Episode 11.
Episode 11.
As soon as I arrived at the camper, I launched the drone to re-check the zombie horde's path.
They were still moving in one direction like a giant wave, and as expected, they seemed likely to pass along a route close to where the camper was. There wasn't much time.
I set a destination on the map. I just needed to follow the national highway in a direction away from the zombie horde's path.
However, if I got too far from the city, it would become difficult to find food.
I had to find a quiet, safe place while maintaining a reasonable distance.
While scanning the map, I found a quiet vacant lot slightly off the national highway.
I started the camper. It was a car my Hyung-nim cherished, but now it had become my means of survival.
The engine ran smoothly, and the vehicle body vibrated. I put it in gear and started moving slowly.
Since noise could attract zombies, I had to move as quietly as possible, without pressing the accelerator hard, and as slowly as possible for safety.
Unlike the highways, which were completely blocked by vehicles fleeing to the outskirts, the national highway was mostly empty.
Occasionally, I saw cars stopped by the side of the road, but most of the road was empty.
After traveling a few kilometers along the national highway, I arrived at the destination.
It was a quiet vacant lot, just as I had seen on the map. The surrounding area was moderately overgrown with trees, so it didn't seem like the camper would be easily visible from a distance. It was a decent spot.
I parked and turned off the engine. I launched the drone to scout the surroundings. There were only a few zombies visible, and no traces of people. It seemed safe.
The zombie horde visible in the distance was moving along the path I had predicted, and where I was seemed safe.
I went inside the camper to take a break and started making extra arrows.
I still had plenty of arrow shafts whittled from the table legs, and this time, I decided to make the tips and fletching myself.
While rummaging through the toolbox I brought from the villa, I found several large nails.
They were thick, hard iron nails, and since the tips were already sharp, I thought I could use them as arrowheads as they were.
I drilled a small hole in the front of the arrow shaft with an electric drill, inserted the nail, and then wrapped it tightly with fishing line to secure it.
I decided to make the fletching by cutting plastic instead of using feathers. I cut a plastic container I had picked up from an empty house into thin strips with scissors and trimmed them into fletching shapes.
It wouldn't be aerodynamically perfect, but it would be better than nothing. I attached three of them to the back of the arrow shaft with super glue.
When I had made about three or four, I heard a strange sound from outside.
A buzzing sound. It was a familiar sound. A drone sound.
I stopped my hands and looked outside through the window. A small drone was hovering around the camper in the sky. It was someone else's drone.
Are they scouting? Who is it?
The drone circled the camper once and flew off somewhere. I checked the direction.
An ordinary survivor? Or a group of looters?
It doesn't necessarily mean they are hostile. They could be someone using a drone for survival like me, or they might have just discovered the camper while scouting the area.
Or it could really be a looter group's drone. I have to be on guard just in case.
I moved quickly. I grabbed my bow and quiver and stuck the hammer in my belt. And I took out my drone and launched it into the sky.
While I was scouting the area with the drone, moving objects started to be caught on the controller screen.
It was vehicles. A total of four vehicles were approaching, kicking up dust. There was a mix of SUVs and pickup trucks, and judging by the direction, their destination seemed clear. They were coming after discovering the camper.
I sent the drone closer to check.
There were people inside the vehicles and on the truck beds. I counted roughly ten or so. They were holding various weapons in their hands.
Iron pipes, axes, baseball bats, knives. And some were wearing motorcycle helmets, and their bodies were wrapped in leather jackets or thick padding. They had equipped themselves with armor of their own.
The probability of them being looters is high. I don't know if it's the same group that dragged the woman from the convenience store earlier, or a different group, but either way, they aren't coming with good intentions.
I recalled the drone and came out of the camper.
Holding the bow with an arrow nocked, I looked in the direction the vehicles were coming from. I could hear the sound of engines in the distance. It was getting closer.
I briefly pondered whether to run or fight.
Of course, the safest thing is not to fight, but even if I ran away in the slow camper, I would be caught immediately. They also have a drone, and I can't easily escape anywhere. But abandoning the camper was unthinkable.
Wouldn't I be able to handle that many?
The vehicles stopped about 50 meters away from the camper. The doors opened, and people poured out.
A dozen or so. Just as I saw on the drone. Everyone was armed, and some were wearing helmets.
The largest man among them stepped forward. It was a man with a bald head and a beard, and he was grinning while holding an iron pipe in his hand.
"Hey, are you alone there?"
I didn't answer and raised my bow to aim at the man.
"Don't come any closer. Back off."
The man snickered. The other bastards behind him also started giggling.
"What is this, a bow? Look at this bastard. He's acting tough with a bow. Are you a former archer?"
"It's only one shot anyway. If we all rush at once, you can't do anything."
"The camper is nice. It would be comfortable to take that. Let's try camping life too."
The bastards looked at each other and laughed. There didn't seem to be any fear. They were looking down on the bow. They must be thinking it's over once I shoot one arrow.
"This is my last warning. Go back without shedding blood."
"You're the one who's going to die if you shoot that bow. No, I won't kill you easily; I'll slowly peel off your skin, torture you, and throw you to the zombies."
The Bald Man, who was spewing profanity at me, shouted at the group.
"Hey, let's go!"
When the Bald Man gestured, three guys wearing helmets stepped forward.
They were wearing motorcycle helmets, thick coats, and thick cloth wrapped around their forearms. They had equipped themselves with armor of their own.
I couldn't guarantee if an arrow could penetrate the helmet. If it hit at an awkward angle, it might bounce off.
I didn't know how many layers they were wearing inside their clothes or if they had added other protectors, but they seemed confident in protecting their torsos too.
The three of them charged forward without fear. The rest of the guys behind them started to follow. They came running, shouting and swinging their weapons.
As I aimed with the bow and focused, Hawk's Eye was activated.
The world slowed down. The movements of the guys who were running like crazy slowed down as if they were swimming underwater. The sound of their shouting stretched out low and turned into a buzzing noise.
I have to deal with the guys wearing helmets first. I aimed for their lower bodies, where the defense was relatively weak.
I fired the first arrow. The arrow flew and pierced the thigh of the guy in the front. He grabbed his leg and fell to the floor.
At the same time, I was already nocking the second arrow. The second helmet guy.
I had to aim for somewhere other than the helmet. The neck. I could see the neck area exposed between the helmet and the jacket.
The arrow flew and accurately pierced the neck of the guy in the front. He staggered, bringing his hand to his neck in slow motion. Blood sprayed out slowly.
The third guy, although I didn't aim for it, got hit in the crotch and fell down screaming.
Seeing him trembling and clutching his crotch while screaming... it looks really painful just to watch.
The three-man assault team all fell. But the rest of the guys behind them were still running. They were the ones without helmets. Easier targets.
The fourth arrow. I aimed at the Bald Man's forehead. Fire. The arrow pierced right through the center of his forehead. He fell forward at the same speed he was running.
Fifth, sixth, seventh. Every time an arrow flew, one person fell. Some were headshots, some pierced chests and stomachs.
Aiming and firing in slow time was too easy. It was no different from hunting zombies. No, they were slower than zombies. Humans weren't as fast as zombies.
When the eighth arrow flew and took down another person, the rest of the guys hesitated.
Even in the slow time, I could see their expressions changing. Confidence and mockery disappeared, and fear filled that space.
Did it take about 8 seconds? It was probably faster than 8 seconds.
8 people had fallen in an instant. It seemed they had only just grasped the situation.
Time returned to normal.
"Wh-what...!"
"Th-that bastard...!"
Once they confirmed that even the leader-type guy was dead, the survivors started to scream and back away.
Most of them started running straight toward the vehicles. When I shot an arrow at one of them, it hit his butt and he fell.
The guy tried to stand up but collapsed again. And then, as if he had given up on running away, he started begging while looking at me.
It was a woman.
She hadn't stood out because she was mixed in with the men earlier, but now that I looked, she was a young woman.
Her face was quite pretty, too. That must be why the looters kept her around.
She had a knife in her hand, but she had already dropped it to the ground. Her face was deathly pale.
"Pl-please spare me... Please..."
It was a tearful voice. Tears were streaming down her eyes.
"I just followed them... Please spare me..."
Because she's a woman? Should I let her off because of that? She just followed them... and the knife she was holding is dropped right in front of her eyes.
A looter is a looter. Whether man or woman.
I nocked an arrow and aimed.
"N-no...! Please...!"
The woman raised her hands to cover her face. As if those thin hands could block an arrow.
I released the string.
The arrow pierced the woman's hand and embedded in her forehead. The woman fell backward and stopped moving.
Looking back, the remaining guys were boarding the two vehicles. The sound of engines roared, and the cars started reversing in a hurry. The vehicles fleeing, kicking up dust.
I shot arrows into the heads of the guys who were sprawled on the ground and hadn't breathed their last yet, ensuring I finished them off.
I have to smash their heads in case they turn into zombies.
Even motorcycle helmets are pierced surprisingly easily. Is it because it's a 60-pound compound bow?
No, it's probably because it's equipment meant to protect against vehicle accidents in the first place, not armor meant to protect against penetrating weapons.
After watching until the vehicles completely disappeared, I lowered my bow.
I looked around. Nine corpses were sprawled out.
I killed them all. Not zombies, but humans. It was the first time I had killed so many people.
Strangely, I didn't feel any guilt. Those bastards attacked first, and I just fought to survive.
If those bastards had won, I would have died. It was a simple matter.
I walked among the corpses to retrieve the arrows. The smell of blood was spreading thickly.
I thought while pulling out the arrows one by one. I've become stronger. I've definitely become stronger. I wiped out a dozen armed looters all by myself.