncle Son?"
"And what good would sending it do?" the old man replied immediately. "Can you guarantee that the medicine will actually work? Do you know how precious medicine is right now? If you give medicine to him, what happens when everyone else finds out and comes asking for it too? People do not fear scarcity. They fear unfairness. Compassion cannot command an army. Minseong, you must never become like your weak and indecisive father."
The old man’s series of questions left the young man speechless.
He had already understood his grandfather’s attitude and naturally he had no intention of openly defying him.
Even so, a chill quietly spread through his heart.
Uncle Son had always been his father’s shadow.
The two of them had grown up together under the old man’s watchful eye since childhood.
Ordinarily, the old man treated Uncle Son with great warmth and familiarity.
As for the young man himself, he had never once viewed Uncle Son as some mere tool.
He knew very well that in Uncle Son’s eyes, he himself was no different from a son.
Yet now, at such a critical moment, this loyal and devoted man could not even receive a single dose of medicine simply because he had been caught in the rain.
It felt unbearably cold and heartless.
It was only medicine for one person.
Even if it turned out to be useless, how much could truly be wasted?
Seeing the expression on the young man’s face, the old man immediately understood that he was unconvinced.
He did not care in the slightest.
"Minseong, Son Taeil has always been close to you. Find a way to have him make a will and transfer all of his inheritance to you. You know what needs to be done, don’t you?"
The young man’s lips moved slightly before he finally replied, "I understand, Grandpa."
The old man looked down at the calligraphy spread across the desk and nodded in satisfaction as he admired it.
"Good. You may leave now."
The young man turned and walked away.
The old man narrowed his eyes as he watched his grandson’s departing figure.
Still too young.
Without an old man like him taking on the role of the villain, how could those people ever truly submit?
Ever since the apocalypse arrived, the old man had known that unrest within the family was inevitable.
In times of chaos, power structures were always reshuffled.
Modern society was overflowing with desires and temptations.
Even among those raised personally by the family, how many people could remain loyal forever?
Only interests and emotions could truly bind people together.
As for the strategy guide posted earlier by Ashfall, it had provided him with a completely new path forward.
Personally going out to kill zombies carried risks after all.
Inheriting someone else’s legacy, however, carried none.
At the same time, it provided a way out for members of the family whose talents and potential were mediocre.
If internal conflict really broke out someday, having a higher level would at least increase their chances of escaping alive.
Completely unaware of what his grandfather was thinking, Byun Minseong quietly slipped into his younger sister’s room after leaving.
"How did it go? Did you get it?"
The girl proudly shook the sheet of medicine tablets in her hand.
"With me handling it, of course it was easy." She smiled brightly and continued, "Brother, don’t forget what you promised me."
"Of course I haven’t forgotten."
"You can go right now. There are enough monsters there for you to gain a level."
The young man casually picked up the medicine without the slightest hesitation.
He did not mind giving away his own leveling resources to her.
After all, losing this small amount of experience would not stop him from leveling up later.
Only then did the girl finally hand over the medicine.
The young man hurried toward the door.
"Then I’m leaving first. Be careful when you make your move later. Make sure you wear your protective suit properly."
The girl froze for a moment before nodding.
A complicated expression flashed across her face.
Of course she knew that Byun Minseong was a good older brother.
However, anyone with ambition would find it impossible to accept that the resources allocated to a legitimate daughter of the family were still inferior to those given to an illegitimate son.