Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: 46. Messiah (5)
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These days, they're treated as mere byproducts spilling out from rifts, but the creatures dubbed monsters right after the rifts first opened looked quite different from the ones we know now.
The very first otherworldly species called monsters resembled giant rats the size of a person.
They showed no hostility toward humans, but their habit of gnawing on everything around them, combined with their grotesque appearance, quickly earned them the monster label from terrified people.
Their combat prowess was laughable.
They had shells, but they were no tougher than old wood, their movements were sluggish, and above all, they lacked any concept of resistance in their tiny brains—even an average adult man could bash one to death with a mere club.
There were other types too, but none posed any real threat to humanity.
They were no different from the exotic creatures Europeans had discovered in Africa or Asia.
These days, they've been reclassified as native otherworldly species, no longer lumped in with monsters. They were the harbingers that kicked off the early days after the rifts appeared.
The monsters we know today showed up later.
Back when humans were eagerly sending expedition teams "to pioneer" beyond the rifts, planting flags across the otherworld; when the air there turned out to be astonishingly similar to Earth's, and the land seemed infinite—a blessing and opportunity for humanity; above all, when we were utterly convinced the otherworld posed no threat whatsoever...
That's when they appeared.
There's debate over what the very first aggressive otherworldly species was, but no one denies that a necromancer type was among the initial horde.
The emergence of zombies during that first assault is a chilling fact captured precisely in the surviving video footage from the time.
The scene of a reporter being torn apart and devoured by zombies on live camera was a declaration that the rifts were no blessing or opportunity—they were the gateway to the apocalypse.
Necromancer types can mutate human corpses into aggressive mutants and control them like pieces on a chessboard.
That's their unique ability.
But that theory might need to be scrapped as of today.
"Look at this."
IAmJesus pointed at the zombie standing there blankly.
"It's not even reacting, right?"
Even with a living human right next to it, the zombie didn't so much as twitch.
If that were all, the skeptics could trot out their arguments and counter my claim with various reasons and logic.
Like maybe there's something wrong with this particular zombie, or perhaps zombies just don't recognize Awakeners as enemies the way monsters don't.
But one simple gesture utterly demolished any ground for those arguments.
"Sis. Come here."
IAmJesus beckoned, and the zombie shuffled toward him.
No doubt about it.
A human was controlling a zombie.
"Everyone calls them zombies, but I see it differently."
IAmJesus glanced sideways at the zombie standing obediently beside him as he spoke.
"It feels alive to me. I don't know why, but my gut tells me so."
He reached out toward the zombie's face.
They say the original was beautiful, but the grayish-white, withered, twisted visage was objectively the eerie face of a zombie through and through. Still, IAmJesus stroked it without hesitation.
"...She's alive. Sis is."
Sorry as I am to say it, at some point I'd gripped the handle of my axe, and I'd never once relaxed my hold.
Even now, I was tensed and ready, imagining the zombie lunging at him at any moment.
"Can I bring Sis along too?"
For a split second, I thought I'd misheard.
"?"
Take a zombie home with him?
What kind of lunatic would even think of that?
Oh, right. I'd heard about some psycho on Failnet who did exactly that.
A creepy shut-in guy who'd managed to hole up in a decent shelter—not as prepared as us doomers, but lucky enough. He found his long-time idol crush turned into a zombie and brought her inside.
The story ended with the birth of a zombie couple.
Expanding on that tale, it was about a recluse much like IAmJesus—barely leaving his house—who steps out into the world, mingling with the hordes of people he once feared, becoming one with them in a heartwarming tale of unity.
"You wanna turn into a zombie too?"
"Scared of Sis?"
"Yeah. She's a zombie."
"No, I can control her just fine."
IAmJesus dug in his heels stubbornly.
It was absurd, but his words weren't entirely unconvincing, so I scanned around for a counterargument.
I looked around.
Zombies were still everywhere.
Some stood frozen as if asleep, others shuffled about in habitual stupors, dominating the streets. A few had even turned their heads toward us, staring blankly with gray-white pupils like their pallid skin.
"...".
This didn't feel right.
A chill seeped into my blood as I fixed IAmJesus with a steady gaze.
"Let's say this zombie's human, like you claim. But tell me—can she talk?"
"Talk?"
"What's the point of dragging along something that can't even communicate?"
"We understand each other without words. That's how we are."
I sneered at his innocent idealism.
"You planning to use her like one of those adult toys in your room?"
"N-No! Nothing like that!"
IAmJesus's eyes shook wildly.
"It's plastic love! Pure plastic love between me and Sis."
"Plutonium?"
"Y-Yeah! Plutonium love! Wait, that doesn't sound right? Is that the word?"
"...Placebo?"
"No! Anyway! It's pure love. I'd never do that stuff with Sis...".
He didn't seem to be joking.
His already pale face had flushed beet red.
"Let's get out of here first."
"Y-Yeah!"
And so, the bizarre quartet was complete: a human, a motorcycle, a madman, and a zombie.
Vroom!
Nothing had really changed.
I cleared the path, pioneered ahead, towing the motorcycle.
We'd just added one zombie to the party.
A little later, we returned to that flower shop.
IAmJesus spoke to the zombie.
"Sis. Remember this place? You opened it after quitting school, right?"
He chattered emotionally to the zombie, but she just stared blankly into space with her murky gray-white eyes.
We passed the flower shop and retraced our earlier route upward.
Whenever IAmJesus spotted a notable shop or some memory surfaced, he'd talk to the zombie.
"Sis. The bread here was so good, remember? You bought it for me. The cheapest red bean bun, but it was tastier than any bread I've ever had."
"Why didn't we go out that day? You wanted to ride the Bentley, right? I snuck out with Dad's car, but you didn't read my texts, so I went on a solo night drive..."
"Why were you always so slow to reply to texts, Sis? Always a day late. Well, that's just you all over."
From his rambling, it was clear their relationship hadn't been mutual.
She probably never liked him.
Not even as a white lie—IAmJesus wasn't the type to inspire fondness.
"Sis..."
IAmJesus halted.
"Say something..."
I glanced back.
"Ha."
I let out an involuntary sigh.
He was crying.
This fool of a man, bawling his eyes out in front of a zombie.
Maybe he'd known all along.
That she didn't like him.
Maybe calling it "plastic love" wasn't delusion or ignorance, but his subconscious acknowledging reality.
A cheap, unrecyclable kind of love.
Anyway, it was about time to wrap up this weird adventure.
"Uuuugh..."
One zombie noticed us.
It opened its maw.
Bang!
My rifle spat fire.
The bullet punched cleanly through its head.
The three-shot rule, huh?
I didn't want to believe it, but right now, all I could do was pray that flimsy theory held up.
No choice.
If it bellowed and called its buddies, thousands would swarm us.
"You coming or not?"
Guess flimsy theories stay flimsy.
Zombies that had been standing awkwardly now milled about, and more crawled out from ruins at the gunshot's echo.
The street, once dotted with a zombie here and there, was suddenly teeming with dozens shuffling around.
"Hey! You listening to me?"
I demanded sharply, eyeing the zombies.
But IAmJesus ignored me.
He stared piercingly at the mute zombie that had made him cry.
I opened my mouth to say something, then shut it.
I had to.
Thud!
A powerful shockwave erupted near his heart.
At the same time, his eyes blazed brighter than ever.
Something was happening.
Something I didn't know about, something I couldn't predict.
"Uuuuugh!!"
But the zombies wouldn't wait.
They'd spotted us.
Dozens lunged forward, arms flailing.
I raised my rifle, then lowered it.
Guns were useless now.
Instead, I mounted the motorcycle and fired it up.
"IAmJesus!"
I couldn't wait any longer—I grabbed his arm and yanked.
Thud!
Another shockwave.
Stronger than before.
Intense enough to rattle my guts.
I'd felt Awakeners' shockwaves up close before, but nothing like this.
Still, I didn't hate the impact.
This shockwave was the hallmark of Awakener power.
They say standing beside such surging ability lets you tap into similar strength.
Like Woo Minhee or Gong Kyungmin.
That's why I was here.
Standing before zombies, scavenging scraps of power from a kid ten years my junior.
But the miracle's beneficiary wasn't me.
"Uuu..."
My gaze locked arrow-straight on one spot.
"Uh, uuu..."
The zombie opened her mouth, emitting strange sounds.
Not the usual groan.
The shape of her gaping mouth, the precarious glow of her gray-white tongue straining to move.
No mistake.
The zombie was trying to speak.
"...Do, Dongpil."
The dead one spoke.
"Dongpil, right...?"
She even recognized her awakener and called his name precisely.
The moment I saw it, I muttered despite myself.
"...Insane."
No one would believe it.
Who'd buy this mad scene?
Even if I were in my prime as Professor, I'd be called crazy for witnessing this.
"Sis spoke!"
IAmJesus beamed with joy as he looked at me.
"Skeleton?"
No wonder he was shocked.
My face must've looked more grave and serious than ever.
"...".
Once, I'd been in a position to judge and bear responsibility.
Debate rages over what criteria to use, but we monster hunters valued humanity's survival above all.
A feeling hit me.
This wasn't some ordinary mishap.
First, consider the outcomes this phenomenon could yield.
One result sprang to mind immediately.
Restoring zombies to humans.
That alone wouldn't cut it.
Humans were still rotting away in droves, their sheer numbers a trap in this world.
But I knew another fact.
My mentor, Jang Gi-yeong, had taught me.
He'd shown the potential of beings on the boundary between zombie and human.
Awakeners-in-waiting.
There had to be billions of zombies on Earth, at least a million in Korea alone.
What if we could turn them human again?
What if they were Awakener potentials like my mentor?
We could make a million Awakeners.
Danger aside, Awakeners were ideal against monsters—that much was true.
Even I, Park Gyu, once the top hunter, had been sidelined overnight.
Right now, my comrades on Jeju were burning through countless lives to seal rifts.
Woo Minhee had stayed behind to supply them with fighters, it seemed.
In this mess, if we could stably produce Awakeners?
No need for a million.
Thousands.
Thousands would shift the war.
It meant survival was possible for doomed humanity.
"Load the zombie."
Though despair had buckled my knees, my tendons hadn't snapped.
Before hope, I'd always rise ready to fight.
"Hurry!"
I'd do what I could.
"Wh-Where?"
"Shove her in the cargo hold however!"
I was Professor.
"What about the gear?"
"Dump it."
Once called the pinnacle of all hunters.
Thud.
The satellite gear hit the ground.
But something far more vital took its place in the hold.
"Hold on tight."
Hope itself.
Vroooom—
The motorcycle roared to life and surged forward.
Hordes of zombies crawled ahead, blocking our path.
A jump up the slope beside them might work, but it risked dumping our passenger and cargo.
"No good?"
The next instant.
Thud!
A shockwave boomed right behind us.
"Guh!"
I knew shockwave intensity scaled inversely with distance, but taking one skin-to-skin was a first.
It hit like a truck.
My insides churned, my head rang, and then—
Thud!
A second wave crashed in.
"...Hngh!!"
Breath caught; vision blacked out.
This sensation—no doubt.
Just like the psychic resonance test.
"...".
Nothing visible, nothing audible.
Just endless freefall into abyssal depths.
Far off, gray-white hues beckoned.
Am I dying?
No.
Light pierced through.
"Skeleton?!"
A shallow voice—unfamiliar yet unmistakably known.
"Gasp!"
Consciousness snapped back.
"Skeleton!"
IAmJesus fretted from behind.
"...I'm fine."
Just a glimpse of the gray-white world, fleeting.
I shook it off and glared ahead.
Zombies were parting.
At the command of their savior zombie.
"Haa..."
I took a deep breath, steadying myself, then praised my forum comrade sincerely.
"Impressive."
But this was zombie territory.
And those zombies had a king.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
With each pulse warping space around it, a gray-white, malevolent statue-like monstrosity—the zombie king—approached.
Floating midair, commanding thousands below.
Small type - infiltration subtype - necromancer-type monster.
The lord of this city.