Chapter 22
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Zombie Apocalypse (19)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Every time I killed a zombie, I took out the ones swarming in after it.
It was a brute-force repetition, but for now, I focused on fighting at full power rather than testing my strength control.
I'd have to worry about holding back later when I faced off against those Bulkwang Gang bastards.
Thwack! Thwack!
Mechanically smashing zombie heads brought me closer to the mart's entrance.
The entrance was piled high with zombie corpses like a mountain, and the spear-wielders who'd fortified it higher aimed their spears at me.
"Wh-who are you!"
"They're hunting zombies, so they must be human..."
Did I fight that well that they could barely treat me like a person?
I'd just swung the baseball bat fast and accurately.
And after fighting this long, I was definitely starting to tire.
"Choi Young-eun's inside, right? I'm a friend of her friend."
"Just say friend."
Na-eun had offhandedly taken out a zombie too, so the spear-wielders' wariness didn't fade from their eyes.
"We get you're friends with Young-eun, but why come in the dead of night...?"
"How many Bulkwang Gang inside?"
"Fourteen. We crippled three somehow, so eleven can still fight."
"Cripple three, and how bad did the mart take it?"
"Fuck..."
The man talking to me spat a curse and turned away.
The guy next to him clapped a hand on his shoulder, squeezing hard as he spoke.
"Half of our 50 fighters got badly hurt or killed. Price was handing over the young women..."
"But there aren't even ten out here?"
Half of fifty was twenty-five; ten spearmen here meant fifteen unaccounted for.
"Bastards lost their heads over pussy. Said they fought more, earned more booze rights..."
"Guess that means more rats to crush."
Crunching zombie corpses underfoot, I climbed up to the spear-wielders' perch.
Up close, not a single one looked unscathed.
No wonder their aim sucked so bad.
"Young-eun..."
Na-eun clutched my clothes tight as we ascended, then whispered softly.
Time spent clearing entrance zombies meant Young-eun might've already been through hell.
"Help me out? Anyone inside with spears or long weapons?"
Anything but long-range was tough to handle.
I could grab a spear and fight, but weapons I knew were sword and this bat.
Superior physique might let me wield a spear, but power control? Forget it.
"Spears are just these ten for the entrance. Bulkwang Gang's got knives, though. Sashimi blades—you know?"
"Fine by me. I'll smash 'em before they stab or slash like zombies."
The spear-wielders lowered their weapons, exchanged glances, then shot me eyes full of desperate hope.
They'd seen my power and felt a spark of hope.
Good thing I'd shown them zombie-crushing dominance.
"Everyone, lend a hand. Someone inside's probably noticed me by now. Backing out won't be easy—let's get some payback."
I walked slowly toward the mart; the hesitating spear-wielders finally trailed after.
Traitors or gangsters—whatever—scrambled to block the entrance, so I booted the door wide.
BOOM!
"Eek! What the—!"
"Crazy! How's he that strong!"
I glared at the screaming backpedalers and scanned the mart interior.
Shelves crammed against walls for barricades; food the mart team hoarded scattered everywhere.
Impossible to defend supplies mid-fight.
Near entrance: elderly and wounded crammed in.
Deep inside: gangsters and turncoats.
Gangsters half-stripped, panties yanked on in haste, tattoos snaking every body.
Each with a woman; cheeks swollen from slaps, knife scars carved into flesh.
And among those women, naked Young-eun clung to by one gangster.
I strode to the center with the spear-wielders.
At decent range, the oldest, paunchiest boss pressed a sashimi knife to his woman's throat.
"You fuckin' punk! Who the hell are you! One wrong move, all these hostages die!"
He wasn't bluffing—pressed the blade a hair deeper for show.
So I called to the hostages.
"You women—if you wanna kill those gangster fucks next to you, duck low and grab their legs tight on my signal. I'll cave their skulls. Revenge worth dying for, right?"
Twirling the bat idly, I advanced slowly.
The closer I got, the more gangsters fretted over their hostages.
Kill now or shove away—either smart.
Na-eun didn't argue my words.
More enemies than expected; Young-eun already ruined.
Revenge first—my call was right.
"Hey! You traitor shits—go smash those pricks! Then you get the women too! Wanna fuck corpses?!"
The old boss bellowed; young men and some elders gripped thin iron bars, edging forward.
Shelves smashed into crude weapons—inferior to spears.
What made them hand all spears to entrance? Trusted hostages that much?
"You shiiiits!!!"
One charged with a short bar.
Others hung back, watching.
I stepped up to meet him.
He swung the bar in a massive arc—motion too wild for Composure to trigger.
Dodged back as it whistled; smashed my bat full-force into his right thigh.
Crack!
"Gaaahhh!!! My leg!!!"
Bone shattered; he faceplanted.
Hugging his thigh, curled fetal; I booted him.
"Drop the weapon, surrender—I'll let you live. I'm way stronger than I look."
Mart traitors crept forward, eyed each other, dropped arms, bolted.
"Our spear crew—gonna let traitors rabbit?"
Hand it to the spear-wielders.
They fanned out wide, spears thrust; traitors halted dead.
"We surrendered!"
"Spears away! Just surviving!"
"You played clean till a strong guy's here!"
One pegged bat-holding Na-eun as weak spot, charged her.
Dumbass. Na-eun calmly bashes fear-maddened, infection-driven zombie rushes.
Clang!
She calmly measured distance on the panic-charging man, swung bat at his head.
"Na-eun, he's human—don't burst the skull."
Stopped her natural follow-up kill swing.
"Tch."
"Stab traitors' thighs once each. Wasting time."
Stab! Stab!
"Urgh..."
"Grah!"
Some thighs already shattered—whining over stabs.
Traitors all down clutching thighs, stemming blood; suddenly remembered something, turned.
"Uh... sorry. Weren't those spears killing zombies up till now?"
"Ah."
Leave 'em, risk zombification; I full-swung bat at nearest traitor's head.
Splat!
Full zombie-force on human—skull bursts same.
"What? Kill 'em."
"Th-this fuck!!! We let a psycho in!"
No options left; spear-wielders cursed, stabbed downed traitors dead.
Two traitors survived: thigh-smashed one to me, head-batted to Na-eun.
My lunatic slip proved gangsters meant zero about hostages.
Twirled blood-smeared bat once, strode toward gangsters.
"On signal, pin those bastards next to you—arm, leg, whatever. They'll drop dead sure."
I smiled warmly at the hostages.
Gangsters clocked me psycho; hostages saw revenge deliverer.
Some women feared death, but half burned: kill this fuck even if I die.
Gangsters naturally spotted those eyes.
Half-crazed bitch glaring, awaiting signal—what now?
"Fuck! Scram! Get out!"
One shoved his woman, knife flashing; most venom-eyed women broke free, charged us.
Luckily Young-eun venom side; three un-freed slaughtered on spot by gangsters.
Boss chose instant kill too.
"Ha... fuck... one crawlin' intruder turns this to shit! You punks scared of a green kid!!!"
"No, boss!"
Boss rallied troops with yells; I whispered to spear-wielders.
"Spear crew—you kill, get revenge. Spears beat knives."
They'd tasted murder unwillingly; now unyielding, they thrust spears encircling gangsters.
Dead women poisoned their eyes too.
"Stay back! Stay back!!!"
One swung a cleaver-type blade at air.
Unless thrown, spears win—easy.
That instant, one hurled his knife at me.
Jackknife spinning toward my chest; time crawled.
Composure... and Insight.
Clang.
Timed bat swing smacked the flying knife aside.
Composure stretched my choice time; Insight read attack path and timing perfectly.
Not block—deflect down; thrower gawked wide-eyed, shuddering.
Insight's mental drain throbbed my head; I grimaced.
"That half-color tattoo fuck—I'll shred his limbs, then burst his head."