Chapter 22
qACFEvLee Gaon’s eyes widened.wjniy
9fbDP1“A cure?”Ik3Mn
8zH2n8She had imagined that he would ask her to develop a vaccine, but it had never crossed her mind that he would also ask her to create a cure.aH5r
DiYsiAnd she wasn’t the only one whose eyes widened.ccRuvO
XIYK4eBO OKR0kMvV
nHtJe Hyuno as well.gaJ0
IxViPWhen she saw the new emoticon appear on his goggles, Lee Gaon gave a small start and took a few steps back.s52z
psb6I felt a little embarrassed, but I pretended nothing had happened and continued speaking.BD2qDr
c9pMiGg“The truth is, one of my teammates is also in the process of turning into a zombie.”NBW
sFAP3C“Ah…”0cBndcl
PARBXLee Gaon’s gaze immediately filled with sympathy.oiQL
O6DuOPJ“That explains it. I thought he was a little strange, but now I see it must be because of the infection.”Gj1
yEoMv…As she said that, she turned to look at Je Hyuno.VhvIrr
LJj3ukP“But that teammate doesn’t seem very aggressive. Is it because of the gear he’s wearing? Or maybe…?”jUZXj
Oz0fA“I wasn’t talking about him. It’s another teammate.”yZZR
29wX“A-Ah… I see.”JILNoY
s4v6Lee Gaon began glancing at him out of the corner of her eye with obvious discomfort.pXf
Uedㅠ ㅠa4ZEOo
1yR4LWhen Je Hyuno displayed a crying emoticon on his goggles, Lee Gaon shuddered again.2LH
k6hLEven so, she reacted much better than before.S4aU
VSm4D4At least it seemed they had found some common ground.Q8nOZ
xoIopPutting a little more distance between herself and Je Hyuno, she approached me and spoke in a low voice.6okxi
DpGdst“I want to develop a cure, but I’m not sure I can do it. A vaccine and a cure are completely different things. If my brother were here, it would be different, but on my own…”YxKi
UOEmLee Gaon bit her lip.1S7gO
lDeXVKNo one wanted a cure more than she did.CQpuvFA
h0cx2uBIf she spoke with such uncertainty, it was because she truly didn’t believe she could succeed.pISe
LfNAnd she was right.EYO8
DCkV7XIt wasn’t something one person could accomplish in a short amount of time.EhO7
DReI‘But who said she had to do it alone?’uzzKQlD
xzDiEWe already had some very useful tools available.LuQS
jd3zI looked at Lee Gaon again, who had fallen into despair once more, and made her a proposal.2P95
sfH“What do you think about recycling some trash?”Wp0
8dy“Trash?”Etuz6Dx
4IS“Yes.”3A3cX
7VK5biI clarified my words so there would be no misunderstanding.znW
JMsN4“I mean that human trash.”KsJRsBF
yR1V1***Nkwti5I
5CFSf4OAll they had to do was go down the emergency staircase from the rooftop to the fifth floor.PsR1WIl
xyoQVAnd yet.ntsR
qGGIt wasn’t proving easy.HWKBzwM
mtIeRMo Haein took a deep breath and exhaled again.I4x3g5
BxWQtfzThe fever had returned, and the air leaving her mouth was scorching hot.B8eTiiC
iWEOAShe felt that if she lost her concentration for even a single moment, she would end up biting Kwak Hanmuk, who was walking in front of her.hdLyve
XM6NSNow she understood, down to the marrow of her bones, why the protocol in Dead Zone Delivery required the immediate execution of anyone infected.tKCQs
seIjQThe sensation of her teeth itching to bite grew stronger and stronger.fMmp
iDuShe breathed with difficulty as she frowned again and again.VW3EXy
i4THr“Captain Mo. Are you having a hard time?”1AUF9QP
ru6f“Yes.”ZKItY9
b2nI“Do you want me to shoot you?”lnhDYV
UTdsk“…Before they execute me, I’ll bite you first.”Dux
X7GvDWhen she promised to drag him down with her into becoming a zombie, Kwak Hanmuk burst out laughing.ouhpc
ILQ5eWZIt was so irritating that, for a moment, she even forgot the agony of turning into a zombie.uue
qWotnAAs she glared at him, wishing she could at least take one bite out of him, Mo Haein murmured,d3UhiA
DkH“Even so… I’m glad you’re my partner on this mission.”gF5ZG
ZLP“Hyung Goyo is here too.”sak
33ZLR“……”LsEhr
Dz7AMo Haein didn’t answer.eKEAjlx
KyfBut in reality, she was thinking about Han Goyo.0zI
Gxaa8Director Jang Seokyun had made Han Goyo’s role perfectly clear.USkvy
z8NZTAt that moment, Han Goyo was not a soldier of the Trial Response Agency.EaWkWJ
rJn4MlWHe wasn’t even a teammate.Kla
mOCHe was merely a tool to close Trials.nyLbQ
fKacjdSince he was considered a dangerous existence, they would observe his usefulness for one month.jgP
Pivb4ZVIf, in the end, he failed to prove he was truly useful.lr1xS
EddUBjlHe would be eliminated and used as research material.Q3U0q
zVOGMo Haein had also intended to treat him that way.dSWdQ
o6xhPaPBut.NGPMM
emMhIt turned out to be much more difficult than she had imagined.PUc
tWwkWIt had already happened when she saw him confined inside the isolation facility.vMMSvT
5No8UyEven though that room was one of the best in the Agency’s containment center.AAOrz
WmU4It was still a prison.L65E
vsMYo8He couldn’t even open the door from the inside.PHVka
AHqDShe remembered how he had quietly waited for someone to come and open it.IvPio
iFD9And how, the moment Kwak Hanmuk opened the heavy steel door.bSKR
oNCYPHan Goyo had simply bowed his head politely to greet them.Zdo
2J1snThat scene had left her speechless.YbTvgC
lN0oWgjHe wore his uniform impeccably.7DuC
GkzKidHe looked a little nervous as he looked at her.XTd5
ye19gTcHis eyes were extraordinarily clear.TMiIUG
t7SThere wasn’t the slightest trace of resentment in them toward the people who had locked him inside that place.sgeK
1W0And when she returned his greeting.Thuuz
P4rxtNRHe had even smiled faintly.z1ct28
nKrVHAfter seeing that expression.7Ndu82
O4dIt became impossible for her to treat him as nothing more than a tool or a monster.71XM9
zoVaK‘Even though he’s completely insane inside the Trials.’b7gIoc
hzqCD18There wasn’t a trace left of the polite and respectful young man who didn’t seem like someone from her generation.lM6NJy
PesfHe threw himself headfirst into every danger like a rabid dog.bwPJnc
1zqHckrEven Mo Haein, who had spent years in the Agency and met all kinds of people, shuddered at that level of insanity.0EU2Tq
oEJPOShe had never imagined she would meet someone comparable to Kwak Hanmuk.3XSW
IMclxEvery time she thought about Han Goyo, conflicting feelings filled her mind.55ef
7Ef4untBut there was one thing she was absolutely certain of.BCDqQee
LkUg‘He isn’t a bad kid, even if he’s incredibly suspicious and strange.’UMAdR
DdGEven now, it was the same.2fBC
uh5JSFWhen she became infected, he had more than enough reason to insist that she be executed.2UrIae8
hjBAnd yet.OAXX62
NlUhBHe never did.VJnvpCo
T6gUfbWould Han Goyo be able to achieve the True Ending once again?rEIwkmF
6mIjqfShe tried not to think about such an uncertain future.MCqKL
YKLAqNfBut it was impossible not to cling to hope.TZKn1qL
DTiShe still didn’t want to die.hNvv
xgPbx6No.QUr5
p7ylShe still couldn’t afford to die.Q9Fn60t
Yal“Hanmuk…”GRCK
ajoIEhKwak Hanmuk, who had stopped in front of the fifth-floor access door, turned around.X5N
ZSUWith the steel pipe Han Goyo had picked up on the rooftop resting on his shoulder, he looked like a genuine delinquent.yO1ftJ
PhSp8Mo Haein, who had stopped one step before reaching the top, asked,c5G2Tdt
sSff“Are you okay?”HeUG1
rKNfKwak Hanmuk looked at her with an expression that said, why are you asking something so obvious?, and replied,qNBHD
vbp“I’m fucking awesome.”yvM6V
gRtTG“No… Never mind.”HyjE0f
iMcaShe wanted to ask him what he thought about Han Goyo, but it was pointless.V149IWT
DUcIiThe most important thing was completing Dead Zone Delivery with the True Ending.TLoTV
sYKWhistling carefree, Kwak Hanmuk opened the emergency door.2YDruh
s1vxXNMo Haein frowned without realizing it.6L7
09aRCnfThe zombification was progressing.NiN
hyJMHer hearing was far more sensitive than normal.1Ve0
drVcDOn the other hand, her field of vision was steadily shrinking.814MlJ
9HwfApShe felt as though she had barely half of her eyesight left.bH8r
tgtDIt wasn’t pleasant to feel her body changing in real time.BdGi
5CsThat discomfort even seemed to increase her aggression.cRn4zMm
CcFiOThinking that she would soon have to stuff a piece of cloth into her mouth to keep herself from biting someone, she followed Kwak Hanmuk onto the fifth floor.clgew5
dWudkCracking his neck, he commented,xXmvNAZ
zFN7iuF“I think the researchers are here.”5tt22m4
2fpGBBefore she could even ask how he knew.iCO
dwCCf“If there are any survivors, come out already!!!”kqfOa
LJnIdyHis voice echoed throughout the hallway.zLqc
0MJTDxhMo Haein covered her ears a second too late while suppressing a curse.soqbs
yMr5qSAs expected, no survivors appeared.vfjc6vz
GTgXInstead, the sleeping zombies awoke with growls and charged at them.kOhs
EQEHrmMo Haein suppressed the urge to join them in attacking Kwak Hanmuk as well and drew the Black Moon Blade.3PM7gqR
0Y6P“……”wtW
1LV3Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her palm.ao9eTe
2WSThe Black Moon Blade was beginning to reject its owner.br6
Zu2YWEShe could still use it.2FEI
Wm6yhFBut at the rate the infection was progressing, she probably wouldn’t even be able to hold it by the next day.bg32b
YvTFeeling the weapon reject the person she was becoming, Mo Haein smiled bitterly.oBf
s57HEJJFortunately, there weren’t many Dead Zombies on the fifth floor.aquW
cFgwuL6They eliminated them quickly.Nv4Sq
Hv0OJust as they finished off the last one.4XCg3
wZSThe silence of the hallway was broken by the sound of a security door opening.8ZUwa
MgQZTwo men appeared.jQ1kvXe
hgb6OFWith a notification sound, a system window appeared.PDngd8N
8gYaM◆ Main Quest: Explore the laboratory.JgdqLZ
Hc7UFind the survivors and locate the vaccine developer. (3/4)zIBJqGd
u4YKcsThey were surviving researchers.eX2
lwVYPWIncluding the female researcher they had already found, that made three.btDWuV
5Lao4weOne was still missing.TDH
EQf4RPThe two men appeared to be in their early fifties and mid-forties, respectively.hyr88
ILM‘They don’t match the vaccine researcher’s age.’uCdlvAD
P47QDtNThinking they would have to check the third floor, Mo Haein sheathed the Black Moon Blade.IOn
ncn7The researchers looked around the hallway filled with zombie corpses as they trembled.Zr4f
zb8x3yThe moment they saw Kwak Hanmuk, their faces lit up.GQwft
vSE97be“F-Finally!”FL8
1Y4Believing the soldiers had come to rescue them, they rushed forward like rats.ErgZ5M
4kgKwak Hanmuk raised a hand to stop them.aZux
fuJSjc“Hey, hey, gentlemen. Hold on a second.”OrL
pLFJS0rThen he nodded toward them.8wA
XDjhXHJ“First, I want to see your IDs. Take them out.”1xHLs
Td8GgjKThe two men hurriedly searched their pockets and showed their identification cards.xGG
1ubiYlqTak JucheolbiM
PW3CJCXPaeng SangdolON
DgXy2The older one was Tak, and the other was Paeng.sHHe1g
q1SDWhile both of them smiled, convinced they were finally safe, Kwak Hanmuk narrowed his eyes.Ooeku
LleM6OMHe carefully examined their IDs before looking at Mo Haein.8m0Q2o
WAYzi“The vaccine researcher isn’t here.”daU1
Zj4Z“Do you really need to see the name to figure that out? They said he was in his twenties.”KoXhN
SKOa“Huh, maybe he just looks older.”nMGY2
7vaZemFaced with Kwak Hanmuk’s impeccable logic, Mo Haein took a deep breath.2QbtPt
Ks5WShe had the feeling that simply getting angry made the zombification progress faster.HRBjl
8ICxS3“Th-The vaccine!? Are you talking about the vaccine?”3pwsi
LWCOb9JAfter reading the situation, Paeng Sangdo immediately spoke up.fUQ
J5D8rLRHe seemed to have realized that these soldiers hadn’t simply come to rescue survivors.WCkm64
zbP85“The team leader and I are developing the vaccine together! We can finish it, but we’re missing materials…”6UCg
XpvVuSHe hurriedly tried to prove his usefulness.LDZY
EOCjv6aKwak Hanmuk nodded absentmindedly.EVY04a
3bxI“And the other researchers?”gcqd
GW9NAM5“Only the two of us survived…”ckxG3
UtNC“There were two others, weren’t there, gentlemen?”lJMU
VzEKwak Hanmuk slammed the steel pipe hard against the wall.efno
PjAC“So don’t waste my time.”whi3P
2spRSThe pipe was so drenched in blood that its original color was no longer recognizable.3u2D
N2KyOGjPaeng Sangdo and Tak Jucheol exchanged glances.MSfy
CmxJTak Jucheol cleared his throat before speaking.E65
ORue“As you said, there were two others. But those kids…”RoXkzh
5WExvu“Didn’t anyone teach you to speak respectfully?”Vx9
YXns1“…There were two other researchers.”zSt9i
8B905HHis face reddening, Tak Jucheol quickly corrected himself.E87
ZMFbySeeing Kwak Hanmuk’s terrible personality directed at someone else, Mo Haein felt a small sense of satisfaction and waited for him to continue.oeZ
Bw4C“But since they didn’t share our opinion, they left the laboratory.”HP5
5WJmg“The two of us are enough to develop the vaccine! We can even show you our progress!”M6JfUQ
3qklxPaeng Sangdo desperately tried to convince Kwak Hanmuk.KSkWm
hWriIt was then that Tak Jucheol finally noticed Mo Haein standing behind him.cJbBbOJ
spegne“Aaaaaah!!! A zombie, a zombie!!”yCTW8X
jK38JIRHearing the scream, Paeng Sangdo completely lost his composure as well.pSQHeU
etvlBoth men collapsed to the floor in panic.o67Ri0
AxTQlEMo Haein spoke calmly.0OG
NUy“I’m a soldier too.”acA
OvnBut it was no use.IRR0L
6j2TsTak Jucheol pointed at her while spitting out words filled with fear.tz5q
38wAwy“The zombification has already begun! In a couple of days you’ll be a zombie! We’re researching a vaccine, not a cure!”xAPVU7
euyR2biAfter shouting that, the two men practically rolled their way back to the laboratory.JEeC46N
7gamBCThe door was a security bulkhead that could only be opened with an ID card.aNFyFC
wkOn84WSince it was designed to contain viruses, they couldn’t force it open.ub1
D4EnClicking his tongue, Kwak Hanmuk reached a simple conclusion.B89C
yja“Let’s go to the third floor.”2qb1uM
2CrMYHowever, things didn’t go as smoothly as they had hoped.Ck5on
wUZoThey entered the third floor, eliminated the zombies, and searched the entire area.HKkDVw7
ZmMBut they couldn’t find the last researcher.qsXcdm7
C00ka0J“Could it be that he died…?”p2dT
ilvHoaLMo Haein couldn’t hide her anxiety.dcFUN
9DENfAs he opened the last door, Kwak Hanmuk clicked his tongue as well.ql8
urcvzYj“Let’s go back to the fifth. Maybe he’s with Goyo and Lieutenant Colonel Je.”eUZC
by9cav9Quite a bit of time had already passed.6ljk8IX
COisMSIt would be best to regroup first.fwETAo
jgfieBut when they returned to the fifth floor,Q8Uk
njrYviMo Haein witnessed a completely absurd scene.462C3xF
S1RIR0q“Aaaaaah!!”fjPf
meS“Uuaaaagh!!”prI9ZsF
V2TZTak Jucheol and Paeng Sangdo writhed on the floor, drooling uncontrollably.JH2
qHkEach of them was being held in one of Je Hyuno’s hands.RSulf
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