Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: On the Way to Catch the Boss
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We immediately raided the school store.
It wasn't a big shop since it was inside the school.
Anything perishable like triangle kimbap or sandwiches, we ate right away.
Canned goods and dry foods, we packed just in case.
"Wow, this looks delicious!"
Hye-na beamed, picking out an egg sandwich.
Maybe because we'd been moving so roughly until now.
The moment food was in front of us, hunger hit hard.
Lee Yoo-ri was already peeling a boiled egg and popping it into her mouth.
'Who knows when the next chance will come, so eat up while we can.'
We devoured the food like maniacs for a while.
They say hunger is the best sauce.
Everything tasted ten times better than usual.
"By the way, what kind of monster is the zone boss?"
With my stomach somewhat full, I asked Lee Yoo-ri.
Maybe it'd soften her up a bit.
"No idea."
But that was wishful thinking.
Usually sharing food brings people closer.
Her attitude was still ice-cold.
"Worried I'll steal your boss rewards?"
"Nonsense. You think I'd lose to you?"
"Yeah, you're scared."
"......"
Lee Yoo-ri shot me a sharp glare and rested her hand on her sword hilt.
Whoa, scary.
"H-Hey, let's not fight. Okay?"
Hye-na, stuck in the middle, forced a smile as she spoke.
Lee Yoo-ri finally took her hand off the sword.
Her expression stayed fierce.
"I really don't know. Unlike mid-bosses, zone bosses are random."
"Random?"
"In my world, each zone had different boss types."
So we have no clue what'll show up here.
Would've been nice if we had intel for an easier clear.
Kinda disappointing.
"Um, Yoo-ri, you're really from another world?"
Hye-na asked cautiously, glancing at her.
Lee Yoo-ri crunched on a chocolate stick and nodded.
Maybe it's the protagonist vibe.
Even that simple motion looked picturesque.
"Can't go into details, but I lived through an apocalypse in my previous life too. Exact same situation."
So she has experienced the end times already.
Overwhelming swordsmanship, the web novel staple of regression.
And celebrity-level looks.
She's got what it takes to be the lead.
"FYI, you can't leave the zone until you take down the zone boss."
"How big is a zone anyway?"
"Roughly the size of this whole school."
Bigger than I thought.
Can't expect any outside help then.
Everyone else is in the same boat.
"What if we can't beat the boss? Stuck forever?"
"Won't happen."
Lee Yoo-ri answered instantly.
"If you don't down the boss by the third wave, everyone in the zone dies automatically."
Hye-na's face drained of color.
She realized there's no hiding or running.
Wait, third wave?
"You said 'third wave,' so there's a second too?"
Lee Yoo-ri blinked at my question.
Then nodded.
"Yeah. Beat the mid-boss, and the second wave hits with the boss gate opening. Fail that, third wave follows."
"Waves are those zombie hordes from before, right?"
"Second'll be tougher. Zombies get fiercer each time."
More of those horrors.
And kill the boss in the middle of it?
'This might be a bit rough.'
With the protagonist here, we might be fine.
But that's separate from us surviving.
"Don't worry. You block zombies, I'll kill the boss."
Lee Yoo-ri declared it confidently.
But I saw it differently.
'No guarantee she'll stick with us.'
Zone limits force it now.
Once free, she'll probably go solo.
Doesn't seem the type to cling to others.
Ultimately, we need to get strong ourselves to survive.
Even if it means someone else takes the boss.
"How do you know where the boss spawns? We nearly died to a surprise mid-boss."
"Normally, you don't. But I can sense monster auras and pinpoint locations."
"Where is it?"
"Dorm rooftop."
Right next door.
Getting up there won't be easy, though.
'Should we head to the dorms early?'
A thought suddenly hit me as I pondered.
"Hey, do we have to wait for the second wave to tackle the boss?"
"Well......"
Lee Yoo-ri's eyes lit up as she started to reply.
She got what I was thinking.
"We have to kill it anyway, location's close. Better settle it before zombies swarm."
Just boss versus boss plus mobs.
Totally different difficulty.
"Ugh, this place is a total mess."
Hye-na grimaced at the scattered corpses.
After finishing our meal, we headed straight for the dorm building.
The first floor was way worse.
"Why are there so many bodies piled up here?"
Heads burst open, bones piercing flesh.
So many they'd formed blood pools.
Oddly, they were clustered by the door.
Not just zombies—some crushed humans too.
"They tried escaping. First wave, you can't leave buildings. Or enter them."
"So you were outside from the start?"
"Yep."
Fighting solo since zombies first appeared?
Until we showed up?
What kind of stamina is that?
Wait. Fighting outside the whole time?
"......Did you ever yeet a zombie into the building mid-fight?"
"One, maybe. Why?"
"Nah, nothing."
Suddenly remembered that zombie crashing through the fourth-floor window.
Almost died to the protagonist's casual toss.
Extras' sorrow.
"Ugh, the blood smell's making me nauseous."
"Probably 'cause we just ate."
I patted Hye-na's back.
Lee Yoo-ri tilted her head watching us.
"Are you two dating?"
"W-What?!"
Hye-na jumped, face flushing red.
Her hands flapped like a startled bird.
"W-Why bring that up out of nowhere?!"
"Thought so. You look so cozy together."
"N-No! We're not......"
"Yeah, just childhood friends."
Hye-na froze at my words for a second.
Then mumbled in a subtle tone.
"Y-Yeah. Right. Just friends......"
Sounded satisfied, maybe disappointed.
Hard to tell.
"Huh. Figured you were a couple since you stuck together from the start."
"In this mess, solos are rarer, right?"
Unless you're an outsider like her.
I swallowed the last bit.
-Shing!
Lee Yoo-ri suddenly drew her sword.
Not mind-reading, good.
"Too bad, no time for chit-chat."
"Grraaah!"
A zombie lunged from the corner.
Blood dripped from its mouth—whose, who knows.
"Isn't the wave not started yet?"
"Just regular zombies."
Regular zombies? Whatever.
I got the gist.
"I'll handle it. Just keep up."
Lee Yoo-ri swung her sword.
One motion sliced zombies apart gruesomely.
Insane swordplay, even on repeat.
'Can't just stand around.'
She's got the dangerous ones.
Time to scrounge scraps.
I smashed an incoming zombie with my baseball bat.
-Thwack!
Its skull caved right in.
Ignoring the '10 Coins Acquired' popup, I spun.
Cracked the next zombie's jaw.
Its neck twisted weirdly as it dropped.
Getting used to killing zombies now.
Still miles from her league.
-Slash!
Her sword cleaved three zombies at once.
Almost got diced there.
Checked my neck—still attached.
"What're you staring at?"
Zombies gone in a flash.
Lee Yoo-ri turned to me, job done.
Face cold as ever.
Blood on her pale cheek? Definitely pretty.
"Just impressed."
"Hmph. Pretty average for a regressor."
"Never lived a fighter's life."
"Clerk or something?"
"Kinda."
I lied casually.
Thanks to Metafiction, no guilt.
Lee Yoo-ri flicked blood off her blade.
The sword gleamed.
"That sword looks solid. Mind lending it?"
"Cursed blade. Wields power for the unworthy, but claims their soul."
"You use it fine."
"I'm worthy."
So she's just OP.
Web novels: gear, luck, regression. Got it all, you're the protag.
"Anyway, let's move. Never rushed a boss pre-wave myself. Better hurry."
We climbed the emergency stairs.
Ran into zombies occasionally, but cleared easy.
Then we stopped dead.
A message popped up.
'Quiz?'
As I tilted my head,
Something popped out with a pop!
"Hello! I'm Emma, the NPC handling your Quiz Quest!"
It was a cat with wings.
Witch hat on its head, two tails.
Total mascot vibe.
I couldn't help but chuckle in surprise.
'This novel has NPCs too?'
Zombies and coins exist, so what doesn't?
A cat's a surprise, though.
Thought it'd be pure gore-fest deaths.
Turns out cute characters exist.
"S-So cute."
"Ehehe! Thanks! Wow~ Didn't expect someone calling me before clearing the zone stage!"
The cat scratched its head playfully.
Scanned us one by one, then grinned.
"And wow, quite the interesting group. Especially that one—"
"No chit-chat."
Lee Yoo-ri cut her off.
The cat clamped its mouth at her aura.
"Whoops, sorry! Force of habit."
Bummed to miss info.
Her killing intent was too much to push.
"You showing up means we need the quiz to enter, right?"
"Hehe, yep. Looks like you're rushing the boss pre-second wave? No time to waste—let's go!"
The cat rubbed its paws eagerly.
Fast progression, nice.
"Quiz entry costs 1000 Doom Coins. Still in? Win big rewards, lose it all!"
1000 coins.
Not cheap.
Lee Yoo-ri post-zombie massacre could swing it.
"You and this guy split it half-half."
She pointed at me.
"Huh? Me too?"
"You got nice coin from the mid-boss, right?"
She threw my words back with a smirk.
Tch. Wanted to save for shop unlock.
"Hehehe! Thanks for playing! Here's the quiz!"
The quiz appeared before us.
Fill in the blanks with the correct words^^
What words go in A and B~~?
Get it right, and Emma might give a great prize!?
We all blinked at the quiz.
Didn't expect this kind.
"W-What is this? Makes no sense!"
"Hmm."
Hye-na looked baffled, Lee Yoo-ri frowned.
Same words, but sentences flipped.
How to solve?
"Ji-hoon, no idea?"
"Kinda, but not sure."
I crossed my arms, pretending to think.
Then muttered inwardly.
'Comment Check.'
I activated the skill without hesitation.
Planned to use it before the boss anyway.
Soon, a comment list appeared before me.