Chapter 7: Prologue

The apocalypse had already arrived. In my mind, the Chairman’s smile changed again. To the smile of someone who’d already achieved his goal.

‘Chairman. What exactly…’

Lost briefly in stray thoughts, I quickly snapped back. Though slightly late, I needed to escape fast.

“Aaaagh!”

People who saw the machete zombie’s slashing screamed and ran. The zombies, stimulated by screams, started rampaging madly.

The chicken-eating zombie charged at the security guards surrounding it, the machete zombie swung wildly, and other zombies tore off their masks haphazardly before throwing themselves at nearby people.

Not enough that some brave people resisted with baseball bats or golf clubs.

“Hup!”

Swoosh-!

Full swing.

Maybe someone who’d played baseball – they struck the fish zombie’s arm properly, and the crack of breaking bone was clear, but the zombie stumbled forward and bit their neck anyway. Blood sprayed.

Every zombie busy attacking nearby people.

‘They’re not interested in me.’

Safe to run conspicuously. I immediately turned and sprinted full speed.

Do-hyung happened to be in my path. He was looking around at the commotion when he saw me. His eyes widened.

“When did you-“

“Let’s go quickly.”

He placed several cereal boxes he held onto his full cart.

Panting, I quickly scanned the cart.

He’d chosen well in the short time. No, seemed he’d just grabbed things randomly. Just stacked neatly with his camping experience.

Anyway, we had somewhat gathered our target resources.

‘The apocalypse is already here. Can’t give up supplies.’

I grabbed the cart’s front corner and dashed forward. Do-hyung, with a thief’s instincts, quickly assessed the situation and matched my pace, pushing the cart.

Screams echoed distantly behind us.

Do-hyung suddenly lowered his voice.

“Should we shop later instead? Looks like zombies back there.”

When I glanced back while running, his eyes looked strange. Wavering with fear, terror, tension.

Though bold enough to steal national electricity, seems zombies scared him.

“No time to check out. Let’s get our bodies out first.”

Nonsense. In an apocalypse situation, no time to scan barcodes one by one – just take the whole cart and run.

“No. Run straight for the entrance.”

“What? But-“

Rattle-

I pulled the cart roughly. People in front got hit, carts collided, annoyed looks gathered, but they widened their eyes seeing behind me.

The sense and shouts of crowds surging forward.

“Zombies that way! Four of them! Evacuate quickly!”

Someone shouted from behind. I gritted my teeth.

‘Why announce that!’

People browsing products everywhere started running, abandoning carts and baskets. The supermarket’s narrow aisles jammed with people, carts, and thrown products.

Even the escalator visible there was chaos. People trying to break through cart-blocked paths, people crossing to the opposite side after getting startled coming down.

How much higher are the chances of everything going wrong when everyone flees at once!

“Keep pushing the cart!”

“Ah, really! This doesn’t seem right!”

Leading from the front, I shouted while shoving aside obstructing carts.

Getting shoulder-checked by people overtaking me, hit by pushed carts, nearly falling after stepping wrong on scattered products.

Despite the bad conditions, I quickly rolled my eyes calculating routes.

Straight ahead wouldn’t work. Someone fell creating a human obstacle tangle up there. Couldn’t break through that.

“Left!”

Rattle-

The cart tilted like it would fall. I pressed down hard on it while quickly turning the corner. Fruit section. Someone stood in the middle of the aisle with their back turned. Like blocking the path.

Crunch-

They moved their hand leisurely, sound of biting an apple.

I felt my eyes starting to roll.

Zombies behind us. Crowds surging forward. Need to escape quickly. But blocking the way? Tripping us up? Isn’t this telling me to die? Must be an honorary zombie. Not human.

“Ram them!”

I pulled my arms like throwing the cart at that person, and Do-hyung must have used all his strength as the cart shot forward like a cannonball.

The roughly advancing cart rammed the apple-eating honorary zombie. Bang, they staggered then slowly turned around.

Screech, I stopped in my tracks.

“Ah.”

Not an honorary zombie but a real one. Flashing bloodshot eyes, drooling constantly, apple remains on their mouth, watching me. Their expression gradually twisted.

Signs of attack. Target either me or Do-hyung.

One hand gripping the hammer in my hoodie pocket, other hand making small gestures suggesting Do-hyung hit you – though unsure if it would work.

Simultaneously whispering low.

“Do-hyung, grab any weapon. Anything. Cart works too.”

No answer came.

“Do-hyung?”

The zombie crouching. Using the stopped cart between me and the zombie as a wall, I moved sideways while briefly looking away.

And saw Do-hyung sneaking away. Our eyes met. Do-hyung screamed.

“Get lost, you criminal bastard! You, I never liked you from the start! The world’s ending? You’re just crazy! Insane-“

Betrayal in an extreme situation. The thick bonds of comradeship broken.

Deeply wounded, I ran straight at Do-hyung. Behind me came the bang of the zombie shoving aside the cart and a roaring howl.

“Uh, uh!”

Do-hyung turned with a pale face, but slightly too late. Should have run immediately to escape.

Grab!

My hand caught Do-hyung’s collar. I swept his legs while strongly pulling his clothes, making him fall backward. Do-hyung fell back.

“No! Help-“

After running a few more steps, I looked down at Do-hyung. Expressionlessly, I drew out my hammer and pulled it tight behind my shoulder.

Just as Do-hyung raised his upper body and opened his mouth to scream, the zombie arrived.

“Graaaaah!”

Opening its mouth like a beast and lunging, it pounced on the sitting Do-hyung. The moment the zombie’s hair nearly brushed Do-hyung’s neck.

I strode forward swinging the hammer with full force. The hammer traced an arc striking the zombie’s head.

Crack!

Heavy impact and sensation of something crushing. The zombie seemed to lose consciousness, rolling away like trash.

I spoke to Do-hyung.

“What was I?”

“Uh, well.”

Pushing away the zombie while trembling violently, Do-hyung looked at my hammer. His complexion turned not just white but blue.

“A very wise person with foresight who can see the future.”

I shook my head.

Such praise should go to the Immortal Company Chairman. My judgment wasn’t good enough to distinguish honorary zombies from real ones.

I held out the hammer. To help him up – didn’t want skin contact with someone who’d just touched a zombie.

Do-hyung watched carefully before grabbing the hammer and standing. I spoke.

“I saved your life twice. Saved you from being killed by a zombie, and forgave you when I should have killed you for betrayal.”

“No, that’s, ah, right.”

“There won’t be a third time.”

Nothing weighs heavier than the debt of a saved life. Having received such grace from me twice, Do-hyung would think more deeply before betraying me again in the future.

Even in emergencies like this.

Do-hyung pulled the cart in a daze while I armed his naive mind.

“Repeat after me. The world is ending. What did I say?”

“The world is… ending.”

“The world is.”

“Ending!”

Do-hyung squeezed his eyes shut and shouted loudly.

While I bravely fought off the zombie, seems everyone who could flee had fled. The supermarket was quiet. No more zombies visible either.

Well, being like a first major outbreak, there wouldn’t be many yet. They’d gradually increase from now on.

We quickly moved toward the entrance, stuffing visible products into the cart.

Then went straight out the entrance.

Beep-

Though the anti-theft gates screamed about detecting thieves, no security guards stopped us. The cashier ladies gathered far away, backing further seeing the hammer that had struck the zombie.

“…We’re really going like this?”

“Let’s take the elevator.”

After cleaning our hands and the hammer with alcohol sanitizer by the entrance, and Do-hyung disinfecting where the zombie touched him, we entered the elevator.

Getting on at the first floor, pressing for the seventh floor parking.

Closed narrow space. I checked my mask.

‘Surely not infected?’

Though it seemed fine just wearing masks well and sanitizing hands well, I felt needlessly anxious.

Ding!

The elevator stopped then. Second floor. One person entered, glancing at the hammer. Not just once. The elevator stopped at each floor taking on people.

The narrow space filled with people leaving barely any room. Silence in the elevator.

“…”

“…”

Anxious. Cold sweat formed. I wiped my forehead with my collar. My heart pounded thump-thump.

What if one of them was infected? And suddenly turned zombie? Then. Grip, my hand tightened on the hammer.

The short moment rising to the seventh floor seemed to stretch long.

Fortunately, no one transformed before reaching the seventh floor. Ding, as soon as we exited through the cheerfully opening doors, I exhaled deeply. Felt completely drained mentally and physically.

I spoke weakly.

“Let’s take the cart too.”

“The cart too? Ah. Could be useful.”

Do-hyung nodded in understanding.

Carts were good for moving stuff, could hit zombies or people by pushing heavy loads downhill, could be used as barricades.

After somehow getting the cart into the camper van, we got in the driver’s and passenger seats.

I suddenly looked at Do-hyung starting the engine.

‘…He’s not infected too, right?’

Couldn’t trust people. Before relationships between people or whatever, felt fundamental distrust. This was an apocalypse where people couldn’t trust people.

‘If this is the apocalypse, got to adapt. Got to live like that.’

I reclined deep in the passenger seat.

The camper van smoothly left the parking lot, driving through downtown. A city with police cars and ambulances wailing sirens everywhere. Sometimes zombies ran through streets. Some people lay wounded, others covered in blood.

I watched all these scenes through the window.

Day 6 of the zombie outbreak.

The apocalypse had already arrived, and the world was stained with blood and distrust. A perfect world for marauding.