Chapter 75: Dog Pack
Chapter 75: Dog Pack
17. Feral Dog Pack
The dogs came swarming toward us in a snarling mass.
Those blocking our exit spread into a broad line and slowly closed in.
"Kyaaak! Kyaaak!"
Woof! Woof! Woof!
Schneider continued hissing beside me while the apparent Alpha Dog barked thunderously.
Think.
What should I do?
To hell with thinking. I needed to run.
"Schneider!"
I called Schneider and sprinted toward the building where Seon-yeong and I had sheltered on the first day.
I could climb to the rooftop again or make a stand in a narrow passage...
"Schneider!"
They said an ignorant puppy didn't fear a tiger.
But Schneider wasn't even a puppy.
Her fur stood on end as she stared at the charging Feral Dog Pack.
Only after I called again did she meet my eyes and sprint toward me.
Damn. At this rate, they would catch her.
If I continued running, I'd have to watch Schneider be torn apart.
"Faster!"
I stopped abruptly, spun around, and extended both arms toward her.
Schneider was fast, but the rabid-looking dogs fanning out behind her were faster.
The Alpha Dog—noticeably larger than the others—surged ahead at tremendous speed.
The instant Schneider came within ten meters, I began running again.
I accelerated gradually, twisted at the waist, and extended one arm behind me.
Like a relay runner reaching back for the baton, I shouted one command.
"Jump!"
Tap.
A light footfall sounded, and a ball of black fur latched onto my arm.
Her claws tugged sharply at my clothes as she scrambled onto my shoulder.
"Hup!"
Thud, thud, thud—tatatatata!
I charged toward the building at full speed.
Afraid Schneider might fall, I secured her with one arm.
The smooth fur beneath my palm felt strangely unfamiliar.
At the wall, I jumped, kicked from a window ledge, and launched myself all the way to the rooftop.
Below, the dogs hurled themselves against the side of the building.
"Hahaha. Now you're the dogs left staring up after chasing a chicken."
They had clearly targeted me.
How the hell was I supposed to deal with these mutts?
I couldn't flee from them forever.
Once they realized that jumping was useless, the dogs gradually sprawled on their bellies.
"Unbelievable."
I set Schneider down and inspected the rooftop I had failed to reach on my previous visit.
Was there anything I could throw?
Nothing.
The rooftop was completely bare.
I'd hoped for at least a small flowerpot...
Woof, woof, woof.
At the sound of barking, I returned to the railing.
The Feral Dog Pack was retreating.
I'd expected them to wait until one side exhausted itself, but they withdrew surprisingly easily.
Should I have stood and fought instead of running?
#
"Well? Do you detect anything?"
"Nothing appears to be within my surveillance range."
After the Feral Dog Pack withdrew, I remained on the rooftop for another hour as a precaution.
I found shade, shared my emergency rations with Schneider, and rested.
There were probably foods cats weren't supposed to eat.
But Schneider devoured anything I offered.
"Could their sense of smell be sharp enough to detect that you were alone?"
"Possibly. Their size alone already defies common sense."
Once we returned to the apartment, Schneider vanished again.
I carried back the salvaged netting and fence sections, called an emergency meeting, and presented what had happened.
"We should assume they have already discovered our main base."
"Then we need to finish the nets and capture equipment quickly."
"Should we suspend clearing the apartment buildings for now?"
Suggestions came from every direction.
Most favored a defensive response.
"Continuous guard duty is now essential."
"They can jump well, but they can't climb walls. Keep that in mind. We also can't remain entirely defensive. Whether we lure them into a trap or locate their den, we need a way to attack."
The meeting continued for some time.
We ate a simple ramen lunch while organizing our conclusions.
"Then I'll begin hauling materials. Good work, everyone."
"Good luck, Raid Leader."
"You can do it!"
We agreed to prioritize capture equipment and increase the height of the barricade.
So I began retrieving furniture left on the upper floors.
We would also use the radios to maintain a twenty-four-hour watch from the apartment rooftop.
At my insistence that scavenging couldn't stop indefinitely, we planned to resume clearing apartments as soon as the capture tools were ready.
Bang! Bang!
I smashed oversized furniture into manageable pieces and carried them downstairs.
Materials accumulated steadily in the open space inside the barricade.
I emptied my mind and climbed the stairs again and again without stopping.
"Raid Leader! Dinner is ready."
"All right. I'll put this down and come inside."
The entire afternoon disappeared into hauling materials.
"Oh, the net turned out well."
"I only made a few adjustments."
The capture equipment appeared nearly complete.
The net, fashioned from a soccer goal, tightened when a single cord was pulled.
They had also built capture poles and snares attached to metal shafts.
The improvised joints looked flimsy enough to make me nervous.
"Are you certain about this? You can't survive indefinitely on four hours of sleep."
"I'll manage. Let's try it first. I'll say something if it becomes too much, or take short naps during the day."
I decided to leave the daytime watch to others and take one long shift at night.
By sacrificing some sleep, I could give the other women more time to rest.
Enhanced Recovery had reached Level 99, so I expected my body to cope.
Why the hell would it not increase to Level 100?
The restriction infuriated me, and I still had no idea what caused it.
Damn Status Window.
After dinner, I went directly to the rooftop.
I skipped our late-evening apartment-clearing run and began guard duty immediately.
"Ha-na, good work. Let's switch."
"I'll head down, then. The watch is yours."
Two hours later, Seon-yeong arrived to relieve Ha-na.
I still had two more partners and six hours remaining.
I didn't have to stare outward until my eyes bled, but the boredom was maddening.
"Are you all right? You look as though boredom is killing you."
"I'm losing my mind. I'd rather be fighting something."
"Two hours already feels endless... How will you endure eight?"
"Only tonight's shift is eight hours. I'll survive. Besides, the first two are already over."
Seon-yeong completed a circuit of the rooftop and returned to my side.
A raised utility structure accessible by a short staircase served as our watchtower.
We'd carried up two armchairs, a table, and even a parasol.
The arrangement looked absurdly like a small resort.
"Hasn't all the fine dust disappeared? We can see incredibly far."
"It has. Look at the sky too."
"Wow~ It's beautiful. I've never seen so many stars over Seoul."
Except where neighboring buildings blocked the view, the horizon stretched far into the distance.
From that height, the city lights glittered beautifully across the darkened landscape.
The streets below were crawling with zombies, but distance transformed the city into something beautiful.
"Wait a moment."
After our brief sentimentality, Seon-yeong stared at me in silence.
Then she searched her pocket and produced a packet of wet wipes.
Riiip.
She lowered my zipper, reached inside, and freed my cock.
Wipe. Wipe.
She carefully cleaned around the head with a wet wipe.
I flinched at the cold touch. Then Seon-yeong took me into her mouth.
The heat of her mouth nearly melted me.
I hadn't bathed yet and must have smelled unpleasant, but she ignored it and sucked with focused devotion.
"Urgh..."
One hand gripped and stroked the base while her tongue worked attentively over the head.
Staring at the stars, I ejaculated into Seon-yeong's mouth.
She accepted it in silence, then pursed her lips and drew out the final drops.
When she withdrew, the cleaned head glistened in the starlight.
"How was that? Good?"
"Incredible."
"Doing this in the open feels strange..."
I held her hair and smoothed the disheveled strands while she swished water around her mouth.
After watching her for a moment, I placed a hand on her chest. She jumped, then laughed.
"We'll do something even better next time. My period started, so be satisfied with my mouth tonight. Understood?"
She spoke while cleaning my still-exposed cock once more with a wet wipe.
Still reluctant to stop, I slipped a hand beneath her top and kneaded one soft breast.
We chatted cheerfully while I continued scanning the surroundings.
After the exhausting day, boredom had been tormenting me, but time flew with Seon-yeong beside me.
She comforted me physically and emotionally.
"Hang in there, then. I'm sorry I have to go down first."
"Go sleep. You worked hard today."
"See you downstairs."
So-ra arrived, and Seon-yeong descended.
Those two hours had vanished.
"Raid Leader, may I smoke?"
"Of course. I'll join you."
"By the way, I brought Schneider food and water, but she refused to eat."
"Really? Why? She normally buries her face in the bowl."
"Probably because you weren't there. She still keeps her distance from the rest of us."
I hadn't realized that.
Learning that Schneider remained wary of everyone else made me strangely proud.
"Here. I brought iced tea."
"Thanks. My energy was beginning to crash."
I had mindlessly grabbed only my emergency pack, but the women always brought snacks.
They mixed tea or carried up chocolate, candy, and cookies. Their thoughtfulness made each shift much easier.
"I'm going to use the bathroom."
"Okay~ Come back quickly."
I visited the bathroom one floor below, emptied my aching bladder, lowered my pants, and wiped myself again.
Seon-yeong had cleaned me, but an uncomfortable residue seemed to remain.
Then I returned to the rooftop and resumed my desperate battle against boredom.
"I have several tattoos. Would you like to see them?"
Two hours lasted far longer than expected.
After we had passed roughly an hour swapping stories from before the Zombie Outbreak, So-ra suddenly made the offer.
"Really? Let me see."
"All right. Give me a moment. They aren't visible while I'm dressed."
So-ra stood and abruptly removed her top.
"One is on my shoulder, another on my side, and one here."
She thrust out the enormous breasts still contained by her bra as she spoke.
Her shoulder. The ribs along her side. The skin beneath her collarbone.
She pointed out each tattoo, but I couldn't pull my gaze from her chest.
"Mm... Would you rather touch these? You appear much more interested in them."
"What? Oh, sorry."
"I don't mind. In exchange... may I have a taste too?"
A taste of what?
There was no food here.
Ga-yeong had approached me yesterday; now So-ra was doing the same.
How long remained until the next shift change...?
Gulp.
So-ra's eyes shone as she stood before me.
I swallowed, suddenly feeling like prey before a predator.