Chapter 17
iVhWe almost didn’t recognize her.yhR1
n7iK9And it seemed the same thing had happened to Kwak Hanmuk.Vmt
szB14“Damn… I almost ran her over.”Wadcu8r
jnUIcHe muttered a curse after stopping the jeep just in time, having mistaken her for a zombie.jzejirw
7Mv2Mo Haein slowly lowered the thumb she had raised.eFzPldf
ePkZYIt seemed she had only been bitten recently, so she still retained much of her human appearance.8fZ
HQCvBut she was covered in blood from head to toe.YOPoi0Z
fiPPNWiUnder the headlights and in the darkness, she really did look like a zombie.HW0
eDfatKwak Hanmuk and I unfastened our seatbelts and hurried out of the vehicle.MTT4
GW1lsKwak Hanmuk looked at her with a face twisted by worry.pnRbjXR
QyiBSyF“Captain Mo…”PqTd
eQUUKtRHer eyes widened slightly at Kwak Hanmuk’s trembling voice.RiTD99u
k7OHe whispered with complete seriousness.RRun0Z
pJE“This is the first time I’ve met someone who turned into a zombie.”fGgiz
iOCbF‘Me too!’O6POE
yCroSIHI completely agreed inwardly.1dXY4l
geojsmt“As if I’ve ever gone through something like this before.”tQWrZ5C
spo9L3aMo Haein replied in disbelief.RZPi4zo
wTBet8Kwak Hanmuk hid behind me.XSELI
TVr1LJThen he started laughing while pretending to fire a machine gun at her with his hands.gg9x
NxtWI simply raised both hands in surrender.eVyP2s
A9e1Seeing us, Mo Haein let out a small, weary laugh.J7mNh44
DZbSBJQThen she muttered bitterly.izStVu
SscKlr“At least we found each other before I completely turned.”t83dv9
JZuKwak Hanmuk stopped pretending to shoot.YZB9
zksK9“How are you?”jJya
oRCH“The bite was on my left forearm. The fever started immediately after the infection. I don’t feel pain. The aggression is still manageable.”qR55j
vDeEven in the darkness, her eyes glowed red.74Fbay
vmcBloodshot eyes.Ubxf2Nc
L3xa7eBluish veins.RLy
SlNOvaPale skin.P4A
O3uDThey were all typical symptoms of zombification.KOB
EYZrWithin three days, she would become a complete zombie.xpVK
ZbybAccording to protocol, she should be executed.jHPyG
kBdxuYBut neither Kwak Hanmuk nor I pointed a weapon at her.uFOdU
DmLM‘As long as we achieve the True Ending.’wxA
T57PEveryone could get out alive.IhJ6bt
J2ipxKwak Hanmuk summarized what we had experienced.mhbrs0
XAf0ZP9When she heard about the atrocities committed by Lieutenant Colonel Je Hyuno, Mo Haein cursed under her breath.spFHj9a
fl1xF4“That damn sane psychopath…”wlu8NTI
FyOI“And how did you end up becoming a zombie? Was it Lieutenant Colonel Je Hyuno’s fault?”Dd9eu
hkd“Half his fault. Half not.”MmYj
qOxSncKwak Hanmuk, who had been convinced it was all Je Hyuno’s fault, raised an eyebrow.fHH8Zlk
c0yPrXMo Haein hesitated for a moment before speaking.cp5Q7
Tm48USomething very unusual for her.YDeJ
txRg4B“There are four researchers.”8BOr
E7rThat was impossible.hD9ZpMT
raKIn Dead Zone Delivery, there was only supposed to be a single surviving researcher developing the vaccine.pU4
aj40AaoThen she began explaining what had happened.AvXjz
6JSShe had awakened near the border between Yellow Zone and Red Zone.ijeJnt
socw1xWhile trying to meet up with us, she found a survivor being chased by zombies.OaB
ZAgeThe strange thing was that he was wearing a lab coat and an ID card.d5E
sM1sHe was a researcher.a0UL5rx
yasCDGsMo Haein rescued him.ldk
QojPksAnd then she heard something surprising.4EW
K5RUEfThere were more researchers alive inside the laboratory.RewO
pzk6She knew perfectly well that, according to the Trial guide, only one should have remained.mx5rA2a
U4CHgMMUnable to understand the situation, she decided to take the researcher with her.4zmOu5q
sbo5But he desperately insisted on returning to the laboratory.JVnnJs
phrVThere was another injured researcher there.GsiDv
cesqfFSAnd they urgently needed medicine.RbDjS
CGbCZ1FMo Haein had to make a difficult decision.mZGNP3
KJPT8eIf the injured researcher was the one meant to develop the vaccine…UQQ
kBPQf6And died before she could reunite with us…71Oj
we4cThe True Ending would become impossible.yaoG
Wn3CIn fact, they might not even be able to complete the Trial.C7KyMOp
Aj7That was why she ended up heading toward the laboratory armed only with the Black Moon Blade.Fqn
dnqCShe managed to cross Red Zone without any problems.uuNQ
Otw2But in Dead Zone, she was stopped by the laboratory’s boss zombie.cYkpG5L
Rwg6She managed to distract it so the researcher could enter safely.JCjNlF
XQElhVLHowever, she exhausted all her strength in the process.NMW
TDNyAnd during her retreat, she was bitten by a zombie.SYEnNMo
NeP7t“And that’s how I ended up like this.”6Lz7Z
9O5TT21She said with a bitter smile.Fqj
KupPBut there was no reason for her to belittle herself.SoyW
Xamp8vqQuite the opposite.aTrz6
ZUF‘That’s incredible.’PSkaZSu
1cIKnowing the game’s difficulty, that was absolute madness.p2BWa
j0pqMShe had protected a survivor, reached the laboratory, and confronted the boss completely alone with minimal equipment.L5ybE
xL2aEven with the Black Moon Blade, it was still absurd.r1zxx6i
DDS6eLKOnly Mo Haein could have accomplished that.corz
Uh0H“Captain Mo. That’s impressive.”UkKs
A1np5The admiration slipped from my lips without me realizing it.JS4ziN
qdVgYAt my sincere words, Mo Haein stepped back slightly.pnp4EB
KPaThen she looked at Kwak Hanmuk.PD4XBI
eTN“Goyo wasn’t bitten.”gJ3
aNqX“His brain is still functioning.”1w7pK
LSqHe replied.DLrUFC
wRItEBut she continued looking at me suspiciously.GvRP
U2kHonestly, it was a little scary when she stared at you with those bloodshot eyes.dcrWP1r
aaPxZ2m“And how did the researchers survive?”adJO
gvvFortunately, Kwak Hanmuk’s question diverted her attention.fYOrZ
di6v07“The reason was Lieutenant Colonel Je Hyuno.”2GZt9
L8X3Je Hyuno had entered Dead Zone Delivery ten days before us.7JTDtJ
AulNormally, he would have followed the Trial’s standard route.EdlU
OfoyNIuBut this time, he started massacring zombies from the very moment he entered.TQY
Vl6He wiped out Red Zone.a4DI
cYSHe wiped out Dead Zone.Te4q
TCfzRHe even cleared out the interior of the laboratory.8Ga
MJOBecause of that, four researchers survived instead of one.XvKxxD
BAnwtAnd one of them managed to escape before the zombies reappeared, reaching Yellow Zone, where he met Mo Haein.53nHDz
1rw‘I knew Je Hyuno would be doing something strange…’lyJjG
ahTOnfBut I never imagined he would be causing a disaster on that scale.GaV
UN2uaxIf he was going to unleash chaos, he might as well have continued and eliminated every zombie in the world.B4z0yG
TH8bWhy stop halfway and leave things in such an ambiguous state?RCrrxxJ
eTO0The worst part was something else.vs4zy3F
iLKVDACHe might have destroyed the conditions necessary to achieve the True Ending.u4R0bIT
iVlMo Haein looked at me with obvious concern.iWgBJl
mYrKADKwak Hanmuk also looked at me in silence.1tNo8c
iJ4Under their gazes, I spoke slowly.TiZs9w
lMvOl“I think we need to check the laboratory. As soon as possible.”o0soXHg
m7oWe needed to confirm that the researcher responsible for the vaccine was still alive.0NukJ
yuePAnd we also needed to verify that the True Ending conditions were still intact.daLMpw
ewSz3VThe problem was how to get there.5bKw
7Jlfht5With our current condition and equipment, it wasn’t even safe to cross Yellow Zone.Dpxp7
wtjAnd even if we managed to cross Yellow Zone and Red Zone, Dead Zone would stop us.uMZ
2sqlAll of us seemed to be thinking the same thing.qW6x
e4ELMXThe atmosphere grew gloomy.DIW
hHstHowever.QGRO
8KsfAs6There was a solution.7cY9
4JbAt least in theory.yF7u
JxcQ4VfIt was perfect.gbU3DFx
7A4Y“I have a good… well, a terrible plan.”CWNUO7
Q9BOAuGI explained my idea to them.5oAmN
gOKLPAfter hearing it, Mo Haein reacted with complete honesty.2GVuhfN
ptPqP“Recruit, are you insane?”QacV
VPNrBPIt was probably the same spontaneous reaction I had received before.a7sjl
DHFIt was the second time someone had called me crazy.jZFQ
r9ELkkI tried to appear as sane as possible while calmly replying.sFO
fP6“We don’t have another choice. I want to try it.”mSXZp
HjBIHMQKwak Hanmuk nodded as if he completely understood.17URFxl
3Vnx0QAnd then he said something entirely different.dzW
Umbs“Captain Mo. From now on, we should call him Crazy Chestnut.”bDmS49
WnS“Haaaa…”0GU
M7QtVMo Haein let out an extremely long sigh.0rFi
ucWHzPBut she knew it too.7VvIc5
bhTDgThere was no better alternative.yfhgEV0
BWr2And if we kept wasting time, there was a real possibility that all of us would end up becoming zombies.Ejos
vHRmw“Alright. Let’s do it.”7ucryCg
9fHLQIn the end, they accepted my proposal.yj0E
HImnfRI***jJhF
ka2vI only dared to do this because I had something to rely on.uVV
6WBOf course, since I couldn’t tell Mo Haein and Kwak Hanmuk everything, the plan looked completely insane.yVLvPG
6Zp‘But as long as the result is good, that’s all that matters.’b7A
tYwQMI stood in the middle of an eight-lane intersection.edj20QV
hAlPieces of newspaper and trash swirled through the air.6sA
Z7B1LvThe wind blew between the collapsed buildings.NvVO
8PqThe night breeze was quite cold, and my body shivered on its own.CVz0MY
qYkP9It was because my stamina was at its limit.7JFm
4aZmIf I lost even a little more energy, I would probably start hearing my heartbeat and my vision would darken.xmh
s9zYR1oEven so, since no critical condition warning had appeared, it seemed I could still hold on.XYna
QShF‘I also need to manage my hunger and thirst.’VEG
box5In Dead Zone Delivery, if you went too long without eating or drinking, you died.SEvnDPN
ODmIt was something I had to monitor carefully.XePPdNH
upgRayAfter this was over, I would need to shove anything edible into my mouth.YFA3Z
Gu1viI took a deep breath.yLh
7s6And shouted at the top of my lungs.EJP
5sWCO“Lieutenant Colonel Je Hyuno!!!”DGZb
NRQyuJWMy voice echoed through the silent street.00h
rqgEQIXOne or two remaining zombies staggered toward me, but before they could even get close, shining spear blades separated their heads from their bodies.rhw
K1UShortly afterward, I felt a chill.QODD
hRfYlA killing intent so intense that my skin burned.ZOIYAW
363wLXQI gripped the prayer beads wrapped around my waist tightly as if they were my only lifeline.aJk2m
DJ05In the silent night street, a metallic sound suddenly echoed.6wS43IC
jfeXWThe cold noise of metal parts gently clinking together.g9KKIGz
x8k95h4I focused my hearing.pac9T
GfWPPuThe sound moved slowly.jmMnIz
PQ7bxCloser and closer.8xO6X8
eb8Closer.iaj
8LWAnd even closer.5Zx
2IUAwAcJust as the sound abruptly stopped, a gust of wind struck my face.gagPqRx
u2wThe beads around my waist trembled.glu
n7b4DI closed my eyes instinctively.zg3
ytQj5BcAnd when I opened them, I flinched.fkf
EFmA pair of black goggles was right in front of my nose.XQNA6
5Wvdo OiJhq
24pThe emoticon of a wide-open eye filled my field of vision.h3D9fci
i7OcInstinctively, I felt my neck.BB4
Z4m3HuFortunately, it was still attached to my body.C0J
ExrqpnLJudging by the fact that Kwak Hanmuk’s beads had not dragged me away, it seemed he had no intention of killing me.7Uvtq
aXMI shifted my gaze slightly to the side of the goggles.R4Xh
XQ71nThe sharpened tips of every metallic feather were pointed at me.YAB7Oz
RmZJbtJust one of his six wings would be enough to tear off my arms and legs in a single strike.Kvx
yGR6CJ“I called you because I wanted to talk for a bit.”nPMPq
0R5‘Message.’iVuST
XXRWJPWhile saying whatever came to mind out loud, I frantically wrote a message in my head.66OL
6GlPueA system window appeared in front of Je Hyuno.SyC
8p8USpecial Event: Protect ‘Han Goyo’BLC
PTF5mHIt was a Message disguised as a quest window.1R64IK
BdYQI sent the title first to ensure my survival.C9O3Z
hWECLEThen I quickly added the contents.NALd9
DM75ZrYou have demonstrated extraordinary power.pPJm2
jsA8DPerhaps you are capable of putting an end to this horrible zombie-infested world.AhxIEUa
Sc6cpe‘Han Goyo’ is the only hope capable of creating the True Ending alongside you.Sp9
zjHsOUYou must protect him and achieve the True Ending.kQtVhS
XE3OD“I think you may have some misunderstanding about me, Lieutenant Colonel. If there’s anything wrong, please tell me. I’ll correct it immediately.”2WIb
3tIeaReward: True Ending of Dead Zone Delivery.cE6Nbm
HQEJUPfSpecial Condition: If ‘Han Goyo’ dies, the Bad Ending will be triggered.ohj
StUPI tried to make it sound like a typical system window and sent the Message.ggDZ
30QPerhaps, if I truly was a System, I should be able to create real quests…AYkPok
iVif9cp‘I’m still lacking abilities.’oO8q2oN
TWcmXSo I fabricated a fake window.HWW
q5GdIAnd honestly.cCA
Ri1zWhat did it matter whether it was fake or real?LpbV4V
WngzZWWhen a system window pops up in front of your eyes with a ding, no Compatible is going to stop and question its authenticity.aoD8
Q8ZI discreetly observed Je Hyuno.wvW5e
S2WmoCbThe lights on his goggles were off.cIN3F5
l9SDHe seemed to be deeply contemplating something.tXY
uLzhpAfter a long silence, question marks appeared on his goggles.uD8wVe7
2MN8c? ?gQM
8MfI stood frozen, unable to understand what they meant.8Xpvytk
y7PrkClThen I heard a voice.iMBSWc4
h3VAn incredibly deep voice.WzOfVSO
cfWOSo low and rough that it was hard to believe it belonged to a human being.amMWrVQ
hsUdIt sounded more like the growl of a beast.aaN2
gMW5RT2It took me several seconds to realize that he was actually speaking.UqyMhF
izLTgEWhile I stood paralyzed by the chill running down my spine, Je Hyuno said,HOtqj2c
Hc6X“Was it you?”toMb
c6hkAnd continued,ejyPW30
xGNQS“You were the one who told me to stay still.”PVb
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Golden Coreoh hello
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Golden Coreo O