Chapter 120
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: One More Time as a Bonus
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I had expected it... but its insane regenerative power far exceeded anything I could have imagined.
And then there were those tentacles that could shatter concrete and rebar with a mere swing.
The appearance of this monster, the epitome of unreasonableness just by looking at it, had even me on edge.
But it wasn't as if there was no way out.
No matter what, I was the leader of the group that had taken over this Martco.
I had no intention of shirking the responsibility that came with that position.
If it didn't exist, I'd create it myself.
"Th-that's... impossible...."
Before long, people's hearing seemed to return, and as they came to their senses one by one, they witnessed the monster regenerating.
Starting with Sua's trembling voice, unease began to spread.
Aside from Sua, most of them were people who had risked their lives hunting zombies, so they managed to stay relatively calm, but their eyes betrayed their fear.
"That size... and that speed...."
I stored the shotgun in my inventory and crossed my arms.
There was damage—it wasn't completely ineffective.
It had fully regenerated and grown even larger, but the fuel for that regeneration came from zombie corpses, after all.
Simply put, if I kept going until I exhausted them all, that would be that.
'The problem is having to dive into that zombie field to do it.'
A quick scan showed a considerable number of zombies, though not as densely packed as here.
This was near an apartment complex, after all.
Still, it didn't feel impossible.
●
"It definitely seems to be tracking human scent."
"That's what I think too. It's heading straight for us."
"Are you sure you'll be okay...? Going in there alone."
Maybe because I'd already declared I would handle it myself, Junsang shot me a worried look.
Such gazes from another guy felt a bit uncomfortable...
I healed myself by glancing at Sua beside me and nodded.
"No choice. No one else can handle that thing. Besides, outside Martco is still crawling with zombies. Anyone else who follows would just be a burden."
"What on earth is the world coming to...?"
"That's true, but... we're only holding together because of you, Boss. Without that deterrence, we'd collapse in no time. And that monster can't be the only one out there, so you have to come back alive."
Sua placing her hand on mine, and Junsang—calculating as he might be—looking genuinely worried as he insisted I return alive.
I brushed off their concern, laden with multiple meanings, with a smile and stood up.
"Leave it to me. I'm your leader. Whether it's through force or seizure of power, I'm responsible for all of you. So don't worry—trust me. I'll handle this one too."
"Boss...!"
"Please be careful...."
Sua stood up with me and threw her arms around me.
I patted her back reassuringly while enduring the gazes from Junsang and the other former faction members I'd promoted to management for a while.
'The second-floor crew really has exceptional loyalty.'
I was certain there wouldn't have been this reaction if I'd picked managers from the basement group.
With farewells from Sua, Junsang, and the rest of the management team—my old faction allies—I leaped over the railing.
Tak—
The landing spot was the open space in front of the emergency exit I often used.
Conveniently right below, so that's why I jumped.
A long-overdue outing? Sort of.
Martco's interior was so vast that I never really felt confined.
"Grraaaargh!!"
The zombies welcomed my arrival enthusiastically.
I waved back at the grateful faces looking up at me, as if to say I was happy to see them too.
For some reason, that made them spew rotten fluids and screech even louder.
'These corpses are in high spirits.'
Politeness demands a response, though.
To fulfill my duty as a human, I channeled mana and formed a spell.
"Fireball."
Explosions are the way to go.
I hurled the instantly igniting fireball at them like a gift.
Kwaaaang!!
'They must like the gift.'
How happy must they be to burst apart like that.
Satisfied with the zombies reduced to formless mush, I threw myself into the air.
A longsword was now in my hand.
Kwaaang—!
I landed again by hurling a fireball at the ground for the recoil.
I touched down amid the massive explosion.
At the same time, the grotesque living corpses charged at me.
"Kyaaaak!!"
"I'm busy right now—no time to play."
I wrapped my body in mana and charged forward.
My endurance of 110 made me tougher than a tank, barreling forth enveloped in mana.
Naturally, it was the manifestation of a destruction tank—anything it touched exploded on contact.
'The only downside is getting filthy...'
Mana didn't block the grime, so in an instant, my whole body was soaked in rotten flesh and blood.
But this was the fastest way, so no helping it.
Breaking through the dense crowd, a slightly wider road greeted me.
No need for flashy moves from here.
Just carve up whatever came at me.
"Maybe it's been a while, but this feels refreshing."
Especially after dealing with zombies swarming like cockroaches.
The blood from previous rains had long washed away from the road.
And with no people around, plants were growing wild without maintenance.
Shallow grass had already formed along the roadside, giving it a mystical vibe.
Kind of post-apocalyptic.
And that wasn't all.
"A goral...?"
Our roadkill expert, resembling a deer but with fangs—did such a creature even exist?
The one I'd politely sliced into 100 pieces locked eyes with me and stared blankly.
Clear eyes, they call it.
Exactly that kind of innocent gleam.
'Wildlife venturing into the city center...'
Zombies only targeted humans, so from the animals' perspective, it made sense.
With their former inhabitants gone, they wanted to claim new territory.
'But it's irritating for some reason.'
No particular reason.
Just meeting that gaze filled me with displeasure.
I furrowed my brow and severed its neck.
How long had I been advancing, taking in the cityscape that differed bit by bit from my memories?
I finally reached my target destination.
"Hoo...."
I looked ahead.
Not too close, but not far either—a bizarre lifeform composed of writhing flesh, sprouting countless tentacles, came into view.
Could this even be called a living creature?
The thought hit me immediately; it was that repulsive and alien.
"Ugly bastard—looks as filthy as it gets."
Facing it head-on soured my mood instantly.
The monster steadily approached, devouring the zombie corpses I'd cleaned up in the past.
I gripped the hilt of the longsword in my right hand tightly and assumed a stance.
"Still a ways off, but...."
This distance was plenty.
Its tentacles couldn't reach me yet, but I could reach it.
The monster, sensing my presence, suddenly unleashed a horrific screech.
"Kieeeek!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
'That'll burst my eardrums, you punk.'
I grimaced and drew up my mana.
Naturally, the mana rising from my heart spread through my body before gathering entirely into the longsword I held.
Kiiiiing—
With a frequency far too high for human ears to perceive, sword aura formed.
My body moved according to what Advanced Swordsmanship guided me to do.
A technique with a clear name.
But even this time, it didn't reveal the exact name.
Not knowing the name meant not fully grasping it.
'Probably need to buy the final-stage [《Sword God》] skill.'
I knew how to move.
But the essence and imagery to infuse into those movements? I only had a vague 'sense' of it.
Even so, its power was immense, igniting my desire to master it completely even in this situation.
I pointed the sword tip at the target and pulled back as far as possible.
I shifted my lower body lightly back, readying like for a running start.
Like a spring, I tensed every muscle in my body to its limit.
'Not yet...!'
The limit wasn't enough.
I needed full power, right on the verge of breaking.
To touch even a fraction of the image forming in my mind, I pushed my body to the brink.
And the moment I felt it connect—
Katonpenryu Final Form 2nd Style
■■Rin■■
I propelled my entire body forward, channeling all energy into the sword tip.
■■■■■—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The air tore apart as the road collapsed simultaneously.
A massive hole ripped open in the monster's body once more.
"Kieeeek!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"