episode_0121

Slowly, languidly. I hadn’t intended to mimic a tragic male lead, but that’s how it turned out as I walked. If Hyuk hyung had done it, it would have been a scene from a drama, but with me, it looks more like a shot from a crime thriller. Bystanders might even avoid me, muttering, “Huh? What is that? What is that?” I look so menacing right now that it wouldn’t be strange to be mistaken for a suspicious person. Being soaked from head to toe helped me sober up a bit. But the discomfort in my heart and the furrow in my brow wouldn’t smooth out.

‘Hah… I know… I do know, but…’

Honestly, it’s funny that I’m even doing this. It’s like getting slapped in Jongno and taking it out on the Han River [a proverb about taking out frustration on an unrelated party]. Kim Daesik is a different person from the bastard who dragged me into this mire. I know that not all reporters are the same. If there are bad ones, there are good ones too. He’s not someone I should bare my teeth and get angry at. However, it’s often said that they’re all cut from the same cloth. I vaguely learned this while stirring things up to find the person who screwed me over. I know that if there are malicious reporters, there are also principled ones. But even then, I realized they’re all pretty much the same. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t hide my feelings. Even now, he might be racking his brain, trying to get a scoop using me or the shelter’s personnel. It’s a narrow-minded thought, but once a thought takes hold, it doesn’t let go. My depressed mood won’t lift.

‘…Is there anything around?’ I rolled my eyes, searching for something, but the street was quiet. At times like this, I need to move my body and let off some steam. I flexed my finger joints, looking for zombies, but saw nothing. Suppressing the destructive urge that was slowly rising, I wandered the streets. Perhaps it was because I had swept through the zombies a few days ago. No noticeable or moving zombies were visible. Instead, traces of burning and scorching were visible everywhere.

‘……’ Thinking it over, it seemed to be the lingering traces from when I threw Molotov cocktails and ran. Perhaps because it had rained for several days, the ash and soot seemed to have been washed away considerably. Nevertheless, the scars of the fire remained, continuing intermittently. I slowly walked, following the traces that led all the way to Sagajeong Station. The burn marks and scorch marks gradually increased.

‘They… did try to clean up.’ The continuous traces of fire led to the piles of zombie corpses I had accumulated. It truly looked like fire had been set, the burn marks blatant. Corpses had filled the market entrance, forming small mounds. It was a sight that clearly seemed impossible to clean, even if one tried. Yet, it seemed people had made an effort, as the street was quite tidy. The number of scattered corpses had noticeably decreased. The rotten bloodstains that had pooled on the ground had, thanks to the rain, somewhat washed away. If they had cleaned up just a little more, at least no unpleasant corpses would have been visible.

‘Where did they get that?’ Suddenly, a large excavator and a grapple truck caught my eye. What’s commonly called a scrap metal collection truck was visible. It seemed they had mobilized equipment to clear the zombie corpses. I don’t know where they got it, but if they can operate it, it’s a good choice. It would have been very bad if they had to clear all those corpses by hand. My admiration for the people who must have worked hard to protect their homes was short-lived. Other things that bothered my eyes also appeared.

‘…What is this?’ Buses were parked in the empty space where the corpses had been cleared. Three or four buses were neatly lined up, but my guard immediately went up. Their windows were covered with bars. Their design was also somewhat different from a regular bus. Setting everything else aside, their color was uniformly black. These were certainly not the common buses I used to see. They looked suspicious at a glance. What made me think that even more were the other vehicles visible near the buses. A jeep and an SUV were visible, one of each. A transport vehicle similar in shape to a cargo truck was also visible. All the vehicles had noticeably high undercarriages. The bodies were designed to match the purpose of vehicles meant for rough terrain. They were vehicles true to their purpose, completely different from Korea’s imitation SUVs. And around those vehicles stood armed individuals. There were soldiers, but also non-soldiers mixed in. And all of them were armed.

‘Military personnel and an armed private organization together…?’ As far as I know, the military doesn’t allow civilians to be armed. They consider modern weaponry to be a privilege of the military alone. And yet, this military is acting together with armed civilians, going beyond mere permission to arm. Seeing these incredibly suspicious individuals, a faint curiosity sparked within me. First, there was something I hoped wasn’t true. Fortunately, it seemed I wouldn’t need to deliberate on what to do about them. People who had survived in the market were emerging. They came out in a line, with their hands on their heads. Among them, I saw the merchants’ representative and the elderly woman who had given me the jar of honey. And everyone’s expressions were dark. People clearly terrified and frightened. It was a natural sight, as unknown armed individuals were roughly pulling them out, pointing guns at them. Even the soldiers were just standing there, watching idly, no one stepping forward to help the people. First of all, they were not a rescue team. A normal rescue team wouldn’t point guns at those they’re rescuing.

Bang! As if to confirm my thoughts, a gunshot rang out from above. Being a little distance away, I looked up in the direction of the gunshot. [Jang Myeonghwan Internal Medicine Clinic] It seems Dr. Jang, the elderly director, is quite a popular person. To see them trying to take him even while firing guns, I could only feel admiration.

‘……’ I began to closely observe the individuals before me. I wasn’t sure, but they were holding rifles, or perhaps slightly smaller guns. Each was armed with a pistol and a knife on their thigh. They wore full body gear like special forces members, such as gaiters and bulletproof vests. I could see them using earpieces. This suspicious-looking group was very well-equipped. And, as if to support that, every one of them was a trained individual. They had an undeniable bearing, completely different from civilians. They were no mere rabble.

In that moment, what Lee Sohee and Incheol had said flashed through my mind. The private organization that was present during the Gangnam advance. I couldn’t tell if these were them right away.

‘…I’ll just ask them.’ I began taking out my equipped items from my inventory. As always, I pulled up my neck warmer. I put on guards on both arms and good quality leather gloves. *Creak, creak—* The leather sticking to my thoroughly wet hands didn’t feel bad for grip. I was comfortably dressed in a tracksuit, so while it wasn’t stylish, it was perfect for movement. My opponents weren’t zombies, but somewhat trained humans. There was no need for heavy armament. After simple preparations, I began to warm up. It was good timing, as I was just in the mood to exert myself.

’13 people…’ Hesitation arose as I loosened my joints. If I interfered now, I would undoubtedly get tangled up in something annoying. But…

‘After I went through all that trouble to save them.’ I pointlessly blamed Dr. Jang, the troublemaker. The old woman who gave me the high-quality honey came to mind. The people who, despite having little, threw various items at me as gifts and ran away came to mind. Even the pretty neighborhood girls—

“Let go of me! That hurts!” …I saw Lee Inhye and Kim Heejin being dragged out by their hair. I didn’t care about Lee Inhye, but seeing the pitiful Kim Heejin getting drenched in the drizzle, I made up my mind. I couldn’t let the beauties I’d gone to such lengths to save be offered up to such bastards. It’s laughable that I’m making up such absurd excuses, but…

‘They’re helping me out.’ The two women, being hit for their resistance, helped me. A fight without cause is nothing but a show of strength. In that sense, a cause is a cause, no matter what. [Villains threatening civilians and tormenting beauties.] It’s classic, but no cause suits a man more than this. It’s enough for a thorough beating, and a foundation for a satisfying victory. And I was feeling gloomy anyway.

‘…Eight times.’ I made a note of how many times the resisting Lee Inhye and Kim Heejin had been hit. Done with my preparations, I immediately sprang out, kicking off the ground. *Thwack!*

“Wha— Wha—” I charged in like lightning, starting with a flying kick. *Thwack!* The private organization’s member, body folded, flew several meters, rolled on the ground, and didn’t stir. Right next to him, I slammed my fist into the jaw of another man who stood wide-eyed, unable to react. *Thump!* *Crack!* A high-speed right hook sliced through the air. As I felt the sensation of bone crumbling in my hand, the hit man’s body collapsed limply. His eyes rolled back, his jaw dangling.

“Si-situation! Situation— *Gasp!*” I snatched a knife from the thigh of the fallen member. I didn’t get a good look at his face, but I threw a kitchen knife and embedded it in the collarbone of the man frantically radioing for help. The man, with the knife stuck in him, let out a piercing, drawn-out scream. At the same time, the remaining members raised their guns and took aim. But their reaction was slightly delayed, perhaps still in shock. I was faster. Staying low, I charged in and delivered powerful blows to their abdomens. *Wham! Wham!* “Ughhh!” Instead of proper screams, two men exhaled hissing sounds as they flew back and slammed into the bus they had brought. The bus wall buckling significantly was a bonus.

Taking advantage of the commotion, the people who had been dragged out began to slip away. At that, the ones in military uniforms didn’t hesitate to point their guns at the people. “Don’t move! *Ugh!*” With a motion as if pulling something from my waist, I threw a kitchen knife taken from my inventory. It struck the gun-wielding wrist of the madman in military uniform who was pointing his gun at a civilian. I rushed towards the man who screamed and knelt, driving a knee into his face. *Crunch!* His face caved in, and he fell backward, remaining on his knees. Seeing him twitch uncomfortably, I turned my gaze. Six men had fallen in an instant. The armed enemies’ eyes trembled uncontrollably, as if they couldn’t comprehend the situation. They exchanged glances, but proper communication didn’t seem to be happening.

But then. I felt a chilling sensation, like a sharp needle piercing my temple. *Bang!* As I twisted my head the moment the unpleasant feeling hit, I felt a bullet graze past me. *Thud!* “A mu-mutant! A mu—” *Wham!* I rushed towards the man who had fired the gun and powerfully uppercut his abdomen. The man, who shot up two meters, spewed vomit from his mouth as he fell to the ground.

“Who are you calling a zombie, you son of a bitch?” “A, a human?” “Yes, I’m human! You goddamn bastards!” Being treated like a zombie made me snap without realizing it. And that irritated feeling continued. Because even though I clearly told them I was human, they started shooting. Fortunately, the people took cover, and the two women were flattened on the ground. I twisted my body mercilessly and sprinted. *Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!* *Whoosh!* I ran backward for a moment to put some distance between myself and the guns. I could feel the trajectory of missed bullets behind my sprinting body. I clearly said I was human, but they were practically showering me with bullets.

‘…Go ahead and eat this.’ *Pat pat pat!* *Clink! Ping! Ping! Thud! Thud! Thud!* I deliberately ran towards the vehicles they had arrived in. The bullets that missed me began to make large dents in the cars. Tires burst, but the windows only made a *thud!* sound and didn’t shatter. ‘Oh… are they bulletproof, of all things?’ Admiring the bulletproof glass for the first time, I still moved my body fluidly. Seven individuals were firing guns, but none of the bullets reached me. They definitely seemed like trained individuals. They were aiming and shooting directly at me. As proof, although they missed, a barrage of bullets was tracking my body. Lines, as if dotted with bullets, were drawn across the vehicles’ bodies. As the vehicles were getting wrecked, I moved my body towards the bus. As expected, they fired their guns without hesitation, and I dodged every single shot. *Thwack! Rat-a-tat-tat!* “N-no?!” “Damn it! What is that?!” “No one said there’d be something like that!” As I ran along the side of the bus, dodging, the guys who were firing their guns lost their minds. They just fired their weapons out of habit, and even that didn’t last long. *Click! Click!* The sound of empty hammers hitting was heard, and the shooting stopped. Empty shell casings and spent magazines lay scattered on the ground. Smoke was rising from each of their muzzles. With emotions that could have been agitation, surprise, or bewilderment, the men breathed heavily. Even their breaths were trembling. Their eyes were denying reality, as if they had seen a ghost. The feeling of not being able to believe what they were seeing was clearly conveyed. But I had no intention of being lenient. It must have felt good when they were shooting wildly, but…

“Are you done shooting?” Stopping my high-speed run, I glared at the remaining individuals. The men began to tremble, still holding their guns. They had pistols on their thighs, but they couldn’t even think of drawing them. If they kept acting like idiots, it would be good for me. *Slosh, slosh—* I slowly walked on the asphalt road, where puddles of water had collected here and there. Towards the men whose bodies were shaking like aspens.

“…Now it’s my turn.” “Wa-wait!” “Shut up.” Starting with the man who tried to blabber something, I began a beating filled with emotion. The bodies of the men who had been hit first were clearly not in good shape. These guys were on the same team, so it was only fair to treat them equally. I could accept surrender from those who had lost their will to fight, but why? I wondered if there was really a need to. Rather, it felt right and satisfying to trample the men who had aggressively attacked me when they were trembling with fear. Watching them fall, defeated in turn, felt refreshing and gratifying. I had diligently run like a dog, dodging bullets in the rain, so a corresponding reward was only natural. For those who turned their backs to flee, I plunged a knife into their hamstrings. For those frozen, teeth chattering, I minced them thoroughly.

“You two, grit your teeth.” “Huh? Huh?” *Wham!* “Ugh!” The two bastards who had dragged Lee Inhye and Kim Heejin by their hair. Each of them had hit the women 8 times. I stomped on them thoroughly, paying them back double. To be precise, I broke them until they were on the verge of death.

It didn’t take long to mince every armed group member I could see. There didn’t seem to be any more hostile humans inside or near the vehicles. When I turned around, I finally saw the two people. The two women were still lying prone on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.

“Stay clear.” “U-um…” I tossed a word to them and moved towards the building. There were still men left inside the building. They had no sense of fear, showing no hesitation in shooting.

‘Just finish this quickly…’ I didn’t care who my opponents were. I had things to do, and I needed to finish quickly. That’s why I hadn’t killed anyone. I had merely broken them. Thinking that zombies were, if anything, more dangerous, I headed to the 5th floor. I pulled out a kitchen knife, ready to throw. It probably wouldn’t take long to clean up. I rushed into Dr. Jang’s clinic to meet the remaining stragglers. Immediately after, several gunshots and loud screams echoed through the building.