By Zephyria 
The group set off again. The closer they got to Dragon Cloud City, the harder it became to avoid the zombies’ eyes.
It felt like the difficulty level in a game had jumped up by more than two stages at once. When they encountered a horde of zombies smashing through building windows and leaping out as if committing suicide, Ha-jin felt a chill run down his spine for the first time in a while, leaving his legs weak.
Roads, towns, nowhere was safe anymore.
Thump—!! Thud—!! Zombies rained down from the sky. The fallen Aberrants, with twisted lower bodies and burst eyeballs, charged at the group in grotesque shapes. Everyone froze, overwhelmed by the horrific scene they hadn’t encountered in a long time.
[Shit, what the hell are these bastards!!]
Jeffrey’s shout was the signal for the group to run, focusing only on moving their feet. Being crushed by a zombie jumping from a tall building would surely mean instant death. The child screamed in Eden’s arms, and Ha-jin quickly chased after Pie, who was running ahead.
The ammonia gas and hydrogen sulfide smell emanating from the zombies made Ha-jin gag. His lungs felt like balloons inflated to their limit, ready to burst at any moment. His mouth was parched, and he tasted iron in his throat for the first time in a while.
The blazing sun made sweat stream down his forehead, stinging his eyes. Ha-jin grimaced in pain but continued to run relentlessly to survive.
‘No way, they’re too fast…!’
Despite being in a state of significant decay, most of the zombies that jumped from the buildings were terrifying in their running speed and momentum. Their stamina far exceeded that of Aberrants who had just turned into zombies.
The zombies that had fallen miserably to the ground seemed determined not to miss the fresh prey before them, dragging their crushed pelvises and crawling like snakes.
Eden, while looking for a place to hide, continued to encourage the running group.
“Don’t look back, just keep running!”
No matter how desperately they ran, the monsters were still within arm’s reach. While the zombies that had jumped from the building first couldn’t gain speed due to broken bones or shattered heads, the other zombies that landed safely on top of them charged at full speed because their limbs were relatively intact.
“Kaaaaaaak—!”
“Khek, kehk!”
The relentless chase blurred their vision. It felt like all the moisture in their bodies was being drained out as sweat. Ha-jin ignored Eden’s command not to look back and involuntarily turned his head.
He saw about ten zombies and, behind them, zombies crawling rapidly on the ground. If there was a hell, would it look like this? One wrong step and they would become zombie food in the blink of an eye.
“Kiiiiieek—!”
The zombie running ahead stretched out a rotten arm and clawed at the air. Even with one shoulder twisted excessively, its speed and attack power were terrifying. Ha-jin quickly scanned the dried blood and fallen flesh that blackened the zombie’s nose. It was clear at a glance that it had been a zombie for quite some time.
‘No way. But how can it be this fast?’
Based on his past experiences, this was a new type of zombie that was not in his data at all. Ha-jin looked forward again with a confused expression. Eden, who had been running ahead, reached out as if he had been waiting and pointed to a reservoir sign in the distance.
Ha-jin’s face, understanding the signal, was filled with despair.
“I can’t swim!!”
“Just jump in! I’ll take care of the rest!”
When the sensation of the burning soles of his feet became faint, and he could no longer feel his breathlessness, the reservoir’s trail sign appeared. The zombies, who would have been crushed long ago at this distance, were still chasing the group rapidly.
Soon, the reservoir, resembling a lake with shimmering sunlight, revealed itself. Across from it, a winding mountain ridge could be seen. Mountains embracing greenery and waves embracing the light of the sun. Contrary to the picturesque beauty, despair washed over Ha-jin’s face.
[We shouldn’t get the bag wet, so throw it away first!]
Jeffrey threw the bag he was carrying with all his might onto a bench in the distance. The group, throwing off their bags in turn, jumped into the reservoir without hesitation along with Pie. Splash! The water swirled and surged. Ha-jin thrashed in the water, where weeds floated around.
“Heeuk…!”
“Calm down and grab my shoulder, relax your body.”
While Eden was grabbing and pulling Ha-jin, he discovered Pie leisurely dog-paddling in the reservoir and smiled bitterly. Byeol, who had gotten out earlier with Jeffrey, saw Ha-jin looking terrified and giggled.
“Is Ha-jin Uncle stupid? He can use magic to swim! He’s stupid!”
Ha-jin had no strength to reply and just shook his head, crawling out looking like a drowned rat. He shook off his wet top, which was covered in twigs and insect carcasses, and belatedly gagged.
In the distance, the reservoir where the zombies had fallen was still calm. Only a few bloated corpses floated to the surface belatedly.
Jeffrey, as if the wound that had touched the water was stinging, frowned and grumbled.
[Those bastards, they hid when it rained, so I guess water was their weakness. Shit… what the hell is all this all of a sudden.]
“Ugh, I know.”
Ha-jin, swallowing his vomit a few more times at the vibrating fishy smell all over his body, swept his wet hair back. Purrrr—! Pie also shook off his short fur, which had become wet like seaweed.
“Let’s go find the bags.”
The group, in a battered state, trudged back down the road. A shower was desperately needed, but no suitable place to enjoy such luxury appeared until sunset. In the end, the best they could do was dry their clothes in the sun and sunbathe.
The remaining drinking water was used to disinfect Jeffrey’s wound, so that night they had to fight a burning thirst.
❖ ❖ ❖
Only one day left until Dragon Cloud City.
The battle with the zombies had delayed their movement somewhat, and even the food they had been barely holding onto had run out. All they had to quench their thirst all day was a spoiled ion drink obtained by smashing a vending machine. The exhausted group resolved to sleep in a peaceful place tonight.
“There’s an apartment complex over there, should we go? It seems a bit dangerous because it’s a large complex….”
Ha-jin muttered wearily, staring blankly at the setting sun.
The apartments, which had been famous for their expensive prices, were all blackened at the top floors, looking hideous. The group stopped in place and observed the apartments, which were heavily laden with the smell of death.
In the past, they would have risked the danger and knocked on the door without hesitation, but considering the increasingly ferocious zombies lately, entering a large complex was nothing short of a life-threatening gamble. After much deliberation, the group eventually gave up and continued down the road.
It was when they hid in the bushes to avoid the zombies stationed on the road. Ha-jin, wiping the sweat from his forehead, turned to the group behind him as if he had remembered something.
“When I looked at the navigation, there was a store called ‘Rest’ near here. I don’t know if it’s a bar or a cafe, but I think it would be a good idea to go there.”
It was a store that stood alone in a quiet place with only factory complexes in the surrounding commercial district, so it was particularly memorable.
“Then does that mean I don’t have to sleep on the street today?”
Byeol, who had tied his dirty hair into a messy bun, scratched his soiled cheek and asked. Ha-jin smiled awkwardly as if he couldn’t guarantee it, but reluctantly nodded at the child’s earnest gaze.
“Yeah, maybe. Let’s go there today.”
Jeffrey and Eden, who agreed with Ha-jin’s opinion, also got up from their seats. Taking Pie’s sensitive presence as a guide, the group headed towards the unidentified store, avoiding the eyes of the zombies.
The store ‘Rest’ was not the expected cafe or bar, but an independent bookstore with a Hanok (traditional Korean house) book cafe concept. A forest continued behind it, and a large fir tree stood next to it.
Eden examined the inside of the wide-open gate. A tiled-roof house, like those found in Hanok villages, had been extended in a M shape around a central courtyard.
“Pie.”
Pie, whose name was called, bravely crossed inside the gate. Following him, the group entered the inside. Pie wagged his tail and wandered around for a while before suddenly settling down in one corner. Woong…. A mournful cry was heard. It was a signal that there was a corpse, not a zombie.
Jeffrey, understanding the signal, skillfully picked up Byeol and went outside. Eden and Ha-jin opened the long door that Pie’s gaze was pointing to.
The first thing they saw was four corpses lying neatly on a pure white mattress.