Ch.109Chapter 14. Even a Zombie Can Understand (End)

All the zombies gathering were humanoid. Five at a distance of about 50m, four at around 100m. They were ambling toward me, keeping a reasonable distance from each other.

This was a bit troublesome.

Zombies consider other zombies as obstacles when they’re densely packed together. If the five approaching first got tangled up with the military police zombie, the four behind would lose interest and wander elsewhere.

In that case, I needed to cluster them together.

I was also curious how the zombie tied to that utility pole would handle so many of its kind.

I got on the electric bicycle. I had connected it to an electric motor so it could move without pedaling. The terrain was nearly flat, though slightly uneven. In such conditions, the one with superior speed had the advantage.

If I were facing those zombies alone, I would have waited until they came within about 30 meters. One shot to the head, another aimed at the lower abdomen or legs.

A headshot would drop them instantly, while a leg shot would severely reduce their mobility. When they got too close, I’d retreat another 10 meters and fire two more shots.

Slowly, calmly, mechanically, I would have taken them out one by one.

But today wasn’t that kind of day.

So I slowed down considerably and approached the zombies. I didn’t sing—my throat hurt—but instead turned up my phone’s music to maximum volume.

The five nearby zombies rushed toward me in a group. I narrowly escaped their grasp, increasing the electric bicycle’s speed to just above their running pace.

“Hungry, aren’t you?”

They snarled “Kyaak, ka kak” and accelerated further. Ignoring them, I headed toward the remaining four. These zombies, approaching from farther away, grew wary at the sight of an electric bicycle and five zombies suddenly coming their way.

I smoothly turned the handlebars in front of them.

Perhaps realizing they’d been toyed with, the two groups of zombies merged. Now nine enraged zombies were chasing after me.

I moved in an S-pattern, back and forth. The zombies followed, mirroring my S-pattern. This kind of running puts considerable strain on leg muscles and joints.

No matter how desperately zombies crawl, they were originally human, and humans are creatures that become powerless when their joints and muscles give out.

When I got too far, I waited for them to catch up. When they got a bit too close, I’d suddenly start the bicycle again. Somehow, the zombies’ faces seemed to be filling with rage.

“This should be enough.”

I brushed past the military police zombie. The creature, irritated by the sudden appearance of nine zombies and the annoying electric bicycle, lunged upward trying to grab me.

But once again, it was caught by the clank of its chain. It grabbed the chain with both hands and shook it in frustration. However, there seemed to be no way to remove the chain firmly wrapped around its legs and waist.

“Graaah! Guah! Grah! Gyaaaak!”

Eventually, it trembled violently and began digging at the ground frantically. This seemed to be its way of expressing “I can’t live with this frustration.”

In the process, it was throwing whatever it could grab—branches, bones, pebbles—in all directions.

Was it coincidence? Or some kind of instinctive behavior?

Whistle!

I whistled. The military police zombie flipped its body and glared at me. I kindly pointed out what was behind it.

“You’ll get eaten like that, you know?”

The nine zombies had already approached within arm’s reach.

They were gnawing on bones with teeth marks and rotting or dried-up flesh that the military police zombie had thrown around.

The saying “sucking the marrow” wasn’t just a figure of speech. They held thick bones with both hands, smashed them against the ground, and then sucked on the broken pieces.

But that wasn’t enough to satisfy them. If anything, it only made them more desperate.

Eventually, they shuffled toward the military police zombie.

“Grrrrrk!”

The military police zombie glared alternately at me and the nine zombies. I aimed my Glock pistol.

“Want to see something interesting?”

I shot the nearest one in the lower abdomen. The bullet hit precisely.

The zombie with compromised posture wobbled and then dropped to its knees. As if in disbelief, it looked down at its lower abdomen gushing with blood.

It covered the wound with both hands, then sucked on them as if they tasted delicious.

When the smell of rotten blood spread, the zombies’ eyes rolled back. Until now, they had seemed reluctant and annoyed, but now they were more aggressive, as if salivating.

But perhaps due to the lower concentration of hunger virus in this area compared to other places I’d visited?

In those places, they would first devour injured zombies. I’ve even seen zombies that considered their own wounded bodies as food and ate themselves.

But not here.

Eight zombies alternately examined the bleeding zombie and the military police zombie. Suddenly, the military police zombie stretched its neck and howled, “Wooooo!”

The military police zombie rushed toward them. Clank! Click! Savage sounds came from the taut chain.

“Krung. Krrrk…”

It was different. Definitely different from zombies in other regions. These nine zombies were showing clear hostility toward the military police zombie.

It meant that even zombies could assess danger and prioritize in their own way.

Eventually, all nine zombies charged, swinging their arms.

The one shot in the stomach led the charge. Despite bleeding, it howled fiercely as it leaped forward. The military police zombie waited calmly, then threw an uppercut.

It precisely hit the spot where the bullet had just struck. The zombie hesitated.

From pain? No. Zombies don’t feel pain. It hesitated purely from losing balance. That’s why it didn’t scream. Only roars of rage.

While the staggering zombie fell backward, two others circled around to attack. The military police zombie quickly extended its arms, grabbed them by the collar, and smashed them together with a loud bang.

But there was only so much it could do against superior numbers.

The rest charged all at once. They pushed with their weight rather than technique. Neither side showed restraint. The military police zombie seemed to hold its ground but was gradually pushed back.

What surprised me came next.

It suddenly leaped backward. The nine zombies lost their balance and fell forward.

The military police zombie howled as it bit into their necks and tore at their flesh with its hands. It clawed at their skin, thrust its hand in, and ripped.

Its own body wasn’t unscathed either. Teeth sank into its arms and legs. Like dogs with large chunks of meat, they bit down and shook their heads side to side.

When two zombies latched onto each arm, it seemed to have no choice but to fall and twist its body. I aimed my silenced pistol and quickly fired eight shots.

The zombies were so excited and making so much noise among themselves that they didn’t even hear the gunshots.

The bullets shattered the heads, jaws, and temples of the zombies clinging to its right arm. A zombie with its jaw blown off groaned “Ugh, uuh,” then fell backward when the military police zombie shook its arm free.

The military police zombie glanced at me.

“Krrrrrk!”

This is why they say never take in a black-haired beast.

With its right arm freed, the military police zombie clenched its fist and swung wildly. It repeatedly struck the back of the head of a zombie trying to tear at its stomach. It bit the neck of another trying to tear off its nose.

Now I understood how it had survived until now.

That creature aimed precisely for vital points. Whether it learned through countless fights or just happened by chance, I couldn’t tell.

But the same was true for the other zombies. The ones that attacked were also covered in scars, unhealed wounds, and scabs, their clothes mostly torn. Survival couldn’t have been easy for them either.

Though not as much as the military police zombie, they too knew their prey’s weaknesses. They sat on or piled on top of the military police zombie to prevent it from getting up.

If they’ve survived until now, there must be a good reason.

I fired all the remaining bullets in my pistol.

I didn’t aim for their heads. Instead, I targeted shoulders and backs. Some bullets hit the military police zombie too, but nothing fell off, so it probably didn’t matter.

Zombies with bullets in their joints couldn’t move as flexibly.

The military police zombie stood up, but it wasn’t in good shape. Chunks of flesh had fallen off its body, and it was covered in bite marks, scratches, and torn flesh.

Yet, it was still chewing a mouthful of flesh.

Of the nine zombies, four had fallen and five were still active. The five zombies howled and charged.

This is it. Right here. I watched the military police zombie. Do zombies have an instinct to protect themselves? Or are they overwhelmed by hunger and aggression?

In a moment when defeat seemed certain, what would it do?

It exceeded my expectations.

“Huh?”

The military police zombie clicked its teeth once as if in contempt, then climbed up the utility pole. It wasn’t just climbing; it was deliberately wrapping the dangling chain around the pole as it ascended.

The movement was clearly intentional. I wondered why it climbed like that, but looking at what the zombies below were doing, I understood.

Some tried to climb the pole too, but others, drawn by the clanking sound and metallic reflection, grabbed onto the chain and hung from it.

The military police zombie on the pole kicked and stomped on those climbing up. The five zombies would climb up one level, only to be hit in the forehead, chin, or bridge of the nose and fall back down.

A chill ran down my spine.

It wasn’t just humans who struggled desperately to survive. Zombies did too. There are no accidental survivors anywhere.

Life isn’t given freely. Only those who prove their reason to live will remain in this world. Whether human or zombie.

The days when mere existence was considered precious are over.

“Krak! Kyaak!”

The beaten zombies changed their strategy. They no longer tried to climb up. Perhaps they now perceived the utility pole and the military police zombie as one entity.

They grabbed the pole itself and shook it violently.

Honestly, I thought they were wasting their effort. No matter how small the utility pole, it shouldn’t sway with just six humans hanging on it… or so I thought.

Six shaking from below. One wobbling from above. It was like sticking a pencil in the ground and twisting it around.

The ground gradually erodes, and the pencil, losing its support, slowly tilts until it falls over. Just like that.

I picked up the submachine gun I had set aside. At this rate, the creature would escape. Rationally, I should shoot them all dead.

But something held me back. What was it? Why?

Two zombies were crushed under the fallen pole. The military police zombie wasn’t crushed, but it thrashed about, perhaps from the impact. Clank! The chain came loose. The creature leaped up.

Rattle! The chain dragged along as it ran. At first, the military police zombie didn’t seem to understand what had happened to it. It kept jumping here and there.

Then, as if sensing something strange, it stopped.

It alternately examined the end of the chain and the utility pole. Then it pulled on the chain. It still didn’t seem to understand that it was free, that it was finally released.

It was too wounded and too tired to comprehend.

“Gruk.”

The zombies approached the injured and exhausted predator. The military police zombie growled while lying prone on the ground. It was a fighting stance, but it looked as weak as a beaten dog.

I drove the bicycle behind the approaching zombies. I planted submachine gun bullets in the backs of their heads and backs. I made a “tsk” sound before firing.

The sound of cans being kicked echoed loudly. Flames shot from the end of the silencer. I shredded their backs and heads. For the last one, I only destroyed its knee joints.

“You finish it off.”

I said, aiming my gun at the military police zombie. It looked at me, then at the zombie crawling toward it, then reached out to the approaching zombie. It leaped as if crouching, then bit into the zombie’s nape. The last zombie went limp.

I got off the bicycle.

Six bullets left. Distance to the creature: about 25m. Enough to blow its head off. The creature placed its hand firmly on the zombie whose neck it had bitten. As if saying, this is mine.

Our eyes met.

Neither of us looked away. Light green eyes that might once have been considered quite pretty. But now they were bloodshot, like the eyes of a dead fish.

Suddenly, it took a step forward. I had expected this and remained still. It was what trainers of fierce dogs always emphasized.

Never show submission to a dog. Make the dog recognize that you are superior and stronger.

Sweat beads rolled down my forehead and neck. Tension. Yes, tension. I aimed the submachine gun with one hand and removed my balaclava with the other. It was so soaked I could wring out sweat with just a slight twist.

I threw it at the creature. It shook its head roughly with a “Kyaruk,” but then carefully sniffed, “Sniff, sniff.”

– It’s hesitating.

Something seemed to whisper in my ear. I took a step forward. The creature growled but stepped back.

– It’s hesitating, curious. It wants to know.

Drool and blood dripped from its mouth. It looked like it wanted to tear apart whatever was in front of it. But with me watching, it neither dared to pounce nor eat, just watching my reactions.

It was reading my mood.

I felt like I could read its emotions too.

Was it an illusion? Or…

“That’s right.”

This time I thrust my body forward and growled. When I pointed the gun, it clearly flinched. After glaring as if about to shoot, I stepped back.

“If you don’t attack, I won’t harm you. I’ll be back next week, and if you lunge at me after smelling me, I’ll really kill you then.”

“Grrrrrk!”

“Just eat your food.”

I backed away slowly, keeping the gun aimed. The emboldened creature stretched its body forward, but its rear was pulled back in the opposite direction. If it were a dog, it might have been wagging its tail.

I got on the bicycle. I kept glancing back. The creature was tearing at the zombie corpse while constantly glancing at me.

“…It would have been better if the chain hadn’t come out.”

It was regrettable, but nothing could be done. Since I had made gunshot noises, I deliberately took a roundabout route back to my residence.

“Why are you so late when you said you were just going to take out the trash? Were you secretly meeting another woman somewhere? No, what’s wrong with you? Did something happen? Why are you sweating so much? And where’s your mask…”

Even Camila’s nagging looked pretty to me, so I suddenly hugged her.

“Hey, hey. What, what’s wrong? Did something really happen? Are you okay?”

“No, Camila. Nothing happened.”

For now, I’ll keep this to myself.