Leon let out a short groan and lifted his heavy eyelids. He was the last one to come out of unconsciousness.
Kim Yu-ri stepped forward with concern and said softly:
"He's blinking… He's okay."
Leon, in a hoarse voice:
"I… Where am I?"
Yuna gestured around with a look full of fear and anger:
"We're in a cage. All of us. They stole our weapons too… We have nothing."
Leon reached into his pocket—but his heart sank. The small piece of fabric from Kim Yu-ri that she had given him was gone.
Before he could speak, the iron door of the room opened with a heavy groan.
Park Woo-jin entered… with a face half-scarred, half-shadowed, and a smile more like a threat than a greeting.
Park Woo-jin:
"You thought I'd just let you go and leave?
No… when you want revenge, why would you run away?"
Ji-hoon shouted:
"You bastard! What have you done to us?!"
Woo-jin laughed quietly, mockingly:
"Nothing… I just formed an alliance. With people like myself."
Kim Yu-ri stepped forward angrily, gripping the cage bars:
"Damn it! What's your problem with us?!"
Park Woo-jin let out a raspy sigh:
"My problem? It's that you brought me to this state.
A half-zombie, half-human. Not fully alive, not fully dead."
Seo-yeon narrowed her eyes:
"If you remember… it was your own stupid suspicions that got you into this mess."
Min-joon stepped forward and said with a heavy frown:
"Someone who doesn't even trust his own shadow…
Sooner or later, he falls into the pit he dug himself."
Park Woo-jin said nothing, only his smile deepened.
Min-joon continued—this time quieter, but sharper than any blade:
When survival and power are at stake… people's true nature is revealed.
That's when someone who trusts blindly…
Drowns sooner than the rest.
**Write the continuation of the story from here in a completely cinematic, emotional, and high-tension manner.**
Park Woo-jin took a few steps closer and pressed his face close to the cage bars. His eyes shone like restless flames; not zombie, not human… something between hell and life.
He took a few more steps forward, bringing his face close to the cold iron bars of the cage. The weak overhead light reflected in his eyes like two restless flames in the darkness; not a zombie, not a human... but something between the fire of hell and a forcibly maintained life. His voice echoed with a grating, agonized tone in the damp space:
"You always thought you were the heroes... but the truth?"
He paused, and his sinister smile deepened. "All of you are just trying to survive. And me? I became something I can't come back from."
He dragged his half-blackened, cracked finger across one of the deep wounds on his face. His skin cracked under his touch like parched earth, emitting an unpleasant sound.
Kim Yu-ri muttered under her breath, her voice trembling with fear and anger:
"Woo-jin... this isn't the way. We weren't your enemies. You're still our Park Woo-jin..."
Woo-jin laughed—a short, bitter, soulless laugh.
"Enemies? No... you were victims. But now?"
His eyes stared into the darkness.
"I've decided to be the hunter."
He slowly pulled his hand out of his coat's inner pocket.
The small, faded piece of fabric from Kim Yu-ri.
That scrap of cloth fluttered gently between Woo-jin's diseased fingers. A symbol of the last lost hope and innocence.
Leon gasped in shock. His whole body tensed. He rose like a wounded tiger, gripping the cage bars so tightly the iron groaned under the pressure:
"Give that to me! That's mine!"
Woo-jin turned. His gaze pierced Leon's chest like a cold dagger.
"Yeah... that's exactly why I kept it. Funny... a strong boy like you, so attached to a scrap of cloth. It shows even heroes have a weak point."
Leon, his eyes blazing, shouted:
"Get lost, you scum! I'll cut it out of your hand myself!"
Woo-jin smirked, revealing his half-darkened teeth, and turned away casually. The clang of heavy metal as the door slammed shut behind him extinguished the last sound of hope.
Complete darkness fell.
Several minutes passed. The absolute, heavy silence was broken only by the sound of deep, pounding breaths. Suddenly, the sound of a key turning came from the hallway. The iron door groaned open again and a man in a guard uniform, with an assault rifle slung across his chest, entered the room.
The guard, in a bored tone:
"Make a wrong move, and I'll blow your heads off. No one is allowed to speak."
The guard strolled towards the cage and tapped the bars with the tip of his boot.
Min-joon suddenly moaned, contorting his face:
"Ah... man... pain... my whole body hurts. Come closer for a second... I'm... dying."
The guard, mockingly:
"I don't care if you have a heart attack. Sit back down."
Min-joon, more urgently, with a calculated tremor in his body:
"No, no, man! It's serious. I really feel terrible. My legs... are going numb. Come look..."
Min-joon's convincing, moaning tone, along with his display of helplessness behind the bars, finally piqued the guard's curiosity and pride.
The guard sneered, thinking this was pure submission, and confidently stepped closer to mock Min-joon. He leaned his head close to the bars.
Min-joon, with a sudden transformation that even made the light flicker, dropped the act. With unimaginable speed, he shot his arm between the bars, grabbed the guard's leather collar, and slammed his head with full force against the horizontal bar of the cage.
The sickening sound of crushing impact and metal rang out in the small space.
The guard didn't get a chance to fire. Before his finger could reach the trigger, Ji-hoon, with the agility of a snake, reached his arm over the top of the cage, yanked the assault rifle (the guard's first shot went wild), and used the rifle itself as a hammer against the guard's head.
The sound of a second shot, this time intentional from Ji-hoon, and then, silence.
They clumsily but with precise coordination dragged the guard's body close to the bars. Min-joon's icy fingers dove into the uniform's pockets. Click! The sound of a metal key in his hand!
He unlocked it. The sound of the lock opening was like the song of freedom.
Min-joon was the first to crawl out. He looked around and saw a large metal locker in the corner of the room, secured with a chain. The smell of gunpowder and clean metal came from it.
Min-joon:
"The weapons! They must be here!"
Urgently and without thinking, he pried off one of the iron cage bars that had been bent from the guard's impact and used it as a crowbar in the locker door's gap. With each effort, the groan of metal and the grunts of the other men intertwined.
Craaaaaack!
The locker's lock shattered with an ear-splitting sound. Inside the locker, their personal weapons, cleaned and ready, gleamed.
Min-joon, breathless but with eyes now shining with hope:
"Take them!"
He quickly recognized the weapons and threw them. Each gun was not just a weapon, but a piece of their identity and their chance to survive:
* The powerful shotgun was tossed to Ji-hoon. Ji-hoon caught it with one hand; the click of its pump being racked in the darkness was a deadly promise.
* The lightweight, fiery TMP went to Jin-ho. A weapon for close-quarters combat and rapid magazine dumps.
* The balanced and precise MP5 went to Leon. He took it like an extension of his arm, the fire of anger replacing the despair in his eyes.
* The high-capacity Tec-9 went to Seo-yeon. For chaos and suppressive fire.
* The rare and sharp Red9 (powerful pistol) for Da-som. She gripped it with both hands, ready for precise shots.
* The automatic Glock 18 for Kim Yu-ri. A fast and violent pistol, reflecting her controlled rage.
* And finally, the reliable, long-range M16 for Yuna. A weapon that would make her the anchor from a distance.
They were no longer victims, no longer captives. They were a team again. The light of hope shone in their eyes, along with the shadow of death and revenge.
Leon, his voice no longer trembling but growling:
"It's time to end this game... Min-joon, what's the escape plan?"
They quietly opened the door.
The sound of clapping echoed in the cold hallway like a hammer blow to their heads.
Everyone froze.
Someone calmly stepped out of the shadows; the red hallway light illuminated only half of his face. He wore a jester's mask, with a wide grin and hollow eyes.
Min-joon said in a dry, heavy voice:
"Who the hell are you…?"
The man tilted his head slightly, as if bowing to an imaginary audience:
"Call me… Keliron.
The Destroyer… the Judge… whatever you like."
He clapped again.
"Good show, Mr. Min-joon. But this is just the prologue."
Min-joon under his breath:
"Don't test my patience…"
But suddenly—
Pooow!
A bullet fired from Da-som's side hit Keliron's mask, sending him flying back with blood and cracks.
He fell to the floor, motionless… for three seconds.
Da-som:
"He was talking too much. We don't have time, we have to—"
Sirens wailed throughout the hallway.
Red lights started flashing.
And from a distance… footsteps. Many. Simultaneous.
Yuna:
"Damn… motrises are getting close!"
But before they could move…
Crunch… crunch… crunch…
The sound of bones grinding. The sound came from behind them.
Keliron—blood gushing from his mask—slowly stood up.
His raspy, deep voice:
"You should have… aimed for the head…"
The skin on his neck began to stretch.
Veins throbbed like ropes under his skin.
The mask's lips tore from one side, revealing his real face beneath—more like the jaw of a predator.
His eyes changed color… from brown to a bright, inhuman yellow.
His shoulder bones protruded.
His muscles bulged bigger and bigger, like an overinflated balloon.
Seo-yeon in horror:
"Oh my god… what… is that?!"
Leon noticed something—
A metal syringe was stuck in the back of Keliron's neck; it glowed with a blue light.
Leon:
"Someone behind him injected him!"
Ji-hoon:
"Only one person would do that…"
And at that very moment, the sound of a calm, sick laugh echoed from above the hallway.
Park Woo-jin—was climbing a metal staircase, twirling a small biological weapon as he retreated.
Park Woo-jin:
"Enjoy being alone… with him.
Goooodbye."
Jin-ho shouted and raised his gun:
"Where do you think you're running, you filthy bastard?!!!"
But Keliron—now transformed into a massive monster—stood between them and the exit.
His roar shook the hallway.
The ground beneath their feet trembled.
Leon:
"Guys…
This time it's no joke.
We only have one chance—to survive!
The monster attacked with speed unimaginable for its size. But before it could reach the group, the first wave of motrises (semi-zombie soldiers) entered from the back hallway with their guns.
The motrises fired, but not at the survivors. They fired at the monster!
Leon quickly realized:
"Damn! They saw an unidentified injected creature too! They identified Keliron as a traitor!"
In a shocking twist, Keliron roared and with his large hand, grabbed the head of the nearest motris and crushed it with a wet sound.
Boom!
Brains and blood splattered on the wall. Now both enemy forces were fighting simultaneously!
Min-joon, with a wild, opportunistic look:
"Guys, this is our chance! Fight back to back!"
Final Scene: Fire and Blood
Crossfire and Diversion:
Yuna fired her M16 into the tunnel full of motrises. Her covering fire was precise and heavy, forcing the soldiers to retreat.
Da-som and Kim Yu-ri (with the Red9 and Glock 18) continuously fired at the heads and torsos of motrises trying to take advantage of the chaos, taking each one down with precision.
Close Combat and Agility:
Ji-hoon ducked low under the monster's attack. His shotgun fired two rounds in quick succession, hitting Keliron's knee.
Bang! Bang!
The monster roared in pain and knelt. This was the golden opportunity.
Jin-ho used this moment, pressed his TMP against Keliron's chest, and unloaded the entire magazine with a scream into the gaps of the tough skin.
. The Final Blow: Leon and Seo-yeon's Tactic:
Keliron, enraged, slammed Jin-ho against the wall.
Leon shouted and ran at full speed, dropping his gun on the ground. Using his physical strength, he got onto the monster's back while it was busy with the remaining motrises and Ji-hoon.
Seo-yeon (with the Tec-9) ran up to Leon and, instead of firing, threw her gun to him.
Leon caught the gun and held it firmly with one hand. With his other hand, he pulled out his army knife, which he always kept hidden, from his sleeve.
Leon, with all his might, drove the knife from under the tough skin, precisely into the connection point of the blue metal syringe.
A small blue explosion! The syringe shattered and its contents hissed out of the monster's body.
The energy keeping the monster alive suddenly vanished. Keliron stopped roaring. His massive muscles began to slacken and shrink. With an empty, terrified look, he reached his hands towards Leon—not to attack, but as if to beg.
Boom!
The monster fell to the ground. The hallway fell silent for a brief moment. Only the sound of heavy breathing and flashing red lights remained.
Yuna, lowering her M16:
"It's over..."
Leon, exhaling, kicked Keliron's body to make sure. He wiped his bloody knife and looked at Min-joon:
"We won the first battle. Now... we have to get out of this hell!"
Min-joon pointed towards the hallway Woo-jin had escaped through:
"That scum ran away. We have to find him. Let's go."
The group, after the deadly battle with Keliron and the first wave of motrises, quickly advanced through the upper floors. The sound of sirens still echoed in the building, but now with a clear goal: reaching ground level.
Min-joon, who was leading the way, anxiously looked at the digital map on his wrist:
"The nearest exit is through the emergency stairs on the third floor east. But the whole building is full of motrises. We have to avoid direct engagements as much as possible."
Leon, readying his MP5. The small cuts on his face stung, but his will was stronger:
"Woo-jin might have escaped using the same route. We have to be careful."
Suddenly, from one of the side doors, a motris burst out with a growl. Its face was half-rotted, its eyes lifeless.
Ji-hoon raised his shotgun and fired two rounds at it without hesitation.
Boom! Boom!
The motris was thrown back by the shotgun's force, but instead of falling, it staggered back to its feet. Large holes smoked in its chest, but it still growled and moved forward.
Jin-ho, seeing the scene, shouted in shock:
"Damn! They're much tougher than before! Two shotgun blasts and it's still alive?!"
Kim Yu-ri emptied her Glock 18 into the motris's head:
"We have to hit their heads! Aim precisely!"
Several bullets hit the motris's skull until it finally fell to the ground with a choked roar and lay still.
Leon, in a serious tone:
"Don't waste your ammo! Supplies are low and they're not like before. Every bullet counts."
Stairs of Death
Upon reaching the emergency stairs, a nightmarish scene lay before them. The stairs were filled with numerous motrises running up and down upon hearing the sirens. The narrow corridors eliminated any chance of maneuvering.
Yuna, raising her M16, fired down the stairs:
"We can't get past them!"
But it was too late. The motrises had noticed them. One group from above and another from below began to swarm.
Min-joon, seeing the situation:
"Team! Target the upper body and head! Empty everything you have and retreat! Jin-ho, cover the rear!"
Jin-ho, with his TMP, unleashed a machine-gun-like barrage at the motrises above. The bullets hit their bodies, stopping them momentarily, but they kept coming.
Kim Yu-ri and Da-som, with their pistols, tried to shoot the motrises in the head. Each precise shot took one down, but there were too many.
Leon and Seo-yeon, using their MP5 and Tec-9, tried to clear a path, but the corridor was tight and motrises appeared from every corner.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ji-hoon fired his shotgun like a madman. The motrises' bodies were shattered under his shells, but every two or three shots only killed one. He shouted and took a step back with each shot.
Suddenly, a dry *click* came from Ji-hoon's shotgun.
"Damn! I'm out!"
Min-joon shouted:
"Retreat! Now!"
The motrises got closer. The stench of decay and blood filled the air.
Leon:
"Yuna, covering fire! We have to go back! Towards the back stairs!"
Yuna tried to provide cover with her M16, but bullets were running out fast. She desperately reloaded a new magazine, but the number of motrises was endless.
Seo-yeon emptied her Tec-9. When her magazine ran out, she smashed a motris in the head with the rifle butt and pushed it aside.
Jin-ho fired the last rounds from his TMP.
"I'm out of ammo!"
Da-som, with a face contorted in anger and despair, fired the last bullet from her Red9 at a motris's head.
"I'm out too!"
The dry *click* of empty weapons in the hallway full of motris growls fell like a hammer blow.
Kim Yu-ri only had a few bullets left in her Glock 18. She fired the last rounds at the motrises and then threw her gun at the one in front to distract it.
Leon, whose MP5 was now also empty, angrily threw his gun at a motris and shouted:
"Run! Upstairs! Anyone who can make it to the surface!"
Min-joon shouted:
"Run! No ammo left! Just run! Now!"
The group, with deep terror but with their last strength, began to flee. Step by step, they ran towards the back stairs, the sound of their panting, the motrises' roars, and their feet pounding the ground being the only sounds heard.
They had lost all their ammunition. Now, all they had were their knives, their fists, and their stubborn will to survive.
The motrises chased them relentlessly from behind, with persistence and resilience like never before.
The group ran at an unbelievable speed, panting heavily, up the back emergency stairs. The heavy footsteps of the motrises from the lower floors chased them like the shadow of death. At any moment, the danger of their enemies getting closer was imminent.
Leon, now only holding his knife, shouted from the front:
"Here, on the left! It should lead to the main parking garage!"
They forced open the heavy garage door and threw themselves into the vast, dark expanse of a large parking lot. The air smelled of burnt oil and gasoline.
Yuna, her breath ragged from exhaustion:
"A car... we have to find a way to escape!"
Min-joon, quickly scanning the surroundings, suddenly had a gleam in his eyes.
At the far end of the garage, under the weak flicker of a fluorescent light, stood a large, bulky vehicle, resembling a military van or a customized armored vehicle. This machine, which seemed outfitted for apocalyptic conditions, was leagues away from any ordinary car.
The vehicle, capable of holding ten people and painted in a matte color, had a heavy, automatic machine gun mounted on top of the cab.
Min-joon, with a shout mixed with excitement and disbelief, ran towards it:
"Go there! Quick! This is our only chance!"
With their last bit of strength, the group reached the vehicle. The rear doors looked solid and bulletproof.
Jin-ho, as he opened the door:
"I hope..."
Luck was on their side. The ignition key was on the dashboard. It was an unparalleled gift in those moments of despair.
Min-joon jumped into the driver's seat. His hand trembled on the switch. Yuri, Seo-yeon, and Da-som quickly threw themselves onto the back seats.
Ji-hoon and Leon were the last to get in.
"Go Min-joon! They're coming!"
From the corridor they had entered, the first motrises crawled out with a roar.
Min-joon, without hesitation, turned the ignition. The diesel engine of the vehicle roared to life with a powerful, hopeful growl, shaking the entire garage.
Min-joon shouted:
"Yuna! Get on top! You're the only one who can work with that!"
Yuna, without question, hoisted herself through the roof hatch towards the heavy-caliber automatic machine gun. She had never used this type of weapon before, but there was no other choice.
Leon looked out the reinforced window of the vehicle:
"Min-joon, step on it!"
Min-joon pressed the gas. The vehicle's tires screeched loudly on the garage floor, and the machine lunged forward with all its weight towards the main garage exit.
**The Fiery Escape**
The first wave of motrises charged at the vehicle.
Yuna placed her hands on the machine gun's grip. She took a deep breath and pulled the trigger.
*Ratatatatatat! Ratatatatatatatatat!*
The barrage from the heavy machine gun turned the garage into hell.
The terrifying sound of the machine gun firing drowned out even the roars of the motrises. The heavy-caliber bullets literally tore the motrises' bodies apart. These monsters, who could withstand two shotgun blasts, were simply disintegrated under this machine gun.
Ji-hoon watched out the window with a savage look:
"Yeah! Kill them! That's our answer to your resilience!"
The vehicle raced at full speed towards the iron garage exit door.
Min-joon shouted:
"Hold on tight! Brace for impact!"
*Crrrrrraaaaaasssssshhhhh!*
The vehicle smashed into the iron door, crumpling it like a sheet of paper. They burst out of the garage and into the night-darkened streets of the city.
Yuna continued firing the machine gun at the motrises emerging from the garage. She had never felt such power in her hands; this was just survival, not war.
Leon looked back. Smoke and dust enveloped the garage. For the first time in a long while, they were breathing. But this wasn't the end.
Leon leaned his head slowly against the window as...
Min-joon put it in reverse and drove swiftly through the streets:
"Now that we have a vehicle, what's the next objective? Where can we find some relative safety and plan our next move?"
---
**Time: 01:00 AM**
The cold asphalt of Ulsan's streets burned under the armored van's bulletproof tires. The city was sunk in the deadly silence of 1 AM, but the sound of the survivors' diesel engine tore through that silence. In the background of the side mirrors, the dim light of street lamps and the relentless, swift movements of the motris herd could be seen. They were chasing the vehicle with unnatural speed and insane endurance.
Min-joon skillfully turned the steering wheel, navigating through abandoned cars and city ruins.
Jin-ho, now in charge of the heavy machine gun, had frozen hands on the grip. He fired carefully to not waste the limited ammunition.
*Ratatatatat! Ratatatatatat!*
The fiery bursts of bullets hit the motrises' bodies, shattering them.
Suddenly, ahead of the vehicle, a concrete wall of an old building exploded with a thunderous sound and a cloud of intense dust.
**Keliron.**
The massive gray monster, with the same broken syringe in his neck and the jester makeup now smeared with blood and sweat, leaped out from the dust with a terrifying roar. He ran towards the road with unbelievable speed, his burly body looking like a moving tank.
Jin-ho, with his mouth agape in shock and anger:
"This bastard is friends with the grim reaper! How is he still alive?!"
Seo-yeon, in a firm and decisive voice from inside the cabin:
"Don't think about it! Send him to hell!"
Jin-ho pulled the trigger. The machine gun started firing again, this time focusing on the massive bulk of Keliron's flesh and bone. The bullets sparked upon hitting the monster's tough skin, but Keliron only stumbled slightly and kept coming.
**Close-quarters Attack and Disaster**
Meanwhile, the motris herd pressed against the vehicle from both sides. They swarmed towards the windows with speed and ferocity.
*Crrrunch! Crrrunch!*
The motrises, by continuously banging their heads and teeth, threatened to shatter the vehicle's sturdy, multi-layered glass.
Leon looked back through the seats. Right behind them, a sharp, old dagger was hanging; likely the previous owner's defensive tool. He grabbed it.
One motris finally managed, through repeated blows, to create a small crack in the side window and thrust its hand inside.
Leon, without hesitation, drove the dagger into the motris's stomach with all his might. The dagger passed through the rotten flesh and clothes with a sickening *schlick* sound. The motris roared and was thrown back.
Leon turned his head. Another motris was pressed against the window on Seo-yeon's side, and the glass was on the verge of shattering at any moment.
Leon, extending the bloody dagger towards Seo-yeon:
"Kill it, Seo-yeon! Quick!"
Seo-yeon, with determined eyes, took the dagger. She didn't wait for the glass to break; with a precise and powerful move, she drove the dagger through the small crack in the glass and into the motris's skull. The motris fell to the ground with its last roar.
At that moment, a terrible sound came from above:
Jin-ho shouted in horror:
"Guys! Bad news! The gun barrel is melted! I can't fire!"
The heat from the continuous firing had caused the machine gun's metal barrel to fail. Their primary defensive weapon was gone.
Leon, looking ahead in horror:
"Min-joon! Go faster!"
*Poooooof!*
A moment later, Keliron appeared from the right with unbelievable speed and rammed the side of the vehicle with his entire massive body.
The sound of the impact was like a truck collision.
The vehicle was thrown off the road. The steering wheel slipped from Min-joon's hands. He struggled to regain control, but the heavy military van, due to the impact force and high speed, tipped onto two wheels.
*Screech!* The sound of crushing metal!
The vehicle, in an uncontrolled spin, went over the sidewalk and crashed into the wall of an abandoned shop.
*Crrrraaaaaasssshhh! Boom!*
The concrete wall of the shop collapsed with a terrible sound. Dust, plaster, and bricks poured into the cabin, and the vehicle came to a halt amidst the shop's ruins.
Silence...
A few seconds later.
Min-joon, shaking his head which had hit the steering wheel:
"Everyone... are you okay?"
Leon, dagger in hand:
"Yeah... just a little dazed."
Fortunately, the shop's ruins and the collapsed rubble had completely blocked the path from which the motris herd was coming. The thick dust provided a brief opportunity to breathe.
But one problem remained.
Keliron, amidst the debris on the road, was approaching their new entrance with rage. He wasn't down.
Da-som, in a trembling voice:
"The key... take out the key, Min-joon! We have to escape from these ruins!"
Min-joon reached for the ignition key, but seeing the vehicle's condition, he froze. The impact was so severe that the vehicle's engine had been dislodged.
Min-joon, with despair:
"No... it can't move anymore. We're stuck!"
Yuri, looking out the broken window:
"He... he's coming!"
Keliron, through the smoke and rubble, was approaching with a roar. The moonlight reflected the dangerous, yellow glow of the monster's eyes in the darkness.
Leon, tightening his grip on the dagger, moved towards the driver's door:
"It's no use. We have to get out on foot. Get ready! This is our last chance!"
Kim Yu-ri, looking out the back window, screamed in horror:
"Aah... aah! They're climbing over the rubble! Zombies!"
Several pairs of yellow, lifeless eyes were visible in the darkness. They were crawling with their claws over the broken walls, trying to pull themselves into the shop.
Min-joon quickly looked at the vehicle's dashboard. Not for the key, but for emergency tools:
"There must be something... something to buy us time! Emergency equipment..."
He reached under the seats and into the first aid kit secured under the driver's seat.
Jin-ho, who was holding a broken table against the entrance, shouted:
"Faster, Min-joon! Keliron could wreck this place any second!"
Min-joon suddenly, in a dry, excited tone:
"Found it! Emergency smoke grenades! Four of them! Probably placed for covering escape on the battlefield!"
He quickly pulled out four small metal grenades.
Min-joon:
"Leon! Ji-hoon! Hold the entrance on both sides with cover. Yuna and Seo-yeon, throw these behind and in front! Simultaneously!"
Yuna and Seo-yeon grabbed the grenades. Their fear had turned into focus.
Min-joon started the countdown:
"Three..."
Keliron, with a massive roar, dragged himself into the middle of the rubble. He was now fully visible.
Min-joon:
"Two... one! Now!"
*Fsssssss! Fsssssss!*
Yuna quickly threw two grenades towards the main entrance opening. Seo-yeon also threw the other two towards the back rubble and broken windows where motrises were infiltrating.
In an instant, the shop disappeared in a thick, grayish-white cloud. The chemical smoke was acrid and pungent, but it completely blocked visibility.
Leon shouted:
"Hold each other's hands! Form a line! Min-joon! What's the exit route?"
Min-joon, still in the driver's seat, pointed towards one of the shop's side walls:
"Behind those broken shelves! There's a small door to the back storage room! It should lead to a side alley!"
The team, in a hurry and in a line: Min-joon (leading), Leon, Seo-yeon, Yuna, Ji-hoon, Jin-ho, Da-som, and Kim Yu-ri, holding each other's hands tightly, crawled towards the storage room door.
In the thick smoke, the sound of Keliron's angry and confused roars could be heard. He was attacking left and right in the white fog but couldn't find a target. The motrises coming from above were also coughing violently from the acrid smoke and were severely disoriented.
Leon, at the back of the line, took down a wandering motris that had gotten close to them with his dagger.
Finally, they reached the storage room door. Ji-hoon opened it and pushed it quickly.
*Creak!*
They exited the shop and ran into a dark, garbage-filled side alley. The alley was narrow and ran alongside a row of buildings, but at least the main motrises couldn't pursue them there.
Min-joon looked back. Thick smoke was still billowing from the ruined shop.
Min-joon:
"Hold your breath! We have to get out of this alley! Without a vehicle... we have to escape on foot!"
The group, with hearts still pounding hard and lungs burning from the smoke, ran towards the darkness of the alley. They had been saved from danger, but now, in the depths of the infected city of Ulsan, they were on foot, without ammunition, vulnerable to being hunted.
---
The group, running at a speed that consumed their last remaining strength, exited the dark, winding alley and entered an upscale residential area on the outskirts of the city. The houses in this area were large, luxurious, and often had high walls.
Min-joon, breathing heavily, pointed to a large two-story mansion enclosed by a stone wall:
"There! It looks tall and secure. We need to find a fixed place before sunrise!"
They cautiously approached the wall. Fortunately, the area's security system and the general power outage meant this neighborhood was less frequented by motrises.
Leon used his dagger to make a small hole in the barbed wire on the wall and quietly climbed over. The others followed him and dropped into the large, verdant garden.
The house ahead was a modern, luxurious villa.
* Large and two-story, with stone and glass architecture.
* Had five separate bedrooms, ideal for rest and keeping watch.
* The backyard was equipped with a large pool with a glass roof – a source of clean water and an excellent observation point.
* And most importantly, it had a seemingly complex security system, indicating its owner was wealthy and had invested in protection.
They entered the villa through the back door, which was protected by a complex digital lock.
Inside, the villa appeared dark but clean and untouched. Expensive furniture, large TVs, and artworks remained.
Leon raised his dagger and ordered the group:
"Seo-yeon, Kim Yu-ri, and Da-som, check the upstairs rooms. Min-joon and Ji-hoon, secure the windows and doors. The rest of you, go rest; we need to assign watch shifts."
**Jin-ho's Ingenuity: Restoring Security**
Jin-ho, who until then had only been involved in physical combat, was now in his element. He went towards a touch control panel on the wall that indicated the security system.
Jin-ho (computer engineer), wiping the touch panel with a cloth:
"Wait! This isn't just a house, it's a fortress. If I can reactivate this Smart-Home security system..."
He looked with interest at the panel's wiring and cables.
Jin-ho, in a focused tone:
"This system works on backup batteries, but it's probably deactivated. If I can access the codes... we can activate the cameras, lock the doors, and maybe... even use the infrared spotlights."
Min-joon, placing broken debris in front of the window:
"How long will it take? We don't have much time. The motrises might pick up our scent soon."
Jin-ho, with a smile born from his expertise:
"They built this for me! If I find a computer or laptop, half an hour max. The weakness of these advanced systems is that for a computer engineer, they're like an open book."
Leon, decisively:
"Good. Jin-ho, go upstairs. Yuna, go with Jin-ho and make sure no one disturbs him. The rest of you, rest. Guard shifts will change every two hours."
**Planning in Silence**
Half an hour later, Jin-ho came down the stairs. A faint green light glowed on the security panel.
Jin-ho, in a quiet but satisfied voice:
"Done. The entire system is under control. The main doors are closed with magnetic locks, the cameras cover the entire perimeter of the house, and I activated the roof spotlights of the pool. Now we can rest easy and, more importantly... think."
The group gathered around a large table in the villa's kitchen. Exhaustion and hunger weighed heavily on all their faces.
Leon, looking at the members:
"Now that we have a secure shelter, we need to determine the final objective. We can't stay here forever. What do you think...?"
---
**Alright, I'll make this scene calm, intimate, with a sense of breathing after death and add some emotional and visual details to complete it.**
**Something that, after all that horror, feels like a moment of weary calm.**
---
**The Scene of Calm After Hell**
Dust still settled on their clothes.
Breaths were still heavy.
Pulses were still racing.
Min-joon, placing his hand on his chest, bent over and groaned:
"I'm just gonna go sleep... my damn heart is racing like crazy. We were all one foot in the grave just now."
No one objected.
They didn't even have the energy to speak.
Everyone went towards the large room at the end of the hallway; the one that was still intact.
Jin-ho, standing by the door, said:
"The security system is active. Sensors are connected.
No one needs to stand guard... it'll alert us if anyone attacks.
Now go to sleep. We're all completely worn out."