Facing the Zombie Horde
01 Team rushed back to the office in a flash. Clank, clank. Tap, tap. They donned their silver armor and strapped weapons to their waists. They grabbed shields too. Fully geared up, they hurried to the assembly point. It was a frantic sprint—every second counted.
Nam Gyuil was about to step over the threshold when he suddenly glanced at his desk. He pulled open the drawer. There it was: the staff he'd obtained after defeating the Pharaoh. Nam Gyuil snatched it up.
Lieutenant Colonel Park Heeryeong faced the assembled 01 Team and shouted,
"A gate has appeared in Gangnam Yeoksam-dong. The monsters are zombies."
The team flinched at his words. Zombies were the monsters national hunters feared most.
"Zombies are extremely dangerous. That's why we're sending in our best team."
Park Heeryeong scanned them with an expectant look. But contrary to his hopes, 01 Team's faces darkened. The better their record, the more likely they were to get the riskiest missions—an ironic twist.
"Everyone, load up!"
At Park Heeryeong's command, they piled into the military vehicle. With a roar, it belched black exhaust and sped off. A heavy gloom hung over 01 Team.
"Zombies, of all things."
Lee Chanu muttered, his face pale as a ghost. As everyone's expressions stiffened, Hong Shinu, growing anxious, asked softly,
"Sergeant Lee Chanu."
"What?"
"Are zombies really that scary?"
"Of course they are—!!"
Lee Chanu exploded in frustration, then spat as he explained why zombies were so dangerous, point by point. For starters, their vitality was insane. Other monsters slowed or died from wounds. Not zombies. Even serious injuries barely fazed them. Stab one in the gut, and it'd still shamble around groaning "Grraaah."
Their weakness? Smash the head. But as long as the head stayed intact, they kept coming.
"And hitting the head ain't easy."
Lee Chanu sighed deeply. Worse still was the infection.
"Get bitten even once, and you'll suffer gut pain and dizziness before turning into a zombie yourself. Your buddy from moments ago becomes the monster."
Picture a horde of national hunters charging zombies. Disaster. The weak ones get bitten, swelling zombie ranks until you flee the gate empty-handed. The only strategy? Elite few enter, smash the core. That's it.
Lee Chanu scratched his head furiously, venting gloomily.
"Aaaah—!! This sucks! Zombies? We're all dead!!"
Nam Gyuil cut in.
"Calm down."
"How can I, hyung!? We're gonna die!! If I'd known good results meant crap like this..."
"Quiet!!"
Thud— Nam Gyuil stomped hard. Everyone jumped. He lowered his voice, radiating authority.
"Lee Chanu. As your team leader, I'm telling you."
"......"
"Shut it."
Lee Chanu clamped his mouth shut. Nam Gyuil had silenced him to prevent morale collapse. Lee Chanu's panic was making the already scared team shrink further. That couldn't happen. Lose confidence before the fight, and even winnable battles were lost. He had to stop it.
Not that Lee Chanu was wrong—zombies were tricky. But Nam Gyuil reminded them of a key fact everyone overlooked.
"Zombies were hard before because we lacked armor and had crap weapons. They're not strong. It's the tenacity and infection that's scary."
01 Team watched him quietly, ears perked.
Nam Gyuil gave an example.
"When zombies escape gates, do they cause massive damage? No."
A few nodded. True—no headlines about zombie outbreaks ravaging outside.
"Outside gates, zombies die easiest. Remember: tough life force, but weaker than us physically. Inside, we fought with flimsy daggers that could snap anytime—that's why they seemed deadly."
He tapped his armor with a finger. Clink, clink.
"Now it's different. Full plate, top-tier weapons. No zombie bites through this."
Team members exchanged sparkling glances. Made sense. Barely armed? Tough. Properly equipped? No sweat.
"So lose the fear. Have confidence."
Nam Gyuil grinned.
"Our gear won't let some zombies kill us."
His words ignited courage. The swampy gloom lifted instantly. Smiles spread. Hope flickered: easy clear, safe return.
To lighten the mood further, Nam Gyuil bellowed,
"Close this gate intact, and big bro treats everyone to a feast! Give it everything!!"
The team erupted.
"Ooooh—!!"
"For real?"
"Kim Baek's course menu this time..."
Lee Chanu, still clueless, vowed pricey eats—earning a flick from Nam Gyuil.
The military bus arrived at Gangnam Yeoksam-dong. The gate had spawned smack in the road. Police diverted traffic; soldiers set up machine gun tripods.
Hiss. The doors opened. Clank, clank. Armored 01 Team disembarked. Each step thudded dully against asphalt.
"Huh? What?"
Soldiers gawked.
"Weren't Hunter Agency coming? Why guild?"
"Nah, military bus. Gotta be national hunters."
"Whoa, nationals geared like that?"
"Kinda wild."
"Yeah. Their kit rivals big guilds."
01 Team lined up before the gate. Leader Nam Gyuil paused, checking for stragglers' fear. None—all eyes bright.
He drew his longsword from his shoulder and roared,
"Let's go, you lot—!!"
They roared back.
"Yes, sir—!!"
"Charge."
"Ooooh~!!"
Confidence brimmed. They trusted Nam Gyuil's words.
He led them in. Last in, Lee Chanu thrust a fist high.
"For Kim Baek's course menu!!"
Inside the gate, 01 Team scanned warily, faces grim. Zombies outnumbered other monsters, swarming in packs. Weak individually, they overwhelmed with numbers—teamwork essential.
Thud thud thud. Something approached from afar.
"Zombies!!"
Hwang Ilsu bellowed. Shields up, faces set.
Nam Gyuil commanded,
"Circle formation."
They formed a ring. The shambling horde closed in. Revolting: stench of rot piercing noses, exposed bones amid torn flesh, blackened teeth. Walking corpses.
"Ugh!!"
Hong Shinu wrinkled her nose. Gut-wrenching horror.
"Grraaah."
Zombies lunged, fangs bared to infect. But armor held. Only fangs snapped.
Clink. A zombie's rotten tooth hit the ground.
Nam Gyuil shouted,
"They can't bite us! No fear—fight! We win!!"
Grips tightened. Truth rang: zombies couldn't harm them.
Slash—!! Nam Gyuil cleaved a head in two.
"Zombies ain't shit!"
"Kill 'em all!"
Seeing him strike first fueled their fire. One-sided beatdown—no fear needed. Just roar and swing.
Slash! Heads rolled. Zombies crumpled.
Han Kangsu eyed Nam Gyuil sidelong.
'He's just like...'
Reminded him of father Han Ducheol: leading with skill, charisma. Calming fear, logical pep, demo kill—instant morale boost. Nam Gyuil was peak leader.
'That's why 01 Team's unscathed streak.'
Incredible. They moved as one around him.
30 minutes of bloody melee ended.
"Huff huff huff."
They scanned: no more zombies. First fight done.
"Rest."
They slumped away from corpses. Exhausting. Lee Chanu flopped, staring blankly at a zombie husk.
Something odd caught his eye.
"Hm?!"
He approached, peered close. Nam Gyuil noticed, came over.
"What's up? Something wrong?"
Worried—the clown suddenly inspecting a zombie?
Lee Chanu turned, then back to the body.
"Nothin' big. Just... weird part caught my eye."
"What?"
"This one's off, right?"
He pointed. Nam Gyuil's eyes widened. A smirk tugged his lips.
Smooth stone embedded in the zombie's chest.
'He found it!!'
Nam Gyuil ruffled Lee Chanu's hair.
"Good job, you rascal."
"Huh?"
Lee Chanu blinked, clueless.