30. Special Forces. (2)

Thwip.

Whoosh-

The arrow pierced the head with a thud.

“Phew…”

That makes 100.

[Level Up.]

I nodded and looked up at the sky.

The moon is so bright, it looks like it’s already nine o’clock, but it’s only two in the morning.

The helicopter will take off in three hours.

I need to inform the others…

…Maybe I can get a couple of hours of sleep.

Thankfully, I napped a bit during the day.

“Status.”

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Chosen One

[Specialization – Shadow Warrior] [Level – 10]

[Title – Versatile]

Status

[Health – 100/100] [Senses – 100/100]

[Strength – 54/54] [Agility – 4/4]

[Spirit – 75/75] [Intelligence – N/A]

[Unallocated Points – 1]

Skills

[Passive – Soul Tattoo Lv. 3]

[Passive – Recovery]

[Passive – Limit Break]

[Active – Afterimage] (Auto-cast)

[Active – Precision] (Auto-cast)

[Active – Acceleration] (Auto-cast)

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It’s been four days since the first level-up.

Level 10.

It feels fast, but considering I can only level up twice a day, it’s definitely slow.

Two specializations left.

Since the question mark hasn’t opened yet, it seems I need to max out the Space Explorer specialization first.

I added 1 point to Strength, making it 55, and went to Soo-hyeon’s room on the 10th floor to get some rest.

Helicopter…

Even if I don’t wake up on time, the helicopter noise will alert the others.

I closed my eyes for a few seconds.

The air started to hum.

…This sound…

It sounds like a helicopter’s propellers.

I opened my eyes.

My body felt heavy.

“Ah, groggy.”

It couldn’t have been more than a few seconds, right?

I checked my phone; it was 5:12 AM.

…I fell asleep as soon as I lay down.

I rubbed my eyes and got dressed, and Soo-hyeon was already awake, rubbing her eyes.

“Ugh… Oppa… Where are you going? What’s that noise?”

She finally came to her senses when she heard the helicopter noise in the distance.

Soo-hyeon looked at me with wide, startled eyes.

I smiled.

“It’s from the government. They’re here to deal with the zombie wave.”

Soo-hyeon, still disoriented from sleep, smoothed her messy hair and blinked.

“H-Helicopter?!”

She finally got out of bed, startled, just as I was about to put on my lifting belt.

I could hear people outside in the hallway.

I nodded at Soo-hyeon and went out.

Ye-eun, So-eun, Jun-hyuk, Tae-yeong, Hoon-ajae, his wife, and others were also coming out of their rooms, looking around the hallway.

Thump, thump, thump, thump-

The helicopter sound was getting closer.

“W-What’s that noise?”

“Teacher, it sounds like a helicopter.”

People gathered around me.

I nodded and said,

“It’s from the government.”

“S-So, are you going on a mission now?”

I smiled.

“Yes.”

The people, still groggy from sleep with messy hair and puffy eyes, looked at each other with a mix of worry and hope on their faces.

I smiled and went up to the rooftop.

People followed me.

It was 5:00 AM, just as the sky was beginning to turn blue with the rising sun.

A helicopter could be seen flying towards us, cutting through the air.

I stood on the rooftop, looking into the distance.

People gathered around me, watching the helicopter.

“W-What if everyone in this building sticks together…?”

“Don’t worry. We’ll handle it.”

While they were reassuring each other, So-eun said,

“Just in case, let’s be prepared. If something happens, the men should go downstairs, and Soo-hyeon and I will handle the rooftop.”

“Got it.”

“Hmm.”

The men went downstairs, probably to get their bows.

They must have discussed it beforehand.

They know what to do.

I smiled and looked up at the sky.

Thump, thump, thump, thump-

The helicopter was coming closer.

It was getting closer and closer.

Grumble, grumble, grumble-!

From below.

From the bottom of the building, a sound like boiling oil from the depths of hell started to rise.

The zombie wave was reacting to the helicopter.

Even from this distance.

I slowly walked to the rooftop railing.

The zombies might be looking up at the sky, but their vision is poor.

It’s unlikely they can see us from this height.

They’re just following the sound.

Grasping the rooftop wall and looking down, I saw the black heads of the zombie wave, like a field of disgusting fungi, moving in all directions.

It looked like a collective seizure.

Grumble, grumble, grumble-!

The sound of the helicopter mixed with the zombies’ roars, creating a dissonant cacophony that tortured the ears.

The roars were so loud they could be heard clearly from this height.

Thump, thump, thump, thump-

Grumble, grumble, grumble-!

The helicopter was getting closer.

It was getting closer and closer.

And the zombies started moving.

Roar! Roar!

The louder the propellers, the more frenzied the zombies became.

Crash, crash, crash, crash!

The zombies stormed into shops, shattering windows everywhere.

Roar!

Thump, thump, thump, thump-

The helicopter was getting closer!

It was close!

It flew to about a hundred meters away.

It was streamlined.

A rescue helicopter, I think.

The propeller noise was deafening.

Even if you hit a giant drum with all your might, it wouldn’t make that kind of noise.

The sound was so loud it felt like it was piercing my ears, and soon a dusty wind blew.

I couldn’t tell if it was from the helicopter or a natural breeze.

The helicopter was flying quite low, almost skimming the rooftops.

As if to signal that it had seen us, it slowly stopped and slightly tilted its propellers.

Then it started moving again.

It circled the building we were on, making a wide circle.

Roar! Roar!

The zombie wave started gathering from all directions.

The zombies that had covered the entire city were now following the helicopter, running, trampling, and clustering towards us.

Roar! Roar!

The noise was deafening.

So-eun was clinging to Ye-eun, trembling.

We would have to shout to be heard over the noise.

Not just the helicopter, but the roars of the zombie wave were mixing in, creating a continuous thunderous sound.

Thump, thump, thump, thump-

The helicopter circled our building twice and then slowly moved away.

It wasn’t fast.

It was slow.

So slow it was frustrating, and the helicopter gradually moved away from us.

And the gathered zombie wave started following the helicopter.

Filling the buildings, trampling each other, and surging over each other, the zombies formed a wave of flesh and ran after the helicopter.

The helicopter was completely out of sight two hours later.

And the zombie wave was gone.

The streets and roads were so quiet it was almost peaceful.

Except for the distant sound of the helicopter and the faint roars, the streets were back to normal.

“…Phew.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

This was an interesting experience.

The people behind me also looked relieved.

So-eun and Ye-eun were sniffling and crying.

Soo-hyeon’s eyes were also brimming with tears.

They must have been quite scared.

I looked at the people and smiled.

“It’s over. Let’s eat.”

People started going down the stairs.

“Phew, I was so worried something would happen.”

“Me too. I was so scared.”

Tae-yeong and Han-tae exchanged words, and others also chimed in about how scared they were.

Laughter started to spread.

I watched the people go down and then looked up at the distant sky.

Helicopter pilot…

Quite a skilled person.

The ability to lead the zombie wave away like a pied piper is invaluable in this situation.

I watched the helicopter, now a tiny dot in the sky, for a moment and then went down the stairs.

 * * *

“Don’t lose it?”

“Got it.”

I folded the map Soo-hyeon drew and put it in my back pocket.

She drew the route from here to Hangang Middle School.

The rendezvous point is in Yongsan.

I wish I could fly in a helicopter, but it’s not possible. There are cars blocking the roads, and there’s no place for a small aircraft to land.

I have to walk.

Thanks to the quiet streets, people were feeling more relaxed and had gathered on the first floor to see me off.

“Oppa, be careful. Okay? Don’t get hurt.”

Ye-eun held my hand and said.

“Sure.”

“Come back safely. I’ll wait for you.”

So-eun.

I held her hand and nodded.

Soo-hyeon also came over and grabbed my arm.

So-eun, Hoon-ajae, Tae-yeong, Jun-hyuk, Han-tae, and many others gathered around me.

They all said something, but I couldn’t remember everything.

During this, I noticed someone.

The woman who still hasn’t told me her name.

She was standing at the back, holding her hands tightly and looking at me.

I need to ask her why she won’t tell me her name when I get back.

I smiled at her.

Then, I turned around.

“Stay in touch. Okay? Often, often. Got it?”

Soo-hyeon is always so worried.

I smiled and went down the stairs.

People were gathered at the door, watching me.

I waved at them.

“I’ll be back.”

My women.

And the people waved back at me.

I smiled at them.

It feels almost like a family.

I smiled to myself and started walking.

Let’s go.

To Yongsan.