Chapter 19: The Rebuilding Begins
Translated by Vine | Proofread by Lust
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The meeting with Bahamuth was considered by many survivors to be the day that decided the fate of Gyeongju. They would reflect on it for years to come.
“From this moment forward, the Balhut Cult will commence the reconstruction of Gyeongju!”
With many survivor camps now united under the Balhut Cult’s banner, the cult had grown into the most powerful force in the region. Their first major undertaking was the ambitious project of rebuilding the city of Gyeongju, transforming the ruins into a new and thriving metropolis.
This grand project naturally piqued the interest of wandering survivors and those who had not yet aligned with the cult. However, the camps that had no intention of joining the cult showed visible discomfort.
Still, the Balhut Cult pressed forward, ignoring any objections and swiftly beginning their reconstruction efforts.
“With the guidance of experts who survived the apocalypse, we will ensure the success of this rebuilding project!” Choi Yuna, now firmly established as the leader of the Balhut Cult, announced with unwavering confidence.
Under Bahamuth’s orders, Yuna had summoned experts from various fields who had managed to survive the zombie apocalypse. These included professionals in economics, law, culture, administration, construction, politics, and military strategy.
Some were retired figures from the political scene, others were still active in their fields before the disaster, and some were even professors or retired military officers.
For the Balhut Cult, these individuals represented the elite—carefully selected to contribute to the cult’s grand ambitions.
“I can’t believe these guys managed to survive all this chaos,” some of the experts thought to themselves as they glanced around the room, recognizing each other’s faces.
The group had barely settled in before Yuna entered the room. Immediately, the relaxed atmosphere turned tense, and all eyes fell on her.
Had the Balhut Cult not exterminated the zombies and reclaimed Gyeongju, many of these professionals would have been left useless, their skills irrelevant in this new world.
“For the Balhut Cult’s promises to become reality, we need a substantial workforce. However, with so many survivors joining us all at once, we lack the public officials to properly manage and oversee them,” explained Lee Soo-ah, the newly appointed administrative officer of the cult.
“Then, we will reinstate those who used to work as public officials. If necessary, we’ll draft people from within the cult to assist with the administration,” Yuna responded decisively.
“Understood, Yuna-nim,” Lee Soo-ah replied, relieved that her concerns were being addressed.
For many of the gathered experts, this was a matter of life and death. They needed to prove their worth—not just to Yuna, but to Bahamuth, who was undoubtedly watching over everything. To be deemed useless in this new world would be a death sentence.
“Though the zombies within the city have been eradicated, there are still roaming groups of zombies outside the city. Additionally, we need forces to maintain law and order inside the city and liberate the nearby villages that are still under zombie control,” Jeong Dong-gun, the retired soldier-turned-military strategist, added.
“We will form squads composed of awakened individuals. Jeong Dong-gun, please take charge of selecting suitable candidates for the military and police forces,” Yuna instructed.
“As you wish, Yuna-nim,” Jeong Dong-gun replied confidently.
Jeong was much more composed than some of the other experts. His background as a leader of one of the largest survivor camps had given him the experience and authority needed to handle such matters. Yuna appreciated his professionalism, and she trusted his input.
Though the zombies inside Gyeongju had been destroyed, the threat from outside the city and the potential for unrest within meant that establishing security forces was a top priority.
But there were still other concerns to address.
“What about the movements of the survivor camps that haven’t joined us?” Yuna asked, shifting the focus of the conversation.
“No significant movements yet. From what we’ve observed, they seem to be waiting to see how we proceed before making any decisions,” replied one of her strategists.
“Keep monitoring them. Let me know if anything changes,” Yuna instructed.
“Understood,” the strategist replied.
There were still several survivor camps that had not aligned with the Balhut Cult. For the time being, they had declared neutrality, and the cult had no intention of provoking them as long as they remained peaceful.
Bahamuth had even ordered the cult to resolve any potential conflicts through diplomacy rather than violence. As a result, the cult’s only military action was to keep a close watch on the neutral camps.
“The process of establishing new laws is going to take time, so I suggest we create a set of temporary laws to be enforced during the reconstruction,” Hwang Seung-man, the legal advisor of the cult, proposed.
“Temporary laws?” Yuna asked.
“Yes. If we were to apply the old laws as they were before the apocalypse, it would only lead to confusion and injustice. The situation has changed too drastically. We should suspend the old laws and temporarily enforce three simple rules,” Hwang explained.
Hwang believed that enforcing the pre-apocalypse laws in their entirety would create chaos. After all, many crimes that had been serious offenses before the apocalypse had now become a matter of survival.
“What are the three rules?”
“First, murder is a serious crime and will be punished accordingly. Second, anyone who harms another person will face minor penalties. Third, theft will be treated as a low-level offense. Anyone who abides by these three laws will be protected under the name of Bahamuth,” Hwang explained.
“Will that be enough?”
“For now, yes. These are only temporary measures until we can fully establish the new legal system,” Hwang clarified.
“Very well. We’ll implement your suggestion for now. Moving on…” Yuna said, satisfied with Hwang’s proposal.
The apocalypse had thrown the world into chaos, and enforcing overly complex or outdated laws would only cause unnecessary problems. For the time being, simple rules were the most practical solution.
“Next…”
“That would be us,” two men said in unison, rising to speak.
“I can’t believe those two are working together…” thought several of the other officials, amazed by the sight of the two men standing side by side.
“I’m Hwang Geun-chul,” one said.
“And I’m Park Cheol-gon,” the other added.
These two men had once been fierce political rivals, each representing opposing parties before the apocalypse. The fact that they were now working together was a testament to just how much the world had changed.
“Before the apocalypse, these two belonged to political factions that were at each other’s throats. Now, here they are, hand-in-hand, forming a united front,” whispered one of the officials, still finding the sight bizarre.
Even so, the time for ideological conflicts had long passed. The survivors were focused on survival and rebuilding, and these two political figures had set aside their differences to work toward a common goal.
“I understand your disbelief…” thought Hwang Geun-chul, noting the looks of surprise from his fellow officials.
The unlikely partnership between the two was just as strange to them as it was to everyone else.
“First, the Balhut Cult needs to establish an official chain of command. We need clear titles, responsibilities, and authority so that everyone knows who to report to,” Park Cheol-gon began.
“And we need a clear hierarchy of ranks. The difficulty and nature of each job must be clearly defined, and positions must be assigned accordingly,” Hwang Geun-chul added.
“Lastly, we need to define positions of authority within the cult. We need to establish a proper ranking system so that we can maximize efficiency,” Park concluded.
Yuna listened, feeling slightly overwhelmed.
“How should I respond to this…?” she thought, unsure how to proceed.
“Bahamuth didn’t mention anything about setting up ranks and titles in the roadmap he gave me…”
Before the meeting, Yuna had received guidance from Bahamuth—a detailed set of notes to help her navigate the discussions with the elite professionals. So far, she had managed to hold her own in the conversations, but this unexpected topic left her at a loss.
Besides, she was only 16 years old, with no real experience in managing people or understanding hierarchies beyond her time in school.
“…I’ll leave this matter to Hwang Geun-chul and Park Cheol-gon,” she said finally, deciding to delegate the task to the two experts.
It was clear to her that they were much better suited to handle this situation, and it allowed her to maintain an air of authority without having to bluff her way through a topic she didn’t fully understand.
“Understood,” both men replied, smiling as they bowed to her.
It seemed Yuna’s delegation of authority had impressed them, and they viewed her decision as a sign of trust.
Of course, both men had their own ambitions as well.
“This is our chance to solidify our political careers within the Balhut Cult.”
They had no intention of betraying the cult or Yuna. In fact, they were keen to see the cult succeed and become the dominant power in the region. After all, Bahamuth’s strength gave the cult a considerable advantage, and they saw the opportunity to rise within its ranks.
“With Bahamuth, we can’t lose. This is our path to success!”
The two politicians harbored dreams of gaining power and influence within the cult. They saw the cult as the rising star of the new world, and they intended to ride that wave to the top.
“What’s the progress on the reconstruction?” Yuna asked, turning her attention to Yoo Soo-sung, the construction expert.
“Let me give you a brief update. The reconstruction is proceeding smoothly for the most part. We’re demolishing buildings that are too damaged or contaminated, while repairing those that can still be used. We’re moving as quickly as possible to make the city livable again,” Yoo Soo-sung reported.
“With your skills, how long will it take?” Yuna asked.
Yoo Soo-sung had awakened to powers that enhanced his construction and crafting abilities. These skills allowed him to work far more efficiently than an ordinary person, building and repairing structures at an accelerated pace.
“Even with my abilities, it will take at least twenty days to restore the city to a condition close to what it was before the apocalypse. There’s still a lot of debris and damage to clean up, and the contaminated areas are a challenge,” he explained.
Despite his enhanced abilities, the sheer scale of the damage made the reconstruction effort difficult. Gyeongju had been heavily damaged by the zombie invasion, and restoring it to its former glory would take time.
“The good news is that the city’s basic infrastructure—electricity and water systems—are still intact. With proper maintenance, we should be able to get those back online fairly quickly. However, for the time being, we’ll still need Bahamuth’s assistance for things like power generation,” he added.
“Bahamuth has promised to provide whatever support we need,” Yuna confirmed.
While there were many challenges ahead, the fact that the city’s core infrastructure had survived was a glimmer of hope. If they could restore those systems, Gyeongju might eventually return to a sense of normalcy.
“The real problem is fuel—gas and oil. We’ve managed to salvage some supplies from the local gas stations, but those won’t last long. At the current rate of consumption, we’ll run out quickly,” Yoo Soo-sung warned.
“…So we’ll need alternative energy sources,” Yuna sighed.
While water and electricity could be restored, fuel was another matter. The city had no means of producing gasoline or oil, and without access to outside resources, they would soon run dry.
“Yes. While Bahamuth can help us with water and electricity, even he can’t solve our fuel shortages,” Yoo explained.
“I’ll work on a solution,” Yuna replied, determined to find a way.
With the most immediate concerns addressed, Yuna turned to the final person in the room.
“Lee Hyun-ah?”
“Yes, I’m Lee Hyun-ah, the economic advisor,” the woman responded, standing up.
Unlike her gentle sister, Lee Hyun-ah had a sharp, businesslike demeanor. Dressed in a professional suit, she looked every bit the part of a career woman.
“I believe the Balhut Cult needs to establish a currency system,” she stated confidently.
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