Chapter 147
2019/09
New Zealand. Auckland.
Clang!—
A window on the first floor of a building shattered and a woman entered. The Western men inside, smoking cigarettes, recoiled in shock and reached for their guns, but fire erupted mercilessly from the muzzle of the woman’s gun before they could react.
A man crawling on the floor trembled as he tried to grab a gun, but a black creature appeared and bit into his hand. Bright red blood spattered, and the man let out a scream of agony.
“Heukgu, stop.”
Woof!
At her command, the hunting dog named Heukgu released the man’s hand, but it was already in tatters. She opened the corridor door to check for other enemies. Meanwhile, three of her teammates followed in, a bit late.
“Seri, ugh, can’t you wait for us?”
Seri flashed a grin and waved to Jeong-eun, Ji-won, and Eddy.
“If you don’t hurry, you can’t keep up with the others. You know how monstrous the other squads are, right? Heukgu, let’s go.”
As she called Heukgu’s name, the dog barked and dashed off to track down survivors. Seri’s body darted after him in an instant.
The three could only shake their heads in disbelief at the tireless pair.
Seri stopped in front of a solid iron door. A corporate building in Auckland’s western district. They were here to wipe out the last resistance in the west and rescue the captured survivors.
This time, they’d been given the troublesome mission to rescue survivors alive, but nobody complained.
Seri pressed her ear to the iron door. Sensing the commotion outside, shouting came from inside.
Footsteps approached. Seri crouched low.
As soon as the door opened with a clank, Seri’s long leg swung up, kicking the man below the belt. As he staggered, she twisted his arm behind his back and pressed a pistol to his jaw.
“Hello?”
She greeted the man she’d caught with a smile.
“Are these the last survivors in the west?”
It was a mutter to herself. English wasn’t her specialty, and they wouldn’t understand anyway. In front of the captured man, a group of survivors in white coats sat, trembling, bound together. She addressed one survivor who looked Asian.
“Hey, mister. Can you speak Korean? Are you Korean?”
The man shook his head. The man in Seri’s grip growled,
“You are the Navy Asian monkeys, aren’t you?”
“Well, if there’s one word I understood, it’s monkey.”
Confirming there were no other enemies, Seri didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. Bang! The man in her grasp collapsed to the floor.
Muffled groans!—
The gagged men looked on in terror, convulsing. Seri wiped away sweat as she approached.
“Uh, so… Are you okay?”
“Are you a rescue party? Or… are you ‘the Asian’?”
Seri frowned slightly.
It sounded like they were babbling something, but she couldn’t understand at all.
‘Guess I’ll just have to wait until Sweeper oppa gets here.’ Seri just muttered her short English and gave them a bright smile.
—
After wiping out the western resistance and rescuing the survivors, the fighters from Camp Yohan headed to Auckland Harbor. As they arrived, a helicopter flew in to pick them up.
The helicopter’s destination was an artificial island just off Auckland.
It was like Korea’s Sebitseom—a floating artificial island on the sea.
It was the base Yohan’s group had chosen.
The survivors, upon arriving on the artificial island, looked around nervously, trembling in fear.
Their presence wasn’t violent, but it was intimidating.
A tent-like checkpoint was set up at the entrance, apparently for disinfection.
As they arrived, a plump white man approached and spoke.
“For the man, go to the left room and the woman to the right. Go in and take off your clothes. After disinfection, get the new clothes that are supplied.”
HW’s chief researcher, Jack, was left speechless. These were the infamous Asian navy soldiers.
No, more accurately, they were the monstrous Asians who had led a naval warship to seize Auckland.
At first, he’d thought they were an American rescue party, but they weren’t. If anything, they were more like invaders.
One day, they suddenly appeared and started clearing out zombies, and soon after, they repeatedly took down even the Mutants.
And when things got a bit more livable, they began crushing armed groups as well.
If anyone resisted even a little, they were killed without exception. The brutality of these people had spread among all survivors throughout Auckland.
Jack had heard the rumors, too.
Eventually, all the surviving organizations collapsed, and they brazenly took over Auckland’s famous artificial island, starting to sort out the survivors.
The story of how they blew up an entire building from the warship at the shore was enough to shock the nearby survivors.
Eight months.
That was how long it took the invaders to become the rulers of Auckland.
The researchers were nearly dragged off somewhere, and finally they were guided to a dining room with glass windows overlooking the Auckland coastline.
At the end of their gaze was the young boss of the Asian naval group, having a meal in the sunlight.
Jack gulped and approached the young boss.
Standing next to him was a warrior known as Sweeper, and a skinny secretary. Jack thought the nickname suited their fearsome reputation perfectly.
“Sweeper, translate.”
“Roger.”
At Yohan’s words, Sweeper immediately interpreted.
“Who is the representative?”
When Yohan asked and Sweeper translated, a man who appeared to be of East Asian descent raised his hand. Yohan reached out to shake his hand.
“I’m Yohan.”
Jack, caught off guard, accepted his greeting with both hands.
“I’m Jack Lee.”
“You look Asian, but you must be the New Zealander. I heard you were the researcher who studied this situation. Is that right?”
“Yes, but I’m not from New Zealand. We’re American.”
“…I’d like to hear the results of your research.”
At the mention of research results, Jack’s face showed clear embarrassment. As he hesitated, Yohan nodded.
“Please speak freely.”
“To my shame, there was no achievement to call the results of the study. But there’s one thing we’re sure about.”
“Go ahead.”
“We studied how human bodies become zombies through a group of experimental subjects undergoing zombie process and completing the course. …The most common hypothesis was the ‘virus’.”
The idea that a virus was behind the zombie outbreak was, as he said, common knowledge.
“But it wasn’t.”
“……”
“No other biological symptoms were found besides congestion and fever. A live zombie or a dead zombie. The living and the dead. It was nothing more or less.”
His words were a shock.
“Zombies that ended their biometric activity were just like dead bodies. From brain activity to metabolism, everything was dead.”
“So how could they move, react, attack people?”
“And what our lab has concluded is, this is not science. It’s a miracle that there are zombies in itself. Unknown force makes the dead body move and prevent their corruption. Scientifically unexplainable, to put it more simply, it is an obvious curse. There’s no other way to describe zombies.”
Jae-ho, listening beside Yohan, turned pale. Yohan glanced at him and continued questioning the researchers—whether they had studied Mutants, whether they would be willing to research them if given samples, and so on—before approving their integration with a satisfied look.
The researchers, abandoned by the United States, would now continue their work as part of Camp Yohan.
Jae-ho still took notes with a somber expression.
“Oppa!”
Just then, Seri burst in.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ji-hye, her labor has started.”
Yohan and the others rushed to the delivery room. After disinfecting and changing into surgical gowns, Yohan entered the delivery room.
Inside, Ji-hye lay pale and wracked with pain.
Labor had begun, and the first birth they would experience was fast approaching. Yohan gripped her hand tightly once, then stepped outside to wait for a safe delivery.
It felt like an eternity. The intermittent screams that kept echoing stabbed into the ears and hearts of those waiting.
“Aaagh! Aaagh!”
Enduring her screams with their whole bodies, the others could do nothing but pray and hope for her to endure and come through.
Yohan did everything he could to keep his promise to her. He hunted down all the zombies and Mutants in the vicinity and rallied all survivors, killing or driving away any who might trigger a zombie wave.
Even a safe facility and sterilization room.
Everything had been prepared for today.
“AAAGH!—”
Her screams rang out vividly.
And at last, a baby’s cry was heard from the delivery room. Dr. Park Jae-beom, who had assisted with the birth, stepped out.
“The baby?”
“The baby is healthy, Yohan.”
Yohan let out a sigh of relief for the first time.
“And Ji-hye?”
“Ji-hye is safe too. But there was more bleeding than expected.”
“I see… Please clean the baby thoroughly, and can I see Ji-hye for a moment?”
Dr. Park nodded. Yohan entered the delivery room and tightly held Ji-hye’s hand as she lay there, pale. She seemed to be barely holding on to consciousness, her expression strained.
“Oppa…”
“Yeah, Ji-hye. You did great.”
“The baby?”
“He’s healthy.”
Only then did a faint smile appear on her bloodless face.
“How do you feel?”
“I can’t feel anything. I’m in pain. My body feels hot.”
Yohan nodded and wiped the cold sweat from her face.
Then, his hand stopped in midair. Her eyes… were tinged red.
Damn it—the infection had begun.
“My body feels so hot. Am I… infected? I can’t leave my baby behind…”
“No. It’s not an infection. No bloodshot eyes, no other symptoms. Dr. Park said it’s postpartum aftereffects, so don’t worry. Did you forget your oppa wiped out all the Mutants nearby?”
“I didn’t forget. Thank you.”
“It’s just exhaustion. Rest a little, then you’ll get up. Sleep for a bit.”
“All right, then…”
Ji-hye, still pale, fell asleep with a much more peaceful face.
Her breaths gradually faded, and in the end, she never woke up again.
Yohan confirmed that her breathing had stopped and her heart had ceased. Then, he slowly pierced her brain. (T/N: FUCK! Why you do this to us!?!)
Staggering, Yohan walked out of the delivery room. In front of the sterilization room, Noah was looking at the newborn searching for its mother.
Noah, still plagued by guilt. He had volunteered to be the child’s guardian, saying that if anything happened to Ji-hye during childbirth, he would take responsibility.
“Ji-hye is dead.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“As promised, you take care of the child.”
“Thank you.”
“The baby’s name is…”
‘Adam. I’ll name him Shin Adam. If it’s a girl, Hawa. No, maybe Eve is better?’
‘He has his mother’s surname.’
‘Of course, he’s my child, so I should give him my surname.’
“Adam. Shin Adam.”
Noah’s face, as she gazed at the young life, trembled with reverence.
Yohan left the medical camp and returned to his office. Fatigue enveloped his body, but at the very moment he witnessed an old comrade’s death, his will to live flared up once more.
Still, we are surviving.
Through the panoramic glass, he saw the view of New Zealand’s coastline spread before his eyes—a brilliant sight, dazzlingly out of place for this era.
Yohan lit a cigarette. The acrid smoke filled the space.
The apocalypse was still ongoing,
and people survived.
Even when the dawn is swallowed, the sun always rises.
We are still alive.
—————Side Story. Ending Credit.————————————-
(T/N: WAIT WHUTTTTTT?????? That was the end? LIKE WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?????!!!)
It was a part of some unknown space. It looked like part of the universe, or perhaps just a black room.
[Timeout.]
A bizarre mechanical voice rang out, followed by the sound of a bell tolling through the space.
The inside resembled a casino, with countless beings crowded around a huge round table and real-time VR-like projections swirling before them. In those projections was the Earth, three years after the apocalypse began.
[Dealer, if it’s over, settle up.]
At someone’s request, the dealer smiled and flipped her hands in the air, causing the round chips to disappear and return to their owners.
Some cheered, others seemed to despair. In front of each, a crystal ball-like hologram floated.
The beings were strange—some human, some monstrous. Mechanical noises came from every mouth.
[The Asians are on a roll.]
[Dealer, the final judgment.]
Voices pressed from all sides. The dealer waved her hands and flicked through the screens in front of her, reciting as she went.
[Total: 13,123.]
Photos scrolled past, each with some kind of score next to it. A female entity, who had been watching in silence, paused at one photo.
It was the photo of Yohan, the one she had bet on. 18,647 Pass. The highest score. A broad smile spread across her face.
[That was too hard!]
Someone grumbled, but the dealer just shrugged.
[But weren’t you the ones who complained that the previous round was too easy, and the odds dropped? That’s why we released more Apostles and added so many new rules.]
Screens swished past as the dealer moved.
[Some even say the last round’s winner’s privileges were excessive.]
[That’s true.]
[The game was broken.]
[It was unbalanced.]
[So, we’ve decided to remove ‘immunity’ privileges going forward. Plus, when bets and powers pile up on a specific contestant like this time, the game gets too easy. From now on, if many participants bet on the same contestant, the one who bets the most Pass gets priority.]
At the dealer’s words, the entities next to Stella looked at her.
The being who controlled memories of the past and the one who governed fleeting time watched her warily.
This time, both had bet on the same contestant as Stella.
[Will you bet on the same human next game too, Stella?]
[…]
She snapped her fingers silently. All her Pass floated into the air. All-in. It was a display of unwavering resolve, as if daring anyone to piggyback on her bet.
[I’m not stealing. I swear. All-in on one person again? You really are strange, Stella.]
Stella smiled faintly and nodded.
The beings around her clicked their tongues. This was already the eighth round. Still, it was just entertainment, so most enjoyed betting on different contestants each time, but Stella alone showed an obsessive focus on one.
[Well, who cares.]
[I caught the bus this time.]
[Me too.]
Maybe because they played so many games on Earth, their unique slang flowed freely.
The beings who governed bodily strength and those who ruled dreams murmured to each other.
They had bet on different contestants, but thanks to contestant groups, they all won this round.
Of course, accidents between contestants were common.
Usually, Stella’s contestant destroyed the others for a one-sided ending.
Then, the dealer’s bell rang again.
[Setting up the next game. Place your bets, everyone.]
All around, there was the swish of holograms spinning.
Stella had nothing more to do. Like pressing a favorite, she selected a face in the air. As always, she had no intention of changing her contestant.
When Stella gestured, a crystal ball floated up. The world where the previous game played out. She gently cradled the crystal as if it were a precious treasure, then opened the jewelry box beside her.
Inside were four identical crystal balls.
Inside them were the results of four wins by contestant KOR-1,912,042, Yohan, across eight games.
Inside, Yohan was still living happily.
When the game ends, the pace of infection gradually slows, corpses begin to rot, and no more Apostles appear. It is, literally, the end of the apocalypse. A new world begins.
Stella especially liked the ending of the second round. The contestant Rina, always bet on by the being who governs dreams, met Yohan by chance, survived to the end, and finally got married and raised children—a typical happy ending. Of course, she was also very satisfied with the current ending, where Yohan and his comrades built a great kingdom and ruled like kings.
[This time, I’m thinking of changing the rules a bit.]
As the dealer continued, Stella snapped the jewelry box closed.
[I’m thinking of interfering a little more. After all, many said that watching the contestants fight each other was more entertaining than fighting the Apostles.]
[Ooh!]
[Let’s try a 100% pure battle royale. The rules: the contestants of dimension B-147 must kill each other until only ten thousand remain. How about a game where they keep killing until only ten thousand are left?]
Cheers erupted all around. The beings who governed violence, those who oversaw lust, and others made a fuss, while some lightly frowned.
But all their eyes sparkled with curiosity.
[Well then, shall we start the game?]
The dealer smiled brightly. With a wave of his hand, sparkling dust whirled through the air.
(T/N: WAIIITTTT. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?!?! SO ITS NOT YET THE END… )
(T/N: Apparently, the side stories will start after this chapter. So yeah, this would be the ending. Pretty weird though. )
