Chapter 6

EP 2 - The Red Han River's Psychic (3)

"......The connection is lost."

This meant that the cable communication building in Seoul had been destroyed.

"Big sister, do you still have the map you captured earlier?"

"Uh-huh."

"Can you show it to me for a moment?"

People gathered around me, forming a circle. I zoomed in and out on the photos on my smartphone, starting to explain.

"First, if our goal is to make contact with the military, there are two methods."

First, pass through Paju and join the front-line military.

Second, hide in a secluded place and wait for the military.

Lee Ho-jung, holding a high heel in her hand, suddenly stood up and glanced beyond the window she had blocked.

"......Brother, didn't Mother say that monsters fell from an open hole near Seoul?"

"Uh-huh."

She gestured to Yang Il-ho.

"Il-ho. Go check if there's an open hole in the sky on the opposite side of the window where monsters are falling."

Il-ho got up hurriedly, checked the window, and shook his head. Lee Ho-jung frowned for a moment and began to unfold her speculation.

"Hmm...... Honestly, I don't really want to move from here. The holes in the sky seem to be spread only over Yoido, the center of Seoul. From what I can see, something like dots is still falling, meaning the monsters are still pouring in."

"Should we get as far away from the center of Seoul as possible?"

Lee Ho-jung nodded with a stern face.

* * *

The sun had already set. It was dark outside. We were trembling with fear and fatigue.

I tried to stand up but fell to one side. Without my prosthetic leg, I instantly became a real cripple.

I let out a sigh as I felt a slight fever, and Yang Il-ho ran over to help me up.

"Brother......"

"Thanks. Let me check the window."

Lee Ho-jung held my hand and gave up her seat by the window.

It was a dark night, as if black ink had been poured over the city's night view.

Seoul, which had been shining with neon and fluorescent lights until yesterday, was now dark, and the noisy murmur was as quiet as a mourning for the death of the day.

The moon was hidden behind the clouds, and blue light was spreading from the holes in the sky. Something that still looked like dots was falling to the ground.

"......I'm glad we crossed the Han River."

A building in the distance on the other side of the river collapsed. Gangnam is still a den of monsters.

I made a decision.

"Let's move."

"Y-Yes!?"

"The monsters are still wreaking havoc in Gangnam, regardless of whether it's day or night."

Everyone showed signs of reluctance.

"I just saw a building collapse on the other side of the Han River. The monsters are still actively hunting. We just happened to be far from the center of Seoul, but the monsters are still killing people."

I hoped they would understand. Fortunately, although everyone frowned, no one opposed my suggestion. If anyone whined about resting in this situation, I would leave them behind. Really.

"First, let's head to the center of Paju, where the population is dense. We'll follow the Han River and go all the way up. After passing through Dokcheon and Gusan IC, we'll reach the Paju Publishing Complex. The national army is likely there now."

Everyone started to gather their belongings. By the way, Gang Ji-yeon's daughter seems a bit strange.

"......Honey, are you okay?"

Since the first time we met, except when she was bitten by a monster, she has been staring blankly into space. Gang Ji-yeon held her daughter's hand tightly with a sad face.

Has she lost her mind? I asked the child to confirm.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"......Look."

"Huh?"

"Blue dust is floating......"

Gang Ji-yeon and his wife's expressions twisted. Has the child developed a mental illness? She has been staring at the air since the first time we met.

"......What do you see?"

"Blue things."

The child started to wave her hands in the air.

"Moving......"

"......Can you touch it?"

"Yes... It's pretty."

This is getting weird.

"......What's your name?"

"Ji-yoon. Gang Ji-yoon."

"Okay, Ji-yoon."

I started to interview Gang Ji-yoon.

"How do you feel when you touch the blue dust?"

"Just... Just like that."

"How much is there?"

"It's full of the world..."

"Really?"

The child nodded.

"Is the world full of blue dust?"

"Yes......"

There's something with this kid. She doesn't seem crazy.

At that moment, someone put a hand on my shoulder. I jumped and turned around to see the girl who had been crying in the corner.

"Ah, mister...!"

"Uh-huh, student. What's wrong?"

The student, with an anxious look, trembled and stammered.

"I, I, it's coming. It, it's coming."

"Huh?"

"A big one...!"

The student, unable to sit still, grabbed me and cried like a child.

It was obvious what was coming.

"Shh...!"

I signaled to the people who were packing and chatting to be quiet. The factory instantly became silent.

A faint sound was heard.

-Splat.

The sound of a wet mop being dragged.

-Splat.

It's a really big mop. A rotten fishy smell suddenly spread.

Everyone heard the sound and quickly gathered around me.

Where is it coming from? Damn it.

We crouched against one side of the factory wall, covering our mouths. I showed them how to turn off their phones and silently instructed everyone to do the same.

Something is heading towards the factory entrance.

We need to leave now.

I quietly pointed to the opposite door with my finger. I hope no one jumps out recklessly.

People started to sneak towards the factory's back door. The sister picked me up.

-Swish.

Something touched the factory door.

-Creak.

The door, opens.

A black shape is revealed by the bonfire light.

Liquid. Eyes. Tongue. Teeth. Black.

How do I describe it? It's a shape I've never seen before.

"Don't scream, just run."

It definitely looked like shit. The monster wobbled for a moment, then spread on the ground and started chasing us.

People started to run, covering their mouths and crying. I and Yeo Do-yeon were the last to leave the factory and locked the door.

"Open! Get in quickly!"

Gang Ji-yeon, who ran first, got into the driver's seat of an abandoned car.

-Bang!

Once was enough.

-Bang!

To break the locked door.

The monster quickly burst out and slithered towards us.

But damn, not everyone can fit in the car. There are nine of us.

In the dark, I couldn't see the situation clearly, but the damn car was definitely packed with people and had already taken off.

Gang Ji-yeon must have confirmed that his family was in the car before stepping on the gas.

I muttered while being carried by the sister.

"I should have not let people on the yacht."

"Now is that important?"

"Then what is important?"

"Shut up!"

Yeo Do-yeon jumped over a white Mercedes in an instant, even while carrying me.

The monster, swallowing the Mercedes, slithered towards us. Is it a slime? Damn it.

She asked me frantically.

"Hey, hey, what do we do now!"

"Run first."

"Aaah! Damn it!"

"Don't scream unnecessarily."

"We're leaving them behind!"

"Whatever."

Now I can see the remaining people.

Yang Pan-seok, an unknown student, and us.

Yang Pan-seok was hiding under a truck, covering his mouth, and the student was entering a karaoke building.

The monster's target is us.

Yeo Do-yeon was almost doing parkour to escape, but being caught was just a matter of time.

"Big sister, leave me and run to Paju."

"Shut up! You bastard!"

"Do you want to die with a cripple?"

"Damn! Just!"

The sister shouted roughly and dodged the monster's attack again.

"Ah, ah!"

I had never heard Yang Pan-seok scream before, but now I heard his first scream. He shouted from under the truck.

"The monster avoided the bonfire!"

I'm truly grateful that Yang Pan-seok is a man of old-fashioned tastes. He must have seen a Hong Kong movie and used a Zippo lighter to light a cigarette. Of course, the lighter is with me.

And, the Zippo lighter, lit,

can be thrown.

"Please die."

I threw the lit lighter at the monster with a desperate prayer. Since the monster was wobbling and chasing us, it wasn't a difficult task.

-!! --!!

The monster started to burn with an indescribable scream. Yeo Do-yeon ran for a while and then stopped, and Yang Pan-seok crawled out from under the truck with a triumphant smile.

He walked over to me with a big smile.

"Good throw."

"Thank you, sir."

"If you almost died, at least pretend to be scared."

He tapped my shoulder, which Yeo Do-yeon was carrying. Yeo Do-yeon, with a dazed look, watched the monster burn.

Suddenly, the area brightened.

"By the way, your sister is really amazing."

"......Ah, thank you."

"I've heard a lot about Han Seung-moon. You two are said to be good siblings-"

I cut off the conversation.

"Let's hide. It's too bright."

We had a large bonfire in an open space. Yang Pan-seok called me. He was holding a blue gem in his hand.

"Seung-moon. This was just found on the monster's body-"

"Over there! Over there!"

A student who had just come out of the karaoke building pointed and shouted.

A 5-meter-tall gorilla with blue fur, baring sharp teeth and glaring at us with red eyes, was charging towards us.

There was no time to tell them to run.

The monster charged at us in an instant

- Bang!

A Renault Samsung SM6, a premium diesel mid-size sedan, came speeding and caused a traffic accident.

The monster fell backward instantly, and the car seemed undamaged, perhaps because it hit a mass of muscles.

Instead, the car, with a damaged bumper, backed up and stopped in front of us. Gang Ji-yeon, bleeding from a broken window, stuck his head out.

"Get in quickly!"

The door was broken, making it easy to get in. The only downside was the glass shards on the seats, but it was much better than dying.

Yang Pan-seok quickly took the passenger seat, and Yeo Do-yeon pushed me in and took the seat next to me.

Just as the car was about to start,

"Please don't leave me! Please!"

The unknown student ran towards us. He had hidden in the building, so he was a bit far away.

The blue monkey regained its senses. It glared at us with red eyes and charged at us.

"Slow down a bit, Mr. Gang."

He immediately slowed down without a word.

I leaned out of the broken door and reached out to the student.

"Come quickly!"

"Uncle!!"

The student running after the car, and the monster chasing the student. Two desperate hands reaching out.

It felt like we were making a movie.

Then.

The student fell.

I quickly assessed the situation and got back into the car.

"He fell."

Gang Ji-yeon, without looking back, stepped on the gas. Yeo Do-yeon was silent for now.

We didn't look back.