ZFS Chapter 24

Tae Yujun asked in surprise. He had never dealt with anyone in that line of work, nor had he ever spoken to one. Now that he thought about it, the man’s equipment did seem rather unusual.

 

“I usually keep it a secret, but given the current situation, there’s no reason to hide it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I’ll tell you what I can.”

 

“Do you have any information about the Han River bridges?”

 

Won Hyuk, who had been standing by the window, turned around. Behind him stretched the pitch-black expanse of Wonhyo Bridge, lifeless without the usual car lights or dazzling illumination.

 

“Han River bridges… Yes, I think I can find out. Which direction are you heading?”

 

“We’re on our way to Yeouido. We were about to take Wonhyo Bridge from here when we spotted something unusual—you.”

 

At Won Hyuk’s words, the man responded urgently.

 

“You can’t take Wonhyo Bridge. Explosives have been planted there.”

 

“What?”

 

“Explosives?”

 

Won Hyuk and Tae Yujun both turned to the man, startled by the unexpected information.

 

“It’ll be on the news tomorrow morning, but Wonhyo Bridge, Hangang Bridge, Dongjak Bridge, Jamsu Bridge, Hannam Bridge… and Dongho Bridge. Every bridge over the Han River that we know of will be completely destroyed at midnight tonight. That’s why they’ve been restricting traffic between Gangnam and Gangbuk for the past few days.”

 

“What are you saying? Explain in more detail.”

 

If the Han River bridges were severed, wouldn’t that mean Gangbuk and Gangnam would be permanently cut off from each other? Tae Yujun’s hands trembled slightly.

 

They had come all this way, but if there was no way to cross the Han River, everything would be in vain. Seeing the disappointment on Tae Yujun’s face, the man quickly added,

 

“There’s one place left where you can still cross—Jamsil Bridge. The government decided to leave it intact so that rescue teams can use it later.”

 

“Jamsil…?”

 

Tae Yujun quickly lifted his head. From Yongsan, Jamsil was by no means close. Even under normal conditions, it would take over 20 minutes by car without traffic and nearly an hour by public transportation.

 

“Yes. If you need to get to Yeouido, you won’t be able to use Mapo Bridge, Wonhyo Bridge, or any of the others. You’ll have no choice but to go to Jamsil. From there, you’ll have to cross into Gangnam and then make your way across Seoul again to Yeouido.”

 

“Looks like we’ll have to circle around Seoul clockwise. I don’t see any other way.”

 

Won Hyuk muttered, furrowing his brow. Tae Yujun felt dizzy. If they hadn’t saved this young man, they might have unknowingly driven straight into the bridge explosion.

 

A chill ran down his spine as the weight of reality settled in. Shivering slightly, he rubbed his arms.

 

“Father, we need to map out our route properly.”

 

“…That seems to be the case.”

 

“Oppa, I’ve packed everything.”

 

While the three men were talking, Hyoyeong limped out of a room. Her backpack was stuffed full, making it quite bulky.

 

“Then let’s go.”

 

Won Hyuk took the lead, with the siblings following behind and Tae Yujun at the rear. The four of them carefully exited through the front door. Tae Yujun and Changyeong supported Hyoyeong as they descended the stairs.

 

Once outside, they scanned their surroundings and exchanged silent glances. Won Hyuk got into the driver’s seat, and by unanimous decision, Hyoyeong sat in the passenger seat.

 

Tae Yujun and Changyeong climbed into the truck’s cargo bed and sat down. With a jolt, the truck started moving, gliding through the dark streets.

 

---

 

Driving took less than ten minutes before they arrived in front of Sinyongsan Station. Parking the truck in a secluded spot, the four of them crossed the street. Tae Yujun and Won Hyuk covered Changyeong as he carried his younger sister.

 

Sinyongsan Station, with all its lights turned off, exuded an eerie atmosphere. Once one of Seoul’s busiest stations, bustling with people, it now lay abandoned. Even the sign displaying the station’s name remained unlit.

 

Scattered across the station plaza were bodies—whether human corpses or zombies, it was impossible to tell. Yujun turned his head away, refusing to look.

 

“Over there—those corporate buildings are all connected through an underground passage. There’s a shopping mall in the middle, and the subway is linked too. The whole structure is like a spiderweb. Right now, they’re using it as a bunker with fire shutters closed.”

 

According to Changyeong, the Sinyongsan Bunker was the largest in the area and had excellent accessibility. That meant anyone could enter easily from the surrounding corporate and high-rise buildings. But, as he added, that also made it vulnerable to zombie invasions.

 

“Right. That makes sense… Let’s try accessing it through the subway station over there.”

 

Tae Yujun spotted the entrance to Line 4’s subway. Naturally, the escalator leading underground was out of service, so they opted for the stairs instead.

 

Changyeong, thin and frail, struggled to carry his younger sister on his back, sweat streaming down his face.

 

“I’ll carry her.”

 

Unable to watch any longer, Tae Yujun intervened.

 

“No, I can do it.”

 

The two locked eyes in a brief standoff—until Won Hyuk, looking back at them, nonchalantly spoke.

 

“If we want to move quickly, it’d be most efficient if I carried her.”

 

“You’re saying you’ll carry her, Brother?”

 

“Just hold my stuff. I’ve only got two hands.”

 

Tae Yujun and Changyeong exchanged glances before nodding. Among them, Won Hyuk was clearly the strongest.

 

In the end, Won Hyuk carried Hyoyeong while the other two took on the role of porters. Moving as a tight unit, they entered the station. Since the subway station had originally been part of a commercial shopping complex, its scale was comparable to that of a train station.

 

Where’s the bunker entrance? This place is too complicated.

 

Tae Yujun was just about to ask Changyeong for details when Won Hyuk suddenly halted.

 

Then, in a barely audible whisper, he made a shush sound.

 

Tae Yujun instinctively froze, focusing on Won Hyuk’s movements. Soon, Won Hyuk lifted his gaze toward the ceiling. The others followed suit—what they saw nearly made Yujun gasp.

 

Zombies hung from the concrete beams crisscrossing the high ceiling. Dangling upside down, they slept. And they weren’t few in number. A quick count showed at least twenty of them.

 

Won Hyuk glanced back at the group, locking eyes with them before giving a slight nod—a silent command to stay quiet.

 

If we had sent just the siblings in, it would’ve been disastrous. A hassle, but it’s a relief we came together.

 

Suppressing a sigh of relief, Tae Yujun slowed his steps.

 

“But the bunker entrance…”

 

A tense mood settled over them. The fire shutter leading to the subway station’s central shopping area was firmly shut. Tae Yujun approached and examined it, but it wouldn’t budge—likely lowered and locked automatically. No matter how he looked at it, there was no way to lift it by hand.

 

“The bunker must be on the other side of the shutter, but… how do we get in?”

 

Tae Yujun mentally mapped out the underground complex. It was said to have four buildings standing at the corners like pillars, with restaurants and even a hospital in the center. That meant people would naturally be gathered in the middle rather than inside each building.

 

“If they shut the shutters to block zombies, then wouldn’t that mean we can’t get in either?”

 

Won Hyuk’s remark left the group speechless. It was a plausible scenario.

 

“Wait a moment. I’ll check if there’s another entrance. There has to be a way people are getting in and out.”

 

Changyeong pulled a laptop from his backpack. Using his phone’s data, he scoured various websites for information while Won Hyuk and Yujun remained on guard.

 

“Ah… There might be one possible entrance, but it’s a bit of a walk. We entered through Subway Exit 2, right? Instead of here, we can reach the underground mall through the escalator at the mixed-use apartment complex across the street.”

 

“Really? How far is that?”

 

“If we move carefully, about ten minutes.”

 

Changyeong cautiously responded to Tae Yujun’s question.

 

With no other options, they had no choice but to abandon their initial entry plan and return to the surface.

 

Just as they were about to head for the stairs—

 

Footsteps echoed from their left.

 

Tae Yujun instinctively turned toward the sound. In the pitch-black darkness, six or seven zombies staggered toward them.

 

“Z-Zombies.”

 

“Kyaaah!”

 

Hyoyeong let out a shriek at the sight of the approaching horde. Whether spurred by her scream or something else, the zombies quickened their pace, straightening their hunched bodies and raking the air with clawed hands.

 

“F-Father! We have to run!”

 

Panicked and on the verge of tears, Changyeong stepped onto the stairs. Tae Yujun grabbed his arm firmly, whispering.

 

“We can’t escape to the surface. If we go outside, we’ll attract more of them. Even larger swarms will gather.”

 

“We have to take them out.”

 

With one statement from Tae Yujun and another from Won Hyuk, the siblings froze in shock, hands covering their mouths.

 

“First, carry your sister. Stay quiet and don’t move.”

 

Won Hyuk handed Hyoyeong back to her brother. She clung to his clothes tightly, gritting her teeth to suppress any noise.

 

Won Hyuk and Tae Yujun stepped forward protectively—shielding them.