A Story No One Will Remember
A story no one will remember. The world has ended.
Contrary to that loaded statement, the world was still turning, at least for now. Surprisingly, the government held on, and the military remained intact. I even heard the National Assembly was being rebuilt.
Well, destruction's a long game, after all.
Humanity doesn't go extinct overnight. We get fat, eaten, or murdered. It just takes time.
That's why society hangs on even when it's a total mess.
Back in the late Goryeo Dynasty during the military regime, they fled to Ganghwa Island to escape the Mongols. The Jeju government was on that level. Still, the Korean government had kept its form.
The people living on the Korean Peninsula now—well, whether they still counted as citizens was debatable.
People's rage had hit its peak. Who could blame them after being abandoned overnight? Most of them were even diligent taxpayers.
Did they prepare to run away while you did?
Did they really abandon the people and flee to Jeju just for themselves?
Are they living it up on Jeju with all the supplies?
Did everyone trying to flee to Jeju die to monsters on the coast?
Did they fail to maintain order?
Can't they even manage refugees?
Can't they protect the citizens?
After running away, do they have no real vision for running the country?
Are they just watching people die?
Why is everyone bashing the president so hard? Even Koreans aren't that much of pushovers.
The president would have to brace himself. Eggs were small potatoes now. He might get bricked to death. Eggs were too precious to throw anyway.
At this point, the president knows it's over and is probably setting up his own kingdom on Jeju.
That's what I thought. I was wrong.
I don't know what political talks went down, but the current government couldn't let go of the mainland. Was there gold buried here or something?
I was honestly shocked reading that post. The nation was going to assault the islands?
Are they insane?
Amphibious landings. They're the pinnacle of military difficulty. Navy, army, and in modern times, air force too—all branches in perfect sync. That's the art of landing ops.
And they were gonna do it with the Korean military?
Sounds like they're just begging to get wiped out.
It wasn't even about difficulty. Guns and gunpowder had all vanished from Earth, as everyone knew. So what weapons did the military have? Swords, spears, bows, shields—that was it.
Say they scrounged some. How many soldiers were actually trained in them? The military was already chaos incarnate—no time for training.
Even with time since destruction began, it's way too short to reorganize and learn new skills.
Doubt they even had proper troops left. Everyone deserted at the start.
Malnutritioned, untrained soldiers with unfamiliar weapons, scarce supplies, rock-bottom morale. And they were launching a landing op? Against monsters, not humans?
Above all, they didn't know. "Monsters" were a whole different league from zombies.
If it's the beasts guarding the coast right now... hmm.
Impossible. I'd have scrapped it as commander. But experience told me armies bend to politics most of all.
They'd posted publicly—they had to do something.
President must be getting desperate.
It'd been a while since the government fled to Jeju. Long enough for new powers to rise. As sitting president, he couldn't dodge blame. Rivals tearing at him, public support in the gutter. He needed a show.
Or his head rolls post-term.
But the president can't do shit. If he could, he'd have done it already.
Monster subjugation was their only play now. Failure rate? Body count? Irrelevant. It was his last hope.
"Hmmm."
A horrific storm was brewing.
Or so I thought. I wasn't the only one.
The government's image was already in the toilet. Most just vented more.
But not all reactions were negative.
Some eyes held hope for the government's gamble. The world was that hopeless.
People desperately ignored the truth. How long could they keep surviving? Years? Decades?
So far, just scraping by. But reality was dawning.
Time to pull out the puffer jackets. Winter was coming.
Humans without hope are as good as dead.
Amid the sneers, anxiety, and faint hopes, time passed. The op launched.
And our expectations?
Miserable end. Countless soldier corpses on the beach. Zombies feasting on them.
Were repaid in blood.
The government went silent.
Private Park Il-hoon had never wanted to be a soldier.
In an era where everyone starved or got zombie chow, the army at least fed you. Plus, pay.
"You sure about this, son?"
"Mom, don't worry. They give enlistment bonuses. Use that to hold on."
"If it's for me..."
"Nah. It's got people living there. What could go wrong?"
Wrong.
The fallen nation's army was a shitshow. Worse than dogs.
"You wanna get beat?"
"Sorry!"
"Newbie private showing off?"
Abuses worse than the old days.
"This all the food?"
"Supplies are short. Make do."
"Side dishes aside, fill the kids' bellies! How feed a company on half a pot?"
"We're same! Think food's everywhere? Bring rice if you want more!"
Bland, meager chow.
"Special shipment weapons incoming."
"Different specs? And low ammo."
"Dunno. Take what they give. No one's training properly anyway."
Weapons vanishing mid-supply.
Corruption even now? Fucking lunatics?
A mere private could only think it. No choices. Had to feed Mom somehow.
Just endure. Something'll turn up.
If he'd known units traded guns for food and women to gangs, maybe different story.
Anyway, the army was a wreck to him.
"Manage deserters properly!"
"But troop morale with families unchecked..."
"Wartime! Can't babysit!"
Desertions and mutinies daily. No murders in barracks was a miracle. Or hidden.
God, wanna desert.
No place to go, so he stayed. But if he'd known this op, he'd have bolted.
He rode to the South Sea beach.
"This fuel's the people's blood, sweat, tears! Fight to the death with gratitude!"
Officer's forced cheer rang hollow. Fuel was scarce.
We barely trained!
He swung his sword desperately to live. But no real training, starving troops—what strength?
Morale in the dirt. Only "soldier" status and fear of execution kept them.
"Here! Disembark!"
"Disembark!"
They charged forward as drilled. Target: beach zombies. Clear path to Jeju, they said. Meaningless to him.
"Kraaaah!"
Zombies' horrific cries. Wanted to freeze, couldn't.
"Fight! Battle stations!"
Swords, spears swung. Pipe-less him grabbed steel pipe.
"Raaah!"
Wild swings. Terrified, hands shaking. Could this save him? Then what?
Splat!
Lucky blind swing hit. Zombie down. Splattered blood horrific.
"Ugh..."
Chaos everywhere. Blood fountains. Buddies who'd joked now throat-ripped.
Death terror shredded young brain.
"Kill! Kill them!"
"Aaaack! Get off! Get off! Kraaa!"
"My arm... my arm's gone..."
"Mom... Mooom..."
Untrained army. Only screams left.
Zombies, death. Fear paralyzed thought.
Is this... right?
Just kill these zombies and done?
Then—
BOOM!
Ground quaked. Instinct screamed: don't move.
But he looked. Giant monster.
"No one said shit about this..."
True, nothing proper briefed. This shithole army. Some "op."
"Mom..."
Last thought: see Mom's smile. Then crushed under monster foot.
Park Il-hoon, age 18.
Contrary to expectations, Korea's army didn't even land.