ushernet Chapter 5
Chapter 5
The catastrophe struck without any warning.
A monstrous creature fell from the sky, easily leaping over the barricade of cars that had been stacked in front of the hospital.
Though the creature walked on two legs, resembling a human stance, it was far from human. It had no arms, no discernible head, and a bloated, round upper body, looking almost like a snowman or a balloon.
It had the appearance of a grotesque sphere perched atop two legs. From that round upper body, strange lumps bubbled up, spilling out one after another.
Experienced zombie fighters rushed in, but there was little they could do. In seconds, the lumps that oozed from the creature multiplied into dozens, then hundreds, quickly overwhelming any response they could mount.
“Come on, what are you all doing?! Take out as many of the small ones as you can!”
“I... I can’t!”
“They’re too fast!”
To make matters worse, the small lumps were incredibly fast—resembling a mix of jelly and liquid, but armed with sharp teeth. Their sticky, slippery surface glistened like decaying blood.
They rolled and darted across the ground, slipping through and around the survivors’ attacks, only to regroup and scatter repeatedly.
One person, caught off-balance by their chaotic movement, stumbled and fell to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, the surrounding lumps swarmed them like a pack of wolves.
“Hahh! Aghhh!”
The blood-chilling screams drew everyone’s attention.
Seeing a comrade being engulfed alive by the grotesque creatures left the survivors in horror. Others tried desperately to pull the lumps off the fallen person’s body, but it only led to more bites and attacks.
Despair started to take hold among the fighters.
‘What... what should we do?’
‘At this rate...’
‘Should we run?’
Even if they didn't say it aloud, fear settled in their hearts. If this went on, mass panic was inevitable.
Fortunately, the dire situation did not continue indefinitely.
“Ah... ah!”
“Jaejun!”
Suddenly, the person being attacked was lifted into the air, the lumps on their body peeling off and bursting.
Swoosh.
They flew sideways and landed, rolling near the hospital’s entrance.
Then came a thunderous shout.
“Get inside! Everyone, get inside! Take positions in the narrow corridors and defend against their direct approach!”
It was Choi Seungjo, the only awakened fighter at the hospital.
Clumps of the strange black lumps clung to his body, but Seungjo paid them no mind. Using telekinesis, he lifted dozens of the lumps into the air.
The fighters around him took advantage, slicing the floating lumps apart with knives and axes.
“They burst like water balloons when you slash them! They’re nothing special! Less fear, more action—move!”
It wasn’t like they were entirely defenseless or defeated.
Seeing Choi Seungjo’s resolve and persistence rekindled a fighting spirit in the others.
As soon as the fighters took position at the hospital’s main entrance, things seemed under control.
“Die, damn you!”
“Push them to one side!”
So long as they only had to deal with the creatures entering through the doorway, they managed to fend off the clumps with coordinated strikes.
For a moment, it seemed as though they were turning the tide...
But soon, piercing screams echoed from within the hospital.
“What... look at that!”
The source of the commotion was visible outside the windows—dark red lumps crawling up the hospital walls.
Choi Seungjo’s heart sank as he realized his mistake.
The hospital didn’t have just one entrance.
Each of the numerous windows served as entry points for the lumps to invade from every direction. And Seungjo, who wielded the strongest power and could hold the front line, was completely tied up.
Adding to their despair was the fact that the dark lumps kept multiplying, swelling in number as the fight dragged on.
In that miraculous moment, everyone fell silent, eyes fixed on the stranger.
Meanwhile, the man turned toward the hospital and shouted.
“What are you doing, standing around?! I helped you out—now take that thing down! Go for the main body, the thing with legs!”
Hearing his shout, Seungjo instinctively moved.
He grabbed a wooden spear lying on the ground and hurled it with all his might.
Swish!
Backed by his telekinesis, the spear soared through the air and aimed straight for the creature.
Sensing the threat, the creature attempted to create more of the red lumps, but they dissolved the moment the water hit them.
In the end, the spear pierced through the creature’s torso.
Splat!
It burst apart, spraying black blood and chunks of flesh everywhere, as if a water balloon had exploded.
The monstrous threat that had endangered everyone vanished in an instant.
But as the survivors prepared to celebrate their miraculous victory, Seungjo spotted something unbelievable.
The creature’s body, flung back by the explosion, was writhing.
Its upper body had completely burst, flesh scattered everywhere, yet it was still moving, struggling to rise.
Seungjo, stunned and breathless, watched the gruesome scene, devoid of any remaining will to fight.
And then, as if mocking their terror, the man who had saved them began walking toward the creature.
Squelch, squelch.
It was Seongho.
With the fire hose turned off, he walked calmly and confidently toward the twitching creature.
Seungjo, finally shaking off his shock, picked up his weapon and rushed to follow.
Though the ground was slick with sticky liquid from the exploded lumps, he gripped his weapon tightly, his eyes set on the man.
Seongho had reached the creature’s remains by then.
Rushing up beside him, Seungjo shouted out.
“What... what are you doing?!”
A mix of raw fear, desperation, and curiosity filled his voice, born from emotions he had never before experienced.
Seongho cast a brief glance his way and replied.
“Evolved zombies don’t die that easily.”
“E-evolved zombies?”
Before Seungjo could fully process the words, Seongho gestured toward the creature with a tilt of his head.
“I'm talking about that thing. Creatures that have devoured all sorts of things and evolved.”
“Devoured? What do you mean by that...?”
“Are you seriously asking me because you don’t know?”
In truth, Seungjo wasn’t really clueless. He had just asked out of sheer reflex. But now, he turned pale as he looked at the creature once more.
Zombies eat anything alive they encounter. And, according to Seongho, this creature had consumed so much that it had mutated into this evolved form.
The revelation left him speechless. It was hard enough to survive in a world infested with zombies—now there were evolved types, even more dangerous, lurking out there.
And the news only worsened as Seongho continued his explanation.
“These things won’t die right away, even if you destroy their heads or hearts. Sometimes they’ll keep fighting for several seconds to even minutes.”
Seungjo barely had time to question the absurdity of this claim. Seongho’s grim statements weren’t finished.
“They also have regenerative abilities, so you have to incapacitate them completely to make sure they’re dead.”
Indeed, just as Seongho explained, the creature's lingering red lumps still clung to the hospital walls. This meant it wasn’t entirely dead yet.
Stunned by the relentless stream of horrifying information, Seungjo could only stand frozen. Meanwhile, Seongho remained focused, his mind on what he needed to do.
‘At least for now, it can’t produce more of those lumps.’
Since the main body had burst, it likely couldn’t spawn any more. And the remaining lumps still couldn’t reach Seongho due to the puddles of water blocking their path.
This was the time to act.