The Pistol Endurance Test

I had ended up inside a zombie apocalypse novel. But things weren't progressing as fast as I'd expected. The reason was simple: the cult was far more organized than I'd given them credit for. There had to be a give if there was a take. Demands had to be logged. Plenty of holes might exist if you dug deep enough, but prying them open right now seemed impossible.

Getting them to run errands so my Beopbong could be repaired and the blade sharpened had been fine. The problem was that wandering around more than necessary in the process had apparently drawn the Prophet's attention, along with the other Saintesses. The two Saintesses cooperating with me already had records, so it was only natural they'd start asking what I was preparing so diligently for. The bonus threat that they'd turn me into a host if I tried anything stupid came with the package.

“…So we have to lie low for a while?”

“Yes. The Prophet said that if you have any requests, you should tell her directly.”

“But we can't show that bitch everything we need, can we?”

“Exactly, so for now we should take some time…”

“Hmm…”

To be honest, I wanted to carry out the plan safely too. If I rushed and failed, the next escape attempt would be dead in the water. This plan only worked because that loser was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠underestimating me. It was only possible because they were defending the island with nothing but the hunter I'd handed a pistol to. Like the loser said, even if I could somehow endure a pistol—or even a shotgun—an escape attempt would obviously tighten security. If I somehow obtained and brought back a rifle, that would be the end of it.

Still, I couldn't just sit back and wait leisurely. It would be different if I could at least get information about the outside world, but waiting without a single scrap of intel was basically suicide. Escaping wasn't the finish line. I had to account for how the surrounding forces had changed. Outside powers from Gyeongsang Province could crawl in, just like Noh Changhun warned. Baron, who'd been quietly stockpiling strength, might descend on us.

So if it were up to me, I'd want to get out as soon as possible. If only I could hear news from outside. But not a single piece of outside information was reaching me.

“…Do your best. I know you're already doing it.”

“Yes, understood.”

In the end, all I could offer were these formal words. If only I could move around myself… But I was stuck acting weaker than I actually was, which made everything difficult. Plus, me wandering around would only burden the two of them more. Shackles, iron ball, handcuffs—every kind of restraint was locked on me.

Still, the effort hadn't been wasted. A few more days later, Kang Shin brought the Beopbong and blade with obvious difficulty. A handwritten letter came as an extra.

The situation clicked immediately.

“This person must have known me.”

The Beopbong was one of two intimidation props that a man named Kim Ha-young had made before he disappeared. It weighed over five kilograms, so there was no way he could've taken it when evacuating. He'd taken one just in case, but it seemed he'd left the other for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me—as thanks for helping the soldiers trying to rescue civilians and for clearing out the nearby zombies.

The letter practically radiated joy. It also carried an apology that he would've liked to meet if the situation allowed, but couldn't. He'd simply melted down his old iron bat and reforged it since he had other weapons anyway.

“Oh…”

Just like the letter said, the Beopbong felt three times heavier. I couldn't touch it with the handcuffs on, but the way the two of them were grunting told me everything. Yeah, I'd already suspected the Beopbong felt lighter than before. That was why zombies sometimes didn't die in a single swing. Now I wouldn't have to worry about attack power at all. Not many variants would survive a clean hit to the head from a weapon like this.

The blade had been sharpened exactly the way I wanted. The crude edge was now perfectly honed. Its sharpness was obvious at a glance; swinging it would slice through flesh like tofu. I had never been particularly interested in swords and didn't think I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ever would be, but seeing this made me completely reconsider.

“Stop admiring it already.”

“It'd be a shame not to admire something like this.”

“You said we don't have time. Preparations are finished. Only one thing left.”

Kang Shin's voice was ice-cold. I gave a wry smile. No more delaying, even if I wanted to. The experiment to see whether I could endure a pistol. I'd already finished the situational rehearsals—two different scenarios. One where a gunshot rang out and no one came for a long time, and another where people arrived immediately after the shot. There wouldn't be any problems running the test. The only issue was that I was terrified.

A gun. A pistol. No matter how solid the theory that I could endure one, the pressure of a muzzle aimed at me was overwhelming. Just imagining it pointed my way made my whole body tremble. Still, it was time to shake off the fear of guns and find out exactly how far my body could endure.

I quietly signaled Suhyeon beside me. She fitted the prepared gag into my mouth, and I stretched my leg out so Kang Shin could aim comfortably. Calf or thigh—places where a bullet passing through or lodging wouldn't cause serious problems.

Kang Shin slowly drew the pistol. Then the gunshot roared.

…!!!!

At first I didn't even register the pain. Then agony slammed into me like a tidal wave. If Suhyeon hadn't pinned me down immediately, I was certain I would've thrashed like a fish on dry land. But the experiment wasn't over. Enduring one shot wasn't enough. I needed to know how many consecutive bullets I could take.

Kang Shin emptied the entire magazine into my leg without hesitation.

…!!!!!

For a while an ugly scene played out. I flailed in pain while Suhyeon desperately held me so I wouldn't smash into anything. But as time passed the agony faded, and I grew confident I could endure it next time.

The results were extremely positive. My leg only had bruises and welts. Every bullet had hit dead-on. At this rate, a shotgun seemed survivable too. A few bullet fragments in the skin didn't even count as an injury for me. My regeneration was strong enough to push foreign objects out during the healing process.

So unless they brought a rifle, nothing could stop me.

“You'll need to watch your eyes. And your ears. You're seriously a monster.”

“…I completely agree. Already enduring pistols.”

“Fuck… it hurts so bad… damn it…”

I spat out the gag and whimpered. Even if I could endure it, the pain was real. The impact concentrated in such a small area made it hurt like hell. But the situational acting wasn't finished. I put the gag back in. Whether people came quickly after the gunshot or not, I had to pass out here. I'd rampaged violently, so they used force and the pistol to subdue me. When I kept causing trouble, they struck the back of my head to knock me out. That sequence was part of both rehearsal scenarios—ending the situation by making them think the punishment was complete.

…?

So a blow to the back of my head should be coming any second. But Kang Shin's expression wasn't pleasant at all. It looked like she was finally venting every grievance she'd held back. I wondered what grievances she had, then remembered what happened last time. I tried to apologize, but it was already too late. Dull pain thudded against my skull several times. Even after I collapsed to the floor, the beating didn't stop—as if she wanted to make ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sure I was unconscious.

Still, it seemed to have ended well somehow. When I regained consciousness it was night, and Suhyeon and Kang Shin stood before me, fully prepared to escape.

“…”

They weren't in normal condition either. It looked like they'd been beaten after getting caught for some fault—their arms, stomachs, and legs were covered in bruises. Suhyeon, who had tried to hide the whip marks on her legs, turned her eyes away. I rose without a word. The back of my head still throbbed, but I wasn't in any state that would prevent escape.

I quietly reflected on the situation. How I'd ended up here. Who had caused me all this suffering. After recalling everything, I slowly clenched my fists. Soon the handcuffs twisted with a metallic screech. The shackles broke easily, and the chain attached to the iron ball snapped in moments.

I savored the feeling of freedom for a brief moment. But it wasn't over yet. I had to slip off the island as secretly as possible, straighten my clothes, blend into a crowd, and then race straight for the campus. A mountain of tasks still waited.

“…Let's go.”

Preparations didn't take long. I grabbed the Beopbong and mounted Jeokto. Since Suhyeon and Kang Shin had already scouted the route, there was no need to hesitate.

The operation was extremely simple. I'd pretend to be escaping alone. That way the hunters would naturally focus on me. If Suhyeon and Kang Shin chased after me, they'd soon join forces to pursue. We'd head for the bridge like that. I'd heard most of the troops guarding it were zombies anyway. The plan was to charge in blind, sweep away everyone on the bridge, and escape.

Guns? I wasn't too worried. After all, people don't die from bullets. They just hurt like hell.