I Refuse Your Refusal
"Point A reached. Status of the drone signal?"
> Drone signal status analyzed.
> Additional flight of 180 meters possible from current Point A toward the final destination.
"I had a feeling, but of course it had to be this way…." Jun-ho clicked his tongue. This was exactly where the signal reach of the repeaters installed on the roof of The First Apartments and the safe house in Edutown Apartment ended. Even though it was only about 1.6 kilometers away in a straight line, the mountain he had just crossed and the dense clusters of high-rise apartment complexes that began appearing as he entered Mokuri were cutting off the connection.
"I just need to install a portable repeater at Point B, right?"
> Confirmed. Installation at Point B will allow for smooth drone flight control within a 600-meter radius of the repeater.
"Good. Recall the drone following me and send out a new one."
> Executing order.
The battery of the drone currently in the sky still had about half its charge left, but as he was about to enter the city proper, he needed a drone that could stay airborne and provide reconnaissance for as long as possible. Once he confirmed the drone that had been tracking him was returning to The Shelter, Jun-ho pulled a high-calorie combat ration from his backpack. Inside were four combat rations, 20 energy bars at 600 kilocalories each, and a portable water purification filter capable of treating up to 1,000 liters. These were precautions in case his plans went awry and he had to stay in Mokuri for three or four days.
Jun-ho devoured the 1,200-kilocalorie ration in five minutes, neatly folded the plastic packaging, and tucked it back into his pack. Then, using his digital monocular, he scanned Point B—a 10-story commercial building about 240 meters away—and his final destination, the Cheongsan Building.
"No zombies on the streets…."
There were only two reasons for this: it was either too cold, or most of the zombies in Mokuri were already under the control of Alphas. "Probably both." Muttering to himself, Jun-ho checked the route to the Point B building on his tablet one more time.
> External operation drone No. 06. Arriving in 1 minute.
Just then, a communication came through from the AI, Akina.
"Moving out."
> Confirmed. No threats detected in the direction of movement.
Continuously receiving surveillance reports from Akina, Jun-ho sprinted down the mountain.
Covering a distance that would have taken an ordinary person 30 to 40 minutes in just 10, Jun-ho vaulted over the wall of a high school at the foot of the mountain.
> Songhwa High School. No threats detected.
> Multiple survivors inside the building. Threat level: D.
In the threat assessment system, a D-grade meant they were just ordinary people. Even if there were hundreds of them, they posed no real threat to Jun-ho; it would only be at C-grade that he would have to consider whether to clear them out or move on. "Proceeding as planned. Haa…." Tightening the straps of his firearms and backpack, Jun-ho steadied his breath.
Thump-thump-thump-thump!
He tore across the high school track at full speed. Wearing his Gore-Tex work clothes, Jun-ho’s 100-meter dash record was in the 8-second range. Now, weighed down by his Bike Suit, firearms, weapons, and a backpack full of supplies—an extra 20 kilograms—he was inevitably slower. But.
> Speed: 29.02 km/h. Arriving at target point in 14 seconds.
Even slowed down, he was still covering 100 meters in the 11-second range. He crossed the 140-meter diagonal stretch of the field in about 15 seconds.
"Haa, haa, haa…."
> No reaction from the survivors at Songhwa High School.
> No threats detected on the route from current position to Point B.
Akina’s voice continued to echo in his ear as he steadied his breathing. With cardiovascular endurance and recovery capabilities far beyond human limits, Jun-ho normalized his breathing in just 30 seconds and vaulted over the school wall.
> Precision surveillance at 120m altitude. No threats on route. Movement permitted.
"Right. Going now."
As soon as Akina’s report came in, Jun-ho sprinted along the memorized route once more. Thump-thump-thump! But this was a residential area, completely different from the open school track. While there were no immediate threats in sight, it wouldn't be strange for something to jump out from the houses or buildings on either side of the street.
> B-type emergence in house at 7 o'clock, 40 meters behind. 5 units. Slow speed. Threat level: D. Safe to ignore.
> B-type emergence in multi-family housing at 4 o'clock, 20 meters behind. 14 units. Threat level: C. Slow speed.
As if to confirm his fears, Akina’s reports continued to stream into his ears as he cut through the wind. However, these were zombies that had either heard him running or spotted him from inside their homes; they couldn't catch a man already sprinting at full speed.
Thump-thump-thump!
He had been sprinting for about 30 seconds when—Beep!
> Threat detected at 1 o'clock, 25 meters ahead.
Before Akina’s voice could finish, Jun-ho drew his throwing knife and machete from his tactical belt. "Kwoooaaar!" He hurled the knife at the zombies that had burst out to block his path and swung his machete.
Thwack! Thwack-thwack!
Because they were only 6 or 7 meters away, Jun-ho—even while running—accurately struck one zombie in the head with the throwing knife. He swung his machete in a wide arc, decapitating two more, and shifted his trajectory slightly to the left, using a wall to vault over the rest.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Even if they had been huddled together indoors to conserve body heat, the zombies—stiffened by the sub-zero temperatures of -7 or -8 degrees Celsius—couldn't react quickly enough. With just three steps against the wall, Jun-ho cleared the 5-meter gap, bypassing the entire group.
Tap! Thump-thump-thump!
Landing with a lightness that defied the 20 kilograms of gear on his back, he immediately resumed his full-speed sprint.
"Kyaak! Kyaaaat!"
The zombies gave chase, but they were too late. Still sluggish from the cold and having been ordinary people before infection, it was impossible for them to catch Jun-ho, who was running at 30 km/h.
> Distance to Point B: 70 meters. 65 meters. 60 meters….
"Sss… ha! Sss… ha!"
Amidst the fading screeches of the zombies, Jun-ho listened to Akina’s cold, calm voice and kept his breathing rhythmic as he ran. The further he ran, the more zombies joined the pursuit, but he never looked back. Counting them was meaningless; there were hundreds, perhaps even thousands. Before his regression, he would have been paralyzed by fear, his vision narrowing, his escape route erratic. But the current Jun-ho knew they couldn't catch him. He simply focused on the route, listening to Akina.
> 25 meters. 20 meters. Turn right at the intersection. Communication and reconnaissance beyond this point are impossible….
Thump-thump-thump!
Just as Akina said, as he turned right at the three-way intersection, the green steel back door of the commercial building came into view. The area was cluttered with obstacles set up by survivors living inside. Having already scouted this, Jun-ho didn't slow down.
"Hup!"
He took a deep breath, stepped onto the corner of a planter next to the back door, and launched his body into the air.
Whoosh! Thump!
Soaring nearly 3 meters into the air, Jun-ho reached out and grabbed the second-floor steel railing. Using the momentum and the strength in his arms, he vaulted over the railing with acrobatic ease.
Clack! Click!
The moment he cleared the railing, Jun-ho drew his Commando Dagger with his left hand and his Glock 17 with his right, adopting a modified "cup and saucer" grip. From here on, he was in a signal-dead zone; drone surveillance was impossible, and wireless communication with The Shelter was difficult. He had to reach the roof of this building entirely on his own.
"Haa, haaa…."
With his weapon raised, Jun-ho slowly steadied his breath. Graaaar…! Kyaat! Kwoaaar! The screeches of the zombies chasing him echoed from below, but knowing they hadn't seen him jump to the second floor, Jun-ho didn't look down. He kept his eyes locked on the silver steel door and the small ventilation window.
Eventually, the sounds of the zombies faded. Once his breathing returned to normal, Jun-ho finally began to examine the surroundings with extreme caution. Across from the back door were typical 5- or 6-story commercial buildings: PC bangs, pool halls, coffee shops, karaoke bars, massage parlors, and even a church that felt out of place. No people or zombies were visible through the clear glass, but there was no telling who might be watching from behind the dark-tinted windows.
Jun-ho wasn't worried. There were clearly survivors living in this building, which meant other survivors or Alphas in the area likely knew it too. If they were still safe, it meant the others hadn't been able to get in, or had decided it wasn't the right time yet.
Creeeak.
Carefully opening the ventilation window, Jun-ho pulled a mini-drone from his pouch and sent it inside. As expected, the vent led to a restroom. Confirming that the three toilet stalls were empty, Jun-ho pushed his backpack and firearms through first before climbing in himself.
Click.
Jun-ho opened the restroom door slightly and sent the mini-drone out again. Since it was the early morning of a holiday, businesses like the noodle shop, the malatang restaurant, and the hair salon were all closed. Dust had settled on the floors, and the storefront windows were intact. There was no one here—zombie or human. Even so, Jun-ho didn't let his guard down; he stepped out of the restroom with his weapon raised and spent several minutes clearing the entire second floor to be absolutely certain.
"Second floor is clear…."
Muttering to himself, Jun-ho headed to the emergency exit and sent the mini-drone up the stairs. A moment later.
"They've been using it from the 8th floor up?"
The mini-drone camera captured the stairwell between the 7th and 8th floors blocked by furniture, computers, and all sorts of other items. It meant the survivors were holed up there. The 8th floor was a PC bang, the 9th was a fitness center that also offered Pilates, and the 10th was a karaoke 'bar'—not a standard karaoke room. All these businesses would have had some food and drink supplies. Furthermore, the roof was covered in about 20 solar panels, likely installed by the building owner to power his businesses. If the owner’s shops were on the 8th, 9th, and 10th floors, they would still have electricity. That explained why the survivors had chosen this spot.
Jun-ho climbed to the 7th floor quickly but silently. He opened the emergency exit door and sent the mini-drone, now with a fresh battery, inside. Whirrr…. The drone flew through the 7th floor, hugging the ceiling and filming every corner.
"…Bingo."
Unlike the second floor, there was less dust here, and he could see a few 'footprints' on the floor. Strangely, certain areas were cleaner than others. As a second-life regressor, Jun-ho knew exactly why.
"Smart. Nobody else would have known if it weren't for me."
Leaving the mini-drone hovering over that specific area, Jun-ho walked toward it with only his pistol in hand. Stopping a few meters away, he pulled a notepad from his tactical vest, scribbled something with a pen, and held it up toward the ceiling.
[Let's just use the roof for a moment. If there's no answer in 10 minutes, I'm smashing all the obstacles in the emergency exit. And I'll spread the rumor that there's a secret passage to the 8th floor here. I refuse your refusal.]
In the corner of the ceiling where the notepad was held, there was a camera lens the size of a thumb, which would have been impossible to find without a careful search.