Chapter 16: A Proposal from the Dragon’s Disciple
Translated by Vine | Proofread by Lust
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Hwang Seung-man raised his voice, clearly on guard, but Choi Yuna only smiled calmly, bringing her finger to her lips.
“Shh,” she gestured, her voice soft. “There’s no need to raise your voice like that, Mr. Hwang.”
Normally, this would be a warning, as loud noises could attract zombies. But after Bahamuth descended, all the zombies in the city had been wiped out.
“You… you even know my name?”
However, Hwang Seung-man wasn’t in the mood to point out the absence of zombies. He was too shaken by the fact that this young girl knew his name.
How on earth did she know? Who had told her?
Outwardly, it appeared to be a conversation between a seasoned middle-aged man and a young girl, but Yuna had long taken control of the situation.
“Yes. Some people who were once affiliated with your camp have since joined us, and they provided us with information about you.”
“I see…”
Hwang Seung-man now realized that those who had left his camp were the ones responsible. They had likely sold him out to prove their loyalty to their new cult.
Regardless of the reason, it was clear that Yuna knew a great deal about him, which made him even more wary.
“Haha, there’s no need to be so on edge, Mr. Hwang. I’ve come to make you a proposal, not to start a fight. I have no intention of opposing Gyeongju District Court.”
“A proposal, you say?”
Yuna’s assurance that she had no plans to fight offered Hwang Seung-man some relief.
After all, if a conflict did break out, he knew his camp would be the one to lose. Yuna’s promise eased his fears, but it also sparked curiosity.
Why was she offering a proposal instead of simply forcing them to submit? Surely, with the power they wielded now, they could have taken control of the Gyeongju District by force.
“Yes, Mr. Hwang. I’m asking if the Gyeongju District Court would be willing to help us, the Balhut Cult, create our laws and regulations.”
“I beg your pardon? Could you repeat that?”
It was an unexpected proposal.
So unexpected, in fact, that Hwang Seung-man thought he might have misheard. He asked her to repeat her words.
“Laws and regulations. Isn’t that your specialty? Surely, with your knowledge, you could help us draft new laws.”
“It’s possible… but…”
While the creation of laws was technically the job of the legislative branch, Hwang Seung-man, as part of the judiciary, could certainly help enforce or interpret them. The logic in Yuna’s words wasn’t entirely wrong.
But still…
“Are you asking us to betray the judiciary, and by extension, our country?”
For Hwang Seung-man, this sounded like nothing short of treason. To create new laws and regulations in Gyeongju would mean breaking away from South Korea entirely.
“If that’s what’s necessary,” Yuna replied calmly, her eyes resolute.
That response sent a chill down Hwang Seung-man’s spine. He knew he should reject this offer.
Surely, the zombie apocalypse would be resolved soon…
“But… will it? Can this apocalypse truly be fixed? Will things ever return to normal?”
His thoughts darkened. As much as he wanted to believe that the government would restore order, reality was proving otherwise.
“It’s already been a month… A month, and still no real response from the government…”
A whole month had passed, and still, there was no sign of rescue or order being restored. Communication with the outside world had been limited, and the few messages that did come were filled with empty promises.
Was the government even functioning anymore?
The longer Hwang Seung-man pondered, the more uncertain he became. The doubts gnawed at him.
“I, too, believed in the government at first. I prayed and waited for rescue,” Yuna said, her voice almost as if reading his mind.
“But no matter how many times I prayed, no matter how earnestly I hoped, that salvation never came.”
Yuna’s words struck a chord. She was telling him that she had once been in the same position, clinging to hope, just as he was now.
Hwang Seung-man had prayed, too. He had begged for the government to come and save them, but those prayers had gone unanswered.
“In fact, the largest survivor camp in Gyeongju was overrun by zombies.”
Hwang Seung-man had seen it with his own eyes. The largest survivor camp in the city, where Yuna had been staying, had been completely wiped out by a horde of zombies.
This wasn’t just talk—Yuna had lived through the same despair he had.
“Mr. Hwang, our god, Bahamuth, has wiped out all the zombies in Gyeongju. But do you really think the crisis is over?”
“What… what do you mean it’s not over!?”
Yuna’s words were alarming. The zombie threat had been neutralized, so what could possibly be left?
“Outside of Gyeongju, the rest of the region and the other cities are still overrun by zombies.”
“Then we should retreat to the mountains… perhaps that would be safer.”
“That won’t work. The mountains near Gyeongju are home to far more dangerous creatures—monsters. I’ve encountered them myself.”
The mention of monsters made Hwang Seung-man shudder. Yuna even exaggerated the fear she had felt, her shoulders trembling as she recounted her experience.
It wasn’t just zombies—they had more to worry about now. How could they possibly survive if new threats kept emerging?
“It’s too late to keep hoping for the government to come to our rescue.”
Yuna’s point was becoming clearer. Waiting for salvation from the government was a fool’s errand. The longer they waited, the more vulnerable they became.
Hwang Seung-man’s thoughts raced as he struggled with the decision in front of him.
“So, I’m here to make you a promise, Mr. Hwang.”
Yuna’s voice became more determined, her expression shifting from empathy to one of firm resolve.
“My god, Bahamuth, will protect you and your people.”
The dragon who had annihilated the zombie horde would now protect the Gyeongju District Court. Hwang Seung-man, who had witnessed the dragon’s overwhelming power, felt a glimmer of hope.
“That dragon… will protect us?”
“Yes. In fact, he specifically requested that we enlist your help. You are the ones meant to create the laws and regulations that we will follow.”
The dragon had asked for them? Hwang Seung-man felt an immense sense of relief wash over him.
“He requested… us?”
“Yes. The god himself has commanded it.”
A dragon—a literal god—had deemed them worthy. The offer was so tempting, so sweet, that Hwang Seung-man could hardly resist.
But as the presiding judge of Gyeongju, his conscience still gnawed at him.
“It’s a tempting offer. Too tempting. If I refuse, I’ll regret it. But… this is treason, isn’t it? Betraying my country, abandoning South Korea?”
The thought of being branded a traitor—a collaborator—weighed heavily on his mind. Would he, and those who followed him, be seen as traitors to their country?
Even though the government had gone silent, South Korea hadn’t truly ceased to exist, had it?
His mind swirled with doubt.
“Would it be possible for us to meet this dragon in person, before we make our decision?”
This was the compromise he could offer as a judge.
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Yuna didn’t answer right away. She excused herself and consulted Bahamuth through the mirror of foresight.
“They would like to meet you in person before making their decision,” she relayed to the dragon.
[That’s fine.]
Bahamuth’s reply was simple. He didn’t mind.
“This actually worked out better than I expected. The negotiations are going smoothly.”
For Bahamuth, this was a positive outcome. Truth be told, he had been worried that Yuna and the Balhut Cult might take drastic actions that would lead to chaos.
“Isn’t it rude to ask to meet a god face to face?” Yuna protested, clearly displeased with the idea.
[I’ve given my permission. Let’s not discuss this any further.]
Bahamuth quickly silenced her complaints. After all, he had offered his protection; it wasn’t unreasonable for them to want to meet him.
“Understood!”
[Good.]
Yuna’s discontent was clear, but she nodded enthusiastically, trusting that Bahamuth had a good reason for allowing this meeting.
“They probably mean they want to meet at the temple, right?” Bahamuth mused.
He glanced around his surroundings. The temple wasn’t exactly in the best condition. Dusty statues and cobwebs adorned the place, making it look like an abandoned ruin.
[…Hold on a moment.]
“What’s wrong, my lord?”
Bahamuth, embarrassed by the state of his temple, needed time. Time to clean, to prepare for guests.
[Meeting with them isn’t a problem. But if we meet groups one by one, it will waste a lot of time.]
“That’s true.”
Bahamuth, ever the crafty dragon, began stalling for time with another clever excuse.
[So, I suggest inviting all the survivor camps in Gyeongju. Let them come to me together. That way, we won’t waste time meeting them individually.]
“Ah, so you’re suggesting we invite all the camps while we recruit the Gyeongju District. I see!”
[Exactly.]
The reasoning was sound. Meeting with each camp separately would be a waste of time, and in an apocalypse, time was precious.
“I just can’t let them see the temple like this…”
In truth, Bahamuth’s temple was in no state to host visitors. It was far too messy for that.
“And the road leading here is impassable. I’ll need to create a proper path for them to travel by car…”
The path to the temple was rugged and nearly impossible to traverse, especially by vehicle. Bahamuth realized he needed more than just time to clean—he’d have to magically create a road.
[We’ll set a date for the meeting. Tell them I’ve agreed to their proposal, but we’ll decide on the exact date after reaching out to the other camps.]
“Understood, my lord. I will relay your message.”
Yuna nodded and turned to convey Bahamuth’s decision to Hwang Seung-man. In the meantime, Bahamuth breathed a sigh of relief.
“Now… to clean this place up. And build that road…”
The dragon had a lot of work ahead of him. First, the dust had to go. Then, the road to the temple would need to be constructed.
“I’ll just use magic for the road… It’s too much effort otherwise.”
He wasn’t about to start building a road by hand. Magic would have to do.
“And I’ll need to rehearse my speech. This will be my first real negotiation, and I can’t afford to mess it up.”
Bahamuth planned to rehearse his lines to ensure everything went smoothly. He couldn’t show any weakness in front of the humans.
“I need to appear strong, confident. They must see me as a god worthy of their devotion.”
In typical Bahamuth fashion, the dragon’s thoughts were consumed with how to appear impressive in front of the humans.
After all, nothing was more terrifying than a god who was trying too hard to impress.
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