Northward
The sound of rapid footsteps echoed through the stairwell.
Jinwoo advanced quickly but methodically, one step at a time, rifle raised and barrel leading the way.
Huff huff huff—!
Right beside him, Samsuk-i ran in perfect sync, his face set in an expression of utmost solemnity. From about ten meters behind came the footsteps of his friends following in formation. Jinwoo kept moving with disciplined strides, ready to pull the trigger at any moment. It had been quite a while since he’d stepped into an area with such poor visibility, and the tension was palpable.
“Nothing here…”
Once fully outside the station entrance, Jinwoo swept the area in a full circle before calling back to his companions.
“No zombies!”
“For real?”
Sheriff bounded up the remaining steps, then flinched and smacked Jinwoo hard across the back.
“They’re right over there, you crazy bastard! What do you mean, ‘no zombies’? What kind of bullshit is that?”
What he pointed at was a road completely jammed with stopped vehicles. Five zombies were slowly wandering among them, facing the opposite direction. The distance was roughly forty meters, and they still hadn’t noticed the group’s arrival.
“That’s basically nothing, you idiot! What bullshit? Ow, that hurts…!”
Jinwoo frowned and shot back at Sheriff. The man’s hand was no joke—even a casual slap stung enough to jolt him fully awake.
“Stop messing around and let’s move.”
Yubin stepped between them, calming the pair down. In a zombie-infested world, securing a safe base was the single most important thing for survival. Standing out in the open like this without any defensible position was little more than gambling with their lives. A few stray zombies wandering in the distance could be dealt with later, once they had breathing room.
“Come this way. Don’t go over there.”
Yubin waved at the Witch, who was hugging the sidewalk.
“Why? That looks way more dangerous. Something might be hiding under the automobiles… or maybe inside the cars…”
The Witch wore a genuinely confused expression. It was a perfectly reasonable question for someone completely ignorant of survival tactics in this new world. Yubin grabbed her wrist and pulled her along.
“It’s possible, but this is still safer.”
In a situation where zombies could smash through windows on the second or third floor and leap down at any moment, walking right next to buildings was extremely risky. Even if it meant slower, more awkward movement, they had to thread carefully between the vehicles.
“Whoa, what the fuck is that smell…!”
Sheriff muttered a serious curse the moment he stepped onto the street. The sidewalks were piled high with ginkgo fruits that had fallen, rotted alongside dead leaves, and now emitted a truly overwhelming stench. The zombies had diligently trampled and crushed them while wandering, spreading the reek thickly across the entire road.
“Hoo…! Achoo, damn it!”
The Witch wrinkled her nose and hurriedly pulled her mask back up over her chin. The metallic tang of blood, the stench of zombie corpses, the dust-choked subway tracks, and now rotting ginkgo… it seemed there would be no fresh air for her today.
“That shit really does smell like crap… Wait, no! Samsuk-i! Don’t stick your nose in there! Hey, hey, hey! That’s not food!”
Jinwoo recoiled in disgust and quickly stopped Samsuk-i. The dog had shown immediate curiosity toward the new scent, but after a quick glance at Jinwoo, he pretended to make a mistake and deliberately stepped on the ginkgo fruits with all four paws, slowly.
“Just ignore him and keep moving. We’re all gonna end up smelling like shit anyway.”
Sheriff gave Jinwoo a push from behind. No matter how carefully they stepped, avoiding the ginkgo was impossible. Better to accept it completely and focus solely on advancing.
Crunch. Crunch.
They moved slowly between the tangled lines of abandoned cars. The theater was only two blocks from the subway station exit, but in an unfamiliar area they hadn’t visited in months, those two blocks felt anything but easy.
“Look at those buses… it’s a bloody hell…”
The Witch shuddered lightly as she pointed at two buses stopped at an angle across the center line. Just as she said, every shattered window was caked with dried black blood. Handprints smeared in blood still stood out vividly even after several months, vividly recounting the horror of the first day of the outbreak. How many people must have bled and suffered inside those buses…?
“Damn it…”
Mingu muttered a quiet curse as he passed by.
It’s because of you…! Because of you…! Because of you…!
Every bloodstain left on the bus windows seemed to scream accusations at him, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. Every time he witnessed scenes like this—blood-soaked remnants of life—he was painfully reminded of the enormous sin he had committed last summer.
No matter how loudly Jenkins had boasted and mocked, it couldn’t wash away the guilt of the man who had actually pressed the switch. If not for him… at the very least, Seoul wouldn’t have become a sea of blood that morning.
Huuu, you murderer…! You murderer…! Why are you still alive…!
The blood-drenched buses, the corpses rotting inside cars, and the empty streets all seemed to cry out, begging him to look at them. But Mingu clenched his teeth and endured.
I have no intention of living a comfortable, long life…! Someday… when the time comes, I’ll die for that child… That should be enough…
Mingu shouted the words inside his mind and forced himself to walk with a calm expression. His back was already soaked with sweat, and his pulse had skyrocketed. He wasn’t the type to be easily frightened or enjoy self-reproach, and he certainly couldn’t be called a conscientious man… but ignoring these occasional waves of crushing shame was incredibly difficult.
Still, now wasn’t the time to drown in such thoughts. He still had battles left to fight.
“…It feels quiet.”
Jinwoo, who had been staring at the theater building for a while, finally spoke.
“It does give me the creeps, but… that’s about it.”
As long as there weren’t hundreds of them gathered in one spot, he was willing to take them on.
“Alright, let’s go then.”
Sheriff nodded. He hadn’t sensed any unusual movement from the theater either. The other buildings nearby were the same. Just then, the Witch, who had been looking around nervously, let out a piercing scream.
“Behind! Behind! Behind you! Aaaaaah—!”
Crash—!
The sound of shattering glass rang out as zombies poured from the second-floor dakgalbi restaurant across the street. As if on cue, dozens more zombies came sprinting out from the alley.
“Run! Protect Yubin!”
Jinwoo shoved Sheriff forward and leaped onto a car hood. Dozens of zombies had dropped down with only three lanes between them—that alone was bad enough. But more than that, the terrain was littered with obstacles, making effective shooting extremely difficult.
Tap tap tap tap tap—! Tap tap tap tap tap—!
Just the sound of zombie footsteps spreading in every direction was enough to send chills down his spine.
Graaaaah—!
The first zombie to hit the ground opened its mouth, shards of glass embedded in its jaw, and charged with a roar. Jinwoo pulled the trigger immediately.
Bang—!
The gunshot rang out, and the zombie that had been airborne slammed into the ground.
Splat—!
Brains exploded from the back of its shattered skull, painting the road green. Before he even confirmed the kill, Jinwoo swung his barrel sideways and unleashed a barrage.
Bang—! Bang bang bang—! Bang bang—! Bang bang—!
Every time Jinwoo’s K-2 spat fire, charging zombies crumpled with holes punched through their heads. But the crisis wasn’t over. He had begun the fight without knowing exactly how many zombies there were, and the cars packed around them made perfect cover for the undead.
Ratatat—! Bang bang—! Ratatatata—!
Jinwoo kept up a mad rate of fire as he moved across the car roofs. He needed the height to have any hope of effectively suppressing the zombies in this bizarre obstacle jungle.
Thud—! Splat—!
Two zombies that had been using an SUV for cover collapsed, brains spilling out. More zombies vaulted over their corpses and hurled themselves at Jinwoo.
Bang—! Bang bang—!
Jinwoo shifted his aim with the speed of a competitive clay shooter, dropping both zombies in mid-air.
Thump—! Clang—!
The corpses slammed into the roof of the car Jinwoo stood on before tumbling to the ground. He had desperately taken down more than eight zombies in seconds when—
Crunch—!
A zombie that had closed the distance from his blind spot reached out with claw-like hands and seized his left ankle.
“Ugh…!”
The tremendous force on his ankle made Jinwoo lose his balance and stagger violently. Thankfully the walker boots protected him from being pierced by its nails, but that brief moment wasted trying to regain his footing was critical.
Graaaaaahk—!
The zombie had already hauled its upper body onto the roof and opened its jaws wide, aiming for his calf. At that exact instant, Mingu’s machete came down with terrifying killing intent.
Crunch—!
The blade sliced diagonally through the back of the zombie’s neck, severing its entire head in one clean cut before embedding deep into the car roof.
Clang—! Roll roll—! Thud—!
The severed head bounced off the car body from inertia and rolled underneath the vehicle.
“Haa…!”
Jinwoo kicked away the frozen hand still gripping his ankle and glanced left.
“I’ll take this side.”
Mingu yanked his machete free and pressed close to the trunk, giving a quick wink.
“Then I’ll leave it to you!”
Jinwoo immediately spun around and opened fire on the zombies chasing after Sheriff’s group.
Ratatat—! Bang bang—! Bang—! Bang—!
With every resounding gunshot, zombies collapsed against cars, spraying green brain matter everywhere. But Jinwoo still felt uneasy. Just how many had slipped past toward the others?
“Run! Run! Don’t look back, just run!”
Sheriff pushed the Witch and Yubin forward, sprinting at full speed between the cars. He didn’t need to worry about Jinwoo or that knife-wielding guy—they were both more than capable of handling themselves. They wouldn’t fall to a group this size. The same went for him. The real problem was Yubin and this… infuriating witch. If either of them got surrounded, it was over.
Graaaaaah—! Graaaaaah—!
The roars of the pursuing zombies grew closer. Even though Jinwoo was shooting them down as fast as he could, the howls showed no sign of letting up.
“Kyaaaaaaa! Aaaaah! Shiiiiit!”
The Witch glanced back, clutched her head, and let out a dolphin-like shriek. Sheriff exploded in anger, grabbed her trembling shoulders, and forcibly turned her around.
“I told you not to look back, you idiot! Are you doing this on purpose?”
Riiip—!
The sound of fabric tearing rang out, and the Witch screamed again as she fell.
“Kaaaaah! Damn it! Aaaaaaaaah!”
Bright red blood instantly soaked the thigh she clutched with both hands. The culprit was the car right beside her. A jagged, crumpled fender had torn through both her skirt and thigh at once.
“Aw, this is insane!”
Sheriff spun around in alarm. Six zombies were rapidly closing in through the gaps between the cars.
Bang—!
A gunshot rang out and the head of the zombie that had leaped onto a hood exploded. The number of pursuers dropped to five. At this rate, they might not even need to run anymore.
“Hey! Get in here!”
Having decided to stand and fight, Sheriff yanked open the sliding door of a minivan and hurled the Witch inside. The impact aggravated her wound, causing her to scream in pain while the zombies, now only a few meters away, howled at the sight of prey. Sheriff felt like his mind was about to snap.
“Yubin, you get in too! I’ll hold them off!”
Sheriff dropped his bag, raised his hammer, and shouted. Yubin dove into the minivan and called out worriedly.
“You have to be careful, Sheriff!”
“You think I’m joking? This is child’s play!”
Sheriff puffed out his chest and boasted. The terrain was a bit unfavorable for swinging a hammer, but if he couldn’t overcome a difficulty level like this, he would never have made it this far.
Slide—!
Hearing the sliding door close behind him, Sheriff leaped onto the hood of the sedan in front.
Creak—! Creak—!
His massive, muscle-packed weight crushed the thin hood, denting it deeply. But Sheriff planted his feet firmly and readied a full-power swing.
“You son of a bitch!”
The moment the lead zombie entered range, Sheriff cursed and swung his hammer with all his might.
Whoosh—! Crunch—!
The zombie’s cheekbone and temple caved in at the same time. It flew backward, smashing through the rear window of the opposite car and lodging inside.
Whoosh—! Crack—!
Sheriff immediately reversed his swing, flattening the second zombie’s skull. While the second zombie, its neck and spine shattered, collapsed, the third and fourth leaped lightly onto the hood.
“Who said you could come up here?”
Sheriff kicked the third zombie in the stomach, sending it flying, then swung the hammer in reverse to smash the fourth zombie’s ankle.
Whoosh—! Thud—!
The zombie that had been launched into the air and landed on its back received Sheriff’s hammer straight to the face.
Crunch—!
The force drove its skull deep into the hood, denting the metal inward. But perhaps due to the cushioning effect, it didn’t die instantly.
Grind—!
The zombie with the crushed face twisted, trying to rise again. No matter how much damage they took, as long as their heads remained intact, these things kept moving and attacking at the same speed.
“I said no!”
Sheriff stomped on its shoulder to pin it down and brought the hammer down again.
Crack—!
The back of its head smashed against the engine block, producing a bizarre and horrifying sound.
“One left now…”
Sheriff muttered in satisfaction as he raised his hammer again—when another sharp scream erupted from behind.
“What now?”
Sheriff whipped around in surprise. On the right side of the minivan—the opposite direction he was guarding—two zombies had somehow latched on.
Crash—! Crash—!
The zombies smashed their heads against the side window, shattering it, and began forcing their upper bodies inside. The Witch’s screams grew even louder. The fifth zombie, which still hadn’t been finished off, lunged at Sheriff.
Graaaah—!
“Hey, you fucker! Wait your turn!”
Sheriff dodged the fifth zombie’s attack and jumped down from the hood. At that moment—
Bang bang bang—! Bang bang—! Bang—!
A string of pistol shots rang out, and the two clinging zombies fell backward. Yubin… had pulled the Glock from his bag and taken them out.
“Hey, you okay?”
Finally catching a breather, Sheriff smashed the fifth zombie’s head, then rushed to the minivan.
“Haa…! Haa…! Yeah…!”
Yubin nodded, breathing hard. But the Witch, who had been clinging tightly to his side, was in no condition to answer.
“What happened? Did she get shot?”
Yubin gave him an incredulous look.
“No. She was screaming, then suddenly went ‘Huuung’ and passed out. …Wake up! Hey, wake up!”
No matter how many times Yubin patted her cheeks, the Witch remained unconscious, eyes rolled back. Looking at her limp, head-hanging form, Sheriff let out a deep sigh.
“…This woman is really gonna drive me insane! Aaaargh!”