A Father's Misunderstanding
The rescue team from the zombie apocalypse novel was more of a formality than anything grand. Everyone's faces were familiar: Kim Yeonhua, Lee Ayoung, Kim Kijun, Kim Daehan, and finally Kang Seonghwa. Since this was our first real operation, I wanted to eliminate unnecessary risks. If the team got hurt and came back, negative opinions about future rescue missions would spread like wildfire. So I'd poured everything into planning supplies and recruiting the right people. Plus, Kim Kijun and Kim Daehan had been grinding under Professor Jeong Changhun and Kang Siwoo. They were supposedly receiving special training to serve as adjutants in emergencies, and now I'd pulled them out?
"Ahem."
The distance to Gaya 2-dong was supposedly three hours, yet we'd walked for only thirty minutes without a single attack. It was hard not to feel upbeat, and a little hum escaped my lips. If this mission went well, my standing would skyrocket. And getting closer to Kim Yeonhua was an added bonus.
"You seem to be in a good mood... Lady Lee Yeji."
"Ahaha."
Of course, not everyone shared that sentiment. While I rode the bicycle, the others had to pull the handcart. I'd given them a choice: fight in emergencies, or haul the cart during normal times. Then Kang Siwoo told me to let Kim Daehan and Kim Kijun handle combat instead. So naturally, I assigned the remaining three to the cart. Kang Seonghwa, being hot-blooded, would rather fight than pull, which explained his sour face. Kim Yeonhua and Lee Ayoung pushed without complaint, and everyone except Kang Seonghwa seemed content with their roles. I was satisfied too, aside from a minor grumble. It had been a while since I'd ridden a bike or held the Beopbong, and I was itching to test them out—except the zombies refused to appear.
I had this fantasy: people on bicycles charging like cavalry through a modern city. With Noh Changhun's custom staff attached, turning it into a polearm, and me on the bike, even a few regular zombies would have been perfect. But none showed up. Maybe it was because of the pouch tucked in my chest, yet the streets remained empty. If only I could explain it to them.
Kang Seonghwa's expression was a full display of discontent. He'd probably stay that way until he got to fight. Kim Kijun and Kim Daehan, mimicking Kang Siwoo, kept their mouths zipped unless necessary. Normally I'd chat with Kim Yeonhua and Lee Ayoung, but they were silently pushing the cart, leaving me dying of boredom. At least it wouldn't stay boring for long.
"Three regular zombies! I'll take them alone."
Three regular zombies stood dazed on the opposite sidewalk, staring blankly ahead. They noticed us and started running, but it was already too late. I pedaled hard, building speed, gripping the Beopbong tightly. Bracing with my core, I swung my left arm in a wide arc.
"Graaah!"
"Gurk!"
With a satisfying impact, two zombies flew through the air and crashed to the ground, motionless. The last one I rammed with the bike. This bicycle had gone through Noh Changhun's makeshift modifications and further tinkering by the engineering students, so calling it a bicycle anymore felt wrong. A more accurate description would be a pedal-powered motorcycle. Its durability and weight made body-checking zombies feasible, and though I'd only ridden it a few times, the stress relief was already palpable.
"Situation cleared."
I raised two fingers in a lazy V-sign, and the students began moving again. While they approached, I stopped and scanned the surroundings. If we got surrounded, I'd have to act as bait for the students, so scouting was essential. Honestly, scouting just meant staring at an empty city, but appearances could be deceiving. From this point onward, each district supposedly had one to three intelligent variants. Some districts even spawned horrific mutations as the zombies evolved rapidly. Monsters, for instance—over three meters tall, all muscle, usually escorted by Swindlers. Then there were Trapper zones packed with traps like personal domains. And, ah, the Fisherman. That bastard was the worst. Unlike typical zombies, it had dried, human-like arms it used to hook people. Despite its emaciated frame, the strength it possessed was beyond imagination, and most people stood no chance. It even stored prey like a spider and used them as bait. I had zero desire to meet one.
So the scout—me—had to stay sharp. But after twenty minutes of straining my eyes, not a single zombie appeared. Still, I kept scanning all the way to Gaya 2-dong. Nothing. At most, a few plants growing from corpses. At this rate, it was fair to say there were simply no zombies. The others seemed relieved by the safety, but I was exhausted from three hours of constant vigilance. And unlike physical fatigue, mental strain didn't fade easily.
"Unnie! That's the building! You see that relatively small commercial building over there?"
"Yeah, I see it."
"...Are you tired?"
"Yeah. Three hours of staring like my life depended on it is killing me. Ugh."
"It's okay. We'll be able to rest soon."
Kim Yeonhua, overcome with emotion, started chattering away. No one stopped her. It made sense—everyone knew this rescue team was going to save her parents. With her heart full of hope about whether they were still alive, no one was heartless enough to dampen her spirits. Besides, the worst-case scenario Kim Yeonhua feared probably wouldn't happen. I could tell at a glance: her parents were still alive.
"Hey, Yeonhua. That's great."
"What is, unnie?"
"All the nearby shops have been completely looted. Looks like quite a bit was taken..."
"Huh?"
"They must've survived until now by raiding convenience stores for food."
"....Ah!"
Kim Yeonhua let out a short gasp. When we forced the entrance open and went inside, it became clear. The barricades had clearly been maintained until recently. There was even a makeshift passage for people to come and go. The entire building looked like it had been cleaned. Having grasped the situation this far, Kim Yeonhua immediately rushed toward the stairs. No one tried to stop her. Just in case, I tossed the Beopbong's handle to Lee Ayoung and followed with only the flail. We reached the fifth floor in no time, where Kim Yeonhua hesitated. Her face was filled with anxiety, imagining the worst. Honestly, I couldn't blame her. The fifth floor was pitch black, and not a sound could be heard. In this situation, even I couldn't help thinking the worst. We'd finally made it here to save them, to bring them back so we could all live together. If what greeted us instead was their cold corpses, she'd probably want to die. Since the eldest should take the lead in times like this, I told Kim Yeonhua to go down and call the others. Once she left, I gripped the flail and ran. I just wanted to confirm quickly and tell her the truth: Your parents are alive and well. Come see for yourself. Imagining the family reunion while wiping my nose with a finger didn't sound so bad.
But the moment I turned the corner, a familiar impact slammed into my stomach.
".........!"
From countless past experiences, I recognized it instantly. A professional boxer's body blow. And an outboxer, just like Kim Yeonhua. Thankfully, while the technique was good, the power wasn't that strong. He'd probably put everything into it, but after taking so many hits, I could grit my teeth and endure this much. Still, the technique was so clean that stomach acid rose in my throat. As I gagged briefly, an uppercut followed right to my jaw. I hadn't expected that. Zombies only attacked the stomach, so I'd braced there. Then a flurry of short jabs came next. An ordinary person would've blacked out instantly, but unfortunately, I wasn't ordinary. Naturally assuming I was a zombie, the attacks grew fiercer. Just as I was about to tell him to stop, a familiar beast-like growl rang out.
"No, shit!"
It was unmistakably a father-daughter pair. A man with glowing red eyes prepared his final strike. My thoughts tangled for a split second before my mind went completely white. He fought me like I was some powerful variant, landing proper punches in rapid succession to my upper body. It felt like my heart stopped for a moment. When I came to, I was crawling on the floor, coughing and wheezing. I'd thought I'd gotten much tougher, but this attack was too much. At least my regeneration had improved enough that I didn't vomit blood. The man still didn't seem to think I was dead, clenching his fist to hit me again. Obviously, taking that would kill me, so I threw my arms up in a hurry. But the punch never came. Instead, Kim Yeonhua was hugging the man, sobbing loudly. Unable to hit his own daughter, the man quickly lost the red glow in his eyes and embraced her, crying as well. Meanwhile, I took a moment to figure out how to explain this. It was a bit awkward. Then a thought struck me. Kim Yeonhua and her father identified allies by scent. And right now, I had two General's Secretion Pouches tucked in my chest. So when I came running, he must've thought a General was charging at him. That explained why he'd attacked so viciously.
"Shit..."
In the end, it was a self-inflicted situation. Unable to even complain, I could only watch the father-daughter reunion unfold.