Chapter 161
“Formation 32!”
The old man’s voice was thunderous, belying his age. Upon hearing his command, the squad leaders echoed it with force and leapt from the truck, quickly taking their positions.
The new recruits hurried after them. In less than a minute, everyone moved in perfect coordination, spreading out like well-trained soldiers and taking up perimeter defense. It was a fortress-like combat posture.
“Zombies spotted to the north!”
Zombies, drawn by the commotion, began to crawl out one by one, exuding an aura of death. Their rotten, severed, and broken forms were beyond recognition as anything once human.
Olivia, with little experience facing zombies, flinched. She nervously clenched and unclenched her hands, rubbed her arms, and looked around. Surprisingly, she seemed the most tense among the recruits. The others were alert, their eyes gleaming, as if the sight was familiar.
‘They seemed so clumsy during training, but maybe it’s true they survived up to now for a reason.’ Olivia steeled herself. After clearing out the zombies in the public parking lot, Search Squad 4 dispersed into squads.
“We start from this building and clear the block.”
Following the squad leader, they arrived at a row of ordinary commercial buildings. This was the last area assigned to the new squad. Even as fresh recruits, there was strong pressure to prove themselves.
“Two zombies northwest!”
Before she could even be nervous, zombies poured out from inside the building.
“Olivia!”
At the squad leader’s call, Olivia charged at the zombies. When the squad leader called, the member in charge of the zone advanced to handle it. Five advanced to deal with the zombies while two backed them up.
Olivia calmly struck the approaching zombie’s temple. The weapon she’d gripped since training started now felt as familiar as her own hand.
The tension in her muscles started to loosen the moment she smashed the first zombie.
‘Weak.’
‘Not a single Search Squad member from Camp Yohan, who volunteered as a sparring partner, ever collapsed this easily.’
Wham—!
A piece of metal soared through the air and buried itself in a zombie’s head.
‘There’s no way I’d lose to them, but even if things got dangerous, that fierce-eyed squad leader wouldn’t just sit back and watch. He tracked every move, offering backup and corrections without a moment’s lapse.’
The mission was smooth, and the survivors were strong. Whatever tension remained quietly evaporated.
-Stop. Everyone return to the point and rest. Time to eat.
Elder Yong’s voice came over the radio. After the squad leader confirmed the order, he signaled to halt and turned back.
“Good work. Let’s head back.”
Their staging point was a wide asphalt parking lot, once used as a public lot. Surrounded by a three-meter fence, reinforced by vehicles, it felt quite safe.
Back at the lot, people from other squads arrived one after another. The previously quiet lot quickly filled with noise and chatter.
“……..”
Olivia stared, unable to hide her amazement at the people. Most squad members looked perfectly clean, as if no battle had happened.
Only the new squad members had blood on their clothes. When Olivia looked at her squad leader in surprise, he was just as clean. He smiled faintly.
“You’ll get used to it. If you get too much blood on you, laundry’s a pain.”
‘How many zombie corpses have they piled up to reach this level of calm?’ She couldn’t even guess.
“Line up by squad for rations!”
Those on vehicle guard had already eaten and were on watch, while the others gathered in small groups to eat. Olivia and the other new recruits opened their issued combat rations.
“Here.”
The squad leader poured hot water into the new recruits’ rations. Fierce in battle, he was unexpectedly kind in ordinary times. Most survivors here were like that—so warm and friendly, but transformed into predators the moment zombies appeared.
Olivia took a spoonful of the heated ration and grimaced.
‘Tastes terrible.’
“Squad leader, everyone looks so experienced.”
A squad member chatted up the squad leader, who nodded in response.
“Not just experienced—bored. There’s nowhere left that isn’t swarming with zombies.”
“Isn’t it tough?”
“Eating this dog food is the tough part. Combat’s not so bad.”
“Hehe, true. I heard military rations are good these days. Anyway, can’t wait to go home and eat real food.”
“This isn’t store-bought. It’s a camp-developed supply. Low quality, high calorie, lots of preservatives.”
‘Bad for you and tastes awful.’
The squad leader added,
“Eat up. That way you’ll rot less when you become a zombie.”
Laughter erupted here and there. At least during meals, the atmosphere seemed more relaxed.
The squad leader turned to Olivia, who was quietly picking at her disposable spoon.
“By the way, Olivia, what’s your relationship with Squad Leader Hajin?”
“What do you mean, relationship…”
“He keeps coming to see you, doesn’t he?”
“We’re not anything. Not yet.”
“Not yet?”
“No, we’re nothing!”
“He’s impressive. You should keep hold of him.”
The squad leader joked, surprisingly interested in others’ love lives despite his cool appearance.
‘The food was harder to swallow than expected. It felt like eating pig slop.’
As Olivia muttered, ‘Tastes terrible…,’ she was surprised at herself for even thinking that. Before joining the camp, she’d eaten grass porridge when there was nothing else.
‘Now here I am, eating decent food and complaining—life’s gotten comfortable lately.’
‘Well, at least meals were excellent during training.’
Beep beep beep.
The squad leader’s radio chimed. ‘It’s not time yet, is it?’ she thought, but soon a frantic voice came through. Everyone’s movements froze mid-meal.
-Multiple zombies northwest. Heading this way.
“Even a dog’s left alone during meals.”
Nearby, Elder Yong shot to his feet, followed by several squad members.
He climbed onto the king cab of the tallest truck, scanning the northwest. When he couldn’t see anything, he gestured in the air, and someone tossed him binoculars.
Watching this, the new recruits tilted their heads and asked the squad leader,
“What’s going on?”
“Looks like something’s up. Eat fast.”
The squad leader’s face turned cold once again.
Despite pretending nothing would happen, everyone chewed faster. Olivia forced herself to swallow.
The radio kept chattering as the mood grew tense.
“What? It’s a wave?!”
That was the signal.
With the old man’s words, the atmosphere instantly chilled. Squad members dropped their rations and hurriedly grabbed their gear.
A wave meant—
-Squad leader! Northwest… we need support!
“What?”
-It’s a mutant!
‘Damn it.’
The old man swore. ‘These mutant bastards never stop coming, no matter how many we kill.’
The situation was dire. This was a large-scale search, not a small one. Any heavy loss would be a serious blow to the camp.
“What is it?”
-It’s Ironfist!
An armored mutant. Ironfist, difficulty 7.5. A tough opponent for the current force.
“Damn it. Buy us some time!”
-…Yes!
Elder Yong bit his lip. Telling them to buy time was no different from sending them to their deaths. But without it, they couldn’t respond at all.
“Live, you brats!”
There was no answer. They must have already entered combat mode.
“All squads, battle stations! Formation 9! Barricade with vehicles! Ridi, east gate! Kangho, west gate! The rest, watch the north! Only open three entrances!”
“All squads, battle stations! Formation 9!”
Orders rang out everywhere as squad leaders roused the new recruits.
“Battle time.”
“What…?”
“Stay sharp. A mutant appeared.”
‘That mutant we only knew from theory?’
There was no need to explain further—the new recruits, calm even while fighting zombies, began trembling at the word ‘mutant.’
“Soon the squad leaders will be called up. If I’m gone, don’t lose focus and stay put. Olivia, you’re acting squad leader. Just resupply the squads blocking the entrances with magazines.”
“Yes.”
“Quick, quick! All squad leaders up front! Hey! Send a support signal to camp! Damn it, why is a mutant here now?! Get all the rookies to the back!”
The old man’s voice was urgent.
It was the first time seeing him like that.
He rushed to the truck, pulled off the cover, and lowered the frame, revealing a mounted machine gun.
“They’re sending a helicopter!”
“Kim Gaeul!”
“Yes!”
“Go to the parking control center and raise the heliport flag!”
“Roger!”
One of the eight squad leaders broke away. The remaining seven formed a near line. People behind them spread out in a fan, leaving space. When facing a mutant, only those who could fight should engage—numbers just meant more casualties.
Elder Yong shouted to the squad members.
“Let the squad leaders focus on the mutant! Got it?!”
“Yes!”
“All right, all right! Damn it!”
‘…What are we supposed to do?’
The recruits looked flustered.
Elder Yong was annoyed with the still-trembling recruits.
Even battle-hardened veterans were still just greenhorns in the face of a mutant.
‘Just hold on. Reinforcements will be here in thirty minutes—mutant-killing experts, now that the helicopter’s up.’
“Aaaargh!”
A scream came from beyond the fence.
The sentries had been attacked.
‘We told them to buy time, but there’s only one way—put your life on the line.’
“Damn it!”
There had been almost no casualties lately, but now, of all times, a mutant appeared during a big operation…
At the very front, Chul-gu sharpened two long knives like a chef. The old man aimed the machine gun into the air behind him.
“Fire!”
Someone gave the order. Zombies had entered range.
“Hold your ground! Don’t give in!”
Zombies rushed toward the open gate. ‘Running’ didn’t quite describe it—their speed was on another level. The difference was clear.
Bang! Bang bang!—
Olivia instinctively covered her ears. It was the first time she’d heard gunfire so loud since joining the camp. The sound was chilling.
Truly an emergency—squad members fired without holding back. The zombies’ bloodshot eyes glared as they charged, but the steady barrage of bullets pushed them back. The front line was quickly restored.
“W-We need to hurry.”
Olivia grabbed a magazine. The last squad in formation 9 handled resupply. She had to keep the ammo flowing.
As she picked up an ammo box to deliver supplies, she caught a glimpse of a mutant leaping over the fence.
The area was deafening, yet for a moment, everything seemed silent.
‘Like a leopard leaping into the air—horrifyingly beautiful.’ The mutant soared over the fence in slow motion, or like a passing vision.
Ratatatatata!
“Dieeee!”
The slow motion ended as Elder Yong unleashed a hail of machine-gun fire at the airborne Ironfist mutant.
Elder Yong fought the fierce recoil, veins bulging in both arms.
Screeeeech!—
Blocked, the mutant landed and instantly grabbed the nearest person’s face.
“Aaaargh!”
A sharp scream, a cracking sound. The man’s head was torn off.
Splat!—
Blood sprayed like a fountain.
Olivia, watching in shock, froze in horror.
The man whose head was just ripped off—
Was the squad leader of the new recruits, who until moments ago was laughing and chatting with them.