I Got Myself Some Followers (2)
Alright, time for a honest confession. I think I'm gonna love this zombie apocalypse. I can have everything I want now, right? And now I've got girls too—huh? We were leaving the convenience store when I spotted a group approaching from the right path. They froze when they saw us. Probably freaked out by the sight of me—a naked dude in an Anubis mask, wielding a spear and shield.
"Ah, those people."
Hye-yun's voice trembled.
"It's that ajumma's group. The ajumma herself. They've come to drag us back."
Really? No way. I glanced over my shoulder without fully turning.
"For real? You know them?"
Yeonsu nodded with a grim face.
"Yeah. It's the people from our group."
"Hmm." Four guys, three women. Middle-aged uncles and aunties. "Their faces are all filthy black."
"They haven't washed."
"Not her inner circle, huh?"
"Yeah. The scavenging team's all mid-tier."
"Got it. Stay here for now. Nah, go inside the convenience store and lock the door. I'll handle those fuckers."
"Yes, my lord."
Hye-yun bolted right in, but Yeonsu yanked my arm, glaring like she wanted to devour me.
"...You're not planning to hand us over, are you? You better not kill us for real."
"Hey."
I chuckled.
"You said you'd be my followers. I don't want anyone interrupting girls lying next to my bed. Sound too beastly?"
"...Yeah. But with that dog mask, you're basically a beast anyway... Wait, you said your real body isn't a dog face too, right? You're human?"
"I'm human, dumbass. Only this avatar wears the dog mask. The others look normal."
"...For real? If I meet you and your face is weird, I'm running."
"Told you, human. Not bad-looking, either. Had a high school girlfriend."
"Pfft. Sure you did. Wait, you went to school? Aren't you a god?"
"Well, I became a god later—ugh, just get inside already."
As Yeonsu shuffled suspiciously into the store, someone from their group yelled.
"Hey! Isn't that Yeonsu and Hye-yun? The Daemo-nim's been looking for you! Why are you out here alone?"
Yeonsu gripped the glass door and shouted back.
"We're not going back!"
"That's not for you to decide! The Daemo-nim will! Come on! She's been ssae-ga-ppa looking for you!"
Uncle dialect with a twang. ...What's ssae-ga-ppa mean? Whatever. I beckoned them inside and strode forward. Their group hesitated and stopped.
"Yeonsu! Hye-yun! Who's this guy?"
"Dog-masked barbarian man."
Everyone froze at my line.
"Those girls are coming with me. Tell your Daemo-nim ajumma that. Don't come looking. Got it?"
"...Can't do that. We're fucked if we go back empty-handed. You don't know our Daemo-nim."
"If we go back, we'll starve again!"
"...Harsh as fuck. Why join a group like that?"
"What else? Zombies everywhere—how do you survive alone?"
"Yeah! Solo's too dangerous!"
True, but you're yelling your asses off—ever think zombies might hear? Right on cue, zombies slunk out from the alley. Not too many.
"Hey, zombies behind you."
"Huh?!"
"Whoa, for real!"
"Fall back! Weapons up!"
They pulled out dirty machetes, steel pipes, baseball bats from their belts and backs. Oh, one's loading a slingshot?
"Hm."
Not really planning to help. I glanced back. Yeonsu and Hye-yun stared at me, them, and the zombies like they wanted to hide.
"Be right back."
"Huh? Where?"
No answer—I bolted. This body could outrun an Olympic 100m gold medalist. Faster, even. As I sprinted like a bat out of hell, Hye-yun yelled from behind.
"My lord! Don't abandon us!"
"Not abandoning you! Just wait, fuck!"
In seconds, I closed on the uncle-auntie crew. They whipped around in shock. I leaped—way over 3 meters, soaring like a hovering hawk, arms spread. Spun and landed.
"Whoa!"
"Gah!"
Shocked uncles and aunties. About twenty zombies charging. I hurled my spear—pierced one, crumbled to sand. Shook my arm; new spear materialized. Gripped and thrust! More sand collapsed. Zombies swarmed, slow until they lunged—then weirdly fast. Too close. Stepped back, stabbed with spear. Dropped it, drew curved sword from hip. Bashed with shield, slashed—body halved, instant sand. Whirled blade everywhere, sand flying. Twenty down in under a minute.
Turned; everyone stared. Walked up.
"Like I said, those girls are with me. Tell your Daemo-nim properly."
"W-Who... are you...?"
An ajumma asked. I eyed her.
"I'm a god."
Yeonsu and Hye-yun watched from ahead—first time seeing me fight. Eyes wide. Spear-summoning from air would do that. Oh, zombie behind. Shook arm, summoned spear, chucked it.
"Kyaa!"
"Eek!"
They flinched. Yeonsu acts tough but scares easy. Sand crumbled from the alley behind the store. Summoned another spear, tossed—wiped the two zombies. Back at the store front. Confirmed kills; they looked up at me.
"Grab my bag there. Nothing exploded, right?"
Hye-yun couldn't look away. Yeonsu checked the bag by the door, shook head.
"All good... my lord."
"Sweet. Finally, cola time. I'll carry that."
Flung spear aside—dissolved to sand. Bag full of canned drinks.
"Heh. Pumped. Gotta grab the PET bottles later. What? Get up. Let's go."
"Ah... okay."
Yeonsu and Hye-yun hesitated but followed. Uncles and aunties gawked blankly. Same "what did I just see?" faces.
I pointed shield at them, bellowed.
"This convenience store's mine. Loot somewhere else. And these girls are with me—no hunting. Got it?"
"W-Wait!"
An uncle rushed forward, almost running.
"Y-Yes? Uncle."
"God or whatever. What?"
Walked backward.
Uncle yelled.
"What the hell are you? How... what was that just now...?"
"Told you! I'm a god!"
They stared blankly till we were out of sight.
"Alright, this is as far as we go."
Still zombies in my apartment complex; hadn't cleared 'em all. Alone, I'd hop around, but bag in hand, girls in tow—nope. Kill as we go. Managed entrance solo with heals, but parking lot's got nearly 200 wandering. Huddled by entrance wall, handed bag to Yeonsu and Hye-yun.
"This is my place. But bad news—haven't cleared zombies yet. See 'em in the lot?"
"...Yeah. But... so? My lord can turn 'em all to sand."
"Limits. I'd vanish before we reach my place."
"Th-Then what? What about us?"
"Chill. Multiple avatars. This one's toast, but another's coming. Hide here with the bag. My other avatar handles rest. Got it?"
Handed bag to Yeonsu.
"Super important—guard it."
"...Ditching us—"
"Yeonsu. First time saying your name. Hye-yun."
"Yes, my lord."
Only Hye-yun answered. I went dead serious, battle-ready, full resolve.
"You're my followers. Think I'd let you die? I'll bring you no matter what. Trust me."
Hye-yun fully bought in—eyes sparkling. Seeing zombies sand probably sparked real faith. Yeonsu eyed my dog mask, then.
"...Got it. I trust you."
"Whoa, polite now? Thought first time was slip—still formal?"
"...Fuck. What, no honorifics?"
"Hahaha. Fun. You're fun."
Pat her head—she flustered hard. Laughed, stood.
"Wait here."
Entered complex, speared nearby zombies. After a dozen, Nephkent's HP hit zero—poof. Instantly switched to mage Nephheka, flung door open, stepped out. Spotted Yeonsu and Hye-yun peeking from entrance. Grinned, walked into zombie horde center.
"Okay, test run. Attention, apartment residents! Eggs~ are here! Fresh~ eggs! Watermelons, melons too!"
Yelled nonsense; zombies turned, arms out, groaning toward me.
"New skill time."
Raised staff.
Nile Sand Bog
[Please set the target.]
"Zombies."
Staff flashed. Nothing yet. Right—slam on ground to activate. Did. Light spread from me. Ground cracked, light seeped like fissures or lightning. Then a circle formed around me. 40m diameter, maybe 50. Huge. Followed me slowly. Zombies touching it jerked, arms up—uncontrolled.
"Uuuugh—"
Slowly sank, feet sand-covered like quicksand. Not really sinking—turning to sand from feet up. Knew mage had AoE from Sand Path. This one's killer. Brainless zombies charged; I swept the lot, strolling parking area. Yeonsu and Hye-yun watched it all.