Checkpoint (2)
The magazines they had were 30-rounders. Considering that standard issue in peacetime was 20-rounders, it was clear the soldiers were armed for wartime conditions.
"If there are too many of them, our firepower might get overwhelmed. Let's hope for some luck."
Fortunately, the soldiers sent up to the tunnel weren't all fully armed. Their heavy weapons supply probably hadn't been properly distributed. That made it doable.
"Yeah, let's hope for luck."
Jang Seo-yeon sighed as she followed behind Go Cheon-su, who was walking ahead.
"If we don't wanna get shot dead in a shithole like this."
"Don't worry."
Go Cheon-su shot her a glare.
"I don't plan on dying in a shithole like this either."
The ridgeline stretched on without any blockages. Go Cheon-su kept walking, glancing left. It was a cliff. The left side of the ridgeline dropped into a steep cliff that continued all the way.
'Falling off that would be game over.'
It also meant escaping would be tough if a fight broke out with the checkpoint on the right.
Go Cheon-su took a deep breath.
'Can I pull this off?'
There was no hesitation about attacking someone. Survival was the goal, after all. But he was worried about the odds of success.
'I need to know what might happen.'
Disaster games were always like this. With so many things out of control, you could never predict the variables.
Grraaaah.
And this was one of them right now.
"……!"
Go Cheon-su froze while peering down the cliff. Jang Seo-yeon, following behind, slammed to a halt too.
"Why'd you stop so suddenly……."
Jang Seo-yeon followed his gaze and grimaced.
"What the hell is that?"
What Go Cheon-su and Jang Seo-yeon were staring at was the space below the cliff. More precisely, the zombies gathered there.
"Ha."
Go Cheon-su exhaled a shaky breath as he looked down at them. There had to be at least 50, easy.
"This is fucked, for real."
If they were just clustered there, it might've been fine. But reality wasn't that kind.
Zombies were starting to crawl up the cliff one by one.
"Hey, Go Cheon-su."
Jang Seo-yeon grabbed his shoulder.
"This looks dangerous, right?"
It was dangerous. For some reason, their numbers were swelling. Most fell off, but plenty were steadily climbing up.
Staying put meant getting swept away by a zombie wave.
"Hey, what're we gonna do?"
At Jang Seo-yeon's urging, Go Cheon-su clutched his head for a moment.
Shooting at the horde wasn't an option. Getting past the checkpoint came first.
"Let's hurry."
Go Cheon-su started walking again.
"We gotta smash that checkpoint fast."
No time for other thoughts. He picked up speed, then broke into a run. Jang Seo-yeon dashed after him.
Crunch.
After a short sprint, Go Cheon-su clenched his fist, signaling Jang Seo-yeon to stop. They slowed and crept forward.
The checkpoint came into view.
'Maybe 10 pyeong?'
Go Cheon-su sized it up while scanning the people outside.
'One, two, three…….'
Ten in total. Winnable odds. He ducked behind a nearby rock and aimed at one of them.
Jang Seo-yeon frowned.
"Hey, wait. We don't even know how many more are inside."
"No choice. No time to scout."
"If you fire, those monster bastards might come faster."
He knew that. Go Cheon-su ignored her and braced the stock against his shoulder. His marksmanship had earned him ace status in the military. In games, he'd never died to poor aim—he was confident hitting anything from anywhere.
"Get set quick. We're engaging."
"Fuck."
Jang Seo-yeon dropped prone and raised her rifle.
"Don't go yapping all confident then miss."
"You too, Jang Seo-yeon."
"Don't hesitate mid-aim."
Unnecessary worry. No mercy for enemies.
Bang!
A gunshot echoed. Not from Go Cheon-su.
It came from the checkpoint—aimed at them.
"Shit!"
The enemies had surveillance gear. Go Cheon-su pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The pre-loaded rifle kicked back, spitting a bullet.
"Argh!"
A scream rang out from the checkpoint. But it was soon drowned by another sound.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
The enemies unleashed a frenzy of fire at Go Cheon-su's group.
Ping! Ting!
Bullets ricocheted off rocks everywhere. Go Cheon-su pulled back in and exhaled sharply.
'Damn it.'
More threatening than expected. They had plenty of ammo and were spraying full-auto.
Bang! Bang!
"Hey, what're you doing!"
Jang Seo-yeon fired sporadically from cover and yelled.
"Shoot already!"
Go Cheon-su swallowed, leaned left, and fired.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Even if they had more ammo, solid hits could turn it around. He stayed calm, sighting quickly.
"Argh!"
One more down. He pulled back.
Bang! Bang!
Jang Seo-yeon kept drawing fire. Ammo was burning fast—he couldn't drag it out. He leaned right, aimed...
"Guh?"
But before he could fire, a bullet grazed him first.
"Argh……."
He pulled back, clutching his shoulder. Wounded.
"Guh……."
"Hey, what! You hit?"
"I-I'm fine."
Just a graze. Go Cheon-su gritted his teeth and gripped his rifle tighter.
The viewers' reactions grew frantic. Before leaning out again, Go Cheon-su asked,
"Guys, can you see inside the checkpoint?"
If no one from inside had emerged yet, they were in trouble. They had to aim carefully with limited ammo, but they'd been spotted too soon.
"Damn it……!"
Go Cheon-su leaned out and fired quickly.
Bang!
Miss.
Bang! Bang!
Keeps missing. Bullets kept hammering the rock meanwhile.
"Guh?"
Jang Seo-yeon groaned and slumped. Go Cheon-su checked her fast.
"You okay?!"
"F-Fine. Just grazed my arm."
"How many rounds left?!"
Jang Seo-yeon grimaced.
"Maybe twenty?"
Down to about ten. Go Cheon-su caught his breath behind cover.
'I've got about twenty left.'
Ammo depleting too fast. Too many variables. He panted.
'Shit. What now.'
Go Cheon-su snapped to. With their numbers, they could send flankers. Sitting tight meant death from both sides.
"Jang Seo-yeon! We gotta fall back!"
Run. No choice.
"Fall back where?!"
"We'll figure it out later!"
Jang Seo-yeon bit her lip at his shout but switched to full-auto, leaned out, and fired.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Click!
Just seven rounds. The enemies flinched, then returned fire.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Go Cheon-su emptied his mag for cover fire and stuck tight behind her.
"Kill 'em!"
The enemies screamed and blasted away. Trees splintered around them.
Go Cheon-su and Jang Seo-yeon bolted up the ridgeline in silent screams.
The chat filled with chaos. Go Cheon-su's mind hit its limit.
"Help me, quick. Guys, please……."
He panted, then clenched his teeth.
"Fuck, am I dying like this?!"
If he could just survive, he'd find a way, no matter how crazy. He racked his brain.
'All or nothing.'
Clearing the checkpoint safely was off the table. What if he ditched safety? If he could just neutralize them for sure...
"Guys, no mission, right?"
He knew powerful life-saving missions cost a fortune. Only Han Do-choe had that kind of will.
As expected, a chat from what looked like Han Do-choe popped up—but failed to buy the mission.
The intent to save him was there, but most viewers were lukewarm. Even this:
Go Cheon-su ignored the chat now. He realized he hadn't won over enough viewers yet. No one was dumping huge sponsorships on a player fresh from the train station to the checkpoint.
'You too, huh?'
'OnlyOne'. Even SaerounJuin, the mood-swing rival, was silent—not to mention OnlyOne. They knew death loomed, yet nothing.
'I'll call it high expectations.'
Hope that he'd survive anything.
Ping!
Empty click. Out of ammo. Go Cheon-su slung the rifle close and scrambled higher.
"I ain't dying like this!"
Jang Seo-yeon glanced back at his desperate yell. He shouted at her,
"Jang Seo-yeon! Get ready to go down!"
She looked baffled. They were fleeing uphill—going down made no sense.
"I'll go first—you follow! Got it?!"
"What're you saying! Suicide?!"
"No!"
Go Cheon-su yelled with resolve.
"Time for a comeback……!"
They reached the ridgeline top. Go Cheon-su looked down the cliff side he'd noted earlier.
Grraaaah.
Even more zombies climbing now.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Gunfire behind. Zombies ahead. One path left.
Go Cheon-su inhaled deep.
"Huuuup."
Lungs full. He roared at the zombies.
"Over here, you fuckers!!"