Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Catch, Kill, Enslave
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“What day of the week is today?”
“It's Thursday, February 3rd...”
“Dammit...”
It was already 3 PM. Once 6 PM hit, the sun would set, making it far too late to start anything new.
But we had to move now.
Our remaining time was just four days, including today which was about to end: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
As soon as it became Monday, the zombies would form groups and start rampaging even more ferociously.
We had to make our move before that happened.
“The number of times we can use the spray...”
“Oppa and Ha-rin have one use left each.”
“Unnie has two.”
“Haa... This is nerve-wracking...”
There were many other survivors in the apartment besides us... but starting next Monday, they'd all be dead. We were no different. There was no future to be had in this run-down apartment. The time to leave had come far too suddenly.
“Oppa...”
“Master. What are we going to do now?”
“Hmm... Give me a moment to think. Come here, both of you. Don't worry too much.”
“Okay...”
I hugged Eun-ji and Ha-rin, who were already terrified, and thought about what was to come.
The announcement clearly stated that the zombies would move in groups, hunt down survivors, and attack them aggressively.
Up until now, the zombies had been a bit brain-dead. But that was all thanks to the Zombie Repellent. Starting Monday, these crazy bastards would be hopping around and attacking people. Even now, the zombies were fast enough, but after Monday, it looked like they'd even be doing parkour.
Haa... This is so damn troublesome...
So far, no zombies had invaded our home. We didn't really have to worry about being attacked by zombies. We believed that sturdy front door would protect us forever.
Of course, we'd seen several cases of Special Zombies breaking down doors and getting in, but we hadn't encountered a single one in this neighborhood yet. Who knew a balance patch would happen this fast?
Starting Monday night, hordes of Normal Zombies would transform into Special Zombies. Those bastards would start hunting down people hiding in their homes and smashing through front doors to get in. Moreover, it seemed there were some among them that could command the zombies... The Special Zombies I'd seen on the internet had the physical prowess to smash through an apartment's front door in no time. And high floors weren't safe either. The Human Centipedes could crawl up the walls.
With no safety measures whatsoever, this old, cheap apartment must look like a delicious lunchbox to them.
Should we try to find a rich person's bomb shelter? Or maybe it would be better to go to a place where a large number of survivors have gathered.
If the zombies attack in groups, it would be better for the Awakened to unite and fight together.
Or maybe we should run away to an island...
Right, first, let's take over the supermarket...
We'll kill the bastards who've taken the supermarket or turn them into slaves to firmly establish our defensive line.
At least there, we'll have more than enough food to eat until we die.
If only this had happened after I'd reached at least Level 10...
We've only just reached Level 5.
We have to face the onslaught of Special Zombies in this state, without even having properly used the skills we've learned.
If I hadn't wasted the first three days after the apocalypse... Whatever the case, time is still flowing, and we need to start moving before we waste any more of it.
“First, we're in trouble if we don't have any weapons right away. I'm thinking of going to the hardware store first. What do you think?”
“Oppa, if you're going, go right now. Everyone who read the announcement must be panicking right now.”
“They'll probably try to do something while there's still time... I think it's best to move immediately.”
“Then everyone, get dressed. Don't use the spray right away; save it for when we're in a real crisis.”
“Okay.” "Understood, Master."
We had to conserve the spray as much as possible. We used it today without knowing things would turn out this way, but who knows what will happen from now on. Probably, the people who had already used up all their Zombie Repellent are crying their eyes out right now.
“Alright. I've got my bag packed...”
“Master, did you put on a pain relief patch?”
“Oppa, what about your wrist guards?”
“I did that too. I'm all set...”
Eun-ji and Ha-rin were worried about my physical condition.
To be honest, I was a bit tired, but not so tired that I couldn't do anything.
The only thing I was worried about was the baseball bat... It was on the verge of breaking, but I could still use it a few more times.
We just need to break through to the hardware store, so it just has to hold out until then.
“I'm ready too.”
“Let's go, Master.”
Eun-ji and Ha-rin were holding makeshift spears made from kitchen knives.
They were wrapped tightly with tape, but they weren't exactly reliable weapons.
If they stab a zombie a few times, the tape will get soaked with blood and loosen, and the knives will start wobbling.
But still, it's better to have something in hand right now.
“Let's go.”
Clatter.
We went outside. Fortunately, we had killed all the nearby zombies earlier in the morning, so there wasn't a single zombie around.
“Hoo...”
This was the first time we'd come out without using the spray, so we moved forward with extreme tension.
“Urrgh...”
Then, from somewhere, the characteristic gloomy cry of a zombie was heard.
“Shit...”
Ha-rin frowned and looked around.
But there was no way we could find a zombie, which doesn't have a heartbeat, with the Heartbeat Tracking skill.
“Ha-rin, conserve your mana.”
“Yes, I'm sorry...”
“It's fine, so let's just keep going...”
The others nodded and followed me.
I had told them to check their surroundings several times before coming out, so neither of them let their guard down.
They reacted sensitively to even the slightest sound, checking all around them as they followed.
Then, something jumped out from between the cars parked on the street.
“Urrgh...!”
“You bastard...”
Whoom- Thud!
“Urrgh...!”
Thud! Thud!
A zombie suddenly jumped out from beside a car.
I was so startled I almost screamed, but I clenched my teeth and beat it to death.
I glanced back and saw Eun-ji with her eyes wide open, swallowing hard, and Ha-rin's hands trembling as she held the kitchen knife spear.
Both of them still weren't used to this kind of situation and looked scared. They'll be fine once they get used to it.
Well, at least they didn't scream.
“Hoo...”
We walked along the sidewalk next to the road, heading for the hardware store.
Cars were parked all over the road, and zombie corpses were strewn about. They seemed to have been dealt with by survivors other than us. Or they were just sleeping.
Occasionally, we saw zombies inside cars, screaming at us. They must have turned into zombies without being able to unbuckle their seatbelts. We didn't have time to kill them one by one, so we just passed them by.
Zombies were wandering around here and there, chattering their teeth or making meaningless cries. We moved forward with our bodies lowered, in a state of extreme tension. No zombie had spotted us yet. We were getting so tense that our fatigue level seemed to be rising, so I struck up a conversation with Eun-ji and Ha-rin to lighten the mood.
“Hoo... We're almost at the hardware store...”
Before I could finish my sentence, something happened.
Whoom- Kooong!!
Kwa-jang-chang!!!
“Ugh...!”
“Son of a bitch....”
Something fell onto the car in front of us.
From a quick glance, it looked like a person had fallen...
“...!”
It was a person who had jumped from the roof of an apartment. It was a woman wearing a one-piece. A woman...
She couldn't bear the reality that was coming and committed suicide... It's a perfectly understandable situation. She must have jumped in a state of despair.
Since the difficulty would spike next Monday, she must have decided that jumping was better than being torn apart by zombies.
“Dammit... Oppa... the zombies are swarming...”
The car's roof collapsed and was completely crushed because of the woman who had fallen.
Also, shards of broken glass flew everywhere, hitting the car parked next to it, and the car alarm started going off...
“Urrraaaa!!!!”
The zombies, reacting to the loud noise, swarmed around the car all at once.
“Urrraaaaaaa!!”
“Kyaaaaaa!!!”
“Eo-ah-eo-ah-ah-ah..”
We couldn't go this way. If we drew the aggro of all those zombies, we were done for.
“M-Master...”
Ha-rin, who was startled, grabbed my sleeve. Her eyes were slightly teary, so she must have been very scared.
She even had her eyes tightly shut and was trembling.
It was understandable for her to be shocked after suddenly witnessing someone commit suicide right in front of her.
“Both of you, get a grip. You don't want to die yet, right?”
“Yes...”
“T-That's right... We're not going to die.”
Whether that woman couldn't bear the future and committed suicide or not, it's none of our business as long as we go our own way properly. If we care about every little thing, our minds will break.
“Let's go that way.”
Thanks to the noise, the zombies that were spread out widely had all concentrated in one spot.
We took advantage of the gap and quickly crossed the street, walking fast through the now empty area.
As we hurried past the scene, I glanced sideways and saw the zombies tearing apart and eating the corpse stuck in the car.
Ugh...
Splattering blood. The pulled-out guts and torn-off limbs were visible in all their gory detail, without any mosaic.
Ha-rin must have seen it too, as she let out a small retch. Eun-ji covered her mouth completely.
I thought I had built up a tolerance to gory scenes after smashing so many zombie heads. It seems I haven't built up a complete tolerance yet.
A human corpse with rotten zombie guts and blood pouring out of it felt completely different.
“We're here...”
Leaving the commotion behind, we finally arrived in front of the hardware store.
The hardware store's shutter was half torn. Also, the bodies of what looked like survivors were strewn about. Their appearance, with backpacks on, suggested they had fought their way here...
There were three dead bodies in total. Two were adults, and one looked like a middle or high school student. They were probably a family.
“Looks like they're all dead...”
“Oppa, are we going to search their bags?”
“We have to. First, let's make sure they're dead. If they suddenly get up and bite our legs, it's game over.”
“... Yes.”
“Understood...”
Eun-ji and Ha-rin nodded, understanding what I said.
We slowly gripped our weapons and approached the bodies.
I smashed the head of the child who was lying dead with a baseball bat. I felt a bit of resistance about smashing a young child's head, so I finished it off with my own hands. Meanwhile, Eun-ji and Ha-rin stabbed the two adult men to make sure they were dead.
We roughly searched the bags of the corpses strewn around.
“This guy's bag has clothes and... this jewelry box? Oppa, should we take this?”
“Oh. Take it, take it.”
Even if we don't know about cash, precious metals might be useful.
“Uh, Master. This lady's bag has painkillers and first-aid supplies. I'll take them.”
“Good. Let's take the medicine too... Looks like we've checked everything, so let's go in right away.”
“Yes!”
“Okay.”
We took the precious metals and first-aid supplies from the corpses. There was nothing else worth taking.
Inside the hardware store, there were already two zombies: the owner and what looked like his wife. The body that looked like the wife was crammed into a corner and crushed like a beer can that had been hit by the Hulk.
“Ugh... Crazy...”
“Son of a bitch... A person... is crushed...”
“M-Master... I think I'm going to throw up...”
“Hold it in.”
“Okay...”
The goods were scattered all over the place, but there were no signs of looting.
So, that means the wife wasn't destroyed in that gruesome state by a human.
It must have been something with overwhelming power that attacked this place, smashed everything up, killed them, and then left.
Maybe the noise of that family and the hardware store owner fighting over tools attracted a Special Zombie? That Special Zombie must have wiped out all the survivors, and the hardware store owner and his wife were killed too.
But a Special Zombie with the strength to tear the shutter to pieces like paper and turn a person into minced meat... It's chilling. If we ever encounter one, it would be terrifying.
“...Take this, you bastard.”
Puck! Whoom- Thud!!
Pu-ga-gak!!
I smashed the zombie owner's head, and perfectly timed, the baseball bat broke.
“It broke right at the perfect moment.”
I roughly threw the owner's body outside the hardware store, and we gathered the tools.
“Haa... Son of a bitch... a crowbar...”
Finally, I found the tool I had been longing for.
The thing commonly called a crowbar. An iron lever. The character in the game could slaughter aliens with just this one thing... Its weight is no joke.
If I use this to smash a zombie's head, won't it shatter in one blow? Truly, I've obtained the perfect weapon for zombie hunting.
Black and robust...
As I savored the faint smell of iron from the crowbar, Eun-ji picked up two solid iron hammers that looked much sturdier than the ones we'd used before.
“Oppa, how are they?”
“They look like something a crazed serial killer would use.”
“Hehe...”
Just as Eun-ji and I found our perfect dedicated weapons, Ha-rin, who had the highest strength among us, rummaged through the tool shelves and brought out a 30-inch monkey wrench.
“Oh... a monkey wrench..”
“Gulp... Zombie slayer...”
Eun-ji exclaimed in admiration and gave a thumbs up, and Ha-rin nodded and gave me a reliable look.
Just a moment ago, she was so scared she had her eyes tightly shut while watching someone jump, but now she's acting all brave just for holding a monkey wrench. It's cute.
“Hehe... So cute. Now that we have our weapons, let's gather the other tools too. Eun-ji, over there, strip the packaging off the industrial utility knives to save space, and put the blades in the bag too.”
“Yes!”
“Ha-rin, get the bolt cutters over there.”
“Uh... Bolt cutters?”
“Yeah, that one. Right.”
It's an infinite farming session.
Sturdy industrial utility knives are useful anywhere, anytime, so we should keep them.
They'll be needed not only for opening package deliveries but also for torturing people into submission.
We'll need the bolt cutters if we have to cut something, like a padlock, or maybe a finger or two.
“Oppa! Should I take the awls too?”
“Oh! Awls! Good, good. Be careful not to hurt your hands while taking them.”
“Master. There are gloves here! A whole bunch.”
“Good, take everything!”
Aside from that, we also took several multi-purpose scissors and grafting knives.
Gradually, the items piled up neatly in the bags.
We took useful tools for daily life like nippers, as well as lighters and butane torches from the counter, and the sun began to set.
Having taken everything worth taking, it was time to head home.
As we were preparing to leave, checking if there was anything else to take from the hardware store...
Vrooom! Vroooom!
The sound of motorcycle engines could be heard. And it was more than one.
“What's this place? Looks like it's already been looted. What if there's someone inside the hardware store?”
“What do you mean, what? I've got a gun, so what's there to worry about? I'll go in first, so Young-chul and Jin-gu, guard the entrance. Ha-il and Hye-seong, you follow me in.”
“Yes, Brother!”
A gang had gathered in front of the hardware store.
So, there are other people who read the announcement and are starting to move around.
What should we do with them? Kill them all? Or take them as slaves? If there's an Awakened, I'll just take that one as a slave.
At my signal, Eun-ji and Ha-rin prepared for battle.
Ha-rin took off her heavy bag and gripped the monkey wrench tightly, and Eun-ji held a hammer in each hand.
The moment they were ready for battle, the leader of the gang came inside without a shred of fear.
“Wow. Looks like someone got here first. Oh, there are two women here?”
The bastard who crawled into the hardware store was someone I knew.
One of the guys who was standing guard in front of the supermarket. That bastard has a gun. I have to capture him quickly!
“As-salamu alaykum.”
The moment I chanted the spell, the bastard dropped the iron pipe in his right hand and stuck his hand inside his jacket.
He must be trying to pull out the handgun he'd captured from the police station and shoot me, thinking I was using a skill.
He probably only carried the iron pipe to kill zombies on his way here, but what an idiot. He should have pulled out his gun the moment he felt something was off.
“T-This!”
“Rueye.”
A handgun was late to appear in the bastard's hand. I had already finished my incantation.
Pu-wahk!!!
A purple magic circle appeared, and five tentacles shot out in an instant, wrapping around the man's head, arms, and legs who had pulled out the gun.
“Uwoob!!! Ugh!!!”
“W-What is this!!! What is this thing!!! Brother!”
Eun-ji and Ha-rin charged at the two bastards who were following him in.
“Hwah!”
Ha-rin, who ran out like an arrow, swung the monkey wrench with all her might, and Eun-ji followed up by swinging a hammer into the other guy's face, smashing his nose bone and destroying his cheekbone....
“Son of a bitch!!!”
The two bastards who were guarding the entrance tried to quickly get on their motorcycles and escape, but Ha-rin, who had learned Stone Throwing, threw whatever she could get her hands on and hit the two of them.
“Grraaaah!!!”
“Ugh... Son of a bitch..!”
In an instant, five guys were subdued. Two of them died on the spot.
The one whose head was caved in by Ha-rin's monkey wrench and the one who got hammered by Eun-ji died right there.
“Hoo. Let's see. Ha-rin, drag the two guys outside in.”
“Yes, Master.”
I pulled the guy caught by the tentacles towards me. I tightened the tentacles as if I was about to burst him any second, and the bastard, who was about to try something, opened his eyes wide and screamed.
“Uwoob!!! Uwoob!!!”
“What. You thought you could do anything just because you had a gun? You should have pointed the gun at me first.”
“Ugh... Ugh...”
“Eun-ji, give me the awl.”
“Yes.. Oppa, here.”
“Good.”
I loosened the bastard's mouth a little.
“Y-You sons of bitches... Our Broth— Grraaaah!!!!”
I stabbed the awl into the thigh of the bastard who was trying to say something useless. What brother? If you look for your brother now, all you'll get is an awl.
“Eun-ji, next.”
“Yes.”
Eun-ji handed me the awl, pretending to be unfazed. She might be scared of my actions, but it can't be helped. If I have a soft heart, all I'll get in return is betrayal and a stab in the back. This is a fact proven in countless games and movies.
“If you open your mouth before I talk to you, you're dead.”
“Ugh... Ugh... Yes...”
“Is there an Awakened among you? The guys who followed you are dead, and the ones who were guarding are still alive.”
“I... I am! I'm an Awakened! Class Warrior! I'm useful! Please spare me!”
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[The opponent has surrendered to you.]
“Are the other two not Awakened?”
“Yes! The rest of them are just dead weight!”
“Okay. Ha-rin. Kill those two with Eun-ji.”
“...Yes.”
“Understood, Master...”
“Ah, Eun-ji, before you go, stab the guy's left thumb with the awl.”
“Yes.”
Tch... It hurts, as expected.
Eun-ji tried to stab him as gently as possible, but even a gentle stab still hurts.
I made the bastard kneel and brought his bleeding thumb to his greasy forehead.
Ziiiiik!!
“Aaaaaah!!!”
Smoke rose, and the Slave Mark was stamped on the bastard's soul.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[You have made ‘Park Sung-o’ your slave.]
“Congratulations on becoming a slave. Park Sung-o.”
I'll have to use this guy to stir things up at the supermarket.
A useful pawn has just rolled my way.