The Sound of the Engine

The sound of the car was faint. It wasn't simply because of the distance—the engine itself seemed unusually quiet. An electric vehicle? Either way, it was perfect for sneaking up on people. If my perception hadn't been heightened, I probably wouldn't have heard it either. Now I understood why there had been no zombies around here, and why the corpses had been left untouched.

I glanced at my sister and met her eyes before sliding my knife back into its sheath. In its place, I drew the assault rifle slung across my back. I slapped in a magazine, chambered a round, and flicked the selector to semi-auto. Then I gave Ahyeon a quick nod.

She followed close behind. Instead of retracing the path we'd taken in, we moved through the interior of the rest area. While she covered our rear with her Holy Lance, aiming down the way we'd come, I took point and scouted ahead. Through the occasional windows, I caught glimpses of the approaching vehicles. Two cars, people split between them. Ordinary passenger cars. But the people getting out were anything but ordinary.

“Oppa.”

Her whisper was so soft it was nearly swallowed by the electric hum of the engines, but I heard it clearly.

“Guns.”

She wasn't telling me to ready my weapon. The people visible through the window were already armed. And these weren't the common hunting shotguns or air rifles I'd seen before. They were carrying the same kind of assault rifles I had in my hands. Magazines, chest rigs, ammo belts—the whole setup. How?

No, how didn't matter. What mattered was that they had enough firepower to kill me. I wasn't some superhuman who could shrug off bullets. The Snake Burger had survived rifle rounds, but that was because of its massive body, not because the bullets didn't work. Even an elephant would get holes punched through it by rifle fire. It might not drop from a single shot, but enough rounds and it would die. The same applied to me, with my human-sized frame. A bullet severing an artery, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠piercing the heart or a vital organ, or punching through the skull—any of those would kill me. I could predict trajectories and block single shots, but sustained fire? I might stop the first few, but blocking them all was impossible.

I clicked my tongue softly. If it was this dangerous for me, what about my sister? I glanced at her. Maybe I should have made her bring an assault rifle instead of that shotgun.

With only my eyes peeking above the windowsill, I watched them move. They were heading straight for our truck.

Fuck.

I'd wondered if they'd known about us in advance, but it didn't seem that way. They looked shocked when they spotted our pickup and started exchanging nervous glances. They'd seen the ammo boxes and rifles in the back seat. Two full rifles, plus a whole arsenal—four shotguns, two air rifles, eight black-powder rifles, four black-powder pistols, and over five thousand rounds of ammunition. I'd moved everything from the truck bed to the back seat after that bastard who betrayed Tae-ham tried to use it against us.

They noticed the doors were locked and the supplies were inside. After a brief silent conversation, they began to spread out. They weren't running away. Quite the opposite. They were fanning out to surround the rest area, clearly guessing where we might be hiding.

We're fucked.

If I'd known this would happen, maybe I should have left everything in the bed. No, that wouldn't have stopped them from getting suspicious anyway.

I pulled the charging handle slightly to confirm a round was chambered, then licked my lips. I didn't know their intentions, but the fact that they'd confirmed we were armed and were preparing to treat us as hostile meant they weren't exactly friendly. At the very least, they were ready to turn hostile depending on how we responded. Or maybe they'd been planning to from the start. Either way, it was convincing enough.

Exodus Arcadia. A resort, a theme park. It was entirely possible the government was still holding out there. The fact that they'd set such an obvious trap was strange and made me wary, but in a world full of zombies and building-destroying variants—where even the zombies came from that damn Status Window—what could really be considered strange anymore?

Of course, it might not be the legitimate government. It could be some autonomous faction or a military unit. Looking at their weapons, a military remnant seemed most likely. That made sense.

So what should we do?

Crouched low beside my sister, I calculated our options while tracking the shadows I could see. What gave us the highest chance of survival? Even I could die if caught in a sudden ambush. The Centurion had flinched from gunfire, and even the Snake Burger had avoided approaching the sound of shots. The only exception was the Crusader—its full-body armor had stopped rifle rounds cold.

I thought carefully. Why would the government set a trap like this? What did they want?

After a moment, I realized something.

Why the hell was I even thinking about this?

Thinking was for the weak. It was the exclusive privilege of the weak. More precisely, if they were going to think like the weak, I shouldn't be doing it at all.

Their purpose? I'd find out by asking directly. Their goal? I didn't need to know. As long as we survived.

That meant there was only one response.

I met Kang Ahyeon's eyes, and we moved. Using the power of stealth to kill every sound and trace of our presence, we advanced. The sling I'd deliberately adjusted to hug my body kept the rifle from swinging. Normally there would be three choices: surrender, reveal our presence and negotiate, or simply wipe them out. But since they hadn't shown direct hostility yet, the last option felt premature.

That left only one choice.

I locked eyes with Kang Ahyeon. My little sister—the former poster girl of the Saeneul cult, the one whose beautiful face had drawn in countless converts—gave me a bright, innocent smile. There was no need to explain ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠anything out loud.

“E-excuse me…!”

A deliberately raised, gentle voice echoed through the rest area. The men hiding around the building flinched and revealed themselves. Gun barrels swung toward her. But although every weapon was aimed at her, none of them fired. A group of men in their twenties and thirties, all exchanging uncertain ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠glances as they held their aim. They clearly hadn't expected this.

The moment they saw the woman's face, their focus slipped. That was the kind of beauty she possessed. Even though the cult had originally rejected her gender, they'd chosen to use her as their public face rather than dispose of her or treat her poorly. Innocent, wide eyes. Large, sparkling pupils. A straight nose, full and soft lips with a slight upward curve at the corners. Gentle, downward-sloping eyes with aegyo-sal, and skin so flawless it was almost unreal. When she looked pitiful, she seemed fragile. When she smiled, she looked pure. No matter what expression she wore, her face shook people's hearts. Those big, round eyes were as pure and moist as a puppy's, instinctively triggering protective instincts. Her rich brown hair and matching brown eyes had an exotic, almost otherworldly beauty that captivated anyone who looked at her.

It wasn't mere seductive charm. Her appearance made people think that such an innocent being should obviously be protected. It made the idea of pointing a gun at that face feel fundamentally wrong.

Naturally, no one fired.

Everyone stared at each other in confusion and bewilderment.

“I-I don't know what's going on… but I don't want to fight.”

Kang Ahyeon spoke with a genuinely terrified expression, raising her hands awkwardly. Her clumsy, vulnerable appearance made her look completely harmless and naive. In the midst of the chaotic atmosphere, someone finally spoke up. A man in his thirties, positioned neither too far nor too close, taking cover behind a car.

“We don't want to fight either. First… may I ask your name?!”

At his shout, she flinched as if frightened and let a few tears spill. The man's expression wavered for a moment. Even so, his aim didn't falter. He'd noticed the shotgun slung behind her back. There had been assault rifles in the car. Was she alone? He couldn't be sure. Still, he softened his voice as much as possible while keeping his guard up.

“We're not here to hurt you. We… we're from the government. Did you see the pamphlets inside?”

“P-pamphlets…?”

Apparently not. He clicked his tongue internally.

“We're from an island not far from here. It's called Exodus Arcadia—a resort. I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but the government is still operating there.”

How much to reveal, how much to keep hidden. While he wrestled with that decision, a spark of hope flashed across the woman's face.

“Th-the government?”

“Yes, the government. Military units are guarding the island, and the government is still functioning. We haven't been able to contact the main South Korean government, but the island is only accessible by two bridges, so it's perfectly protected.”

What overwhelmed his reason was emotion. The moment he saw the beautiful woman make an expression of relief, his heart wavered.

“We primarily prioritize skilled workers, but we don't abandon surviving citizens. Please come with us. The government will welcome any food or weapons you have.”

“B-but… these are things I collected myself…”

His face hardened slightly before he forced a gentle yet firm expression.

“I understand how you feel. But… I don't think those weapons, equipment, or food are more important than a place where you can sleep safely with your legs stretched out.”

Martial law had been declared. If they wanted to take it by force, they could—but he didn't say that. There was no point in raising her guard unnecessarily. However, if she refused and tried to run…

His eyes darkened and he wet his lips with his tongue. In that case, that would be fine too.

The man was so lost in his own fantasies that he failed to notice the most important thing. And that was the beginning.

There wasn't even the sound of a footstep.

Suddenly, movement flashed at the edge of his vision.

“Wha—”

By the time he noticed, it was already too late. A massive shadow closed in. It was right on top of him. Faster than he could swing his barrel around. Crack!

The first strike—a rifle butt swung with terrifying force—made no sound. Not even the impact reached the victim's ears. His jaw shattered and he crumpled. But before his body could even fall, Kang Hyun's muzzle was already aimed forward.

His target was the people now completely exposed on his flank. His finger moved toward the trigger.

Ratatatatatang!

Semi-automatic fire in rapid succession. Bullets sprayed out, painting the air with blood ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mist. Heads snapped back as they were pierced. Others pitched forward, slamming into car trunks before collapsing. Some simply folded where they stood. Four men in total. Legs and guts were torn open first, then skulls shattered. Brains and blood splattered from the broken heads.

Unlike their fallen comrades, the other hidden intruders panicked.

“What the fuck is this?!”

“Shoot! Shoot them!”

They swung their weapons around in terror. But by the time they aimed, Kang Hyun had already taken cover behind a vehicle. His approach had been as silent as a feline predator, and the ambush had been flawless. Even though the weakness of an ambush had been exposed, its effect was undeniable. Five of the fourteen were already down. Nine remained.

Ratatatatatang!

A hail of bullets shredded the car he was hiding behind. The vehicle's body panels bounced and dented from the impacts. From behind it, Kang Hyun ejected the magazine, shook it to gauge the remaining rounds, and slammed it back in. Twenty rounds. He took a deep breath and stepped out.

Clang! Ratatatatatang!

The moment one aimed shot bounced off an arm guard, a storm of bullets followed. One man's head exploded backward. Another dropped his rifle as his forearm was torn apart. Kang Hyun used that opening to close the distance with rapid steps.

“Get down, you fucking idiot—!”

The remaining men aimed in panic but couldn't fire. Their own comrades were in the line of fire. Their target was the young man bleeding from his torn forearm. He screamed at Kang Hyun and swung his bayonet, but—

“Ah—”

Kang Hyun brutally knocked the bayonet aside, grabbed the man's forearm and collar, and slammed him down. The scream cut off the instant his body hit the ground.

BAAAANG!

Crack. His neck snapped like a dry branch. Just like a predator seizing its prey by the throat. Before the man's outstretched legs could even settle, Kang Hyun drew his .22 black-powder pistol and fired.

Thump-thump-thump-thump!

Spent casings rolled from the chamber as five rounds punched into the intruder's head. The man collapsed backward. The precise shooting was immediately followed by flawless cover. The panicked return fire didn't even come close. He compensated for the .22's low power with volume and perfect headshots. The young man with five holes in his skull didn't twitch.

Six left. They focused entirely on Kang Hyun, who attacked like a ferocious beast. They'd forgotten someone. They had no choice but to forget. She fought like she wasn't even human.

WHAAAAAAM!

The truck she'd shoved with all her strength slid forward. With no time to dodge, one man was crushed between the truck and a sedan. His lower body was pulverized. He vomited blood and died. She immediately ducked back into cover and swapped magazines. The sound of the magazine changing echoed ominously, as if declaring that the rest of them were next.

That was why they fell.

Kang Ahyeon emerged from cover with a revolver in hand. Her face was still streaked with tears, but her expression was completely blank as she took aim.

BABABABABABANG—!

The thunderous roar of .38 caliber rounds. One man clutched his throat and collapsed. Another took four rounds to the chest and flew backward. Three remained. Eleven of the original fourteen were down. Even their leader had fallen. They didn't know if he was dead, but it wouldn't have been strange if he was. He might as well have been.

Should we run?

An irrational thought. Even with guns, running was pointless, but they turned as if on cue.

“U-ughhh—!”

Before the scream could fully escape, something hurtled toward them.

CRAAAAAACK!

A horrifying sound of flesh and bone being pulverized. The impact punched straight through a man's chest and hurled him away with overwhelming force. If not for Choi Tae-woo's Strong Bone trait, the corpse wouldn't have remained intact. A massive hole had been torn through his chest. The body, split almost in two below the collarbone, tumbled across the ground. He died without even being able to gasp. What little remained of his upper body slid wetly before coming to a stop with a sickening splat.

Stuck proudly in the ground beside the gruesome sight was a bone spear.

Two left. Their feet, which had been about to flee, froze at the horrific scene.

“Ah…”

It was unreal. Fourteen men had come, and twelve had been slaughtered. By just two people. They trembled in terror and, just as Kang Ahyeon had done earlier, awkwardly raised their hands.

Kang Hyun approached them. He grabbed the unconscious thirty-year-old by the hair and dragged him along. With the rifle tucked under his arm, he aimed at the survivors. Barely hiding his tense breathing, he spoke.

“Drop your weapons, interlock your fingers behind your heads, and get on the ground.”

Clatter. Clunk. Guns hit the floor.

“I've got a lot of questions for you guys.”