The group had already left.
Left to wander, Daehyun took a slow walk through the shelter.
He noticed something strange.
Some of the survivors weren't doing their usual chores. Instead, they whispered in corners, exchanged glances, and grew silent when he passed. A man wiped a blade with cloth over and over, even though it looked clean. Another woman kept her bag strapped tightly to her side, eyes darting around like a thief expecting company.
"Why are so many people armed today?" Daehyun muttered under his breath.
The shelter leader was gone, supposedly leading the scavenging team herself. Then who maintain the camp?
And then he saw Juhone—walking down the corridor with two of the same thugs from before. Their voices were hushed.
"—he's not just some kid. People listen to him. If he gets in the way again—"
They stopped talking when they spotted Daehyun.
Juhone (with a fake smile): "Still alive, huh?"
"Yeah. For now." He smiled back, but it didn't reach his eyes.
Feeling the pressure tighten around his chest, Daehyun moved toward the north wing guard post. He spoke to a guard—one of the few he somewhat trusted.
"Something's off. I've seen people acting weird, and the leader left too. Keep your eyes open. Something's coming."
The guard hesitated, he don't want to believe that the survivors were plotting something, and then gave a slow nod. He is Isah. Brown long haired young man with strong ambitious to save the humanity. Well build body and loyal to the chief. He were training to be a solider before the apocalypse. He keep up his guard, he trusted Daehyun because they shared same dreams. So he is sure that he won't try something that would harm the camp.
Meanwhile, Songwoo's group reached the largest mall in the city—a towering complex of cracked glass and rusted signs. The moonlight filtered through the shattered ceiling panels like dying firelight.
Zombies roamed the parking lot and the lower floors—hundreds of them.
"We don't go loud here. This place is a graveyard with walls." Chief Kang warn them.
They slipped in through an emergency exit and carefully climbed the stairwell. The upper floors were quieter—dust-covered displays of clothes, appliances, and untouched shelves of canned food in a mini-mart section.
It was a gold mine.
"We could live off this for weeks." One of Chief Kang's men got exited.
Songwoo looks around "We could do more than that. We could move here—make this the new camp. It's huge, has supplies, elevation, and emergency access."
The group went silent. It made sense. Songwoo's tone was calm, measured—like a leader.
But Chief Kang folded her arms, her voice cold.
"Don't get carried away, high schooler. Just because you got lucky with a few supply runs doesn't make you a strategist."
Songwoo calmly said"It's not luck. This place has value. The current shelter isn't secure. We're running out of food. And that base is not stable, we can't stay on an unstable for long. Also if something goes wrong back there—"
"Enough. We're not gambling with lives on your hunch."
Minjae interfere " You are a leader who wait for opportunity. That alone won't make you a success leader. A true leader should make the opportunity to move forward. That's what Songwoo mean."
Chief Kang's men Growls furiously towards Minjae. " You're saying chief Kang is not suitable to be a leader?"
Kang stops him and continue what they left.
"She's not even listening," Songwoo thought, biting down his frustration.
As they filled their bags and prepared to move out quietly, Songwoo couldn't shake the feeling that they were making a mistake.
As the sun began to rise, warmth should've greeted the survivors. Instead, something sinister stirred within the camp.
While Songwoo's team gathered supplies from the vast mall, Juhane set her plan into motion. With only a small number of people left guarding the camp, she and the gang she joined—The Iron Fangs, led by the ruthless Kang Seok—moved with terrifying precision.
The food garage, though nearly empty, was their first target. It was a symbol of control. Once they held it, they could claim authority over the entire camp—and soon, seize the bulk of rations Songwoo and the hunting team were bringing back.
Back inside the camp, Daehyun sensed something was wrong. He hadn't seen Juhane since the team left. Her absence scratched at his nerves like a dull blade. Still recovering from his wound, he forced himself to walk the length of the camp, scanning faces, asking quietly—but no one had seen her. The unease in his chest grew heavier with every passing minute.
" Where are you? What are you scheming, Juhane?"
By then, Jisoo and her thugs had already reached the guard post near the food garage. Juhane played her part well—approaching casually, laughing lightly, acting as though nothing was wrong.
"Mmmmm... excuse me.. Well i am so hungry.. I give away my ration to a poor man. I hope you could give me another.." She tries to seduce him . He even fall for her beauty.
" Oooh. so kinf of you.."
The guard let his stance drop for a second . Her pass her knife through his throat without hesitation.
His body slumped to the ground. Blood soaked the dirt.
Kang Seok stepped over him without flinching. "One down," he said coldly, signaling his men. Within minutes, the rest of the guards were silenced—brutally, efficiently.
Kang Seok's crew replaced them. Armed, posted, and ready.
By the time Daehyun stumbled upon the blood trail, it was already too late. He hide himself, he is powerless now.
Meanwhile, Songwoo and the team walk across the ruined streets. The mall had been fruitful, and their sacks were full—but Songwoo's heart felt heavy.
Something didn't feel right.
One of the chief's men walked beside him, offering a rare smile. "With this much food, the camp will last weeks."
Songwoo nodded, then turned to him sharply. "Why did the chief leave so few behind to guard the camp?"
The man shrugged, almost offended by the question. "Because she trusts us. We were all saved by her once. No one would betray that."
Minjae scoffed from behind, adjusting the supplies on his back. "Trust won't stop a knife. People will change any time. Only few remains. Who you trusted were the people you just saved. Be careful..I warn you.."
Songwoo's eyes narrowed. He didn't reply, he walk forward.
As they neared the camp, the mood shifted.
Too quiet.
Too still.
Once they enter ,A lot of guns welcome them.