Wolf Among the Sheep (5)
Ju Kang-rim closed Biman and looked around. The sun was setting. Lee Tae-hu had already instructed the hunters to prepare to stay in the apartment. Ju Kang-rim examined the slug zombie's traces again. He meticulously checked the bodies haphazardly clumped together as if melted and reformed, the unusually sticky fluids, and the red streaks smeared on the apartment's outer wall.
Han Min-ah inspected the slug zombie's corpse and said with evident fascination, "Its actions were spider-like, but even spiders fall from their webs sometimes."
"That's your doing, Han Min-ah."
Ju Kang-rim whispered as he peeled off something like a red vein stuck to the wall. Han Min-ah widened her eyes in surprise.
"Me?"
"It's your ability. Well, we'll figure out the details through experiments or analysis, but your power seems to suppress or heal the zombie plague."
Han Min-ah stared at her hands in shock. Healing the zombie plague was something all humanity desperately sought. And it was her ability?
But Ju Kang-rim's explanation omitted a great deal. The zombie plague wasn't a physical illness—it was souls mixing chaotically with the underworld's essence, impossible to cure by any means. Yet Han Min-ah's healing targeted the soul, not the body.
"B-but I've used my ability on zombies before. It didn't heal them then."
"Exactly. Treating the zombie plague is extremely temporary. It might work right after a bite, but once someone's already turned or the plague has advanced, it's impossible."
To be precise, souls too severely corrupted couldn't be fixed even by Han Min-ah's power. The zombie plague was like mud dumped into clear water. Scoop it out quickly, and you could heal with minimal loss—but once muddied, recovery was impossible.
"But briefly healing even a tiny part of a zombie is possible."
That was why the slug zombie had fallen from the outer wall. For that short instant, the red substance clinging to the wall had become a completely separate entity.
Han Min-ah stared at her hands in bewilderment. "If I have this kind of power..."
"Wouldn't it be better to tell the others quickly? At your current level, you can only treat the zombie plague for less than ten seconds after a bite. Sure, it's life-saving time for on-site hunters, but you'd only save one or two at most."
"Analyze my ability and..."
"Han Min-ah. We still don't know anything. This is all just my guess. So you need to test it in the field, jumping right into action."
This wasn't about hiding her ability—it was sincere. Han Min-ah's power was something even the destroyed timeline hadn't seen. In the original history, she should have died. Ju Kang-rim thought she might have a major impact on the changed flow of events.
"Don't worry. Once we fully understand your ability, opportunities will come."
Han Min-ah nodded, convinced by his explanation. But Ju Kang-rim was lying to her. He had no intention of turning her into a zombie plague vaccine. The gates causing the plague stemmed from the immortals in the first place.
Cancer cells need to be cut out with surgery.
The zombie plague wasn't for treatment. It had to be eradicated at the root. For that, Han Min-ah needed to pair with Ju Kang-rim as a scalpel, not a vaccine. If she could heal the zombie plague, perhaps she could revert immortals to ordinary humans.
"Mr. Ju Kang-rim? Aren't you coming up?"
Lee Tae-hu, finishing cleanup, asked. "Not collecting the black core?"
Ju Kang-rim nodded toward the slug zombie. "It's bulky, and hard to pinpoint a head. It'd take time. Plus, we don't know if the melting components are fully gone, so we're investigating again tomorrow."
"Got it."
Ju Kang-rim eyed the apartment exterior. The other hunters didn't even know about the Overfiend's existence. But it was definitely nearby. And he had a good idea how to catch it.
Ju Kang-rim scanned the other hunters, thinking, Time to toss out some bait.
"So it breaks down nearby organic structures and fuses them into itself. Meaning its fluids are in an unstable state, ready to dissolve and merge anytime."
"That's why it has to take a water sack form. It needs stability on the outer wall."
"Don't spout nonsense pretending to be scientific. It's a zombie. For organic structures to move that actively, it'd need to be alive—but zombies are in a state where even decay has stopped."
"How much do we really know about zombies for sure...?"
"The mysterious power of magic meets the qi of the universe and..."
Night. The hunters heatedly debated the true nature of the slug zombie they'd hunted that day. None were scholars. But everyone was ready to become an expert in any field they'd dabbled in. Even Han Min-ah and Ju Kang-rim joined in.
Finally, fed up, Lee Tae-hu spoke. "Everyone, we're moving at dawn tomorrow. Got energy to spare?"
The hunters fell silent briefly, then resumed murmuring debates. Lee Tae-hu gave up and lay down to sleep. It was early for him since they'd entered right after sunset. But with rotating watches, skipping sleep was a loss.
The Godajok group had already dozed off. As the debate cooled and everyone slept, in the early dawn, Ju Kang-rim suddenly opened his eyes and rose.
"Where you headed?"
As he stepped out into the living room, the watchman—a Godajok hunter—asked.
"Bathroom," Ju Kang-rim replied curtly and exited. Sewers and power were still on, so no real reason to go out. He descended the stairs straight to where the slug zombie died.
Late autumn chill enveloped him, but he ignored it. Thinking of what was coming heated his blood.
"Didn't expect you'd chase after me alone. Too easy, huh?"
"Didn't expect you'd split off alone either."
Godajok appeared. Naturally, two fellow group hunters flanked Ju Kang-rim.
Ju Kang-rim gauged their skills. They'd hidden their true prowess during zombie hunts, but both were experts on par with Godajok.
Godajok didn't look thrilled. "Figured it wasn't black core greed, but you walked into the trap anyway?"
"We gonna drag this out with chit-chat?"
Ju Kang-rim drew a hand axe from his sleeve. But as he gripped it, Godajok tsked, pulling something from his pocket—a cell phone.
"Calling mom?"
"Reporting to the cops."
Godajok actually pressed 112. "Not cops—detonator. The second this phone signals, your friends' floor explodes. Building with intact gas and water left unguarded? Accidents happen."
"Shit."
Ju Kang-rim sighed shortly, stowing the axe and crossing his arms. Godajok was more prepared than expected. Or maybe he'd learned after his palm got shredded.
"Fine. Why ambush me?"
Godajok's face flickered with surprise. "You don't know, and you're still fighting us?"
"We can talk after sorting hands and feet. Feels awkward conversing equally with someone showing hostility."
"...I was ordered to monitor you."
Godajok answered curtly. "Watch your skills up close. Recruit or kill if dangerous. Decided to try recruiting first."
"Why?"
"Your thanks felt genuine."
"No need to ask who gave the order, but for courtesy's sake."
Ju Kang-rim patted his arms. "Clint McCallen, right? That sluggish bastard's finally moving his ass."
Godajok neither confirmed nor denied. Instead, the other two hunters slowly drew weapons. Ju Kang-rim judged if Clint was involved, there might be more backup beyond the visible hunters.
"Why suddenly kill or recruit me?"
"A few weeks ago, Kangryeong Daegun vanished suddenly."
Godajok murmured. "Kangryeong faction's rabble, but Daegun's no pushover. We'd planned much around him."
Ju Kang-rim got it. He'd suspected Clint left Kangryeong Daegun alone on purpose. The more chaos he caused, the bigger the impact when crushed. In his past life, Gerald easily seized chaotic Korea thanks to it. Same worldwide.
"But his sudden disappearance derailed plans. Intel said a man-woman duo raided and wiped the faction."
Unsurprisingly, Ju Kang-rim and Yoo Wol-ryeong.
"The description matched you most—already in our profile—and you joined this block hunt. You and Han Min-ah did it."
"Oh..."
Ju Kang-rim was honestly impressed. They mistook Han Min-ah for Yoo Wol-ryeong, but she'd been there, nearly smashing Kangryeong Daegun with a truck.
"Where is he now?"
"Underworld road."
Godajok scowled at Ju Kang-rim, utterly disbelieving. He was convinced immortals couldn't die. To Ju Kang-rim, it screamed he knew about immortals.
"No proper answer? No more questions. Last one: same offer as before. Join us or die here."
"Ungrateful beast."
"Didn't accept your thanks either."
Ju Kang-rim drew his hand axe again. Answer enough. Godajok scowled, phone in hand. Even if the others died? He'd hoped Ju Kang-rim might negotiate—but lightning-fast, Ju Kang-rim moved.
Godajok was startled by the speed, but his finger reflexively hit call. Brief silence, then Ju Kang-rim's axe cleaved the phone. It aimed for the hand but only severed two fingers.
Godajok groaned in agony, recoiling. He'd hit the button—explosion imminent. But nothing happened.
Ju Kang-rim crushed the fallen phone. "Said conversing equally with hostiles feels awkward. Why'd you think I wasted words?"
Stalling. Godajok grimaced, glancing upward. "Your pals noticed and disarmed it? Sharp for that dumb-looking face."
Disarmed by a pal, but not the "dumb" one—nor human.
Thanks, Ttakkachi.
Crows circled overhead, cawing. On descent, Ju Kang-rim had summoned Ttakkachi to scout traps or backup. The moment Godajok drew the phone, he sent her homeward to locate and dismantle the bomb. Simple gas line trigger—easy for a crow's beak.
Godajok glared murderously, spitting, "Take him down."
The other two hunters charged. Gratitude's shelf life had expired. So had Godajok's.