Chapter 203: Pathetic Son
Tap, tap, tap, tap....
The group ran through the dark streets.
“Huff, huff, huff....”
“Haa, hoo, haa, hoo....”
Their speed was similar to a military run.
If they had been empty-handed, it would not have been burdensome at all, and covering one kilometer in under ten minutes would have been easy.
But except for Kim Taeyoung, everyone was fully armed and carrying backpacks.
Kim Taeyoung himself was not carrying a firearm, but he still had a knife and hatchet hanging at his waist, and the load in his backpack was the heaviest of all.
Every single person was running with an additional twenty to thirty kilograms on average.
But even that was nothing compared to Junho at the very front.
He was carrying nearly eighty kilograms of equipment and gear—roughly the weight of a grown man.
At times Junho sprinted ahead so quickly that he widened the gap with the people behind him by more than ten meters, while at other times he deliberately slowed down so the group could catch up.
That was because he constantly had to monitor and respond to the thermal imagery being transmitted by the drone flying in follow mode one hundred twenty meters overhead while scouting a radius of roughly two hundred meters around them.
Fortunately, there were almost no threats, whether survivors or zombies.
Everywhere they looked, only white skeletons littered the streets, with very few actual corpses in sight.
'That’s strange...?'
'Why are there no bodies? Did everyone evacuate or something?'
Unlike the puzzled group, Junho already knew the reason.
It had already been ten months since the infection outbreak and the collapse of the world.
During that time, those who could flee had fled, those destined to die had died, and those fated to survive were still alive.
And the people meant to be “eaten” had already been eaten.
In other words, over that long stretch of time, zombies and animals had picked everything clean, leaving only skeletons behind while very few rotting corpses remained.
Still, abandoned vehicles, debris, and trash were scattered everywhere, while unknown plants and weeds had grown wildly across roadside flowerbeds, sidewalks, and streets.
Bucheon’s Jung-dong looked less like a place abandoned ten months ago and more like ruins deserted for years.
Junho crossed through those ruined streets without the slightest hesitation.
It was completely different from the cautious way he had moved around Wonmi Mountain and the Sosa Station area, but there was a reason for that too.
'I practically memorized this area.'
Long ago, preparing for the day he might have to rescue Choi Hyunwoo, Junho had repeatedly explored this neighborhood and thoroughly learned the terrain.
Before leaving the shelter, he had also used both his memories and satellite maps he had downloaded in advance to simulate infiltration routes over and over again.
And unlike the chaotic overdeveloped areas near Sosa Station, where roads and buildings had been thrown together randomly, Bucheon’s Sang-dong and Jung-dong districts were part of Korea’s first-generation planned new towns.
The roads were wide and spacious, and each block had been systematically divided, making movement on foot far easier.
“Survivors moving through the alley ahead. We’ll pause for a moment before proceeding.”
“Survivors piled obstacles in the way. We’re taking a detour.”
“Hold position. Zombies sixty meters ahead.”
Still, because it was a densely packed district with well over a hundred thousand residents, threats and variables were everywhere, forcing Junho to halt repeatedly.
'We’re going to be delayed a few minutes.'
No matter how familiar he was with the terrain or how many times he had refined the plan through simulations, reality was still different.
- Can’t we just kill them and move on? Doesn’t look like there are many.
“No. There’s a high chance they’re slaves sent by an Alpha with territory nearby. If we shoot them now, hundreds will swarm us within a minute.”
- Ah... understood.
Because it was Junho—someone who understood Alphas far better than even the Jeju government—the reservists accepted his words immediately.
And then, two or three minutes later—
- Holy fuck....
- What kind of bastard is that? It really was watching the area.
An Alpha appeared leading over a hundred slave zombies and suddenly charged toward a group of survivors moving through an alley, likely out searching for food.
Kyaaaak! Kyaaaahhh!
Rumble, rumble, rumble...!
Among the zombies pouring into the alley were the very ones Junho had pointed out earlier.
Only after confirming through the drone’s thermal camera that the Alpha and its slaves had moved over a hundred meters away did Junho finally act.
Tak! Tatak!
He shot the remaining ordinary infected before quietly speaking to the stunned group staring at him with hanging jaws.
“We’re moving again. Pick up the pace.”
'I’m never questioning him again.'
'Just shut up and do exactly what he says.'
The reservists, once again experiencing the skill and experience of a regressor firsthand, all shared similar thoughts as they resumed moving.
***
“Huff... huff....”
After reaching the destination in the unbelievably short time of fourteen minutes, the group concealed themselves within the apartment complex flowerbeds that now resembled a tropical rainforest and rested.
Everyone was drenched in sweat and breathing hard enough that the air smelled sweet with exhaustion.
But Junho—the one who had led them from the front while carrying the heaviest load—showed no signs of fatigue whatsoever as he continuously checked the drone footage and scanned the surroundings through a wide-angle night-vision scope.
Then Choi Hyunwoo, after taking a small drink of water, moved beside him.
“The front gate to the apartment complex is completely blocked. How are we getting inside, Boss?”
Speaking in a whisper, Hyunwoo kept glancing up at the apartment building right beside the flowerbed where they were hiding.
Because this was the very apartment complex where his family home was located.
“We’ll probably have to circle around the back, right? But then we’d have to pass Buildings 102 and 103, so that’d be pretty dangerous....”
Though he tried to appear calm, his mother was inside this very building on the twelfth floor, and his eyes burned with emotion.
“Detour? Why would we detour?”
“Huh? Then how are we...?”
Junho carefully lowered the heavy backpack from his shoulders onto the dirt and looked up at the apartment.
“We just go straight up.”
“...!?”
Hyunwoo’s eyes flew wide open.
Not just him—even Yoon Seolhee and the reservists stared at Junho with dumbfounded expressions, as though unsure whether they had heard correctly.
But Junho himself simply—
Creeeak.
Switched into gloves with the fingertips exposed, slung a rope over his upper body, and calmly looked around at them.
“Don’t let your guard down. If we get ambushed for any reason, don’t look back—just run. The regroup point is the building we crossed over from earlier.”
“N-No, wait....”
Just as the flustered Shin Hocheol tried to say something—
Whoosh—thud!
Like a black panther, Junho leaped straight upward from a standing position and grabbed the outer ledge of the second-floor window more than three meters above the ground.
Then, using pure finger strength, he pulled himself up like he was doing a pull-up.
Stepping onto the narrow window ledge, he immediately began climbing toward the third floor the same way.
“...!!!”
Everyone’s mouths fell open as they watched Junho climb past the third floor and reach the fourth in less than ten seconds.
The speed alone was unbelievable, but in the darkness of the night, it looked like they were witnessing an actual superhuman bitten by a radioactive spider.
“Stop staring and move to your assigned positions. Maintain security.”
At Yoon Seolhee’s chilly voice, the group snapped back to reality and quickly scattered from the flowerbeds.
'I’m telling you, he’s insane.'
Even Yoon Seolhee herself secretly shook her head in disbelief after saying it.
***
Whoosh—thud!
Finally reaching the twelfth floor, Junho bent his elbows and pulled himself onto the windowsill.
Brushing away the thick layer of dust covering the glass with the back of his hand, he carefully tried opening the window, but as expected, it was locked.
Taking a breath, he knocked on the window with the underside of his fist.
Thunk, thunk, thunk.
After a brief pause—
Thunk, thunk, thunk.
“.......”
There was no response from inside.
But if someone was in there, they definitely would have heard the sound.
Junho patiently knocked again.
Several dozen seconds later—
'Someone’s inside.'
His senses, now far sharper than before, reacted instantly, telling him someone had entered Hyunwoo’s room on the other side of the window.
Thunk, thunk, thunk.
After knocking one final time, Junho pulled something from inside his clothes and pressed it against the glass.
Moments later.
The curtain inside slowly, cautiously shifted aside a little.
Junho immediately moved the thin, small object in his hand closer to the gap in the curtain.
It was Choi Hyunwoo’s resident registration card.
And the instant the person inside recognized it, the curtain was yanked ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) wide open, revealing the outline of a dark room.
There stood a middle-aged woman trembling violently from head to toe, her eyes wide open.
She was none other than Choi Hyunwoo’s mother.
“Hello, Mrs. Hyunwoo.”
Junho lowered his head politely while quietly greeting the unusually tall woman, who resembled her son immensely for someone her age.
***
“M-Mom.”
“Hyunwoo, Hyunwooo....”
Calling each other in voices trembling as much as their eyes, the mother and son embraced tightly after reuniting for the first time in ten whole months.
“Hngh... hic... M-Mom... sob... are you hurt anywhere? Are you okay?”
“I’m okay. Mom’s okay. Let me look at you, my son. Oh my goodness, why did you lose so much weight? Hm? Why did you lose so much weight...?”
The anxiety, fear, and longing that had built up throughout ten months in this hellish world burst out all at once.
The time they had endured separately transformed into tears soaking each other’s shoulders.
“.......”
“...Sniff... hic.”
Everyone watched the scene with reddened eyes, and Kim Taeyoung—despite his rough appearance being surprisingly emotional—turned his head away and sniffled.
Over the last ten months spent together at the Junho brothers’ house, he had come to see Choi Hyunwoo almost like a real younger brother.
So this reunion between mother and son was more than enough to hit him hard emotionally.
“Ah, Mom. This is him. The Boss I told you about.”
After calming down a little, Hyunwoo hurriedly wiped his eyes and introduced Junho.
“I’m Lee Junho, ma’am.”
“Ah, I’ve heard so much about you. Truly... I don’t even know how to thank you properly. Thank you so much, Mr. Lee Junho.”
Before the internet and communications had gone down completely, Hyunwoo had explained to his mother where all the supplies in the apartment came from and how he had been living.
So Lee Myeongseon, Hyunwoo’s mother, already knew quite a lot not only about Junhyeok, her son’s closest friend, but also about his older brother Junho.
“It’s nothing. But ma’am, I’m sorry—because of the current situation, I think we need to discuss something else first.”
“Ah, right. I was just so shocked. Everyone, please come this way.”
Together with Hyunwoo and Lee Myeongseon, the group moved into the living room.
***
“...So that’s how we ended up coming here together.”
“I see.”
After quietly listening to Junho’s explanation, Lee Myeongseon nodded, then suddenly stood up and bowed deeply toward the reservists sitting closely together on the living room floor.
“Thank you all so much. You suffered because of my foolish son.”
“N-No, it’s okay.”
“Oh no, really. We came because we wanted something too.”
“No, no. Regardless, it’s true that you listened to our Hyunwoo and came all the way here. Thank you sincerely.”
After thanking the reservists once more as they hurriedly bowed back in embarrassment, Lee Myeongseon turned toward her son, who was awkwardly scratching at his face, and smiled faintly.
It was an incredibly gentle smile overflowing with motherly affection....
Thwack! Thwack-thwack!
“Gah. Ugh? M-Mom...? Ack!”
...Or at least, it wasn’t.
“You little bastard. How many times did I tell you not to do reckless shit? I told you your mom would be fine, so you just focus on surviving and staying hidden. Didn’t I message you that? Huh?”
“N-No, that’s not what—urk.”
Smack!
Hyunwoo’s massive bear-like body shrank under his mother’s merciless back smacks.
“What do you mean that’s not it? You little punk, it’s not just you who could’ve gotten killed—these people could’ve died too! What would you have done if Mr. Junho hadn’t been here? Oh, my poor fate. Choi Gilheon’s son Choi Hyunwoo, you’re getting beaten today. Otherwise it won’t be the monsters outside that kill me—it’ll be you giving me a heart attack.”
The reunion had been so emotional that everyone had forgotten something important.
Choi Hyunwoo’s mother, Lee Myeongseon, was a police officer with thirty years of experience.
And even after getting married, until she became pregnant with Hyunwoo, she had worked in violent crimes investigating all kinds of major criminal cases—a true force of nature.