RE: Survival - Chapter 59

As Yohan fired his bullet, he immediately shifted to dodge the incoming projectile and evaded David’s follow-up attack.

Contrary to his expectation that the pain might force a change in the mutant’s pattern, David simply began preparing for the next strike. It was as if the creature was thinking, ‘This can’t be happening.’ Yohan, too, readied to land another bullet on target.

Then, ‘Bang!’ A gunshot echoed from behind Yohan.

“…?”

Startled, Yohan turned toward Hajin, who shrugged and gestured to a fallen zombie nearby.

Caught up in the fight with the mutant, Yohan hadn’t noticed the zombie closing in. He had nearly been ambushed by something as trivial as a common zombie.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. Focus on that bastard.”

Yohan nodded, pulling himself together. He tuned out everything else around him, trusting Hajin completely. Now it was just him and the mutant.

Fixing his aim on the target, Yohan steadied himself. If the first shot had been luck, the second would require skill—something he would need in this critical moment.

As the mutant spat out another chunk of metal, Yohan’s rifle roared again. The second bullet flew directly into its open mouth.

This time, the mutant let out a sharper, more piercing scream. Perhaps realizing that it was actually being hurt, the creature’s screeches became shrill and filled with irritation. Its gnashing teeth produced a grinding sound, like a predator seething with rage.

Even from a distance, Yohan could see the fire in its eyes. It was furious, enraged at the retaliation from what it considered mere prey.

David began climbing down the wall like a lizard. It seemed to sense that its long-range attacks were no longer effective and moved closer, ready to hunt its audacious prey.

The tapping sound of its claws against the wall grew louder, like the pounding of a heartbeat.

The creature’s new pattern wasn’t to flee but to attack up close. It was clearly underestimating its opponents. If it wanted to come closer, Yohan welcomed the opportunity—this was where the real fight would begin.

“It’s coming. Hajin, get ready.”

The mutant moved with agility akin to a monkey. Yohan tracked its movements with razor-sharp focus.

David charged head-on like a predator. Yohan threw a grenade toward the advancing mutant and dove backward.

‘Boom!’ The explosion roared, followed by a plume of smoke. Yet the mutant leapt through the haze as if unharmed, its movements light and swift.

Yohan raised his rifle again, waiting for the moment its mouth opened.

But David wasn’t entirely unscathed. As it charged, it suddenly veered toward the welfare building, latching onto its walls.

Now it began circling the structure like a hyena stalking its prey.

Yohan carefully followed the mutant’s erratic movements. While it wasn’t unpredictable, the mutant’s close-range capabilities posed a significant threat. If he were wearing sturdy armor, he might have risked letting it grab him to counterattack, but in this situation, getting caught could mean death.

The mutant’s sharp claws and unknown strength added an extra layer of danger. Yohan knew he had to avoid being grabbed while targeting its weaknesses.

The creature’s red, grotesque skin rippled as it moved, reducing its orbit around them step by step.

‘Come closer. Just a bit more.’

The moment David was within striking distance, it leapt, landing between Yohan and Hajin. Its long arms lashed out like whips.

Yohan flattened himself to the ground, narrowly dodging the first strike, then rolled left and sprang to his feet.

“Hah…”

Instead of grabbing and biting like a typical zombie, the mutant slashed with its claws. Its intent was clear: subdue its prey first. For Yohan and Hajin, even a scratch from those claws carried the risk of infection, making the attacks particularly dangerous.

“Keep moving back! Lure it behind the welfare building!”

Fleeing too quickly might make the mutant pull back and reset the distance. They needed to retreat while responding to its attacks, gradually drawing it toward the trap they had set.

Yohan backpedaled quickly, keeping an eye on the mutant. But the creature leapt through the air, closing the gap in an instant.

Its leap resembled that of a frog or a monkey. As it landed in front of Yohan, its claws reached for him, but he dodged with a backstep and thrust his rifle into its open mouth.

‘Got you.’

Yohan pulled the trigger, but before the shot could fire, the mutant’s sharp teeth clamped down on the rifle, crushing the barrel as the gun discharged.

The impact jarred Yohan, forcing him to let go of the rifle. Staggering, he narrowly dodged the mutant’s follow-up attack, losing his balance and falling to the ground.

Using his foot, Yohan hooked the creature’s left leg in an attempt to trip it, but the move backfired. Instead of toppling the mutant, Yohan’s foot throbbed in pain from the contact.

‘Screeeech!’

The mutant slashed downward with its claws, but Yohan rolled away just in time. The asphalt beneath its claws cracked and caved in.

Dust and grime coated Yohan as he scrambled across the ground.

Strength wasn’t the mutant’s weakness—it had been toying with them all along. Its earlier reliance on long-range attacks wasn’t due to a lack of power but a cruel sense of mockery.

Fighting David was like enduring a slow, torturous trial, both physically and mentally draining. Its relentless attacks scraped at Yohan’s nerves.

‘Can we even defeat something like this?’

Clinging desperately to his waning resolve, Yohan noticed a clawed hand swinging toward him.

He drew the hunting knife from his thigh and drove it into the ground.

The claw collided with the knife, producing a deafening metallic screech as the two forces clashed.

Yohan gritted his teeth as the knife was pushed back, scraping against the ground. The mutant’s strength was overwhelming—despite Yohan using both hands and bracing with his body weight, he couldn’t hold it off.

As David’s neck twisted slightly from the impact of a heavy construction hammer, Yohan saw an opportunity. Hajin had struck the mutant with the hammer, its origin unknown, giving Yohan the opening he needed. Taking advantage of the distraction, Yohan rolled to the side, leaving the embedded knife in the creature.

‘Screeeech!’

The mutant roared in frustration, seemingly enraged by the relentless resistance of what it saw as mere prey. It spun its body and struck Hajin in the abdomen with one of its long arms.

“Ugh!”

The force sent Hajin’s large frame flying two or three meters before crashing to the ground. As Hajin writhed in pain, a legless zombie began crawling toward him.

Hajin’s vision blurred, his head spinning. He tried to get up to defend himself but couldn’t focus. He waved his arms in vain, but the zombie latched onto his wrist, biting down hard.

‘Crunch!’

Two of his fingers were severed.

“Arghhh!”

Hajin’s scream pierced the air as the searing pain jolted him back to reality.

“Hajin!”

Yohan called out, but he couldn’t spare any attention to his comrade. The mutant, its pale, rage-filled eyes glaring, was slashing furiously with its claws, forcing Yohan to retreat while dodging and rolling.

He needed to lure the mutant to the trap. Hajin’s screams gnawed at his mind, but the priority was ending the fight quickly. Only then could he check on Hajin safely.

While Yohan worked to lead the mutant toward the claymore trap, Hajin, clutching his throbbing hand, searched for something to fend off the zombie chewing on his fingers.

But nothing was within reach. The agony clouded his mind, leaving him nearly paralyzed.

“Arghh!”

Desperate, Hajin sat up and began punching the zombie’s head with all his strength.

One blow, then another. The decaying skull caved in, splattering vile brain matter everywhere as the head burst.

“Ah… ah…”

Hajin stared at his mangled hand in disbelief. Blood gushed from the severed fingers.

More than the pain, the fear of infection gripped him.

He knew the rule: a zombie bite meant certain infection unless dealt with immediately. But no one could help him. Yohan was already around the corner, luring the mutant.

“Hah…”

It was unclear whether his sigh came from the pain or despair. Staggering, Hajin made his way toward the deuce-and-a-half military truck parked in front of the welfare building.

‘Breathe, Hajin. Breathe.’

He knew what had to be done.

He had to cut off his infected arm. Right now.

Grabbing the unused knife and bag Yohan had left behind, he climbed onto the truck. His first attempt failed, and he slipped, tumbling to the ground. Gritting his teeth, he got back up and climbed again.

‘I can do this. I have to.’

He used bottled water and spare clothes to clean the area, then unbuckled his belt and tied it tightly around his upper left arm. Taking the sharp knife, he cursed under his breath.

“The wrist… no, too much time has passed. At least below the elbow…”

Tears he hadn’t shed since childhood began streaming down his face. Time was slipping away.

“Damn it… damn it…”

Finally, with a primal scream, Hajin steeled himself. (T/N: Oh shit! Not you!)

—

Yohan’s breath came in ragged gasps. His entire body burned as if he’d been running a marathon. Each of the mutant’s erratic, brutal attacks pushed him to his limits.

He rounded the corner of the welfare building, spotting the claymore waiting at the alley’s edge. Just one more corner and he could reach the detonator.

But the mutant cut him off, scaling the wall to block his path.

‘Does this thing have intelligence?’ Yohan thought, cursing under his breath.

He was worried about Hajin, who had been sent flying earlier, but Yohan’s own survival took priority now.

The mutant’s long arms lashed out like snakes. Yohan dodged left, pushed off the wall, and leapt over the creature, sprinting toward the next corner.

The mutant hesitated for a moment before jumping after him. It landed on the ground a few steps away from Yohan, giving him a fleeting chance.

Sliding to the detonator, Yohan pressed the button as soon as he turned.

‘Boom!’

The claymore detonated just as the mutant approached, filling the air with thick gray smoke.

If the blast didn’t wound the mutant, it would at least stagger it. It had to.

Drawing a throwing knife, Yohan charged through the dust.

Amid the haze, the mutant lay on its back, struggling to get up. Yohan seized the moment, driving the knife into its eye socket and jerking its head back.

The mutant’s jaws opened reflexively.

Yohan shoved a grenade into its mouth, slamming its jaw shut with his hand before retreating in a sliding motion.

The mutant, already disoriented from the claymore, seemed momentarily stunned.

A second later, the sound Yohan had been waiting for reached his ears: the soft ‘gulp’ of the grenade being swallowed.

Then came the explosion.

The grenade detonated inside the mutant’s throat, sending thousands of sharp fragments tearing through its insides.

Blood and gore erupted from every opening—eyes, nose, mouth, ears. The creature’s body convulsed violently before collapsing in a grotesque heap.