Humming in the Tunnel
From early morning, the area around the barracks was bustling.
With eight people on the move, there were plenty of supplies being handed out.
The biggest difference from before was the combat vests supplied by the military.
The vests were handy in all sorts of ways.
Not only could they hold magazines, but you could also strap on grenades or smoke grenades if needed.
Of course, grenades weren't necessary for operations against the Infected.
But smoke grenades could be expected to have a serious effect.
As Jaejeong deftly clipped a smoke grenade onto the hook, he recalled spraying the fire extinguisher back in the hospital annex.
Just blocking their vision alone put a real crimp in their movements—it was essential.
Only three people were cleared for smoke grenades: Jaejeong, I-jin, and Youngman.
The rest got one rifle each, magazines, a flashlight, batteries, and a combat knife. Anna was exempt from the weapon handout because of her bow.
Instead, she packed a small bag with firecrackers.
On top of that, everyone grabbed canned goods and canteens.
Best case, they'd be back quick—but variables happened.
Worst case, they might have to hole up overnight, or even for days.
To prep for that, they paired up into two-man teams.
The goal: if things went to shit and they scattered, they'd regroup by these pairs.
Jaejeong and Anna, Youngman and Hyunsoo, I-jin and the KEPCO employee, Kim Chan-yeol and Choi Ha-sa—four teams total.
Anything to avoid anyone getting isolated solo.
Jaejeong took team lead.
Prep done, he scanned the group.
Seeing them all vested up and shouldering rifles? Felt solid.
The KEPCO guy and Hyunsoo both knew their way around guns, so no need for a rundown.
Everything squared away, Jaejeong laid out the final brief.
“Shooting only when cleared. Until we hit the destination, ration the canteen water hard. Quick turnaround's ideal, but shit's full of variables—could take days if luck's bad. Anything to say, spit it now.”
He eyed the KEPCO employee.
Meaning: anything on the target, upfront.
“Yes. Multiple entrances we can use once we're there. We'll hit the closest one from ground level, but the final spot's the HQ building. Even if we scatter, just remember that. That's it.”
“Alright. Let's roll.”
All routes into Yeouido were sealed off.
To get south of the Han River, they'd boat around the island, damn near half a loop.
At the tower's rear, the group followed soldiers' lead into a small bunker tunnel underground.
They'd passed a similar passage when first entering the safe zone.
Jaejeong had been out cold, no memory of it.
Riverside hit, several boats bobbed docked.
Youngman grabbed the keys for driving, and they boarded one by one.
Unusually fierce wind that day.
Last on, Anna tied back her whipping hair, grumbling.
“Why's the wind blowing like a bitch? Weather's total garbage lately.”
“Yeah, feels like rain any second.”
The employee pointed at the overcast sky.
All aboard, and the bunker door slammed shut behind them.
Cut off from the safe zone, clean break.
Jaejeong, right behind the driver's seat, scanned the far bank.
No sign of living souls anywhere.
Just Infected shambling around.
Halfway round Yeouido, Jaejeong leaned toward Youngman, locked on driving.
“Uncle! Don't kill the engine right away—anchor a sec, no reaction, then shut it down and hop off?”
“Got it! Smart play!”
Shouting over the gale.
Then he turned, bellowed to the group.
“Listen up! Boat stops, bayonets first! Gotta gauge Infected count—holding engine on, waiting! We'll move if needed!”
Nods all around.
Moment of truth, tension etched the employee's face.
Guy had never even thought about fighting Infected before.
Jaejeong clapped his shoulder.
“Easy. We've all been through hell—got this.”
“Ah, right.”
Mumbled too soft to hear, but Jaejeong read the lips, nodded, turned away.
Riverside closing in.
Group shifted eyes from churning water and sky to shore.
From here on, split-second calls meant life or death.
Vroom! Vrooom!
Boat revved and cut throttle to hug the bike path, holding jumpable distance.
Gulp.
Choi Ha-sa white-knuckled his rifle.
Felt like Infected would swarm from the roadside any second.
Group bayoneted up as ordered, hunkered waiting.
Seconds ticked. Youngman, gripping wheel, flicked eyes to the road above the bike path.
Pat-pat-patter! Pat-pat!
Bare feet slapping asphalt.
“GO!”
Jaejeong's roar—Youngman wrenched the wheel hard.
Sharp turn, boat tail snagged shore, screeching scrape—shockwave jolted everyone.
That instant, black shadows burst into view.
Kraaah! Raaargh!
Spotted, they unleashed heart-bursting shrieks, hurling bodies airborne.
Leaping over two meters, limbs snapping wild—but like lies, they popped up, charging the boat.
Whoosh!
Boat finally righted, throttle punched.
Click! Click!
“DON'T FIRE!”
Kim Chan-yeol and Choi Ha-sa instinctively shouldered—Jaejeong barked halt.
Gunshots here? Flood of more Infected to the bank.
Forced to loop way farther.
Then—
“SIDE!”
Hyunsoo's desperate yell yanked eyes.
Diagonal bridge: one Infected mid-leap.
Body arcing parabola.
Beast-bared teeth closing fast.
No options.
Jaejeong snapped rifle up, sighted.
Thwung!
Mid-flight forehead pierced by arrow.
Impact spun it wild—splashed into water.
Sploosh!
Anna.
Stunned, Jaejeong whipped around.
Rear seat, Anna lowering bow, short sigh.
First-timers' jaws hit floor.
Hell, Jaejeong felt it too.
Bucking boat, howling wind, plummeting speed.
Calculated all of it perfect.
Not just any hit—dead-center forehead.
Anna? Cool as ice, seated, counting arrows left.
“How much farther?”
Youngman's shout carried back on wind from driver's seat.
Hyunsoo, map-checking, leaned forward yelling.
“There! Dock there!”
Pointed: bike path meeting small tunnel junction.
Then ear to Jaejeong:
“Bro! Can't this way! Better swim gap!”
“Roger! Looks like swimming—anyone can't, speak now!”
Jaejeong hollered to group.
Fortune: just exchanged looks, no takers.
Boat neared land again; Youngman killed engine early.
Glided momentum till stop, meters shy of bike path.
Water below? Shallow enough.
“Hold, drop quiet soon.”
Jaejeong whispered, ears straining.
Feels-like-minute passed—he slung rifle, first into water.
Slow entry, minimal splash.
Others followed sequence.
Shhh... shhh...
Only water parting around them.
Sky bloated black, ready to dump rain.
Wind ramping harder.
Jaejeong prayed no downpour.
Rain muddied sounds—hard to pinpoint approaches.
First ashore yanked Hyunsoo and employee up—whole group topside.
“Hold.”
Jaejeong gestured whisper-quick, scrambled weedy hill.
Poked head, scoped roadside.
Massive road—normals 100kmh+—now just flipped, charred hulks scattered.
Few Infected milling between.
Check done, Jaejeong slid back to path, quizzed Hyunsoo.
“Close from here?”
“Entrance inside that tunnel.”
Hyunsoo nodded nearby tunnel.
“How close?”
“Step in, right there. But pitch black inside.”
Tunnel gaped dark, tension on sight alone.
Overhearing, Youngman muttered to I-jin.
“Built to hate entering.”
“Yeah, senior. But... our spot sucks. Risky, but hustle better?”
“My think too.”
Jaejeong summoned I-jin, Youngman.
Front three plus Hyunsoo waved rest follow, approached tunnel.
Anna, Kim Chan-yeol, Choi Ha-sa rear watch, employee cushioned center.
He was mission-critical.
One hitch on him? Back to safe zone empty-handed.
Cloud-darkened gloom: tunnel swallowed light whole.
Darkness like it devoured everything, waiting.
Click!
Leads flicked flashlights.
Beams swept: blood splatters, flesh chunks everywhere, unknown origins.
No vent—rotting stench thick.
“Ugh!”
Tailing Kim Chan-yeol, Choi Ha-sa clapped sleeves to noses.
Slow steps—squelch under Choi Ha-sa's boot.
Glanced down—pupils twitched.
“Eek!”
Guts.
Human? Animal? Unclear—swollen, near-burst underfoot.
Probably human.
Noise spun front three around.
Choi Ha-sa, fumbling excuse, gulped under flashlight barrage, hurried on.
Hyunsoo right: short way, small iron grate appeared.
Water trickle inside.
Spot on.
Creeeak!
Ancient gate screamed; Jaejeong knifed light ahead, first in.
Group filed into sewer—wait, Kim Chan-yeol and Choi Ha-sa lagging.
Jaejeong doubled back, swept tunnel beam.
Pair stared corner like hypnotized.
Kim Chan-yeol, loud enough for Jaejeong:
“You hear that?”
“Yeah. That's definitely...”
“Humming. Nose-humming.”
“But song rings familiar.”
“Yeah. More than that... where the hell's it coming from?”
Impatient, Jaejeong closed in.
“What?”
Chan-yeol waved stop, pointed ear.
Listen.
“Hmm... hmmm...”
Someone humming deep in the tunnel.
Clear woman's voice.