Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: The Fall of Seongsu Bridge
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It was dark.
But it wasn't night.
The sky was simply blanketed in thick clouds.
[Kim Cheonjae's Group]
[Please select the story progression for the second round of 'Land of Ruin' ahead.]
A. Underground, Maritime.
B. Maritime, Underground.
At first glance, they looked identical, differing only in order.
But the terrain listed first would have a huge impact on growth speed.
[Choice - A]
Everyone chose A.
This was also something they'd settled on in their discussion before leaving the building.
A siren wailed, followed by a massive speaker blaring like a civil defense drill announcement.
Wheeeeeeee!!
-Citizens, please do not hide. Evacuate outside the buildings. Repeating. Evacuate outside the buildings.
Rumble rumble rumble.
So many tanks rolled past us that the road seemed ready to cave in.
Crunch!
Zombies crushed beneath them burst, spewing green liquid.
-Kraaaagh!
Soldiers in gas masks followed on foot, rifles at the ready as they scanned the buildings along the four-way intersection.
"Protect the civilians exiting the buildings!"
A booming voice made me turn. A man with a major's insignia on his shoulder stood there.
A soldier with a Goblin Unit patch on his chest.
He glanced around, then whispered into his radio.
-1st Battalion, advancing.
Soldiers in black special forces gear and Goblin masks shattered windows and stormed into the buildings.
Crash!
-2nd Battalion. 3rd Battalion. 4th Battalion. All units, advance. Weapons free—clean them out.
-Alpha, roger.
-Romeo, roger.
-Bravo, roger.
-Delta, roger.
At his command, soldiers surrounded every building near the villa we'd exited.
Boom! Thud!
My ears rang.
The tanks had fired their cannons.
The blast was so immense it felt like the air—no, space itself—was shaking.
Whiiiir—
Boom.
Kaboom!
A shell exploded in the center of the zombie horde clogging the road. White smoke billowed from the impact site.
A gust of wind cleared the smoke, revealing zombies blown to pieces.
A familiar roadscape.
That's right.
A place I hadn't visited in real life but had seen ad nauseam in 'Land of Ruin.'
[Apgujeong]
The starting point of the second round.
'Whoa... It's exactly like in the game.'
Even the description of the government-deployed soldiers matched perfectly.
The game settings made it a bit different from reality, though—some awkward signs caught my eye here and there.
"...No."
This was reality now.
Anyway, the starting point was your home, but once you stepped out, every player living in Korea converged here.
Michael tilted his head.
"Genius Kim. Where's this?"
"Apgujeong. Michael, radio channel set?"
"Yes."
"...Good."
Step. Step. Step. Step.
The major in the gas mask approached us.
Goblin Unit patch on his chest—the same guy from the radio earlier.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes."
"I'm Major Kim Juncheol of the 19th Airborne Special Forces Brigade."
He had a stern, rigid face.
Kim Juncheol.
After the Z Virus outbreak killed the brigade commander, he'd temporarily taken full command.
The army's elite, the unit that shone brightest in 'Land of Ruin.'
I bowed my head in greeting.
I'd be seeing him often.
"I'm Kim Cheonjae."
"Are you the only four from this building?"
"...Yes."
"No one else inside?"
"None. They all got eaten by zombies."
"...I see. Understood. We'll escort you to safety."
"Thank you."
Following his guidance to the rear, we spotted civilians who'd fled from zombies.
Unlike the ragged refugees in the game, these were all sharply dressed with clean faces.
Arriving amid the refugees, I said to the major,
"We'll follow this line, right?"
"...Yes, sir."
"Then we'll join on our own. You're busy—go ahead."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"Thank you."
The major nodded and returned to his post.
This long line of refugees was headed for Seongsu Bridge.
Step. Step.
A heavy silence hung over us as we trailed the refugees.
Nearly at the destination, I nudged Jeongwoo's elbow.
He caught my eye and poked the others' fingers to signal.
All eyes turned to me.
I whispered just loud enough for us.
"Let's go. To safety."
* * * * *
At the four-way intersection before Seongsu Bridge, zombies guarded the bridge while the military pushed them back.
I split from the refugee group following the soldiers.
It wasn't safe.
We climbed to the roof of a nearby villa. At the start of the second round, where gains were tough anyway, spectating was plenty.
Sticking with them would've just landed us in a zombie swarm together.
Jeongwoo asked me,
"Kim Cheonjae, it'll be fine without us?"
Flicking my lighter, I replied,
"Yeah. The story'll progress without us."
"...I see."
"It will."
No one knew exactly how, though.
Shells and gunfire pierced our ears from all directions.
Bang! Bang! Bang bang!
Boom!
I plugged my ears with my fingers, but my eardrums still stung.
Major Kim Juncheol grabbed his radio, face troubled, and issued orders.
"Cease artillery on target zone. All units, defend perimeter."
The tanks halted fire.
They then formed a wall with tanks at the intersection.
-Kieeeek!
Special forces in Goblin masks drew long swords from their waists.
Shing.
These soldiers wielded not just guns but swords—top talent.
Swords made of silver, specially forged for zombies.
The Goblin-masked operatives swung at the zombies.
Slash.
-Kieeeek!!
Thud.
Clean, perfect strikes.
The PC game said the government had gathered every kendo master nationwide to train them.
I hadn't expected mere NPCs to be this skilled.
One swing, one severed head.
"Stay sharp, everyone!"
Then the gas-masked regular soldiers arrived with the refugees.
Major Kim Juncheol roughly counted them, flipped on his radio, and gave new orders.
Beep.
"We cross the bridge. Armored units lead, 19th Airborne and subunits follow."
-Roger.
Rumble rumble rumble.
The tanks pivoted straight for Seongsu Bridge.
They rolled over blocking zombies like bugs, crushing them. Zombie guts filled the approach.
One civilian retched at the stench.
-Ugh... Haa... Th-the smell.
-Lord... save us... Amen...
-Screw God. If you don't wanna become zombie shit, move!
Tempers were frayed.
Bang! Bang bang! Bang bang bang!
Infantry fired on popping zombies, shielding civilians.
They fought hard, but not everyone was saved. A few civilians fell to zombies—including players, no doubt.
Heading into that zombie density was suicide.
Terrified civilians packed tighter, suffocatingly so.
'...Rushing ahead will get you killed.'
The impending hell unfolded vividly in my mind.
I shook my head at those shoving to the front.
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[Kim Cheonjae's Player Group]
-Kim Cheonjae: Good (Blue)
-Ma Jeongwoo: Good (Blue)
-Yoo Sora: Good (Blue)
-Michael Beach: Good (Blue)
[Good (Blue): HP 90%+]
[Fair (Green): HP 75%+]
[Poor (Yellow): HP 50% or less]
[Critical (Red): HP 15% or less]
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Boom. Boom. Boom.
A strange noise rose from under Seongsu Bridge as the tanks crossed.
'It's starting.'
That thing had arrived below.
Kabooooom!!
A roar like dozens of decrepit buildings collapsing at once.
Everyone lost balance, crying "Whoa whoa whoa" and grabbing each other. Even zombies toppled—the ground shook violently.
Earthquake magnitude 6.5 or higher?
Unheard of in Korea before.
"Jeongwoo. It's begun."
"...The ruin begins."
Rumble.
['Seongsu Bridge' collapses.]
[All players, take care for safety.]
The bridge crumbled.
Civilians trailing the soldiers screamed as they plummeted below.
A story you couldn't survive without prior knowledge.
In other words, die if you hadn't played the game.
-S-save meeee!
-Kyaaagh!
Screams erupted everywhere. HP bars overhead showed plenty of players too.
"...Whew."
Survivors' faces twisted in despair.
Jeongwoo and I lit cigarettes, watching.
Yoo Sora, hand trembling over her mouth, asked me,
"Ch-Cheonjae... Everyone... dead?"
Casually, I answered,
"Yeah. All who fell."
"...Haa."
Yoo Sora squeezed her eyes shut.
Fair reaction to such horror without knowing.
Sssip. Puff—.
My white cigarette smoke drifted slowly skyward. My thoughts were clear.
This was definitely Land of Ruin.
"Let's go. Next destination."
* * * * *
Major Kim Juncheol shouted into his radio for all to hear.
-Seongsu Bridge collapsed! All units, fall back to intersection!
-Repeating. Seongsu Bridge collapsed. All units, fall back to intersection.
Beep.
He yelled at the refugees,
"Please fall back!!"
Just "fall back," and chaos erupted.
People yelled to flee first.
-Move, you old fart.
-Brave kid, huh!
-Stop it and go back! Zombies are coming!
Pandemonium.
Even soldiers were at a loss.
The only path north across the river was blocked.
Bang! Bang bang! Rumble boom.
Gunfire rained at the Seongsu intersection.
A captain in a Goblin mask with sergeant-major insignia ran up to Major Kim Juncheol.
"What now?"
"Wait here for HQ orders."
"Too many zombies. We just lost the entire armored brigade with the bridge."
"...Contact with Armored Brigade commander?"
"Lost. Probably under the Han by now...."
Major Kim Juncheol sighed at the ruined bridge.
"Just our unit left?"
"77th Infantry Division's two battalions remain under us."
"N numbers?"
"About 250."
"Haa.... Hey! Ops officer!!"
A dwarf-like short soldier adjusted his horn-rimmed glasses and hurried over.
Unmasked, he reported to Major Kim Juncheol.
"Captain No Hyoman!"
"Nearest shelter around here?"
"Sub-subway."
"Distance?"
"Five to six hundred meters."
"No word from HQ?"
The ops officer tapped the comms gear futilely, face falling.
"Not yet...."
"Got it. Evac civilians to subway. Ops officer, you lead."
"Yes, sir!"
Kim Juncheol scanned around.
Zombies poured from all sides, charging civilians.
-Kieeeek!!
He keyed his radio.
Beep.
"All units, move to Apgujeong Station. All units to Apgujeong Station."