Annihilation
We finished clearing the inside of the dormitory and took a short break. Even though we had only secured a single building, everyone was visibly exhausted. Kim In-bum spoke up with a troubled expression.
“I didn’t expect there to be any runners left. I thought we’d cleared them all out back then….”
“They weren’t left behind. They evolved.”
“Evolved, you say?”
It had been the same at the laundry room where we first encountered the runners. They must either evolve when certain conditions are met, or there are specific individuals predestined to evolve from the start.
“The ones walking yesterday can suddenly start running today. If you’re unlucky, one might even become an Alpha.”
“It’s been over five years since the Great Catastrophe. Is that why they’re changing?”
“Time can be a factor, but we don’t know anything for sure yet.”
Han Ji-young cautiously opened her mouth.
“Um… the stats for each zombie are different, right? Wouldn’t that influence their evolution?”
“I think so, too. It seems the ones that evolve are predetermined. In other words, there are those destined for evolution.”
Even among the walkers, there’s a huge difference in speed and strength depending on whether they were gym rats or elderly people. However, it was impossible to tell if these predestined subjects changed simply because ‘time’ passed, or if they evolved when specific ‘conditions’ were met.
“The important fact for us right now is that we don’t know when or where a runner might pop out.”
“Ugh, just thinking about it is terrifying.”
“That’s why you shouldn’t act like you did earlier.”
When I looked at her, Han Ji-young quickly averted her gaze. She seemed embarrassed, as her ears were flushed bright red.
“I get it, so stop nagging me….”
“I’m going to nag you for the rest of your life.”
“Ha…. I dug my own grave.”
I looked out the window. Counting from the main building to the labs and the department buildings, there were at least five more places left to clear. I handed the two chocolate bars I’d received from Kim Kang-hyun to Han Ji-young and Kim In-bum, respectively.
“Aren’t you having any, Hyung?”
“I don’t need any.”
“There are three of us, but you only give out two? That’s really stingy.”
“You have the ones provided by the shelter, don’t you?”
“That’s different.”
Han Ji-young grumbled as she took a chocolate bar. She unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth, and her mood seemed to improve instantly.
“It is tasty, though.”
“This is really precious stuff. Thanks for the treat, Hyung.”
I checked my watch; it was past 1:00 PM. Eating habits had changed since the world collapsed, and one of those changes was skipping lunch. Especially when we were out on field activities like today, we just got by with small, high-calorie snacks like candy or chocolate.
“Let’s just finish that building today.”
“Sounds good.”
“Let’s wrap this up quickly and head back!”
The next target was the building presumed to be the department hall. The glint in Han Ji-young and Kim In-bum’s eyes was brighter than before.
Operation ‘Drizzle’ was reaching its final stages. We had cleared all the buildings where they were likely to be gathered in large numbers. Now, all that remained was to firmly plant our flag.
Oh Jung-hwan slammed his hand against the map pinned to the chalkboard.
“This is the annihilation point. The underpass leading to the main gate. As Cheonsa said, this is the most suitable location.”
The plan was to block off one side of the underpass and wipe out the incoming horde with concentrated firepower. Thanks to the steady attrition from Operation ‘Drizzle’, the expected number of zombies had dropped significantly.
“At most, there will be fewer than 500. We have enough ammunition to wipe them out with this amount.”
“The work detail is coming too, right?”
Kim Kang-hyun raised his hand and asked. As planned, we needed the help of the work detail to fill the two lanes with firepower.
When Oh Jung-hwan nodded, Kim Kang-hyun wore a look of conviction.
“I’ve already finished talking to them. Everyone except for the two senior teams will participate without exception.”
Kim Kang-hyun was still representing the position of the work detail, which was something I had suggested. It allowed me to save face for him while reducing my own workload.
“And our medical staff, including myself and two nurses, will be on standby at the site.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
Kim Kang-hyun raised his eyebrows at me, and I responded with a light smile. Having become a full-fledged member of Osori, Kim Kang-hyun had become a more reliable ally than anyone else.
“Boss Hwang, you’ve prepared what I asked for, right?”
“Take a look. I tested it out a bit, and if you crank the volume to the max, the performance will be killer.”
Hwang Gyu-nam placed a crude mechanical device on the table. It was a loudspeaker combined with a radio, intended to be used as a noise generator to lure the zombies.
“You’re quite handy.”
“I’ve got years of experience at the auto shop. Plus, I have industrial engineer certifications. Electronics and electricity.”
I realized he wasn’t just a man living on luck. That certification, which I couldn’t verify, was far more valuable than the first-place winning lottery ticket hidden in his underwear.
“Lee Cheonsa will be in charge of operational command.”
“Let’s head out immediately.”
Current time: 11:00 AM. We put the plan into action right away. A total of 24 people filed out of the shelter in a single line. Thanks to having cleared the zombies beforehand, there were no major skirmishes on the way to the underpass.
“Blocking the rear thoroughly is the priority. If the rear is breached, we’re all dead.”
Upon arriving at the site, I quickly assigned tasks. The strong ones began moving half-wrecked cars, while the others brought bags of cement, wire, rebar, and square timber from a nearby hardware store. The salvaged materials were used to build a barricade centered around the vehicles.
The tactic I was using had the advantage of allowing us to concentrate firepower only to the front, instead of having to block the retreat path.
“Now, start working on the front line.”
We set up the remaining cement bags, oil drums, and steel ladders in the front to serve as cover. In anti-zombie warfare, the role of cover was to mount firearms to increase accuracy.
“I’ll divide the groups.”
After finishing all the preparatory work, I split the people into two groups. Next, I designated individual positions and assigned shooting sectors.
“You only need to be responsible for your own sector. Ignore the other sectors. You must minimize muzzle movement to concentrate our firepower.”
I didn’t forget to provide verbal explanations and a dry run. When we finished the entire process, the clock read 2:20 PM.
“It begins now. Everyone, wait at your positions.”
The people, divided into two lines, checked their rifles at their respective spots. I checked the rear line one more time and gave the final signal to Hwang Gyu-nam.
Now, the moment of truth.
Hwang Gyu-nam turned on the radio.
“Everyone, cover your ears!”
As he cranked the volume, a piercing screech assaulted our eardrums. The 2kHz audible frequency ringing through the underpass was enough to drive not just zombies, but even humans, insane.
“Boss Hwang, that’s enough.”
“Okay!”
As soon as the noise was cut, everyone stuck out their tongues, clearly in pain. The performance was truly top-tier.
As if to prove the effectiveness of the noise generator, the presence of zombies could already be heard.
“First line, prepare to fire.”
The bastards approached slowly from the direction of the main gate. A large number of zombies had already gathered at the rear, blocked by the barricade. I strained my voice to emphasize the important points.
“Do not fire until I give the order. Our goal is to conserve ammunition as much as possible.”
“Uh? O-over there?!”
“It’s fine. Don’t panic.”
It was right then.
A runner popped out from among the walkers. It was approaching at high speed, baring its teeth at us.
Bang—!
I aimed at the bastard and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew true to my aim, piercing its forehead precisely.
“Whoa. You hit that from that distance?”
“As expected of the instructor…!”
As it collapsed limply, people let out soft exclamations of awe. That was a close call, but we handled it well. If I hadn’t controlled them quickly, the startled shooters would have started firing indiscriminately.
“Everyone held their ground well. Just like just now, follow my orders no matter what happens.”
In the meantime, the walkers had gotten quite close. 200 meters, 100 meters. When they reached 50 meters, I shouted.
“First line, fire!”
Bang! Bang! Bang! Rat-a-tat-tat!
Fire erupted simultaneously from a dozen muzzles. The sound, like a thunderclap, spread loudly from the barrels.
The zombies at the front began to fall like dominoes. They were like moths flying into a flame. The ones that had closed the distance to 50 meters couldn’t advance any further.
“Rotate!”
Once the first shooter changed their magazine, the next shooter waiting in the second line took their place and continued the fire. When the next shooter emptied their magazine, they rotated back with the first shooter. The shooters arranged in two lines repeated the same process, ensuring there were no gaps in the firepower net.
“Rotate!”
Just like in the dry run, everyone was performing their roles well. Positioned in the center of the formation, I checked on each shooter and provided support to those with lower accuracy.
The bastards fell like dry leaves, and the shooters’ accuracy was decent. If we could keep this up for a little longer, the annihilation operation would end perfectly.
“Uh, uh?”
Right then, an unexpected development occurred. Zombies in navy-colored protective gear and riot helmets, with ‘POLICE’ written on their chests, appeared in a swarm.
“That’s not bulletproof! Keep doing what you’re doing!”
Riot control gear might protect against stabs or blunt force, but it didn’t provide bulletproof protection. However, the real problem was that there were simply too many of them.
“Just keep doing what you’re doing! It’s fine!”
I said that, but I was also bewildered. I had checked the underpass and the surrounding area, and there hadn’t been a single police zombie then. So where did all these bastards appear from? Did they move to this vicinity in just one day?
‘If not that….’
“C-Cheonsa! The barricade is acting up!”
Ominous news followed in succession. Kim Kang-hyun, who had been monitoring the rear barricade, sent an urgent signal.
“Damn it…!”
I hurriedly checked behind the barricade. There were more zombies than expected. No, ‘more’ wasn’t the right word. There were several times more than we had originally anticipated.
‘The radio sound was too loud.’
It wasn’t that I had set the decibels wrong. The zombies were simply much more sensitive to the frequency. That must have caused the noise to spread further than the range I had originally planned.
“Cheonsa! At this rate, it’s going to collapse!”
With the rear unstable, the shooters couldn’t focus on the front either. Their accuracy dropped, and the distance between us and the bastards was closing.
‘If the rear collapses, we’re finished.’
This tactic was devised in the first place because we couldn’t cover both sides with a small number of people. Compared to the swarming zombies, our remaining ammunition was insufficient, and they were getting closer and closer.
“Senior!”
As the operational commander, I was forced to make a decision. In the face of total annihilation, the decision I made was quite reckless. Because that was the only brilliant move that came to mind.
“Han Ji-young, from now on, you’re in charge here.”
“Yes? What about you, Senior?”
“I’m going to stop those things.”
I set down my rifle and strapped two logging axes to my back. Then, I gripped a revolver in each hand. Now, facing the time of slaughter, my senses were pulled taut like a bowstring.