episode_0146

Seonghan and the three people following him began to cross Dongwon Market.

Unlike Seonghan, who strode confidently through the quiet market, the three people behind him were overflowing with tension.

Kim Jihyeok, holding a gun for the first time, felt his body stiffen.

He felt the back of his neck tighten with a stiff sensation.

His trapezius muscles also felt a little sore.

He felt his legs losing strength, almost stumbling with every step.

‘Sh-should I have gone to the bathroom first?’

It was a comedic thought, unsuited for the situation.

To be honest, a sudden fright in this situation felt like it might make him wet himself, and that anxiety flashed through his mind.

Feeling a faint urge to pee in his lower body, Kim Jihyeok unnecessarily pulled up his pants.

Even though his backpack was empty, he twitched his shoulders and adjusted the straps, feeling an unwarranted discomfort.

He breathed out quietly.

Though he breathed out quietly, his mouth already felt dry.

It was clearly an empty market floor, but he couldn’t shake the chilling feeling that something might pop out from either side.

An unceasing tension.

From the very entrance, Kim Jihyeok felt like turning back.

That wasn’t the only problem.

Tension? He could grit his teeth and overcome it somehow.

Cold? If he just moved a little, he’d quickly warm up.

However, there was no way to deal with the horrible smell that didn’t just prick his nose, but pierced it.

It smelled of rot and decaying meat, mixed with all sorts of unpleasant odors.

A terrible stench so strong it felt like it could cause illness.

He even suspected that someone had opened a septic tank and poured all sorts of garbage into it.

Naturally, it wasn’t such a convenient situation.

It might even be much better if it truly were.

Kim Jihyeok, who knew the true source of the smell, wished it were so.

So, he didn’t voice any complaints or pain.

‘As the older brother, I can’t show weakness!’

Choi Dongwoo and Kang Incheol also shared the same admirable thought.

Their overall condition wasn’t much different from Kim Jihyeok’s.

However, unlike Kim Jihyeok, Choi Dongwoo and Kang Incheol had some slight differences.

Choi Dongwoo’s state of tension had a slightly different quality.

‘Because Hyung-nim is right in front of me.’

It was scary, but death wasn’t an option for Choi Dongwoo.

He had once crossed a sea of zombies on Seonghan’s back.

He had even passed by, observing the gaps in the flesh that adorned the walls, not just the floor.

Since then, Choi Dongwoo had witnessed Seonghan bursting zombies at close range many times, so he had developed a higher tolerance for zombies than others.

It was a bonus effect for Choi Dongwoo, who had shared a special experience (?) with Seonghan.

Perhaps that’s why.

Choi Dongwoo didn’t find the zombies themselves particularly scary.

He was just overly tense about the fact that he was entering combat.

The anxiety of whether he could keep up was a major factor.

Instead, it was the eerie surroundings that scared Choi Dongwoo more.

‘If anything happens, I just need to stick close to Hyung-nim.’

…In some ways, Choi Dongwoo’s survival instinct was exceptional, almost hitting the mark.

Kang Incheol, who followed close behind Choi Dongwoo as if supporting him, was also slightly different.

His body’s reactions were no different from Kim Jihyeok’s.

Excluding Seonghan, Kang Incheol was the one among the group who knew and experienced the dangers of zombies better than anyone.

He had pierced through the line of fire with a single old rifle and survived to make it this far.

Kang Incheol was, in fact, the person who had most similarly felt the terrible fear, dread, and pain that other civilian survivors must have experienced.

He deserved praise for not foaming at the mouth and fleeing.

‘…….’

He gritted his teeth, trying not to be consumed by the fear etched into his heart.

His vision blurred slightly from the suffocating tightness in his chest.

Suddenly, the images of zombies rushing towards him like crazed ghouls tried to torment him, but…

A glance-

‘…I need to stick close behind Hyung-nim.’

Glancing at the back of Seonghan’s head as he walked ahead, he inexplicably felt reassured.

Seonghan’s formidable power, which had seemed like a joke when he heard about it from his seniors.

Recalling Seonghan’s ridiculous combat abilities that he had seen before, his mind relaxed somewhat.

A slightly relaxed Kang Incheol gently gripped the rifle he had been issued.

Three people in similar states of tension, yet subtly different.

They all shared the common desire to lighten Seonghan’s burden.

Of course, the goal of survival also played a part.

As each of them calmed their minds and continued walking.

“Ugh!”

After walking for a while, the three people finally gagged.

They had barely entered a bit further when they soon discovered scattered corpses.

The source of the terrible stench of decay.

Corpses, whether human or zombie, tangled haphazardly and rotting.

The market floor and the inside of the stalls were covered in corpses, indiscriminately.

Auditorily, it was clearly quiet, but visually, it was anything but.

A silent scene of hell.

He had the illusion of hearing screams that couldn’t possibly be there, given the gruesome sight.

Even as he retched, Kim Jihyeok felt that way.

‘Th-this guy, is he really okay with this?’

Seeing Seonghan calmly standing and examining the corpses made him feel a sense of disconnect.

In that moment, he seemed like a completely different person, not the younger brother he knew.

But Seonghan’s next words went a step further.

“Everyone, look carefully. Hyung, you too. There are some differences between zombie corpses and human corpses.”

“…….”

“Aside from their appearance, zombie corpses decay twice as fast. The smell is also much more potent. Remember that.”

“…Are you okay?”

Kim Jihyeok, who had barely calmed his stomach, asked in a drained voice.

“No, I’m not okay. I’ve just gotten used to it, so I can endure it.”

“C-can you really get used to something like this…?”

Seonghan replied to Kim Jihyeok’s words without looking back.

“Getting used to something and adapting to it are different.”

“…….”

Seonghan, who turned to speak to the three, was somewhat firm.

“If you’re going to go out into the streets, you have no choice but to overcome this. You’ll encounter far worse sights countless times in the future. You can’t create huge openings by throwing up every time.”

“…That’s right.”

“If it’s truly too much, you can retreat. I won’t force outdoor activities on you in the future. But if you want to stand on your own, you can’t be this weak.”

At Seonghan’s stern words, the three who had been hunched over immediately straightened their backs.

Kim Jihyeok, who had emptied his stomach and appeared somewhat calmer, wiped his mouth.

“Hoo… right. I shouldn’t complain about being weak.”

Kim Jihyeok tried to maintain his composure, looking directly at the corpses with wide eyes.

Choi Dongwoo and Kang Incheol also erased their uncomfortable expressions and stared at the corpses.

Seonghan silently watched their reactions.

“…I think I can somewhat tell how they died, for sure….”

“Also, look closely at the bloodstains and footprints.”

“…Hmm. I-I look, but I still don’t quite get it.”

“That’s how it is now, but if you observe carefully, you can deduce what happened and how things unfolded. It won’t happen immediately, though.”

“Hmm….”

Seonghan soon led the three, who had been examining the corpses on the road, slowly deeper into the market.

Walking among the increasingly visible corpses, Seonghan began to offer various explanations, unlike before.

His voice was quiet, but his demeanor was distinctly different.

Seeing that, Kim Jihyeok realized.

‘…He’s being considerate of us….’

Seonghan wasn’t very talkative.

Although he occasionally joked, he wasn’t the type to chat in this kind of situation.

It seemed he was trying to guide them to get used to the situation and overcome it somehow.

Kim Jihyeok, receiving such an impression, had a rare experience of feeling both apologetic and grateful at the same time.

Just as Kim Jihyeok was about to get a little emotional, Choi Dongwoo suddenly spoke up.

“To catch a monster, you must become a monster! That’s what it feels like.”

Choi Dongwoo seemed to have taken Seonghan’s words quite radically.

To Choi Dongwoo’s words, Seonghan replied while still observing ahead.

“It’s not entirely wrong, but rather than becoming a monster, shouldn’t you become a human stronger than that monster?”

“Oh…!”

“Becoming a monster is easy. It’s difficult because you’re trying to survive as a human, without becoming a monster. That’s why we’re all going through this hardship together now.”

At Seonghan’s words, the three naturally nodded their heads.

They felt it was quite a profound statement.

Kang Incheol, in particular, seemed to have taken it to heart, as his gaze deepened slightly.

A human stronger than the monster that catches monsters.

To the three who were pondering the rather poignant words, Seonghan spoke.

“In that sense, over there. See it?”

Kim Jihyeok turned his gaze in the direction Seonghan was pointing.

A zombie was loitering about 30 meters away.

It seemed to be looking up at the sky, and also seemed to be growling.

He even had the illusion of hearing faint, unpleasant groans.

Kim Jihyeok and the two young men stiffened slightly upon confirming the zombie.

“Incheol. Is it usually difficult to shoot at this distance?”

“No, sir. You can consider this a close distance.”

At those words, Seonghan turned his body and gently pulled Kim Jihyeok’s shoulder.

“Heard that? It’s your turn, Hyung.”

“Huh?”

“You have to set an example for your younger brothers. Go ahead and start us off.”

Seonghan, who was smiling and encouraging the first shooter, was relaxed.

Kim Jihyeok turned his head and stared intently at the distant zombie.

“…Won’t they flock here after hearing the gunshot?”

“Don’t worry about that, just shoot.”

“Really? In that case…”

Kang Incheol, who was about to say something, closed his mouth at Seonghan’s words.

‘Hyung-nim must have something in mind.’

Without hesitation, Kim Jihyeok took the shooting stance he had learned and began to concentrate, holding his breath.

“Huuuh…”

As Seonghan quietly gestured, Kang Incheol stood behind Kim Jihyeok.

“Slowly exhale, keep your body steady… Once you’ve aligned the target with your sights, hold your breath. Be careful not to let your hand tremble… and pull the trigger smoothly.”

Immediately after Kang Incheol’s softly murmured explanation.

Kim Jihyeok didn’t take long to prepare.

Bang! Thud!

The zombie, hit by the first shot, spun and rolled on the ground.

Kyaaaaooooh!!

The zombie, screaming an unpleasant shriek, unfortunately did not die.

The zombie, writhing on the ground, sprang up and immediately charged forward.

Precisely towards the spot where the gunshot had reverberated.

It charged, scattering dark blue blood and letting out a hideous, ear-splitting scream.

“Jihyeok hyung-nim. Don’t panic and…”

Bang! Splat!

The zombie’s head shattered with the second gunshot, cutting off Kang Incheol’s words.

Kim Jihyeok seemed to have calmly aimed for the second shot immediately.

Clap clap clap~

Seonghan quietly chuckled and clapped his hands.

“Good shot.”

“Hoo…”

“Hyung-nim, your calm shot just now was excellent. Aiming for the head isn’t easy, but you did well.”

“R-really?”

Though he had only taken down one, Kim Jihyeok seemed to have expended considerable mental effort, as small beads of cold sweat trickled down his cheeks.

But the result wasn’t bad.

It was a good start, and Choi Dongwoo also looked like he wanted to try shooting.

Just as Seonghan was about to say something to him, who had begun a successful hunt.

Kiiieeeek!!

“!!!”

The three people trembled at the monstrous screams of zombies reverberating from the front.

Just as their eyes were about to widen in fright.

“Using the center of the market floor as a reference, I’ll take the left. Hyung and Dongwoo take the right. Divide the area that way, and Incheol, you assist those two.”

“Huh? What?”

“Don’t chicken out. It’s not a large number rushing in.”

The three were flustered by Seonghan’s unconcerned demeanor as he casually took his position and raised his gun.

“You need to learn quickly. Nothing beats real combat experience.”

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-

Dull thudding sounds of stomping on the ground echoed from the front.

“What are you doing? Get ready.”

At Seonghan’s indifferent words, the three also hurriedly took their positions.

“It seems like zombies are only coming from the front, so don’t worry and just shoot. Do as you’ve learned.”

“…….”

The three began to tense up again at the sudden start of combat.

Choi Dongwoo, who had been constantly swallowing dry saliva with a stiff expression, opened his mouth.

“H-hyung-nim. Did you perhaps intend this from the beginning?”

At Choi Dongwoo’s cautious question, the heads of the other two snapped around.

The three asked with eyes expressing ‘No way?’.

Seonghan’s answer to that was simple.

“Yeah.”

“!!!!”

“Think of it as high-intensity training. It saves bullets too, which is good.”

Kang Incheol, whose eyes were trembling, felt betrayed by Seonghan, whom he had trusted.

At Seonghan’s words, Kim Jihyeok couldn’t help but say something.

“You should have told us about that beforehand!”

“You didn’t ask.”

“Hey!!”

Kim Jihyeok and his two younger companions wanted to jump up and protest, but they couldn’t.

“They’re coming.”

At Seonghan’s words, the three snapped to attention and saw hordes of zombies rushing toward them.

Seeing that sight, Kang Incheol regained his composure and quickly said.

“Target the head! If you judge it’s within striking range, shoot immediately! Yell ‘Reload!’ when changing magazines!”

In contrast to Kang Incheol, who felt a sense of urgency, Seonghan was relaxed.

“Hyung.”

“What!”

“Don’t people say something in movies at times like this?”

At Seonghan’s absurd remark, Kim Jihyeok’s eyes widened.

“What nonsense are you suddenly spouting?!”

“No, in foreign movies, they always shout something, you know.”

“Why is that important now?!”

“Just, you know. With a real actor next to me~ I thought it’d be cool if you did something dramatic! Something like that.”

“Th-this, you really!”

Kim Jihyeok was dumbfounded by Seonghan’s overly relaxed attitude, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Still, he couldn’t bring himself to curse.

Instead, he aimed at the zombies and yelled with all his might.

“Fire!!”

Rat-a-tat-tat-bang-!!

Kim Jihyeok’s splendid shout, reluctantly fulfilling Seonghan’s request.

At the same time, the firearms, which had been unused until now, began to perform their roles.