Apocalypse's Teacher - Chapter 66

Chapter 66

The Harsh Season (5)

***

There are two things I know about him.

One, that the ruined Seoul calls him the Artist, and two, that he is a staunch apocalypticist.

‘…Found it.’

The mural of a boy hugging a zombie.

It looked incomplete, still in progress.

This meant he was still working on it nearby.

‘He never works on more than one piece at a time.’

I don’t know why, but once he starts a piece, he always finishes it.

So, he must be taking a break around here.

“Uncle, is that the hospital up ahead?”

Lost in thought, I was startled by Jinwoo’s question.

I nodded.

“Ah, yes. That’s the hospital.”

It was a building packed with private clinics, so calling it a hospital wasn’t wrong.

“Jinwoo, Ki-hyun, you two follow the old man and check the hospital. I’ll look around the area.”

“You’re not coming with us?”

“We’re a bit short of our target, so I need to find extra supplies.”

T h i s wa s co p i ed fr om k in g m t l. o r g
Jinwoo and Ki-hyun nodded.

The old man, who had noticed the mural, patted my shoulder with a solemn face.

“Be careful.”

I nodded and scanned the surroundings.

‘Where could he be hiding….’
T h i s w a s c o pi e d f ro m k in g m t l. o rg

I pondered internally.

***

Ki-hyun shivered and looked around.

Inside the building filled with private clinics, the reception desks were a mess.

“Child, I’ll check the orthopedics over there. Seems like there are no zombies on this floor, so you look elsewhere.”

Chun-bae’s words.

Ki-hyun nodded and tightened her grip on the pipe wrench.

She then entered the ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) clinic in front of her.

‘It’s cold….’

Her brow furrowed involuntarily.

Her body felt sluggish and weak.

She hated how her body reacted like this every winter.

Grinding her teeth, Ki-hyun shook off her drowsiness and moved forward.

Crunch-.

The sound of glass breaking underfoot echoed, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the peeling paint and dangling ceiling lights.

As she moved further away from the others, all she could hear was her own breathing.

Ki-hyun inspected the interior carefully.

Behind the reception desk was a small storage room.

Around the corner was a peeling sticker barely readable as [Examination Room].

‘Examination Room.’

To find what she needed, she had to go there.

Deciding so, Ki-hyun turned the corner and found a room with a large examination chair in the center.

She needed to find bandages, anti-inflammatory drugs, and painkillers.

It was uncertain if the ENT clinic had these supplies, but she couldn’t just skip it.

Ki-hyun moved forward, searching for the door to the medicine storage.

Luckily, the storage room was behind the chair, clearly marked with a sign.

Now she just had to go in and find the supplies.

Thinking she should finish quickly and help Jinwoo or Chun-bae, Ki-hyun took another step forward.

Crunch-.

The sound of glass breaking made her body tense up.

Her grip on the pipe wrench tightened as she turned sharply toward the source of the sound.

If it were a zombie, speaking would only bring danger.

Holding her breath, she looked and saw.

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“Wait…!”

A young man with his hands up.

‘A person!’

Ki-hyun’s eyes widened.

A chill ran down her spine.

Danger.

That thought filled Ki-hyun’s mind.

Tall and thin, with shoulder-length curly hair, a beard-covered chin, large eyes, and tattoos covering his exposed skin.

Those were the first things she noticed about the man.

Though he didn’t look particularly threatening, Ki-hyun knew.

No, she had learned from Seokho.

In this ruined Seoul, anyone still alive had to be ruthless.

Especially if they were wanderers not affiliated with a shelter.

T h is w as c op ied f rom ki n g m t l .or g
“Stop.”

Ki-hyun said in a sharp tone.

Th i s wa s c op i e d f r o m k i ng m t l .o rg
She drew the gun she always carried and aimed it at him.

Click-.

The cold metal seemed to seep through her gloves.

‘Three bullets.’

The number of bullets Seokho had allowed her, to be used in situations of extreme danger.

Ki-hyun thought this was one of those times.

The man swallowed hard, looking scared.

He then smiled submissively and spoke.

“Please calm down. I have no intention of fighting you. I’m not here for medical supplies either. I was just passing by and decided to rest for a bit….”

The man began shaking out his clothes as if to prove his innocence.

As he said, he had no backpack, no weapons, and his pockets were empty.

Ki-hyun felt relieved.
Th is w a s co pi e d f r om k i n g m t l . o r g

‘I have the upper hand.’

She was the one holding the gun.

So she had two choices: wait for her comrades or let him go.

Ki-hyun thought quickly.

‘Wait?’

Wait for Chun-bae or Jinwoo and use their numbers for an advantage.

But on second thought, that wasn’t a good idea.

The man was standing by the exit to the reception area.

If either of her comrades came in unaware of the situation, they could be taken hostage.

‘Letting him go?’

That was risky too.

She had experienced this before.

She vividly remembered the day she first met Seokho, when she naively aimed a gun at him only to be counterattacked.

After much thought, Ki-hyun reached a conclusion.

‘Keep my distance and move to an open area.’

It would be better if he ran away.

Even if he came back with allies, Seokho was nearby.

‘Uncle is nearby.’

Seokho wouldn’t have gone far, and a gunshot would bring him running.

Ki-hyun took a deep breath.

T h i s w a s c o p i e d f ro m ki n g mt l .o r g
She gestured with the gun and spoke.

“Put your hands on your head, turn around, and walk. Don’t even think about trying anything.”

Her words carried a threat.

The man swallowed hard again and complied, glancing nervously at Ki-hyun as he walked.

“Th-thank you….”

“Shut up.”

Though she often bickered with Seokho, Ki-hyun had absorbed his teachings better than anyone.

She knew well that talking to a wanderer could lead to leaking information.

Crunch-.

Crunch-.

The sound of glass breaking underfoot echoed as their tense breaths filled the space.

As they passed the ENT reception desk and approached the emergency stairs.

“Isn’t it cold?”

The man spoke again.

Ki-hyun frowned.

“What…?”

“You look cold.”

He said with a light laugh.

Ki-hyun felt a strange sense of unease.

‘…What’s this?’

There was no reason, just a gut feeling.

Glancing at the man again, she saw no weapons.

He was tall but thin and frail.

Even if he charged at her, she had the means to fight back.

But still, something felt off.

‘Confidence?’

The man seemed inexplicably confident.

Even with a gun aimed at his head, he was too relaxed.

“Winter is tough, isn’t it? Cold, sluggish, foggy. But work has to be done in winter. Isn’t that unfair?”

A chilling sensation ran through Ki-hyun.

The man’s eyes slid over to her, and she felt like she was looking into the eyes of a snake about to strike.
T hi s w a s c o pi e d fr o m k i n g m t l . o rg

“Are you cold?”

He asked again.

Ki-hyun gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on the gun.

Tremble-.

Her hands were shaking.

Ki-hyun wondered if it was from fear or the cold.

Then, the man smiled.
T h i s w as co p i e d fr o m k i n gm t l . or g

“Oh, you’re trembling.”

His voice sent a shiver down her spine.

Without realizing it, Ki-hyun’s hand moved.

Bang-!

The gunshot echoed through the space, a deafening noise.

In that instant, Ki-hyun saw the man rushing at her with a wide grin.

‘Danger….’

A thought flashed through her mind.

A hand reached out.

The man opened his mouth wide.

Ki-hyun felt a surge of terror.

It felt like he was going to bite her.

“Hey, you bastard!”

An angry shout, familiar and loud, hit Ki-hyun’s ears.

Thud-!

In that hazy moment, Ki-hyun saw Seokho flying through the air, kicking the man in the stomach.

T hi s w a s c o p i e d fr o m ki n gm t l. o rg
End of Chapter