Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Night School
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Daily life had returned to normal.
It felt like I'd just had a midsummer night's dream. Thinking it was nothing more than an unattainable fantasy actually put my mind at ease.
It was my fault for craving something sweet in this godforsaken, shitty world.
I'd spent the last two months holed up in the bunker without stepping outside.
The only times I'd ventured out were occasional moments every few days when I'd crack open the bunker door, sit at the entrance, and bask in the sunlight for an hour or two.
With plenty of food stocked and coins to spare, there was no need to risk the outside world.
I had zero interest in how the world was faring or how many people were dying each day.
My sole curiosity was what those bastards who turned the world into this mess were really after.
If they had the power to toy with the world like this, destroying it outright would've been a breeze.
That first-day message. The one that made everyone over seventy vanish in an instant.
With that kind of ability, tweaking a few numbers would've ended the world without breaking a sweat.
They'd stopped new life from being born, wiped out the elderly in one go, and made humans slaughter each other without hesitation.
My initial conclusion was that they were after entertainment.
Somehow, with their godlike powers, they peered into our lives, engineered scenarios, and watched us ants scramble through this hell like some twisted reality show.
A sick hobby among sick hobbies. Utter trash.
Whoever they were, it was only natural to feel resentment toward such scum.
But the more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
If it was just for fun, why craft such a boring world?
If they wanted to see humans killing each other, they'd impose tighter, more urgent restrictions.
Under these conditions, plenty of people like me would just hole up safely and never budge.
Were their tastes that perverse?
Not thrill-seeking, just voyeuristic?
I had no idea. There just wasn't enough information.
And I had no clue where to get more.
After two months, I decided to step outside.
There wasn't a particular reason. I just felt like taking a stroll.
I wasn't horny, short on food, or missing anyone.
I was just curious about the world.
And maybe I'd mess up and die by accident?
If those world-wreckers existed, the afterlife probably wasn't some empty void either.
They could rig that up too, forcing eternal fights and deaths.
In short, I'd lost all fear of death.
That broke the old equation: going out = danger.
If anything, I was a bit curious about what came after.
Though if it turned out to be nothing, I'd be royally screwed.
Where to go?
Not the officetel. Not the one-rooms either.
I didn't want to see Yeon-ju, that saintly whore—though part of me did.
No underground mall or subway station.
Right now, I wanted to walk under the moonlight, not dive underground.
The mart, maybe?
With a destination set but no rush, I took my time strolling along.
Empty streets.
Lights on in every house.
The world had ended, but water and electricity kept flowing smoothly, keeping things illuminated.
An ironic world where streetlights and neon signs flickered on at dusk as always.
Why keep the power and water running? Didn't want us devolving into some primitive stone-age slog?
The lifeless streets felt eerie.
Human habitats decayed faster than you'd think without people.
As I walked, I spotted something near a wall.
A bag and scattered items.
Shampoo, toothbrush, stockings, nail clippers... What the hell? Did someone raid a mart's daily goods aisle?
That's when a weird feeling hit me.
Why were these here? Who'd leave this stuff?
A sudden thought struck.
No one left them on purpose.
The carrier had no choice but to drop them.
If the person died and vanished mid-trip, the stuff would just fall.
I replayed the scene in my head.
Someone carrying these gets attacked, leans against the wall, bag drops, items spill.
The victim dies and disappears right there.
The attacker strolls up, grabs the coins, ignores the junk, and leaves...
Plausible deduction.
Biggest issue: the bag was spotless.
No dust on the items, no rain marks.
Dropped recently.
Sensing danger, I ducked into the shadows and scanned quietly.
Dead silence, no signs of life.
If someone was watching, they'd have attacked already.
I eyed the tallest nearby building.
A five-story villa with a water tank on the roof. I bolted up there.
Luckily, the rooftop door was open.
Climbing high cuts off retreat, not ideal lightly—but with my abilities, it was safer.
Confidence: against three or fewer, I'd win once I spotted them.
I slowly surveyed for movement.
Wish I had night vision goggles.
Mostly residential nearby, all houses.
The open view: a school. Gym labeled "High School."
Something moving toward it.
Bit far, night—couldn't tell gender, but definitely human.
Person fleeing desperately.
Soon after, a pursuer.
My nape prickled.
Obvious from the chase: not here for chit-chat.
Plus, those shampoo traces fresh in mind.
Had to be connected.
What to do...
Didn't want to meddle, but curiosity gnawed.
Two months of bland survival? Who knows.
Knew staying out was best, yet here I was, heading down toward the school.
Screw it. Fuck it.
No overthinking. Just live how I want.
The night school oozed an eerie, subtle dread.
Lights on, yet repellent—who's been to school doesn't feel it?
I crept toward where prey and hunter vanished, hiding as much as possible, checking for others.
A woman's scream echoed off the building walls from afar.
Behind the school, on the brick-paved path, I hid behind a massive AC unit.
Its hum drowned sounds, but perfect cover.
One man standing, a boy collapsed nearby.
A girl shaking the boy, glaring at the man.
Man extends hand—whip lashes out at her.
Fierce swing, like it'd cleave her in two.
But a hazy shield blooms around her, blocking it.
What? She has Shield too? Girls love that skill.
Shield held firm against repeated whips.
Whip guy closes in after attacks fail.
Hands, feet—nothing breaches the shield.
Tougher than expected. Shield's decent purely for defense.
Problem: useless offensively.
Girl safe but anxious, face grim.
Probably over the fallen boy.
Stuck shielding, flailing helplessly.
Whip guy just stands there.
Shield's flaw: shortest distance to defeat.
Can't win, just stall.
Her face twists in confusion.
Boy coughs blood.
She wants to save him but can't with Whip looming.
Finally, boy's head lolls aside and he vanishes.
"Jeong-woo!!!!!!"
Her piercing scream.
Golden pouch from the boy sucked into her.
She stares blankly at Whip guy.
He plops down brazenly before her.
How long can Shield last? Cooldown? Duration? Unknown.
Her expression screamed trouble.
If she had options, she'd have used them—no staring contest for minutes.
I put Whip guy to sleep.
He flops sideways; she startles.
I emerge from behind the unit; she jumps again at the new face.
Ignoring her, I grab a nearby brick and approach her shield.
Long black hair, youthful face, baggy gym clothes.
Pretty in a cute way. Makeup would elevate her.
Clearly under twenty. Gym uniform suggests high schooler or fresh twenty.
She eyes me warily; I set the brick down before her shield.
"Want revenge?"
She panics, uncomprehending.
"This guy's the one who killed your friend, right?"
Fire ignites in her eyes.
"Smash his head with this, and it's done. Not hard."
How do I look to her?
Devil tempting with sweet revenge?
But she hesitates.
Hates killing? Or distrusts me?
"If I'm bothering you, I'll leave. But kill him. He'll wake soon. Don't botch a run or dodge—next time, no helper like me. No corpse or blood left. Saw your friend? Just vanishes. No hesitation—crush his skull in one go. Got it?"
Watching her waver, I felt oddly amused.