Minjoo took a deep breath above the window in the fourth floor hallway.
Kangmin, who had already climbed onto the shield, held out his hand and said.
“Hold my hand?”
“are you okay.”
I said it was okay, but in reality, it wasn’t okay. She felt dizzy as she looked down the window.
It was partly because of the height, but also because of the zombies on the road.
“You practiced a lot. It will be fine. Take your time, one step at a time. “You move your feet when I count one, two, three, you know?”
I looked ahead and saw Kangmin smiling slightly and talking. It was clear he was trying to reassure himself.
‘That’s kind.’
After spending two days alone with Kangmin, we ended up talking quite a bit.
He was a strange person. People living in this era were broken little by little, no matter how big or small.
This is a world where you have to kill your family members who have become zombies with your own hands and run away leaving behind your lover who was captured by zombies.
A world where human rights are not even a name, and power, violence, and survival are the top priorities.
But Kangmin was strangely different. It’s hard to explain, but I didn’t see any ‘breakage’.
“Minju, are you ready?”
I didn’t know that was why. Min-joo started talking with Kang-min. It was something he had never done to any man.
However, even though Kangmin was older than him, he did not call him ‘oppa’.
“huh.”
“Then, one, two, three!”
At the same time as the three, Kangmin moved to the front shield. Minjoo also quickly climbed onto the shield.
– My heart is pounding.
My heart was beating like crazy. It was incomparably scary compared to when I looked down at the glass from the top of Lotte World Tower.
“Good job, you can do that. Then again, one, two, three!”
Kang Min missed three again. Minjoo moved his feet at the same time. As my right foot stepped on the shield in front, the shield behind me disappeared.
My heart felt cold. If she had been a little late, she would have fallen down.
– The shield I create disappears when it is more than 1m away from my body.
Min-joo gritted his teeth and followed Kang-min.
We arrived at our first target, the rooftop of the 4-story building across the street.
I only moved 10 meters, but my whole body was full of sweat.
“great job.”
“Sorry, you’re late because of me, right?”
“no, that’s fine.”
He said it was okay, but Kangmin’s face was dark.
– You can’t keep riding the shield. The limit of time you can travel while riding the shield is approximately 5 minutes.
This was a fact that Kang Min told Minju before moving. Min-joo absolutely hated seeing anyone suffer because of him.
‘It’s enough to have that experience once.’
Minjoo said urgently.
“Let’s go quickly, we don’t have time, right?”
“okay.”
The two crossed two more alleys. I was thirsty and hungry. But more than anything, my legs were shaking.
Then, while moving to the third alley, a problem arose.
A muscle zombie in the alley had discovered the two people.
“Kaaaaang!”
The muscle zombie looked up and screamed. Hearing the sound, nearby zombies flocked.
Minjoo’s body froze.
“Han Min-ju! Wake!”
“eww… huh.”
“I can’t do it, Minjoo, hurry up! One, two, three!”
Minju took a step along with Kangmin’s voice. But my legs were shaking so much. The front foot touched the front shield, but the back foot could not be removed.
The shield disappeared and the body became tilted.
“Aaaah!”
Minju screamed and fell backwards.
“Han Min-ju!”
Kangmin jumped to the rear shield again and launched himself. Kangmin’s hand held Minjoo’s hand.
“Hold on tight!”
Minju was in no mood to answer.
“Kaaaa!”
The muscle zombie below jumped up.
“Aaaah!”
The muscle zombie’s fingertips passed by Minjoo’s toes.
“Never let go of my hand!”
Kangmin grabbed Minjoo’s hand with both hands and pulled him up.
“Minjoo, step on the shield!”
Kang Min summoned the shield to Minju’s feet. Min-joo stepped on the shield and climbed up to the shield where Kang-min was.
My whole body was shaking. She tried to hold back, but she couldn’t stop shaking.
At that time, Kangmin hugged Minjoo’s body.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.”
As Kang-min patted Min-joo on the back, her trembling subsided little by little. It felt familiar.
‘brother?’
Minju suddenly thought of her own older brother. His older brother hugged him and patted his back whenever he got scared.
But the person in front of me was not my brother.
“Thank you, I’m okay now.”
When the trembling disappeared, Minju stood up and said that.
“Okay, but it’s dangerous like this. “Take my hand.”
After a little hesitation, Min-ju took Kang-min’s outstretched hand.
It was firm and warm. Min-joo felt a little more trust in Kang-min.
“Okay, let’s go.”
The way to get there was the same as before. Kangmin counted to three and moved at the same time. He was just holding hands.
There was much less tremor. Minju realized why.
‘I have similar hands to my brother.’
Minju looked ahead. Kang Min’s back was visible. Although the two people looked nothing alike, they strangely looked like older brothers.
“Minjoo, everyone is here.”
At Kangmin’s words, Minjoo looked ahead.
The entrance to the ‘Opae Mountain’ hiking trail was visible in front of me.
* * *
Kang Min looked at Opae Mountain from the rooftop of the house next to the walking trail.
‘Did you say that the residential-commercial complex beyond Mt. Opae is the base?’
It was fortunate that Minju’s base was nearby. If I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have been able to endure it.
Kangmin licked his dry lips with his tongue. It felt like the inside of his mouth was burning.
‘I never thought hunger and thirst would be this hard.’
I couldn’t eat anything for two days. I drank water sparingly, but I drank it all yesterday morning.
Hunger was unbearable, but thirst was truly unbearable.
I had no strength whatsoever in my body. It was a miracle that he came here riding on a shield.
When I looked down at the rooftop, it was full of muscle zombies and zombies. I had to go through them and climb up Mt. Opae.
Kangmin opened the status window. There is only 3 durability left in the shield world.
Kangmin said, holding the ax tightly.
“Minju, I think you should run this time.”
“don’t worry. “I’ve somewhat adapted now.”
Kang Min looked at Minjoo. Big, pretty eyes were looking at me.
Min-joo looked into Kang-min’s eyes and slightly turned his head.
Minju stuttered a little and pointed to a place.
“You have to go to the trail and then to the trail. “Zombies can’t follow the trail.”
“Do you know the way?”
“Just follow me.”
Kangmin nodded and summoned a shield. A shield appeared above the zombies’ heads.
Kang-min held Min-joo’s hand and jumped onto the first shield.
Kangmin and Minjoo ran over the zombies’ heads.
The muscle zombie behind me screamed and chased after me.
The moment there was only 1 durability left, Kangmin shouted.
“run!”
Kang Min let go of Min Joo’s hand and jumped out of the air. The same was true for democracy. The two fell at the entrance to the Opae Mountain trail.
It was Minjoo who stood up first.
“This way!”
Unlike in the sky, on earth Minju jumped like a fish in water.
Minju, who was running on a well-made wooden trail, soon jumped over the wooden railing and jumped into the forest.
Kang Min also followed Minju into the forest.
– Boom!
There was the sound of a wooden railing breaking from behind. When Kangmin turned around, he saw that he was a muscle zombie.
“Kaaaaang!”
The muscle zombie chased the two down the trail.
“Kangmin, quickly!”
It was not easy for me to run because my body was weak. Moreover, the width of the road became increasingly narrow.
To the left was a slope. Even if it was just a little bit off, it was over.
I felt the presence of a muscle zombie behind my back.
‘damn!’
Kang Min ran with all his might.
It was then.
“Kaaaaaaaa!”
A muscle zombie’s scream was heard.
I glanced back and saw a muscle zombie sliding down to the shore. I grabbed a small tree nearby to keep from slipping, but it was soon uprooted and I slid further down.
‘it’s okay!’
The same goes for the zombies that followed.
“Heung!”
“Uwaeeeng!”
Numerous zombies slid down the slope. I was very fortunate.
Soon, the top of Opae Mountain came into view and a barbed wire fence was visible. Inside the barbed wire fence, an old-looking trench was visible.
The two went down from the top. When going down, I followed a well-maintained trail.
Soon, a tall residential-commercial apartment complex came into view. It was no ordinary apartment.
The first thing I saw was numerous containers surrounding the apartment. Buses were blocking areas where there were no containers.
It was a fortress.
“Kangmin, over there. “Our base.”
At first glance, it looked like there was no water leakage.
‘I guess I was able to survive because I got to this level.’
When I saw my destination in front of me, I felt relieved.
But the situation was not so easy.
“Kaaaaang!”
The roar of a muscle zombie was heard from somewhere far away.
“Zombies are at the top of the mountain!”
Kangmin looked shocked at Minjoo’s words.
“crazy! “How did you get here?”
“I think I followed the trail!”
The two started running like crazy again.
– Boom! thud! thud!
There was quite a distance from the muscle zombie at first, but they soon got closer. The muscle zombie jumped several meters and came down.
It seemed like things would catch up soon.
‘The remaining shield durability is only 1, what should I do?’
It was then. Minjoo, who was ahead, pulled out his sword and turned around.
“Kangmin, run. “I’ll stop it!”
Minjoo rushed at the muscle zombie.
“it’s crazy!”
Kangmin shouted, but Minjoo was already running towards the muscle zombie.
Kangmin gritted his teeth and ran towards the muscle zombie. He came this far together, but he couldn’t go alone.
The muscle zombie threw a fist at Minjoo. Normally, Minjoo would have been able to avoid it, but Minjoo also had no power at all.
‘please!’
Kangmin summoned a shield.
– Bang!
One of the three shields disappeared. Instead, the democratic attack succeeded.
“Kaaaaak!”
Minju’s knife pierced the muscle zombie’s neck. Due to lack of strength, only about 1/10th of the head was cut, but it was enough to temporarily stop the muscle zombie’s actions.
“Democrat! It’s time to run!”
Minjoo started running. Kang Min also ran after him.
I saw a container in front of me. Now all I had to do was climb up.
But the muscle zombies were persistent. I heard a muscle zombie approaching from behind.
“Minjoo, step on the shield and run!”
Kangmin summoned two shields in front of the container. Min-joo and Kang-min stepped on the shield and jumped to the top of the container.
The shield that Minjoo stepped on has disappeared. But it was okay. After both people climbed onto the container.
– Boom!
The muscle zombie that followed hit the container.
It was then.
“Attack!”
Sparks flew from somewhere along with someone’s shout.
– Bang!
The flame hit the muscle zombie’s neck exactly. It was the place where Minju inflicted a wound with a knife.
“Kaaang!”
The muscle zombie screamed as its neck opened almost halfway.
Kangmin’s eyes lit up. Kang Min still had one shield left.
‘Chance, muscle zombie was 10 points, right?’
Kangmin hit the head of the muscle zombie under the container with a ‘shield strike’.
– Boom!
The muscle zombie’s head fell off.
As soon as the message appeared, Kangmin sat down on the container.
“Did you kill it?”
Kangmin nodded at Minjoo’s words.
“huh.”
“Amazing, they don’t usually kill so stubbornly.”
Kangmin couldn’t say it was because of the point, so he just smiled.
After a while, people came from the area inside the container.
Standing in front of them was a face that Kang Min was familiar with.
“sister!”
It was Sammy.
* * *
On the first day Kangmin arrived, he ate light porridge and slept all day. He had actually fainted.
The next day I came to my senses. When she opened her eyes, her elderly grandmother was next to her.
The grandmother was touching Kang-min’s injured left arm, and a soft glow was coming from her hand.
The grandmother smiled and said as she looked at Kang-min who opened his eyes.
“I treated him to the best of my ability. Your bones and muscles will be fine. But the scar will remain.”
“yes?”
Surprised, Kang Min looked at his left arm and saw that the wound from Jinho Bang’s knife was almost there.
‘Oh my god, is this old lady healer?’
I wanted to ask something, but I didn’t want to ask an old lady I’d never seen before if she was a healer.
“You said you killed Bang Jin-ho?”
Bang Jin-ho thought about someone for a moment and then remembered a story he had heard from Min-joo.
“… yes.”
The grandmother said, holding Kangmin’s hand.
“Thank you, thank you.”
Kangmin didn’t understand what he was thankful for at all. Her grandmother said with tears in her eyes.
“By the way, are you hungry? “You can eat at the restaurant.”
“A restaurant?”
“Look at my mind. “Is this your first time here?”
The grandmother looked around and spoke to a middle-aged man who was passing by.
“Look at you, Hongyoung.”
“Yes, old man.”
The middle-aged man was wearing only a top and white underwear because it was hot, and he came running immediately when the grandmother called.
“This is my friend’s first time here. Please take me to a restaurant.”
“I understand, old man.”
When the grandmother stood up, Kang Min followed the middle-aged man to the restaurant.
The restaurant was really a restaurant. A former meat restaurant was being used as a restaurant, and several people were sitting there.
“All you have to do is pick up this tray and receive your food.”
When Kang-min went to the place where food was being served, the woman in charge of serving the food opened her eyes wide.
“Are you sure you’re the person who killed Bang Jin-ho?”
“yes?”
A little while ago, the grandmother talked about Bangjinho, and here again the topic of Bangjinho came up.
People were whispering here and there at the lady’s words.
“Aren’t you the person who came with Minjoo yesterday?”
“right… “It’s good.”
“Then guess right!”
The woman suddenly shed tears and said:
“My son, Bang Jin-ho, tried to kill him. When did you tell me to kill that guy, thank you. thank you so much.”
The lady said that and put a lot of rice and kimchi on top. She wasn’t the only one.
“Oh, this is a special meal.”
They gave me 2 pieces of kimchi pancakes on one side of the plate.
“Originally, it’s only given to the scout group, so eat it.”
Kang-min just blinked, bowed his head to the lady and sat down in the seat where the middle-aged man was sitting.
“ok? “Do you have kimchi pancakes?”
The middle-aged man sitting next to me whetted his appetite while looking at the kimchi pancake.
“Do you want to eat it?”
“ah… no.”
“I’m fine, please eat.”
“really? that… “Then I won’t decline.”
The middle-aged man downed one side of the kimchi pancake in the blink of an eye and then wiped his mouth with his hand.
“How long has it been since this? Pancakes, I think this is the first time I’ve had them since the zombies appeared. “It’s really delicious.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
At Kangmin’s words, a middle-aged man came up next to Kangmin. There was a strong smell of sweat.
“Did you really kill Bang Jin-ho?”
It was also about Bang Jin-ho.
“I didn’t kill him alone. “Thanks to Minjoo, we just hit the final blow.”
“Aren’t you the one who killed the last hit? That’s important. “People here would grind their teeth if it were Bang Jin-ho.”
“Why is that so?”
“That’s right. phew… … .”
The middle-aged man shook his head while speaking.
“We have to talk for a long time to talk about that. Let’s finish eating first. “If I listen to it, my food tastes bad.”
“yes.”
Kangmin began to eat in silence.
It was white rice, kimchi, and soybean paste soup without anything, but it tasted like honey.
‘But what about white rice? ‘Is there plenty of food here?’
While Kangmin was thinking that, a middle-aged man spoke next to him.
“You really came on time. A scouting team that had gone far to get food a few days ago came. If it weren’t for them, I probably would have only eaten white porridge. “It’s hard to eat food like this even once a month.”
Only then did Kangmin realize what had happened.
“Ah, it’s been a while since I ate pancakes, so I’m craving a cigarette. “I think I would sell my soul if I could smoke a real cigarette.”
Kangmin chuckled.
When he returned to reality, the only thing he could buy was cigarettes. However, there was a person here who even exchanged it for his soul.
Kangmin’s eyes sparkled.
‘This guy doesn’t seem like a bad person. Should I make him on my side? ‘I need information here too.’
I heard roughly what was going on in the world from Minjoo, but I couldn’t know for sure if I only listened to one person’s story.
“Mister, I’ll bring you some cigarettes later when I get them.”
The middle-aged man opened his eyes wide.
“jin… really!”
“I heard from Minjoo that when I come here, I will work as a scout. “If you look for it, won’t you find a cigarette?”
The middle-aged man said, holding Kangmin’s hand tightly.
“Thank you, thank you!”
“What is this? “I haven’t even given it to you yet.”
“This much! I really feel like I want to do anything I can. “Even though I can’t join the scout team because I don’t have the skills right now, I used to be really good at it.”
Although he had little interest in other people’s past stories, Kang-min had to get information about this place through this middle-aged man.
“What did you do in the past?”
“me? Hmm, have you ever seen the shopping center on the first floor?”
“No, I woke up a little while ago.”
“Oh, that’s right. Then, if you go to the first floor later, you will see KC Bank near the entrance. I was the branch manager! You know the branch manager? “My annual salary was hundreds of millions, and now it’s like this.”
Kangmin’s eyes wavered at the middle-aged man’s words.
‘Bank manager?’
Numerous things suddenly appeared in Kangmin’s head.
‘What if it’s a bank? money! money! Shin Saimdang!’
Kangmin asked with a trembling voice.
“that… “Then, there must be a lot of money there, right?”
“money? There’s a lot of money piled up in the safe. There must be tens of billions? Okay, then what should I do? “It’s trash that can’t even be cleaned.”
Kangmin’s face heated up and his heart pounded.
‘some… ‘Hundreds of billions!’
A few hundred billion was enough money to complete everything. No, it was money that could have been used for more than that.
Kangmin said as he picked up a pancake with chopsticks.
“Mister, would you like another pancake?”
