Chapter 51
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Screams in the Silence
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The moment we stepped out of the Happy House's main gate, a massive figure appeared, shambling at the bottom of the hill.
Ethan swiftly moved to block my path, drawing his sword. We'd agreed to avoid loud noises as much as possible.
With a flutter of his cloak,
Ethan vanished from my sight. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared before the viral monster in the distance, swinging his sharp sword high.
*Slice—!*
The monster collapsed without so much as a scream.
*Wow. He really is a main character for a reason.*
Though, to be precise, Ethan was the female lead’s older brother.
I checked the kerosene lantern in my bag to make sure it wasn't broken, then walked over to Ethan. I’d brought it just in case the sun set while we were looking for Knox.
The world was set in a place similar to early 19th-century Europe, so the lack of things like flashlights was more than a little inconvenient.
Ethan was wiping green slime from his blade with a handkerchief.
"We should probably secure more kerosene while we're out. And alcohol."
A flashlight just needs batteries, but a kerosene lantern required both kerosene and alcohol for preheating.
Well, even without the lantern, kerosene was essential for making torches. We had some stock from before the collapse, but I figured it was best to grab as much as we could while we had the chance.
You have to secure as many supplies as possible, no matter what.
I sighed and walked past Ethan. He followed me down the hill. At the bottom, the edge of Brunel village came into view.
The village seemed quiet at a glance—so quiet it was hard to believe the earlier chaos had even happened. The excessive stillness was a little unsettling.
*Where did all the monsters go?*
I swallowed hard, my body tense as I scanned the village while we descended.
"Stay behind me."
Ethan said, striding in front of me. I nodded and fell back, gripping my axe tightly as I followed him, every muscle tensed.
After walking a bit further down the winding path, we finally reached the outskirts of Brunel.
The tidy stone streets were covered in bloodstains.
It was a warm, sunny afternoon, but every scene that met my eyes was stained a bloody, desolate crimson.
I tried to shake the horrific sights from my mind and looked toward the clock tower. Both it and the police station weren't far from here.
We have to save Knox. A doctor is an invaluable asset in this ruined world.
"Sir Ethan, I think even if Mr. Ludpersher isn't at the clock tower, we should still search for him if he's somewhere in the village. He's a doctor, after all."
I wasn't sure how he interpreted the emphasis I placed on the word ‘doctor.’ He stared at my face for a long moment before speaking.
"I want to save Ludpersher too. But, Miss Cherry, what if... what if everything outside Brunel is fine? If that's the case, our top priority should be to call for reinforcements as quickly as possible."
"No, Sir Ethan. Wait."
The situation outside Brunel is just as bad.
From his reaction, it seemed that if he had to choose between Knox and the telephone, he wouldn't hesitate to pick the telephone.
*There might not even be anyone left in the capital to answer the phone...!*
I swallowed my words.
*Graaawl.*
Just as I was wracking my brain for a way to persuade him, something lunged at us from behind. Annoyed, I simply swung my axe.
"God, what a nuisance!"
*Thwack.*
*Squeal—!*
I felt the dull impact through the axe but paid it no mind, turning my attention back to Ethan.
Just then, Ethan’s bewildered gaze shifted to look over my shoulder.
"Aaaaaah!"
A scream echoed from somewhere nearby.
And it seemed we weren't the only ones who heard it.
*Gurgle? Gurgle!*
*Groooowl!*
*Screeeech!*
The bloodcurdling cries of monsters erupted from all directions, shattering the dead silence of the village. A shiver of tense excitement ran down my spine.
"Shouldn't we go? What if they found Mr. Ludpersher!"
"Damn it."
Ethan immediately drew his longsword and broke into a run. I gripped my axe tightly and sprinted after him.
The scream had come from the direction of the clinic. It had to be Knox.
As we ran toward the clinic, I saw monsters on the next block over, running at the same speed. Just as I’d expected, there were a lot of them.
"Wait."
Ethan stopped at the mouth of an alley, blocking my path. Just then, the clouds parted, and bright sunlight flooded the street, making our view clearer than before.
Viral monsters of all different shapes were swarming in front of a single building. As we suspected, it was the clinic.
"Is someone inside?"
"Even if there was, I doubt they'd still be alive."
Just as Ethan said, some of the monsters had already forced their way inside the clinic. After watching in silence for a moment, Ethan spoke.
"It looks like we're too late to save anyone."
Ethan was right. It did look too late. The screaming had stopped, too.
I bit my lower lip.
"Let's head to the clock tower for now."
A quick glance told me the clinic was already a lost cause, impossible to approach with the swarm of monsters. Getting a look inside was out of the question.
Ethan’s face was expressionless, perhaps from the tension, as he stared at me before placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Don't leave my side."
I nodded obediently and clutched my axe. I might be strong, but that was all. When it came to combat, I couldn't hold a candle to Ethan, a police officer.
"I'll watch our back."
Ethan glanced from me to the axe in my hands, then let out a short laugh.
"You and that axe are a terrible match, Miss Cherry. Did you know that?"
Then he laughed again.
*Huh? He's laughing? How can he laugh in a situation like this?*
His laughter seemed strangely relaxed, completely out of place in this bizarre situation. Maybe that was why his presence beside me felt somewhat reassuring.
"I'll leave our back to you, then."
Ethan replied, then turned away. He adjusted his grip on his longsword and started forward.
The scream from the clinic had led us astray from our original destination. We could have reached our target, the clock tower, by simply walking straight from the edge of town.
Even if we took the backstreets to avoid being seen, we still had to get past the main road where the monsters were gathered. The police station was on the same block as the clinic, just across the street.
I whispered quietly to Ethan's back as he walked ahead of me.
"Those monsters are huge. We should stay as low as possible to stay out of their line of sight."
Ethan glanced back at me.
In the instant he looked back, a monster suddenly lunged from ahead. I shoved Ethan aside and swung my axe, sending the charging creature flying.
*Screeeech—!*
The monster's shriek was followed by the sound of a collapsing building.
The monsters milling about in front of the clinic froze. In unison, every head swiveled in our direction.
*Shit. We're screwed.*
I grabbed Ethan’s hand.
"Run!"
After a moment of surprise, Ethan tightened his grip on my hand, and we started running together.
Taking the backstreets to the police station was impossible now. The monsters were charging us from that direction, blocking the alley we needed.
We ducked into a back alley on the same block as the police station. We threw open the back door of the first building we saw and quickly hid inside.
Ethan, who had gone in first, quickly pulled me in by the wrist. The door slammed shut the moment I was inside.
Ethan leaned his back against the closed door, listening for any sounds from outside. I pressed myself against his chest, practically burying my face in his shirt as I held my breath.
*Groooowl!*
A monster’s roar echoed from nearby. My palms began to sweat.
*If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have made such a racket with the catapult.*
The chest I was leaning against rose and fell with quiet tension. I could feel his warm breath on my forehead. The tension was making my mind go blank.
*Thump, thump, thump—*
A stampede of irregular footsteps thundered just outside, as if a whole horde of monsters was passing by.
Just when the thunderous footsteps had passed and it started to get quiet outside,
*Thud. Thud.*
The sound of slow, heavy footsteps drew near.
I swallowed nervously and held my breath again.
As my hand trembled with tension, Ethan’s large hand came to rest over mine.