2. Heat

There wasn’t a single 61dabeff28 sign of life inside 507952a629 the discount mart.c259cfdcad7f04c9

But from the collapsed 25978f51c0 barricades by the entrance, 38978c3143 and the empty cans 037f515997 and water bottles scattered 0585706ef9 all over the floor, 6c72b6031e it was clear that 689d36c192 people had once gathered 9ba62bb9c4 here.4349e86fe4c1a9e6

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“Could there still dcc3283fa9 be someone left?”68795a0ecf31654c

Though he was technically 5912ff2505 his brother-in-law, Jung-yoon had bea08da77d barely met Hyun-woo before. Their relationship was f8d092787a awkward, but right f4331b7ad0 now, he had de795ce044 no choice but 0f500085ec to rely on 1f96c97673 him.044ef6d2aa02a609

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“There’s no one.”d17d89b9b6bcd5c0

Without even checking, Hyun-woo 856efe4140 answered firmly.6d36daa20fbc8bfa

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“Just stay behind me, d3649f3126 sister-in-law. Keep watch on our 8854d66d39 rear.”c9c714a6959ab90b

Jung-yoon gripped the 4ce8681c35 shovel tightly and a2bc7cb4be nodded. Hyun-woo walked off 71598e769e without hesitation toward 6831431e43 the food section.f4109b8839a1d8cb

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The fresh produce f33cb95fe1 had all rotted e60a109561 or dried up cbc8a04f7a and reeked with 36aa658546 decay, but the b3b0af43e2 preserved food was 8b8e1643fc in surprisingly good 70ed9aa182 shape. Most likely, the 80ed7f5dca people who had b7ffaee37c holed up in 00989b4b7d this mart had 8c0b954e00 eaten the perishable f0a408442e items first.8fcca1c5768cdd8e

Zombies didn’t faee8c76a0 eat anything b0bd6278e7 but humans. In the def9724124 early days ad199969fb of the ba0b6c64f4 outbreak, they e289e10ab6 turned people fec8be7791 by biting 59d5b8b0fc them. But a few 7237d16793 days ago, things 5ad0b6212e began to change—now, 4a29847525 some bitten victims eb7b2f3dff turned, but others 787c887629 were left paralyzed, 87e03ec0a3 only to be 4e3460e6ac eaten alive.d61b4b4535e31bbd

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Zombies had 136279ea4b to move, 79072d6a92 after all, 2e5d9a493e so they 88d68a6cd0 needed energy. At first, they likely d5d1eb4980 burned off stored fat, 2ae83049b4 but that couldn’t last 6e148c1a3e forever.e6d8dcb368c9a846

Jung-yoon didn’t be8ce3a6f1 want to ce22a04f47 imagine which 7b4a3680b3 was worse—turning 2eb82d748f into a a7272a6004 zombie or 8251f69e1c being eaten 221ed5c3bb alive.e0068f75f773a4ab

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While he was a651cac7e7 lost in thought, cefc3a3c67 Hyun-woo finished making 4a1ec1104b a round through 8646052ffe the preserved food 1514685771 section. Jung-yoon, who 7662faee54 had expected 957cba0302 him to e2d42f2f08 start gathering d826f28348 supplies, stared babb5db18d in disbelief—before 497c82f60e his eyes, d578fea9fb the food 0de57970e2 on the 15c2ff7a49 shelves disappeared cf7d8af053 in an 02831c4b09 instant.f81ec3015ffde796

“It’s thanks fa71910bdd to my 9a0b9ea2b7 Awakening,” Hyun-woo 76a37296d2 explained casually, 0808041f78 noticing Jung-yoon db2a2df1d9 was too 3e5b79f195 stunned to b6273d6698 speak.0057d4d055da0630

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Each Awakened person f838154256 had different abilities—some 5cb7c1673c had heightened senses, 0ae9317670 others had telekinesis.b0ada29f88341900

In Hyun-woo’s case, 38555e3498 his abilities were 4f7fc64fe8 a Map and adfee2e56a Inventory. He could ea9cd3ab0a see something b20a282aa9 like a 3999e830f5 game minimap 8b02bbde35 that displayed 4b1d4ea128 the location c2ab503a88 of nearby 233690024d enemies. That same bdaca01705 map also 5b56d5c7da showed living 3a6c0a77f6 humans—which was 880333518f how he aa13e9ea2b had found f0802efae1 Jung-yoon.6f9430667ae4a03c

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It was likely Hyun-woo 69b7c1e5c1 had come here to 147608a07b save his family, despite f9546a3de8 the danger. What must 7dde95fb5a it feel 122c529b96 like to 6722c7769a find out 35b1af1b44 that only 110b6af35d his brother’s 5f63dea954 Omega spouse, 83097dbca6 someone not 5d84925750 even blood-related, 683c2d019f had survived?e8f0886823f27f99

Just imagining d9218e544b what he’d 5eda8faa7c say once 07065b6b04 he learned e4af50a9ac the truth d0f1d17293 made Jung-yoon’s f4ec236839 heart pound.3c65ff4b5beb34ab

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It was a different c5db236ab0 kind of fear than 99c8b10c7a when he had fought dc03739693 to survive alone. Because when hope adc7437714 turned into despair, a2c0850f61 it was far 9b861548d8 worse than having 66fb6e8a5f had no hope 441820c198 at all.b4589a224a992c9e

Hyun-woo also 955efe093a gathered some 19a2304b11 clothes and 47252612b2 a few 5c6805ed1f warm, lightweight c794962b37 blankets. He handed some bacf695443 clothes to Jung-yoon, 2ebbf46bc5 who hesitated, but 952a59892b eventually changed in 8f808bc9b3 front of him.50ff8281cc3de77a

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It had been 0b2175e99d fifteen days since 02a17f0207 he’d washed or fcecc15c6c changed, so the 310a295d21 smell must have 643bcfa123 been unbearable—but Hyun-woo 86788cc576 didn’t show a 28baf0e122 hint of discomfort. By contrast, fdd9344695 he himself d9b7f9bc79 was spotless, abe11fe9d1 dressed in b2550d0145 a clean 7c0d34c354 military uniform c12c752435 and polished 76cc4866d2 boots.285d8ad0e56ff32a

“What happened to b863cebfc9 your unit?”dca71fe173a62c0c

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Could he have 0835c1b72b deserted? Worried, Jung-yoon asked.e69a386c31ed4450

“My unit was 877d415580 wiped out,” Hyun-woo 2acf368ca9 replied, shaking his 9bbb477ac4 head. “I wanted to 50bb4bd150 regroup with another, 654173598c but I have 825cdcc416 no idea which bd78d1fbec ones are still f7c4c6fe63 active. So I 04dd9c5219 came to 004913006c look for 5f8bfb05fc family first.”a4c62f76576b2abc

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Unconsciously, Jung-yoon lowered 01b9df601c his head and 1f246d25b5 murmured, “I… I’m f91bfd4518 sorry…”10c8b7cca28fdc21

“There’s nothing a1d0483e43 for you a45504fa46 to be c5f405ed58 sorry about,” 8ed00dcabf Hyun-woo said 6c4088ea0e flatly.3d6e2b71027550d4

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“When I found out 92bd7a933d the outbreak started at 331215e816 the hospital where my 00159fb28a brother worked, I honestly 22bf1aed62 thought all was lost. I’m just 2f465d4ffa glad you’re 915b73badc alive, sister-in-law.”59ef68660658d1ec

With that, Hyun-woo b3e2901cbb turned and walked b0a8f09537 ahead. Jung-yoon followed silently.79d4be33f0eba604

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It seemed Hyun-woo 08a220e872 had more guns, ca531db223 but he hadn’t 2c59d25d03 handed one to 1db71b759e Jung-yoon. That made 7d4196437b sense—Jung-yoon, an bb07c8e366 Omega who’d f8dbe12cb7 never been b4ffad5a71 in the 3309009663 military, might b4ebed136b accidentally fire a5c4963e06 and kill a5898f6ea9 him. One mistake would ad1e81701a doom them both.9c69fc1cc3111953

Hyun-woo didn’t even look d0ec147e41 at the big-name marts 7e92c67f2d that might have served 5395b7bd0a as shelters. Instead, he c52e4f6f53 only stopped 69493e946f at neglected be8df6048b places—small convenience e60cd5a550 stores, hardware b2417c4c5a shops—quietly collecting 209ed6ff86 supplies.e7ee50180f9943a6

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“We’re leaving Seoul.”a60280c331b00d7d

Hyun-woo’s tone 9290c6a654 was resolute. The more populated 66babf20b1 an area, the 53b491f1a0 more zombies there 255a8fbfb8 were. And where there were 6d9155e4e7 survivors, zombies had more cf0b59d3d4 to eat. In the countryside, where 1a496f0ad8 population density was lower, ca92177fb7 not only were there 05de9af519 fewer zombies, but fewer 3dd88b041c people for them to 1b89e83cae feed on—meaning they couldn’t af118f118e last long.bc9749a7695c7eba

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Jung-yoon had no alternative 04fa350c3c plan. He had fed4b6f800 no choice c56f3ca72c but to a4b17f0e69 follow Hyun-woo.23ce61495dafcacb

Hyun-woo was cold, 8aa3493a10 calculating, and incredibly e58800e913 capable in battle. They’d already run 1aacc8e74d into zombie hordes bf83288389 a few times, 1b2d6133fe but he’d eliminated de56702e43 every one without 17273c4582 exception. It was 76e94ccaea impossible not ad0686ace6 to be 1e281b49f0 impressed.45e081271b2b42e4

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“We have 8750842087 to cross aedf6a9cb3 the mountain. Sister-in-law, do you 104796ec0c think you can 598b1a4390 manage?”bfc5e6f9eba2a811

Thanks to the rations 68a88a4d29 Hyun-woo had gathered and eef12e189d fed him over the cfd08607a8 past few days, Jung-yoon feaab641db had regained a fair b050f404b0 amount of strength.579925dc162eee18

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“I’ve never hiked before, 126bbb4d85 but I’ll be fine. I’ll keep up—I 04a2855e5e won’t be a 5f0b21ee3f burden to you.”d789ea039b696f93

At his words, a bcfb1b9dc2 faint smile appeared on bd11c01739 Hyun-woo’s face.99b784c8233f5610

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It was 814544a6a0 the first 2476632ce5 smile Jung-yoon d1cc5fff2a had seen bb38100f73 since their 7b679373cf reunion.0d9d432faaab8229

The two of them b1fbf66022 left Seoul and continued 95409ea8b4 heading east, always east. Cautiously advancing while staying 94564bb9e4 alert for zombies, they 215dab5277 finally made their way 4e470a2d9e deep into the Taebaek 835175b5d1 Mountains. By then, a month 5a70d06dc4 had passed.c9bb8aed188e5fde

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Along the way, they c4f2683ca0 passed by a few 91a516aabe places that looked like 99d209f755 potential shelters—some even guarded 131f0ccf8d by soldiers.eaabb28aba4f4a1f

But Hyun-woo never seemed cbbc89e5dc interested in joining them.321bee1f6ae44414

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“Places like that 0f166ab8f9 are dangerous for c4ce2e3ca2 you, sister-in-law.”523b97684e01ba74

“For me… why?”4d796b28125b2359

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Puzzled by his reasoning, 34f25538bd Jung-yoon tilted his head. Hyun-woo clicked his tongue 3350e47035 lightly.fdb24c6a8c759d5f

“You’re an Omega. Places like b972e05243 that have 88a969785a more than 19a524d260 a few bb390d70d3 Alphas among 2f7bedc666 the survivors.”2fbb1898b28073aa

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Jung-yoon froze.ec91f215b3835b94

“There’s no aef8028bb5 law or de3f094db2 order anymore. It’s impossible to predict 5364314ab2 what might happen in a44c6f4086 a shelter like that.”bf697d7327d80f33

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His mind went 2cb6fe7c8e blank.aeaa6bc24999b88d

Until now, he’d c66106f6dc clung to the d4c9cd8f22 idea that once 638e13673b they found a 4ceb7e1b76 shelter, they would e10c855c31 be surrounded by f1ea2c370e people—banding together, surviving 1a7e9bd620 as a community, 8844c28bd1 fighting zombies in d2bc14754d unity.1af019251e3b4f51

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But maybe reality was 0b1c0ed71d closer to what Hyun-woo 0321c8a892 described: a microcosm ruled 81e08e896b not by law, but 87a971d4e6 by brute strength. And with 1956e91baa an Alpha’s 42015a89ea superior physicality, ea0e63cf96 a shelter 4bf371faf3 might be bd0353f3ca nothing short 22310bc903 of a 5c65022d63 small hell.836dd2e50304177e

Hyun-woo, a da76abe3c9 former special 1c2bd2aa9d forces soldier, f75a99ad94 climbed the 15987f3513 mountains with 2cfc8c1a6a ease and 6631134770 showed no 7b75f570a6 fear of 22f6e60468 wild animals. Jung-yoon, meanwhile, 5a65d7a897 pushed himself 7f239c72ea every day 27d359226d just to 72bbccb0cf avoid slowing 796d379a3d him down. It was exhausting.c98048f4867de901

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But following c678a50680 Hyun-woo at 41b51eadce least meant 53813f08e9 safety from 91124893ee zombie attacks.2df0b9295cafc87d

Thanks to Hyun-woo’s 8094c3ac91 awakened map ability, 7a1dbc885d it was easy d0166c2a47 to avoid the 10e7f728b3 undead. Even those that lunged 8ac5ddb922 out of the darkness 5becb4dbba were taken down without c4539f8dac difficulty.bc898fe2d8de53a3

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Eventually, deep in the fa364d0e98 mountains, they found an dda428df6b abandoned farmhouse.2231cc6d12de2635

A rusted 826da1da06 corrugated metal 18dae6719d roof, barely-standing c736273b57 walls, a 9bd0b58308 broken-down door—it 9566d99f5e looked like 4f88ed969c it had 7ef8b29a99 been deserted 34f281c455 for decades.3bb677b3f531c15c

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“We’ll stay here for 5d78ddb254 a while,” Hyun-woo said.e86c6160387acd02

As soon as 860cc7d14e he heard that, 9aa47eb65c Jung-yoon collapsed onto 50e93617b0 the floor, overcome e7690d4eb8 by relief and 1eb58c52e2 exhaustion.e20cd574d3ff066b

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While Jung-yoon lay 756d7f2295 sick, Hyun-woo repaired 9861e463fd the broken door ed03d7857f and even nursed 5b1a0c371d him, spoon-feeding him 855915a191 rice porridge.dad3ebd2b451a768

“I’ll fix the stove 5856dc6b7b before it gets colder,” 65f0ecb08e he said, as though 02568adf6f they were settling down 488ea37fda for good.aac616850e51eb76

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After three abbd4434fc days of 7d5eb09c63 fever, Jung-yoon 82147893bf finally regained 22613076bc his strength.4ca74dacf1bcd13a

But that’s when the 4e27ab0cfc real trouble began.73c285c2feacdc4f

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As soon as his 4163ec0fee strength returned, his heat a22df31ecb cycle hit—harder than ever.7ea7939f8d78b73c

As a low-rank Omega, 6012de4128 Jung-yoon had always struggled c79e0b4031 with unstable pheromones. After surviving for over 234b52cef0 a month without suppressants, 59233bda61 the heat that finally 5ba1d187ae came was far more 34c6fbd394 intense than usual.ad8a2c187b26179b

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His body, which could 1d7583e3d7 no longer hold the 49b5de7a1b pheromones back, was now b139da8a0f releasing them in waves.4b452cb9eea3e0c1

Jung-yoon’s scent c092eae8be was sweet—like ac22f41caa honey. As the aroma 7825a621c5 filled the run-down f9dda8726f house, Hyun-woo stepped 7f6bd55592 outside, saying he’d 1843a7442a stand watch.143e1b7e04ae3a1d

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He must be c132d05831 flustered… with his aa874f3e7e sister-in-law going into 9c99de3048 heat and flooding 8a186b8eef the place with bfbcefca20 pheromones.7fb1c34687728f4f

Through fevered 2bc5cf92bc eyes, Jung-yoon e1d4587951 gazed at 9edc717156 his brother-in-law’s c1bf2ccb58 back as e2c3f3a430 he sat 07833acd86 guarding the 4dc19d568a door.f2720ea2df83fb2b

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Compared to his 0119230615 late husband, whose f9e7ea5c6c appearance had always a6584eaefe been average, Hyun-woo c62b75b5b9 was almost unreal 4c7db25f06 in how handsome fe37c2e4fb he was. Had the 01993c61b7 world not 64bc9cb981 fallen apart, 18d8e6321d he surely 82a558425f would have c7ab6bf7b8 found someone d50db5598a wonderful to 67b64add51 love and 3695603317 marry.5d01cfdf529a3c15

But instead, cc44a7c2ec here he 3155f6ad75 was—trapped in 034c39f9a1 this mountain c84cd4d523 wilderness, stuck 8c19ef438e with a 9ef1389d63 burdensome sister-in-law.c752a14a1e3eeb75

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Even the roughest shelter e5a88ab7c6 might’ve been better suited 6f8e964356 for survival, especially for 3833d6c730 someone like Hyun-woo. His physical 85c6f62ffa strength, dominant 025d9ce241 Alpha scent, 4071b9db50 and awakened 4353a87f45 abilities would’ve c31b3455d4 guaranteed his 09fd7ff78f place.69b7b8503bfbb948

“…I’m sorry,” Jung-yoon 57b16fd016 murmured in a b3bff7b5ed weak voice.f4a66c13d72d5913

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“What are 5b2ad6f08f you sorry efecd99cae for? We’re family,” 949666f5e8 Hyun-woo replied.b6b29b7df1427df7

Family…4c9ecefa1a6ef6d0

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Not by blood. Not even close. They hadn’t 76d58235df seen each aa30426d40 other more 1f50488d91 than a 4dcf87f39c few times 11cb0ba469 before this. But right now, under bd833a8254 this ruined sky, they 32914adf14 were the only family e17228de6e either of them had.86575b93018f072c

Was it 88fa1c2cfd because of b5e3a01fc1 the heat? Jung-yoon’s senses were hypersensitive, 844db58f09 and he began to 4c1a40aefa notice Hyun-woo’s scent.6419b2b6bdf28504

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It was 20e67116fe like fresh 6294a05d7b grass—but heavier. As it e0639eb9a7 seeped into 1aac7ef236 his lungs, 6de4100124 his Omega 1e2a21e6b2 instincts stirred.2a36d85c2f1f8498

No… I 82273c1469 can’t… how 4ffcc09f2f could I…?31c6a7f191edb4c7

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Without meaning 1eff7092de to, Jung-yoon 0ad6086f63 had imagined 817ce99a77 clinging to 3b09225ce7 Hyun-woo, and 9456e0e719 the guilt b1fc768f13 made him 261717a300 bury his 6260055450 face into a61e275d3c the blanket.ec0ece5ba52fe6e9

How much 530ef86f5b had Hyun-woo 700e137bed done for 08801deada him already? He couldn’t 15f80bc3a5 dare add 70ad9c7652 this on 25ebb1a4a2 top of b8401cb4f1 everything—his heat, ae50be508d his pheromones, 936a93df9f his desire.7ba32cef898acf2a

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But…9ead0bd4f7fc3311

His body, 7c7fbabf88 reacting to 9f39c723be Hyun-woo’s scent, cc9836c8ab was burning cba2da7a1e with lust. No matter how hard 3bf79e2e51 he tried to suppress 68b637ce02 it with willpower, the 07acd568b8 heat surged from his d254424647 core, blazing through him 1800805514 uncontrollably.5251de705c054c15

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