episode_0235

There are scenes you often encounter when watching movies or anime.

It’s the transformation sequence.

Whether it’s the protagonist, a magical girl, a mecha, or an evil executive.

Every time I saw a scene where they made a big fuss, claiming to show their true power, I thought:

*“Shouldn’t I just hit them while they’re transforming?”*

Right. No.

Doing it myself, I found it wasn’t the case.

I had hoped that I might have inflicted even a little damage, but…

“Grrraaaah!!!”

There was nothing of the sort; I only provoked its temper.

The giant zombie, showcasing an extraordinary presence, filled the wide hallway.

Just its presence was overwhelming, and then it let out a rough roar.

The enormous shriek made all the windows rattle.

The tiles beneath its feet, supporting its towering, massive body, didn’t just break but crumbled into dust.

“Gwaaaah-urk!!”

Different shrieks from its eight heads mixed together, creating a strange reverberation.

It wasn’t just a simple shriek.

I felt a strange sensation that resonated deep in my stomach, making my insides clench.

The very familiar killing intent of a predator.

Normally, my body would stiffen, but I was different.

*Squeeze-*

To me, it was merely a seasoning that made me feel truly alive.

As proof, I tightened my grip on the sword handle, raising my fighting spirit.

“Come at me.”

*Thump- Thump-*

Perhaps noticing that I wasn’t intimidated, the giant zombie waddled forward, charging.

With every step it took, the floor tiles shattered and flew upwards.

*Crunch- Crack!*

The giant zombie, smashing through the ceiling as it ran, charged directly at me and no one else.

*Dash-!!!!*

Not waiting for it to reach me, I ran to meet it.

Its arms, swinging through the air to smash the obstructing ceiling, were busy.

Without stopping my running speed, I barely grazed past its side.

As naturally as flowing water, I swung my sword towards its knee.

*Splat-!!*

“……”

I landed the first strike and got behind it, but the taste in my mouth was bitter.

I realized it instantly through that attack.

This one was tough and sturdy too.

Judging by the sensation transmitted through the sword tip, it was even sturdier than the giant zombie I encountered in Yongsan.

Its appearance was already insane, so I wondered if…

*Whoosh-!!*

“!”

*CRAAAASH-!!!*

The moment I ducked my head, its arm, which had just grazed past, shattered the wall.

The wall, losing its shape, wasn’t just shattered but pulverized into dust.

Its destructive power was also immense.

Asbestos dust falling from the ceiling and blowing from the wall obscured my vision.

*Whoosh-!!*

A chill ran down my spine with the sound of the wind being cut.

The moment I swiftly dodged and retreated towards the window.

*THUUD-!!*

A monstrously sized whip, appearing through the dust, struck the floor.

“Whoa, damn it!”

The sensation of the floor shaking made me exclaim in spite of myself.

An attack where it swung its whip-like right arm downwards.

Simple, yet incredibly fast and heavy.

With just one swing, the hallway floor was deeply gouged and ruined.

*‘…Looks like it can’t do it continuously.’*

If there was a silver lining, that was it.

If it could rapid-fire attacks like that, an entire building would be destroyed in an instant.

Having reaffirmed its intense destructive power, I glared at the giant zombie.

The moment our gazes locked through the asbestos dust and debris.

The giant zombie shrieked and began swinging its right arm.

From top to bottom.

*CRASH!*

And wildly horizontally.

*CRASH!!*

Every time it swung its enormous whip, the building vibrated.

The windows that had barely held on shattered completely, letting in the cold wind.

*Whoosh-!*

As a strong gust of wind swept into the hallway, asbestos dust flew wildly and scattered.

And just as the tip of the whip fell towards my head again through the dust.

*Whoosh-!*

Mindful of the shattered, difficult-to-tread floor, I charged forward instantly.

*Splat-!!*

*Snap-!!*

As I cut the previously wounded knee again, its massive body swayed.

Not missing the opening, I exploited it again, pulverizing its knee.

*Thump-*

The giant zombie lost its balance and knelt on one knee—

*Whoosh-!!*

Pushing the air aside, a massive hand swept down.

*Whoosh-!*

*Thwack!!!!*

*‘Damn it!’*

I stepped back and struck down on its wide-open palm, but it wasn’t enough.

Unluckily, my back-stepping foot lost balance and slipped slightly.

It seemed I had misstepped on the shattered floor.

As a result, its left hand, which had been coming down on me, shot into the air, and I stumbled.

At that moment.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over my head.

“Grrrroan!”

I couldn’t help but say something at the sight of this crazy bastard trying to crush me with its body.

“You son of a bitch!!!”

*Thud!*

*CRASH!!*

I quickly raised my left arm and used my forearm to block its enormous body.

“Hoooh!”

An unexpectedly immense weight was transmitted all the way to my knees.

I could feel the tips of my feet, which were braced, digging into the floor.

A foul, metallic smell immediately assaulted my nostrils, sending shivers down my spine.

*Squish- Squish-*

The monster’s skin, where my arm made contact, squirmed and moved.

The firm and taut sensation suddenly turned soft.

At the same time, I stared wide-eyed as my forearm began to be sucked in, as if sinking into dough.

“Grrrrgh!!!!”

Keeping my hand on the sword, I clenched my fist tightly.

*CRACK-!*

*THWACK!!!!*

I unleashed a truly devastating blow, striking upwards with all my might, filled with a sense of astonishment.

“Gurgle-!!”

Something burst from the giant zombie’s abdomen.

The massive body, having been struck, shot upwards and crashed into the ceiling.

Seizing the opportunity, I quickly pulled my body free and created distance, causing the enormous body to fall again and roll on the floor.

*‘This crazy bastard!’*

It had been a long time since I was genuinely startled.

I roughly shook my left arm, which was left with an indescribable unpleasant sensation.

As it lay prone, its eight heads lifted and glared at me.

The expressions on each head contorted greatly, as black bodily fluids regurgitated from their mouths.

Like living humans.

“Screeech!!!”

Was it angry from being hit?

Anger could be felt in the primal roar that vibrated the building.

On the monster’s upper body, as it slowly got up, there was a deeply indented mark from where I had hit it.

*Click! Click-click! Pop-*

Electrical wires dangling from the ceiling and the debris of fluorescent lights.

In the short time the giant zombie and I rampaged, the hallway became a mess.

Behind the giant zombie and me, the lights were still on, but darkness settled between us.

Nevertheless, we glared at each other.

On my side, killing intent blazed with deep fury.

On its side, a filthy killing intent and the familiar hunger of a predator.

The moment our gleaming eyes met in the air, it was the giant zombie that moved first.

*Thump- Thump-thump! Thump-thump!*

Perhaps because of its rotten eyeballs, it seemed to see nothing.

Every time the giant zombie, approaching rapidly like a beast on all fours, moved, the interior was destroyed.

Staring at the monster approaching like a beast with its gruesome appearance, I exhaled slowly.

“Haaah….”

I steadied my breath and slightly lowered my center of gravity.

The sword, gently gripped, was aligned with my side.

A blatantly prepared stance for a ‘horizontal slash.’

Fighting here put me at a disadvantage.

The thick dust obscured my vision and made breathing difficult.

The wildly shattered floor made it hard to brace myself and apply force.

It was a cramped space, so I couldn’t swing my sword freely.

In that case, what I needed to do was simple.

*’Get outside.’*

It would certainly follow if I moved, but that wasn’t enough.

*Whizz- roll~*

I measured the distance, swiftly took out a grenade from my inventory, and rolled it forward.

Naturally, that monster paid no attention to a mere grenade.

*‘…Two, one.’*

The moment the giant zombie passed over the grenade.

“Groaaan—”

*BOOM!!!*

The grenade, which exploded near its lower abdomen, threw the giant zombie off balance.

I swung my sword at the monster, which lost its balance and came rolling towards me as it was running.

*Whoosh-!!*

*Thwack!!*

My sword, striking slightly at its shoulder and slightly at its head, sent the giant zombie flying outside.

The giant zombie crashed through the glass wall and fell outside.

Not missing a beat, I jumped down and chased after it.

“Screeeeek!!!”

“……”

*Thud-*

The monster, having fallen from the third floor, slammed into the ground with its entire body.

It might not feel pain, but it seemed to have felt the impact, as its movements slowed slightly.

*Swish-*

I gripped the sword hilt with both hands and raised it behind my head.

I pulled my arms back to their limit, my upper body leaning back slightly with them.

My gaze was lowered, tracking the giant zombie.

Position-wise, I would land near its upper body.

The moment my falling body created an attacking distance with the monster.

*Swoosh-!*

The sword, brought down with full force, fiercely cut through the air.

And it cleaved through the giant zombie’s log-like arm.

*Slice-*

*Splat-!!*

“Screech-!!”

“Damn it.”

I rolled roughly on the ground from the impact of the jump and clicked my tongue.

Although I cut off its thick arm from the upper arm, I wasn’t satisfied with the result.

If that monster hadn’t struggled, I could have split its head in two just now.

Whether by coincidence or instinct.

The giant zombie, having guarded its greatest weakness, rose as if in a frenzy and charged at me.

“……”

I adjusted my stance and re-gripped my sword.

*‘I can’t drag this out.’*

This giant zombie’s durability was even greater than the one I’d cut down at the Yongsan base.

Even now, I had swung down forcefully, utilizing the power of the fall.

As a result, although I managed to cut it, I felt the moment my sword creaked.

*‘The sword can’t hold up.’*

I could swing it harder and faster.

The reason I hadn’t done so until now was due to the weapon’s durability.

Even now, I had been swinging it dangerously close to the sword’s limits.

If I crossed that line, the sword would surely break.

I truly missed the lost weapons I didn’t have with me now.

…For now, I let go of the fleeting regret.

First, I would clearly recognize the weapon’s limits and finish this within them.

Dodging the dull whip falling towards my head, I firmed my resolve.

*CRASH!!*

*‘Minimize the sword’s burden…’*

*Swish! Swish!*

*‘Cut its neck in one go.’*

*Whoosh!*

*Swish!*

Simple, blunt strikes and swings, yet dangerous attacks.

To eliminate the burden on my sword, I moved my body to dodge the attacks.

No blocking, no parrying.

Only evasion.

I responded calmly, while the giant zombie raged even more wildly.

Perhaps it was using its full power, as its attacks were fiercer than in the hallway.

Faster, heavier attacks, with different levels of power, continued.

*BOOM-!!*

The missed attack struck the ground, unleashing the whip’s characteristic shockwave.

The impacted ground sent dirt and rocks flying, creating a crater.

It even added a tremor strong enough to make someone with weak legs stumble.

“……”

Debris flew onto my face, touching my eyelids, but I didn’t close my eyes.

My gaze and senses were focused solely on that monster.

*BOOM-!! BOOM!!*

“Grrraaaah!!!”

The piercing sound of heavy blows grazed my ears, but the noise grew faint.

The roars from its enraged, rotten vocal cords were also barely audible.

“……”

Little by little, I closed the distance with its massive body.

Little by little, I lured its attacks even more dangerously, then dodged them.

Little by little, openings began to appear in the giant zombie.

“Groaaarrr!!!”

Three of its eight heads, screaming and spewing black bodily fluids, were pulverized.

From its severed left arm, a viscous liquid gushed out, soaking the ground.

Its shattered, dangling left knee scraped against the ground.

Its body was definitively broken.

However, the dull whip, swung relentlessly, did not decrease in power.

And the same went for me.

The moment the whip rose for another attack.

*‘Now.’*

*WHOOSH-!!*

I sprang from my spot and boldly plunged into the giant zombie’s embrace.

Maintaining my lowered stance, I passed between its splayed legs.

*Swish!*

*Slice-!*

I completely severed its dangling knee and followed up with a combo attack.

*Rip!!*

I succeeded in cutting more than half of the back of its remaining leg’s knee.

*Thud-*

*Dash-*

I quickly stepped onto the back of the giant zombie as it stumbled forward, raising dust.

In succession, I swung my sword unhesitatingly towards its neck.

*Thwack!*

“Screeeeek!!!!”

“?!”

The blade had cut more than half of its neck, but something inside held it.

And then…

*Crack-crack-crack-crack-*

To the sound of bones twisting, its massive head turned to look behind its back.

“……….”

“Screeeech!!!!!!”

Five heads shrieked in a discordant cacophony.

The moment its massive whip-arm bent back to swing from behind, I tightened my grip.

*Squeeze-*

*Zing-*

*Slice-!!*

I put even more force into my entire arm and severed its neck.

*Thud~*

*Slump-*

As the heads that had been functioning fell, the massive body immediately slumped.

The whip-arm, which had been about to swing, also rolled powerlessly on the ground.

I looked at the heads scattered on the ground.

“…What the hell, was it an owl or something….”

Just now, when its neck twisted around to glare at me, I almost screamed without realizing it.

It was truly an unforgettable monster in many ways.

I brushed dirt, dust, and asbestos powder from my head and body.

Slowly, I descended and looked around.

It seemed I had fallen on the side of the building, between the barrier wall and the structure.

It felt exactly like a good spot to bully kids at school.

The only difference was that it had become an utter mess in a short time.

I averted my gaze and looked down at the sword in my hand.

“……”

On the surface, it looked fine, but I definitely felt something was off.

It seemed this sword had also reached the end of its lifespan.

“Haa… damn it.”

Even though I won, a dirty feeling remained, as if I had lost.

*Swish-*

I swung it through the air, shaking off the filth clinging to the blade.

I opened my inventory, put the sword away, and also collected the giant zombie’s corpse.

During my adventurer days, monster corpses were a source of income.

I couldn’t guarantee it, but the corpse of a variant might also be worth money.

I broke my sword, so I felt like I needed to at least use this monster’s corpse to feel better.

The moment I finished the fight by collecting the corpse.

“E-excuse me?”

I turned my body towards the direction of the voice.

*‘Why is this person here?’*

“A-are you alright?”

“……”

“Are you hurt anywhere…?”

From the darkness, the young man who had run away earlier appeared.

*‘Did he see it…?’*

I calmly erased the expression from my face.