How Zombies Survive in the Apocalypse

“…Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

After the explosion had passed.

Aiden, confirming the safety of his companion, looked ahead.

The explosion a while ago was powerful enough.

Shrapnel left wounds on the iron door, and some were sharp enough to bounce off the barrier and reach the outside.

Also, the zombies swept away by it were torn into pieces, and their remains were scattered along the pierced entrance.

Aiden cautiously passed through such an entrance and entered inside the barrier.

A small space teeming with countless corpses.

It had now become a hellish scene covered with torn and rotten flesh.

The sounds of zombies had disappeared entirely.

Everything went according to plan.

“…Okay, it’s a success.”

Following Aiden, Arian entered inside the barrier.

She frowned slightly as she looked at the floor covered with the remnants of zombies and the flowing rainwater.

“It’s incredibly dirty.”

“There’s nothing we can do about that. More importantly, are there any zombies left?”

“No. But… wait a moment.”

Arian’s gaze turned towards the inside of the base.

She stared at something beyond the thick rain.

“A new one. It seems to have reacted to the explosion a while ago. And besides…”

A subtle change in Arian’s expression.

In that uneasy atmosphere, Aiden quickly grasped what was there.

“A mutant?”

“That’s right.”

Hmm, Aiden nodded.

He had already prepared himself for that.

It was natural to assume that the noise attracting regular zombies would also attract mutants.

But Arian’s words didn’t end there.

“But… it’s not just one.”

With her words, the shadow of a creature distinctly different from regular zombies emerged behind the lightly spread fog.

Two grotesque figures emerging simultaneously from both sides of the low building.

The figures became clear with the low footsteps.

“Two… this is troublesome.”

Aiden muttered, clicking his tongue.

To think that there were two rare mutants here.

It was unexpected, and it could only be felt as a heightened sense of crisis.

The fact that one mutant turned into two meant that the enemy’s strength had doubled, to put it simply.

Aiden quickly checked the remaining weapons he had.

A handgun, a rifle, three grenades, three normal ammo magazines, and one magazine filled with armor-piercing rounds.

This level of armament wasn’t insufficient to face a Hedgehog.

Above all, the handgun he brought today wasn’t an ordinary one.

It was an Elephant Gun given to him by a certain hunter.

Referred to as a monster revolver, this weapon, using bullets far larger than a typical 9mm, was an incomparable destructive force compared to ordinary handguns.

However, even with such preparations, at the moment there were two monstrous beings, it became difficult to be sure of victory.

Perhaps because of that.

“Maybe it’s better if each of us takes one.”

“…That sounds like a good idea.”

Arian suggested, and Aiden agreed with her words.

Facing even one of them was burdensome enough, but it was better than dealing with a chaotic situation by facing both at the same time.

“Then, I’ll lure the one on the left.”

Saying that, Arian moved first.

She, who was advantageous in battles with many obstacles compared to Aiden using firearms, planned to lead the Hedgehog toward the inside of the base with many buildings.

Swiftly moving away, Arian’s back disappeared.

Observing this for a moment, Aiden loaded a magazine with normal ammo, pushed it into the rifle, and…

Bang!

He fired towards the mutant he had taken charge of.

Not aiming for the head but towards the creature’s broad torso.

“Grrrrr!”

Upon hearing the gunshot and feeling the sensation of bullets piercing its body, the Hedgehog on the right reacted loudly.

Meanwhile, Arian rushed towards the one on the left.

With swift movements, before the mutant could react, she cut its arm with her machete and quickly disappeared into the mist.

Naturally, the distance between the Hedgehog, hostile to Aiden, and the mutant chasing Arian increased.

The separation seemed to have been achieved smoothly.

However, from this point on, a new challenge began.

The Hedgehog that noticed Aiden started rushing towards him to collide with its massive body.

Thud! Thud!

With each step, the ground trembled.

The self-embedded iron rods and blades scraped mercilessly against the building’s outer wall whenever the creature placed its feet.

Aiden, at the same time, immediately aimed for the creature’s head and fired.

Clang!

However, the tightly embedded blades from the creature’s neck were like a funnel protecting the Hedgehog’s throat.

The 5.56mm bullets collided with the steel and, creating an annoying cracking sound, scattered in all directions.

It wasn’t going to be easily resolved.

Aiden changed the rifle magazine while dodging to the side.

“Grrrr!”

Meanwhile, a screeching needle-embedded corpse had already reached Aiden’s nose.

Like a straightforward body charge, reminiscent of a bullfight.

However, the mutant’s massive weight and the blades embedded all over its body transformed this simple attack into a clear threat.

Shiiing!

Aiden’s clothes barely swayed as he dodged, and the mutant’s blades tore through them like a funnel.

Slightly losing balance, Aiden stumbled on the ground.

Due to this, the rotten flesh stuck to the ground emitted a disgusting odor, but Aiden paid no attention.

Meanwhile, the Hedgehog, who lost sight of Aiden, instead crashed into the barrier door behind him.

Bang!

Even the sturdy door, standing firm amidst waves of countless zombies, couldn’t withstand the impact and collapsed.

The base’s door swung wide open.

Ignoring such a door, Hedgehog turned its head back towards Aiden.

“…”

Indeed, it was a simple but overwhelming force.

Blocking such weight head-on was unimaginable, and it was just like dodging bullets with eyes on them; it wasn’t easy at all.

In that case…

Aiden thought about the Elephant Gun he had.

It was a weapon with considerable destructive power, but unfortunately, its recoil was so intense that continuous firing was almost impossible.

Also, the accuracy was not guaranteed, so it had to be used only at the right moment.

To create that opportunity, Aiden pulled the pin of a grenade.

The grenade he had wasn’t an impact detonation but a time-delayed one that exploded after about 4 seconds.

So, Aiden pulled the pin, detached the handle of the grenade, and…

Tuck-

Running towards the debris of the building behind him, he dropped it underneath himself.

The lethal radius of the grenade was about 15 meters.

It was a precarious distance to cover within 4 seconds, and the danger radius was twice that, making it risky for Aiden even without cover.

So, Aiden ran towards the nearest building.

“Grrrr!”

In the meantime, the raging Hedgehog fiercely chased after Aiden.

Its vigorous movements caused the embedded blades in its body to sway wildly.

Although its weight was several times that of Aiden, but the overly developed muscles allowed Hedgehog to move at a speed that Aiden couldn’t match.

Like a giant cannonball flying towards Aiden.

Just before the mutant reached there.

Boooom!

The grenade that Aiden had dropped exploded like a mine right under Hedgehog’s feet.

Countless shrapnel shot up into the sky from directly beneath the creature.

It tore apart Hedgehog’s entire body, and some even bounced off the blades, flying in different directions.

“Graaah!”

The creature screamed in agony at the overwhelming force that it couldn’t withstand.

Flesh from its body splattered in all directions.

And as the Hedgehog’s body collapsed forward, finally, that colossal being fell.

At the same time, Aiden, who had been hiding behind the collapsed building, revealed himself.

In his hands was a giant revolver, almost the size of a human forearm.

Even for Aiden, it was a weapon that he couldn’t handle with just one hand, so he held it with both.

“Graaa!”

He looked down at the Hedgehog, emitting a low whimper as the trigger was pulled.

Despite facing the direct impact of the grenade, the creature didn’t die.

Only its left leg was completely blown off.

The right leg, with densely embedded iron rods, remained intact enough to maintain its form.

However, the Hedgehog, in such a state, was now lying down.

As a result, the funnel that had protected the creature’s head was now exposed.

Just like any fence, no matter how high, it couldn’t stop attacks from the sky.

Without any obstacles, the mutant’s empty head was visible.

“Gruuh-“

Now noticing Aiden’s intention, the mutant twisted its body.

But Aiden, still aiming the gun at its head, kept pressing the trigger deeply.

Bang!

The gunshot, sounding like a shotshell, echoed through the chaotic interior of the ruined base.

The fierce recoil, almost unbelievable for a handgun, shook Aiden’s two hands.

As noisy as the gunfire was, its power was equally formidable.

The Hedgehog’s upper body, deeply penetrated from its head to its neck, fell in the position it was on the ground, it never moved again.

* * *

A while later.

Arian, who had successfully brought down another Hedgehog, joined Aiden.

“What’s up with you? Are you okay?”

Arian asked, observing Aiden’s disheveled appearance with torn clothes, covered in rotten flesh, rain, and marks from Hedgehog.

It was like a mouse soaked in muddy water.

In contrast, Arian looked almost unchanged from before.

Aiden shook his head as if saying he was fine.

“You seem… a real zombie without a doubt.”

“…Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. But I’ve used up all the blood.”

Arian showed an empty water bottle.

“No problem. I prepared it for this purpose.”

“So… are we going to find that person now?”

“That’s right.”

Having caused such a commotion here, Liam, the man in question, must be aware that Aiden has arrived.

By now, he would probably be waiting for Aiden to come inside the sealed warehouse.

Aiden put on a helmet and checked his attire to meet him.

Although his clothes were torn, there were plenty of spare clothes left inside the base.

Aiden went into any building and grabbed a worn work shirt that someone had left behind.

Then, together with Arian, he approached a small warehouse inside the base.

“Are you still there?”

Aiden asked, tapping on the tightly closed window.

Immediately, Liam inside responded.

“You’re back! Hey, what the hell were you doing? It was incredibly loud.”

“Of course… we dealt with the zombies.”

“With that many of them? Huh, seems like quite a substantial search party.”

It seemed like Liam thought Aiden was a search party.

Since he would find out the truth soon enough, Aiden continued the conversation without much reaction.

“More importantly, open the door. We need to leave now, don’t we?”

“Oh, right. Just wait a moment.”

After the sound of several locks being undone, the warehouse door finally opened.

The person who came out was a white man in his twenties.

“Ugh… damn. I thought I’d be stuck there forever!”

Ignoring the pouring rain, he stretched his arms, savoring the freedom.

Seeing Aiden’s group, he grinned anew.

“Huh? What’s this? You guys aren’t a search party, are you?”

“Yeah, no. We’re junk dealers sent by the Union.”

“Junk dealers?”

Liam raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled. 

Even though he seemed doubtful, Aiden pushed the conversation forward.

Since this wasn’t a suitable place to have a comfortable conversation, it was time to leave.

“Rather, let’s move. There’s nothing good staying here.”

“…Alright.”

Aiden and Arian, along with Liam, exited the base.

And they immediately headed towards the hiding place of the group.

* * *

“…So that’s what happened.”

After returning to the hideout,Aiden explained to Liam the circumstances that led them to this place.

Liam seemed to be aware that the situation in the Union was not ordinary, as his demeanor had lost some of its lightness.

“I want to know what happened here.”

To Aiden’s question, Liam nodded.

He took a deep breath and slowly began to speak.

“First, let me tell you something. I’m a police member. So… it might be a bit awkward.”

“Awkward?”

“Anyway, listen.  you will understand what I am saying.”

Liam told the story of what he saw and heard on the day the base collapsed.

The incident he spoke of went like this.

On that day, the search party that was staying here returned to the base after scavenging in the city.

However, they refused to undergo mandatory body searches when returning from outside.

It was a reenactment of the incident that happened in the previous Union.

“But… we couldn’t handle it strongly. And because of that incident, violence even occurred in the Union.”

Aiden nodded, vaguely understanding Liam’s words.

If the incident had been buried in the past, the police side would not have wanted to cause unnecessary trouble.

But it was a mistake.

One of the search party members had actually been bitten by a zombie.

“So, what do you think happened? That guy turned into a zombie in the middle of the night and bit his colleagues. Thanks to that, the search party was the first to be infected by zombies. So, well, you can guess what happened next.”

Liam furrowed his brow as if recalling the scene of that day.

“People who didn’t know how to fight panicked. But the police leading them were too few in number. Most of the people here were from the search party and workers. There were less than ten police officers.”

“…”

“So, a battle with the zombie search party took place. They couldn’t fight properly, but suddenly, a big fire broke out. The fire itself was okay, but the problem was, seeing it from outside, more zombies, including mutants, flocked here. After seeing that sight, I thought it was no longer safe, so I found a place to hide.”

“…I see.”

Aiden let out a short sigh.

After listening and seeing the base with his own eyes, Liam’s words made sense.

If his words were true, this incident was clearly the fault of the search party.

But coming from a police officer, someone belonging to the Union, who made such a statement.

It was unlikely that the search party would trust this and admit their mistake.

Rather, the possibility of resistance was even greater.

“Do you have any evidence to prove this?”

So when Aiden asked that, Liam shook his head.

“Well… How would I prove that? It’s just my words. I’ve been thinking about it since earlier, but there’s no evidence.”

“…”

It wasn’t a good situation.

This would inevitably lead to internal conflicts within the Union.

But with a witness, it wasn’t something that could be hidden or denied.

“…Nothing we can do about it.”

So Aiden’s conclusion was… to do nothing.

As a junk dealer, he would faithfully carry out the Union’s request.

It was beyond the scope of their involvement to try to intervene in this matter.

Even if this place was suitable for Sadie.

Aiden couldn’t dictate their path, especially considering the circumstances.

“For now, rest here today. We’ll go back to the Union tomorrow.”

“…Alright.”

Liam nodded with a complicated expression.

That was the end of the conversation.

The group spent that night at the hideout and left for Shreveport early the next morning, where the Union was located.