First Trial (4): Champion of the Slaughter

The entrance was blocked by corpses, and time dragged on endlessly. After finishing the tail soup that Sa-eun had made, I finally got up.

If the world were normal, everyone would be having dinner around now. The gukbap joints would be packed, and the streets filled with families and couples.

But damn, it's weird. Even in this apocalyptic shitshow, I'd eaten my fill like a king. This is why location matters. Dan-gun didn't know that one.

Is this all thanks to my ridiculous luck? I chuckled. Thinking back, I'd always figured I had strong luck in life. I wasn't particularly good at anything, after all.

Especially that time with my dad—the last time I saw him. He'd said he was going to tidy up Grandpa's grave. I should've gone with him, but...

I just said I'd rest. Too lazy, and I wasn't close with Grandpa anyway.

But Dad got caught in an ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠accident and died alone. Whether it was really an accident still bugs me. We gathered all the evidence and submitted it, but the cops didn't even pretend to care.

If my dad had been a politician? Or if I'd been somebody famous? The cops' attitude would've been different.

What can you do? No prosecutors in this country. I gazed out the window. At least the streetlights were still on—small mercies.

Sa-eun finished washing up and came over. Being alone with her in this atmosphere felt strangely mystical.

"We can just hold out here now, right?"

"Yeah. You noticed, senpai?"

"Huh? Oh, the zombies in front of the building thinning out?"

I glanced at her admiringly. Sa-eun had picked up on it too. She nodded.

Even before dinner, the zombie numbers had visibly dropped. No idea why.

Our assault on the left entrance failed. The right one's stalled too. So they bailed.

But something felt off. Zombies didn't have that kind of tactical sense. Them just up and leaving? Possible?

There has to be a commander entity giving orders. Or Akasha's puppeteering them like game characters.

Anything else didn't make sense. Scattered zombies suddenly swarming en masse. After the mutant we pegged as the leader died, their numbers plummeted. Now, fewer than thirty in front of the building.

This is our chance. Heat surged in my chest. I grinned.

I pitched it to Sa-eun. Couldn't let this slip.

"Senpai, wanna counterattack?"

"Now? Hell yeah. Whatever it takes!"

I explained the plan. She listened, then gawked down below before nodding in understanding. Smooth sailing.

"Yeah, we're basically superhumans, so it'll work."

"Haha, right? First things first—we need blood sausage!"

"Blood sausage?"

"Got any?"

"Hold on."

Sa-eun thought for a sec, then headed to the kitchen. She rummaged through the massive fridges and pulled out a purple plastic tub, opening it as she brought it over.

It was big as a person's torso, stuffed to the brim with blood sausage. Damn, not my thing, but fans would lose their minds. Glossy, crimson, jiggling like jelly—quite the sight.

"Oh, figured they'd have it on the menu!"

"You need this for your ability, right, Najin?"

"Yep! Perfect."

I extracted pure blood from the sausages. They quivered as every drop was sucked out.

Plenty. The blood floated, swirling in the air. I stretched lightly, grinning. Ready.

"Let's go!"

"Right. I'll lead!"

Sa-eun smirked crookedly and flung open the big window. She hurled herself down without hesitation.

Suicide? Nah. I leaned out to watch.

She grabbed the huge outdoor AC units one by one, descending skillfully. Then slid down a pipe like it was nothing. Total action hero.

Physical beast, as expected.

My turn.

I kept the blood blob overhead and jumped. Mimicked her route on the ACs and pipes, but optimized for speed.

The moment my feet hit ground, zombies turned. I yelled loud enough for them to hear.

"Senpai, split up, thin 'em out as much as we can!"

"Got it, I won't lose!"

"Good luck!"

"You too!"

We kicked off simultaneously. I siphoned 300ml, morphing it into small bullets. Unloaded on visible zombies.

Pew-pew-pew! They screeched and charged, heads and foreheads popping as they flopped lifelessly.

Extracted blood from them, merged it back. Ran toward home.

"Hup!"

Sprinted in perfect form, scanning surroundings. Nearby stragglers zeroed in.

Blood bullets for every visible one. Sometimes forged a blood mallet.

"Heavy and nice. Here goes!"

Smashed charging zombies flat. Cracked skulls like pots.

A big brute lunged. Fair game—smashed its pot too.

"Kek!"

Toppled like rotten timber. Blood mallet was the perfect call.

Hacked through zombies joyfully, kept running. Near Tops Plus Express, they poured out.

Welcoming sight. More than elementary school reunions.

"What, playing hide-and-seek till now?"

"Kyaaack!"

Stepped back. Footsteps behind. Spun, stomped the lunging zombie's knee.

"Kegk!"

"Die."

Elbowed its jaw clean off. Spun fully, swung the mallet wide. Brainless rushers shattered or sprawled.

Scanned survivors, finished with blood bullets.

"Here goes, here goes!"

Of course, I'm no Xiang Yu or Dynasty Warriors badass. Used terrain smartly.

Benches as shields to crack pots. Backed against wrecked cars, vaulted over.

Not brute force—using surroundings made it fun.

Fuck, I'm getting hard! Flowed like water. Smooth. Like I was born for this.

Heart pounding wild.

"Hah, huu."

Steady breaths, mowed down hordes from all sides.

Sa-eun's side quiet—zombies clustered here.

Wall-ran to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠nearby rooftop during fight. Home direction: barely any zombies. Safe.

Good enough.

Dropped back, fought on. Fatigue building, but...

Love it! Triple digits incoming! Laughter bubbled up. Breath scorching hot. Thrill insane, mouth dry. Crushing skulls felt vivid. Even blood-forged, felt like Excalibur. Solid. Alive. I'm alive!

"Heh, hahahahaha!"

Laughter exploded. Couldn't hold it. Final zombie's head—smashed clean off. Torso crumpled in real time.

I turned.

"That it?"

Blood and rot thick in the air. Silence now.

Long exhale, steam puffing. Seconds ago, mad rush. Now, dead quiet. Like stepping onstage after the curtain.

Empty. Hollow. Whole body soaked in sweat from the grind. Feel this again?

This was a massacre. Not a fight.

Looked at blood on me. Extracted it clean.

"Head back?"

No zombies left. Returned to the shop building, melting weapons back to blood.

Sa-eun doing stretches, approached.

"Back? Look at you, drenched."

"Senpai, how many'd you get?"

"Maybe twenty? You?"

"Who knows."

Didn't count. Why bother? Zombies everywhere—kill for fun.

Her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠side had few, clearly. She propped her chin.

"You look like you had a blast. This your thing, Najin?"

"Guess so. Hehe."

"Whoa, nailed it. Heh, still dazed, but... we crushed it today, right?"

"Yeah. You were badass. Let's head up."

Climbed back, into the gukbap joint. Sat, relaxed.

Base here? Nah, food ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stocks thinner than expected.

Think restaurant = endless ingredients? Reality check.

We rested, napped. Kept watch. Chatted.

Sa-eun asked casually.

"Game ends like this—what next?"

"Home, chill. Plus hunt those punk stalkers."

"They're all dead, no?"

"Nah, call said boss separate."

Time to excise the rot. Stabilize home first. Expand later.

Finally, 20 hours up. Dawn breaking.

Notification etched slowly in air.

Mouth agape at the flood. Shows survivor count too.

Then:

Rankings too. Like report cards post-exam.

Points match kills—mine should be fat. Wild seeing it.

Tracks everything? Real game.

Mass deaths. Bustling area gutted. Survivors under 10% original.

Divine game of apocalypse. Wild.

First trial wrapped. Bittersweet, but next one's hyped.

Reward? Wonder what. Smirked, licking lips.

Pale notifications first:

Something I didn't know. Apocalypse Live? Popped up.

Stared in shock.

Wait, this?!