The night settled into an ominous stillness, a terrifying mix of cold rain and frantic fear. A woman, her face contorted by a choked scream and streaming with tears, dragged herself toward a dark, slick dead-end. She was gasping, her throat clenched by pure terro
When she turned her head, she saw the heavy silhouette of Lee Hyun Ju, the serial killer who had, up to that night, savagely slaughtered ten victim
"Who... who are you? What do you want from me? Please, let me go, I—" The woman's plea was choked of
Lee Hyun Ju swiftly snatched her handbag, then, with utter indifference, threw her lifeless body into the storm drain. He, too, immediately descended through the same opening, dropping into the dark depths of the sewer syste
In the damp, filthy space, Lee Hyun Ju leaned against the slick wall and sat on the cold ground. Overcome with exhaustion, his hands trembling, he opened the woman's bag. His gaze fell upon a small vial containing a dark, mysterious flui
"Hello, my darling. How are you, my son?" A maniacal smile spread across his lips. "I'm glad that my sole legacy, which is you, has reached me
He whispered slowly, "Damn the Life Company... damn them for ruining me
Lee Hyun Ju's mind abruptly sank into past memorie
Do you remember when I found yo
Lee Hyun Ju had once been a brilliant researcher and scientist at the major pharmaceutical company, Life. During a scientific business trip with colleagues, they discovered a remote cave. There, they found an incredibly rare species of spider carrying a dangerous virus. This virus could grant a person superhuman abilities, but in exchange, it completely stripped away their mental contro
Initially, the virus was very weak and required a final mutation. Lee Hyun Ju worked day and night until he achieved his goal: the final, stable mutatio
But Life noticed something: Lee Hyun Ju was already suffering from a mental disorder and occasionally showed signs of madness. The company saw him as a threat. Without regard for all his research, Lee Hyun Ju was fire
Lee Hyun Ju returned to his rented house... and, shunned by the company, searched for work in vain. One day, while Lee Hyun Ju was out, Life Company thugs stormed his house. They vandalized the place, stole all his belongings, and fled. The landlord, assuming Lee Hyun Ju was responsible for the damages, immediately evicted him. Lee Hyun Ju, cast out and hopeless, was forced to move to the city's slums, where his wretched life continue
His fall didn't stop there. Lee Hyun Ju had accumulated a terrifying financial pi
220 million Won in bank deb
10 million Won owed to his former landlor
190 million Won owed to loan shark
And the final disaster: a 500 million Won loss in a failed casino bet, with another 500 million Won added to tha
His total debt reached nearly one billion Won (Wo
Weeks later, his creditors came for him. Casino people, loan sharks, and the landlord banded together. They found Lee Hyun Ju, threatened him, and forced him to sign a horrifying document called the "Bodily Responsibility Form." According to the contract, failure to pay meant losing his kidney, then his eyes, then a third of his liver, and worst of all, one of his testicle
Madness now consumed Lee Hyun Ju's logic. He blamed the Life Company for his complete downfal
Lee Hyun Ju decided to find a way to pay at least a portion of his debt: targeting employees who were transporting medication at night to recover and sell his virus vial. Or maybe... just maybe... infecting his creditors. Everything in his mind spiraled towards absolute darknes
Madness had completely blinded Lee Hyun Ju's eye
He raised the vial of the mutated virus and screamed in a harsh, trembling voice filled with rage and insanit
"Humans don't deserve to live! You are all starved for money! You all follow a repetitive, idiotic cycle like cattle! We are born, go to school, work, raise a family, and die! And this will repeat for thousands more generations! Damn this cycle
He drank a drop of the bitter virus and then poured the rest into the city's waterway
Leon Wastelander was a 24-year-old scholarship student, living alone in his apartment, who had just failed two key courses for the second time.
As he was lounging on his sofa, flipping channels, the terrified voice of a reporter suddenly grabbed his attention:
> "Horrible chaos is unfolding! People are mutating and tearing each other apart in ulsan!"
>
Suddenly, a Motris—the name recently given to the infected—attacked the reporter, and the camera cut out with a thud.
Leon scoffed, "They're being too dramatic. They must be bored," and turned off the TV. A mysterious silence fell. Leon felt a slight fear.
Suddenly... the muffled crying of a girl came from behind the apartment door. She was coughing and begging for help.
Leon anxiously approached: "Who is it? Mom, is that you?"
The girl moaned in a strained voice: "P-please... help... me."
Leon's compassion overcame his doubt, but he sensed something was seriously wrong. He grabbed a knife from the kitchen before opening the door.
The moment the door opened, he faced a horrific sight: a 16-year-old girl fully transformed into a Motris, her clothes soaked in blood. The crying had been a ruthless lure.
The Motris, its throat constricted as it tried to scream, immediately lunged at Leon.
Leon stumbled back but managed to grab the Motris's arm to prevent the attack. The Motris pulled its head back, intending to bite, then threw its head violently toward Leon. Leon quickly released the Motris's arm, pulled his head right, and the Motris's head hit the floor hard.
Leon immediately got up and plunged the knife into the Motris's body. Eight furious stabs, three of which fortunately struck the heart.
The Motris let out a terrifying death shriek from the intensity of the pain. This scream acted like an antenna for all the surrounding Motrises. They heard it and ran maniacally toward Leon's apartment. Unfortunately, the entrance door remained open because of the attack.
Leon froze for a moment. He had killed a girl, and the sound of dozens of monsters' footsteps came from the hallways. "My God... what did I do?... What the hell was that? Where are those sounds coming from? Are they real?"
Leon snapped back to action. The only escape was the rooftop. He ran, but the door was locked. The nearby shrieks intensified his fear. He slammed his fist hard into the door's glass to break it.
"Break, you damn thing!"
The glass finally shattered, and Leon reached his hand through to unlock the deadbolt. The door opened, but a large, sharp shard of glass severely sliced the palm of Leon's hand. Leon screamed in pain, yanked the door open, and started running with intense pain.
The only way he saw was to jump to the next apartment building. But the distance was too wide. He threw himself with all his might but didn't reach far enough. Leon fell, fortunately hitting the stairwell window of the opposite building, and the sound of breaking glass echoed in the air. He was thrown down with the broken glass.
He was alive! Slowly, painfully, he got up.
Suddenly, he heard a genuine, broken scream: "Is anyone going to help me? Heeelp!"
Leon, now deeply cynical and enraged, thought, "Get lost! I won't fall for you bastards again!" He decided to climb the stairs instead of paying attention to the sound.
But his inherent humanity pushed him.
The girl pleaded in the same vulnerable tone: "Sir, I'm not one of them! Please help me!"
Leon, angry at his own conscience, told himself, "Hold on, I'm coming!"
He rushed up the stairs and saw a girl gripping a Motris's arm, weeping to prevent it from attacking.
Leon yelled with heroic fear: "Run!"
The girl, Kim Yu-ri, pushed the Motris's arm away and stepped aside. Leon grabbed the Motris's hair and slammed its head into the wall. Dazed, he stabbed the Motris's throat with the knife. Blood gushed, and the lifeless Motris fell to the ground.
Leon sank onto his knees right there. Kim Yu-ri approached. Leon was exhausted and weak and couldn't look at her.
Kim Yu-ri was panting: "You... you saved me..."
Leon said hoarsely, without looking: "Only... only because you weren't like the other one..."
"They didn't bite you, right? Are you okay?"
"No, I'm not okay and..."
Kim Yu-ri noticed Leon's hand. Horrified: "Oh my God... your hand... why is it like that?"
Leon explained, his eyes half-closed from the pain: "I was trying to escape from the rooftop... broke the door glass... when I pulled my hand back... this happened."
"Oh my God. Your hand will get infected if it's not treated... it'll get worse. Come to my place, I'll bandage it up a bit."
Leon turned his head to look at Yu-ri. In one glance, he felt a strange attraction and admiration for her.
She was....like a angel
Leon:
"Okay."
They entered Yu-ri's apartment. Yu-ri quickly went to the kitchen and brought alcohol, cloth, bandages, and tweezers.
"Show me your hand. I need to get that glass out first. It might hurt a little, but at least you'll be comfortable for a while. I'll count to three, hold your hand steady."
Leon said slowly and tiredly, "Okay, but please be as gentle as you can."
"I won't promise precision, but I'll try my best. One... Two... Three..."
Yu-ri pulled the tweezers hard. The glass came out. Leon screamed in pain.
"I'm sorry, but we have to. Now I need to pour alcohol on it so it doesn't get infected."
The sting of the alcohol on the open wound brought tears to Leon's eyes.
Yu-ri said, "It's done. Only two more things left. These won't hurt. Just be quiet, we mustn't let them hear us."
Leon said painfully, "Okay."
Yu-ri placed the sanitary cloth on Leon's hand and bandaged it. "It's done. See if you can move your hand?"
Leon moved his hand. It felt somewhat better.
Leon said with a small laugh, "Thank you. I really couldn't have managed here one-handed. By the way... my name is Leon Wastelander. What's yours?"
The girl replied, "I am Kim Yu-ri."
Leon grew serious: "We can't stay here any longer. We have no weapons for defense, not much food, and no water."
Kim Yu-ri confirmed: "We have to use the stairwell. The elevator is broken. We need to go to the garage. I have a car there."
The Point of Escape and the Crash
Leon and Yu-ri left the house and entered the stairwell. Suddenly, a Motris with its back to them blocked the way. Leon immediately lunged, hitting the Motris hard and sending it tumbling over the stair railing. The zombie fell four stories.
Leon: "Hurry! We have to go!"
They finally reached the garage. Yu-ri pointed to her car, but two other Motrises were there. Leon picked up a fallen iron rod and headed toward the Motrises. His first blow distracted one Motris; this was Yu-ri's chance to get into the car. Leon killed the first Motris, but the second one appeared behind him. Suddenly, Yu-ri ran the Motris over with the car.
Leon turned his head: "Wow! It was going to jump me from behind?"
Yu-ri got out of the car. Leon moved toward the driver's seat. He had learned to drive well from his father.
But Yu-ri objected: "You're still wounded. You might get hurt."
Leon laughed: "No, believe me, I'm perfectly fine. You take the passenger seat. We need to go to the gun store. We can't escape the city without a weapon."
Kim Yu-ri continued: "Leon, if you feel even slightly unwell, please just tell me."
Leon nodded.
They both drove out of the garage. The Motrises' ability to sense uninfected blood made their car a moving target, as Leon had been bleeding. The Motrises started chasing them.
Kim Yu-ri was terrified: "They... they're chasing us!"
Leon, focusing completely on the steering wheel: "They won't leave us alone. Why are they chasing us anyway? We need to get off the main street. If we enter the back alleys, maybe we can gain some distance."
Yu-ri yelled: "They're catching up, Leon!"
The Motrises were fast. Three Motrises threw themselves and clung to the car doors: one on the driver's side, one on the passenger side, and one on the rear door. They were slamming their heads against the windows. The glass began to crack.
Yu-ri, more scared than ever: "I don't know how long this glass can last! Leon, do something!"
Leon: "I know, I know. Just be calm."
Leon made a risky decision. He slammed his foot on the gas and looked at the wrecked cars in the street. He drove very close to the crashed cars, hoping the Motrises would hit them, but the monsters wouldn't let go. They were wild and strong.
Leon saw the street ahead turn sharply right. He swerved violently to the right, but suddenly the car lifted onto its two right wheels. The pressure mounted on the driver.
Leon yelled: "Oh no! No no no no! Too fast! Too fast! Hold onnnnn!"
The car was on the verge of flipping.
The car flipped over and rolled twice, eventually landing on its roof. The Motrises that had been clinging were killed. The remaining Motrises thought Leon and Yu-ri were dead and abandoned them.
But Leon had lost two of his fingers, the index and middle fingers, from his injured hand. His bandage came undone and fell to the floor. He couldn't even scream anymore, and with tear-filled eyes, he closed them.
Kim Yu-ri, who had managed to climb out, saw Leon's lifeless body. She placed her hand on his heart. She couldn't believe it. His heart had stopped. She desperately tried to revive Leon with chest compressions, but it was no use. Leon was gone.
Yu-ri worried and distraught: "Leon! Leon! Please stop joking! I know you're alive! Don't be dramatic!"
A few seconds passed.
Kim Yu-ri in a voice filled with anger and sorrow: "Leon, this is absolutely not a funny joke!"
Kim Yu-ri, her voice trembling and breathless, placed her shaking hands on Leon's face:
"Leon... no... no... this can't be....
Several hours later, 5:00 PM. Inside a house in ulsan.
Yu-ri, despairing, rested her head on Leon's chest. Suddenly, Leon opened his eyes. His gaze was dazed, and the color had drained from his face.
Yu-ri let out a stifled cry of joy and hugged him tightly. Tears flowed as she said, her voice choked with happiness, "I'm... I'm so happy you're back alive!"
"Kim Yu-ri... are you here?" Leon's voice was hoarse and distant. His eyes scanned the room, and upon seeing several unfamiliar faces, he said in horror, "Wait a minute, who are you people?"
Cho Jin Ho, the computer engineer stepped forward with a friendly tone: "Calm down, kid. We mean no harm. We're just survivors who pulled you out of the car wreckage." He then introduced the others:
Ji Hoon ....
Seo Yeon Nurse
Da Som Martial arts instructor
Yuna a hairdresser
Park Woo-jin Doctor
Min Joon team leader and a lawyer
Leon asked weakly, "What happened in the city?"
Park Woo-jin, a burly man with a harsh gaze, replied crudely: "We don't know. And you don't need to know either. Come on, everyone, out."
Then, except for Leon and Yu-ri, the other survivors left the room.
Leon asked Kim Yu-ri: "Was I dead?"
Kim Yu-ri answered: "Sort of, but thank God you made it. Park Woo-jin bandaged your hand and reattached your fingers. I kept them in my pocket."
Leon: "What's that bandage on your arm?"
Kim Yu-ri: "Well, you were low on blood, and I... I donated some to you."
Leon's eyes gained a brighter spark. He suddenly smiled spontaneously, when Yu-ri abruptly said, "Silence. Just a moment."
From outside the room, harsh arguments erupted. Yu-ri pressed her ear to the door.
Park Woo-jin (in an angry, bitter tone): "They are idiots! They're zombies! Why are you so naive and fall for their tricks? His blood is suspicious!"
Ji Hoon (tiredly): "Stop it, Woo-jin... these people have been through too much, they're not so depraved that you should kill someone over a misunderstanding."
At that moment, Leon quietly asked, "How did I get here?"
Yu-ri turned back with a soft but anxious smile: "Cho Jin Ho saved you. You were dead... two of your fingers were severed, but your hand is completely bandaged now. Park Woo-jin was able to keep your fingers alive because not much time had passed since they were severed."
Suddenly, Park Woo-jin entered with a bloody piece of cloth in his hand. His face was agitated, his eyes burning with anger. He held the cloth up to the other survivors:
Park Woo-jin (in a loud, furious voice): "Go on, look! This is Leon's blood! It's no different from the Motris blood! They're infected, and if we don't do something now, we'll all die!"
The group sank into heavy silence. Their looks were filled with doubt and judgment.
Min Joon (calmly): "Woo-jin... are you sure? This is very serious."
Park Woo-jin (angrily): "I couldn't be more certain! We must finish this. Before it's too late." His hand moved toward his gun bag.
Yu-ri, with a trembling voice full of terror, turned to Leon: "Leon... Leon, wake up... they're talking about us. They want to... they want to kill us..."
Leon struggled to open his eyes, still exhausted, but he understood Yu-ri's anxiety. The camera zoomed on Leon's face; his breathing grew heavy.
Shot in the Air
Leon painfully got up from the floor. He was pale, but his eyes were sparking.
With a tired but determined voice: "Kim Yu-ri, lock the door."
Yu-ri immediately locked it. Leon went to a table in the corner and picked up a dusty handgun.
From behind the door, Woo-jin's voice came: "Leon? Get uuuup, hero. I want to kill you with my own hands!"
Leon replied in a calm, threatening voice: "Touch Kim Yu-ri... and I'll cut that hand off at the wrist."
Woo-jin's mocking laughter followed. "Ooh, I'm scared. Don't talk big, kid."
Yu-ri pleaded: "Please... we're not infected... we're just alive... like you."
Leon (with rising anger): "Fine. Keep up your clown show... but if this is how you want to end it... then let me put the final stamp... with the Zombies!"
Ji Hoon: "Are you bluffing? How are you going to do that?"
Leon coldly told Yu-ri, "Open the window."
Yu-ri (astonished): "What?!"
Leon (firmly): "Open it. Now."
Yu-ri opened the window with a shaking hand. Leon raised the pistol, stuck his injured hand out the window... and fired six successive shots into the air.
Seconds later, the deadly silence of the neighborhood was broken: Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...
The screams and muffled roars of the Motrises rose from the streets and alleys.
Kim Yu-ri (terrified, whispering): "Leon... they're coming... they're coming..."
Leon gave a bitter smirk: "Park Woo-jin wanted to start the game... well, I wrote the ending."
---
The Battle for Trust
Min Joon screamed: "Idiot! You've doomed us! Everyone, get ready!"
The survivors grabbed their guns. Leon slowly opened the door.
Leon (pleading): "Just give us one chance... we'll prove we're not infected..."
Cho Jin Ho: "I don't think one chance will hurt."
Min Joon, after a brief pause, nodded with a frown. Everyone began barricading the windows.
Leon went to Yu-ri, whose hand was trembling, and she wasn't holding the gun correctly.
Leon (softly): "Breathe... focus on the spot you want to hit... This is a Glock 18. Hold it like this... try to aim straight for the head."
Yu-ri (shaky smile): "How do you know these things?"
Leon: "My grandfather was a Navy SEAL... he taught me as a kid. I never thought I'd actually need it one day..."
---
Rooftop Confrontation
Leon gathered himself and hugged Yu-ri.
Leon (worried): "Are you okay?!"
Yu-ri (gasping): "I'm fine... just a few blows."
Leon: "Keep them busy... I'm going after that bastard."
Yu-ri grabbed Leon's hand: "Leon, please be careful."
Leon went up the stairs. Park Woo-jin was hiding behind a dark room door. Suddenly, he struck Leon on the head with a bat. Leon was dazed and fell. Woo-jin raised an axe...
Leon barely drew his gun and fired! The bullet hit close to Woo-jin, who flinched. Leon pushed him away with his foot and fled to the rooftop.
Woo-jin found him again and drove Leon to the edge of the roof. Below was packed with Motrises.
Park Woo-jin (smirking): "Beg... maybe I'll save you."
Leon (angrily): "Go to hell!"
Leon struck Woo-jin directly and hard in the groin. Woo-jin lost his balance. Leon slammed his head into the ground.
Park Woo-jin (screaming in pain): "You bastarddddddddddddddd!"
Leon, resolute and without a moment's hesitation, pushed him off.
Woo-jin fell. The Motrises surrounded him at the base of the building.
Leon stared down with a heavy, conflicted look.
Leon (hoarsely): "Seo Yeon... where is Da Som?"
The faint sunlight streamed through the dusty window. The heavy, calm breathing of the survivors filled the air. They had managed to survive the Motris attack.
Before Leon had a chance to answer, the bedroom door opened.
Da Som, with disheveled hair and a cold expression, stepped out.
Cho Jin Ho (surprised and angry): "You were in the room all this time...?! We almost died because you weren't here!"
Da Som (with indifference): "I was killing Motrises in the room. What are you talking about, crazy man."
Ji Hoon: "Let it go... fighting won't help. Leon... where is Park Woo-jin?"
Leon was silent. He lowered his head. The group's pressure mounted.
Ji Hoon (in a more serious tone): "I asked... where is Park Woo-jin?"
Leon (in a heavy voice): "He wanted to kill me. I was almost choked to death... He was going for my throat with his axe. I blinded his eye... and pushed him down. The Motrises... finished him off."
Silence. Seo Yeon said in disbelief, "What did you do?"
Min Joon stepped forward, furious, and delivered a heavy punch to Leon's face.
Min Joon (yelling): "Idiot! How are we going to survive without a doctor now?!"
Suddenly, Kim Yu-ri pulled him back and stood in front of Leon.
Kim Yu-ri: "Stop! He's remorseful enough as it is!"
Min Joon: "Enough! You got us all killed!"
Yuna, who had been silent until now, stepped forward, her hands clenched.
Yuna: "Idiots..."
Leon cut her off. With a swift move, he kicked Min Joon's foot out from under him. Min Joon fell. Leon, standing and gasping:
Leon: "Idiots... I saved all your lives. I cleared Min Joon's path, I stood up to Woo-jin... It's all of you who helped me stop that bastard from killing me. Now that it's over, you want to make him a hero?"
Cho Jin Ho (calm and serious): "Leon is right. We are still breathing... because of him. Min Joon, leave it. That scumbag would have gone crazy seeing anyone he didn't like."
Kim Yu-ri (whispering): "But... something isn't settling with me. I feel like they're coming back."
Seo Yeon: "They definitely are. Now they know we're here."
Cho Jin Ho gave a faint smile: "I think it's time to move. How about the hospital? Maybe we can treat the wounds."
Leon was still looking outside. Motrises were lurking around the house.
Leon: "No... it's not time yet."
Min Joon: "Why?"
At that very moment, everyone saw the Motrises pressed against the windows. Ji Hoon muttered, "We're done for..."
Cho Jin Ho raised a finger, a mischievous grin appearing: "The emergency exit behind the house?"
The door opened... but it too was filled with Motrises.
Leon spun around fast: "Min Joon, come with me!"
Leon, using his wounded and bloody hand, quickly began to cut into the dead Motris. He smeared pieces of jacket with the blood, guts, and entrails.
Min Joon (his face contorted): "Ugh... it smells like death!"
Da Som: "What kind of ridiculous act is this?"
Leon (with certainty, smelling the fresh blood): "Motrises sense the smell of the dead. We need to look like one of them. Two people will go get the car."
Kim Yu-ri (in admiration, as she, too, smeared her jacket): "That's creative..."
Min Joon and Leon, wearing the blood-soaked jackets, opened the door. The Motrises did not suspect them. Leon only glanced at Park Woo-jin's mangled corpse... his eyes were filled with a mixture of rage and sorrow.
Min Joon and Leon headed for the car. The car started.
The Siren. A huge mistake.
The sound of the car alarm echoed in the silent night. The Motrises swarmed. Leon yelled and Min Joon hit the gas. The emergency exit door of the house burst open.
Seo Yeon, Da Som, Kim Yu-ri, Ji Hoon, Yuna, Cho Jin Ho... everyone climbed in with panic and haste.
The car violently tore through the horde of Motrises and vanished into the darkness of the night.
Birth of the Hunter
Meanwhile, at the location where Park Woo-jin fell, his eyes snapped open. One of his eyes was completely blinded, but the virus had miraculously healed him. His vision was now sharp and clear. The Motrises did not attack him. He was in shock.
Park Woo-jin (in a voice that was a mix of fury and a low growl): "Why aren't you eating me, you crazy zombies?"
The Motrises only roared. Woo-jin stood up. His body was completely revitalized.
Park Woo-jin (with a chilling sneer): "Does this mean I'm their God?"
He suddenly shouted: "Hey, Leon! I'm coming to mince you!" The Motrises roared in response.
Park Woo-jin headed toward an abandoned motorcycle and started it. He decided to go to the hospital—the very place Leon and the others were heading