Northdong Station
-Fwump. -Splash.
But I couldn't learn anything new. On the way to Northdong Station, I was too busy dealing with zombies lunging at me from every direction.
'Nearly died there.'
I wrapped my torn left sleeve tightly and let out a sigh. The zombies had ambushed me from all over the moment I emerged from that place with the dark red flesh clumps. Behind wrecked cars, atop fences, even from below the ground.
'What the hell was that one in the manhole.'
The one that ripped my sleeve had grabbed my ankle from inside a manhole, throwing off my balance. Luckily, quick thinking meant only my sleeve tore off and my pants got a few scratches—but with four of the bastards, I'd almost triggered Ashes Veil.
Aside from that, though, nothing too dangerous. For larger groups, one Ice Shield did the trick. Smaller numbers fell to Ice Spears.
'Definitely right to invest in Ice Spear.'
Upgraded to C-rank, it let me fire two per mana—enough to take out five or six zombies at once if aimed right. At this point, they were basically portable bombs. Weightless, quiet, and mine to command.
'Should be around here.'
After clearing the zombies along the road, I'd nearly reached my target. Just one more block to Northdong Station.
'Tch...'
The problem was the stench of rotting corpses growing stronger the closer I got. I crouched low and scanned the area around the station.
'Nose is gonna rot off.'
The buildings near the station looked intact at first glance. The massive Northdong Station sign glowed steadily, and unlike the old downtown I'd crossed, there were no dark red flesh clumps anywhere.
'But way more bodies.'
Just... an insane number of corpses. Humans—zombie or not—riddled with wounds, rotting in piles. Some were fly-covered and fully decomposed; others fresh enough to still ooze red blood.
'Blunt weapons and blades.'
I pinched my nose and examined them. Cause of death: tools. Mostly bludgeons, with occasional knife slashes and bullet holes.
'Not a rifle.'
I grimaced at a bullet hole dead center in one skull. The face was still intact—probably a non-lethal round. A rifle would've shredded the body. Even an old M16, fired in bursts like Jeong Suhyun did at Rocket Mart, would've turned zombies into paste.
'Pistol... cops, then.'
High chance it was police-issue. They favored gas guns, but carried rubber-bullet pistols too. Live rounds existed, sure, but no head penetration meant non-lethal.
'Infighting?'
Even rubber bullets kill a headshot. I flipped one body over. No infection marks or bites—straight-up human vs. human.
'Makes sense, almost three weeks in.'
Seventeen days since the fall. Plenty of time for people to turn on each other. And...
'Tattoo guy. Looks like those Our Love Church bastards.'
One corpse was covered in tattoos. Could be coincidence, but I rated the odds high. A day gone and no return to Our Love Church; the tattoos; Kim Yunjin and Jeong Dojin's warning that Southdong was risky, better head north. -Thud. Another tattooed body in reserve soldier fatigues nearby. Yeah, definitely Our Love Church remnants.
That meant a clash with another group—almost certain. The issue...
'No people left.'
No signs of life from the station building itself. Crumbled concrete, fallen signs, shattered chairs everywhere. Inside looked like the apocalypse incarnate. The building was huge, with a basement, so I'd need to go in for certainty—but still.
'Tch...'
I smacked my lips, eyeing the stairs down to the underground. Something was there, no doubt. Question was whether it was friendly.
'Feels risky.'
Lights flickered inside, suggesting it might be okay—but plenty were out. Stepping into an unknown with possible people? Pure gamble. Who knew what lurked.
Humans? Fine now. Friendly or hostile, they weren't much threat anymore. But unknown creatures or a zombie-overrun zone? Deadly. Isolation underground would wither me dry.
'No choice.'
But turning back empty-handed after coming this far? No way. Northdong Station's location made a solid next base. Burn the bodies out front, and defense plus food scavenging beat Our Love Church hands-down. Plus, Seoul escape meant relocating anyway. And with human traces, odds were good the pistol group's victors held the interior.
'Let's go.'
Original goal: scout bases and survivors.
-Click. I checked my gear, gripped the prybar, and descended the underground stairs.
-Step. -Step. -Crackle.
The underground was a mess. Rocket Mart had still held traces of civilization; this was straight out of some nuke-apocalypse game.
Shattered concrete debris, broken glass, busted bulbs and LEDs everywhere.
'Barricade...?'
Ahead: chairs, desks, ticket barriers piled into barricades—bloodstains suggesting they'd held off zombies.
'No way in.'
Couldn't get through. Escalators and stairs to the subway tracks were all crudely barricaded.
'Tch...'
-Scrape. -Clang.
I tested with the prybar. If zombies or monsters inside, they'd react to the noise.
-......
Waited. No response. No zombies or sound-sensitive monsters, at least. And no people either...
'Ice Spear from above to collapse it.'
I stood and turned back. From a spot where I could escape if the ground gave, one Ice Spear would smash the barricade. Safe, and ready for anything jumping out.
But then—
"Euna worries way too much."
"Still, leaving safety to us shows she's got a brain, right?"
"Yeah. She's only alive 'cause of Gold Horse anyway."
Voices of two older men from beyond the barricade, drawing closer. My noise must've drawn them—aiming here.
"Sound came from around here."
"Not a zombie, though? No damn guek guek."
"Dog or cat again. Wasn't it a rat last time?"
"Sigh... if it hurts you, better kill it."
"Want me to?"
"Nah."
They reached the barricade. I perked up watching them chatter. Survivors—not zombies or monsters. Good news.
"Hoo... eating on the sly sucks."
"Quit it. Don't bring up food when family's on my mind."
"Man, what does food have to do with family?"
"When food runs out, they'll kick us injured out first."
"Then?"
"Follow the family, duh."
"You're fucking nuts."
They laughed darkly beyond the barricade. Banter sounded light, but the content was grim. Looked like survivors had camped underground.
"We going? It's all blocked anyway."
"Yeah, even those blood clump zombies aren't showing."
"Agh. Gonna die."
'...Blood Clump Zombie?'
That caught my ear. Zombies? Sure. But that specific term? No reason for regulars. High odds they meant Ruin Remnants—or tied to the dark red flesh.
"Let's go."
"Yeah, barricade's solid. No worries."
I called out as they turned to leave.
"Hey."
"......"
"......"
Silence. Maybe they didn't hear. I tried again.
"Anyone there?"
Their reaction was anything but calm.
"Waaak! Fuck!"
"Wh-what?! How's there a person here!"