16. Cockroaches. (3)

It was past one in the morning.

All stamina had been restored.

Upon leaving the office, I saw the children’s corpses.

Whatever.

I walked to the cooking academy, careful not to make any noise along the way.

Even then, low growls could be heard.

How many are inside?

The door was wooden.

Odd. Aren’t they usually glass doors?

Maybe because it’s an academy.

I crouched in front of the door and drew my sword.

Shurur-

Carefully turning the handle, I slightly opened the door and peeked inside.

The counter was far away, and next to the entrance was a glass-walled office with glass partitions.

Inside the office glass wall.

It was clearly visible.

The office was empty.

But the counter area was not.

Young men and women were wearing chef’s uniforms and hats. Their white outfits were stained with blood, a ghastly sight.

Some standing, some fallen.

At least twenty of them.

There was another door next to the counter, probably the storage room.

I slowly opened the door.

Even when it was fully open, they didn’t notice.

…Good posture.

I stood up and took a deep breath.

“…Hoo… Heu-eup.”

I stepped inside and shouted.

“Kimchi fried rice!”

…Who cares.

They have no brains or thoughts.

“Kya-rul-rul?!”

The cooking students’ heads snapped toward me.

Their faces contorted in an instant.

“Kya-a-a-! Chwa-a-a-!”

The human beasts in white uniforms rushed toward me.

They’re coming, they’re coming!

I smiled.

“Egg soup… extra!”

Acceleration!

[Auto Activation: Acceleration]

“Hup!”

Pak-pak!

 * * *

9 accelerations.

Killed 22 human beasts.

[Level increased by 3.]

Oh, it leveled up three times?

I must have killed around 8 or 9.

Still…

“…A bit disappointing.”

It would have been better if it were 30.

But damn.

Combined with the 10 killed at the art academy, it made 4 levels.

Still, it’s a bit disappointing, but the storage room caught my eye.

…There might be more inside.

I walked to the storage room, 5 accelerations left.

There can’t be 20 inside such a narrow storage room.

“Hoo… Heu-eup.”

After catching my breath, I opened the door.

Clank.

…?

It was locked.

“…What the?”

I pressed my ear against the door.

Do I hear something?

It won’t open even when I try.

Clank, clank.

“…Should I stab it with my sword.”

…Useless.

It’s a metal door.

Not like a wooden door I could stab.

Maybe it’s a refrigerated room.

“Ah, the key must be in the office.”

As I muttered, a noise came from inside the storage room.

“…?”

…What was that?

…Suddenly, a ominous feeling ran down my spine.

Could it be…

Shit, could it be…

I sighed and said,

“…Is anyone in there?”

No answer.

I knocked on the door.

“Hey. Can you hear me? Is anyone there?”

It seems like something is there.

Some noise.

A rat?

Or a cat?

…Or a person.

I sighed again.

“It’s safe outside. Come out.”

When there was no response, I said again,

“The office has keys. I can open it. Come out. No one else is outside.”

After a moment, some rustling sounds were heard, and then a click.

The door slowly opened.

I took a step back.

The smell!

A stench of rot and feces made me choke.

Someone came out.

It was a man.

I covered my nose with my arm and stepped back several times.

Oh, shit, really.

Completely pale, with a smashed head, wearing a chef’s uniform.

Probably in his early twenties?

Doesn’t look young, just stupid.

Short and chubby.

He looked so out of place in a chef’s uniform.

“Ah… is anyone…?”

“Yes. None.”

He glanced at me and flinched, then stepped back.

What the hell.

Because of the blood, I guess.

“Uh, uh, you, you’re…?”

“It’s not my blood.”

“Are you, are you serious…?”

“No.”

I coughed and took another step back.

“Shit, come out or go back. Stop stinking up the place.”

This idiot must have been hiding here since the apocalypse, locked in for nearly two weeks, shitting and staying put.

There was probably food and storage, but still…

Please.

The cooking idiot slowly came out and closed the door.

What a mess.

Even with the door closed, the smell lingered, probably embedded in his clothes.

I coughed again.

“Shit, you stink. You’re lucky to be alive, you know.”

The cooking idiot didn’t respond, just looked at me with teary eyes.

He must have realized his situation.

His face, which had been blank, slowly returned to reality, and tension rose.

“Ah, yes. Hyung.”

…He didn’t even wash his face.

Not that I did either, but still.

I didn’t want to be with this guy.

The smell was awful.

“Haa… go over there and rest. I’ll stay at the art academy across the street. See you in the morning.”

He said,

“Uh, uh, I, I… want to stay with hyung…”

I don’t want to be with you.

Because you stink.

Forcing myself not to yell, I pointed to the office.

“Rest there.”

“Uh, uh, okay… hyung.”

I just left the cooking academy.

And thought,

It’s a big building.

There might be a decent number of survivors.

But…

Why did I end up saving this guy?

…What if I hadn’t opened the storage room?

…Why did I open it?

…Could it be that some cosmic force made me open that door?

If so…

…Is he not my responsibility?

Hmm…

Worth considering…

As I thought, I returned to the art academy and flopped into the director’s chair.

“My fate, damn it.”

Ugh.

And morning.

Just past 9 AM.

Emergency rations were all eaten, and stats were fully restored.

Time to go.

With these stats, I could go upstairs, but…

Shit, I have to take him.

“Haa…”

…Let’s go.

I got up and entered the cooking academy.

“Drrrllerrrlll- Kheueueuer-“

…What a mess.

The smelly guy was lying on the office floor, snoring.

I poked his side.

“Ah, shit.”

Why was the office door closed?

Covering my nose and mouth, I poked him again.

He flinched and woke up.

He looked at me with blinking eyes.

I said,

“It’s morning. Let’s go.”

“Uh…”

He slowly came to, his tense, dirty face returning to reality.

“Ah, yes. Hyung.”

…He didn’t wash his face.

Not that I did either, but still.

I didn’t need to, since he’d probably get blood on him again anyway.

This guy stank.

“Haa…”

With a frustrated sigh, I headed downstairs.

It wasn’t easy.

I was carrying a chair I’d taken from the director’s office.

Obviously heavy as hell.

“Hoo…”

The smelly guy was dragging along, sniffling.

I said,

“Hey. Catch the chair. What are you doing?”

“Ah, yes. Hyung.”

He awkwardly lifted the chair.

A bit better.

“Hoo…”

We descended, taking breaks in between.

Our heavy breathing was unavoidable.

I also gave him instructions.

“When I say run, you run no matter what. If you trip or freeze, I’ll leave you behind. You’ll get caught and die right there.”

I slowly shook my head and emphasized,

“I’m telling you clearly, I won’t save you. When I say run, run with all your might. Got it?”

The smelly guy nodded hard.

“Yes. Hyung.”

He responded well.

And the broken stairs on the second floor.

The smelly guy stood next to me.

With a tense face.

I pulled him and pointed to the broken glass wall.

“Run.”

“Heu-eup!”

Rush!

“Kya-ra-rang?!”

Growling sound.

I threw the chair with all my might.

It flipped through the air.

And the charging human beasts.

They collided.

Kwah-dang-tang!

With a crashing sound, the front ones fell, and the ones behind lost their balance and tumbled.

I immediately leaped down the stairs and escaped the mart.

The smelly guy was running hard.

Shit, slow!

Exercise!

“Kya-a-a-! Chwa-a-a-!”

“Eua-a, heu-eok, heu-eok, eu-a-a!”

From behind, the beasts’ commotion could be heard.

But we were already about 20 meters away.

A rushing sound came from behind.

I shouted,

“Keep running. Don’t look back. See the convenience store ahead? Run there!”

“Heu-eok, heu-eok! Yes, hyung! Heu-eok!”

“Kya-a-a-! Chwa-a-a-!”

…They’re here.

Acceleration.

[Auto Activation: Acceleration]

I stopped.

Taa—

Immediately drew my sword.

Shurur-

Turned around.

One meter ahead!

“Hup!”

Pak-pak!

Stabbing two heads, then turning to run.

“–A-rul-rul!”

Thud, thud!

Taa-aak!

The sound of footsteps and falling corpses.

The smelly guy hadn’t even taken a step.

Thanks to acceleration.

As soon as acceleration ended, we ran forward.

The smelly guy tried to look back because of the falling sounds.

I said,

“Look ahead! Run!”

“Yes. Hyung!”

From behind, the sound of something being trampled and falling.

The corpses I’d stabbed earlier had been tripped over.

The beasts were hindered twice.

We’d put quite some distance.

Convenience store.

We immediately turned into the alley toward the boarding house.

Clank!

Shutting the door, we caught our breath.

Damn.

Annoying, with breathless and the smell nearby.

It was infuriating.

Distant growls could be heard.

They must have been evaded.

“Haa, hoo… Wait here.”

“Heu-eok, heu-eok, heu-eok, yes, hyung. Heu-eok.”

I went outside.

Growls could be heard here and there.

The beasts were wandering.

Just like at the hair salon.

They can’t see far.

“…Hoo…”

I walked toward the convenience store alley.

On the main road in front of the supermarket, about six of them were roaming aggressively on the sidewalk.

They don’t know this place exists.

…Hmm.

The more I deal with them, the more I learn how to handle them.

Looking across the street…

…Something small was moving in the distance.

People.

I took a step closer…

…Cockroaches.

What are they doing?

Looking over the car, they were staring into the distance.

…Ah, they’re looting the convenience store.

…Oh no. Caught.

Oh. Being devoured?

Several of them rushed to strike the door with club-like weapons.

The door gave way.

People stared at the bitten one.

The bitten one stumbled back, bleeding profusely.

Shaking his head violently.

Trying to say something.

…Ah.

The bitten one was being beaten by the others.

…They’re beating him mercilessly…

He must be dead…

…They’re desperate too…

I looked at them and sneered, then got out of the car.

Whatever the cockroaches do, it’s none of my business.

Let’s go back.