RE: Survival - Chapter 54

“Five each. Throw them all at the same time. As soon as the fifth one explodes, we charge. The moment you see us emerge, provide covering fire immediately.”

“Roger. On three. One, two, three!”

The three simultaneously hurled their grenades. The grenades followed arcing paths, detonating with loud explosions upon impact.

Shards of debris scattered like sparks, accompanied by plumes of smoke and dust that billowed upward. Sweeper let out an enthusiastic whistle, adding a jubilant “Yahoo!” before signaling for the next round.

“This is the thrill of zombie herding! One, two, three!”

More grenades exploded. The exhilarating impact gave Sweeper a rush, akin to casting a net into a tank brimming with fish at a fishing café.

Meanwhile, inside the warehouse, Yohan’s team secured their gear and prepared for combat. Though the explosions would likely create a gap, complacency wasn’t an option.

Yohan adjusted his face mask, pulling it up from his neck to cover his nose. Then, ripping the lining of his mask, he approached Seri and secured it over her nose and mouth like a makeshift filter. The rest of the team, quickly catching on, followed suit.

“Debris from the explosions might release tiny zombie fragments into the air,” Yohan explained, prompting the new recruits to hastily make their own improvised masks.

“Shooting while moving will make precise aiming nearly impossible. Think of it as firing by instinct.”

Once his instructions were clear, Yohan positioned himself at the front. The scouting team arranged themselves in a wedge formation around him.

“Three.”

The third explosion erupted, causing the warehouse door to shudder violently. A fourth followed shortly, and then the fifth. The instant it detonated, Yohan kicked the door open and charged out.

The sight that greeted them was a haze of smoke and scattered zombie remnants, their dismembered pieces strewn across the ground. The floor in front of the warehouse was slick with blackened blood and viscera, sticking to their boots with every step.

Yohan pressed forward through the smoke, heading toward the cart loaded with firearms. Zombies lunged through the fog, and the crack of rifles split the air as his team shot them down.

The growls and howls of zombies filled the surroundings. Despite the obscured visibility, zombies kept emerging unexpectedly. Each time, the team reacted with a mix of panic and measured precision. While wasting bullets on single zombies posed an issue, the tense situation made any successful shot a relief.

Upon reaching the cart, Yohan issued his orders.

“Seri. Jeong-eun. Push the cart.”

The two members, less experienced with rifles, were tasked with pushing the cart loaded with firearms.

The remaining men formed a protective circle around the cart, steadily advancing. After a few minutes, the dust cleared, and visibility improved.

Fifty meters ahead, Sweeper’s group could be seen holding a steady firing stance, providing cover against the pursuing zombies.

With the combined firepower of Sweeper’s group and Yohan’s team, the gap between them and the zombies widened significantly.

“The immediate danger has been averted. The team’s understanding of the operation is solid, and we’re stronger than ever in both firepower and coordination.”

The sharp crack of rifle fire brought clarity to the chaos. Unlike previous battles, Yohan was surrounded by armed allies.

Even with the ferocity of wave-enhanced zombies, they were no match for a well-armed combat unit. Sergeant Ong, who had been clumsy in melee combat, transformed with a rifle in hand, showcasing the calm precision of an active-duty soldier.

With steady aim, he picked off approaching zombies one by one, his marksmanship seemingly even better than Yohan’s.

“Perhaps Lieutenant Ahn sent their best rifleman for this mission.”

The wave itself wasn’t the issue. As long as they could reach the ammo depot, they could hold their ground.

Even if there were thousands of zombies in the base, they could be dealt with eventually. The stockpile of ammunition in the depot was more than sufficient to withstand multiple waves.

The real variable was the mutant.

Identifying the type of mutant responsible for the wave was critical. Regardless of the type, mutants were universally difficult to deal with. But with a clear strategy, they could minimize losses and survive the wave.

Yohan thought positively.

“If you’ve gone through more than five magazines, switch to a fresh weapon! Sweeper, toss me a spare mag.”

Sweeper tossed a magazine, which Yohan caught with one hand, reloaded, and resumed firing as he moved backward. Despite taking down the most zombies among the team, Yohan used the fewest magazines.

Each of his shots was deliberate and precise.

Then, with a heavy thud, a figure behind him screamed. Myung-jin collapsed, clutching his face in agony.

It had happened so quickly that no one realized what was going on. Voices called out to him in confusion.

“Myung-jin?!”

“Sweeper! Get down!” Yohan shouted.

Sweeper instinctively dropped flat as a heavy object whizzed past where he had been standing and smashed into the cart behind him. The loud metallic clang and vibrations jolted everyone into realizing something was terribly wrong.

Myung-jin lay on the ground, his face sunken and blood streaming from his nose and mouth, as though his nasal bone had been shattered. Hyuk rushed to him, cradling his limp body, but there was no response.

The object that had struck him was a fist-sized lump of twisted metal, mangled as if it had been compressed under immense force.

Yohan’s gaze followed the trajectory of the projectile, landing on a figure perched on a rooftop—a figure he had hoped never to encounter.

A small body, barely a meter tall. Skin a dark, reddish gray. Long, disproportionate arms resembling those of a gibbon.

The mutant ‘David’.

The worst possible mutant had appeared before them.

“Goddamn it.”

Of all times. If they could just get through this mission, the abundance of ammunition would elevate the camp’s strength to new heights. But now, everything was at risk.

Yohan had been confident in dealing with most mutants.

But the cruel reality of his desperate pursuit of stability was beyond harsh. Why was it that only the worst of the worst situations seemed to unfold?

There was no time for despair. The mutant smacked its lips before spitting something out of its mouth—a fist-sized lump of metal. It gripped the lump in its hand and began to spin its arm in circles.

“Protect your heads!” Yohan shouted urgently. He couldn’t expect his team to dodge such attacks; their best bet was to shield their heads to avoid instant death. Hearing Yohan’s desperate cry, the team instinctively covered their heads with their arms.

With a sharp ‘whizz’, the mutant hurled the metal projectile.

Its target was Sweeper. Fortunately, Sweeper barely managed to evade the projectile as it narrowly missed him. Yohan let out a brief sigh of relief and turned to Hyuk, who was supporting Myung-jin.

“Don’t carry him. He might be infected. Load him onto the cart,” Yohan ordered.

The team moved swiftly, placing Myung-jin onto the cart piled with firearms. The ammo depot was within sight, but they needed to protect themselves from the projectiles. This battlefield belonged entirely to the mutant.

“To the ammo depot!” Yohan commanded, raising his rifle and aiming at the mutant.

‘Bang! Bang! Bang!’ Three consecutive shots rang out, but the mutant didn’t budge. However, it did seem to recognize Yohan as a threat, its eyes locking onto him.

“Sweeper, cover the zombies behind us! I’ll signal when the mutant attacks—roll to evade as soon as you hear it! Everyone else, move quickly to the depot!”

Sweeper nodded. Yohan had calculated that only he and Sweeper had a chance of dodging the mutant’s projectiles, minimizing potential casualties. While Sweeper distracted the zombies, Yohan moved closer to the mutant.

The goal wasn’t to kill it with gunfire but to draw its attention. If Yohan could take the brunt of a few attacks, it would be enough.

The mutant responded as Yohan hoped, focusing on him and launching another projectile.

The incoming missile was fast, but not as fast as a bullet or arrow. Yohan dodged two consecutive attacks while firing his rifle. The bullets ricocheted off harmlessly with a metallic ‘ping’.

“Good enough…”

“Sweeper! Let’s pull back!” Yohan called, confirming that everyone else had safely retreated. The mutant began smacking its lips again.

There was a slight delay between when it launched a projectile and when it could spit out another one. This predictable pattern was the mutant’s only weakness.

Yohan and Sweeper sprinted at full speed, sliding into the ammo depot just as the mutant prepared to throw another projectile.

As soon as they entered, the depot door slammed shut. The group inside panted heavily, catching their breath in the dimly lit room.

Hyuk was administering first aid to Myung-jin, whose condition was severe. His face was so mangled from the impact that it was barely recognizable, as if he’d been struck by a sharp iron mace.

“What the hell is that thing?!” someone exclaimed.

“That’s a mutant. Its name is David,” Yohan replied.

“What kind of monster is that—”

Yohan cut Seri off. While it was natural for them to have questions, and Yohan wanted to explain, there wasn’t enough time. With David on the loose, every second counted.

“Listen up—this will be quick. That’s David. It’s the only mutant I’ve seen capable of long-range attacks. It throws clumps of metal, and the edges are sharp, so avoid getting hit. It might be difficult at first, but once you get the timing, you can dodge it. Regardless, we have to kill it. Otherwise, the wave won’t end.” (T/N: Oh, like David with a slingshot in David vs Goliath.)

Yohan took a deep breath before continuing.

“David is also a mutant that commands other mutants. Wherever it appears, Goliaths are sure to follow. Goliaths are large, brutish mutants, standing over two meters tall. They can bend steel bars and tear through fences with their hands. In short, we’re out of time. If we don’t act fast, the main gate will be breached, and we’ll have to fight every zombie in the area.”

As Yohan spoke, the team’s faces grew increasingly grim. It was hard enough to accept the existence of zombies, but the appearance of such monstrous beings defied belief.

And Yohan wasn’t done.

“And one more thing—bullets don’t work on it.”

“What?” someone muttered.

“It eats metal. Its skin is as tough as steel.”

“Damn it… this is complete bullshit,” one person muttered in frustration, echoing the unspoken thoughts of the entire group.

Can we even fight something like that? That was the question weighing on everyone’s minds.

Hajin, who had fought a mutant before, managed to keep his composure and spoke up. “At least Yohan’s fought it before, right? What’s its weakness? How did you deal with it?”

“Weakness?”

Yohan hesitated. As much as he wanted to give them hope, this time he had to be honest.

“I don’t know. Every camp that encountered it was destroyed.”