Chapter 60
Chapter 60
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: 20. Raid Again. (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In front of the underpass.
It sounded like a woofer speaker had been cranked up.
The air rumbled with a deep growl...
We needed to secure our retreat properly.
A faint human sound mixed in with the snarling.
It wasn't coming from inside the underpass.
I turned my head and looked off into the distance.
Somewhere far down that road.
A bit like a wolf's howl...
...No.
It was a man screaming in agony.
...The sound cut off.
He must be dead.
...Even the cockroaches were out raiding.
The easiest prey for them around here was the corner convenience store or the small supermarkets.
There wasn't much left in the neighborhood for those bastards to eat.
I'd swept through it, and Uncle Hoon had mopped up the rest.
And over here, we were waiting.
Since they'd been scouting the boarding house, those guys must be checking out our neighborhood.
The fact they weren't coming this way meant I made them uneasy.
So their remaining options were the mid-sized marts, the nearby alleys, and the shops around them.
They were working hard at it.
From that scream just now, it sounded like someone else got bitten.
But they were beating the bitten ones to death on the spot, no matter how much they begged and wailed. Those bastards were getting seasoned too.
Yeah.
You lot survive over there.
Killing and getting killed among yourselves.
Come this way, and you die.
I smirked, placed my hand on the sword hilt, and headed down into the underpass.
Rumble...
The air trembled.
Probably echoed more because it was underground.
I slowly descended along the underpass wall.
No idea how the path was laid out.
Made it to the bottom.
Across from here, I could see the path and stairs leading to the street on the other side.
No human beasts nearby.
But with all that noise, there had to be a ton of them somewhere.
I leaned against the wall and peeked out.
A sign for the subway entrance hung from the ceiling.
Beyond that, an underground shopping arcade stretched out.
Bookstores, cafes, shops packed tight.
Even areas laid out like little parks.
Benches, and in the middle... a small fountain?
They'd woven some kind of vines around it nicely for decoration.
That's where they were.
An insane number of them.
More than the underground parking of an apartment complex or even a big mart—those couldn't hold a candle.
A high-traffic area to begin with, plus all the people who'd fled here when the apocalypse hit.
And the subway.
Tons of people getting on and off.
Even in broad daylight, some sections were always packed.
I took a deep breath.
I needed a hiding spot.
The bookstore was wide open, tables on the balcony blocking the way.
Cafe? Out of the question.
The other shops.
All wide open, no good.
Best option was the bathroom.
Cut off from the outside, the alley curves in to escape their line of sight completely, plus stalls for cover.
Perfect for hiding.
Any bathrooms nearby?
...There was one.
But...
In the alley across from the subway sign entrance.
About fifty meters away.
Pretty far.
"...Damn it."
Fine then...
No choice but to clear them out as I went.
Open a path to the bathroom, use it as a forward base, lure in the ones deeper inside, and take them down.
...Good.
So, first, the ones blocking the way to the bathroom.
I stepped away from the wall and walked down the corridor.
After a few steps, I drew in a breath.
"Come here!"
My voice boomed through the underpass, echoing sharply.
Groooaaar!
They all whipped their heads around at once.
They roared.
Howled.
The air shivered.
I drew my sword.
Shing...
They charged.
Charged, tripped, got trampled.
Trampled and leaped over, collided, fell.
Writhing underfoot.
They crashed into each other, forming a wave of bodies.
At terrifying speed, like maniacs, faces twisted in madness, they rushed me.
Solely to tear me apart.
Groooaaar!
I gripped my sword and stared them down.
My head lowered slowly.
Knees bent, back hunched.
Arms spread wide.
The sword blade flashed under the lights.
Dazzling.
I held two swords, gazing at the horde of human beasts surging toward me like a crushing wave.
Groooaaar!
The roar slammed against the walls.
Echoing from every direction.
The echoes were so intense it felt like they came from behind.
The ground shook.
Groooaaar!
Coming.
They were coming.
...Here!
I grinned and sprang forward.
And in that instant, I swept through them.
Up at the underpass entrance, I gripped the railing and caught my breath.
"...Hoo."
"Groooarggh!"
A bizarre noise, like an earthquake.
It kept going.
Tripping over the fallen, unable to slow down, crashing into the ones behind—chain reactions building a wall of zombies.
I looked down at the pile-up below, then turned away.
Blood dripped from my jaw, my hair.
Time for a break, then back in.
I'd used Acceleration ten times.
If there weren't so many stairs, I could've saved some uses.
Shame.
Closest spot from here...
The boarding house.
Feels like ages since just a few days ago.
Surprisingly nice to be back.
I wiped the blood streaming from my jaw with the back of my hand, then swung my sword to shake off the blood.
Swish—splat!
Shing—click.
Sheathed it and headed back to the boarding house.
Creak—clunk.
The auto-lock sound.
Then the stairs.
Clotheslines.
Everything the same.
I climbed to the familiar rooftop room.
Clothes...
Tch.
Gonna get bloody again anyway. Why bother?
I stripped roughly, went into the shower, and washed off the blood.
Leaving the toiletries here was a stroke of genius.
Just hit three level-ups.
Dumped them straight into Stamina.
Three raids a day.
I wanted to try it.
More merit for me than pumping Strength right away or upping Acceleration uses—it let me push raids faster.
Current Stamina: 75.
Level...
Ooh, 51?
Not bad speed.
Feels like yesterday I was stuck, now halfway there already.
If I conquer this underpass right, no worries till the next specialization.
Showered feeling good, back on the roof with a smoke.
This was a solid strategy.
From this rooftop, I could see all the way to the mid-sized mart alley I'd cleared before.
Nice view too—great for stargazing.
Best part: the whole neighborhood at a glance, spotting where the cockroaches swarmed.
Of course, building rooftops are best for that.
But this was closer.
They were out there far off.
If they got close, I'd respond immediately.
If possible, keep the women I cared about safe...
...Some beast was rising already.
Anyway, I didn't want anyone I cared about getting hurt.
Seen them all this time, grown kinda fond— if cockroaches hurt them, I'd feel like shit.
Might go on a rampage, slaughtering cockroaches indiscriminately.
Human or not, fuck it.
So better not come this way.
I smoked a couple, stretched.
Nice view.
Glanced around at the buildings.
Wonder if anyone's watching me from windows or rooftops?
Nope.
I smirked and scanned the streets again.
Yeah.
This was my base camp from the start.
Still is.
Oh.
Forgot the charger.
Battery at 44%.
Was gonna watch YouTube till stats recharge.
Tch.
Save battery.
Pocketed the phone and went inside.
Munched snacks from the bag, lounged a few hours, then messaged Su-hyun.
[Su-hyun-ah. I'm at the boarding house now.]
[Huh? What're you doing there?]
[Lying down.]
[lololol]
[Anything going on?]
[Nah. About to eat dinner. Everyone's on the roof. Don't stay there, come here.]
[Gotta head back down soon. Eat tasty without worrying about me.]
[Lots of zombies below?]
I thought a bit, then replied.
[Tons.]
[ㅜㅜ... Come after dinner, oppa. Yeah? Family here wants you too.]
Ah, Su-hyun...
Cute.
You're the best at looking after me.
Might make you third wife or something.
I chuckled and messaged back.
[I'll come tonight.]
[ㅜㅜ Can't you come now?]
[^^]
Sent that and stopped.
Meat... sounds good.
I'm a carnivore.
But reason I'm not going?
Eat my fill of meat, rest a bit, and I'd be raring to go.
...Already swelling up just thinking.
With Su-hyun, Ye-eun, So-eun, Jung Eun-seo, and the other girls in front of me? Eyes would roll back for sure.
No can do.
Leveling first.
Finish the night raid, then head back.
After that...
Think then.
Lying down, glanced at my crotch—yep, tenting up.
...Just rest.
10 PM.
All stats recharged, confirmed. Put on the blood-soaked clothes, strapped on the lifting belt.
Outside was midnight.
Stars out.
I stared at them a bit, then descended the stairs.
Out the front gate, looked around.
Habit now.
"............"
Movement far off.
That utility pole again.
Spotted me looking, scurried off.
...Chase?
Nah, waste of Acceleration.
Still, the cockroaches had definitely been scouting us.
Fear? Hostility? Fear turning to hate?
Ever since that incident, they were fully on guard against me.
They wouldn't bother our people. If they did, they wouldn't have mobbed like that.
It's me.
That's what made them uneasy.
Yeah. Keep being uneasy.
I smirked and headed to the underpass.
Down into the depths.
Bodies piled up.
Exactly thirty.
I stepped over them, drew breath.
Drew my sword.
Shing...
And shouted.
"Come here!"
Groooaaar!
The air vibrated.