Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: 16. Cockroaches. (2)
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After watching them round the corner and shuffle off in a herd, I finally sheathed my sword.
Shing!
Swinging the blade through the air sent the flecks of blood splattering off.
A streak of red bloomed on the stone wall.
I slid the sword back into its scabbard and turned around.
Scring—click.
The folks from the two houses had come out at some point, peering down from balconies and stair railings.
Their faces...
Some women wore faint smiles, others looks of relief. So-eun still seemed scared.
Looked like no one was hurt.
I walked toward the house and called out.
"I'm starving. All I had yesterday were some cracker crumbs. Got anything?"
Su-hyun, the one smiling, spoke up.
"Want me to boil some ramen?"
"Ramen sounds good. Let me wash up first."
I headed inside and up the stairs. Su-hyun patted my back.
I chuckled.
"You're getting blood on you."
"It's fine. We can wash it off. Come on, oppa."
Su-hyun followed me all the way to my room.
Hmm.
Even with the women watching.
Guess there's no holding back anymore.
We stripped and showered together.
Once the blood was rinsed away, she knelt and went down on me—surprisingly eager.
She must've been pretty impressed by what just happened.
After cleaning up, we headed downstairs. Ye-eun jumped up and scurried to the kitchen.
"I'll boil the ramen."
"Ah, thanks."
The main house was full of people.
Grandmother, So-eun, my parents, the boarding house women, and the nurse lady.
They were all staring at me.
The mood felt a bit odd.
Trust shone in their eyes.
...Kind of overwhelming.
Grandmother grabbed my hand, stroked my arm, and pulled me close.
"Sit down, young man. Goodness, you must be exhausted. Huh?"
"Ah, yeah."
"Heavens, those awful thugs come barging into our home causing a ruckus. How can people be like that? Huh? If you hadn't been here, we'd have been in real trouble."
Dad chuckled.
"Mom, that's why we should move. When our teacher says go, we go without hesitation, right?"
Grandmother clicked her tongue.
"Eh... tch. We're going, we're going. But this house... I lived here so long with my husband. People can be so cruel. Nothing scarier than folks in this world. Huh."
Jung Eun-seo spoke up.
"Thanks for earlier. I really thought we were done for."
I nodded and asked,
"How are the guys doing? They okay?"
"Yeah. Much better than yesterday. No broken bones or anything."
"Good. Glad to hear it."
I nodded again, scanned the room, and said,
"About the move—we're starting from the top floor now. It'll probably take a few days."
I looked at Dad and Jung Eun-seo.
"In the meantime, I want you to gather the corpses outside and burn them. Leaving them like that could spread disease."
The nurse lady nodded.
"That's right. Even without plagues, bacteria and mold are dangerous. We can't go to hospitals, so prevention is key."
...Oho.
Nurse lady's got her head on straight now?
Definitely.
She's the type who perks up helping others—like the boarding house folks.
Taking care of the injured must've given her a boost.
I nodded.
"Then let's handle the bodies together later."
Dad raised his hand.
"Teacher, what about stripping the cars? Keep going?"
I glanced at Su-hyun beside me.
"Have to, right?"
She nodded.
"Yeah, aluminum has tons of uses. Actually, that's what I wanted to talk about."
Everyone looked at Su-hyun.
She continued,
"Since we're moving anyway, maintaining this house doesn't make much sense. I want to collect the aluminum panels and use them to seal the mart's glass walls and entrance when we go. What do you think?"
Dad nodded.
"Makes sense, Su-hyun. We could drop the shutters, but they might not hold if someone attacks from outside."
Su-hyun nodded.
"Exactly. Better to reinforce the shutters with aluminum, weld it, and seal with silicone."
She glanced at me.
Everyone else did too.
...What am I supposed to do?
I don't know jack about that stuff.
I smirked and nodded.
"Handle it yourselves. I'll clear the building; the rest is on you."
"Got it."
Su-hyun grinned and patted my butt.
Jung Eun-seo said,
"We'll help with the bodies too."
Dad laughed.
"Thanks. Teacher, then we'll handle the bodies and cars. You rest up. You couldn't even come in last night and worked so hard... looking like that."
He gestured vaguely at me, probably referring to how I'd shown up drenched in blood, dripping everywhere.
I smiled.
"We need every hand. Can't sit it out. Gotta deal with those bodies quick—the smell wafts in through the windows at night."
Dad gave an awkward smile and said nothing.
After eating and resting a bit, we went out to collect the corpses.
The gas station was deserted.
No idea why, but the office door was wide open—probably bolted the second shit hit the fan.
We piled the bodies on the road in front of the coffee shop I'd cleared before, far from the house, and burned them.
Black smoke billowed up in thick clouds.
It was a good distance away, but a bad wind could still dust the house with ash.
Still better than eating with the stench of rot in the air.
We swept everywhere except the underground parking garage.
The garage had over a hundred jammed in; we'd tackle it slowly. We got back home as dusk fell.
Evening.
Not even 8 p.m.
After dinner, I left the house and headed back to the big mart.
I'd cleared up to the 6th-floor PC bang.
7th and 8th floors left.
I Acceleration-jumped from the side door.
Getting the hang of this routine.
"Hoo..."
I stopped on the 5th floor.
Hauling corpses all day then climbing more stairs? Brutal.
Time for a break.
I sat on the stairs, catching my breath, and lit a cigarette.
Click.
"Phew..."
Smoke drifted lazily upward.
Tastes good.
I pulled out my phone and opened messages.
Su-hyun replied right away.
The rooftop fridge was stocked by the women with snacks, energy bars, hot bars, 500ml water bottles—all in my bag.
Prefer traveling light with just the sword, but after yesterday, emergency rations made sense.
Wonder if everything's okay.
The cockroaches better not show up at the boarding house while I'm gone and cause trouble.
I warned them once. If they pull that shit again, no mercy.
The second they lay a finger on anyone, they're dead. All of them.
Sucks wasting level-up Acceleration on cockroaches, but piss me off and pay the price.
"Hoo."
About five minutes of rest.
Good enough.
I flicked the butt away and climbed the stairs.
7th floor.
I leaned against the steel door and listened.
Rrr—rrr—
...They're there.
No clue how many or where exactly.
What was the 7th floor again?
Dunno. Can't remember.
I drew my sword.
Scrring—
Cracked the steel door open a sliver.
Grrr—grrr—
...Quite a few.
Louder from the left.
High-pitched.
...Female human beasts.
What're they doing?
...Ah, cooking academy.
Right side...
Calligraphy academy.
Not popular, huh? Barely any noise from there.
Frosted glass and wooden walls.
Can't see inside either.
...Clear the smaller group first, then the cooking academy.
I crept forward, minimizing footfalls.
Drew my second sword.
Scrring—
Both hands on swords, I approached the calligraphy academy door slowly.
Grrr—grrr—
Calligraphy academy.
A few inside.
Not many.
Mostly women, from the sounds.
"...Hoo... Suck."
I inhaled deep and shouldered the glass door open.
"Kyarrk?!"
I froze.
My mind blanked.
The human beasts all looked up at me.
...Elementary school kids.
"Kyaaak! Kyaaaak!"
Calligraphy academy...
Elementary schoolers...
Maybe 8 or 9 years old. Seven or eight kids charged at me.
Eyes gouged out, one with a chunk of arm flesh missing, another with a bitten neck.
...Grit.
I clenched my teeth and thrust the sword.
Shk!
Using Acceleration, I cleared every human beast in the calligraphy academy.
Only one adult.
An elderly woman.
Still clumsy.
I know they're not people anymore, not alive, but kids make me freeze.
Feet halt the first time.
Damn.
Need to get used to it.
Why were kids here midday on a weekday...
School...
...Ah.
Vacation.
Total of ten.
Wasted four Accelerations on just ten because I hesitated at first with the kids.
"Hoo..."
Fuck, need a break.
Mood's shit.
I slipped into an empty office and slumped in the director's chair.
Shrring—click.
The sound of sheathing the sword felt refreshingly clean.
...Eight Accelerations left.
Cooking academy has a lot of students.
...Not making it home tonight either.
I set the phone down and propped my chin on one hand.
Blood splatters speckled my body.
I closed my eyes and calmed myself.
"...Hmm..."
Have to keep killing them anyway.
Don't think about it.
They're not kids. Not people anymore.