Chapter 74

Then the car owner and the other two gritted their teeth and ran forward.

I think I heard some curse words in there, but I can be lenient about that. Yeah.

I quickly gave instructions to the remaining three women and the lean man in his late forties.

“Sir, grab a pole from the parasol and move to the side.”

“I-I don’t know how to fight…”

“You don’t have to fight. Just push away any zombies I might miss to buy time. Ladies, stand roughly between the wall and my back, keep watch for zombies coming from blind spots, and shout ‘Zombie!’ if you see one.”

“Yes, yes!!”

If my physical abilities weren’t nerfed, none of this would be necessary… but I have to make do. Even a cat’s paw would have to help if nothing else.

I glanced at the 30 or so zombies staggering to their feet and started thinking.

The roughly ten that had fallen first were heavily damaged and slow, but the remaining twenty looked almost unharmed, thanks to the first batch serving as a kind of “padding.”

‘If they all charge at once, that’s bad. I might survive, but protecting the NPCs behind me is impossible.’

I looked around and noticed a car illegally parked at one end of the outdoor café—a fairly old Grandeur.

‘…Hmm, maybe it’s worth a try.’

Just as the zombies were letting out that animal-human hybrid screech and charging, I moved forward one step ahead of them.

I drove my heel into the side of the Grandeur.

CRACK! KRAAANG!!!

The paving stones under my foot shattered, and the car miraculously lifted.

I pulled my foot back, stepped in, and kicked the exposed bottom of the Grandeur with a foot sweep.

HUP!!

The car, lifted about 20 centimeters off the ground, flipped sideways, crushing the zombies charging below.

KRAAANG! CRASH!

The horde of clustered zombies was wiped out in a single strike.

“Holy… What the hell… Since when did South Korea have superheroes?!”

“Y-Yeah…?”

I ignored the shocked voices behind me and stepped forward a few paces. About ten zombies that hadn’t been crushed were crawling out from under the car, heading straight for me.

“KYAAA!!”

‘Well, that’s manageable.’

A particularly muscular zombie, looking like it worked out regularly, charged with its yellowed eyes wide.

‘Ssshh…’

I took a deep breath, focused, and time seemed to slow. I could even count the yellow droplets of saliva flying from its mouth.

Hup!

I twisted my body and jabbed the pole.

GRAAAK!! KRAAANG!!!

‘One.’

As the zombie’s head flew off, its momentum carried it past me, splattering sticky blood, and I was already aiming the pole at a suited zombie behind it.

WHAM!!

I swung the pole into the side of a male zombie’s forehead, knocking it to the left, aligning it with two other zombies behind it.

Hup…!

I briefly paused my breath, pulled the pole back, and jabbed again. Using a hit-and-grab technique, I struck with precision.

THOOOOM!!

The pole grazed the zombie’s chest, which rippled like liquid before a shockwave blew a hole through it. The force didn’t stop, tunneling through the zombies behind it like a chain reaction.

KRAAANG! SPLAT!!

I sidestepped the flying blood and collapsing zombies by half a step.

‘Four down.’

The sense of accomplishment lasted only a moment. Three more zombies had closed in, now right in front of me.

Their open mouths emitted a strong, rank stench—maybe it’s natural, or maybe it changed when they turned.

They were too close to jab or swing with the pole.

No matter.

I held the pole horizontally in the air and immediately jumped backward, rolling the pole through the middle.

WHAM!! CRASH CRASH CRASH!!!

The three zombies hit by the pole were flung backward, their chests caved in. They wouldn’t interfere anymore.

‘Seven down.’

Four zombies remained. I didn’t want to grab the blood-soaked pole, so I decided to finish the rest barehanded.

‘If they don’t bite, they’re done. Those falling behind are weaker. That’s enough.’

A single glance assessed the remaining four. Two in the back had broken legs from being hit by the Grandeur. The two in front didn’t look good either—one with a twisted arm, the other with its head ground against concrete, cheekbone and maxilla exposed.

I stepped forward instead of backward and delivered a straight punch to the jaw of the arm-injured zombie. A cracking sound, and its neck bent 180 degrees, collapsing backward.

‘Eight.’

The nearby face-injured zombie flailed its hands in slow motion.

“KYAAA!!”

I dodged the reaching hands with a light weave and smashed its cervical vertebra with my elbow.

Although the strike hit a different spot, the zombie’s neck folded like the previous one, and it tumbled forward.

‘Nine.’

Even after dealing with the two zombies, a moment later the two limping ones arrived.

Despite using broken legs as if they were fine, their open fractures glinting grotesquely, they charged at me in a bizarre figure-eight gait, fearless.

“Not bad.”

I weaved between their gaping maws and extended both hands. Grabbing their collars and pulling, their legs lifted off the ground, inertia carrying them briefly into the air.

I released my grip and spun my body, kicking both their heads with soccer-style strikes before they hit the ground.

BWOOM!! WHACK!!

“Eleven.”

After handling the charging zombies, I took a short breath—but there was no time to relax. Screams erupted behind me.

“KYAAAH!!”

“Help! Please, help!!”

The shrill screams of women, followed by a man shouting.

I turned my head to see where it was coming from: a male zombie in his late fifties had appeared out of nowhere, charging toward the group I was protecting.

CLANG! CLANG!

The man holding the pole swung it wildly in panic, but the zombie advanced steadily, taking hits to its arms and head.

“Ugh… H-Help!! Sir!!”

‘I’m not old enough to be called “sir” by a late-forties NPC…’

I exhaled sharply, drew a breath, and hurled the bread knife I’d picked up earlier.

KWEAAAK! WHAM!!!

The knife struck the zombie’s skull, embedding the handle. Its yellow eyes rolled wildly before it collapsed.

“…Twelve.”

With a moment’s reprieve, I quickly scanned the street.

‘The car I sent to fetch?’

As if reading my mind, the large SUV parked there roared to life.

Luckily, all three I’d sent were safe. Two in the front seats, one in the back, waving frantically.

The problem: seeing the moving car had drawn the attention of about ten zombies, hopping toward it…

No matter. Once the SUV starts moving, they can be shaken off easily.

But then…

CRASH!!

The sound of breaking glass echoed from above.

From the same direction the previous zombies had poured out—the cult church.

‘No way…’

I turned my head and saw, just as I feared, the fifth floor this time. Not just the fourth floor, but the fifth of the cult building was now active.

“Wow… this distortion crap… That’s ridiculous.”

Like a replay of the earlier scene, zombies poured out—more than before, at least fifty this time, seemingly from the main hall.

BANG! CRASH! CRASH CRASH!! CRASH CRASH CRASH!!

Forty zombies, excluding the ones already crushed, rose and charged at me as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

‘With my current state, I can’t protect all the NPCs from this number. Then…’

I spun around and shouted:

“RUN!”

The panicked group, caught mid-scream, immediately dashed toward the car.

Behind them, zombies were bounding forward.

Opposite, the SUV was now accelerating, followed by pursuing zombies.

I shouted at the three female NPCs lagging behind.

“Faster!”

Their tears mixed with fear, gritting their teeth as they ran. One wearing a tight skirt, hindered by it, tore it off mid-run, sprinting in just her underwear.

SCREECH!!

The problem: the zombies were even faster than them.

I quickly calculated the situation:

Distance to zombies. Distance to SUV.

Zombie speed. SUV speed.

And my conclusion:

‘They’ll catch up. Not enough time to get in the car.’

There was only one solution.

I shouted with all my strength at the suited male NPC behind the wheel.

“HIT THEM!!”

His eyes flickered with confusion.

I pointed again at the 40 or so zombies chasing us.

“HIT THEM, I said!!”

Now understanding, his eyes widened. A moment of doubt, then resolve.

He gritted his teeth, fastened his seatbelt expertly, and the SUV surged forward.

The car barreled through the horde of 40 zombies.

KRAAAANG!!!

Zombies flew like bowling pins. Those not directly hit were knocked over by the crashing horde behind them.

The zombies chasing the car were still some distance back—enough for me to manage.

I kicked a zombie out of the way while opening the door, grabbed the panicked delinquent inside, and shoved him into the rear alongside the others, packing them in like cargo.

“Faster!”

Once everyone was roughly seated, I slammed the door shut from outside.

“Go!”

The driver pointed ahead, panicked.

“We can’t move! There are zombies in front!!”

Indeed, the path was completely blocked. Reversing wasn’t an option either—zombies from behind would latch onto the car.

Surrounded front and back, the car would be nothing but a metal coffin.

Some zombies, even partially destroyed, clung to the front bumper, impeding movement.

From the back, the delinquent screamed loudly.

“Goddammit! That’s why I said we shouldn’t come back and just run! What the hell do you mean, dragging yourself back here out of loyalty!? Damn it! I’ll gut all of you motherfuckers myself!!”

The delinquent in the trunk spat curses foam-flecked, gnashing his teeth.

Letting him keep yapping would only double the hassle. I raised my fist instead.

BAM!!

My punch smashed through the window, grabbing a handful of his hair.

“Ugh!!? Let go! Wait—don’t let go!?”

I resisted the urge to throw him out and simply slammed his head against the trunk corner.

SMACK!

“Wasting time on useless idiots.”

With my commanding presence, everyone clamped their mouths shut. I stepped forward toward the car’s hood.

I kicked a few approaching zombies aside and shouted:

“Hold on tight! HUH!!”

I slammed my shoulder into the side of the hood with full force.

KRAAAANG!!

The car spun roughly 120 degrees on the spot, clearing the path ahead. Zombies clinging to the hood and bumper like grapes were flung away by inertia. I bellowed loudly:

“GO!!”

The suited male NPC, who had regained his wits first thanks to gripping the steering wheel, saw the clear road and his face lit up. Then, seeing me still outside, he froze in recognition.

“Y-You…!?”

I swung the pole at zombies on the ground and yelled:

“I’ve got myself covered. Go!”

“…!!!”

“No time. Hurry. If the road’s blocked, take the sidewalk. One slip in the horde, and you know what happens.”

“But…!”

A university student in the passenger seat, blood dripping from his forehead, shouted:

“Didn’t you see him fight!? The best way we can help is to get out of the way!!”

From the back seat, the women’s panicked voices joined in:

“Zombies! Zombies! Over there too!! Get moving!!”

Finally, the driver nodded, pressed the accelerator to the floor, and the SUV lunged forward with full 4WD power.

VROOOOM…!!

“Phew…”

I exhaled, watching the SUV speed away, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders.

I shoved flailing zombies aside with the pole, stepped back, and checked the message that appeared before my eyes.

A flash of red light streaked through the air, and a long, one-handed sword dropped from the void.

THUNK!

“Ah… a sword.”

The texture felt satisfying. Not quite like Astraphe, but still a decent blade.

“KEEEEEKK!!”

“KYAAA!!”

I chuckled at the approaching zombies.

“Say you’re dead. I’ll sweep you all away.”

Go Geom-shin asleep beneath Sodin’s coat, shifted slightly and let out a low groan.

“Umm…”

The reactions around him were dramatic.

“Did… did you hear that ‘umm’ just now?!”

“To let such a rare sound grace one so lowly… I am truly honored…!”

Selan and Scala’s flustered excitement made Illeia frown slightly.

“Guys… your reactions are weird. Scala, okay, mind control or whatever—but Selan, you’re…”

“Wh-what about me…?”

“Ugh. Never mind. But, he’s been fidgeting. Maybe the bed’s uncomfortable. A proper pillow instead of those clothes… ah, nothing usable here. Guess I’ll have to… sacrifice myself. Hrm…”

Illeia stealthily lifted her leg, pressing her thigh against Sodin.

SMACK!

“Ow! Sodin! What the—!?”

“Move.”