The General's Bride
I had entered a zombie apocalypse novel. The General yanked my hair. I just gave up and let myself be dragged along. I couldn't muster any will to fight. I wanted to live, but there was no way I could escape. I knew he was faster than me. The option of taking hits while beating him down didn't work either. He could regenerate, but if I got hit, I'd have to sleep once before my wounds would heal. It was time to choose again.
One. Pretend to be a weak woman and get cleanly devoured. That was already off the table. Disqualified.
Two. Stand up and fight back.
Three. Give up on everything and commit suicide.
Four. Give up on everything and bear the General's child.
Naturally, it was the third option. So the moment I turned my head toward the edge of the rooftop, I got slapped across the cheek. The General let out a groan as if to say, don't even think about it. It was so terrifying that I nodded my head frantically. Well, the wall was pretty high, so jumping to my death right away would've been difficult anyway. That left only one choice.
"......S-sorry for resisting......"
I dropped to my knees and immediately prostrated myself. As long as I stayed alive, another chance would come. Whether that chance would actually arrive or not, I didn't know, but dying was scary. If I could die cleanly, maybe, but I hated dying painfully. So I gave up on everything and stayed flat on the ground, but the General grabbed my waist and lifted me up. My body reflexively went rigid. Saliva dripped from my mouth, and my limbs trembled uncontrollably.
"Hwaaaa...... Hwaaaaaaaaa......"
Fragments of despair that couldn't even form words spilled from my lips. Fortunately, this time I wasn't slammed into the ground. A tentacle emerged from the General's mouth. I could guess what its purpose was. Its position suggested it could even move the General's child inside a womb. But if a normal female zombie carried the General's child, her belly would become too swollen to move. That tentacle was an organ meant to supply nutrients to such female zombies. And it had one more function: marking.
".............................."
When I closed my eyes, a watery substance sprayed from the tentacle. It was the same as declaring to other variants and zombies that this female was mine. To humans, it also emitted the stench of rotting corpses to keep them away. Obviously, even if they were fellow survivors, they'd have no choice but to kill a woman carrying a zombie's child. Whether the woman wanted it or not. In short, it was a device to prevent the impregnated female from dying easily.
The General spun me around in the air, spraying the secretion all over me. It felt strange. I'd expected fear or disgust to come first, but the very first emotion I felt was relief. Ah, I wouldn't die now. Relief at being allowed to continue living. Next came joy. Joy that I wouldn't get beaten anymore. As long as I endured the pain of that massive tentacle entering me, it would all be over.
So I was wearing a hollow smile when the General, having set me down, punched me with his fist.
"....................?"
It was less painful and more confusing. I couldn't understand why he was hitting me. But I didn't need to know the reason. I must have done something wrong. Otherwise, after coming this far, there was no way he'd keep hitting me.
"W-wait...! Eek!"
Shoved by his palm, I rolled across the floor. I still couldn't figure it out. Had I resisted too annoyingly for a female? Or had I hit him too hard? No, since he needed a strong female, wouldn't that actually be better? But there was one thing I could tell.
"Uuu........."
"Graaa."
The General—no, General-nim—seemed to find me fascinating. Just from the way he wrapped my silver hair around his hand and grabbed my neck to stare into my eyes, I could tell. Then, perhaps bored, he grabbed my hair and lifted me up. He didn't lift me completely, so my knees still touched the floor. And then I felt excruciating pain in my left cheek. Then the right, then the left again. Every hit made my body shake. That was only natural. Compared to that massive brute, I was practically a child.
"Bue......"
I couldn't even think about spitting out the blood filling my mouth and just let it trickle out carefully. I was afraid spitting it would annoy him, so I had no choice. Or would it have been better to just swallow it? I looked up at General-nim with deeply anxious eyes, and the answer came quickly. It was a knee driven straight into my stomach. I flew backward and rolled across the floor.
At this point, I really thought I was going to die. Until just a moment ago, my body had still listened to me. But now it wouldn't obey. Even when I tried to stand, my legs buckled on their own and I collapsed. Still, it was fortunate. Because I could lie flat and beg General-nim for forgiveness. I pressed my forehead to the ground in prostration, then came to my senses and slammed my head against the floor repeatedly.
"I-I'm sorry for acting out...! So please stop hitting me......"
"........................."
"Y-you've already tested me enough, haven't you...? I-I'm... I'm a perfectly fine female, aren't I......?"
".........................."
"I'll give birth to your child. So please impregnate me... Stop hitting me... Stop......."
"..............Gra?"
"I was wrong I was wrong I was wrong so please... don't slam me into the ground.....!"
Once again I was dangling in the air. General-nim knew I got scared every time I was held up like this and was clearly toying with me. It was a relief that I hadn't eaten or drunk much. If I'd wet myself, I didn't even want to imagine what an enraged General-nim would do to me.
Yeah, Yeji. Let's think of this as playtime. Let's think of it as him playing with his cute little bride. He's definitely not trying to kill me. So this... this......... Yeah. He's not trying to slam me into the ground, he's just playing with me.....!
"Gra."
"Eek! Ah, no. Thank you. Th-thank you for sparing me.....!"
Fortunately, General-nim showed mercy. He simply let go, so I fell to the ground, but even that was something to be grateful for. So I kept bowing my head while crying, until I realized one thing. Why was his leg flying toward me? Why was he kicking my stomach?
"Kwaaaaa......! Hngh....... Hwaaaaaaaaaang........."
It was confusing. I'd already prostrated myself flat. Was my sincerity lacking? Yeah, it must have been lacking. So I frantically clung to General-nim's—no, Master's—leg. Please show mercy. I'll raise the child well so please stop hitting me. I'm sorry. I babbled whatever came to mind while desperately hugging his leg. Master soon stroked my head. I thought I was finally safe and felt relieved, but then he grabbed my hair and lifted me up again. I hurriedly supported my body so it wouldn't be too heavy and stood, but something felt off.
"Gra."
"M-my... body? What's wrong with my body......?"
"Graaa."
"Ah. Aaaaa....... Aaaaaaaaaa..........!"
My back, he said it wasn't bruised. It wasn't pretty with bruises, he said. Master told me so, kindly pointing at my back with his finger. R-right! So there was a reason for all the beating. Of course. My whole body was beautifully covered in red bruises, but my back without any flesh on it wasn't pretty, so he'd been pounding it all this time. But to bruise my back.........
"M-Master. That's not it, right? It's not what I'm thinking, right? Please tell me it's not.....!"
"Graaa."
"Yes, I'll do whatever you say. So please don't grab my hair and slam me into the gr— HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIK!!!!"
"Gra."
Fortunately, Master didn't grab my hair and slam me into the ground. Instead he told me to lie face down, so I quickly did. Then a powerful impact hit my back, and I was crushed flat against the floor like a frog run over by a car. Now I realized Master had just been messing with me when he said that. I could tell from his expression. It was a mocking look that said, you're still lively, huh? He also seemed to be expecting something. So he was expecting something, right? Aah. What a stupid thick-headed idiot I was. Right now I was his bride. And this was the situation right before our first night. But I was still fully dressed. Since taking my clothes off would be annoying, it meant I should do it myself.
So I slowly took off my pants and folded them neatly beside me. Master nodded as if to say that's it.
"..........................."
But when I reached for my underwear, he gave me a look that said not to. That was a relief. Now I probably wouldn't get hit anymore. All I had to do was conceive Master's child and live on like that. So I slowly lay down. The novel hadn't described how Master impregnated others, but I figured just lying down would do. And as if he'd been waiting, Master punched my stomach.
".................!"
Not once, but twice. While I flailed my limbs like an overturned beetle, Master, squatting down, laughed. Then he raised his arm once more. Not that. Don't. If you really hit me I'll die. It's not okay as long as the bones don't break. I cried and begged desperately, but it was useless.
".....................! Kehe, uweeeeek......."
A mocking laugh poured down on me, as if asking if I was still conscious after that. Fuck. At this point I started getting angry. Master, General, whatever the hell. No, you fucker, how many times did I tell you not to beat me like that. Are you just completely ignoring what people say? It was so fucking infuriating and disgusting that I twisted my waist and wrapped my legs around that General bastard's neck. Then using the strength of my legs, I climbed on him like I was riding piggyback. The General bastard seemed startled and shot up from his spot. It would've been better if he hadn't, you stupid fuck. I didn't hold back and put all my weight into slamming my back down.
My breath caught in my throat, but the pain helped me stay conscious. This bastard was gripping my legs tightly. But you son of a bitch. I already learned from getting hit that your grip can't break bones, didn't I?
"Hehhehehehe. Hehheh."
"Graaa......?"
"Hoo. You.....! You fucking baaaaastaaaaaard!"
I happened to have brass knuckles in my hand. So I grabbed the bastard's head firmly with my left hand to hold it in place and punched with all my strength using my right. It was a game of chicken. Either I died or this bastard died. There was no choice but to keep attacking until the opponent went down.
"Ah, fuck! Just die nicely!"
"Graaaa!"
The General, who had risen using sheer strength, started slamming his back against the wall. It seemed he was trying to shake me off before he died first, but too bad. A little while ago I'd felt the knuckles connect with bone. Of course I was on the verge of collapsing too, but it was fine. At least this bastard would go down first. I kept pounding until I heard a crunching sound, and when the General shook his body, I couldn't hold on and fell to the ground.
"Ha, fuck......."
I thought I'd won. I'd hit him properly, so even the General probably couldn't withstand it. But why the hell was that dog bastard running toward me? No, dog bastard? I think I was too harsh with Master. Uwaaaaaaaaak!!!
"......................Fuck."
By the time I came to my senses, I realized the General was already dead. From the circumstances, it seemed he'd squeezed out his last strength to kill me and then collapsed right on top of me. And I'd gone into a panic and spouted nonsense without realizing it. Stuff like I'd become Master's bitch so please spare me. That since my body was sturdy I could give birth enough to start a whole soccer team. That even though it was my first time I'd serve with all my heart so please forgive me. That I was sorry my breasts weren't that big but my ass was huge so please be satisfied with that. Anyway, I think I said all kinds of bullshit like that. It was insanely embarrassing, but I couldn't help it. No, anyone else in that situation would've begged just like me. Or died before that.
"Fuck."
I pushed away the General's corpse and stood up, then put on the pants that had fallen to the floor. The one fortunate thing was that there was no one else on this rooftop. So only I knew that I'd said such shameful things.
"Ah fuck. This seems properly fucked up."
Every step I took made my body scream. It felt like my lifespan was being shaved away in real time. Still, the moment I thought about lying down on the bed in the PC Bang, I heard a zombie's groan. I half-crawled in a hurry toward where the sound came from. And I confirmed that my intuition had been correct.
"Mom fuck....."
The General's wives were hidden in a corner of the rooftop. There were two Witches and four normal zombies. The Witches had their legs broken so they couldn't move. Wow, fuck. So if I'd done something wrong, I would've ended up like that. Just thinking about it was terrifying.
"................................"
I knew I had to kill those zombies too. But it felt wrong to kill them. ..........They looked like pregnant women. Pregnant women. Their skin was green, but something about it pricked my conscience. But thinking about that fucking bastard made me want to kill them too. As I slowly approached, the Witches bared their nails and threatened me.
"That won't work, you idiots."
This was the rooftop of a seven-story building. In that case, I wouldn't have to dirty my hands. So I grabbed the normal zombies that were clutching their bellies and threatening me, then threw them over the rooftop railing. After throwing all four, only the Witches remained.
"..........Hm."
Looking closely, all their nails were broken too. It was clearly the General's handiwork. He'd probably broken them because they bothered him. The maternal love that made them threaten me with those broken nails was quite something to see. But you know. My body was in too much pain and exhaustion for me to care about that. So I threw the remaining two Witches over the railing as well.
Then an indescribable feeling washed over me. It wasn't satisfaction. It wasn't joy. It wasn't sadness, and it wasn't fear either. Fortunately, I could define this feeling in the Korean language. It was fucking awful. Extremely so.