3. U-Gwang Apartment
3. U-Gwang Apartment
Since the outbreak, the daytime has become the time of the Infected.
Even the slightest movement, and they swarm in, tearing humans apart and feasting.
That is why the surviving humans move at night.
Just like me right now.
February 7th, night.
U-Gwang Apartment.
An apartment complex where traces of human resistance are still visible.
I saw a few rotting corpses outside.
Some had even turned into skeletons.
There were also traces of barricades.
And signs of gunfire.
Though they were just 'traces'.
Still, it seems there are people here.
'...Because there are corpses.'
Fresh ones.
Especially the guy near the smashed security door; he died recently.
Seeing corpses with holes in their heads or chests, it seems they used firearms here too.
Which means,
'Something must have happened.'
I'll have to find that out now.
The woman I killed yesterday must have lived here in Building 103.
Then should I check Building 103, starting from the first floor?
No.
No need to move like an idiot.
I can just move [strategically].
Spot the difference.
If a light goes out, or a shadow moves, it'll definitely be visible on a quiet night like this.
Starting with Building 101 and 102.
To do that, I'll have to go up Building 103 first.
Since it's a low-rise apartment of about 10 floors, going up to the 5th floor should be enough.
I can just pick any door there, go in, and watch from inside.
ㅡTap
ㅡTap
I moved stealthily.
I slipped into Building 103 and headed for the stairs.
Certainly, since this was a place where humans were, there are fewer Infected.
Humans died, and Infected died, too.
But just because there are fewer doesn't mean there are none.
While climbing the stairs of the apartment, I ran into a Walker.
"Ah, fuck."
"Kieeeeee."
The bastard was walking down from above like a maniac.
'Tsk...'
I immediately swung my crowbar from bottom to top.
ㅡCrack!
The crowbar got stuck in the head that was nothing but a mouth, and the bastard thrashed about. Then, I kicked its right leg.
ㅡThud!
I smashed the fallen bastard's head with the crowbar again.
ㅡSquish
ㅡGurgle gurgle
Blood flowing out.
No problem killing a Walker.
I've been doing this shit every day for a month, anyway.
However, this sound echoed.
Now the Walkers and Runners will come here like ghosts.
From above, and from below.
Seriously annoying.
Still, I had my Metal Manipulation ability.
I partially deformed the front door lock. Then, I deformed the locked doorknob below as well.
ㅡClick
The door opened.
A method I used often in the villa, too.
ㅡCreeeeeak
ㅡThud
I closed the door and went inside. Building 103, Unit 302.
I wondered if anyone was here, but it seems there isn't.
Because it was covered in dust.
A musty smell lingers inside.
I see a family photo. Dad, Mom, one son, one daughter.
Seeing this, I thought of my parents I left behind in Seoul.
'No.'
They'll be living just fine on their own.
Right now, I was busy surviving myself.
ㅡKieeeeee
It seemed like Walkers and Runners had gathered outside. However, since there was nothing but the Walker's corpse, they just stood there making ㅡGnnng sounds.
They say those things can smell, but this place was already filled with the smell of corpses and blood.
There was no way they could smell a human.
As long as I didn't cook meat in here, they'd probably disappear in a few minutes.
The location is a bit shitty, but I could see Building 101 and 102 well. The balcony. I sat in a spot hidden by the vertical blinds and looked outside.
The scenery of U-Gwang Apartment visible under the night sky, with a crescent moon hanging.
And so, I began my game of "spot the difference."
#
3 hours passed.
The Walkers and Runners had been gone for a long time.
'Definitely.'
No movement at night.
Still, I was able to find places where people were.
I don't know if it's because I have good night vision and am a master of "spot the difference," but there were two households in Building 101, and one in Building 102.
Maybe there are more, but those were the only three places I noticed.
Building 101, 4th and 6th floors.
Building 102, 10th floor.
They were pretending there was no one, but I saw it all.
Well, there might be more. But those ones had thoroughly hidden their traces.
Rather than dealing with them, it would be better to get information from humans who show even a little bit of an opening like that.
'Or not.'
I came outside.
Carefully down the stairs.
There were two Walkers, but since I spotted them first this time, I took care of them easily.
ㅡCrack
Feeling the smooth, deformed skull collapse, I moved to Building 101.
#
What I've felt while surviving for a month is that you should never trust humans.
Men, women, young, old. Whatever they are. Regardless.
In the end, the only ones I can trust are my parents or myself.
But my parents are in Seoul. Whether they're infected or whatever.
So, that means there's no one else I can trust but me.
ㅡKnock knock
I knocked on the door.
U-Gwang Apartment, Building 101, Unit 401. A house where I saw a moving figure inside on a quiet night.
There was no response.
ㅡKnock knock knock
Three times this time.
To think there would be no response.
'Are they pretending not to be there?'
Then I'll have to go in myself.
I used Metal Manipulation to deform the door lock and the chain lock.
ㅡBeep-boop
The door opened.
And what I saw was a living room with the lights on.
However.
'...It's musty.'
I stuck my head inside while gripping the crowbar.
If someone ambushed me from inside, the crowbar would be faster to react with than the revolver.
If they came out from a distance, I could just drop the crowbar and shoot the revolver.
However.
'No one.'
What is this?
Did I see wrong? No, that can't be. I checked inside from the outside again, checked the blind spots, and then stepped inside.
And I opened my mouth.
"I know you're in here. Come out now."
No answer from inside.
But I could feel a presence.
ㅡThud
The sound of something touching.
It's from the master bedroom.
I headed to the closed master bedroom, gripping the crowbar.
And in front of the locked door, I opened my mouth.
"I know you're all in there. Open the door if you don't want to die. I won't do anything else, I'm just going to ask a few questions."
An answer came.
Of course, it wasn't words.
ㅡBang
ㅡBang
ㅡVrooom
Holy shit.
A fat man who looked over 120kg came running at me from the opposite side of the room I was in, holding a kitchen knife.
ㅡWhack
I was lucky.
Because my foot was faster than the man's kitchen knife.
Catching Infected for a month helped.
I raised my revolver and shouted.
"If you come any closer, you die!"
"You crazy bastard. A robber with a lot of talk!"
"I really have a gun. You fucker. I'll shoot if you come closer. Stay still."
"Bullshit. Maybe if it was a rifle. You idiot. Die!"
"You fucker...!"
No use talking.
ㅡThump thump thump
The fat guy running at me while standing up.
'Fuck...!'
ㅡBang!
The gunshot rang out.
#
There were Infected on the 6th floor of Building 101.
The things moving inside were two Walkers.
I sighed, came down, and headed to Building 102.
'Is my method wrong?'
No, I'm right.
I'm not wrong.
The top floor, 10th floor.
I climbed the stairs diligently.
Catching the occasional Walker or Runner that popped out.
"Tsk..."
Of course, I had a hard time catching the Runner. But since it was just one, it wasn't a problem.
Walkers were manageable up to two or three.
However, the fact that it was the 10th floor, and the continuous fighting, it was quite exhausting.
'If there's no one here either, I'll just have to pick the neighbor's door and rest a bit.'
And it seemed better to kill some time and watch the opposite side, the 103 building line, from the 10th floor.
That's how I arrived at Unit 1001, Building 102.
In the quiet space where not even the sound of breathing could be heard, I knocked on the door of 1001.
ㅡKnock knock
No response.
Once more.
ㅡKnock knock knock
Still no response this time.
I used Metal Manipulation to pick the door.
ㅡCreeeeeak
The door opened carefully.
I stuck the crowbar through the gap.
'No response.'
However, there was one strange thing. I clearly saw the lights on when I was watching from the other side earlier... this.
'There is someone.'
And a living human, at that.
#
I carefully opened my smartphone and turned on the flashlight.
I shined the smartphone inside to check the interior.
'Not in the living room.'
Not right next to me either, this way I can defend against ambushes with knives or clubs.
Still, I shouldn't let my guard down.
Because I wasted a precious bullet on the guy in Building 101 earlier.
I took a deep breath.
Due to the nature of U-Gwang Apartment, there's a room right next to the entrance. And there's a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom.
And the master bedroom is near the bathroom.
So I have to check the right side first.
ㅡCreeeeeak
The door opened, and I aimed the revolver.
'No one.'
I turned my head to the living room. No one in the living room either.
The balcony is far away, so I can leave it for now.
Because an ambush from there is impossible on this quiet night.
ㅡKnock knock knock
I knocked on the door of the room on the right.
"I know you're in here. Come out with your hands up."
No response from inside.
The doorknob of the room was made of metal, so I could have picked it with my ability, but there was no need to.
Because it was open.
ㅡCreeeeeak
However, there was no one inside the small room.
Having confirmed that, I carefully came out of the room.
And I said in a slightly louder voice.
"Come out now. I'm just going to ask a few questions and leave. If I have to find you, I'll really kill you."
Still no response from inside.
All that's left is the master bedroom and the big room.
I carefully opened the door to the master bedroom. No one here either. Not in the attached bathroom either.
All that's left is the balcony and the big room.
I headed to the big room first.
I carefully opened the door.
Then.
Inside was a thin woman.
"Eeeek!"
I see a woman rushing at me with her bare body, without anything.
I wondered if she had a knife or gun, but she didn't have anything like that.
However, the woman's body was thinner than I thought, as if she had been starving, and I was a human who had been catching Infected non-stop for a month.
"Argh!"
Quickly pulling my body back,
I subdued the woman.
"Aaaargh!"
ㅡCrash!
The woman falls.
I quickly get on top of her.
The smell of a woman vibrates. The smell of water. But it didn't seem like she had washed properly.
The woman struggling.
But she has no strength.
It seems she hasn't been eating properly.
'She should've at least held a kitchen knife.'
Does she not even have the courage for that?
I pressed my knee hard into her lower abdomen and subdued her by grabbing both her arms with one hand.
"Ugh!"
I see eyes filled with despair and fear.
"I told you I'd kill you."
As I opened my mouth, the woman's eyes were now almost filled with tears.
She's young.
And pretty, too.
To think a woman like this is living here alone.
Plus, looking at how she's acting, it doesn't seem like she has any superpowers.
That means she's been living here for a month.
Is that why she looks like she's lost weight?
There was a lot to ask.
And, a lot to do as well.