Convict Unit: Black Parade

The first Gate opened thirty years ago, unleashing monsters into the world.

The Republic of Korea had done its best to recover from the damage, and three decades later, it was slowly healing from the wounds of the past.

But even so, there were three places the government had officially declared impossible to retake. Cities where they had failed to close the Gates in time, where dungeon breaks had occurred again and again, leaving them in ruins.

Enemy territory, now lost to humankind, fully assimilated into the other side.

Gangneung, where a rain of potatoes fell year-round.

Busan, which had risen from a tidal wave to become a floating island.

And finally…

Daejeon, a field of zombies.

“You’re telling us… to go into Daejeon, one of the Three Lost Cities?” Model Student asked, dumbfounded.

Hae-eun nodded briskly. “That’s right.”

“Even the best Hunters in the country hesitate to go near it. Not even the Five Heroes will go anywhere close. The Gate Defense Bureau has given up on it too. How are we supposed to…?”

“If it were easy, it wouldn’t have come to us, would it?” Hae-eun smiled, but her eyes glittered with a cold, sharp light. “And you’re not exactly in a position to be picky, are you, my convict friends?”

Model Student fell silent. The other members looked disgruntled, but none dared to speak up.

Hae-eun Seo was not a woman who took back her words. This mission was already a done deal.

She continued her explanation. “Daejeon may be a hell teeming with zombie hordes, but small pockets of survivors have been living there.”

Jae-hee sounded surprised. “Eh? Living in a zombie nest? Why?”

“Everyone has their reasons, I suppose. Daejeon was their home, or their family turned into zombies, or maybe they had a reason to hide in a ruined city… But we’re not here to ponder their motives.”

Clack. Hae-eun jabbed the map projected on the wall with her cane, then spun it around.

“Twenty-four hours ago, zombie activity within Daejeon skyrocketed. They became more violent, even turning on each other. And as the zombies went on a rampage, the survivor groups that had been hiding were naturally attacked.”

The map on the screen updated.

Red X’s appeared one by one over the locations of survivor groups scattered across the city.

“We’ve lost contact with the largest survivor group in Daejeon. The problem is, there was someone rather… important in that group.”

Her cane landed on a bright red X in the center of Daejeon.

“Callsign: Patissier. A person of interest the government was keeping an eye on. Your mission is to enter Daejeon, find this person, and bring them out.”

Model Student raised his hand. “What if they’re already dead?”

“Then bring back proof of death. This person and their group were conducting research in Daejeon. Recover that data as well.”

Hae-eun grinned. “The reward for a successful mission is five hundred thousand Paradise Credits per person.”

A murmur went through the cargo hold.

“Five hundred thousand Credits…!”

“Half a mil for one mission? That’s worth it.”

“How many years off is that?”

Jae-hee knew Paradise Credits were the currency used in the prison, but he had no idea what they were actually worth. He was the only one who looked confused.

Well, him and one silent other.

The white-haired woman—Ghost—who was still curled up in a ball as if the rest of the world didn’t exist. She didn’t seem to give a damn about the credits, either.

“Remember this—your every move will be reported to me through your body cams and comms,” Hae-eun said, tapping her finger next to her eye as if to say I see everything. “No funny business. Focus on the mission. And try your best to succeed.”

Her eyes met Jae-hee’s. With her scarred face, she offered a surprisingly gentle smile.

“That’s all for the mission briefing. I hope to see you alive. Godspeed. Dismissed!”

***

Not long after the briefing, the transport plane took off.

Jae-hee was terrified—it was his first time flying—but thanks to the motion sickness pill, his stomach was fine, and he soon got used to it.

After takeoff, he pressed his face against the window, marveling. “Whoa… The clouds are so close…!”

He was so engrossed in the sky, happily “oohing” and “ahhing,” that he’d forgotten all about the dangerous mission ahead.

That’s when it happened.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Operatives in black suits brought out several metal chests and set them down. “Grab your gear,” one of them said.

The members approached the chests as if they’d been waiting for this moment, skillfully selecting and equipping their gear.

Model Student meticulously checked his assault rifle, pistol, grenades, body armor, knife, and a cluster of magazines.

Miss Hellth released the restraints on her wrists. The blood-red spear in her hand, which had been translucent, solidified into a vivid crimson. She then donned a set of armored plates.

Flight Risk changed into a sturdy-looking trench coat and grabbed two bags, one full of explosives and one empty.

Watching him, Jae-hee asked curiously, “Why the empty bag?”

“Hehe, when I fly, I have to take everything off except the coat. Gotta have somewhere to put my clothes…”

“…”

Finally, there was Ghost. She took only a single sword.

While the others armed themselves with weapons, armor, and various other equipment, the white-haired woman took nothing but one blade.

Jae-hee, who had been peeking over her shoulder, couldn’t help but ask, “You’re only taking that one sword? It must be something special, huh? What kind of sword is it?”

Through her disheveled white hair, Ghost’s vacant eyes stared at him.

“Oh, uh, I was just curious… Juuust asking…” Jae-hee broke into a cold sweat and backed away. “O-okay, sorry. I won’t talk to you—”

“Void Trinity.”

“Huh?”

“The name of this sword.”

And with that, Ghost silently melted back into the shadows of the cargo hold.

Jae-hee stared after her, dumbfounded, and muttered, “So you can talk, Grandma Ghost…”

And what’s more, though her voice was laced with weariness, it was surprisingly clear and beautiful. So much so that he had the absurd thought that she could host a radio show.

Finally, it was Jae-hee’s turn to be issued his basic equipment.

He fumbled with the standard-issue combat suit, unable to put it on properly. Model Student, unable to watch any longer, came over to help him.

“You need to wear this properly. This suit is your lifeline. We’re going into a zombie-infested area, so you need sturdy clothes to make sure their teeth can’t get through, just in case you get bitten.”

“Th-thank you.”

Jae-hee shifted awkwardly in the stiff combat suit after putting it on. Then he noticed something. “Huh? Your suit looks kinda beat up, bro. That gonna hold up?”

Model Student frowned at the casual address but let it slide. “This is the suit I wore back when I was a Hunter. Wearing it makes me feel like I’m back in those days.”

“Ah… so it’s important to you.”

“Yes. It has less protective power than your new model, but it’s lighter and easier to move in. It suits me.”

Next, it was time for Jae-hee to choose a weapon.

Model Student opened the communal equipment locker and asked, “What’s your combat style?”

Jae-hee scratched his head awkwardly. “Um, I don’t really… have one…?”

“What?”

“I’ve never really fought before. I got arrested for petty theft this time, too.”

“Have you ever fired a gun?”

“Nope, never…”

“…”

“Erm. But since my ability is ‘running fast,’ I could maybe throw a punch at high speed or something… I guess I could fight like that?”

Model Student sighed. “You can run fast?”

“Yes.”

“Strictly speaking, that’s not your ability itself. It’s the result of your ability.”

“Huh?”

Seeing Jae-hee’s confusion, Model Student explained patiently.

“For example, let’s say you can run fast because you strengthen your leg muscles. In that case, your ability isn’t ‘running fast,’ it’s ‘muscle tissue enhancement.’”

“Aha…”

“That’s how it is. You don’t know what your ability actually is yet.”

Jae-hee finally understood.

Running fast was just the result. He still hadn’t figured out the cause—his true ability.

“After this mission, go see the Doctor in prison. You’ll get to find out what your exact ability is. And once you know, you can establish a combat style. And once you have a combat style…”

Model Student took a sheathed dagger from the equipment locker and handed it to Jae-hee.

“You’ll be able to survive future missions.”

“Yes, sir…”

Jae-hee had no idea how to use a knife, but he strapped the dagger to his waist anyway.

After everyone was geared up, Hae-eun Seo reappeared and handed out comms devices, the in-ear kind. Jae-hee quickly took one and put it on.

Hae-eun corrected the comms device, which he had put in upside down, and met his gaze. “Ready, Boy?”

“Uh, well, more or less…”

“Sorry to throw you into a mission right after you joined the unit. But I know you’ll do well. I’m counting on you.”

She patted Jae-hee’s shoulder encouragingly.

“Any last questions? It’s your first mission, so I’m sure you have a lot you want to know.”

Jae-hee’s eyes lit up. He decided to ask the one thing he’d been curious about from the beginning.

“Um… about our unit’s name. Why is it called the ‘Black Parade’?”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t really get what it means. Is there a story behind it?”

A cryptic smile played on Hae-eun’s lips. “Come back alive, and you’ll find out naturally enough. The reason for our name…”

***

During the short flight to Daejeon, Jae-hee dozed off.

He hadn’t slept a wink since getting caught up in the incident yesterday, so he slept soundly despite the roaring of the transport plane.

Meanwhile, the other members discussed the mission.

“I heard there used to be a famous bakery chain in Daejeon called Shimcheong-dang or something. That’s why it was called the City of Bread,” Miss Hellth said, chewing on a bread-shaped combat ration.

“Rescuing a ‘Patissier’ from the City of Bread… sounds meaningful, doesn’t it?”

Patissier meant “pastry chef.”

That being the case…

Model Student, Miss Hellth, and Flight Risk looked at each other and nodded.

“It can’t just be a simple callsign. It might mean someone who can pull the strings in Daejeon.”

“Yeah. Maybe the mayor or a congressman, someone important in Daejeon politics.”

“Hee hee… It makes sense. They wouldn’t force a rescue mission like this for anyone less.”

The conversation soon shifted from the Patissier’s identity to the research their group had been conducting.

“What do you think the research data is?”

“What is there to research in a city of zombies? Something to do with zombies, obviously. A cure, maybe…”

“A cure for zombies? Didn’t everyone give up on that ages ago?”

“But if they’re ordering us to retrieve it, maybe they made some progress.”

Just then, the transport plane lurched violently.

But Jae-hee, drooling in his sleep, just swayed with the movement, still dead to the world.

Miss Hellth glanced at him and grumbled. “We’re not babysitters. Why do we have to drag a little squirt like this into a zombie pit? He looks so innocent, like a total baby.”

“A Speedster is useful in any mission. Especially in a rescue or escort mission like this one. With a Speedster as a dedicated guard, the VIP is almost guaranteed to survive.”

Model Student calmly explained Jae-hee’s utility. 

“The Commander picked him up on the spot, so his ability must be the real deal. He’ll be that much more useful on this mission.”

“…”

“But be careful, Boy,” Model Student said, raising his voice toward Jae-hee. “The Black Parade’s missions are always extremely dangerous. And you’re responsible for your own life. No one will look out for you.”

“…”

“You fall behind? You get left behind. That’s the basic rule.”

Model Student had noticed that Jae-hee had woken up when the plane had shaken moments earlier.

Jae-hee swallowed hard. His head throbbed just thinking about how he’d ended up here.

Just focus on surviving for now…

As he inwardly steeled himself, a voice came through his earpiece.

«Ladies and gentlemen, we’re almost there.»

It was Hae-eun.

All the members sat up straight. Jae-hee wiped the drool from his mouth.

«Welcome to Daejeon, the city of honey and jam. Get ready to disembark.»

***

It was impossible to drop them right into the center of zombie-infested Daejeon.

The rotors on the wings of the transport plane spun furiously as it reached the city outskirts, and the aircraft descended vertically to land.

It was a private parking lot, overgrown with weeds. The transport’s hatch opened, and the five members of the Black Parade rushed out, immediately scanning their surroundings.

«Daejeon is a region where Realm Erosion is at its peak. The deeper you go, the worse the comms will be. Our support will be limited, so be careful.»

“…”

«The transport will return to this exact spot in precisely twenty-four hours. Make sure you memorize the rendezvous point. Now, have a good hunt.»

The transport took off vertically, just as it had landed, and disappeared into the distant sky in an instant.

Jae-hee stared blankly after it. The way home was fading into the distance.

“All right.”

Model Student turned to the team and cleared his throat.

“With the exception of our newcomer, we’re all veterans here. So while I can’t guarantee mission success, I believe survival won’t be difficult. For the next twenty-four hours, just follow my orders, and you’ll at least keep your—”

Chomp.

A strange sound cut through the air.

Everyone’s heads snapped toward Model Student’s feet.

“…?”

Hidden in the tall weeds, a zombie lay prone, its torso the only thing left of it.

It was gnawing on Model Student’s calf.

Chew, chew.

“Ah.”

Chew, chew, chew.

“Son of a fuck,” Model Student muttered, watching the blood seep through his battered combat suit.