Rescue Operation
The morning sun filtered through the faded curtains after a steamy night. I was gearing up and getting ready to head out, while Yoon Seoyeon stared straight at me from the bed, arms crossed in a haughty glare.
"Weren't you busy yesterday too? Aren't you way too slammed lately?"
I snorted at her attitude and gave her a quick rundown of everything that had happened so far. She listened to it all—the survivors in the apartment complex, Lee Seoyul's existence, keeping tabs on the thugs—then uncrossed her arms and slipped into my embrace, nuzzling close.
Snap! Yoon Seoyeon bit my neck.
"Ow..! What the hell?"
"Payback. It's pissing me off. You could've told me sooner if it was that big a deal, right?"
I raised both hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, my bad. But uh, don't you think we should clean that up?"
I nodded toward the bed behind her with my chin. The missing pillow, the blanket crumpled on the floor, the pink apron and bedsheet smeared with sweat and white fluids in a total mess—like a warzone. Yoon Seoyeon's face flushed red as she punched my side.
"Get out! Now!!"
I clutched my side and headed out to meet Lee Seoyul.
I arrived at the meeting spot to find Lee Seoyul already there, waiting. Leaning against the wall, her face was strangely flushed, fine beads of cold sweat dotting her smooth forehead.
I felt a twinge of curiosity at her unusual state but didn't dwell on it. In this world, everyone was stressed out anyway.
"You beat me here."
My voice startled her; she jumped and whipped her gaze away. Her slender shoulders twitched, ears turning bright red. I pulled some food from my backpack like always and handed it over.
She took it with her head bowed low, fidgeting with her fingers in silence. She looked just like a kid who'd done something wrong.
"Today… I don't really have any info worth sharing…"
She glanced at me sidelong, her voice a mosquito whisper. I shrugged it off.
"What, you think tailing them isn't thanks to you? Consider it your tracking fee."
She bowed her head even lower. "…Thank you."
Her voice was so faint, like it'd blow away in the wind. Remembering her low stats, I decided to carry her. I lightly placed a hand on her delicate shoulder.
"Hop on. I'll carry you."
A sudden moan escaped her lips. "Hnnngh…!"
Her body trembled like she'd been shocked. The reaction was so intense I yanked my hand back in surprise.
"Ah, sorry—did that creep you out?"
She waved her hands frantically, flustered. "N-no… it's not that…"
Her voice was ant-sized, barely audible. "What?"
I asked again, and she quickly made excuses. "I-it just startled me!"
She tried to play it cool and lift her head, but her neck and face were beet red, making the effort pointless.
I hoisted her onto my back and sped toward Kang Cheolho's crew's turf. Zombies popped up here and there blocking the path, but they were no match. One hand gripped her waist tight while the other whipped out like lightning, smashing their heads precisely.
Thud-squelch! They crumpled with dull, sticky crunches. Dark red fluids splattered everywhere, but I dodged every drop with flair.
Lee Seoyul watched the action from my back. The combat over my shoulder felt like a movie scene.
"Oppa, what trait do you have that makes zombies drop so easy?"
I didn't bother answering. Sure, my stats were overwhelming, but I glanced at the achievement. "Got something good early on."
As we neared the target, the air grew heavier. The stench of death thickened, sporadic screams ramping up the tension. We ducked into the shadow of a ruined building at a safe distance. Kang Cheolho's gang came into clear view.
Kang Cheolho loomed over a man on his knees, grinning like a demon. The creepy upturn of his lips sent chills down the spine.
"I told you, if you can't pay protection, just hand over your girlfriend. I'll use her good and give her back. Who said I'd kill her?"
His voice dripped with sadistic glee. The kneeling man clutched at Kang Cheolho's filthy pant leg with both hands, begging hoarsely. Desperation and terror twisted his face, tears of despair pooling in his eyes.
"This time it's real! Just one day—one day—and I'll pay everything I owe at once!"
His voice rose to a near-scream. But Kang Cheolho just sneered like it was amusing theater, replying coldly. "Nah, you've already paid the price."
Then, growls rumbled from afar, heavy footsteps approaching. The man caught the zombie sounds closing in; his face drained white, pupils dilating in horror.
"It was true…? You bastards have been using zombies to attack people??"
Betrayal and rage exploded from him. "You fucking scum!!!"
He yanked a kitchen knife from his shirt with his last strength and swung—but his body froze mid-motion, like tied by invisible strings. Controlled like a broken puppet, he lurched unnaturally. His eyes still held awareness, making it all the more horrific. Feeling the terror of his hijacked body, unable to do a thing.
He attacked the gathered zombies wildly. Black fluids sprayed everywhere. But that was just the start. Shrouded in the red aura of impending Stigma, he charged a nearby building where other survivors hid.
Desperate screams echoed from inside. "Aaaagh!" "Help!" "Why… why this?!" "Save meee—!!" "Kyyyaaagh!"
Kang Cheolho licked his lips at the blood-soaked building. "Told 'em to come nice when I said so, huh?"
"Gotta say, nothing beats 'tossing' for wiping out factions, right?"
I observed coldly from safety, edging closer to confirm traits. Activating Black Eye, their detailed info unfolded like a translucent window before my eyes.
Kang Cheolho eyed Ryu Kyung-hwan with satisfaction. "Wish we could snag that black short-haired girl that easy, along with her useless boyfriend."
My eyes iced over at that. Jang Minseok looked regretful. "Man, I was on standby then… If I'd chased myself, we'd have her by now."
Kang Cheolho waved it off indifferently. "Whatever. In a zombie-infested world, running's pointless. Just a matter of time."
My fists clenched involuntarily. But then, earth-shaking footsteps thundered from afar.
Thoom!Thoom!
Debris trembled as it closed in. I looked toward the noise. A massive zombie lumbered between buildings.
"No way that fucker's back?"
The curse slipped out. It was the elite zombie I'd barely survived last time. Kang Cheolho's crew paled, panicking.
"Shit, why's that thing here?!" "Run!"
I decided to avoid the pointless fight. Not time for a head-on with Kang Cheolho yet. I slipped away quietly with Lee Seoyul.
Long after Kim Geon and Lee Seoyul left, Jang Minseok returned, dodging the elite zombie, and scrutinized the ground. His Footprint trait activated, revealing all tracks from the last 24 hours like fluorescent lights.
Amid the chaos, two odd ones stood out. "Hmm? This track looks familiar… And one's totally new?"
He alternated between the familiar and the new—small—footprint, suspicious. One seemed from the apartment; the other unknown.
Kang Cheolho brushed blood off his clothes and approached. "Find something?"
Jang Minseok tilted his head, rechecking. "Nah… just weird. Feels like someone was watching us…"
No proof, but his gut screamed something off. Like a shadow spying.
Back at the apartment, I sank into deep thought alone in my cramped room. Staring at the desolate view outside, I replayed Kang Cheolho's brutality.
'I had no idea they were doing shit like that. This place… it's too dangerous. I gotta get out.'
But the zombie hell outside loomed, filling me with dread. Then Kim Geon's face flashed— and the scene I'd glimpsed through the window. Her heart pounded.
'If it was Kim Geon oppa…'
She shook her head and resolved: Tell the apartment folks about the gang's true nature. Gather solid proof first.
She cracked the door, stepping into the hall. Activating Stealth, her form faded into the air. Heart hammering, she crept to Kang Cheolho's room and pressed her ear to the crack.
"Boss, before I got back, I checked some tracks…"
Jang Minseok's voice leaked through. Kang Cheolho lounged on the sofa, indifferent. "So? Tracks are everywhere in this dump."
Jang shook his head, serious. "Exactly two. One familiar, one new. And that new one's tiny."
A sly grin spread on Kang Cheolho's face, eyes glinting with interest. "Oh? Know whose the familiar one is?"
Jang scratched his chin awkwardly. "Someone from the apartment for sure… too many to pinpoint, but I've seen it before."
I pressed close, straining to hear. But Jang paused, sniffing something off, scanning around. His Footprint wasn't just past tracks—it sensed forming ones too. Right now, a faint but clear one by the door.
His eyes locked on my hiding spot. "Huh? It's right there."
His finger pointed dead at me. Common-grade Stealth couldn't hide footprints.
My face went ghost-white, blood draining, eyes wide with despairing terror. 'Busted…!'
Kang Cheolho rose slowly from the sofa, approaching. Each step a death knell. His voice mixed cold mockery and dark thrill.
"Well, well… it's Miyeon’s kid, huh?"
My stealth shattered, revealing my trembling form. Back flat to the wall, frozen. His icy gaze pierced like a viper's, freezing the air.
"Little one, real interested in our business?"
I shook violently, words failing—voice unstable, near-scream. "I-I… just…"
Kang Cheolho nodded meaningfully at Ryu Kyung-hwan, eyes gleaming with cruel fun. "Get ready."
Invisible energy thickened from Ryu Kyung-hwan's hands, ominous in the air. I sensed it instinctively: I'd be controlled soon, forced into horrors against my will.
One name burned in her mind. '…Oppa… help… please…'
Invisible strings closed in; Kang Cheolho's wicked laugh echoed. Dusk fell outside, darkness swallowing the apartment—like her despair.
Back in the studio apartment, mid-bite, a message popped up before me.
Rescue Operation
Lee Seoyul, needing more intel, was caught by Kang Cheolho while pushing too hard. She's a mere puppet now, limbs bound.
You're next on the list.
Eliminate the threat Kang Cheolho to protect yourself and those around you.
The rice from my chopsticks tumbled onto my thigh. "What the… what's this?"