Chapter 48
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: The Bell of Doom
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A few days before Kim Jaehwan ran toward the sound of the bell.
A group centered around a man named Jang Jin had joined up at Seongsan Elementary School, where Kang Sohee was staying. Jang Jin had sexually harassed Sohee's mother, Im Miyoung, and upon hearing it, Sohee's patience snapped. She drove her fist straight into his face.
That incident was the trigger for the event that caused the school bell to ring out across the grounds.
Jang Jin, nursing a grudge against Sohee for the beating, was also consumed by a boiling lust for Im Miyoung—the woman he hadn't dared touch before.
So, he schemed with his underlings to seize control of the elementary school, crush Sohee, and have his way with Im Miyoung. It was an absurd plan, built on baseless confidence that they could overwhelm her if they all rushed in together—no consideration given to whether they could actually beat her.
Plans require careful details—who, when, what, and how—but these idiots lacked the brains for that.
Things seemed to start off well for Jang Jin. Their idea was to catch people off guard while they were reading the new system windows, take them hostage, call out Sohee, and threaten her into inaction to prove they held the upper hand. They even planned to rape her mother right in front of her. They grabbed the hostages and summoned Sohee.
"You fucking bastards. You really think you can pull this shit?"
Sohee spat curses as she stepped forward, greatsword in hand.
"Shut up! Drop that big-ass sword if you don't want these people hurt!"
"Yeah, you bitch!"
"Hell, strip naked! Get buck naked! Hahaha!"
The men gleefully pressed knives to the hostages' throats, taunting Sohee. They figured she'd be helpless like this, and one rush would end it.
But...
"What a load of bullshit, you crazy fuckers."
Instead of dropping her greatsword because of the hostages, Sohee gripped it tighter with both hands and charged.
"H-Hey? You blind? You want to see these hostages die?!"
Assuming she thought they wouldn't harm the hostages, one of them nicked a hostage's throat, drawing blood.
Yet Sohee didn't hesitate for a second. She kicked off the ground and lunged. Her greatsword whistled toward the man who'd just stabbed the hostage. He couldn't even react—his arm slowly separated under gravity's pull before dropping with a thud.
"A-Arghhh!"
Forgetting he even held a hostage, he screamed at his severed arm and let go. The others watching in shock dropped their hostages too, while some clung tighter, desperate for a lifeline.
It was only natural they'd panic. Sohee's actions were completely outside their expectations. Normally, people freeze when someone they know is held hostage—but Sohee was anything but normal.
This mess stemmed from their ignorance of her patterns.
'As long as it's not Mom. If it's not Mom...'
Sohee didn't think hostages deserved to die, but her top priority was her mother, Im Miyoung's safety.
Besides, she believed her strength could save them before they got hurt.
'Listening to these guys is just a waste of time. If I let the hostages tie my hands, Mom and I are both done for. Better to strike first, throw them into chaos, and then...'
After slicing the man's arm, Sohee eyed the rest still holding hostages and swung her greatsword again. They were clustered close, so she leaped up—no need to reposition—and her blade reached them all.
"Gaaahhh!"
"M-My arm!"
"It hurts! Hurts so much!"
The struck men collapsed, clutching wounds. The others backed away, putting distance between them and Sohee.
"S-Spare me!"
One bolted, and they all scattered in a rout.
"Hah, worthless trash not even fit to live... Die first, then."
Sohee glared at the fleeing men and slit the throats of those who hadn't escaped yet.
Killing people didn't faze her anymore.
Not since the zombie apocalypse began, when she'd killed her first human.
It had been self-defense. When the outbreak hit, Sohee had been separated from her mom on an errand. Fleeing zombies home, she found her mother on the verge of rape.
The assailant was a regular at her mom's flower shop. Panting heavily, he'd pinned Im Miyoung down, one hand gripping both her wrists, the other savagely tearing at her clothes.
Sohee lost it. When she came to, she'd smashed his skull to pulp with her baseball bat.
"Hah... hah... Mom! You okay!?"
"Sohee! S-Sob... sob!"
Embracing her shocked, crying mother, Sohee vowed to protect her no matter what—even if it meant killing again.
After that, they'd left home, seeking safer ground. Spotting people gathered at Seongsan Elementary, they joined up. Sohee had kept her mom safe ever since, beating down any creeps who got handsy.
And now, more trash targeting her mom had shown up—but she'd handled them. Or so she thought, planning to finish off the lot, when a bad feeling hit. She scanned around.
"Where's that bastard? He's gone?"
Jang Jin, who'd been hiding behind his goons, was nowhere. Worried he might go after her mom, Sohee sprinted full-tilt to the other building where Im Miyoung was.
"Mom!"
Bursting through the door, she yelled. Her mom, sorting supplies inside, jumped and turned.
"Sohee? What's wrong, suddenly?"
"What? I thought he'd come here..."
Sohee had figured Jang Jin, full of revenge, would target her mom. Surprised he hadn't, she relaxed a bit.
But she couldn't predict the unpredictable. Normal minds can't fathom the insane.
Just as she sensed something off...
"Huh? Is that the school bell?"
Suddenly, the bell blared loudly across the school grounds.
"That fucker! For real! He's insane!"
Day three of the zombie wave—everyone knew to stay quiet to avoid aggro. They'd even pulled all power to prevent anything like this. Yet someone had flipped the broadcast on, ringing the bell.
Only one suspect in Sohee's mind: Jang Jin. She raced to the broadcast room. Others were already there, pounding on the locked door in vain.
Irritated, Sohee bellowed,
"Everyone, move!"
They spun, saw her charging, and parted like the Red Sea. She leaped, slamming her foot into the door at full speed.
Bang!
"Guhk!"
The door shattered inward. Inside, Jang Jin smirked at her—just as she'd guessed. Rage surged.
"You crazy bastard! What the hell have you done?!"
"You're gonna kill me anyway, right? Then we all go down. Get eaten by zombies! Hehehe!"
Judging he couldn't survive, Jang Jin had chosen mutual destruction. Done talking to the lunatic, and with the tight space hindering her sword, Sohee punched his face, then shut off the broadcast.
"Gahk!"
She grabbed his hair, yanked his head up, and pummeled relentlessly until her right hand was bloody. His body went limp.
Just as she thought it was over, murmurs rose from behind.
"Z-Zombies climbing the fence!"
"W-We gotta run, quick!"
"Uwaaaah!"
Sohee stood and peered out the window. The sight was horrifying: zombies scaling the fence, charging in.
Until now, zombies couldn't climb, so barricading the gate kept hordes out. Someone always manned the gate while Sohee drew aggro outside or thinned numbers before retreating.
But these zombies vaulted the fence effortlessly, swarming the school.
"Hah... hah... Because of this trash... Damn it!"
Blaming the beaten man, Sohee roared in fury.
"Oh—Mom!"
Her mind flashed to Im Miyoung in danger.
Sohee smashed the window and jumped out. Landing from the third floor with her heavy greatsword jarred her legs, but pain didn't matter.
She had to reach her mom before the zombies.
"Get lost! Back off, fuckers!"
Slicing zombies lunging at her en route to the building. To go faster, she vaulted window sills upward.
Desperation fueled her; she reached her mom's room window in seconds.
Inside, people blocked the door against zombies. Spotting her mom among them, Sohee yelled,
"Mom! Over here, quick!"
"H-Huh? Sohee? Why are you out there..."
"Mom, hurry!"
Zombies pushed; the defenders gave ground. Im Miyoung bolted to the window.
Sohee hoisted her mom piggyback and leaped down. Ignoring throbbing legs, she surveyed: zombies flooding buildings, piling up toward rooftop survivors.
No hope left here. 'Gotta get Mom somewhere safe.'
'If I run fast, I can shake them even carrying her. I have to!'
Pouring strength into her legs, she bolted for the fence. One leap over, and they'd be out—
Thud!
A massive shape slammed into her. She bounced back, unable to clear. It wasn't stationary; it had swung at her. Twisting midair to land on her feet and shield her mom.
"Ugh... F-Fuck, what the... Ah!"
Pain shooting through her, she looked up. The blocker was clear.
"Smasher..."
The mutant zombie she'd struggled against yesterday was inside—and it'd swatted her escape attempt.
Facing a Smasher solo was tough enough; with more zombies closing and Mom on her back, no escape plan came.
"S-Sohee..."
Her mom's trembling voice. Sohee had cushioned the fall, but shock lingered.
"Leave me... and run..."
"What? Mom, no!"
"You can escape alone. Leave me and go—now."
Sohee ignored it. Abandoning her mom was unthinkable.
'It's fine. Just dodge that thing. Evade, hop the fence, run.'
She dashed forward. Urgency made her sloppy.
Unlike her hope, the Smasher's fist flew faster, smashing her—and Mom slipped off.
"N-No... Nooo!!!"
Ribs cracked from the blow, pain searing, but as she struggled up, horror unfolded.
A zombie lunged at her unconscious mom on the ground...
Crunch!
And bit her right arm.