Emergency Approval
Using the crossbow materials Mari had given him, Kim Jun got right back to work.
“Um, what should we do now?”
“See this wooden stock? The three of you sand it down nice and smooth with the rasp.”
“Ah, got it.”
“And Do Kyung, go grab some varnish. We’ll need to seal it right after sanding.”
“Okay, I’ll find it.”
The top stars were now completely used to the work.
Even thinking back to his military days, Kim Jun figured these girls had accumulated enough experience to be equivalent to a private first class.
The girls who used to elegantly hold nothing but microphones or spoons with their spotless white hands were now wearing gloves, handling saws, sandpaper, and every tool he gave them like pros.
“Oppa, is this good enough?”
“Hmm… you still need to sand down where I marked it with the Sharpie so it disappears.”
“Ah, okay.”
Rana had been inspecting the crossbow stock but went back to sanding the wood after hearing Kim Jun’s instructions.
“Don’t sand in just one direction or you’ll get blisters.”
“Yes~ We’ll take turns.”
After Rana, Mari took over sanding, and by the time Do Kyung returned with the varnish, the three of them had produced a perfectly finished crossbow stock through rotation.
“Alright~ Want to try holding it?”
When the three top stars touched the polished frame and grip of the crossbow, Kim Jun smiled at how smooth it felt.
“Great job! You can rest for a bit now.”
“Oww~ It stings.”
Unlike Mari and Do Kyung, Rana grabbed her thumb and held it out to Kim Jun. When he saw how red and swollen it was, his mouth fell open.
Chu—
“Oh my…”
“It needs cooling. Put some cold water on it.”
As Kim Jun licked the tip of Rana’s thumb and gently massaged it, both Do Kyung and Mari subtly tried to offer their own fingers, but the special service ended after just one round.
Kim Jun smiled with satisfaction at the crossbow stock the top stars had sanded so well, then combined it with the hacksaw blade Mari had provided.
They tied it, sanded it, trimmed it, and assembled it once more while everyone watched.
After two full days of work, they had completed the Crossbow MK2. Once again using umbrella spokes for arrows, Kim Jun aimed at the target in front of everyone.
This time he made thorough preparations, having everyone stand far back. He even wore a high-impact helmet and full protective gear just in case.
The moment he pulled the trigger, the hacksaw-powered limb and string snapped forward, launching the umbrella-spoke arrow.
THWUUUUNG!!!
The aluminum umbrella rib that could be bent by hand flew like a missile and punched straight through the target board.
“Whoa~”
“It worked!”
“I want to shoot next!”
When Emily stepped forward, Kim Jun stopped her.
“It’s not done yet. We still need to make more arrows and keep testing.”
“That’s why I’m saying let me test it!”
“Nope. Not yet.”
Because it was dangerous, he wouldn’t let anyone touch it until it was completely proven safe.
Of course, once it was, he’d let them shoot until they got sick of it.
Kim Jun continued experimenting with the crossbow, making ergonomic improvements along the way.
He also created various types of arrows to compare which ones were most lethal.
“Umbrella spokes, wooden arrows split into three prongs like harpoons, arrows made by twisting wire around nails, aluminum pipes cut at an angle…”
He tried everything he could think of.
Crack.
The most effective turned out to be aluminum pipes thinner than a pinky finger, cut into spear-like shafts.
After experiencing the crossbow’s destructive power—piercing through targets and even scratching concrete walls—Kim Jun wore a deeply satisfied expression.
He fired a hundred rounds from the same spot to complete the testing, then added sights and a scope to put the finishing touch on his creation.
“Alright~ Everyone gather around.”
He made a new target and called over all eight top stars. Just like when they had practiced with the slingshot, Kim Jun demonstrated first.
Thud.
Shiiiik— Thwack!
The crossbow arrow flew with terrifying speed after loading and pierced straight through the center of the target, its tail quivering.
“Wow…”
“That’s insanely powerful.”
“If it hits someone in the head, it’d explode.”
Unlike last time, there were no major accidents. The crossbow had been excellently completed and now functioned as a proper weapon. Kim Jun began calling the girls forward one by one for training.
“So, who wants to go first?”
“As the oldest, I should…”
“I want to do it!”
When Gaya cautiously stepped forward, Emily’s eyes sparkled as she stared at the crossbow.
She had been begging to try it for a while now, and today was no different.
Kim Jun looked at the two of them and handed it to Gaya first.
“Gaya goes first, then Emily. We’ll set an order after that.”
“Then I’m after Emily!”
Do Kyung waved her hand, and the rest of the order was set: Eun Ji, In Ah, Mari, Rana, and Nanika.
Gaya nervously fumbled as she slowly loaded the arrow and drew the string.
“If it’s too hard, brace it with your foot and pull hard.”
“L-like this?”
Click.
“Good.”
Once the loading sound confirmed it was ready, she lifted it and aimed through the sights and scope. Just like with the slingshot, Gaya was trembling.
But she had been training, and as the eldest sister she was determined to show something impressive. She placed her finger on the trigger.
“Okay~ Think of it as pushing slowly. One~ two~ three!”
Fwoosh—
Thwack!
The aluminum arrow sliced through the air and embedded itself just barely off-center in the target.
“Okay!”
“Wow…”
There was no heavy recoil like a gun. Seeing that it had flown fast and hit the target, Gaya gave a faint smile.
“One more time!”
“Yes!”
This time, without Kim Jun’s help, she loaded the arrow herself, aimed, and fired.
It took a little longer, but the shot flew beautifully.
After that, Emily—who had been dying to shoot—along with the calmer Do Kyung, Eun Ji, In Ah, Mari, Rana, and Nanika each took two shots.
When pulling arrows out of the target, he made them wear helmets and gloves, warning them to be extra careful.
It was to prevent anyone from getting hurt if an arrow suddenly came flying out.
Once preparations were complete, Kim Jun judged that the crossbow’s power was far better than expected and decided to make a few more while he was at it.
“It’s going to get intense from now on. I have the blueprints, but machining them took several days.”
“But this time, we should help too.”
Always preparing for the worst, the top stars decided to rotate and assist in weapon production so they could make them on their own even if Kim Jun wasn’t around.
Kim Jun quickly carved the frame for the second crossbow himself, and the group continued working to arm the top stars.
Bang bang! Bang!
“The hell?”
Kim Jun, who had been taking a short nap due to accumulated fatigue, jolted awake.
It was only 3 PM—not dinner time—so he wondered what the commotion was about and opened the door.
“Oppa! Hurry!”
“Zombies! Zombieszombieszombies!!!!”
Rana and Do Kyung clung to him, their faces deathly pale.
The moment he heard that zombies had appeared again, Kim Jun immediately grabbed his gun.
[Kiaaaaaagh!]
[Ugh— Uuuuugh— Kuuuuurgh—]
The top stars gathered on the third-floor rooftop were also extremely tense.
Kim Jun first aimed his shotgun at the zombie clinging to the wall and fired.
Bang!
The slug bullet tore through one zombie’s head.
“Is anyone downstairs right now?”
“It’s Eun Ji unnie!”
Kim Jun quickly looked down and saw Eun Ji waiting in front of the electric barrier switch where the zombies were clustered against the wall.
“Eun Ji! Flip the switch!”
As if she had been waiting for those words, Eun Ji threw the switch. For the first time, the electric barrier activated.
[Uuuuuuuuurgh—]
Crackle— Boom!
A zombie that had been slowly climbing the wall after latching onto it grabbed the barbed wire carrying electric current. Sparks flew, and its hand exploded.
The effect of the electric barbed wire barricade was tremendous.
The moment the zombies approached, high-voltage current surged through them, blowing apart their flesh. The front side was definitely blocked.
But that wasn’t the only direction.
“Ah… Oppa!!! They’re coming from behind too!!!”
At Emily’s shout, Kim Jun spun around with his gun and spotted zombies slowly approaching the wall beyond the rainwater tank.
“Shit!”
“We all have to defend together!”
At Gaya’s words, Kim Jun closed his eyes and quickly assessed the situation.
Then he opened them again and shouted rapid orders.
“Eun Ji, watch the electric fence on the front side! Gaya and Mari, use the slingshots and monitor the situation!”
“Yes, understood!”
“Rana, watch the back side and tell me the direction of the closest approaching zombies!”
“Ugh— Y-yes!”
Rana looked like she was about to cry from panic, but she bit her lip and scanned the area through the binoculars.
“Nanika, watch carefully. These are lead pellets, and this is how you load the air gun.”
He showed her how to load the single-shot air gun by opening the breech and inserting pellets one by one.
“From now on I’ll be switching between the shotgun and air gun. Load them immediately when I hand them to you.”
“Y-yes! I’ll… do my best!”
“Do Kyung and In Ah, run between the first and third floors. Bring me the arrows and nuts I made that are stored in the warehouse.”
“Got it!”
Do Kyung and In Ah ran back and forth, acting as supply runners.
And finally, the last remaining girl—the blonde Emily.
“Emily!”
“Yes~”
“…Take the crossbow!”
In the urgent situation, Kim Jun assigned the crossbow to Emily.
She still needed more practice, but given the circumstances, he gave her emergency approval.
It was time to fight a defensive battle against the surrounding zombies from inside the now-fortified Kim Jun’s House.
“Shoot!”
Fwoosh—
Thwack—
Crunch!
[Uuuuurgh!!!]
The sounds of slingshots firing from front and back, the pop of the air gun, and the whistle of crossbow bolts rang out in a chaotic symphony.
And all three shots hit their marks.
“Unnie, not that way! If you shoot from there it’ll hit the fence!”
“Right! Over here!”
From the opposite side came the coordinated voices of the three older sisters—Gaya, Eun Ji, and Mari—working together.
“Here are the nuts!”
“Put them there and check on Jun oppa!”
Eun Ji seemed to be commanding quite well.
Meanwhile, Kim Jun and Emily aimed their shotgun and crossbow at the approaching zombies once again.
“Left side, in front of the water tank!”
At Rana’s shout, Kim Jun immediately spotted a zombie’s head rising over the wall.
“I’ll take it!”
“Okay!”
Bang!
With the shotgun blast, the zombie’s head exploded and it collapsed immediately.
Fortunately, the distance kept the blood from splattering onto the water tank.
“There’s another one next to it!”
At Rana’s cry, Emily this time aimed through the crossbow’s scope like a seasoned deer hunter and pulled the trigger.
Fweeeeee—
Splat!
The aluminum arrow pierced straight through the zombie’s head.
The creature flailed its arms in the air, staggered, and then collapsed with a thud.
It was an emergency weapon, but its effectiveness was incredible.
“Nanika!”
“Loading complete!”
Nanika handed him the air gun loaded with a lead pellet. Kim Jun took it and spotted a zombie staggering behind the wall near the villa.
Ding—
With a clean sound, the tiny lead pellet punched through the zombie’s forehead, dropping it instantly.
Crackle—
Boom— Boom boom boom boom!!!
“Oh no!!!”
Screams came from In Ah and Do Kyung near the front gate.
“Emily! Check the situation!”
Kim Jun spun around and ran to the other side, raising his gun. When he saw what was happening, his mouth fell wide open.
A zombie hanging on the high-voltage electric fence had literally exploded, its corpse dangling in pieces.
It was burned pitch black, giving off a acrid smell, with bits of flesh scattered everywhere behind it.
“Hey! All of you get up here! You’ll get covered in blood if you stay down there!”
Kim Jun shouted for the three older sisters and the supply girls downstairs to come up immediately.
Click.
“Loaded!”
Kim Jun took the air gun Nanika handed him again, calmly aimed, and fired at another moving zombie.
Ding—
Crack!
While the electric barbed wire Kim Jun had installed held back the horde, another one tried to climb over.
But Kim Jun fired the air gun, sending the pellet through the narrow gaps in the wire and straight into the zombie’s forehead.
It was truly a godlike display of skill.
The defensive battle lasted two hours. More than twenty zombies had already been killed.
“Oppa! We cleared this side!”
“Really?”
Emily, who had been firing the crossbow, along with Gaya, Eun Ji, and Mari supporting her with slingshots, had taken down every zombie that tried to climb up.
With the front gate also completely cleared of zombies, now reduced to scattered chunks, Kim Jun let out a sigh of relief and sat down.
It had been a sudden attack, but their training hadn’t been in vain. Everyone had worked together perfectly.
Hiss— Click.
He immediately lit a cigarette and took a drag. Nanika sat down beside him with a look of relief as well.
In that moment, after taking one puff, Kim Jun offered the cigarette to Nanika.
“…Huu—”
Without hesitation, Nanika took the cigarette from Kim Jun, inhaled deeply, and exhaled a long plume of smoke.
The second invasion had been successfully repelled while Kim Jun was present.