Chapter 12

The player had to deliver supplies to a laboratory in a post-apocalyptic world while avoiding zombies.

The objective was to help a researcher who was single-handedly developing a vaccine against the zombie virus survive by providing food and obtaining the research materials needed to complete the vaccine.

“The Trial is classified as four stars. Captain Mo Haein and Captain Kwak Hanmuk will be entering this Trial for the first time, although they have already memorized the strategy.”

Just as the military had alert levels such as Jindogae or Watchcon, [1] the Trial Response Agency also classified Trials.

However, unlike normal military alerts, in the Trial Response Agency the higher the number, the greater the level of difficulty.

The classifications ranged from one to six stars and were assigned based on multiple factors.

HasFac, which had previously been closed, was a three-star Trial.

Although its bosses were strong, its strategies were well established, and there were also useful items and extra lives.

“Mr. Han Goyo, will you be alright?”

To be honest, it wasn’t normal to throw a four-star Trial at a recruit as a first mission.

But if this was the Special Mission Team, then he would need to be capable of handling at least a four-star Trial for his existence to make sense.

“I’ll be fine.”

“Then, before the detailed briefing, do you know the organizational structure of the Trial Response Agency?”

“…Hmm, explain it to me.”

I actually knew everything already, but it didn’t seem like a good idea to pretend I knew things in front of Kwak Hanmuk and Mo Haein.

‘It would only make me look more suspicious.’

So I decided to listen to it again as a review.

The floating screen changed.

“The Trial Response Agency is composed of four main divisions and ten teams. It is an extremely practical structure for a public institution. Though there are now eleven teams.”

In the vertical organizational chart projected onto the screen, one team protruded off to the side.

It was the Special Mission Team, connected directly to the Director.

“The First Division, the Field Response Division, consists of three teams.”

The leader of Field Team 2 was Mo Haein.

The leader of Field Team 3 was Kwak Hanmuk.

Kwak Hanmuk’s Field Team 3 was also responsible for tracking down Compatibles who committed crimes.

The day I completed HasFac alongside Mo Haein, it was Samra who sent Kwak Hanmuk.

He had predicted the possibility that Park Seonggyeon would commit a crime and dispatched him as backup.

“As Mr. Han Goyo may have already noticed, there is currently one person missing from the Special Mission Team.”

The screen zoomed in on Field Team 1.

“This is the person who serves as the head of the Field Response Division, the leader of Field Team 1, and also the leader of our Special Mission Team.”

The screen changed and displayed a photo of the leader along with a brief note.

Lieutenant Colonel Je Hyuno (infected with the BT-Z virus)

Extremely aggressive tendencies due to infection.

The man in the photograph was covered from head to toe in completely black equipment, like a crow.

The only visible feature was a portion of his black-purple hair beneath a deeply lowered hood.

With protective goggles and a gas mask, he was an infected individual whose body had mutated due to a Trial virus.

“He is currently inside Dead Zone Delivery.”

I silently looked at the part that read “extremely aggressive tendencies.”

Then the letters slowly shifted and the text updated itself.

Extremely aggressive tendencies toward Trials due to infection.

Samra smiled and said,

“He behaves calmly around civilians.”

If I hadn’t known anything about Je Hyuno, those words would have reassured me.

I stared at him silently.

Samra’s smile widened and his eyes glowed.

Then he added, as if he had forgotten to mention it:

“But he’s a little fierce with Compatibles.”

An AI pretending it forgot something.

How absurd.

Unlike me, who was stunned, Samra seemed deeply interested.

Because I knew information about Je Hyuno.

It was confidential Trial Response Agency information that no outsider could possibly know or should know.

Maintaining Samra’s interest in me was important if I wanted to preserve our cooperative relationship.

That was why, at least with Samra, I had no intention of pretending ignorance about the things I knew.

“I think Samra is malfunctioning.”

Kwak Hanmuk asked whether, since he was shooting beams out of his eyes, hitting him might fix the problem.

“A method that primitive cannot affect me.”

Samra replied calmly and continued the explanation.

“Dead Zone Delivery is Lieutenant Colonel Je Hyuno’s exclusive Trial. His usual clear time is approximately two days. However, this time ten days have passed and he still has not completed it.”

Kwak Hanmuk opened a bag of cookies but misjudged his strength.

Pop!

The bag burst open.

Cookies spilled across the table.

Mo Haein picked up one of the fallen cookies and ate it as if it were completely normal.

I only picked up one before three seconds passed and ate it.

“The objective of the Special Mission Team is to achieve the True Ending and rescue Lieutenant Colonel Je Hyuno.”

However, nobody actually believed this was a rescue mission.

There was no way Je Hyuno was trapped inside the Trial.

It was obvious he was there because he didn’t want to leave.

Even though nobody knew why he had remained there for ten days.

Because of that, everyone seemed to interpret the mission not as a rescue operation, but as a pursuit and capture mission.

I was tense for a different reason.

Of course, I would have to enter to be certain, but—

‘It may no longer be possible to fulfill the conditions for the True Ending.’

It was a reasonable concern, considering I knew very well the kinds of things Je Hyuno did inside Trials.

I had to close three Trials within a month.

I wouldn’t have much room to re-enter Dead Zone Delivery.

I could only hope that Je Hyuno had behaved himself.

“To explain the BT virus to Mr. Han Goyo…”

Although Samra probably assumed I already knew, he began the explanation.

I played along and nodded as well.

“Viruses generated by Trials are currently referred to as Beyond Trial Viruses, or BT viruses. Furthermore, their names are subdivided according to each Trial’s code.”

For example, HasFac was classified as BT-HSF.

Dead Zone Delivery as BT-DZD.

“The Trial Response Agency, through joint research conducted by myself and Ham Jiwol, Head of the Research Analysis Division, has partially developed vaccines to prevent BT virus infection.”

Samra added that because the virus’s properties changed depending on the Trial, vaccines had to be developed individually.

He also explained that there were still many Trials for which no vaccine had been developed, and that treatments had only been successfully created for a very small number of them.

“That is why you must exercise extreme caution regarding BT virus infection.”

Five points appeared on Samra’s screen.

“The cases in which a person becomes infected are as follows.”

I read through each point to check whether they matched what I remembered.

Completing missions or using items.

Coming into contact with NPCs.

Failing the Trial.

Trial Explosion.

Infection by an infected individual.

“Regarding point number five.”

After finishing his cookies, Kwak Hanmuk brushed the crumbs from his hands while giving a simple explanation.

“It’s easier if you think of it like a zombie virus, just like in this Dead Zone Delivery.”

I thought it was an appropriate comparison.

The BT virus really was quite similar to a zombie virus.

Infection occurred when the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person directly entered a human body, and infected individuals tended to display strong aggression toward humans.

Of course, there were rare cases of docile infected individuals.

Je Hyuno was a special case—neither docile nor completely aggressive.

“The Trial Response Agency quarantines infected individuals who cannot be cured and executes those who cannot be controlled in order to prevent further infections.”

As someone who had nearly ended up riddled with bullets, I didn’t feel like that was somebody else’s problem.

After saying something so terrifying with complete calmness, Samra looked around at the members of the Special Mission Team.

“Although we are dedicating all available resources to the development of vaccines and treatments, we cannot keep pace with the rate at which Trials are appearing. Therefore, obtaining True Endings is more important than anything else.”

Mo Haein, who had remained silent until then, spoke for the first time.

“Because it’s the only method that can restore infected individuals even without a treatment.”

When a Trial is permanently closed, all infected individuals whose bodies were mutated due to that Trial return to normal.

That was why the toy factory workers from HasFac emerged with their human limbs intact instead of retaining toy arms or legs.

“Dead Zone Delivery has no vaccine. And, of course, no treatment either. Since it’s a zombie virus, the infected are extremely aggressive. If you’re infected, you’ll be executed immediately. Understood?”

Mo Haein looked at me sharply.

“What I’m saying is, are you prepared to risk your life, Recruit?”

For a moment, I couldn’t answer.

It wasn’t because I was afraid.

Nor because I was scared.

It was because I had just come face to face with the reason I liked Mo Haein’s character so much when I played World Archive.

Someone who had always existed on the other side of a screen was now real and speaking to me.

Seeing her worry about me while I was about to enter a place where I could die made a smile appear on my face before I realized it.

“Thank you for worrying about me.”

When I sincerely thanked her, Mo Haein looked at me as though she were dumbfounded.

Kwak Hanmuk also stared at me the same way he stared at Samra whenever it seemed to be malfunctioning.

Feeling a little embarrassed, I added,

“I’ll do my best.”

Mo Haein opened her mouth several times as if she wanted to say something.

But in the end, she only replied briefly.

“…Good.”

Then she looked away.

***

The place where Dead Zone Delivery appeared was the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

Since Osong Station was very close, I thought we would travel by KTX.

But we ended up going by helicopter.

It was the first time in my life that I had ridden one.

Thanks to the fact that the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency had already sent the necessary documentation, entering the institute was simple.

— Mr. Han Goyo.

Samra’s voice sounded through my earpiece.

Since real-world objects could not be brought into a Trial, the earpiece could only be used before entering.

— There is no need to respond. Just listen.

Realizing that the transmission was directed only at me and not the team, I looked at Mo Haein and Kwak Hanmuk walking ahead.

They were speaking with the institute’s director.

— Lieutenant Colonel Je Hyuno will be the responsibility of Captain Mo Haein and Captain Kwak Hanmuk. If any confrontation occurs, avoid it.

A red light blinked on one of the hallway security cameras.

Samra was watching me through the institute’s surveillance system.

Using other people’s equipment as if it were his own, he continued speaking.

— Mr. Han Goyo, at this moment you are a unique and irreplaceable existence.

In other words, I had to survive at all costs.

Even if that meant using Mo Haein and Kwak Hanmuk as bait.

‘But I’m a supporter of Happy Endings.’

I didn’t want to complete a Trial that way.

Without showing either approval or disagreement, I continued walking silently.

The institute director stopped in front of a massive metal door.

“It’s here.”

Dead Zone Delivery was much more isolated than HasFac, since residential complexes, schools, and other facilities were located nearby.

“I wish you good luck.”

The director practically fled the area.

Mo Haein swiped her access card and opened the door.

At the center of a large room rested a cracked meteorite.

It was approximately the size of an ostrich egg.

A large crack ran across its surface, and an intense dark green light emanated from within.

It was said that every Trial possessed a meteorite with a different shape and color.

And that color fit Dead Zone Delivery perfectly.

“Special Mission Team entering.”

Mo Haein sent one final report.

Then she placed her hand on the meteorite.

Everything around us began to melt and turn fluorescent colors.

***

When I woke up, I was in an alleyway in an abandoned city.

I staggered to my feet and walked toward a main street.

‘Han Goyo (Gunbam)’ has entered (Dead Zone Delivery).

◆ Main Mission of (Dead Zone Delivery): Complete the out-of-control zombie world by obtaining the True Ending.

You have successfully closed your first Trial.

You must improve your capabilities as a System by obtaining a second True Ending.

Mission Success: Survival!

Mission Failure…

The system window, which had functioned perfectly until now, began malfunctioning.

Mission Failure…………

It seemed to have connection issues and merely displayed ellipses for a long time.

Mission Failure…………………………

Unknown…? Cannot…? Determine…?

After making me wait that long, the answer ended up being, “Unknown.”

I stared at the window with complete disbelief and then checked my clothes.

I was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt, military pants, and dog tags hanging around my neck.

I picked up the tag and examined it.

Republic of Korea Army

20XX0229

Gunbam

AB (RH-)

Instead of a military serial number, it only displayed my birth date.

When I played the game, I had never been able to examine the tag so closely.

Seeing that even my birth date and blood type were recorded correctly sent a chill down my spine.

“Goyo!”

Kwak Hanmuk had appeared nearby.

Waving one hand like a neighborhood thug, he walked over.

I didn’t know where he had gotten it, but he was already wearing an old baseball jacket.

“It looks like Captain Mo didn’t spawn near us. Should we head to the Green Zone?”

The Green Zone was where the survivor camp was located.

It was also a fairly natural way to determine whether I knew Dead Zone Delivery.

“No.”

Kwak Hanmuk, with both hands in his jacket pockets, tilted his head.

Most players who started Dead Zone Delivery used the Green Zone as their initial base.

It was the safest and most standard strategy.

But I needed to obtain the True Ending as quickly as possible.

‘I only have one month. I need to save time for the other Trials.’

So I picked up a bloodstained baseball bat from the ground.

“Before that…”

I turned toward Kwak Hanmuk and made a proposal.

“What do you say we start by killing a few people?”

T/N:

[1]: Jindogae and Watchcon are South Korean military alert levels; they are mentioned as examples to explain that the Trial Response Agency also classifies Trials according to danger levels.