Chapter 87: Zombie And The City (4)

A white plastic card found inside the octopus mutant’s corpse.

A new notification appeared.

Ding-dong!

<You have acquired a special item from the Pathological Safety Needs section!>

<Obtained Research Lab Access Card – Type A!>

“What the hell is this now?”

A beam of light shot up from the front of the card.

Flash—!

A hologram began projecting.

A lab filled with experimental equipment, static crackling through the image.

Then a figure appeared.

A person wearing a crow-beak mask, face completely hidden.

Long hair reaching the waist and faint body curves suggested a woman.

Her arms protruding from a black robe were wrapped tightly in white bandages, and countless glass flasks filled with colored liquids hung from her belt.

She looked exactly like a medieval plague doctor.

Then the voice came from the crow mask.

[Greetings… I am… the administrator of the Pathological Safety Needs section…]

A sticky, slow drawl.

[If you are watching this recording… it means you have obtained a security card key…  

Cough-cough-cough!]

The crow mask coughed violently.

Thick black liquid dripped from beneath the mask.

[Excuse me… I am currently conducting clinical trials on a new virus… Please understand.  

By the time you see this, you are already infected with the same virus as me.  

Cough-cough-cough!]

“?”

What is she talking about?

Infected with a new virus? When?

As if answering my question, the crow mask continued.

[The new virus… also known as “D-Virus”… has been dispersed throughout the entire Pathological Safety Needs section. It spreads through the air. Incubation period: 5 hours. Symptoms upon onset: vomiting, chills, diarrhea, fever, coughing…  

And death within 2 hours. So… you want to live, don’t you? Then come to my research lab and receive the vaccine.]

She spoke of horrifying things as calmly as ordering coffee.

[The lab access cards are inside the barnacle mutants. You need all three types—A, B, and C—to enter the lab. That is the end of the explanation. I must finish this research quickly, or…]

The hologram ended.

I looked at the card again.

The words were clearly engraved on its surface.

[A-type]

“So this is the A card.”

To summarize what the crow-masked administrator said:

1. We are already infected with a special virus.  

2. It is a 100% lethal, high-risk virus. The only cure is the vaccine.

3. We must go to the research lab to get the vaccine.  

4. All three security card keys—A, B, C—are required to enter the lab.  

The keys drop from mutants. End of story.

[As expected of Master! Such brilliant insight.]

The point is: we have no time to relax.

We must hunt the remaining mutants, collect the keys, and reach the lab to get the vaccine—before the virus activates.

We’ve been in this section for about 2 hours, so we have roughly 3 hours until onset.

But where the hell is the lab?

At that moment.

Flash—!

A new hologram rose from the card key.

“This is…”

A minimap showing the surrounding area.

Ding-dong!

<The Pathological Safety Needs section map has been activated!>

<Three types of markers exist on this map.>

1. Black markers: Barnacle zombies 

2. Red markers: Card keys 

3. Blue marker: Research lab

Black markers were the regular zombies—ignore them.

What mattered were the red markers (card key locations) and the blue marker (lab).

There were three red dots on the minimap.

One was us.

The other two were moving—east and west of the lab.

“At least we won’t waste time searching for the mutants.”

I looked toward the torn-open entrance of the hardware store.

Patter— patter—

The rain had weakened significantly.

At this rate, it would stop in minutes.

Now’s the best time to move toward the lab.

Once the moisture in the air disappears, the barnacle zombies’ combat power will plummet again.

“Let’s grab some decent weapons first.”

Then Jeanne spoke.

[Master.]

“Yeah?”

[Look at her.]

The Pseudo-Dragon stood in front of a shelf.

Then came the sound of chewing.

CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH~!

 MUNCH-MUNCH-MUNCH~!

…What is she eating now?

[She is devouring metal.]

“?”

Nails, screws, pipes, hex wrenches, crowbars, hatchets, sickles, pickaxes, wire mesh, wire, wheelbarrows—everything metal in the store.

She was eating every piece of iron she could get her hands on.

CRUNCH~! CRACK! SNAP!

No wonder it was quiet. She was having a feast.

REGENERATE— REGENERATE— REGENERATE—

Every time she swallowed a chunk of metal, torn flesh regrew, broken bones reconnected, and fallen fangs sprouted anew.

Then the Feedback log opened wide.

Flutter—

<Undying Pseudo-Dragon>

– Storage Number: MRG-682 

– Storage Grade: Requires Caution  

Also known as the “Metal-Eating Pseudo-Dragon.”  

The 72nd dragon recorded in the Apocalypse. 

Possesses powerful regeneration; consuming metal dramatically increases physical abilities.  

Intelligence near zero, extremely aggressive and violent. Handle with extreme care during isolation and storage.

Metal-Eating Pseudo-Dragon… Definitely living up to the name.

Having devoured every piece of metal on the shelves, the Pseudo-Dragon approached the massive steel door at the back—the one Jeanne and I couldn’t open no matter how hard we tried.

CRUNCH! CRAAACK!

She began chewing through the steel door like cotton candy.

Large chunks tore off effortlessly.

And then, what was hidden behind the door was revealed.

“Whoa… what the hell.”

My eyes widened.

Every wall was lined with firearms.

Pistols, rifles, machine guns, shotguns—even a mortar!

It was a proper military armory, or perhaps an assassin’s vault.

Besides guns, there were katanas, bows, crossbows—everything.

But one thing in particular caught my eye.

I reached for the big, beautiful weapon on the display stand.

“This is it…!”

Was there ever a more perfect weapon for mowing down zombies?

A chainsaw.

***

VRRRRRR—! VRRRRRRRR~! DRDRDRDRDRDRDR!

I yanked the starter cord hard, and the vicious teeth spun furiously.

[GRRGRR! GRRGRRGRR—!]

Barnacle zombies were sliced apart like cardboard.

Gore and fluids splattered everywhere, but thanks to goggles and a full-face mask, not a drop touched me.

“Ahh, chainsaw! The ultimate conversation starter.”

All the stress I’d built up melted away.

Who knew all that time following the executive officer around with a chainsaw in the army would come in handy here?

It felt like the genre had shifted from survival horror to action gore.

Whatever, I love it.

Meanwhile.

BAM—! BAM—! CRACK!

The sound of bones shattering came from the side.

Jeanne was swinging a double-barrel shotgun like a club, clearing zombies left and right.

“Hey! That’s not how you use it!”

[I…  

But swinging feels more comfortable…]

“Fine. As long as you’re happy.”

[Thank you, Master.]

Better than handing her a gun she can’t shoot and getting team-killed.

On the other side.

RIP— RIP~ RIP—

The Pseudo-Dragon roared like a berserker, tearing through the horde.

Her claws sliced barnacle zombies without resistance.

“I’ll hold up my end of the deal, Warehouse Keeper! Escort you properly, and you’ll knock off another 10 million years—HAAAHAHAHA!”

“Yeah, yeah. When have I ever lied about that?”

“True! Never! That’s why I like you! KHAHAHAHA! Humanity’s doom draws near! Tremble! Worship me! KHAHAHAHAHA!”

The Pseudo-Dragon charged forward, laughing heartily.

Then.

BUZZ-BUZZ-BUZZ—

The card key in my hand began vibrating violently.

At the same time, the red markers on the minimap lit up.

The red markers indicated the mutants’ locations—more precisely, the card keys.

“Both are close. At this rate, we’ll meet them near the lab?”

We might have to take down two mutants at once.

Then.

Patter— patter-patter—

Rain began falling again.

Moments later, a massive dome-shaped building appeared in the distance—the research lab.

“There it is.”

A long, enormous shadow coiled near the lab.

A mutant.

Flutter—

<Parasitic Barnacle—Lugworm Mutant>

– Threat Level: A 

– Discovered in: Maslow’s Tower, Pathological Safety Needs Section  

A specimen perfectly fused with the parasitic barnacle. 

A barnacle zombie that has undergone “metamorphosis.”  

The lugworm mutant has a long body with dozens of human arms attached, using them to crawl rapidly across the ground and capture prey.

“Lugworm this time.”

…But where’s the other one?

On the minimap, the two red markers overlapped.

“Hm?”

Something was strange about the lugworm mutant’s movements.

Its eyes were milky, and the hundreds of arms—or legs?—along its body were spread wide like wings.

Sure enough.

WOBBLE—!

The lugworm mutant slowly tilted sideways.

Then.

BOOM!

It crashed to the ground as if the earth had swallowed it.

“What the—why did it just collapse on its own?”

Then a familiar voice rang out.

“Who’s there?”

A man wearing a Hahoe mask appeared atop the fallen lugworm mutant.

“You…”

“Heh heh heh! Our fate runs deep, doesn’t it!”

The undisputed strongest A+ rank hunter in Korea—someone you’d want on your side more than anyone.

Number 1 among A+ ranks, Lee Geuk.