By Zephyria 
Eden had learned techniques to break free from restraints during hostage situation training while serving as a soldier. Even for him, who had received the best evaluation among his peers, it was not an easy task to assess the surrounding situation and examine the knot’s structure.
However, Ha-jin ignored all those manuals and untied the knots around his ankles with incredible ease. It was said that he had practiced rope escape tricks for years, and his speed was truly astonishing. Unbelievable even when seen out of the corner of one’s eye.
Eden, relieved of some worry, lowered his head again. He gave Ha-jin a hand signal and then turned his gaze to the clock on the wall. Ha-jin’s face instantly hardened with tension as he realized how little time was left.
Meanwhile, the thugs were busy mocking Ha-jin and Eden. They claimed they were holding them to prepare for an escape situation, but there was no sense of urgency in them at all. It seemed they were seriously considering killing Ha-jin and Eden and moving their base to the Dragon Cloud Botanical Garden if things went wrong.
Ha-jin couldn’t let that happen. He wanted to stop building graves for people now. He didn’t want to lose any more precious people, like Jun-seok and Chun-beom, who had left so futilely. Even if they were connections he could never see again.
‘Escaping isn’t the end of it.’
The only way to save the botanical garden was to eliminate the ten or so thugs directly. But was that even possible? There were only three minutes left. They had been stripped of the Improvised Explosive and weapons they had brought. Killing the men and ensuring the safety of the botanical garden in this short amount of time seemed nearly impossible.
Ha-jin swallowed a sigh and completely untied the loosely fastened ropes around his wrists and ankles, waiting for Eden’s signal.
Just then, a signal was caught on the radio on the white desk. One of the thugs picked up the tuner and approached Long hair.
“Looks like we’re getting a signal from the place we called earlier?”
“Give it here.”
It was the moment Long hair, who had been squatting in front of Eden, reached for the radio. Eden, who had freed himself from the ropes, sprang up and snatched the Gas gun from Long hair’s pocket. He quickly removed the safety and aimed the powdered tear gas directly at the man’s face. Thwack!
“Aaargh!”
As soon as Long hair collapsed, covering his face, Eden snatched Chun-beom’s Employee ID and the botanical garden photo in his hand.
“What, what is it!”
“Those bastards, when did they…!”
“Stop them!”
Then, several shots of gas were fired at the gang members who rose from their seats.
Thwack! Thwack!
“Aaargh! My eyes!”
Ha-jin crossed the smoke-filled lab and pushed the closed door open with his whole body.
“Do Ha-jin!”
Eden reached out to Ha-jin, who was sprinting with all his might. Ha-jin turned around and snatched the card key that Eden handed him, as if receiving a baton in a relay race.
“Run to the roof without stopping!”
The men’s angry shouts erupted behind Eden’s cry.
“Damn it, catch those slippery bastards!”
“Everyone, get your weapons!”
Ha-jin, reaching the end of the hallway, tapped the Employee ID to open the door. Eden, who had caught up with Ha-jin at a rapid pace, also ran up the stairs. Just before the hallway door closed, a short man reached out and barely stopped the closing door.
Ha-jin ran without taking a breath. He sped up, taking the stairs two or three at a time, but the thugs were already right behind him. The momentum of the men rushing in like a swarm of bees was ominous.
‘This won’t do.’
He recalled the botanical garden photo that Long hair had been holding and shaking, then panted and looked up. It was almost the 8th floor. Suddenly, the image of the Zombies filling the 8th and 9th floor hallways on the CCTV screen came to mind.
The 8th and 9th floors….
Now was the chance.
“Jeong Tae-geon, go up first!”
At Ha-jin’s sudden instruction, he turned to look at him. Ha-jin, unconcerned, stepped onto the 8th floor. Opening the steel door, an enormous number of Zombies, still milling about in the hallway like ham in a can, filled his vision.
Without hesitation, Ha-jin tapped the card on the glass door reader.
—Welcome.
No sooner had the stiff announcement sounded than the Aberrants with gray eyes all turned to look at the opened door. The moment one of the Zombies at the front showed its black teeth and charged, Ha-jin turned back and started running up the stairs again.
“Khaaaaaak—!”
He heard Eden shouting something from above, but it was quickly drowned out by the thunderous howling of the Zombies.
“What, what is it—! Zombies! Damn it, go down!”
“Aaargh! Run away!”
The men who had been following behind screamed in agony as they were attacked by the Zombies and fell down the stairs. But it wasn’t over yet. Three men, barely escaping the Zombie horde, were still closely pursuing Ha-jin.
Ha-jin threw open the steel door on the 9th floor, just as he had done before. The men chasing after him shouted urgently.
“That crazy bastard!”
“No! Stop him! Damn it, stop him from opening it!”
Despite their screams, Ha-jin, unconcerned, held the Employee ID to the entrance reader. His resolute fingertips did not hesitate to release the Zombies that were after human flesh and blood.
—Welcome.
As the glass door automatically opened like a curtain being drawn, the Zombies in blue Hazmat suits rushed towards the stairs as if they had been waiting. Before long, another desperate scream echoed through the narrow staircase.
“Kkeueok!”
“S, save me! Keoeok!”
He felt blood rushing through his entire body in the extreme situation. Ha-jin felt the taut thigh muscles and stiff sternocleidomastoid muscles as he ran up the stairs two at a time.
The cries for help were soon drowned out by the ferocious roars of the Aberrants. Before long, hundreds of Zombies began to run up the stairs.
Rumble— The entire building seemed as if it would collapse at any moment due to the tremendous vibration.
“Do Ha-jin! Hurry!”
Ha-jin, spotting Eden waiting in front of the rooftop door, struggled with all his might.
“Kyaaak!”
Eden fired the Gas gun at the Zombies following behind him and opened the door. At the same time as a few Zombies, who had been chasing as if to snatch Ha-jin’s arm, tumbled backward, the two grabbed each other and stepped outside.
Thud!
Eden, who had closed the door by a hair’s breadth, shouted.
“Run ahead!”
He stood blocking the door with his whole body. Eden’s body was constantly being pushed forward by the fierce resistance of the Zombies blocked by the door. Ha-jin held his breath and ran with all his might. Below the dark gray helicopter, which was vigorously spinning its propellers, he could see Pie barking fiercely.
Doo-doo-doo— Doo-doo-doo—
“Woof! Woowoof!”
The Transport plane was hovering in the air as if it would take off at any moment. As Ha-jin raised his hand high, a wooden box came down along with a ladder-like rope.
After hurriedly putting Pie in the box, he grabbed the lowered rope with one arm.
“Now!”
At Ha-jin’s shout, Eden, who had been blocking the door, stepped forward with all his might. The steel door shattered and the Zombies burst out.
“Keck! Ke-eck!”
One Zombie nimbly jumped over the Aberrants who were colliding and falling over each other, stacked like pancakes.
The American soldier, who had pulled Ha-jin and Pie up, checked Eden, who was running behind, and shouted to the pilot.
[—Additional survivor found, additional survivor found!]
“Jeong Tae-geon! Hurry!”
Hundreds of Zombies began to fill the rooftop like a swarm of ants. Sensing the danger, the helicopter flew higher into the air. Eden turned around and thrust his left arm forward to shake off a Zombie that was closely pursuing him.
The Zombie, spewing dark red blood from its nose like a waterfall, sank its teeth into his arm wrapped in the magazine. Taking advantage of the gap, Eden violently struck the Zombie’s head with the Gas gun he was holding in his right hand. Thwack!
He left the Zombie that had collapsed at his feet and began to sprint towards the helicopter once more. Ha-jin shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Hurry!”
“Woof! Woof!”
Soon, Eden, leaping powerfully into the air, reached out his hand. His scarred fingertips barely grabbed the rope.
[—All aboard. Commence firing.]
The American soldier, confirming Eden’s safety, began to spray bullets at the Zombies that were jumping up behind him. Bang! Bang—!
“Kiiiek—!”
One Zombie, clinging to Eden’s ankle and pulling him down, finally fell below. Ha-jin lay prone on the floor of the helicopter and reached out his hand towards Eden. The moment he grabbed the arm with bulging veins, he felt as if tears would finally burst out.
Once the soldiers had joined forces and succeeded in pulling Eden up, Ha-jin immediately rushed into his arms. Feeling the rapidly beating of two hearts, the two struggled to catch their breath.
“Haa, ha…!”
His pulse was racing all the way to his temples. Ha-jin ignored the soldier’s shouting and burrowed deeper into Eden’s arms. For a while, the two could not say anything and desperately embraced each other’s shoulders.
This time, an announcement came from the cockpit.
[—Transmitter activation complete, control panel normal.]
“Haa, hoo….”
[—Currently ascending at an altitude of 2,800 feet. Moving to the USS New Washington command ship.]
Pie, who was in the box, whined and pushed its head out between them. Ha-jin shook off the tears clinging to the corners of his eyes and stroked Pie’s back this time. After catching his breath for a while, he trembled at the wave of relief that washed over him.
[—Thank you both for your hard work. We will safely escort you to the aircraft carrier.]
Along with the unbelievable welcome, the helicopter began to fly higher into the sky.