episode_0046

I looked for a place to hide, leaving behind the guy who was fluttering and having a seizure. I had to move quickly as the current was flowing and hindering his movements.

You might ask, what about attacking until death? Well… the heat emanating from the kitchen was one thing, but the repulsive smell of rotting flesh was more than I could bear.

Above all, it doesn’t seem like a useful blow would come from poking a few holes smaller than a finger into a monster of that size.

Although I failed in management, I felt like the stubbornness of a rookie owner saved my life. I thought the store was only on the first floor, but I didn’t know it went all the way to the second floor.

As I stepped onto the stairs, a sharp pain shot up my back and hit my head. Oh, I’m going to suffer all winter.

‘Oh… Miss Danhwa, your back is badly hurt. For the time being, of course, you shouldn’t do any strenuous exercise or anything that puts stress on your back in your daily life…’

I thought I heard Mr. Cheon Deuk’s voice in my head. You damn quack doctor, you don’t have to tell me that your back is hurt.

Even though I knew full well that if I continued to use it in this state, the period of suffering would become longer, I forced myself to climb the stairs.

Because it was a much better choice than being a zombie dragging your back on the floor later on.

The second floor, which we went up to, was more comfortable than the first floor. It seemed that business was not going well, as most things, except for the few tables placed here and there, were piled up against one wall.

There was a loud crash and the sound of a window breaking downstairs.

There were no additional explosions, but instead a sound of boiling phlegm was heard, suggesting that zombies had been lured by the commotion earlier and had managed to break down the front door and enter the store.

The chances of them seeing me were slim because there were shades up on the front door and the windows on either side, but the variable was, of course, the Screamer.

The comprehensive healing gift set was delivered to the guy who ate the same zombie and called the body, so from my perspective, even if the guys didn’t see me, the fact that it was bad news still didn’t change.

Is this going to end up like this?

I leaned my back against the corner of the second floor and rolled my head for a moment.

My back is injured and my arrows are limited.

Here, I couldn’t picture myself dodging the Screamer and hiding in a safe place, or defeating the Screamer.

The former was walking slowly while holding his sore back, but was caught by a screamer who chased him and torn to pieces like a dried squid.

The latter also shoots a few arrows at the guy and then gets caught by him and eats him.

hmm…

There’s a high chance I’ll die. Should I write a will?

I thought it would be okay to start my greeting with something like, ‘To the man who exploited me for three years with living conditions that were no different from child abuse and with labor intensity that would make even an adult male uneducated.’

‘You told me not to treat you like a child, but now you’re acting like that!’

Somewhere in my head, I could hear the old man’s stubbornness. The fact that he told me not to treat him like a child and the fact that he exploited a younger child were two separate things.

There is a huge gap between treating a child as an individual and treating a child as an outsider, a gap as wide as the Han River and the Nile River that cannot be bridged.

“Ugh, I wonder if I’ll end up rotting on bread for the rest of my life because of child abuse.”

Honestly, I thought it was cheap to eat. If you don’t like it, don’t drag it around in this cold winter.

I could be broad-minded and understandable since it was something that had to be done to survive in other extreme situations, but isn’t this incident all an extra?

The kind of work that you can survive without having to do it.

“Ha, Hyeji, you fucking bitch.”

If I had just quietly stayed in the shelter, I wouldn’t have ended up in this situation. Thinking about it that way, it seemed like Hyeji’s trolling had a huge part to play in this situation rather than the old man’s fault.

Well, I guess I’ll make some changes to the will… No, it was the old man who adopted Hyeji from the shelter. He’s guilty without even needing to look at this, guilty.

“Turn it off, turn it off.”

From the first floor, I heard the sound of something being smashed again. In between, the creepy sound and the crunching sound of something chewing made me feel uneasy, as if they were telling me where I was going after death.

Would it be better to commit suicide? I don’t think I could endure being eaten alive, mentally or physically.

‘Kkuddeuddeuk.’

The railing along the stairs buckled with a loud noise. Beyond it, the blood-soaked limbs of a monster that could not be called arms or legs suddenly appeared.

Since it looks like a spider, I guess I should call it a leg. After all, it’s not like the monster would care about that kind of thing, and it’s up to the person who calls it.

‘Chiiik.’

There was a squelching sound coming from my feet. Sure enough, the blood and snow on my boots were steaming.

Judging by my location, it seemed like I was right above the kitchen. It was fortunate that the building was made of concrete. If it had been a temporary structure, I would have fallen down and been roasted along with the zombies.

The heat slowly rising from the floor was gradually warming the pillar I was leaning against. If I waited another 10 minutes or so, wouldn’t this pillar also turn into a slab of rock like the floor?

A pretty girl with a marbled body… She seemed like the perfect meal for zombies. I should move away a little. The moment I stepped aside, the former screamer and current spider monster bride who had only shown me her legs also showed me a face that I didn’t want to see, overcoming her embarrassment.

There is a limit to being ugly.

He shot the arrow naturally. It was Hyeji’s special explosive bolt, since it was indoors and I was about to die right away. It would be nice if the entire staircase was blown away along with the monster with that.

With some anticipation, I cast the next arrow on the bow. The one Hyeji had just given me was the last one, so this time, the one that would fly was just a normal arrow.

‘Bam!’

A fairly loud noise erupted from the spider monster’s body. Judging by the way its limbs flailed about as if in a fit of convulsion, I thought it might have been a valid blow.

As the black smoke that had risen with the explosion dispersed, a piece of well-done meat was seen embedded in the monster’s face.

“It looks much better.”

Was it wrong to wish they would just die? The well-cooked pieces of meat began to boil and white heads began to sprout. The stench was a bonus.

“Ugh…”

He fired an arrow with a rising rage. The head pierced by the arrow burst like a balloon, and sap flowed down the monster’s body.

“I’m going to get it.”

The guy started coming closer and closer.

*

“You must bring the equipment!”

Hyeji’s words stabbed Dohoon in the back. However, Dohoon didn’t have the leisure to care that much.

“Later.”

Do-hoon ran up the emergency stairs as if he was flying while carrying Hye-ji on his back. The speed was fast enough to change the floor number in a matter of seconds, so from Hye-ji’s perspective, who was being carried on his back, it was shocking and her eyes were spinning.

“Why are you in such a hurry…! Hic!”

“You’ll be safe here. Be quiet. Wait.”

“That’s just a rooftop…?”

Hyeji looked around and spoke to Dohoon in an anxious voice. Dohoon ignored Hyeji and picked up the iron pipe that was rolling around on the floor.

Hyeji, who knew deep down that she had caused an accident, turned pale for a moment because she was worried that the iron pipe might fly towards her.

“It’s safe.”

‘Crack!’

Following Do-Hoon’s hand, the iron pipe bent like a stick and secured the door. It seemed impossible for the iron door to open unless it was blown away.

Do-Hoon walked towards one side of the rooftop without hesitation.

“It’s so high…! Hey, how am I going to get there!”

“…”

Do-Hoon took something out of his chest pocket, swung it at his thigh, and jumped down from the rooftop.

“6…6th floor…”

Hyeji quickly ran to where Dohoon had jumped. Something hit Hyeji’s foot and made a loud noise, hitting the railing of the rooftop. Hyeji looked down the rooftop diligently to find Dohoon, but he was already nowhere to be seen.

And Hyeji, who had just remembered what had happened, picked up the object near the railing.

A syringe with a needle the size of a pinky fingernail.

“Injection…?”

“Hook, hoot!”

Do-Hoon moved his body diligently, feeling uncomfortable with the familiar yet unfamiliar sensation. With each touch of the ground, his body moved forward several meters.

Do-Hoon thought that the unpleasant feeling wasn’t that important right now. Do-Hoon saw the black smoke rising in the distance gradually disappearing.

‘How long has it been?’, ‘Is it okay?’, ‘It’s not too late, is it?’

Every time he had that thought, Do-Hoon’s body shot forward faster and faster.

‘HG Burger’

The English letters on the sign attached to the building were on fire, burning bright red. The flames were moving along the exterior walls of the building toward the rooftop, and the first floor was already a sea of fire, with smoke from burning corpses belching out in all directions.

Amidst the noise of the flames burning everything, the screamer’s characteristic roar reached Do-Hoon’s ears.

“Shorts!!!”

Do-Hoon jumped straight into the sea of fire.

*

“Wow!”

At the same time that my neck was grabbed, I felt numerous limbs grabbing my body. I also felt a sense of floating.

Like a beast of prey, he strangled me with such intensity that I could hardly breathe. If I were to evaluate the current situation very positively, I would say that I no longer have to smell that disgusting smell.

Well, I guess I might miss that smell after I die. My body was pulled straight towards the Screamer, and it felt like I would be in the monster’s mouth in a moment.

Perhaps the monster, who had caused him so much trouble, did not want to accept him as family.

But I won’t turn into a zombie. The unfortunate event of me debuting as a zombie in front of a late old man won’t happen.

I was able to find one more positive element unexpectedly.

The guy’s mouth opened. A foul smell wafted out. A few bugs flew in. Oh, I really don’t like this.

“Shorts!!!”

I heard that sound when I closed my eyes.

How come you’re not late?