Chapter 14
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Shin Hae-jun fell into the midst of the infected, and as soon as they caught the scent of a human, they stopped climbing the barricade and rushed toward him. However, Shin Hae-jun showed no fear whatsoever. It almost seemed like the sensation of fear had completely abandoned him.
With heavy steps, he stomped down on the ground and charged towards the infected. His movements were fast and precise. With his fist encased in a glove, he grabbed the back of an infected’s head and flung it away, then raised the rifle in his other hand and fired in succession at the infected approaching him.
Bang! Bang! He shattered the heads of dozens of infected. Sliding as if on ice, he swept through the space between the infected, then, after tossing away the empty pistol magazine, he aimed for the heads of the infected with his handgun. Bang! Bang! Stepping on the fallen infected, he rose and struck the face of an infected that had grabbed his arm with the gun still in his mouth.
The current Shin Hae-jun was far from the neat and tidy appearance he always presented. Covered in blood, he spat out curses as he charged at other infected. Despite their attempts to bite his arm, his movements were faster. Bang! Shooting through the head of an infected with his gun, he used its body as a shield to rush at other infected, swinging the empty gun like a club instead of a hammer.
The sickening sounds of bones colliding echoed around them. The torn, bloodied bodies of the infected seemed to symbolize the ruthless struggle for survival of those driven by selfish instincts.
“General!”
At that moment, the lieutenant shouted from atop the barricade.
“A wave is coming!”
He pointed to the horde of infected approaching from the distance, and then Ahyeon began firing precise shots. Bang! Bang! Although the accuracy was somewhat diminished due to the lingering fear, they provided enough effective shots to allow Shin Hae-jun to return.
Shin Hae-jun, now climbing up the barricade, breathed heavily as he wiped the blood-soaked hair from his forehead.
“Damn, that was close.”
His body was covered in blood, fortunately, without any bite marks, Shin Hae-jun washed his hands and arms with bottled water before addressing the other soldiers who were trembling with fear.
“Everyone, get your heads together. Did you see what I did?”
He spoke, revealing his unscathed body after killing dozens of infected.
“Those bastards don’t care whether they dodge bullets or not. All you gotta do is aim for their heads and blow them away. Avoid getting bitten, hold on with grit and determination. You can do it, can’t you?”
“…Yes, sir!”
“Understood!”
Was it because of Shin Hae-jun’s direct action, charging into the horde and slaughtering them, that the morale of the soldiers rose significantly? Yeah. Is it a big deal if the infected avoid bullets? Isn’t it natural for humans to dodge when they see a gun? The infected have evolved similarly. Thinking that way, it seems like they could somewhat overcome their reluctance and fear.
But Ahyeon was different. She could still feel the anxiety, unease, and terror arising from her instincts. Unknowingly, she began caressing the spot where the chip had been implanted at the research institute. Her breathing quickened.
“Do it right, if you don’t want to all die.”
Shin Hae-jun spat out the blood in his mouth, then held out his hand to the lieutenant.
“The gun.”
“Yes, sir!”
Shin Hae-jun gripped a pistol and assault rifle in each hand, taking a deep breath. He was not even perturbed by the situation. But he couldn’t afford to back down. The Seoul shelter already housed nearly 100,000 people—if the defense line here were to fall, the consequences would be unimaginably horrific.
The horde of infected began relentlessly climbing up the fortified wall. Stepping on those falling below, pulling up those scaling upwards, they let out guttural shrieks as they continued surging upwards.
“Fire!”
With the sound of bullets ejecting from the muzzle, the soldiers threw themselves into the battlefield. Their eyes were ruthless and determined, yet chaos and fear coexisted within them. Summoning every ounce of strength, they indiscriminately fired their weapons, and unlike in previous battles, the bullets frequently missed their targets.
“Aaargh! Die! Die!”
“Don’t come any closer, you bastards!”
But not all bullets were in vain. Dozens of heads exploded, and hundreds of bodies were torn apart. The battlefield turned into a sea of chaos and rage.
Taack! Shin Hae-jun kicked away an infected rushing toward him, then pierced its head, and on the other side, he bit an infected’s arm before putting a gun in its mouth and blowing its brains out. Leaping to avoid another approaching infected, he fought on, stomping on infected heads with his feet.
Ahyeon was also engaged in the battle, but she could not bring out her full capabilities. Amidst the cacophony, the pounding of her own heart was deafening, her entire body consumed by anxiety.
The endless explosions, gunfire, and infected screams numbed her senses. Her trembling hands struggled to pull the trigger effectively.
“Min Ahyeon!”
Shin Hae-jun came rushing towards her.
“Hey! Did I teach you to be like this? Aren’t you going to get yourself together?”
He shouted in a more angry tone than ever before, and Ahyeon could understand his frustration and anger very well. But, but… overwhelming helplessness and fear weighed heavily on her shoulders.
She stuttered, her demeanor of confidently defying orders like a defector long gone.
“I’ll correct it, I’ll correct it.”
“Correct it or not, just focus!”
Bang! Shin Hae-jun’s rifle smashed the head of an infected that was rushing towards Ahyeon from behind. The original Ahyeon would have easily avoided such a straightforward attack, but she was different now.
“Min Ahyeon!”
At that moment, an infected that had been lying near Ahyeon suddenly rose and charged towards her. Ahyeon hastily pulled the trigger, but she realized she was too late.
Ahyeon looked at the person standing in front of her, her mouth barely opening as if she couldn’t believe it.
“…General?”
Shin Hae-jun had been bitten.
🕂
Ugh, Hah.
Ahyeon dragged Shin Hae-jun into the makeshift outpost made of containers and tightly locked the door behind him. Using whatever was inside, like desks and bookshelves, she barricaded the door and sealed the only window. Hurriedly, she approached Shin Hae-jun.
She couldn’t fathom how she had managed to drag Shin Hae-jun here, but that wasn’t important right now. Ahyeon examined Shin Hae-jun’s face closely.
“General. Wake up, General!”
Shin Hae-jun’s pale skin was marred by spreading dark veins radiating from the bite mark—he would surely turn into infected in less than five minutes at this rate. Ahyeon pressed down firmly on the bitten area as she called out to him again.
“General. Can you hear my voice?”
Slowly, Shin Hae-jun opened his eyes. His bloodshot eyes were a deep crimson, as if filled with blood. He clenched his swollen, infected lips.
“Damn it.”
Even in this situation, he was still cursing like the Shin Hae-jun she knew. Ahyeon could feel his hand gripping her.
“Lieutenant Min.”
“…Yes, General?”
“Kill me.”
He brought the revolver she was holding up to his chin, his gaze lowered.
“Do it. I want to end this world as a human too.”
“…”
She knew this was her fault, her carelessness. And to protect herself. Reminded of this fact, Ahyeon clenched her fist tightly. Then, grinding her teeth, she lowered her head.
“That won’t happen.”
As Ahyeon withdrew her hand, she dropped the revolver to the ground. Tuk! The sound echoed. Then, using the machete, she extended one of her arms. Without giving Shin Hae-jun a chance to be surprised, Ahyeon poured her own blood into his mouth.
Ahyeon knew that as someone with antibodies, her blood could potentially restore an infected person to human form.
“Ugh!”
But too much time had passed since Shin Hae-jun was bitten. His body was no longer able to accept the blood transfusion. This wouldn’t do. After a moment of deliberation, Ahyeon bit her own lips, making them bleed, then grabbed Shin Hae-jun’s jaw and pressed her lips against his.
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Thank you for reading! ♡
😮🫣 That was intense
Hehe🫣
Thank you for reading!!