Chapter 24
Chapter 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: 8. Long War. (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I checked behind the pharmacy and found some containers for holding medicine, so I quickly made a first-aid kit.
Bandages, Band-Aids, medical tape and ointment, antibiotics.
I snapped shut a palm-sized container and shoved it into the utility pocket of my Adidas backpack.
While putting together the first-aid kit, I realized pharmacies these days sell just about everything.
They even have fitness gear.
I stared at the lifting belt for a moment and figured it might come in handy, so I grabbed one.
If I adjust the size and attach some straps or loops to the side, it could be perfect for carrying weapons.
It'd make a great utility belt.
Fitness gloves... they protect your wrists? Hmm.
They even have jump ropes. Not that I need one.
What the hell is this pharmacy?
There's actually a lot of useful stuff here.
On top of that, I swept up a bottle of Bacchus, various medicines, and even the sanitary pads Ye-eun had asked for, filling my bag to the brim again.
It's heavy as hell now.
Shopping took up a good chunk of time.
Hmm... if I wait about an hour more, I could recover one more Acceleration...
Eh, whatever. I'll just go.
There were only two chickens at that place anyway.
I left the pharmacy and set my bag down in front of the chicken shop door.
Peeking inside...
...Make that three.
...And they've changed positions.
The guy who was in the kitchen is now at the kitchen entrance, the potbellied delivery kid-looking one is staring at the menu board.
And then, next to the kitchen—probably the bathroom entrance—an auntie.
...Where the hell did the auntie come from...
The owners, maybe?
Were they collapsed somewhere?
Damn it.
...Three of them.
...Acceleration once.
...No way.
Let's not take risks.
I've gotten pretty strong, but I'm still weak.
I need to grow more.
I quietly turned around and headed back to the pharmacy.
I pulled out a Bacchus from the bottled drinks section, cracked it open, and sighed.
...Damn it.
I want to get stronger.
Stealth attacks are fine, but I want to charge in and wipe them all out.
"Haa."
I'm weak.
I am weak.
I can't forget that.
I don't know what'll happen if those things get hold of me.
I grabbed another Bacchus, crunched it open, and slipped behind the counter.
I left the bag out there.
No one's gonna take it anyway.
I'll wait.
An hour later, Acceleration recharged.
Two uses now.
Good.
I drew my sword and stepped out of the pharmacy.
Shing—
The street was silent.
A quiet night street brightly lit by streetlamps.
I took a deep breath and shoved open the chicken shop door.
"Kyarruk?!"
The delivery fatty.
The auntie.
The kitchen uncle.
Acceleration.
"Krraa—aaaa—"
I stepped forward hard and thrust into the fatty's head.
Thud——oo——
Splurt!
I yanked it out with force, leaped two steps, and pierced the auntie's head.
Splurt!
-Thwung!
"—Aaa—rack!"
Acceleration.
Beyond the auntie, who crumpled but then froze mid-fall.
The uncle.
I sidestepped and thrust hard.
"Hup!"
Splurt!
He poked his head out from the kitchen entrance and got pierced from temple to the back of his skull.
I yanked it out hard.
Thwack!
"...Hoo!"
I took two steps back.
Slow.
Blood droplets floated in the air like slime.
Wobbly, jiggling.
"—Aaa—rrrk!"
All three collapsed at once.
Crash, tumble!
Blood splattered everywhere.
"Pfft."
Splattered on my face, damn it.
Good.
I wiped the blade on the auntie's pant leg and looked around.
Chicken shop... anything worth taking?
...Maybe some frozen chickens.
Grandmother asked for meat.
"...Hmm..."
I went into the kitchen and opened the large freezer; bags of packaged chickens were piled up.
Bags of just wings, just legs—variety of stuff.
I picked up four bags, each with one chicken; pretty heavy.
About 7 or 8 kilos.
Chicken for breakfast tomorrow, I guess.
Time to head back.
I returned to the boarding house, knocked on the main house door, went in, and dumped everything on the floor.
Frozen chickens, sanitary pads, stick-on patches, spray patches, digestive meds, cold medicine, birth control, bandages, Band-Aids—everything spilled out of the bag.
Clothes during the day, chickens and meds at night.
Leveled up nicely too.
The women's faces lit up.
Ye-eun glanced at me, blushed, and grabbed a few sanitary pads. Seeing her sister, So-eun took some too.
Su-hyun kneaded my shoulders, saying I did well.
Grandmother was especially thrilled.
"Oh my, my knees have been killing me. Thank you, young man."
She tore open the joint patches right away and stuck them on her knees, beaming.
"Se... Seong-hun."
Ye-eun glanced at Su-hyun and called me over.
"Yeah? What?"
"How's it... out there?"
Out there...
With blood splattered all over me, they probably know what I've been up to.
I scratched my chin and said,
"Well, I've cleared out the small shops around here. The clothing store, the supermarket in that alley, and the pharmacy are safe. Streets are quieter than you'd think. Across the road is still dicey."
"...Ah..."
Ye-eun nodded.
I smiled.
"What, wanna go out?"
Ye-eun shook her head.
So-eun's eyes went wide as she shook hers too.
Those two went through hell at the convenience store, so they've got trauma.
Su-hyun said,
"I wanna go out. To the hardware store. How's that area?"
I shook my head.
"Too dangerous. More of them than you'd think. Stay put for now. I'll let you know when it's safe."
Su-hyun stuck out her tongue and said no more.
She hasn't been out since the apocalypse hit.
No fear.
Can't let Su-hyun go recklessly—she'd die, and that'd be a problem.
I tore open the lifting belt packaging and handed it to Su-hyun.
"Can you take a look at this?"
Su-hyun took the belt and tilted her head.
I said,
"Wanna attach the sword and some other stuff to it for carrying. Possible?"
Su-hyun hummed, then nodded.
"Just need to add loops? Got some thick wire left. Should work. Just hang the sheath. Gimme."
"Thanks."
She handles all the annoying stuff.
I could do the loops myself, but if she's offering, hell yeah.
She's fortifying the house almost single-handedly—valuable asset.
I went up to the rooftop room, washed off the blood, and lay down.
Still smells like blood on me.
"Status."
Skills
[Active - Acceleration] (Auto-cast in progress)
Chosen One
[Specialization - Time Adjuster] [Level - 36]
[Title - Ordinary Person]
O...
Six points.
Where to put them?
Three into Mental Power first to secure four Accelerations.
Hmm...
Four Accelerations...
Let me think.
My current tactic is hit-and-run.
Small groups I can wipe with one Acceleration burst, but for hordes, I have to hit and pull back.
Pulling back takes at least one Acceleration.
So three for the assault.
Generously, 2-3 seconds per one.
...15 seconds kills 5-6.
Strength at 7 is enough for now.
I put three into Stamina, making it 26.
At 30 Stamina, stat recovery matches hourly regen. Way more leeway.
Wish stat recovery was faster or more... but this is best for now.
Stamina to 30, some into Strength.
Rest into Mental Power for max Accelerations.
Good.
Now sleep.
Breakfast was pretty good.
Grandmother and Ye-eun made steamed chicken with two birds, and the five of us ate our fill. Ye-eun's really picked up Grandmother's cooking skills.
Stuffed and in a good mood, I left the boarding house.
Su-hyun took the lifting belt and one real sword, so she'll probably have it ready today.
Today's gonna be a good day.
Thinking that, I headed to the supermarket...
...He's not here.
The big burly guy—hasn't shown up yet?
What the hell, fucker.
He's the one who said to come, damn it.
Morning sun's already hot.
Whew, damn summer.
I grabbed a chocolate bar from the supermarket's ice cream freezer and stuck it in my mouth.
The old gangster corpses are still sprawled there, smell's nasty, but with the breeze, it's bearable.
If he doesn't show by the time I finish this, I'm out.
Cool and sweet—nice.
Halfway through, footsteps from the side.
I flung the half-eaten bar into the street and put my hand on the sword grip.
Looked toward the sound: the big burly guy.
Walking slowly.
What the fuck, late and strolling in like that.
...Face looks pretty dark.
Like after chugging 10 bottles of soju and sleeping it off.
Why didn't he bring the axe I gave him?
What's with this guy?
"...Ah, hello."
The guy spotted me and awkwardly nodded.
"You're late."
"...Yeah... a bit... suicide and all..."
...What?
"...Suicide? Who?"
"Well..."
The big burly guy started to speak, face twisted, covered his eyes with one hand, and started sobbing.
...What the hell.
Sudden morning drama.
Diapers, my ass.
Tears dripping as he said,
"Th... this whole thing... it's too much."
...Ah...
This is annoying.
"Hey, mister. No clue what you're on about. Don't need diapers anymore? Then I'm going solo."
"S-Sir."
The guy grabbed my wrist desperately.
Face full of tears, snot, eye boogers still there, hair greasy and matted like days unwashed, beard scraggly—total homeless mess.
And he stinks, fuck.
Wash up, man.
"What."
I pulled my hand away and asked; he said,
"C-Could you come with me for a sec?"
...Haa...
...Fuck, I gotta go level up.
"Please, I beg you, sir. Please."
I looked up at the sky for a sec.
Glanced at the neighbor's.
Down at the ground.
Rolling my eyes.
So fucking annoying and unwanted.
The guy's clinging to my hand, practically on his knees begging, face pale like he hasn't eaten, not just unwashed.
What the hell's got him so desperate?
"...Fine. Where to."
"Th-Thank you. Thank you, sir."
His face brightened a bit as he led me into the alley.
Past a few single-family homes next to the supermarket, his house came up.
Structure's like our boarding house.
Two units on first floor, one on second.
No rooftop room.
Typical for these detached houses.
Creeak.
Opened the gate and went in.
A wave of smell hit me immediately.
...Corpse stench.
No, mixed with something else.
Shit and piss?
"Someone die in here?"
I grimaced and asked.
The big burly guy stared darkly at the floor, then slowly cracked open the door to the first-floor unit—Su-hyun's room position.
...Inside, a woman hanging dead from the noose.
Tied a rope to the bathroom doorknob, looped it around her neck, and sat down, I guess.
Shit and piss leaking from below.
"...Th-those bastards... every day... finally freed after you killed them all... but last night, I saw her like this..."
......What a shitshow.
The big burly guy said,
"...A few days ago, when shit hit the fan, they begged to open the door... I did. That night... the old man and grandson next door got beaten to death. This college girl... they caught her and..."
...Ah, fucking hate hearing this.
As I stayed silent, he gauged my reaction and said,
"I... have a wife and baby... scared they'd hurt them. Said I'd do as told, just spare my family..."
...Ah, so that's why you were out front with the monkey wrench alone.
The guy opened the next door.
Another wave of shit smell.
Inside, a haggard housewife holding a baby.
Shit-stained diapers scattered in the corner, kitchen—used over and over.
The housewife looked at me.
...Even a corpse would look more lively.
Eyes unfocused, face like a black-and-white screen.
The guy teared up and said,
"...It's... too much. Can't take it anymore. Sir. Sob..."
Corpse smell, shit and piss, crying guy, haggard housewife.
Me standing in the middle.
Gonna lose my mind.
So what the fuck do you want me to do?