Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Apocalypse. (3)
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"...What? Apocalypse?"
The middle-aged cop, who had been about to press his phone, turned to stare at me. Suspicion was written all over his face.
"Hey, do you know something about this?"
It wasn't a question.
His face said he had a hunch about something.
This guy's onto something.
I gaped at the middle-aged cop, my mouth opening and closing.
What the hell was I supposed to say?
That I saw it in a message window?
Just as the middle-aged cop and I locked eyes, a crashing sound erupted from inside the station—crash!
The middle-aged cop whipped his head toward the station and bolted inside.
"What the hell! What's going on!"
I followed him in.
God knows why.
If someone asked me right now what the fuck was going on in my head, I might just punch them.
I didn't even know what I was doing or what I was supposed to do!
Why the hell had the message window disappeared again!
It had been popping up in front of my eyes my whole life, telling me what was coming next!
Why hide now!
Fuck!
"Haa, haa."
Inside the station, two cops were grabbing each other by the collar, rolling around on the floor.
"You fucking bastard, you left Young-mi behind like that? How the hell does that make sense! Why didn't you radio in! Radio!"
"Fuck, I didn't have time for that! Radio? While the riot was breaking out and cars were getting smashed to shit— you think I had time to fuck around with the radio!"
The middle-aged cop jumped in, throwing himself between them.
"Cut it out! Both of you! You wanna get disciplined?! Huh?!"
I saw it.
As they wrestled, collars gripped tight, arms swinging up and down.
I saw it.
I took a step back.
"Y-you..."
It was terrifying.
Chilling.
"...You've been bitten."
The cop pulling them apart, the one holding on, even Park Soon-kyung—they all froze in that instant.
The middle-aged cops lifted Park Soon-kyung's arm.
Blood trickled down his forearm.
No matter how you looked at it, the wound was a bite mark. Unless someone had jammed an oval teaspoon into his flesh.
The cop who'd been grabbing his collar spoke up.
"What... the hell is this? You really got bit? Did Young-mi really get bit by a person?"
He must not have believed it when he heard earlier.
Park Soon-kyung clutched his arm and twisted away. The hand on his collar let go with a slap.
"So what if I got bit on the arm?"
Park Soon-kyung glared at his seniors and me, then turned to grab a locker and fumble with it.
Is that...?
Is he okay...?
Does a bite on the arm not turn you into one of those beast things...?
The thought calmed me a bit.
Locker, huh.
Probably weapons inside.
"You guys really have pistols?"
If there's a gun.
A gun would make things so much...
The middle-aged cop who'd broken up the fight glanced back at me.
"Just tasers and batons. You think a station in a neighborhood like this gets issued pistols? Use your head."
What the fuck, listen to this prick.
I'm not a cop—how the hell would I know?
Might file a complaint.
Wait.
So Park Soon-kyung was digging for a pistol that doesn't even exist? He must've been in full panic.
The locker opened.
Park Soon-kyung grabbed a taser and baton, then let out a heavy sigh.
"...Fuck, how are we supposed to fight with this shit... Did you contact HQ?"
The cop who'd broken up the fight pointed at the computer monitor.
"Reports have been flooding in since earlier. At this point, even the president knows. It'll be on the news by tonight."
"Might be on already."
The middle-aged cops exchanged gear, arming themselves with batons and tasers.
Fuck, at least there are people with something in their hands. Kinda reassuring.
That's when it happened.
"Guh!"
Park Soon-kyung slammed into the locker! His back arched sharply.
The two middle-aged cops shouted at once.
"Park Soon-kyung! What's wrong!"
"What the hell are you doing now! This isn't the time to hurt! Let's go! To Young-mi!"
Park Soon-kyung writhed, his whole body shaking.
Veins bulged fiercely on his neck.
He was in agony.
"Grk, grrrgh! Aaaargh!"
"P-Park Soon-kyung!"
Park Soon-kyung collapsed.
The two middle-aged cops bent down toward him at the same time.
That was the moment.
One middle-aged cop screamed.
"Gaaargh! Aaaargh!"
Squelch, squish!
A sound like chewing raw meat, then something splat! flew.
Blood.
"Park Soon-kyung! Hey! You bastard!"
The middle-aged cop recoiled, trying to pull them apart. The next instant, he screamed too.
"Urgh! Gack!"
Crack! Crunch!
Chewing meat and snapping bone rang out together.
"Grrraaagh!"
M-mother...
He bit the throat.
I thought it was movie stuff.
Blood spraying like a fountain into the air.
This wasn't effects.
Real blood fountained up.
Hit the ceiling.
Move.
M-move.
R-run...
Move...!
Right in front of me, two cops collapsed, spraying blood everywhere, thrashing and screaming.
A nightmarish scene unfolding inches away.
My legs...
They wouldn't move.
Why not?
Scared...?
M-move.
...Move!
My leg muscles screamed.
Like hot coals on them.
Too fast, too much running.
I barely managed one step back.
Thud.
Park Soon-kyung snapped his head up.
His eyes...
Not even a beast's... those eyes...
Face caked in blood, staring with those eyes...
At me...
"Raaargh!"
Park Soon-kyung leaped over the desk.
C-coming!
He's coming!
"Kaaargh!"
Park Soon-kyung charged at me.
Arms outstretched, lunging.
His blood-red face loomed larger.
Fuck...!
I'm dead...!
Get away...!
Fast...! Faster!
Faster!
My brain knew it was too late.
But my body twisted anyway.
Desperate to live.
At this rate, his face crashes into mine.
His hands grab my throat!
I crouched down with all my strength.
Something whooshed past my hair.
Then, crash! The station door shattered.
I looked up at the door.
Park Soon-kyung had smashed through the glass—his waist caught on the handle.
"Hah, hah, hah!"
Insane.
Fucking insane!
My hands shook from shock.
What the hell!
"Status?!"
What... what the hell is this.
What is this!
No fuck, why is it so complicated!
What the hell is all this?!
"Raaargh! Raaaargh!"
While I was staring at the status window in shock, Park Soon-kyung—who'd crashed into the glass door—started thrashing as he rose.
Crack! Crash!
Glass shattered, shards flying.
Park Soon-kyung glared at me.
"Crazy!"
"Kraaagh!"
A beastly roar as he clawed at his throat.
Park Soon-kyung lunged at me.
D-dodge...!
I have to dodge!
At that moment, the status window vanished, and a message appeared.
Park Soon-kyung froze mid-air.
"Kra--a---a----a-----"
What?!
Can it slow down like that in mid-air?!
S-sound...!
His hand—fuck!
Getting closer!
Bloody mouth!
That crimson maw!
I jerked my body aside in terror.
Park Soon-kyung floated slowly over me.
"...No way."
Park Soon-kyung drifted past my head.
Chest, stomach, waist.
Waist!
Right in front of my eyes...
...A baton!
I snatched the baton on instinct.
No time to think.
Yanked it from the ring and bolted straight for the glass door.
At that instant, sounds sped up.
"----a---a-aaagh! Kraagh!"
Crunch!
Something collapsing behind me.
I shoved the glass door open and spun around.
Park Soon-kyung had headbutted a desk and sprawled out. His neck twisted unnaturally.
But his limbs twitched, trying to rise again.
I turned and sprinted out of the station like a madman.
Dashed toward the alley.
Bag in one hand, baton in the other.
"Crazy! Fuck, insane! Hah, hah!"
My legs felt like death!
Kept running, turned the corner, ran more.
"Hah! Hah! Hah! Hah!"
Fucking hell, how much more do I have to run!
What the fuck is this!
What the hell is happening!
Thighs burning.
Calves aching.
Whole body in pain.
"Hak! Hak! Hak! Hak!"
Running like crazy, no clue where to, just running and running.
No breath for words, no room for complaints.
"Hak! Hak! Hak! Hak!"
No idea how many alleys I crossed.
No clue how long I'd been running.
I wanted to run, but my legs wouldn't obey.
Not walking, not running—just staggering between detached houses.
So quiet.
Was this neighborhood always this quiet?
N-no...
Can't go further.
"Hak, hak, hak, hak."
Head spinning.
Ran too much.
No idea if the cops are chasing or what.
Need somewhere safe.
But where the fuck?
Kept stumbling until I escaped the residential area.
Road ahead.
Underpass right beside.
Exhausted, half out of my mind, I staggered into the nearest building.
No idea what it was.
No clue where I was.
Didn't seem like my neighborhood.
Just... stairs or something...
Sit and rest.
A little...