Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 036
Chapter Title: Yohan's Bizarre Vacation (4)
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Leaning against the auditorium wall.
I watched the people munching on chocolate bars and the simple snacks they'd brought along.
They ate cautiously, glancing at one another. No one offered to share with strangers.
I didn't think they were selfish or anything.
These were precious rations in a situation where no one knew when rescue might come.
That was just how it was.
If there'd been a leader to take charge and reassure everyone, maybe they'd have shared the food in a more positive atmosphere.
But I lacked the skills for that—and the desire to look after everyone.
If they'd starved to the point of collapse, I'd have killed and taken what I needed.
As if I was some moral paragon in my everyday life.
I had no interest in preaching that helping each other was the natural thing to do in a crisis like this.
It wasn't some grand principle; it just wasn't my style.
I'd handle my own share just fine.
I stood up, stretched, and turned to Ellie.
"It might be dangerous, but we can't keep starving like this."
She'd blasted zombies away and effortlessly carried a grown person on her back—clear proof of her exceptional physical abilities.
'...Must be some breathing technique.'
Or maybe she was one of those types who looked unassuming but packed serious muscle under her nun's habit.
Either way, Ellie was the most helpful person here right now.
"The camp map shows a side passage leading to a convenience store. I'm thinking of heading there for supplies. What do you say?"
Before Ellie could respond to my question, Sua spoke up first.
"I'll go too. More hands make it easier to carry food, right?"
"This isn't a joke. It's dangerous—stay out of it."
Sua replied without hesitation.
"That's exactly why I'm coming. Better than staying here..."
She glanced briefly around the auditorium before looking away and adding,
"I feel safer with you and Ellie-unnie."
Her unexpected answer made one of my eyebrows twitch upward.
Setting aside her rude attitude and mouth, she apparently had some animal instinct—or solid judgment.
More hands did mean more carrying capacity, that much was true.
If she insisted on coming, I wouldn't stop her. But—
"If you fall behind, I'm leaving you."
"Hmph! Don't expect me to need your help."
Watching the scared, exhausted kids, Ellie nodded.
"...You're right. I'll come too. And if someone falls, we should help them up."
I mentioned it to the other survivors, but no one else volunteered.
Too many people would just increase the risk anyway.
Ignoring the stares wondering if we'd attract zombies with all the noise, I positioned myself at the auditorium's side door.
"They seem to react to sound, so no running. Let's move carefully."
I unlocked the door.
And stepped into the straight corridor, heavy with an eerie vibe.
We passed through the straight passage and arrived at the adjacent building.
Fortunately, no zombies in sight right away. But mist had seeped in through some window or door,
leaving a hazy, unsettling fog hanging in the air. It was still clearer than outside, though.
We reached the convenience store and checked inside.
A few shelves had toppled, but for a store hit by zombies, it was in decent shape.
"Aaaah..."
...Scratch that. There was a zombie pinned under a fallen shelf.
But it just lay there moaning blankly, apparently too crushed to move.
I whispered softly, and Sua continued in a hush.
"Grab what we can quick and get out."
"What do we take?"
"Anything that doesn't need cooking. Stuff we can eat right now, and drinking water."
Ellie murmured.
"Let's split it up."
Thankfully, Ellie didn't say anything uptight like we had to pay at the counter. She had some flexibility, at least.
Hydration was crucial in a situation like this.
"·········."
As I headed to the fridge stocked with bottled water,
I ended up eye-to-eye with the zombie under the shelf.
"Aaaah..."
...I still couldn't make sense of it.
Fantasy magic zombies—undead minions summoned by a necromancer.
Unless the guy just wanted a plain zombie apocalypse for kicks, there had to be a reason for unleashing them in such numbers.
They didn't seem directly controlled, given their simplistic movements.
Probably preset with basic commands and set loose.
Reacting to sound meant programmed to attack living things, kill them, and use the magic mist to turn corpses into more zombies.
...So what came next?
"·········."
Whatever. Right now, water was the priority.
Maybe he just wanted a zombie apocalypse that badly.
I grabbed the water, then knelt on one knee to peer down at the zombie.
'...Should I deal with it now.'
Or since it couldn't move, maybe a quick inspection or test.
I had two grimoires, after all.
This time, not that one—let's try the Lesser Key of Solomon.
Magic for commanding the dead. Necromancy.
The Key had knowledge on necromancy too.
Specifically, among Solomon's 72 demons, there were ones skilled in necromancy or spirit summoning.
Attached like an appendix, but still.
I pulled the Lesser Key of Solomon from my bag.
Yeah, just for a moment. A brief glimpse.
But apparently, that was enough for them.
The zombie pinned quietly under the shelf began to tremble.
"Ah, aaaah... F-found it!"
My eyes widened at the words from the zombie's mouth—the first coherent speech after all its mindless groans.
'-What?'
Yohan's guess was spot on.
The culprit behind this mess, the necromancer Edward Coffin, had commanded the zombies loose in the camp. He'd implanted specific behavioral triggers.
Just as Yohan predicted: react to sound, assault humans, propagate numbers via the deployed mist.
And with those swelling ranks, search for the Grimoire.
Mystery draws mystery. A desperate gambit born of obsession—a mage's self-destruction.
Yet against all odds, the net he'd cast snagged the treasure.
—!!
The mist churned and wailed.
Found it... Found itfounditfounditfounditfounditfounditfounditfounditfounditfounditfounditfounditfounditfounditfounditfounditfounditfounditfounditfoundit!
Lesser Key of Solomon.
At its emergence, the zombies filling the camp howled in unison, shaking the buildings.
Unlike their prior sluggishness, the pinned zombie let out a guttural roar and wriggled free from the shelf.
Dragging its severed lower half, upper body flopping wildly.
"Aaaah-!"
It lunged at Yohan.
"—!?"
Catching me off guard in an instant, I was shoved back and fell.
'What the hell—!'
But I immediately drove my elbow into its temple, hurling it aside.
Crack!
That wasn't the end, though.
"Aaaaaah-!"
The staff room door at the back burst open, spilling out more zombies from within.
They charged, crashing through the collapsed shelves straight at me.
My eyes narrowed coldly.
'This has gone far enough... Time to call him.'
But before I could summon Grizzly,
"Yohan-ssi!"
Black hair whipping as Ellie dashed in,
positioning herself protectively in front of me, flowing like water.
"—!"
She low-kicked the lead zombie's legs.
Thud!
Its knees shattered, both legs crumbling.
In that split-second opening,
as the legless zombie floated mid-air,
Ellie's fist slammed into its gut.
Thud!
Sending it flying into the others, toppling them like pins.
Boom! Crash! Bang!
Her hands and feet blurred, smashing the zombies lunging for Yohan.
I stared at Ellie's back.
I'd thought she was strong, but she exceeded my expectations by far.
And just as surprising—
someone grabbed my arm to help me up.
Namgung Sua. My eyes widened in shock.
'No way, shit, what the hell—is this girl actually helping me?'
As if reading my mind, Sua supported me with a mix of fear and smug triumph on her face.
"Feeling the difference in character?"
I judged quickly.
"Thanks. Run."
I had no idea why things escalated like this, but one thing was clear.
The mad mage who'd turned the camp into this wanted
the grimoires I carried. Both of them.
No time to hesitate. I snatched my bag and bolted with Sua.
Ellie was strong, but more zombies would keep coming.
We had to escape first so she could follow.
As Sua and I pulled away,
Ellie pulverized another zombie head and chased after us.
Her base speed was leagues above ours; she caught up in seconds.
The three of us sprinted madly toward the straight passage back to the auditorium.
Thundering footsteps! Shattering glass! Aaaaaah-!
Zombie feet pounding into the building, windows breaking as they invaded, roars echoing.
"Aaaah-!"
A wandering zombie blocked the passage entrance.
Ellie surged ahead.
"Keep running!"
She punched its head, spinning its body 180 degrees before it cratered headfirst into the ground.
We reached the auditorium door.
Ellie grabbed the handle to open it—but
Click. Locked.
"We're back! Open up!"
"Th-the situation's gone weird. You guys okay?"
For the first time, a stiff voice responded to Ellie's gentle tone.
"Open it now, before I break it down!"
Amid the chaos inside, the door finally swung open.
We rushed in, slammed it shut, and locked it—just as
Boom! Thud! Crash! Bangbangbangbangbang!
zombies swarmed and battered the door with sickening thuds.
Then, abruptly, silence fell like a lie.
Ellie took a deep breath, her voice trembling.
"Hoo... D-did they give up?"
"No. They think they've got us contained."
I frowned.
Now that I knew its goal, I could guess the next move.
This was the work of someone who'd orchestrated all this for his prize.
Now that he'd found it,
he'd come himself. Prepared, no doubt.
The clueless survivors crowded around us, voices rising.
"Wh-what the hell just happened!?"
"What did you do!?"
"Why go out and make things worse—!"
I got it. They were confused.
But I had neither the time nor patience to explain.
I drew a pistol from inside my coat.
"Shut up."
"Wha—? G-guns!? Why a gun!?"
The sudden pistol sent everyone recoiling in shock, mouths snapping shut.
I chuckled inwardly.
'Man, this gun thing is seriously handy.'
It felt like a win button for any argument.
No matter their logic or volume, one flick of the index finger silenced them.
Ellie approached in panic.
"Y-Y-Yohan-ssi! That—."
I whispered to her quietly.
"It's fake, obviously. Just a well-made toy."
Of course it was real. Seventeen rounds fully loaded.
I had zero intention of firing, though.
As I tucked the gun away like I meant it,
the crowd started to speak but fell silent again.
With the situation calming briefly,
the kids ran to Ellie and hugged her. She gently stroked their heads.
"Ellie-unnie!"
"It's okay~ It's okay~ I brought bread. Let's eat together."
"Really?"
"Really."
Ellie pulled a few loaves from under her nun's habit and passed them to the kids.
"Not much, so share nicely."
Sua munched on the bread she'd grabbed.
Munch munch~!
I had no bread. ...Well, nothing to be done.
I'd handle my own food.
Even with the unforeseen mess, I'd failed to secure my share.
I'd be low on energy, but skipping a meal wouldn't kill me...
Then Ellie smiled and naturally offered the last remaining piece—
"Here, Yohan-ssi."
her own share, as if it were the most obvious thing.
It was red bean bread.
I glanced at it, then at Ellie.
"...You grabbed it, so you eat it."
"No, I'm fine. You eat it, Yohan-ssi—."
Grrrowl~.
A small rumble echoed. From Ellie's stomach.
...No real reason to be embarrassed.
But Ellie's face flushed slightly anyway.
I spoke again.
"I'm fine, so you eat it."
Thinking about it, she'd fought zombies harder than I had—she had to be hungrier.
But once more, as if it were natural,
"Then let's split it."
Ellie tore the red bean bread in half and handed me a piece.
"············."
I stared at the half in her hand for a moment before taking it and biting in.
"Thanks."
I was hungry, and the bread tasted decently good.
Then my eyes met Sua's.
She glanced around slyly before offering a piece with bite marks.
"Here, half of a half for you."
"...A half of a half."
I took it since she offered. Sua beamed smugly again.
"Where's my thanks?"
I let out a small sigh.
"Yeah, thanks a lot."