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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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The streetlights flickered on. Just moments ago, it had seemed like the sun was setting, but as I closed the gate and looked ahead, all I could see was the night sky. When I glanced back, the last hues of the sunset were fading.
Hmm.
It would be completely dark soon.
Silence.
Utter silence.
Not even the sound of a barking dog.
I walked towards the convenience store. According to the map, I had to cross the main road and go a few blocks to the left, where I would find a McDonald’s, a hair salon, and the hardware store. There was also a hagwon and a clinic, but those weren’t my concern right now.
I arrived at the convenience store.
“…”
Should I take the baton?
I paused and looked around. Silence. The human beasts hadn’t disappeared. They were somewhere. Probably lying low, pretending to be dead, just like those in the convenience store earlier.
“Hoo…”
I was feeling peckish, so I decided to grab a quick bite. Inside the convenience store, bodies were piled on the floor behind the counter and in the storage room. The ones I had killed.
It was an unpleasant sight.
I stepped over the broken glass and looked at the shelves.
Triangular kimbap…
Hmm.
They should still be edible. I needed to eat the ones with the shortest expiration dates first. I didn’t know when this would end, or if it would end at all, so I had to be careful with food. I’d save the ones that could last longer for later. Besides, no one was going to steal them anyway.
I grabbed a handful of triangular kimbap and stuffed them into my bag. I also grabbed a 500ml bottle of water from the refrigerator and tucked it into the utility pocket of my Adidas backpack. Utility pocket—it was just an elastic mesh on the outside of the bag.
I peeled open a kimbap and took a bite as I left the convenience store. I could leave the baton here; no one would take it. The spear would be enough.
Crunch.
Munch.
…The rice was a little hard.
Damn it. I really should eat the ones close to their expiration dates first.
Crunch.
I munched on the kimbap as I walked towards the main road.
…Was it safe to just walk onto the road…?
I hadn’t thought about it before, but I needed to be careful. Were any of them hiding under the cars?
I bent down, kimbap still in my mouth, and peered under the vehicles.
Hmm…
I couldn’t see anything from here.
Where were all the human beasts?
I stood up and took another bite of the kimbap.
Crunch.
Spear in hand, I cautiously stepped onto the road. I had to be careful with every step. I had Accelerate, but I couldn’t be reckless. I only had one life.
Crunch.
Munch. I finished the kimbap. My stomach felt a little fuller.
Gripping the spear with both hands, I crossed the road.
A gentle breeze blew.
Aaaaagh!
A scream echoed in the distance, carried by the wind. Someone had been attacked. It sounded like a man… What had happened? Was he out looking for food?
“…Hoo…”
They were there.
Here too.
Just because I couldn’t see them didn’t mean they were gone.
I reached the other side of the road. Thankfully, nothing had happened. A brightly lit street, with the main road curving at a three-way intersection. This looked even more dangerous than the road. There were alleys between the buildings, and I couldn’t see what was inside them until I was right there.
I cautiously walked towards the McDonald’s, keeping a close eye on my surroundings. Past the McDonald’s was the hair salon. And then the hardware store.
“…!”
I stopped dead in my tracks. Chills ran down my spine.
…I understood.
I finally understood where all the human beasts were hiding.
A large mixed-use building.
The parking garage inside.
A dark, unlit parking garage.
That’s where the sounds were coming from.
Grrrr… Grrrr…
It wasn’t just one.
I couldn’t tell how many there were.
But there were a lot.
It sounded like dozens of people snoring softly.
I leaned against the building and cautiously peeked towards the parking garage. My heart pounded.
…Holy shit…
The human beasts were lined up at the entrance to the underground parking garage, resembling a crowd waiting for a popular restaurant to open. There were likely even more of them inside.
Why were they gathered there?
…Did they prefer the dark…?
But they had appeared in broad daylight. They had chased and bitten people in the middle of the day. Sunlight didn’t seem to affect them. They just preferred the dark.
That was it.
“…Hoo… hoo…”
I took a deep breath and leaned against the wall, turning away from the parking garage.
…Could I just walk past it?
How could I reach the McDonald’s without passing it…?
I saw a subway entrance.
That was it.
I could use the subway entrance to get to the other side. It emerged near the McDonald’s, which was at an intersection.
I carefully walked towards the subway entrance, gripping the railing as I turned.
And then, I stopped.
Grrrr… Grrrr…
“…”
The subway entrance was also full of them.
Those… those bastards were everywhere! But the subway entrance was well-lit!
Why?!
…So, it wasn’t about the light…
They were just crammed into any available space.
I looked around. Countless buildings. Parking garages inside the buildings. Underground passages. …They were all dungeons.
Damn it…
I broke out in a cold sweat. I slowly backed away from the subway entrance.
Right.
Every building, every underground passage, was a dungeon.
I got it.
The main road was actually safer. Damn it, just great. Walking alone on a brightly lit street would make me a sitting duck.
I had managed to cross the road by hiding between cars, but walking along the road in a straight line was a different matter. The cars here were stopped at a traffic light. Up ahead, the road was empty. It wasn’t completely jammed with cars. Some sections were blocked, others were open.
…But I had no choice.
Passing by the building parking garages or entering the subway entrance was too risky. If I had to take a risk, walking along the road was the better option.
“Hoo…”
I gripped the spear and stepped back onto the road, walking slowly.
At least they weren’t roaming the streets. If they were holed up somewhere, all I had to do was avoid those places. Small shops wouldn’t have that many inside. I could just deal with them and take what I needed.
“Hoo…”
I walked cautiously, scanning my surroundings. Even just walking like this was tiring. I was already drenched in sweat. I smelled awful. I didn’t know how much I’d sweat since yesterday.
Aaaaagh!
A woman’s scream echoed in the distance, too faint to linger. Survivors who had made it through the first and second days of the apocalypse were dying, unnoticed.
Thud… Thud…
I couldn’t do anything about those people dying. I had to focus on my own survival.
I reached the McDonald’s. Standing in the middle of the road, looking at the McDonald’s… Oh, they were having a galbi burger promotion.
“…”
I couldn’t go in. There were at least ten of them inside. Probably dozens more on the second floor. They were standing there, swaying slightly, looking almost human… Those human beast bastards.
…There were no more cars.
This was the last stretch I could cover by hiding.
…Damn it, let’s go. The hardware store wasn’t going to come to me.
I took a deep breath and started walking. A few more steps, and the hair salon came into view. Damn it, same situation there. Hairstylists, middle-aged women getting their hair done, young women… all standing there, covered in blood. There were about ten of them in there too.
…How many were in the hardware store?
Damn it, I hoped there weren’t dozens.
“…!”
A woman in the hair salon looked at me.
Or so it seemed. Was she really looking at me?
I kept walking, staring intently at her. Her head slowly turned to follow me. Her eyes were fixed on me. She… she was definitely looking at me.
The woman slowly started walking towards the window. I kept walking too. My heart pounded in my chest.
Thump.
The woman bumped lightly against the glass. I didn’t stop walking. Soon, the hair salon’s window receded from my view. The woman continued to stare at me until the very last moment.
“…Ha…”
She looked like she was thinking, “What was that?” Like she wasn’t sure if she’d actually seen me. I didn’t know if her eyesight was bad or if becoming a human beast affected their vision. But… if I had been any closer… she would have probably charged at me, smashing through the glass. And then the other dozens would have followed, roaring. Even with Accelerate, I wouldn’t have made it back to the boarding house. I would have led them straight there. …We all would have died.
…The house… I needed to fortify the house. Board up the windows, reinforce the walls, make it safer. I’d have to talk to Soo-hyun when I got back.
The hardware store came into view.
“Hoo… hoo…” Damn it. My heart was racing. Gripping the spear tightly, I crossed the road and walked towards the hardware store. The road was quiet. The street was quiet. But this place was teeming with human beasts.
Damn it, I was already drenched in sweat. I felt disgusting. I scanned my surroundings as I entered the hardware store. Faucets, showerheads, electrical outlets, power strips… they hung from the shelves. The lights were on. The door was open. Probably because it was summer. How many were there inside?
I held the spear in front of me and slowly stepped inside.
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