RE: Survival - Chapter 9

For some reason, Yohan’s cold, cynical gaze came to Gun’s mind. When Yohan had suggested this plan, Gun had hoped—deep down—that the people would cooperate. He had clung to a sliver of hope.

“I’m not trying to send you to your deaths. Yohan, who’s survived outside for six months, has offered to teach us how to fight. Yohan…?”

Gun turned his head, but Yohan was no longer where he had been standing.

“Where did he…?”

Suddenly, a loud *bang!* echoed as the emergency exit door was kicked open, followed by a scream.

Screeeech…

A grotesque zombie was hurled onto the floor, causing screams to erupt from all around.

“What the hell?!”

“It’s a zombie!”

Yohan appeared, dragging the zombie by the back of its neck and hauling it upright.

“I brought supplies to get started. Who’s going first?”

No one stepped forward. The survivors stared at Yohan as if he were some kind of monster, their eyes filled with disbelief at his audacity.

“What? No volunteers?”

“Cowards.”

At that moment, Seri stood up.

“I’ll do it. What do I need to do?”

“You’re better than the guys with dicks. Get ready and put that on,” Yohan said, gesturing toward a pile of clothes.

“What’s all this?” Seri asked.

“Pick one way of talking—either formal or casual. That pile contains gloves, wrist guards, forearm protectors, elbow pads, and upper arm guards.”

Yohan picked up a monkey wrench and smashed it against the zombie’s jaw. With a crunch, its jaw shattered, and blood dripped onto the floor.

“These guards are made from cut-up boxes wrapped with duct tape. They’re tough enough that zombie teeth won’t pierce them. The forearm covers from your hand to your elbow. The upper arm guard covers from your elbow to your shoulder. You’re right-handed, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Then wear it on your left arm. Keep it on during combat—it’ll save your life. Don’t worry; this one won’t bite—it doesn’t have any teeth.”

Seri grumbled as she put on the protective gear.

“This feels like wearing a cast.”

“A cast would be even better. You could use it to bash their heads in if you had to.”

“No thanks. Casts stink, like sweaty feet.”

“Always stand with your body slightly angled and keep your left arm facing forward.”

“Like this?”

Seri awkwardly assumed the stance, and Yohan chuckled at her clumsy posture.

“Close enough. The stance doesn’t need to be perfect. Hold the knife with the handle pointing up. The idea is simple: block with your armored arm and…”

Yohan demonstrated by lifting the zombie’s chin using his arm guard, holding it steady as the creature struggled.

“Shift your back leg slightly to maintain balance. If you lose your footing, you’re dead.”

Standing perfectly upright is dangerous against zombies—just a little pressure from them could knock you off balance. Keeping your weight slightly forward ensures better control.

“The weak points are the head and heart. A knife to the heart works, but you need to find the exact spot between the ribs, and it takes time for them to stop moving. So, always aim for the head. Go for the eyes, the cervical spine, or the temples. The easiest way from the front…”

Yohan plunged his knife into the zombie’s eye, then kicked it over. It thudded lifelessly to the ground.

“…is to gouge the eyes. If you’re attacking from behind, pull the head back, angle it upward, and drive the knife vertically under the chin.”

The fallen zombie twitched briefly before going still. The sound of people gagging could be heard all around.

Yohan tossed a knife to Seri, who fumbled to catch it with both hands.

“Show them you’re serious. I’ll go grab another one.”

Yohan casually strolled toward the emergency exit, leaving the group murmuring behind him.

As Yohan reached the first floor, he scanned the area. More zombies were gathering. There were already hundreds of bodies scattered across the floor.

The horde was growing.

This was the beginning of a wave.

**We’re running out of time.**

He had hoped to give the survivors more experience, but the situation wasn’t allowing for that.

Screeeech…

A zombie approached. Yohan dodged its grasp with ease and shoved it into the emergency exit. Just as he was about to follow it inside, he noticed a zombie wearing a police uniform.

**Jackpot.**

Yohan shut the emergency door behind him and turned to face the zombies. With a quick series of strikes, he took down three more zombies. Their howls attracted others, and the nearby zombies began converging on him.

Yohan slid his knife back into its sheath and pulled out his crossbow.

Dropping to a knee, he used his chin and hand to steady the crossbow while rummaging through the pockets of the police zombie with his other hand.

**Found it.**

Yohan pulled out a handgun. He slid it into his back pocket and continued searching the officer’s jacket and shoulder pockets for spare bullets.

*Swoosh!*

An arrow pierced a zombie that had gotten too close. Yohan took a step back, opened the emergency door, and kicked the zombie rushing toward him square in the chest.

The zombie tumbled backward, hitting its head on the ground with a thud.

**Crap, I hope it’s not dead.**

Fortunately, the zombie was still moving. Yohan placed his foot on the creature’s chest and inspected the revolver’s cylinder.

It was a .38-caliber M-10 revolver.

Of the six chambers, four held bullets.

Yohan removed the spent casings and loaded fresh rounds. The small gun felt surprisingly heavy for its size.

He stuffed the revolver into the cargo pocket on his thigh.

**Now both legs feel balanced.**

—

“Good job.”

Yohan praised Min-seo, whose hands were trembling.

Just volunteering was a display of significant courage.

Although her form and follow-through had been poor, simply swinging a knife at a zombie was enough to deserve praise.

Including Gun and Hyuk, there were a total of seven volunteers.

Yohan had hoped for at least ten, but seven was better than nothing. They had almost come up short.

To prepare them, Yohan had tirelessly hunted zombies, dragging them back to the group. At first, the volunteers could only approach the zombies hesitantly with Yohan standing nearby. But soon, once the zombies were laid out before them, they began to pounce on them like hunters eyeing prey.

Cracking the zombies’ jaws had also been a confidence booster. Yohan had repeatedly demonstrated that, with the proper protective gear, even putting your arm into a zombie’s mouth could be safe.

Meanwhile, the onlookers who hadn’t volunteered continued to stare from the sidelines, as if watching an odd spectacle. But Yohan considered this progress.

He was in a rush. Gun wished the volunteers could train more, but there wasn’t enough time. The signs of a zombie wave were becoming clearer by the minute.

The longer they delayed, the worse their isolation would become.

“Enough. Gather around,” Yohan commanded.

He tore a floor plan off the wall and spread it out on the ground. The seven volunteers gathered around him.

“During combat, I’ll speak informally, so just bear with me,” Yohan said.

Everyone nodded.

“We’ll split into two groups of four. In Group 1, it’s me, Seri, Jung-hwan, and Old Man Park.”

Old Man Park had volunteered when the group had only six volunteers, saying he would represent the elders. He had insisted that if he died, any supplies allocated to him should go to the remaining elders.

Yohan had readily agreed to this.

“Group 2 will be Gun, Hyuk, Min-seo, and Byung-jin.”

Min-seo and Byung-jin were a newlywed couple who had participated in the previous attempt to retake the loading dock. They had been paralyzed by fear, but Gun had managed to convince them to join this effort.

The couple had a compelling reason to follow Gun—among the women kidnapped by the department store survivors was Min-seo’s younger sister, who was also Byung-jin’s sister-in-law. They needed Gun and Yohan’s help desperately. Gun must have promised that he would rescue her, and Yohan had expressed his condolences upon learning their situation.

“Think of yourselves as guards covering the four directions—north, south, east, and west. Group 1 will lead first, with Group 2 following. I’ll take point for Group 1, and Jung-hwan will bring up the rear. In Group 2, Hyuk takes point, and Gun will be at the rear.”

“So, I’ll be in the very back?” Gun asked.

“The front and rear are the most dangerous positions. If anyone dies first, it’ll probably be you,” Yohan said bluntly.

“Do you have to say things like that so casually?” Gun protested.

Yohan just grinned.

He traced his finger along the floor plan, moving from the emergency exit to the far end of the store.

“We’ll move together until we reach *The Face Shop*. Group 2, stay close and keep your eyes on your assigned direction. Don’t get distracted by zombies. If you lose focus, you die—just keep watching your sector.”

Yohan repeated the instruction slowly and clearly.

“Once we reach *The Face Shop*, we’ll split up and head toward the doors. Once both doors are secured, we’ll regroup at *The Face Shop*. That’ll be our staging area for hunting zombies. We’ll leave one door open to lure them in.”

He marked the doors and entrance on the map with his fingers.

“At the front entrance, the rear person will close the door while the point person covers them. The two side members will need to watch all directions during this time. This will be the most dangerous moment. The person closing the door is the most at risk. Hyuk, make sure to cover your brother. If he dies, we’re all screwed.”

“Got it,” Hyuk replied with a serious nod. Yohan gave him a reassuring pat on the back.

“Jung-hwan’s a specialist at closing doors, so I’m not worried, right?” Yohan teased.

“Ah, come on, man!” Jung-hwan shouted, eliciting a round of laughter that lightened the tense atmosphere.

“Don’t worry too much. None of you will die on my watch.”

Yohan was determined not to let anyone die in this operation.

In truth, he could have handled the task alone if he had been willing to take the risk. But involving the others served multiple purposes:

First, the sense of victory from reclaiming the mart would lift their spirits.

Second, minimizing casualties would earn the group’s trust.

And most importantly, this was about giving these people combat experience.

“How many zombies has everyone killed so far?” Yohan asked.

“Probably around three each, more or less.”

“Good. Let’s head out.”

The volunteers’ faces tensed with anticipation.

“Oppa, what if I pee myself in the middle of the fight?” Seri asked.

“Then go to the bathroom now, idiot.”

As Seri sprinted toward the restroom, Yohan adjusted his leather gloves, buttoned his jacket, and checked his outfit for gaps. He spun the handle of his 60cm knife around his fingers.

Seeing Yohan’s meticulous preparation, the others began copying him, adjusting their own gear.

When Seri returned, Yohan slung his backpack over his shoulder.

“Let’s move. Don’t trust a downed zombie—always prod it before passing by. Getting complacent will get you killed.”

His informal tone came naturally, and the group nodded in understanding.

As they reached the first-floor emergency exit, Yohan rummaged through his backpack.

Gun frowned.

“What’s that?”

“A grenade.”

In Yohan’s hand was a small stuffed dog toy.

“…What?”

“Ready? Here we go. Three, two, one. Fire in the hole.”

Yohan swung the emergency door open, kicked the zombie at the entrance, and theatrically tossed the dog toys to both sides.

From both ends of the hall came the sound of loud, mechanical barking.