7. Acceleration Utilization (3)

Exited the café cautiously, passing the chicken shop and pharmacy to return to the convenience store alley.

Lucky or expected – nothing happened.

Suhyeon and the landlord’s place were dark – probably asleep. Not wise to keep lights on at night these days.

Sleep when the sun sets.

I’ll give them the coffee bottles tomorrow.

Back in the attic, showered and checked my status window in bed.

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The Chosen One

[Specialization – Time Adjuster] [Level – 26]

[Title – Civilian]

Status

[Vitality – 15/18] [Perception – 2/2]

[Strength – 1/5] [Agility – 4/4]

[Spirit – 1/15] [Intelligence – N/A]

[Allocation Points – 5]

Skills

[Active – Acceleration] (Auto-cast active)

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Hmm…

Vitality’s drained.

Was at 17 after the hardware store run.

Point allocation’s tricky.

Want more Vitality for faster recovery, but also want 4 Acceleration charges, and more Strength for more kills.

…Damn.

Only 1 point per level but need balanced stats. What bullshit.

Ugh…

What to prioritize?

Supermarket tomorrow.

Probably dozens there…

…Dozens…

…Need a proper strategy and stat allocation.

…Damn.

It’s a proper supermarket.

Might have a butcher section despite no bakery or ready-to-eat areas.

Assume 40 beasts minimum.

4 Accelerations would help hit-and-runs. But recharging would take 10+ hours.

…Fast recovery or small engagements?

…That’s the choice…

After deliberation, put 5 in Vitality.

3 Accelerations allow quick strikes. 2.3 recovery rate means recharging every 2-3 hours.

Fast recharge, fast reuse.

Need to scout cover spots.

What about that large man?

…One monkey wrench won’t help against a horde.

Glanced around.

…The big axe.

Better give it to him.

Strong guy could wield it well.

I’ve got two swords and a tomahawk.

One axe won’t help against hordes anyway.

Can abandon him if needed.

Don’t care about his diapers or the girls’ food.

Leveling comes first.

Everything else is secondary.

Suddenly wondered:

Beasts in shops make sense – places they frequented as humans. Probably got infected nearby and wandered in.

…But the rest?

Bus stops full of people, cars with drivers/passengers, countless pedestrians.

…Where’d they go?

Hiding in buildings?

Chain infections should’ve left many corpses outside.

Where are they?

This is a decent city.

Near university district – high foot traffic, many shops and residents.

Shops had beasts, but not abnormally so.

The mixed-use building probably had offices – people likely stampeded to the parking garage during outbreak, getting infected en masse.

Same for underground passages.

Subway-connected underground malls would be packed.

Meaning current beast numbers match expected populations.

…Where’s the rest?

Given foot traffic, should be double the beasts.

But they’re gone.

Vanished somewhere.

…Where?

Hmm…

No fucking clue.

“Ugh. Fuck, this is confusing.”

Like I’d understand those beasts’ minds.

Should sleep.

Early morning tomorrow.

* * *

Ate breakfast groggily.

Same atmosphere as usual.

Mid-meal chatter reminded me – pulled out the coffee bottles from my backpack.

“Ah right. Got these last night.”

Handed four bottles to Halmae.

“Oh my, thank you dear.”

So-eun muttered under her breath:

“…Should’ve brought condoms instead.”

Girls froze.

…Must’ve heard yesterday’s activities. Damn, zero soundproofing.

Wait.

Not that bad…

…Suhyeon told them.

She laughed: “I’m on birth control.”

Halmae pretended not to hear. Ye-eun coughed.

Ugh…

…Such a warm breakfast.

After eating, headed out armed with one sword, one tomahawk, and the big axe toward the neighborhood mart.

Passed a stinking 50s man’s corpse in dried blood.

Disgusting.

Should move it.

…Where though?

No crematorium or burial spot nearby.

…Annoying.

The large man waited at the mart.

“O-oh, you’re here.”

…Why that face?

Looks distorted.

Angry? …No.

…Afraid.

Why?

Ah, because I killed that bastard?

Smirked and approached when figures emerged from alleys.

40s-50s men.

“Hey Hoon. This the guy?”

What’s this.

Just t-shirt and jeans guys.

One wore wrinkled suit pants – clearly uncared for.

Three total.

Surrounded me, looking cocky.

Front guy had a gold chain.

Gold Chain spoke:

“You killed our boss, fucker?”

…What fucking 80s gangster drama is this?

Pathetic wannabes.

Hilarious.

I chuckled.

“Pfft… fuck. Ah… yeah. So?”

“‘So’ my ass, fucker.”

His arm rose.

Acceleration.

[Auto-cast: Acceleration]

Posture suggested a slap or throat grab.

Clearly experienced bullying people.

Fucking losers.

Old fucks still playing gangster.

Dropped the axe, drew my sword.

Cleanly slit his throat.

Sword feels natural now.

Stepped aside.

Left guy’s arm was raised too – going for a backhand.

Right guy (now in front) was lifting a leg.

Good teamwork.

“–Gurk!”

Acceleration ended.

Gold Chain gushed blood, collapsing.

Axe thudded down.

“Gack! Ugh!”

He convulsed on the ground.

Other two froze mid-action.

“Uh, uh!”

“B-boss!”

Then looked at me fearfully.

Gold Chain frog-kicked, gurgling.

I reversed my sword and crushed his skull.

*Crunch*

“Eek!”

“Ugh!”

Others flinched back.

Stomped his head, yanked my sword free.

Asked the large man:

“Who’re these? Why bring them?”

This guy’s cowardly.

Didn’t bring them to fight me.

But glared anyway.

Did you endanger me?

He stammered:

“Th-they’re bad… invaded my place…”

Thugs glared at him.

“Wanna die like the landlord, fucker?”

Landlord?

I muttered:

“…Fuck… wasting my time when I can’t even level up…”

Each Acceleration is precious.

Thugs looked nervous.

Should fucking run after seeing a death, not pull knives and threaten.

“Sigh…”

Already wasted one Acceleration.

Pissed off.

“You! Know who we are? Huh?”

Who cares, morons.

Pissing me off more after wasting my skill.

“Yeah. Just die already.”

Activated Acceleration while stepping forward.

*Step*

[Auto-cast: Acceleration]

“Wha-a-a—-“

Their flinch slowed.

Knife raised.

I slashed his throat.

Moved forward, stabbed White Shirt’s skull.

*Crunch*

“–Glerk!”

Blood gushed behind me.

Stabbed guy’s face slackened.

Yanked my sword free.

*Thunk*

He collapsed, bleeding from forehead and nose.

Thud behind me.

“Guh! …Gack!”

Wasting my leveling time.

Got blood on me again. Fuck.

Grimaced at the large man.

“…Hey mister.”

He paled, trembling.

I said:

“Stop bringing annoyances. Pissing me off isn’t wise. Fucking around?”

Dying thug gurgled, clutching his throat.

Crushed his skull.

*Crunch*

Two Accelerations wasted. Fuck.

Large man flinched, knocking over snack boxes.

So dramatic.

Yanked my sword free, glared.

Fucking idiot.

“Their gang shit doesn’t concern me. Bring more trouble, you die too. Understood?”

He went sheet-white, clutching snack boxes.

Jaw trembling.

Fuck this.

Threw the axe at his feet from the blood puddle.

*Thud*

Blood splashed his pants.

“Take it. See you tomorrow morning.”

Blood probably got in my mouth again.

Metallic fuck.

Spat while walking away.

“Fucking hell.”