Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: New Nest. (3)
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Right shelf crevice.
Front path.
Left display shelf.
"Kyarrk?!"
The Human Beasts' heads snapped around.
They weren't my concern right now.
I quickly scanned my surroundings.
Left corner, bathroom arrow.
"Graaak! Kyaaaak!"
They charged from left, right, and front.
I immediately dashed forward.
Left shelf!
No one's there!
Ta-tat.
My footsteps felt unfamiliar.
If Acceleration had been active, they would have dragged out slow.
I bolted straight between the shelves.
"Graaak! Graaak!"
The bastards were chasing me.
Crashing sounds. Shelves slamming.
Displayed goods tumbling down in a heap.
They were swarming in from all around.
I sprinted to the wall and followed the arrow.
"Kyak!"
The Human Beasts up front snapped their heads around.
Their hands rose.
I glared at them and kept charging ahead.
"Graak!"
Close.
Acceleration.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡
Acceleration (Auto-cast)
Pakak!
I drew my sword and twisted my body, stabbing sideways.
Between the shelves.
A Human Beast lunging with its gaping maw wide open.
Pakak!
I lunged forward again and stabbed once more.
Pakak!
The bathroom was right ahead.
I sheathed my sword and dashed forward.
After two steps, Acceleration ended.
"-Keurk!"
Urrur, wadangtang!
The stabbed ones collapsed, and the followers tripped, crashed, and tumbled in a heap.
The bastards were definitely chasing me.
They weren't heading any other direction.
"Graang!"
The bathroom was right in front of my nose.
Acceleration.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡
Acceleration (Auto-cast)
I pierced two more heads.
Pakak, pakak!
The moment I pulled my sword free, I veered into the bathroom.
Ta-- ta--
My footsteps echoed louder.
A wide partition at the bathroom entrance.
It curved deep, turning left and right. Left was women's, right was men's.
Shaped like a "qp," I guess.
I dashed in and headed right.
Choosing the men's bathroom was pure instinct.
Familiar territory.
No door on the bathroom.
Just a tall outer partition.
Inside, I spotted two men.
I thrust my sword immediately.
"--Kr-urk?!"
Pakak!
Acceleration ended.
"Graang!"
Acceleration.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡
Acceleration (Auto-cast)
As I drew my sword, I stepped forward and stabbed with my other hand.
Pakak!
Done.
No time wasted.
I immediately kicked open the stall door on the left to check if anyone was inside.
Four stalls.
All empty.
The doors hung wide open, swinging lazily.
I slipped into one and shut the door.
Thud! Udangtang!
Stall doors slamming shut, bodies collapsing—loud chaos.
Click.
Locked.
"...Huu."
Good.
I'll use this as my base to conquer the mart.
"Graaak! Kyaaak!"
Something was rumbling toward me.
"Kyaaak! Krarararak!"
They came rumbling in, but from the growls and footsteps, not too many.
I'd vanished suddenly at the bathroom entrance.
Probably clustered thick near the entrance.
I eyed the bathroom door.
Didn't look sturdy.
But barely any gaps.
They couldn't see me from outside.
I gripped my sword and steadied my breathing.
Huu... Seup...
Quietly.
Wait until they calm down.
"Kruruk, krarururuk!"
The barking hadn't changed.
But the tone shifted slightly.
They didn't grasp doors or partitions.
Couldn't open a closed door, even smashed through glass walls instead.
Not human.
I listened to the growls outside and slowly regulated my breath.
A message floated before my eyes.
✨ LEVEL UP! ✨
Lv. 33 → Lv. 34
Hm.
The two levels from clearing the mart entrance.
I'd dumped the points into Stamina during my shower.
Stamina 56.
The one from just now went into Stamina again.
Current Stamina 57, Level 34.
Back when I thought it was one level per ten kills, it felt daunting, but now levels are climbing steadily.
Recovery speed picking up too.
Not bad.
Anyway, three Accelerations used...
Stats check: Acceleration has 9 left, Strength 23.
Seven kills just now, huh.
A bit short.
Rest up, then sweep thirty at once.
Wonder how many are in here total.
Glanced around—at least a hundred.
I pulled out my phone and messaged Su-hyun.
[Su-hyun. How's it going? Work done?]
[Still working on it. Bro, what happened? You ran inside, right? You okay?]
[No big deal. In the bathroom.]
[You didn't get hurt?]
[Not hurt. lol]
[Why the bathroom?]
Hmm...
Thought for a sec, then replied.
[Had to pee.]
Reply came after a bit.
[You're unreal, bro. Never seen guts like yours. Who runs into a zombie-packed mart just to hit the bathroom?]
Almost laughed.
A faint chuckle escaped as I replied.
[Finish up and head straight up. It'll take some time.]
[Got it. Come back safe. Promise?]
[Ok, no worries.]
I pocketed the phone and pondered.
Alright.
Now for the real work here.
First floor.
Bathroom available, mart means food's no issue.
Problem's the raid count...
If over a hundred, that's four raids.
Almost two days.
...Gonna be rough.
Two raids, head back in the morning.
Nine p.m.
Everything recovered.
Outside quiet.
Three hours camped in a bathroom stall—not ideal.
I stretched my stiff body and stepped out.
Two corpses on the floor.
Stepped through the blood puddle and exited the bathroom.
Sticky and gross.
Outside, bathroom entrance to mart—about five meters.
Plenty of room to lure and pick them off.
Nodded and headed into the women's bathroom.
"Kyarruk?!"
Oh, a few in the women's.
Roughly seven.
Probably fled here during the outbreak and got done in.
"Kyuaang!"
Acceleration.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡
Acceleration (Auto-cast)
"Ky--a----"
I drew both swords and charged them.
Pakak, pakak!
Standing ones, sprawled ones—two Accelerations cleared them all. Then I shoved the partitions aside.
Won't open.
Six stalls.
All locked.
"--Kya-ruk!"
Urrur, wadangtang!
The women spurted blood from their heads and toppled.
Charruk, charuk!
Blood sprayed everywhere.
Tterkererung.
The doors I'd pushed rattled in unison.
✨ LEVEL UP! ✨
Lv. 34 → Lv. 35
Narrow bathroom—I was drenched in blood.
Dripping from my hair and face.
But getting splattered doesn't faze me anymore.
More importantly, what about these locked doors?
Krrrar—krrrar—
Some stalls growled, others silent.
...Someone in there?
...Nah...
Apocalypse hit over two weeks ago.
Anyone inside? Unlikely they're alive.
Fine.
Leave it.
Dumped a point into Stamina for 58 and headed out.
Gonna hit 60.
I walked to the partition beyond the bathroom corridor, scanning around. Sounds suggested plenty nearby.
Too risky to aggro everything...
I cleared my throat.
"Hem!"
"Kruk?!"
Instant reaction.
"Kyarruk, kruk."
Coming.
Multiple footsteps.
Not as many as a shout would draw, but the nearby ones were hooked for sure.
Cleared my throat again.
"Kraruk!"
Definite reaction this time.
The bastards appeared rumbling between the partitions.
They spotted me.
Faces twisted.
Maws gaped wide.
Hands rose.
"Graaak! Kyaaaak!"
I smiled and took a step back.
"Good, come on."
They shoved and grappled, squeezing through. The gap between partition and wall—barely room for two—and suddenly way too crowded.
Couldn't swarm all at once.
"Graaak! Graaak!"
Coming, here they come!
Acceleration!
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡
Acceleration (Auto-cast)
I dashed in and stabbed.
Pakak, pakak!
I weaved through them fast, thrusting nonstop. The sensation of skulls puncturing traveled up my arms.
Acceleration.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡
Acceleration (Auto-cast)
Roughly a dozen squeezing through the partition. I Accelerated and pushed forward to the partition, stabbing away.
"Hup!"
Pakak, pakak, pakak pakak!
Here, pull back a bit.
One step back. Wait.
"--Kr-uk!"
Stabbed ones crumbled in a heap, blood spraying everywhere.
Charruk, papat.
Blood droplets rained over my whole body.
"Graaak! Kyak!"
Squeezing through: four—no, five.
Guess that's all the nearby ones.
Acceleration.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡
Acceleration (Auto-cast)
Straight dash, pierced their heads.
Faster, even faster!
No wasting Acceleration!
Pakak!
The instant I yanked my sword free, Acceleration ended.
"--Keuk!"
Five tumbled in a heap.
Five per Acceleration.
Improving bit by bit.
Getting smoother, more familiar.
"...Huu..."
✨ LEVEL UP! ✨
Lv. 35 → Lv. 36
Good.
Prep for the main raid complete.
I grabbed the corpses sprawled everywhere in the bathroom corridor and dragged them to the women's bathroom wall.
The path to the men's bathroom was clear.
After raids, sneak back via this route.
Acceleration: 9 uses.
Strength: 17.
Strength's running low now, not Acceleration.
Another point into Stamina.
Stamina 59.
...Good.
Seventeen more kills and it's 60.
I stepped out past the partition and looked around.
All the nearby ones lured and killed.
Distant ones spotted me.
What the...?
They tilted their heads, shook their bodies.
Crept toward me step by step.
I smiled and whistled.
Whiiit!
"Kruruk?!"
The distant ones quickened their pace.
Something's there!
Growling grew fiercer as they closed in.
Then they roared.
"Graaak! Kyaaaak!"
Good.
Come on.
I slashed the air.
Swung! Charuk!
Blood droplets whipped a trail.
"Kyaaaak!"
Here they come.
Coming, coming!
Acceleration!
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡
Acceleration (Auto-cast)
"Hup!"
I pierced the heads of the ones right in my face and surged in all directions.
Pakak, pakak!