Chapter 4 Start of the Infection

The world changed in an instant. It began subtly, almost invisibly, with whispers of a strange new illness. Rumors spread like wildfire, tales of a terrifying sickness that turned people into something… else. The source, as it later became known, was a lab, a clandestine facility conducting experiments on a bacteria discovered on a recently unearthed meteorite. This bacteria, it turned out, possessed a horrifying ability: it could control its host, twisting their minds and bodies into something monstrous.

The infected became raging, aggressive creatures, driven by an insatiable hunger for flesh. Their breath, a noxious, gaseous element, carried the contagion. One bite was all it took. The virus spread rapidly, turning cities into battlegrounds and neighbors into monsters.

But the infection wasn't uniform. Some individuals, a small percentage, displayed a natural immunity. They didn't succumb to the virus. Instead, they transformed. They became something… more. These were the Evolved and the Hybrids.

The Evolved were the victims of the virus's most brutal transformation. They lost all semblance of humanity, becoming mindless killing machines. They were aggressive, cunning, and driven by a primal hunger. They retained a twisted intelligence, enough to hunt and strategize, making them even more dangerous than the initial wave of infected.

The Hybrids, on the other hand, were a terrifying anomaly. They developed extraordinary abilities – super strength, enhanced senses, even the power to manipulate the environment. And unlike the Evolved, they retained their human minds. They could think, reason, and strategize. They were still human, but more. They were the next stage in human evolution, or perhaps, devolution. They were a force to be reckoned with, an unpredictable element in the already chaotic landscape. The world had become a terrifying mix of mindless hordes and powerful individuals, a battleground where survival was no longer guaranteed.

The chaos had begun. The news reports, once dismissed as sensationalist fear-mongering, were now a horrifying reality. The virus had broken out, and the world was changing in ways I could scarcely comprehend. I was in the midst of organizing my spatial storage, meticulously categorizing the vast amount of supplies I had gathered, when a familiar system notification popped up:

Start of Apocalypse

Mission: Save Han So Chul

Reward: Elite Box 1, Light Body Armor Kit

Side Quest: Expand Your Population

Crew: 0/10

Reward: Skill: Stealth Mode (Description: You can hide your presence for 20 seconds)

Usage: 4x a day

Han So Chul! My heart pounded in my chest. He was in danger. I didn't know where he was or what he was doing, but I knew I had to find him. He was a good man, a loyal ally in the previous timeline. I couldn't lose him now. Not again.

The side quest, "Expand Your Population," was intriguing. It seemed like the system was encouraging me to gather survivors, to build a community. The reward, the "Stealth Mode" skill, was another valuable asset. The ability to disappear for 20 seconds could be a lifesaver in a world overrun by monsters. But first, I had to find Han So Chul.

I closed the spatial storage interface, my mind racing. I needed a plan. I grabbed my phone, but the lines were down, the network overloaded with panicked calls. Cursing under my breath, I accessed the AI interface I had installed in the base. "Locate Han So Chul's phone," I commanded. The AI, ever obedient, responded instantly. "Searching… triangulating signal… Location found. Displaying on map." A holographic map projected from the console, a blinking icon marking Han So Chul's last known location. It was a considerable distance away, in a densely populated area. Time was of the essence. I had to act quickly. "Plot the fastest route to his location, avoiding high-traffic areas," I instructed the AI. "And prepare the armored vehicle." As the AI calculated the route and prepped the vehicle, I grabbed my go-bag, double-checking the contents. I had a feeling this was going to be a long and dangerous journey.

The smell of grilled meat and the cheerful chatter of friends filled the air. Han So Chul laughed at a joke, flipping a skewer of lamb over the hot coals. It was a perfect evening for a barbecue, a rare moment of relaxation before the pressures of his work week began. He glanced around at his friends, enjoying their company.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted near the serving area. A man, disheveled and wild-eyed, stumbled out of nowhere, lunging at one of the waiters. The man's teeth sank into the waiter's arm. The waiter cried out, dropping his tray of drinks. Then, he collapsed to the ground, his body convulsing violently, shaking like someone in the throes of an epileptic seizure.

Han So Chul frowned, a sense of unease creeping over him. He'd never seen anything like it. But what happened next was far more disturbing. The waiter's body twisted and contorted in a grotesque manner, as if something were trying to force its way out. Then, impossibly, he rose to his feet. But this was no longer the waiter they knew. His eyes were bloodshot, his face contorted in a mask of rage. He snarled, a guttural sound that sent chills down Han So Chul's spine.

Panic erupted. People screamed and scattered, knocking over tables and chairs in their desperate attempt to escape. Han So Chul's friends grabbed him, pulling him back from the unfolding horror. "We have to get out of here!" one of them shouted, his voice trembling.

The infected waiter lunged at a nearby guest, his movements unnaturally fast and aggressive. The scene descended into chaos. Han So Chul and his friends managed to push their way through the panicked crowd, making their way to the stairs. They scrambled upwards, two steps at a time, adrenaline pumping through their veins. They reached the top floor, a small landing with a single door leading to a storage area. They burst through the door, slamming it shut behind them and fumbling for the lock. They could hear the infected clawing at the door below, their enraged growls echoing up the stairwell. Trapped, but for the moment, safe.

Confined in the small storage room, the sounds of the infected clawing at the door below sent shivers down Han So Chul's spine. He leaned against the wall, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The initial shock was wearing off, replaced by a chilling realization: they were trapped.

"What are we going to do?" one of his friends, Park Ji-hye, whispered, her eyes wide with fear.

Kukunoi Mochi, a Japanese national and a close friend of So Chul, spoke up. "We should call the police," he suggested, his voice trembling slightly. "They can help us."

"The police?" another friend, Kim Min-ho, scoffed. "Have you seen what's happening down there? They'll be overrun just like everyone else." He paced nervously, glancing at the locked door. "We need to find a way out of here. Maybe there's another exit?"

As they debated their options, Lee Se-young, one of the women in the group and Min-ho's girlfriend, gasped, her eyes fixed on her phone. "Guys," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "Look at this." She held up her phone, displaying a news feed. The headlines screamed of a global crisis. The outbreak wasn't just isolated to their city; it was happening everywhere. The news showed horrifying images of the infected, their numbers growing exponentially. Reports flooded in from neighboring nations, each one detailing the same terrifying scenario. The outbreak was spreading like wildfire, engulfing the world in its terrifying grip.

Han So Chul stared at the phone, his blood running cold. Calling the police was pointless. Escaping was likely impossible. They were facing something far bigger than they could have ever imagined. The world as they knew it was ending.

The fragile sense of security they had found in the storage room shattered in an instant. One of the restaurant workers, driven by sheer panic, threw open the storage room door and bolted outside. Han So Chul and his friends lunged forward, trying to stop him, but it was too late. The door swung wide, leaving them exposed. They were frozen in terror as they watched the worker stumble into the hallway.

Almost immediately, a figure lunged from the shadows. One of the infected, its movements jerky and unnatural, grabbed the worker, its teeth sinking into his neck. Blood spurted out, a dark crimson stain spreading across the worker's shirt. He let out a strangled cry before collapsing to the floor. Then, more infected appeared, drawn by the commotion and the scent of fresh blood. They swarmed the fallen worker, their snarls and growls echoing through the hallway.

The smell of blood, thick and metallic, drifted up to the storage room. The infected, their attention now focused on the scent of living flesh, turned towards the open door. They began to shamble up the stairs, their eyes fixed on Han So Chul and his terrified companions. Cornered, with no escape route, they braced themselves for the inevitable attack. They grabbed whatever they could find – a broken broom handle, a heavy wrench – preparing to fight for their lives.

Just as the first infected reached the top of the stairs, a figure appeared in the hallway. Tang Su Yan. She moved with a speed and precision that surprised everyone. Before the infected could reach them, she unleashed a series of swift, calculated strikes. One by one, the infected fell, their grotesque forms collapsing to the floor. Su Yan's movements were a blur, her actions precise and deadly. In a matter of seconds, the threat was neutralized. The hallway fell silent, save for the ragged breathing of Han So Chul and his friends. They stared at Su Yan, their faces a mixture of awe and disbelief. She had saved them.

"Here," I said, the word clipped and efficient as I tossed a metal bat to So Chul. No time for pleasantries. "Let's go." I led the way downstairs, my senses screaming at me. Every creak, every rustle of wind through broken windows, sounded like a growl. This place was crawling with them. We moved cautiously, back-to-back, scanning the shadows. The air was thick with the stench of rot and decay. It clung to the back of my throat, a constant reminder of what we were fighting.

A couple of those things – I refused to call them anything else – lunged out of the darkness. One, a gaunt, skeletal figure with matted hair, snarled and snapped its teeth. So Chul swung the bat with a grunt, the sickening crack echoing through the stairwell. The creature crumpled. Another one, bloated and distended, lurched from behind a fallen bookshelf. I sidestepped its clumsy charge and brought my own bat down hard, connecting with its skull. Greenish fluid splattered. Disgusting.

"Clear," I muttered, though the word felt hollow. Clear for now. There were always more. We reached my armored vehicle, a hulking beast of metal and reinforced glass. It wasn't pretty, but it was reliable. And right now, reliable was everything. I yanked open the door and we piled in. Inside, huddled in the back, were the boy and his mother I'd pulled out of that chaos earlier. They looked shaken, pale, but alive. The boy clung to his mother's leg, his eyes wide and dark. The mother gave me a weak, grateful nod. Good. At least I'd managed to save someone.

"Hold on tight," I said, slamming the door shut. I revved the engine, the powerful roar a welcome sound in the oppressive silence that had fallen after the brief skirmish. We tore out of there, tires spitting gravel, the armored vehicle a metal battering ram against the encroaching darkness. Base was the only place to go now. Safe, or as close to safe as we could get these days.

The drive was tense. Even inside the armored vehicle, I felt exposed. I kept my eyes on the road, but my mind was elsewhere, replaying the events of the past few hours. The screams, the snarling, the sickening crunch of bone. It was all a blur, a chaotic mess of violence and desperation. I'd seen too much death, too much horror. And yet, it never got easier. Each encounter chipped away at something inside me, leaving me colder, harder.

I glanced in the rearview mirror. So Chul sat beside me, his face grim. He was a good man, a survivor. He'd seen his share of hell too. We didn't talk much. There was nothing to say. We understood each other. We were both just trying to survive, trying to hold onto some semblance of humanity in a world that had gone insane.

The boy in the back shifted, his small voice breaking through my thoughts. "Are we safe now?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

His mother pulled him closer. "Yes, sweetheart," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "We're safe now."

A translucent window flickered into existence before my eyes, the familiar chime signaling its arrival. It displayed crisp, bold text against a dark background, the information clear and concise.

Status Window

Primary Mission Complete:

Save Han So Chul

Side Quest: Expand Your Population

10/10

Reward:

Elite Supply Box 1

Light Body Armor Kit

Skill: Stealth Mode

The window remained for a few moments, allowing me to process the information before fading away as quickly as it had appeared. Another mission accomplished. It was a small victory, but in this new world, small victories were all we had. And with the new skill unlocked, perhaps survival would become just a little bit easier.

We arrived at my fortress, the old abandoned military base I'd repurposed into a haven. It wasn't much to look at from the outside, just a collection of weathered buildings and high fences, but inside, it was a different story. It was functional, secure, and most importantly, it was ours. I brought the new survivors to Standby Area 1. It was essentially a large, repurposed lobby, designed as a holding and assessment area for newcomers. I wasn't running a charity here. While I offered sanctuary, I also needed to know if these people were cooperative, if they had skills, if they could contribute. I'd let them stay, of course, pending assessment. If they proved useful, they'd earn a place within my haven's walls. If not... well, we'd cross that bridge when we came to it. Survival was a harsh mistress, and sentimentality is a luxury I couldn't afford.