DP Episode 127

Episode 127

Bang! Bang!

Gunfire and monstrous shrieks intermingled in the chaos of the final gate.

The construction site, intended to be a towering landmark with a sprawling complex surrounding the main tower, was now a battleground. A monstrous entity with sprawling tentacles consumed the structures, crumpling them like paper.

―Main tower collapse imminent. Evacuate immediately.
―Support required at Shopping Center, Zone A!

“I’m on it,” came the dry reply from Lieutenant Park Min-gun. Bang! With precise aim, he shot down one of the winged anomalies flapping its slimy appendages.

The creatures, first identified in India and named “Vetala,” were a variant of zombie-like anomalies. Unlike ghouls, they had wings, albeit not strong enough for sustained flight, and a troublesome tendency to aim for people’s heads.

Bang! Bang!

Min-gun fired repeatedly, taking cover behind steel beams amidst the chaos of a site already ravaged by six successive gate anomalies.

Newly hatched parasitic creatures scuttled around, snapping their claw-like heads, scattering viscous fluids. The gate itself continued to expand, bellowing sounds like tearing muscle or tortured beasts, and disgorging ever-larger monsters.

“Ah, damn it!”

Min-gun spotted a soldier flailing as a Vetala latched onto their head. Taking careful aim, he fired.

Bang!

The creature screeched, writhing as it fell to the ground, its wings mangled.

The soldier turned to Min-gun, nodding in gratitude.

“Man, Lieutenant Ji has a real temper, doesn’t he?”

Min-gun froze mid-step, the next shot from his rifle ending the Vetala with a precise headshot. His gaze darkened as he turned toward the soldier.

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Just kidding, man.”

The soldier replied with an uneasy laugh, slapping Min-gun’s shoulder.

The joke was an amalgam of grim associations: Lieutenant Ji = No-Name, No-Name = Gate, Gate = Monsters. It reflected a careless, almost habitual mindset among those battling the horrors of the gates.

“God… what a shitty joke.”

Min-gun muttered, brushing past the soldier with disdain. As if the situation wasn’t already miserable, now he had to listen to this crap? For a moment, he wanted to unload his weapon on the soldier rather than the monsters.

Min-gun had joined the operation despite disagreeing with Captain Jin Cheong-oh’s decision to abstain, but his heart wasn’t at ease. He suspected the other seven SAU members on the field felt the same—after all, Seo-joon was their comrade before he was a No-Name.

A deafening noise erupted overhead, the sound of helicopter rotors cutting through the cacophony. The wind stirred up dust, obscuring Min-gun’s vision.

“What the…?”

He shielded his face, trying to see past the haze.

―Whose helicopter is that?
―Do we have any prior intel on this?
―Identify the dispatch source!
―What the hell is that damn helicopter doing?

Confusion rippled through the comms as the helicopter landed in the center of the chaotic site. Its rotors tore through the air, shredding nearby Vetalas and splattering the area with their blue blood.

Min-gun squinted, his eyes widening as he recognized the figure stepping out of the helicopter, gun in hand, immediately engaging the surrounding anomalies. Even with the helmet obscuring their face, there was no mistaking the form of his team leader.

“Captain Jin…”

So he joined after all?

Min-gun’s shock grew as Yeong-gyo and Colonel Jin stepped off the helicopter behind Cheong-oh. But his jaw dropped when he saw the last passenger—a figure jumping down with determination.

Baby?

The rookie guide he’d once watched over like a hawk during missions, Cha Yeon-woo, had just leapt onto the battlefield.

Min-gun pushed through the chaos, shooting down anomalies as he made his way toward them.

“Captain Jin!”

“…Oh, hey, Baldy,” Cheong-oh greeted with a weary expression.

“Are you insane? Why is Baby here?”

“It’s not…”

Cheong-oh hesitated, failing to finish his sentence as Yeon-woo brushed past him without a word. Bang! Bang! Yeon-woo’s shots found their marks, taking down scuttling parasites with precision. His marksmanship had improved dramatically since their time dealing with ghouls at MyPark Mall.

As Yeon-woo moved unwaveringly toward the main tower, Min-gun turned to Cheong-oh, his expression incredulous.

“What’s he doing?”

“Guiding Lieutenant Ji,” Cheong-oh replied.

Min-gun’s face twisted in disbelief.

“Guiding what? That?”

He jabbed a finger toward the tower, now entangled in writhing black organic matter, its structure grotesquely warped.

Seo-joon had already lost control. He wasn’t “Lieutenant Ji” anymore—just a gate spewing endless monstrosities.

“Captain Jin…”

Min-gun exhaled shakily, his anger boiling over.

“I don’t care if he’s your friend. This isn’t right. It’s selfish! Are you trying to send Baby to his death too?”

He grabbed Cheong-oh by the collar, his voice rising.

“You’re shoving an innocent kid into this hellhole? What kind of person does that make you?”

“Let go! Baby knows exactly what he’s doing! He’s not some idiot being pushed around!”

Yeong-gyo wrenched Min-gun off Cheong-oh, shouting, “If you’re not going to help, then shut up and stay out of it!”

Min-gun stepped back, stunned. He looked over at Hee-min and Song-hee, who were cautiously descending from the helicopter.

“What the hell is going on…” he muttered, his voice hollow.

✽✽✽

Bang! Bang!

The crackle of gunfire and desperate screams filled the chaotic scene at the final gate, a hellish battleground surrounding the crumbling TH Megatower.

―Who are the additional personnel?
―Isn’t that SAU’s Captain Jin?
―The main tower is off-limits! Who are these idiots disrupting the operation?
―Heading to verify Ghost’s identity.

In the flurry of frantic radio chatter, the steady voice of SAU Lieutenant Jang Su-ho, codenamed “Ghost,” cut through the noise.

Bang! Bang! Park Min-gun found himself instinctively covering Yeon-woo, Cheong-oh, and Yeong-gyo, wondering how things had devolved into such a mess.

Screech! Bang!

So… Yeon-woo is supposed to guide Lieutenant Ji, who is now a full-blown anomaly?

Bang! Crunch!

…How exactly was he planning to “guide” him?

What was he going to do—have sex with the gate?

“You idiots! This area is restricted—get the hell out of here!”

Bang! Without hesitation, Cheong-oh pointed his rifle at a soldier blocking their way.

“Wait, aren’t you Jin Cheong-oh?”

“Move. We don’t have time,” Cheong-oh barked.

“You SAU bastards… what is this? Some kind of suicide mission for your so-called convictions?”

Suicide isn’t for us—it’s for Yeon-woo, Min-gun thought grimly, scanning the soldiers encircling them.

Bang! The sharp crack of a gunshot interrupted the stand-off. Yeon-woo had fired, his bullet finding its mark—not in a soldier, but in an anomaly lunging toward them from behind.

“Move,” Yeon-woo said coldly.

“You crazy son of a—do you realize that’s attempted murder?”

The soldier spat, reeling in shock, mistaking the shot as directed at him.

“Disrupting the operation! Disobeying orders! Do you want to be executed on the spot, you little—”

“Go ahead, try,” came a new voice.

The click of a loaded pistol echoed as SAU’s Lieutenant Kang Chae-won pressed her gun against the man’s helmet. Having arrived late after receiving Yeong-gyo’s message, she was still wearing only partial combat gear.

“Fire even one shot at Baby, and I’ll blow your damn head off.”

The air grew thick with tension, the gunfire around them seeming to fade into a distant background.

“Damn it…” someone muttered.

“I knew this would happen the moment I heard Jin Cheong-oh was here.”

Lieutenant Jang Su-ho, the Blinker, appeared out of nowhere with a resigned sigh, stepping between Min-gun and Yeon-woo.

“So, you need me to drop you inside the main tower, Baby?”

“Yes.”

“But once you’re in, it’s all on you. That place is crawling with anomalies.”

“I’ll manage,” Yeon-woo replied.

“Arrest them!”

A group of soldiers, recognizing Jang Su-ho’s ability, surged forward to seize him. The fragile stand-off shattered, devolving into chaos amidst the rampaging anomalies.

Shoving and grappling, unable to fire at each other without risking friendly fire, the scene descended into a brutal melee. Amidst the pandemonium, Yeon-woo shoved aside a soldier attempting to block him and sprinted toward the tower.

“Baby.”

Min-gun, covering him, suddenly grabbed Yeon-woo by the collar and yanked him close.

“No one here is looking out for you.”

Screech! A Vetala swooped toward Min-gun’s head, its wings thrashing violently.

“Don’t fool yourself into thinking Jin Cheong-oh is on your side. He’s just using you to save Ji, you idiot!”

Bang! Min-gun fired, hitting the creature squarely, and continued in a desperate tone.

“You’re making the wrong choice! If you go in there, you’ll just die for nothing. Don’t you get it? No one here cares about you—they only care about Ji!”

“I brought them here,” Yeon-woo replied calmly.

“What?”

Bang! A nearby parasite exploded as Yeon-woo shot it cleanly. He lifted his heated barrel and added:

“I don’t need anyone on my side. As long as I have Lieutenant Ji, that’s enough.”

Min-gun stared at him, dumbfounded, as Yeon-woo offered a brief, composed bow.

“Thank you for looking out for me.”

Through the clear visor of Yeon-woo’s mask, their eyes met. Min-gun saw something in the young guide’s blue gaze—something fierce, resolute, and utterly unshakable.

“Baby, let’s go. Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

Jang Su-ho appeared beside them, speaking briskly. Min-gun silently handed Yeon-woo several spare magazines.

In the blink of an eye, Su-ho and Yeon-woo vanished.

“…”

Min-gun stood frozen, watching the spot where they had been. His throat tightened, and he couldn’t summon the words to express the turmoil surging through him.

As Jang Su-ho reappeared alone, having left Yeon-woo inside the tower, Min-gun could only watch in helpless silence, his heart heavy with unspoken grief.