2. Underground Sewer

※ Due to the nature of the genre involving a virtual game, certain standard orthography and phrasing have been intentionally omitted or altered to enhance presentation and immersion. Please keep this in mind when reading.

[Creak, screech, keeeek!]

The ground was slippery, and the further we went, the higher the water level rose. The woman running ahead moved with practiced steps, picking up speed, and Choi Dohyun and I were running after her as fast as we could.

From behind came a hacking, retching noise, followed by the skittering sound of something crawling. The sounds paused for just a moment, and I turned around in alarm. Under the faint beam of the flashlight, I could barely make out one thing—creatures identical to the monster were pouring out of its mouth in clumps.

“Goddamn it.”

They were much smaller than the monster. At most, they resembled mid-sized dogs, but it was still not a welcome sight. Those things, like miniature copies of the monster, were beyond disgusting.

Choi Dohyun, seeing the same thing I did, yelped in fright. The woman in front suddenly veered to the right and shouted.

“To the right! Hurry!”

The sound of dozens of cockroach-like creatures crawling behind us rang loudly. I nearly slipped at the narrow entrance but barely managed to regain my balance and followed behind the woman. A huge wall loomed before us, with water pouring down from above.

The woman quickly climbed the ladder installed at the far right. The creaking sound pierced sharply into my ears. While I briefly worried whether the ladder might break, I heard a loud crash as the monster tried to force its way through the narrow entrance.

Maybe it couldn’t get in here? I felt a slight sense of relief—until I saw much smaller monsters crawling through the gap at alarming speed. I cursed under my breath.

“This is insane.”

I came to a sudden stop and turned around. If we went up like this, someone was bound to get hurt. Thinking that someone had to at least hold those things back, I raised my gun.

But before I could pull the trigger, someone roughly yanked me by the shoulder. Off balance from the unexpected force, I staggered and fell, and Choi Dohyun stepped in front of me with a grin. He casually pulled out a grenade and removed the safety pin.

It was madness. Burning down the house to kill a few ants—there was no other way to describe it. I clenched my jaw to keep from swearing and reached out in haste. Without even a moment’s hesitation, he tossed the grenade, and I, imagining the worst, grabbed his arm and pulled him into my arms.

Either this place would collapse, or we’d get caught in the explosion. Bracing for impact, I buried his head in my chest and curled up.

“Hyung!”

With Choi Dohyun’s voice came a loud, violent explosion. I braced for the searing pain that would surely follow, but nothing came. Only the soft trickle of water flowing along the ground echoed peacefully.

“It’s okay, hyung. I think they’re all dead.”

I had held him so tightly that his voice came out muffled against my chest. I slowly lifted my head. I looked around in a hurry, but all I saw were the scattered bits of the monsters’ flesh. A grenade had exploded in such a confined space, yet the walls and ceiling were completely untouched.

Only the area where the monsters had gathered showed signs of scorching—no cracks, no damage anywhere else. Even the huge monster that had been trying to squeeze through was now belly-up, its limbs convulsing as it died.

“…”

I slowly got to my feet, breathing heavily, and approached the place where the monster’s corpse lay. Soon, even the convulsions stopped, and it collapsed like a pile of meat. The stench of burnt flesh was overwhelming. Do grenades normally explode like this?

No, that couldn’t be. We just got lucky. That was the only way to put it.

I absentmindedly nudged the monster’s corpse with my foot and clenched my teeth. A chill ran down my spine. I heard Choi Dohyun’s cautious voice behind me.

“Hyung? Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

We were lucky this time… but I had a bad feeling this madness would continue. I couldn’t shake the sense that something was wrong.

Choi Dohyun came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. Just what kind of confidence led him to make a choice like that? His reckless actions left me speechless, and all that came out of my mouth was a cold voice.

“Choi Dohyun.”

I felt anger boiling up, but I pushed it down. Choi Dohyun, startled by my voice, flinched and glanced at me nervously. I silently turned my head and stared at him—then looked away when I heard a sound from above and looked up at the woman.

“Are all the monsters dead?”

“Yes, didn’t you hear the explosion?”

“I did. That’s why I’m still here. Get up here, unless you’re planning to spend a steamy night with them.”

“I’ll be right up.”

The woman stared down at me briefly, then pulled her head back. I headed straight for the ladder, and the flustered Choi Dohyun rushed to my side, speaking quickly.

“Are you mad?”

“Not at you, Choi Dohyun.”

He didn’t respond. His silence made it obvious he didn’t believe me, and I let out a deep sigh as I climbed the ladder.

Sure, the situation was dangerous—but a grenade? That was overkill. Then again, even without it, someone probably would’ve ended up badly hurt or dead. Unable to vent my misplaced anger, I just kept it bottled up inside.

“Be careful climbing up. The floor’s really slippery.”

Following the woman’s guidance, I carefully stepped up. The stench of stagnant water and rot was even worse than below, but at least there was solid ground here. It looked like a decent enough place to catch our breath.

Only once she confirmed Choi Dohyun had made it up too did the woman let out a sigh and plop down on the floor. We were both worn out, so we sat down beside her. The space was tight, but not too bad for a quick rest.

I raised the flashlight and gave the area a quick sweep. It looked fairly ordinary.

“Still, it’s lucky you had a gun and grenade with you. We… well, I only have this.”

As if cracking a lighthearted joke, the woman grinned and gestured to the hammer beside her. Choi Dohyun gave an awkward chuckle, and I, after a moment of silent listening, finally spoke.

“Seems like we can properly introduce ourselves now. I’m Ma Kanghyuk.”

“I’m Choi Dohyun.”

Right after me, Choi Dohyun promptly gave his name. The woman looked surprised, as if just now realizing we didn’t even know each other’s names, then gave a short laugh. Smiling, she reached out her hands to both of us.

“Seo Hwa. Yoon Seo Hwa.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Her hands bounced lightly up and down. Despite everything, both Choi Dohyun and Yoon Seo Hwa were smiling brightly. Maybe it was exactly because of the situation that laughter came more easily.

I let go of her hand and massaged my sore shoulder.

“By the way, where have you been staying?”

“If you go a bit further in, there’s a spot. It’s actually kind of cozy.”

“Then while we’re resting, could you tell us more about the zombies you mentioned earlier?”

At my question, the smile faded from Yoon Seo Hwa’s face. I silently waited, watching her, and Choi Dohyun absently tapped the floor while staring into space.

“They’re different from the usual zombies.”

“Besides mimicking speech, do they have any other traits?”

“They don’t have legs. Most of them crawl using their arms and stay within specific areas.”

“So they’re slow?”

“No, not exactly…”

She trailed off. Her expression darkened as she looked down at the ground, and a heavy sigh escaped her lips. It felt like the ground might collapse under her. I found myself glancing around again, half-worried zombies might be nearby—but it was quiet.

“I don’t know if I’d say they’re slow. Some of them are. But…”

“…”

“The ones that killed the people I was with were fast. They could crawl on the ceiling or through water, like bugs.”

It was horrifying just to hear. Having recently seen that spider-like monster, the thought of it made my stomach churn. I grimaced, and Choi Dohyun, who seemed to have a weak stomach, already looked like he was going to throw up.

She nodded as if she understood and stood up.

“So be careful. If you’ve rested enough, shall we go?”

With a playful tone, Yoon Seo Hwa waved us along and walked ahead. I got to my feet and followed her. She marched ahead with big strides, then suddenly stopped in her tracks.

A strange chill ran down my spine. I raised the flashlight and scanned the surroundings—nothing.

“Are you alright?”

Worried, I gently tapped her shoulder and asked, but Yoon Seo Hwa didn’t move an inch.

“Yoon Seo Hwa?”

I cautiously called her name. When I grabbed her shoulder and turned her toward me, she simply stared at me blankly. Her eyes blinked slowly, and I could hear the sound of her steady breathing—but that was all.

I quickly pulled my hand back and stepped away. She looked up at me, then turned her head forward again. Like a doll stuck in place, her eyes were lifeless.

I turned around and looked at Choi Dohyun. He was still sitting where he’d been, poking the air with his finger and staring into nothing. After glancing between the two of them, I headed straight for Choi Dohyun.

I heard a mumble, like he was talking to himself, focused on something unseen.

“This is weird… what’s the baseline here? Is… impossible? I can’t even test it…”

“…”

“For now, hyung’s… off… the degree is too… why…”

“…Choi Dohyun?”

As I reached his side and placed a hand on his shoulder, a spark flew in front of my eyes. There was a loud pop, and I instinctively pulled back. The view in front of me warped, like the world had twisted. For a moment, it felt like everything had frozen. A strange haze dimmed my vision, like a thin veil had fallen over my eyes.

＜Se%&@# Po@!^

$#i&%@ Hap^!+_＞
＜$?＞!gakhan

＜^$bal“&gt＞
＜&#%! 10%＞
＜;99% jin&>

---

)(@# Remove“?＞:Heng@#!da.＞

Red text flashed vividly before my eyes, gleaming for a brief moment before vanishing.

Gasping, I sucked in a sharp breath and stumbled back several steps. Only then did Choi Dohyun, who had been staring into space, turn his head to look at me, then at Yoon Seo Hwa in the distance.

“Sorry. I was lost in thought.”

“Come on. You’ll feel much better if you rest for a bit.”

Yoon Seo Hwa’s voice came from just behind me, light and tinged with laughter. Choi Dohyun got up and lightly tapped my arm as he passed, walking ahead.

Stiffly, I forced my legs to move and turned my body. Yoon Seo Hwa, who had just been staring straight ahead moments ago, was now glancing back at us, waving her hand as if urging us to hurry.

I tightened my grip on the gun clenched in my hand, watching the two of them silently. Maybe because I was standing so still, both Choi Dohyun and Yoon Seo Hwa looked at me with puzzled expressions.

Choi Dohyun gave her a quick side glance, then scurried up beside me and gently grabbed my arm, whispering close to my ear.

“Are you worried she might be a bad person? It’s okay. She’s a good person.”

“…It’s not because of that.”

“Then what is it?”

I shut my mouth. What was I supposed to say? That just now, she stood completely still like a doll? That when I touched you, weird things appeared in front of my eyes? All things that would make me sound insane. I shook my head. I didn’t want to be misunderstood as crazy, but more than that, I had the feeling I shouldn’t say it at all.

Just like I’ve always felt.

---

Just as Yoon Seo Hwa had said, it didn’t take long before we reached the place she’d been staying. Surprisingly, there was a separate room.

When I stepped into the space marked “Mechanical Room,” I realized it was more comfortable than I’d expected. It was about the size of a studio apartment, and clean enough that we could probably rest here for a day. Of course, if we wasted too much time, we might not make it to the train station—so we still had to move quickly.

“All this is food?”

The moment we entered, Choi Dohyun, who had been staring at a sheet of white A4 paper on the desk, set it down and poked at the snacks and ramen piled on top.

“Yes. If you go a bit further up from here, things fall down along with the water from a sloped path.”

“You never thought of going out through that hole?”

“I did. I tried several times already… but unfortunately, that place is where the mimic zombies are.”

With nothing but an old hammer to defend herself, it made sense that Yoon Seo Hwa hadn’t dared to go that way. Choi Dohyun nodded and said we’d probably have to head there, and she looked hesitant for a moment—then seemed to accept it after seeing the guns we carried.

“I know I should’ve said this earlier, but we’re heading to the train station.”

“If you’re asking whether I’ll come with you, of course I will. I’m so sick of this place.”

“Will you be alright?”

“What’s there not to be alright about?”

She had a point. Choi Dohyun nodded as if it were obvious and began rummaging around the mechanical room. He opened drawers, peeked into boxes. Eventually, he pulled out a backpack a bit larger than the one he was wearing and turned to her with a bright grin.

“Is it okay if I take this?”

“Oh, yes. It’s fine. I have one too.”

“Awesome,” he said, voice full of excitement over just a backpack. While he sorted his things into the new, larger bag, I also checked through my own supplies.

I had enough spare magazines, and the food and medical supplies were still in good condition. We should be able to make it to the train station just fine—as long as nothing major went wrong.