Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: 9. Mart Raid (2)
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[Su-hyun. Gonna be a bit late tonight.]
Beep-
A reply came in.
[How late? Mom said she'd make chicken porridge for dinner.]
[Dunno. Eight or nine? Not sure.]
[Come back safe. I wanna see you tonight.]
......Guess I have to head back no matter what.
[How are the new ajusshi and ajumma?]
[The ajusshi brought a ton of supplements earlier, saying they were for my sister. He just went out again. And my sister... she's not talking at all, looks like she's got really bad depression or something. Not sure.]
[Hmm... How's the baby?]
[Seems fine.]
[Got it. I'll head back tonight.]
...Depression, huh.
...No wonder, with the apocalypse hitting right after she gave birth...
Can't expect her to be laughing and having fun.
Plus those rotten old thug bastards barged in and trashed everything, and the cops turned useless.
Hmm...
Suddenly curious.
What if the first house I went into had been that ajusshi's standalone place?
Would the vibe still be this fucked up?
...Nah.
Might be self-praise, but I think it would've been way different with me there.
Thinking that, I couldn't help but chuckle.
Apocalypse hits and here I am, full of myself. Fuck.
"Khk, shit."
I let out a nasally laugh and leaned back in the chair, half-reclining.
This place is so damn cramped.
Maybe catch a quick nap...
...Huh?
Charger’s here.
Netflix still working?
If it is, kill time with a movie.
Netflix was weirdly still up and running.
No new updates these past few days, but watching existing stuff was fine.
Ripping into the squid jerky from my bag, I watched a few movies until the sun went down.
7:13 PM.
Ugh, feeling grimy.
Acceleration x5. Fully charged.
Five uses should be plenty to slice through and escape easy.
Time to go.
I stepped out of the parking lot office.
This time, count the heads properly.
Seven of them.
Pierce seven heads, then straight out.
Rounding the mart wall, I saw shattered glass shards scattered out.
Chunks jutting outside.
Not too many.
Plenty inside, though.
Stepping on those would crunch loud as hell.
They don't react to most noises, but better safe.
I hopped over the squid display rack.
Thud.
"...Phew."
Drew my sword.
...Alright.
Let's see what's inside.
Peeking carefully past the door at the checkout counters, I spotted what looked like human shapes.
Scattered around there.
Some probably toppled over.
Gotta watch the floor.
I cautiously stuck my head out and scanned toward the mart entrance.
One... two...
...Four?
Were there way more earlier?
...Bathroom.
Only place they could've come from is the bathroom.
Damn it.
Men's, women's, disabled.
Three spots.
...What now.
Phew...
Change of plans.
Better lure them out.
Sheathed the sword.
Backtracked, hopped the squid rack again, and crept toward the mart's front door.
Glass shards thickening inside.
Where the door used to be, six corpses sprawled in a tangle amid the blast of shattered glass—like a bomb went off.
I poked my head past the auto-door and whistled.
Wheeeet!
"Gruk?!"
Human Beasts whipped their heads around, looking about. They started shuffling in hunched stances.
"Grrr, karrk!"
Several growled low, milling around, and a few emerged from the bathrooms.
About ten total.
Good.
Enough.
Time to taunt.
...How?
...Fuck if I know, can't think!
Just do it!
I sucked in a breath and leaped into the open auto-door space.
"Hey! You slow-ass fuckers!"
What the hell was that!
No cool taunt!?
Their heads snapped toward me.
Eyes gleaming at me.
Faces twisting in unison!
"Gruk, kyaaaaak!"
Shit!
I took a big step back toward the squid rack and drew my sword.
"Hup, huu!"
"Krarrak! Kyarrarak!"
Crunching glass roared underfoot, and dark shapes lunged into view.
Fuck, Acceleration!
"Krra-----a-----"
Human Beasts froze mid-stride, like marathon runners inches from the finish.
I charged in and stabbed a head.
Puk!
One more!
Puk!
Toppling old man in the crush!
Puk!
Yanked from his white-haired crown, mid-thrust at the ajusshi—
"-----a-a-rong!"
Acceleration!
They stuttered like buffering video.
Not stopped.
Slowed.
I thrust hard.
Old lady!
Puk!
Ripped from her temple, stabbed again.
Tall glasses guy!
Puk!
Pulled from his forehead, stabbed again!
Young mom with baby... in a carrier?!
My hand twitched, hesitating.
Then Acceleration ended.
"--Kya-rruk!"
Acceleration.
The baby...
Throat torn out.
Ear ripped off with it.
...Fuck.
Grit.
Clenched teeth, stabbed.
Puk, puk!
She was pretty young.
Looks younger than me.
Didn't look long after giving birth.
...Seven down.
I spun and bolted.
Haa, fuck, still not used to this shit.
Feels...
Like total crap.
"-Rarruk!"
Head back.
Past the squid rack, turned into the parking lot street.
Kept running.
Rumble, crash!
Sounds of several tumbling, followed by roars.
"-Kyarrup! Kraaaak!"
I ran, their bellows fading behind.
Glanced back—shadows flickering distant.
My footsteps drawing them, probably.
Roars multiplying from behind.
Streetlights of the standalone house alleys whipping past.
My shadow splintering, dancing front and back.
They're distant.
At least 100 meters.
Roars echo far off, but they can't catch me.
Turned into an alley.
Convenience store distant ahead.
"Haa, haa, huu!"
One hand gripping sheath, other sword tight, I kept sprinting.
Wild dog-like howls from afar.
Far.
Shook them off clean.
Thud, thud, thud.
"Haa, huu, ha, haa."
Fuck, ran my ass off.
Mart raid, day one.
14 kills, 14 levels up.
But...
Fuck...
Young woman with baby in front carrier haunts my head.
Shoulder soaked in blood.
Hugged the baby tight, got bit on the shoulder protecting it.
...Shit.
...Just fucking sucks.
"Haa, haa."
Killing those old thug bastards? No big deal.
But that? Pure shit.
Keep killing, will I go numb to this someday?
...Fuck.
Head back.
To the boarding house.
"Haa, haa."
Night breeze at least cool.
Dinner was pretty good.
The new ajusshi's wife still wasn't all there, so she didn't join our table.
Five of us fills it tight. No room.
Ye-eun and So-eun took two bowls of chicken porridge to the downstairs neighbors, and we ate in cheerful vibes.
Helps.
Definitely lifts the mood.
These women need me as much as I need their emotional support.
Reality's like that—no denying it.
I'm human with feelings too.
Finished eating, flopped on the rooftop room bed, someone knocked.
Su-hyun.
Yeah, comfort me tonight.
Got up, opened the door—big ajusshi.
"Ah... um... Teo, teacher."
Looks like he has something to say.
...Ah.
Got it.
"Diapers?"
Ajusshi scratched his head, sheepish grin.
Nailed it, fuck.
I smirked and said,
"Mart's crawling with those beasts. Killed fourteen today. Gonna hit it again tomorrow, kill more. Once it's safe, I'll let you know—go together then."
Su-hyun must've overheard climbing the stairs.
Ajusshi and Su-hyun's eyes went wide together.
"...Fourteen?"
"Fourteen?!"
Hmm...
I just shrugged.
Ajusshi glanced at Su-hyun's voice, stepped aside in surprise.
Su-hyun beamed and slipped into my room.
"Come on, oppa. Lying, right? How do you take out fourteen alone? Makes no sense?"
I smirked.
"Then come with that ajusshi next time. Fourteen corpses at the entrance."
Showed her the real sword quick.
Su-hyun stuck her tongue out, playfully smacked my ass, kicked off her shoes, and came in.
I eyed her ass quick, then told ajusshi,
"Won't be long. Two, three days? Not sure, but around then."
Ajusshi looked between us, nodded.
"Ah... yes. Got it. Then, uh, good... good night... sleep well."
Hmm.
Looks a good ten years older, but always super polite, that ajusshi.
"Speak casual. You're way more like a hyung."
Ajusshi turned midway down stairs, awkward smile.
"Ah... y-yes. Ri, right now... I'm kinda shy with new people..."
I smirked, nodded.
"Sleep well."
Shut the door.
"Haa..."
Su-hyun sat on my bedding, giggling softly.
"Oppa. Did what you asked. Attach sword to the lifting belt, right?"
Oh, that.
Forgot.
I smirked.
"Thanks."
Then stripped off my clothes.
All of it, tossed aside, hugged Su-hyun, kissed her neck.
Mmm.
She always smells so good.