Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: 9. Mart Raid. (1)
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Two kills in the parking lot.
Level 38, 2 points.
I dumped them into Stamina, bringing it to 28.
My growth goals: hit Stamina 30, put some into Strength as needed, and above all, secure more Acceleration uses.
...But what's the max level, anyway?
How long can I keep getting stats?
From my gaming experience, sometimes it's 50, or 60, or even 80.
Me?
No idea.
...Guess I'll find out by grinding.
Frustrating as hell.
If they're gonna give me a status window, why not explain shit properly? Do I have to figure everything out by trial and error every damn time?
Sheesh.
I leaned back in the chair, grumbling a bit while waiting, and Acceleration recovered.
4 charges, fully loaded.
I stepped out of the parking lot office.
Still morning. Lunch was a long way off.
I crept along the wall toward the mart, moving carefully.
No clue how many were inside.
No greed. Take them out methodically, one by one.
Grrr... grrr...
A low, rumbling vibration in the air.
Once past the wall, a small storefront attached to the mart came into view, facing the street. A grilled squid stand.
I pressed against the wall beside the stand and crouched, listening.
"Hrrrr... grrr..."
...Store owner? Mart employee?
One of them growling.
Pass this stand, and it's the main entrance.
...Should I use Acceleration?
I slowly drew my sword.
Shing...
"...Hoo... hup!"
I shot to my feet and peered into the stand!
Nothing!
Right, facedown on the floor.
I leaned over and looked down. A woman in an apron, sprawled out.
I gripped the sword with both hands, extending it slowly over her head.
"Hup!"
Splat!
It pierced her skull.
Nice.
Good call skipping Acceleration.
Now, the main entrance.
It was a glass double door.
Step on the "Welcome" mat, and it opens automatically.
...Tricky.
One slip, and even with Acceleration, I might not escape.
Need to prop that door open.
Something heavy...
...Damn it.
Only one thing in sight.
I scanned around.
Sun blazing.
Dead quiet.
No one.
"...Fuck."
Sheathed the sword.
Stepped onto the grilled squid display and slipped into the stand.
Ah, cramped as hell.
Squid stench is killer.
I grabbed a pile of the cold, cooked squid and shoved them into my bag.
About a dozen, maybe.
The girls'll love it.
Zip...
Carefully zipped up.
Glanced to the side...
Door's open...?
...Ah. This leads inside the mart too.
Blood smeared on the door crack.
Left it open for business, Human Beast rushed in, tried to close it but couldn't, got bitten.
...Right?
Looked down at the woman's corpse. Her hand was torn off, muscle and bone exposed. Clear bite marks.
Yeah.
Even with this entrance, better keep the main door propped.
I scooped up the woman's body and shoved it toward the squid display.
Goddamn heavy.
Over 50 kilos, easy.
Dead body, so groping her tits feels like nothing.
Like a soaked blanket draped over the display.
Grabbed her waistband.
"Hup!" Shoved hard outward.
Thud! Crunch!
"Haa, heuk."
Fuck.
Sweating buckets.
Heavy as shit.
Hope nothing comes.
Hand on sword hilt, waited. No reaction.
Human Beasts ignore natural sounds, it seems.
Boxes falling, thumps like that—fine.
...How loud before they react?
Curious, but not testing it.
I'll find out eventually.
By the way, that sounded like something snapped.
Climbed over the display. Her neck was twisted.
Head hit first, snapped it.
Already dead, no apologies needed.
I hugged the corpse—blood gushing from forehead and occiput—and walked slowly to the main door.
...Glass door.
Won't see me, right?
Mart interior visible through the glass.
Right of door: restrooms.
Big ones. Separate men's, women's, disabled.
Long partition beside restrooms, folded boxes stacked in front.
Mart's spacious and bright.
Neat and tidy, from what I can see far off.
But shelves toppled everywhere, a mess now.
Heads popping up here and there—more than expected.
Left of entrance: checkout counters.
Where customers bag their own stuff.
Between restrooms and checkouts: eight Human Beasts, easy count.
Lucky or their eyes bad? They ignore me slinking past the double glass doors.
Discount posters on the auto-door doing the job.
"Hoo... hoo..."
Body heavy, visible inside, tense as hell.
Finally reached the mat.
Holding the body, stepped on. Let go.
Auto-door slides open simultaneously.
"Gruk?!"
They all snap toward me!
"Shit!"
I bolted backward.
"Kraaararak! Kaaak!"
Stampede, boom!
Glass doors slamming behind. No shatter!
Thick glass!
Fuck, thank god!
I sprinted back to the parking office.
"Heuk, heuk."
Could've Acceleration-rushed in, but safety first.
Only attack when dead certain of victory.
Scared? Yeah.
Chicken shit is key!
Survival instinct!
To get strong, level up. To level fast, never get hurt, no matter what.
Body preserved, blitz in, kill, blitz out.
That's it.
Banging echoes from afar.
Glass still holding.
"Hoo..."
...Damn.
Glass doors...
...Hold up.
Banging but not opening means locked.
...Why?
Human Beasts didn't lock it...
Someone did.
...Someone?
...There's a survivor.
Knows the area well.
Knows marts crawling with Human Beasts are dangerous.
...Ha.
Survivor, huh...
Only heard screams from afar. Never thought anyone was doing shit in this mess.
Wanna meet 'em.
Ask how they locked the door.
...Anyway...
If the glass is that tough, can't enter through front.
I'll get spotted approaching.
...Was gonna deal with the auto-door anyway.
Leave the inner glass to them.
...Alright.
Left the office, headed to mart front.
Banging growing louder.
Climbed over squid display carefully, no noise.
Landed, drew sword.
Shing...
"Kyaak! Kaaak!"
Bang! Boom! Thunk!
Banging louder inside the stand.
Gripped sword, slowly stepped out.
Growls vivid now.
"Kraarak! Kraaak!"
Thud! Bang! Thump!
...Glass won't hold long.
Wall right at door.
Narrow path for one person, checkout right ahead.
Leaned against stand wall, peeked out.
...More now.
Was eight before. Now double at a glance.
Nearby ones swarmed in.
From restrooms?
They're clustered at the glass door.
Pounding like it's their mortal enemy, howling.
"...Hoo..."
Here goes.
...Deep breath.
"...Suuup!"
Distance to them: about 3 meters!
Leaped out, triggered it.
Acceleration
[Auto-cast]
"Kra—aaaah..."
Vrooom—vroom...
Everything slowed.
My footsteps, their roars, the discordant pounding—all slo-mo before my eyes.
Two steps hard.
One more hard step.
Thud...
Both hands on hilt, stabbed hard.
"Hup!"
Splat! Splat!
Two in one go!
"—aa—ruk!"
Released.
Acceleration
[Auto-cast]
They still hadn't spotted me!
Stabbed hard!
Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat!
Four more in one go!
"—ru—ra ruk!"
Acceleration
[Auto-cast]
Stabbed the gray-haired old man's occiput—glasses and all!
Ting—
...?!
What the fuck! Already out of juice!
I spun without hesitation and bolted back to the squid shop.
Hand on wall, rounded the corner—Acceleration ended.
Stampede, crash!
Sounds of multiple bodies tumbling.
"Kyaak!"
Fuck! Getting closer!
Spotted?!
Acceleration
[Auto-cast]
No risks!
Trampled the squid shelf and leaped out.
Landed, one step—Acceleration wore off.
"Karruk!"
Spotted or not? No idea.
Acceleration depleted!
I sprinted, veered beside the mart toward the parking lot.
Then—crash! Shattering glass.
Door broke!
"Heuk, heuk!"
Dashed into parking office, slammed door shut.
Click!
Locked, pressed hand to door, listened.
"Hak, hoo, haa."
Roars incoming.
Not from inside mart.
Street.
They came outside.
"Hoo, hoo..."
...Still, door's locked.
They're screeching out there, but no clue where I went.
Just wandering blindly.
A bit relieved.
Pulled chair, leaned against door wall, sat.
"...Hoo..."
Message floating before me.
Squid shop woman plus this: total 7 levels.
...Nice.
"Haa, hoo... Status."
Level 45 already.
Nice.
First... 2 into Stamina.
That hits 30.
Stamina's good now.
Remaining 5 points...
...One more Acceleration charge would sure help hit-and-run...
Problem: full recharge takes 9 hours.
...9 hours...
...Yeah.
Slower but safer.
Dumped 5 into Mental Power.
Survive.
Survive and level.
That's priority.
Phone check: 10:34 AM.
...Dinner might be tight.
Better text Su-hyun.