Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe

Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe – 64

EP.64 To the Front Gate

With Kim Jiwoong joining, the library party now consisted of five members. They survived for several days on the food Kim Jiwoong had brought, all the while waiting for rescue.

But….

“…It’s been a week, and no one has come.”

“It’s so quiet outside. Maybe the military and police are already….”

“Hey! Don’t say such unlucky things! That only happens in movies and comics.”

“Yeah, there’s no way the military would fall to something like zombies.”

They still held onto the belief that the police or military would come and sweep away the zombies, rescuing them. However, after a week with no news and the number of zombies increasing, their hope began to wane.

Finally, Woo Sungjun made a decision.

“What? You want us to leave when the rescue team might come? You want us to go out there, where it’s dangerous?”

Son Yoojung shook her head in disbelief. Indeed, going outside was extremely risky. But they had no other choice.

“The convenience store’s food is running out. There’s barely anything left, either because other survivors took it, or it was looted during the chaos. If we stay here, we might starve to death.”

“But the rescue team could come before that….”

“How long are we supposed to wait for a rescue team that might never come? We need to move while we still have the strength. At the very least, we need to go out and find more food.”

As Woo Sungjun pointed out, there was no certainty about when—or if—the rescue team would arrive. They couldn’t just sit around and wait indefinitely.

“Alright, let’s gather our things and prepare to move. We’ll head towards the front gate and see if we can find a safer place or more supplies.”

The group nodded, understanding the gravity of their situation. They began to pack their belongings, ready to face the unknown dangers outside.

They had to move to a safer place or at least go outside to find more food.

“Then the guys can go out and get the food! Why do I have to risk my life too?”

Son Yoojung’s absurd remark finally pushed Park Hyunmin over the edge.

“You selfish bitch! If you want to stay here and starve, then fine! Senior, let’s leave her behind. We don’t need someone who complains and doesn’t help at all.”

“What did you just say?! You bastard!”

Son Yoojung screamed back, standing up abruptly. At that moment, Kim Jiwoong glared at them and spoke in a low, menacing tone.

“Both of you, be quiet. Do you want to attract the zombies and get us all killed?”

“…….”

“…….”

The two fell silent, cowed by Kim Jiwoong’s intimidating presence. There was something about his words that carried an undeniable charisma, compelling them to obey.

‘Damn it… he started yelling first, so why am I getting blamed too?’

Son Yoojung thought to herself, grumbling internally.

Ignoring her, Kim Jiwoong voiced his opinion.

“I agree with Senior Sungjun. We can’t be sure if the rescue team will come… We should secure a safer location and find a radio or walkie-talkie to get updates on the outside world.”

He then glanced at Son Yoojung and continued.

“Those who want to go can go, and the rest can stay here. I can’t force my decisions on others.”

It was clear he was addressing Son Yoojung and the silent Lee Minyoung. At that moment,

“I-I’ll go.”

“…!”

Lee Minyoung, who had been quiet and observant until now, raised her hand slightly and spoke up. She expressed her willingness to follow Kim Jiwoong’s suggestion and go with him.

“Alright. So, everyone except Yoojung is going, right?”

Everyone nodded in agreement to Kim Jiwoong’s question.

“W-What! I never said I wouldn’t go!”

Afraid of being left alone, Son Yoojung hastily declared her intention to join them.

“We don’t need you, so just stay here.”

“S-Shut up!”

For once, Son Yoojung had no retort to Park Hyunmin’s sarcastic comment.

#

Finally, the five college students left the multipurpose meeting room. Thanks to Kim Jiwoong and Woo Sungjun drawing the zombies’ attention elsewhere, they managed to exit the library without much trouble. There was a moment of danger when Lee Minyoung made a mistake, attracting zombies, but they managed to escape safely.

“Pant, pant… That damn girl! Isn’t she more of a burden? We should leave her behind!”

Son Yoojung yelled angrily, pointing at Lee Minyoung, who bowed her head in shock.

“I-I’m sorry….”

“We almost died, and you think an apology is enough…”

“That’s enough, okay? We’re alive, aren’t we? Let’s not dwell on it.”

“Minyoung, please be more careful next time. It’s not just your life at stake, but everyone else’s too.”

With Park Hyunmin and Kim Jiwoong defending Lee Minyoung, Son Yoojung had nothing more to say.

“Damn it….”

She felt increasingly isolated. It was her own doing, but she didn’t like the atmosphere at all.

Regardless, the group quickly scanned their surroundings. Just because they were outside didn’t mean they were safe. In fact, there were likely more zombies lurking around. The open space made it seem like there were fewer zombies, but they knew better.

As they ventured outside, Woo Sungjun couldn’t help but express his surprise at the lack of zombies.

“Zombies dislike sunlight,” Kim Jiwoong explained. “It doesn’t harm them or weaken their abilities, but they seem to prefer staying out of it. That’s why you don’t see many around during the day. Of course, if we make too much noise, they will still come after us.”

The group noticed that indeed, where sunlight was strongest, zombies were absent, but some lingered in the shadows, seemingly avoiding the light.

“But how do you know so much about this, Jiwoong? The zombie outbreak only started a few days ago.”

“…!”

Woo Sungjun asked as if something was strange.

It definitely was strange.

It had been about 10 days since the zombie incident happened.

He had been locked in the multipurpose conference room with them for a week. But in just 3 days, in that chaos, he knew the characteristics of the zombies so accurately?

“Ah, I might have just noticed it while looking outside, I guess.”

His answer was vague, and although Woo Sungjun found it suspicious, he decided not to press further. It was hard to believe that a regular chemical engineering student could be involved in the zombie crisis. Besides, Kim Jiwoong was actively helping the group survive, and Woo Sungjun didn’t want to cause discord based on mere suspicions.

‘Whew… This is a big deal. They’ll probably find it quite suspicious.’

Kim Jiwoong made a slightly anxious expression and sighed deeply.

But soon he smiled as if it was okay.

‘No matter, the plan is still on track. Now that I’ve got them outside…’

His gaze sharpened, predatory as he looked at the other students, his mind calculating the next move.

#

“Outside, you say?”

“Yes. Open areas are relatively safer during the day. At night, they’re also easier to keep watch over. But inside the university grounds, there are too many buildings, and the surrounding mountains don’t help either.”

Kim Jiwoong suggested that they should head outside and find a wide-open plain. Woo Sungjun agreed with his reasoning. Given the zombies’ aversion to sunlight, a vast, sunlit plain would be ideal during the day. At night, it would be easier to monitor any approaching zombies or people from all directions. Of course, they would need enough people to maintain a proper watch, but that was a concern for later.

However, Woo Sungjun couldn’t shake off a slight unease about Kim Jiwoong. There was something suspicious about him, though he couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Kim Jiwoong’s extensive knowledge about zombies and his calm, quick actions in such a terrifying situation were unusual for a third-year college student. Yet, these traits were also beneficial to the group, making it hard to justify any suspicion.

“…Alright. Let’s head outside the university. We should move before the sun sets.”

“Yes, let’s do that. We’ll avoid the buildings and head straight for the main gate. It should be the least infested with zombies right now.”

Following Kim Jiwoong’s suggestion, the group stayed away from the buildings and walked along the main road. As he had predicted, the zombies were avoiding the sunlight and sticking to the shadows, making their journey relatively safe. Although some zombies did notice them and give chase, the group was able to spot them from a distance and escape easily due to the open space.

They reached the main gate with less difficulty than anticipated. However, what awaited them there was something they had not expected at all.

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