Seo Eunha couldn't leave work even as midnight approached.
One of her main tasks was to draft a "strategy report," and recently there had been so many incidents that the workload kept piling up.
"Ah, my back…"
Indeed, being the head of strategy was a taxing job, both physically and mentally.
However, promotions came consistently and her career showed a sharp upward trajectory.
Tap- Tap- Tap- Tap-
She alternated between her keyboard and monitor, typing in the manner often referred to as "eagle typing."
The primary reason for her frequent overtime, according to Sergeant Kang Ik-jun, was her slow typing.
She strongly denied it, but honestly… he did have a point.
"…through the strategy, post-action response, and, um… securing, and the results, um, done!"
After the long journey, she finally hit the enter key, kicked her chair back, and stretched.
"Finally done! Ahh."
Looking at the clock, it was 23:43.
"Hmm, I still have about an hour to exercise."
Yawning, she turned off the office lights and left.
However, just as she exited the building…
Whoosh
A disturbing sensation rang in her head…
She stopped in her tracks.
"…What?"
A primal warning started sounding from deep within her consciousness.
'Danger.'
…But what was the danger?
She didn't know.
She just felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
Whoosh
She stopped to search for the source of her discomfort, scanning the darkness of the compound.
From where she stood outside the main building, she could see three other buildings: to the left, the second battalion's dormitory, in the center, the PX, and to the right, the first battalion and headquarters.
Inside those dorms… she detected an unknown, anomalous movement.
'This…'
It was a kind of malevolence that only a player with the ability to harness sacred power could feel…
'It's the dark energy, the aura of the undead.'
There were no soldiers or officers in the first battalion who wielded such power.
That meant an external entity was using this power inside the dorm.
It was definitely a dangerous situation.
She zipped up her combat uniform and rushed down the hill.
Tap
She pressed herself against the wall of the first battalion's building, crouching low.
Moving silently, she entered the building.
"…"
The interior was darker than usual.
It seemed that all the emergency and sleep lights were off.
And…
'…Is that the smell of blood?'
What she had sensed as mere ominousness now began to manifest as a concrete tragedy.
The source of the blood scent was the first door to the left, the dormitory of the fifth platoon.
She approached it cautiously.
She then channeled mana to her fingertips and activated a dim 'Holy Light.'
Whoosh
The dim white glow pushed back the darkness, illuminating the interior…
"…"
Seo Eunha was rendered speechless.
Thud- Thud-
The room was stained in a dark red hue.
It was the flesh and blood of the fifth platoon.
They…
'Were annihilated.'
And it looked as if they were killed instantaneously, without any resistance.
Thud- Thud-
Within that crimson darkness, something wriggled.
A man in a black suit…
Thud- Thud-
He was crouched amidst the corpses of the fifth squad, sucking on someone's neck.
Sip…
The sound stopped, and the man's blood-red eyes turned towards Seo Eunha.
* * *
As they approached the 5th guard post, a familiar voice rang out.
"Wow, how can all of our squad aces gather in one place like this?"
"Yikes! How can our company's greatest hero be in such a shabby place…"
An Min-tae and Choi Tae-yong were the previous shift guards with Lee Hyunwook and Park Junmo.
"…Don't exaggerate too much."
Yes, it was indeed a rare scene to have all four members of a squad in one guard post.
However, in fact, this was intended by Lee Hyunwook.
'I need to have guys who follow my orders well.'
Therefore, he asked the administrative soldier who was arranging the duty roster to arrange it so that they could meet exactly at this spot.
It was easily changed with a hint that they might be able to have a meal with the commander-in-chief in the afternoon.
"Sergeant Lee Hyunwook, you didn't look in good condition earlier, you won't faint while on duty, will you?"
"You look too good, don't trip and fall while going down with so much excitement."
"Hahaha, thanks to whom is it? Isn't it all thanks to our captain, Sergeant?"
"…Please, don't say such things anywhere, I beg you."
An Min-tae couldn't contain his recent high spirits and was very bright and cheerful.
"Well, loyal D-grade An Min-tae will go down! Take care!"
"-Wait."
Lee Hyunwook stopped the two people who were about to go down from the guard post.
"Uh, what is it?"
The two turned around and looked at Lee Hyunwook.
"…"
But Lee Hyunwook did not answer immediately.
He stood silently in the shadow of the guard post, staring at his wristwatch…
"Sergeant Lee Hyunwook?"
23:59-
He slowly raised his head.
"…Just now, I heard a shout from somewhere."
Saying that Lee Hyunwook went down the steps of the guard post while removing the safety.
"…"
Then, the playful expressions of An Min-tae and Choi Tae-yong became quite serious.
Park Junmo also swallowed his saliva and followed behind Lee Hyunwook.
"What happened again… which direction was it?"
Now, they could intuit the meaning even from a small change in Lee Hyunwook's attitude.
That's why their attitudes changed 180 degrees with just one word from Lee Hyunwook.
Whooooo-
At that moment, a cold wind blew over the ridge, and the trees around them made a bleak sound.
"Choi Tae-yong, do you have night vision?"
"Yes, I do."
On his bow, the marksman had a scope, meaning a night vision function, installed.
"Check near the guardhouse. The sound came from that direction."
"Yes."
From this hill, they could see down to the entrance of the base, towards the guardhouse.
"Uh, um…"
Choi Tae-yong's gaze, which had been moving slowly, stopped at one point, and he let out a gasp.
"…"
Then, slowly turning his head, he looked at Lee Hyunwook.
He swallowed once and nodded.
"…Yes, it's a gate."
"What, what gate? You said gate?"
An Min-tae had an expression of disbelief.
However, clearly, behind the guardhouse, a violet flickering was blossoming.
Soon, the guards who sensed a strange sign seemed to approach that area…
Ta-da-da-da-da-dang!
Sharp gunshots rang out, tearing through the night's silence.
It was a flare signaling the beginning of a race through hell.
"Da, damn it! What is happening now?!"
An Min-tae said as he lowered his posture, raised his shield, and protected the squad members.
The distance to the guardhouse was far, but they couldn't rule out the possibility of stray bullets reaching them.
―Chik! Chi-eek! This is the guardhouse…
Soon, an emergency radio from the guardhouse rang, but there was no need to listen to its content.
Lee Hyunwook ignored it and once again gave instructions to Choi Tae-yong.
"Choi Tae-yong, confirm exactly what kind of monster came out of the gate."
"Yes! It is…uh, they're undead, looks like zombie type."
"In that case, the guardhouse forces alone can't stop it."
"Damn, then what should we do?"
"…You guys go."
At his words, astonishment spread across the faces of the three people.
"Eh? Won't the 5th platoon respond directly?"
Lee Hyunwook shook his head.
"The 5th platoon likely lacks the power to deal with the undead, meaning, 'holy power.'"
The undead was a considerably tricky monster to deal with.
It was naturally tenacious in vitality, and in many cases, it even resurrected.
Therefore, there was only one surefire way to handle a considerable number of them.
"But you guys are armed with holy weapons, aren't you?"
"Ah…"
Originally, according to the past, these three would not only lack the ability to resolve the issue but be annihilated early on.
'But now things have changed.'
The level, the skill, the weapons, and even the mindset, everything had changed.
In fact, at this point, no one else was as adequately equipped to handle the situation.
"But, why just the three of us? Where are you planning to go, Sergeant Lee Hyunwook?"
At An Min-tae's question, Lee Hyunwook turned his head.
Buildings were lined up beneath the opposite ridge.
The barracks… it was where the entire company force was stationed.
"Most likely… there's not just one gate."
"…Yes? No, can that even happen?"
"That's impossible! Are you saying there's a double gate inside the camp?"
No, it was not a double gate.
'It's a wave.'
One of the most hellish events in this game, the wave…
Lee Hyunwook swallowed those words.
Soon, the sight of a purple flickering light near the barracks caught his eye.
'As expected…'
It was the second gate.
And from there, white figures were pouring out.
'Those ones are skeletons.'
It was an unbelievable number for a first wave of emergence, even estimating roughly by eye, it seemed to be easily 80 creatures.
However, that was not the end of it.
'During the wave, gates open without the constraint of a limited emergence; they pour out endlessly,'
For the time being, skeletons would continuously keep pouring out, and if not properly controlled initially, it could lead to hundreds, even thousands of them. Essentially, an army would appear.
And the direction they were marching… was indeed towards the barracks.
"Ah… it's true! There really is another gate opened over there!"
Soon, Choi Tae-yong confirmed it clearly through night vision.
"Now you understand, right? The 5th platoon can't go towards the guardhouse. But if we can't block the first emergence like this… those things will go down to the city below the mountain. We absolutely have to prevent that."
"This is insane…"
"That's why you guys have to go. I will go to the barracks and block that gate, and then bring backup forces to the guardhouse. Can you somehow… hold on until then?"
Lee Hyunwook said that as he met eyes with each of the three individuals in turn.
Now, something else filled their eyes, replacing fear.
It was a kind of morale.
It was a spirit built up through several successes, a spirit of fighting will and confidence.
"Understood. Don't worry about us and go quickly. If this goes on, we'll all genuinely die."
An Min-tae turned around with his shield on his back, and Choi Tae-yong and Park Junmo followed him.
They ran down the mountain path towards the guardhouse.
'Yes, that's right. They all had died…'
Then, Lee Hyunwook also moved.
* * *
"-Ugh!"
Seo Eunha collapsed onto the asphalt.
Falling from her back, the shock traveled through her spine and spread throughout her body.
However, without a moment to feel the pain, she quickly got back up.
At that moment-
Swoosh-
Something flew by, scraping the ground as it passed.
It was a black whip.
It slithered like a snake, winding its way into the darkness of the first barracks.
"Hehehe…"
Soon, a red gleam approached from within the darkness, and its owner revealed himself.
A tall man dressed in a black suit…
He was already drenched in blood.
It was the blood of the 5th standby platoon.
"Did I expect to meet the second daughter of the Holy Knight Commander so soon? And in a totally defenseless state, not to mention extremely pretty? Euhuheuheu…."
"…."
"I can't miss this opportunity. I'm going to play with you all night long, so don't be too shy, I hope we can enjoy it together."
A pale face, a mouth smeared with blood, and a crimson tongue sticking out and fluttering.
Seo Eunha took steady breaths and slowly stepped back.
'What on earth, what is happening?'
Seo Eunha realized that the assault of the monster wasn't the only problem.
In her line of sight, on the left side, from one corner of the training field, a purple light was flickering.
'A gate….'
And from there, a group of skeletons… no, a legion was emerging.
'How can so many monsters appear during the first outbreak?'
Until now, there were about 120.
As far as she knew, it was impossible.
More importantly, the being threatening her was not a monster.
'…It's a player.'
A player is a weapon created from humanity and therefore also harms humans.
There were quite a few who used that strong power to commit crimes.
Moreover, terrorist groups have been formed.
Yet the man who appeared with the gate and was attacking the AMT is…
"…Who are you?"
"Euhuheu, don't be too impatient. You will find out while we enjoy slowly tonight."
Seo Eunha was looking for a way to overcome this situation.
'First of all, I have to somehow draw a weapon.'
But running away with her back turned would result in her neck being cut off.
And not only her survival was at stake.
The many forces in that barracks…
'The 5th platoon team has been annihilated, so immediate response is impossible.'
Of course, somewhere, a mysterious gunfire sounded, and lights were turned on in the barracks.
All the forces would have started to wake up and arm themselves.
But it was too late.
Screek- Screek-
Skeletons pouring out from the training field had already reached near the barracks.
If those things get inside, a one-sided massacre would happen before they even had time to arm themselves.
"Damn it…."
"Yes, yes, being very, very flustered, huhu, does your heart beat fast and your body get hot?"
At that moment, the bastard rushed in and swung the whip.
Swish-Snap!
Seo Eunha lowered her posture to dodge the whip and charged into the guy's reach.
And she grabbed hold of the guy's both arms.
"-Ugh!"
However, he was much stronger than she had anticipated.
She tried to overthrow him, but he didn't fall.
"Oh! Quite aggressive, aren't you? I really like this style, there's a thrill in subduing someone! Euhaha!"
The guy felt the difference in strength and snickered as he looked down at Seo Eunha.
But she did not give up.
She hooked her leg around his to destabilize his balance and finally succeeded in overthrowing him.
Thud-bang!
His body slammed into the asphalt with a heavy sound, but at the same time, the claws from his right hand flew towards Seo Eunha's ankle.
She let go of his arm and quickly retreated backward.
Had she been a bit slower, her ankle might have been severed.
Ssssshh….
However, from the part of the guy's arm where Seo Eunha had grabbed, smoke was rising.
Just by holding on with the Holy Light activated, it inflicted effective damage.
This implied that the basis of the guy's power was 'the power of darkness'.
"…Oh, I see, you do have the vibrance of the next Holy Knight leader? Ha, I guess I can't embrace you tonight, huh? Ah, right, right, I can just tie you up, can't I?"
As the guy got up, he giggled and his sharp teeth were exposed.
'Those fangs….'
What should she say? He seemed almost like a monster. Especially having witnessed a scene of him sucking blood, he felt like something from the undead series, moreover, like a 'vampire'.
'If that's really the case… If only I had a weapon, he wouldn't stand a chance against me, damn.'
However, there was no time to regret.
Now was not the time to be concerned about winning or losing.
Somehow, she had to survive.
But… she couldn't think of a way at all.
'For now, I should focus on avoiding the next attack. That's the best I can do.'
That was the moment.
Ta-da-da-dang!
Gunshots rang out from somewhere,
"Ah! Damn!"
The vampire cried out in pain and staggered backward.
'Who is it?'
From behind Seo Eunha, from the ridge, someone was approaching while firing well aimed shots.
"Ugh! Shit! What is this all of a sudden!"
Although it probably wasn't causing substantial damage, the pain of flesh being torn was the same, so the guy had no choice but to retreat while covering his head with both hands.
Ta-dang! Ta-dang!
Then, a series of aimed shots followed, targeting the knees.
The bullets hit the knees and shins, causing the guy to stagger.
Soon, the shooter approached right behind Seo Eunha.
"Platoon leader, are you okay?"
It was Lee Hyunwook.
"Lee Hyunwook, how did you…."
"I'm glad."
"What are you glad about? Can't you see the current situation?"
Seo Eunha pointed towards the gate on the side of the drill ground.
Lee Hyunwook gave a faint smile.
"Yes, that is true, but didn't I come to rescue you just in time, without being late?"
It was clearly a teasing remark, poking fun at Seo Eunha who had often shown up belatedly.
"…Come to the rescue? You came to rescue me?"
Lee Hyunwook nodded and laid down his K2C1 rifle on the ground.
At the same time, two swords automatically drew themselves from behind his back.
They stood vertically, catching the moonlight and glittering sharply.
Lee Hyunwook passed by Seo Eunha.
And as he approached the vampire, he opened his mouth.
"…I came to rescue everyone."