Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: The Butler's Deception
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The game's difficulty had gone insane.
Five years had passed—time I wasn't aware of—so Kim Juncheol wielding aura made sense.
But even the early-game boss, Jang Yu, had his stats boosted massively.
For the mid-boss of just the third round to go toe-to-toe with an aura user?
Heh...
‘I can’t underestimate any of the events coming up.’
Jang Yu moved with speed that belied his massive bulk. He bounced around the room like a rubber ball, maniacally assaulting Kim Juncheol.
Kim Juncheol met him blow for blow, channeling aura into his sword to block every attack.
Clang!
Jang Yu’s body wouldn’t shatter even against steel—whatever it was made of, it was incredible.
They’d exchanged dozens, no, hundreds of blows, yet not a single major wound.
Jang Yu steadied his stance and bellowed at Kim Juncheol.
“Why do you think I’m behind the disappearances?”
“You’re still saying that after seeing this evidence?”
“……Evidence?”
Jang Yu’s face suggested he genuinely had no idea.
“……You bastard. Seeing that fake innocent look on your face makes me sick.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You don’t? Look! The evidence from that day, found in your study.”
The fight paused for a moment.
Kim Juncheol took a step back, pulled a torn sheet of paper from his pocket, and held it out.
“See this? Names, birthdates, ages, blood types. Records of your human experiments.”
“This is…?”
“Still playing dumb? It’s all written there—what experiments you ran!”
Jang Yu looked utterly baffled. That only made Kim Juncheol angrier.
I’d quietly reached the back of the room and grabbed the brown-haired zombie by the hair, dragging it out through the iron bars.
-Kieeeek!
It thrashed with the mutant zombie’s signature strength, but at level 19, it was no match for me.
“Stay still, you fucker.”
Jang Yu whipped around at the zombie’s scream.
“What the hell are you doing!”
His booming voice pierced my ears.
I pressed the kitchen knife to the zombie’s throat and spoke to Jang Yu.
“Shut up. Unless you want to watch your son’s head roll, don’t move.”
“M-my son!”
“I said don’t move. One more step, and his head flies this instant.”
Jang Yu flapped his mouth and reached out a hand.
“Y-you bastards. What do you want from me? What the hell do you want?”
“Just stay right there.”
“P-please. Don’t touch that boy. I beg you.”
I drew the knife lightly across the zombie’s throat. Bright red blood trickled down.
Unbelievable for a zombie whose body had rotted away.
“……Jang Yu. Open your eyes wide and look. That’s your son’s blood flowing right now.”
“W-wait. I’ll do whatever you say. Anything you want—just don’t kill him.”
“Look at the blood!”
Jang Yu waved his hands in flustered panic.
“O-okay, calm down and move that knife away.”
I pressed the brown-haired zombie’s head down harder.
-Kieeeek!
“Shut up and look at your son properly! You think a zombie can have blood this fresh?”
“That’s….”
“And do you really think your son looks human right now?”
Jang Yu glanced at the brown-haired zombie, then lowered his eyes.
“Please. He’ll make a cure soon—one that’ll heal our boy. He might look like a zombie to you now, but he’ll come back any moment.”
That guy?
I nodded slightly at Kim Juncheol, then continued.
“Who’s ‘that guy’?”
“…….”
“Who? Speak, or his head comes off.”
“…….”
I nicked the throat, and he finally spoke.
“W-wait. It’s the butler. The butler. He works at our estate.”
Kim Juncheol’s eyes went wide as he stared at Jang Yu.
-Bam-para-bam!
A high-pitched trumpet blared from somewhere.
[Hidden story discovered!!]
[Ongoing event difficulty changed to S+ rank.]
[Major Kim Juncheol expresses astonishment at your actions.]
I’d uncovered a hidden story known to only a tiny fraction of players.
I chuckled dryly at Jang Yu.
“The butler’s making a cure to turn a zombie back human?”
“He…. The butler was a doctor. He works as our butler now, but….”
“……How’s a doctor whipping up a vaccine? He’s no antibody specialist.”
Jang Yu hesitated at my question.
“…….”
“Snap out of it, Jang Yu. You’re being played by that guy. Whatever he’s experimenting on—it ain’t turning zombies back human like you think.”
Jang Yu’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly before he rasped a dry reply.
“……Lies…. No way….”
“Think about it. Common sense: your son turned zombie—can he really go back human?”
“He said… he could….”
“His body’s rotted through, and he just babbles like a baby—can’t even speak properly.”
“That’s….”
“Not a god. A rural village doctor reversing a fully rotted zombie? Even government hotshots researching together can’t crack it—yet one doctor does?”
“That’s….”
Silence fell over the room after Jang Yu’s last words.
Only the gulp of him swallowing was audible.
Right on cue, his zombie son let out a grotesque noise.
-Kraaaagh!
I slammed its head to the ground and pressed on.
“That day. You got infected but didn’t turn zombie, right? Sure, you became this monster instead.”
“……”
“Know why you didn’t turn zombie despite the Z Virus?”
“……No.”
Of course he wouldn’t.
His memories of that day were wiped.
“You might not remember, but right before your wife bit you and you were about to turn. The butler injected your shoulder. An unfinished Z Virus antibody—experimental vaccine.”
Jang Yu’s eyes flashed wide as he listened.
Like, how do you know that?
“……How do you know about that?”
“Doesn’t matter. The butler’s goal with you is simple.”
“The butler….”
“He’s using your business smarts and money to create the X Virus—a counter to Z Virus.”
Jang Yu muttered to himself.
“He…. Uh…. Ah….”
“Think again. Like I said: a rural doc working alone—making a zombie-to-human cure? Not even a vaccine?”
“No…. That….”
I sighed and continued.
“Say he did develop it. Could he live human again like that? With your son?”
“…….”
“Your boy? He’d be called a monster everywhere. Finger-pointed at his whole life.”
Jang Yu suddenly glared.
“If I’m with my son, monster’s fine.”
“You’re fine with it. Would your son be? Would he want to keep living like that?”
“…….”
“No. He wouldn’t even think it. Remember what your wife said before she turned zombie.”
“…….”
I yanked the brown-haired zombie’s head up.
“Look close. Would you want to live like this? Nah—I’d beg for death.”
Jang Yu looked down at his son.
The zombie boy spewed green fluid from his mouth, thrashing wildly.
-Krheeeek!
He couldn’t even recognize his own father—tried to attack.
No speechless wild beast looked this freakish.
No one could call that human.
Staring at his son, he slowly closed his eyes.
The gulp of his swallow echoed loud.
“Can my son be saved?”
“Maybe if you’re a god.”
“Goddamn…. Fucking…. That butler bastard….”
“Get a grip. You made your son like this. If you hadn’t fallen for the butler’s lies, he could’ve passed peacefully long ago.”
Jang Yu bowed his head.
“Would death be easier for him?”
“Better than living zombie.”
I pinned his son’s throat under my foot to immobilize him, then said to Jang Yu.
“I’ll send him off easy. Now go join him.”
“……Can I have time to pray?”
“Do what you want. Say when you’re done.”
Jang Yu clasped his massive hands and muttered something.
While he prayed, I pulled a cigarette from my pocket and lit up.
Sizzle. Crackle.
Inhale.
Exhale—
Faithful humans were so fragile. Handing life-and-death decisions to gods they’d never seen.
Dunno how others feel, but I think this:
Religion can be a refuge when you’re beat down.
But dive too deep, and you’re trapped in that tiny world—can’t see broad.
Jang Yu was the perfect case.
He’d preset “son can be cured” and shoehorned everything to fit.
Like a puzzle jammed wrong.
Prayer done, Jang Yu knelt and said to me.
“Was I a bad father?”
“……Ask your son.”
“I know Do-hyun can’t answer. I tried talking every day….”
I pointed up with my index finger.
“Ask in heaven.”
I blew a long stream of smoke over the brown-haired zombie’s face.
Then swung the kitchen knife hard, severing the neck.
Slash—
That “thunk” from novels? This was it.
The head hit the floor.
Its health bar turned gray in a flash—the brown-haired zombie was done.
Jang Yu stared at Do-hyun’s head and ground his teeth.
Then he dropped his head, offering his neck.
“Jang Yu, any last words?”
“None. Just wanna hurry and meet my wife and son.”
“……When you get up there, tell that ‘god’ guy the world’s run like shit.”
Jang Yu snorted.
I poured all my strength into the kitchen knife and swung at his brow.
The monster’s one weak spot.
Whoosh—
Thwack!
“Kraaaaaagh!”
Light burst from his forehead.
Jang Yu clutched it, writhing and screaming in agony.
I stepped back and watched him fade.
‘Too bad boss monsters can’t Revive….’
His body dissolved into glowing dust, scattering on the wind.
It swirled, flowing into me.
[System Message]
[Acquired trait ‘Jang Yu’s Heart.’]
- Stamina doubled.
[Obtained title ‘Man with Two Hearts.’]
Golden light circled my head.
Kim Juncheol let out a hollow laugh, collapsing like his energy was drained.
The goblin soldiers cheered.
-Huh…… Did they really take down that monster?
-Even Major Kim Juncheol couldn’t beat it—sent packing in one shot……
-Who the hell is that guy? Human?
I finished my cigarette and keyed the radio.
Beep.
“Ma Jeongwoo. Bring the butler to the first-floor center. Repeat: bring the butler out.”
Ma Jeongwoo replied with an American soldier drawl.
-Roger that.
Beep.
Kim Juncheol asked me.
“Cheonjae-ssi, I thought Jang Yu killed the missing people…. Did you know everything from the start?”
I grinned and pulled him to his feet.
“Who knows? Let’s go for now. Time to catch the real culprit.”
[First phase of main event completed.]
[Second phase of main event begins.]
Login the Apocalypse