This Is How the Apocalypse Should Be
After finishing the minor preparations, right before setting off in earnest, I called Jeong Da-jeong who was packing up the luggage to give a final briefing while looking at the map.
"Your place is nearby, so you know this route roughly, right?"
"Yes. Are we heading to Seongjeong-dong?"
Seongjeong-dong was located more centrally than our current spot in Bonghyeon-dong. Unlike Bonghyeon-dong, which only bordered two or three other neighborhoods, Seongjeong-dong touched six or seven.
"We'll use that as our base and expand from there."
Whether to head north, south, or dig into the center first—we'd decide based on the situation. For now, starting tonight.
I picked up a pen and drew the route on the map.
"We'll go down this alley, then turn here onto the main road and head straight to this point."
By road distance, it was about 3 or 4 km. At a decent speed, it'd take around 6 minutes to arrive. Unload the cargo there, return to Bonghyeon-dong, load up again—that was one cycle. If we budgeted 30 minutes per cycle, 12 or 13... at most 15 cycles should do it.
"Won't the main road be dangerous?"
But Jeong Da-jeong was worried about something else.
"I, I go there a lot, so I know. At that time of day, it's always jammed up with traffic. Tons of people walking around too. Even normally, but now..."
The main road was currently clogged solid with cars, and given its nature, shops lined both sides. All that foot traffic from the shops had turned into zombies overflowing everywhere.
"They're slow and all, but if we get surrounded by mistake... Wouldn't it be better to take a safer detour, even if it's longer?"
Her idea might sound reasonable at first glance, but I dismissed it lightly.
"I'll handle that. You just focus on your job. All packed?"
"Ah. Not yet."
"I'll go ahead and clear the path. Have everything ready to go by the time I get back."
With that, I grabbed the tank bags, mounted them on the motorcycle parked outside, and started the engine.
Vroooom-.
"Gruk?"
"Grraaah!"
Zombies reacted instantly to the sound echoing through the silent city and started swarming, but I slipped through them ninja-like, pulling items from the tank bags and tossing them.
Whoosh-.
Whoosh-.
Whoosh-.
'One here. One there. Corner, so two...'
The items slid perfectly under cars or into building gaps.
"Goal-!"
If no good spot was visible, I hung a laundry net pre-loaded with items on a utility pole.
Vrooooom-.
Whoosh-.
Whoosh-.Slide-.
I finished the alley in seconds, but the real fun was just beginning. Merging onto the main road from the residential streets revealed a spectacular sight.
Cars packed bumper-to-bumper in a straight line to the horizon. No used car lot could compare...
"""Grraaahh!?"""
"""Grrk- Grrk-!""" Bang, boooom-.Blaaam-.Blaaam-.
Hundreds of eyes glinted under the moonlight. Hundreds of zombies casting shadows squeezed between cars, surging like a tidal wave. Just the ones ahead numbered in the thousands, and the ripples beyond suggested thousands more.
"Hoo-."
Even I felt my heart race at the sight, but instead of fear... I thrilled with insane excitement. Moonlit game of tag with hundreds of death-bringers, where getting caught meant eternal tagger duty—my nape tingled wildly.
'How could I hold back?'
I killed the engine and activated the skill.
Evil's Specialty
The familiar energy filled my body, lightening it. Without wasting a second, I shot forward.
Bang-.Blaaam-.
Stepping on a car hood triggered the alarm, blaring loudly. The noise multiplied as I leaped car to car.
Blaaaaam-.Thud-.Blaaaaaam...
"""Grraaaaaah!"""
Dozens of arms stretched like tentacles from under cars to grab me. But by the time they extended, I was gone.
"Ha-!"
Vrooom-.Thud-.Blaaaam-!
Like a long jumper on approach, I spread my legs wide, jumped to the next roof, then the next like mad.
'One on each side here...'
Of course, I didn't forget to toss items under cars as planned.
Whoosh-.Whiiiish-.Slide-.
Finally reaching the road's end with no more cars to leap, I stopped and looked around.
"""Grruuuh-!"""
Zombies clawed madly at the SUV roof under me, desperate for a bite or to make a comrade.
Thump, thump, thump...
Countless zombies belatedly headed this way, vibrating the asphalt with each step. Thankful for the prickling dirge of death, I checked my watch and laughed.
"Hahat. Close call?"
[7:59:56...]
"4, 3, 2, 1..."
On the dot, I snapped my fingers.
Snap-.
"Q!"
The snap vanished into zombie groans like it never happened, but something else lit up the road.
Twinkle-twinkle-twinkle...
—...♬ —...♬ —...♬ —...♬ ...
"Gruk?"
"Grrk...?"
"Grraaah?."
"Grrraaah-!"
Regular zombies, mindless machines, scattered in all directions, drawn to brighter, closer sounds over distant ones.
"That should do it."
I gazed satisfied at the cleared path exactly motorcycle-wide. Some cars overlapped and blocked spots, but we could detour or shove them aside.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, guests."
Shing-.
As I drew my sword to clean up the zombies below, in the corner of my vision—beyond the main road—I spotted unnatural movements unlike zombies.
"Hm?"
They thought they hid in the dark, but...
Whirr-.
With night vision goggles, I saw them clear as day. And what they planned.
"Hahahahat-."
Scaredy-cats jumping at one neighborhood shift. As they say, play in deep waters. Haven't even moved yet, but I was already liking the new nest.
...
Vrooooom-.
Who knew how many times now—the roar of a motorcycle crossing the main road.
"Stupid fucks, advertising 'come catch me' loaded with food."
The survivors drooled at the sight of food-laden bikes.
"Okay. Gone, gone. Move."
Confirming the bike lights fade, the dozen-plus group moved in unison onto the road.
Crunch-.
"Grk?"
"Ah, shit—be quiet, I said."
Whack-.Stab-.Squish.
A few drew aggro from nearby zombies with noise, but they dispatched them calmly.
Vroooom-.
"Hey. Hey. Another one. Duck, duck."
Confirming Jeong Da-jeong in front, me in rear, vanishing on bikes, they moved again.
Swish, swish-.
"Go go go-."
They stopped on the bike path, unfurling ropes lightning-fast. Tying lines between cars to set traps.
"There, there. No, not there—tie it low by the wheels, out of sight."
"Just do it rough. It's dark anyway, can't see shit."
"Hey, can't we flash a light even for a sec?"
"You nuts? Zombies'll spot us."
"Gotta see to tie it..."
As they said, the powerless road was pitch black. Even moonlight, their only light, now cloud-hidden—hard to tell zombie from human up close.
"Block the rear first so the front guy can't run if he trips. Lose 'em like last time, we're all dead."
Convinced no one could spot the ropes, they waited for fresh prey.
As they lay in ambush between cars, swollen with anticipation, that time arrived.
Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle-.
Good morning~♬ Doo-doo-doo-doo♬
Lights and music from both road sides. Thump, thump, thump...
"Kraaaah!"
Zombies patrolling the road went berserk, scattering to the sides again.
One survivor watching breathlessly spoke up.
"But what's that sound since earlier?"
"Dunno. Saw 'em tossing stuff under cars."
"Threw phones to lure zombies?"
"Phones?"
"Listen close. That's the default phone alarm."
"Now that you mention..."
Realizing the lights and sounds clearing zombies were phone alarms, some nodded.
"Damn, those bastards used their heads."
"We'll use it next time."
"Doubt it."
"Why? If they can, we can."
"Sure, we're smarter than night-riding retards, heh."
"Shh. The retards might hear."
Survivors chuckled in unison—then one asked weirdly.
"But you all awakened, right?"
"What? Told ya yesterday. Non-awakened? We didn't let 'em join, just killed."
"Yeah. Forgot. How many total?"
"Real idiot? 13."
"Right. Oh, where's our hideout again?"
"Eat crow? Laxstone Bowling..."
"Wait. Shut up."
The leader, listening silently, cut in sharply.
"...Who asked that?"
"....."
No answer.
"From now, respond when I call. Dong Kyung-chul."
"Yeah."
"Park Kyung-rim."
"Here."
"Kim..."
Leader called names one by one. After the last...
He gripped his steel pipe tighter. Staring at the silent one beside him.
"Who the fuck are you?"
"Huh? Me, me. Hyun-woo."
"Bullshit. No Hyun-woo here."
"Oops—no?"
Clang-.Crash.Swish-.
Others caught on, raising weapons. Clouds parted, revealing...
Cheongun grinning white-toothed.
"Then die."
Stab-.
Cheongun immediately stabbed neighbors instead of rice cakes.
Stab- squish-thud... Blaaaam... Aaaagh...
Murder: Stacks accumulated.
Crack... Thud... Grab him!...
...Leg—! How's he so fa—Stab, stab...
"Come on, zombies—eat up and evolve?"
Squelch-.
"Grk?"
Splatter, drip-.
Drip-.
Crunch-.Crunch-.
Crunch-.
Crunch...
Vrooooom-.
Long after, Jeong Da-jeong returned on the bike—no sign of Master. Just a redder road and...
"Master?"
Cheongun perched on a car, wiping blood.
"Yeah."
"M-Master said just a bit, but you didn't come back. Worried something happened..."
"Ah~. No issue."
"Really?"
"Yup."
"M-Master. If nothing, good, but..."
Gulp.
"...Why are you grinning like that?"
Touching his face, Cheongun realized his mouth stretched ear-to-ear.
"Nah, nothing."
Hehehe.
"Finally feels like a proper apocalypse."
The sooner tonight ended, the sooner more nights like this—self-soothing, he mounted behind her.
"Last one?"
"Yes."
"Good. Haul ass, then start cleaning the new house."
Gazing at the receding new home, Seongjeong Central High School, he grinned whitely again.