episode_0083

Though I had burst out with great vigor, my heart was incredibly anxious. ‘…Will they be there?’ It was different from when I raided the supermarket. The supermarket was easy to find and full of supplies, so just getting in solved the problem. But now, even finding a hospital presents a problem. ‘There’s no guarantee a doctor is alive. If only there were at least a nurse…’ If I search, I’m sure to find a hospital. Even now, as I ran towards Sagajeong Station, I found a dental clinic and a dermatology clinic. But these aren’t the fields we need. Unless it’s internal medicine, family medicine, or as a last resort, surgery, nothing else is urgent right now. In the worst case, if I can’t find a medical professional, I plan to grab any medicine I can get my hands on. My heart was anxious, and time, which usually flowed so slowly, passed fleetingly fast.

“Hoo~” I calmly exhaled deeply for a moment. There’s still time. The emergency treatment I applied should buy us at least a few hours. Though there might be some variation, I believe she can endure long enough if the others look after her. ‘No need to overthink it. One by one, approach calmly.’ Normally, I would have gathered as much information as possible before moving, but now I’m moving immediately and acquiring necessary information on the fly. Recalling that I shouldn’t just run blindly, I sought out a high place. Immediately, I stepped onto a low building and jumped, progressively moving my body to higher buildings. Surveying the terrain from a high position is a fundamental and classic reconnaissance tactic.

‘There first!’ I immediately spotted a hospital sign, faintly visible. Thud-! After several jumps, I reached the rooftop of what seemed to be the tallest building in the vicinity. It was a seven-story building right next to the Sagajeong Market entrance. From a distance, I could see that the 5th to 7th floors of this building were all internal medicine clinics. I glanced down at the ground over the railing. ‘……’ The zombies gathered at the market entrance had increased even further. I thought it was an illusion, but they had definitely increased. As the number of zombies grew, the barricades at the market entrance were also reinforced. The buildings right next to the market entrance had contrasting heights. One was an old, two-story building. The other was the seven-story building I was standing on. They had blocked it well with large vehicles and clever tactics, but there was an undeniable unease that the lower side might be breached if luck ran out.

‘If there are people in the internal medicine clinic, how would I get out?’ I feel sorry for the market’s survivors, but I have bigger fish to fry [a proverb about having urgent matters of one’s own to deal with]. I don’t have the luxury of worrying about others’ lives right now. It was like counting my chickens before they hatched [a proverb about making premature assumptions or celebrating too early], but I mapped out a rough escape route in my mind. And just as I was about to turn around. ‘A red cross…’ It wasn’t the usual cross seen on churches. A somewhat thick cross symbol. That symbol, representing a hospital, stood far in the distance. ‘The sky is clear, so I can see so far.’ The roads, which could be called the nation’s veins, were all at a standstill. Was it because of the mostly dead infrastructure and stopped cars? The bright, clear sky, free of even a speck of fine dust, truly deserved the word ‘pristine’. Thanks to this, the visibility, which would normally be limited, was now incredibly wide open. My heart fluttered slightly at the unexpected discovery. The fact that the chance of encountering a doctor had slightly increased lifted my spirits. As I gauged the path using the red cross, one thought came to mind. When the world was normal. The people who emphasized the importance of nature and advocated for effort and investment. And those who ignored it, letting it pass through their ears, and scoffed. The effect of nature conservation, which was negligible even with vast amounts of money and effort poured into it, was now clearly evident. ‘I don’t need your help, you know?’ I was now witnessing nature’s astonishing self-purifying ability, as if it were saying this. ‘Humans are the problem after all… Wait, though?’ A ‘what if’ thought flashed through my mind. The suspicion that the origin of the zombie outbreak might have passed through human hands.

‘……’ As one thought led to another, a cold wind slapped my face. My eyes teared up from the cold, and I snapped back to reality. This wasn’t the time to be lost in thought and let my imagination run wild. “Inhale- Exhale~” As I turned my body to head for the rooftop door, I noticed some things. Bowls and containers were placed here and there in the rather spacious area. Anyone could tell they were for collecting rainwater. As evidence of survivors inside this building became visible, strength naturally surged through my body, and tension began to rise. Premature expectations could lead to great disappointment, but a decent possibility had emerged. Feeling encouraged by that possibility, I immediately opened the door and began descending the stairs. The stairs leading down were slightly wet, as if water had flowed there. And on the wet stairs, there were some dirty footprints. Traces of living people’s movement, not the haphazard tracks of zombies. I quietly pulled out my crowbar and continued down the stairs.

**【Jang Myeonghwan Internal Medicine Ward 6F~7F】** I didn’t walk long before reaching the hospital. It seemed to be a larger hospital than I expected, using two floors as inpatient wards. I tried the doorknob leading inside, but it was locked. I quietly leaned my body towards the door, sharpening my senses. ‘…There’s no sign of anyone inside.’ Only silence was felt beyond the door. Rather, a faint sign of human presence was felt from below. I even felt as if I’d faintly heard human voices. Without hesitation, I quickened my steps downstairs. If I had come to raid supplies, I would have immediately forced the door open and entered, but now I was here to find a doctor. In preparation for any unforeseen situation, I suppressed my presence as much as possible. If anyone saw me, I might look like a ghost moving silently. When I passed the 6th floor and reached the 5th. Human voices could be clearly heard from inside beyond the door.

“Hey. Is there any food left?” “There’s some left, but we don’t know when supplies will come, so we should save it.” “Damn it. What the hell is this nonsense?” “They say the ‘herding team’ made a mistake, so what can we do?” “I knew those idiots would die from acting so recklessly! Heheheh.” “Right. I had a feeling ever since those brats started acting up. Heheheh.” “Ah, but I’m really hungry. Hey! Kim Gan! Come here!” The sounds of the men’s conversation coming from beyond the door were certainly not something you’d expect to hear in a hospital. ‘A herding team… So there were indeed guys doing crazy things.’ I don’t know what their purpose is, but it’s definitely not a good one. And the men inside were indeed scum. As proof…

“W-why are you doing this! Screech!” “You know why, so why are you playing hard to get? Huh? I’m hungry, so I’m going to ‘eat’ you~” Immediately afterward, a young woman’s piercing scream rang out. The sound of crashing and beating was a bonus. ‘Approximately 5 to 8 people.’ I quickly assessed the situation. There were people inside, though I couldn’t be precise about the number. A quick glance down the stairs showed nothing unusual. It seemed I only needed to take care of the humans beyond the door. I adjusted my neck warmer up and pulled my hat down. The moment I placed my hand on the doorknob, the sound of beating stopped. Instead, the sound of a woman sobbing and men’s sticky laughter, oozing with vulgar desire, spilled out and defiled my ears.

I couldn’t see the situation inside, but I had a rough idea of their positions. To the right of the door, a little distance away, two vile men stood. Now, their gazes were fixed on the woman they were harassing. Click- The doorknob, which turned smoothly without resistance, sided with me. The door opened silently as I gently pushed it. It seemed even this metal door disliked those scoundrels. Without time to assess the hospital’s interior after entering silently, I shifted my gaze. As expected, the two men had their backs to me, focused on the woman. One was sitting on something, snickering. The other had laid the woman on a patient transport bed and was stripping her clothes off. With his dirty buttocks exposed. I felt sorry for the woman, but this was a good opportunity for me. The men cackling vulgarities and the woman’s sobbing cries of resistance were creating an opportunity for me. I do not refuse opportunities. Heading towards the sitting man’s back, I put the crowbar into my inventory. In this situation, there was no need to wield a weapon against these guys.

Thud-! Grab-! “?!!” As soon as I was behind him, I covered his mouth with my left hand and strongly gripped the nape of his neck with my right. With a grip strength far beyond normal, the man immediately lost consciousness and went limp. A brutal surprise attack that gave him no time to struggle. I quietly laid the limp man on the floor and approached the rapist. The rapist, engrossed by the woman in front of him, might have noticed me if he had been a little more alert. Instead, it was the woman, trapped beneath him and struggling, who saw me over his shoulder. The moment the rapist was about to thrust his hips against the woman’s lower abdomen. Thud-! Grab-!! “Gasp?!” The rapist, who stiffened his body as if electrocuted, immediately lost consciousness and went limp. Likewise, I quietly laid him down and turned my attention to the woman who had almost suffered severe harm.

The woman, frozen with wide eyes, was clearly shocked by the sudden situation, her lips trembling. She seemed unaware, but tears were pouring down her face. To her, I held up a hand and signaled for silence with my index finger. The dazed young woman soon seemed to come to her senses and nodded. She scrambled to her feet, gathering the torn pieces of her clothing to cover herself. Fortunately, there had been no other disturbances until this point. “Are there more of these guys’ gang inside?” “!!” To my quiet, low question, the woman nodded frantically. With a trembling finger, she pointed inward and whispered softly. “There are three more inside. One Dr. Jang and a nurse.” “…Please wait a moment.” After calming the woman with a quiet gesture, I silently moved in the direction she pointed. As I approached, vulgar conversation could be heard from inside.

**【Consultation Room 1】** There was definitely a presence inside. The number was also precise. I briefly turned my gaze to survey the surroundings, but there was no other human presence. These were all the people in this large hospital. I wasn’t sure whether to call this fortunate or not. First, I would deal with the ruffians beyond the door. Before that, I beckoned the young woman. Startled, the woman hesitated for a moment but then scurried towards me. “…Could you help me?” “M-me?” She whispered in a small voice, but her expression was one of great surprise. “You just need to briefly attract their attention at the door.” “……I-I’ll try.” The woman, unable to properly adjust her clothes, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She untied her hair, letting it fall loose, then tightly squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again. And then, as if tidying her damaged clothes, she pulled her top down to her chest. At that sight, this time I almost widened my eyes.

Knock knock knock- “What is it?” “I-I came for the punishment…” “Punishment? Hahahahahahat! Those crazy bastards, seriously~ Ah~” Footsteps approaching the door were heard. In response, I quietly took out two kitchen knives from my inventory and held them. Bang- “Oh, what~ What kind of punishment is it?” “T-this!” The woman quickly pulled down her top, which she had lowered to her chest, exposing herself. “Ugh! This bitch’s tit—” Wham-!! As I pushed the woman aside, I punched him in the face. With a powerful thud, the gangster’s head, which had snapped back violently, returned to its original position as blood spurted from his nose and ears. The gangster’s body slowly collapsed in a horrifying manner. Beyond him, the state of the room came into view. As soon as the enemies were recognized, I moved into action. My movements were natural and extremely nimble. Swish-! Plunge-!! Plunge-!! “Aargh!” “Ugh-!”

I threw and embedded one kitchen knife into the collarbone of the man who was holding some kind of weapon, and another into the neck of the man who, with a blank stare, couldn’t grasp the situation. The gangster, struck in the neck with the knife, slowly collapsed, spitting foamy blood. The one with the knife stuck in his collarbone merely shrieked, tears streaming down his face, unable to even think of pulling the knife out. I strode purposefully towards him. “You, you wha—?” Crunch-! Thump- I threw a light punch, but it seemed to hit squarely, as the sensation of a broken jawbone was conveyed. ‘…Zombies might even be tougher than this.’ Confirming that all the gangsters had been incapacitated, I turned around. As the young woman had said, there was one nurse and one doctor inside. Their faces were a bit of a mess, as if they had been hit, but they didn’t seem to have suffered anything worse. Fortunately, no serious injuries were visible either. I turned back and retrieved the knives embedded in the gangsters’ bodies. I swiftly swung them to scatter the blood. Collecting the knives in a non-threatening manner, I approached the two people.

“Are you the doctor-nim?” The person wearing a white gown, which could be considered the symbol of a doctor. But the two of them didn’t seem to think of answering my question; they just stared with wide eyes, their mouths agape. They were so startled that they couldn’t collect themselves. While I waited for them to regain their composure, it was the woman who had almost been assaulted who spoke to me. She repeatedly offered her thanks, her face somehow as red as a tomato. Ultimately, it was some time later, with them still disoriented, that a proper conversation could finally take place.