The Weight of a Shared Fate
I had no idea how much time had passed since I got sucked into this damn zombie novel. Suddenly, Noh Changhun shot up from his seat and thrust the end of the mop handle toward me.
“Ooh……”
“I really threw this together, so don’t even think about blocking with it.”
“Got it.”
“Swing it like you’re attacking from a distance. If you twist the bat, it comes apart.”
“Like this?”
I didn’t know what trick he’d used, but Noh Changhun was right. He’d hammered a nail into the mop handle, wrapped it thick with rope, and connected it to Beopbong. The ropes were secured with a plastic grip, and twisting it released the connection. That way I could separate the iron club from the long handle and fight at close range too.
“You did a good job.”
“It only looks good. Like I said before, don’t try to block with it.”
“Yeah, I got it.”
“Go test it on those trees over there a few times.”
“Huh? Okay. What are you gonna do?”
“I need a minute to mentally prepare.”
“Hah, are we marching to our deaths or something?”
“Could be.”
Noh Changhun said it with a straight face. I wondered why he was suddenly acting so serious. Normally he’d just mutter something like “let’s erase the possibility of failure so we don’t lose momentum.” But then again, he was the author. He probably had his reasons. Did he really need to act all solemn like this…?
I was a little worried, but it was fine. There wasn’t a single thing in this world that could survive a proper punch from that bastard. Even if we ran into strong mutants, the two of us working together should be enough. Still, why did he keep staring at me?
“What?”
“Things might go well, but if they don’t, we might have to split up.”
“……Right now?”
“No. After we take down Baron. There are a few survivor groups we need to visit. You might have to go to one of them.”
“Whatever. That’s a problem for later. For now let’s just do what you said and take down Baron first.”
“Well, I won’t blame you if you run.”
“Come on, we’re in this together, aren’t we? If you die, I’m screwed too. So, are we leaving?”
“No. Leave the cart here.”
“……Why?”
“You’ll see.”
Noh Changhun lightly loosened up his body. The whole way there he kept saying it was fine if I ran. It was weird hearing that from the guy who usually grumbled at me for killing the mood. So I teased him the entire walk, asking if he was scared. But once we actually reached the airport, I understood.
Beyond the wall that blocked off the airport grounds, a massive horde of zombies had gathered. No, calling it a horde didn’t even come close. Dozens upon dozens of zombies filled the area. My body didn’t just heat up—it started boiling. This was something we needed to turn around from. It wasn’t something we could face recklessly. Even with dozens of survivors charging together, our odds would still be slim. A flail? Tonfas? These pathetic weapons weren’t going to cut it. The sheer number of normal zombies alone was on a completely different scale.
And not only that—these zombies were actually patrolling. Groups of ten to twenty zombies were slowly circling the airport grounds. After watching for nearly ten minutes, it was obvious. They were using the relatively expendable normal zombies as sentries while the mutants stayed protected. If intruders appeared, the normal ones would engage first, then the mutants would strike. A classic pincer.
“This is suicide.”
“Calm down.”
“No, Changhun. This is literally suicide. I’m burning up right now.”
“……I know.”
“It’s past heating up. My whole body is boiling. My gut is screaming that we shouldn’t go.”
“I said I know.”
“Look, we don’t have to cross straight through here anyway.”
“I know.”
“Then what the hell do you know?”
My survival instincts were screaming at full volume. I racked my brain for any way to convince this idiot to turn back. But no matter how hard I thought, I couldn’t come up with a clear plan. Even though I was just a chamdokchung, I had read the whole novel. If the noble grew stronger at this point in the story, even the protagonist wouldn’t be able to beat him. My brain understood that, but fear was still fear.
No wonder the bastard had said it was fine if I ran. No wonder he’d left the cart behind. He’d been planning to break through alone even if I didn’t follow. Normal words wouldn’t persuade him. If I sounded hesitant, he’d just charge in by himself. So I took a deep breath and carefully chose my next words.
“……………………”
“If you’re going to say something, say it now.”
“Seriously… can’t we just run? We can come back and kill him later.”
“No. As the author, I know better. At this stage, there should be at least half as many zombies as this.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“Nope.”
“You fucking bastard.”
That fucking bastard gave his short answer and casually hopped over the wall. He even added that I didn’t have to follow, all while knowing I had no real choice. Honestly, I wanted to bolt right then and there. But if he died? I’d be trapped in this world forever. As long as I stuck with him, there was still hope of escaping someday. So I had no choice but to follow.
The dice had already been thrown by that bastard. I’d just been dragged into the gamble with him.
“Haaaa……”
A sigh slipped out on its own. Logically, going to help him was the right move. But my feet wouldn’t budge. It didn’t feel like I might die. It felt like I would die. And not from fighting—from before the fighting even started.
So I had no choice but to stand there and watch Noh Changhun fight. Normal zombies were never going to be a match for him anyway. He grabbed one by the arm and swung it like a bat. Each swing sent zombies flying through the air before smashing into the ground. Having cleared a path, he charged forward and was quickly swallowed by the shrieking horde. I could see his arms moving occasionally—he was probably tensing his muscles to block—but it was obvious he wouldn’t last long.
Killing Baron meant facing all kinds of mutants. A paranoid bastard like Baron, who kept backup heirs just to protect himself, wouldn’t have only one guard force. Thirty minutes felt like the absolute limit.
“………………”
I heard Lee Yeji’s voice. The way she kept calling “Unnie, unnie.” I heard an unfamiliar man’s voice too. The way he kept saying “Noona, noona” while desperately squeezing out strength. So I pulled the headset down hard over my ears and gripped the mop handle tight.
I’d started to think I was living a little too comfortably lately. I knew it would come back to this. Turns out I wasn’t meant to have an easy life. I was supposed to roll in the dirt, beg for my life, and survive in the most miserable way possible. Once I accepted that, I felt better.
“Looks like I’m gonna get my stomach punched again.”
I remembered when Lee Yeji had asked me to be bait. The thought of whether I could survive and see her again flashed through my mind for a second. By the time I came back to my senses, I was already over the wall and sprinting across the airport grounds.
Of course, the zombies Noh Changhun had knocked down earlier were starting to get back up.
“It’s a team fight! A team fight! If you mess up, you die!”
I clenched my teeth and swung the flail sideways. Beopbong whistled through the air and smashed several zombie heads to pieces. But taking out only three or four barely made a dent. The empty spots were instantly filled by more zombies. Dragging things out like this was pointless. So I minimized my responses and just ran. Stopping even once would be the end.
“Ack! Ow, shit!”
“Grrrrrr!”
“Don’t bite me, you fuck!”
“Grrr!”
“Grrrrr……!”
I didn’t have Noh Changhun’s breakthrough power. I should have run with him from the start. That way we could have kept the momentum and torn through the zombies together. But a tank without any damage dealers was bound to get bitten. Naturally the zombies latched onto me and dragged me down. Whether the bite wounds tore open or my body got scratched, I had no choice but to ignore it and keep sprinting. The only time I swung the flail was when it felt too dangerous. Otherwise I just ran.
Thankfully, because Noh Changhun had drawn most of the attention, there were fewer zombies chasing me near the airport building. At least I had enough time to slip through the door and catch my breath.
I immediately separated Beopbong from the mop handle and jammed it into the glass door’s handle. Just in case, I also locked the manual latch above it, then took a deep breath.
“Ugh, I got bitten like crazy.”
The biters had taken chunks out of me. My body was a mess. My arms had lost less flesh, but my legs were shredded. I could tell I’d lost at least five hundred grams of meat. It felt like I’d stuck my leg in a river full of piranhas. Fuck, no wonder it stung every time I took a step. Still, being inside the building was better. Most of all, I could hear heavy thuds coming from somewhere—Noh Changhun was smashing things apart, and the zombies’ groans echoed through the halls.
I sprinted down the corridor to join the fight, but then I saw them. Yeah, of course. Baron must have deliberately gathered other zombies here. Dozens of normal zombies could easily be holding a meeting in a place like this.
“Mommy……”
But why the hell were the normal zombies holding weapons? They were just basic rocks, but the moment I saw them an ominous feeling washed over me. No, it was definitely ominous. The zombie at the front clumsily pulled its arm back. Then, in time with a short grunt, the others hurled their stones too. Their aim was terrible and their posture was garbage, but the force behind the throws couldn’t be ignored. I knew that after getting hit a few times. If one struck me wrong, I was done.
“Grrr!”
“Again?”
Worst of all, the spot I’d entered was a dead end. I couldn’t run. And if I carelessly opened a door, I’d probably get sandwiched. It was a perfect no-win situation. My half-assed decision to enter the narrow corridor had backfired. In a fistfight, a narrow corridor was good because it limited how many enemies could attack at once. But against thrown rocks, I was just a big, easy target.
And sure enough, a rock flew straight at my forehead.
“……Ow.”
A burning sensation spread as blood trickled down slowly. The zombies took that as their signal and all pulled their other arms back at once. One rock per hand. Two volleys total. I guess I should be grateful they didn’t carry rocks in their pockets.
Thinking that, I hurriedly crouched and did my best to block with my arms and Beopbong. Of course, the rocks still hurt like hell.