Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: 6. Emotional Numbness. (2)
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Crack!
The sword plunged into its head.
I yanked it out with all my strength, and its face slackened as it pitched forward. It slammed into the doorframe with a thunk!
"Huff... huff... huff!"
End...
Is it over?
"Kaaak! Kyaaaak!"
...No.
What the hell.
What's left.
Nothing visible through the door crack.
What is it?
"Kaaaak! Kaaak!"
Where the hell is it?
Can't see it.
Peering intently through the crack, still nothing. Just a childish, frail screech echoing out.
Childish...
...Frail... screech?
......No way...
"Kyaaaak! Kruaaak!"
Corpses piled up in front of the door.
Something flapping around.
...A hand.
...A child's hand.
"Kyaaaak! Kyaaaak!"
......Fucking...
I pressed a hand to the wall.
Closed my eyes.
No. Can't close them.
I opened them again.
"Huu... haa..."
Hand on my waist, I stepped back from the door.
"Kyaaaak! Kyaaaak!"
Flapping, pounding, piling-up sounds.
I just stood there staring at the door.
"...Haa... haa..."
...I knew it.
Apocalypse.
No rule saying only adults get hit.
Kids too...
Even infants probably dead or turned.
Hand on my waist, I turned my head aside.
A sigh escaped.
I looked down and let out another sigh.
"...Haa..."
My finger idly stroked the leather cross-wrapped hilt of the sword.
This was a pretty good sword.
No slipping grip, way better hold than that makeshift spear I'd wrapped with a belt.
The blade felt hefty like a lump of metal, and with full force, I could drive it deep into a skull.
...Decent sword.
"Kyaaaak! Kruaaak!"
Chin.
Hand on the shelf.
Stopped thinking.
From now on, no thoughts.
I held the sword.
Beyond the door: Human Beast.
I fight.
Human Beast dies.
That's it.
Screeech...
I slowly pulled the shelf.
The shelf blocking the door slid aside bit by bit.
After tugging it, I gripped the other shelf jamming the door.
Drrrk...
Light snack boxes scraped along the floor.
I stopped my hand.
A little more pull, and the door would be clear.
Beyond it... a child...
......No.
Beyond it: Human Beast.
I stood staring at the door for a long while.
Mouth shut, slow deep breaths, eyes on the door.
"...Hup!"
I yanked the shelf.
Crash! Boxes tumbled over.
"Kyaaaak! Kruaak!"
The door twitched open.
Something shoving from outside, pushing corpses inward.
Two hands on the sword, staring at the door.
Screeech...
Door opened.
Corpses poured in.
At the same time, a black shadow darted inside.
Acceleration
[Auto-cast]
"Kyaa-a-a--a---"
Leaping in like a nimble cat, a small... child Human Beast lunged inside.
Moving slow in midair.
Eyes unfocused, no telling where they're aimed.
I raised the sword.
Laid it across my forearm, drew breath.
"...Hup!"
Thrust with full power.
Crack!
Pierced from the temple.
...Lighter than an adult.
I couldn't even pull the sword out before my eyes squeezed shut.
"--a-a-euk!"
Crash!
The small Human Beast smashed its head against the wall and toppled.
The sword lodged in its skull wobbled and ting-tinged on the floor.
"............"
Silence.
Quiet.
I just stood there.
Gazing at the floor, breathing slow and steady.
...Stopped thinking.
I survived. They died.
That's all.
Deep inhale.
Looked out the door.
Empty snack display racks and half-smashed shelves dimly visible.
I bent at the waist, gripped the sword hilt.
Stepped on the small Human Beast's head.
Pulled the sword free.
Plop!
Blood trickled out.
"............"
I looked up.
Stood staring at the wall.
Sword...
Bathed in blood, dyed red.
Reflecting light in a sickening gleam.
Grabbed the apron of the ajusshi corpse sprawled on the floor and wiped the sword.
...Doesn't wipe clean.
...How do you maintain a sword?
...Can I just wash it with water...?
Blinked slow, wiped the sword.
Then slowly stood.
Drew breath.
Sheathed the sword and tucked it in my waistband.
Grabbed the truncheon crusted black with blood and hair clots, tucked it in too.
With my two blades and truncheon secured, I hefted the large axe.
...Heavy.
Looked outside.
Quiet.
Stepped over corpses and left the storeroom.
...Lv 21 now.
Good.
Dumped 3 points into Stamina, up to 18.
Too bad, big mart's out.
Not even a small mart.
Already burned Acceleration four times, Stamina nearly tapped.
Recover right, head out again.
From the convenience store, crammed fresh fruit packs, yogurt, bread, ramen into my bag.
...Grandmother.
Asked for chili powder and dried anchovies.
Not the big mart—try a smaller one.
Rest up full, and the neighborhood super should be a breeze.
Sling bulging bag over shoulder, left the store.
What time? Afternoon. Around four?
Dinner feasible.
...Head home.
Dinner was pretty lively.
Grandmother, Su-hyun, Ye-eun, So-eun—no fuss even with me showing up splattered in blood.
Emptied the bag in a heap, told them chili powder and anchovies would have to wait; Grandmother nodded with a wistful smile.
"You worked hard, young man. Real hard."
The women asked nothing about what I'd done out there. How many I'd killed. Who they were.
Like outside stayed outside, unrelated to here—they just smiled and finished dinner.
A touch of escapism, sure.
But damn stable feeling.
Hell outside, calm bean sprout salad critiques in here.
Proactive one amid it: Su-hyun.
That engineering student grit, toughing it in a pack of guys—vibes right.
While Ye-eun and So-eun escaped reality at home—Ye-eun with Japanese textbooks, So-eun doodling manga in her room—Su-hyun had ripped out the home greenhouse frames to barricade windows.
Damn useful woman.
While I worked? outside, she'd used my tools to turn the place into a fortress.
Solid partnership.
Her feel inside, those moans—top-notch.
Lying in the rooftop room, thoughts drifting there.
Ten levels today.
Ten kills today.
No—ten beasts.
Keep slipping, treating Human Beasts like people. Can't.
Not human. Not alive.
Beasts. Headcount? Nah, bodycount.
No emotions for them. No talking to them.
Yeah.
Still clumsy.
Unconsciously humanizing them.
Bit by bit.
Gotta strip the emotions away.
Gets easier with each kill.
One thing clear: ten levels in, still weak. Gotta keep grinding levels. Keep killing.
...Sleep.
Next morning, fully recovered, stepped out.
Target: neighborhood super.
Not convenience store side—opposite way.
Into the single-house alleys.
Slow walk down the quiet lane.
Here and there, every few houses, faint growls drifting out.
Some turned on families inside, wiped 'em out.
No clue how many Human Beasts spawned at apocalypse kickoff.
Tons, obviously.
Whole world ground to halt in days.
Super came into view.
...Hm?
Rustling sounds.
Slowly drew my sword.
Shing...
Cautious approach to the super.
Man visible through the window.
Burly build.
...Human Beast, probably.
Sword ready, slipped inside slow.
Lucky awning blocked my shadow.
Rustle, rustle.
...Huh?
Burly guy in t-shirt and black jeans stuffing ramen into a bag.
Back view only, but clear as day.
He's handling stuff.
Not a Human Beast.
Scanning the store, I said low.
"Hey."
He flinched!
The burly man jumped, whipped around.
Monkey wrench in hand.
Blood on the tool...?
"Y-you... k-k-killer... wh-who..."
Voice trembling way out of whack with his size—pure terror.
I eased the sword down a bit, showed my palm.
"I'm human. ...Not a Human Beast. Scavenging food."
Burly guy had a thick beard.
Days unshaven, clearly.
Sweat streaming, jaw quivering.
Panting hard, staring me down.
...He catch my words?
"Scavenging food, like you, uncle. Put that down."
Pointed at the monkey wrench jittering in the air. He shuddered,
"Y-you... got a w-weapon... tellin' me to put mine down... G-gonna stab me, huh!"
...Gonna lose it.
This uncle's scared shitless.
Whatever—Acceleration ready; worst case, blast it and skewer his skull.
Slowly sheathed my sword.
"There. No questions who where what. I'm scavenging, you grab yours and go. Got it?"
Glanced outside—no stir—said it casual.
Ajusshi eased a fraction once the sword was away, slowly lowered the wrench.
Still sweating bullets, shaking like a leaf.
I eyed him sidelong, eased deeper into the store. If this idiot lunges, Acceleration and head-stab city.
He eyed me back, reached for ramen.
Passed one shelf, back room opened up. Bedding mat and TV.
Real rundown super.
Haven't seen one like this in ages.
True neighborhood joint.
In that room, a granny lay face-down.
Blood pooling from her head.
Skull properly caved.
I glanced back at ajusshi.
He did it, looks like.
With the wrench.
...Yeah, happens.
Scanned the back shelves for chili powder.