RE: Survival - Chapter 25

The time it takes for someone bitten by a zombie to turn varies. In the worst-case scenario, the transformation could occur in mere moments, plunging the survivors into chaos. Keeping Min-seo near while fighting was far too dangerous.

Byung-jin shoved Min-seo into an empty office and clenched the knife in his trembling hand, staring down the infected. He had to do this. Even though these people had been his friends, laughing and joking together for months, this was something only he could do now.

His hands quivered violently as he gripped the knife. Any further hesitation would only lead to more deaths.

“Argh!”

With a guttural scream, Byung-jin drove the blade into Sung-bae’s eye. The knife sank deep before he turned to Gi-moon and repeated the action. He then moved quickly to finish off those who had been bitten before they could fully turn.

“P-please, save me!”

The problem lay with those who hadn’t yet turned. Sung-bae alone had infected eight people, none of whom had transformed fully yet. But given the bites they had sustained, their survival seemed impossible.

“Please!”

Their desperate pleas shook Byung-jin’s resolve.

“For now, everyone who’s been bitten, stay in one place,” he instructed.

“What are you saying?! We have to kill them now!” Seo-jun shouted, criticizing Byung-jin’s decision. But no matter the necessity, killing living people was a line Byung-jin couldn’t cross. He shook his head.

“We’ll… deal with them when they turn.”

*Click.*

The sound of the office door opening drew everyone’s attention. Byung-jin turned and froze in disbelief.

“M-Min-seo?”

Walking out of the office was Min-seo, her eyes vacant and unfocused. Like an automaton, she staggered toward Byung-jin, drawn to him as though following some primal instinct.

Byung-jin’s knife fell from his hand.

“No… this can’t be… right?”

“Byung-jin, stay back!”

“Get away from her!”

Ignoring the warnings, Byung-jin approached Min-seo. His trembling hands cupped her cheeks. Her once-bright eyes were now clouded with white, bloodshot veins weaving through them like spiderwebs.

“No… this isn’t real…”

Min-seo’s mouth opened unnaturally wide as her shadow eclipsed his vision.

(TL Note: Damn! Is this a wipeout? I just hope my boy Jung-hwan is still alive )

—

“Ugh…”

Yohan awoke to searing pain in his abdomen. His vision was blurry, and his head throbbed. Instinctively, he groped around for his firearm but instead felt the handle of a knife.

Sensing movement nearby, Yohan swung the blade blindly.

“Whoa!”

The man nearby jerked his head back just in time to avoid the slash.

It wasn’t a zombie. Blinking to clear his vision, Yohan saw the muscular figure of Hajin, the athlete he’d freed earlier. Gradually, the fog in his memory lifted.

He recalled the ambush. The executive had shot at him three times, managing to hit him even after taking heavy fire himself. Yohan cursed his decision to leave the man alive earlier.

“Sorry. Thought you were a zombie,” Yohan muttered.

“You’ve got impressive accuracy for someone who just woke up. Almost took my head off,” Hajin replied, rubbing his neck.

Yohan’s vision fully cleared, and he saw Hajin standing over him.

“Never thought I’d actually need this body armor…” Yohan murmured, gingerly testing his injuries. He could feel the impact bruises through his torso. If the bullets had hit him any closer or at full force, he might not have survived.

“How long was I out?” Yohan asked.

“Not long. Maybe thirty minutes.”

That was a relief. Yohan coughed violently, spitting up blood.

“Let’s rest another ten minutes. My body’s still not listening to me.”

“Take your time. You’re in no shape to move fast anyway,” Hajin replied.

Yohan gave Hajin a scrutinizing look. The man had stayed, despite having every reason to leave. His supplies and weapons were untouched. This wasn’t just kindness—it bordered on naivety.

“You didn’t leave,” Yohan observed.

“I don’t leave debts unpaid. Besides, it’s not much safer on my own.”

Yohan nodded and lifted his shirt, revealing a massive bruise across his abdomen.

“What’s the plan now?” Hajin asked.

Yohan thought for a moment. Zombies outside were a problem, but so was the executive. If he were still alive, the emergency exit wasn’t a viable escape route.

“We’ll have to find another way. There has to be a breachable path somewhere.”

“I know one,” a voice chimed in.

Yohan’s head snapped up, and he saw the source: a ventilation shaft above them. The metal cover rattled before clanging to the floor. A pair of feet dangled through the opening.

Yohan grabbed his rifle, ready to fire.

“Hey, relax. I’m here to help,” the intruder said.

The man dropped lightly to the ground and dusted himself off. Yohan recognized him immediately: Sweeper, the man who had been captured alongside him.

“Nice to see you again, huh?” Sweeper said with a grin, extending a hand.

“You’re alive,” Yohan replied, keeping his grip on his rifle.

“Thanks to someone taking out those Goldmoon bastards.” Sweeper flashed a thumbs-up.

Yohan frowned. Sweeper must have benefitted somehow from the chaos Yohan had caused.

“If your business here is done, why didn’t you leave?”

“Was going to, but then the zombies swarmed in. I do know a way out, though. A small underground passage connected to the subway. Let me join you, and I’ll guide you there.”

“Where’s this passage?” Yohan asked.

“I’ll show you once I’m part of the group. But first, why do you keep talking so politely to him?” Sweeper pointed at Hajin. “And to me, you’re all casual.”

“Didn’t you start with the casual talk?” Yohan replied.

“Maybe. Anyway, the passage is downstairs. There’s a connection through the escalator,” Sweeper explained. “It’s not far, but we’ll need guns.”

“If you needed a gun, you could’ve taken one while I was out,” Yohan pointed out.

“Uh… well, he”—Sweeper gestured at Hajin—“looked scary, and I don’t steal.”

“That’s hard to believe,” Yohan muttered. “Alright. You’re in. But try anything, and you’ll regret it.”

Yohan’s practical reasoning outweighed his annoyance. Sweeper wasn’t part of Goldmoon, and having another person would help.

“Let’s move. The escalator is on the opposite side of the building,” Sweeper said.

“That’s risky,” Yohan replied. “The executive’s still alive. If we get ambushed while fighting zombies, we’re finished. We’ll scout the second floor first. Its glass storefronts make it easier to see zombies and enemies.”

Sweeper hesitated. “And how exactly do you plan to get to the second floor?”

Yohan stood and gestured toward the wall. “Climbing.”

“…You’re joking.”

“Nope. Start warming up. We’re climbing down the outer wall.”