Special Forces (2)
An arrow pierced clean through its skull with a wet thwip.
"Hoo..."
That made 100. I nodded and glanced up at the sky. The moon hung crooked, looking like it was around nine at night. But it was two in the morning. The helicopter would lift off in three hours. I needed to let everyone know... maybe I could snag an hour or two of sleep.
Thank god I'd napped lazily during the day.
"Status."
Specialization: Shadow Warrior | Level: 10 | Title: Versatile
Soul Tattoo Lv. 3 (Passive) | Recovery (Passive) | Limit Achievement (Passive)
Residual Image (Auto-cast) | Hit (Auto-cast) | Acceleration (Auto-cast)
One level on the first day, level 10 by day four. Fast if you think about it, but only two levels a day? Definitely slowing down.
Two specializations left. The question marks hadn't unlocked yet—probably need to max out Space Explorer first.
I dumped my one distribution point into Strength, bumping it to 55, then headed to Su-hyeon's room on the tenth floor and crashed.
Helicopter, huh... Even if I overslept, the roar would wake everyone anyway.
I'd barely closed my eyes for a few seconds when the air started thrumming with a low drdrdrdr.
...That sound. Helicopter rotors?
I cracked my eyes open. My body felt like lead.
"Ah, fuck my eyes."
Had to be only a few seconds, right? Phone said 5:12 a.m.
...Passed out the second my head hit the pillow.
I rubbed my eyes, splashed water on my face, and threw on some clothes. Su-hyeon was already stirring, rubbing her eyes.
"Ung... Oppa... where you going? Huh? What's that noise?"
The distant chopper thrum finally snapped her awake. She stared at me with wide, startled rabbit eyes.
I chuckled. "Government's sending it. Zombie wave cleanup."
Su-hyeon fumbled with her messy bedhead, blinking sleep from her eyes. Still half-asleep, brain foggy.
"Heh, helicopter?!"
She bolted upright as I strapped on my rappelling harness, tumbling out of bed.
Voices echoed from outside. I nodded to her and stepped out.
Ye-eun, Eun-seo, Jun-hyeok, Tae-young, Hoon-i and his wife, and the others trickled into the hallway, peering around.
Thud-thud-thud-thud—the rotors grew louder.
"Wh-what's that sound?"
"Teacher, sounds like a helicopter."
They clustered around me. I nodded. "Government sent it."
"S-so you're heading out for the op now?"
I smiled. "Yeah."
Freshly woken faces—tousled hair, puffy eyes—turned to each other, a mix of worry and hope flickering across them.
I smirked and headed to the roof. They followed in a herd.
5 a.m. Dawn just breaking, sky blooming faint blue. The helicopter sliced through the air in the distance.
I stood at the edge, gazing into the far sky. The others crowded around, staring too.
"H-hey, if we all huddle here on the roof..."
"Don't worry. They'll handle it."
As they fretted and reassured each other, Eun-seo spoke up. "Better safe than sorry. Prep just in case. If shit hits the fan, guys head downstairs—me and Su-hyeon got the roof."
"Got it."
"Mm."
The men thundered down the stairs—probably grabbing bows. They'd planned ahead. Smart.
I smiled and looked skyward.
Thud-thud-thud-thud—the chopper approached. Closer. Closer.
Grrraaawr—grrraaawr!
From below. Deep in the building's shadow, like oil boiling in hell's pit, a churning roar bubbled up.
The zombie wave reacting to the helicopter. From way out there.
I strolled to the railing and peered down. They might be staring at the sky, but their eyesight sucked. No way they spotted us from here. Just chasing the noise.
Gripping the wall, I looked: the zombie wave's moldy black heads writhed left and right like a mass seizure.
Grrraaawr—grrraaaraak!
Rotor roar mixed with their howls into a dissonant assault on the ears. Even up here, the shrieks rang crystal clear.
Thud-thud-thud—grrraaaraak! Grrraaaraaraak!
The chopper closed in. Closer still.
And they started moving.
Kraaaaaak! Kraaaaaaaaak!
The nearer the rotors, the wilder they went. Glass shattered—crash, smash—as they smashed into shops everywhere.
Kraaaaaak!
Thud-thud-thud—close! So close!
About a hundred meters out, the streamlined rescue chopper hovered. Rotor blast insane—like pounding a massive drum wouldn't even compare. Earsplitting vibration shook the air, whipping up dusty wind. Helicopter gust or natural? Hard to tell.
Flying low, skimming rooftops. As if spotting our cluster, it slowed, waggled its rotors side to side.
Then circled wide around our building.
Kraaaaaak! Kraaaaaaaaak!
Zombie waves surged from every direction. The horde blanketing the city chased the chopper—toward us—leaping, trampling, clawing into a seething mass.
Kraaaaaaaaak! Kraaaaaaaaak!
Ears burning. So-eun trembled in Ye-eun's arms. We'd have to yell to talk over it.
Chopper alone? Fine. But mixed with the wave's roars? Nonstop thunder.
Thud-thud-thud—two laps around our building, then it peeled off straight. Slow. Agonizingly slow. It inched away.
The horde followed. Buildings choked with bodies, trampling each other, surging over roads in fleshy waves toward the chopper.
Took another two hours for the chopper to vanish completely.
And the zombie wave? Gone.
Streets quiet, desolate. Save for faint rotor hum and distant roars from the sky, it was like old times.
"...Ha."
I laughed despite myself. What a trip.
Relief bloomed on the faces behind me. So-eun and Ye-eun sobbed in each other's arms. Su-hyeon's eyes brimmed.
Scary as hell, apparently.
I turned, smiling. "All good now. Let's eat."
They stampeded down the stairs.
"Whew, thought we were fucked."
"For real. Totally freaked."
Tae-young and Han-tae traded lines; others chimed in, admitting the fear. Laughter bubbled up amid it.
I watched them go, then shifted gaze to the distant sky.
Helicopter pilot... elite skills right now. Pied Piper for zombie waves? Priceless.
I eyed the tiny speck a moment longer, then descended.
* * *
"Don't lose it, okay?"
"Got it."
I folded Su-hyeon's hand-drawn map and tucked it in my back pocket. Route from here to Han River Middle School. Rendezvous at Yongsan.
Wish I could chopper there, but no dice. Roads clogged; no runway for a light plane anyway.
Walking it is.
Emptied streets eased tensions; everyone gathered downstairs to see me off.
"Oppa, be careful. Promise? No getting hurt."
Ye-eun gripped my hand. "Yeah."
"Come back safe. I'll wait."
Eun-seo. I squeezed her hand, nodded.
Su-hyeon clung to my arm. So-eun, Hoon-i, Tae-young, Jun-hyeok, Han-tae, and the rest swarmed, everyone tossing words I couldn't track.
Then my eyes caught her. The silent one, still nameless. Hanging back, hands clasped tight, watching me.
Gotta ask why no name when I get back.
I flashed her a smile, then turned.
"Text me. Often? Promise?"
Su-hyeon, always a worrywart. I smirked and headed down.
Glancing back, they crowded the door, waving.
I waved too. "Be back soon."
My women. My people. Waving back.
Practically family.
Chuckling to myself, I stepped out.
Time to go. To Yongsan.