Chapter 96
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Zombie Parade
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The festival was drawing to a close. Churches everywhere had kicked off head-collecting contests, slashing prices on most of their goods in a frenzy.
But the real problem was the lack of undead. The festival's original purpose—wiping out every last undead—had twisted in the public's eyes. The crowds wanted more undead, not fewer.
Elise let out a sigh at the spectacle.
"This is a bad trend. The festival's meaning is getting corrupted. Demanding more undead... such wicked thoughts."
Yet her expression looked oddly disappointed for someone saying that. After all, wasn't she the one who wanted undead more than anyone here?
"Adventurers are all the same. Don't sweat it. It's nothing deep. They just want the talants."
"You're right, but it still rubs me the wrong way."
We'd scraped together some talants here and there, but even with the discounts, it wasn't quite enough for the Brass Celestial Society's greaves. I felt the same regret over the undead drying up. But no need to show it in front of Elise.
"Alright, Barbarian. Time to head out. If we're late, we won't even catch a glimpse of zombies."
"Let's do it."
Today's party was me, Cloudy, Kobson, and Elise. Kobson's been sticking around lately, and Elise said Sera had shut down shop since business was dead. With nothing better to do, she tagged along with us.
"It's been a while, Lady Elise."
"I hope you've been well, Sir Kobson."
"Of course."
This was their first face-to-face since raiding the ossuary. Kobson dropped his voice low as usual. His weird habit drew nothing but a sigh from me.
"This guy's pitching his voice low again."
"Damn it, quit saying I pitch my voice around women! Do I look like the type who fusses over his tone for every girl?"
"It'd be great if you didn't do it like right now."
Anyway, we headed out the city gates.
The guards looked as exhausted as ever this morning.
"Hmm, nothing around but people."
Cloudy was spot on. The only things nearby were armed adventurers with rough faces, slouched around, lighting campfires and slacking off. The mood was slack overall—no undead in sight.
Why do these guys love fires so much, anyway?
Camping at dawn.
"Yeah."
"We might need to go farther out."
Some clergy were loading zombie corpses onto carts, starting cleanup. The stench of rot hung heavy.
F-rank adventurers looking like handymen were hauling bodies too. True city all-rounders. They'd bow in thanks for grunt work like this. Probably earned about five coppers a day.
"Festival's wrapping up soon."
Kobson murmured wistfully, like someone gazing at fireworks late at night. His face lit up with each distant pop.
No surprise—he'd enjoyed the festival most. He'd blown every talant on weird merch and festival food, having a blast.
Me? I'd blown my early haul on worthless holy water and now wasn't buying anything to save for greaves. Zero fun from the festival.
"Ah, it's ending."
I'd figured mid-grade holy water would crush fatigue. Nope—worse than an energy drink, and that precious stuff just turned to clear piss. Damn, what a rip-off.
Elise was right there, so I asked her.
"Elise, is holy water supposed to do nothing?"
"Holy water, you mean?"
"Yeah. I impulse-bought a mid-grade bottle and chugged it. Tasted like plain water. No fatigue recovery?"
Truth was, I'd bought it on impulse because of Cloudy's nonstop demands. Exhausted from her clinging, I couldn't say no, so I tried it.
"Holy water has anti-magic power. Not sure about fatigue recovery. Probably some folk myth."
"Anti-magic?"
"Didn't you see that ghost before? Holy water works on things like that. Also good for lifting curses."
But shockingly, no fatigue relief.
My legs shook at the unbelievable truth.
"Katt, it has no effect?"
"...Shit."
"Irresistible impulse, huh? Heh."
"Damn it all."
We walked quite a ways.
No undead in sight. Just adventurers slumped like zombies themselves, motivation gone.
Ending those empty hunts always tensed me up. Who knows when a frustrated guy snaps into a murderer?
"Barbarian, no undead in sight. What a shame."
"Hmm... Let's push deeper. You okay with that?"
We'd gone pretty far, but no luck.
Undead rampage had scared off other monsters. The forest was eerily quiet.
"I'm for it. Cloudy, you?"
"Fine. Let's go deeper."
Nothing else on the agenda, so the four of us decided to camp overnight if needed and plunge in. Might as well snag something. Maybe isolated undead lurked somewhere.
"Not too hot, at least."
Lucky cool weather. Perfect for hiking. Around noon, we ate lightly and pressed on.
"First time this far, I think."
"Where's here?"
The scenery was turning unfamiliar.
First time on this path, and way too deep. Around 3 or 4 PM now. Six-plus hours since dawn—heading back would take as long.
"Hmmm... Katt. Camping tonight?"
"Looks like. You good? It'll be cold outside. Desert girl's not used to cold?"
"Desert nights get cold too. And with you, I don't care. Shame we won't make it back to the room. You know you'll have to make it up to me?"
"M-make up? For what?"
Cloudy sidled up, stroking my crotch slyly.
Terror gripped me. I needed a plan.
—Oro ro rong.
—Oro ro ro rong.
"You two get along so well. Good for you. But don't forget why we're here. Undead sighted."
Zombie groans echoed from ahead. Oro ro rong—the forced rattle from rotting lungs was grotesque. Like wind escaping decayed guts, the tone grated just to hear.
"Three in sight. Easy enough... wait, what?"
We drew weapons.
Then Kobson pointed at the zombies.
"Barbarian, look at those. Something off, right?"
"Huh? What?"
"Check the zombies closely."
—Oro rong.
I held back a charging Elise and eyed the approaching zombies. Something off? Shambling like textbook zombies...
"What the hell are those guys?"
I was thrown off.
These zombies looked unusual.
Every zombie so far: fully rotted, gray-skinned, bones showing, rags draped, guts spilling as they lurched.
—Oro ro rong.
But these three looked... different.
"They look kinda fresh."
"Yeah, exactly."
As Elise said, they seemed fresh. Not just fresh—'newly zombified' fresh, almost appealing.
"These guys are too pristine."
Proper clothes, just blood splatters and half-torn cheeks setting them apart from normals. Well, that's the zombie line, but the vibe hit hard.
"Zombie rookies?"
Even sword sheaths at their waists. No weapons, sadly.
"Looks like adventurers who got hit."
"Yeah."
"Huh, good color on them?"
"Freshly turned zombies. We need to purify them quick."
Clearly, they'd ventured far, slipped up, got undead-ed. Flesh barely rotted, gear intact...
"This'll make money!"
"Agreed!"
Elise charged first, morningstar smashing a zombie's neck.
—Thwack!
"My god!"
—Crack!
The head tore clean off, sailing skyward. Impressive power. A not-so-zombie-looking zombie getting decapitated? Chilling.
"Hey, Kobson, no blood splatter. Keep it clean."
"Obviously."
I swung my sword for a neat decapitation. Blood on clothes tanks value. Already messy, but no need for more.
We cleanly dispatched all three.
"Return to where you belong."
Elise prayed over the neatly aligned corpses. Like in the dungeon—corpse rites. Normally skipped, but fresh zombies, only three, so why not.
"Alright, strip 'em."
"Heh, you savage. Let's do it."
We peeled off their clothes. Blood-splashed but undamaged—decent value.
Naturally, hidden wallets and talants inside. Solid haul, all bagged.
"...This? Katt, check this."
"What?"
Cloudy tossed me something from a body.
A metal plate.
"Adventurer tag. E-rank."
E-rank adventurer tag.
"E-rank? These guys were E-rank? E-ranks dying to zombies? Hard to imagine. What happened?"
Kobson wondered.
A bit odd.
Tag said Lajer, bog-standard E-rank. E-ranks can hold their own—against zombies? Made me question too.
"All three have adventurer tags."
Elise pulled tags from the others: Zerot and Serjacks. All E-rank, issued in Isvant—locals.
"Three wiped out..."
Three armed E-ranks: solid force. People downplay them, but their monster-slaying experience isn't joke. Stronger than street thugs, at least.
Three like that zombified here? Not a slip-up—something else.
"Ghoul maybe? Like that one we met."
"Oh, the one you diced instantly."
That flesh-eater? Excited Cloudy shredded it in one.
"Seemed strong. You'd need to risk it all against one. Makes sense they'd die."
"Maybe."
Anyway, guild pays for dead adventurers' tags. Chance to level up our ranks, so we pocketed them.
Lucky break. Thought it'd be bust—got full products instead. No weapons, but clothes, items, cash, shoes? Profitable. Talants bonus.
"Ghoul, huh? Intriguing. Shall we search around? If it killed people, we must exterminate it."
Elise said.
I glanced at Kobson. He nodded.
But ghouls eat corpses, right?
These look too intact for that.