Rotten Heart Windfall
Nam Gyuil's lips curled up all the way to his ears—he felt like dancing. Unexpected fortune had come his way. He pulled a smooth stone from the zombie's chest and examined it closely from every angle.
It's definitely the Rotten Heart!
It was an item that could only be obtained from a tiny fraction of zombies.
It has some truly terrifying effects.
Consuming it raw would rot the flesh and induce vicious hallucinations. In simple terms, it was poison solidified into a lump.
But if processed right, the toxicity can be neutralized. And the refined Rotten Heart becomes material for an elixir—one that builds poison resistance!!
A smile wouldn't leave Nam Gyuil's face. He'd gotten the other ingredient, the Cobra Stone, from the last gate.
Now I have all the materials.
All he had to do was craft the poison resistance elixir. As Nam Gyuil grinned, Lee Chanu tilted his head beside him and cautiously spoke up.
"Hyung, what's up? Something wrong with that yukhoe we ate today? We should've gone for Chef Kim Baek's course menu after all, right?"
Ever the foodie, Lee Chanu pretended to worry while steering the talk to eating.
Nam Gyuil cleared his throat and straightened his expression. "Ahem. You and your food talk again?"
"They say even ghosts look good if they die after a good meal. Gotta eat well to go out pretty."
"Aigoo, just shut it."
"Yessir~"
Nam Gyuil looked at Lee Chanu. Then at the Rotten Heart in his hand. He hadn't been the one to find it—Lee Chanu had. So technically, it belonged to him. He could lie and trick him into handing it over, but he didn't want to scam a teammate.
We crossed the line into the gate together—how many near-death lines have we shared? I can't pull that kind of lie.
So Nam Gyuil called to him, his face deadly serious.
"Chanu."
"Yeah?"
"This gem you found? It's an incredibly valuable item."
"This thing?"
Lee Chanu squinted skeptically at the Rotten Heart.
Nam Gyuil continued calmly. "Yeah. Processed right, it can even be used as medicine."
"This? Pfft."
Lee Chanu acted unimpressed. To him, it just looked like a black pebble ripped from a zombie's chest. He'd never heard of a stone from a zombie turning into medicine, no matter how he thought about it. He snickered.
"Hyung, you're bored and messing with me, right?"
"What?"
"How's this stuff medicine?"
"You punk, do you know how precious this is right now…"
"Then take it, hyung."
Lee Chanu casually handed over ownership of the Rotten Heart. Nam Gyuil was dumbfounded. His jaw dropped so wide it wouldn't close.
Lee Chanu slung an arm around his shoulders. "In exchange for that weird rock, just buy me one thing I want."
"What's that?"
"Chef Kim Baek's course menu."
"……."
Nam Gyuil was speechless. Trading this priceless Rotten Heart for one meal? Unbelievable—he double-checked.
"You won't regret it later? Even if you ask for it back, I can't give it!"
"Wouldn't take it even if you offered."
Lee Chanu didn't even glance at the Rotten Heart, adding, "And if it's that good, shouldn't you have it instead of me? You're our team's ace."
He flashed a cheeky grin and a wink. The usual wiseass had spotted Nam Gyuil's desire and yielded without making it awkward.
Nam Gyuil chuckled. "Fine. One meal, as you wish."
"I won't forget that promise, Nam Gyuil hyungnim!!"
They bumped fists like stamping a seal. And just like that, the Rotten Heart became Nam Gyuil's.
After sufficient rest, 01 Team rose and pressed forward. The fog grew thicker ahead. The temperature dropped bit by bit.
"Chilly."
Hwang Ilsu sniffed. With a grave expression, he spoke to Nam Gyuil. "Something feels off, doesn't it?"
"You think so too?"
Nam Gyuil nodded. Gates with zombies were infamous for spawning more monsters than others. Yet after walking over 30 minutes, no monsters in sight. Since the initial skirmish right after entering, there'd been no real threats.
Nam Gyuil tensed up. Experience told him traps lurked in such cases. The eerie silence amplified the unease.
He called to Hwang Ilsu. "Ilsu. Remember when you enlisted as a Hunter Agency rookie? Zombies came out in your first gate."
"That nightmare?"
"Yeah. No proper armor back then—we almost got done in."
"Most of the guys we entered with died. Or turned zombie and came at us."
A heavy shadow fell over Hwang Ilsu's face. Losing comrades was horrific; fighting ones turned zombie was worse. It haunted him.
Nam Gyuil picked up the thread. "Zombies swarmed every 15 minutes or so, right?"
"Yeah. Came at us like crazy."
"Couldn't advance smoothly like this back then. So why no zombies now? What's the reason?"
"No idea. Stay vigilant and careful for now."
Hwang Ilsu gripped his shield tighter. He exhaled long. Fog blinded them inches ahead—perfect for ambushes.
Nam Gyuil scanned slowly, alert for suspicious movement.
Zombies can't think. They might just miss this ideal ambush spot.
Zombies moved on instinct alone—no strategy.
Then—
Splash!
Hwang Ilsu's ankle suddenly sank as he walked. Everyone startled and looked. He glanced down, blinking.
"Mud?!"
His foot was stuck in waterlogged mud like a tidal flat. Not deep enough to kill, but a massive hindrance to movement.
That moment—
"Grraaaahhh-!!"
"Grraa."
Zombie cries echoed from all sides. Nam Gyuil's eyes widened as he scanned.
Zombies, right now?!
The soggy mud already slowed them; now ambushed. No easy retreat or advance. Pure ambush.
What? Zombies can't think. Using this situation for an ambush?!
Nam Gyuil's face twisted. Zombies that had lain in wait surged out. It meant one thing.
An intelligent monster's commanding the zombies!!
He clicked his tongue. Bosses in zombie gates were usually Giant Zombies—nearly 2m tall, less decayed muscles for immense strength. But they moved on instinct, dumb as rocks.
Wait—then this boss isn't a Giant Zombie?
Nam Gyuil's thoughts halted there. Whatever it was, it was smart. He looked around. Mud slowed everyone fighting. At least the armor blocked zombie attacks.
Thank goodness.
He cleared his mind, assessing coldly. Fighting in mud drained stamina fast. His eyes narrowed. He saw the boss's play.
In this stamina-sapping terrain, zombies with better endurance held the edge. Mud made escape hard.
Prime biting conditions for zombies. Without armor, massive casualties—most would've been bitten.
Worst averted, but no room for complacency. 01 Team's national hunters fought individually in the mud, disorganized. Zombies outnumbered them; they'd tire soon.
Nam Gyuil inhaled deeply.
"Huuuup."
Damp air filled his lungs. He tensed his calves, took a horizontal slash stance, and maxed his body with mana.
Pop.
He launched into the zombie cluster, swinging his longsword viciously. Even in the sucking mud, his footwork was swift.
Slash-!!
He split a zombie's head in one go. He moved as lightly as on solid ground—astonishing agility. His blade traced sharp arcs. With each swing, zombie heads separated from bodies, thudding into the mud.
Truly exhilarating swordplay. Zombies couldn't land a hit before crumpling.
Meanwhile, 01 Team struggled, feet sinking, fending off approaching zombies in place. No proactive fighting. At least Nam Gyuil downed most before they closed in.
The team watched him move freely, fighting unhindered. Gasps escaped them unwittingly.
"Ah……."
Incredible. Nam Gyuil massacred the zombies. Hwang Ilsu's jaw dropped.
I knew Gyuil hyung got stronger after discharge, but he's growing more as time passes?!
The rest sensed it too, faintly. Lee Chanu's eyes bulged.
"I knew Gyuil hyung suddenly powered up, but that much?!"
Hong Shinu chimed in. "I don't know Sergeant Nam Gyuil's secret to getting stronger. We've been sneaking peeks at his training, but we haven't caught up."
Everyone nodded. They copied secretly—why the gap?
Han Kangsu, knowing the answer, kept silent. Lee Chanu downed a zombie and wiped sweat from his jaw with his hand.
Suddenly, he recalled the brown drink Nam Gyuil sipped.
"That weird brown drink. Is that the secret?"
He mentioned the elixir, but no one bit. Get dramatically stronger from some drink? They dismissed it as a joke. Earth knew nothing of elixirs—no one guessed Nam Gyuil's daily drink was key.
No takers, so Lee Chanu dropped it. The team recalled his daily training. Hwang Ilsu muttered low.
"Maybe there's a trick we don't know—that's why copying doesn't work?"
His usual stoic gravity lent weight. Hong Shinu tossed it out casually.
"After this gate, ask Sergeant Nam Gyuil to teach us his training?"
Nods of agreement. "Sounds good."
"Get strong that way, discharge safe and sound."
They'd cling to his leg if needed for intact discharge. Han Kangsu snorted inwardly.
Think he'll teach just 'cause you ask? Monopolizing training methods means big money.
He hid it, fighting zombies.
"Grraa."
"Grraa."
Another zombie wave from elsewhere—Hwang Ilsu yelled.
"Think later! Focus on the fight!!"
The second battle ended. Nam Gyuil turned, checking his teammates.
Armor really works wonders.
All unscathed. Though zombie fights left them panting here and there.
He eyed ahead. Muddy slog. Thick fog. Nothing but tough advance conditions. Without armor, no chance—they could've been bitten and infected.
Just wearing armor makes combat this easy.
Satisfying, but one worry nagged: the boss monster.
Not gonna be a pushover. Gotta stay sharp.
He looked back at his team. And vowed: Today too, get these guys out safe.