Chapter 10.
Chapter 10.
Originally, I had an average build, the kind that didn't really exercise.
I didn't have a gut, but I didn't have muscles either; I was just on the skinny side. But the body reflected in the mirror now was completely different.
My shoulders had broadened. My deltoids rose in rounded shapes, making my shoulder lines distinct, and the tendons and muscle fibers on my forearms were clearly visible. When I flexed my arm, my biceps bulged up hard.
Back then, no matter how hard I flexed, they never popped up like this.
The most noticeable part was my back. I turned around, twisted my head, and looked in the mirror to see my lats spread out wide. My muscles had grown enough to be called a "demon back."
The V-taper from my shoulders down to my waist was distinct, and my entire back looked as solid as armor.
The back muscles are the ones used most when drawing a bow. I had learned that you need to use your back muscles, not arm strength, to draw the string all the way back, and it was as if my muscles knew that, developing in a form optimized for archery.
My abs had changed too. Along with a slightly visible six-pack, the overall outline of the muscles was revealed.
My whole body felt firm and balanced.
Is this the 'Physical Enhancement'? It's not just getting stronger or faster; did the muscles themselves change?
It was like the body of someone who had been training by drawing a bow consistently for years. No, it was even more than that.
I raised my arm and took the archery stance. My back muscles contracted naturally, putting power into it. In the past, if I drew a 60-pound bow, my arms would shake and I'd get tired quickly, but now, I felt like I could hold this stance for a long time.
I was a stranger to myself in the mirror, but it wasn't bad. No, honestly, I liked it. With this body, I'd be able to handle stronger bows, and I wouldn't get tired even if I hunted for longer.
The third ability given by God. Infection Immunity, Hawk's Eye, and this body. It felt like I was gradually moving beyond the realm of humanity.
I put my clothes back on and left the bathroom.
I went out of the camper and did a light jog. The sensation of my feet leaving the ground was different from before.
I could run lighter, faster, and more powerfully. When I sprinted, my speed had definitely increased.
I think I had surpassed the level of an average person. Like a pro athlete? No, maybe even more than that.
I picked up the 60-pound bow and fired.
Pak!
The sound of it embedding into the wooden target rang out cheerfully. The feeling is definitely different. It feels like I'm shooting lightly.
Even when I fired rapidly, it felt lighter than shooting a 40-pound bow. There was no particular strain on my muscles either.
I had a simple breakfast and continued working on the arrows. Since I had materials left over from yesterday, I thought I could make about two more.
Maybe because I got the hang of it from last night's work, I picked up some speed. The process of carving the wood, smoothing it, and attaching the tips and fletching went more smoothly than yesterday.
I launched the drone and scouted an area other than the one I went to yesterday.
There was a small commercial street about 6 kilometers west of the camper, a place I hadn't been to yet.
Looking at the drone screen, there were quite a few zombies, but the density wasn't high, so it looked suitable for hunting.
This time, I brought the 60-pound bow.
A heavy bow is superior to a light bow in arrow speed, power, and accuracy.
If you have the body to handle it properly, it can be seen as superior in many ways to a 40-pound bow.
I moved by kickboard, scouted the surroundings, and started hunting.
I moved forward, catching the zombies I saw occasionally.
Perhaps thanks to my enhanced physical abilities, I was less tired than before, and drawing the bow became much easier. My arms didn't shake even when I drew the 60-pound heavy bow repeatedly.
I arrived at the target point and got off the kickboard.
I saw a group of zombies on the other side of the commercial street. Seven of them. They were standing in a group with 2-3 meters between them, spreading their arms and photosynthesizing toward the sun.
In the past, I would have turned back. Because dealing with seven at once is dangerous. But now it was different.
Instead, my footsteps headed that way. I walked slowly and leisurely on purpose. I approached them, holding my bow and nocking an arrow.
About 50 meters. I closed the distance to a range where I could aim sufficiently.
I aimed at the head of the one in the front. I steadied my breath and released the string.
Puk.
The arrow pierced the back of its head, and it collapsed without a sound. The ones next to it reacted. Their photosynthesis posture broke, and six pairs of eyes turned toward me in unison.
"Kuaaa!"
A shriek burst out, and the six started rushing at me simultaneously. They were closing the distance at a crazy speed.
In the past, my heart would have felt like it was going to burst, but now, I just watched them calmly.
I activated Hawk's Eye. The world slowed down.
The movements of the sprinting zombies slowed down as if they were swimming underwater. Distorted expressions, flailing arms, feet kicking the ground. Everything flowed like slow motion.
In the slow time, I nocked the second arrow.
It's a 60-pound heavy bow, but thanks to my enhanced physical abilities, drawing the string wasn't difficult at all. It was drawn smoothly as if I were handling a light 30-pound bow.
I aimed at the forehead of the one running in front and fired. The arrow flew and pierced the center of its forehead, and it began to topple forward in slow motion.
I was already nocking the third arrow. Aim. Fire. Hit. Fourth arrow. Aim. Fire. Hit.
In the slow time, the actions of nocking, drawing, aiming, and firing the arrows flowed like water. One shot, then another. Every time an arrow flew, one zombie fell. They were all headshots.
Fifth, sixth.
One last one remained. It had already approached to within 10 meters. Even in slow time, it was quite a close distance, but I didn't panic. I leisurely nocked the last arrow and aimed at its eye.
Fire.
The arrow pierced through its left eye socket. It slid forward from 5 meters away and stopped near the tips of my feet.
Time returned to normal. The sounds sped up, and the sound of the wind and birdsong rushed into my ears all at once.
The surroundings became quiet. All seven zombies were sprawled on the ground. All with arrows stuck in their heads. It was a one-sided massacre, embarrassing to even call a fight.
I was a little out of breath, but not exhausted, and my eyes stung a little, but that subsided quickly too.
Looking down at the fallen zombies, the corners of my mouth went up without me realizing it.
I've become stronger. Definitely stronger.
Just a few days ago, I almost died when three zombies rushed at me, but now I can handle seven rushing at once with ease.
Rapid firing with a 60-pound heavy bow, and all headshots. At this rate, I probably won't die in most situations.
I retrieved the arrows one by one, wearing a satisfied smile.
I chuckled at the thought that pulling out and collecting the arrows was harder and more annoying than killing the zombies.
I started searching, rummaging through the restaurants on the commercial street.
I think I've caught about 20 zombies while moving and on the commercial street.
Most of them were already looted and empty, but as I searched every nook and cranny, there were some things left.
Canned goods, retort food, ramen, cooking oil. After going around a few places, I had enough to fill my backpack.
Just then, a noise came from somewhere.
It was the sound of people. Laughter, shouting, the sound of something clashing. It wasn't a sound made by zombies.
I quickly hid my body in an alley. I pressed my back against the corner of a building and carefully poked my head out to examine the direction the sound was coming from.
In the distance, I saw about 10 armed people.
They were all men, and they were holding various weapons in their hands. Baseball bats, steel pipes, axes, knives. And they were also prepared for defense against zombies with thick coats and such.
But I saw someone being dragged among them.
It was a young woman. Her hands were tied behind her back, and she was gagged. And most of her clothes were torn, leaving her in a state close to naked.
On the body of the woman being dragged barefoot, bruises and wounds were visible here and there. She was bowing her head, so her face wasn't clearly visible, but one man grabbed her hair and pulled it up.
The woman's face was visible. It was a familiar face. It was that woman who had blocked the back door and ran away at the convenience store.
The woman who locked me in and ran away alone. So she ended up like that. I had confirmed through the internet how dangerous it is for a young woman to be alone in a world where the law has collapsed.
I examined the guys' armed state. There didn't seem to be any firearms. They were all just melee weapons.
A number just over 10. With Hawk's Eye and my enhanced physical abilities, I might be able to handle them.
I've wiped out five zombies even when they rushed at me at the same time. Would humans be any different?
But my body didn't move.
Why bother?
What reason do I have to risk my life to save that woman? She's the woman who abandoned me and ran away at the convenience store.
The woman who blocked the door and disappeared as if she didn't care whether I was torn to death by zombies or not. That woman abandoned me, so why should I risk my life? There is none. Absolutely none.
The guys dragged the woman away while laughing. When she stumbled, they kicked her, and when she fell, they grabbed her hair and pulled her up. Tears were streaming down the woman's eyes, but she couldn't even make a sound because of the gag.
I already helped her once, and she repaid that help with betrayal of her own volition.
I won't step in again.
I heard the sound of the guys' conversation from afar.
"Hey, you checked everyone, right?"
"Yes, everyone is gathered. Still, since we're equipped and have the numbers, zombies are manageable."
"Zombies are just people who turned, right? Looking at them, there's not much difference from humans. They're like mindless beasts, so unless it's a zombie that was a strong adult originally, one-on-one is doable."
The guys started getting into the three vehicles parked on the roadside. Two SUVs and one van. The woman was thrown into the back of the van.
The sound of the vehicles' engines rang out. The three cars started moving slowly, and they drove away along the road, kicking up dust.
I stood there and watched until the cars completely disappeared.
It became quiet. There was only the sound of the wind and the birdsong heard from afar.
I stood there for a long time before turning around. I put my backpack back on and walked toward the kickboard.
I didn't look back.
While heading to the camper on the kickboard, I stopped at an unknown sound.
At first, I thought it was the sound of the wind. But it wasn't. It was a humming sound, the sound of something huge moving.
And not only the sound, but I could feel the vibration. The ground under my feet was trembling slightly. It felt like countless feet were approaching from afar, stepping on the ground.
What is it?
I got off the kickboard and looked around, but nothing came into view. However, the sound and vibration were getting louder.
Instinctively sensing danger, I quickly took the drone out of my backpack and launched it high into the sky.
The surrounding landscape unfolded on the controller screen. I turned the drone toward the direction of the camper, the opposite direction, and the direction the sound was coming from.
The moment I looked at the screen, my breath stopped.
A horde of zombies was moving in the distance. It wasn't one or two. It was dozens, hundreds, no, even more.
Looking down with the drone's camera, a dark green wave filling the roads and fields was flowing in one direction. They were walking, sometimes running, moving while forming larger and larger groups.
Like a giant river. No, like a tsunami.
The number seemed to be at least a thousand. Maybe even more.
Why are they moving? The zombies I've seen so far just stood in one place photosynthesizing, or rushed at you if they spotted a person. This is the first time I've seen them moving in a pack like this.
Are they being drawn to something, or is there another reason?
I operated the drone to track the zombie horde's movement path. I calculated the direction they were going, their speed, and their predicted path in my head. My heart started beating fast.
My camper was in the predicted path they were moving toward. Even if they didn't pass directly through it, there was a high possibility they would graze near it.
What would happen if a zombie horde of that size passed near the camper? They could flock to it by reacting to noise or smell, or they could just crush the camper while passing by. Either way, it was the worst-case scenario.
"Damn it."
A curse came out automatically. I'll have to move the camper. I need to get it to a safe place before that horde arrives.
I hurriedly recalled the drone and got on the electric kickboard.
When I pressed the accelerator to the max, the kickboard shot forward at maximum speed. The wind hit my face, but I had no time to care.
I can reach the camper within 10 minutes if I ride at the kickboard's maximum speed. I had no choice but to pray that the zombie horde wouldn't reach the camper in the meantime.