Immortals vs. Grim Reapers - chapter 12
Chapter 12: Load, Aim, Fire (Part 1)
Sergeant Lopez.
It was the name given to an enhanced zombie that appeared near Itaewon.
The nickname came from the nametag “Lopez” on his U.S. military uniform.
Though it would be some time before he became famous, Gangrim remembered him clearly.
It was because this mad enhanced zombie, Lopez, handled firearms.
Imagine it.
An immortal army that probabilistically revives as long as a gate is open, even if you destroy not just the body but the head, and now they’re using guns too.
Moreover, soldiers killed by these guns would become zombies wielding guns themselves, leading to a flood of despairing news articles about the horrific chaos that would ensue.
The media was exceptionally zealous in making already frightened people even more terrified.
“The fortunate thing is that zombies actually handling guns turned out to be extremely rare,” Gangrim said as he walked alongside Yu Wolryeong.
“Well, there were casualties since it was the first gun-wielding zombie, but in the end, it was hunted down by a single hunter. But you’re saying it might actually be an Immortal?”
“The possibility is high. In fact, it’s difficult to distinguish between intelligent zombies and Immortals. Using a gun requires complex processes like loading magazines, chambering rounds, aiming, and firing – things zombies struggle with, right?”
Yu Wolryeong answered calmly.
Gangrim thought her words made quite a bit of sense.
But Lopez’s name wasn’t on the VIP list Gangrim knew.
It was hard to believe that an ordinary U.S. Army sergeant zombie could be a member of the Immortal organization.
“Even if it’s not an Immortal, there’s a possibility it could be a disposable pawn created by an Immortal. Immortals can create new Immortals, after all.”
At those words, Gangrim felt a bitter thought that he wasn’t even good enough to be a disposable pawn.
They’d have to meet Lopez to know what kind of being he was, but for now, they were following his trail.
Itaewon, where evacuation had been completed, was desolate.
The city, devoid of human presence, created an eerily lonely yet chilling atmosphere. Only a few cats watched indifferently as the humans passed by.
Yu Wolryeong spoke as they walked along the winding alleyways.
“How do you plan to find Lopez here?”
Yu Wolryeong had originally planned to find traces of Lopez and then notify Gangrim to begin the hunt. But since Gangrim said he had a way to find him, she let him take the lead.
“I may not have an exceptional memory, but I remember seeing an interview with the hunter who caught Lopez.”
Yu Wolryeong looked at Gangrim.
Gangrim felt a bit uncomfortable under her black, surveillance camera-like eyes, but he now knew it was just her way, without any particular intention.
“Will you start hunting as soon as you find him?”
“I’ll observe first and try if I can. It’s not like I’ll die from getting shot a few times anyway, right?”
“If your physical body is subdued by gunfire, you could be helpless when zombies try to devour you. You might not die or live, eternally feeding zombies until your soul wears away after about 40 days.”
“…You’ll watch over me to make sure that doesn’t happen, right?”
Yu Wolryeong stared silently at Gangrim. It was impossible to discern her meaning.
Gangrim, of course, had no intention of acting recklessly.
According to the interview with the hunter who caught Lopez, while his gun handling was skillful and problematic, he wasn’t as dangerous as the enhanced zombie Gangrim had faced at the hospital.
‘Besides, if he’s using a gun, it might actually be easier to deal with him.’
The fear of enhanced zombies lies in the plague’s infection and their unpredictable abilities. But if this zombie uses a gun as a weapon?
That’s just a hard-to-kill gunman.
And Gangrim had as much experience fighting humans as he did zombies.
Just then, Bimang vibrated.
“Mission: Load, Aim, Fire”
“Objective: Capture or Eliminate James Lopez”
“Reward: Guaranteed minimum Rare grade ‘Today’s Fortune'”
Gangrim smiled grimly as he read the notification message.
‘But if he happens to be an Immortal… it might be even easier than an enhanced zombie.’
Gangrim dispatched the zombies he encountered in every alley as they headed towards the center of Itaewon.
Though it was an evacuated area, befitting a bustling place, the number of zombies increased as they got closer. Moreover, being daytime, the zombies could detect them more easily and approach.
“Be careful, they’re increasing,” Gangrim warned out of habit, then met Yu Wolryeong’s eyes and made an awkward expression.
Who was he warning? His companion was a senior grim reaper.
Just then, as Gangrim turned a corner, he spotted a zombie right in front.
Reflexively, Gangrim pushed the zombie back with the handle of his hand axe, then struck its head.
At that moment, Gangrim noticed a zombie approaching from behind Yu Wolryeong.
“Watch out…!”
He hurriedly tried to throw the hand axe, but Yu Wolryeong simply sidestepped, letting the zombie pass by.
The zombie, as if it hadn’t seen Yu Wolryeong at all, stood dazed for a moment before turning its head towards Gangrim. Gangrim swung his hand axe, splitting its head.
“What’s going on? Why do the zombies ignore you, Reaper Yu?”
“It’s the same as zombies ignoring corpses.”
“Pardon?”
“My physical body isn’t alive right now. I’m merely wearing it. So if I reduce my movements, zombies perceive me as just another corpse.”
Gangrim wondered what that meant.
Not a living body?
By that logic, Gangrim should have been dead too, but his soul was forcibly tethered, so shouldn’t he be considered dead?
But Yu Wolryeong’s words had a different meaning.
“Reaper Ju Gangrim is alive but with his soul tethered, while I’m dead but moving like a puppet with a soul attached.”
“Uh, so you’re like an invisible person to zombies?”
“If I stay still, yes. Of course, zombies have various characteristics, so some might be able to perceive me.”
If Yu Wolryeong had such a cheat-like ability, she’d be top-tier as a zombie hunter.
Though comparing a grim reaper to a zombie hunter might be laughable.
“Can’t I do the same as you, Reaper Yu Wolryeong?”
With such an ability, zombies wouldn’t be a problem at all. But Yu Wolryeong stared at Gangrim for a moment before speaking.
“Reaper Ju Gangrim, you still have a living body. But because of that, you can do more diverse things than I can.”
“Diverse?”
“I’m fully bound to the Book of Life, so I can’t violate its laws. But Reaper Ju Gangrim is an exceptional being, so you’re relatively free from those laws.”
“For example?”
“I can’t harm living people unless they’ve clearly violated the laws, like the Immortals.”
In other words, those whose lifespans haven’t ended.
“But Reaper Ju Gangrim can harm living people because you’re alive. Though our goal isn’t to catch living people, it might be necessary at times.”
Gangrim thought for a moment, then nodded. Even Gerald was surrounded by an enormous number of soldiers and guards.
Gerald himself was a problem, but there was no way to approach him without bloodshed.
Yu Wolryeong glanced at the fallen zombie and continued.
“Since zombies are a type of Immortal, I can kill them, but there’s no need for me to help catch them, right?”
“Hmm, yes. Of course.”
Each zombie was experience and precious soul pay. He had no intention of passing up chances to grow.
Gangrim moved on.
They were now close to Itaewon’s main street.
A zombie stood at the exit to the main road. Gangrim waited at a distance for it to notice him and approach. As expected, the moment it saw Gangrim, it started running towards him.
‘Huh?’
Just then, Gangrim noticed something glinting between the utility poles. The moment he recognized what it was, he immediately hid behind the corner.
Bang.
As the zombie triggered the trip wire, a Claymore mine exploded, showering the alley with hundreds of steel balls.
Gangrim suffered from ringing ears for a while, nearly deafened, but fortunately was uninjured.
“A booby trap,” Yu Wolryeong remarked calmly, surveying the devastated alley without the slightest perturbation even amidst the explosion.
Thanks to being inside the corner, she didn’t even need to throw herself down. Gangrim gritted his teeth as he examined the shattered zombie remains.
“No, what kind of madman would set up a booby trap in the middle of the street just to catch zombies…”
“The target might not have been zombies.”
At Yu Wolryeong’s words, someone flashed through Gangrim’s mind. Though it seemed far-fetched, considering the characteristics of that person, it didn’t seem impossible.
“Surely not Sergeant Lopez…”
“It’s possible.”
It’s too excessive a trap to target zombies. But for dealing with humans, it was quite plausible.
There’s research suggesting zombies move based on memories from when they were alive.
An intelligent zombie might be able to carry out more complex orders.
So setting up booby traps wasn’t incomprehensible.
But at this level, it seemed more appropriate to call him a well-armed AWOL soldier who’s hard to kill rather than just a zombie.
Gangrim tried to look for more traces in the surroundings. But he wasn’t given much time. The sound of rushing footsteps could be heard from the opposite alley.
Gangrim gripped his hand axe with a tense expression, preparing for the approaching footsteps.
What came running from the opposite alley was an armed group with fierce expressions.
“Who are you!”
The armed group thrust forward knives, spears, and axes as they confronted Gangrim.
Gangrim readjusted his grip on the hand axe, preparing to fight.
It was a tense moment, but soon they sensed a familiar atmosphere in each other.
The scent of kindred spirits.
After an awkward silence, the man at the front made a gesture. The others hesitantly lowered their weapons. Gangrim lowered his hand as well.
The man at the front spoke.
“Are you a hunter?”
“Yes.”
As Gangrim turned around, Yu Wolryeong instinctively took out a business card and held it out. They immediately bowed their heads in apology after checking the card.
“Ah, we don’t have business cards… We’re sorry. Since this is an evacuated area and we heard there were no other hunters deployed here…”
“We’re carrying out a private commission.”
The hunters nodded. Gangrim had already guessed they were hunters, not soldiers, based on their armament.
They were too well-armed to be looters or survivors who chose to stay, yet lacked the uniformity of soldiers.
The only answer was hunters.
Moreover, the man at the front was someone Gangrim knew.
A thin man with a neurotic impression, his hair tied back tightly.
Han Min-sung, an A-class awakened one and hunter.
He was one of the officers under General Gerald’s command.
‘Why is Han Min-sung here?’
Even in Gangrim’s memory, and judging by his awakened ability alone, he wasn’t someone who should be in a place like this.
His equipment and the hunters accompanying him seemed below his grade as well.
But thinking about it, Han Min-sung joining under General Gerald was something that happened much later from this point in time.
‘Then has he not awakened his ability yet? No, given Han Min-sung’s ability, he’s likely hiding it.’
Han Min-sung’s ability was difficult to reveal carelessly until he met someone who could appreciate its value.
It was only tolerated because General Gerald employed and used it; as an ordinary zombie hunter, he might have been ostracized.
Gangrim observed Han Min-sung intently before speaking.
“Are you perhaps heading to Yongsan U.S. Military Base?”
Han Min-sung’s face froze for a moment.
He wasn’t good at hiding his expressions.
“…No. We’re just passing through.”
Yu Wolryeong tugged on Gangrim’s sleeve.
It meant to stop unnecessary conversation and proceed with the mission. But instead of leaving as instructed, Gangrim smiled and said,
“Are you perhaps chasing someone?”
“You ask a lot of questions. Let’s just go our separate ways.”
“No. I think our objectives might align.”
“Objectives?”
Han Min-sung’s eyes narrowed. Gangrim watched his reaction closely as he continued.
“I’m pursuing a soldier. An armed AWOL soldier named J. Lopez. He’s extremely dangerous, and our client said to either eliminate or capture him, they don’t care which.”
The hunters looked blank for a moment at Gangrim’s words.
As one hunter furrowed his brow and was about to say something, Han Min-sung approached with a stern expression.
“You know his name.”
“Sergeant Lopez?”
“We didn’t know his name. We only knew his appearance. That bastard’s booby trap killed one of our comrades and sent three to the hospital. That’s why we reacted so sensitively when we heard the explosion.”
It seemed this booby trap was likely targeting these hunters, not zombies or Gangrim.
Han Min-sung extended his hand to Gangrim.
“My name is Han Min-sung.”
“Ju Gangrim.”
“For someone skilled enough to wander alone in a place like this, you must have considerable ability…”
Though Yu Wolryeong was there too, they seemed to have judged that she, in her unarmed suit attire, wasn’t combat personnel.
Gangrim smiled bitterly at that assessment.
In fact, the probability of an awakened one being an ordinary-looking unarmed person was higher.
It meant that even Han Min-sung was still in his novice period.
However, he did have the judgment to gauge Gangrim’s skill.
A booby trap exploding right in front of him, yet not being intimidated at all in front of this many people.
That alone proved Gangrim was quite skilled.
Then Han Min-sung asked a peculiar question.
“Is it just the person you want?”