Apocalypse Tyrant

Plunder (3)

Crunch—!

The car door being torn off with a vicious death cry.

I clenched my fist in preparation for any car alarm that might sound.

─────.

The vehicle not letting out any alarm, making my preparation pointless.

I could guess the reason only after scanning the black dashcam attached in front of the rearview mirror.

‘The battery died because of the dashcam.’

Well— It’s not the middle of winter now.

The main reason for parked vehicles’ batteries dying is probably dashcams left on while abandoned.

I pressed the driver’s seat cushion with my knee while scanning the back seat, not seeing much to search.

A pink basket coming into my view like that.

It looked like a bath basket the car owner carries to the bathhouse.

Rustle—

I hurriedly grabbed the basket and checked the contents inside.

Toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, and colorful bath products full of difficult English words.

A bright smile naturally formed at the bath basket clearly used by a woman, not a man.

I can give this to Cha Seolhee.

“…Um— Director.”

A careful voice calling me from behind at that moment.

I put one pack of cigarettes and a lighter abandoned in the passenger seat into the bath basket and pulled my body out of the driver’s seat.

Thud—!

Then I spoke to Ko Janghun receiving the bath basket in a daze.

“You keep the cigarettes, eunuch. Collect lighters diligently too whenever they come out.”

Fire is an important element you never know when you’ll need.

Moreover, we needed to burn all the disgustingly abandoned zombie corpses in the smoking area soon too.

There’s nothing more idiotic than not burning corpses abandoned nearby while worrying about hygiene.

“And wasn’t there a way to extract that oil-like stuff from cars? I think I saw something like that somewhere. Find a bastard who knows how to do it.”
“Yessir!”

Ko Janghun repeatedly nodded his head largely and appealed to me that he clearly understood.

“And—”

Eyes narrowing slightly in the middle of giving task instructions.

The title the eunuch bastard first called me was clearly awkward.

“Hehehe— How is it? Do you like it?”

Ko Janghun hurriedly asking after noticing my reaction like a ghost.

I frowned— my face and asked him.

“You don’t mean the ‘director’ in library director, right?”
“That’s right. Calling you Team Leader doesn’t fit your status anymore, and you dislike things like Your Majesty or My Lord— So fitting the place and status, you’re the owner of the library, so Library Director.”

How is it?

“Chunshik and I put our heads together again and again to come up with this clever idea, hehe—”

Ko Janghun bowing repeatedly as usual while holding the pink bath basket.

A snort automatically burst out while looking at his eyes narrowed into slits and widely grinning mouth.

“Then if I take over Banseok University you’ll call me Chancellor, and if I take over Seoul you’ll call me Mayor?”
“If that’s what you wish to be called, of course.”

A waist bowing even deeper without any change in expression at my question.

I let out a small laugh while looking down at his face full of naturalness.

“…This is absurd.”
“Hehe—”

Ko Janghun busy laughing while constantly watching my reaction.

I lightly waved my hand meaning for him to do as he pleases and opened my mouth again.

“Forget it. Just quickly recite the progress status.”
“Yessir—! We’ve almost finished organizing the 6th floor as you said. We’re in the process of moving all unnecessary furniture and decorations in reading rooms and seminar rooms to the lower floors.”

The element that can best visually represent power is ‘height’.

Being in a high place, living on a high floor.

Living higher than others is evidence that he enjoys more power than those below.

“We’re also moving all the food from the basement to the 2nd Reading Room on the 6th floor, and Woojin and Minjun are thoroughly supervising. As soon as everything is moved, we’ll immediately declare the 2nd Reading Room as the new food storage and have Sejun guard it carefully through Sejun.”
“Good.”
“Hehe— Of course, as you said, we’ll also newly assign the seminar rooms as rooms for search team members and assign distributed female camp members together.”

Living on the top floor was a clear symbol of being the top tier of that organization.

I planned to properly stimulate a sense of superiority and satisfaction that they were different from others by assigning the search team members’ resting place to the 6th floor.

“How many seminar rooms are there on the 6th floor in total?”
“There are 14 seminar rooms in total, and we’ve currently assigned 5 as rooms for search team members.”

So that means there are 9 more seminar rooms.

“Has An Sejun and his girlfriend ever failed to properly guard the food bag so far?”
“They’ve been guarding it well without any discrepancies between records so far.”
“Good.”

I nodded my head with satisfaction and opened my mouth to Ko Janghun again.

“Gather all camp members this evening and clearly tell them. An Sejun will also be assigned to a 6th floor seminar room together with his girlfriend.”

The reason for assignment is a reward for faithfully guarding the food bag so far.

“Yessir.”

A faint smile suddenly leaked out for a moment while looking at Ko Janghun nodding his head immediately without even a moment’s gap.

It was because the faces of the camp members when this fact is announced to them this evening naturally came to mind.

It might be too absurd a reward for the camp members.

They might think it’s no different from throwing a dog treat to a dog bastard who guarded a house that thieves didn’t even think of robbing in the first place.

Because after making a very grand example in front of all the 2nd floor survivors, no one even thought of stealing my food bag.

Moreover, receiving a reward for guarding the food bag well…

There’s no irony like this irony.

But— Making them think that way was the key to this reward.

People throw stones they’re holding at those above when they can no longer see a way up.

If there exists a way to go up and they witnessed it, it’s human nature to throw stones at the back of the head of those trying to squeeze in.

If humans can go up and know how to go up, they don’t antagonize those standing above.

Because they unconsciously start identifying themselves with those above.

An unremarkable camp member who went up to the 6th floor just for guarding a food bag that no one even thought of stealing.

Because that unremarkable camp member, An Sejun, could soon become themselves.

Since he went to the 6th floor, which will be understood as being chosen by me just for listening to my words well.

The key of keys was to give everyone hope that they too can go up to the 6th floor if they listen to my words well.

Ah— And…

“…Did you check?”

Ko Janghun hurriedly sticking close to me at my subtle question.

He carefully opened his mouth while covering his mouth even though no one was visible.

“Yes. Water really comes out as you said.”

Ko Janghun shaking his head side to side with eyes wide open as if still not believing it now.

Ding—!

[Tyrant Exclusive Destiny]

[1. Preparation for Founding a Nation]

[1-1. Forced Creation of Auspicious Land]
[Heaven.Earth.Human (天.地.人) – Earth (地)]

[Grace of Tyranny (Always Hide)]

[Oasis in the Desert Lv.1]

[300L of drinkable groundwater is generated and stored daily, limited to territory secured by the Tyrant.]

[Tip: Graces chosen as destiny rewards cannot be leveled up through points. Unlock more destinies by raising exclusive stats. Your graces will naturally level up as destinies are unlocked.]

An especially emphasized choice among the status window messages that greeted me after occupying the library.

[Choose the Tyrant’s first grace.]

[1. First Step of Modernization]

[2. Oasis in the Desert]

Judging from things like modernization, Grace 1 was likely related to electricity, and Grace 2 was clearly related to water just by looking.

And I chose the element more desperately needed in this current situation.

“Does water flush in the toilets too?”
“Yes. Even though all electricity is cut off, water flushes!”

Hoo— Good.

Yeah, it’s not that picky then.

I smiled with relief, feeling like the most grating obstacle from the element I chose without regret had been cleared.

“This is truly a miracle beyond miracles. Even Jesus of old multiplied bread and fish in the miracle of five loaves and two fish, but no one has ever created water from nothing!”
“…Were you Christian?”

I hurriedly threw a question at Ko Janghun as signs of him starting to operate with severely flashing eyes again became visible.

“Hehe— You can think of philosophy and religion as elements that can’t be separated even if they try. My medieval philosophy—”

My expression naturally sank at the untimely philosophy department vibe stubbornly bursting out even after being given a look.

Ko Janghun finally closing his mouth wide “Hap—” after seeing my face.

“…I’m not religious.”
“I see.”

I nodded my head slightly at the answer to the question that finally crawled out and started continuing instructions I had almost forgotten.

“Announce the news that water comes out when everyone gathers in the evening too.”
“Yessir.”
“And keep a close watch on whether there are bastards using water from then on.”
“Yessir.”
“If anyone is caught secretly using water, bring them to me right away.”
“…Yessir.”

I’ll make a proper example.

I planned to manage not only luxury items like cigarettes and condoms, but water too as rewards I give.

So—

“Clearly make it tangible by showing everyone the bastard who worked hardest among those we worked today by letting them shower.”
“Yessir.”
“Since groundwater isn’t sufficient yet, keep collecting urine and feces daily and burying them in the ground as is.”
“Yessir.”

And—

A situation where instructions never end no matter how many are given.

While quietly choosing the next instruction to give, urgent footsteps echoed in my ears.

A clueless face running towards me at full speed from the road.

“Team Leadeeer—!”

Haak—! Haak—! Haak—!

Kim Woojung who hurriedly stopped in front of me and was breathing roughly pointed at the road.

“Te-Team Leader needs to look at something!”

Ko Janghun’s head quietly approaching Kim Woojung’s ear like that.

He whispered something and Kim Woojung listening to that let out a small exclamation going “Ah—.”

“Di-Director needs to look at something!”

Kim Woojung’s finger still jabbing at the road while correcting the title he called me.

Team Leader or Director—

When I gestured with my chin meaning for him to guide me, Kim Woojung hurriedly started walking quickly back the way he came.

Me and Ko Janghun following behind Kim Woojung like that.

Thud— Thud— Thud—

Search team members already gathered in one place came into view beyond Kim Woojung guiding me while moving his feet extremely urgently.

Splat—!

[Tribute of Obedience]

[You have acquired 1 point.]

The sound of a blunt weapon strike and status window notification ringing for me at that moment.

One truck completely overturned in the middle of the road comes into my view.

And Park Taeha standing on the overturned passenger seat of that truck was withdrawing his monkey wrench and wiping rotten blood splattered on his face with his sleeve.

“We didn’t know because the truck was completely overturned, but when we climbed on top the logo seemed like a vehicle the Team Lea— ah Director should check, so—”

Kim Woojung stammering unrefined prior information while hurriedly looking back and forth between the truck and me.

I nodded my head meaning I roughly grasped the context and increased my walking speed.

“Team Leader.”

The search team members hurriedly bowing their heads after confirming I had approached.

I responded to them with a small nod and then stood behind the overturned truck.

A face naturally colored with expectation after properly scanning the truck.

I could immediately understand why the search team members urgently called me.

“It seems to be a convenience store delivery vehicle.”

Park Taeha checking the logo once more on top of the overturned truck and relaying to me.

I grasped the gray lock in my hand with a strange smile.

If this was the vehicle responsible for convenience store deliveries within the university—

This is the road towards the library not far from the main gate and practically the entrance to the absurdly large Banseok University.

Of course, this one vehicle wouldn’t have been in charge of all convenience stores within the university, but—

Crunch—!

The lock and car door torn off like paper by my quite sincere grip.

A musty smell leaked from inside the truck that immediately revealed its contents.

Crunch—!

I quietly stared inside the truck that would have basked in sunlight for the first time in a very long time while lightly tearing off the remaining door on the opposite side.

Brown boxes quite messily scattered probably due to the vehicle overturning.

Contents bursting out from inside boxes that had already been opened, probably after stopping by the convenience store at the college in front, could also be seen—

Several boxes discolored due to glass beverage bottles breaking could be seen too.

But what I saw was far more perfectly preserved food than such seemingly damaged food.

One, two, three, four, five—

A smile lingering on my lips about to tear each time food was counted by eye.

“…Oh.”

I who finally let out a short exclamation slightly opened my mouth.

An unexpected jackpot had been hit.