Infected - Chapter 499



Only Noblemtl

Episode 498

After a while.

After completing the examination, Hyun-soo fell asleep in his hospital room.

It was a strange thing.

He, who usually slept only half as much as other people, suddenly fell into a deep sleep as if he had fainted.

Then, Jae-jae and Ha-yeon, who had been by Hyun-soo’s side, also returned to Min-yeong.

Now it was time to check the video analysis results.

Minyoung’s expression was serious.

I was chewing my fingernails while watching the images changing in real time on the monitor.

“Sister, did you get the results?”

Ha-yeon opened the door and came in and asked without even having time to sit down on the chair.

But Minyoung remained silent.

The finances, which had become increasingly unstable, spoke as if urging him on.

“what’s the matter?”

“For the time being, Hyunsu, please just lie down and do nothing.”

“So why?”

Minyoung moved the mouse to enlarge the image.

It was a cross-sectional image of Hyun-soo’s head.

“Look here. Do you see the thick layer surrounding the brain? That’s a virus.”

“I know. I saw it at a pharmaceutical company research lab before.”

“Yes. Since everyone is infected, no matter who you pick, it’ll come out like this. But… … .”

When the mouse cursor clicked on the screen, the video that had been stopped started playing.

“Hyunsoo is a little different. The viruses that have clumped together are constantly moving.”

“Move?”

“Look, it keeps trying to get into your brain.”

The virus was constantly trying to enter the brain, which appeared white on the screen.

It’s as if they’re constantly pounding on the castle walls to take it down.

and…….

Soon, a small dot began to dig into my brain.

Jae-jae and Ha-yeon’s eyes widened.

Although I had no medical knowledge, I could tell enough that something was wrong.

“The brain is not my area of ​​expertise, so I don’t know how this change will affect Hyun-soo. But I know this much.”

Minyoung continued talking while watching the virus moving in a circular motion.

“Hyunsoo… is turning into a zombie. Very slowly.”

“what?”

“This virus uses the brain as its host. However, after going through several mutations, it has changed to a state where it is inactive until the person dies. Then, when the time comes, it completely blackens the mind. In other people, this change happens rapidly at the same time as death, but in Hyun-soo, it must have happened slowly while he was still alive.”

“Oh, how could that be… … .”

Ha-yeon’s fingertips trembled.

I couldn’t stand it because Hyunsoo was so pitiful.

It was cruel enough to survive with acquired immunity, but now, after barely getting over the pain, they are being turned into zombies again.

This was so cruel.

“How? Is there no way to solve it?”

Finance asked while watching the video repeating.

“I don’t know that much about that. I think I experience those symptoms every time the virus invades my brain, but the problem is that it’s becoming more frequent. Think about what zombies usually look like.”

The image of zombies wandering around without any stimulation appeared in the minds of the three people.

In the absence of stimulation, they always showed the same pattern.

All I could do was stand there staring at the wall with a blank expression on my face, without any emotion or desire, or stagger around.

It was similar to the behavior of Hyun-soo that had been seen for a while.

“From now on, Hyunsoo will have more and more time like that.”

“And then… you end up becoming a zombie?”

Ha-yeon asked with tears welling up in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Ha-yeon. I don’t know about that. Whether it’s suddenly turning you into a zombie, or slowly losing yourself like a certain brain disease.”

“… Anyway, there is no good ending.”

“I can’t say for sure, but in my opinion, yes. If this is your first time seeing this kind of footage, I don’t know, but I’ve seen how viruses work on the human body before. In the tower, in the lab.”

Ha-yeon tightly shut her eyes.

Then he stood up with a deflated expression.

“I’ll get up first. I need to go see Hyunsoo.”

Minyoung nodded silently.

Because there was no explanation or positive story to add.

So, only Min-yeong and Jae-jae were left inside.

Could it be because of the uncomfortable conversation we had a while ago?

There was an awkward moment.

Minyoung, who had been lost in thought, spoke first.

“Have you tried communicating with the center director?”

“I didn’t speak to him directly, but I asked him to pass on the message. He’s probably waiting for your call by now.”

“There has to be progress in the research. If we can find a way to suppress it, we can keep it from getting worse.”

“I guess so.”

“Let’s go to the communications room first.”

The two men walked down the hallway to the communications room.

As soon as Finance started transmitting, the bunker responded immediately as if they had been waiting for it.

It was the voice of Center Director Jo Min-seong.

“Director?”

[Yes, Minyoung. It’s been a while.]

“Yes. Hello. I’m sorry, but I’ll ask about your well-being later and tell you about Hyun-soo’s condition first.”

[I was waiting anyway. Have you tried filming?]

Min-yeong calmly explained Hyun-soo’s condition.

“… So I think it’s a process of gradually turning us into zombies. Is there any progress in vaccine research?”

[I’m still trying. This is a big deal. Maybe I wasn’t immune to begin with.]

“Huh? What do you mean?”

[If we compare it to war, it would be a state of endless confrontation. If Hyun-soo’s immune cells are only able to push away the virus and not kill it, then it’s a possible story.]

“How could that happen… … .”

[Because, we did some experiments here using Hyun-soo’s blood collected from the center before. I was actually a bit curious about that too. It’s strange that viruses and immune cells coexist. But we couldn’t be sure of anything with that alone. We can’t judge Hyun-soo’s entire body with just a part of it. That’s why we do clinical trials. As you know, experiments in a lab are just experiments.]

“If that’s really the case, shouldn’t we try something before the symptoms get worse?”

[I think so too. But we can’t bring Hyun-soo to the bunker. I heard that they can’t move around carelessly because they’re afraid the bunker’s location will be revealed.]

When Min-yeong was at a loss, Jae-jae took over the communication this time.

“This is Han Jae-jeong, Center Director. Is there a way to get Hyun-soo to the bunker?”

[I can’t guarantee it, but it’s better than just sitting there and letting it go. The only thing that gives us a glimmer of hope is Hyunsoo’s immune cells. If we can figure out how they were able to suppress the virus all this time, and how they were able to develop the ability to surpass human senses while suppressing the virus, it could lead to great results in vaccine research.]

“No, you already did an experiment with Hyunsoo’s blood.”

[Yes. However, since Hyun-soo’s cells, which were being tested, died prematurely along with the virus, we couldn’t find out more. Since that itself is extremely strange, it’s impossible to draw any conclusions at this point. Hyun-soo must come here unconditionally.]

“Are there any problems that could arise if the timing is delayed further?”

[I’m not sure, but there may be an irreversible situation. For example… if the virus completely takes over Hyun-soo’s body. In that case, even if a vaccine is developed, there’s no way. We’re not making medicine to revive dead people.]

Finance stood still in front of the transceiver.

To summarize what Center Director Cho Min-seong said, it was like this.

It appears that Hyun-soo’s immune cells, which were coexisting with the virus, are slowly losing strength.

If we don’t deal with it quickly, it may progress to zombification and we may not be able to do anything anymore.

And if we could figure out why Hyunsoo’s immune cells were able to last so long against the virus, it would be a huge help in developing a vaccine.

But it didn’t sound all that good to Jaejae’s ears.

Anyway, until we figure out the secrets of immune cells, isn’t that saying there aren’t even any drugs that can suppress them?

Besides, the current situation is that the anonymous religion is extremely poisonous.

In a situation where there was still a lack of trust in Yuigo, it was too risky to openly send Hyunsoo to the bunker.

That’s not all the problem.

First, to get to the bunker, you have to cross Paldang Bridge, and no matter what means of transportation you use, you cannot avoid the eyes of the believers.

However, going west or along the river was too uncharted territory and the potential danger was too great.

It will take several times more time.

More than anything else, the condition of the suspension was the biggest problem.

Because there is no guarantee that symptoms like today will not appear at important moments or when a crisis occurs.

Of course, the finances also knew that it was better to send it to the bunker than to put it in the center.

But things were going in a way that couldn’t happen.

It was obvious what Hyunsoo would choose if he heard this news.

He will do whatever it takes to get to the bunker alone, saying he doesn’t want to be a burden.

Finance, who had pressed the send button, slowly opened his mouth.

“I understand what you mean. I’ll think about it and get back to you.”

[Yes. And can I talk to Minyoung for a moment?]

As Jae-jae stepped back, arms folded, Min-yeong sat down in front of the transceiver.

“Go ahead, Director.”

[Min-young, this is just a warning to you. If you can’t get to the bunker or if an unexpected problem occurs, try this method.]

“What method?”

[No matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand why the immune cells that were so good at blocking viruses can’t function properly. I was wondering if… maybe we need to wake up.]

“Awakening?”

[So, if the virus cleverly changes its form or tries to enter while sticking to other cells, it’s not strange for it to break through like this. The virus could have modified the immune cells themselves. So, uh… I feel a bit awkward saying this myself.]

Director Cho Min-seong hesitated to speak for some reason.

Min-young waited for the next words without complaining.

[Is there a mutant zombie that recognizes Hyun-soo as a human?]

“Yes. There are. They are zombies that only roam at night.”

[If you can’t get to the bunker, capture that mutant alive. And… make him bite the suspension bridge.]

“yes?”

The face of finance suddenly turned around.

Minyoung was also surprised.

I got bitten by a mutant zombie all of a sudden.

What kind of strange thing is this?

[It’s a gamble with a stronger poison. If we hold out, our immune cells will awaken to face a new enemy. If that happens, we might actually be able to kill the virus instead of coexisting with it like we are now. However, this is really the last resort. This is just my guess. But Min-young, you know that what I’m saying isn’t completely nonsense.]

“But… this is too dangerous.”

[Wow, this is such an absurd story that I doubt my own words even after I say it. Anyway, given the circumstances, I hope you make a wise decision. I… won’t necessarily report it to the Chairman. If the Chairman finds out about your situation, he’ll immediately bring armed guards and go to Seoul.]

“Yes. First, please keep it a secret from the Chairman. Hyun-soo, and the situation in Seoul.”

It was clear why the bunker had to help the group.

This is because Jae-jae and his group showed up at a crucial moment and saved the lives of Jin-a, Beom-sik, and Kwon Joong-ho.

If we hadn’t arrived in time, the bunker would never have been as stable as it is now.

Besides, isn’t Jinna in a romantic relationship with Beomshik?

Even if we only look at the relationship between Beomsik and Gaon, there was no reason for the NS Group to stay still.

Minyoung, who finished the call, sighed and stood up.

His eyes were on finances, but his mind was full of thoughts about communications.

“… What are you going to do?”

Finance did not respond immediately.

No matter how much I thought about it, this wasn’t something I could decide on my own.

Since it was Hyun-soo’s body, it was right to ask Hyun-soo.

but…….

Can you respect whatever choice he makes?

Finances were uncertain.

If Hyunsoo asks for my opinion, what should I say?

To the guy who was being cruelly bitten while surrounded by black waves.

Could I ever tell a zombie to give me his body again?

Finance couldn’t answer and just looked away.

Infected people