There Are No Bad Military Dogs

Chapter 15

 

The scorching sensation of her swollen lips touching his was overwhelming. Shin Hae-jun couldn’t discern what was happening to him right now. He just felt like his head was splitting with pain, like he was about to die. It seemed like this cursed life of his was finally coming to an end.

But amidst the haze, one thing was certain. The dry ends of his lips. And the one causing this scorching sensation was none other than ‘her,’ Min Ahyeon.

Perhaps due to the infection, his mind wasn’t functioning properly. Damn it. Shin Hae-jun couldn’t bear the irritation of not being in his right mind at the moment.

“Open your mouth wider.”

Her swollen lips moved with difficulty. What was Ahyeon even saying? Was he hallucinating? No, it had to be a hallucination, since it was her voice.

Shin Hae-jun started to doubt if he had been struck by a missile to the head. Or maybe the infection had already melted his brain. Otherwise, how could Ahyeon’s voice sound so muffled? Her voice was always so distinct to him.

Yet, no one had informed Shin Hae-jun that he was in the throes of infection. Nor was anyone denying it. At this moment, the only sounds he could hear were the pounding of his rapidly circulating blood and the throbbing of his heart.

“You must swallow it.”

“Hah, ugh…”

While he was lost in thought, Ahyeon’s blood flowed into his parted lips. The searing hot, coppery liquid touched his tongue. He couldn’t count how many times he had been splattered with someone else’s blood. There had been countless times. There had even been times when it poured into his mouth.

Even though it was just a few drops of her blood, the moment Shin Hae-jun realized it was Ahyeon’s, his heart pounded painfully, as if receiving a greater shock. Amidst the pain spreading through his limbs, Shin Hae-jun instinctively pulled Ahyeon’s waist closer.

Amid this frenzy, a thought flashed through his mind—how thin her waist was. Desire surged within him. It was mind-blowing. It felt like his entire body was melting away, yet when did he become so full of strength?

“Nngh.“

Of course, there were side effects. His lips, which had been pressed against hers weakly, were suddenly separated by his unexpected movement. Ahyeon thought Shin Hae-jun was suffering from a painful reaction, as receiving the antibodies while the infection was progressing would naturally be agonizing.

‘I didn’t realize I’d be doing this again.’

There was a reason Ahyeon fearlessly weaved through the infected. A sniper’s position is exposed the moment they take a shot. But Ahyeon had no fear.

She knew she was a sort of immune individual who couldn’t be infected, no matter how many times the infected bit her. She had discovered this fact when the infection outbreak first occurred. Her unit had been in a panicked retreat, a maelstrom of chaos. That’s when Ahyeon was bitten by an infected.

Naturally, she had prepared for the worst. But as time passed, she remained uninfected, with only the bite wounds stinging.

Why?

Amidst the confusion, Ahyeon could only deduce one thing.

The experiment.

Experiments from over a decade ago. The tormenting and cruel experiments conducted on her and her brother, Woo-joo. If not for that, there was no reason for her to be different from others.

Ahyeon recalled how the test subjects within the research institute were produced and disposed of. And she made a chilling connection—the test subjects, whom she had forgotten until now, were exhibiting symptoms not unlike those of the infected.

Naturally, Ahyeon began to wonder if the injection of their blood into her had any relation to this.

My blood.

Does that mean I have antibodies?

The conclusion remained uncertain. The only way to find out the results was through experimentation. Luckily, there was a suitable test subject right by her side. Referring to her comrade as a ‘test subject’ made her feel sick, but at the time, it was the only option.

Next to Ahyeon was Kim Yiwon, who, like her, had been bitten by the infected amidst the chaos. He was trembling, with the barrel of a gun pressed against his temple. Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate that he had been crying for nearly half an hour without pulling the trigger, Ahyeon couldn’t decide.

Ahyeon fed her own blood to Kim Yiwon. It was a painstaking process—coaxing and soothing the human who was wailing about being infected, and then having him ingest the blood of the one who was also bitten by the infected.

The result?

Kim Yiwon’s infection progression stopped. But the next problem arose. He lunged at Ahyeon like a rabid dog in heat.

As an infected individual herself, Ahyeon was physically weaker and couldn’t properly respond.

If the other team member who discovered them at that time hadn’t judged Kim Yiwon was infected and killed him, Ahyeon would have been…

‘Damn it.’

Repeatedly thinking about that horrifying incident was unbearable.

Thus, Ahyeon made a vow to herself after that incident—she would never again attempt to revert an infected. No, she wouldn’t even consider such a rash attempt.

It was obvious what would happen if too many people found out about her. History has shown that—just a few decades ago, a woman with a “super serum” had her blood drained until her death, all the while unaware that the government was exploiting her.

Ahyeon would be no different. The moment her immunity became known, she too would be trapped in a laboratory like 15 years ago, having her blood drawn for the rest of her life. She hated that.

Someone might try to tempt her, saying her blood could save the world. But Ahyeon was certain that her small body alone could not save this collapsing world. Moreover, her goal was not to save this world—it was to reunite with her brother Woo-joo.

Yet, Ahyeon had compromised her beliefs in front of Shin Hae-jun.

‘I have no choice.’

She repeatedly told herself. Wasn’t the reason he ended up like this to save her?

She had never thought of him as particularly altruistic, so why would he go out of his way to rescue her? It was incomprehensible. But even if she couldn’t understand it, she didn’t want to turn a blind eye.

‘So this is the price I have to pay for being distracted….’

Ahyeon scolded herself. If she could avoid a tragedy like what happened with Kim Yiwon, then perhaps nothing bad would occur.

That’s when—

“Ugh.”

Shin Hae-jun’s ragged breathing could be heard, a hoarse, low sound, as if he was clawing at his own lungs from deep within his throat. It resembled the growling of a ferocious beast. Ahyeon shuddered and squinted with surprise.

The approaching breath felt abnormally hot. When infected, body temperature rises, and the blood starts to boil.

‘Is it not working yet?’

Ahyeon thought it was because Shin Hae-jun had not yet felt the effects of her blood. It seemed that even a little blood took longer to take effect. Ahyeon looked down hastily as she pushed her blood into his mouth with her tongue. On her arm, hastily cut with a machete, blood still dripped.

“General, just a little more, even if it’s difficult…”

Drinking blood would make him feel better soon. She wanted to say that. However, the words she wanted to say to him, who was still rational, were not complete.

“Nngh.”

His thick tongue delved into Ahyeon’s narrow mouth. It was hot and moist. Like a snake, his tongue wrapped around Ahyeon. Shin Hae-jun explored Ahyeon’s mouth hungrily, like a thirsty beast seeking a water source. His dry, cracked tongue gradually became slick with saliva and blood, making slick, wet sound spread.

“Mmph.”

Goosebumps rose on her skin. Ahyeon, who had simply been fulfilling her duty to save him, instinctively felt a sense of danger. Memories of the past began to overlap with the present. The hot hand wrapped around her waist suddenly felt terrifying. She pushed against his shoulder to break free, but his firm arms tightened around her even more, making her feel increasingly trapped.

“Ge—mhp…!”

Ahyeon struggled fiercely. She desperately tried to pry his lips away, which were sucking greedily, but wherever she tried to escape, he relentlessly pursued her, causing her to feel increasingly short of breath.

“General!”

“Aah, yes, Ahyeon-ah.” 

🕂

Thank you for reading! ♡