Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: One Must Die
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The next morning, I left the department store and headed to a warehouse on the outskirts of the city.
The road leading there felt similar to unwrapping Christmas gift wrapping.
Not that I'd ever received a gift on Christmas.
‘I wonder how he's been doing.’
He probably hasn't died, right?
It could happen.
He might have given up on life after getting caught by me of all people and offered his arm to the zombies.
If so, it'd be a shame, but I'd just have to settle for tossing their corpses to the dormitory guys later.
Screeech.
The van came to a stop near the construction site, kicking up sand with a noise.
I actually wanted to send a pigeon to check the inside first.
But that would take away all the fun, so I decided to visit in person.
Of course, there were no survivors in the area.
I'd already scouted with pigeons beforehand and locked them in here, so that was certain.
‘Oh, right, that gaming shut-in girl…’
Come to think of it, there is one.
That rich shut-in girl lived a bit further away, though not too close.
But it wasn't close enough to worry about.
Greeeeek...
The warehouse's long-sealed iron door creaked open.
If the door was still locked and the garage on the opposite side was too, then only those guys were inside.
“Hello~. Have you two been well?”
I approached them cheerfully, waving my hand in a friendly manner.
The two of them, illuminated by my flashlight, were huddled in the corner of the container.
They seemed to be asleep and slowly lifted their heads at my voice and the flashlight beam.
“L-Lee Seo-ho...!!”
Private First Class Kim Seok-ho called out to me in a cracked voice and rushed over, dropping to his knees nearby.
“You really didn't abandon us...! Thank you! Thank you so much!”
‘He's half out of his mind.’
His eyes were crazed.
I probably would be too.
Surrounded by zombies trying to eat you, without light, water, or food, waiting for an end that might never come.
He must have almost given up all hope, then felt like he'd found his sole savior upon seeing me.
The same went for Corporal Seong Ho-su, who crawled toward me shedding tears.
“I'm sorry, I was wrong... Please forgive me just this once. Please show mercy...”
He seemed completely drained but barely made it over and prostrated himself before me, begging.
It looked like he'd realized something after I left and argued with his junior.
Or maybe being locked up here for two days did it.
“Hmm... What should I do...”
I squatted down in front of the prostrating pair and rested my chin, pretending to ponder.
At that, the two tear-streaked men started pleading desperately.
“Please! Just let us live! We'll do anything you say!”
“Anything! Tell me to go get the company commander! No, that bastard Kang Hae-seok's head, and I'll fetch it right now!”
Their eyes were sincere.
They really wanted to live.
I knew that look well.
Because I'd been the same.
“But you wouldn't let me live even when I begged.”
As my cold gaze swept over them, their desperate faces hardened into despair.
“And if we're making a deal, do it right. ...Do I really need to ask you two to get Kang Hae-seok's head?”
Sure, right now I only had the ability to control pigeons, but even so, I was an invincible necromancer against zombies.
It might take time, but I had plenty of ways to deal with him in my current state.
Above all, my grudge wasn't just with Kang Hae-seok.
These two had messed with me plenty when I was starving.
“Then... are we just going to die like this?”
Kim Seok-ho asked in a trembling voice, confronting the fact he'd been ignoring.
He hadn't wanted to believe it.
But now he had to confirm it.
To his tear-soaked little brother's pitiful question, I smiled kindly.
“As if.”
My smile made their eyes waver.
I knew that look too.
The look of someone who'd heard they'd be spared if they fetched food from in front of the department store.
The eyes of a person grasping at shallow hope.
I grinned and tossed a bag in front of the two.
“Th-this is!”
Peeking inside, they widened their eyes and their hands shook.
It was food.
Enough food and drinks to last a few more days if rationed.
“I only need to kill one.”
As their hunger-crazed eyes fixated on the food before them, I dangled an enticing offer.
They looked at me, filled with the will to live.
。 。 。
And a day passed.
“You fucking bastard!!”
Thwack, thud.
Kim Seok-ho's swung fist sharply struck Seong Ho-su's face.
Blood-mixed spit flew through the container.
“Ooh~ Seok-ho, you're doing great?”
After handing them the food, I'd given them one condition.
“Eat all of this today. If any's left when I come tomorrow, I kill you both.”
That food was to let them eat their fill for the day and regain some strength.
Because it wouldn't be fun if starved, weak guys scrapped.
Of course, I didn't know how much they'd recover from one hearty meal after days of starvation.
“Wow, you guys recovered a lot in just one day?”
The next day, when I visited, they looked at me with tense, resolved faces.
They still didn't know what I'd make them do.
But they could guess.
I'd told them I only needed to kill one.
“From now on, fight until one of you can't continue. The winner, I'll let out.”
That was the condition I'd set.
And right away, quick-witted Kim Seok-ho started with a kick.
The moment he heard me, without a second's hesitation, he stomped on Corporal Seong Ho-su's head beside him.
‘As expected, that guy's got the stronger will to live.’
They'd lived together, relying on each other, so beating each other unconscious for survival wouldn't be easy.
But if they didn't, they'd die.
That realization hit Kim Seok-ho first, and with his kick, the dogfight began.
“Ho-su! Don't wanna live? Wanna get fucked up? Just take it then~!”
I watched their fight while munching on potato chips and cola I'd brought from the department store.
“You motherfucker!!”
Finally snapping to, Seong Ho-su bared beast-like eyes and charged at Kim Seok-ho.
He mounted him and beat him with murderous intent.
“Ah, no killing! If you kill him, I'll kill the killer!”
Of course not.
If one died in the fight, I didn't know if it'd count as quest clear.
That's why the condition was until one couldn't fight.
“Guess they can't hear me.”
To survive, they'd lost all reason, and my voice wasn't reaching them.
When one passed out, I'd have to shoot the ceiling to stop them.
‘Watching fights is fucking awesome.’
I enjoyed their desperate struggles for life, savoring the chips.
I'd thought of various ways to torment them.
Like pulling teeth from male and female zombies, tying them ass-out in front of the guys.
Rock-paper-scissors, winner takes the female zombie.
Shove dicks in the zombies' holes, first to cum lives.
‘But infection risk, pass.’
Plus, watching them fuck a male zombie would gross me out too.
In the end, the straightforward mud-wrestling fight for survival was chosen.
“Die! Die! Die!”
“Told you no killing.”
By now, Kim Seok-ho had reversed it, mounting Seong Ho-su and raining down fists.
By weight class, Seong Ho-su had the advantage in a fight.
Kim Seok-ho was early 170s in height, a bit muscular.
Seong Ho-su was early 180s with solid weight.
‘But the comeback is what makes it so damn fun.’
I'd predicted Seong Ho-su would crush Kim Seok-ho.
But against expectations, Kim Seok-ho's will to live was stronger.
He overcame the size difference with venom.
When in danger, instead of punches, he'd bite to win.
Rip!
“Gaaahhh!!!”
Seong Ho-su clutched his shoulder, bitten like by a zombie.
He looked at his junior before him with a terrified face.
Kim Seok-ho glared at Seong Ho-su, eyes flashing like a beast.
‘He's done.’
Seong Ho-su had already lost the mental battle to Kim Seok-ho.
Kim Seok-ho showed he'd kill to win.
That strong will to live.
In the end.
“Die, you fucking shit!!!”
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
Kim Seok-ho mercilessly stomped Seong Ho-su's face, who was trembling and backed into the container corner.
Putting his full weight into each kick.
Clack, clatter.
One by one, Seong Ho-su's teeth flew around.
“Hey, hey! Stop!”
Bang!
Kim Seok-ho's murderous beating continued until I fired a shot.
Startled, he panted heavily and looked at me with trembling eyes.
Then, realizing, he glanced at Seong Ho-su's face under his foot.
Nose broken, eye burst, most teeth shattered.
But still breathing.
Relieved, Kim Seok-ho quickly prostrated before me, trembling back pleading.
“P-please...! Please spare me...!”
The guy who'd just beaten his comrade to a bloody pulp now trembled and groveled before me.
I couldn't help but laugh.
“Did you want to live that badly?”
“Spare me...!! Please! Please just spare my life!!”
No matter how he struggled, he seemed to realize his life hinged on my mood.
He just trembled and begged me like praying to a god.
“Hey, but you were scary as hell. What if you do that to me once you're out?”
“Never! I swear! Or break my hand bones! I swear I won't bare my teeth at you, Lee Seo-ho-nim! Please just spare my life!”
He pleaded earnestly, rubbing his hands together.
His crazed eyes streamed tears and snot as he looked at me.
“Alright, fine.”
I stood up, stretching my legs, and aimed the K-2 Rifle in my hand into the container.
“Eek!”
At that, Kim Seok-ho paled, staring at the gun barrel.
Bang!
He trembled violently at the gunshot, covering his face with both hands.
Of course, I hadn't shot Kim Seok-ho.
“...Hurk.”
Shot in the chest, Seong Ho-su let out a short breath and died.
He was already half-dead from Kim Seok-ho's beating.
But for the quest, I delivered the finishing blow.
Then, to Kim Seok-ho staring at me with trembling eyes, I handed him two items.
“Th-this is...”
“Use that to tie your feet, and put on the blindfold yourself. Then I'll let you out.”
“A-ah...! Th-thank you...!! Thank you...!!”
Kim Seok-ho shed tears, looking at me like a saved devotee.
He eagerly bound his feet with joy.
It was tape.
He wrapped his legs meticulously so it wouldn't come loose, then finally put the blindfold on.
“Hands out.”
Rip, riiiip.
After that, I bound his hands through the bars, completing Kim Seok-ho's restraints.
“Wait a bit. It'll take time.”
“Yes! I'll wait as long as it takes!”
He could live now. He could leave this place.
Despite bound limbs and blindfold, he kept the smile on his lips with that thought.
Afterward, I cleared out nearby zombie groups and shoved them back into the original room.
It took time, but now the warehouse interior was clean enough even if Kim Seok-ho was there.
I entered through the bars and lifted him up.
“This fucker's heavy as shit.”
“Eek! Sorry!”
Just messing with him.
He was lighter than expected.
Probably from being naked and not eating properly, losing weight.
To half-kill Seong Ho-su at this weight.
I realized anew that when you really want to live, there's nothing you can't do.
Then, I loaded Seong Ho-su into the car and headed to the department store.
“Wh-where are we going...?”
“Somewhere good, you'll see.”
“The dormitory...?”
“You wanna die?”
“S-sorry! I'll shut up.”
I wasn't taking Kim Seok-ho to the department store to make him a comrade or anything.
I parked in the department store's first-floor lot and pulled him out.
Still hefty, but light for an adult male, I got him down.
Cut the tape binding his legs with scissors.
“Walk from here on your own.”
I put a large dog collar around his neck, and Kim Seok-ho nodded silently with a tense face.
The first-floor parking lot and interior were zombie-free and clean.
Because I'd diligently cleared them while bringing Oh Na-yeon over the past few days.
It was labor-intensive, but I got the hang of it and shoved the zombies outside.
With that many zombies outside, no one would dare approach anyway.
“L-Lee Seo-ho-nim. C-can't you tell me where we're really going...?”
Kim Seok-ho, gauging my mood, finally couldn't hold back his curiosity.
We were now heading from first floor to basement.
I went down to B1 and silently removed his blindfold.
“H-here... Eek!”
“Shut up. Don't make a sound. Unless you wanna die.”
Kim Seok-ho gasped at the sight without the blindfold and just nodded at my words.
The space we were in now was B1.
Like the parking lot and first floor, I'd tidied up the B1 food section myself.
Zombies were still packed in.
But different from usual: a path made of long shelves up to the floating crystal.
Like a barricade path.
“Go forward.”
At my words, Kim Seok-ho trembled but moved ahead without reply.
With my gun barrel to his back, he had no choice.
And by now, he'd realized.
Something was wrong.
“L-Lee Seo-ho-nim...!”
Reaching right before the crystal, he called me in a frightened voice at the mysterious object.
“Please...! Please spare me!”
Like a child, he shed tears and sent desperate eyes.
I smiled kindly at him.
“I said I'd kill one myself. Never said I'd let you live.”
“......Huh?”
Then I pressed the [Yes] button on the status window before me.
The message read:
[Will you reinforce the crystal?]
“...Ah, ...Aah.”
Kim Seok-ho, who'd been crying, sensed something happening and showed despairing eyes.
Then he turned into glowing particles and was absorbed into the crystal.
I immediately checked the quest window.
Ding.
[Survival Quest – 3
Base Building
Grow the crystal to reinforce your base.
Currently, a living human is needed for the crystal's growth.
Living human 1/1]
“With this, survival quest, growth quest, and main quest all cleared.”
One deal, and I got the virgin, revenge, and crystal upgrade.
Can't beat this profit, I thought, smiling happily.
‘Now, time to work on Na-yeon while creampieing her womb.’
Anticipating what ability I'd get this time, I headed upstairs.