NTN 28

Chapter 28 Entering the Moat Village:

It was still early evening, and some of the residents of Moat Village were working in the fields at the back of the village, while others had formed groups to go out hunting. As a result, there were very few people actually inside the village.

The villagers were either out of their densely packed homes or pressed against the windows, peering outside. Their faces were generally unclean, their hair dry and brittle, and their clothing ill-fitting. However, their eyes were much clearer than those of the wasteland wanderers Baek Saebyeok had met in other regions.

“Village chief Choi, how have you been feeling lately?”

Ignoring the others, Baek Saebyeok awkwardly addressed Jeon Dooha.

Dooha let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“I’m still okay, but I find the cold increasingly frightening. Look at me—I’m already layering clothes, and winter hasn’t even arrived yet. Ha… I don’t know if I can survive this winter.”

“You’ll definitely manage,” Baek Saebyeok said.

She walked with Dooha along the narrow paths between the tightly packed houses toward the inverted-triangle-shaped complex of buildings. Her tone was firm, but it lacked real conviction.

“No need to console me,” Dooha said, stroking his chin, which was streaked with white beard.

“I’m already seventy-seven! How many people have lived through the destruction of the Old World and made it this far? On top of that, all my children are gone. Even if I live a few more years and find the New World, it would mean nothing to me. Hoo… if only Nam-i were still alive, it would be just like you…”

“…At least you can see the New World,” Baek Saebyeok said after a moment of silence.

At the same time, she glanced sideways at the cluttered houses surrounding them. In front of doors and windows lay piles of plastic bottles, glass jars, old cardboard, buttons, worn rags, random parts of unknown origin, wires of various lengths, metal caps, broken controllers, cracked mirror cases, bullet casings, scopes, and rusty eyeglass frames. It looked like a junkyard or recycling depot.

Dooha let out a snort and sighed.

“The New World… who even knows where that is… Young people might believe in it, at least to give them hope. But for old folks like us… forget it.”

After a brief silence, Baek Saebyeok shifted the topic, looking around.

“Do you still take in wasteland wanderers from outside?”

Dooha glanced around the disorderly surroundings with her.

“No.”

He sighed heavily, as if showing he had no intention of hiding the truth.

“If we accept any more wanderers, our farmland will become insufficient.”

He continued, smiling wryly.

“Someone like me, soft-hearted, doesn’t like seeing others suffer and tries to help them as much as possible. But the other villagers actually don’t want to accept wanderers. There’s no way to cultivate new fields because of the terrain, and here, the total harvest is limited. More people means less for each individual.

Before, we pressured wanderers because a lack of labor meant letting fields go unused. But now, we even cultivate mushrooms in the forest behind us. Ha, I’ve grown old, and my body isn’t what it used to be—I can’t go outside. If I never see those poor souls, there’s no reason for pity.”

Baek Saebyeok, exasperated, said,

“Please stop talking about being old. You seem perfectly vigorous to me.”

“All right, all right,” Dooha said, adjusting his fur hat with a smile.

“The ruins of the Old World cities really have some incredible things. Before, people like Mansik and Woochan brought back a book called Mushroom Termination and Cultivation Techniques. Following its instructions, we actually managed to grow something.”

Baek Saebyeok smiled in response.

“Mushrooms are nice. Tasty too.”

After a brief hesitation, she continued,

“Village chief, I can’t make any promises. All I can offer is that if the opportunity arises, I can sell you high-yield seeds and fertilizer for your fields.”

Dooha’s eyes lit up.

“That sounds great!”

Passing through the village square, they soon arrived near the three buildings arranged in an inverted triangle.

To the right of the small cement plaza, in front of the horizontally placed communal restroom, a handful of old vehicles were parked: a milky-white sedan, a silver compact truck, a tall large truck, a mid-sized bus that could carry over ten people, and a uniquely shaped electric car.

Next to them, several motorcycles and tricycles were lined up. Some ran on electricity, some on fuel, and some required only human power.

All of the vehicles had large tarps above them, and to the left, three rooms stood side by side. The connected rooms were filled with all sorts of parts. Some were already broken, some appeared very old, some were in good condition, and some were mixed with deflated soccer and basketballs.

“See if you need anything,” Dooha said, pointing to the three rooms.

“These were all taken from the ruins of cities,” he explained.

Without a word, Baek Saebyeok walked into the storage and quickly scanned the items. She pointed to several parts with her finger.

“This, this, and this…”

Dooha nodded casually.

“No problem. What do you intend to trade for them?”

Though the village chief, he had no authority to give away the village’s goods for free. Even though his respect among the villagers was unquestionable, Dooha had never broken his own principles over decades. This was part of why he was so respected.

Baek Saebyeok instinctively answered,

“Food?”

Dooha thought for a moment before speaking.

“No need for that, for now. This year’s abnormal climate hasn’t been great for crops, but yields have only dropped about twenty percent. Plus, we have reserves from the past three years, so surviving this winter won’t be an issue.

If you could bring me some pigs and cows, I’d welcome them with both hands—and even throw in a bonus—but that’s impossible, right?”

The biggest shortage in Moat Village was meat. The villagers depended on hunting teams sent outside, and even the number of chickens, ducks, and geese that could be raised in the village was declining. Disease sometimes wiped them out instantly.

Baek Saebyeok hesitated, then asked,

“How about the motorcycle I brought? It’ll need fuel, but the village can find fuel sources, right?”

“Some ruined cities still have decent fuel reserves,” Dooha said, grinning like a cunning old fox.

“Anything else? That motorcycle isn’t much use to us beyond looking good. How many people can ride it at once?”

Baek Saebyeok had already prepared her answer.

“A light machine gun. 7.92mm.”

“A machine gun?”

Dooha’s wrinkled face brightened instantly.

“That would be a huge help in defending the village. I even have compatible ammo.”

Before Baek Saebyeok could respond, he clapped his hands.

“Then it’s a deal!”

“Okay, but I need to go back and discuss it with my team first.”

Baek Saebyeok agreed immediately, knowing the machine gun would be useless to them otherwise.

Dooha looked up at the sky, furrowing his brow slightly.

“It’ll rain soon. It’s late, and it’s not safe to stay out on the wasteland. Bring your team here and rest for the night. No need to disarm—they’re your trusted comrades, so they can’t be bad people.”

Baek Saebyeok glanced at Dooha, slightly puzzled, and then looked up at the dark clouds gathering on the horizon.

“I’ll check with the team,” she said.

Dooha didn’t scold her hesitation—he just smiled.

“Go on, or you’ll get caught in the rain.”

Baek Saebyeok left Moat Village, packed the weapons, and rode her motorcycle back to where Jang Mokhwa, Sung Geonwoo, and Yong Yeohong were waiting. She relayed the details of the trade and Dooha’s generosity.

“Team leader, what do you think?”

Leaning against her large motorcycle, she waited for Jang Mokhwa’s decision.

Without mentioning any potential grudges from Dooha or the villagers, Jang Mokhwa asked, intrigued,

“The village chief is seventy-seven? And experienced the Old World’s destruction firsthand?”

Baek Saebyeok nodded without hesitation.

“Yes, that’s certain. He’s been saying so for a long time, and he recalls those memories frequently. Just because he’s repeated it doesn’t mean it’s a lie, but there’s no reason to fabricate a story that brings no benefit. He never asked for anything in return either.”

Jang Mokhwa glanced at Sung Geonwoo and Yong Yeohong.

“Then let’s go.”

“Team leader, isn’t it dangerous? You said it yourself—wasteland wanderers can turn into robbers anytime.”

Yong Yeohong didn’t hide his concern.

Jang Mokhwa chuckled.

“Oh, you still remember that? Excellent. Worrying shows you’ve grown. But with our firepower, as long as we prepare, they can’t touch us. To devour us, they’d need thirty to fifty casualties. With just over a month left before winter, even in a food-scarce situation, no one would pay that price. Who’s more dangerous: us or the wasteland beasts?

Of course, a starving person in winter wouldn’t have such luxury in thought. But inside our base, with limited numbers and constraints, it’s advantageous for us.”

She smiled at Sung Geonwoo while speaking.

Sung Geonwoo then deliberately turned to Yong Yeohong and asked seriously,

“Did you forget what team we are? Did you forget our role?”

“We’re the rescue team… the Old World destruction investigation team…”

Yong Yeohong, not a fool, realized the meaning behind Jang Mokhwa’s two questions to Baek Saebyeok.

“Team leader, are you trying to get clues from the village chief?”

“We can’t be sure he has any. He would have been young back then. But since we have this chance, we should ask, shouldn’t we?”

Jang Mokhwa turned to Baek Saebyeok and smiled brightly.

“If you can trust the villagers, I’ll trust them too. I trust you.”

Baek Saebyeok looked down, paused, then replied,

“Let’s go.”

“All right, then let’s depart!”