Red Dot - 155

Chapter 155

Junseong, who was grabbed by Ki-hyuk and fell out of the building, collapsed onto the ground as soon as his two feet touched the floor.

“Is this bastard sane?”

It wasn’t the first time Junseong had fallen from a high place. He had slipped and fallen while fighting zombies on a building rooftop, and he had also thrown himself off willingly to test the repetitiveness of dreams.

But it was the first time someone else had held him and jumped. Anger surged up at the feeling that his life had been forcibly entrusted to another.

“Are you crazy?! If you want to die, die alone!”

Junseong had thought the same as Ki-hyuk. Since it was a rooftop, he had assumed there would be a vent or a large air conditioner unit, and he had prepared a rope long enough to reach the first floor when tied there.

But he hadn’t planned to fall without any safety measures. If he had known he’d be held by a stranger, relying solely on the man’s arm strength, he would never have even considered it.

Junseong swung his fist at Ki-hyuk’s shin while sitting. Hitting the bone hard should have hurt his fingers as if they were breaking, but Junseong, who couldn’t feel pain, swung his fist firmly without hesitation.

Ki-hyuk let out a short groan but didn’t lose his bright smile as he helped Junseong up. He gently rubbed Junseong’s fist, which had turned red.

Junseong, calming his pounding heart, stood up and glared at Ki-hyuk before sighing. With Ki-hyuk smiling so kindly, Junseong couldn’t muster the energy to stay angry.

Junseong shook his slightly sore fist after hitting Ki-hyuk’s shin and rummaged through his backpack.

“Do you have anything useful as a weapon? If not, at least this…”

“I’m fine.”

Ki-hyuk opened his coat and smiled.

On the side of his waist belt, a dagger in a leather sheath was attached. Though called a dagger, the blade was slightly longer than a handspan, longer than expected.

It looked like a military dagger, and though Junseong didn’t know where Ki-hyuk got it, it seemed quite useful. At least it was better than the wrench Junseong had planned to offer.

Junseong pulled out the wrench to use himself, but Ki-hyuk stopped him and offered another dagger like his own.

“Use this instead. You might hurt your wrist swinging that.”

The lightweight dagger, more efficient for attacks than the heavy wrench, was indeed better. Junseong, not confident in his own strength, accepted the dagger without hesitation.

“Thanks, but do you usually give weapons like this to someone you just met?”

“I’m giving it because it’s you.”

Ki-hyuk patted Junseong’s head and smiled brightly.

“When did you ever see me?”

“Hm, in a dream?”

“Are you kidding?”

“Yeah.”

Ki-hyuk, seemingly amused, never dropped the smile on his face. Anyone watching might mistake them for long-time brothers.

Unlike Ki-hyuk, who showed no trace of caution, Junseong stayed on guard.

Ki-hyuk acted as if this zombie-filled world was normal, jumping from a high place with someone in his arms without any safety measures, showing no hesitation or fear.

Junseong didn’t know who Ki-hyuk was, but he was certain the man wasn’t normal.

It seemed clear that Ki-hyuk had scouted a safe path from the rooftop.

While following Ki-hyuk, they had taken down fewer than ten zombies.

“But could he see this far from that rooftop?”

A natural question arose as they moved forward.

They had traveled quite a distance, yet Ki-hyuk confidently chose paths with fewer zombies. It wasn’t a distance visible from the rooftop of an officetel.

“His eyesight is great… but this is too far to explain. Has he been here before? If so, why return to a path he’s already taken?”

The two moved with the “same goal.” If so, they should seek new paths toward that goal, not retrace old ones, yet Junseong couldn’t shake the strange feeling.

Kyaaak-!

Lost in thought, Junseong snapped to attention at a sudden shriek nearby. Before he could swing his dagger, another blade flew sharply and pierced a zombie’s temple.

Kuk!

The zombie, stabbed in the head, knelt with a short scream. Before its body collapsed, Ki-hyuk grabbed its hair with one hand and swiftly pulled out the dagger.

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

It was as if he had pierced tofu with a knife.彼此

System: knife and pulled it out effortlessly. Seeing this, Junseong grew even more suspicious of Ki-hyuk’s true nature.

A human skull is extremely tough. Junseong knew from experience how much strength it took to pull a blade from one.

“He’s stronger than he looks… but his skill with the dagger is too good, it’s suspicious. And he kills zombies so casually.”

Junseong killed zombies without hesitation too, but it had taken him a long time to reach that point.

For Ki-hyuk, it was supposedly only his second day encountering zombies.

His skill and calmness, despite his lack of experience, were highly suspicious.

Still, Ki-hyuk was reliable enough to overlook the suspicions.

Junseong observed Ki-hyuk closely, as he would a game character’s stats. It was routine when meeting a new survivor.

“In terms of physical ability, is he on par with Changmin? His situational judgment seems good too.”

Changmin was someone Junseong had wanted as an ally.

A member of the 707 Special Forces, Changmin’s physical abilities rivaled those of Dujae, a veteran bodyguard Junseong had met. From conversations over several loops, Changmin seemed sharp and just, which Junseong liked. Though Junseong had given up trying to save him.

Ki-hyuk had similar impressive physical ability, expertly handling sudden zombie attacks without flinching, showing quick situational judgment, and memorizing this long route instantly.

He was practically a cheat-level character.

But Junseong didn’t easily trust or rely on even the most capable people.

So, even if it meant wasting this loop, he resolved to thoroughly understand this new character.

Day 3.

Day 4.

Day 5.

Finally, on the sixth day of the zombie outbreak.

“No, Junseong!”

For the first time, Junseong saw Ki-hyuk’s face harden. A flash of despair crossed the face that had always been relaxed and bright.

A crunching sound of flesh being bitten rang out.

It was so vivid that Junseong thought it was his shoulder and shut his eyes tightly.

But after hearing a faint groan, he realized he was unharmed.

Ki-hyuk, who had rushed over and pulled Junseong into his arms, had a bloodied zombie head clamped onto his shoulder. The zombie, without arms, had charged and buried its face in his shoulder, utterly repulsive.

“Ki-hyuk hyung!”

Junseong’s eyes widened as he swung his dagger at the zombie biting Ki-hyuk’s shoulder. The zombie, stabbed in the head, let out a short shriek and fell back.

Kweeeek-!

Kyaaak!

Zombies poured out from all over the building toward Ki-hyuk and Junseong. Seeing them, Junseong swallowed hard.

“Is this loop over here?”

They stood in the lobby of a tall building.

While tracking the first report of a riot in Inhan City and estimating its location, they had entered this building to escape zombies that suddenly poured out from somewhere. The lobby had seemed empty, but now zombies roamed every unseen path and crevice.

As Junseong felt resigned, Ki-hyuk suddenly grabbed his arm and ran.

Ki-hyuk led Junseong to the elevator. Fortunately, the building’s electricity was working, and the elevator functioned.

While the elevator descended from a high floor, Ki-hyuk shielded Junseong with his body, fighting off zombies. Bl00d from his shoulder soaked his arm as a zombie’s hard teeth sank into it, and flesh was brutally torn from his wrist as he swung the dagger. The tattered coat couldn’t hide his skin as zombies ravenously devoured it.

Watching Ki-hyuk being savagely eaten, Junseong, tucked between his back and the elevator door, shook his head.

“Move, hyung! Doesn’t it hurt?!”

“Ugh… it does hurt.”

Even while answering, Ki-hyuk swung the dagger he still held, felling a zombie. But his arm was bitten, and he dropped the dagger.

Junseong knew Ki-hyuk couldn’t properly dodge or block while protecting him. He saw Ki-hyuk offer his arm to a zombie aiming for Junseong’s head.

It was hard to comprehend.

By the sixth day, Junseong and Ki-hyuk had grown somewhat close, but not enough for Ki-hyuk to sacrifice himself like this.

Unlike Junseong, who could restart if he died and felt no pain, Ki-hyuk had no such ability.

Why would he so casually offer his “one life” for a mere survivor he’d just met?

Ding-

The elevator’s arrival sound rang as the tightly closed doors opened. Ki-hyuk pushed Junseong inside with a bl00d-soaked hand, then blocked the entrance with his body, facing the zombies.

Coughing, Ki-hyuk spat bl00d. Seeing his bl00d drip heavily, Junseong trembled inside the elevator.

“Hyung… why me…?”

A fragment of an incomprehensible question slipped from Junseong’s lips.

Ki-hyuk’s bl00d-stained lips moved.

“I…”

With countless zombies at his back, Ki-hyuk smiled at Junseong.

“I… don’t want to see you die ‘again’…”

Through the closing elevator doors, Junseong saw Ki-hyuk’s bl00d-covered eyes.

Alone in the elevator.

Junseong, who had collapsed and hung his head, slowly raised his hand.

The dagger Ki-hyuk had given him plunged deeply into his slender neck without hesitation.