Infected - Chapter 525



Only Noblemtl

Side story episode 12

It was late, past midnight.

In the middle of a long road leading from the city center to the quiet countryside.

In front of an abandoned factory with a faint yellow light streaming in, two men in combat fatigues were standing guard.

In fact, he was a sentry, and he was busy smoking and talking the whole time.

At that moment, the two people were having a lively conversation.

A man about to light a cigarette squinted into the darkness.

Under the moonlight seeping in, a human figure was crossing the street.

Click!

The two men simultaneously turned on their flashlights and aimed their rifles.

“what?”

“Hey, stop!”

A tone and voice more befitting a gangster than a soldier.

A dark figure waves both arms upon hearing that sound.

It was Eugene.

“It’s the platoon leader!”

The sentries looked in the direction of the voice and quickly lowered their guns.

“Oh, you’re here?”

“okay.”

“however…….”

Then he waved his flashlight at those who came with him.

It was dark around here, and everyone had their faces covered with masks and hoods, so I couldn’t tell who they were.

“Who are the people who came with you?”

“He’s a new recruit from the company. Let’s go in for now. But these guys are doing guard duty and smoking cigarettes. Ugh, just like that.”

Eugene hit the back of their heads with both arms and walked towards the factory.

Squeak!

A large sliding door opens gently to the right.

The soldiers standing around the brazier installed in the center all stand up from their seats.

There was a brazier that reached all the way to the ceiling, and in front of it was a long table and chairs, next to which was a pile of canned food that had already been eaten.

A man with a particularly large number of dots among them pointed to the group following him and asked.

“What is that? And why is the ball so red?”

“Be quiet, you little shit.”

“yes?”

“Stay still.”

Meanwhile, Gaon, who had passed the brazier, walked to the head of the long table.

Then he sat down and took off his hat and mask.

When their covered, pure white faces were revealed, the soldiers looked at each other with bewildered expressions.

On the one hand, it was questionable.

Because of the rules of the safe zone, women were not allowed to participate in outside work.

Some people were filled with anticipation, while others could not hide their suspicious gaze.

At that time, an awkward and heavy silence continued.

Gaon opened his mouth after looking at the soldiers who seemed to be his peers.

“Sit down.”

An order that is heard immediately.

While no one moved, only Eugene walked over and sat down on the chair.

His sharp eyes are directed at his subordinates.

“What are you doing? I told you to sit down!”

Everyone was at a loss as to what to do in this sudden situation.

Do that for a few seconds.

Those who sensed the unusual atmosphere between Gaon and Eugene sat down on their chairs one by one.

“No, what is this… … .”

The spotted man was dumbfounded.

A woman who was at most my age, and at least a few years younger than the platoon leader, Eugene, was suddenly sitting in the top seat and giving orders.

I’ve experienced many things while living as a soldier in the safe zone, but nothing has been as absurd as today.

His thoughtful gaze turned to the armory erected near the entrance.

There, Seonwoo was standing guard with a rifle.

Seonwoo nodded his head toward the table and chair as their eyes met.

As if telling me to stop thinking useless thoughts and sit down.

“Ha, this is ridiculous… … .”

The spotted man ruffled his shaggy hair and eventually sat down next to Eugene.

Then, the rest of the soldiers who had been observing also sat down.

Gaon said.

“I heard that the pursuit team was defeated while chasing the escaped personnel this morning. The enemy was… … .”

“for a moment.”

At that moment, the spotted man interrupted and stepped forward.

“Who the hell are you and why are you doing that? Huh?”

Not only was the conversation cut off, but Gaon’s head slowly turned at the extremely uncomfortable tone of voice.

“Why are you briefing me?”

“Stand up.”

“what?”

“Don’t sit, stand.”

“Ha, I can’t even pray. Captain. Why are you just watching? Please say something.”

“I told you to stand up! Can’t you hear me?”

“…yes?”

Eugene suddenly becomes angry and leans over to whisper briefly.

“Get up, you little shit. Please.”

“No. Captain… … .”

“Fuck. I’ll see you later.”

A strange situation where no matter how you look at it, it feels like you did something wrong.

The spotted man muttered something with his lips, then finally stood up.

Everyone’s eyes turned to Gaon.

“You just stand there and listen.”

“Me alone?”

Eugene bites his lower lip and turns on the warning light.

“… Me alone?”

“Then let’s continue. The pursuit team that was chasing the escaped personnel this morning was hit. The target was a young man and woman. Now, the escaped personnel have joined them, so there are now five of them. After hearing the news, they attempted to attack a nearby outpost, but all but one were killed.”

The soldiers’ faces became blank.

Then he turned his head and glanced at Gaon and his group, then looked at Eugene again.

Five enemies, one survivor.

A moment when everyone’s faces are filled with amazement.

bang!

Gaon slammed the table and shouted.

“Do you think that dozens of people were attacked by just five people? Hey, you!”

“Me? No, me?”

It was a spotted man.

“How on earth did you train normally to get beat up by five people?”

“How can I… … .”

“They say only two people actually fought. Does that make sense?”

The spotted man blinked and looked at Eugene.

He asked me to say something on his behalf.

But Eugene turned his head and avoided eye contact.

“Even if you were drafted from the company. Then what about the people left here? What about you?”

“We don’t have the ranks yet.”

One of the silent soldiers answered.

But it was hidden from view by the spotted man standing there blankly.

Gaon’s sharp gaze turned towards the spotted man.

“Why don’t you move back? I can’t see you.”

“yes?”

“Vicky.”

He sat back in his chair with a look of absolute injustice on his face.

I was just standing because I was told to.

Anyway, the conversation continued.

“So you’re saying we’re going to be drafted in order of rank?”

“Yes, we have always done so.”

“What is the reason?”

“I think that’s because there’s no standard other than class.”

“So… you’re saying that it’s not determined by skill, but just by rank.”

“yes.”

“It’s a boast.”

“…yes?”

“Okay.”

The speechless soldier hunched over with an embarrassed expression.

Gaon looked over the soldiers again.

Overall, he looked much younger than the soldiers he had faced before.

There are many faces younger than mine.

I thought I knew why they were assigned to the rear outpost.

The problem is that it seems much weaker than expected, so it’s questionable whether it can even accomplish anything.

Gaon, who was snorting, asked the soldier whose conversation had ended.

“You know that guy who was the leader at the outpost? He’s the meanest looking guy in the world.”

“Oh, yes. I know.”

“I killed him.”

“… … !”

The soldiers’ faces were filled with confusion.

At first I wondered why there was a woman wearing a combat uniform.

But his attitude was so confident that I really thought he was a commander sent from the rear.

That’s what it was.

He was the one who destroyed a company.

Everyone just sat there with blank expressions on their faces, not saying a word.

The rumor spread like wildfire as the pursuing party fled to the rear.

The young men and women were said to have instantly neutralized a group of more than twenty pursuers.

Until then, the soldiers were half in doubt.

There were also many opinions that the pursuit team had made up the story to justify their mistake.

But now I had no choice but to believe it.

Eugene, who survived, appeared with two people.

This was a more shocking incident than I thought.

They were never defeated during their journey from the south to here.

The ceasefire with the nearby forces was not because they were defeated, but because there was no need to fight and win.

Moreover, the company that Gaon and Seonwoo killed was an elite unit comprised of those drafted from the front lines.

Of course, they weren’t the best, but they were people who walked around with some confidence.

If even those people were defeated, how could those who remained in the rear outpost stand against Gaon?

Isn’t this a situation where even the platoon leader, Eugene, is bowing his head?

The soldiers looked at each other with speechless faces.

Perhaps it was because it was unexpected news, or perhaps they had lost the will to rebel, but there was not as strong a reaction as expected.

The soldier who had been talking to Gaon barely managed to open his mouth from the mouth that would not open.

“So… you’re saying that you’re the ones we only heard about on the radio?”

Then he looked over each member of the group.

“okay.”

“Then why did you come here? Why did the platoon leader spare you?”

At his question, the soldiers’ eyes all turned to Gaon.

“From now on, I will be in charge of this outpost. Of course, I will give you a choice. Those who want to stay, stay, and those who want to go, go now. However, from the moment you step out the door, you should be prepared to die. One more thing. If you don’t like me, you can attack me. It’s better to show me than to say.”

Gaon pulled the dagger out of the leather sheath wrapped around his thigh and placed it on the table.

They said they would send me out because it was nice talk, but in reality they were saying they would kill me as soon as I got out.

A heavy silence filled the abandoned factory.

Some people looked cautious, while others seemed thoughtful.

It was too important a matter to choose right away.

At that moment, the spotted man who had been taking a few steps back from the table pulled out a knife.

It was a moment when silent exclamations echoed among the soldiers.

Because he was the best among the platoon members except for Eugene.

“Let’s try it out. I have a lot of questions, but let’s talk about them after we try it out.”

“Okay.”

Gaon stood up with his dagger in his hand without hesitation.

“Before that… … .”

Swish!

The spotted man carefully placed the knife in his hand on the table.

“… Let’s do this without weapons, because you might get hurt.”

The soldiers who saw that felt like their spirits had been kicked out.

Gaon walked slowly past the table and the brazier and headed towards a wide open space.

It’s better to show than to tell a hundred times.

The younger the person, the more effective it is, and there is no need to keep talking nonsense.