9. Mart Raid (2)

[Suhyun. Running late today.]

Ding-

Reply came.

[How late? Halmae promised chicken porridge for dinner.]

[Not sure. Eight or nine? Dunno.]

[Come back safe. Want to see you tonight.]

……Gotta make it back then.

[How’s the new couple settling in?]

[The man brought tons of vitamins earlier. Went out again. The woman… won’t talk, seems severely depressed.]

[Hmm… Baby okay?]

[Seems fine.]

[Got it. Be back tonight.]

…Depression huh.

…Apocalypse hits right after childbirth…

Can’t expect her to be cheerful.

Fucking gangster bastards wrecking their home, police useless now.

Hmm…

Suddenly curious.

If I’d gone to their house first instead of the boarding house…

Would things still be this messed up?

…No.

Not to toot my own horn, but I’d have made a difference.

The thought made me chuckle.

Apocalypse hits and I’m stroking my ego. Fuck.

“Heh, shit.”

Half-laughed, half-snorted before reclining in the chair.

This place is cramped.

Maybe nap a bit…

…Huh?

Charger here.

Netflix still working?

If so, kill time with movies.

Bizarrely, Netflix still functioned.

No new uploads lately, but existing content streamed fine.

Ate squid from my bag while watching films until sunset.

7:13 PM.

Ugh, stiff all over.

5 Accelerations. Fully charged.

Enough to slaughter and escape comfortably.

Time to move.

Exited the parking office.

Count heads properly this time.

Seven.

Pierce seven skulls, escape immediately.

Rounding the mart wall, saw scattered glass shards from the shattered doors.

Some fragments outside.

Not many.

Plenty inside though.

Step on those and they’ll crunch loud.

They ignore most sounds, but no harm being careful.

Vaulted over the squid stall display.

Thud.

“…Huu.”

Drew my sword.

Shhhk-

…Good.

Check inside first.

Peered past the packaging counters – humanoid shapes visible.

Some sprawled about.

Probably fallen ones too.

Watch the floor.

Cautiously extended my head to survey the entrance.

One..two..

…Four?

Way more earlier.

…Restrooms.

Only place they’d go.

Damn.

Men’s, women’s, disabled.

Three locations.

…Now what.

Huu…

Change of plans needed.

Better lure them out.

Sheathed sword.

Returned, vaulted the squid display again. Approached main entrance cautiously.

Increasing glass fragments inside.

Where doors were, six corpses tangled amid shattered glass – like a bomb went off.

Leaned past sensor doors and whistled.

Wheeet!

“Graah?!”

Beasts snapped their heads around, began shambling hunched over.

“Grrrk! Kraaah!”

Multiple growls as they milled about – more emerging from restrooms.

About ten total.

Good.

Enough.

Now provoke them.

…How though?

…Fuck if I know!

Just do it!

Dashed into the doorway space.

“Hey! Fuckface cunts!”

What kind of shitty taunt was that?!

Couldn’t think of something cooler?!

Heads swiveled.

Eyes gleaming at me.

Faces simultaneously contorted!

“Grk, Kyaaaah!”

Shit!

Leaped back toward squid stall drawing my sword.

Shing!

“Hah, huu!”

“Graaah! Kraaah!”

Crunching glass sounds before dark shapes surged forward.

Fuck, Acceleration!

[Auto-cast: Acceleration]

“Graa—aa—–“

Beasts froze mid-lunge like marathoners at the finish line.

Dashed in stabbing skulls.

Crunch!

Another!

Crunch!

Old man toppling!

Crunch!

Yanked blade from white-haired scalp, just as a man lunged-

“—aa—rk!”

Acceleration!

[Auto-cast: Acceleration]

World stuttered like buffering video.

Not stopped.

Slowed.

Stabbed hard.

Grandma!

Crunch!

Withdrew from temple, stabbed again.

Tall bespectacled man!

Crunch!

Pulled from forehead, stabbed once more!

Baby carrier wom…an?!

Hand faltered.

Then Acceleration ended.

“–Kyaaark!”

Acceleration.

[Auto-cast: Acceleration]

The baby…

Neck torn open.

Ear ripped off too.

…Fuck.

Grit teeth.

Stabbed.

Crunch, crunch!

Young woman.

Younger than me.

Recently postpartum.

…Seven down.

Turned and ran.

Haa, fuck, never getting used to this.

Feels…

Like absolute shit.

“-Rraaahk!”

Acceleration.

[Auto-cast: Acceleration]

Retreat.

Past squid stall into parking lot streets.

Kept running.

Crash! Thud!

Bodies falling, distant shrieks.

“-Kyarook! Kyaaaah!”

Left roars behind as I ran.

Glanced back – shadowy movement.

Must’ve heard my footsteps.

Acceleration.

[Auto-cast: Acceleration]

Roars faded behind.

Streetlights whizzed past in residential alleys.

My shadow fragmented ahead.

Distance gained.

Hundred meters clear.

Distant howls but they can’t catch me.

Turned a corner.

Supermarket visible ahead.

“Haa, haa, huu!”

Sword in one hand, scabbard in the other, I kept running.

Wild dog-like howls echoed distantly.

Far now.

Shook them.

Thud, thud, thud.

“Haa, huu, ha, haa.”

Fucking marathon.

First mart raid day.

14 kills, 14 levels.

But…

Fuck…

That young woman with baby carrier keeps flashing in my mind.

Shoulder soaked in blood.

Must’ve been bitten shielding her baby.

…Shit.

…Just fucking awful.

“Haa, haa.”

Felt nothing killing those gangster fucks.

But this? Hits different.

Will I grow numb to this eventually?

…Fuck.

Let’s go home.

Boarding house.

“Haa, haa.”

Night breeze feels cool at least.

* * *

Dinner was decent.

The new wife still too unstable to join our table.

Five of us barely fit anyway.

Ye-eun and So-eun took two chicken porridge bowls downstairs. Ate together in warm atmosphere.

Helps.

Mood definitely lifting.

As much as these girls need me, I need them emotionally too.

Can’t deny that.

I’ve got feelings too.

Laying in the rooftop room when someone knocked.

Suhyun huh.

Yeah, comfort me tonight.

Opened the door – the large man stood there.

“Ah… T-teacher.”

Something to say.

…Ah.

Know what it is.

“Diapers?”

He scratched his head sheepishly.

Bingo.

Chuckled.

“Mart’s packed. Killed fourteen today. More tomorrow. I’ll tell you when it’s safe to go together.”

Suhyun overheard on the stairs.

Both their eyes widened.

“…Fourteen?”

“Fourteen?!”

Ugh…

Just shrugged.

The man stepped aside hearing Suhyun.

She entered my room grinning.

“Pfft, oppa. Lying? How’d you kill fourteen alone? Makes no sense.”

Smirked.

“Come with us later then. Fourteen corpses by the entrance.”

Drew my sword with a flourish.

Suhyun stuck her tongue out, slapped my butt, and kicked off her shoes.

Told the man:

“Won’t take long. Maybe 1-3 days? Not sure.”

He glanced between us and nodded.

“Ah… Yes. Understood. Then, good… good night.”

Hmm.

Dude’s like a decade older but always ultra-formal.

“No need for honorifics. You’re clearly older.”

He gave an awkward smile descending stairs.

“Ah… Yes. Just… not comfortable yet…”

Smirked and nodded.

“Sleep well.”

Closed the door.

“Haa…”

Suhyun sat on my bedding giggling.

“Oppa. Finished your request. The belt sheath for your sword.”

Ah, that.

Forgot about it.

“Thanks.”

Stripped off my clothes in one motion.

Tossed them aside, pulled her close kissing her neck.

Mmm.

Love how she smells.