The Mapo Purge
The next morning, I woke up alongside Jang Yeeun. The moment I opened my eyes, the exhaustion of the previous day pressed down on my body like lead. I shifted in my sleep, closing my eyes for a brief moment, but then her face came into view. Tear tracks were streaming down her cheeks, and the sight of them made me bolt upright.
"...Ugh."
My hands and feet were swollen, and every slight movement sent a jolt of sharp pain through my limbs. This damn menhera girl’s body was just too fragile. "Yeeun-ssi," I whispered. She began to stir on the bed, letting out a soft moan. At that very instant, my eyes widened in alarm. I quickly clamped my hand over her mouth to stop her from making a sound. Her breath brushed against my fingertips.
Just then, a scratching sound echoed against the apartment door.
"The infected seem sensitive to sound," I whispered. Jang Yeeun nodded quickly. We held our breath and waited. After a long while, the sound gradually faded into the distance. Only then did we let out a long, heavy sigh and look at each other on the bed. Everything was a mess. I handed a CalorieMate to Jang Yeeun. We hadn't had a chance to pack any supplies, so this was all we had. She nodded, thanking me, but at the tail end of that acknowledgment, she burst into tears again.
"They were people who trusted me..." Jang Yeeun buried her face in the blankets, letting out a silent, agonizing scream. I patted her back, remaining quiet. Even so, I hated the fact that I had to acknowledge we had survived this situation. I hated that, in the midst of all this, I was thinking, I'm glad I survived.
It took a long time for Jang Yeeun to pull herself together. She apologized to me. I wanted to laugh and tell her there was nothing to be sorry for, but a smile wouldn't come. I tried to force an awkward grin, but my lips only managed a slight twitch. I tried to pretend I was smiling, but my heart wouldn't allow it. In the end, I gave up on the laughter and quietly took a CalorieMate, putting it in my mouth. I couldn't taste a thing, so I forced myself to swallow, moving like a machine rather than a living being.
"What... what should we do now?"
I had the answer ready. "The subway station. I think we should head to Mapo Station, which is close to this apartment. There should be defense forces stationed there, and they'll have water and food prepared."
Before I could even finish that sentence, a massive sound erupted from far away. Gunfire. Followed by the roar of explosives. We were out of time. Today was the day the ROK military was executing the 'Mapo District Purge Operation.'
The gunfire grew closer, and the explosions echoed with increasing intensity. It was the day the military would start a full-scale battle against the zombies, using Seoul as the stake... and the day they would suffer a crushing defeat. As the Mapo defense line collapsed, the zombies would spread throughout all of Seoul. But I also knew that this noise would create a brief window of opportunity. We had to use that gap. Now was our chance.
It had been a few days since martial law was declared, but the Sejong City Countermeasure Headquarters was pure chaos. Ministers were huddled around a map, shouting at each other. I sighed and reached for a cigarette, but threw it into the trash before I could even put it in my mouth. What kind of leisure do I have for that right now? I chided myself.
Reports from China were coming in incessantly, but only the port cities, including Shanghai, were barely holding on. Those damn Chinese. They should have just been honest from the start instead of hiding it. I returned to my seat to receive reports from the Minister of National Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"Mr. President," the Minister of National Defense approached. "The defense line on the outskirts of Seoul is about to collapse. The infected are advancing rapidly."
"Are you saying the nightmare of Incheon is repeating itself?"
The Minister nodded instead of answering. In just a few days, his hairline had retreated as far as the ROK military's retreat line during the Korean War. "We need immediate troop mobilization to defend Seoul."
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff agreed. The 1st Special Forces Brigade, the 1st Mechanized Infantry Division, the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Division, the 1st Armored Division, and even the 1st Marine Division—every single unit. The remaining units were kept as defense forces to guide refugees and prepare for unforeseen circumstances. We had already experienced a decisive defeat in Incheon. This was the result of squeezing out every bit of available power. In other words, if this operation failed, we would be forced into a purely defensive stance.
"If Mapo District is breached, all of Seoul is breached. Block all roads and annihilate the zombies starting from the outskirts of Mapo District."
Having witnessed the horrific situation in China, we had been thorough in preparing protective gear. All units were equipped with quarantine gear and defense systems to handle the zombies with minimal casualties. But the problem was time. International forces, centered around the US military, were somehow holding the line in China. Even if we stopped the situation now, what could we do about the hundreds of millions of infected pushing in from China?
For the first time, I was grateful for North Korea. Those insane warmongers were mobilizing their entire million-man army to desperately hold the border against China. Please, hold out as long as you can. You’ve poured every cent of your defense budget into that, haven't you?
General Kim Jeong-hwan, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stared at the screen, rapidly analyzing the Seoul defense plan displayed on the smartboard. "The 1st Mechanized Infantry Division, five maneuver battalions of the Capital Mechanized Infantry Division, seven maneuver battalions of the 1st Armored Division... these units will move to the east of Mapo District, along the Riverside Expressway, and the 1st Marine Division will block the southwest outskirts. Initiate immediate interdiction operations."
The 1st Special Forces Brigade was to block the northern road, and the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Division had to secure the initial contact point from the northwest.
"The key here is cross-interdiction. We must neutralize the spread of the zombies through all-around interdiction so they cannot head west past Mapo District."
"Once the strategic defense line is established, rear supply lines should quickly move to bypass roads instead of the blocked ones. Complete combat readiness within five hours."
Militarily, it was a battle against time. General Kim recognized this. "Execute annihilation operations in order, starting from the outskirts of Mapo. Remaining units, prepare for defense line reinforcement and follow-up support!"
A fierce battle began against a massive horde of zombies (Group A) heading south of the Han River, centered on the Riverside Expressway. Gunfire already echoed at the front lines, and the screen vividly showed Group A approaching the Seoul defense line. As the units poured out their firepower, the armored vehicles of the Mechanized Infantry Division and the strikes of the Special Forces continued.
"Group A is approaching, centered on the Riverside Expressway. Suppression operation start! Establish an attack line with coordinated operations between armored vehicles and infantry. They are swarming in larger numbers than expected."
Group A was heading toward Seoul along the Riverside Expressway. As the first collision occurred, the coordinated operation of armored vehicles and special units proceeded. The tanks of the 1st Mechanized Infantry Division advanced at the front, turning countless infected into ash. But the number of incoming infected was too great. The 1st Special Forces Brigade occupied the high ground and attacked the right flank of Group A alongside the mechanized infantry. They slaughtered the swarming infected, but it was only for a moment. The blind attacks of the infected kept pouring in.
"More are swarming than expected! To prevent the supply lines from being cut, mobilize the Special Forces, the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Division, and follow-up support units to quickly secure the rear supply lines!"
"Group B appearing at the front! Scale 300,000! Initiating combat with Group B!"
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff immediately ordered the reinforcement of the northern and southwestern defense lines and the deployment of covering fire on major roads. As Group B threatened the defense line, 300,000 of them swarmed north and southwest at once. The northern road was a vital entry point connecting to the north gate of Seoul. Armored units and airborne special forces were already positioned to preemptively block this front. Tank shells and machine-gun fire rained down, and the chain of mortar explosions shook the front.
The southwest outskirts were the points leading to major intersections and mountainous terrain surrounding Seoul. A massive horde of Group B swarmed here as well. The 1st Marine Division resisted fiercely at the front, but Group B swarmed in endlessly, changing angles and applying pressure.
"Combat at the northern and southwestern outskirts has begun in earnest!"
"Requesting rapid maneuver and concentrated fire support from armored vehicles, front-line infantry, and follow-up units!"
However, as Group B's horde kept pouring in, the front line grew thinner and thinner. And then, at that moment.
"Seoul outskirts defense line breached! Entering Mapo District! Group C has entered Mapo District! The front line has collapsed! Citizens have already evacuated, but the defense line is breached! Requesting support!"
"Scale 1.3 million!!!"