Chapter 132
“Jung-su!”
“Everyone get down! Take cover! Lights off!”
At the same time Yohan relayed the situation through the radio, he dove behind the nearest container.
Jung-su’s body, glimpsed briefly, had already become a lifeless corpse.
A single shot.
It was a sniper.
‘Where’s the location?’
Judging by the sound, the sniper was between the second and fourth windows on the third floor of Yongsan Station.
Yohan, keeping his voice low, transmitted again over the radio.
“Third floor, between the second and fourth windows. There’s a skilled sniper. Stay calm and prepare to return fire from your positions. There may be more enemies.”
His heartbeat quickened, and his entire body felt feverishly hot.
Even if the target had been stationary, the sniper had landed a perfect shot with a single round. That meant the shooter was highly skilled.
The sides were blocked by iron partitions, the front by barbed-wire fencing. Behind them was an open field. No retreat.
From the right front side, in the darkness, Yohan sensed faint movement.
His expression hardened. Squad 2 hadn’t taken proper cover and were crawling toward the container.
‘What about the other squads?’
The others were nowhere to be seen. Only Squad 2 had failed to avoid detection.
At that moment, a window on the third floor flickered with sparks.
Yohan immediately understood what it was.
An emergency flare, used for cars, was being lit to illuminate the darkened station square.
If the enemy spotted them, they would be sitting ducks.
Yohan made a quick decision and shouted.
“Squad 2, take cover immediately! Everyone else, suppressive fire!”
The flare was thrown below the station, Squad 2’s four members sprang up, and the search members opened fire—all almost simultaneously.
Yohan immediately aimed at the window where the flare was thrown and pulled the trigger.
Bang! Bang! The sharp cracks of gunfire rang out through the pre-dawn air.
Bang!
Ratatatatat!
As if in response, sharp counterfire erupted from the enemy.
‘Their position.’
Even in the darkness before dawn, only the flashes of the muzzles betrayed their locations. Yohan tracked the muzzle flashes with his eyes, marking the enemy positions.
Moments later, with a silenced gunshot close by, one enemy shooter leaning out of a window was struck and fell to the ground. It was Sergeant Ong’s shot.
Both sides exchanged fierce gunfire, but since everyone was only exposing their weapons while firing, most shots flew harmlessly through the air.
After one volley, the enemy was the first to cease fire, withdrawing completely from the windows.
“Cease fire.”
The enemy held the higher ground; Yohan’s side was like rats trapped in a box. It was obvious what the enemy wanted: for them to waste all their ammunition.
‘We’re not going to fall for that.’
Yohan grabbed the radio and calmly transmitted.
“Save your ammunition as much as possible. Wait for the next signal.”
At that moment, the flare that had been illuminating the area was also beginning to die down.
-What about Jung-su?
-……
-Is he dead?
-He was shot in the forehead.
Hyuk’s trembling voice came through the radio. Although Yohan had clung to a shred of hope, he already knew from the moment Jung-su was hit that he hadn’t survived.
Yohan deliberately ignored Hyuk’s voice, focusing entirely on whether another flare would be lit.
If anyone dared to make light, they’d be shot down immediately.
Sure enough, someone lit another flare.
Fwoosh! Bang!
Another light flared up, but almost simultaneously, gunfire erupted and brought the man down before he could even throw the flare properly.
‘Our snipers are no slouches either.’
The situation was grim. There was no retreat, and now that gunfire had broken out, zombies smelling blood would soon be flocking from everywhere. The iron barriers might hold for now, but the barbed wire could fail at any time. And the sky was still dark.
They had to break the stalemate.
“Any more casualties?”
-Sister Jung-eun’s been hit.
It was Sweeper’s voice, and faintly behind him, Yohan could hear Jung-eun’s soft moans and Seri’s voice.
Yohan bit his lip. If they stayed pinned like this, their side would only keep taking losses.
They had to go on the offensive.
“Squad leaders, report wounded.”
At Yohan’s command, each squad leader started reporting.
-Squad 2. Jung-eun’s been shot. It’s a deep wound.
“Is it a through-and-through?”
-Yeah.
Small relief. Yohan muttered under his breath.
“Squad 3?”
-Jung-su… and Eddie’s been injured too.
“Squad 4?”
-Squad 4, all clear.
Yohan quickly sorted the situation in his head and immediately gave his next orders.
“Squads 1 and 4, we’re breaching. Squads 2 and 3, lay down suppressive fire to draw their attention. After we breach, gather the wounded and retreat to a safe place. Sweeper and Hyuk, after securing the wounded, combine and act as a temporary squad. On my count, open fire, and within ten seconds, we charge. Three.”
Yohan glared at the target area with bloodshot eyes. He didn’t know how they had been discovered, but the enemy had fired first. Now that there were casualties, he couldn’t just let it go.
“Two.”
Even if it meant killing former comrades.
“One. Fire.”
Bang! Bang-bang!
The gunfire erupted. Caught off guard by the sudden attack, the enemy’s counterattack was noticeably delayed.
Yohan counted rapidly in his head, then sprinted at full speed, forming a wide arc.
Although the enemy returned fire, most of the breaching team had already reached the vicinity of Yongsan Station.
As soon as Yohan entered Yongsan Station, he took cover and scanned for enemies.
The first-floor emergency exit was empty.
Hajin and Jin-su followed right behind him.
“What about So-hee and Jae-ho?”
In response to Yohan’s question, Hajin jerked his chin toward them. The two were rushing in with tense faces.
“Did the enemy spot them?”
“Huff, no. No bullets came this way.”
“Good.”
The enemy hadn’t noticed their breach.
It had been a dangerously reckless move. It was a miracle no one had been injured. Yohan nodded, slung his rifle onto his back, and drew his handgun.
“The enemies are gathered on the second and third floors. Hajin, Jin-su, you take the second floor. Sergeant Ong and I will take the third. Pio and Berda, block the main hall on the first floor—make sure no one escapes. Jae-ho and So-hee, block the entrance to the plaza. Don’t let a single one get away. Don’t force a fight. If you judge that there are too many enemies, radio Sweeper immediately.”
The last part was directed at Hajin. He nodded, understanding the intent.
After exchanging a brief glance with him, Yohan dashed toward the emergency stairwell with Sergeant Ong. Hajin turned to Jin-su.
“Let’s go.”
Gunfire still echoed noisily from outside. Hajin moved slowly and quietly up the stairs, aiming for the source of the gunshots.
He stopped in front of a franchise restaurant. Through the open windows of the store, the enemies were clearly visible.
Hajin raised three fingers, then started folding them down one by one.
Three, two, one.
Two shots rang out simultaneously, and two enemies fell at once.
As soon as he confirmed that the two men were dead, Hajin immediately turned his attention toward the next direction where gunfire had been heard.
“Alright, next.”
Jin-su, formerly the youngest from Parktown Camp, followed Hajin calmly even in the tense situation. But despite his steady steps, his pupils and fingertips trembled uncontrollably. He still harbored a primal fear and resistance to killing people.
Hajin didn’t bother to comfort or praise him. It was a process Jin-su had to endure and overcome by himself to truly stand as one of them.
The gunfire ceased.
Whichever side had stopped, a lull had arrived.
‘Where? It was around here.’
Hajin glanced around. The second-floor hall was cluttered with various food stores. He began searching for a store with windows facing the back of the station.
However, even after combing through the second floor, he couldn’t find any enemies inside the stores—only spent shell casings scattered all over the floor and traces of blood.
The number of shell casings was substantial.
They had likely retreated after running out of ammunition.
Like a hunting dog tracking prey, Hajin followed the blood trail. It ended near a window facing the plaza.
Below the window, a horde of zombies, drawn by the sound of gunfire, was gathering.
At that moment, Hajin’s heightened senses detected movement.
Screech—thud!
A man launched a surprise attack, but when it failed, Hajin instantly raised his Glock toward him—only for the man to grab Hajin’s hand.
The man’s grip was terrifyingly strong. In front of Hajin stood a man much larger and heavier, at least one weight class above him. Hajin’s Glock slipped from his trembling hand.
“Haaaah!”
Slamming his prosthetic arm against the wall, Hajin activated the hidden spring blade and thrust it toward the man’s face. The man widened his eyes and jerked his head back.
His reaction speed didn’t match his large build.
The man immediately grappled Hajin, locking his arms and legs around Hajin’s body and squeezing tightly.
Pressure and pain assaulted Hajin simultaneously.
He struggled, trying to shake off the man clinging to his back, but the suffocating hold only tightened.
Then, crack!—the sound of flesh being torn and the man’s scream rang out at the same time.
“Aaaagh!”
Hajin had bitten into the man’s arm to break free, spitting out flesh and blood as he staggered back and kicked at the man’s head.
The man raised his arm to block, but the force made him stumble.
Another kick followed immediately.
The man blocked again, palms facing outward.
Then, Hajin felt himself lift off the ground.
The man’s muscles swelled violently, and he hurled Hajin toward the window with monstrous strength.
Crash! The glass shattered as Hajin’s body was thrown into the plaza.
With a heavy thud, Hajin hit the ground, his back arching in agony as a groan escaped him.
The commotion drew zombies, who immediately began biting into him.
“Agh… aagh…”
Jin-su stood trembling, his weapon in hand. But it wasn’t fear alone that kept him from firing.
The distance between Hajin and the attacker had been too close. One bullet could easily pierce through both of them. Shooting the enemy might have hurt Hajin too.
Yet the moment he saw Hajin thrown out the window, Jin-su froze, unable to move.
When he finally pulled the trigger at the enemy rushing toward him, his shaking hands ruined his aim. The man grabbed Jin-su’s head and smashed it against the wall.
A blinding impact exploded behind his eyes as Jin-su’s consciousness faded.
“Phew.”
The man, breathing heavily, looked around with blood dripping from his bitten arm.
No more intruders in sight.
Deeming the threat neutralized, he trudged over to his backpack, disinfected his wound with alcohol, took antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, and wrapped the gash with a bandage.
If he didn’t treat it immediately, infection was inevitable.
“Damn it.”
The wound was so deep that the bandage soaked through almost immediately, staining red. He wrapped several more layers over it, grimacing in pain.
After finishing his first-aid, the man tied a cloth around unconscious Jin-su’s head and arms, binding him securely.
Jin-su’s body twitched slightly.
Once the binding was complete, the man turned up the volume on his radio, which had been set to low.
The frantic voice of the leader kept repeating.
-Are you guys okay? Why is there no response?
The man pressed the transmission button.
“Noah. The intruders are fighting back hard. And there’s more of them than expected.”
-Jaewon, is that you?
“Yeah.”
-Don’t push it. We’re getting ready on our side.
“I’m killing them all before I leave.”
-I’m telling you, don’t overdo it
The man called Jaewon abruptly cut off the transmission. He had no intention of letting intruders arrogantly violate their territory without consequence.
At that moment, a click—and a searing pain exploded at the back of his head. The burning agony spread almost instantly. Jaewon’s pupils dilated as if about to burst.
Blood seeped from his body, staining his shirt in dark patches, and his vision began to turn a blinding yellow.
With the last ounce of strength he could muster, Jaewon turned his head.
Standing behind him was Hajin—who should have been dead, torn apart by zombies.
His entire body was drenched in blood and sweat.
He looked like a demon that had clawed its way out of hell.
Blood dripped from Hajin’s body, soaking the floor beneath him.
“How—”
Even after being bitten by zombies…
Jaewon had clearly seen zombies sink their teeth into the man’s arm and shoulder. By all rights, Hajin should have already succumbed to the infection, barely able to move.
Before Jaewon could process the impossible sight before him, Hajin’s prosthetic blade once again pierced through Jaewon’s throat.
“Huu…”
Hajin exhaled deeply, then withdrew the blade from Jaewon’s neck and poured the antibiotics lying next to him straight into his mouth.
