Please Don't Die

The Zombie Queen's face loomed right in front of me — three full meters of it.

I was going to kill her.

KRAAAANG!!!!!

So this one was on a different level from the one I'd fought at the hospital?

In a world where even zombies grew stronger with the passage of time, a Zombie Queen getting more powerful was only natural.

Didn't matter.

I was going to kill her.

She was already marked for death — but she'd hurt Nari. That sealed it. She was dying for certain.

TSEUUUUT!!!!!!

The Zombie Queen blocked Mook — swung to take her head clean off — with nothing more than those elongated claws of hers, then slid backward as if skating across the ground.

Tadak—

The moment my feet hit the floor after the leap, I kicked off hard and shot toward her again.

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!"

"Shut up."

The Zombie Queen parted the hands covering her face and dropped them, her roar flooding the cavern riddled with tunnel mouths.

Were there more guards besides the one I'd already killed?

Didn't matter.

I'd kill them before they got here.

First, those claws that kept getting in my way.

SHAAAAK!!!

SHAAAAAAK!!!!

I tilted my body just enough to slip past the left hand sweeping diagonally upward from below, then confirmed the right hand crashing down from overhead. Digging my toes into the earth like spikes, I erased the remaining distance in a single surge.

"You're too tall."

I straightened up and twisted my hips.

Then I drove my tightly clenched left fist into the Zombie Queen's side.

PEOOOOK!!!!!!

That withered, stick-thin body folded sideways, and the Queen's head — held so high a moment before — dropped down into range.

I brought my right hand up from below, raised Mook high, and smashed it down toward the Queen's face, one cheek fully exposed.

WHOOOOOOM!!!!!

Once again the Zombie Queen crossed all ten claws over her face to block Mook — claws hard as insect carapace.

As if she were being puppeteered by me, without a single millimeter of error.

Destruction.

Even at Level 1 it might fall a little short. Fine. I'd make up the difference with something else.

Stat Amplification.

Alright. Try blocking this.

KRAAAAAANG!!!!!!!

That light-yet-heavy metallic clang rang out again, deafeningly loud.

And then I heard a sound that was very, very satisfying.

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK..!!!!

Maybe it was the Enhanced Vision skill — I could see it with the naked eye.

Cracks spreading across the Zombie Queen's claws.

PEOOOOK!!!!!!

Even with most of its force spent, Mook shattered the claws and slammed into the cheek tilted toward the ceiling, driving the Zombie Queen's face straight into the dirt.

KUUUNG!!!!

I was about to bring Mook down again on the head hidden in the rising dust when—

"Huuu...."

I barely managed to stop the swing, exhaling in relief.

"That was close..!"

I'd already learned this at the hospital that had turned into a Spawning Ground.

Kill a Zombie Queen, and the Spawning Ground goes berserk — every patch of cellular tissue plastered across the walls swells up and the zombies sealed inside wake up.

"Kyaaaaaaa!!!!!"

"Relax. I'm not killing you yet."

Watching the Zombie Queen thrash her broken claws as she tried to rise, I took a measured step back.

The instant she started to push herself up, I bent my knees, dropped my waist, and swung Mook with everything I had into her ankle.

CRUNCH!!!!!

The ankle flopped uselessly. Balance gone, the Zombie Queen crashed to the floor again. I kicked that noisy mouth of hers shut and brought Mook down once more.

PEOOOOK!!!!

CRUNCH!!!

Another bone-breaking sound. This time it came from her waist, not her ankle.

"Kyaaaa!!!!!"

"Don't bother. Your spine's snapped. You're not getting up under your own power."

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!"

Ignoring the Zombie Queen thrashing on the ground like she was trying to swim, I sprinted to where Nari lay collapsed.

"Nari! Are you okay?! Why the hell are you here alone?!"

"Oppa... Suho oppa... Younghoon and... Seojeong and... Jungcheol oppa... sob..!"

"Don't cry. Talk straight. Where are they right now? Where are they?!"

"Over there... sob!!"

I looked where Nari was pointing.

A tunnel.

"Get on my back."

I was going to save them.

The Queen's screaming might draw zombies or guards, so I was taking Nari with me.

But my feet wouldn't move.

Even Suho — someone I'd trusted — was in danger.

Which meant everyone else might need my help too.

Was going after Suho the right call?

Shouldn't I be going after Gihun instead?

But then Jihye was on my mind, and every single face flickered in front of my eyes one after another.

"Oppa..! We have to hurry—"

"We're not going."

"...What?"

I'd decided.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

I wasn't going to save anyone.

I was going to save everyone.

"Nari. Give me an arrow."

"Oppa..."

"Hurry."

"H-here.."

I took the arrow from Nari and walked back to the Zombie Queen.

She was still face-down, flailing. I planted my foot on her broken spine.

"Kyaaaaaa!!!!!!"

"......"

I stared down at the thrashing, screaming Queen and drove the arrow — held point-down — into her back.

SHUNK!!!

I shoved the arrow deeper into her back and twisted it round and round.

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Louder. Scream louder."

I wasn't going to them. I was going to make them come here.

No matter what situation they were in, I was going to force every zombie and every guard to come running to this spot right now.

SHUNK!! SHUNK-SHUNK-SHUNK-SHUNK!!!!

With the Zombie Queen's agony-soaked screams.

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"That's it. Keep screaming like that. Until I kill you."

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

As a reward, I drove an arrow through her cheek and pinned her face to the floor, then straightened up.

The first guest had arrived.

"Is Suho okay?"

"KRAAAAAAAK!!!!!!"

The moment I saw the dark crimson-skinned guard, I knew — this was the one Suho had been fighting.

Because Suho's broken spear was still stuck in its gut.

SSSUUK!!

SHIIIIIIK!!!!

The guard yanked the spear free and hurled it at me with everything it had, then kicked off the ground and charged.

Sseuk—

Grab!

I twisted sideways and caught the flying spear in my left hand.

The guard was already almost on top of me.

Acceleration.

Whiiip—

I spun my body and swung Mook in my right hand.

PEOOK!!!!

I blasted the guard — arms raised to shield its head — clean off its feet, then lunged before my own sliding boots had even stopped.

But this one wasn't going down as easily as the Queen.

"KRAAK!!!"

It countered with a straight punch. Like a sharp-eyed boxer reading an opponent's shoulders and movement, I read the guard's fist.

Whiiip!!!

I dipped my head just enough to let the punch sail over, then drove Suho's broken spear — still in my left hand — into its chest.

SHUNK!!

I pinned it so it couldn't run and shoved it back a half-step. Perfect.

Whooom!!

The perfect setup for a Mook swing.

CRACK!!!!!

Mook crushed the cheekbone and buried itself deep in the face, snapping the guard's head sideways.

But with the spear still lodged in its chest, it couldn't fall and couldn't fly. It had no choice but to take everything that came next.

PEOOOOK!!!!!

So it wasn't going to end that easily?

Even after taking a hit that should have killed it outright, the guard sacrificed one arm and blocked the next swing of Mook.

"KRAAAAAK!!!!"

The broken arm dropped limply, but the guard didn't care. It lunged with its jaws wide open, ready to tear into ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me.

But ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this was a pure one-on-one.

No special zombies to worry about. No regular zombies getting in the way.

PEOK!!!

With the left hand still gripping the broken ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠spear, I uppercut the guard's open jaw, then brought Mook down hard on the face that snapped backward.

CRACK!!!!!!

A deep trench split the center of its face. The guard hit the ground and didn't move. I spun and started running.

"Kyaaaaak!!!!"

"KRAAAAAAAK!!!!"

"Get down!"

"Hup!!!!"

Seo Hayun came screaming out of a tunnel and threw herself flat on the ground. The guard chasing her lost its right eye to Mook as it burst into the open space where her head had just been.

But I'd gotten careless too.

The guard completely abandoned defense.

PEOOK!!!!

Even as it lost the eye, the fist it swung caught me square in the face and snapped my head sideways.

Durability raised to 10. The Sturdy Body skill. And I'd even turned my head the way they do in comics to bleed off the impact — and my vision still swam.

Or had turning my head done nothing at all?

Either way, while I clenched my teeth and rode out the shock, the guard — one eye gone and not giving a damn — clamped a hand around my throat like it meant to snap my neck and roared.

"KRAAAK!!!!"

The moment those jaws came in to tear my face off, I kicked its ankle out from under it with my right foot.

Whik—

With my left hand I crushed the guard's cheek as its body spun and both feet left the ground, slamming it face-first into the dirt.

KUUUNG!!!!

SHUNK!!

Then I drove Mook — still buried in its right eye — even deeper and finished it.

"Huu... the kids?"

"I-I don't know.. That monster just suddenly started chasing me...."

"Kang Juhan!!!!"

"Jihye!"

"J-Jaeyeol..! Please save Jaeyeol!!!!"

"Hyung! Hurry!!"

"If you're late, Jaeyeol might—"

"KRAAAAAAAK!!!!!"

"Move!"

At the roar of a guard from inside the tunnel, Jihye, Jaemin, and Choi Junseok scrambled out into the open chamber and got clear.

Another guard burst from the tunnel they'd just left and charged straight at me, fist cocked.

PEOOK!!!

Still reeling from the hit a moment ago?

I tried to dodge, but my body wouldn't respond properly. I crossed both arms and barely managed to block the punch.

Emboldened, the guard closed the distance in a blink and drove a heavy fist into my gut.

This time, though, the technique actually worked.

Whik—

I still wasn't sure if turning my head did anything, but this time I blocked the fist with my left hand and deliberately jumped backward, completely dispersing the impact.

I flew a long way — looking for all the world like the hit had landed clean — but I touched down safely with zero shock and brought Mook crashing down on the guard charging at me with murderous momentum.

Aiming for the wrist of the fist it was throwing.

CRUNCH!!!!

The wrist shattered under Mook and the guard's fist dropped like a dead weight.

But hands come in pairs.

Whiiiiip!!!

The guard immediately swung the other fist at my face.

My hands come in pairs too.

Whik—

I leaned forward, ducked under the swinging fist, and in the same motion drove my own punch into the completely open, unprotected face of the guard.

PEOOOOK!!!!

The clean counter sent the guard flying backward. I was about to move in for the finish when—

SSEOGEOK!!!!

The guard's head split clean in half. One half of the skull peeled off like a lid and hit the floor.

And behind the collapsing body stood Jaeyeol.

"Huu... You said you were dying, but you look fine. Face is a mess, though."

"......"

"Yang Jaeyeol?"

"......"

"Hey, why are you— Jaeyeol!!!"

Jaeyeol, who'd just been staring at me blankly, suddenly rolled his eyes back and pitched forward. I lunged and caught him.

"Jaeyeol, stay with me!! Yang Jaeyeol!!!!"

"Somebody help!!!!!!!"

I turned my head. Younghoon came limping out of a tunnel with Suho's limp arm draped over his neck — then collapsed straight to the floor.

"Younghoon!!"

"Suho oppa!"

"S-Seojeong!!!!"

Jaemin, Nari, and Choi Junseok — Kim Seojeong's boyfriend — all ran over.

But wait.

That wasn't all, was it?

Drrrrrrrr...!

From the tunnel Hayun had come out of, Yu Eunseol and Seo Hamin staggered into view, looking ready to drop at any second.

And in their hands, one each, they were dragging Gihun's arms along the ground.

"Gihun.... Hey... stop messing around and get up...! Hey! Won Gihun!!!!"

"......"

"......"

Yu Eunseol and Seo Hamin sank to the floor without a word. I picked up a rock and hurled it as hard as I could.

Straight at Gihun, who answered without speaking — just by raising a thumbs-up.

"You scared the shit out of me, you bastard!!!"

"Aaagh!! You crazy son of a bitch! You throw rocks at someone who just came back from the dead?! Are you even human?!! Ow...!!!"

"Ugh, this guy seriously..!!"

Thank god. Gihun wasn't dead.

He couldn't get up, but the way he was yelling, he seemed perfectly fine.

But one guard was still missing.

If each tunnel had held one guard, there should have been one more.

And the ones who'd gone with Baek Sihyeon still hadn't—

"Jesus..."

Of course. The protagonist.

Baek Sihyeon walked out of the only tunnel that hadn't spat out a guard.

Mingu must have had a rough time of it too, though.

Carried on Baek Sihyeon's back....

"......"

"Oh no...."

"Hic!! Sob..!!"

What the hell?

Was that... bone..?

"Park Mingu!!!"

I laid Jaeyeol down and ran to Mingu.

Baek Sihyeon carefully set the man on his back onto the ground. I shoved Sihyeon aside and checked Mingu's condition.

"Haa.... haa.... haa....."

"Mingu... Park Mingu!!"

His breathing was so faint and labored it sounded like it could stop at any second. His right arm was broken, the bone torn clean through the skin.

"Oppa... sob..!! Please... save Mingu...!"

Seonye clutched Mingu's hand and begged, her voice breaking.

But Mingu — as if he'd already sensed the end — finally spoke the feelings he'd never managed to say.

"Seonye.... I...."

"I like you..! Sob.. I like you, Mingu...! So don't die..! Please... please....!!"

"Haaaaaa.... I like you... so much...."

He'd said what he needed to say. He'd heard what he needed to hear. Mingu's ruined face managed a faint smile as his eyes closed.