By Zephyria 
The Ranch’s dawn felt more like early winter than summer. Ha-jin hugged his shivering upper body in an X shape and silently followed Private Gu.
Befitting his rank, the private’s hair was short and rough like artificial turf on a soccer field. His stiff neck, the way he walked with sharp angles, and his tightly clenched fists suggested unease.
He didn’t say a word, but Ha-jin had already noticed the curious glances he was stealing.
“Private Gu, what’s your name?”
“Wh-why are you asking for my name?”
“I just want to introduce myself. As you know, I haven’t been here long, so I don’t have many friends…”
“What does that have to do with me?”
Despite putting up his soft thorns, Private Gu constantly watched Ha-jin’s reaction. Ha-jin, easily discerning the man’s somewhat lacking social skills, felt a sense of relief. If he could coax him well, he might be able to uncover not only the culprit who killed Chun-beom but also the Ranch’s secrets.
While cleaning the chaotic warehouse and sorting hay for the sheep, warm sunlight bathed the Ranch. Ha-jin initiated his plan.
“Private Gu, how are you so good with the sheep? You weren’t taught by anyone, were you?”
“……”
“The sheep only follow you. I give them the same hay, but they don’t even look at me.”
Private Gu’s ears turned bright red, as if embarrassed and awkward by the continuous praise.
“D-don’t give them the grass too long like that. F-fold it in half and make it thicker, then the kids like the ch-chewing taste.”
“As expected, there’s nothing Private Gu can’t do.”
Confirming that the man’s wariness had lessened, Ha-jin naturally shifted the topic.
“Private Gu, you’ve been here since the zombie outbreak, right?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“Don’t you miss your family?”
“I-I miss them. But they s-say the zombies in the metropolitan area will be c-captured soon, so if I wait a little longer, I can go see them. U-until then, I’ll be l-loyal to the Lieutenant Colonel’s o-orders.”
Ha-jin frowned inwardly at his innocent answer. Lieutenant Colonel So seemed to be using the same sweet talk on his subordinates as he had used to trap them.
“Actually, I’m looking for my father. I vaguely heard that he came to this Ranch… Have you seen anyone about 170cm tall with a limp in his left leg?”
“I-I haven’t seen anyone like that.”
“Ah, I see.”
Hiding his disappointment, he quickly asked the next question.
“Can you tell me more about the zombie eradication operation?”
Private Gu looked at Ha-jin with surprise, as if amazed that he knew so much.
“I-I don’t know the details either. Why are you asking?”
“Because my father might have been caught up in that situation.”
“Ah… At th-that time, Corporal Shin suddenly told me to grab a gun and follow him, so I only remember sh-shooting with my eyes closed.”
‘He doesn’t know anything.’
Ultimately failing to extract any meaningful information from the man, Ha-jin excused himself to the bathroom and left the pasture. He planned to go straight to the feeding Experience Zone, which he had selected as his next target location.
As he approached his destination, an overwhelming stench assaulted his sense of smell. He felt nauseous as he walked, drawing a map in his head.
“Ugh.”
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and trickled down his temples. Covering his nose with the back of his hand, he carefully observed the stables lined up on both sides. Fortunately, there were no guards watching the entrance.
Gathering his courage, Ha-jin stepped into the Experience Zone, and the fierce roars of zombies echoed.
“Krrraaah!”
“Kyaaak!”
The Experience Zone, designed like a stable, was completely nailed shut with wooden planks to prevent the zombies from escaping. Through the crude gaps, he met the gray eyes and gazes of the zombies.
But something was strange about the zombies’ appearance.
“What… the hell…”
They had no hands or feet. The zombies were all missing limbs, screaming through the gaps in the planks. It was as if someone had deliberately targeted and severed only their arms and legs.
“Woof! Woowoof!”
Just then, the fierce barking of a dog was heard. Ha-jin barely managed to push himself out of the Experience Zone and ran towards the source of the sound. Even as he ran, the image of the gruesome zombies with only torsos left lingered in his mind, making him feel sick.
He arrived near the entrance. Quickly hiding in the bushes, he assessed the situation. Two soldiers holding the leash of a military dog were aiming long rifles at someone outside the wall.
“So, where did you say you walked from?”
“I walked from the Jeongsan Chestnut Rest Stop! I came here with my son, overcoming many near-death experiences!”
Ha-jin’s eyes widened at the voice coming from beyond the wall. A familiar voice, and the Chestnut Rest Stop. Could it be… that Cult Leader?
The soldier holding the military dog’s leash ordered the man.
“Throw the bag you’re carrying over here.”
“Pardon?”
“We need to check for dangerous items, so throw it over here.”
“Ah, yes! Of c-course!”
Two heavy bags fell at the soldiers’ feet, and retort pouches and snacks scattered on the ground.
The soldiers, exchanging glances, let the father and son in with more relaxed expressions.
“Thank you, thank you!”
His face was thinner and gaunt than before, as if he had suffered a lot, but Ha-jin immediately recognized the man’s face.
A middle-aged man with a conspicuous mole in the middle of his cheek, wearing blue glasses. The Cult Leader who served Won-shin. Although he was a Cult Leader who called him a demon and sprayed juice on his card, Ha-jin’s face was filled with surprise and delight at meeting him in an unexpected place.
Next to the middle-aged man was his son, who was drooping his head, devoid of energy. His bright smiling face was still vivid in his mind, but his complexion was not good, as if something had happened in the meantime. Ha-jin bit his lower lip tightly with pity.
The soldier, who had stuffed the groceries back into the bag, gestured to the Cult Leader.
“You come with me, and the friend who’s supposed to be your son can go that way.”
“Excuse me, officer. I don’t know what’s going on, but can’t I go with my son? As you can see, this kid has suffered a lot to get here, so he’s in a very unstable state of mind. I think I, as his father, should be by his side…”
“We’ll let you meet again in the dormitory, so just follow me quietly.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“We’re just separating you temporarily to check for infection. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Ha-jin quietly followed the confused-looking Cult Leader and the soldier. Their final destination was the feeding Experience Zone that Ha-jin had visited on his way.
‘Why here…’
He covered his nose and mouth again from the stench and leaned his back against the entrance. Peeking his head inside, he saw the Cult Leader’s face, looking around with fear.
“S-soldier… what are all these z-zombies? Why do they all have no legs…”
Ignoring the man’s words, the soldier then took out a black cloth from his pants pocket.
“I need to check something, so can you turn around for a moment?”
“Huh? No, what…”
“I won’t say it twice.”
“So, wh…”
Before the man could say anything, the black cloth was quickly stuffed into his mouth.
“Mmph?!”
With skillful hands, the soldier bound the man and threw open one of the stables.
“Kaaak―!”
A zombie with severed limbs rolled out. The zombie’s hard teeth soon bit into the middle-aged man’s ankle, who had collapsed in shock!
Ha-jin’s body froze at the shocking sight.
“Mmph! Ugh!”
A muffled scream erupted from the man’s mouth as his ankle was bitten. The soldier watching wrote something down on a document and looked at the watch on his wrist.
The zombie, having completed its mission, was thrown back into the stable by the soldier. Thud! The flimsy wooden door closed.
“Eubeup! Eubeubeup…!”
“It’s a bit fast today. The wound is also weak… I guess there’s a difference from person to person.”
After confirming that the man’s nose was bleeding, the soldier once again moved the pen on the paper. Then, he bent one knee and squatted down to meet the Cult Leader’s eyes.
“Your son will be safe. He’s young, so he’s perfect for doing chores.”
“Ugh! Eubeup!!”
Soon after, a sharp dagger popped out from the soldier’s chest. The well-honed dagger began to mercilessly slice off the Cult Leader’s infected ankle.
“Ugh!”
Ha-jin had to stop spying around that point. The moment he turned his head, the stomach acid he had been holding back finally surged up.
‘It’s dangerous.’
At this moment, only one person came to mind. Ha-jin desperately moved his frozen hands and feet, crawling out of the Experience Zone as if crawling on the floor.
Before something bigger happened, he had to quickly tell Eden the Ranch’s secret. Barely managing to stand up, he started running towards the campsite at full speed.