The Sword Saint Descends
I had ended up inside a zombie apocalypse novel. To be honest, I was completely screwed. It wasn't like I used to live in Busan, and I didn't have a map either. All I had were some hazy memories from a few years ago. And even those, I wasn't sure would actually work here. After all, everything would've turned into chaos once the zombie apocalypse broke out. The scenery I remembered would inevitably look different. No wonder I kept pedaling but couldn't seem to find the right path. Yeah, with zombie corpses and overgrown plants strewn everywhere. If I could even properly identify the buildings, that would count as lucky. I was already worried whether I'd be able to sleep safely tonight. What if I picked the wrong building and ran into a dangerous variant? That would be it for me.
Man, I really lived life without any answers...
Well, ever since I got here, I hadn't once lived with a plan in mind. In the early days of the outbreak, I holed up in an officetel for two weeks with some half-assed idea that holding out was winning. If I'd prepared to fight back then, I'd be much stronger by now. Instead of getting winded after swinging a baseball bat five times, I would've been carving through them like a one-man army. I could have been out there smashing zombie heads instead of hiding because I was scared. Whether it was two weeks later or right now, getting bitten would hurt like hell either way. If I'd just said screw it and charged straight to the PC bang, things might have worked out somehow.
It was the same now. I couldn't see any answers, and on top of that, I didn't have that useful companion Noh Changhun with me. It was just me alone, not knowing the way, dragging a cart all the way to the university campus. Still, there was one thing I knew for sure. The protagonist had mentioned it, right? Walk two hours up along the river from his university and you'd reach the terminal. So if I went two hours down along the river, maybe I'd find something.
Alright. It'll work out somehow.
Fortunately, I remembered the way back, so returning wasn't difficult. I stuffed my mouth full with one of the instant kimbap I'd packed last time and started pedaling again. Yeah. When have I ever lived thinking things through anyway? I'd go first and regret it later. If it all went to shit, I'd get bitten a few times. Whatever. With how strong I was now, I wouldn't die easily from something like that.
So I kept pedaling the bicycle along the Nakdong River. Of course, it wasn't without incidents. I had to detour around cars blocking the road, smash the heads of wandering zombies, and even jump in surprise at traces of human presence. It should have taken about two hours normally, but dragging the cart made it feel like an extra hour and a half. If I'd come with just my body or on the bike alone, I could have been faster.
So that's the Hadan 2-dong Administrative Welfare Center, huh?
It matched the original story. When the protagonist said he needed to go outside, the first plan he explained was to organize everything around the administrative welfare center. I think that was about a month and a half after the outbreak began? Or there might be a week of margin for error. Anyway, now that I'd reached the administrative welfare center, I didn't have to worry about losing my way anymore. Keeping the center on my right and heading straight up would lead me to the university campus.
Heh, like I always say, I should just move my body first.
Brains were for people like Noh Changhun to use. For someone like me, charging in headfirst was far more efficient. I chuckled to myself for a moment before pedaling again. Even the rattling sound of the cart was something I could laugh off right now. Once I went up there, I could finally rest. It was practically paradise on earth, a near-perfect shelter built by that rotten regressor protagonist. I'd be getting pampered like crazy in a place like that.
Ah, I came all the way here from Jangyu in Gimhae. On the way there was some guy named Baron or whatever. I raided with a friend. If I just say that, won't they treat me well? Plus I even brought a whole cart.
Fuck, what the hell is this.
After pedaling for about ten minutes, it was no joke. Fresh zombie corpses were simply abandoned on the street. Not only that, every door on every building was smashed open. There was a gibbon on the rooftop of a shopping building up ahead, but its half-severed arm and complete lack of movement made it clear the thing was dead. So the situation had turned bad. They must have been fighting so desperately they couldn't even handle proper corpse disposal.
This is a lot different from what I imagined.
I got off the bicycle for now and gripped Beopbong. What I had originally pictured was walking up a somewhat neatly organized road and standing at the campus entrance. Students would be standing guard there, right? Just saying I'm a survivor with confidence would've boosted my position and ended things comfortably.
Yeah, well. If you guys want the easy way too, you'll have to fight desperately.
Zombies that had been hiding who-knew-where started creeping out. On top of that, normal zombies seemed almost extinct at this point. After a month and a half, even normal zombies would start showing some traits—hardened skin, rapid regeneration, things like that. Still, the ratio should have been three normal ones to seven with special traits, but not here. It was one normal for every nine variants.
Now I understand your level.
"......Grr?"
"Grrr...!"
Since my radar isn't activating, this is boring.
I acted a bit cocky before gripping Beopbong tightly. I planned to kill the one charging from the front first. It had a lump on its head, which looked pretty comical. The moment it rushed at me, I stepped forward and swung Beopbong hard.
"Grar!"
The zombie took the blow to the head and collapsed with a dying scream. Fortunately I'd managed to strike first. The bastard had obviously been aiming for my stomach. If I were unlucky, one hit there would've killed me.
But the situation felt wrong. The numbers had clearly been manageable earlier...
Why does it look like there are three times as many now...
It wasn't just normal zombies. All kinds of variants had me surrounded from every position. Boxers and Witches took the vanguard, Cannon Fodders and Toads held the middle ranks, and Poisoners along with some variant I couldn't remember covered the rear.
I'm screwed.
Cold sweat poured down my back as my body began to heat up. Hey, I charged in because the radar didn't activate, and this is what happens? This was exactly why I'd told Noh Changhun not to march at night. If you rush in because the radar didn't turn on and then your body starts burning up, what are you supposed to do? Well, back then Noh Changhun probably smashed them all. But there was no Noh Changhun here now, and no prince ready to save the pitiful heroine. There used to be one, but he might have disappeared. Anyway, I sighed while measuring how much my body was heating up. This wasn't funny, putting someone in this kind of spot.
Still, I didn't think I'd die. I'd probably get beaten until my stomach felt like it would burst, but I could endure that much. The moment I thought that and smashed the next zombie's head, someone landed from the rooftop of a nearby shopping building. It looked like a man. Just the sword at his waist told me everything. That bastard was the protagonist. The protagonist of the novel I'd read.
In my mind I wanted to exclaim and talk to him, but I held back. The current me was a survivor backed into a corner...! For the sake of my position going forward, I couldn't show that I was an idiot. So I deliberately gripped Beopbong tightly, pretending to face them down. But well, since I knew the protagonist could kill them all anyway, I just had to dodge the arrows from the Poisoners.
"Grr.....?"
"Grrrrrrr!"
"Kieeeeeeee!!!"
The somewhat slow-witted zombies all reacted at once. They thrust out the body parts they used as weapons and charged madly. Some were so desperate they ran right past me. And our protagonist lightly drew his sword just a fraction. That was all it took. A silver flash flickered, and starting with the lead zombie, heads were severed and rolled across the ground. The variants were no exception. The Boxer's fist was cut off powerlessly and tumbled away. The Witch's nails never reached him before its head fell. The Cannon Fodder's charge was neutralized with a few swings, and the Poisoners' arrows were deflected by the blade.
It was so incredibly cool it perfectly fit the title of Sword Saint. After slaughtering every zombie that had charged him, the protagonist coolly sheathed his sword. Then he extended a hand toward me and smiled.
"I'm Kang Siwoo."
"I-I'm Lee Yeji."
I couldn't help but be shocked. I'd known from the descriptions that this guy was handsome, but seeing him in person made me realize he was insanely good-looking. Could a human face even reach that level? He was the type of handsome man whose mere attention made you feel good. It felt like it made my nonexistent womb tremble. Ah, but I do have a womb now. I keep forgetting that.
On the other hand, it pissed me off. If I'd been born like that, I would've been popular. I could've dated and understood the language of the cool kids. How nice would it have been to have an appearance that made you popular just by breathing?
While suppressing those complicated feelings, I explained everything to Kang Siwoo. I used to live in an officetel in Jangyu, Gimhae. I became bait in place of a soldier, somehow survived, beat down all the dangerous variants, and went to the airport with a companion only to nearly die. I even took down an incredibly strong-looking variant. My companion left for Haeundae saying he had an acquaintance there. I was heading up along the Nakdong River to look for people.
When I finished explaining, Kang Siwoo smiled and said, "Electricity and water are still running, so if you'd like, you can take a shower. Given the situation, we can talk about the rest after we head up."
"Ah, yes. Understood."
Even though I was a pirate reader, I'd finished the novel to the end. That bastard Kang Siwoo was clearly pleased right now. He must be thrilled to have obtained Ultimate Yeji, a one-woman army. Just the fact that he offered lodging and food made it obvious. So I adjusted my headset and followed Kang Siwoo just like that.