Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: 26. I'll Offer Myself to You. (2)
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"Hah!"
I swung with all my might.
The blade rushed forward, splattering blood, piercing through its forehead and cleanly cleaving its skull in two.
Crack!
Blood droplets slowly welled up from the watermelon-split head.
The severed head rose leisurely into the air.
I spun around immediately.
A horde of Human Beasts that I'd cleaved through were spraying blood from their heads, some floating in the air, others planting their feet on the ground.
They collapsed in slow motion, like footage captured from every direction in an instant.
I crouched and kicked off the ground.
Strands and droplets of blood in the air smacked against my body.
It's almost over.
Acceleration
[Auto-cast]
The enhanced physical functions from the Stamina Achievement buff strengthened various parts of my body.
Running was one of them.
The surrounding scenery blurred past like afterimages.
One stride, and an entire shop whooshed by.
The fountain approached from afar and vanished in an instant.
Good.
At this speed, they won't even see me.
Tap-tap.
The moment I stopped, I shook the blood off my sword to both sides.
At that instant, Acceleration ended.
Grrraaaahhh—
Rumble!
Roars mixed with screams came crashing down like an earthquake.
A human wave collapsing like poorly stacked dominos.
Splat!
The blood from my swung sword finally dripped off.
I sheathed the sword in a flash and drew my bow.
Shing—click.
I couldn't tell how many times I'd repeated this motion.
Now, I could slot the sword into its scabbard without even looking.
In an instant, I nocked an arrow, then dropped to one knee.
In a place with a ceiling like this, aiming slightly upward gave the draw more elastic tension.
I subtly raised the bow and pulled back the string.
Twangggg—
Thwip.
Releasing my fingers, the arrow shot forward at tremendous speed, piercing a Human Beast's head.
I immediately drew and fired the next one.
Twangggg—thwip.
My archery speed.
It's getting faster.
With each passing day, each shot fired, the time to nock, draw, and release shortened.
The transparent circle in front of my eyes was now utterly familiar.
Thwip.
Fwiiiish—
Another arrow pierced a head.
As I watched the Human Beast topple like a puppet with cut strings and reached for the next arrow—
A vibration buzzed.
I froze and glanced down at my pants pocket.
The vibration kept going.
Not a message.
A phone call.
"Whew."
I set the bow aside and picked up the phone.
It was Su-hyun.
That's weird.
There's no way Su-hyun or the others didn't know what I was doing. Normally, any news would come via message.
A phone call?
I swiped the screen to answer.
Damn, blood smeared on the screen.
"Yeah, Su-hyun? What's up?"
Su-hyun's voice came urgently.
"Oppa! Hurry! Come quick!"
Her tone was off—really off.
I braced against the ground, stood, and slung the bow into its case on my waist.
"What's wrong? What happened?"
"Oppa, hurry, hurry!"
This was seriously bad.
I'd never heard Su-hyun like this before.
Then someone took the phone.
It was Jung Eun-seo.
"Seong-hun-ssi. You need to come now. Right now, I... haa... hurry, okay?"
...With both women acting like this, it was definitely no ordinary matter.
I turned and said,
"Got it. On my way."
I hung up and strode toward the exit.
The remaining Human Beasts in the distance.
Not many left now.
I'd almost cleared through to the subway.
Once inside the tracks, there might be even more—maybe swarming.
If so, I could hit max level again. That was my plan sweeping the underground these past couple days.
Plus, I still had 33 arrows left.
One in hand when I entered, fired it, fired more, totaling 33 after recovering spent ones along the way.
What a waste.
The subway was right there.
The girls had to know what I was doing—why call now? What the hell?
I exited the underpass and scanned around.
Nothing.
Quiet, still.
Just like always.
Gazing at the department store in the distance, people crowded the rooftop.
They were gesturing wildly, shouting something.
Sounded like my name.
I jogged back to the store, and Hoon-ajussi on watch spotted me, opening the shutter.
Rattle—
"T-Teach—Teacher!"
"What's wrong? What happened?"
"Up—up there, go up, upstairs."
Hoon-ajussi's face was pale as a ghost.
What the hell?
I nodded and headed to the elevator.
The ride to the 10th floor felt endlessly long.
I didn't even know what was going on, but impatience gnawed at me.
Why were they freaking out?
Ding.
Doors opened.
I bolted up the stairs to the rooftop.
Our group.
And the new guy and girl.
All lined up along the railing, staring into the distance.
Ye-eun spotted me and waved frantically.
"Oppa, Seong-hun oppa! Hurry, quick!"
Everyone looked at me.
Their eyes all...
Su-hyun and Jung Eun-seo waved me over, making space.
I went there and peered far out.
"What the—? What's going..."
I couldn't believe my eyes.
...What am I seeing right now?
A wide road.
Dozens, hundreds of cars flipped or upright, abandoned far off.
Dark clouds hung over it.
No—not clouds.
Heads.
It writhed, filling the entire road—a massive black centipede with countless legs, inching closer.
...A zombie wave.
"...Fucking hell."
I'd only seen it on YouTube—first time in real life.
Hundreds of meters away. No, kilometers.
But not far at all.
It squirmed and twisted, tangling and shoving like a single organism, devouring the road, buildings, the city.
Too distant to hear.
The sound of shattering glass.
But it was definitely happening.
Buildings engulfed by the approaching zombie wave.
Glass exploding from high and low structures as Human Beasts leaped out.
Scale beyond counting.
Tens of thousands? No, maybe a million.
Seemed like it'd swallow the world.
I stood frozen, overwhelmed by the zombie wave.
That's no scale I can handle.
Tens of thousands, a million Human Beasts.
A zombie wave blanketing the whole city... by me?
...Impossible.
...Wait.
"...What's that?"
At the forefront of the zombie wave.
Something was there.
A person.
A woman, it seemed.
She was riding a bicycle.
And in one hand, something red.
Too far to see clearly.
But I realized what it was soon enough.
What the woman on the bike held.
A megaphone.
She pedaled like mad, screaming at the top of her lungs.
Still too far to make out words.
Just a faint hum droning in.
...I know who it is.
That fucking female cockroach.
This bitch...!
"O-Oppa..."
Su-hyun called me in a frightened voice.
Ye-eun too, So-eun, Jung Eun-seo, Jun-hyuk, Tae-young—everyone.
Staring at me.
And at the zombie wave.
"...Ahh..."
A groan like leaking air.
Thud.
Glancing aside, Grandmother had collapsed.
"Grandma! Grandma!"
Ye-eun and So-eun grabbed and shook her.
But Grandmother just groaned, unresponsive.
She'd fainted at the sight of the zombie wave.
I grabbed Tae-young's forearm beside me and yanked.
"You, take Grandma down."
Blood marks stayed on his arm.
But he didn't care.
"Got it, hyung."
He nodded and went to her.
I turned and walked to the rooftop edge.
Best spot to view the road head-on.
I drew my bow as I went.
Swish.
Drew an arrow with my other hand.
Jung Eun-seo realized what I was doing and asked, alarmed.
"Seong-hun-ssi. It's impossible. How with that...? Too far."
I gritted my teeth and muttered low.
"Don't worry."
At the edge, I nocked the arrow and raised the bow.
The transparent circle appeared before my eyes.
Black tide.
Monstrous zombie wave.
Up front, that batshit crazy bitch auntie racing her bike like hell.
Not glowing red.
I slowly raised the bow higher.
The circle followed.
The circle's range was about plate-sized.
Out of that, no hit.
I lifted the bow gradually.
Almost 45 degrees.
...Out of the circle.
"...Fuck."
I looked around.
Everyone watching me.
Didn't care if they saw.
Should've killed her ages ago.
This pathetic mercy caused the zombie wave.
Should've ended her when she charged with the knife.
Grind.
Teeth gnashing.
You crazy bitch.
I need to line up that whore's head and blow it off.
Right now!
Near the vegetable patch.
A chair.
Wooden one from the calligraphy academy, maybe.
Probably for resting while tending the garden.
I strode to the patch and grabbed the chair.
Tae-young, Ye-eun, So-eun hadn't gone down yet. Watching me.
Curious what I'd do.
I passed them without a word and went to the edge.
If I were on the ground now, I'd Acceleration-rush over and decapitate her with my sword.
Not sure if 14 Accels would get me back, but I'd charge recklessly and butcher that insane female cockroach anyway.
But not now.
Even waiting for the elevator was too long.
Thud.
Set the chair down and climbed on.
...Damn, still awkward stance.
I propped one foot on the railing ledge.
Better now.
I raised the nocked bow and drew.
Twangggg—
Circle appeared.
Not glowing red.
I slowly lifted the bow.
Circle rose with it.
Still no aim.
I held the draw, barely fitting the female cockroach at the circle's bottom edge, and waited.
...Not yet.
Not yet.
The megaphone's blaring voice.
Faintly carried on the wind.
All die—
Die—
You fucking bastard—