No Need for This, But Anyway (1)
"I... Imhotep!"
"Ah, that dog mask!"
"Isn't that Anubis?"
"You're an Egyptian god?! "
...No, uh. I'm Korean, actually. My grandfather was an archaeologist, so this and that... Wait, why the fuck am I even explaining myself?! I'm a god, that's all that matters, shit.
"Anyway. What is it? So, what do you want?"
"Ah, yes, Lord. Um."
The leader ajumma cleared her throat and dropped to her knees.
"We'd really appreciate your help. We've... honestly, we haven't been able to bring back proper supplies for the last few days, so everyone's starving. She said if we come back empty-handed again, she'll kick us out."
"...Kick you out?"
I tilted my head.
"Don't they need scavenging teams to survive? What the hell do they plan to do by kicking out the scavengers?"
Then the ajusshi growled.
"Those fucking bastards, that bitch already has plenty. Hundreds of sacks of rice, flour, sugar, gochujang, doenjang—everything except veggies. All kinds of canned goods too. And still she sends us out to fetch more? Fuck, it's just so she can hoard even more, the dog-like bitch."
"...They have that much?"
"Yeah. Back in the day, there was a small group in the neighborhood where those zombie larva things are now, and I was part of it. This was before the larva showed up, but anyway, we fought that fucking bitch and lost. She said she'd take us in, so we surrendered and joined... but fuck! They treat us like shit. Should've just died fighting back then, that damn cunt."
Whoa. Intense stuff, ajusshi.
"...So most of the scavenging team are like that—"
"Yeah, exactly. Either from other groups or drifters who stumbled in from outside."
"Yeonsu and Hye-yun wandered in from outside too, right?"
"Yep."
"Never thought about rebelling?"
I mean, I had to ask. I'd heard a bit from Yeonsu and Hye-yun, but they were new outsiders who hadn't been there long.
The leader ajumma spoke up.
"As soon as we start getting close, they split us up."
"Really?"
"Yeah. To pull that off, we'd need to talk to our families first, but if we gather to discuss anything, they watch from over there, come with guns, and break it up. They assign families to separate zones. It's a total prison. They shuffle us between rooms like convicts."
"Hmm."
Armed to the teeth and tightly controlled. Not a threat to me, though.
"Alright, I get your situation. But like I said, I don't take just anyone as followers. I'm not here to recruit. I just came because you wanted to meet. What was it, a request?"
"Ah, yes, Lord. If you could just help us gather some supplies..."
They all looked desperate. These ajummas and ajushis were skin and bones. The coughing ajumma was so gaunt her collarbones were sticking out. Months of abuse showed plain as day on their bodies.
"Hm. Yeah, that shouldn't be too hard. Let's go?"
I stood up.
"Just grab some food and head back, right?"
I grabbed the shutter with one hand and rrrrrr! yanked it up. Fuck hiding, why should I?
The ajumma hurriedly blew out the candle, and everyone scrambled up in a daze.
Ah, nice sunlight. Cool breeze... not that I can feel it. This isn't my real body.
"Any specific store in mind?"
"Ah, yes. There's a mid-size mart over there. That bitch told us to clean it out."
"She said no rice at the convenience store, grab all the rice and canned goods you see."
I nodded and trudged toward the direction they pointed.
"Yeah, alright. Let's go."
Rice and flour? Hm. Tough to find at convenience stores. They might have small packs of flour sometimes, but rice is especially rare.
We were still pretty close to the orc building. But whatever, who cares if they spot us.
I walked right down the main road, and the coughing ajumma tapped my arm from behind.
"Lord. Um... I have a question."
"Yeah? What?"
"Ugh, zombies."
The ajusshi whispered. A few zombies were crawling out from the side alley, groaning "Uuuuuh—."
I shoved the group aside with my arm and stabbed them through the head with the spear, turning them to sand in one go. Easy.
Well, hard for normals. One grab and you're done for.
Even my casual stabs landed perfectly—probably 'cause I'm Nephkent. Proper form, weight shifted right into the gut. The ajummas and ajushis went "Ooh, wow," all impressed.
...Don't gawk one by one. Annoying.
Anyway, I spun around and kept walking.
"What was that? Oh, right, you had a question?"
"Yes, Lord. You mentioned eggs earlier."
"Yeah, you said eggs."
"Eggs these days?"
The coughing ajumma walked beside me, and the leader ajumma flanked my other side. Their eyes on me... ajummas, I'm way younger. Don't look at me like that.
"How'd you get eggs? Raising chickens?"
"Pfft, where chickens these days? All dead. You got any?"
The ajushis behind us buzzed with interest. I shrugged.
"I produce them. Fresh water too. Got a little fountain in the house. Water just flows out. We all bathe with it."
"...For real?"
Both ajummas pinched my arms at the same time. ...Ugh. I could already feel the back pats coming.
"Yes, really. How far's the mid-size mart?"
"Ah, right at the entrance to Gachae Shopping District."
"Oh? Yeah, there. Not far. Tell me if zombies pop up. I'll handle it."
The ajushis murmured.
"Whoa, seriously. Zombies make me tense as hell, but with the Lord here, it's reassuring."
"One bite and you're fucked, but damn, feels safe."
"Totally."
The ajummas chimed in. The chatter was lively—not bad. Kinda like a community. I had Yeonsu and Hye-yun at home, and I was content, but... community, huh.
Hmm.
"Lord, lo-look, zombies!"
One came from the left. Too close for spear work—narrow alley. I dropped the spear, drew my curved sword, and uppercut it into a sand pile. Whoosh— two more. Splat, shhh—
"This alley's too damn narrow."
I sheathed the sword and rejoined the group, then reached out and clenched my fist in the air. The spear rematerialized in my hand. I used it like a staff, tapping the ground as I walked.
Oooh! More gasps of awe. Seriously, stop every time.
I was used to it by now.
And we reached the entrance to Gachae Shopping District. Cafes nearby, phone shop, traffic lights, crosswalk—and across from it, a decent-sized two-story building. The mid-size mart.
Three mimic fish monsters were slithering along in front, spewing slime toward a building across the street. They spotted us and thrust lanterns from their foreheads, screaming.
"Aaaah! Help, it hurts, it huuuurts!"
"S-save me! Monster! Aaaah!"
The scavenging team recoiled in a panic.
"M-mimic fish!"
"Ugh, uwaaaah!"
Fucking loud front and back. I set down the bag slung over my shoulder as the mimic fish shot slime and swam across the road fast.
I hurled the spear. It sank right into one's head, body stiffening into sand that collapsed with a whoosh.
Summoned another spear, gripped it, and threw hard.
"Hmph!"
Thwack! The mimic fish twisted to dodge, but its own slime betrayed it. Momentum slid it straight into the spear, piercing it. It petrified from the side and shattered.
Last one. Charging fast, screeching, mouth wide—shit, check those teeth. Multiple tongues? Spikes on 'em too?
It leaped straight at me, hit the ground, and spun like a whirlwind, veering left.
"Kieeeek!"
I slammed the curved sword into its side as it grazed past and shoved. It spun itself from side to tail in a straight line, petrifying in seconds. Sand piles crumbled toward the team.
I resummoned the spear, gripped it, and casually walked to the mid-size mart.
"Might be more inside, so stay sharp...?"
The ajummas and ajushis were totally spooked, huddled in the middle of the road like they might bolt.
"What're you doing? Let's go."
"Ah, yes!"
"Yes, Lord!"
The ajushis looked moved.
"That thing kills you up close."
"For real."
Scavengers who stuck to safe paths wouldn't be used to this.
* * *
No big monsters inside the mid-size mart. Just zombies—about a hundred? One Ma'at's Rest heal, then swept 'em all with Sand Path.
Honestly, whatever—zombies or monsters, more to kill means more for me. Already at 293 coins. Those mimic fish were worth it.
Ajusshi scavengers emerged, each shouldering 10kg rice sacks. Their backpacks bulged with cans.
Ajummas' bags were hefty too.
"Thank you, Lord. Truly."
"We made it here safe thanks to you."
"No problem. Head back now?"
"Yes. Gotta hurry. Sentries on that building's roof probably saw us come in."
...Hm. Really? Then they saw me kill the mimic fish too.
"Sit and eat first, then go?"
"Pardon?"
"We... need to get back quick..."
I drew the curved sword from my waist.
"Look closely at this."
The ajummas and ajushis stared holes through the sword. Then at me.
"See, I drew my sword. Right? You saw the sword, so you had no choice but to do what I said. Not a lie, yeah? Now sit."
I sheathed it and sat.
"Pull out the cans. Open 'em and eat your fill before heading back."
The ajushis and ajummas sat before me with touched faces, unpacking their bags.
No real need to do this. Nothing in it for me.
But look at these folks. Gaunt, filthy, just... pitiful. Yeonsu and Hye-yun... wonder what they're up to. Probably fine. House is fortified inside and out—near impossible to breach from outside.
Still, nagging worry. Wanted to get home quick.
* * *
"Thank you, Lord!"
The ajummas and ajushis headed back beaming. I waved, then turned home.
Fast—running.
Snacks are light. Bags double-tied, shouldn't rip.
So I bolted like hell.
Got home. Thank god.
...Nothing happened.
"Ah, Lord!"
Hye-yun spotted me through the window and waved. Yeonsu opened the door.
"Welcome back. Whoa, you got a lot."
I handed over the bags. Rose from the sarcophagus.
Called Yeonsu and Hye-yun over, spun them around, and hugged them from behind, grabbing their tits. Nipples caught perfectly between my fingers—fuuuck, that feel.
"Ahh, been wanting this. Feels so good."
"Right when you get back."
"Yeah."
The two laughed.
"Met the scavenging team today."
They both turned to me at once.