Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: 7. Utilizing Acceleration (3)
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After leaving the coffee shop, I cautiously passed the chicken place and pharmacy before returning to the convenience store alley.
Lucky, I guess? Or just as expected?
Nothing happened.
The lights were all out in Su-hyun's place and the host family's house, so they must be asleep. In times like these, leaving lights on at night isn't the smartest move.
Sun's down, time to sleep.
I'll hand out the coffee bottles tomorrow or whatever.
Back in the rooftop room, I showered, flopped onto the futon, and opened my status window.
Hmm...
Stamina's taken a bit of a hit.
It was 17 when I left after resting from the hardware store trip.
Anyway, deciding where to put these points is tricky.
I want to boost Stamina to recover faster, but I also want to secure around four uses of Acceleration, and pump Strength to kill more...
...Damn it.
You only get one point per level-up, but stats need to be balanced across the board. What kind of bullshit system is this?
Argh...
What to raise?
Tomorrow, I've gotta hit the mid-sized mart.
Probably a few dozen Human Beasts in there...
...A few dozen...
...Alright, then. Let's plan a strategy suited for a mid-sized mart and allocate stats to match.
...Damn it.
It's a mid-sized mart, after all.
No bakery or instant food section, but it'll have a butcher counter at least.
Generously estimating, 40 of them. Minimum 20. Gotta assume that.
Securing four Accelerations will make hit-and-run smooth. But recharging four would take over 10 hours.
...Fast recovery, or hit-and-run in fives?
...That's the choice...
After mulling it over, I dumped all 5 points into Stamina.
Three Accelerations are enough; I don't need fives—I can do quick strikes. Securing 2.3 hourly recovery to recharge Acceleration fast.
2.3 means I can recharge every two or three hours.
Recharge quick, use quick.
Gotta scout cover spots for hit-and-run.
What about that burly middle-aged guy?
...If a swarm of Human Beasts biting at him piles on, one monkey wrench won't cut it.
I glanced to the side.
...The large axe.
Better give him that.
He looks like he can handle heavy stuff, so an axe should be fine.
I've got two real swords and a tomahawk.
Obviously, one large axe won't handle a swarm of Human Beasts either.
If it comes to it, ditch the guy.
What matters to me isn't his diapers or food for the women.
My top priority is leveling up.
The rest is just bonus.
But suddenly, I'm curious.
Stores are packed with Human Beasts—makes sense. Places people were at or heading to when they were human. Probably got close and turned, then wandered in.
...So, what about the rest?
People at bus stops heading far, drivers and passengers in all those cars on the move, tons of folks on the streets.
...Where'd they all go?
Hid in buildings?
With Human Beasts biting and mutating people chain-reaction style, tons must've gotten taken out on the streets.
Where are they?
This is a decent city.
College district nearby means heavy foot traffic, plenty of shops, solid residential population.
Stores I've checked have a fair number of Human Beasts, but nothing outrageous.
That mixed-use building? Probably had offices. When shit hit the fan, they all rushed to the parking lot for their cars and got wiped out.
Normally elevators to the garage, but crowd surged down stairs, bottlenecked at the entrance.
Easy guess.
Underpass too.
Connected to subway and underground mall—must've heard a horrific swarm.
Stores, parking lots—numbers make sense for folks who'd be there.
...So the rest?
Decent foot traffic area—should be at least double the Human Beasts easy math.
But nope.
Tons of Human Beasts vanished somewhere.
...Where?
Hmm...
Can't figure it out no matter how I think.
"Sigh. Fuck, my head hurts."
How the hell am I supposed to know what's in those beasts' heads?
Just sleep.
Gotta wake early tomorrow.
I ate breakfast with a scruffy face.
Atmosphere's the same as always.
Mid-meal, hearing their chatter, I suddenly remembered and pulled over the Adidas backpack.
"Oh, right. Here, for you guys. Picked some up last night."
I pulled out four coffee bottles while speaking to Grandmother.
"Oh my, thank you, young man. I'll enjoy it."
As I handed them over with a smile, So-eun muttered under her breath.
"...Should've brought condoms."
The women froze.
...They must've heard about what went down in Su-hyun's room yesterday afternoon. Damn, no soundproofing at all.
No.
It can't be that bad, right?
...Su-hyun must've blabbed.
Su-hyun chuckled.
"I'm on the pill, so it's fine."
Grandmother pretended not to hear, and Ye-eun cleared her throat.
Hmm...
...Breakfast is so heartwarming.
After eating, I headed out.
One real sword and one tomahawk on each hip, large axe in hand, off to the neighborhood supermarket.
On the way, a 50s guy's corpse sprawled in a black crusted blood puddle, stinking to high hell.
Fucking gross.
Should I clean this up?
...Where to even put it?
No crematorium nearby, no place to bury.
...Too much hassle.
At the supermarket, the burly middle-aged guy was waiting.
"Oh, y-you're here."
...Why's his face like that?
Kind of twisted.
Angry? ...Nah.
...Scared.
Why?
Ah, 'cause I killed that asshole?
I smirked and walked toward him when something came shambling out from both alleys.
40s and 50s guys.
"Hey, Hoon. This the fucker?"
What the hell is this?
Just T-shirts and jeans.
One in wrinkled suit pants—clearly neglected.
Three total.
One on my side, one behind, one in front, eyeing me lazily.
The front one's got a gold chain.
Gold Chain said,
"You fucked over our boss, you little shit?"
...What, did these 80s drama rejects crawl out? Pathetic gangster cosplay bullshit.
Fucking hilarious.
I chuckled.
"Pfft... Fuck. Yeah. And?"
"And my ass, you fucker."
His arm went up.
[Active - Acceleration]
[Auto-cast: Acceleration]
Posture says slap to the cheek or grab throat and shove.
Obvious street punk experience.
Fucking pathetic.
These old fucks, still yapping "boss" shit at their age.
Dropped the large axe, drew sword from hip.
Sliced his throat clean.
Split perfectly.
Real sword feels glued to my hand now.
Stepped sideways.
The guy on my left had his arm up too.
Aimed for the back of my head.
The right one—now in front—leg raised.
Good teamwork.
"--Grk!"
Acceleration ended.
Gold Chain spewed blood from throat, pitched forward.
Axe clanged down same time.
"Kek! Gulp!"
Gold Chain flopped like a dying fish.
The two old punks flinched, lowered arms and legs, froze solid.
"Wha-what!"
"B-boss!"
Then spotted me late, backed off hesitantly.
Faces full of shock and fear.
Splash.
Stepped in blood puddle; they recoiled another step.
Gold Chain on ground kicking frog legs, croaking.
I reversed grip, smashed his skull down.
Splat!
"Ugh!"
"Eek!"
Three guys around flinched back.
Stomped his head, yanked sword out with a pop.
Then asked the burly guy to my right,
"Who the fuck are these? Why'd you bring 'em?"
This guy's a coward.
Didn't bring 'em to fuck me over.
But I glared anyway.
Like, you trying to screw me?
Burly guy's jaw trembled as he said,
"Th-they..."
Hmm.
Too damn scared, this uncle.
Punks in full panic too.
No bolting or screaming, but faces screamed breakdown.
Buddy died right in front of 'em.
"What're you punks here for?"
Old punks glanced at each other, speechless.
I asked,
"Your boss? That retarded fuck on the ground? I killed him. So? What're you gonna do about it?"
Punks breathed ragged.
One whipped something from his back.
...Knife.
"Y-you fucker... Hey, you little shit. Who the hell are you? Huh? Wanna die? Huh?"
...Fuck, they come in all flavors.
Then burly guy stammered,
"Th-these guys are bad news. They b-broke into our h-house, bad guys."
Punks glared viciously at burly guy.
"You fucker. Wanna die? Smash your skull like the landlord geezer?"
Landlord geezer?
I laughed in disbelief, muttered,
"...Fuck... Blocking my path, wasting time when I can't even level...
[Active - Acceleration]
[Auto-cast: Acceleration]
Every Acceleration counts, fuckers.
They flinched at my mutter, looked at me.
Fuck, saw their buddy die point-blank, should've run, but pull knives and bluff like idiots.
"Haa..."
Sighed deep.
Already burned one Acceleration.
Fucking pissed.
"You! Fuck, do you know who we are? Huh?"
Who gives a shit who you are, retards.
Blowing my Acceleration and pouring gas on the fire.
"Yeah, whatever. Just die."
Stepped forward, triggered Acceleration.
Thud.
[Active - Acceleration]
[Auto-cast: Acceleration]
"Whaaat--?!"
They flinched slow as I stepped.
He raised knife.
I slashed his throat.
Instantly forward, rammed sword full force into white-shirt punk's head.
Splat!
"--Grkgh!"
Freaky noise from behind, blood spray same time.
Head-stabbed guy's face slackened.
Yanked sword out.
Pop!
Blood gushed from forehead, nape, nose; he crumpled.
Thud behind as body hit.
"Kek! ...Gurgle!"
Busy as fuck leveling, these fuckers wasting my Acceleration.
Blood all over me too, fuck.
Face twisted in disgust, glared at burly guy.
"...Hey, uncle."
Burly guy's face ashen, shaking. Looks at me.
I said,
"From yesterday, you've been dragging annoying shits around. Fuck, I'm about to snap, so cut the crap. You kidding me?"
Guy beside, gushing throat blood, making weird noises.
Clutching jaw and throat, flailing...
Raised sword, smashed his skull.
Splat!
Two Accelerations fucking wasted.
Eek! Burly guy flinched hard. Backpedaled, knocked over snack boxes by store entrance.
What a mess.
Yanked sword out pop! Glared at burly guy.
Fucking retard.
"Whether these shits are bad or whatever ain't my business. If more crawl out next time, you're dead too. Got it?"
Guy's face ghost-white, staring. Can't stand or sit, clinging to snack boxes.
Jowls quivering.
Fucking real.
Grabbed large axe from blood puddle, flung it before burly guy.
Clang!
Blood splattered his pants.
"Go on. That's it for today. See you tomorrow morning."
Blood in my mouth again.
Metallic taste, fuck.
Turned and walked, spat hard.
"Fucking shitty."