episode_0003

The old man walked through the shopping mall without hesitation. What does this mean? It was as if he was saying that he was showing the bare minimum of consideration for me, who was following behind him.

Hmm… Maybe it’s because I teased you too much earlier. But you still seem petty. I didn’t cause any major trouble, so why are you trying to keep discipline like this?

anyway.

I started to feel out of breath quickly because I was moving so much that I thought, “This wouldn’t normally be the case,” and I had a feeling that if zombies came rushing in during this time, it would be a really big deal.

The moment I was about to pull on the old man’s collar with the intention of going a little slower, his hand touched my body first.

“?”

“Danhwa, I’m sorry, but please hold on a little longer. And I have one favor to ask.”

Wouldn’t it be enough to do just one of the two? Even though negotiations using advances and retreats are popular, this seems to be all about advancement, with no sign of retreat.

Where did this guy learn such negotiation skills?

“What is it?”

Regardless of my true feelings, the fact that the old man said something like that meant that the situation was not easy and that he really needed help, so I had no intention of whining and saying I couldn’t do it like I did before.

“I’ve managed to avoid being caught by the zombies so far, but it seems like it’s only a matter of time. I’ve already been to all the places where there are no zombies, and the only things left are the elevator on the third floor and the cultural center. I think it’s probably near the elevator.”

“But?”

I sighed and fumbled with my waistband. I hadn’t heard the rest of the story yet, but based on the experience I’d had following the old man around, I could pretty well guess what he was going to say.

“I need you to get some attention. Of course, I’m not talking about running around this mall screaming. You remember where we first came in, right? The ventilation shaft on the third floor terrace.”

“Are you going to tell me to go to the sewer junction first and wait? It’s so easy to understand because there’s absolutely no creativity to be found.”

I sneered at the old man’s words, which I thought were cynical, and then pulled the bowstring and hung the bow.

Should I say I’m glad I ate the chocolate bread… I have the strength to pull the string.

He tapped the bowstring to check the tension, then took an arrow from his waistband and hung it on the bowstring.

“I’ll be there soon, so don’t worry. Just like Danhwa said, I’ll be resting for a while after this request is over. Just endure it for a little while.”

“Wow.”

I don’t know where you read the worry in my cynical answer.

Sir, I think you’re mistaken. I’m not worried about you at all.

However, I’m worried about how I’ll be able to protect the supplies that my uncle has accumulated when he dies and return to the shelter.

I immediately sent the arrow away from the demonstrator, and the zombie lady who had been standing blankly at the entrance to the elevator fell down with a dull sound, and the zombies’ gaze turned to me.

“Turn it off…”

Let’s see, one, two, three… twenty-seven? Are you having a wild dance party in that small space? Why are so many people popping out like that?

Like the patrons of a zombie nightclub, zombies with tattoos and henna instead of corn marks all over their bodies began to approach me at a pace that was neither slow nor fast.

As the shopping mall, once filled with silence, began to resonate with the cries of zombies, even the zombies in the poor cultural center began to draw attention.

“Haa… Anyway. I told you, there’s no easy way.”

And the man who put me in this situation showed a look of apology for a moment, and then disappeared before I knew it.

“Really, do I have to go this far just to find a dog leash? I won’t let you go after this is over…”

*

All the archers in the world…

No, like most archers, except for the blond elf prince and the eagle-eyed hero from the famous trilogy.

I wasn’t good at close combat.

It was an expected result, considering I woke up in a girl’s body.

Because my body wasn’t strong, and I didn’t have the strength to overcome the crisis of being crushed by zombies and reduced to a meal right after waking up.

Rather, considering that point, we should be grateful that we even had the power to stage a protest.

So, unlike someone who has a knack for close combat, I don’t even have a cheat sheet, let alone an knack for close combat.

The best way to do this was to use the obstacles to jump around and occasionally shoot arrows at the zombies blocking the path to the third-floor terrace.

I knew the power of the bow when I was an athlete, or rather, when I first started learning archery, but seeing someone shoot an arrow at a person and put an end to a life that was not meant to be was a new experience.

If only I hadn’t had that ridiculous accident back then, I wouldn’t have had to do this… no, I wouldn’t have had to go through this.

I let out a sigh that was heavy on my breath and the sigh that had been building up in my chest, and I was able to barely reach the terrace after shooting an arrow at the guy blocking my way again.

And the world is filled with unfolding recordings.

The absurd situation of a zombie apocalypse seemed like it would unleash a vengeance, turning every corner of the city into a bloodbath, but contrary to such expectations, nature was magnificent.

The plants that were planted as street trees, flower beds, and gardens continued to grow endlessly, using what I don’t know as corpses or fertilizers as nutrients.

The climate abnormality that had been breaking legends every moment with daily changes has finally regained its health thanks to the source of pollution being reduced by nearly 90% in an instant.

I was proud of myself for staying up all night during science class and listening to an explanation of nature’s ability to purify itself. It seems that compulsory education is filled with things that are closer to the truth of the world than I thought.

The tree that’s wrapped around that building over there is World Tree No. 1. The tree that’s jumping out through the hospital window over there is World Tree No. 2.

If there is one thing that is regrettable, it is that the ones that have achieved such tremendous growth are those that are faithful to the classification of ornamental trees, not fruit trees.

You should plant something like a persimmon tree or an apple tree, you idiot government officials.

“Ugh…”

Pushing aside the insignificant thoughts, I began to focus on reality again. The zombies that had followed me had already filled the terrace with darkness.

I strapped the bow to my back and quickly climbed up the makeshift ladder toward the ventilation shaft.

Unlike me who was quick, the zombies felt somewhat slow and belatedly grabbed hold of the makeshift ladder I had climbed up and shook it, but I responded by snorting and boldly kicking the ladder away.

The ladder that fell so cleanly smashed the heads of several zombies with a bloody sound…

“Okay, newbies. This is what K-Ultimate’s Ladder Kick is called.”

I looked down at the zombies squirming to climb up the vent, confidently celebrating my victory.

Of course, in this situation, you could choose to slowly feed arrows to those zombies and clean up the shopping mall.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t strong enough to carry that many arrows.

I knew that even if I put in all that effort, it wouldn’t be enough to reduce even 1/100th of the zombies occupying the shopping mall, so I didn’t waste my energy.

By the way, I don’t know if the old man is doing well.

I thought about that as I threw myself into the vent.

*

I waited for the old man in the damp sewer.

If I go back to where I just came from, the complex sewer system that leads to the center of the city begins to unfold. In short, the place where I am now is the junction that separates such complexity and simplicity.

And if you go back in the direction you first entered with the old man, you can go out to the outskirts of the city towards the river where the sewage from the city center is discharged, and if you go upstream of that river, you will come across a hydroelectric power plant that used to supply part of the city’s electricity.

I heard from the old man that the hydroelectric power plant there is still operating and that there is some kind of military unit stationed there.

Sometimes, when I think about the fact that the old man frequents that place, I wonder if he also has some kind of connection to that military unit.

He’s good at handling swords, and he’s good at close combat. He’s not just a connection guy, he might as well have been a soldier…

“Short story!”

I could hear the voice of an idiot from far away. Was it really necessary to call my name like that? I promised to wait here anyway.

At this point, I was starting to suspect that the old man might have separation anxiety.

“You don’t have to be so loud here. It hurts my ears. They say it rings in the sewers.”

“Sorry, sorry. Anyway, the request is complete.”

The old man smiled, revealing his teeth as white as rice noodles, while shaking the bright red leash he was holding in his hand.

Well, good job, Hunter Nguyen Aunt Quoc.

I almost blurted out something like that, but I managed to hold it back.

No, I think the clothes are a bit more worn out.

“What, did you meet a diehard fan? Where did you leave your sleeve?”

“I wish I had a female fan like you said, but unfortunately I don’t like furries, so I guess I had a hard time keeping them separate?”

Only after hearing that did I realize that the protective bandage around Mr. Nguyen Duong Cuoc’s wrist was also torn.

“Sigh… I really told you I should do this because of a puppy!”

My heart sank. As I said before, without you, things would be difficult in many ways.