Chapter 20

EP 5 - The Hunters (4)

We sat silently near the second-floor window, gazing at the horrific scene outside.

Strange creatures flew through the sky, and helicopters darted about, firing missiles as they fled.

Occasional explosions could be heard through the cloudy sky. We had no energy left to speak. The two dog tags in my pocket felt unbearably heavy.

As we faced the deafening roar that cut through the air, we could only stare silently out the window.

* * *

Yodo-yeon absorbed the magic stone she had taken from the monster on the rooftop and rotated her wrist.

"Intact gems work better than fragments."

"...Really?"

"After emptying six ammo boxes, I'm starting to get the hang of it."

Yodo-yeon fiddled with a mug she had found somewhere and then crushed it like mashed apples, scattering the glass powder on the floor.

Gangi-ja smiled lightly and marveled.

"Oh, that's impressive!"

"Ah......! T-Thank you."

Yodo-yeon replied awkwardly.

She only acts like a puppy that had its food bowl taken away when it comes to me. She's fundamentally shy and has trouble talking to others.

When Yodo-yeon stumbled over her words with a fierce look, Gangi-ja tried to lighten the mood with a compliment.

"You'd probably win every competition you enter, right?"

It was a good move.

"Thank you."

Yodo-yeon smiled faintly and fell silent. Gangi-ja, looking into Yodo-yeon's eyes, said he was tired and lay down on the sofa, closing his eyes.

She stared silently out the window. Occasionally, flashes of light and explosions could be seen and heard through the cloudy sky.

At that moment, Yodo-yeon's expression, reflected in the window, seemed no different from usual, but she looked as if she wanted to cry.

Back when she was smoking because of an overbearing kangaroo mom.

When she was caught by an old man passing by.

Living in a boxing gym run by the old man.

Fighting with her mother over academics versus sports.

Running away and coming to my house, taking my bed.

Even though she lost a tooth in an amateur competition.

Awakening after the death of the old man, her boxing coach.

Winning a national competition while running away.

Getting dental implants with the trophy.

I still can't believe that a high school girl at 18 made this movie. Yodo-yeon was that kind of person.

At least she had tried, created a golden period in her life, and never compromised, making a movie.

The aftermath was a bit dark, though.

"Huff......"

Was it because my body and mind were tired?

Or because I had been too inhuman?

Or because we were in the tiger's mouth?

I kept thinking about my family.

My aunt liked me more than her own daughter.

Because I was better at studying. To be precise, she vented her expectations for her own child on me, even before my parents passed away.

Coming from a wealthy family and following an elite path, she was someone who had learned enough but was slightly frustrating in some ways.

But she wasn't completely cold-blooded, as seen by her marriage to an uncle who ran a fish shop. She was just not very honest.

So, Yodo-yeon grew up hearing that she should only be half as good as Seung-moon. But she never got angry at me for it.

It was a problem she started smoking in middle school to relieve stress. She quit after the old man died, so it's fine. Anyway.

I thought about various people silently. I touched the two dog tags in my pocket.

I felt suffocated, and my chest was heavy. Still, my mind had to stay clear.

I slowly organized my priorities in my head and opened my eyes.

I did what I had to do first.

"Sorry."

"......Huh?"

Yodo-yeon, who was about to fall asleep, opened her eyes. I said to her,

"Sorry for being stubborn and risking my life in a rigged game—"

- Snap!

Yodo-yeon flicked my lips with her finger.

"Now that I'm about to cut it, don't say unnecessary things..."

I immediately lowered my head and pretended to sleep, watching Yodo-yeon silently. The moment of reflection was over. It was time to return to being a politician.

Yeah. We have to survive first.

All this is for survival.

*

Accustomed to working late, I volunteered to stand guard and let them sleep for four hours. When things outside calmed down a bit, we started discussing.

Topic: How and where should we go?

I continued, recalling my memories.

"Large apartment complexes line the Olympic Boulevard along the Han River. Th-those..."

"Hyundai Apartments? They're connected to Sinsha-dong."

"Yes, there. The land value is astronomical. Most people from Apgujeong live there. The high population density made it a must-visit for election campaigns."

It's a large residential area. Literally, dozens of apartments are clustered there. Even Apgujeong's elementary, middle, and high schools are nestled among the apartments.

Apartments make great bunkers.

Large monsters can't enter,

Small monsters can be blocked at the entrance,

And most monsters can be stopped at the front door.

Most importantly, apartments can hide from the eyes of 'not just any' monsters.

Crucially, Hyundai Department Store is in the same block.

"Probably the base will be there. It's the only place where we can gather supplies for thousands of people."

Gangi-ja quickly added his guess.

"If so, it must be a place with the capability to fight against monsters."

I nodded. With the gates spread throughout central Seoul, if thousands of people are living in Apgujeong, it means they have an organized self-defense system against monsters.

It was already a given that we should head there. Gangi-ja started thinking.

"There are many monsters around since the gate opened. Should we wait a bit...?"

"Rather, we could catch a few more monsters to help Yodo-yeon grow. Anyway, when we hold hands, our abilities combine—"

Vroom

"Did only I hear that?"

"......Engine."

Yodo-yeon, who had been silent, quickly got up and opened the curtain. About a dozen people were hurriedly getting into a truck on the opposite street.

All of them were in civilian clothes, armed with rifles.

Armed civilians. Survivors. Apgujeong camp.

The judgment was quick. Discussion canceled.

"......Now?"

We had to chase them. We got up hurriedly.

*

We hurriedly crawled out. Of course, we didn't just come out to chase them.

"If we go together, the monsters will only chase one of us...!"

"Let's hope it's not us."

Yodo-yeon lightly broke the window and opened the car door. She kicked the head of a stray dog that approached and sent it flying.

While Gangi-ja got into the driver's seat and started the engine, I threw the magic stone from the stray dog's body to Yodo-yeon.

She touched the small gem like swatting a fly, and it immediately turned into light and was absorbed by her.

Vroom. With the engine roaring, Gangi-ja shouted,

"Get in!"

I grabbed Yodo-yeon's hand, who was already in the back seat, and got into the car.

"Don't bother with the seatbelt; just hold my hand."

"Intense."

"Should we take the Olympic Boulevard!?"

Gangi-ja asked urgently while stepping on the gas. I leaned forward and pointed.

"The road will be full of cars. Let's go towards the community center. I know the way."

Gangi-ja, seeing the small monsters in the rearview mirror, stepped on the gas hard. I started giving directions calmly.

"Turn left here, not on Yeongdong."

"Since there are no CCTV cameras, we can cross the center line, right?"

"Who's going to give a ticket to a congressman?"

"Ha!"

Yodo-yeon pointed ahead and shouted.

"Up ahead!"

Thump!

Creak!

We hit something. The car jolted violently, and we momentarily floated off our seats.

"Ouch!"

"The road conditions are better than in Africa."

It was a broken road from a disaster movie, but Gangi-ja drove through the obstacles with ease.

He glanced at the rearview mirror. I turned around. Horrible creatures were chasing us in a pack.

Gangi-ja smiled.

"Well, something is chasing us from behind, but as long as we don't get shot while driving, it's not so bad."

"What kind of life have you lived?"

Gangi-ja traced a long scar on the right side of his neck with his finger.

"This is from a bullet that grazed me while driving."

"Ah, right. Turn right at the Shinhan Bank intersection! Ahh!"

Bang! A stray dog leaped in front of the car. The front windshield cracked.

Gangi-ja pushed through, but if the dog had all four eyes, I wouldn't have been surprised.

"Don't wave your arms around; just hold my hand."

I wanted to argue, but seeing that more than five stray dogs were following us, I swallowed hard and firmly held Yodo-yeon's hand.

Gangi-ja, making a rough drift, said,

"Ah, right! Entering the residential area!"

The car entered the large residential area of Apgujeong 2-dong.

Apgujeong apartment complex. This place, once a symbol of the apartment republic, had become a ghost city painted in blood. There were people—or what used to be people—scattered everywhere.

"Please, we have to be here...!"

Gangi-ja, hearing my muttering, added anxiously,

"There are many people here, but it's not a suitable base. Should we go to the department store?"

"To get to Shinsha-dong from here—"

"Ah! Up ahead! Up!"

Yodo-yeon pointed urgently. The truck of the survivors we saw earlier was coming towards us. With the sound of tires screeching, Gangi-ja immediately started reversing.

—! ——!!

A terrifying howl.

Heavy, resonant.

A horrific growl accompanied the appearance of a monster at the apartment corner.

A wolf.

A wolf-like canine beast.

The problem was that it had a deformed face in the middle of its neck, and a black tongue dripped from its protruding fangs.

Glowing black eyes. Burnt-like skin. A half-melted face. Abnormally bent leg joints, bones protruding in places. Gray fur.

If the wolf's height reached the third floor of an apartment, how long would it be?

It was a creature so terrifying that it made you freeze. It began to growl and snarl slowly.

—!!!

A terrifying roar echoed.

Its mouth was wide open, like watching a horror movie from the front row of a cinema.

Instinctive fear crept up.

My body stiffened.

The creature, like a cat catching a mouse, easily leaped and crushed the survivors' vehicle. A desperate arm protruded from the crushed vehicle.

Gangi-ja made a sharp drift and immediately started speeding. The small dogs chasing us began to flee from the wolf.

I didn't look back. The ground-shaking footsteps could be heard. It was chasing us.

"Damn...!"

Yodo-yeon, checking the rear, cursed and gripped my hand tightly.

Thud. Thud. Thud. The monster's footsteps quickened. Gangi-ja was already pressing the gas pedal to the floor.

"It's catching up...!"

At the same moment Yodo-yeon spoke,

The monster's footsteps stopped.

More accurately, the monster lunged at us.

Bang! Yodo-yeon kicked the back door open.

She grabbed me and threw herself out.

Crack!

The rear of the car crumpled, and I rolled on the asphalt, still in Yodo-yeon's arms.

Squeal! The sound of the car's tires spinning could be heard. The monster's long arm had broken the rear window and was inside.

The monster's claws hooked onto the car. The wheels, spinning madly, screeched against the asphalt.

The monster, barely holding onto the car, lay there, but the face on its long neck grinned at us.

Spit. Something flew. Yodo-yeon cursed and rolled us away.

Sizzle!

The ground where we were melted and smoked. I barely got up, still holding her hand.

Gangi-ja had escaped the car and was firing at the monster.

It seemed to have some effect, as the monster covered its face and slightly retreated.

However, the monster swung its front paw at Gangi-ja.

The sharp claws pierced Gangi-ja's stomach.

- Thud!

Yodo-yeon ran over and shielded Gangi-ja with her body.

A long wound appeared on her back. Her white shirt tore, and she was quickly drenched in blood.

"Ah—!"

I heard Yodo-yeon's terrifying scream for the first time in my life.

The monster's ferocity grew, and it prepared to attack them again.

What could I do here?

I, who had planned to control all the psychics at headquarters, was nothing more than a disabled person who couldn't use my ability alone.

I felt an intense sense of powerlessness.

- Bang!

I aimed the pistol in my inner pocket at the monster's face.

I didn't hit the eyes, but for my first shot, I hit it pretty well.

The recoil was stronger than I expected, but I calmly started shooting at the monster.

With the hope that my sister would live just one second longer. I aimed desperately and limped towards the monster.

The monster stepped back to reposition itself and raised its front paw at me.

Vroom!

A motorcycle approached with a roar from a distance.

Someone was holding a rifle in one hand, pointing it at the sky like a biker.

And aimed forward.

Rat-tat-tat! Bang! Rat-tat!

Gunfire echoed in all directions. The helmeted driver started firing the rifle with one hand.

As soon as he emptied the magazine, he threw the rifle and tossed a beer bottle from his waist at the monster.

Clang! The monster's face was drenched.

Immediately, a small fireball flew from an apartment window.

—! ——!!

The world-shaking explosion made me grab my ears and fall to the ground. The monster, with its face on fire, went berserk, destroying everything in its path.

The motorcycle stopped.

The leather-jacketed man lowered his helmet visor and lit a cigarette.

"Shii, Pearl."