episode_0165

The ceiling was unfamiliar.

I pushed myself up from the uncomfortable cot.

Outside the window, it was pitch black, indicating it was still early.

First, I took out my flashlight, stood it upright, and lit the area.

Looking at the analog watch given for waking, it was 4 AM.

I had set the alarm for 5 AM, but my eyes opened earlier.

Perhaps it was a habit ingrained over a long time.

Unless something unusual happened, I would wake up at a fixed time.

Scratching the back of my neck, I shook myself and stood up.

I briefly stretched my stiff body and opened my inventory.

Thinking of filling my stomach before departure, I took out food and laid it out.

‘What should I eat?’

Even though it would all end up the same once eaten, choosing a menu was always a dilemma.

‘Since I’m going to raid a US military base today, something American…’

So I chose sliced bread, milk, and sausage.

Munch munch—

Johnsonville sausage, though quite salty, was always delicious and the right choice.

It tasted good whether heated or grilled, but I liked it even eaten plain.

It was perfect with soft sliced bread and milk.

Chewing the sausage, I felt grateful for the utility of the inventory.

Its large capacity was appreciated, but its time-stop function was especially significant.

The bread and milk I was currently eating were long past their expiration dates.

But as you can see, they were still fresh and in good condition.

The fact that I could eat food like this in the current situation…

I could only express overwhelming gratitude to my inventory.

I left my inventory open and ate until I was full.

Sleep that hadn’t left me even when I moved my body was now fading as I ate.

After filling my stomach to some extent, I cleared away the traces of my meal.

Then, I immediately began preparing to go out.

I wore minimal armor, prioritizing lightness and freedom of movement.

I attached a knife to my belt by hanging its sheath.

A good quality knife I had confiscated from that crazy sub-team leader before.

I intended to put it to proper use.

I took out new safety boots and tied the laces tightly.

‘I haven’t even used them much…’

Looking at my tattered safety boots, I clicked my tongue.

My shoes couldn’t withstand the strength of my legs.

If I ran a bit and jumped around on buildings, they wouldn’t last long.

Shoes were consumables, but I grew attached to broken-in items.

Swallowing a small sigh of regret, I finished my preparations.

Finally, I put on my neck warmer.

Hoisting the backpack and duffel bag I’d tossed in the corner, I left the room.

The slight tightening sensation on my body felt quite good.

My condition was also good.

Feeling light-hearted, I strolled casually toward the meeting point.

Assembly time was exactly 06:00.

There was plenty of time left.

I walked along the slightly damaged sidewalk and lit a cigarette.

“Hoo—!”

It was quite chilly.

Fortunately, there was no wind, making it good conditions for movement.

I moved slowly.

Last night.

The meeting, which had resumed once again, was absurdly simple.

Travel by helicopter.

Land in a suitable location.

Scour the area, taking risks.

Find supplies, anything at all, and return.

‘Are you crazy? Soldier?’

At first, I thought it was a joke.

But surprisingly, it wasn’t.

What was lacking wasn’t just supplies and time.

Lack of information.

Nothing was known about the local situation.

They didn’t know what was where, or if there were many zombies or few.

It was literally a reckless assault, a charge without a plan.

An adventure staking everything on a single gamble.

It was absurd and reckless, but no one raised an objection.

There were no complaints or dissatisfactions.

They simply prepared themselves with calm resignation.

I was no different.

Anyway, this was the situation, and grumbling wouldn’t conjure up missing information.

Even if a plan was made, there was no guarantee it would go as intended.

Rather, I liked the simple operation overview.

“…Seonghan, do you have any opinions?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Hmm…”

“It’s concise and clear, which is good.”

“…Huh? Heh heh heh~”

I don’t know what the punchline was, but Captain Lee laughed.

After a hearty laugh, the meeting concluded.

Other than that, it was just simple introductions and precautions.

“…This is the problem, you see…”

Recalling yesterday, I had walked until I was in front of the helicopter.

Our problem lay with this helicopter.

It had been handled quite roughly and taken a lot of impact on its fuselage.

It had barely been repaired and adjusted, making operation possible.

But…

“Junwi Jo. What’s the problem?”

“We can get the helicopter airborne and operate it, but…”

“And?”

“We don’t know when it might crash. Even a little strain and it’ll plummet from the sky.”

“Hmm.”

“And we don’t have enough fuel for a round trip.”

“…Will we be able to go there?”

“…It’ll be a close call.”

“That’s enough.”

The helicopter we had to ride was a critically ill patient, on the verge of collapsing.

Therefore, this boarding ticket was one-way.

An unfriendly travel course where we’d have to crawl back on our own.

‘This should be interesting.’

Thump—

I sat on my duffel bag and looked at the helicopter.

Seeing a helicopter up close for the first time in my life, it was covered in scars.

It seemed Junwi Jo had forcefully kept it breathing.

‘Sorry, old bird.’

Hoping it would gather its strength just one more time, I lit a cigarette.

I adjusted my gloves and balled my fists.

Squelch—

Overwhelming power gathered in my grasp.

Power that easily surpassed human limits.

Right now, I was surviving thanks to becoming stronger, but…

‘I hadn’t wished for something like this.’

It wasn’t that I disliked my current self or my abilities.

As someone who loved a peaceful daily life, I wondered what it would have been like if I had acquired different abilities.

Like making things delicious just by touching them, or having a sense of touch a thousand times stronger just by touching them.

I envied the rare jolly fellow who earned the title “Pregnant with a touch!” just by brushing a fingertip.

‘If their senses were a thousand times stronger, wouldn’t zombies piss themselves too?’

I was a little curious.

Just as my mind was getting chaotic with frivolous curiosity.

“…There’s still a lot of time left, but you’re already here?”

I turned my head to see Junwi Jo, who was in charge of piloting, approaching.

He was with a female soldier named Lee Misook.

Junwi Lee was also a pilot.

I patted my backside and stood up.

“You two also came out early.”

“We needed to do some pre-checks…”

“Don’t mind me.”

After a brief nod, the two attached themselves to the helicopter.

There was a slightly uncomfortable atmosphere regarding me.

It had been roughly this feeling since yesterday.

They had requested help, but there was an air of distrust regarding what I could do.

I figured it was understandable since I’d find it hard to believe myself.

And they didn’t seem to like an outsider being included in the team.

Well, this part wasn’t incomprehensible either.

From my perspective, it was a thank you if they just didn’t interfere.

Thanks to Captain Lee’s stern warning, there was no hazing, but it wasn’t a welcoming atmosphere.

Feeling a slightly awkward tension, I waited until everyone approached.

Captain Lee, Balloon Man, and Delinquent Woman.

Perhaps because it was just before departure, their expressions were rigid with tension.

Captain Lee offered a simple greeting, but it felt stiff.

“Why did you come out so early?”

“And you, Captain?”

“Well, I came to do some pre-checks too…”

“Those two over there said the exact same thing.”

“Did they?”

Captain Lee let out a small laugh and looked at the two people checking the helicopter.

Then he called the other two people and had them stand next to him.

“Sergeant Kim Dongwook, Staff Sergeant Park Yeonkyung.”

Captain Lee spoke quietly to the two who approached.

“I trust I don’t need to worry separately.”

“…Yes, sir!”

“Seonghan…”

I realized what Captain Lee meant by that.

“I hold no ill will towards either of you.”

When I offered a harmless smile to Captain Lee, he let out a wry chuckle.

Then he extended his right hand toward Balloon Man.

“Let’s do well. Sergeant Kim Dongwook.”

“……”

Nodding, Balloon Man gripped his hand without hesitation, putting a slight squeeze into his grasp. It wasn’t hostile, but a gesture of ‘fighting spirit’.

It was the same for Staff Sergeant Park Yeonkyung, the Delinquent Woman, who was standing nearby.

After the atmosphere was cleared, it felt a bit better.

As the wait lengthened, I lit another cigarette.

“As I said yesterday, the six of us are one team, and there will be no support. Seonghan. It’s a bit late to ask, but if you’re not willing to—”

“It’s fine. We’ve already come this far. There’s no backing out.”

“……”

“Just as Captain Lee has resolved, I too have resolved. You don’t need to worry about it.”

“…Thank you—”

I grabbed Captain Lee’s shoulder, stopping him from bowing in thanks.

“Greetings later. After the operation succeeds, at a grand drinking party.”

“…Understood.”

“Commander-nim. Preparations are complete.”

Just then, Junwi Jo interjected, perfectly timed.

Simultaneously, Captain Lee’s gaze changed.

“Attention.”

“Attention!”

“This is my final briefing. We are the advance party and the reconnaissance team. Our mission has a high probability of failure and a high probability of yielding no results. Nevertheless, we must carry it out.”

As Captain Lee’s briefing continued, the team members’ expressions hardened.

“The mission is simple. It is to search for all available resources. To do so, we will head to Yongsan Base and land in the adjacent Yongsan Park. Our primary objective is to secure and suppress the US Embassy staff quarters. After that, we will visually assess the site. Any questions?”

“How do we return?”

“We plan to secure transportation on site.”

“Understood.”

Sergeant Kim Dongwook asked only up to that point.

Because if there was no transportation, what came next was obvious.

With no further questions, Captain Lee concluded.

“The remaining personnel will do their best in defense and await us. We must succeed. Complete your final personal checks. You have five minutes.”

After the short briefing ended, everyone began checking their personal items.

‘……’

Sparse.

The backpack on my back was thin.

All that was visible were the rifle I carried, a few magazines, and grenades.

But the soldiers meticulously checked even that again.

“Seonghan…”

“I’m all ready.”

“…Are you?”

I asked Captain Lee, who looked a little skeptical.

“Is that a suppressor?”

“Ah, yes. It’s not like in the movies, but it definitely controls the sound.”

“Oh…”

“If it could be used with subsonic rounds, the effect would be certain, but given the situation…”

Captain Lee and all the other soldiers had suppressors attached.

It was just a black cylinder, but I greatly coveted it.

While I was indulging in a small desire, it was time.

“Commander Lee.”

“Ah, Representative Pyo.”

Representative Pyo, Secretary Choi, and CEO Kim came out to see us off.

“Please return safely.”

“…We will do our best.”

With a brief greeting, he handed over a clunky phone.

“We will… await your contact.”

“Understood.”

Whirrr—

As soon as he finished speaking, the helicopter’s propellers began to spin.

“Board!”

“Board!”

At Captain Lee’s shout, everyone began to move.

“It’s, it’s cramped!”

“Hey! Squeeze in a bit!”

“……”

Contrary to their momentum, a farcical scene unfolded inside the cramped helicopter.

Everyone was well-built, and they had luggage too.

Could this dying dragonfly even take off?

Whump— Whump— Whump— Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump—

“Oh…”

It was needless worry.

The body seemed to tilt, then it began to smoothly lift off.

The sound produced by the powerfully rotating rotors was tremendous.

The helicopter, floating up, ascended to a certain height and then began its flight.

‘…I’m actually riding a helicopter.’

I hadn’t even been near an airplane, let alone a helicopter.

It felt quite novel.

If it weren’t for the scenery unfolding below, I might have enjoyed the flight.

Enduring the deafening noise, I looked down at the streets below.

From the still dark night sky, the streets below were desolation itself.

And from within that, I felt as if I could hear the wailing of zombies.

For some reason, it felt like zombies might pop out from anywhere in the dark.

With a strange sensation, as if I would be sucked down, I averted my gaze.

Captain Lee and the team members were silently huddled and seated.

Especially Balloon Man, Sergeant Kim, was almost crumpled up.

It was a comical scene inside the cramped helicopter, but the atmosphere was heavy.

Captain Lee, Sergeant Kim, Staff Sergeant Park, Junwi Jo, Junwi Lee, and myself.

The helicopter carrying the six of us pressed forward powerfully, as if squeezing out its last ounce of strength.

‘Is it fast or slow?’

The advantage of being able to move forward without any hindrance was absolutely superb.

However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this first helicopter ride was slow.

“It’s peaceful, I like it!”

“Hey! Shut your mouth!”

“Can’t I even speak?!”

Soldiers chattering even amidst the loud rotor noise.

Their high morale was pleasant to see…

Clunk—

Suddenly, the helicopter lurched.

No, perhaps it swayed.

All the soldiers fell silent.

A piercing glare went toward the one who had spoken.

“……”

Balloon Man, Sergeant Kim, already hunched, hunched even further.

“The wind is stronger than expected!”

At the shout from the cockpit, Captain Lee nodded.

“Sergeant Kim!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Shut it!”

“……”

A chuckle escaped me at the sight of Balloon Man shutting his mouth like a mute.

I roughly understood what his position was.

‘No matter where you go, there’s always a problematic loudmouth.’

That thought was fleeting.

I could no longer offer a faint smile.

Wobble wobble—

Rattle rattle—

The helicopter, which had been flying relatively steadily, began to lurch and sway little by little.

The body, which had been shaking slightly, soon became unstable enough to cause unease.

“It’s okay! This much is no problem!”

Perhaps misunderstanding my expression, Captain Lee shouted.

I simply shrugged lightly in response.

The precarious flight didn’t last long.

“Destination coming into view!”

At Junwi Jo’s shout, I looked out the window.

The approximate panorama of Yongsan Base was visible ahead.

Seeing some greenery in front of it, it seemed that was the planned landing site.

Just as I was about to prepare.

Thud—

The helicopter’s body suddenly lurched violently.

It wasn’t a vertical lurch, but a significant horizontal sway.

A quick glance at the cockpit revealed a silent struggle ongoing.

The large lurch soon lessened but still continued to sway.

‘Is this okay…’

Beep— Beep— Beep—

A noisy alarm, intensifying the unease, rang out.

The helicopter seemed to be uncontrollable as intended.

Even subtle vibrations began to be added.

“Commander! We can’t go on! I’m landing!”

“Understood! Everyone, hold onto something tightly!”

No sooner had Captain Lee finished speaking than the helicopter began to descend.

A surging feeling in my chest, defying gravity, instantly welled up.

Lurch— Whoosh—

Lurch— Whoosh—

Descent and braking occurred in quick succession.

Thanks to this, the situation inside the helicopter was indescribable.

The scenery outside the window changed rapidly.

What was previously the sky above was now right above a forest of buildings.

And it gradually swayed downwards toward the ground.

The helicopter struggled to maintain balance somehow amidst all this.

I could feel Junwi Jo’s unseen struggle.

Checking outside the window with my shaking vision, I gritted my teeth.

‘Damn it…’

The moment I thought we were close to the ground.

Crash— Screech—

Along with the roar of a large object hitting the ground, the sound of metal crushing could be heard. And through the impact on my body, I felt it.

A crash, no, it landed.

Grind grind grind— Thump—

The heavily tilted body barely held on, then finally toppled over.

As a result, all passengers were entangled, piled on top of each other, and pressed down.

Fortunately, I was sitting by the window, and it toppled in the opposite direction.

Now, I was on top of the pile of soldiers below.

“Ugh…”

A small groan escaped, but there was no time to hesitate.

I braced myself and tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge.

Faced with the uncooperative situation, I immediately balled my fist.

Thump! Thump! Crack! Snap!

I punched the door off with force and pulled my body out.

Stepping onto the overturned fuselage, I bent down and stretched out my arm.

And I shouted inside.

“Get up! Grab my hand!”

The soldiers, still pinned, shook their heads to clear their minds.

They tried to move carefully to avoid hurting those beneath them.

But I urged them on, shouting.

“The zombies are coming!”

At my urgent shout, the soldiers’ eyes widened as they looked up.

The quickest to react was Captain Lee.

“Hurry!”

Captain Lee began helping the soldiers up simultaneously with his shout.

At the same time, he supported them and pushed their backsides to get them out.

I pulled the soldiers up by their arms, like a counterattack.

The moment Junwi Lee Misook had pulled herself halfway out.

“Th-thank you—”

Graaaah—

Thump-thump-thump-thump—

“What are you doing! Move!”

A monstrous roar, urging frantic movement, echoed.

Across the wide green area, zombies were kicking up dust, charging madly.

“Shit!! Hurry!!”

Expletives began to naturally flow out.