Marauder of the Apocalypse

The bicycles that had been abandoned for months weren't in good condition. Rusty chains, flat tires, frames covered in dust and cobwebs.

Still, the ones in better shape somehow managed to roll.

On our way back to the villa district, my companions slowly pedaled around in circles, then shook their heads and dismounted.

"We'll need to do some maintenance. They're surprisingly noisy. Riding these at night would give away our position immediately."

"It's also difficult to handle rifles. They're not really suitable for combat."

Despite these minor issues, they were still a means of transportation.

"Let's think about it when we get home. Whether to repair them or attach them to the cart."

I examined the bicycle structure carefully. If we removed the front wheel and handlebars, and fixed the cart in their place, it might somehow roll. Though making it properly would take some time.

'If we build it right, it could become a mobile machine gun mount.'

As we leisurely made our way back to the villa district.

I felt autumn's gradual arrival with my entire body. Cool, refreshing air. Dragonflies flying through the air and noisy crickets.

But autumn's joys remained invisible.

The street trees had already been cut down by people. No fall foliage to see. Looking at the nearby mountains, the slopes were barren. The stream flowing beside us had dried considerably, now merely trickling.

It was as if the world was turning into firewood.

"Firewood..."

I muttered. The world really was like firewood. Fallen leaves drying out, perfect for burning. People were the same. Starving, emaciated people would kill others for a handful of rice at any moment.

The city was already a powder keg, easily ignited, with flames that would spread even more easily.

My companions were having everyday conversations around me, but I couldn't hear them. I was lost in thought, picturing a future stained red.

***

Even as we gathered information about raiders who had claimed other streams, we continued working hard.

We raided resources based on reports from survivors near the villa district, and at night, we attacked bases where we detected human presence.

Sometimes, we noticed signs of fire.

On our way back after completing a daytime raid. We spotted something beyond a building. Faint smoke was rising. It looked like cooking smoke.

"Captain. Should we go there?"

"Wait a moment."

I stared at the smoke. No one would light a fire like this in broad daylight. Smoke was a trace anyone could see—who would openly light a fire?

It was either a fire or a trap.

If it was a fire, we needed to contain it quickly; if it was a trap, we needed to push through with the cart and kill them. Either way, the conclusion was the same. Approach.

"I'll go first. Follow behind me."

I pushed the combat cart with force. The heavy yet sturdy combat cart was perfect for dismantling traps. It could trigger pit traps or string traps first, preventing us from falling victim.

We advanced step by step, staying alert, and saw the fire.

On the third floor of the building. Flames flickered beyond a broken window. The gaping window spewed black smoke like a chimney. It was burning well, probably because the sprinklers weren't working.

"Is it a real fire?"

I tilted my head in confusion.

Perhaps because I'd used fire as bait to lure people before, this looked like bait to me. Come to think of it, fire was a counter to firearms. You couldn't enter flames with a gun.

Jeon Do-hyung stomped his feet and took a few steps forward.

"We need to put the fire out quickly. If we leave it, it'll spread everywhere."

He wasn't wrong... The streets were filled with corpses, garbage, cars, and weeds—all excellent fuel.

I scratched my head inside my bulletproof helmet.

"If we leave this, will it reach where we live?"

"There's no reason it wouldn't. There's plenty of garbage and fallen leaves in the drainage ditches. It could spread widely through them."

He meant that drainage ditches designed to carry water could become pathways for fire. Looking at the roadside ditches, I could see he was right. Ditches filled with various garbage and weeds.

"Let's first look for fire extinguishers in the area."

We could both put out fires and use them as smoke grenades.

Just as we were about to scatter, we heard someone running. Everyone urgently shouldered their rifles and aimed in the direction of the footsteps.

Several masked people were running toward us with red fire extinguishers. The extinguishers shook violently as they ran.

"Move aside!"

"Stop. We'll shoot if you come closer."

"No, there's a fire!"

Survivors shouting loudly as they approached. Their path led straight to the building where the fire had broken out.

The problem was that their route cut right through the middle of our formation.

I looked at them suspiciously and pulled out my pistol.

'Is this a trap? Evil bastards after our weapons?'

Using the flames as bait and firefighting as justification to close the distance. Once they got close enough, the next step would be easy. Attack from the middle of our formation. Friendly fire would occur, and with luck, they could use our bodies as shields and seize our weapons.

With a bit of luck, they could loot our armaments.

Seeing their desperate rush toward us, I became certain. The determination of people ready to die to seize firearms. It was a trap.

"Kill them."

I spoke briefly and pulled the trigger. Bang bang, my pistol fired bullets, and my companions followed without hesitation, spraying bullets.

In an instant, the vicious survivors collapsed. The fire extinguishers hit by bullets burst with a pop, spewing powder like white smoke.

Whoosh, powder bursting through bullet holes. Visibility immediately restricted.

In that moment, realization struck me.

'The fire extinguishers really are smoke grenades!'

If we had allowed them to approach, we'd have been in serious trouble. If the extinguishers had burst in the center of our formation, something terrible would have happened. How could we distinguish friend from foe in thick fog?

Shooting randomly, survivors getting close and swinging weapons. Just imagining it gave me chills.

I switched to my hammer and shouted loudly.

"Retreat beyond the smoke range! Prioritize getting out even if you're attacked!"

I dragged the cart behind me with one outstretched hand. My body was crouched low. Hidden in protective armor, I only needed to watch the front.

The crackling sound from the burning building, the hissing of fire extinguishers spraying powder, the footsteps of many people. Confusion in a field of white.

I focused only on what was ahead and ran, quickly escaping the range of the smoke.

"Stay alert!"

"Understood!"

The companions who escaped skillfully reorganized the formation. Their number... After quickly counting heads, I nodded. Fortunately, everyone had made it out.

Now the problem was those vicious survivors.

Beyond the slowly settling powder, I could see survivors collapsed on the ground. Red blood mixed with fire extinguisher powder, forming clumps. Perhaps because we'd fired so many bullets, the survivors weren't moving at all.

"Confirm the kills."

"Yes."

Perhaps because they felt threatened, my companions entered combat mode. They approached cautiously and swung their knives with swift motions, ensuring the survivors became definite corpses.

I wiped my forehead, drenched in cold sweat.

"That was a close call."

"...Were those people just trying to put out the fire?"

It was Jeon Do-hyung. He looked down at the corpses with a glum expression.

I stared at him in disbelief. Had this guy's vigilance dulled because he'd been living comfortably lately?

"If we'd let them approach, we would have been in trouble. Imagine them spraying fire extinguishers in the middle of our formation and attacking."

"Well, I guess so."

He still looked doubtful.

I shook my head back and forth.

"They're all survivors. It's a season full of malice. The fire was a trap, and those guys were raiders. Get your head straight."

How dangerous was autumn as a season? It was a season where everyone lived like beasts, just to survive the day and stockpile food for winter.

I felt goosebumps rising on my skin. I shuddered.

'Even unknown survivors are this vicious.'

They had prepared a way to defeat armed raiders. Despite the life-threatening challenge, they moved without hesitation.

From this experience, I learned two things.

How to use fire extinguishers as smoke grenades. How to weaken the opponent's strengths to improve winning chances.

'I also need to clearly recognize and prepare for my own weaknesses.'

My companions, carrying the fire extinguishers left by those tenacious survivors, slowly headed to extinguish the building fire. I watched their backs while swinging my hammer.

I don't have many weaknesses. Past actions that could make me an enemy of the police or Hope community, betrayal by companions, possible karma returning from various actions, resource consumption.

I'm already paying enough attention to these. Rather, it's more important to find ways to weaken potential enemies' strengths.

How to cut RiderZero's connections, how to empty the arsenals of the police, alliance, and electricity nomads, how to divide the alliance...

Before I knew it, I was muttering to myself.

"Fire really is the best."

With well-set fires, ammunition depots would explode and resources would disappear. The alliance couldn't maintain its structure and would inevitably collapse. Fire was the solution to all problems.

***

On our way back after extinguishing the fire and collecting some remaining resources. Because it was a season of famine, we moved diligently.

We peeked into abandoned cars by the roadside for bottled water or resources, opened delivery trucks for no particular reason, and entered seemingly empty houses like scratching lottery tickets.

Resources gained this way were usually meager, but with luck, we sometimes found decent supplies, like winning the lottery.

"Oh, there's food here."

"I found masks. And soap too."

Resources someone had hidden inside a bathroom ceiling access panel. It seemed like they were survival-minded, but the person themselves had likely died long ago, as there was no trace of them in the house.

I smiled contentedly at the decent haul, then suddenly realized.

Water. We hadn't found any water.