Chapter 32
4yuJIt had been a rather reckless move.oQm
bOnBDAfter all, it was nothing more than an attempt based solely on a guess.QZRz
kgl8If I failed, I would die in the most ridiculous way possible.BHzfP5
gALuZ‘But if I just stand still, I’ll die anyway.’nleBP1
9peWithout hesitating for long, I drew my military knife and slashed my forearm.7Pw
IV39A sharp pain shot through my arm, and in an instant my forearm was soaked. Blood began to run and drip onto the floor.wXkX
Ea5RblII lowered my gaze, tense.AzX537
b3FQ835My plan was to take advantage of any small opening that appeared to escape.rfiq
lRIW04jBut the result was far greater than I had imagined.fvtDf2y
6AJhUZS“…!”OJQG
mhVWhat I had expected was nothing more than a tiny crack when the blood touched the wall.YoeTWN
5y9C1However, the moment the blood reached it, the inner wall began to melt away slowly.HV0
rDioCMkThe viscous surface disintegrated, revealing the torso of a zombie and a massive television.T8w
IVYEWDEverything was returning to its original form, the one it had before being absorbed by the Boss Monster.72Mi
upNNo matter how much my blood was the cure, I had never imagined it would have such an overwhelming effect.nXIIZU
KBtQSince the “cure” was something that had never existed in the game, it seemed to manifest a far more abnormal effect.5x1i
HspSd2QThe moment I saw the section that had come into contact with my blood break down, another idea occurred to me.8g6gW
foY8OLn‘Maybe I can defeat it myself.’L8I
JTkeIn some Trial endings, it was possible to take items with you.VP8sxFv
ruvHeFGenerally, the greater your contribution, the higher the quality and quantity of the items you obtained.yf66r
lClMDjHowever, under normal circumstances, only the player with the highest contribution—or at most, the top three—received them.noOvbSk
bUyAs far as I knew, in Dead Zone Deal, only the top two could take items.IRi76
EsY8PRight now, the greatest contributor had to be Je Hyuno.Zjr4
vozlOAfter all, he had accomplished something that was theoretically impossible.cWrz
rvLs2hI had earned a considerable contribution during the battle against the Chef Zombie, but I hadn’t dealt a single point of damage to the final Boss Monster, Nothing.Qz8nbC
wZx6bI had played a crucial role in developing the cure and the vaccine, yes, but even so, there was still a possibility of being pushed down the rankings.2P6oYe
ACu‘I have to become the greatest contributor.’vKwl
6Ii7m5I didn’t know what might happen in the future, so I needed to prove my usefulness to the Trial Response Agency a little more.ZV3Rd
JTpCfPBecoming the greatest contributor even after entering alongside Je Hyuno?UNB3Y
EVSvfmThat would be the strongest proof imaginable.5c72
0noIi1‘Besides, how many hours have I spent playing this game?’ql5P
XU7The very least I could do was claim the top spot.Wejrm
twxil8nI raised the military knife again and made another cut, this time on my right forearm.Ue3
COM2sLittle by little, anemia and chills began to overtake me.rPG0Jf
ARXwTI’d already had blood drawn once that very day, so physically I was reaching my limit.kRGTu4
R3XgAs I carefully estimated how much endurance I had left through my increasingly blurred vision.9gQp
fzTkNBThe ground beneath my feet began to soften.dXWB
mymIMeBut the sensation was far too strange to attribute simply to decomposition.SuWZj
QZg9g8I lowered my gaze and doubted my own eyes.doMOQf
81RelAll the eyes covering the walls had gathered beneath my feet.BqMDojH
DjoWGQEvery time a drop of my blood touched those writhing eyes, they returned to their original form before disintegrating.mnrhrSg
7oOKAs soon as the decayed flesh completely dissolved, another eye immediately took its place.o2p8
F9GThat endless struggle to reach my blood was desperate.Y1Scw
7JOJMFhI looked at the countless eyes bathed in my blood.Qlpo
aND1v4It looked as though they were crying tears of blood.5ZT
8CaThen, at last, I understood what they wanted.Pirk4R
k0xhA6‘They want to become who they used to be.’Dmu
8z77PuIf I could, I wanted to return every one of them to normal.wTvQhv
lUA3In any case, the blood I had already shed wouldn’t be enough to defeat the Boss.gOR8vR
TU6sk‘Just until I’m on the verge of death…’ZXwMqf
TeDrkdQOnce I reached critical condition, a warning would appear.oAo
BdusKc2If I stopped the bleeding at that point, I’d probably be fine.0xxH5a1
53zSFuTI cut my left leg.rUuKv
wKltYDrops of blood began to fall, and the eyes reacted even more intensely.YVdIXZ
kfzThey writhed as though trying to crawl directly up my leg.SlJWcI
F2CW8Was it because of the massive blood loss?iMQ2yU
h1kFtpI could barely feel any pain anymore.aaJ3CmD
LUS9GhOnly a strange sense of numbness.B6Sfm
0LDQAnd there was something else that was strange.tfTKJv4
C6yJqThe critical condition warning never appeared.aMa5l
AuHp3Se‘I’m still holding on?’9cUovE5
VeQrXI cut my right leg as well.jI6P
L2jvBlood poured out in torrents.ulXag
dwFhFNothing began collapsing at incredible speed, and the small space where I had been trapped started expanding.8Fkrg
ULMFinally.BvEdM
K1WI could see the outside.sRvC
BWPZyeqI staggered forward.xMNkb
0C2eePKMy vision was so blurred that I could barely make out what was in front of me, though I could still recognize the silhouettes of those watching me.1kol
sSPNbI could hear voices as well, but the ringing in my ears was so intense that I couldn’t understand them.2hD
g9wmo‘Captain Mo is definitely going to call me crazy again…’ITM
bUzEPerhaps because I had spent so long trapped inside those entrails.TOKWsNp
eoUsdThe air outside felt unbelievably fresh.G0G
lR57ZWI took a deep breath.x3A
DLuvCAt the same time, a system window appeared.RxyV6qb
Z6cpB0JYou have won the battle against Nothing!ccct
Iee1HvWith that, becoming the greatest contributor was guaranteed.7VHYXV
tZcOsdDBut for some reason, even though I still hadn’t entered critical condition, my consciousness began to fade.7BrlriB
cQ7FIt was as though all the pain I had forgotten came rushing back at once.3Nr
Pn5EPMy body swayed.GVJFPr
ARmThen I saw Je Hyuno.4WCRcU
Lc9Seeing him immobilized by the wooden rosary beads, I couldn’t help but smile.LXJ
RBoSb0sJust before I collapsed to the ground, someone ran over to catch me.slrGa6v
2uoaOnI didn’t know whether it was Captain Mo or Captain Kwak.iKZT
Le1PoBut even on the brink of death, I didn’t forget to make one request.2EJ1qg
N5J“Please grab Lieutenant Colonel Je by the neck for me…”ExDIh7O
lt9And immediately afterward.DRfYkNE
F8oeZjgI lost consciousness completely.eEx
Jl7zD***yso
fgWVjtWhen I opened my eyes, several system windows were floating before me.uuR
DhG3ritYou have completed the third defense!
(Defenses completed: 3/3)sPvu3
89p1You have successfully defended the laboratory from the zombies!r47nH4
xfMc5You have successfully developed the vaccine!FKW0M
XIcU3lw‘I’m alive.’XoSzgf
2KN5I let out a sigh of relief and began reading the system windows one by one.OmDVsZ
1GkWe had successfully defended the laboratory, and Lee Gaon had also managed to develop the vaccine.Yibfec
F9jQt‘The cure isn’t finished yet?’c5BUbH
l5mNaoEI tried to sit up, but someone was sitting beside me, watching me.QahD7
cChMy vision was still blurry, so I blinked several times.bqYZBS
qyiOnly after a while did I make out that the person watching me was Lee Gaon and that I was lying on a cot in the laboratory.4Ly
uaD“……”N6ZlAsG
N09cELee Gaon didn’t say a single word. She only looked at me.hRfOzp
UD0I moved my lips.S3qp7B
b9tK3uLI wanted to speak, but my throat was so dry that it was impossible.E6k3
BLDcQ5IThen Lee Gaon pressed a piece of damp gauze against my lips.YJOHr9
EWJmuFyAfter regaining a little moisture, I was finally able to speak.zJLsWt
wyOW“The… cure…”0vsrij3
JXLmJ“I made it.”pDIxYe
lAUrLee Gaon interrupted me immediately and bit her lower lip hard.aj4Aw
rcUMI didn’t understand why a system window announcing success hadn’t appeared if the cure was already complete.utT
PW3dSeeing my confusion, Lee Gaon decided to talk about something else first.RLKP0
XR2d“Mr. Gunbam, you were unconscious for two whole days. Your teammates have been clearing the area around the laboratory. Before that, they found Tak Jucheol and Paeng Sangdo and brought them to me.”2bm
aK5qFNAfter explaining that both of them had turned into zombies and had been kept confined with the help of my teammates, she fell silent again.xWW
zMDM2iI discreetly looked at her.Dt7
UhgBsHer eyes were full of resentment.IkY2I0
TwODm“They say you defeated that gigantic monster all by yourself.”l4jrY
oRhP“…Yes.”AnXpk
pT9M“There’s that incredibly strong soldier, isn’t there? The one carrying all those state-of-the-art weapons. Why didn’t you ask him to defeat it? Why did you have to end up so badly injured all by yourself?”zhn9yV
EUGR‘Because he was the one who threw me into the monster’s mouth…’O1sjC
Uzuq1I couldn’t tell her the truth.uGfT
ZkiVy5Besides, it had also been my own ambition to become the greatest contributor that got me into that situation.N930pRL
AdSRI smiled awkwardly as I sat up.yH9Tn
4AztEven so, I was in better condition than I had expected.DmS
1EEkdMy vision had also become much clearer.NMJsP4r
gfZ0An IV was connected to my arm, but Lee Gaon removed the needle.lbsHbB9
2xnfCJ“The preclinical tests on the mice were a success. I wanted to try it on my brother immediately, but I waited.”r1Dj
HhqShe looked at me.f2bFW
XAG3“I waited for you to wake up, Mr. Gunbam.”ZTXk
2zvApparently, the mission window hadn’t appeared because they still hadn’t verified the cure’s effect on a zombie.IZc5
V4K8mrOShe held out her hand to me.6l42v
6f1“Let’s treat him now. Come with me.”Q0kY8gW
Xfe11RCI took the hand she offered.H6vUQl
6NQThe laboratory was completely silent.56U9
IqyHaOWe had defeated the final Boss, but even so, there should still have been a few zombies left.tc7oI5K
yNYwqoNYet not a single movement could be sensed.ujajRn
TXu‘Did Lieutenant Colonel Je and the other Captains eliminate them?’PK7VhrY
zQ9rJ9GI followed Lee Gaon, who remained unusually quiet, through hallways that were just as strangely silent.cBEd7sW
3RaVdrBWe stopped in front of the laboratory director’s office on the second floor.oEVm
FAZEGXTak Jucheol and Paeng Sangdo were tied up with ropes in front of the door.7Qdy
hXCLeniThe zombification had progressed considerably in both of them.wPeo
KPAz“Lee Gaon! Lee Gaon!”u1kGR
kr7rThe moment they saw Lee Gaon, they began pleading desperately.v46ZgRP
37pThey crawled across the floor with pitiful expressions.XpXx
dRG0Le“The cure? You finished it already?”ne62Zq
YzvDT“I knew you could do it! Look, here’s my arm. Just inject it here. Okay? Please! I’ll get on my knees if I have to!”18Ef2
pLY8LWithout paying any attention to their pleas, Lee Gaon began removing the obstacles blocking the entrance to the office one by one.uotWiSC
4FHUA8I helped her.XnPO9
irzHearing the noise outside, Lee Seon let out a deep growl.ew8N
tBuOnce we had removed all the barricades, Lee Seon appeared.dSAJ
in3His appearance had barely changed since the moment we locked him inside.Dth59sB
7MWB6TnLee Gaon let out a sigh of relief.NomBa3
70jMShe took out a case containing a syringe.7uQPibb
1y5XmThen she looked at me.JdULP
o3ta“We made it together, Mr. Gunbam.”htv
QG7That was why she had waited for me.A4O
421VhcIn front of me, and also in front of Tak Jucheol and Paeng Sangdo, she injected the cure into Lee Seon.pEtj
vCTThe two of them immediately began screaming desperately.lgl
L1Q8“Lee Gaon! That’s the cure! That’s the cure, isn’t it?!”ouNFV
wMg“I knew you’d do it! Look, you just have to inject it here! Please! I’m begging you!”M7m8O
m43hIIgnoring their pitiful pleas, Lee Gaon pushed the plunger until the very last drop had been injected.08zI
JNxl8The moment she finished.SFLeej
6BwTkLee Seon began convulsing.uMiBT
67Bh7His entire body shook violently, and suddenly black tears of blood began pouring from his eyes.3wwak
0LcHoThe amount was so overwhelming that both Lee Gaon and I instinctively stepped back.YI13E
UlAOIifThe tears continued flowing until they completely soaked his lab coat and formed a large puddle on the floor.CUvcm
qsdOnly then did they stop.gnoi4K
WL7WMVwAnd, astonishingly.pMuZMm
6oK8PFrom that moment on, Lee Seon showed no signs of aggression whatsoever.kV9l8
QXeSHe still hadn’t completely regained his sanity, but the bluish tint of his face disappeared, and some color returned to it.a4lTZ8
xKAHe looked at us with calm eyes.pcNIw
ll8qTrAThen the system window announcing our success appeared.UzW0HVN
NSquhdYou have successfully developed the cure!pd1
u8EVWLi“Mr. Gunbam! I think it’s working!”5Jz8d
kJl3aZLee Gaon shouted at me, her face overflowing with excitement.bJZkB
Orfm“We still have to observe his progress, but I’m convinced it worked. Ah! There’s still one vial left. If we inject one of your teammates right now…”DzXCoyh
0Bh3IIt“There’s no need.”E6s
7UYOnce we completed the True Ending and left Dead Zone Delivery, the virus would disappear from our bodies.Gmk
R4SThere was no point in wasting such a precious cure.4zHl
Rpt6J4G“In that case, could we treat the zombie who’s locked up in the underground generator room? He was the cook at this laboratory.”PHkYrd
FqBdT0l“Ah…”ozGUF
sCqfIVFLee Gaon fell silent.VsFp
t9EoMeanwhile, Tak Jucheol and Paeng Sangdo continued tearfully begging for the cure to be given to them.XeiBU6u
rkForBut both Lee Gaon and I ignored them as though they were nothing more than background noise.gZYTYo
RrXmIYS“Mr. Gunbam… you’re too…”5c3
nh8hBShe left the sentence unfinished.Hq1lZWc
0DEHer gaze dropped to my bandaged arms and both of my legs.9Yp60E
wREOGJA“We have nothing with which to repay you.”KbzTKae
J0SgEanIn truth, I didn’t feel I’d done anything that justified hearing those words.9myEyo
xs2BYSomewhat embarrassed, I replied,WZ1ZFKQ
RJWN“Don’t worry about it. Besides, Lee Seon had turned into a zombie.”IWk
Ip3Instead of nodding, Lee Gaon showed a strange smile.dYM
5AYUHZThen she held something out to me.a10
O5tuY“Here.”oMmvU
Gd3It was the portable cassette player I had given her.HorxMwe
G1JQkyI accepted it with a small smile and, almost out of habit, checked the item’s description.X21dqY
VilWc3uBut it had changed.Nmr
aQ4HPortable Music Player: Contains a cassette with 666 exciting songs. Listening to music improves your mood.oIcDwg
tjQ3ntThe number of songs had gone from six to no fewer than six hundred sixty-six.Ak9P
SMHN3“Lee Gaon… did you…?”GMpwI
A3cI was about to ask if she had changed the cassette.YqO
zRpBut I stopped.eWa
AlRThe Lee Gaon who had been standing in front of me just a moment ago had disappeared.o0D
FKc6In the place where she had stood, only a system window announcing the end of the Trial remained.ktM7qLq
Z7HTwMU(Dead Zone Delivery) Complete!M7iOPXa
muyS— Ending: New Horizon of the World.1dB6Fv
What did you think of this chapter?
Report comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment. False reports may result in account suspension.
0 Comments
There are no comments yet. Be the first!