IZSTASL Chapter 10

Staring at his back as he scanned the area, I felt an odd sense of satisfaction.

Dropping him now would be suicide, but just knowing that I could kill him in this moment felt good.

That bastard is just a person too.

Just like anyone else, if he got bitten, he’d die.

After a long moment of scanning, Yoon Si-chan pulled himself back inside.

He glanced at me once before walking toward the window in front of the TV.

Leaning out again, he hurled the stapler bundle with full force toward the cafeteria on the right.

The metal object hit the ground with a dull thud, bouncing a few times. Almost immediately, excited zombie growls erupted from the left side of the window.

One by one, the zombies that had been lurking out of sight started appearing.

Within moments, their numbers had swelled into dozens, all of them frantically charging toward the right.

“Holy fuck….”

If we had climbed down earlier, we would’ve been so screwed.

I stood there in a daze, watching the scene unfold, when Yoon Si-chan approached.

“Drop it.”

Drop what?

I was about to ask when I realized I was holding the book rope.

“Do I just… throw it down?”

“Lower it as slowly as possible.”

If I screwed up and the rope snapped, that bastard would probably use my intestines as a replacement.

I carefully lowered the book rope out the window.

Pressing the book stacks against the wall, I gradually released my grip, letting them descend inch by inch.

With a soft thud, the end of the book rope touched the ground.

I exhaled in relief and clenched my fists.

Yoon Si-chan, still holding his bat under one arm, placed a foot on the window frame.

“You going down first?”

“Yeah, hold onto that.”

He gestured toward the stack of books secured at the base of the rope.

Only after confirming that I had a firm grip did he move.

Yoon Si-chan twisted his body as he leaned out the window, gripping the frame.

Then, grabbing the book rope, he braced his feet against the building wall and slowly made his way down.

“…This actually works….”

Rip.

The moment I muttered to myself, the tape holding the book stacks together started peeling apart.

Realizing the rope was about to snap, Yoon Si-chan quickly slid down, landing quietly on the ground.

And just as he touched down, the last of the tape gave way.

The book stacks collapsed.

He caught them with both hands, carefully setting them on the ground.

Now all that was left was for him to catch me.

Yoon Si-chan looked up and gestured for me to come down.

Carefully, I placed my foot on the window frame and pulled myself out.

Gripping the shortened book rope, I mimicked his movements, stepping against the wall as I descended.

“Let go.”

As I reached the end of the rope, he whispered.

I released my grip, and he caught me by my dress shirt, steadying me with both hands.

I had been terrified that he’d tell me to figure it out myself and just run off, but thankfully, he actually caught me.

Once he set me down, he adjusted his grip on his baseball bat.

Fuck. We actually did it.

I wanted to scream in victory, but I settled for catching my breath.

Even though we had barely made it, my legs trembled at the sight of the zombies swarming just a short distance away.

Yoon Si-chan also moved cautiously, scanning the area.

Thanks to the stapler distraction, the path to the side alley was clear.

But the real problem was beyond that alley.

It looked like someone had died there, because a massive group of zombies had gathered right in front of the exit.

Looking toward the front gate, I saw the zombies that had been drawn by the speaker earlier—at least dozens of them, completely blocking the way.

We were so screwed.

The alley led to a small gate in the metal fence at the back of the school.

Beyond that was a walking trail and a small stream, with stepping stones leading to a shopping district and the national library.

Compared to the stores near the front gate, the area beyond the stepping stones had far fewer zombies.

The problem was that right in front of the alley exit, the zombies were packed together like a swarm.

Save me, Yoon Si-chan. Please. Use your damn brain.

If anyone could figure out a way to survive, it was him.

I quietly stepped closer to his side, and he stood there, head lowered, deep in thought.

“Hey… what do we do?”

I wanted to curse, but the s sound was sharp, and I was afraid it’d carry too far.

I whispered instead.

Yoon Si-chan turned his gaze to me—and then spat out the dumbest shit I’d ever heard.

“Let’s go to the gym.”

Is he fucking insane?

The gym was on the left side of the field.

To get there, we’d have to go down to the field itself—basically marching straight into a zombie-infested hellhole.

“Fuck.”

There was no point in asking if he was serious.

Those unwavering eyes told me he was.

I let out the curse I had been holding back.

Decided, Yoon Si-chan immediately turned toward the field.

Panicked, I hurried after him.

“Hey, are we really going straight there…?”

“Yeah.”

He planted his baseball bat on the ground, rotating his wrists and ankles, answering like this was just another chore.

The speakers had been blaring from the center of the field, so the zombies were scattered everywhere.

There weren’t too many right in front of the gym, but the moment we set foot in the field, they’d hear us and swarm.

“How are we getting there…?”

There had to be a plan.

There was always a plan with this guy.

Please, for once, just say something that makes sense.

“What else? We just run like hell.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

Has he lost his goddamn mind?

He was seriously suggesting we just sprint straight into a field of zombies with zero plan.

Just casually inviting me to die with him.

I even forgot to keep my voice down, but Yoon Si-chan, still expressionless, responded in his usual calm tone.

“There’s nothing around to throw, and even if there was, this place is too wide for it to make a difference.”

“But fuck, it’s still better than nothing, dumbass. Just throw that.”

I pointed at the baseball bat in his hands.

“If you throw away your weapon, how are you planning to fight when we get inside?”

“We’ll lure the ones in front of the door too, obviously.”

“If you’re gonna throw something, do it to the right. Otherwise, you think those bastards over there will even hear it?”

Yoon Si-chan gestured between the zombies near the gym entrance and the ones swarming the speakers.

The distance was pretty far, so even if he threw something next to the speakers, there was no guarantee the sound would be loud enough to attract them.

I scowled, speechless.

Yoon Si-chan cracked his neck from side to side, loosening up his body, then gripped the bat tightly.

“Let’s go.”

“Wait, fuck, you’re really doing this?”

“We run in ten seconds.”

“Hold on, you crazy fuck….”

He didn’t even hear me.

He had already started counting down on his own.

I hurriedly shook out my wrists and ankles, quickly scanning where to run.

We’d have to go down the stairs next to the bleachers, then sprint in a straight line.

There were seven zombies near the gym entrance.

Fuck, I had no idea if this was even possible.

“Seven. Five, four, three, one.”

“Fucking—!”

Then why the hell even count if you’re gonna do it like that?!

Yoon Si-chan took off running, and I had no choice but to follow, bolting down the stairs.

The zombies nearby immediately snapped their heads toward us.

Within seconds, they twisted their bodies in excitement and lunged forward.

Every zombie on the field turned their heads in unison, their growls growing louder as they charged at full speed.

The gym was way farther than I had thought.

Last time, when we ran to the broadcasting room, it already felt like a long distance, but this was easily twice that.

The zombies on the field—easily ten times more than what we’d seen inside the buildings—screamed in frenzy and rushed toward us.

A zombie lunged at Yoon Si-chan from the front, but he smashed its skull, sending it sprawling into the approaching horde, knocking a few over.

I was so focused on running that I didn’t notice the zombie charging at me from the side until it was almost too late.

It had one of its eyeballs torn out, mouth gaping wide as it lunged at me.

“Holy fuck!”

I was so close to dying.

I veered sharply to the side, and the zombie, having aimed straight for me, missed and toppled over on its own.

Up ahead, three zombies had jumped at Yoon Si-chan.

He took out two in quick succession, then kicked the last one in the stomach, sending it flying back.

The swarm—easily over a hundred zombies—was getting way too close.

The gym was still too far away.

If we fell, we were dead.

I clenched my legs and pushed forward, running as hard as I could to keep up with him.

Then I saw it—

A baseball bat lying on the ground.

It looked exactly like the one Yoon Si-chan had been carrying.

Holy shit, I’m saved.

I quickly snatched it up and sprinted after him.

“Hey! I got one too!”

I shouted proudly beside Yoon Si-chan, who was busy smashing zombie skulls.

“You excited, dumbass?”

“Hell yeah, fuck!”

He let out a dry laugh like he couldn’t believe me, and I answered in the most excited voice possible.

Of course I was excited, you bastard.

You’ve been hoarding all the weapons like a selfish prick.

Feeling a bit more relieved, I kept running—until I saw it.

Up ahead, a basket full of bats had been knocked over.