Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Day of the End - 3
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4:30 PM.
The scorching heat lingered, and the zombies' momentum had grown even fiercer.
Now they weren't moving individually—they were starting to form packs.
The spores inside their skulls were commanding it.
Stick together to boost survival odds.
Because of that, I had to store my motorcycle far from the camping supply store.
"How the hell am I supposed to break through that..."
To make matters worse, survivors were already holed up inside the camping store, holding out.
Dozens of zombies outside were howling to get in.
A few arrows shot out as the glass shattered, but the zombie numbers didn't dwindle.
If anything, more were swarming in from the surroundings.
"Maybe there are a lot of people inside?"
They probably weren't one team originally—just showed up to loot the store and got trapped.
Judging by the arrows, they hadn't been caught off guard; they'd come prepared.
In that case, they wouldn't yield easily, so a fight would break out soon enough.
And sure enough, voices arguing came from the broken glass.
"Get out quick!"
"You kidding right now? We got here first!"
"I'm gonna open the damn door!"
"Do it! Open it!"
Extreme situations amplify negative emotions, turning people against each other.
Right now, they had no escape and were lashing out in frustration.
They were probably aiming at each other inside, and if someone fired by mistake...
"Agh! That bastard shot me!"
"Shoot back, damn it!"
"I-it was an accident! Accident!"
Sure, say it was an accident after pulling the trigger.
"You tell them after you kill them."
At least for anyone hostile toward me.
Anyway, all that yelling wasn't gonna scare off the zombies.
I climbed to the rooftop of a nearby building and waited for things to settle.
"1 hour 20 minutes left..."
After patiently waiting, more commotion erupted.
"Don't open that! We'll all die!"
"You guys shot first! Let's all just die then!"
It was pure rage.
Moments later, the back door creaked open.
Zombies noticed and swarmed the back, prompting panicked shouts.
"Run! Run!"
Yeah, fleeing beats fighting.
Dozens of zombies flooding the back door was quite the spectacle.
They moved like a single sluggish mass.
I didn't jump from the second floor—just calmly went down.
Then approached the front entrance, where zombies were scarce.
"Hup!"
I dispatched a few zombies and smashed the sturdy glass door with my sledgehammer.
Slipped inside and checked around.
The survivors had fled, and the zombies had chased after them.
Only about four left inside?
"You guys should've followed too."
The zombies shuffled toward me, vying for position.
Still manageable for now.
After the tutorial ends, enhanced zombies respawn around, so it won't stay easy.
I sidestepped and bashed one's head with my mace.
More important than smashing zombies was sealing the back door quick.
Smashed one head, then rushed to the back and locked it with the chain.
Uuuaaaagh—
Three zombies surrounded and approached me.
Their twisted mouths looked like mocking grins: Trapped now, huh?
"Wrong. You're trapped with me."
I hammered the three zombies and converted them to points.
"Grab what I can and bounce."
If possible, I wanted to loot the heavy equipment place too.
Tons of drool-worthy gear there.
Opened the dimension gate and tossed in camping supplies like mad; the heat made my head spin.
Times like this, stick my head in the gate...
"Ah... cool..."
Dingo barked from afar as steam rose from my head.
Sorry for the sight—just bear with me a bit.
I snapped to it and shoved camping gear in indiscriminately.
Tents, sleeping bags, cookware, utensils, folding table, chairs, stove, fire pit, rope, and more!
"No end to this!"
At least they were neatly sorted by category.
So I grabbed a few pricey ones and headed to the next section.
Titanium cookware set was tempting, but no need for multiples.
"Grab some ceramic sets too."
Tossing stuff in willy-nilly, I cooled off inside the gate—total chaos.
The vast clearing was packed with my loot.
Dingo had fled to the cave entrance.
One hour left... just a bit more.
"Whew... gonna die."
No more Sun Apples.
Squeezed out my last strength for one final lap around the store when someone raised the shutter outside.
I froze for a second.
Too dark inside; the light blinded me, and I was exhausted.
The shutter-openers: two worn-out guys, one woman.
Probably the ones who'd fled earlier.
They spotted me and looked troubled.
"W-what? When'd you get in?"
"Not those guys from before?"
I shook my head to clear it.
"...As you can see, just a guy. Lots of stuff inside... take what you want."
Only a ceramic utensil set in my hands.
They glanced at me and whispered.
"No ceramic sets here? Someone took 'em?"
"That guy?"
"No backpack or anything. Hurry and grab stuff."
40 minutes left now.
Looted enough; time for the equipment place.
I slipped out, gauging their reactions.
The others were too busy picking gear.
One kept side-eyeing me.
"We just letting that guy go?"
"What else? Kill him?"
"Better to grab stuff quick than think like that."
Smart thinking.
I pulled out my bike from afar and rode to the equipment store.
Surprisingly few zombies.
Probably sensed hunger and went scavenging.
Not much edible around here anyway.
I cut the lock with the oxy torch and moved gear and consumables to the shelter.
"Huff, huff... seriously dying."
If Metal Plague hits now, I won't even be able to run.
Thought to rest, but the agrochemical store next door was too tempting.
Fertilizer bags, pesticides, plastic sheeting, materials, seeds... couldn't leave any.
"Gotta take this."
Shoved it all in the gate somehow and slumped.
20 minutes left.
Lifted my head—studio apartments in view.
Cheap rent area, mostly college kids from nearby uni.
"On break, probably home."
Targeting their PC hard drives.
Student rigs likely packed with dramas, movies, music.
Can't loot epic in 20 minutes, but a couple rooms doable.
Cut the 1F window bars with the cutter, smashed in with sledge.
Crash!
Dragged my heavy ass into the two-room—jackpot.
Desktop and NAS network storage.
"Fancy case."
Good PC means good data.
Carefully loaded the PC setup into the gate.
Time running out.
Looted one more 1F two-room, then moved the gate entrance far from shelter.
In case spores cling and wreck the metal—total disaster.
Nail under the gate for entry/exit; if Metal Plague hits the forest, it'll show.
Shoved everything in, sat on stairs, waited.
At 6 PM, ground shook like an earthquake.
Thud!
"Here it comes."
Rushed out, took position in road center.
Metal Plague crumbles all metal, so open metal-free lot safest.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Deafening booms nonstop.
Distant building crumbled with a crunch.
"Whoa..."
Rumble—
Sturdy apartment complex collapsed in a heap, kicking up tremors and dust clouds.
Shockwave hit so hard I couldn't open my eyes.
That kicked off weird noises.
Human civilization's swan song.
All metal disintegrating.
And... the true apocalypse unfolding.
Car frames and bodies caved under weight.
Villa gas lines shattered.
Streetlights lost form everywhere, signs smashed and scattered.
I touched nearby metal shard.
Thumbnailsize chunk powdered like sand.
Just like the Metal Plague I knew.
Disrupts bonds beyond a certain size...
Buildings had stains here and there.
"Corrosion... nah."
Apartment collapse in short time screams particle beam.
Odd it spares human bodies.
Even now, buildings around roared.
Tiny impacts shattering metal, chain reactions spreading.
"Tutorial had iron gates."
Maybe staging for tension.
But the real shocker came next.
Gale-force wind hit, then mushroom cloud rose afar.
"W-what?!"
Momentarily thought nuke.
But no way in Busan.
And that close? I'd be ash now.
So that was...
"Ammo depot blew."
Direction matched infantry battalion.
Shell casings shatter, metal sparks ignite powder?
Whole depot goes boom.
"Dodged a bullet skipping the army base."
Sighed relief, entered studio, opened gate.
Nail on floor intact.
"Nice."
Proved gate world immune to Metal Plague.
Nothing to fear.
Hastily moved gate to shelter.
Motorcycle... unusable now.
"Only bow and war club viable."
So the 100-pound recurve bow I stashed earlier perfect.
Carbon-tipped arrows, 100 ready—no shortage.
Packed metal-free backpack: rations, water, first aid, fireworks, essentials.
This my survival pack now.
"Can't guarantee gate always opens..."
If Survival Life devs deep in this mess.
Might patch in user-screwing systems.
"They're perverts."
Enhanced ghouls blocking item effects before—no slacking.
Checked my gear for metal.
Zippers tied with string ahead—no metal found.
Dingo came barking by me.
"You're at risk."
Mimicked zombie growl, but he barked defiantly.
Bored alone for hours, huh.
"Fine, come along."
Faster than me, won't get caught by zombies.
Crossed gate with him.
Buildings collapsing everywhere, dust clouds engulfing all.
"Sets the mood."
Reeked of apocalypse.
Headed to grocery mart with Dingo.
...
When zombie outbreak hits, marts become the world's most dangerous spots.
All nearby zombies swarm for the food inside.
Our neighborhood grocery mart was zombie-packed.
"Someone'd think it's a sale."
Hid in arcade, scoped the mart across street.
Reinforcing steel inside crumbled, but light load kept it standing.
Inside: shelves collapsed, total mess.
Over a hundred zombies crammed, gorging messily.
Parking lot: dozens of car... husks scattered.
Even now, metal bits collapsing intermittently from wind.
"Plenty of fuel... good."
Metal Plague wrecked tanks; lot mixed oil and metal.
Dozens liters per car—inevitable.
Gas mix; one spark and inferno.
Recapped my route.
"Enter left, herd zombies out right..."
Prep fireworks first.
Draw eyes, light before fuse burns out.
"Lure enough without getting surrounded."
I wasn't the type to perfectly measure zombie distance and toy with control.
That's Bunny Duo and Duck Down Quack's specialty.
But this much, I could handle.
"Dingo, stay here."
Two runners confuse zombies.
Dingo posted at stairs to 2F; I pulled two fireworks.
Lit one with match... run!
Shoulder-checked a zombie, bolted to lot.
Zombie heads snapping my way—horror flick every time.
Well, reality's horror now.
"Over here! Here!"
Kwak!
Dodged a snarling zombie, waved firecracker toward mart.
Moving meal right here!
"Hungry? Come on out!"
Best zombie bait: noise and light.
Smell gone, but sight and hearing sharp.
Zombies mesmerized by me and sparks, rose and followed.
Dozens poured into lot instantly.
I ran to fuel-scarce side.
Spark hits oil, I burn alone.
"Yaaah!"
Dozens clung as I bolted blindly.
Piper Man for real!
Rats hit river, I ditched firecracker in lot as I escaped.
Gas and diesel-soaked ground erupted.
"Whoa!"
Flames roared up, engulfing zombies.
Their clothes ignited instantly, wreathed in fire.
Kraaaah—
Zombies flailed after me but toppled one by one.
Fallen blocked others, snowballing pileup.
Now lot blazed like campfire, belching black smoke.
Level increased to 11 Acquired 104 points Upon reaching Lv. 10, trait gains additional effect
◇ Dimension Slot ◇
I bolted into the mart like mad.
Most zombies gone, space cleared.
Opened gate, hurled spilled groceries.
Chocolate, gum, candy, jelly... months' worth solo.
"Huff, huff..."
Exhaustion and Survival Thirst hit together.
No escape now, no second chance.
Dodged lunging zombies, sprinted out.
Dingo chased me.