episode_0198

Eva Heize. 25 years old.

Brightly shimmering blonde hair and distinct blue eyes.

Heize, with the iconic characteristics of a Westerner, possesses an attraction that draws gazes with her outstanding appearance alone.

Currently, she might be perceived by Seonghan as merely a female soldier with many regrettable aspects, but she has many strengths that make her stand out.

Exceptional beauty and a cool, easygoing personality.

A wonderful physique and excellent athletic ability to support it.

Morality infinitely close to good, and high judgment.

Even the mental resolve to sacrifice for the weak.

Heize, an elite talent who completed the military elite course and graduated with excellent grades.

She has a slightly peculiar side to her.

If one were to pinpoint the cause, her grandfather’s influence was significant.

Her grandfather, a retired soldier, was a highly capable military man who performed various missions and achieved great merit, earning medals.

Heize, who grew up in the care of such a grandfather since childhood, had a slightly different childhood.

“Eva.”

“Yes.”

“You must grow up to be a good and fine adult.”

“Adult?”

“That’s right. People like me are called adults.”

“Okay! I’ll be like Grandpa.”

“Just like my granddaughter. To do that, you must grow up strong and upright.”

“Okay.”

“This grandpa will raise you strong.”

“Grandpa. What does strong mean?”

Her grandfather, with a slightly peculiar educational philosophy, took Heize around mountains and fields.

The little lady, holding her grandfather’s hand and toddling along, was simply delighted, knowing nothing else.

She was simply happy thinking she was playing with her only family, her most beloved grandfather.

Six-year-old little lady, Eva Heize.

From this point on, she began to be greatly influenced by her grandfather.

Instead of pretty clothes, she wore specially made functional attire.

At an age when she should have been playing with dolls, she was starting fires with flint.

Instead of sweet candies, she searched for and ate sweet-tasting berries herself.

She spent more nights in a sleeping bag than in a comfortable bed.

Heize, still so young, simply loved it all.

Each day was joyful and happy, and she was overwhelmed by her fortunate days.

Because her grandfather was always by her side.

Thanks to her grandfather, Heize never felt lonely.

Her grandfather always brought her meat and cooked for her.

She loved her grandfather, who always gave her a wonderful smile as she munched on the food cooked with affection.

Her grandfather always fell asleep later than her.

When they lay together by the bonfire, gazing at the night sky, she felt like a fairy in the forest.

Her grandfather was always with her.

Her grandfather loved Heize deeply, over and over again.

He gave and taught Heize without reservation, commensurate with his love.

Perhaps it was because blood is thicker than water.

Heize, who had a clever side, absorbed everything she was taught as if a sponge were soaking up water.

Her grandfather, noticing Heize’s intelligence, was overjoyed.

“My granddaughter was a genius!!”

“Heh-heh~ Did I do well?”

“Of course! Of course! Oh, my dear child~ I love you!”

“I love you too, Grandpa~”

It was from this moment.

The word ‘restraint’ disappeared from her grandfather’s affection.

The year she turned eight.

Heize learned how to use a gun and hunt for the first time.

The year she turned ten.

Heize hunted a deer for the first time.

Around this time, someone should have put a stop to it, but unfortunately, there was no one who could.

Even after entering school, she would go into the forest whenever she had a chance.

The young girl was fearless.

Her curiosity was strong, and she was full of initiative.

Her homeroom teacher, realizing the situation belatedly, cast worried glances, but it was to no avail.

They tried to dissuade her by using her grades as leverage, but it was meaningless.

She always maintained top grades in her studies as well.

Heize was too excellent for anyone to stop her grandfather from implementing his peculiar education.

She caused no trouble, had good relationships with her peers, and was popular.

As she grew older, she learned and mastered various things.

Survival methods in case of disaster, disaster preparedness, and so on.

To anyone else, there was nothing particularly strange about it.

Given the nature of a country like the United States, most households are equipped with emergency food, water, and even shotguns.

Learning such things was simply beneficial.

However, there was no moderation in her grandfather’s affection, and Heize was pure and excellent.

As a result, Heize grew terrifyingly in a different sense.

It is commonly said that a boxer who perfectly achieves a harmony of wildness and science is called a work of art.

In that sense, Heize was a work of art, a harmony of wildness and knowledge.

As her grandfather wished, Heize grew up strong.

She studied diligently to become a good and fine adult, and that became the foundation for her judgment in discerning right from wrong.

Those around her praised Heize for being well-raised, but she herself only thought she had simply done as her grandfather instructed.

And so, Heize came to love her grandfather even more.

Then one day.

The day she turned 13, she ventured deep into the forest.

It was a joyful day; she had found many delicious berries and even encountered a beautiful deer.

“……”

Her joyful mood vanished in an instant.

Heize froze in her tracks.

“Roar!”

“……!!”

A massive wild bear, encountered for the first time.

Heize froze, facing a real bear, not some doll.

The bear, which had stood on two legs and stared down at Heize, lowered its front paws and ambled towards her.

A wild predator, encountered for the first time.

Its sheer size alone was enough to inspire immense fear.

But there was something ominous about it.

Its drooling and ragged breathing showed it was in an extreme state of agitation.

Perhaps the bear was even more enraged that the small creature in front of it didn’t run away despite seeing it.

“Growl!”

A thick paw swung wide.

Its dirty black claws somehow seemed to glitter.

‘That’s going to hurt.’

For some reason, her mind felt at ease.

Then, one person came to mind.

‘Grandpa…’

The moment the bear’s attack was about to strike Heize’s small face.

*Grab!*

*Whoosh!*

Someone wrapped around Heize’s small body and pulled back.

Familiar warmth, familiar scent, familiar touch.

Sensations she remembered and often felt.

Her grandfather’s embrace, warmer and more reliable than anything in the world.

The moment Heize recognized it, she closed her eyes.

No, she lost consciousness.

She didn’t know if it was because the tension had released or because she was embraced in her incredibly dependable grandfather’s arms.

At any rate, her grandfather was there for her even in a moment of crisis.

The last thing she remembered from that moment was a feeling of relief.

When Heize regained consciousness, she was lying in a hospital bed.

She opened her eyes, bewildered, but soon understood.

That her grandfather had saved her.

Heize, blinking her pretty eyes, gently turned her head.

And she saw.

At the sight of her grandfather looking down at her with concern, Heize burst into tears.

“Oh! My child! It’s okay! It’s okay now!”

“Gr-Grandpa…”

“Yes, yes. There’s nothing to be scared of now. Don’t cry.”

“But……”

Heize sobbed uncontrollably.

Her grandfather broke into a sweat trying to comfort her as she cried heartbrokenly.

Even so, Heize couldn’t easily stop crying.

“Because of me, Grandpa…”

Her grandfather was wrapped in bandages everywhere.

His left arm, right hand, and even half of his face were diagonally bandaged.

His upper body was so tightly wrapped that no skin was visible.

“I’m fine. I merely did what I naturally had to do. More than that, I’m so relieved you’re safe. You must have been very scared, weren’t you?”

Her grandfather’s kindness, smiling gently with more than half his face covered.

Heize couldn’t stop her tears.

She was terribly afraid that she could have lost her grandfather because of her childish actions. And she felt pathetic.

But her grandfather only warmly embraced even that side of her.

And what she later learned was that her grandfather had defeated the bear with a knife and a shotgun.

The bear’s hide remained and was displayed in her grandfather’s house.

Her grandfather gained large scars and the ‘Bear Slayer’ badge.

From this day forward, several changes occurred in Heize.

Firstly, she began to mature beyond her years.

As she became mentally stronger, her thoughts deepened.

And for some reason, her intuition improved.

She couldn’t explain it precisely, but a strange sense emerged, like an alarm that detected danger.

At first, she wondered if she was sick and consulted her grandfather.

But her grandfather said it was a good thing and even encouraged her to hone that feeling.

Heize did not doubt her grandfather’s words.

She simply nodded obediently and followed her grandfather.

Because of this, Heize began to show exceptional ability in avoiding or dealing with crises.

Thanks to this, Heize was able to safely overcome both major and minor crises.

And she was able to survive.

‘Grandpa truly is the best.’

Her grandfather’s overflowing affection began to backfire.

The love she had received since childhood transformed Heize.

“Child. Shouldn’t you try meeting a boyfriend too?”

“They’re boring.”

“Boring, you say?”

“There are no men like Grandpa. They’re all just immature kids.”

“…Just like my granddaughter. Eva. Remember this.”

“Huh?”

“Any man who wants to date you should at least be able to easily defeat me. You know what I mean, right?”

Her grandfather, letting out a hearty laugh as he said this, simply looked cool to her.

The bear claw marks etched on his handsome face.

Her heart ached every time she saw the scars remaining all over his body.

But it was Heize’s secret that even those seemed magnificent.

Her grandfather considered the scars as merely tattoos, saying he had become more masculine.

He thought nothing of it, saying it was a small price if he could save his granddaughter.

Excessive affection for his only granddaughter.

Heize, who grew up receiving all that love, matured into a remarkable beauty with rare abilities.

And it was also the reason she developed a slightly peculiar view on the opposite sex.

‘If only he were half as good as Grandpa…’

Thanks to this, Heize had no experience dating the opposite sex.

No matter how kind and handsome they were, her heart wasn’t stirred.

A splendid and dazzling appearance, a cool personality, and impeccable manners.

On top of that, her perfectly well-rounded stats.

Many men hung around and clung to her, but Heize didn’t even spare them a glance.

It was the same even after she graduated high school and entered West Point thanks to her grandfather.

There were no wonderful men even in the academy she entered, wishing to become a soldier like her grandfather.

As a result, many male cadets suffered from lovesickness and caused a commotion by refusing to eat or drink, but Heize paid them no mind.

Heize, who graduated from the military academy with excellent grades, wanted to do something bigger.

“Grandpa. I want to volunteer for deployment.”

“What are you talking about? Why, exactly?”

“I want to become a great person like you, Grandpa.”

“Oh, my… this lovely girl.”

“Heh-heh~”

“In that case, this grandpa will recommend you. How’s that?”

Her grandfather would never recommend a bad choice for her.

Heize readily agreed, and her duty station was decided with a single phone call from her grandfather.

The chosen location was the small Eastern country, South Korea.

Heize, who began her service at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, was happy.

She had many friends, the work environment was good, and life in Korea was also good.

In particular, K-dramas, which she discovered belatedly, felt like a new civilization.

The regrettable part was that she still hadn’t found a man who caught her eye here either.

Heize was by no means emotionless.

She had an interest in the opposite sex and her interests were no different from an ordinary woman’s.

She was just a little peculiar.

The Unyielding Gold Rose, Wild Heize, and so on.

Just as the epithets following her began to multiply, that incident occurred.

What people called the zombie apocalypse.

The world began to turn upside down in an instant.

But for some reason, the order to withdraw was given.

The problem was that it proceeded at an unprecedented speed.

It seemed as if they had been prepared for it in advance.

In the midst of that, a mission was issued, which was to transport their own citizens.

So she was urgently dispatched to Yongsan Base and performed well on site, but was abandoned.

The transport plane that was supposed to return never came.

Heize was furious, but suppressed her emotions to survive.

Fortunately, she could endure because some comrades were with her.

…It was never easy.

All day, every day, her senses rang alarm bells.

‘Get out of here quickly!’

She knew and wanted to, but she couldn’t.

Outside the building was too dangerous, and beyond the fence was hell.

It was from then on.

Enduring all sorts of terrible experiences, Heize’s eyes were newly opened.

She learned anew about the ugly emotions and actions that originated from human selfishness.

It was then that she realized people could undress others with their eyes.

If she let her guard down, she would be crushed under the bellies of beasts.

They chased and were chased, killed and were killed.

In that process, her comrades fell one by one, and only Heize remained.

For Lawrence, who had difficulty moving, she took refuge in a hotel and hid.

She managed to get by with Lawrence, somehow obtaining scarce food amidst the danger.

She had considered giving up entirely, but couldn’t because of Lawrence and the baby.

Heize grit her teeth.

Recalling her grandfather’s teaching to never give up no matter the circumstances, she held onto a glimmer of hope.

But she wavered again after seeing the strangely behaving zombies and the monsters that had appeared sometime later.

Outside grew more dangerous, and food became harder to find.

Heize grew exhausted, and Lawrence also became noticeably thinner.

Heize grit her teeth even harder.

Unlike her unyielding spirit, her body slowly became dulled.

Days continued where she physically felt death approaching moment by moment.

Then one day, as she precariously endured.

She met living soldiers.

More accurately, she was discovered by the soldiers, but they met nonetheless.

And the encounter was intense.

“…fuck…”

For the first time, Heize was defeated by a man.

More precisely, it was the first time she had been completely defeated without being able to do anything.

The young black-haired man who had easily subdued her.

Heize’s senses strongly warned her.

‘This bastard is incredibly dangerous.’

Heize instinctively knew she wouldn’t be able to defeat this man no matter what she did.

And she prepared herself.

Not knowing what terrible fate awaited her, she even resolved to bite her tongue.

But that wasn’t necessary.

Those who introduced themselves as Korean soldiers were incredibly gentlemanly towards her and Lawrence.

Even the man who had sat on her earlier provided food and paid her no further mind.

She was dumbfounded when they said they had crawled in here not for rescue, but to acquire supplies.

They seemed like people who had come to commit mass suicide.

…They weren’t.

The Koreans truly achieved their objective.

No one died, and they even brought down a gigantic monster.

Heize’s eyes widened.

The man who, alone, had created a sea of fire and killed a monster.

When she looked at the blood-soaked man again, the alarm bells didn’t ring.

Instead of alarm bells, a different feeling began to emerge.

‘Catch that person. Then you’ll live.’

That feeling grew stronger with time and became a conviction.

This is the man.

If she stayed by this man’s side, she could be safe.

And…

‘Grandpa. I finally found him!’

Heize blushed.

She had finally met a man who satisfied her slightly twisted view of the opposite sex.

*Thump-thump—*

The man who caused arrhythmia, as they said in Korean dramas.

The man who made her heart flutter just by looking at him.

A man she could trust and somehow wanted to lean on.

Heize instinctively knew.

‘…Is this a green light?’

She decided to be honest with feelings she was experiencing for the first time in 25 years.

And she didn’t hesitate.

*Grab!*

“Why?”

“Me!! Take me!!”

Heize’s story had now begun anew.