Herded into the Web
I had ended up inside a zombie apocalypse novel. With Beopbong resting lightly on my shoulder, I scanned my surroundings. My body was heating up, but there wasn't a single zombie in sight. That only made me more uneasy. The stronger the variant, the more its intelligence tended to drop. That was why powerful variants were usually controlled or commanded by intelligent ones. Monsters were a prime example. They always had Swindlers escorting them.
“…This is making me nervous.”
So it was safe to assume someone was directing the situation. Intelligent variants like Swindlers or Officers were almost certainly keeping stronger variants on standby. As long as I didn't run into a Monster-class variant, I could win. After reaching that conclusion, I kept looking around—until zombies appeared behind me.
“Ah.”
They were bluish-gray zombies, each with some grotesque mutation on their bodies. One had spikes jutting from its arm, another had horns sprouting from its head. That alone would have been manageable, but every single one of them was holding a weapon—iron pipes, wooden planks, kitchen knives. More than enough to take down a person, and there were at least dozens of them.
“No way…”
Now that I looked closer, they weren't just coming from behind. As if they were herding me, zombies began emerging from every direction except the front. It was straight out of a horror movie—the part where the survivor lets their guard down, only for zombies to swarm in and surround them. And every last one of them carried something that could serve as a weapon.
The most terrifying part was that no true variants had shown up yet. So far, only normal zombies had appeared. Not even a single Boxer. “…”
The zombies stopped just outside my reach, like they were demonstrating their numbers. Close enough to charge at any moment, yet far enough that I could still run if I wanted. Of course, running was exactly what they wanted. They'd set a trap and were forcing me forward. There was only one choice left. Even I couldn't fight every zombie in this city without food or supplies.
I climbed onto Jeokto and started pedaling, gradually picking up speed. One thing was certain: if I spotted any of those Chamdokchung bastards, I was smashing their heads in first.
Moving toward Dong-gu was one thing. That was fine. But if they were going to move me, they should've at least cleared out the zombies along the way. This place was basically a zombie breeding ground. “Ah, seriously!”
The moment I rounded the corner, a barricade came into view, guarded by roughly ten zombies—three bluish-gray and seven green. I could break through that many. They were trying to hold a defensive line, but normal zombies weren't that intelligent. Even if a bluish-gray one was in charge, all I had to do was crack its skull first.
But I didn't have that luxury. More zombies appeared around me, as if they'd been waiting. If I got surrounded here, I'd be the one in danger. There wasn't even any edible food in sight—everything I could see was inedible. I had to avoid fighting until I found something to eat.
So I let the zombies herd me along on Jeokto while I looked for an opening. Whatever they were thinking, they weren't attacking directly. It was completely different from the usual zombie strategy. Normally, zombies used their durability and numbers to grind people down. Right now, they were clearly planning to wear me out with normal zombies before sending in the stronger variants—just like the Monster and Swindler had done last time.
“…”
For dozens of minutes, I played this tense game with the zombies. My body grew hotter, but not beyond that. The stronger variants were probably watching from a distance, waiting for orders from the intelligent ones. Meanwhile, hundreds of normal zombies trailed after me in packs. It felt like being an animal in a zoo, with hundreds of eyes fixed on me.
Thankfully, many of the zombies weren't carrying weapons anymore. Only the ones whose mutations had progressed far enough to raise their intelligence seemed to be armed. Still, the unease wouldn't go away.
For dozens of minutes, I felt like I was just circling the city, never managing to leave Nam-gu. The zombies had almost certainly planned it that way. If Noh Changhun or Kang Siwoo had been here, they would've found a way out, but I couldn't.
“If all else fails, I'll just force my way through.”
Breaking through the zombies was something I could manage. I still remembered the way to Dong-gu, so I just had to push through and escape. Jeokto was loaded with plenty of food, so regeneration wasn't a concern. After finishing that calculation, I kept scanning my surroundings while letting the zombies guide me.
Another few dozen minutes passed. Then hours. The area was growing dark. The whole time, it felt like my blood was freezing. My body kept heating up, which only made me more anxious. The zombies' groans wouldn't stop even if I pressed headphones against my ears. If there had been anything edible nearby, I would've fought them already. They really knew how to torment someone.
Eventually, it was time to hole up in a building. The darker it got, the hotter my body became—that much was obvious. They were dragging this standoff out until nightfall so they could attack me with nocturnal variants. But these bastards wouldn't even let me choose where to make my stand.
“No, seriously…”
Every building I could enter had at least twenty zombies inside. Entering was no longer an option. The moment I started fighting to clear one, hundreds more would come running from behind. Even if I found a good building for a siege, I'd have no choice but to back off.
“Shit…”
Being chased by zombies itself was starting to piss me off. But there was nothing I could do. Their numbers were overwhelming, I was alone, there was no food anywhere, and places to hide were limited. In the end, I had to keep moving wherever the zombies led me for dozens more minutes.
Then a school appeared. It was barely recognizable as a school—the rest was completely covered in spiderwebs. That was extremely bad news. Spiderwebs meant Spiders. A building this large being covered in webs meant there was a Spider King. The nightmare from the supermarket came rushing back.
“Shit.”
The zombies were acting like they wanted me to go inside, the way a skilled shepherd drives sheep into a pen. I looked into the school and pulled a flashlight from my bag to shine inside. There didn't seem to be any Spiders at the moment. Even when I tugged on the webs as a test, nothing came out.
“…”
The zombies' chorus was getting closer. I hesitated for a moment. Given the circumstances, the zombies and Spiders were probably working together. Otherwise, there was no reason for them to herd me here. Spider or zombie—there was only one choice. I'd fought both before, and Spiders were easier to deal with. Plus, this was a chance to get spider silk. With spider silk, I could keep any food relatively fresh.
So without hesitation, I pulled Jeokto into the school. The zombies slowly backed off, but they were definitely still watching from the darkness. If I tried to leave, they'd surround me again in no time. There was only one option left.
“…”
I didn't even need to go far to realize I couldn't ride Jeokto inside. The floor was so sticky that it would be faster to carry it. Luckily, I could still drag it near the parking lot. After hiding Jeokto there, I let out a deep sigh and looked at the building.
At this scale, there were probably Guard Spiders or Spitters inside. Maybe even Soldier Spiders. Fighting Spiders in an open area wasn't too bad. But the lack of food was still a problem. With so many zombies outside, I couldn't afford to burn through my supplies. Even if it was frustrating, I needed to rest. Spiders weren't that strong anyway. Based on the novel's descriptions, I should be able to handle them.
The zombies had driven me here to wear me out. If I exhausted myself fighting Spiders, they'd use me as either a host or food. “Not happening.”
Those stupid zombies only knew one thing and not the other two. I was strong enough to wipe out every Spider in this school. And Spiders usually wrapped their prey in silk for storage. If I could find food here, I could handle the rest myself.
So without hesitation, I walked into the school building.