Voices of the Clues
“Min-cheol, keep an eye out for anything charging at us.”
“Got it, hyung.”
Go Cheon-su positioned Yang Min-cheol nearby and approached the Retona, where smoke was still rising from the engine.
“Just one guy...?”
From what he could see through the window, there was only a single driver.
Tap tap.
He knocked on the door, but there was no response from the driver.
He'd lost the wooden stick while fleeing from the Big Head. Go Cheon-su kept knocking on the door. After a long moment, the driver cracked his eyes open and looked at Go Cheon-su.
“He's human.”
Crack!
Go Cheon-su ripped out the Retona's window.
Same as always.
Military Retonas had vinyl windows. After unlocking the door, Go Cheon-su checked the driver's condition.
Name: Jo Yong-jin. Rank: Private First Class.
“No gun?”
He scanned the inside of the Retona, but there were no weapons in sight.
“Ha. Should've at least grabbed a K2. What a pain in the ass.”
“W-Who the hell are you...”
The driver, Jo Yong-jin, who had somewhat come to his senses, pulled a dagger from his pocket and spoke.
“I-I got nothing. Just go.”
“Like hell you don't.”
Go Cheon-su kicked Jo Yong-jin's wrist with his foot.
“Argh!”
The dagger slipped from Jo Yong-jin's grasp and clattered to the ground. Go Cheon-su picked it up and flashed a grin.
“You've got something worth taking.”
“...Ugh, nngh.”
Jo Yong-jin pleaded with a terrified expression.
“T-Take it if you want. Just don't touch me.”
“Sorry, but that's not up to you.”
Go Cheon-su looked down at him coldly.
“You're a deserter, aren't you?”
He couldn't be certain, but in this world, it wasn't normal for a private first class to be driving around alone in a Retona. Go Cheon-su climbed into the Retona and tried operating it.
“Damn it, for real.”
Unfortunately, it wasn't functioning properly.
“Even wrecked the damn car.”
Go Cheon-su hopped out and pressed the dagger against Jo Yong-jin.
“What happened? Did you betray them and run off alone?”
“No! That's not it!”
Jo Yong-jin said with wide, startled eyes.
“They're all dead...! I just ran to save myself! It's true!”
“Your overreaction just makes you more suspicious.”
“Hyung.”
Yang Min-cheol approached and spoke to Go Cheon-su.
“Is that guy military?”
“Yeah, looks like it...”
No, he couldn't tell for sure. Go Cheon-su grabbed Jo Yong-jin's collar.
“W-What are you...”
“Hold still.”
Go Cheon-su tore open Jo Yong-jin's shirt and found a dog tag chain around his neck. He grabbed the ID tag attached to it, angling it so only he could see, and questioned Jo Yong-jin.
“Serial number.”
“Huh?”
“Recite your serial number. Let's see if you know it by heart.”
No one stealing clothes would bother wearing a dog tag, but Go Cheon-su wanted to be thorough.
“2...”
Jo Yong-jin began reciting his serial number in a small voice. Go Cheon-su confirmed it matched the tag and let go of the chain.
“Checks out. Kinda suspicious, though.”
“Hyung, shouldn't we head inside now?”
Yang Min-cheol asked worriedly from the side.
“Staying out here's dangerous.”
“Yeah, you're right.”
Go Cheon-su climbed onto the Retona's hood.
“Min-cheol, let's climb over the gate. There's good footing up here.”
“What about him, hyung?”
“Doesn't seem useful.”
Yang Min-cheol looked shocked at Go Cheon-su's words.
“S-Still, shouldn't we bring him?”
“Eh.”
“H-Hey!”
Jo Yong-jin raised his hand and shouted at Go Cheon-su.
“Take me with you! My leg bone's cracked! I can't make it alone...!”
“You said not to touch you earlier.”
“That was 'cause I thought you'd kill me!”
Go Cheon-su glanced at Jo Yong-jin's leg. It was stained with blood, like he'd taken a hard hit somewhere.
“Hyung-nim, that was a bit harsh.”
Go Cheon-su replied to the viewers as he jumped and grabbed the gate.
Grunt.
After groaning and scaling the gate, Go Cheon-su found the button to open it in the nearby guard post.
Click.
But with the power out, the gate didn't open automatically.
“Whew. One thing after another.”
Come to think of it, there hadn't been any lights visible in the dead of night. The power was out everywhere now, no doubt.
Clunk.
He finally turned the manual crank and pulled the gate sideways. The sliding gate moved slowly.
“Yang Min-cheol! Pull from your side too!”
It was heavy, so he enlisted Yang Min-cheol's help.
Rumble.
Go Cheon-su slipped through the opened gate, moved to the Retona, shifted it to neutral, and straightened the wheel.
“Heave-ho.”
When he pushed from outside, the Retona rolled backward down the slight incline.
“Hyung, what're you doing...?”
“In case someone else tries climbing over with it.”
He pointed at Jo Yong-jin.
“Can you handle him?”
“Huh?”
“He can't walk alone, so bring him if you don't wanna leave him.”
“Ah, yes!”
Even though it was just a task, Yang Min-cheol ran over with a happy expression. Go Cheon-su shook his head at the sight.
“What a goof.”
Still in high school, he hadn't tasted the world's bitterness yet—living life way too positively.
Or maybe not.
In a world like this, staying positive was impressive in its own way. Go Cheon-su scratched his head and walked back inside the gate. Yang Min-cheol followed, supporting Jo Yong-jin.
“Whoa, hyung. This place is insane.”
Yang Min-cheol let out an exclamation upon entering. And rightly so—no city had a taxi company as well-equipped as this one.
“Right? You wouldn't know since no one pays attention to taxi companies normally.”
This taxi company had been built grandly by a self-made local bigwig. He'd done it in memory of his late father, who had been a cab driver.
“You really know everything, hyung.”
“That's a compliment, yeah?”
Go Cheon-su let out a hollow chuckle as they walked past rows of cars.
“Yeah, sure. I know pretty much everything.”
Room encyclopedia—that's what he called himself. It wasn't wrong; when you rarely left the house, you ended up hoarding info online since there was nothing else to do. Luckily, his interest in trivia and news made it useful even in this world.
“The cars...”
As a driver himself, Jo Yong-jin perked up at the remaining taxis. Go Cheon-su looked in the same direction.
Four in total.
Not many, but worth hunting for keys.
But why were the doors closed?
If cars had left, the gates should've been open. Go Cheon-su rubbed his chin.
“Gotta stay sharp.”
“Huh? Sharp for what, hyung?”
“Someone might be inside.”
The main building ahead was a two-story structure—not huge, but big enough to hide in.
Creak.
Fortunately, the main door was open. Go Cheon-su scanned the surroundings, then beckoned. Yang Min-cheol slowly entered, bringing Jo Yong-jin.
“No one's... here.”
As Jo Yong-jin muttered, the interior only showed signs of people having taken shelter—recruitment flyers for taxi drivers now scattered uselessly on the filthy floor.
Go Cheon-su agreed with the viewers. The high walls could block most monsters.
Of course, something like Big Head means walls aren't foolproof...
Without firepower or unity like the cops at Myeongseo Elementary, even sturdy walls were useless.
“Hyung, over there...!”
Yang Min-cheol pointed to a room labeled infirmary. Go Cheon-su nodded.
“Take him and see if you can splint that leg. I got stuff to do.”
“Hyung.”
Yang Min-cheol grabbed Go Cheon-su's arm.
“You'll keep going with me, right?”
“Eh, probably.”
With a vague answer, Go Cheon-su kept walking.
Maybe it's better to leave Min-cheol here.
There were monsters that could breach walls, but they were still intact, and there were vending machines and a cafeteria inside. Not a bad base for Yang Min-cheol. Unless something went wrong, Go Cheon-su planned to hole up here a day or two himself.
“What do you guys think about leaving Min-cheol here?”
Go Cheon-su groaned and tilted his head. He'd figure it out later.
Thud thud.
He climbed to the second floor, walked the empty hallway, and reached his target spot.
“There it is.”
As he reached for the doorknob, voices came from inside.
He froze. Go Cheon-su waited without opening the door.
“...This way's blocked...”
“Where's everyone...”
“Shelter.”
A jumble of random chatter. Go Cheon-su realized these weren't from people inside the room.
Bang!
He flung the door open. Inside were tables lined with radio equipment.
“Jeju Island's supposed to be safe...”
“...Saw a train passing by...”
“To leave this city, head east! Everyone hearing this?”
A barrage of communications flooded Go Cheon-su's ears from drivers and unknowns within dozens of kilometers.
“What the hell is this?”
He hadn't even touched the gear. Conversations from taxi drivers and strangers swirled around the room.
“7.5 Division says go to Jeju!”
“Hurry! Get out of the city!”
“Take the train to Daejeon first...”
Go Cheon-su frowned at the flood of info.
Is this normal?
The gear was all powered on, conversations broadcasting openly, and above all...
There's electricity.
The fluorescent lights were on. Go Cheon-su tensed, then muttered.
“Info window.”
[Constant Info: Staying long in one area is dangerous.]
[Info 1: You can escape the city by heading to the train station.]
Go Cheon-su's eyes widened.
“The info... activated?”
The radio chatter must've triggered it—new information had appeared.
“What is this, a branch point or something?”
Go Cheon-su sighed. No answer came. He stood still, listening more, but nothing new stood out. He tried the mic himself, but for some reason, outgoing transmission didn't work.
“Phone's... still dead.”
Maybe it was a carrier issue; phones remained useless. Anyway, that wasn't the priority. He'd gotten a lead, now to figure out the building's power source.
“Min-cheol.”
Go Cheon-su headed straight to the infirmary on the first floor.
“Yang Min-cheol...?”
But Yang Min-cheol was nowhere. Only Jo Yong-jin sat on a bed, his leg splinted.
“I told him I heard noises from the basement, so he went to check. I waited here.”
“Damn it!”
Going down alone at a time like this? Go Cheon-su bolted. He ignored Jo Yong-jin's pleas not to leave him. In the office, he frantically searched for taxi keys.
“Where are they...!”
They had to get out fast. Someone was definitely here. As he rummaged desperately—
“Aaaagh!”
A scream echoed.