The Weapon Genius: Anything I Hold Can Kill-Chapter 16: A Place With Its Own Laws

"Lower your weapons."

Ryu's command landed heavy, solid. A full stop to the tension.

The officers didn't move at first.

Jin caught the shift in their stances—the weight rolling between their feet, the flex in their fingers, the way their eyes tracked every movement.

Not hostile.

But not welcoming either.

The air sat thick between them, stretching too long.

Then—

Scar-Jaw's grip loosened on his holster.

The muscles in his jaw tightened briefly, then released.

A slow, deliberate exhale followed.

His fingers drifted away from his weapon.

One by one, the others followed.

The rifles lowered.

The line of tension in their shoulders softened.

But no one fully relaxed.

A pause.

Then—

"...Sir, with all due respect."

Scar-Jaw's voice cut through the settling quiet. Not hesitant. Not defiant. Just wary.

"Are we really taking in more people?"

"We don't exactly know where they've come from"

His eyes flicked to Jin's group.

A second officer rubbed a hand down his face, muttering something under his breath.

Another folded his arms, glancing at Ryu like he was waiting for him to explain why he's doing this.

Ryu nodded slightly like he'd been expecting this question.

He stepped forward, slow but certain, scanning his men one by one.

"I get it," he said, voice steady. "We're stretched thin as it is."

"But think about it," he continued. "We're still here because we had each other. Because we worked together, and we didn't fall apart when everything else did."

Jin caught the way a few officers shifted subtly.

"We made an oath," Ryu went on.

"To protect. To serve."

Someone in the back swallowed hard.

A younger officer looked away, rubbing a thumb against his knuckles.

"This system—whatever it is—hasn't changed that."

Scar-Jaw let out another slow breath. Didn't argue. Didn't nod. Just took it in.

Then, he stepped aside.

A silent agreement.

The others followed.

One by one, they moved.

The air changed the second they stepped in.

The first thing that hit him was the brightness.

Jin blinked, adjusting.

He'd never been inside a police station before.

Not even once.

And stepping into one now, under these circumstances, left something cold at the back of his neck.

Desks had been shoved aside—some stacked high against walls, others flipped over to form makeshift sleeping areas.

Some survivors sat curled up against lockers, heads buried in their arms.

Others sat picking apart MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat) packs, quietly talking in low voices.

Across the room, a woman stacked ration packs with practiced efficiency, placing each one in a growing pile near a supply room.

Further down the hall, a group of men stood near a table of weapons.

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Distributing.

Assigning roles.

Preparing.

Jin's fingers flexed at his sides.

He wasn't sure if it was because he wanted a weapon—

Or because the efficiency of it all felt unnatural.

Joon-seok let out a slow breath.

"...They got organized fast."

Jin didn't answer.

Because he was already thinking the same thing.

A few hours ago, the world collapsed.

And yet—

These people had already built a structured system.

Jin wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

Echo let out a low whistle.

"Well, shit," he muttered, stretching his arms over his head. "If cops can hold a place together like this in just a few hours... maybe the whole country won't fall apart after all."

Jin glanced at him.

The words weren't sarcastic.

There was something almost hopeful in the way Echo said it.

"People always say the law crumbles first when things go to hell," he went on. "Guess they were wrong."

Jin didn't respond.

But out of the corner of his eye, he caught it.

A few survivors nearby had stopped talking.

Nothing dramatic.

Just a brief silence.

Then, just as quickly, they went back to whatever they were doing.

Jin's instincts stirred.

Something about that reaction felt off.

But before he could dwell on it—

Ryu stopped walking.

Turned to face them.

His eyes, sharp and steady, flicked briefly toward Echo.

"You're right."

Echo raised an eyebrow.

Ryu exhaled, rolling his shoulders slightly. "When it all started, the law did fail."

Ryu's gaze drifted toward the nearest wall, like he was looking at something long past.

"The first wave of monsters tore through this place," he said. "We lost a lot of good people."

Scar-Jaw crossed his arms. A few of the officers behind him lowered their heads slightly.

"But some of us fought back," Ryu continued.

"The system gave us skills. They saved our lives. We held the line, pushed them back, and took back the station. After that, we started taking in survivors. The ones who made it through the first few hours."

He let out a slow breath.

"Since then, we've been waiting out the first twenty-four hours. And in that time, we've come to an agreement."

His eyes flicked toward Jin's group.

"We can't go back to how things were before. But that doesn't mean we throw everything away."

He nodded toward a whiteboard behind him.

"We follow the same laws that kept us together before the system hit. But some things have to change; we've come to an agreement on the rules for anyone who chooses to stay here."

Jin followed Ryu's gaze.

The whiteboard was filled with lists, notes, and scratched-out names.

But the rules stood out in bold, written in thick, black marker.

Ryu stepped aside, letting them read.

1. No stealing.

Anyone caught stealing loses rations for two days.

Repeat offenders get kicked out.

2. No fighting among survivors.

Disputes will be handled by officers.

Anyone caught trying to kill another survivor will be dealt with accordingly.

3. Everyone contributes.

You either guard, gather supplies, or assist in other ways. No freeloaders.

4. No unnecessary risks.

Anyone who endangers the group will be expelled.

Jin scanned the list.

Nothing unexpected.

But there was one part that stood out.

"...Dealt with accordingly?" he muttered, eyes flicking to rule #2.

Ryu didn't blink.

"We don't have a prison," he said simply.

Jin understood immediately.

There was no room for mercy.

If someone turned on the group... they wouldn't get a second chance.

Joon-seok exhaled slowly.

Seul-ki crossed her arms, unreadable.

Echo just let out a low whistle. "Harsh. But fair."

Ryu's expression didn't change. "It has to be at a time like this."

His eyes flicked to the last rule.

"And this one," he tapped the board near rule #4, "is the most important."

Ryu's tone was firm but not aggressive.

"We're not playing hero. We're not throwing our lives away to save people who can't be saved. If a situation is too dangerous, we don't engage."

Jin said nothing.

But something cold settled in his gut.

Seul-ki finally spoke.

"...So, you're saying if someone's trapped out there," she said, voice quiet but sharp, "you're not going to help them?"

Ryu met her gaze without flinching.

"If it means getting the rest of us killed?" he said. "No."

Seul-ki's jaw tensed.

She didn't argue.

Because what was there to say?

It wasn't fair.

But it was the reality of their world.

Jin understood that better than anyone.

Ryu let them take it in.

The rules. The structure. The reality of how they survived.

Then, finally—

He turned back to them.

"You've seen how we run things," he said. "You've heard the rules. So—"

His gaze settled evenly between them.

"Are you staying?"

Jin didn't hesitate.

They had nowhere else to go.

"Yeah," he said. "We'll stay for the night and decide what we do after that."

Echo stretched his arms over his head, letting out a long exhale.

"Well, I wasn't about to go back outside," he muttered.

Seul-ki didn't say anything.

She had her arms crossed, and her fingers pressed tightly against her sleeves.

Joon-seok just stared at the floor, lips pressed into a thin line.

No one argued.

No one spoke against it.

And that was enough.

Ryu nodded.

"Good."

Then, without another word, he turned and headed for the stairwell.

Jin blinked.

"You're heading back out?"

Ryu glanced over his shoulder.

"I'm heading back up," he said simply. " I was on lookout duty."

Jin frowned. "You aren't gonna rest?"

Ryu let out a small, humorless chuckle.

"Not yet."

Then, he disappeared out the door.

For the first time since they stepped inside—

Jin and the others lowered themselves to the floor.

Joon-seok leaned his back against the nearest desk, letting out a deep breath. "I swear, sitting has never felt this good in my life."

Jin said nothing.

Now that they weren't running, fighting, or watching their backs, he could feel it.

The exhaustion sinking in.

He dragged a hand down his face, exhaling.

The world was still spinning.

Still breaking.

But for now, they could breathe.

For a little while, at least.

Echo leaned back, rolling his shoulders. "Alright, so what now? We just sit around and wait for the timer to count down?"

"Thats all we can really do for now," Jin muttered, tilting his head back against the desk. "And we help them in any way we can if needed."

They weren't here to freeload.

If they were staying, they were going to pull their weight.

Joon-seok groaned, rubbing his temples. "That's fine, just—at least let me pretend I'm dead for five minutes."

Jin almost smirked.

Then—

Seul-ki suddenly tensed beside him.

Jin turned, brows furrowing.

Her head had snapped to the left, eyes widening slightly.

Her lips parted, breath catching.

"...No way."

Jin followed her gaze.

There—curled up against the far wall, his head resting against his arms, body hunched—

A man.

Trembling slightly. Hood pulled low.

His clothes were stained.

His breathing was uneven.

And Seul-ki had gone completely still.

Her voice barely came out above a whisper.

"...Brother?"