Survivors (1)
We dragged the woman from the fourth floor out and headed toward the couple on the second floor.
"Jeong Suhyun, stay here and keep watch."
"Where are you going?"
"Figure there's probably guards at the back door too."
—Pewng!
"Wh-what the hell!"
—Shraaak!
I headed for the back door leading southeast, taking out the two guys on guard duty there as well. The tattooed thugs floundered in confusion before my Ice Spears pierced them. Now, there was no one left in Our Love Church.
—Thud.
"Back already?"
"Yeah. Back door's handled too."
"Looks like all these bastards really did clear out."
"Seems the most likely."
They'd probably gone off to grab more people. Like the couple on the second floor or the woman from the fourth.
I wiped the blood from my face and body with a rag as I stepped into the empty second-floor room.
"For now, Jeong Suhyun, come over here and sit."
"Got it."
"You three, sit over there."
We settled onto the sofa in the empty room, seating the three survivors—the couple and the fourth-floor woman—on the opposite side. They eyed us with curious expressions but showed no real reaction to the murders we'd just committed. The bastards who'd been holed up here must have done some seriously vile shit.
"Anyway, nice to meet you."
I greeted them first. They bowed their heads in response, mimicking me.
I cut straight to it.
"You've all been through hell, so let's skip the bullshit and get to the point. Name's Kim Junyoung. Lived in Northdong after the zombie outbreak hit. Right now, I'm heading south with Jeong Suhyun here, starting from Northdong Office."
"...Northdong Office? You're heading south? Did... did no rescue team come?"
The fourth-floor woman jumped in with questions right away. Come to think of it, I'd told the couple but not her.
I nodded and filled in the details.
"The military already evacuated the shelters and moved everyone to the nation's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Fleets."
"Fleets...?"
She looked baffled. I'd been the same when I first heard it.
"No idea why."
As I recounted what had gone down at Northdong Office, their faces shifted with every twist. Gloomy at the zombie takeover on day one. Hopeful when I mentioned the rescue teams on days four and five. Grim again at the mention of the Northdong Liberation Army. And outright incredulous at the monster in Rocket Mart.
"...Some kind of unknown monster?"
"Yeah. We saw it with our own eyes."
They looked stunned when I got to how we'd burned Rocket Mart down.
"How the hell...?"
"Doesn't matter if you believe it. Point is, it's a monster no human can beat. Sixteen survivors, armed to the teeth—wiped out. That's why we're on the move. Planned to hop bases along the one-way route from Our Love Church to Yuseong University on our way south."
"Just the two of you?"
The fourth-floor woman asked.
I summoned two Ice Spears. They couldn't tear their eyes away. The couple had glimpsed them when I killed the guy, and she'd seen them shatter the door and loom threateningly, but they hadn't gotten a good look.
"...What the hell is that?"
"Status Window—ability that popped up after the outbreak. Think of it as magic. You three don't have one?"
"What the...?"
"No way. That can't be real. Monsters too..."
"Yeah, it's insane."
The three stared in disbelief, just like Jeong Suhyun had at first. But I was done explaining.
—Whumm.
I floated an Ice Spear right in each of their faces.
"But here's your proof. Anyway, that's our deal. We were heading south when we spotted Our Love Church's murder spree. Every four hours, they were killing people with abilities just like this. So we took out the guards and busted you out."
Their mouths snapped shut. They knew enough about these fuckers to look terrified—especially at the every-four-hours part.
"That's why. Judging by your reactions, all three of you got nabbed today. Mind filling us in? We haven't cleared every last one of these church assholes yet. Need your cooperation."
"But..."
The fourth-floor woman started to protest—
—Click.
Jeong Suhyun casually racked his rifle for no reason.
"Ah, gun just felt heavy all of a sudden. Haha."
He grinned sheepishly. But it worked like a charm. The three across from me froze solid. Maybe realizing we could turn and gun them down in a heartbeat.
That crazy bastard.
I chuckled anyway. He'd eased my growing irritation.
"Yeah, exactly."
"Sorry. Wasn't trying to... uh..."
The quick-witted fourth-floor woman apologized. Fair enough—we were practically their saviors, so prying might grate. But I could cut them this much slack. They'd been through enough.
"Forget it. Just explain. Names?"
"Ah, yes... I'm Kim Yunjin. Twenty-three. Come to think of it, I didn't even thank you properly. Thanks for saving us."
Kim Yunjin bowed deeply and started talking. She was a junior at Yuseong University, had holed up in her apartment until today—day 15 of the apocalypse.
"How'd you last 15 days solo?"
"Well... stocked up on meal kits. Delivery fees were insane lately."
Made sense. With power and water still on, food was all you needed.
But...
"This morning, these 'rescue team' guys showed up in military uniforms. Hah. Didn't realize they were imposters."
"Those were the church fuckers?"
"Yeah..."
Kim Yunjin trailed off. So Our Love Church had been posing as soldiers to snatch people?
Something's off.
But the second-floor woman chimed in.
"Yeah, same with us. Said Northdong was secured, Southdong was dangerous, follow us."
"Me too. Though I didn't expect this..."
I turned to the couple. They gawked at Kim Yunjin, looking like they had a ton to say. Same MO, then.
"You two?"
"Ah... yeah. Dojin, want me to?"
"Nah, I'll do it. I'm Jeong Dojin. This is Choi Yuri."
The blond guy—Jeong Dojin—spoke up. Both freshmen at Yuseong University.
"We were at Yuri's place."
New semester freshmen, not in dorms, so they'd been at Choi Yuri's when zombies hit.
"Heard we should evacuate to Southdong Community Center, but..."
"Too far."
Bad timing, tried for Yuseong University villas or Southdong Office but zombie hordes blocked them. Holed up at her place since.
"That's when the soldiers came?"
"Yeah. Imposters in uniform. No clue where they got the gear..."
"These clothes?"
I pointed at Jeong Suhyun's outfit.
Jeong Dojin's eyes flicked over.
"Kinda similar."
"But all different styles," Choi Yuri added.
"Any epaulets or chest patches like this?"
I tapped the reserve soldier insignia on Jeong Suhyun's uniform. They nodded.
"...Yeah."
Jeong Suhyun ripped his off.
"Not soldiers, then—reserve uniforms. These assholes were disguised."
I nodded. Made sense. Civilians, especially women or non-vets, couldn't tell reserve gear from active duty.
"Yeah. Keep going."
"They kicked the door in, threatened us with knives, made us inhale some weird gas... next thing, we were here. I was tied up, Yuri..."
"Sniff..."
Choi Yuri teared up again.
Knives and gas.
Explained how Jeong Dojin and Choi Yuri got nabbed today and roughed up. World ends, every psycho crawls out. I let out a dry laugh and turned elsewhere.
"Kim Yunjin."
"Y-yes...?"
She flinched at her name.
"Wh-what's wrong?"
"Why were you on the fourth floor? In that corner."
"That..."
I was curious, so I asked. Jeong Dojin and Choi Yuri's stories checked out—nabbed today, would've been dragged out and killed like the others if we hadn't shown. But Kim Yunjin? Just tied up, no rape or beating marks. Unlike Jeong Dojin's facial bruises or Choi Yuri's all-over welts.
"Be straight with me."
"...Okay."
She bit her lip. I didn't care if it was harsh. High chance she was a victim, tied up proved it—but weird was weird.
"Said they were saving me for later."
"Huh?"
Thought I misheard.
"That psycho Kim Kwonyong shoved me in that corner to savor later. Said I was prime meat this time."
"Kim Kwonyong..."
I scowled. The guy raping Choi Yuri on the second floor?
Jeong Suhyun, fiddling with his gun, picked up.
"Sua and Arin? Junyoung, that family photo."
"Yeah, know him. So..."
"......Yeah? Woke up to him groping my tits, hand in my ass crack, that fucking bastard."
Kim Yunjin fumed.
I stopped her.
"That's enough."
But she kept going.
"No, he said he'd slurp my pussy like candy, smear it with cum from fucking other bitches first? Told me to wait till afternoon while... mmpf...!"
I clamped her mouth. The "other bitch" was right there.
I whispered in her ear.
"Hey... Kim Yunjin. Choi Yuri's the one who got assaulted."
"Ah... ah... sorry. Yuri, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking..."
Kim Yunjin apologized. But Choi Yuri waved it off, surprisingly chill.
"It's fine."
"No, but..."
"I said it's fine."
"O-okay..."
She seemed thrilled just to be alive, glued to Jeong Dojin.
I dropped my suspicions with a sigh.
"Alright, fine. You're all victims. Now, figuring out the rest of these church pricks—and what to do with you three."
—Thud.
My crowbar hit the central table. Six eyes locked on me.