Chapter 23
z6CGKBefore leaving the second floor, Lee Gaon stopped in front of the laboratory director’s office.XkhO
4a93GLee Seon could no longer be seen, hidden behind the barricades.xyv8
OQeNXO7Even if she could see him, nothing would change anymore.SdTidLr
3eBxQRThe dim emergency lights faintly illuminated her face.Uiuy8Z
HqFB4vIn a barely audible voice, she whispered,kEj
u7Ej0S“I’ll come back.”mZB03T
b29jpQHearing a human voice, the zombie let out a growl.mVT0
jrFtLee Gaon no longer hesitated and turned around.D16wQG
DT3VRlTo reunite with Mo Haein and Kwak Hanmuk, they headed toward the laboratory’s fifth floor.gen
ArY0mSThey didn’t use the stairs.EkvXmat
PM1CLThey used a method of transportation similar to before.rJ8
vSWyHowever, since Lee Gaon was with them this time, they carefully opened the window instead of breaking the glass.plADV
on0QWJe Hyuno spread the metallic wings he had kept folded.pSehlV
3IKThe moment she saw them, Lee Gaon was completely dumbfounded.cFKki
ICGfShe could more or less accept the goggles and the metallic arm as some kind of experimental military equipment.TRziN3H
qHkBut the wings completely exceeded everything she thought was possible.bdB1WH
zfLSince she was trying to accept all of this, it would have been ideal if she had accepted the wings as well.dUoHt
XEzdBut seeing that she wasn’t, I decided to give her a very serious explanation.xt1
hrsgJA“It’s a new secret weapon the military developed in secret.”P9aE
MOIpDLee Gaon still didn’t seem entirely convinced, but she awkwardly nodded anyway.f0Ld6x
4LsjyRo“I-I see…”QWp
TmANAfter all, they lived in a world where zombies walked the streets.95e
7jKxbg0A pair of wings on someone’s back shouldn’t be that surprising either.CbAOBem
WiShRWith a few more hours, she’d probably get used to them.cQwBmi
U2lbsy“Excuse me.”9WJ7O4I
glUI picked her up in my arms.nCHoyf
hgvxcFgLee Gaon rested her hands on my shoulders with obvious discomfort.GS7
IqXR8GJe Hyuno watched me in silence.4kgWhG
THMGe‘He’s not going to throw us again, is he…’G45
WCKqBaSince I still didn’t trust him, I quickly sent a Message.c5z
99U7VlRight now, I’m carrying the vaccine and the cure.bDN4n
ZqJYFAKJe Hyuno clicked his metallic hand.1OIBxd
wF6ajgJudging by the way he moved his fingers, he almost seemed disappointed that he couldn’t throw me.oLH
fKLFortunately, he simply picked up both Lee Gaon and me and calmly carried us to the rooftop.a0VdNci
Yo37Once there, I set her down.IEmWnn
ekJhLee Gaon’s legs were still trembling.n2h8WY
zDGhcnaI checked the ventilation system once again.vCOS
xe5O6OIt was an essential device that prevented the laboratory’s viruses from escaping outside.yWp
tyiUTKIf the ventilation system stopped working, all the viruses would immediately spread, resulting in a Bad Ending.e1LEmLy
FVyXNpThat was why almost all of the emergency power supply was dedicated to keeping it operational.95vale
2cx4Additional power was needed to develop the vaccine.1qwN
XDRqwRAt that moment, the laboratory’s emergency generator was damaged and operating at barely twenty percent of its capacity.rzL
hWAUIt had to be repaired.2Xl
KumcI had already gathered almost all the items needed for the deliveries.cmbP2W
SZBOnly a few items from Yellow Zone, Red Zone, and Dead Zone were still missing.sqB8u
IPeF9JI could leave that to Je Hyuno.VNvrZy4
afO‘He’ll get them in no time by flying.’gnxCB
wemJWEBesides, dealing with zombies wasn’t a problem for him at all.nmyh
vNWxQRepairing the generator was still the most urgent priority.FsFD
ajpRdgAs I wondered how to do it, Lee Gaon let out a small sound.GZM
i4a“Ah…”yrLlTKj
l3syLnWhen I turned toward her, she smiled shyly.WQl5
VV2tySW“It’s dawn.”TFZ
sMrUtThe sky was beginning to brighten.iTA6G1J
NESAn entire day had passed.aVb
8QK25While Lee Gaon watched the sunrise for the first time in a long time, I only grew more anxious.f9Q8qw
SARvmbGThe second day since we entered.R6D80
LRx8DOne day had passed since Mo Haein’s infection.aPlFgeF
YApIqQFHer aggression had surely increased even further.apCSvs
JnI2e7I escorted Lee Gaon to the fifth floor.BdS
N9bI also didn’t forget to hold the door open for Je Hyuno.Ss1
JBSBSince he wasn’t wearing the Crow Gloves, the only way he could open doors at that moment was by destroying them.Gq4tc
g9jTKtWhen we reached the fifth floor, we found the place littered with zombie corpses.ISnmMBl
sKbGmfEvery single one had its head completely smashed.n1P
dx9ClF5Without a doubt, it was Kwak Hanmuk’s work.lG5Wn
RYfJ‘As expected what incredible strength.’uGGjvgT
p9LLThinking that as I walked alongside Lee Gaon, I arrived in front of the laboratory’s sealed door.UEV
xBSIt was a sliding security door that could only be opened with an ID card.z4Rp5
JhQAglnLee Gaon looked at me.1fe
a8A7fr2I nodded.3cSz
LMdK3OWith trembling hands, she took out her ID card and swiped it through the reader.RfqQLN
6q8xSAs soon as the door began to open, the researchers inside hurried out in alarm.4eO
PBtWhen they saw her, they were just about to let out nervous laughs, thinking they had been frightened for nothing.V2l40
jmJGKBut.KrEcZ
cvXFWLn“……”QXUMn1g
tCvCoiThe moment they saw Je Hyuno and me, they immediately fell silent.zGSHV7v
gDw2I looked at the names on their ID cards.N7xf
FHDw3Tak Jucheol.SmJ6QG
eYCaCPaeng Sangdo.Q6AN
e7TlI knew both names.NeAeh
wMzThey died fairly early in the game.W90O
iojXI was surprised they were still alive.F7Dal
RrW1A9Perhaps because of my expression, Paeng Sangdo spoke cautiously.m4ZQMI
Ch7IVS“Uh… Are you… soldiers? Are you with the ones from before…? I mean… are you part of the same team?”j43fpG
Ez4g“Yes.”hKbE8
PzoXJI had no intention of wasting time talking to them.mcI
4DlZiDTI got straight to the point.YgEx
dskfGM“Help Lee Gaon develop the vaccine.”OC8Or
Q9zr6rDeliberately, I didn’t mention the cure.5PQb
8ZX10The moment I gave that order to the researchers, a system window appeared.lWNVW51
FuN8au◆ Ma?n Qu!st: Develop the vaccine and the cure.i3RqoH
wvGlnOnce again, you have decided to challenge an impossible feat!pQRavxI
ZV2rFA vaccine alone is not enough to turn this zombie world into a happy place.cVrj
UglUZThat is why you also wish to develop a cure and move toward a new new! completely new world!Pxan
kh0Y0idDaring to challenge the impossible is, in itself, something admirable.7QY
ZobiHowever, sometimes choosing the safer path isn’t such a bad thing either.zlafM
xicIn fact, perhaps that is true courage.0pYBFkt
rjrcYou still believe it isn’t too late to change your mind.h9x7P8
QQyMPVsThe system window was practically insulting me to my face, telling me to give up.VSjRRh
j2cwZyI closed it and looked at the researchers.2VQily
gm8MTak Jucheol and Paeng Sangdo were the typical villains of any zombie story.zqQmq
jJiUPeople who cared only about their own survival and never hesitated to sacrifice others to achieve it.Ec8
l6OGzIn the game, both of them died early.TPaFB
cX0SWThey threw Lee Seon to the zombies as bait and escaped, only to end up encountering the zombie boss.x07Bcs
TJAA7‘This time they survived.’LhzK40
Cf0qX9uSince they were still alive, I intended to make the most of them.EnjN2
97t7fI was going to squeeze every last drop of usefulness out of them to help the world of Dead Zone Delivery.KHM
2NuFbhWPerhaps that intention showed in my eyes.qyVJjK
vyLPaeng Sangdo’s expression gradually worsened as he looked at me.XRB0eW
a0bBI brought out the best bait I could offer them.U7qPX
2wnB4p“I know the location of a survivor shelter.”bPYwiA
vUub“…!”ndi
WbkTak Jucheol and Paeng Sangdo held their breath.GI9
HnY“There is plenty of food there, and zombies rarely appear. But it’s quite far from the laboratory.”xvV
AXwb5UResearchers with no combat ability would never be able to reach Green Zone’s shelter on their own.gI3Uw
r4eJust leaving the laboratory was dangerous.ABRK
z1ZBaZThey knew that perfectly well.6oHM
rz14Y“If this research is completed successfully, we’ll escort you to the shelter.”NjoU
yvVThreats alone weren’t enough to secure sincere cooperation.Sfzco1
g0TvBesides, I was going to leave them working alongside Lee Gaon.U7hhZG
54PYqI needed to make sure they didn’t get any foolish ideas.xPvqh
2G4pBpThey were men obsessed with surviving.I0Sban
pH9DIf I offered them a safe shelter, they would work with all their strength.dsPX
RFoeGJust as I expected, the change was immediate.EWCQG
hq7Only seconds ago, they had seemed reluctant to cooperate.ufxmG3
Y1wkNow, even the look in their eyes had changed.Gq8rn
yLnPaeng Sangdo let out several heavy breaths as he exchanged glances with Tak Jucheol.q1wvNP
KadeXThen he spoke cautiously.O2GuiI2
irN“We also want to develop the vaccine, of course. Who wouldn’t? But the main material…”Kdq
sA8J8“We have the meteorite.”sqYHD1j
sDDpUDqHearing me say that, Lee Gaon flinched and instinctively placed a hand over the pocket of her lab coat.4v4
sY8h‘So that’s where she kept it.’BjoRE
Rh1LZXeAfter confirming where the meteorite was, I looked back at the researchers.yMl
AR5tIn a hoarse voice, Tak Jucheol asked,cX8
hhYRw“Do you know about Pandora?”p0CfFF
PHpZmbThe virus in Dead Zone Delivery had begun when a meteor shower fell to Earth.IDLh
oG4PInside one of the meteorites, they discovered a completely new virus.HONRra
Ov3JtPThe researchers named it Pandora.qG939p8
73UbIsPandora was a zoonotic virus capable of infecting both humans and animals.pX1
ZnWA9HSince it appeared to be weak against high temperatures, they hastily concluded that mammals were not at risk.PNhU
H6BHnThat conclusion was the result of rushed research.XeBFqU
0pwThe meteorite had fallen in an urban development area, and the political and corporate pressure was enormous.4ihe06
Rz7MXfIn the end, the laboratory was never able to warn anyone about the virus’s true danger.C2C
subThey simply submitted the report the corporations wanted.iEru
9XgtRyConstruction continued.iuf9
dNwrzFMeanwhile, Pandora evolved at an astonishing speed and eventually adapted even to high temperatures.ZeG
GHiKdsThe disaster began when a construction worker was bitten by an infected stray dog.ERn
VyZLee Seon had been the researcher who insisted the most on warning everyone about Pandora’s danger.saUp
KKLCZBefore the meteorite was destroyed, he secretly stole a fragment and hid it in his home.Sj3
3RcJdThat was the very meteorite Lee Gaon had gone to retrieve in Yellow Zone while trying to save her brother.Xr1
JOnwtAnd it was also the primary ingredient needed to create the vaccine.gsDK
ejoKOPL“How do you know that?”UOH
MWe9VURBefore I could answer Tak Jucheol, Lee Gaon interrupted.Ge37u7l
FyiShe was trembling even more than she had when she first saw Je Hyuno.P8z20tb
gSzx9“How do you know the meteorite was the source of the virus…? And that my brother and I had it…?”DvPDF
P4kpISoBefore the trust I had built collapsed, I answered calmly.dPjA
7eEbK“The truth is, I’m not an ordinary soldier. I belong to a secret government agency.”A6zj
yDs“Ah…!”TTmZ
VeBM5Lee Gaon let out an exclamation.AEhu
zyWNow she seemed to understand everything.JUbR
z91mo“Like… the National Intelligence Service, right? I understand now.”n9aPYZ
0EV9f6K‘Well, more or less.’IsM
o0UI hadn’t lied at all.t7hizI
3gumrqEverything I had just said was true.PdBBv
GvxCAWhile Lee Gaon reached her own conclusions, Tak Jucheol and Paeng Sangdo began whispering to each other.IEkky
5uU8FhTak Jucheol stood with his hands behind his back while Paeng Sangdo spoke.SLrbyvW
h6rn“We’ll cooperate, but we have one condition. If you can obtain the materials we need for our research…”I5jl9E
yMoThere was no point in listening any further.xEwWlv
ajQIvhUBasically, he wanted to live in complete comfort while working.EIlep
VKH8I looked at my reliable superior.pEy
0g2x9JNJe Hyuno solved the problem immediately.GZorjn
txaS“AAAAAH!!”2xa4C
YUOPU0a“UUUAAAGH!!”UPJF
4o52eqHe grabbed both researchers by the backs of their necks, one in each hand, and lifted them off the ground.rcbN
zmUTheir lab coats were pierced by his metallic claws and began to tear apart.E3ch
i4c“Riiip…”KK5VzH
W6UAs they screamed and drooled from sheer terror, Je Hyuno dropped them one after the other.8iAuZLV
99EoMThud!YC9H51
uGEAsThud!gF2cY
M9AcvWith their backs completely torn open, both of them ended up sprawled on the floor.q2GTsnO
PYodJust as they were about to swear loyalty like slaves assigned to manufacture the vaccine.3BQ
utpThe two captains arrived.scYS2o
TOL“Well, Hyung Goyo. You’re having fun without me.”Y7phV
5RxMC7Kwak Hanmuk quickly approached with shining eyes.2288Y
I30ExpHe looked like he wanted to join in, but there was nothing left to do.aO4c
JlhIf we kept intimidating them, they’d become so terrified they wouldn’t even be able to conduct research.lTpNI
W64hI calmed Kwak Hanmuk down and walked over to Lee Gaon.7vg7C
qRYOJ“Will you be able to do it, Miss Lee Gaon?”fgnfk6F
NHvcAs she looked around the laboratory, she seemed to remember Lee Seon.1QKP7yD
fiMcn2Her eyes grew moist, but she didn’t cry.CwJ90
OJkShe simply answered with determination.d6JMJ
9hGiR3i“I have to.”4GaP
QhAHolding the pocket where she had stored the meteorite, she slowly raised her head.sZYCSUI
jLpgk“I’ll need several things for the research…”10H
czlFjqs“We’ll get everything today. We’ll also repair the emergency generator before the day is over. And you won’t have to worry about food.”dlxxgmm
WEpkLShe hadn’t even had time to say what she needed before I had already answered.nwlid17
L2N9Lee Gaon stood motionless.Stv7
kfsThen she seemed to understand everything all over again.CiRKE3r
q0RN9tWIt was as if I could see the words National Intelligence Service passing through her mind.myA
pLwuQ“Thank you so much! The generator was exactly what we were most worried about. Really, thank you.”JTDLfPi
0kuEsE0After thanking me several times, she suddenly grabbed my arm.uWX1O
uFlXCWe left the laboratory and walked far enough away from Tak Jucheol and Paeng Sangdo before she spoke quietly.xsMwm6Z
bDk5YA“About the vaccine… My brother already completed the design. If we obtain the materials and restore the electricity, we can finish it in three days. We won’t use cultivation—we’ll use molecular synthesis. As soon as the power comes back, we’ll extract the material from the meteorite and immediately run the sequence. Of course… we’ll have to skip the clinical trials.”mvan
SvkItCLee Gaon looked at me with some concern.ONyf
pqqShe seemed to feel guilty for having lied earlier when she said she knew nothing about the vaccine.QO67tx6
PSYBVBBut I already knew.mo0A
tteIn the game, Lee Seon had also left the vaccine almost complete before meeting the player.9OEAX
5EL3HsThe two siblings were alike.7ye0V
ge5g9epJust as Lee Gaon couldn’t find a reason to continue while believing her brother was dead.kNh
G7g1Lee Seon also couldn’t bring himself to finish the vaccine while believing his sister had died.kXSITb
mHFTxB2Only after the player rescued Lee Gaon did he finally complete the vaccine.Jjq
sUoELYM“Focus on the vaccine first. I’ll find the candidate compound for the cure.”2csTJ
fF5GtwWLee Gaon looked at me as if she couldn’t believe it.YveWrX
0eR5kOThis time, I really did lie.sTf
EB9“I have some information related to it. I can’t guarantee it’s correct, but it’s worth checking.”MM2
HuwIn reality, I didn’t know the candidate compound.FQl
stDrI only remembered a few hidden clues that appeared as Easter eggs in the game.1Ac
r6TCRFI intended to follow that trail.AjcvFsu
LD0eAAfter staring at me for a long moment, Lee Gaon whispered,O0WJmJe
HFsAcH“I’ll trust you.”xsvU
oXuFzqI sent her back into the laboratory together with Tak Jucheol and Paeng Sangdo.Ey0L5j
5oZ2RThen I stepped out into the hallway with Je Hyuno and the two captains.L0HGZ
zr5rN“From this point on, vaccine development will begin. Lieutenant Colonel Je, please collect the remaining items. Captains, I’d like you to help me repair the emergency generator.”xSO
wCnAfter hearing the plan, they both answered.8BT
kDmTPG“Recruit, I’ve never repaired a machine.”Ulu
nCGi“I only know how to fix cars. I don’t know anything about generators.”h1X40N
jS9GR“I know how to repair it.”DkPjd
uOS0kJust like in the game, the process wasn’t particularly complicated.treJr
p7PO9N“The real problem is the boss zombie guarding the underground area where the generator is.”hXxH
XcnTwo people would be needed to repair the generator, while another would have to hold off the boss.PKxy
q6JzcfeIn the game, Lee Seon and Lee Gaon repaired the generator while I fought the boss.SRRibF
Rj5But now Lee Seon was a zombie.T8xU8Fe
8DLxKAnd Lee Gaon had to develop both the vaccine and the cure.LzueK1
PkYVwIf we excluded Je Hyuno, who had to gather materials, that left only Kwak Hanmuk, Mo Haein, and me.0JiKw
iPrnbWThe problem was Mo Haein’s aggression.KdV
73VLa3ZThe zombification was still progressing, and she could attack us at any moment during the mission.u2pWpz
ZTjze5tWhen I finished explaining the plan, they both seemed to have reached the same conclusion.cCC21
3h3aGvqMo Haein’s expression darkened.uvAg
GVFhmShe was already making enormous efforts to suppress the aggressive impulses rising within her.6Lg
y9PJKc“There is one strategy we could use.”Udcc
TH9I didn’t speak immediately.KM93R7
vc8hBCyI paused for a moment.oe5I
hVv5PI could perfectly imagine the expression Mo Haein would wear when she called me crazy again.0XVF
I2zRbAIn fact, she was already looking at me exactly like that.45ylJ
SCT‘Captain Kwak, I’m counting on you.’zNji21B
ZD4aCWHoping he would support my plan, I opened my mouth.dwbkk
KOklZcL“Captain Mo.”z2wA
8Dxp2“Go on.”6Dz3eWa
oYDb“I want you to bite me.”yoJlXo
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