RE: Survival - Chapter 52

Despite Yohan’s additional explanation, the unease in people’s eyes hadn’t subsided. He wasn’t free from anxiety either.

If there were still survivors inside and a zombie wave was ongoing, entering the base would be nothing short of suicide. However, judging by the zombies’ movements, it didn’t seem like an active wave was occurring.

Even so, seeing the sheer number of zombies with his own eyes gave him pause. But the mission was critical. No matter the risk, retreat wasn’t an option.

Yohan pulled out a blank sheet of paper he had prepared earlier and sketched the layout of the base as he spoke.

“This is a rough map based on the description Lieutenant Ahn gave me and what we can see now. Jot it down in your notebooks, even if it’s just a simple sketch. The ammunition depot is likely here, next to the central guard post. There are three main points we need to visit: the ammo depot, the supply warehouse, and the barracks.”

“The barracks?”

“Yeah, Seri, what is that? I thought you just couldn’t write neatly, but is that a map to hell?”

“No, I mean, what’s in the barracks?!”

As Seri copied the map, she asked, and Yohan jokingly clarified.

“It’s where the soldiers sleep. There should be firearms locked up there. Use tools to cut all the wires and bring as much as you can. We’ll split into three groups: the bait team, the ammo team, and the firearm team.”

“Wow, ‘bait team.’ Just hearing the name sounds brutal,” Sweeper quipped with exaggerated humor.

Yohan shot him a glance and continued.

“Sweeper, you’re the leader of the bait team. Hajin and Dong-seok will back you up.”

“Oh, boss, why do I always get stuck with the dangerous jobs? Is it just me?”

“It’s just you. Sergeant Ong and Seri will come with me to the ammo depot. Hyuk and the rest will secure firearms from the barracks and stop by the operations room on the first floor of the living quarters to grab all the radios. If there are any maps inside, take those too.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“The bait team won’t enter the base. Instead, circle the perimeter and make noise to lure the zombies clockwise. Once they’re gathered here…”

Yohan pointed to the corner of the square-shaped map he had drawn.

“…fire a few shots and retreat into the nearby mountains. Don’t push yourselves too hard. If it gets dangerous, split up and head back to the shelter individually.”

“Roger that.”

“The living quarters and the ammo depot are on opposite sides, so split up as soon as we enter. Hyuk, grab as many firearms as possible and regroup at the northern supply warehouse. Avoid drawing too much attention—only take out the zombies in your immediate path. We might not be able to carry everything in one trip.”

If they had to leave behind any firearms or ammo, they’d ensure enough zombies stayed to guard it. These supplies needed to remain entirely under their control.

As soon as the operation began, Sweeper’s team started circling the base. When their noise didn’t attract much attention, the sound of gunfire erupted not long after.

The gunfire managed to draw zombies from outside the base, and clusters of black dots began converging like ants from various directions.

“Sweeper, zombies are gathering outside as well. How’s it going?”

– “Tough. Starting to wonder if I picked the wrong boss.”

“You seem relaxed.”

– “I said it’s tough…!”

Yohan cut off the radio.

There weren’t any dead ends or places where zombies could suddenly appear, so it shouldn’t be too dangerous. All they had to do was focus on shaking off the last group of zombies. He had handpicked those with survival experience for this task. They would handle it well.

“Let’s move too.”

Eleven people moved toward the base. The gate was wide open, and as soon as the scouting team entered, zombies poured out from the guard post.

“Close the main gate at the back.”

At Yohan’s command, Hyuk’s college friends, Jae-hee and Myung-jin, shut the iron gate while the others eliminated the zombies. After clearing the guard post, the group split into two.

They had five carts in total. Hyuk’s group took two—one for firearms and the other for supplies. Yohan’s group used the remaining three carts solely for ammunition.

The sound of the carts echoed through the base. Zombies from all directions poked their heads out at the noise.

While pulling carts with one hand and dealing with zombies with the other, the bait team’s distraction worked well enough to keep them from encountering overwhelming numbers.

When Sergeant Ong struggled, Seri’s Gerber Broadcut machete sliced through the air. It was a new weapon she had taken from Yohan’s shelter and claimed to have fallen in love with at first sight.

The group quickly reached the ammo depot. The lead seal around the lock was still intact.

As expected, the base had collapsed early. The infection had likely spread internally before they could distribute the ammunition, leading to the base’s downfall.

In South Korea, the procedure for issuing live ammunition in military bases was notoriously strict. If the base failed to respond swiftly during the early stages, this was a plausible outcome.

Civilians must have attempted to reclaim the base later, but given the intact lead seal, all attempts had likely failed.

‘It’s like a death trap.’

Without significant knowledge of zombie behavior, even attempting to enter would have been a suicide mission.

With a resounding clang, the lock on the ammo depot broke open. Inside, it was filled with various types of ammunition and explosive supplies.

Wooden pallets lined the floor, stacked with rectangular metal boxes. Yohan pulled out the box at the front, firmly unlatched the side clasps, and opened the lid.

With a click, the box revealed rows of live ammunition, with a concealed compartment further inside.

Seri marveled at the depot filled with crates.

“Wow, how much is all this?”

“This is like ten shooting ranges’ worth of ammo for Bucheon City,” Yohan admitted, unable to hold back his own awe.

“It’s like hitting the jackpot.”

And it truly was. With firepower like this, even Seoul Survival Union’s forces—or even Seoul Survival Union’s grandfather—would have to think twice. Not to mention, this amount could easily withstand a zombie wave.

“Sergeant, do rear ammo depots usually store grenades too?”

“Each ammo depot has a standard checklist,” Sergeant Ong explained. “This one is marked as K-Net 00, but these days, they often use Net 103.”

“Yeah, you lost me with all that jargon. But isn’t it ironic? Even with all this ammunition, military bases are still falling to mere walking zombies,” Seri muttered.

“Can’t argue with that…”

Once the initial chaos is overcome, smaller, organized units tend to show remarkable resilience. Some regional bases even managed to reclaim small areas. Yohan had seen this himself at the eighth camp he joined—a base that successfully fended off three zombie waves.

“Let’s stick to grenades, claymores, and 5.56mm ammo. Be careful when moving it—it’s heavy.”

“How heavy can it be?” Seri rolled her eyes at Sergeant Ong, who was sweating profusely and begging for a break. With a sigh, Seri swapped roles with Ong and started hauling the ammo boxes herself.

Her effort, however, didn’t last long. Twenty minutes later, Seri collapsed, clutching her back. Grumbling, Yohan and Ong resumed moving the boxes while Seri returned to her guard post.

“Boss, there’s a lot of 20mm rounds here. Do we really need to prioritize the 5mm ones?” Ong asked.

“We’re limited by what we can carry, so it’s better to focus on the more versatile calibers.”

“Got it.”

“Let’s take a break,” Yohan suggested.

“Thank you. I thought I was done with lugging ammo cases forever,” Ong sighed. Yohan chuckled, understanding his frustration. He had moved countless ammo boxes during his active duty days.

“I’m a reservist, and here I am, still doing this.”

“Heh, which branch did you serve in, boss?”

“Air Force anti-aircraft artillery.”

“Whoa, isn’t the Air Force for the smart kids? You must’ve been a top student.”

“Nope, barely made the cut.”

And now he regretted it. He should have joined a tank unit instead, he thought.

As Yohan caught his breath, sitting atop an ammo box, Hyuk’s voice came through the radio.

“Boss, this is Hyuk. We’ve almost filled the cart with firearms.”

“Good work. It’ll take us a bit longer here, so come help us out when you’re done. Let’s gather everything at the supply warehouse afterward.”

“Understood.”

Clipping the radio to his shoulder, Yohan handed five spare magazines each to Ong and Seri. Ong clutched his rifle like a lifeline, while Seri, recently armed with a confiscated soldier’s rifle, complained about its weight compared to her handgun. Ignoring her grumbling, Yohan insisted on teaching her how to load, aim, and fire it. Knowing how to handle a rifle was non-negotiable.

Just as they were about to leave, Hyuk’s voice came through the radio again.

“Boss, we’re at the supply warehouse. You need to come here quickly.”

When Yohan and his group arrived, they were greeted by a massive swarm of zombies outside the warehouse—hundreds, at least two or three hundred.

The warehouse was situated in a slightly lower area, not steep but enough to force anyone ascending to lean forward. Could it be the incline? Yohan speculated without certainty.

“Boss,” Hyuk called, motioning to Yohan. Hyuk’s team was hiding behind a building near the warehouse. One cart was filled with K2 rifles.

“There are still so many zombies here. Should we retreat? Or should we grab some ammo and wipe them all out?”

Yohan shook his head. Neither option was acceptable. Military rations were highly nutritious and designed for long-term storage. This wasn’t the time to leave food behind.

But shooting their way through wasn’t an option either. It wasn’t a matter of ammunition; it was the noise. A firefight would undo all the bait team’s hard work in luring the zombies away.

“Good thing we packed this just in case. Leave one cart here and take the empty one in with us.”

“How do we even get in there?” Hyuk asked, thinking Yohan might split the group again. Instead, Yohan pulled three bluish objects from his backpack, drawing gasps from the team.

Training grenades.

“These should be just enough to create a distraction.”

Yohan signaled everyone to wait as he lobbed one grenade in the opposite direction. It landed about 30 meters away, releasing a small pop and a puff of yellow smoke. It wasn’t loud, but it was enough to draw the zombies’ attention.

As the zombies turned their heads, Yohan threw two more grenades farther away, their faint booms accompanied by a muddy splatter sound. The horde shifted en masse, shambling toward the noise.

At Yohan’s signal, the group moved swiftly. Using a crowbar, they pried open the locked door. The stench hit them immediately—a sickening blend of rotting food and accumulated filth.

The foul smell was overwhelming, making everyone cover their noses. But Yohan was more surprised by what lay beyond the door than the odor.

Inside the supply warehouse were three young male survivors, crouching on the ground.

“Survivors?!” Yohan’s mind raced.