The Weapon Genius: Anything I Hold Can Kill-Chapter 32: The Road Ahead

The station hummed with quiet movement.

People whispered in low voices, checking weapons and counting supplies. The faint glow of flashlights bounced off the concrete walls, casting long, shifting shadows as survivors quietly prepared for whatever came next.

The group stood near the entrance, finishing up the last of their packing.

Jin adjusted the strap of his pack, testing the weight. It sat heavy against his back, but the ache in his body had faded to something distant. Manageable.

Joon flexed his fingers, stretching them out before clenching them into fists.

"Man," he muttered. "I forgot what my hands feel like without electricity buzzing through them."

Echo snorted, tugging his hoodie tighter.

"Yeah, and I forgot what it feels like to not have to listen to you whine."

Joon shot him a look.

"I'm just saying. I feel like I lost a limb."

"Your brain's the limb you lost," Echo muttered.

Joon flipped him off, but there wasn't any real bite behind it.

Jin watched the exchange, lips twitching into a faint smile. It wasn't much, but the banter settled something in his chest. A reminder that they were still themselves, even after everything.

Seul stood a little apart from the group, helping Chul adjust the sling on his arm. Her hands lingered longer than necessary, her fingers brushing against the fabric like she wasn't ready to let go.

Chul let her fuss, not saying anything at first.

Then, gently, he caught her wrist.

"I'm staying," he said, voice quiet but steady.

Seul stiffened.

Jin turned, blinking.

"What?"

Chul looked up, scanning their faces, but there was no hesitation in his eyes.

"I'm staying here," he repeated. "With Ryu."

Joon squinted.

"You hit your head or something?"

Chul huffed a small laugh, shaking his head.

"No."

He rubbed his shoulder, the tension in his body sharp but grounded.

"I've been thinking about it," he said. "And it makes sense."

Echo tilted his head.

"How?"

Chul exhaled slowly, glancing down at his hands.

"I almost killed Seul," he muttered.

Seul flinched.

"That wasn't your fault—"

"I know," Chul cut in, his voice soft but firm. "I know it was the strings. But it still happened."

He looked up, eyes sharp.

"I felt my body move, but I couldn't stop it."

The words lingered, heavy but honest.

Chul rolled his fingers, flexing them carefully.

"My ability's dangerous," he said quietly. "I don't even know how strong I can get, and that scares me."

He swallowed, jaw tight.

"If someone messes with me again... or if I lose control when I try to store too much energy..."

His voice dropped lower.

"What if next time, it's not Seul? What if it's one of you?"

The room fell quiet.

Chul rubbed the back of his neck, glancing toward the hallway like he could feel Ryu's presence even though the man wasn't there yet.

"Ryu knows how to control his body better than anyone I've seen," Chul muttered. "But even more than that... he's patient."

He looked at Jin.

"He didn't give up on you," Chul said carefully. "Even after you almost cut him down."

Jin's chest tightened, but he didn't argue.

Chul turned back to Seul, voice gentler.

"I need a teacher," he whispered. "I also need some time."

Seul's throat bobbed.

Chul's expression softened, but he didn't back down.

"You've been protecting me since we were kids," he said, voice raw. "But I don't want that anymore."

Seul's lips parted, her fingers twitching.

"I wanna get strong enough that you don't have to worry," Chul whispered.

"Strong enough that the next time we see each other, I can protect you too."

Seul pressed her hand to her mouth, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Joon rubbed his face, muttering something under his breath.

"Man, why's everyone growing emotionally except me?"

Echo patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry. You'll get there in, like, twenty years."

Joon elbowed him.

Seul finally stepped forward, pulling Chul into a tight, silent hug.

Chul's face crumpled, but he hugged her back just as fiercely, holding on like he didn't want to let go.

They stayed like that for a long moment.

Then, slowly, Seul pulled away, wiping her eyes.

Her voice shook, but she managed to smile.

"I'm coming back," she whispered.

Chul smiled back, voice quiet.

"I know," he whispered. "I'll be waiting."

Jin stepped forward, holding out his hand.

Chul gripped it tight, shaking firmly.

"Look after them," Chul muttered.

Jin nodded, voice low.

"I will."

Behind them, a shadow stretched across the floor.

Ryu stood in the doorway, arms crossed.

He watched them silently, eyes steady and unreadable.

After a moment, he pushed off the wall, jerking his head toward the hallway.

"You should see something before you go," he muttered, already turning.

He didn't wait.

He just started walking.

The group exchanged glances, then silently followed after him, disappearing down the corridor as the station lights flickered overhead.

The hallway stretched out in dim, flickering shadows.

Ryu walked ahead without speaking, boots echoing against the concrete floor. The glow of the emergency lights buzzed faintly overhead, casting jagged streaks of yellow against the walls.

No one asked where they were going.

They just followed.

Jin walked beside Seul, who stayed quiet, her fingers twitching every few seconds like she wanted to turn back and check on Chul. She didn't. She just kept walking, her face pale but set.

Joon rubbed his eyes, sighing.

"If this ends with us getting shanked in a back room, I'm gonna be pissed," he muttered.

Echo snorted.

"Nah. If Ryu wanted to kill us, he'd do it in public."

Jin shot Echo a tired look.

"Not helping."

Echo shrugged.

Ryu stopped in front of a reinforced door near the back of the station — one of the old holding cells. The metal was warped, bent in places like someone had tried to break out.

Without a word, Ryu pressed his palm against the door. The steel shifted and melted like liquid, peeling back to reveal the cell inside.

The door slid open with a low groan.

Inside, Jisoo and Hanseong were pinned against the wall — wrapped in layers of iron bands, their arms and legs locked in place.

Hanseong was still unconscious, his head drooped forward, chest rising and falling in shallow, uneven breaths. Jisoo, on the other hand, was wide awake.

Her head lifted as the door opened, eyes sharp despite the bruises along her jaw.

She blinked slowly, scanning the group.

Then she smiled — all teeth.

"Oh," she rasped, voice rough but laced with amusement. "You're keeping me as a pet to show off to your friends? How flattering."

Seul stiffened, her jaw clenching.

"You kept her alive?"

Ryu stepped aside, crossing his arms.

"I'm giving her a choice," he muttered. "Still waiting for her to make it."

Jisoo's smile widened, her teeth streaked with dried blood.

"Now you want my help?" she sneered. "What happened to all that righteous fury?"

Ryu didn't flinch.

"You offered an alliance," he said simply. "I'm giving you the chance to make good on that."

Jisoo snorted, leaning her head back against the wall with a dull thud.

"You think I care about the alliance?" she muttered.

"I think you care about living," Ryu said.

Jisoo tilted her head, watching him carefully.

"...And what happens if I say no?"

Ryu shrugged.

"Then you die," he said, voice even. "Either from your injuries or from whatever shows up next."

Jisoo blinked.

Then she laughed — a dry, rasping sound that echoed against the cell walls.

Joon shifted awkwardly, rubbing his neck.

"This feels... weird," he muttered. "Why are we even here?"

Ryu leaned against the doorframe, the metal molding slightly to his shape.

"Because I wanted you to know something before you left," he muttered.

"Her people scattered after she lost. But we don't know where they went. Or if they'll come back."

Jin's gut twisted.

Echo squinted, scratching his jaw.

"You think they'll try to take the station again?"

Before Ryu could answer, Jisoo let out a sharp, bitter snort.

"They're not coming back," she muttered, her voice laced with dry amusement.

Seul frowned, crossing her arms.

"You sound pretty sure of that."

Jisoo tilted her head, eyes gleaming.

"They didn't follow me because they liked me," she muttered. "They followed me because it was convenient."

Her voice dropped lower.

"People don't stay loyal when you lose."

The words echoed against the cold metal walls, sharp and hollow.

Ryu watched her for a long moment, then nodded slightly.

"Maybe," he muttered. "But desperation makes people unpredictable."

Jisoo went quiet, her fingers twitching slightly against the iron bands.

Jin stepped forward, studying her face carefully.

He didn't see hatred in her expression.

He saw emptiness.

Like she'd already accepted she had nothing left.

Jin swallowed, throat dry.

"I hope you figure out what you're fighting for," he muttered, turning toward the door.

Jisoo's body stiffened.

She didn't respond.

She just stared at him, her lips slightly parted, like she wanted to say something but couldn't.

Jin didn't wait.

He just walked away.

They gathered near the station entrance.

The night pressed against the shattered windows, the sky starless and vast. The world outside felt heavier somehow—like the system itself had seeped into the bones of the earth, twisting reality into something sharper and meaner.

Jin adjusted the strap of his pack, his fingers lingering on the buckle. The station lights buzzed faintly behind them, casting long shadows on the floor.

The station had been safe.

Out there? Nothing was safe.

Seul stood next to him, rubbing her arm. She kept glancing toward the hallway they'd come from, like she wanted to turn back. But she didn't.

She just stood there, jaw tight, breathing carefully through her nose.

Joon stretched his arms, wincing.

"Man," he muttered. "We're really doing this, huh?"

Echo kicked at a loose chunk of concrete, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Walking into the apocalypse with bruised ribs and no plan?" He sighed. "Sounds about right."

Ryu leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.

"You sure you want to leave now?" he muttered. "It's not exactly a short walk to nowhere."

Jin shifted, adjusting the weight of his bag.

"We need to do this," he said quietly.

Ryu exhaled through his nose, rubbing his jaw.

"You at least got a destination?"

Jin hesitated.

"...We were just going to figure it out as we went."

Joon snorted.

"Great plan. Love the detail work."

Ryu shook his head, stepping forward.

"You won't last a week like that," he muttered. "But I might know a place you could use."

Jin lifted his head.

"Where?"

Ryu scratched his chin, eyes narrowing slightly.

"There's a small school campus a few miles from here," he said. "I used to patrol that area back when things were normal."

Seul frowned.

"A school?"

"Big enough to shelter you. Small enough to defend," Ryu explained.

"The place has a gym with solar panels—if they still work, you might get some power. And the cafeteria's got industrial freezers. If anything's left, you could stretch your food longer."

Echo raised a brow.

"...And it's just sitting there?"

Ryu shrugged.

"I have no idea," he admitted. "Could be empty. Could be occupied. Could be a complete death trap."

Jin's fingers twitched.

"Then why suggest it?"

Ryu met his gaze.

"Because it's your best shot," he said.

Seul exhaled, rubbing her temple.

"...It's a risk."

Joon cracked his knuckles.

"Everything's a risk," he muttered. "Might as well take the one with potential free food."

Jin thought about it carefully.

A school.

Potential resources.

Potential danger.

They couldn't afford to be picky.

"...We'll take it," Jin muttered.

Ryu nodded, stepping back toward the doorway.

"Then get moving," he muttered. "The longer you stay, the more you risk running into something worse than me."

Jin turned to face him, swallowing the knot in his throat.

"...Thanks," he muttered.

Ryu didn't speak for a moment.

Then he reached out, clasping Jin's shoulder.

"Stay alive," Ryu muttered.

Jin smirked faintly.

"You too."

Ryu exhaled, glancing toward the parking lot.

"There are still a few police cars we didn't scrap for parts," he muttered. "You can take one."

Echo blinked.

"We're getting a car?"

Joon whistled.

"Now that's an upgrade."

Ryu raised a brow.

"It's not infinite gas," he muttered. "Use it smart."

The group moved outside, their footsteps echoing in the cold night air.

The police car sat in the lot — scratched up, dented, but still intact. The doors were unlocked, the keys dangling from the visor.

Joon immediately sprinted for the passenger side.

"Shotgun!"

Echo shoved him, scrambling to get ahead.

"Like hell you are! I called it first!"

"You didn't call crap!"

"I'm older it's implied!"

"That's not how shotgun works!"

Jin sighed, rubbing his face as they bickered.

"Are we seriously doing this?"

Seul didn't say anything. She just yanked the passenger door open, got in, and slammed it shut.

Joon and Echo stopped, staring at her through the window.

She locked the door.

Joon blinked.

"...She can't do that, right?"

Echo shook his head.

"I don't think there are rules for the apocalypse."

Grumbling, they both climbed into the backseat.

Jin slid into the driver's seat, adjusting the mirrors and testing the brakes. The interior smelled like old leather and faint gunpowder.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Jin gripped the wheel tightly, staring out at the empty street ahead of them.

Then he turned the key.

The engine rumbled to life, cutting through the silence like a pulse.

He took a slow breath, hands steady.

Then he shifted the car into gear — and drove.

The city faded behind them, streetlights dark, buildings looming like broken teeth against the night sky.