Seoul Escape Plan (2)
We packed our bags first. In the morning at the Northdong Office, then in the afternoon at Happiness Villa, before mapping out our route. So we needed to pack everything up by morning and head to Happiness Villa right away.
"How many mags left?"
"Eight."
"You took almost all of them last time, huh?"
"Yeah."
We had about 200 rounds remaining. It seemed like a lot, but against a zombie horde, it'd vanish in seconds. From the office, we grabbed the map, rifle, magazines, radio, and a few changes of clothes. Even that stuffed Jeong Suhyun's bag to bursting.
"...Is it okay to just take this much?"
"Yeah. Shame about the food, but no choice."
We eyed the first-floor food storage at the Northdong Office with regret.
Should've picked sub-space.
I regretted my initial choice just a bit. Abyss this, whatever that was—if I'd gone for sub-space, we wouldn't be limited by luggage like this.
But I slapped my cheeks with both hands.
No. Ashes Veil got me this far. Think positive.
Ashes Veil took up most of my confidence. Without it, I never would've dreamed of hitting the mart, teaming up with Jeong Suhyun, or even leaving Happiness Villa in the first place. And it was too late to change now.
"All set. Feels good. Fuck this shithole office."
Jeong Suhyun slung the rifle and bag over his shoulder as he spoke. I nodded.
"You were here about two weeks, right?"
"Yeah. Feels refreshing. No regrets."
He chuckled.
"Now we swing by your place?"
"Yeah. Hit the walkway, check it out, grab food, then back up the walkway."
"Makes sense. Best way to avoid zombies."
"Exactly. And we gotta check Our Love Church too."
"Our Love Church... sigh..."
Jeong Suhyun let out a heavy breath. No wonder—he'd clashed with those bastards who took over the mart and church.
"You were the one who suggested it. Plus, after seeing the mart, it's hard to think anyone's left there."
"True. But heading there anyway... it's stirring up mixed feelings."
Our Love Church sat at the starting point of our planned route. From its spot at the edge of Northdong's ritzy neighborhood, following the main road led straight to Yuseong University. Jeong Suhyun was probably worried about running into any survivors.
That thing from the mart? Anyone seeing it is probably dead.
But recalling that massive silhouette in the mart, the odds of anyone alive in the church seemed slim. If the armed Northdong Liberation Army reserves could've handled it, there'd be people there instead.
"That's why we're checking."
"Fair. Sigh. Let's go."
"What, we can take our time. Don't wanna go?"
"Might as well get it over with quick."
Jeong Suhyun chuckled and headed for the back door first. Fair enough. I spun my pickaxe and followed.
Thud.
We hopped the back fence.
"Getting good at this now."
"Once you get the knack."
We followed the road up the walkway.
"Hoo..."
Before heading to the villa, we climbed midway up the hill first. What we saw: Rocket Mart, fully burned out.
"Whoa..."
"That thing inside? Gotta be dead."
"Yeah."
I narrowed my eyes at Rocket Mart. Normally, only part of the building was visible from here, but it had burned to the ground long ago. Just black ash and collapsed steel beams remained.
"Didn't spread as far as I thought."
"Parking lot's huge, after all."
Nearby roads had burned too, but the fire hadn't jumped to bigger buildings. It hit the mart, lot, and local shops precisely—then stopped.
"Zombies... surprisingly few."
"Fire probably torched 'em all."
"Makes sense."
Thanks to that, the area was cleared of zombies. The EV charger explosions and mart inferno must've drawn every zombie after we left. A few blasts wiped them out.
"Zombies seem dumber than beasts."
"But it worked in our favor."
Zombies: full of malice toward humans, strong, agile—but stupid. Jeong Suhyun suggested,
"So, why not just go through the busy district?"
"Still too tough."
I turned to the busy district—the road down to Seoul's core, not toward Rocket Mart or Our Love Church. Zombies milled about everywhere, multiples of what we'd blocked at the mart. No matter how dumb, we couldn't beat that many. Numerical superiority was a disaster for just two people.
"...Yeah... huh?"
Jeong Suhyun, nodding, suddenly yelped.
"What?"
"Junyoung, you see that over there?"
He urgently pointed opposite where I'd been looking. Toward... Our Love Church?
"Uh, yeah. What's up?"
The cross towering over the ritzy complexes, the big white building. Nothing odd.
But Jeong Suhyun kept freaking out.
"Can't see from there. Come here."
He pulled me to his spot. Now, Our Love Church grounds came into view.
"That's..."
Bigger than a decent mart. On the fourth-floor windows, something moved back and forth.
"What is it? People?"
"Dunno. Doesn't look damp like the mart."
Too far to tell. Even police station distance would've helped. All we saw: transparent glass windows and silhouettes inside.
"Parking lot's on the other side too."
"Yeah. Entrance faces away, so no view from here."
"Tch..."
I swallowed. Humans? Trouble. Monster? Trouble. No alternate route anyway.
"Scout another way?"
"Possible?"
"...Nah. Or loop via Rocket Mart to the main road..."
As Jeong Suhyun said, other paths meant busy districts, shops, mixed-use buildings, or apartments. Solo, maybe—but with him and gear? No way.
"No choice."
One option left.
"Villa first."
Eyeball it, like last time. We headed to Happiness Villa.
=====
"Smell's insane."
"Why I left."
We descended the walkway back to Happiness Villa. Felt like a week out, though just days. But the villa reeked as always. No changes.
"Safe here?"
"Yeah. I cleared 'em all. New ones might've wandered in—stay sharp."
No zombies, of course. I led Jeong Suhyun to my room in 202.
We grabbed basics, emergency rations.
"Meds... won't last long."
"Gotta not get hurt or sick... fat chance."
As I pocketed fever meds, Jeong Suhyun chimed in. Yeah, everything had expiration dates.
Sub-space...
Was I just greedy? I sighed, grabbed my bag, stood.
"Alright, Suhyun."
"Yeah?"
He leaned against the door with the rifle.
"Go now? Or rest tonight?"
He pondered.
"...Now's better."
"Good. Eat first, then roll."
We ate frozen food and rice packs, then stood. Outside: 1 PM already. Back up the walkway from the villa.
"Nice weather. Let's move."
"Feels like reserve training."
Jeong Suhyun's nonsense cut our chat. Now: Rocket Mart route to unknown Our Love Church.
At the intersection, we dashed up the Rocket Mart fence.
"Anything?"
"Nah. Nothing visible. You?"
"Same."
Ash crunched underfoot on the hill. Burned building, cars, lot—even the EV chargers I'd speared. Like ruin had swept through: nothing left.
Crunch.
Crunch.
We crept through the devastation.
This...
Occasional metal trinkets on the ground proved people once lived here. Wedding rings. Necklaces. Watches. I grimaced at the charred lumps.
Like I killed 'em.
The real killer was elsewhere.
Doesn't matter.
Monster fodder anyway. If our fire got 'em, their fate. I muttered a quick prayer for the dead—zombified, monster-eaten, or burned. Sad lives.
"Junyoung."
"Yeah."
We'd crossed the mart. Now entering ritzy housing toward Our Love Church.
"Ice Spear."
I floated two Ice Spears, and we stepped forward cautiously with Jeong Suhyun.