episode_0035

Morning arrived without fail.

From early morning, everyone in the group was busy preparing to move.

Perhaps they hadn’t slept well last night, as dark circles hung under their eyes.

It wasn’t surprising.

They had to go outside once more and walk, avoiding the zombies.

It was ironic that they had hidden to survive, but now had to go outside again to survive.

Perhaps due to tension and worry, everyone couldn’t eat properly, so I strongly urged them to eat even a little more. They needed stamina to move.

More than anything, it was questionable whether they would be able to eat properly at the shelter they were headed to.

I packed the remaining food into my backpack and put on some simple protective gear.

Everyone’s expressions were stiff as they helped each other put on their gear.

Watching them, I also quickly finished my preparations.

I tightly fastened my gloves, arm guards, and greaves.

I fastened a small slingshot pouch at my waist and adjusted the steel marbles so they were easy to take out.

I had thought about it a bit last night.

Whether or not to use the bow right away.

The conclusion was to put it on hold for now.

‘If I carry it, it feels like it’ll be taken away.’

I felt that the soldiers and police might not look favorably upon it.

It might be confiscated under the pretext of maintaining indoor security.

It was a shame, but for now, I decided to rely on the slingshot.

Beyond that, it was best not to encounter any zombies on the way.

After checking everyone’s gear and even their shoes, I felt the air settle slightly.

It was time to leave.

Signs of tension were evident, but it was definitely better than the first time.

“It’s no different from last time.”

I looked around at everyone, who was stiff, and briefly recited the precautions.

“Don’t make loud noises, don’t scream, and only follow the person in front of you.”

Everyone nodded.

I could see that their bodies were tense, but it was great that they weren’t trembling uncontrollably.

“I’ll protect you, my dear. Don’t worry.”

“This, this crazy old man.”

Grandpa Choi Deokman grinned, resting a fire axe on his shoulder.

He stubbornly insisted that an axe was better than a crowbar and picked up a long axe.

It was a bluff unbefitting his age, but the way he lifted the axe was remarkably natural. He looked ready to cleave a zombie’s head open if it rushed at them.

The playful bravado he displayed to ease the grandmother’s tension was enough to elicit short bursts of laughter from everyone.

I smiled faintly and looked around at the group.

They were ready from head to toe, each holding a short crowbar in their hand.

“Hyung. Why didn’t you wear what I gave you yesterday?”

“…I’ll wear it next time. Next time.”

When I mentioned the rider armor I’d given him yesterday, Jihyeok hyung’s voice trailed off.

Shia also didn’t wear the rider armor in the end.

I thought it would suit them well.

It was confirmed that everyone had relaxed a little.

This much was enough for now.

I naturally dropped my smile.

“We’re setting off.”

As soon as I finished speaking, I opened the back door and stepped outside.

The cool air of the early morning jolted me awake.

It felt like my body, still drowsy from sleep, was waking up.

My condition was good too.

I gripped the crowbar in my right hand once again.

We moved in the same formation as last time, matching our pace to the elderly.

In the alley in front of the motel, the corpses of the zombies I had brought down yesterday lay scattered.

Fortunately, the group wasn’t surprised or overly stiff.

They simply avoided looking at the sight they couldn’t get used to.

We smoothly passed through the alley and slowly approached the main road.

I stopped for a moment and surveyed the surroundings.

There were no zombies immediately visible.

However, the appearance of the street and the ground was slightly different from yesterday.

There were scattered, haphazard shoe prints visible here and there.

And noticeably, damaged zombie corpses.

‘……’

I quickly scanned the corpses.

It didn’t look like soldiers had shot them down immediately.

Most of the traces indicated their heads had been crushed with blunt weapons or stabbed with knives.

Violent marks remained, as if they had been attacked indiscriminately.

It might have been the desperate struggle of living people, but there was absolutely no sign of mercy. It was a sight that made one wonder if such results would be left if a person lost their reason and wielded a weapon.

‘Good job.’

To deal with monsters like zombies, one had to be at least at the same level.

To survive, one had to do even more than that.

Whether one was strong or determined, if they couldn’t accomplish it, they would die.

Of course, it would be troublesome if one’s reason became paralyzed and they turned into a true monster.

Fortunately, our group only frowned or looked unwell.

They didn’t fall into a panic.

Seeing no zombies in the direction we were heading, we started moving again.

We passed between the abandoned vehicles filling the road and crossed the street.

I felt it would be more dangerous to stick too close to the buildings, so I kept a moderate distance.

As we closed the distance towards the high school, the number of zombies sprawled on the street increased. The numerous footprints trampled in the blood on the ground were so chaotic it was hard to tell where they came from or went.

Amidst that sight, the group showed signs of being nauseated.

But they endured well, not making any sound, just as I had warned.

Without prolonging it, we all maintained our pace.

We diligently walked until we arrived beneath the road sign we had seen yesterday.

It had only taken a little over 20 minutes.

We had walked indifferently through the severely foul-smelling zombie corpses.

Perhaps it was because they had been moving continuously under harsh conditions while tense.

Even though the weather was cool, the group was already drenched in sweat.

It seemed the mental burden was greater than the physical exhaustion.

“Just a little more effort. We don’t have much further to go now.”

I briefly turned back and encouraged the group.

At my words that the goal was near, everyone’s eyes filled with renewed strength.

Everyone took a deep breath and resumed walking.

Since we were retracing the path we had taken yesterday following the survivors, we didn’t get lost.

However, the scene was slightly different from yesterday.

The abandoned cars on the road were considerably damaged.

It was as if something large had pushed its way through.

Thanks to that, there was a path wide enough for a car to pass in the corner of the road.

Given that there were glass shards and fragments of cars scattered on the ground, it looked as if they had literally been pushed aside by force. And those traces led in the direction of our destination.

‘Surely… it hasn’t been breached, has it?’

The sudden wave of anxiety filling my mind was irritating.

I highly doubted they had been pushed back by zombies overnight.

Still, it was a place with armed forces.

It wouldn’t have been breached so easily.

I carefully led the group, making sure not to step on the fragments on the ground.

There was no need to make unnecessary noise.

No other sounds reached my ears, which were acutely sensitive from being on edge.

There wasn’t much left now.

I diligently quickened our pace.

In front, a curved building began to appear.

I gestured towards the building’s direction to the group.

A building with beautiful curves and bright brick-colored walls.

As the goal became visible, the expressions of the group began to brighten.

Encouraged, we advanced towards the school.

However, as we got closer to the school, the number of zombie corpses increased, and everyone’s expressions ultimately hardened.

‘Wait here for a moment.’

I quietly conveyed this to Jihyeok hyung, who was right behind me, and moved forward alone.

The school was less than 50 meters away.

I subtly placed the crowbar into my inventory so the group behind me wouldn’t see.

However, corpses were piled up near the main gate.

The entangled corpses were all severely mutilated, spilling blood and internal organs. The creeping stench of decay rising from them was enough to sting the nose.

No moving zombies were visible.

‘Did they defend it?’

I slowly walked towards the school’s main gate, looking around.

For now, no zombie growls could be heard either.

Just when I thought it was quiet all around.

“Freeze!”

A rough shout burst out, accompanied by the clacking sound of a gun being cocked.

Soldiers.

They suddenly appeared, as if they had been hiding behind cover.

Their severely hoarse voices were painful to hear.

Perhaps due to their camouflage, their expressions weren’t clearly visible, but their bloodshot eyes seemed to reveal how precarious and difficult their state was.

The muzzle of the gun trembled slightly yet aimed precisely at me.

The air, mixed with fear and killing intent, felt as if it would pierce me.

Multiple gun muzzles were pointed at me.

I moved slowly so as not to provoke the precarious-looking soldiers.

Taking a few steps closer, I gently raised both hands above my head.

“I am a living person.”

I spoke precisely, without shouting.

I didn’t want to needlessly attract zombies.

I stopped moving and waited quietly.

“Lower your guns.”

At someone’s command, the guns were lowered.

At the same time, the soldiers bowed their heads and exhaled deeply.

“A little closer.”

As I was lowering my hands at the quiet urging, I mentioned my group.

“I have a group with me. Can we all enter?”

“Are there any injured people?”

‘…This bastard?’

“No.”

“Are there any bitten people?”

“No.”

Since he spoke so rudely without preamble, I retorted briefly.

I understood why, but it didn’t feel good.

Meanwhile, the person who seemed to be in charge was talking about being bitten.

Perhaps they had experience encountering zombies.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’m sure.”

One soldier revealed himself.

His sturdy build gave off a strong, dependable impression.

“We need to check for injuries.”

“Then, may I call them over?”

I matched his sudden switch to polite language.

I should treat them as they treat me.

Seeing the soldier nod, I turned around.

In front, the group was holding their breath, waiting for me.

I gestured to call the group and looked at the soldiers.

Up close, they looked utterly exhausted.

The soldiers surveyed the surroundings and didn’t utter a single word until the group arrived.

Although they had lowered their guns, they hadn’t erased the suspicious glint from their eyes.

Before long, everyone gathered by my side.

The soldier, who had been observing everyone, stated as if giving an announcement.

“Once you go inside, you’ll need to undergo a thorough physical examination.”

At the mention of a physical examination, the group exchanged glances.

It was certainly understandable to be flustered by a sudden physical examination.

Still, if they had directly experienced zombies, such a sharp attitude was understandable.

“Do we have to take all our clothes off?”

“We need to verify it directly. It’s for everyone’s safety.”

“Are women checked separately?”

“…There’s a female officer inside. She will perform the check.”

Hearing that, I looked around at the group and spoke calmly.

“As the soldier said, it is indeed a necessary procedure.”

I didn’t add any further explanation, but everyone nodded.

The soldier before us looked at us with curious eyes.

“…You can go inside and follow the instructions.”

I gave a slight nod, then walked inside through the main gate with the group.

Following a slight uphill path, a large school building greeted us.

The main building, curved rather than straight.

A relatively clean building and a reasonably spacious playground.

Several military vehicles were parked in the wide area.

However, none of them were in good condition.

The front and sides were severely damaged, as if they had collided with something.

‘So they came by pushing aside the abandoned cars.’

Looking around, soldiers were standing guard, positioned at appropriate distances. Every single one of them was stiff and tense.

Fortunately, there were no traces of zombies inside the main gate.

It seemed the armed forces were guarding it well.

‘I can relax a little.’

It was hard to completely let my guard down.

But the group’s expressions looked relieved.

A feeling of ‘Finally!’

Indeed. Having seen the zombies lying dead in front of gun-wielding soldiers, it was natural to feel secure.

Watching the group, whose reactions differed from mine, we arrived at the main building.

‘Wait a minute?’

We hadn’t encountered any zombies during our movement today.

We were truly lucky.

It seemed someone in our group was a good luck charm.

Because.

I’m the one with terrible luck.