episode_0175

A trap.

It’s an installed device whose purpose is to neutralize or harm a target.

It’s typically placed in unexpected locations, targeting places where a subject might pass.

In that sense, I’ve just been hit by the enemy.

‘I made a mistake.’

Glass shards installed for alarm purposes, not lethality.

I never expected something like this to be in front of a door.

I had momentarily forgotten that the enemies weren’t just zombies.

A complacency that vaguely focused only on zombies.

Thanks to that, I fell for such a simple trap.

Whoever it is, they’re impressive.

A posture of treating both zombies and humans as enemies and preparing for any eventuality.

They considered that the beings remaining here might not be zombies, but living people.

Now, they must have realized our approach.

Since we’ve been discovered, there’s no reason to hesitate.

I extended my foot and stepped over the glass fragments.

Crunch!

“…”

The glass shards embedded in my sole did their job.

Every step I took was like shouting, ‘I’m here!’

I wanted to move quietly, but it was too late.

I simply stood openly in the middle of the corridor.

I couldn’t pinpoint the exact location, but I had a rough idea.

The straight hotel corridor I was currently facing.

It was one of the rooms along this line.

Two people followed me, observing their surroundings.

“It’s troublesome, but we’ll confirm it.”

Captain Lee, speaking softly, indicated that they couldn’t leave any potential threats behind.

I agreed with that sentiment.

Whether it was a person or a zombie, it was a hundred times better to deal with the nuisance now than to be caught off guard at a crucial moment by leaving them alone.

First, I scraped off the glass shards heavily embedded in the bottom of my shoe with a knife.

Then, I immediately began searching the rooms.

However, there was no need to search every single room.

In the unmanaged corridor, traces remained clearly.

Footprints.

Distinct footprints where muddy water mixed with dust had dried.

The traces etched on the corridor floor led to one room.

‘…’

I felt the presence of someone holding their breath, waiting behind the door.

I gestured to Captain Lee in front of the room with a particularly large number of back-and-forth traces.

Nod.

Captain Lee and Lieutenant Lee quietly positioned themselves on either side of the door.

I had considered going in quietly, but I changed my mind.

A sharp, murderous intent emanating from beyond the door.

Bang!

I kicked the door hard and entered—

Thwack!

Crunch!

The axe blade, making a fearsome sound, embedded itself deep into the wall.

The axe’s intention, swung horizontally and aimed precisely at a person’s neck height, was all too clear.

It was fortunate it was me; anyone else would have been split in two.

“Shit!”

English.

And it was a word I understood.

Hearing it with a native accent, it sounded remarkably punchy.

Before I could even admire it, a desperate shout brought me back to reality.

“Seonghan!”

The enemy who had swung the axe was struggling to pull out the stuck axe handle.

But their judgment was swift.

As I lowered my stance and lunged at the enemy, they reacted quickly.

“Phew!”

With a breath, a flashing blade stabbed downwards, aiming for my nape.

It was a remarkably fast and precise strike.

I tilted my head left and twisted my body to dodge.

Swish!

Clash!

The enemy, who blocked my knife with theirs the moment I dodged, lost their balance, unable to withstand my force.

Grab! Twist!

I grabbed their wrist, which was beyond the knives held against each other, and twisted it outwards.

“Gah?!”

I took advantage of the moment their body reeled from the pain of their arm twisting.

Whirl! Clatter!

Instantly, the opponent’s knife fell to the floor.

The moment they saw my attack, they didn’t resist with strength but rotated their body as if performing a trick.

Furthermore, they even gripped my hand that was holding them.

Thump!

The enemy, moving frantically, coiled their long legs around my arm.

And without hesitation, they put all their strength into their body and leaned their head back.

It was a truly brutal will to break my arm.

Straining—

“?!?!”

The enemy’s eyes widened in horror as they saw me not budge.

They wore a disbelieving expression, gritting their teeth and straining with all their might.

Watching their struggle, I slowly began to bend and pull my left arm.

“What the…?”

The opponent, who had almost lost their composure from my strength, gritted their teeth.

Just as they realized strength wouldn’t work and tried to pull their body away.

Grab!

“Gah!”

I extended my coiled left arm as if to bounce it, seizing the opponent’s throat.

They broke their posture and struggled, resisting to the very end.

Gasping and choking, they flailed their hands, trying to shake my grip off.

“C-choke!”

I observed the opponent, whose face was turning crimson but still refused to give up.

A remarkably dirty but familiar military uniform.

Long, matted, clumped blonde hair.

A sharp nose bridge and a defined jawline.

Blue eyes mixed with anger, hostility, distress, and despair.

An American soldier.

And a female soldier with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Despite her disheveled and dirty appearance, she was a beauty.

A rare beauty had just tried to lop off my head.

Look now.

Though her eyes were blurring, her intent to tear me apart only intensified.

Just as the strength of the American soldier, whose neck I held, began to wane, Captain Lee stepped forward.

“Seonghan. I’ll subdue her—”

Swish!

Snatch!

Captain Lee, who had been speaking, widened his mouth in surprise.

The moment I showed a slight opening, the female soldier tried to swing a knife, which she seemed to have pulled out from nowhere.

Just before the blade touched my wrist, I snatched it away just in time.

“…”

“Gah! Choke!”

She was incredibly tenacious and didn’t know how to give up.

Even now, with her free hand, she was tearing at my hand, clawing and going wild.

It was as if her gaze alone could tear me to shreds.

I felt like breaking something, but I held back, knowing there were eyes watching.

Slide—

Slam!

“Cough!”

I lifted her by the neck and slammed her to the floor.

At the same time, her body went limp, seemingly losing strength, but she didn’t let go of the knife.

I mounted the female soldier, who refused to break her fighting spirit to the very end.

I pressed my knee down on her hand holding the knife, subduing her.

To instill some fear, I reversed my grip on the knife.

The female soldier, whose eyes were blurry, identified the knife and responded in a low voice.

“…fuck…”

“…”

Although it wasn’t meant that way, it sounded a little suggestive.

Anyway.

Just as I thought of calming her down.

“No!!!!!!”

A desperate, heartfelt cry, characteristic of Westerners, erupted.

“Stop! Let her go!!”

I turned my gaze towards the tear-filled cry and paused.

The same went for Captain Lee and Lieutenant Lee.

They froze in an awkward stance, halfway to raising their guns.

“Hic! Whoosh! Whoosh! Sob!”

Trembling—

Another woman, leaning against the doorway a few meters away, stood with difficulty.

She was trembling violently, aiming a gun at me.

Holding her large belly with one hand.

“Get away from her! now!!!!!!”

Was she crying or angry?

Her trembling figure, with tears streaming down, was pitiful.

She was shouting, but there was no power or force in her voice.

It felt like she was literally squeezing the words out.

I observed the pregnant woman and felt the blood rushing to my head subside.

‘…It’s real.’

This wasn’t some fake pregnant woman like I’d encountered before.

This woman wasn’t just supporting her belly.

She was embracing something precious with those slender arms, trying to protect it.

After observing the pregnant woman for a moment, I slowly lowered my knife.

As a sign not to provoke her, I also slowly sheathed the knife.

And I slightly loosened my grip on the female soldier’s neck.

“Cough! Cough! Cough!”

As the female soldier underneath me coughed, the pregnant woman’s eyes wavered greatly.

But seeing her gun also waver like that, it felt not just precarious, but frightening.

‘…What if she actually shoots like that?’

The pregnant woman, still gasping for breath, showed no signs of calming down.

I, who had been silent, spoke as quietly and calmly as possible.

“Hey.”

“!!”

She startled visibly, simply from being called.

I felt like an accidental discharge was genuinely possible with her like that.

“Um… Easy, man?”

“??”

“Uh… calm down?”

“Se-Seonghan.”

Ah, this wasn’t it.

Trying to speak broken English made my stomach churn.

I fixed my gaze on the pregnant woman, who was crying pitifully and trembling.

“…Someone speak English.”

At my words, Captain Lee carefully stepped forward.

He slung his rifle behind his shoulder and raised and spread both hands.

A gesture meaning, “I won’t harm you!”

“Miss. Calm down. Put down your gun.”

I was a little surprised by Captain Lee’s smoothly rolling tongue.

His fluent tongue-work made him seem like a different person.

The pregnant woman actually seemed to understand Captain Lee’s words.

Unlike when I spoke to her, she seemed to calm down a little.

But the trembling gun was still aimed at me.

Just as Captain Lee was about to say something more, Lieutenant Lee quietly stepped forward.

“We are Korean soldiers. Let us help you.”

Was it because a fellow woman spoke to her?

The pregnant woman became noticeably agitated.

However, it was clear that she felt relieved, not in danger.

Seeing that reaction, it was impossible to guess how much mental anguish she had endured.

Lieutenant Lee whispered softly and gently to the pregnant woman in English.

“…What is Lieutenant Lee saying?”

“She said we are Korean soldiers and that we can help them.”

“Oh…”

A gentle expression and gentle words.

Lieutenant Lee, taking off her helmet and slowly approaching, slowly extended her hand.

She kept saying something in English, but I couldn’t understand it.

Still, I felt like I knew what she meant.

“Oh god…”

Finally, handing the gun to Lieutenant Lee, the pregnant woman sobbed, embracing her and shedding bitter tears.

“Everything is okay now.”

“Waaaahhh~”

Lieutenant Lee stroked the pregnant woman’s back, lightly patting her.

Captain Lee and I felt awkward.

Their reaction was so different from when we spoke to them.

“…”

“…”

We were silent.

Then, Lieutenant Lee, who was comforting the pregnant woman, nodded and looked at me.

“Uh, Seonghan.”

“Yes.”

“She’s asking you to let the woman go. Please…”

“Ah…”

At Lieutenant Lee’s words, I finally looked down at the female soldier beneath me.

“Get off of me.”

“What did this woman just say?”

“She said to get off of her… that, to move aside.”

‘This woman, really?’

I looked down at the female soldier pinned beneath me, and she glared back without yielding.

She seemed to have quite a temper, but she was barking up the wrong tree.

She was the woman who had silently swung an axe at my neck and tried to stab me with a knife.

I had no intention of moving aside obediently.

“Who are you? Why did you attack?”

“What?”

I raised my fist instead of my knife.

At that, Captain Lee urgently began to interpret.

The female soldier, who had been conflicted even while pinned beneath me, stared at my clenched fist with anxious eyes. And then she immediately began to answer in English.

“She said she’s a Second Lieutenant belonging to the United States Special Operations Command.”

“Name?”

“She said to just call her Heize.”

“Why did a U.S. soldier swing an axe at my neck?”

As I spoke and Captain Lee translated, the female soldier looked back and forth between Captain Lee and me, then slowly replied.

“She said she thought we were enemies.”

“Enemies? Not zombies?”

At my words, the female soldier immediately said something.

In fluent, native English.

“…It seems there were survivors. She said they were hostile and dangerous, and that she thought we were with them.”

“Those damn bastards, honestly…”

It seems there are crazies everywhere.

Thanks to them, an axe blade almost got embedded in my innocent neck.

It was impossible, of course, but as the one being targeted, it felt disgusting.

“Are you going to keep fighting?”

When Captain Lee translated, the female soldier finally let go of the knife she had been clutching until then.

“Nope.”

“She said she won’t fight.”

“I know that much.”

Captain Lee, who had been seriously interpreting, let out a chuckle.

For me, who only knew a few words of English, it was embarrassing.

I slowly stood up and extended my hand to the lying female soldier.

The woman took my hand without hesitation and stood up, then scanned me from head to toe.

Even as she rubbed her arm, which had been pinned under my knee, her eyes didn’t stop moving.

But she slowly moved away from me and approached the pregnant woman.

She bent down to hug her, stroked her head, and comforted her.

I heard her softly whispering, “Okay, okay.”

…It felt as if I had been tormenting a helpless woman.

Lieutenant Lee quietly got up and came over to us.

“Captain. Her condition is very bad.”

“Hmm…”

“Shouldn’t we save them?”

Lieutenant Lee held back her unspoken words.

Of course, she would want to help.

But Captain Lee also didn’t answer rashly.

We hadn’t come here for search and rescue.

There were countless survivors anxiously awaiting Captain Lee’s return right now.

A frail soldier and a weakened pregnant woman.

They would surely only be a burden.

But Captain Lee didn’t answer rashly.

It was Captain Lee who had said that all American soldiers and Americans had withdrawn.

He seemed to have anticipated enemies or zombies, but not survivors in need of rescue.

He, with his serious and complicated gaze, fell into conflict.

I didn’t disturb him and waited quietly.

I was also curious what decision he would make.

While he was deep in thought, the female soldier who had been comforting the pregnant woman approached.

“Hey.”

Even I understood that much.

The female soldier spoke to Captain Lee in a lengthy English sentence.

At that, Captain Lee immediately made a troubled expression.

“What did she say?”

“She said she’s sorry for the misunderstanding.”

“Why isn’t she sorry to me?”

“She, uh, apologized for her aggressive actions. And she said thank you for coming to rescue them…”

I understood why Captain Lee looked troubled.

Captain Lee, who had been conflicted until then, immediately began to reply in fluent English.

However, the female soldier’s reaction wasn’t good.

Her constantly changing expressions were quite a spectacle.

The female soldier’s mouth slightly opened, conveying a nuance of disbelief.

The pregnant woman, who had been sitting on the floor listening, also closed her eyes and let tears stream down.

“??”

“…The Captain stated that we are not a rescue team. She said she can’t believe it when we told her we came here for a mission.”

“What else is there not to believe?”

“That coming here was insane…”

“Ah.”

As Lieutenant Lee translated, the female soldier uttered an expletive that even I could understand.

It seems female soldiers all have quite foul mouths.

The woman, unable to suppress her anger, made an ‘Ah!’ expression and quickly blurted out something in English.

Captain Lee’s expression changed as he listened to the female soldier’s words.

And he immediately began making a radio call.

Lieutenant Lee, who had listened with him, also looked serious.

‘I should have studied English more…’

Why did I just work tirelessly like a beast all the time?

As I briefly regretted my vague past.

“Sergeant Kim!”

“[Radio static] Speak.”

“Come up to the 9th floor right now! Quietly!”

“All of us, sir?”

“All of you! Bring water and food if possible!”

“Understood.”

Captain Lee, finishing the urgent radio call, spoke to the female soldier.

In the ominous atmosphere, I subtly asked Lieutenant Lee.

“What’s going on?”

“…She said the reason they couldn’t move from here was because of the zombies.”

“Well, they are dangerous.”

“No, she said they move in hordes.”

“…What?”

I found myself asking back.

“She said the zombies are acting strangely and are more dangerous.”

Lieutenant Lee translated the female soldier’s words.

Her words were a warning that the difficulty was about to spike dramatically.