The Inhumanity of the Hunt
The cheers of the people shouting "Long live the Gongdeok Alliance" still echoed in my ears long after the speech had ended. I left them behind, moving on to exchange greetings with the various faction representatives. A problem had arisen, however: the role of the "Security Force" we had so painstakingly established was now redundant. With the police joining us from Aeogae Station, the security issues were largely resolved. Naturally, having actual police officers on the job was far more stable. I couldn't just tell them to step down, but I couldn't just let them stand by, either. They were people who had taken on a role, after all. It felt wrong to strip them of their duties, especially after we had gone through the trouble of training them. It felt like a waste.
My brother provided the solution to this dilemma.
"Come to think of it, little sister, didn't you say a while back that we needed to go outside and scout?"
Right, I had said that. There was a clear limit to the supplies we could scavenge from the underground. Furthermore, we needed to secure drinking water from the surface in preparation for the eventuality that our groundwater became contaminated.
"If we use firearms while scouting outside, it’s going to make a lot of noise, isn't it? It would probably be better to use cold weapons when scouting for people, and wouldn't it be best if the Security Force, who have combat experience, moved in small teams?"
I nodded at his suggestion. It would indeed be safest for a small, combat-experienced team to scout the exterior and return. At that moment, Police Chief Lee Yeonggeun added his opinion from the side.
"If you exit through Aeogae Station Exit 2, it will be easy to leave and convenient to return. If you go straight from the Line 2 exit direction, there’s a building right next to it, and an elementary school just one block away."
He patted my shoulder and added, "It would be good to start expanding toward the surface, too. If everyone lives only underground, they’ll go mad soon enough. It wouldn't be a bad idea to establish a base on the surface, even if just for the sake of getting some sunlight, right?"
Hearing this, I couldn't help but agree. When I relayed this opinion, Mr. Kim Daeyang—who had become something of a vice-representative for the Security Force—readily agreed as well. And so, we decided to rename the "Security Force" to the "Scout Team." Naturally, Jang Yeeun and I were included in the team, and my armament was decided accordingly: a fire axe. We had discovered an extra one, and that was that.
...Since I had been granted "superhuman strength," it was best to use it to the fullest. And it was a relief that I didn't have the risk of being infected in close-quarters combat. Thinking about it this way, perhaps becoming a Half-Zombie wasn't all that bad? ...The moment I thought that, I suddenly saw Jang Yeeun sleeping nearby. She looked calm, unlike her usual self, though her expression held a hint of unease. Watching her, an unbearable hunger boiled up from within my body.
"...No, no..."
Hot saliva pooled in my mouth. That hunger, that craving. My fingertips trembled slightly, and I clutched my elbow. I tried to regain my senses, but my hand was already moving toward my arm. I was biting into my own arm. I tried to hold back until the very end, but my fingertips had already pierced the skin. Blood dripped down. My lips trembled at the taste of that hot blood, and in the end, unable to resist, I sucked it in.
"...This is absolutely not good... damn it..."
The time between bouts of hunger was getting shorter. I could still hold out for now, but if the hunger kept closing in on me like this, what would happen? To head toward Seoul National University via the Sillim Line—whether through Saetgang Station or Daebang Station—I would need a force of a certain size. The stations along the Sillim Line were completely overrun by the infected. To safely pass through, I would need the help of far more people than in the original story.
At that moment, the blood in my mouth felt thick and viscous. As it slid past my lips and tongue, down into my throat, a terrible craving surged through my gut once more. And even that craving began to fade into the distance as I fell into a sleep that felt like fainting.
The next morning, we headed toward Aeogae Station. Jang Yeeun and I walked in the lead, followed by a fair number of volunteers. They were the people who would help transport the supplies stored at Aeogae Station back to Gongdeok Station.
"It's a relief that the load is light."
"Right? This shouldn't be too difficult, should it?"
Jang Yeeun laughed, lifting her bag with one hand and setting it back down. ...She’s got some strength. Since this was our first scout, we had hand-picked only the best from the "Scout Team," so the total number of personnel was less than ten. Just then, Ms. Bae Sunok walked toward me, waving before she headed down to the underground.
"Representative, please take care of yourself."
"Yes, thank you, ma'am."
The people led by Ms. Bae Sunok were already heading up to the third basement level to check the supplies and prepare for transport. We passed the third basement level and gradually made our way up. The escalators were, of course, stopped, and we climbed them one by one. The thumping sound of our footsteps felt ominous.
Passing the corridor on the first basement level, soldiers were standing guard at every exit. As if they already knew of our arrival, they cleared the path as soon as we reached the stairs. At that moment, one of the soldiers approached and pointed toward the direction of Exit 2.
"Just in case, we will block Exit 2 the moment you enter. Please don't take it the wrong way."
We nodded silently. Without a word, we passed him and headed toward Exit 2. When we reached the exit, the space immediately adjacent to the elevator was covered with iron plates. The surroundings were silent, and only our footsteps and breathing filled the corridor.
...Clack, clack, clack.
The sound of iron plates being minutely scraped. The moment everyone was ready, I reached out and pulled the iron plate on the left, opening it quickly. Right in front of us, there was an infected standing by the elevator. I instantly raised my axe and brought it down on its head.
Thwack!
The infected's head burst, blue blood splattering as it collapsed to the floor. As the sound echoed, we exhaled the breath we had been holding, and the people carrying spears and makeshift shields stepped forward immediately. Fortunately, there was only one infected next to Exit 2.
"Move forward, quickly!"
The Scout Team moved immediately. Our task was to secure the building right next to Exit 2. Only after the building next to the exit was cleared could we proceed with further expansion. Having entered the building, we secured the revolving glass door. We blocked it firmly so it wouldn't move, ensuring no sound could leak through the gaps.
After blocking the door, the team members with shields immediately moved near the broken glass door nearby to hold their positions. Jang Yeeun and the shield-bearers would block any potential intrusion by infected from the outside on the first floor. And if push came to shove, Jang Yeeun could signal us using the "sonic arrows" she carried. While she stepped back a pace to keep watch on the surroundings, I and the other team members moved a little further in.
That was when a faint sound reached my ears. It was a squelching sound. Like the sound of stepping on wet fabric, a sticky, viscous noise. In an instant, tension surged through my entire body, and my heart began to race. Reflexively, I gripped my hand axe and spun around, throwing it in the direction of the sound.
The axe sliced through the air. At that moment, crunch! The axe embedded itself into the torso of an infected approaching from behind. The sound was like flesh being torn apart, causing the infected to stagger and collapse on the spot. There was no wound on its head; only its upper body had been stopped by the impact of the axe. In the meantime, one of the team members behind me raised a spear and pierced the infected's head. The blade punched through, and blood splattered everywhere. The infected stiffened for a moment before keeling over.
My heart was still pounding rapidly.
"This time, quickly..."
As we approached the stairs, I felt a strange sensation. It was as if my footsteps were becoming heavy, my body slowing down of its own accord. Then, the stench that pierced my nose began to surge in even more strongly. It was a foul odor that was hard to ignore, even with my already dulled sense of smell—the cold scent of iron and the smell of rotting meat. And as we reached the top of the stairs, a black, red, and sticky substance covered the floor. The entire floor was coated in a greasy film, and it looked as if something had burst, scattering the mess everywhere.
I held my breath and carefully opened the door. Beyond it, a swarm of infected poured out. They moved toward us, rolling across the floor without making a single sound. Their skin was pale and bloated. Some had flesh torn away, revealing bone, and pus and blood oozed from various places. The dark red liquid had been spreading across the floor, following them. They pushed forward, their bodies overlapping. The red masses of flesh were tangled together, and sticky liquid flowed down the floor. One infected, its limbs severed and rotting away, was being crushed by the others. Some were unable to move, stuck in lumps, or mixed into the pits along with fluids that flowed out like vomit. It was a sight so transformed that they could no longer be called human.
I gripped the axe mechanically. At that moment, the cold iron axe pierced their necks, and blood splattered everywhere. Blood streaked across my face, and I began to strike their heads one by one. The axe split an infected's head in two. With a sharp impact, red blood sprayed in all directions. The blood splashed onto my face, and the smell became even more pungent. And when I finally struck the head of the mass of infected...
Only then did I turn around. The Scout Team members were staring at me with pale faces. Their eyes were trembling minutely. It was an expression that seemed to ask, 'What on earth did I just see?'
Only then did I look down at the axe in my hand. The strength in my grip felt as if it might shatter the handle at any moment. The minute trembling felt in my wrist. The dark red liquid dripping from the tip of the axe blade. I couldn't tell if that blood belonged to the infected or to me. No, there was no need to distinguish the difference anymore.
I inhaled. And in that moment, I realized something. I felt absolutely nothing. No disgust, no fear, no guilt. Looking at the torn, crushed corpses of the infected strewn before me, I felt no emotion at all. Just...
They’re all dead.
That one thought was all there was. At that moment, I heard the sound of the Scout Team members taking a step back.