Chapter 8: One Minute to Closure
Pachitsu.
The zombies were already electrocuted by the current that spread across the floor.
As they trembled, they triggered a chain explosion from Gang-ho’s electrifying attack immediately following.
Pach!
Pbeooook!
Heads exploded, shoulders fell.
Flesh and bone fragments scattered everywhere.
Simultaneously, Wolf charged in, tearing through the zombie horde.
Kwack!
Kwaduk!
A true massacre unfolded before them.
It was overwhelmingly one-sided.
But, there were just too many of them.
The zombies kept pouring in, even as they knocked them down one by one.
Eventually, their powerful assaults became meaningless, and they were quickly surrounded.
“Wolf! Retreat!”
A strategic withdrawal.
It was time to step back and regroup.
But Wolf refused Gang-ho’s command.
Khahng!
Instead, he burrowed closer to Gang-ho, shaking off a zombie’s limbs as if to protect him and create a path.
Wolf’s judgment was spot on.
It was true that Gang-ho was in a perilous situation.
However, there was ultimately no way out.
As Gang-ho and Wolf were engulfed by the zombies, a surge of red heat erupted from the floor.
Fwaaarrr!
The blackened floor began to ripple like waves.
As every shelter was made of alloys, the sight of a metallic floor crumpling like paper was quite eerie.
Eventually, the glowing red floor began to melt.
It was as if a volcano erupted, spewing forth molten lava.
‘Leveling up sure brings about some changes.’
Some zombies surrounding Gang-ho and Wolf screeched as they redirected their attention towards Lisa.
Thanks to that, they found an opportunity to back away and create some space.
“Krahhh!”
Satoshi, tense with anticipation, crouched down.
He was ready to follow through on Gang-ho’s instruction to protect Lisa.
However, it seemed his intervention was not required.
Grrr…
Wolf was a well-trained detection dog.
He possessed the intelligence to carry out human commands already.
Having awakened, he not only understood human speech but also acquired the ability to make his own judgments.
Woof!
Awoooo!
The beast’s growls and howls were exceptionally good at raising the zombies’ alertness.
‘Nothing grabs attention quite like this.’
Wolf reattached his focus to some zombies that had aimed for Lisa.
And then the situation repeated itself.
As the zombie crowd surged, Lisa would cross the sea of lava she created, colliding with Gang-ho while losing half her body in the process.
At that moment, some zombies would change direction in response to the damage Lisa caused.
But each time, Wolf’s roar would redirect the attention right back.
Then Gang-ho would explode plasma to eliminate the incomplete zombies.
Occasionally, when they were completely overwhelmed, Satoshi would support Wolf by throwing objects to give Lisa some cover.
Their teamwork was solid.
It was a very simple operation and tactic, but it worked perfectly.
However, one concern lingered: the endless flood of zombies and the group’s stamina to withstand it.
As expected.
Lisa’s breathing became erratic.
“Haah, haah.”
To Gang-ho’s ears, it sounded like a warning signal.
When he turned around, Lisa flashed a bright smile, as if trying to ease his worries.
That thought was both admirable and pitiful.
Oddly enough, he found himself thinking she was beautiful during that moment.
Haah, haah, huff.
‘If I can hear her breathing this clearly, it’s already too much. We need a plan.’
Next to him, Satoshi’s face was turning a shade of red, but he couldn’t fathom why.
Haah, huff, haah…
He had a look that reminded one of a teenage boy watching adult content.
Gang-ho shot a glance at Satoshi.
‘Focus. Stay alert.’
Satoshi caught on to Gang-ho’s intent and nodded in agreement with his mouth tightly shut.
Gang-ho then gestured for Lisa to come closer.
He immediately swung both fists forward again.
Whoosh.
Pachitsu!
“Gahhh!”
A surge of 90,000 volts of electricity fried a horde of zombies, causing them to tremble and be pushed back or tumble down.
With the zombies packed tightly together, it was only natural for them to be electrocuted in mass.
Using the gap created, Gang-ho spread his magnetic barrier wide.
‘Widening the range while lowering the density.’
Pachitsu!
Just in time, Lisa moved up to Gang-ho’s side.
“Defensive range extends one meter in front of me. Absorb as many energy cores as you can and then return.”
Lisa understood Gang-ho’s intent.
Thus, without hesitation, she swiftly absorbed as many energy cores as possible.
Swish.
“Ahh, umm.”
Perhaps due to absorbing many cores at once, Lisa leaned her head back, inhaling deeply and exhaling.
Her ample chest rose and fell dramatically.
Gang-ho inadvertently turned his gaze to Satoshi.
Sure enough, a strange smile hovered at the corner of Satoshi’s mouth.
‘What on earth is he imagining?’
Grrr…
In that brief moment, the barrier broke.
Gang-ho reached out and grabbed Lisa’s waist, pulling her back.
“Kyaaaah!”
A sharp blade flew through the air and lodged itself in the forehead of a zombie that was clinging to Lisa.
Thud.
Gakh!
He could sense it without seeing.
‘Even in a daze, she knows her role.’
Lisa returned to her previous position and laid down a plume of heated vapor across the floor.
Swishhhh.
And then Gang-ho and Wolf exploded their powers once again, scattering even more zombies than before.
Kwaaaah!
Time passed.
And at some point, there was nothing close anymore.
They had withstood the zombie wave quite well.
‘Phew. Did I make it?’
Gang-ho wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm.
Then he immediately checked the time.
Fifteen minutes until closure.
The entrance to the platform, which had been hidden by the zombie horde, was now visible.
Gang-ho watched for movements ahead, estimating the timing for a breakthrough.
He couldn’t move just yet.
The sea of lava and flames laid down by Lisa was still spewing forth its fierce heat.
‘The moment Lisa’s ability effect wears off…’
If the wave surged again, he planned to carve a path through.
But the crucial question was whether Satoshi could escort Lisa there in time.
About 100 meters.
He figured Wolf could cover that too.
According to the disaster manual, the platform would explode in fifteen minutes.
Not just the passage but all connections would be destroyed, trapping them in.
In other words, it was akin to being alive-buried.
Gang-ho hadn’t explained such grim details to Lisa and Satoshi.
No need to enhance their anxiety unnecessarily.
“Lisa, Satoshi. Absorb all energy cores around us without leaving any behind.”
After issuing the command, Gang-ho moved alongside Wolf.
Sssss.
Thanks to gathering everything in one spot, they didn’t need to take a long detour.
During that brief time, the remaining scattered zombies began to gather once more.
Seeing that as a signal, Gang-ho advanced.
“Now! Stick close behind me.”
Thud, tat, tatat!
Gang-ho quickened his steps as he began to run.
Wolf ran alongside him, and Lisa, trying her best, followed closely behind.
Satoshi matched his pace from behind, protecting Lisa.
Wooow.
A blue gas began to gather around Gang-ho’s body.
He coated the magnetic barrier with plasma like an extra layer of shielding.
As a result,
Pach!
Kwa-kwakwa-kwang!
Gheeeh!
Gahhh!
Zombies converging around the running group exploded spectacularly upon contact.
And the body fragments blown apart by the explosion became another triggering material, causing chain explosions.
Bang! Kaa-kwang!
Gang-ho poured his entire energy into it.
‘Not much longer. Just a bit more!’
Fifty meters.
The distance displayed to the platform in the status window.
And the time.
One minute until closure.
Gang-ho ran with all his might.
“Full-speed ahead!”
Khank!
At Gang-ho’s shout, Wolf leaped forward first.
Pabapap!
And then, a scream echoed from behind.
“Kyaaaah!”
“Iik!”
Gang-ho reached out both fists toward the entrance of the platform, which was now within reach.
‘Please.’
It was a technique he had never attempted before; whether it would succeed or not remained uncertain.
He had no ranged attack techniques among his abilities so far.
However, in the newly updated section of the disaster manual, there was a previously unknown application technique.
“Plasma, beam.”
Particles began shooting off his forearms like lightning, sparking sharply.
Then, a resonance occurred.
Wooow!
The light grew vibrant before Gang-ho punched forward, suddenly firing.
Shhhk!
The entrance to the platform silently sliced open, revealing the inner space.
As the timer before Gang-ho showed 3 seconds, he twisted his body as he stepped inside.
Thuk.
As soon as he grabbed Lisa’s wrist, he yanked hard.
And then behind him, Satoshi tumbled in as well.
1 second.
Gang-ho squeezed out his remaining strength once more.
“Everyone, drop down!”
Wooow.
Bang! Kwa-kwang.
*
[Disaster Manual]
[Chapter 9: Closure]
[Section 5: On the Use of the Platform…]
[1. Automated Opening and Closing Device…]
[……]
[6. Manual Operation Method…]
[7. Emergency Escape: Forcefully detonates projectiles marked on the floor.]
[Warning: Ignition method of rocket projectiles. Watch out for potential explosion accidents.]
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