episode_0055

Gatekeeper of Salvation (1) – In front of ‘Lotte Mart’ in Hanbawi, Yeongjong Island, Incheon

Bangbang- baaang- bam-

“Keee!”

Several cars sped up and rang their horns as if they were running away.

On the street where you can feel the sea breeze of Yeongjong Island.

All the zombies wandering the streets began to chase the car at once as a loud roar echoed around them.

The herding team succeeded in herding the animal.

“Hmm, it would be okay to enter slowly.”

The acrid scent of tar spread from the old man’s mouth.

Kang San covered his face with his arm as if to show off the cigarette smoke creeping in.

I ignored the old man who was laughing at me like I was cute and stared at the door with the broken window.

An interior filled with darkness that has swallowed up all the sunlight.

“Why? Do I feel numb just thinking about going in?”

“I am not a superhuman like you. Of course it’s scary.”

Kang San answered the old man’s mischievous question with a grin.

He didn’t know that that grumpy question was a joke to ease his nerves.

Kang San took a deep breath and checked the pistol with a shiny white barrel again.

My heart pounded unpleasantly as the magazine was filled with yellow bullets.

I definitely need to use it, but I hope I don’t have to use this pistol today.

“Whooo~”

The old man took a deep breath of the cigarette and threw the cigarette butt on the ground with a long sigh.

“… Young man.”

“Ah, please stop nagging me just for today. There are a lot of things to worry about besides this, right?”

“At least step on it with your foot.”

“Yes, yes. This is why I like you. I still like a good guy who nags a lot more than a bad guy.”

The old man, stepping on a cigarette butt, quietly walks to the door.

Kang San silently followed behind him and looked around.

It was a formation they had become very familiar with by now.

“Now that I think about it, maybe I was too quiet because I felt like I was in a pretty good group?”

“Haha, someone has to do it anyway.”

“A comment that you would only see in a public service advertisement… .”

Old Man, who was mumbling, threw his smartphone into the supermarket.

Tuk-

A weak light cut through the darkness and settled in the center of the supermarket.

“Kya, look how it doesn’t turn off even if you do that. Isn’t this why it’s domestically produced?”

“I like everything foreign these days.”

“Hey, I saw it all on the news! I heard they didn’t even provide proper after-sales service!”

After their casual chatter, the set time arrived.

The smartphone, which was emitting a weak light, vibrated and sounded an alarm.

[Eeee…

The alarm, which was strictly aimed at suppressing noise, shook the interior of the supermarket.

They quietly observed the movement and slowly stepped into the darkness due to a quiet internal reaction.

The flash lights of each flashlight illuminated their path.

Rustling-

The old man reached in front of the smartphone, which was vibrating loudly with the sound of stepping on glass, and quietly took the phone.

“Not a single one? hmm… Is it because it’s on the first floor?”

“… I don’t know. We specialize in exteriors, not buildings.”

“Hahaha, that’s right.”

With a hearty laugh, Yeonggam gently pushed Kangsan’s shoulder.

Kang San smiled at the cheerful reaction and thought about the day he first met the old man.

Escape from the library, which was reckless even in my opinion.

Although they obtained the weapon they wanted from the police officer’s corpse, it did nothing to improve the situation.

A gun is a tool that fires bullets.

The percussion causes considerable noise.

The most important problem was that the element that made zombies die and go crazy was also called ‘noise’.

When it comes to killing zombies, guns really were a huge problem.

However, I couldn’t give up and go back to the library.

‘I rejected Ga Eul so mercilessly… ‘

His pride, which was completely useless in this situation, held him back.

His sister, the only blood relative he really had left now.

On this self-proclaimed ascetic path of hell, Kang San met the old man as if by a miracle.

He was confident that this story would probably sell well if written as a book.

The only companion in a ruined world who is looking for a lost family like himself.

“Let’s keep this one thing in mind. ‘Mother’s’ request is not ‘farming’ but ‘searching’. If there is even the slightest hint of danger, the search is over without even looking back.”

“You said that exactly 20 times today.”

“Yekki! Every word an adult says becomes flesh and blood!”

In this vast supermarket, only their jokes were heard quietly.

Kangsan’s flash light scanned the ceiling meticulously and then the floor.

Weee?

The smell of rotting corpses and the noisy wings of flies.

I could barely suppress my nausea as the maggots advanced, wriggling around the corpse illuminated by the flashlight.

“Holy shit, these damn flies will lay eggs on zombies!”

The old man was upset when he saw the maggots crawling on the spoiled food.

Fortunately, this Lotte Mart was full of food right from the first floor.

The most important goal of our search was to confirm the presence or absence of edible food.

“Move towards dry food or canned food.”

“That’s right.”

They moved further inward, stepping on sticky black blood and glass.

“Always look from the bottom before moving. Before the head-only cub bites my ankle hard.”

“Yes, yes.”

Their search, carefully searching every corner, naturally had no choice but to slow down.

Their faces were filled with sweat as they searched slowly but surely like a turtle.

“… I have a bad feeling about something.”

“Shall we go back?”

Without any hesitation, Kang San asked the old man.

So far, he has never suffered a loss due to his intuition and skill.

The old man, who had been thinking deeply, slightly shook his head.

“Hmm, no. If we give up this place like this, there will be a disruption in tomorrow’s supply.”

“… It seems like you have a lot of affection for the group.”

“Hehe, are you the only one who can do it? I gave up everything I had to do with my younger brother who used to sing like that.”

Kang San, whose face was bright red, couldn’t find a suitable answer and was speechless.

I kept thinking about myself crying after reuniting with my younger sister, who was in the group.

“… Still, I’m glad. We actually met in the end, right?”

“Your family will definitely be alive.”

“… … That’s how it should be. That’s how it should be.”

With the atmosphere becoming heavier, they carefully inspected the canned food section.

All the canned food that had plenty of expiration date remaining was absorbed into the old man’s inventory.

Kang San’s expression was filled with wonder as he watched the cans disappearing in an instant.

“Wow- I still can’t believe it. An awakened person.”

“Ekki, this is an additional feature. Can I show you some real magic?”

The old man’s dark expression became proud again.

Seeing the old man waving his hand with a confident expression, Kang San smiled brightly and answered.

“Don’t do it. Every time I see it, it feels like a power show.”

“What a cocky guy.”

In the relaxed atmosphere again, Kang San recalled the events that took place in the library.

‘Yoon A-young’, a pre-infected patient who claimed to be an awakened person.

Everything she said was true.

‘I’m really glad. ‘Because they didn’t kick me out then.’

In fact, he also opposed it because he was concerned, and did not believe everything that Yoon Ah-young said.

Rather, I found myself being persuaded by Lee Kyung-min’s words.

The only person who defended Yoon Ah-young.

‘I’m sure you two are doing well.’

Gaeul was criticized for having strange eyes, but in the first place, there were few people who evaluated Gaeul positively.

If those two come together, they could probably create good synergy.

“Okay, what are the abilities of the awakened person I saw before?”

Suddenly, Kang San’s thoughts were broken by the incoming question.

Kang San asked in a surprised tone as he looked at the old man looking around at the canned food.

“… Did I tell you what happened in the past?”

“Man, how many adversities have we overcome together? Just by looking at each other’s eyes, we already know each other. This is called ‘writing’ in a difficult word, but young people these days don’t know it.”

“Younggam. Even kids these days know all those simple Chinese characters.”

Kang San, who lightly hit the old man, threw the canned food placed on the other side at the old man.

Kang San continued as he watched the canned food disappear from the hand of the old man who quickly took it.

“He says he can sense a crisis through his words.”

“Oh, that’s a very good ability. Did you have a job? Ah, should I call it the second awakening?”

“Younggam. I’m not an awakened person, so I don’t understand even if you use those words.”

Kang San’s flashlight carefully examined the surroundings again.

I know that the building should be searched as quietly as possible without making any noise.

However, when people become silent in the darkness without being able to see an inch ahead, they truly go crazy.

It was not common for people to withstand the pressure of such a heavy situation to begin with.

‘If they were to react to the sound of conversation in the first place, they would have already jumped out at the sound of the alarm.’

It was the so-called know-how.

The know-how to withstand the darkness that I learned automatically after countless experiences.

“It’s a shame. If he had made the second awakening, he would have become a much-needed talent for the group.”

“What… That’s right.”

Kang San’s eyes stared at a distant place that he could not even see for a moment.

This time, the old man cut off the atmosphere that was about to become heavy again.

“Look at the young guy’s eyes already filled with greed. Hey, you guy. There is also that awakened kid who dies just at the words of your sister, but his greed… .”

“Once again, you are exaggerating your thoughts like an old man.”

“I’m telling you not to worry too much, Inum. After seeing the little Awakened’s abilities, the group members were already talking about ‘Mother’ making a fuss. You did a good job keeping your little sister in line.”

“… As an older brother, I am very embarrassed.”

While they were chatting, Kang San smiled bitterly as he looked at the completely empty canned food section.

The old man said, tapping Kang San on the shoulder with a tapping gesture.

“You’re all good, but that’s the problem. Don’t think about tomorrow, just think about today. Well, isn’t there a line from the movie?”

“… Did you see that too?”

“Hey, I’m also an early adopter, that’s right!”

“That movie was over 10 years ago.”

“… Just answer questions well. Ah.”

As they were moving to the dry food section next to the empty canned food section, they began to hear a faint voice.

“… anybody there? Aaaa New?

The delicate voice of a very young child.

Kang San’s blurred eyes gazed beyond the darkness.

His mind automatically pictured a child shivering in a corner.

‘Young kid. I’m crying. ‘I need to save you.’

Perhaps, as an adult, Kang San’s body automatically moved forward as a very natural thought.

chin-

The old man, who also heard the sound, quickly pulled Kang San’s arm.

I suddenly became irritated with the old man who was interfering with me.

“Hey, there’s a kid over there! I need to get it right now!”

I struggled to let go of my hand, but I couldn’t shake off the old man’s arm.

The moment power was automatically applied to the pistol held in my left hand, the old man’s voice rang softly.

“It is a variant.”

“… … Ah.”

With my head instantly refreshed, Kangsan’s flashlight scanned the ceiling.

The mutants and Setin bastards who voice that devil’s voice.

Shasasasasak—

Kang San’s eyes became urgent as he heard the creepy sound of scratching the ceiling tiles.

“Ugh—I’m hungry. I’m so hungry~”

“Uuuu be be it siuuu~

I wanted to rip my ears off as the child cried again.

The old man said it was a variant, but doubts keep popping up in my head.

What if it’s a really low probability, but it’s a child who’s still holding on?

… … Wouldn’t it be okay to at least check it?

“… I’m going crazy. I’m getting smarter. Now I am a really skilled fisherman.”

The old man rolled up his arms and pointed his hands toward the ceiling.

Bright flames were sprayed up to the ceiling along the old man’s red glowing body.

Grumbling-

The guys who were quietly surrounding them glimmered along the long flames.

“Keee!”

White varieties that cling to the ceiling like bats.

At best, there were more than 40.

“This is completely impossible for me. End the search.”

Kang San bit his lip hard at the old man’s words.

The fainting feeling came back for a moment along with the bitter taste of blood.

He hurriedly pushed the stand away with his foot, causing noise.

Drurrr

With the sound of wheels rolling, the legs of one of the white mutants twitched.

Kwaaa

A white light flashed and the moving stand itself turned into powder.

A white mutant collapsed in a small crater and let out a strange sound.

“Kkissss!”

The mutants still filling the ceiling advanced towards them through the flames.

The old man’s hand moves into the air with a small clicking sound.

“… It’s not enough!”

[♩~ ♪~ ♬]

The smartphone that popped out of the old man’s inventory flew through the air accompanied by loud music.

Kwaaang—

In an instant, the old man held Kang San in his princess arms, leaving behind the silent smartphone.

It looked quite embarrassing, but there was no time to worry about it.

Kang San put the flashlight in his mouth as he always did and held the pistol with both hands.

Nettle liquid –

A shaking pistol was aimed at the ceiling, accompanied by the sound of the wind cracking.

With the distinctive sound of cracking tiles, they chased after them.

“Young Master! It’s been a while since you had a Charyeok Show, right?”

“I’m putting on a show just by holding a man who’s already grown up.”

“If you ask me, are you an ordinary person?”

“… okay. It’s better to be cocky than to be lazy.”

Kkkk!

The quiet supermarket is shaking.

The sound of the old man rushing in a straight line, destroying all obstacles in the way, and the howls of the guys were heard one after another.

‘ah… … .’

Lotte Mart, which still had a lot to take care of, was devastated.

The canned food they barely brought with them cannot even provide enough food for one day for so many group members.

The fuel, manpower, and time consumed to set up this operation.

They receive very little compensation and are forced to run away as if they are being chased.

The pistol aimed at the white afterimages trembled violently.

“Keuuugh―!”

He spoke to Kang San, who was shaking with self-destruction, in a serious voice that was not typical of an old man.

“Live birth. There is no trial that cannot be overcome. Just don’t give in to trials that are too strong. That’s just the saying these days, think you’re at the wrong boss stage.”

“… Do you even know that word?”

Kang San’s voice trembled slightly at the gentle consolation.

“Then, am I not an early adopter?”

I could see the sun shining outside along with the old man’s cheerful smile.

Shasasasasak—

They were desperately pursuing him, but it was too much for them to catch up with the Awakened who only thought about running away.

They succeeded in escaping by breaking the half-broken glass.

Through the shattering pieces of glass, I could see the guys stuck on the ceiling trembling with anger.

mart.

A convenience facility for humans to go for a walk in slippers.

“Kkissss!”

mart.

Now, the crazy people who dare to risk their lives…

“… It’s like a nest.”

nest.

‘I’m worried about you right now! If you go out, you’ll die!’

At that moment, a bitter smile formed at the desperate cry ringing in my head.

“Autumn… … .”

This is not what I should say when I abandoned you.

please… .

Be safe.