Chapter 38
His shout reached the zombies immediately.
Aggro 10 - 09:59
Aggro 12 - 09:59
Aggro 14 - 09:59
"Can you see me?!"
Aggro 21 - 09:59
Aggro 23 - 09:59
Aggro 25 - 09:59
Go Cheon-su screamed like a madman.
"If you can see me, come grab me then!"
Aggro 27 - 09:58
Aggro 28 - 09:58
Aggro 29 - 09:58
⋮
Aggro 41 - 09:57
The aggro count shot up rapidly. He could hear Jang Seo-yeon yelling something in surprise from behind, but Go Cheon-su ignored her and kept shouting at the zombies.
"Hey, Go Cheon-su!"
In the meantime, Jang Seo-yeon had climbed up and grabbed his shoulder.
"You nuts?!"
What Go Cheon-su had done was impossible to comprehend with normal reasoning.
"What the hell are you..."
Jang Seo-yeon trailed off as she turned her gaze down to the cliff below. Her eyes confirmed exactly what his actions had triggered.
"Jang Seo-yeon!"
Go Cheon-su grabbed her stiff shoulders and asked, "Ready to head down?"
"Huh, what?"
"The zombies are coming up soon!"
The taunted zombies had grown even more ferocious. They were climbing the cliff relentlessly to claim their prey, and disaster was imminent.
"Dodge the soldiers and zombies on the way down! I'll keep their eyes on me—you can handle that much, right?"
"'That much'? You lost your..."
Go Cheon-su didn't let her finish. He spun around and started sprinting away.
"Over there!"
The soldiers spotted him and swung their rifles around. It was dangerous. With no cover while running, he had no means of protection except his own body.
Thud!
Go Cheon-su stomped the ground and leaped far ahead.
And that distance was far beyond what any normal person could jump in one go. Go Cheon-su was covering over 10 meters at a time.
"W-what the hell is that?!"
"How is he...?!"
"Take him down!"
The soldiers panicked and hastily redirected their rifles. But Go Cheon-su wasn't an idiot. He leaped high onto trees, then dove into bushes, repeatedly disrupting their aim.
"Fuck, what the hell?!"
"That a real human?!"
"Hey, he's heading for the checkpoint!"
As Go Cheon-su veered off the path at high speed toward the checkpoint, the soldiers hurriedly followed. But they were too slow. Go Cheon-su had already arrived.
Bang!
He flung open the checkpoint door.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Seven soldiers waiting inside opened fire rapidly. But Go Cheon-su wasn't hit. He'd just cracked the door and bounced away like it was a game.
Crash!
Instead of entering, he circled around, smashing windows with rifle butts. Each time, the soldiers inside fired back, but Go Cheon-su moved faster.
"That it...?"
Go Cheon-su spotted a junction nearby. The rails split off into a siding. Sure enough, they'd been switched at the checkpoint.
Roooar!
A few zombies appeared from the mountain side.
"...!"
These weren't the ones he'd taunted. They must have already crossed over from the mountain and been drawn by the gunfire.
"Hey!"
Go Cheon-su shouted again.
"Over here!"
Roooar!
The zombies spotted him and charged.
"Watch closely, boys."
Go Cheon-su grinned.
"Whose side they're on."
Aggro 46 - 07:42
Roooar!
Go Cheon-su lured the zombies right up to the checkpoint.
Bang!
Soldiers glimpsed them through the window and fired.
Roooar!
The zombies then stormed inside.
"You guys take some of these zombies too."
Once Aggro activated, it accumulated regardless. Even if others pulled some mid-fight, his count wouldn't drop right away.
Go Cheon-su taunted every zombie he saw and herded them all into the checkpoint.
"Aaaagh! Gaaah!"
Screams and gunfire echoed from inside.
Go Cheon-su headed back toward the mountain, hiding in the bushes. Soon, he spotted the soldiers descending.
"This fucking...!"
"The checkpoint's getting overrun!"
"Hey, watch out!"
Rat-tat-tat!
The soldiers sprayed bullets wildly as zombies swarmed from all sides.
"Not the time to stand around."
Go Cheon-su muttered, picking up a rock. He'd used up his ammo. But he wasn't unarmed.
Crunch.
Power surged into his arm. 600%. The count he'd reached turned his arm into a steel spring.
Whoosh!
He hurled the rock.
Crack!
It shattered one soldier's nose bridge.
"Guh...?"
The man toppled sideways.
"What the."
More rocks flew at the bewildered soldiers.
"Kyaak!"
"Over there!"
"He's there!"
The hit soldiers yelled and raised their rifles, but Go Cheon-su was already gone. Instead, something else drew their eyes.
Roooar!
Zombies climbing the cliff and descending the mountain.
With zombies already on the mountain plus more from the rear, the soldiers freaked out and screamed.
"Shoot! Shoot!"
"Gimme a mag!"
"Aaaargh!"
While they pulled the zombies' attention, Go Cheon-su found Jang Seo-yeon.
"Get lost! Back off!"
Out of ammo, she was smashing nearby zombies' heads with her rifle butt. But alone, it was too much. Surrounded, she screamed.
"Aaaah!"
Splat!
That's when Go Cheon-su leaped to her side and started pulverizing zombies with his rifle.
Aggro 57 - 05:21
Aggro 58 - 05:20
Aggro 61 - 05:19
The more zombies swarmed, the stronger Go Cheon-su got. Jang Seo-yeon stared blankly as he wielded the rifle like a toy, smashing one per swing with raw power.
"Hey, what the hell are you...?"
"Get on my back!"
Go Cheon-su yelled at her.
"Hurry up and climb on!"
There were too many zombies. Even if it was to wipe out the soldiers, this was putting everyone at risk.
"The rails are switched! Get on quick if you don't wanna die!"
As the stunned Jang Seo-yeon hesitated, Go Cheon-su reached out fast.
"Slow on the draw!"
In one motion, he scooped her up and slung her over his shoulder.
"Eek, wait...!"
"Hold tight!"
Go Cheon-su bolted with her aboard.
Roooar!
Zombies lunged to grab him, but it was futile. Like a rugby player, he barreled through them toward the checkpoint.
No time to worry about that. Go Cheon-su checked on the soldiers first.
"Aaaagh! Gaaah!"
They were all locked in hand-to-hand with zombies. The outcome was obvious.
Go Cheon-su carried Jang Seo-yeon to the junction and shouted.
"Jang Seo-yeon!"
"..."
"Jang Seo-yeon! Answer me!"
"Uh, yeah?"
She finally snapped out of it.
"What?"
"That!"
Go Cheon-su pointed at the empty rail.
"Can you switch it solo? Focus—no distractions!"
At his bark, she muttered reluctantly.
"Y-yeah. I can."
"Good."
He set her down and raised his rifle.
"Do it in one minute!"
Aggro 67 - 03:42
"Min-cheol's almost here!"
He planned to cover her until then.
"Got it...!"
Jang Seo-yeon found the white box near the rails. It housed the controls for the siding switch.
"Damn, why's my hand shaking so much...!"
Even with her iron will, she couldn't stay calm in this crisis. But she was a train engineer. Staring at the tracks, habit kicked in.
Vrrr...
After prep, she slotted the manual handle and cranked it like a windmill. The siding rail began shifting.
"Jang Seo-yeon! How much longer?"
"Almost...!"
Sweat poured as she poured more power into her arms.
"Switch complete!"
She rushed the verification.
"Path clear! Go Cheon-su! Done!"
Thud.
Go Cheon-su hoisted her up again. She flinched in surprise, but he ignored it.
Roooar!
By now, zombies had devoured all the soldiers. Only Go Cheon-su and Jang Seo-yeon remained.
It was true. Time was up.
As Go Cheon-su swallowed dryly, eyeing zombies turning toward them—
Woooosh!
The horn blared.
Clang-clang.
A massive locomotive thundered toward them, shaking the ground.
"Fast...!"
But no joy. Go Cheon-su frowned at it.
"Too fast!"
The engine showed no sign of slowing, accelerating like it carried no one.
Unease hit him. Yang Min-cheol, don't tell me...
He scanned around. More zombies poured from the mountain.
No.
Standing their ground was suicide. One bite was fatal; they couldn't risk it.
Board it.
They had to get on no matter what. Any more monsters and it was over.
"Hey!"
So Go Cheon-su yelled.
"Over hereeee!"
Zombie eyes snapped to him. As the taunted horde charged, Jang Seo-yeon pounded his shoulder.
"Jang Seo-yeon. Hold tighter—no worries."
Zombies on the rails could derail the train. He herded them off-track.
"We're boarding alive, guaranteed."
He lured them back toward the mountain.
"Don't let go. Might not save you if you fall."
Zombies howled after him like a tidal wave.
Aggro 89 - 00:31
Physical functions at 990%. A level of power he'd never felt before. Go Cheon-su had shattered his previous record.
Splat! Thud!
He crushed blocking zombies with rifle swings. It felt like wielding a sword.
I could wipe them all out.
His body felt light and unbreakable. For the first time, he truly grasped the skill's might.
Roooar.
No.
Go Cheon-su refocused. I'm not invincible.
No illusions. Players had to know their skills' limits. And this wasn't a hazmat suit against infection.
The moment Aggro ended, one slip could kill him.
About 70 meters...
He'd pulled a ton into the mountain. Now, back to the rails to board.
Clang-clang.
The locomotive passed the checkpoint.
"Hold up."
With everything on the line, Go Cheon-su raised his index finger skyward.