Nice View
Nice View
The scenery is nice.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-!
Crash-bang-shatter-!
The flying iron mace shattered the balcony window, and suspended by the rope that generated a massive swing like a pendulum, I barely managed to dodge through the broken window onto the balcony of the floor below, where three people were hanging on.
Then, zombies rushed toward me as if they had been waiting.
"Kkrak!!"
"Kkrak-krak!!"
Five of them were visible.
They were probably just the bastards that had just hatched from those cracked eggs sprawled all over the living room.
Who the hell do you little wet-behind-the-ears punks think you're messing with, charging blindly at someone?!
Ah, that line sounded totally like an old-school boomer just now.
"Kkrak-krak!!"
"You're just a fucking zombie..."
I thrust my left hand forward, shoving the chest of the charging zombie with my palm, and then swung my right arm, folded in half, driving my elbow straight into its temple.
Crack-!
What the hell? Is it dead?
It's not like it was a mace; a guy like that shouldn't die in one hit just from getting hit by an elbow.
This bastard wasn't a human who had turned into a zombie; it was a real zombie hatched from an egg.
Ah, wait. Could it be that exclamation mark glittering down below?
Did I get a new trait after killing that monster-like bastard a little while ago?
Damn it, I'm curious...
Still, I need to deal with these bastards first before checking it out.
"Kkrak!!"
Spinning my body toward the zombie leaping at me through the air, I whipped my left foot around, accurately smacking the bastard right on the head and sending it flying sideways. Just as I drove my right fist straight into the forehead of the next charging bastard to deal with the rest,
"Ugh..!"
A sharp, agonizing pain surged from my left flank.
Right where I had gotten beaten up by that monster bastard.
"Ow, fucking hurts... Whoa-ah-ah-ah!!!"
Whoosh-whirl-!
Suddenly, both of my feet lifted into the air, and my body was sucked backward.
Pulled by the tightened rope tied around my waist.
Damn it all, I should have untied this first!
Thud-!
"Ugh!"
My back collided with the balcony railing, preventing the tragedy of falling down, but the tied rope was tightening around my waist as if it was going to slice me in half.
And this railing didn't look like it was going to hold out much longer either.
Snap-! Snip-snap-!
The railing was coming loose piece by piece.
"Hurry! Hurry-!!"
I moved my hands busily to untie the rope bound around my waist, but the two remaining zombies weren't going to just stand by and watch me do that.
"Kkrak!!"
"Kkrak-krak!!"
"Can't you see I'm busy, you bastards?!"
If those bastards pounced on me or impacted this railing right now, I'd fall for sure.
Even moving forward was tough because of the door and the railing hanging on the other side of the rope, but if I didn't move anyway, it'd be a pointless death.
"Ugh-ah-ah!!!"
Stomp!
Stepping my left foot forward with a battle cry, I reached out my right hand to grab the neck of the first charging bastard, ducked my waist to hoist the next charging bastard over my left shoulder, and rose up to throw them backward.
"Kkrak-krak..."
"Kkrak! Kkrak-krak!!"
The distant dying roar of one and the bastard shouting with its filthy snout thrust right toward me.
"Shut your trap, you bastard!"
"Kkrak..."
Twisting my body and wrapping the rope halfway around my waist, enduring the weight of the door and the railing with both legs, I hurled the zombie whose neck I was gripping right over the railing and quickly started untying the rope.
Wait, why the hell was this tied so tightly?!
"Fuck!!!"
Just as irritation surged at my own thoroughness for not even tying a single rope loosely, the tightly cinched end of the rope slipped inward slightly, creating a small loop. I hurriedly grabbed the loop and pulled, untying the tightly bound rope.
Drop-
Whoosh-whoosh-whirl-!
The moment it came loose from my waist, the rope was sucked through the gaps in the balcony railing like hair being sucked down a drain.
Thump-!
"Whew... Damn it, I almost got fucked..."
Poking my head out over the railing to look down, I clicked my tongue at the swarming zombies responding to the loud clatter of the balcony railing bouncing off the ground after one heavy thud.
Even if I manage to escape this apartment, aren't there way too many zombies around?
"Oppa, are you okay?!"
"Yeah, I'm fine. More importantly, how long are you going to hang around up there? Get down here."
"But how..."
Having a conversation while tilting my head up at Minseo's voice coming from overhead, I let out a small sigh as I looked at the railing, which looked so precarious that it made me shudder just to lean against it.
If she tried to grab the railing and climb down the way I did, the chances of her plunging downward along with the detached railing were extremely high.
And yet, telling her to come inside the balcony where that monster-like bastard was meant certain death for everyone... What should I do...
Ah! That'll work.
"Just jump down. I'll catch you."
"What??"
"Jump."
"How am I supposed to jump from here?! There's no rope, you know!"
"Suit yourself if you don't want to."
"Ah, no, I do! Catch me instead! You better not miss!!"
"Jump while you have time to spout that nonsense."
"I'm jumping! I'm really jumping!"
"I said jump."
"Eek-ah-ah!!!"
Never mind the scream, look at that posture.
Why are both arms hoisted way up in the air?
What is she doing, riding an amusement park ride right now?
Grab!
Catching Minseo's wrist as she fell with both arms raised high like she was riding the Viking ride, I yanked her toward the inside of the balcony as if throwing her in, and Kwon Juha joined in using the exact same method.
The problem, however, was that otaku bastard, who was twice as heavy as these bitches.
"C-Catch me too, please!"
"Are you out of your mind?! Think about your own weight!"
"Then what about me..."
"Figure it out yourself and get down, you fat bastard."
"N-No! Help our oppa too!"
"Would you stop saying that?!"
"..."
"Damn it, letting you get a taste of my body and now you're working me to the bone this much?"
"I'm sorry... But still, please help our oppa..."
"This bitch to the very end..!"
Just as the urge to throw Kwon Juha over the balcony railing as well welled up inside me, Minseo pushed Kwon Juha aside with her shoulder and reached out her left hand toward my face right in front of me.
Tap-
"Oppa... Why is your face like that..?"
"What's wrong with my face?"
"It's ugly..."
"..."
Blink- blink-
Staring blankly at Minseo, who was bluntly dissing my face out of nowhere, I cuffed her on the head and stroked my own cheek.
What on earth could possibly be wrong with my face... Wh-What the hell?!
What in the world is this hard, puffy thing?!
Hurry-hurry!
Dash-running into the living room in a rush, I threw open a bedroom door to find the bathroom, and then reflected my face in the mirror mounted on the wall.
"Damn it..."
It had hurt like hell, but I had only taken one hit to the face, yet another face had formed.
And it was a hideous, blue-swollen, puffed-up face at that.
That aside, shouldn't she have asked if I was okay, instead of saying, "It's ugly"??
"This bitch for real..!"
"Ugh-ah-ah-ah!!!"
"Hold on tight!!"
"He's heavy!!!"
"What a shitshow."
Running out into the living room, there they were, hanging like three dangling monkeys off the balcony railing, probably trying to rescue Kwon Juheuk using the method I had used.
They wouldn't be able to hold on at that rate.
Rip-rip-rip!
"Eek!"
"Eek-ah!"
"Ugh! Pull him up! Pull him up quickly!!!"
"Sigh..."
Tada-dash-
Catching the ankles of Minseo and Kwon Juha, who were screaming at the top of their lungs while dangling from the railing on the verge of falling with their bodies almost lying flat, I pulled with all my might.
And right then, the balcony railing detached completely.
"Hah.. hah.. hah..."
"Hah.. hah..."
"Hah... I almost died..."
"Didn't I tell you? That otaku bastard is nothing but dead weight."
"..."
"..."
At my words, Kwon Juheuk and Kwon Juha, sitting slumped on the balcony floor, dropped their heads and firmly clamped their mouths shut, while Minseo, staring intently at me, began to widen her eyes as if boasting about how big they were.
Was she staring past my shoulder, strictly speaking?
"Oppa!!!"
"Kkrak-ah-ah!!!"
The beastly cry of a zombie accompanied Minseo's scream.
I spun around quickly and swung my elbow, driving it straight into the jaw of the zombie that had tried to lunge at my back.
"Kk... Krgh...!"
Crack-!
Crushing the head of the zombie that had crashed into the wall and collapsed to the floor, a single remark slipped from my lips.
"Damn it..."
The timing was ridiculously shitty.
Of all times, they had to be here right now...
Squish-
Countless eggs began to split open accompanied by a squelching sound like fondling a pussy.
Yeah, right now is...
"They're hatching..."
It was the time when the cocoon-like zombie eggs began to hatch all at once.
And we were located in a spawning ground overflowing with zombie eggs at the absolute worst possible time.
Talk about having the shittiest luck ever.
"What the hell are you standing around for?! Kill them all before they crawl out!"
Grab!
Whoosh!
Crack-!
Picking up the iron mace lying on the floor, I battered the head of a zombie trying to wriggle out of a splitting cocoon, and Minseo and Kwon Juha also began thrusting their knives and short spears to kill the awakening zombies.
And Kwon Juheuk...
"Ugh-ah-ah-ah-ah!!!"
"Kkrak-ah-ah!!!"
"Kkrak!!!"
"Kkrak-ah-ah!!!"
Rushing past me and cutting across the living room, he was blocking them with his entire body.
The zombies trying to pour in through the open front door.
"Oppa!!!"
"Juheuk-ssi!!!"
"That crazy bastard..! He's finally earning his keep a little."
"You...!"
"What?"
"Oppa!!!"
Kwon Juha, who had been glaring at me as if she wanted to kill me, also started running toward the front door, and Minseo sprinted after her. Bending her waist like playing leapfrog with her arms spread wide, she began swinging her weapon over the back of Kwon Juheuk, who was blocking the zombies.
There were plenty of zombies to kill here, too.
Well, I could just handle these ones.
Crack-!
Killing the zombies popping out of the cocoons as if a round of Whack-a-Mole was unfolding, I cleanly disposed of the zombies leaping out from the living room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms before moving toward the front door while shoving the refrigerator.
"Drag that bastard out here!"
Kwon Juheuk was tossed like a piece of luggage through the narrow passage already half-blocked by the refrigerator, followed by Minseo and Kwon Juha darting out, and I immediately pushed the refrigerator to block the surging zombies.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-!
"Damn it..! I can't hold it alone! Leave that bastard and block this!"
"Ah!"
"Oppa... Pull yourself together... Oppa!!!"
"Kk... Krgh...!!"
Unlike Minseo, who hurriedly rushed over and pushed her body against the refrigerator alongside me, Kwon Juha was only screaming while clutching the collapsed Kwon Juheuk.
I thought that bitch was a little smart, but when a situation like this hits, the kid turns brain-dead.
"Hey you stupid bitch! What's gonna change by crying?!"
"You really...!"
Tap-
The syringe containing the zombie vaccine I threw dropped right in front of Kwon Juha, who had turned her head toward me and was glaring with a venomous expression.
Right, the cure you could buy for just 50 coins at the shop.
"Stick that in him while you have time to cry. At least he won't turn into a zombie if you do."
"Ah..."
"And that costs 50 coins. Pay me back with 100."
"T-Thank you so much!!"
"Thanks my ass."
Just a moment ago she was glaring at me like she wanted to murder me, talk about a sudden attitude shift.
Kwon Juha, who had hurriedly picked up the syringe and was about to jab it into Kwon Juheuk, turned her head back toward me and sent a pitiful gaze my way.
"I don't know how to give injections..."
"Just stab him anywhere. Me and this guy both survived that way."
"Ah! Okay!"
Stab!
Squeeze-!
She really did just stab him anywhere.
Still, isn't it normal to avoid places like that?
After plunging the needle into Kwon Juheuk's neck and injecting all the medicine, I checked his condition, but now wasn't the time to be doing that.
"Leave him and get over here too!"
"But..!"
"What's gonna change just because you're watching him?! Hurry up and get over here, you crazy bitch!"
At my shout, Kwon Juha hesitated, gently laid Kwon Juheuk down on the floor, and then hurriedly ran over, pressing her back against the refrigerator as she slumped to the floor.
"Kk..! Krgh!! Kr-krgh...!!!!"
Kwon Juheuk lay sprawled on the floor, twisting his body this way and that as he clawed at his clothes.
"Oppa..! A-Are you okay?? Is he supposed to look like that?!"
"I was worse than that."
"..."
Even though I had been worse than that, I had thought the reason it was so agonizing was because a long time had elapsed since the infection progressed.
Yet that guy looked like it had been two minutes at most since he was bitten, and he was suffering quite intensely.
Was the pain dependent on how much the virus had spread through the body, regardless of how long ago the infection occurred?
Of course, me—who got infected by a scratch on the forearm—and that otaku—who was heavily bitten all over his shoulders and back—were completely different cases.
So it made sense that the reactions might differ.
Besides, that guy suffering wasn't even important.
Even if it wasn't the zombie virus, if his bites on the shoulder and back were severe enough to soak the floor in blood, it would be hard for him to survive anyway.
Thump!! Thump!!
"Eek!"
"O-Oppa..!"
"Damn it..."
It's too much to handle.
Even without this, I couldn't properly put strength into my body because of the pain surging from my flank, and the weight I had to endure kept increasing by the minute.
At this rate, I wouldn't even last 5 minutes...
The only choice I could make right now was just one.
Go to the balcony and climb down to the balcony below.
If I did that, I'd have to leave Kwon Juheuk behind here.
Because it was impossible to drag that guy down with us.
But if that happened, Kwon Juha would probably stay here too.
It's a shame, but it looks like my ties with Kwon Juha end here.
"Kim Minseo, don't talk back, go to the balcony."
"M-Me only..?"
"I said don't talk back."
"......Okay..."
As Minseo, who had been pushing the refrigerator together with me, pulled her body away, the weight Kwon Juha and I had to bear increased by that much.
Still, it was more than enough to ask her one question.
"Hey, Kwon Juha."
"Yes! There's a way out, right?! What should I do?!"
Why are you getting your hopes up so much?
The only method is leaving your oppa behind, though.
She's going to be fucking disappointed once she hears it.
"There is a way. We're leaving that otaku behind here."
"W-Wait a minute.. No way..."
"We can't die here. I'd like to take you with me too, but there's no way to survive without ditching that guy. Think rationally once more and give me your answer. I'll wait just 5 seconds. And do you really think that guy threw his body here for you both to die together?"
"..."
Kwon Juha fell silent, dropping her head in thought at my words.
If it were me, what choice would I have made?
Could I leave the only remaining family member behind and run away to live by myself?
Come to think of it, the answer was crystal clear.
The answer was already decided without even needing to wait.
"I..."
"Yeah, even if it's hard, you at least have to live..."
"I'll stay here."
"What?? No, why?!"
"Because he's my family... And I don't hold any grudge... I would've made the same choice, too..."
Damn it, her affection for family must be different from mine.
Well, I've been on my own for quite a while now.
It was about time love or affection for family grew hazy.
Then it's a shame, but it can't be helped.
Looks like this is farewell with Kwon Juha here...
"Oppa!! L-Look at that!"
"What is that guy doing there?"
"A drone...?"
Whir-r-r-r-r-!
What Minseo was pointing at with her finger on the balcony was a drone floating in the air.
And this faint sound reaching my ears.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-
That was definitely the sound of propellers.
Then, does that mean it's coming here right now?
A helicopter??
"Over here!!! Here! Please save us!!!"
Suddenly flailing both hands toward the empty air and shouting was Minseo, and Kwon Juha was staring at me with her eyes blown wide.
And a moment later, a tremendous wind whipped through the house as a helicopter revealed itself.
"Put that equipment on!"
"There are more people inside! There are wounded people too!!"
"Wounded people cannot be taken! Put that on first!! Put your legs through the holes and the belt around your waist..."
The urgent shouting of a soldier, and Minseo turning her body to look at me.
"Put it on fast! What are you doing?!"
"Oppa..."
"Hey, Kwon Juha. You go too."
"But..!"
"I'll take care of that fat bastard, so just go!! Hurry up and go!!"
Whoosh!
As I grabbed her clothes and hurled her toward the living room, Kwon Juha awkwardly picked herself up and sprinted to the balcony only then.
And after the two women put on what looked like paragliding belts attached to the rope dropped from the helicopter, I started running as well.
However...
"Zombies are dropping from above! We can't take any more!!"
"Oppa!!!"
"No!!!"
The helicopter suddenly moved away from the balcony.
What the hell is this..!
"Take me with you too, you motherfuckers!!!!"
Dash-!
"Kkrak!!"
"Kkrak-krak!!"
"Kkrak-ah-ah!!!"
Zombies hurling their bodies out of the apartment like the three thousand court ladies, and the helicopter soaring high up into the sky away from the apartment.
"Damn it... The scenery is nice... Hoo......"
"T-Thank you..."
"Shut your trap, you're getting heavier if you speak."
"..."
And so, I grabbed the rope lowered from the helicopter and flew through the sky together.
With the otaku bastard's ankle clutched firmly in my left hand.
So fucking heavy.
Should I just let him go?