The Weapon Genius: Anything I Hold Can Kill-Chapter 15: The Safe Zone That Isn’t

The police station stood ahead of them.

Big. Reinforced. Untouched.

It looked like the last real structure standing in a city that had already collapsed.

And yet—none of them moved.

For the first time since this nightmare began, there was a clear destination in front of them.

But something about it felt wrong.

Jin's fingers twitched at his sides. His body wanted to move. The police station meant shelter. Weapons. Safety.

But his gut told him to wait.

To think.

Because what if it wasn't safe?

Joon-seok exhaled sharply. He was the first to speak.

"We can't just stand here."

His voice wasn't uncertain.

It was matter-of-fact.

Jin glanced at him. Joon-seok's jaw was tight. His eyes locked onto the police station like it was a finish line.

He wanted to go. Needed to go.

"Think about it," Joon-seok muttered. "If survivors are in there, they'll have information. Maybe even food, medical supplies, weapons."

Weapons.

That word landed in Jin's mind like a hook.

But before he could answer—

Seul-ki shook her head.

"That doesn't mean they're good people."

Joon-seok turned toward her. "What are you saying?"

Seul-ki exhaled, her arms crossed. Her grip on her own sleeve was tight.

"I'm saying that survivors don't mean safety."

She nodded toward the city around them. The empty streets. The untouched buildings.

"You think everyone here just died or ran away?"

Joon-seok's brow furrowed.

Seul-ki's voice was quieter now.

"Or do you think they were picked off?"

Silence.

Jin's chest tightened.

The system had already told them.

Survival required death.

How many people had already taken a life because of the quest?

Echo sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"If the system is rewarding kills," he muttered, "what do you think the people in power will do?"

Jin didn't answer.

But he had a good idea of what would happen..

The strongest would take over.

The weak would be crushed.

And somewhere in between were people like them—just trying to figure out where they landed.

Jin exhaled slowly. His instincts were screaming.

This was dangerous. It could go wrong.

But...

"We need weapons," Jin muttered.

Seul-ki's gaze snapped to him.

Jin clenched his jaw. "No matter what, I can't keep fighting like this."

He wasn't stupid. If he kept relying on scraps, he'd get killed.

And if there was a chance... even a small one... that this place had what he needed—

He had to take it.

Joon-seok nodded. "Then we go."

Jin looked at the others.

Seul-ki didn't move.

But after a long moment... she sighed.

"...Fine."

Echo smirked slightly. "Guess we're walking into the lion's den, huh?"

Jin exhaled.

They started moving.

Slowly. Carefully.

Each step toward the police station felt heavier.

Like they were crossing a line they couldn't come back from.

The police station loomed ahead.

And as they approached—Jin felt it.

That sinking feeling.

That itch in his skull.

That warning.

Something was watching them.

The police station loomed ahead.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Solid. Unmoving.

It should have been reassuring.

It wasn't.

Jin's footsteps felt too loud. Every crunch of loose debris under his shoes, every shift of his breathing—too sharp, too exposed.

The others must have felt it too.

No one spoke.

No one rushed forward.

They weren't running toward safety.

They were approaching something dangerous.

Jin exhaled slowly. His instincts were screaming.

This felt wrong.

As they walked, the details around them became clearer.

The closer they got to the police station, the less destruction there was.

But it wasn't natural.

It wasn't like this place had never been hit.

It had been cleaned.

Bodies were gone.

Debris was pushed aside.

Blood still stained the pavement—but there were no corpses.

Seul-ki noticed it first.

"...Where are the bodies?"

Jin didn't answer.

Because he didn't know what was worse.

Bodies in the streets meant people had died.

No bodies meant someone had the time and power to get rid of them.

Joon-seok's jaw tightened.

"This place isn't abandoned," he muttered.

Jin already knew that. He could feel it.

Someone was here.

Someone who wanted this place to stay clean.

They stepped closer.

The first thing Jin noticed was the makeshift barricade.

A pile of cars, fencing, and furniture stacked against the station's outer entrance—sloppy, but effective.

Someone had fortified this place.

Jin's grip tightened.

The police station wasn't just a safe zone.

It was a claimed zone.

Joon-seok glanced at the barricade. "Looks rushed."

Seul-ki frowned. "Or looted."

A little further up, a police cruiser sat at an angle—its doors wide open.

The emergency lights still flickered faintly, red and blue reflecting off the walls.

Blood smeared the driver's seat.

But no body.

Jin slowed his steps.

That feeling grew stronger.

Something was watching them.

Something knew they were here.

Then—

A voice.

"Hold it right there."

Jin's body tensed.

The words weren't shouted.

They weren't aggressive.

They were calm. Steady. Controlled.

Like the person behind them wasn't afraid.

Jin's eyes flicked up.

A figure stood on the police station rooftop, shadowed against the glow of the lights behind them.

Watching them.

Joon-seok inhaled sharply. "Shit."

Seul-ki froze.

Echo smirked slightly but didn't move. Like he expected this.

Jin didn't look away.

More movement.

He saw shadows shifting behind the barricade.

There were more people inside.

Armed. Watching them.

Waiting.

The voice spoke again.

"If you're looking for shelter, you've come to the right place."

A slight pause.

"But if you're looking for trouble, we'll end this right now."

Jin's pulse ticked up.

They had finally found survivors.

And now, they had to decide whether to trust them.

Or fight.

The man on the rooftop didn't lower his guard.

But he wasn't pointing a weapon at them either.

His hands were empty.

Jin wasn't fooled.

The real threat wasn't him.

It was the officers watching from the building.

Behind the station's barricades, shadows shifted.

More than one. Maybe five, maybe more.

Jin's sharp eyes caught the gleam of gun barrels.

These weren't random survivors.

They were trained. Armed. Ready.

If they wanted them dead, they wouldn't be standing here right now.

"You don't look like looters."

His voice was steady. Measured.

Jin met his gaze. Didn't move.

The man's expression was unreadable.

"But not everyone can be trusted," he continued. "So let's start simple."

His head tilted slightly.

"Who are you, and where did you come from?"

Jin exhaled, choosing his words carefully.

"We're just survivors," he said. "We came from an office building near the central district."

Joon-seok crossed his arms. "We stayed there for a few hours before deciding to leave."

The man's expression didn't change.

Seul-ki hesitated.

"The area's abandoned," she said. "We don't know how many people are still alive."

Echo's smirk faded slightly.

"Based off what we've seen, not alot."

The man exhaled.

"Figures."

The man continued, his voice still calm.

"We all got something when the system appeared."

His eyes scanned them carefully.

"I need to know yours."

Joon-seok tensed. "Why?"

The man's expression didn't change.

"Because if you come inside, I need to be sure you're not a hazard."

A long silence.

Jin exchanged glances with the others.

Then—he answered.

"Limitless Weapon Mastery."

Joon-seok sighed. "Arc Discharge."

Echo rolled his shoulders. "Echo."

Seul-ki hesitated.

"...Density Shift."

The man didn't react.

He just nodded.

Like he was mentally filing the information away.

Then—he exhaled.

"Alright. Doesn't sound too bad."

The man lowered his stance slightly.

"You can call me Ryu."

Jin's eyes narrowed.

Was he an officer?

Ryu must have noticed the look.

"I was in charge of this division before all of this started."

He gestured toward the building behind him.

"When the system hit, people panicked. Looters broke in, fights broke out. My team barely got things under control before the real chaos started."

He let out a slow breath.

"Then the system's announcement made it worse."

Jin clenched his jaw.

The purge quest.

Ryu's voice was measured, steady.

"We lost a lot of good people when the system let those monsters loose."

His gaze flickered toward them.

"But we managed to hold this place. Barely."

Ryu exhaled. "I don't take in just anyone."

His expression was unreadable.

"We keep order here. If you want to come inside, that means you contribute."

Joon-seok's brow furrowed. "And if we refuse?"

Ryu didn't hesitate.

"Then you leave."

Simple. Matter-of-fact.

No threats. No hostility. Just a rule.

Jin exchanged glances with the others.

Work together—or survive on their own.

It wasn't a hard decision.

Jin exhaled. "Alright. We're in."

Ryu nodded. "Good."

Then—he jumped.

Jin barely had time to react.

Captain Ryu landed in front of them, his movements smooth, controlled.

Even without an ability, Jin could tell—this man was experienced.

Jin started to step forward. Then—

Ryu's gaze locked onto him.

Specifically—the blood on his clothes.

The moment he saw it, something changed.

Ryu's posture stiffened.

His aura shifted.

His eyes hardened.

"...Did you kill someone?"

His voice was still calm.

But this time—there was an edge to it.

Jin's heart kicked up.

Joon-seok's shoulders tensed. Seul-ki's breath hitched.

Jin raised his hands slightly, voice steady. "Not like that."

Ryu didn't move.

Jin exhaled. "We were attacked."

He kept his voice level.

"She was a survivor, but she was dangerous. We had to stop her."

Joon-seok added, "She escaped from the prison."

A flicker of recognition crossed Ryu's face.

Jin exhaled. "She killed people before we even found her. We defended ourselves, but we didn't kill her."

For the first time, Ryu's face showed something other than caution.

A sigh.

"Damn it."

Jin frowned.

Ryu glanced back at the station.

"I've already heard reports of prisoners escaping," he muttered. "Dangerous ones."

Echo tilted his head. "Then you probably heard of her."

Ryu's jaw tightened.

A long silence.

Then—Ryu exhaled.

His shoulders relaxed. His aura softened.

"Alright."

Ryu nodded.

"Then welcome to the station."