Chapter 80

Chapter 80

As Kim Ga-young opened the laboratory door, the red glow illuminating through my eyelids disappeared. Opening my eyes to adapt to the darkness, everything was pitch black, and I couldnt see anything, so I had to trust and follow Lee Jihyuns hand in front of me. It took some time for my eyes to barely make out Lee Jihyuns silhouette. Yoo Geum-yi behind me was probably in the same situation.

There was almost nothing visible. Not even emergency lights. Wouldnt the rest of the marine life die if the power was cut off like this? Would there be an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) here? If so, the lights would have come on, right? I dont know.

As I thought about the recent past, I began to regret my stupidity. I should have grabbed a rope earlier. Then we could have tied our waists or arms together to walk, and we could have used both hands freely. I remembered how resourcefully Shin Haeryang used the parachute cord in my dream. I should learn from others good examples, but I havent changed at all. Lets say others are like that. I had already experienced a similar situation. How progressive and wise of me. Damn it.

Kim Ga-young stood as close to the lab door as possible, and thanks to thinking about how to move before the lights went out, we could leave the lab without any interference. We walked in a line through the dark corridor, relying on each others hands. We tried to minimize the sound of our footsteps.

Even the slightest sounds we inevitably made while walking made me flinch and look around. Lee Jihyuns palm holding mine was damp with tension. Maybe I was just as terrified? I gripped Yoo Geum-yis hand a little tighter, then loosened my grip slightly, fearing it might hurt. I was scared when I put too much strength into my hand, and I was scared when I loosened my grip.Cheêck out latest novels on novel/bin(.)com

What would happen if I accidentally let go of this hand and got separated from the people ahead?

Was the hand I was pulling really Yoo Geum-yis?

Was the hand pulling me from the front really Lee Jihyuns?

A chill ran down my spine as if someone was about to snatch the back of my head. Were we dragging that man from earlier? What if Lee Jihyun in front of me, Yoo Geum-yi holding my hand, or Kim Ga-young leading the way to the Deep-Sea Pollution Center had switched places with the murderer? Were we going the right way? Such groundless, terrifying thoughts kept popping into my mind.

However, I tried to suppress my fears with Lee Jihyuns silhouette, which I caught a glimpse of with my eyes adapted to the darkness, and Yoo Geum-yis faint breathing behind me. Rather than screaming and running alone into the darkness like a madman, I pressed my lips tightly and swallowed the saliva gathering in my mouth from the tension, despite my fear.

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed from the corridor next to where we had just walked. What was that sound? The hand that grabbed and pulled me as I stopped was the person in front. The sound of slippers dragging came from far away. As we walked, ignoring the sound behind us, Kim Ga-young seemed to have found the stairs leading from the 2nd to the 3rd floor.

Lee Jihyuns hand scratched the back of my hand twice, startling me, but as her arm suddenly moved upward, I realized the area in front of me was stairs. I also scratched the back of Yoo Geum-yis hand twice with my nails, took two steps up the stairs, and gave Yoo Geum-yi a few seconds to understand the situation. We climbed the stairs as quietly as possible.

The man, illuminated by Lee Jihyuns flashlight, looked like a giant monster due to the shadows created by the darkness and light, his tall stature, and the height of the chair. Seeing that sight, an instinctive fear rushed in, making me want to flee immediately. And a conviction also surged that if I ran away right now, I might be able to escape unharmed alone.

Among my group, I was the least injured, so I could get out of this situation the fastest. Although lacking in exercise, I was the tallest and probably stronger than these three women. The fear approaching like a tsunami kept sending messages to run away and survive.

Kim Ga-young? She could barely walk. Lee Jihyun had also exhausted her stamina in the water of the main control room dormitory, so she wasnt much different from Kim Ga-young. Yoo Geum-yi seemed to have been hit directly by one of the metal chairs the opponent had thrown earlier. Lee Jihyun told us to run, but no one except me could run properly. Walking was all they could do.

Could I escape safely alone if I left them behind? Would my chances of survival increase significantly if I abandoned them? Could I be free from guilt for leaving people behind? If Yoo Geum-yi hadnt taken that chair hit for me, it would have hit me or the backpack on my back. I did the exact opposite of what I heard. Gritting my teeth, I charged toward the opponent.

Lee Jihyun did the same. Being the closest to the man, Lee Jihyun had to block the chair swung by the opponent with both arms as soon as she rushed in. Blocking the chair with her arms and grabbing it with her hands, Lee Jihyun followed the chairs movement as if being dragged, resisting the opponents strength. Lee Jihyuns flashlight swayed erratically, following her movements. However, overpowered by the opponents weight and strength, Lee Jihyun tumbled backward with the chair as the man threw it behind him.

During the moments illuminated by Lee Jihyuns flashlight, I noticed an object resembling a water gun tucked into the mans pants, which seemed to be the problematic microbial gun. My goal was to seize it and subdue the opponent. You only die once, not twice!

I charged at the same speed I had run and struck the opponents torso with my elbow. A shock that felt like my elbow was shattering rushed in. A gasp was heard, as if he hadnt noticed my sudden appearance in the darkness. The man and I rolled on the floor side by side.

My hand tried to find the gun tucked somewhere in the opponents waistband, but even though I grabbed the mans belly, there was no water gun-like object. I panicked and clung to what should have been the mans right arm. He had already drawn the chemical gun tucked into his waistband with his right hand.

I hung onto the mans right arm and right hand with my entire body, preventing the muzzle from pointing at me. I thought it was a good decision. The man couldnt shoot me. The problem was that the opponent was a human with two arms.

Suddenly, stars flashed on the right side of my face. The opponent had swung at where my face would be with his left hand. His left hand began to wildly beat my right side, right shoulder, and right face without stopping. The strength in my arms and hands holding the mans right side began to fade. After being hit in the face three times, I was dazed, but only one thing remained in my mind.

If I let go of this mans right arm, I would die.

Its not just me who would die.

Everyone here could die.