Zombie Apocalypse (1)

"Meow?"

A small cry.

Kim Jun looked down at the bed.

A little box wrapped in cloth.

Something black was wriggling inside it.

“…!”

Kim Jun's heart kicked hard.

He had waited twenty-five hours.

A long time, during which he had barely slept at all.

He had kept watch beside it the whole time, afraid it might wake up without him noticing.

And at last.

"Meow?"

A tiny black furball lifted its head.

Smaller than the palm of his hand.

Round eyes.

Black fur.

"…Hah!"

Kim Jun clutched his chest and slowly reached out a hand.

If he used too much strength, he might crush it.

The pet that had stayed with him until the very end before the regression.

The only creature he had ever truly grown attached to.

When his other companions died first and he was left alone, this tiny cat had been the one still at his side.

"Meow?"

The cat rubbed its nose against Kim Jun's finger.

Warm. Soft.

It's much smaller than it was before the regression.

Kim Jun let out a faint laugh.

Back then, it had already grown a fair bit.

Now it was just a newborn kitten.

"Meow?"

The cat tilted its head and stared at his face, as if asking, Who are you?

Of course. I've only met it for the first time from its point of view.

Only Kim Jun carried memories of the regression.

To this cat, this was their first meeting.

"Hello."

Kim Jun stroked the kitten's head with a finger.

"Myaa?"

The kitten closed its eyes and mewled happily.

D-rank.

By grade alone, it was low.

Its stats were pitiful compared with rare pets.

But that didn't matter to Kim Jun.

This is enough.

Just how much had he relied on this one before the regression?

In a world where countless hunters and companions were dying around him.

Without even this little cat, he honestly wouldn't have been able to endure it.

"Meow?"

The kitten climbed onto Kim Jun's palm.

It was truly tiny.

Small enough to sit neatly in the center of his hand.

"As for your name…"

Kim Jun thought for a moment.

Kkammi.

The default name assigned by the system.

But if the owner wanted, it could be changed.

"Meow?"

The kitten cried out again.

It just kept going, meow after meow.

"Right. You're Myangmyangi. This time too."

Kim Jun made up his mind.

"Meow?"

"Myangmyangi. Your name."

"Meow?"

The kitten tilted its head.

He wasn't sure whether it understood.

"Myaaang!"

It let out a loud cry, as if it liked it.

"That's it, good."

Kim Jun grinned stupidly and clapped once.

"Meow?"

The kitten climbed up his arm.

It reached his shoulder and rubbed its ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠face against the side of his neck.

It was ticklish.

But it felt good.

"Yeah. Let's stay together for a long, long time. Take care of me."

Kim Jun stroked Myangmyangi's back, and the kitten purred against his hand.

*

To fully unlock the potential now available to Kim Jun, he had to clear Hell first and improve Diablo's power.

And if he conquered all of Hell all the way to the 100th floor, he would obtain Gate of Hell.

The ultimate skill that summoned the entire army of Hell without limit.

Something he had never even seen before the regression.

Which means…

He had to break through from the 7th floor of Hell first.

The floor of the succubi.

A status ailment immunity potion was essential.

The potion required five ingredients in total.

He had already obtained the ones from the 6th and 9th floors.

What remained were the Zombie Brain from the 27th floor, the Unwithered Flower from the 30th floor, and demon blood.

Demon blood is easy. I can get that from Andras.

In the end, all that remained were the 27th and 30th floors.

He had already cleared the 26th floor, the nastiest one in the twenties.

What's left is relatively easy.

Kim Jun shifted his gaze.

The status window.

Kaiser's Legacy.

A special skill set he had obtained in the Chamber of Creation.

Four seals.

But for now, only Flame Emperor was unlocked.

He didn't even know which boss he had to kill to open the others.

I have no information.

If this was the legacy left behind by Thebes's founder, the man who had created the origin of warriors, then it was surely stronger than any skill out there.

Maybe even stronger than anything Kim Jun currently possessed.

The 31st floor.

There was an information broker there.

It was expensive, but the information was reliable.

He had used that broker a few times in his previous life, too.

"Let's lay it out."

Kim Jun muttered to himself.

First, clear the 27th floor and secure the Zombie Brain.

Second, reach the 30th floor and secure the Unwithered Flower.

Third, ask Adeline to make the potion.

Fourth, break through the 7th floor of Hell and keep pushing down through the lower floors.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Fifth, visit the information broker on the 31st floor and gather intelligence on Kaiser's Legacy…

"That's a long road."

It felt endless.

But if he took it one step at a time, he'd get there.

And…

One place rose in his mind.

The 80th floor, Dragon's Plain.

It was littered with ruins tied to dragons.

Kaiser, too, was a Dragon Slayer closely connected to dragons.

There might be clues about Kaiser's Legacy there.

But that could wait.

He might even find them sooner.

There were many hidden places in the Tower.

For now, I'll focus on what's in front of me.

The 27th floor.

Zombie Apocalypse.

"Adeline said it belonged to some 'unusual' one."

Kim Jun naturally knew exactly what that unusual one was.

A tank.

That was what hunters had called the mutation in his previous life.

Its power was comparable to hundreds of ordinary zombies.

It was the size of a building, and its skin was as hard as stone.

One collision, and even a shield would shatter.

In his previous life, Park Minsu had broken three shields against that thing.

This time will be different.

The thinking was done.

Now it was time to act.

Fortunately, his wounds had healed completely thanks to Lee Seoyeon's meticulous care.

There was no reason to stay any longer.

Kim Jun opened the door and stepped out.

The entrance to Olympus Paradise.

His companions were already gathered there.

Park Minsu had Shelton the turtle perched on his shoulder, while Ryu Jia was playing with Echo the parrot.

Lee Seoyeon was smiling with Lumi the white bird perched on her finger, and Han Suin was holding Blanc the white cat in her arms.

"Oppa!"

Ryu Jia waved.

"You're all here."

Kim Jun walked over.

"Do we have to go already?" Ryu Jia asked with an unhappy look.

"We still have three days left on the rental…"

"Then do you want to stay here, Jia?"

Kim Jun grinned.

"W-what?!" Ryu Jia's face turned bright red.

"Seriously! Why do you always have to put it like that!"

Thwack, thwack-

She punched Kim Jun's chest, but...

"Hahaha."

With those tiny fists trying their best, it didn't amount to much.

"Shall we head out, then?"

"Tch…"

Ryu Jia pouted.

She still seemed reluctant to leave.

The warm hot springs.

The soft beds.

The food.

The mineral-rich water had washed all the fatigue from their bodies, and the beds had felt like lying on clouds.

There was nowhere in the entire Tower quite like Olympus Paradise.

"If we go to the 27th floor, we'll just get dirty again…"

Ryu Jia grumbled.

"We can come back after we're done."

Kim Jun smiled.

*

Kim Jun frowned the moment he saw the status window.

Unlike in his previous life, there was an extra line.

Namely:

Special items cannot be used.

There definitely hadn't been a condition like that before.

"What is this?"

Ryu ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Jia blinked at the status window.

"Z-zombies? Ugh… zombies?"

"Just trust me! Hahahaha!"

"Hmph~ this is going to be dangerous…"

"…"

He looked around.

The only word that came to mind was ruin.

The buildings were half-collapsed.

Windows were shattered, and the walls were cracked.

Abandoned cars filled the streets.

Some were overturned; others still bore the black scars of fire.

Holes pocked the roads here and there.

Had there been an explosion?

Or was this the trace of something enormous passing through?

And then there was the smell.

"Uwegh!"

Ryu Jia pinched her nose.

"What is that smell!"

The stench of rot.

A thick smell of decay spread through the entire floor.

Rotting meat.

Blood gone stale.

The reek of spoiled entrails.

"Shh."

Kim Jun held a finger to his lips.

A signal to be quiet.

Ryu Jia hurriedly covered her mouth.

She nodded, looking apologetic.

Kim Jun slowly surveyed the surroundings.

The street was silent.

Too silent.

No birds, no wind.

Only a distant sound drifted through the still air.

"Uuugh…"

Low and thick.

Moaning.

Kim Jun turned to his companions, tension tightening his body.

The reason this floor was the most dangerous.

If a zombie bit you, you were infected.

Being a hunter made no difference.

You had twenty-four hours.

If you didn't find and administer the antidote within that time, you became a zombie.

And then you waited for the next hunters.

In his previous life, after clearing the 26th floor, he'd rested for months.

The companions had needed time to recover.

And when he finally entered the 27th floor late, many hunters had already become zombies.

There had been familiar faces among them.

Some he had known from outside the Tower, others he'd grown close to inside it.

He had to cut them down.

He hadn't wanted to, but he had survived by cutting them down anyway.

Just as he was thinking through all of it, a growl rose from not far away.

"Grrr…"

Zombie sounds.

Kim Jun pointed toward the shadow of a building.

"There."

Something was moving.

Staggering, slowly.

But not stopping.

"Th-that…"

Ryu Jia said in a trembling voice.

A zombie stepped into view.

Once, it must have been human.

But now…

Its skin had turned gray.

In places, flesh had been torn away, exposing bone.

Its clothes were ripped and stained with blood.

Its eyes had gone white.

There was no focus in them.

It looked as though only instinct remained.

"Grrr…"

The zombie flared its nostrils.

Was it scenting them?

And then.

Click.

Its head turned.

Toward Kim Jun and the others.

“…!”

Ryu Jia held her breath.

Its gaze locked onto them.

Or could that even be called a gaze?

There was nothing in the zombie's eyes.

Only blank whites.

"Kuaaaaah!"

The zombie screamed.

And then.

Step, step, step-

.

.

.

Thud-thud-thud-!!

The stumbling steps turned into a run.

Its body lurched, its arms flailing, spraying blood as it charged straight at them.

"Kuaak!"

"Kuaaaa!"

"Grrk!?"

More moans erupted all around them.

One zombie's scream had woken the others.

Inside the buildings, under overturned cars, in the shadows of alleys.

Rotten arms and legs began to crawl out one after another.

Zombies were pouring out.

Ten.

Twenty.

No, more. Far more.

Mutation this early? Something's different...

Kim Jun's brow furrowed.

In his previous life, variants hadn't appeared at this point.

They had started showing up at least from the second night onward.

The pattern had broken, and the conditions were different.

Something was manipulating this floor.

And far away.

『Welcome, Kim Jun.』

An unknown existence looked down at him from a distance, then slowly curled its lips into a smile.

It was ■■■.