Go Ahead and Wait
"Ugh." As Jun-ho wiped the area where the bullet was lodged with gauze soaked in disinfectant, Yoon Seol-hee let out a stifled groan. Jun-ho didn't pay it any mind; he covered the wound with layers of sterile pads and wrapped an elastic bandage around her shoulder several times, securing it firmly.
"All done. We'll remove the bullet later. And here, take this. One pill should be enough."
"Thank you." Yoon Seol-hee popped the painkiller Jun-ho handed her into her mouth and washed it down with bottled water. Perhaps due to her injuries and exhaustion, the lukewarm water tasted sweeter than anything she had ever had.
"But how on earth did you get here… well, I suppose that’s not important right now."
"No, that isn't what's important." Jun-ho nodded at Yoon Seol-hee, who was making a cold-headed assessment of the situation, true to her background as a Special Forces NCO, and continued.
"The ones guarding the mountain path down there—they're resort staff, right?"
"Yes. They're KW Cops employees."
"The guys who were heading up toward your position are retreating. I took a few of them out."
"I see. Then what now…?"
"The ones who were heading toward where you were earlier are still left." Jun-ho showed her the screen of his drone controller. "They're crossing over toward the mountain in front of us."
"Ah, did you set them to follow?"
"Yes. I set it up as soon as I finished off the ones who were here."
At those words, Yoon Seol-hee realized how Jun-ho had managed to shoot the gangsters, who had been using the bushes and trees for cover, with such precision. Since he had been looking down at them clearly from above with the drone, hiding had been useless. But even if the words sounded simple, Yoon Seol-hee knew it was never an easy task. The opponents were individuals who had received military training and were armed with firearms. No matter how well-equipped they were with bulletproof vests and helmets, one could be killed or seriously injured by a stray bullet at any moment. Despite that, to move quickly and decisively and coldly execute the enemy—that was something even Yoon Seol-hee couldn't do easily.
"For now, just take that and follow me. I've neutralized the one who looks like their leader down in the valley over there."
"Yes."
Yoon Seol-hee slung the backpack containing the firearms and ammunition she had scavenged from the dead gangsters over one shoulder and followed Jun-ho. Jun-ho checked the controller screen frequently as he descended the mountain, all while remaining constantly vigilant of his surroundings.
"……."
Yoon Seol-hee, following behind him, felt a renewed sense of confusion and surprise at Jun-ho's demeanor. She already knew well that Jun-ho was no ordinary person. But she never imagined he would be such a seasoned combat professional, enough to put active-duty Special Forces soldiers to shame. Fighting with martial arts and fighting with actual firearms were two completely different matters.
'What on earth is this man…?'
It was a question that inevitably arose, even though she knew it wasn't the time for it. However, Yoon Seol-hee felt an inexplicable sense of relief at the sight of Jun-ho’s back, which seemed broader and more dependable than when she had last seen him. After all, she was effectively alive thanks to this mysterious man of the same age.
Splash!
"Ugh!" Lee Woo-jung, doused with cold valley water, regained his senses. But since his hands and feet were already tied and a rag was stuffed into his mouth, he could only make muffled groaning sounds and was unable to take any action.
"Manager, just keep watch over this bastard. Oh, and you can communicate with your staff, right?"
"Yes. But will you be alright on your own, Jun-ho? I think it would be better if I went with you."
At Yoon Seol-hee’s words, filled with genuine concern, Jun-ho shook his head.
"No, it's fine. I've already dealt with these guys a few times. And my colleague has arrived as well."
"Ah, by any chance, is it Mr. Jun-hyeok?"
"No. Jun-hyeok is somewhere else. Anyway, tell your staff that the situation is almost over and to come this way. And take this."
Jun-ho handed her a tablet.
"This is…?"
Yoon Seol-hee’s eyes widened as she looked at the tablet screen, which showed a split view of the drone hovering over the rooftop of the building where Park Deok-cheol was stationed and the camera feed from the drone Jun-ho was using.
"The left side is the drone monitoring where my colleague is, and the right is mine. When the staff arrives, head toward my colleague’s position. As you can see…"
"We can hit them from the rear. They won't expect us to attack after coming down the mountain."
"Exactly."
Just as Yoon Seol-hee felt reassured by him, Jun-ho felt a sense of reliability from her and nodded.
"Understood. Then, Mr. Jun-ho, I will see you later."
"Yes. Don't push yourself too hard."
"…Yes."
When Jun-ho gestured toward her shoulder, Yoon Seol-hee felt inexplicably shy and averted her gaze, answering quietly.
"Then."
Soon after, Jun-ho quickly left the area. Seeing him move with such speed and agility, like a wild animal—so different from when he was with her—Yoon Seol-hee realized that Jun-ho had deliberately moved slowly out of consideration for her. She felt her heart beat a little faster and her face grow warm.
"Mmph! Mmmph! Mmph!"
"……."
At the beast-like groaning that broke the atmosphere, Yoon Seol-hee’s face snapped toward him. Her expression was now completely different—cold and emotionless, unlike when she looked at Jun-ho.
"Are you Lee Woo-jung by any chance? The one who said you'd 'have your way' with me if you caught me?"
"Mmph…!?"
"But you know what? I’m a bit too spicy. So, not just anyone can 'eat' me. If you try to eat me wrong, you'll die of food poisoning. No, you’re going to die in a different way."
Back in her Special Forces days, her gaze—the one that earned her the nickname 'Yoon Seol-nyeo'—drifted toward Lee Woo-jung’s crotch.
"Mmph! Mmph! Hmph!"
Fear clouded the eyes and expression of the action leader as he realized the meaning behind her sharp stare.
"Hoo, hoo…."
Park Deok-cheol held his breath, his nerves taut as he stared through the scope. It was a typical Korean rural village, with vacant lots, warehouse sites, and one- or two-story country houses standing at intervals along a narrow concrete road. He knew it was a "typical Korean rural village" because the village in Namyangju where he had performed his last event with his younger sister Sunny’s girl group, Psyche Floor, looked almost identical to this one. The only difference was that this village was right under a mountain, and a fairly wide river flowed just a few dozen meters away.
If the world hadn't turned out like this, he might have exclaimed "Beautiful!" and "Unbelievable!" while admiring the scenery. But.
Bang…! Bang…! Bang…!
Although the gunfire had subsided slightly compared to earlier, the shots continuing to ring out from the mountain in the distance made such thoughts vanish. Park Deok-cheol checked the tablet screen frequently even while peering through the scope. The drone circling above the rooftop of the building he was on was showing the situation within a 200-meter radius of the building in vivid detail.
Thanks to the program made by the shelter’s "tech nerd," Yun Yeong-su, it would immediately sound a beep to warn him if a human form—zombie or person—was detected or approaching. Still, he felt more at ease confirming it with his own eyes.
Rat-tat-tat…! Bang…!
As Jun-ho’s instructions came through his earpiece amidst the gunfire, Park Deok-cheol replied immediately.
"Yes sir."
Park Deok-cheol knew how to pilot the drone to some extent. However, the shelter’s drone didn't require him to pilot it manually even if the AI wasn't controlling it. When he pressed the 'Return' icon on the tablet, the drone descended rapidly. Park Deok-cheol replaced it with a spare battery he had prepared in advance, turned the power on, and pressed the 'Deploy' icon.
Whirrr!
The drone quickly ascended back to the sky where it had been and resumed its surveillance mission.
"Damn… This tech’s wild."
Park Deok-cheol clicked his tongue to himself and checked his modified air rifle and compressed air tank once more. For this expedition, instead of the small air tank that was attached directly to the air rifle and doubled as a stock, he had prepared a high-capacity compressed air tank that could be mounted on a backpack or tactical belt. The original air tank would run out of air after about 30 shots of tungsten pellets. That was extremely inefficient for an expedition mission like this, even if it might have been fine in a defensive situation where he could stockpile multiple tanks.
So, he had acquired three air tanks with twice the capacity and always carried two of them. He had changed his operational method to immediately replace the nozzle of the air hose connected to the gun with another tank he was carrying whenever the air ran out. Of course, it was a bit heavy and uncomfortable to run while carrying them, but the ability to fire over 100 rounds in any situation was a huge merit, so it was well worth the sacrifice.
Ten minutes passed.
"I see them…."
Seeing about a dozen people rushing down the path between the sparse buildings and houses, Park Deok-cheol adjusted his shooting stance. They were all armed with firearms, but Park Deok-cheol, while tense, was not afraid. The power of the modified air rifle using tungsten pellets was certain, and it was impossible to detect the noise of an air rifle from 40–50 meters away in an environment like this. It meant that those gangsters would never be able to figure out where the shots were coming from.
"……."
Park Deok-cheol didn't follow the gangsters with his scope; he fixed it on a pre-designated spot. Because.
Beep.
If someone appeared or moved on the drone screen monitoring everything within a 200-meter radius, a warning sound would automatically play. And that meant he could start firing once someone entered the scope fixed on the pre-designated spot.
Phew!
With a short, muffled sound, the gangster leading the way down the path was hit in the center of his chest by a pellet and collapsed. However, as Jun-ho had mentioned, he was wearing a bulletproof vest, so he didn't die; he just clutched his chest in agony. Still, it was certain he had suffered at least a serious fracture, so Park Deok-cheol continued firing at the other targets who were scattering in all directions in a panic.
Thwack!
"Argh!"
A gangster hit in the shoulder by another incoming pellet slumped to the ground.
"You son of a bitch…."
Park Seong-ho, a sub-boss and action leader of the Daeseonghoe, ground his teeth while hiding his body behind a wall. He knew the direction the bullets were coming from, but he couldn't tell exactly where they were being fired from.
Click.
"Damn it all!"
Park Seong-ho, who had turned on his radio out of habit, lifted it as if to smash it into the ground, but soon tucked it back into his bulletproof vest. Whatever had happened, it was clear that the drone surveillance team led by Lee Woo-jung had been wiped out.
"Lee Woo-jung, that idiot. All he does is act high and mighty because he’s 'lineage,' and he can't do a single thing right. A useless piece of trash."
Park Seong-ho, who had been spewing insults at Lee Woo-jung—who was young but always acted arrogant because he was Daeseonghoe lineage—turned his head.
"Hey, this won't work. Let's go another way."
"Yes? Boss, then we have to go all the way around that mountain path? We don't even know the roads in this neighborhood well…."
"You idiot. Then are you going to just stay here when we don't even know where they're shooting from? Let's get out of here first and follow the river up…."
Bang! Thwack!
"……!?"
Park Seong-ho’s mouth hung wide open as he watched his subordinate’s face explode while the man was rolling his eyes in confusion. At that moment.
Bang! Bang! Rat-tat-tat! Bang!
Bullets poured in not from the front, but from behind, and Park Seong-ho and his few remaining subordinates all collapsed to the ground.
"Huu… gasp, ugh…."
Park Seong-ho, crawling on the ground with a bullet lodged in his side and blood gushing out, felt someone approach and stand before him, then crouch down.
"You said your base was in Deokso, right?"
"Huu…!?"
A woman wearing a brown hat, looking extremely haggard but possessing a refreshing and attractive face that could easily be called a 'cold beauty,' stared straight at Park Seong-ho and continued in a emotionless voice.
"Go ahead and wait. I'll be sending the rest of you over soon."
The muzzle of a black pistol was pressed against Park Seong-ho’s forehead.
"……!"
BOOM!!!
Before he could even say a word, a thunderous gunshot rang out.