6. Emotional Numbness (1)

Two hours passed and one Acceleration charge recovered.

Some stamina was drained recovering other stats, but two hours for a full charge isn’t bad.

Put down the nacho chips I was eating and stood up.

The sword.

Time to test it.

*Sshing*

Drew the sword and examined the blade.

Sharpened steel.

Looks sturdy, yet feels like it might snap or bend…

…Let’s do this.

Outside was quiet.

*Click*

Opened the door.

Strange air rushed in.

*Grrr- Grrr-*

One right outside.

Right at the door.

Back turned.

Hunched over, growling low.

…College girl?

Or high schooler?

Young woman in jeans and t-shirt.

What was she buying at the mart?

Alone?

With friends?

Maybe a boyfriend?

Thoughts swirling as I slowly raised the sword.

Careful not to hit the doorframe.

Then thrust.

“Hup!”

*Thunk!*

Head pierced through, hitting the wall.

*Bang!*

Pulled the sword free – body collapsed backward.

*Thud!*

Went straight through!

Other beasts turned at the noise, roaring.

“Krraak! Kyaaaak!”

Charged the door.

*Crash!*

“Kyaaaak! Kyaaaaaak!”

Door held by the shelf, only opening slightly. Shook violently with each impact.

“Krraaak!”

One tried forcing its face through the gap – only an eyeball visible.

Arms shoved through, reaching for me.

Clawing at the door.

Acceleration!

[Auto-cast: Acceleration]

“Kwaa-a-a-“

Slowed!

Aimed at the face in the gap.

Middle-aged woman with curly hair.

Grocery shopping for side dishes?

Thrust with all my might.

*Crack!*

Skull pierced instantly – eyes rolled back.

Pulled free, aimed at the next face.

Younger woman in a different apron.

“Bakery” written on it.

Part-timer from the mart’s bakery.

How’d she end up at the entrance?

Thrust again.

*Crack!*

Through the eye, piercing the brain.

Pulled free –

“–Aaarak!”

Acceleration ended.

“Kyaaaak! Kyaaaaaak!”

Damn, heads bobbing up and down!

Can’t aim properly!

“Hup!”

Thrust but only scraped the scalp.

Then the lower one!

Aimed diagonally down at the frenzied beast below.

Middle-aged man.

Also wearing an apron.

Manager maybe.

Thrust downward.

“Hyaap!”

*Thunk!*

Skull pierced – face instantly slack. Eyes rolled back, mouth gaping.

“Kyaaak! Kyaaaak!”

Something flashed past my face.

Damn beast’s fingers!

Two faces in the gap now.

Too much movement to aim properly.

Will the door hold?

But…

One more…!

Tried steadying the blade – too much trembling.

“Tch, damn it!”

Grabbed the blade-

Wait!

Can’t grab the sharp edge!

Flipped it, resting the dull side on my forearm.

Aimed carefully.

Hold still, hold still…!

Those eyes…

Wide, staring eyes!

Gaping maw!

“Hup!”

Thrust forward.

*Crack!*

Blade entered through the mouth, exited the back of the skull.

The expression…

Beastly face instantly went blank.

Yanked the sword free.

*Thud!* as the body hit the frame and collapsed.

Now visible – delivery vest over the t-shirt.

Mart delivery guy.

*Crash!*

“Kyaaaak!”

Another head slammed the door.

“…!”

I… I know this ajumma.

Lived next door in my goshiwon.

Worked at the mart…

“Kyaaak! Kyaaaaak!”

…Gritted teeth, blade on forearm.

Two heads in the gap.

No idea how many arms. Too many.

…Ajumma.

Sorry it ended like this.

You shared kimchi with me.

Husband’s business failed, family scattered, you said.

“…Hup!”

Thrust with all my might.

*Ping!*

“!”

W-what?!

Won’t… penetrate!

Same force as before?!

Again!

“Hup!”

*Ping!*

Won’t go in!

Wait.

Why?

Why won’t it…?!

…Ah.

Five.

Killed five already.

Already?!

Strength… depleted…!

Need to close the door!

“Tch!”

Shoved the door violently.

*Thunk!* Just made noise, didn’t close.

Three beast arms stuck in the gap.

“Shit!”

Dropped the sword.

*Clang!*

Grabbed the large axe from the shelf.

Swing with all my might.

*Chop! Thunk!*

Blood sprayed.

Flesh flew.

Arm severed.

Kept swinging.

“Hup! Hyuup!”

*Thunk! Chop!*

Severed fingers rolled on the floor.

Gap created!

Immediately shoved the door with all my weight.

Damn, too many! So heavy!

“Kyaaaaap! Uwaaaaah!”

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

“Krraaak! Kyaaaak!”

Pushed with everything.

Back against it, feet braced on the wall.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Door shaking violently from both impacts and my pushing.

Finally, wobbling, it closed.

*Click*

Locked instantly.

“Hahk! Hahk, hahk!”

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

“Kyaaaak! Kyaaaaaak!”

Dragged the drink shelf back against it.

*Screech!*

“Hahk! Haa, hah!”

Done…

It’s done…

Legs giving out.

Almost collapsed.

“Haa, haa!”

*Thud* – axe dropped.

Leaned on the wall, staggered to the corner.

*Squelch*

Stepped on something soft.

What?

…A palm with four fingers.

Severed at the wrist.

Nearby – forearm and scattered fingers.

Blood everywhere.

Like a rain of blood droplets.

“Haa…haa…”

Dizzy.

Fuck…

Held the shelf, took two steps to the far end.

Slowly sat down.

*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!*

“Kyaaaak! Kyaaaak!”

Still going berserk outside.

Watched the shaking door, slowly hugging one knee.

Message floating before my eyes:

[Level increased by 5]

How long has that been there?

No idea.

Mind completely blank.

…Killed five.

“Haa, haa.”

…Five more dead.

Double digits in just days.

Nearly twenty now…

How many exactly?

One… two…

…Seventeen.

Closed eyes, leaned head against wall.

…Killed so many.

Seventeen.

Seventeen in mere days.

An insane number.

They all had families. Friends.

I killed them.

“…Haa…haa…”

Never could’ve imagined this before.

Killing people and feeling so numb – my past self would’ve been horrified.

…Only days have passed.

Vomiting after kills was just yesterday or the day before.

Now not even nausea.

Getting desensitized.

“Haa…haa…”

Will keep numbing.

More and more.

No idea how many survivors remain.

Others like me out there? Killing beasts, growing numb?

…Might actually understand each other.

“…Haa…huu…”

Sitting helped calm down.

…Right.

Leveled up.

Stats…

“…Status.”

…Level 18 now.

5 points…

“Huu… haa…”

…Where to allocate?

Only killing five per stamina makes me want more Strength.

Could kill more then.

…No.

For now…

Survival first.

Need faster recovery, faster Acceleration charges.

Put all 5 in Stamina.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
The Chosen One
[Specialization – Time Adjuster] [Level – 18]
[Title – Civilian]
Status
[Stamina – 6/15] [Senses – 2/2]
[Strength – 0/5] [Agility – 4/4]
[Mind – 0/15] [Intelligence – N/A]
[Distribute Points – 0]
Skills
[Active – Acceleration] (Auto-casting)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

…Stamina 15.

1.5 recovery per hour.

Started at 0.6 recovery.

Decent improvement.

Need…

Need more.

Which means…

More killing.

“…Huu…”

Eighteen soul stones collected.

No idea what they do.

Can’t hold or take them out.

Just accumulate in storage.

Might be useful someday.

“Haa…”

Killed five.

Remaining…?

Not sure.

Ten? Nine at the mart entrance?

Around that many.

…Not many left now.

Next Acceleration charge should finish them.

Phone showed Saturday, 10:52 AM.

Weekend.

This street would’ve been crowded with people.

Just silence now.

Except the beasts banging on the door.

Next Acceleration charge…

Maybe… five hours?

At least that much.

Hmm…

Might make it back by evening.

Thought this while tearing open plastic packaging.

20-pack of 500ml water bottles.

Chugged one down.

Lukewarm.

Still refreshing.

“Haa…”

…Noticed while drinking.

Covered in blood.

Damn.

Can’t be bothered to clean.

Just… rest.

Laid down zoning out, dozed off, played puzzle games on my phone – time passed.

Surrounded by empty snack bags and a urine-filled bottle.

One Acceleration charge recovered.

“Huu…”

Alright, let’s go.

Carefully moved the shelf, unlocked.

Opened the door.

*Creak-*

…Hinges completely wrecked.

Opens with horrible screeching.

Corpses piled outside.

Studied the tangled bodies briefly, then looked past them.

…Can’t see.

But they’re there.

*Whiit!*

Whistled – immediate *Grrr!* in response.

Whistled again.

“Kyaaaak!”

*Crash!*

Two slammed into the door.

Two? Maybe one more?

Raised the longsword, aimed at the gap.

…That face.

My goshiwon neighbor…

Neat bob now disheveled, strands stuck to her face.

Kind smile turned bestial.

“Kyaaak! Kyaaaak!”

Blade on forearm, aimed at her head.

…Ajumma.

Thanks for the kimchi.

…It was delicious.

“…Huu, hup!”

Thrust with all my might.

*Crack!*

Skull pierced instantly.

Face went slack.

Eyes rolled back, jaw dropped.

Like Munch’s “The Scream.”

Felt the weight.

Sword sinking down.

“Hup!”

Yanked it free.

Body collapsed face down.

“Kyaaaak! Kyaaak!”

“Haa, haa.”

…Feeling like absolute shit…

Ajumma…

Why were you there.

“…Fuck…”

One-armed beast shoved its head through the gap, mouth gaping.

Young woman.

…Wedding ring on left hand.

Newlywed…

“Kyaaak! Kyaaak!”

…Don’t need Acceleration.

Raised sword, rested on forearm.

“…Hup!”

Thrust forward.