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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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Breakfast was delicious. Grandma was a pretty good cook.
Red pepper flakes and dried anchovies, she had said?
Got it.
Soo-hyun, sitting next to me, acted as if nothing had happened. She chatted about how delicious the side dishes were while eating heartily. However, Ye-eun and So-eun wore strange expressions on their faces.
…They seemed to know about what had happened last night.
Had my moans been that loud?
Ahem.
“Thank you for the meal.”
“Are you heading out right away?” Soo-hyun asked.
“I have to.”
“Then go to the kendo dojo.”
I stopped on my way out.
“…Kendo dojo?”
…Kendo dojo!
Soo-hyun nodded, her mouth full of food. “They probably have real swords there.”
That’s right!
Damn it, why hadn’t I thought of that? I was so focused on leveling up and fighting human beasts, all I could think about was survival.
A kendo dojo!
Soo-hyun grinned and handed me a piece of paper. “I was lying in bed, thinking about you looking for weapons, and I remembered the dojo. Here’s a map. It’s on the fourth floor of that supermarket building.”
“Ah, thanks.”
I took the map and smiled.
Soo-hyun looked at me coyly. “Don’t smile at me like that. I might fall for you. And you need to stay safe so you can keep bringing us supplies.”
“Right, right.”
I chuckled and patted her shoulder. Then, I looked at Ye-eun and So-eun. “I’ll be back.”
“Okay. Be careful.”
“Yes, come back safe. Don’t get hurt.”
Ye-eun said that, but So-eun just kept glancing at me, her face slightly flushed.
…She had definitely heard us last night.
Tsk.
Time to go.
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Even though it was morning, the streets were deserted. Except for the occasional scream echoing from somewhere in the distance.
That morning, I had checked my phone, and Soo-hyun was right—there were hardly any news updates anymore. Within just a few days, most media outlets had collapsed, including the broadcasting stations. I didn’t know how, but YouTube was still functioning. It was the only way to get any news now.
The WHO was done for—or rather, it had become practically useless. Pharmaceutical companies and other businesses were collapsing left and right, doctors were becoming infected and turning hospitals into slaughterhouses… What was the point of researching the infectious disease now? Someone might still be working on it somewhere, but the WHO, as a global health organization, was no longer functional.
It was over.
World leaders seemed to be holed up in bunkers, but that was only in stable countries. Third-world countries like Honduras, Syria, Myanmar… they no longer had functioning governments. Many developing nations had effectively disappeared from the map in just a few days. A few survivors were posting updates on YouTube. “I’m going out to look for food. I’ll upload another video when I get back.” And then there would be no more videos. There were hundreds, thousands of channels like that.
The world was rapidly collapsing.
But there were still survivors.
I was one of them.
I walked carefully down the street, away from the convenience store. Damn, the morning felt strangely relaxing. But I couldn’t let my guard down.
The supermarket was relatively close—just past a Korean medicine clinic, a rice cake shop, and a clothing store.
The problem with these kinds of stores was that you couldn’t see inside, and naturally, you couldn’t see outside from within either. The clothing store had clothes hanging everywhere, making it hard to see inside. Still, I could make out the clothes on display. There were a few things I could wear, so I’d have to stop by later when I had the chance. For now, the kendo dojo was my priority.
The supermarket drew closer.
Grrrr… Grrrr…
“…”
They were there.
Lots of them.
The place was swarming.
I had been walking casually past the clinic, the rice cake shop, and the clothing store, since those places weren’t usually crowded, but the supermarket was a different story. The low growls sent chills down my spine. Judging by the sound, there were at least a hundred of them inside.
…No.
That was too dangerous.
I tightened my grip on the axe and carefully walked around the side of the supermarket, opening the side door. The entire first floor was occupied by the supermarket. Even with the side door open, I could see the entrance and the checkout counters. About ten human beasts were either standing or lying around. I had to be careful. If they spotted me, they would charge.
Carefully…
Axe in hand, I slowly ascended the stairs. I would have preferred to take the elevator, but that would mean passing through the supermarket entrance. That was too risky. I was too weak to fight my way through that many.
“Hoo…”
I climbed the stairs slowly, trying to keep my breathing quiet. The dojo was on the fourth floor.
What was on the second floor?
…It was also part of the supermarket. The metal shutters were closed, but the walls were plastered with supermarket sale posters and promotional schedules.
Up I went.
The third floor was some kind of office. …The supermarket office?
I pressed my ear against the metal door.
Grrrr… Grrrr…
…Shit, they were in here too. The entire building was infested with human beasts.
The buildings really were dungeons. Seriously.
By the time I reached the fourth floor, I was slightly out of breath. Walking cautiously, tensing my leg muscles with every step, was twice as tiring as normal.
Damn it.
“Hoo… hoo…”
I caught my breath and stood in front of the metal door. Behind this door was the kendo dojo. The building was quite large, so there might be other things on this floor as well.
“Ha… hoo…”
I took another deep breath and carefully opened the door.
Silence.
Utter silence.
I listened intently.
…Nothing?
I slowly opened the door wider. A pilates studio and the kendo dojo were located on either side of a hallway.
…Pilates…
I wondered if there were female human beasts inside.
…I shouldn’t think about that. Male or female, I had to kill them all if they attacked.
“Hoo…”
I slowly walked towards the kendo dojo. I wondered how many people had been inside when it happened. It had been broad daylight a few days ago. Would anyone have been at the dojo in the middle of the day?
I grabbed the door handle and slowly opened it. An unfamiliar scent wafted out—like a mix of muscle rub and rubber. Most gyms smelled like this.
I looked around, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. I cautiously stepped inside.
It was spacious. A Korean flag, kendo armor, bamboo swords hung on the walls, along with rows of certificates and awards. Except for a mannequin wearing kendo armor, the place was empty.
Hmm…
No one here, it seemed?
I walked further inside and saw what looked like an office.
Grrrr… Grrrr…
“…”
There was something in the office.
I gripped the axe tightly and peered inside through the glass window.
Someone was lying on the floor. Wearing a kendo uniform? He was alone.
…Ah.
Those human beasts that caused the apocalypse… Someone must have been among the first to transform.
…This guy must have been one of them.
There was no other explanation for him being alone like this. He must have turned while he was alone.
…Right.
Time to deal with him.
I gripped the axe and slowly opened the office door.
“Grrrr… Grrrr…”
He hadn’t noticed me yet. As long as I didn’t make any noise…
I opened the door as slowly as possible, keeping my eyes fixed on him.
The door opened.
Hoo…
I inhaled slowly, silently, and raised the axe.
The head. One strike. Suuuu— I inhaled and held my breath.
“Hah!”
Thwack! The axe blade plunged into the man’s head in a single blow. The man in the kendo uniform twitched, then went limp. He stopped growling. Blood flowed from the wound, forming a pool.
[Level Up.]
“Hoo…”
I leveled up.
Currently, level 11.
…I felt relieved.
…No!
There could be more!
Stay alert!
Pulling the axe out could make a loud noise. I set the large axe down and pulled a tomahawk from my belt. Was there anything behind the desk? I looked around the office, but no one else was there. He had truly been alone. …That was fortunate.
“Ha… shit.” I muttered softly, tucked the tomahawk back into my belt, and pulled the axe from the man’s head.
Thud! Damn it. That sound was awful every time.
Now… where would the real swords be…?
I scanned the office. I saw a large chest of drawers. I opened each drawer one by one.
Creak.
Documents… Ah, membership forms. The next drawer was filled with kendo uniforms. The next one too, and the one after that.
Damn, so many uniforms.
I opened the last drawer.
“…Oh!”
I couldn’t help but gasp. Wooden swords and bamboo swords were piled inside. And among them, two swords in scabbards.
I picked up one and drew the sword.
It was heavy.
Shing—
…A real sword.
“…Hoo…”
A real sword! Could this cleave through a skull? Was it sharp enough?
…I’d find out soon enough.
I sheathed the sword and tucked it into my belt. …Ugh. This was uncomfortable! I wished I had a back scabbard. Carrying two tomahawks, two swords, and a large axe was incredibly cumbersome. Damn it, if this were a game, I’d just put them all in my inventory.
Well, I did have an inventory of sorts. But when I tried putting the axe into the empty slot in the Soul Stone inventory, nothing happened. This inventory had a different purpose. I didn’t know what it was yet.
Anyway, I had the swords. Time to go downstairs. I felt nervous again as I reached the first floor. The supermarket was right there. About ten human beasts were gathered near the entrance. And countless more inside.
“…”
The supermarket…
I’d have to raid this place eventually.
In that case…
I carefully opened the side door and slipped out. They hadn’t noticed me. That was a relief.
I looked around the alley. Left and right, it was quiet.
…Good.
I held the side door open, pursed my lips, and whistled towards the supermarket.
Tweet!
“Grrrr!”
The human beasts turned their heads towards me in unison.
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