Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Results of Going Around Killing (3)
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Early evening.
I came down the rooftop stairs while gazing at the distant sunset.
In the courtyard below, the women and the burly middle-aged man were there, surrounded by piles of stuff.
Clothes, vegetables, meat, toilet paper and tissues, all sorts of daily necessities, snacks—it was piled up like a hill.
Su-hyun spotted me and called out happily.
"Oppa. Check this out!"
"Whoa, that's a lot."
"Brought a ton, didn't I? Hehe."
She looked pretty pleased.
I smiled back.
The newlywed housewife turned to me with a bright smile while eyeing the new frying pans and pots she'd brought.
"I heard about it from my husband. Thank you so much."
So-eun, squatting and tearing into some squid jerky, peeked up at me with just her eyes.
Ye-eun smiled and said,
"It's been really dangerous lately, but thanks to you, we could haul back this much. Thank you, Seong-hun-ssi."
I chuckled softly.
"No need to say all that."
I reached the bottom of the stairs.
The burly guy was grinning ear to ear.
I rested one hand casually on my sword hilt and asked,
"What happened to the inline skating club folks?"
"Ah, yes, sir. Those guys loaded up carts inside the mart with ramen and all sorts of stuff, then scattered every which way. Said they were handing it out to people."
...Hmm...
Definitely good people.
Different from me.
I'd just cleared out the mart in the process of grinding levels.
I nodded and grabbed the gate.
Su-hyun said,
"Oppa, where are you going? Dinner time. Let's grill some pork belly tonight. Yeah?"
...Hmm...
Pork belly...!
Damn, my hand froze up.
Starting to get hungry anyway.
...Wait a sec.
If I secure the hardware store safely...
Hmm...
I turned to the burly guy.
"Mind coming with me for a bit?"
"Pardon? Ah, yes. Of course, sir."
Didn't even ask where.
I glanced at Su-hyun and jerked my chin.
"Be right back. Won't take long. Let's go."
The women waved us off.
Su-hyun called,
"Come back safe, oppa. I'll get the pork belly ready and wait."
We stepped out, and the gate shut behind us.
Ziing—click.
The auto-lock engaged.
...Hold on.
They'd even barred the gate top to bottom with wood.
Blocked the bottom gap pretty thoroughly too.
Su-hyun, you little...
...Gotta secure that hardware store fast.
I took one last look at Su-hyun's handiwork on the gate, then turned and headed for the convenience store.
The convenience store, the streets—hell, the whole world. As time dragged on, the stench from all those piled-up corpses was getting brutal.
"Hoo..."
I waved my hand and let out a breath. The burly guy trailing me spoke up.
"Sir. Leaving those bodies like that... won't it spark some kind of epidemic?"
...Epidemic?
I was passing the convenience store when I stopped short.
...Fair point.
Corpses littering the streets? Hygienically, it's a nightmare.
Europe, post-war somewhere—couldn't clear the bodies right, rats went berserk, plague kicked off. Black Death, right?
Something like that from history class.
Leave 'em here, and we'll have rat swarms overrun the place?
...Bad news.
Need a way to dispose of them.
The big intersection flanked by the mixed-use building.
Gas station across from it.
...Gas station...
I glanced back.
"...Round 'em up and torch 'em? Your take?"
"T-torch... them?"
"Yeah. Easier than burying. Grab gas from there, douse 'em, light it up."
The burly guy blinked, speechless.
Then a foul stench drifted in on the breeze.
Looked around—faint black smoke rising in the distant sky.
Toward the mart.
...Mart direction.
Nearly fifty bodies there.
...Inline skating club.
They'd had the same idea.
No other explanation for smoke there.
Folks in the same mess think alike.
I nodded.
"Call those inline folks tomorrow. Gather the bodies and burn 'em together. For now, just drag some to the middle of the road ourselves."
"Ah, yes, sir."
But...
No smoke anywhere else.
...Means nowhere else cleared out human beasts like here.
Probably just me.
The only human who could hunt 'em down like this.
I nodded and crossed the road, ducking between cars.
Passed the mixed-use building—McDonald's right ahead.
...Glass walls wide open, no barricades, door smack in the middle. No sneaking in.
Hmm...
No clue how many inside, but tougher than it looks. McDonald's always is.
Without solid Acceleration, wouldn't even attempt it.
Sat by the Accent's side, slowly drew my sword.
Shring—
"...Wait here."
The burly guy whispered,
"...Yes, sir."
Crouched, gripped the headlight, and peeked inside McDonald's.
Distance to entrance: about ten meters.
Problem...
That damn door's an auto-door too.
Shit.
Push door, I could Acceleration straight through. But auto? Acceleration or not, it'd stay shut till the buff ran out.
......Damn.
No choice.
Stood tall and strode right toward McDonald's.
Here I am.
Look at me.
A few human beasts staring blankly this way—expressions twisted instantly.
Something? There's something!
It's here!
Faces warping in real time.
"Graaak!"
One screeched.
"Kyaaak! Graaak! Kaaak!"
Several bellowed at once, slamming against the glass.
Tables and chairs blocked the glass side—they couldn't bust straight through.
"Eek!"
Burly guy flinched behind me.
Stay quiet, mister. Don't draw attention.
Sword in hand, I walked to the auto-door.
Step, step.
"Kaaak! Graaak!"
They swarmed the auto-door.
At the same time, ones from the stairs came thundering down.
Fuck, how many are there?
It opened.
Auto-door slid open!
Zing—
"Groarararak!"
They poured out in a rush.
Pickup truck right behind me!
"...Sss!"
"Kyaaaak!"
Coming!
Their claws halted a mere meter away.
Couldn't count the hands.
I drew back the sword and thrust with all my might.
Pukak, pukak, pukak!
Within reach of their outstretched claws.
Sidestepped aside.
"—A-ro-rak!"
Head-pierced ones tumbled toward the pickup—then froze.
Raised my sword.
Pukak! Pukak!
One step sideways, then hard!
"Hup!"
Pukak!
One step back.
"—Ro-rak!"
Quick scan around.
Straight shot from entrance to pickup—they'd charged out in a line.
Stepped forward, thrust.
Pukak! Pukak! Pukak!
Up to the entrance: nine down total.
A few missed ones lingered opposite.
Stepped back again.
"Hoo."
Blood droplets painted the air.
"-Ro-rak!"
Nine dominoed into a heap.
Thud-thud, kwadang! Heavy crashes erupted.
...Wait.
Beyond the pile, two more.
More crawling from the entrance.
Raised sword, held.
"Kyaaaak!"
Human beasts vaulted the corpses, surging at me.
Darkness closed in fast.
"Kr—a—a—"
Eyes of airborne human beasts locked mid-freeze.
Dozens of eyes.
Thrust the sword in.
Pukak! Pukak! Pukak!
"Hup!"
Pulled sword, stepped onto the road.
"—A-ruruk!"
Tumblers and leapers halted.
Stepped to the sidewalk, thrust.
"Hup!"
Pukak!
One more step!
Pukak!
Off-side!
Pukak!
"-Ro-ruk!"
Head-shredded ones toppled in a wave.
Ducked low, darted through their midst.
Aimed at the auto-door crawlers.
"Hup!"
Pukak, pukak!
Step back!
"—A-ha-rak!"
Warruk, thud! Collapsed again.
Stairs—more leaping down.
Auto-door: clear!
Door-rushers froze.
Stepped over corpses, crossed the threshold.
Raised sword, full thrust.
Pukak!
Got it.
Side step!
"-Ru-ruk!"
Head-punctured slumped mid-fall—time froze.
Stairs: a pair of legs mid-leap.
Two more grounded.
Full toe-off, planted before the stairs.
Do—oo—
"Hup!"
Pukak!
One more!
Pukak!
Yanked sword, sidestepped the stairs.
Thump!
"-A-ruk!"
Warruruk! Corpses flew forward, piled up.
Stairs: thud as legs landed.
"Graaak!"
...Where the hell is this bitch even looking?
Staring daggers at my old spot—nothing there.
I raised my sword.
"Hup!"
Pukak!
Ripped it free—blood bloomed like mushrooms.
Glanced up the stairs.
No more coming.
"—A-ruk!"
Thud!
A woman in a rainbow-printed English T-shirt tumbled ass-over-end down the stairs.
Kept eyes on the stairs.
...Might be more.
...Taunt 'em?
...Nah.
Thirty meters off: mixed-use parking lot dead ahead.
One slip, I'd drag the whole horde here.
Sword up, nudged the restroom door aside.
Seemed empty.
Checked the stalls.
Women's too—all clear.
Then slowly up to the second floor.
...Nothing.
Full sweep of second-floor restrooms.
Definitely clear.
"...Hoo..."
...?
...Seven?
Just took down over twenty, easy.
"...Status."
Chosen OneSpecialization:Time Adjuster[Level - Max.]Title:Ordinary Person
Stats
💰 Distribution Points:7
Skills
...Level max?
Maxed out?
...Hold up.
So level 100 is the cap...
...Huh?
Specialization blinking.
Time Adjuster in bold.
Flashing like crazy...
...Something's up with that.
Glanced around.
Status vanished as I turned.
...McDonald's.
Need to check this calmly.
Not with corpses everywhere.
Back at the rooftop.
Place is clear anyway.
Clean.
Headed down the stairs.