Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Day of the End - 2
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Fighting zombies isn't actually that hard.
Even an ordinary person can take down one or two if they have a weapon.
But the problem is there aren't just one or two zombies.
Fights with them inevitably make a lot of noise, and soon you're surrounded.
In the city, there are obstacles everywhere, so tripping and falling is commonplace.
Once you fall, that's it.
"That's why you have to choose your location carefully."
If you limit the battlefield to a confined space, you have a chance of winning.
Narrow alleys, corridors, doorways, that sort of thing.
In those cases, just having a shield lets you effectively block zombie attacks.
As long as they're not enhanced zombies, you can force one-on-one fights and beat them down unilaterally.
Just like right now.
I let one zombie in and smashed it with my mace.
Thwack!
The thing collapsed without even knowing what hit it.
One by one like that, and soon all four were down.
"Huff, huff... This isn't a joke."
It hadn't been this hot just yesterday, so why the sudden change?
Even a little movement felt like a sweat shower.
But there was no time to cool off.
I stored the mace and shield in the dimension gate and hopped on the motorcycle.
Vroom! The bike roared to life and shot forward.
Groooar—
Zombies reached out for me from all directions.
They weren't fully dominated by the spores yet, so their movements were sluggish.
But give it a few hours and some energy intake, and they'd change completely.
I had to secure a position and get through the tutorial before then.
I weaved the motorcycle through the zombies.
Thanks to my boosted perception stat and terrain detection skill, I didn't snag once.
"Not a single person around..."
Passing a house, I saw a zombie pouncing on someone.
"Aaaah! Help me!"
I didn't ease off the throttle, keeping my speed.
Even if I stopped here, there was nothing I could do.
I finally reached the hardware store, but it was locked with a sturdy padlock.
"Damn it."
I immediately grabbed the oxy cutter and started slicing through the lock.
Zombies were closing in from all sides.
Finally, the lock fell off.
I raised the shutter and shoved through the rickety door with my body.
The inside of the hardware store was cramped; no room for the motorcycle.
As I closed the shutter, stale air enveloped me.
The zombie shopkeeper emerged slowly from the back room.
Grrrooo.
But the tight space and clutter kept it from reaching me properly.
It kept bumping into things and stumbling.
"Sorry about this."
I smashed the zombie's head with the mace.
The ones outside pounded on the shutter.
"Hold on a bit."
Next, I had to grab whatever I could.
But the store had way more than one or two items.
I tried to prioritize metal goods, but time was short.
The shelves were too heavy to topple.
"Slowly, slowly."
I calmed myself down.
These items wouldn't be available later.
Even if it took time, I needed to secure as much as possible.
"After this..."
I'd head straight to the police station to loot it.
The camping store was farther and huge, so it'd have to be last.
Other spots if time allowed.
Sweat poured down my forehead and neck.
I took off my motorcycle helmet and kept working, panting.
"Ah, seriously."
This was unbearable.
Zombies banged on the shutter outside, deafening, and my body was melting in the heat.
Should've done this at dawn?
But with everyone's nerves on edge, getting spotted was risky.
The dimension gate would save me from big trouble, but attracting attention was burdensome.
Didn't they say even falling leaves make conscripts nervous?
With the zombie outbreak looming, I wanted to stay as quiet as possible.
I opened the dimension gate and stepped into the forest.
Cool to the point of chill air hit me.
"Ah... Feels good..."
Just one minute.
Dingo, out in the clearing by the shelter, barked at me.
Steam rose as sweat evaporated, startling it.
"Shh. Play around here, got it?"
I petted it, then reluctantly returned to the hardware store.
From midwinter to midsummer in an instant.
"Freezing me then melting me. What am I, dried pollack?"
Still, that one minute of cool breeze felt nice.
Soon it'd be sweaty hell again, but riding the bike would...
Bang! Bang! Thud!
The shutter shook like it might break.
I ignored it and kept tossing items in.
Hardware stores have so many heavy things.
Varieties galore; I couldn't even tell what I grabbed.
"Uracha!"
After tossing dozens of cement bags, dizziness hit.
I shoved my head into the dimension gate to cool off.
Hey, this works too.
"Ah... So cool..."
Thud! Thud!
Zombies pounded so hard the shutter was nearly done for.
Peeking through a hole, I nearly fainted.
"What, so many?"
Five zombies fixated on me, hammering the shutter.
Wouldn't it be more efficient to hunt other food?
Ten minutes and I'd leave for food, but no time to wait.
Another fight here, I guess.
I chewed a piece of Sun Apple from my pocket.
Stamina recovered, blurry vision cleared.
Helmet on, mace and shield in hand.
Raising the busted shutter, three staggered; the other two bared teeth.
"Let's die, you bastards."
.
.
.
I took out the zombies, loaded my heavy body onto the motorcycle, and headed for the police station.
Too hot and exhausted; even Sun Apples barely helped.
Stamina recovery has limits, huh.
Exhaustion triggered Survival Thirst.
Survival Thirst
Body lightened significantly.
By the time I reached the station, my body felt very light.
"Loot quick and rest..."
I dumped the bike at the entrance and grabbed the oxy cutter when gunshots rang from inside.
Damn, who's there?
With Metal Plague, they won't last long anyway. Why come here?
Or maybe cops who were already here?
"Figured it's safer than home."
Because the station has an armory!
Problem is, I came for the armory too.
"No choice."
I opened a dimension gate visible from the entrance and charged in.
Zombies drawn by the shots swarmed from everywhere.
"Damn, complicating things."
Going out to help would be idiotic.
Have to fight zombies and people at once.
Could get hit by stray bullets.
Enjoying the forest's cool air, zombies piled up at the entrance.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A couple zombies burst and fell, but numbers barely dropped.
Gunshots just drew every zombie around.
"Must've seen the攻略 guides."
Early zombies are sensitive to sight and sound, didn't they know?
The shooter climbed to the second floor, peered down, and tilted his head.
Probably thought jumping zombie-free side meant escape.
Clinging to the railing cautiously was fine, but a tall zombie yanked his pant leg.
"Argh!"
He flailed and fell.
Zombies roared and swarmed; tearing screams followed.
"Damn."
I closed the dimension gate briefly.
Wait a bit, and they'd move on.
"Not much time though..."
Delay more, no time for other spots.
Ten minutes later, I reopened it.
Zombies that occupied the front had gone upstairs.
Devouring the dead guy's stockpile, probably.
Wanted to chase and claim it, but held back.
Not much quantity, and zombies would leave eventually.
Soon zombies came down and moved out of the station.
Parking lot had vehicles and mangled corpses torn by zombies.
I averted my eyes and picked up the revolver the guy dropped.
Damn, blood smell...
Opening the tattered door, inside was a mess.
"Weapons only this?"
At where he first fired: 15 rounds of .38 ammo, one K2 rifle, 20 rounds of 5.56mm.
Armory empty, no guns left.
"Smuggled them out ahead."
Is this okay for the people's staff?
Well, I'm here to loot the people's staff too.
"Take what we can for now."
I opened dimension gate in armory, stashed two guns and 35 rounds.
Upstairs: zombies had ravaged food supplies.
"Ate it all."
Zombie appetites are infamous.
Still, batons, three tasers, radios seemed useful.
I grabbed gear and headed out.
Riding the bike on the road, zombies lunged everywhere.
Grroooar!
Not welcome, so scram.
Finally at the motorcycle shop; situation tricky.
Store fully exposed; hard to dodge zombie eyes.
Only scooters and one ATV left.
I dashed in, blocked door with ATV, rummaged drawers.
"Keys... keys..."
Kraaa!
Zombies spotting me tried climbing over ATV.
Held mace in one hand to shove them, other hand digging drawers—acrobatics.
Keyring found!
No time to check; bashed zombies with mace.
Two down, opened gate, tossed keyring and everything grab-able.
Zombies swarmed.
Panting from rush.
Helmet and stab vest soaked, sticky.
All this my enemy.
Opened gate, entered, removed helmet, caught breath.
Zombies hammered gate like hitting wall.
Won't break, right?
I waited anxiously for them to leave.
"Should go to camping store..."
Police station loot disappointing.
Guns aside, wanted more ammo.
Head to nearby infantry barracks?
But if even one armed, I'd face shootout.
"High chance they've taken ammo depot..."
No winning odds.
Hide in gate, armed soldier shows eventually—but time short.
Chewed half Sun Apple, burst out.
A bike speeding by spotted me, stopped.
I ducked into back room.
"Fucking bastard, perfect timing."
Tattooed guy and skinny from villa gang dismounted, aimed crossbows inside.
Thunk, thunk—bolts embedded in back room.
"You bastard, I'll catch you and feed you to zombies, you old fuck."
Harsh breathing; hot for him too.
"No idea why you're so mad."
Tattooed leaped over ATV into store.
"Playing dumb? I, huff, fucking spit-marked her, and you take her?"
"Consider her side too."
"Her side my ass. If I say go, she goes, you dog. Come out. Bolt in your eyeball. Or grill you electric?"
Definitely electric ability user.
I opened gate, slipped in.
Tattooed flung open back room door, confused.
"Huh? Where'd the bastard go?"
"Boss, zombies coming!"
"Hey, search outside! Awakener maybe?"
As tattooed turned to leave.
I burst out, smashed his shoulder full force with mace.
Crack—
Sinister sound; he crumpled.
"Gaaah!"
"Shh."
Smashed his head.
Screams stopped; looted crossbow, quiver, backpack into gate.
"B-boss!"
Outside minion froze, then hit by my crossbow shot as I emerged.
"Gurk!"
Zombies swarmed him.
Hid in gate, caught breath.
"Phew..."
This from killing a user... a person.
Tutorial not started, so killer system probably not activating, I guessed.
Killer system doesn't trigger on one kill.
Definite from three; two is ambiguous conditions.
Direct kill or degree of involvement.
Anyway, no telltale heart-pounding after killing tattooed guy.
Means no penalty for killing people next few hours.
But aside from villa gang, no intent for preemptive strikes.
"No need to risk it."
Dimension gate OP, but can't beat blind arrows.
If attacked, I counter.
And attackers die for sure.
Outside zombies sloppily swarmed, tearing two corpses.
Damn.
Swallowed curse, bashed their heads with mace.
Then grunted moving ATV and punks' bike.
1 hour 40 minutes till Metal Plague.
End of Day of the End - 2