Damn this fake world!
Promises? What am I supposed to do with them?
I’m just a murderer.
Hyunji, Seonwoo, I’m sorry.
“Murderer?”
The scrawled words on the back of the photograph caught Seonwoo’s attention.
The letters, pressed firmly into the paper, seemed to scream the writer’s tumultuous emotions, as if their presence lingered in the room.
The fragmented sentences offered no clarity, only a chilling sense of dread that sent a shiver down his spine.
It was an unsettling sensation.
“What is this? What does it all mean?”
Seonwoo muttered incoherently, his trembling hands diving into the box and rummaging through its contents.
He wasn’t searching for anything specific.
It was simply a desperate attempt to calm the storm raging inside him.
Eventually, he stopped.
“Ahjussi… Ahjussi…”
The frantic movements stopped as Seonwoo’s eyes fell once more on the photograph lying on the floor.
He picked it up, and without warning, tears streamed down his face.
He couldn’t stop crying.
Strangely, the more he cried, the clearer his mind became.
Seonwoo cried until exhaustion took over and fell into a deep sleep.
Seonwoo woke up tired, rubbing his swollen eyes.
For the first time in what felt like ages, he had a peaceful sleep, and it showed on his face.
“Mmm…”
His body felt relaxed, like soaking in warm water.
Reluctant to leave the comfort of this rare feeling, he rolled over, whining as if someone were there to indulge him.
He didn’t want to get up.
Growl!
But hunger struck mercilessly, forcing him to clutch his stomach and rise with a groan.
“Here we go.”
Stretching with all his might, Seonwoo suddenly paused, scanning the room nervously.
The old box lay open, its contents scattered messily around it.
“So it wasn’t a dream… Of course, it wasn’t.”
Though he wished it were a dream, reality told him otherwise.
“Good morning, Ahjussi. And good morning to you too, Ahjumma.”
Picking up the photograph, Seonwoo smiled brightly.
He wasn’t truly happy, but he tried to accept his reality.
It was a painful yet resilient struggle to move forward.
The sense of responsibility for those who had protected him, the guilt over losing Ahjussi, and the regret for his weakness weighed heavily on him.
But these hardships were shaping him, turning a scared boy into someone stronger.
“I’d better get moving.”
After a quick cleanup, Seonwoo meticulously checked his equipment.
The massive lights, referred to as the city’s twin suns, would only provide safety for so long.
He needed to gather supplies before they completely shut off.
- Ahjussi’s dagger
- A metal pipe
- A crossbow and bolts
- Flares
- A lighter
- A camping flashlight
- A military backpack
- A shopping cart from the mall
Seonwoo prepared everything, recalling the times Ahjussi had guided him.
Yet, one unfamiliar item caught his attention.
“Goggles? Are these really goggles?”
The odd device looked like goggles but seemed more complex.
Since it came from the old box, it was undoubtedly Ahjussi’s, but its purpose was unclear.
“Guess I’ll figure it out by trying it on.”
Beep!
Whirrr!
<Connecting to central system.>
Doooong!
<Scanning retina.> <Verifying user identity.>
Ding!
<User change detected. Rebooting system for new user.>
As the reboot began, numbers and letters scrolled rapidly before Seonwoo’s eyes.
Ding!
<User information updated. Uploading basic data on subterranean city Shilla.>
“Subterranean city?”
Seonwoo tilted his head in confusion.
To him, this place was simply the world. He had no idea he lived in an underground city.
<Reboot complete. Verifying user permissions.> <User permission: Level 1. Functions beyond Level 1 are restricted.> <Unlocking new features based on user permission. Checking new user details.>
- Sample Number: 27374
- Subject: Type C (birth by experimental subjects)
- Gender: Male
- Age: 10
- Rank: 14
- Infectivity: None
- Immunity: None
- Special Attributes: Unknown error detected
<Recent rank growth detected. Rank indicates strength and influences user permissions.>
The influx of messages was overwhelming.
Yet, two truths stood out: he was an experimental subject, and this was indeed a subterranean city.
Though the revelations were shocking, Seonwoo forced himself to remain optimistic.
“So what? The important thing is that my rank improved. Even if I’m still Level 1.”
Seonwoo had already suspected something was different.
After all, hadn’t he pulled the heavy box with ease?
Though he didn’t know why, it was clear he had grown stronger.
“How strong am I now?”
Seonwoo grasped the baseball bat with curious eyes. Taking a deep breath, he firmly held it with both hands and struck upward using his knee.
Crack!
The bat split into two with a dull sound. Seonwoo, startled by his own strength, nearly let out a shout.
“Wow!”
It felt like he had transformed into Superman. He was so thrilled that a hum escaped his lips.
“Alright. Let’s do this on my own.”
After completing all his preparations, Seonwoo ventured out into the streets alone. Despite arming himself thoroughly, his heart pounded with nervousness since it was his first solo expedition.
“Whew. Come on, why am I trembling now?”
He exhaled deeply to steady his breathing. Thus began Seonwoo’s first independent journey.
His destination was the department store he had last visited with the man. It was a nightmarish place he never wanted to revisit, but considering the man had cleared out most of the zombies recently, it was paradoxically safer.
As Seonwoo neared the department store, he spotted a zombie wandering near the entrance. Its skin burned under the intense light from the massive lamps, but it aimlessly staggered forward, oblivious to the pain.
“So, this is the real deal?”
Seonwoo loaded a bolt into his crossbow and aimed at the zombie. Crossbows had always been his responsibility when his uncle was alive, so he was familiar with using them.
Whizz!
Thunk!
“Kiehh!”
The bolt pierced the zombie’s left eye.
It pulled out the bolt, gnawing at its own eyeball as it dangled from the tip.
“Okay! One more shot!”
The second bolt took out the zombie’s remaining eye. Seizing the opportunity, Seonwoo approached from behind with an iron pipe in hand. The blind zombie sniffed the air, its head spinning aimlessly.
Thud!
The iron pipe sank deep into the zombie’s skull. Seonwoo then swung it at the zombie’s knees.
“Lower your height! You’re too tall!”
The zombie’s legs buckled, bringing its head level with Seonwoo. Without hesitation, Seonwoo struck its head with all his might.
Splat!
The zombie’s head shattered, splattering blood everywhere. Seonwoo was drenched in it.
“Ugh, disgusting!”
The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. Spitting on the ground, he quickly wiped his face clean.
Rustle!
While Seonwoo was cleaning himself, the zombie’s body rapidly dried and crumbled to dust. It was always fascinating to witness—the blood would dry out within minutes of a zombie’s death, reducing the body to fragments. Kicking the remains aside, Seonwoo headed toward the grocery section.
Hiss! Crackle!
He lit a flare and threw it into the store.
Clatter, clatter!
Whoosh!
The flare illuminated the area, revealing a trio of zombies who shrieked as their bodies began to burn under the intense light.
“Kiehh!”
“Kraaah!”
“Grrr!”
Seonwoo focused on the sounds.
“One, two, three. Three in total.”
It was his uncle’s usual method. Before entering a target area, he would always toss in a flare to count the zombies and flush out any hiding. The disorientation the light caused was a bonus.
Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!
Seonwoo’s bolts flew swiftly, hitting the zombies’ heads. One dropped instantly, pierced cleanly through the skull.
Thud, thud, smash!
Seonwoo dashed in and stomped on the fallen zombie’s head, ensuring it was dead. This final blow was another trick he had learned from his uncle.
“Hiyah!”
Slice! Slice!
Drawing his dagger, Seonwoo slashed at the necks of the staggering zombies, severing their heads. The dismembered heads rolled to the ground.
Crunch! Crunch!
Without hesitation, he stomped on the fallen heads, crushing them completely. He couldn’t risk leaving them alive—another principle his uncle had always emphasized.
“Haah… haah…”
A shiver ran through his body, mingled with a strange excitement. For the first time, he had defeated zombies on his own.
Even after returning home, Seonwoo’s adrenaline hadn’t subsided. He stared blankly at the ceiling for a while.
“I did it…”
He murmured softly before drifting into an exhausted sleep. Tears streamed from his closed eyes. Whether they were from regret for not acting sooner or joy from his first victory, he couldn’t tell.
Rustle!
Turning over in his sleep, Sunwoo woke to find the city already enveloped in darkness. Although he hadn’t slept long enough to fully recover, he felt well enough to move. He dragged his tired body into the shower.
Shhhhhh!
The hot water cascaded over him, revitalizing every cell in his body. He stood under the stream for a long time, washing away the blood.
He only finished when the metallic scent had mostly faded.
“Did I get stronger again?”
Buoyed by confidence, Sunwoo glanced at the goggles resting on his desk.
Blink! Blink!
Suddenly, the goggles emitted a green light, signaling some kind of change. Without hesitation, he put them on.
Ding!
<Basic information about the underground city of Shilla has been fully uploaded.>
<Would you like to review the uploaded data?>
