Ralf handed Sorn an object that looked like an old-fashioned phone.
"It's a communication device made by Dean, the guy who brought you here, and it's exclusive to this group. I'm giving it to you, the only channels you can contact are mine, Dean's, Emil's, and Hilda's."
Sorn wordlessly took the device, examining it as he turned it over in his hand. It resembled a walkie-talkie. As he stared at every crevice of the device, Ralf seemed to anticipate his thoughts, adding, "It does look like a walkie-talkie, but it functions differently—more like a phone, no text message, only for voice communication and it automatically deleted the history, so there's no room for hackers to track the special frequency Dean set up. The drawback is that it has a limited range... if you go beyond 30 kilometers from the radio signal Dean assembled, this device will automatically shut down and become unusable."
"Dean... You mean the stupid guy in uniform?"
"Yeah, even though he looks like an idiot, he's brilliant when it comes to building weapons and technology. If you need help, you can ask him directly— no! wait, scratch that! It's better if you come to me first! If there's anything you're unsure about, find me before anyone else. Got it?!"
"....."
Sorn gripped the device firmly, still finding it hard to reconcile that the man standing before him was the leader of an independent survival group. His casual demeanor and laid-back attitude were worlds apart from the stern, charismatic captains of official organizations, who radiated authority and leadership. Instead, Ralf seemed more like the kind of guy you'd find hanging out in a college quad.
Although, Sorn was self aware enough to know he wasn't in a position to judge. People often said the same thing about him—that his appearance didn't match his personality. With his delicate, almost feminine looks, most assumed Sorn would be gentle and sweet. Their assumptions were quickly shattered after a single interaction, leaving them infuriated when he didn't fit the fantasy they had imagined.
"So, should I introduce myself to your members?" Sorn asked. He was taken aback when Ralf's jaw suddenly tightened as if he had just realized something, and he eventually shook his head somewhat forcefully.
What's wrong with this guy?
"..... Honestly .... Uhm ...." Ralf scratched his head. "Ugh, yes, new members should introduce themselves, but I'd rather people not get to know you... I wouldn't like that."
"I don't want to be recognized either, so I'll keep my mask on."
"... Ugh, how about we talk about this tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow? Why?"
"For now, you should rest. Feel free to use this room as you wish, there are plenty of books on the shelves that you can read, and the water is clean, so you can take a shower if you want... No rush, just take today to rest."
He made no attempt to answer Sorn's question. Shrugging, Sorn, upon hearing about the shower, immediately looked at his dirty clothes, stained with dirt and blood. Yes, a shower seemed like something he should definitely take right now.
"I'll have Dean or Emil bring you some spare clothes. It seems your size isn't too different from Emil's... there are plenty of new clothes still in the storage... oh, and yes, of course, you'll need to wear men's clothes."
"Bastard, don't joke around. Of course, men's clothes."
"Yes, yes, haha, sorry, I was just kidding... Besides, I don't have any female members here, only one, and she's not a member but my personal doctor. If you have any issues, you can reach out to Hilda's channel. She's a doctor, and I'll send her to your room, but she's busy today. She might come by tomorrow morning ... just wait, and if you can't contact Hilda, then get in touch with me."
Ralf took out his communication device, waving it with a smile. He said his goodbyes and shut Sorn's room door firmly. The room grew quiet, and all Sorn could hear was his own breathing.
That man is strange, Sorn thought. Despite the coldness in his eyes, which was different from the smile he showed, Sorn felt no negative emotions, only a sense that something was off about him. It might just be an illusion— after all, everyone knows normal human eyes can't emit light. That's impossible.
For now, Ralf was right—he'd use today to rest completely. How long had it been since he could be this relaxed? His days were always filled with the constant threat of zombies, and here, he didn't have to stay on edge.
*
The water cascading over him felt refreshing.
It had been nearly five days since he had last been able to shower. The building he was staying in sometimes lacked sufficient water, or more frequently, zombies would unexpectedly appear while he was naked in the bathroom. He knew zombies didn't have the awareness of normal human's brain, but still, being exposed in front of one made him uncomfortable.
His head felt light as he scrubbed his dirty skin. This kind of relaxation was a luxury he only experienced while being part of an official military organization. Although it wasn't always the case, security in that territory was well-maintained, and he only worked when summoned. It had been a long time since he had felt such peace.
However, peace in situations like this doesn't last long. Sorn, who usually focused solely on surviving, found that once everything was over and it was time to rest, memories of the past surfaced uninvited.
At least when he was killing zombies and fleeing from danger, he was too exhausted for these memories to emerge. It was only when his mind was empty that those memories crept in to fill the void.
There was also a moment that he had lived in a relaxed feeling other than when he was in the official territory.
A moment in the era before zombies and the viruses carried by the creatures appeared, an era where human life was still normal, not perfect, but at least at that time there were no zombies that almost wiped out the human population.
".... He said the leader is immune."
At the moment, the face of the blue-eyed man, whose color reminded him of the deep sea, came to mind, and the interaction before he arrived here replayed in his mind. Sorn had forgotten to ask Ralf, the leader, about this topic.
"Is that even possible?"
He had never heard of people being immune to the zombie virus. Even when he was a soldier, he had never come across any news or discussions about the possibility of people being immune to the virus.
Besides, the world was so chaotic now that there were no longer any country names like before. Only zones controlled by existing military organizations, which seemed to be competing to expand their power. It wasn't entirely wrong if they appeared so desperate to dominate the land, as if once all this was over and the world returned to normal, they would have a claim to the territory.
This was also one of the reasons why some military organizations were always on the lookout for strong men to join them. 'Mad Lucifer' the ridiculous nickname attached to Sorn, made many military organizations intensely seek to recruit him.
They didn't know that Mad Lucifer was actually a man named Sorn Francis April, who had once been part of an official military organization with extensive power across various zones—an organization mostly filled with people from high society. Sorn had fled from that place, and since then, he had kept his face hidden and chosen to survive alone.
It was nearly miraculous that he had managed to stay alive until now. Even though he hadn't been particularly driven to live before, he had managed to keep going.
"...."