Chapter 27

The mutant, nicknamed Gollum.

A towering zombie that moved on all fours during combat. Its name came from its resemblance to a certain movie character, making it easy to refer to. While Yohan suspected this wave was caused by a mutant that had devastated a nearby military base, it was likely a different mutant than the one they now faced. If not, then the base’s combat readiness must have been incredibly low. This particular mutant wasn’t invincible, provided one knew how to deal with it.

On a danger scale of 1 to 10, this one ranked around a 5. Destroying a military base would require something closer to an 8 or 9. After all, the South Korean Army, known for its spirited soldiers and heavy weaponry, wasn’t a force that could be easily overwhelmed.

The most terrifying mutant Yohan remembered was one called “David.”

During its assault, soldiers, injured by shrapnel, found themselves fighting infected comrades while zombies pushed against the barriers. Most military units fell in a similar pattern.

Without the mutants, the collapse of South Korea’s military forces would have been unimaginable. At the very least, if they had known how to counter the mutants, the situation wouldn’t have been as dire. The unexpected emergence of these bizarre creatures accelerated the apocalypse.

“Creepy,” Hajin muttered, breaking the silence.

Yohan cycled the bolt of his rifle once and switched it to automatic mode.

“I have one bad news, one good news, and one pretty great news. Which do you want first?”

“The pretty great news,” Hajin answered.

“The good news,” Sweeper said almost simultaneously.

Yohan nodded. “The bad news is that this thing is dozens of times tougher and nastier than regular zombies.”

“Then why did you even ask?” Sweeper grumbled.

“What’s the good news?” Hajin urged, keeping his tone light despite the tense atmosphere. The aura emanating from the mutant was undeniably ominous.

“If we kill it, this wave—along with the zombies swarming together—will end.”

“Oh, and the pretty great news?” Sweeper asked.

Yohan adjusted his rifle’s sights, aiming at the mutant’s head. “The great news is that I know how to fight it.”

“Fight it? What’s the plan?” Sweeper inquired.

“It’s too long to explain step by step. Just watch—it’s not as dangerous as it looks. Its attack patterns are predictable.”

Despite Yohan’s reassurance, the tension in the air didn’t ease. The mutant merely rolled its blood-red eyes in response to their chatter, making no moves. Hajin tilted his head, puzzled.

“Why isn’t it attacking?”

“We’re not in its range yet,” Yohan replied, tossing a flashlight to Hajin. “Hajin, Sweeper, step back—about ten paces. Hajin, watch the rear. Sweeper, keep the light on it and don’t lose track of its movements.”

The two nodded and retreated. For now, they had no choice but to trust Yohan’s instructions. Once they were clear, Yohan pulled the trigger. The sound of automatic gunfire reverberated through the subway.

Screeeech!

The first shot struck the mutant squarely in the head. Blood splattered as its skull caved in slightly, but the recoil caused subsequent bullets to graze it instead. Yohan maintained his composure and continued firing in controlled bursts.

The mutant let out a piercing scream, loud enough to hurt their ears. Another bullet hit its mouth, causing its face to collapse like crushed dough, blood spraying everywhere. Any regular zombie would’ve dropped dead from such injuries, but the mutant only staggered.

Then, in an instant, it vanished into the darkness.

“What the—where did it go?” Sweeper exclaimed, frantically swinging his flashlight around. The scattered light distorted their visibility. Yohan’s sharp voice cut through the confusion.

“Stop waving the flashlight! Left ceiling, in the corner! Moving counterclockwise!”

Sweeper steadied the beam, finally catching sight of the mutant. It clung to the subway ceiling with its claws, circling Yohan. Each time its sharp talons gripped the cement walls, they dug in with a sickening crunch.

Now able to track it, Yohan resumed firing.

The mutant darted across the ceiling, leaping off the walls, landing briefly on the floor, and then clinging to the opposite ceiling. It moved as though stalking its prey.

Ratatatat! The gunfire echoed relentlessly through the tunnel. Yohan’s aim followed its erratic movements, but the speed and agility of the mutant made it hard to land a clean shot.

Click.

Out of ammo, Yohan swiftly reloaded. The fluid motion left no opening for the mutant to exploit.

“Three… four…” Yohan silently counted, keeping track of how many circuits the mutant had made. Earlier, when Sweeper lost sight of it, he had heard it land briefly behind him—its fourth circuit. Now it was completing its fifth.

Yohan rolled to the side, hugging his rifle close to avoid the overheated barrel touching his body.

Bam!

The mutant struck where Yohan had been moments earlier, its claws raking the floor. Missing its target, it vaulted back onto the ceiling and resumed circling.

Yohan rose quickly and resumed his stance. Precise aim wasn’t enough to take this thing down.

Now accustomed to the mutant’s speed, Yohan switched to predictive shooting, aiming not at the mutant itself but at the path ahead of it.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The shots landed. Bits of flesh flew as several rounds hit their mark.

The hunt was manageable, but the problem lay in ammunition. Only two magazines remained, and the mutant had to be neutralized before they ran out. Close-quarters combat would be far riskier.

Yohan’s movements became slightly more hurried as he continued firing.

Stay calm.

Calmer.

He reminded himself every time tension threatened to freeze his body.

Each time the faint beam of light illuminated the mutant, its grotesque figure sent chills down his spine. The creature appeared and disappeared like a magician enjoying the spotlight, its unsettling presence amplified by Sweeper’s effort to track it with the flashlight.

Bang! A lucky shot aimed at its torso struck the mutant’s arm instead. The impact severed the arm entirely.

Screeeech! The mutant let out a shriek of pain.

“Hajin! Zombies incoming!” Yohan shouted, noticing the mutant’s scream echoing ominously.

Hajin, who had been watching Yohan’s battle in a daze, snapped out of it and turned to guard the rear. However, no zombies were yet visible, only a growing sense of dread filling the subway.

About three minutes later, shadowy figures began emerging from the dim end of the tunnel. The darkness made it impossible to count them accurately. Hajin swallowed hard.

Sweeper was busy keeping the mutant illuminated and supporting Yohan in combat, leaving Hajin to handle the approaching zombies alone. If any slipped through, they could endanger the entire group.

Resolving to hold them off, Hajin gripped his knife tightly and moved forward to confront the zombies before they could reach the others.

Not a single one can pass.

Hajin let out a battle cry.

Meanwhile, Yohan swapped magazines again. It was the last one. Though he had a backup rifle on his back, the remaining ammo was scarce.

The mutant bore several wounds but none fatal. Yohan flexed his aching arm a few times before switching his rifle to semi-automatic mode.

The earlier automatic fire had been necessary to hit the swift target as much as possible. Now, every shot had to count.

“Hey! There’s something in front too!” Sweeper shouted.

To make matters worse, zombies were now approaching from the front. The flashlight briefly illuminated them before returning to track the mutant. In that moment, Yohan gauged the distance—about three to five minutes away.

Yohan admired Sweeper’s quick thinking in switching the light back and forth to assess their surroundings. The guy had decent combat instincts.

As the mutant completed its fifth circuit, Yohan rolled to the side. This time, however, he was a fraction too late. The mutant’s leap came just as he started his roll.

He failed to create enough distance, and dust kicked up by the landing covered his face. The gritty feeling made him cough, and something sharp pricked his eyes, forcing him to blink rapidly.

If I get attacked like this, I’m done.

The tension bristled through his entire body. Fortunately, the mutant seemed to think its attack had failed and leapt back to the wall to begin circling again.

Yohan staggered to his feet, coughing and rubbing his stinging eyes. Regaining focus, he resumed his firing stance. Sweeper’s voice rang out sharply.

“Now, five circuits!”

It seemed Sweeper had figured out the mutant’s attack pattern after two strikes. The timing was helpful, but there was no chance to dodge this time.

Acknowledging Sweeper’s aid, Yohan raised his rifle, gripping the handguard and stock firmly.

The mutant hurtled through the air with a whistle, its body like a projectile. Yohan blocked the charge with his rifle, the impact making him stagger slightly as the weight pressed down. He braced himself by locking his stance and tightening his core.

The mutant pushed against the rifle with its remaining arm, snapping its jaws mere inches from Yohan’s face. Its teeth clattered menacingly, and the rancid smell of its saliva, dripping in threads, assaulted his nostrils.

“Sweeper! Send the axe!” Yohan shouted.

Sweeper crouched and slid the hand axe across the ground with precision. It spun to a stop perfectly at Yohan’s feet.

Yohan bent down to grab the axe, his body almost pinned by the mutant. As soon as he released one hand, the balance shifted, and he toppled backward, clutching the axe. The mutant’s teeth snapped shut right next to his ear.

In a flash, Yohan swung the axe, severing the mutant’s head from its neck. Dark, clotted blood sprayed everywhere like a fountain.

Even headless, the mutant’s body kept attacking. Yohan rolled away to avoid its claws and struck again, this time slicing off one of its legs.

Screeech!

While he fought the mutant, a regular zombie crept up and grabbed Yohan’s shoulder. Startled, he struck the zombie’s jaw with his free hand.

Crunch!

The satisfying impact sent the zombie stumbling back. Yohan took the chance to chop off the mutant’s remaining leg. The creature collapsed to the ground.

Now, only its torso and one arm remained. The mutant writhed spasmodically, flailing helplessly. Yohan turned and emptied his rifle’s remaining rounds into the creature’s head and torso, continuing until the squirming stopped.

Sweeper’s flashlight belatedly revealed the incoming zombies, which had slowed due to Yohan’s frantic gunfire moments earlier.

“Regroup!” Sweeper shouted.

“Been waiting for that!” Yohan replied.

Sweeper retrieved his axe mid-stride and began hacking through the remaining zombies with one hand while keeping the flashlight steady in the other.

Exhausted from the struggle with the mutant, Yohan leaned on his rifle to catch his breath. After slinging it over his shoulder, he quickly checked the remaining ammo.

“Eleven rounds.”

It was enough. With determination, he used the last of his bullets to finish off the mutant, ensuring it wouldn’t move again. Only when its writhing ceased did the tunnel finally fall silent.