By Zephyria “From now on, I’m going to try looking for a hospital. I don’t know much about medicine, but surely I can find things like disinfectant, bandages, or painkillers, right? Or finding a pharmacy would be good too.”
Yohan chattered as he walked. Thanks to wandering around with Lee Hyun-muk without any major incidents, aside from yesterday’s frog monster attack, he felt a bit braver. He moved on, keeping an eye on buildings that looked like they might be worth searching.
“It would be good to search through restaurants too. Things like spice containers or tableware would be quite useful! If I could get a burner or butane gas, I could even cook. Ah, there’s a clothing store too! We can wear the clothes that fit, and use the ones that don’t as bedding?”
As he walked through the ruins, he felt like he had fallen into a typical zombie apocalypse novel. However, unlike that genre, there were no people here, so supplies were abundant everywhere. Yohan thought it would be nice if there were more people, even if it meant sharing all these supplies. …Is it really just me and Lee Hyun-muk here?
Thinking that, Yohan turned around and practically jumped. Lee Hyun-muk had suddenly appeared right behind him. He looked down with dark eyes and said intimidatingly,
“Keep talking. Keep chattering.”
Then, he pressed Yohan’s surprised, closed lips firmly with his thumb. Startled by the impolitely sudden contact, Yohan stepped back.
“Y-yes. I, I will.”
Shrinking back, Yohan continued talking, mentioning how it would be nice to find a department store or a supermarket nearby, or a place to get tents and Sleeping Bags. Lee Hyun-muk listened intently to Yohan’s words without a word. Even if conversation wasn’t possible, he seemed to like the way a person spoke.
‘How long has it been since I met another person?’
While feeling pity, Yohan, who had been talking his head off, finally found the target he wanted after two hours.
[The Otherworld Hospital]
It was originally one of the quite famous hospitals, named ‘Jeonghan Medical Foundation Sejong Hospital,’ but perhaps due to the shock of falling into the Abyss, a few letters had fallen off, making it look like ‘The Otherworld Hospital.’ It was an eerie coincidence.
Yohan stopped abruptly, took a deep breath, and advanced while glancing at Lee Hyun-muk. As he had feared, Lee Hyun-muk smoothly moved forward and blocked Yohan, who was about to enter the entrance. Then, as if telling him to turn back, he pushed him away.
“W-will it be very dangerous if I go in?”
Having come this far, Yohan was reluctant to turn back easily and lingered. Should he just focus on finding a pharmacy and search more? He even considered that.
‘But most pharmacies have been completely looted since the Rift happened.’
After the Rift incident, the value of medicine skyrocketed across Korea and the entire world. Because of that, he had checked several pharmacies on his way here, but they were all empty. They had been swept clean by people fleeing or by soldiers and mercenaries who entered later.
However, this hospital was likely an exception. Judging by the windows covered in some unknown black tar-like substance and the strange noises occasionally heard from inside, it was clear. Anyone could see it was a dangerous area….
‘I’ll just play it safe and leave.’
Hesitating, Yohan finally turned around. He couldn’t risk his life to get medicine he didn’t urgently need.
Then, Yohan woke up in the morning and thought.
‘I really need to go get some medicine….’
His legs felt strangely sore and swollen, and upon checking, it seemed the wound on his calf had become infected. He must have been pricked by some debris when he fell into the Abyss, but instead of healing, the wound was oozing and swelling up alarmingly. Yohan, in a hurry, washed the wound with precious purified water, while Lee Hyun-muk watched him blankly.
“Ugh….”
How could he not have noticed his wound was like this? Yohan shed a few tears, washed it with water, and then bandaged it with the cleanest piece of cloth he had. Afterward, he wearily prepared breakfast and shared it with Lee Hyun-muk. Worried about his wound, he couldn’t even taste the food properly. Then, he began searching every building that looked like a pharmacy as he wandered through the ruined city.
But no matter how much he searched, he couldn’t find even disinfectant, let alone anti-inflammatory medicine. Every drawer was either empty or contained old items too worn out to be used as trash. Meanwhile, his wound worsened from all the walking, and by the time he returned to their shelter, he was limping.
He fell asleep hoping it would heal, but the wound was even more severe when he woke up the next day. Yohan was terrified as he examined the wound, which had turned a dark reddish-black and had started to fester. Recalling his meager medical knowledge, he feared what would happen if his leg rotted or he got sepsis, and sobbed for a long time. It was then.
Suddenly, a dark shadow fell, and he looked up to see Lee Hyun-muk standing very close. Startled by the face right in front of him, Yohan almost hit his head on the wall.
“Lee Hyun-muk-ssi…? Why… are you….”
For a moment, a glint of light appeared in his eyes, which were always dark and sunken without any pupils. His unblinking eyes followed the tears streaming down his cheek. Seeing the red glow shining intensely in his pupils, Yohan became frightened. Lee Hyun-muk opened his mouth wide, revealing white teeth.
“D-don’t… Ah!”
Lee Hyun-muk, who had moved closer, pressed his knee onto the wound, causing Yohan to let out a pained scream. In too much pain, he clutched his calf and wailed, when the Madman paused and lowered his gaze. Staring at the swollen calf and the wound, the Madman licked his lips with a displeased expression, as if he had seen spoiled food. Yohan, who had been crying, became even more terrified.
“Y-you… you weren’t looking at me and licking your lips, were you?!”
The fact that severely Corrupted individuals sometimes preyed on others made Lee Hyun-muk’s actions seem quite threatening. Yohan, with tears welling up, crawled towards the emergency rations he had brought from the convenience store.
“I, I don’t taste good… Please don’t eat me.”
He carefully offered a can of precious canned ham, tearing it open while shedding a few tears. Yohan glanced at Lee Hyun-muk, who barbarically took the ham with his bare hands and wolfed it down, and wondered if he should open another one. Fortunately, he only licked his greasy fingers and showed no further desire to eat Yohan. Yohan, watching his reaction, got up with a groan. He intended to search nearby pharmacies again.
However, it was useless this time as well. Wandering aimlessly with no success, he came to his senses to find himself back in front of the hospital. Yohan fidgeted, pacing beside a rusted car.
“My leg….”
Yohan’s eyes welled up with tears again. He was naturally tearful, earning him the nickname “Crybaby,” and his Hyung often scolded him to stop crying, but here, he cried almost every other day.
But even someone who wasn’t a crybaby would cry in this situation. Going into the hospital would risk his life, but leaving his leg untreated also seemed dangerous. This morning, he had felt a slight fever not just in his leg, but throughout his body.
Facing a choice between dying quickly and instantly, or dying slowly and painfully, Yohan wiped his tears with his sleeve and stared endlessly at the hospital, about to turn away again. Lee Hyun-muk, who had been standing idly, strode forward.
“Lee Hyun-muk-ssi? Where are you going?!”
Yohan was surprised because the Madman had only followed him until now and had never moved anywhere of his own volition. Fearing he would be left behind in this dangerous and frightening place, he hobbled along, trying his best to keep up. Having been attacked by monsters more than ten times while wandering the streets, Yohan’s courage had completely shriveled.
“Don’t leave me behind…!”
Yohan cried and desperately followed. The distance had already grown considerably. The thought of the only person in this already hellish place abandoning him weakened his resolve, and tears gushed out. Finally, too tired to walk, Yohan slowed down, wiped his tears, and stopped.
“Huh….”
Yohan’s eyes widened as he saw the place where the receding Lee Hyun-muk had entered, and the large letters written there.
[EM□RGENCY ME□ICAL CENT□R]
Although some letters were distorted, it was clear. It was the Emergency Room! Yohan’s chest, which had been deflated by despair, swelled with hope. Seeing that Lee Hyun-muk, who had always prevented him from entering dangerous places, was now entering, it seemed the hospital had become safe. Yohan quickened his pace with a brightened expression. And just as he stepped onto the entrance of the Emergency Room.
Something dark and massive was rapidly approaching them. Before Yohan could properly register it, Lee Hyun-muk casually swung his right elbow back and then punched forward. Thwack!* Unknown bodily fluid and debris splattered onto Yohan’s face, who hadn’t yet fully grasped the situation. A few seconds later, Yohan realized what had happened and jumped.
“Agh…!”
He flinched and frantically wiped off what had splashed on his face. What Lee Hyun-muk had attacked was a bizarre monster. At first glance, it looked like a giant wolf, but its head had swollen to the point of resembling a red flashing light. Behind the monster, which had been crushed and exploded by Lee Hyun-muk’s blow, similar figures ambled.
‘It’s a Red Head!’