Infected - Chapter 556



Only Noblemtl

Side story episode 43

Seoul’s forces are slowly pushing eastward.

The squad led by the tough Hyun-Tae was one of them.

They set up shop at a gas station just outside the city center.

A location that seems remote at first glance.

However, friendly forces were positioned within a narrow radius, and a joint attack could be requested at any time if necessary.

Even if you miss the enemy, if you know the direction they are running away, you can cooperate and surround them.

Hyun-tae stands by the window and looks at the raindrops falling steadily.

Judging by the raindrops on his raincoat, he must have been outside just now.

The city center, half-covered by nature, was becoming more colorful as the rain fell.

“I guess I’ll have to stay inside today.”

“What if enemies appear?”

“That’s not it… … .”

Hyun-tae trailed off when he heard a voice coming from behind him.

The gloomy light illuminated his wrinkles.

Perhaps because he had presbyopia from the beginning, he looked much older than his older brother, Gongdu.

Even though I’m in my late 30s.

“But, hyung.”

“why?”

“Our fate is really cruel.”

“suddenly?”

“That’s right. We usually live our daily lives scattered, but when something comes up, we get called together like this. Oh, there’s a lot of work piling up… … .”

“That’s right, Inma. I told you to be more diligent than usual.”

“Easier said than done,”

“The action is easy. Just don’t play cards at night.”

Hyun-tae looked back once more and muttered.

At the table, a man of about the same age was smoking a cigarette.

“There has to be some joy in this fucking world.”

“The words are… … .”

Hyun-tae turned on the radio.

Chi-chik!

“Everyone, don’t be lazy because it’s raining. Get your heads together. In the South, we’re on the front lines.”

[1st group, no more.]

[2nd group, no more.]

[I’m worried too. No more worries.]

Hyun-tae snickers after hearing the last radio transmission.

He divided the squad into several groups and deployed them in various locations to ensure smooth operation.

The man listening to the radio shook his head and said.

“Just sit down and rest. You’re just looking out the window all day. If you keep doing that, the enemies will see you first.”

“I heard there was already contact with Yeonhee’s side, but it’s strangely quiet here.”

“Why? What, are you trying to major in something at that age?”

“Age doesn’t matter. We’re still in our prime.”

“Who said that?”

“I.”

“Stop talking nonsense and come here and sit down. Don’t stand there all dazed. Can I get you a cigarette?”

Did the man’s persuasion work?

Hyun-tae turned around and looked at his wristwatch.

“I told you I hung up.”

“Let’s live as we are, as we are.”

“Don’t you look in the mirror?”

“Okay, I mean, honestly, I wonder if they’ll be caught if we hunt them like this.”

“Just give it a try. The more insubstantial the bastards are, the more they’ll show up if you wait. These guys don’t know that we’re going to spread out and pressure them.”

“They say there are a lot of spies.”

“Even if there are many, we don’t know about military operations.”

“I see… … .”

The man rested his chin on his hand and sat deep in thought.

Then Hyun-tae said with a sidelong glance.

“You’re weird today. Why are you so negative?”

“What’s the negative? I just have a headache when I go back and do the work that’s piled up.”

“If anyone saw you, they’d think you were doing all the work by yourself.”

“No, that’s an excuse. Think about it honestly. Are those guys puppets? They probably think we’re going to do something. No one would just sit back and let that happen unless they’re stupid.”

“Huh? What’s wrong, really? What’s wrong? Tell me.”

Hyun-tae, sitting across from them, asked worriedly.

I was always grumbling, but today was different.

I wonder if it’s because I’m nitpicking so much that it’s unfamiliar.

“Tell me, Inma.”

“That’s okay. I just said that because you said you were chasing a non-existent enemy. There’s no other meaning to it.”

“Is warehouse management difficult?”

“Oh, right. That’s not it.”

“Ah, kid… … If you’re feeling suffocated, go and take a look around where the kids are. If you just sit here, you’ll end up with a lot of thoughts.”

“… Okay, then.”

The man took a deep breath and left.

Hyun-tae, left alone, slowly thought back on the events that had happened.

Excessive workload? No.

Actually, that’s just an excuse.

There was good reason why he was so negative.

When I joined seven years ago, I wasn’t alone.

At that time, there were older brothers and younger brothers who came in with me, and some of their families were there too.

Even though we were a family, we were only a few children.

Anyway, maybe because I had company, I was able to adapt well even in a place full of strangers.

The problem was the two wars that followed.

He lost all his family members in the war.

And that’s not all.

Soon after, their young blood relatives died from the fever that spread.

His life, his very existence, were shaken by these events.

It was probably from then on.

I felt irritated by everything, and when it came to war, I started to get annoyed.

But it couldn’t be helped due to the safety zone system.

Because his abilities were too great to be left alone.

It took a whole three years to come down from Gangwon-do to Seoul.

Thanks to that, by the time he arrived at the safe zone, he was already somewhat complete.

From survival skills to combat prowess.

“Oh my, poor kid… … .”

Hyun-tae, muttering to himself, turned on the radio.

“Youngho.”

But no answer came back.

Several scattered groups must have heard it at the same time.

Chijijik!

“Hey, Lee Young-ho.”

It was the same.

“Oh my, look at these guys. These guys are really… … .”

Hyun-tae put the radio on his chest and hurried out into the hallway.

Even if you were told not to respond, you would deliberately ignore the radio in a wartime situation.

It was impossible.

Maybe it was because Hyun-tae only showed his good side.

I walked down the hallway, grumbling.

“… … ?”

I could smell blood in the wind that came through the open space.

Hyun-tae slowly took off the radio and pressed the transmit button.

“… Anyone can answer.”

It was ominous.

This is going too far for a joke.

My senses, which had endured for over ten years in this terrible world, were telling me so.

Click!

An empty store where there should be 1 trillion won.

As I turned the handle, a thick, bloody smell seeped out through the crack in the door.

As expected.

Inside the store, three corpses were strewn about, and blood was pooled on the floor.

Hyun-tae’s heart began to pound as if it was going to burst.

I ran over and checked their condition, but they were all already dead.

They were all stabbed in the neck and head.

“Group 2! Answer me!”

An urgent voice echoes down the hallway.

The second group is located in the building across the street.

Group 3 was waiting on a slightly higher floor.

Hyun-tae crossed the road with all his might.

The sunken road was filled with puddles, but it didn’t matter.

The life and death of the squad members took priority.

Who the hell?

I don’t know about other people, but Hyun-tae’s subordinate who was with me until just now is top-notch.

You have to be quite an expert to handle it in one stroke, and in such a short period of time.

At the very least, it would have been possible if he had the skills of Lee Tae-seong and Bibil.

I was out of breath after climbing several floors in one breath.

But he didn’t let go of the transmit button on the radio.

Unfortunately, there was no reply.

Anxiety fills my head.

That anxiety was becoming a reality.

Bam!

Group 2 annihilated.

Bam!

Group 3 annihilated.

No matter where I opened it, what I saw was the same.

Hyun-tae was in despair.

I looked out the window without even having time to pick up the radio that had fallen on the floor.

I had to find it.

A master of this level would have no chance of doing it alone, but I still had to find it.

Even if I was brutally torn to pieces, I wanted to leave behind at least a small scar.

We were all colleagues who had worked together for a long time.

No, we were just like family.

Wasn’t it he who brought them to this war and persuaded them?

But there was no one on the street.

“no…….”

He lowered his head and shed tears.

A creepy thought crossed my mind.

The total number of bodies discovered is nine.

Hyun-tae’s squad consisted of eleven people.

Therefore, one person is empty.

Right then.

The door of the closed store opened.

Squeak… … .

Hyun-tae could tell who it was without even looking back.

Because the other person didn’t say anything.

That’s right.

“Just stay inside. Why did you come all the way here… …”

Hyun-Tae’s head, which had been facing the floor, slowly turned.

He stands at the entrance and silently receives Hyun-tae’s gaze.

“You, you… … .”

“…I have no personal feelings.”

The man’s face darkened for a moment.

“How could you… … .”

“I just did what I had to do.”

“That’s ridiculous… … ”

Hyun-tae couldn’t believe it.

This didn’t make sense.

We’ve been together for not just a day or two, but a whole 7 years.

What a long time it has been.

I couldn’t believe that I had endured all that time solely for spy activities.

Even if they are a group with no mercy or tears, how could something like this be possible?

“brother.”

The man wiped the blood off his dagger.

“Brother, let’s stop. I’m tired now.”

“This, this, this… … .”

Tears fall from Hyun-tae’s bloodshot eyes.

“Seven years, it wasn’t a short time. Maybe that’s why. Strangely, I don’t want to just let you go. Love is really scary.”

The man sighed deeply and continued speaking.

“But, hyung, just know this. I really have no personal feelings. This is work. I have no choice but to do this.”

“Why… why? Why do I have to act like a spy like this!”

Hyun-tae’s voice echoed through the raindrops outside the window.

“I’ll go first. I’ll tell you when I see you.”

With those words, the man’s body moved quickly.

* * *

In the quiet city center.

The sound of the engine’s breathing as it races down the road disperses into the air.

Behind them, a group of soldiers were running at a considerable distance.

In Gongdu’s head, the only thing he heard was Hyeontae’s voice.

The spies are much deeper in than we thought.

Brother, please take care of yourself.

It was an honor to be able to serve you by your side for so long.

It was a weak voice, like the grinding of iron.

“Gasp! Gasp!”

I’m out of breath and my saliva is flying.

My heart was beating so fast it felt like it would stop at any moment.

Then I trip over my own feet.

Crash!

A crushing pain hit his elbow, but Gongdu couldn’t stop.

I can hear people’s voices talking behind me.

It was hard to understand what he was saying.

My ears were ringing and my head was turning white.

This time my leg got caught on a manhole cover that had been pushed out.

Another thud!

His face split open, blood splattered on the floor, and he was quickly swept away by the rain and disappeared into the sewer.

Gongdu’s face began to tremble.

I burst into tears, but it wasn’t because I was in pain.

at that time.

Boooow!

A roofless Letona came speeding by.

“get on!”

It was finances.

Minyoung was sitting in the back seat.

It was a face I hadn’t seen in a long time, but I didn’t have time to be happy.

As we climbed in, holding each other’s thick hands, something that was either rain or tears flowed from my eyes.

“How many minutes ago was it that we last spoke to you?”

Minyoung, sitting in the backseat, covered her large bag with her jumper and asked.

“Three minutes? Five minutes? Maybe… … . Maybe shorter. No, maybe longer. I don’t know.”

Gongdu spoke nonsense with a blank expression.

“Brother. Increase your speed. If you’re still alive, we need to get there before you bleed to death.”

“Okay. Hold on tight.”

Letona pushed forward without hesitation on the road filled with rainwater.

The driving was so dangerous that one of the wheels lifted around the corner.

I knew about finances too.

If something happens like this, I won’t be able to see Hyun-tae alive.

But even though I knew it, I couldn’t help it.

For now, I have no choice but to trust my feelings.

How much time has passed like that?

After less than two minutes, which felt like two years to Gongdu, passed.

Letona stopped in front of a building.

The spring-like protrusion of the ball finds Hyun-tae’s location based on the last radio transmission.

The only silver lining was that the rain had left footprints on the stairs.

Gongdu’s gaze follows the footsteps as he arrives on the 5th floor.

Behind them, Jaejae and Minyeong, who had just come up, were following along, panting.

And when the three of them arrived at the 5th floor hallway.

In the hallway, Hyun-tae’s face was visible, lying face down and motionless.

Infected people