episode_0090

It is widely known that public safety in Korea is good. Of course, there are incidents and accidents. But at the very least, it’s safe enough to walk around at night. Even in the United States, people are immediately advised to be careful on the streets at night. They carry guns for self-defense. However, in Korea, unless it’s a truly deserted area, walking at night is not particularly dangerous. The biggest reasons cited for this are the immense number of CCTVs and the illegality of possessing firearms.

Since the outbreak of the zombie apocalypse, people have been protecting themselves by making and carrying blunt weapons or crude spear-knives. Now, with firearms practically impossible to find outside the military. Though not actual guns, I laid out a pile of bullets, which were as good as new.

“Th-these?!” To Kang Ilbyeong, who was greatly flustered, I simply gave a deep smile. Kang Ilbyeong, quickly regaining his composure, immediately began to move.

Click-clack, click-clack. Kang Ilbyeong and his companions were busily loading magazines. They sat down on the cold floor, from which a chill rose, and diligently moved their hands. It was sudden extra work, but no one looked displeased. Knowing that the single gun they possessed had protected everyone’s lives so far and would continue to protect them on their journey, they simply worked diligently to fill the magazines. Even though it was a repetitive task, a sense of reassurance could be felt on their faces. Such was their unwavering trust in modern weaponry.

‘Advance preparation is quite bothersome, but…’ If it could protect lives with this much trouble, it would be a very cheap price. It couldn’t be easily used due to the loud noise, but if things went wrong, they could just shoot. Coincidentally, the owner of the rifle was Kang Ilbyeong, who possessed excellent shooting skills. Because he was a force that could provide strength if need be, anticipation grew.

Kang Ilbyeong’s eyes, as I watched him with such thoughts, sparkled brightly. As he continuously loaded bullets without rest, he seemed to have regained even his lost confidence. Kang Ilbyeong asked in a voice that held newfound strength.

“The condition is good, but where on earth did you get them?” “I picked them up on the way.” “Huh…” He was dumbfounded by my answer, but it was true that I had picked them up while passing by. Even so, I couldn’t say I’d taken them from a supply vehicle. Lieutenant Lee, who was beside him, seemed curious but didn’t voice it. Kang Ilbyeong also didn’t ask further and silently loaded the magazines.

As a result of several hands working together, the magazines were quickly prepared. Kang Ilbyeong stuffed magazines into every pocket he had. Lieutenant Lee took the remaining magazines so they could be easily handed over. Seeing them both naturally place the magazines in easily accessible positions, they seemed like seasoned veterans. Preparation was complete, ending with a skilled inspection of the firearms. Lieutenant Lee, as if he had been hiding it, pulled out a telescopic baton.

The mother wrapped her daughter in the windbreaker I handed her, gently comforting her. The man with the injured side was sweating slightly, but he clenched his jaw and stood up, as if he had steeled his resolve. His ability to not even let out a groan showed a tenacious side. Tension began to rise in everyone’s eyes. All gazes, ready to depart, turned towards me.

“As you all know, you mustn’t make loud noises. As for the child… please hold her tightly.” At my words, the mother nodded repeatedly with a tense expression. I hoped the child wouldn’t burst into tears. Worrying slightly, I turned my eyes to Kang Ilbyeong.

“Shoot down anyone who rushes from behind.” “Understood.” “I’m not just talking about zombies.” It was a somewhat cold remark, but surprisingly, Kang Ilbyeong didn’t hesitate.

“You can leave it to me.” Kang Ilbyeong’s expression, which was so firm it felt eerie, actually made me feel puzzled.

‘…Does it not matter to him?’ My words were meant for the thugs in this area, but Kang Ilbyeong’s reaction was nonchalant. In the current situation, that was actually better. Nodding, I quietly pushed open the entrance and stepped out.

The sound of someone shrinking back could be heard from behind as a cold wind suddenly blew in. I quickly scanned the surroundings, but there were definitely no zombies nearby. They weren’t visible even at the far end of the alley, nor could any sounds be heard. It was a good start.

“…We’re moving.” Announcing our departure, I began walking down the empty alley where a cold wind swept through. It was still daytime, and there were few clouds in the sky. The scorching sunlight was hot, but the wind was cold. If only the wind didn’t blow, it would be a pleasant early winter day. It was a good day to move.

My eyes continuously scanned ahead. I maintained a sharp state of heightened vigilance, wary of missing anything in the sound of the wind brushing past my ears. Indeed, the mental energy expended was qualitatively different from when I moved alone. I could never be careless.

I didn’t know what story Kang Ilbyeong and the others had. I knew that some incident had occurred, leading them to make a big decision. Otherwise, Kang Ilbyeong and Lieutenant Lee, being military personnel, wouldn’t have deserted the army and come this far, bringing civilians and a child with them. The footsteps of the people following me sounded heavy. That’s why I raised my concentration even more.

First, we just needed to arrive safely at a secure shelter. Whatever their story, I could ask and listen to it later. There would be plenty of time and leisure then.

Just as I thought we were passing through the quiet, narrow alley, abandoned cars began to appear one by one. This made the already narrow path even more cramped.

‘……’ Fortunately, no zombie moans were heard. No signs of movement were felt either. It seemed we only needed to pass quietly between the abandoned cars. Perhaps because of my unhesitating stride, I heard a sharp intake of breath from behind. When I turned around at the sudden reaction, I understood why. The people were feeling distressed by the situation before them. Their vision was narrowed, and it might have seemed like a trap where anything could pop out. Kang Ilbyeong and Lieutenant Lee’s reactions were correct. Normally, this was a situation to be avoided unless in a desperate rush. But now, I was here.

“There doesn’t seem to be any particular problem. We’ll just pass through like this.” Only the visible scenery looked dangerous. There were no threats. I moved forward without hesitation, and the others diligently followed.

Before long, we exited the complicated alley and came out onto the main road. ‘…We came out in the right place.’ It was a good thing I had roughly gauged the direction from a high point. We came out onto the very road my party and I had first ascended. The location was right next to Sagajeong Station. I briefly halted the group and assessed the situation at the intersection ahead.

As expected, the zombies were gathered at the market entrance. Their grating moans echoed like surround sound. ‘They’ve definitely increased.’ The zombies had undoubtedly swelled in number, if only slightly. It seemed the thugs had some business at the market. I could see an overturned motorcycle in the distance, suggesting they really were herding them. It wasn’t a fancy racing bike, but a common City Ace scooter. Seeing several of them sprawled on the ground, smeared with blood, a hollow laugh escaped me.

‘Damn it, if you’re going to do something, do it properly.’ Seeing them employ such a malicious, insane attack tactic in that manner, it looked… truly pathetic. As I was scanning ahead, Kang Ilbyeong quietly spoke to me.

“Last time, there were also many zombies, so we stopped here. We only went to the hospital because it happened to be raining.” “The Red Cross Hospital? …You went in there?” “We went into the emergency room and then came back out. We saw a dissected zombie lying there and had a bad feeling.” At his words, I thought it was a relief inside. The open door at that time must have been a trace of Kang Ilbyeong’s passage. Even if the possibility was low, if he had seen the corpses on the rooftop…

‘Anyone who saw that would have struggled to maintain their sanity.’ Recalling the victims on the rooftop, my mood abruptly soured. Had there been a change in my expression, perhaps? Kang Ilbyeong asked cautiously.

“…Hyung-nim? What’s wrong?” “……It’s nothing. For now, we…” I quickly shook off my thoughts and briefly explained the way. The alleyway we had taken with my companions by going a bit roundabout. There had been a skirmish with zombies in the middle, but it should be fine now.

“It’s not far. We just need to go a little further.” The distance itself wasn’t much. Once we passed here, the chance of encountering zombies would be low. We just needed to push on a little more. As I conveyed these facts, the people’s expressions visibly brightened.

“Hyung-nim. Have you been here before?” “Yes. I passed through here. Though I took a bit of a roundabout way.” At my words about having experience, everyone seemed quite invigorated. Riding that momentum, I was about to start moving again.

“Th-there. The road is wide. Are we just going to pass through?” Lieutenant Lee asked in a slightly flustered voice. Indeed, the abandoned cars had been cleared from the Sagajeong Station intersection. It was an open boulevard with no cover to hide behind.

“It’s fine. Just follow me.” Their concern wasn’t unreasonable, but there was some distance from the zombies. A zombie’s vision is narrow and not far-reaching. As long as we didn’t make noise, we could pass quietly. Jihyeok hyung and his group had followed without complaint, but this time was different. Their bewilderment wasn’t unreasonable, but there was no time to convince them. Act first, explain later. As I moved without further ado, the people followed, a beat behind. Although there was some distance, we were passing defenselessly next to the zombie horde. Even as they walked quietly, the people’s breathing began to quicken, as if they were uneasy. But just as I promised, everyone arrived on the other side without incident. We entered the alleyway I had passed through before.

Once they realized they were clearly out of the zombies’ line of sight, the people breathed long sighs of relief. It was less than 200m in distance, but they must have been quite tense. When I turned back to check, everyone was drenched in cold sweat. They must have been truly scared. Still, we couldn’t stop here, so I quickened our pace.

We were entering a narrow path again, but there was no problem. The situation was no different from when we first passed through. Everything around us was broken and destroyed, but since I had already passed through here, I moved forward unhesitatingly. Conversely, the people seemed extremely tense as they passed through the eerie path again. Their slightly rough breathing and hunched shoulders didn’t straighten. As we followed the path in the heavy atmosphere, just as we were about to exit into that previous alley. I urgently stopped the group.

‘…Damn it. Did they herd them all the way here?’ At the end of the alley where I had been attacked, zombies were milling about. From the sounds echoing, there seemed to be quite a few of them. If we had gone through there and walked a little further, we would have been done, but the way was blocked. I briefly hid and considered what to do. The people also realized something had gone wrong and were slightly flustered.

“There are zombies at the exit we need to take, so we’ll go a bit more roundabout.” Leading the flustered people, I continued walking through a different alleyway. In terms of direction, it was indeed towards the shelter. A winding alley where I worried if the path would continue. They say all roads lead to Seoul [a proverb meaning there are many ways to achieve a goal]. With that mindset, I kept walking.

However, as time passed, our travel speed slowed. Lieutenant Lee, who had injured his thigh, and the man with the injured side. They were enduring it, but they looked to be in pain. Their complexions were gradually paling, and sweat dripped from their faces. To make matters worse, the path was gradually inclining. Just as I was contemplating whether to take a short break, the path ended. And a steep slope led to stairs. The moment I saw them, I realized where the path led.

“If we just climb those stairs, we’re practically there.” “R-really?” I gave a light nod to the mother’s question, encouraging them to hold on a little longer. I saw the two pale-faced injured individuals clenching their teeth. Deciding it couldn’t go on like this, I took all the magazines Lieutenant Lee was carrying and slowly began to ascend the stairs.

The people, though not many, climbed the steep stairs, grunting with effort. I went up a step ahead and looked around. In terms of location, we had come out onto the large intersection in front of an apartment building. It seemed to be the alley between the gas station and the intersection that I had seen before. I wondered if a problem had arisen just a few hours after passing through.

Contrary to my worries, the empty road was simply quiet. The people who had climbed the stairs, panting, felt a great sense of relief seeing the quiet street. Kang Ilbyeong, who was the last to climb up, also seemed to breathe a sigh of relief after assessing the situation.

“…Just a little more. We’re almost there now.” “Pant~ pant~ Yes. Don’t worry. I can go on.” The man, whose face was clearly pale and who was gasping for breath, spoke with determination. He showed resolve, but his condition, apart from that, seemed very poor.

After a brief rest, I encouraged everyone and began walking again. Our pace was definitely slower, but I didn’t rush them. We were almost there now, and the path ahead was quiet with no dangers. Just before we passed the empty intersection and entered the path leading up to the fake house.

“What are these bastards? They’ve got a woman with them too? Ha~” “…….” We unluckily ran into a group of people coming down the road.