Wolf Among the Sheep (4)
Ju Kang-rim had already mapped out a rough strategy for emergencies while cleaning the apartment. The noise from upstairs sounded like the Godajok group fighting. But there was no way they could properly handle the slug zombie clinging to the outer wall, so he figured it was heading their way. He bolted upward in that direction.
"Han Min-ah, take it slow coming up!"
Without waiting for her response, Ju Kang-rim kicked off and charged ahead. Thud, thud, thud! He leaped five stairs at a time toward the rooftop, kicking off walls and railings more often than the steps themselves. In an instant, he burst onto the roof and zeroed in on the slug zombie's position.
As expected, the slug zombie was clashing with the Godajok group. They were unloading every weapon and ability they had at it. But every time part of the slug zombie was destroyed, a new body segment burst out from within to replace it. The slug zombie flailed its arms trying to grab them, but its massive bulk made movement awkward.
"You leech bastard, die!"
Godajok swatted away an incoming arm with both hands. Boom, boom—limbs flew, flesh sprayed. It looked easy, but to Ju Kang-rim's eyes, something was off.
There were supposed to be over thirty survivors here, but they're folding without a proper fight. Was it a surprise attack, or...?
That's when Ju Kang-rim spotted the red patterns smeared across the apartment's outer wall. Web-like veins pulsed slowly like living arteries. In that moment, he realized what they were. And at the exact same instant, Godajok noticed them too—unwillingly.
"Kuh?!"
Her left hand, which had absentmindedly touched the wall—no, the red pattern—stuck fast. She yanked desperately, but it wouldn't come free.
Crash.
Panicking, Godajok unleashed her ability and shattered the wall. But she couldn't hold back a groan of agony. The skin on her palm had peeled away bright red, oozing blood slickly. In that brief instant, the outer layer of her hand had become something else—not hers.
The slug zombie didn't miss Godajok's momentary lapse. It lunged.
In a flash, it snatched her up.
***
Whether avenging one person or two, the thrill wouldn't differ much. Especially against strangers. But watching someone die right in front of you was never pleasant unless you were the enemy.
"Hah, haah... M-Mr. Ju, Ju Kang-rim... I-I'm here!"
"Han Min-ah! Head to 1103!"
Ju Kang-rim urgently ordered the gasping Han Min-ah, who had barely dragged herself to the rooftop. Despair crossed her face, but she eventually shuffled down the stairs like she was tumbling.
Ju Kang-rim pulled the blender bus from his medical robe. No black core, but the scraps and evil spirit fragments would pack plenty of punch.
Kyaaaaaaaagh!
The blender bus erupted not with gunfire, but a tearing scream. It was a shotgun with abysmal accuracy, but its wide spread meant plenty of shards embedded in the slug zombie. The evil spirits tore into its flesh madly. Minor wounds, but enough to irritate its nerves.
And Godajok seized that brief opening.
Boom.
With an explosive spray, part of the slug zombie's body swelled massively then deflated. Godajok, nearly sucked in, had triggered a vacuum explosion inside it to escape.
"Kuhk, cough..."
She rolled out onto the balcony, barely alive. Her group rushed to tend her. Meanwhile, the slug zombie—hit hard—let out eerie cries from its countless heads as it began moving again.
"G-g-gaga, g-gaga!"
It fled once more. Ju Kang-rim stowed the blender bus and tracked its path. At the right spot, he hurled himself over the railing.
Directly below his fall: the slug zombie.
Splat.
Ju Kang-rim landed on its torso. It twitched, heads swiveling to him in unison. It reached to absorb him, but his lower body was already medical-robe-ified—untouchable.
"I'll grant you release from that ugly mug."
He swung his hand axe into a head's forehead.
Thwack.
The head split with a meaty crunch. But to the slug zombie, it was just one of many. A mere scratch.
Ju Kang-rim, however, followed Godajok's fine example. He shoved a grenade into the dazed zombie head's mouth.
The other heads screeched, grabbing for him.
"Gagagaga!"
"Yeah, sorry for calling you ugly."
Ju Kang-rim yanked free and dove through the window.
BOOM.
The roar echoed. Hit by dual internal blasts, the slug zombie spewed blood and began tumbling down.
Thud, thud, thrumble.
But instead of plummeting outright, it stuck like clumped tape, trying to cling. The red veins across the entire outer wall were part of its body, fusing repeatedly to halt the fall.
At the right height, Ju Kang-rim shouted again.
"Han Min-ah, use your ability now!"
Han Min-ah, waiting in 1103, froze at the rolling slug zombie. But the voice from above spurred her hand forward.
The instant her glowing hand neared it, the slug zombie snatched it.
Han Min-ah screamed in terror.
"Kyaaaaah... Huh?"
But instead of holding, it slipped away from the wall. Flailing in midair, it thrashed. No fusion this time.
Crash.
Nearly fallen, it dangled by one arm from a railing. Its bulk cracked bones with grinding snaps.
Then a head poked over the rail. Han Min-ah, axe in hand, yelled.
"Thanks for the body donation!"
Snap.
Wrist severed, the slug zombie free-fell.
The drop wasn't long.
Splat.
Lee Tae-hu's group waited below idly as it burst like a water balloon. It didn't move again.
***
"My god, Mr. Ju Kang-rim..."
Lee Tae-hu gaped as Ju Kang-rim descended. Watching from below, he'd seen it all—fuzzy at distance, but the gist.
"Lives like a cat with nine? How the hell..."
"Did I overdo it?"
"No, no! Impressed by your skills, is all. Judgment, physicals, combat—flawless. Damn. Never seen anyone fight like you."
True to his team-building nature, Lee Tae-hu analyzed him.
"Where'd you learn that? Can't believe it's under three months. Seen merc hunters and foreign awakeners who think they're hot shit, but not like you."
"You're too kind."
But Lee Tae-hu's awe was justified. Ju Kang-rim was a D-rank survivor from a doomed timeline where S-ranks dropped like flies—over fifteen years. Gerald's adjutant, countless life-risk missions. No gear or backup, but honed to superhuman limits. Poor judgment would've zombified him ages ago.
Plus grim reaper powers now.
Thud.
Footsteps from the apartments. Godajok and her crew. Her left hand—the near-swallowed one—bandaged tight.
Spotting Ju Kang-rim, her face flushed crimson. Lee Tae-hu smirked. Plenty to say, but she was most humiliated—no need to poke.
Godajok approached hesitantly. Cleared her throat, eyes darting, then spoke.
"Th-thanks..."
"So what's this?"
Ignoring her, Ju Kang-rim pointed at the burst slug zombie.
Godajok flushed again. He'd never sought thanks anyway. Zombie-slaying was team work.
She spun and marched to Han Min-ah.
Han Min-ah backed away, but Godajok bowed deeply.
"Thank you."
"Y-Yuh? Uh. Y-Yeah!"
Han Min-ah awkwardly accepted in a weird voice. Ju Kang-rim ignored them, inspecting the corpse. Lee Tae-hu looked puzzled.
"Enhanced zombie, right? Tons of variants—one more ain't news."
"Never heard of this kind..."
"I'd ask you. Seemed like you knew how."
"Wall webs—like a spider using them. Railings couldn't hold its weight."
Ju Kang-rim snapped the corpse with Biman. For Yoo Wol-ryeong later.
His phone buzzed.
Ju Kang-rim double-checked the mission on Yeomra's message.
Mission: Weeping Blood Pool
Target: Abomination Overlife
Reward 1: 1,000 soul coins
Reward 2: Guaranteed lowest luxury grade Today's Fortune
His target was Overlife, not the blood clot.
Yeomra continued.
Ju Kang-rim pinched his brow. Why didn't Yeomra show up in person for a smackdown? Even that cheeky Biman avatar would do.