Apocalypse Tyrant

Show of Force (2)

Early dawn when the sun had not yet fully poked out its head.

I lightly dusted off my body while looking around at the surroundings filled with a light blue color rather than an excessively bright color.

The cool dawn air along with a faint scent of fabric softener wafting in.

It was a tracksuit looted from a department office after discarding clothes soaked with sweat smell.

I wore the tracksuit that still had some fabric softener scent left, while the tracksuit with a musty smell naturally went to Ko Janghun.

I stared at Ko Janghun doing a final check of his bag while slowly shaking my arms and legs.

A black bag filled with snacks with as much nitrogen removed as possible and simple foods.

It would have been good if we could pack plenty of bottled water too, but there was a limit to the weight Ko Janghun could carry.

“Can you run while carrying that much?”
“Yes sir! This much is no problem, hehe.”

A hearty breakfast solved with lunch boxes that didn’t have much expiration date left.

We had even finished a simple shower in the 4th floor bathroom last evening.

A state of full preparation to the extent that there couldn’t be a more fully prepared situation in a zombie apocalypse.

“Hoo—!”

[Inventory Lv.1]

[1. Metal pipe]
[2. Monkey wrench]
[3. Improvised kitchen knife spear]

I rechecked my inventory filled with weapons and took one last deep breath in and out.

“Let’s go.”
“Yes sir.”

We walked along the escape rope carefully connected from the pavilion pillar standing alone on the rooftop walkway.

The long rope extended over the rooftop railing, dangling dangle— at the height of the 1st floor of the Humanities Building.

The back of the Humanities Building clean without a single zombie.

It was the result of diligently throwing miscellaneous items at vehicles around the Humanities Building lawn since eating lunch boxes.

I pulled the rope several times with moderate strength before going down.

The rope maintaining a taut horizontal line while connected more firmly than expected.

I nodded my head meaning this should be fine, then stood on the rooftop railing with a light jump.

Whooosh—!

Wind blowing sharply despite the position being only slightly higher.

I firmly grasped the rope with both hands while feeling my bangs shaking violently.

[Strength: 15] [Dexterity: 15]

A body maintaining balance without any tension thanks to physical stats that had reached a combined ’30’.

It was indeed a physique that naturally made me feel it was worth smashing zombie heads while going crazy since yesterday morning.

Yeah, this much is needed to feel the satisfaction of allocating stats.

There was no reason to delay any more time.

Just as I was about to lower my right foot that had smoothly stepped onto the railing—

I saw Ko Janghun staring at his smartphone with a serious expression.

“What.”

Ko Janghun looking at me while maintaining his serious expression at my short question.

“Ugh— They say power and water will be cut off within 24 hours so we should store water quickly?”

…Was it 3 days or 4 days after that chaos broke out?

In movies, water gets cut off and electricity goes out in just one day, so should I say this is holding out well, or that it’s faster than expected—

Well anyway, from our perspective—

“Good timing.”

It’s not a bad situation.

Thud—!

My left foot leaving the railing in sequence following my right foot.

I slowly descend the rope while applying strength to both arms with my two legs supported on the smooth exterior wall of the building.

Whooosh—!

The wind shook my body much more sharply than expected, but my two arms continued the next process more diligently and firmly than that.

Thud—!

Both feet stepping onto the ground again in less than a minute.

Ko Janghun who had been peeking his head out— from the rooftop to look at me like that applauded silently and enthusiastically while holding out the black bag.

I took out the metal pipe from my inventory to arm my right hand and carefully scanned the surroundings.

“…”

I walked to the spot where the bag was expected to fall with nothing visible in the surroundings and nodded my head.

The black bag starting to fall quickly as soon as Ko Janghun let go of it.

Thud—!

Ko Janghun mouthing ‘Yes—!’ while seeing the black bag landing obediently in my hand stood on the railing.

Although it was his back view holding the rope, his two legs naturally made me imagine what kind of face he would have.

His legs trembling dadadak— as if electricity was flowing through them barely stepped on the Humanities Building exterior wall, slipped, and stepped again.

Ko Janghun alternately staring at me below and the rope with a face full of fear.

I lightly sighed and stepped one step further forward in preparation for him possibly falling.

At that sight, he moved his Adam’s apple so dynamically it seemed like I could hear ‘Gulp—’ even though I couldn’t, then started descending.

Ko Janghun coming down one step, one step like a caterpillar while dangling dangle dangle— on the rope.

Thud—! Boom—!

Should I say it’s admirable that he ended up not falling and coming down safely—

Or should I say it’s pathetic that his trembling legs collapsed onto his butt as soon as he touched the ground, perhaps from the tension being released—

I let out a hollow laugh at the sight of Ko Janghun whose face had turned white as a sheet even though this was just the beginning, and gestured to him with my eyes.

Ko Janghun shook off the cold sweat that had already soaked his face drip drip— and stood up with his legs trembling like a newborn giraffe calf.

As soon as I confirmed he had stood up, I leaped over the wall about as tall as a person dividing the parking space and forest path behind the Humanities Building.

Pat—!

After landing in the grass with one jump, I put down the black bag I was holding and reached my hand down.

Ko Janghun hurriedly grabbing my hand and grunting as he climbed over the wall.

Ko Janghun who had come up to the grass quickly slung on the black bag and stared at me as if preparation was complete.

This was where it really started.

We should refrain from unnecessary conversation to avoid drawing aggro from zombies with living hearing.

Ko Janghun’s careful footsteps followed behind me as I slowly took steps towards the forest path.

From now on we need to arrive at the library smoking area non-stop.

While avoiding drawing zombies’ attention as much as possible.

Rustle— Rustle—

Unlike me whose footsteps were barely audible perhaps due to the influence of the Dexterity stat, Ko Janghun’s footsteps of grass being stepped on didn’t cease even though he was being as careful as possible.

It slightly grated on my nerves, but if zombies reacted to this level of sound, we wouldn’t have been able to converse on the rooftop either.

“Keeee—”

Speak of the devil, a single zombie caught my eye as soon as I thought about zombies.

It was still making monstrous sounds while stupidly staring at a tree, apparently not realizing we were approaching at all.

My footsteps that had been slowly searching the surroundings instantly gained acceleration and sprinted.

Swish—!

While clearly feeling the sound of cutting through the wind, I swung the metal pipe straight at the zombie’s head that had suddenly grown quite large.

Splat—!

A swing that struck the side of its head at the same time it turned its head at the sudden noise.

Thud—!

Unable to even let out the unique zombie roar, the zombie bastard slowly collapsed leaning its body against a tree.

I carefully scanned the surroundings while confirming a point had come in.

“…”

A very quiet forest path with nothing unusual.

I continued my steps while being satisfied with the strange silence where not even the sound of birds chirping could be heard.

Clearly, the first day of the zombie apocalypse must have been like a buffet for zombies.

There must have been screams stimulating them and humans fleeing everywhere.

But now as we walk the forest path, quite a bit of time has passed compared to the first day.

The zombies that had been roaming all over the university during that time must have lost their way in this silence where not even breathing could be heard.

And in that wandering, they must have reacted eagerly to occasional noises.

For example, car alarms I deliberately set off or inevitable noises from places where many people gathered, etc—

Well, the conclusion is that zombies that had been spread somewhat irregularly until now would inevitably gather in specific areas as time passed.

In other words, it means the number of zombies would naturally decrease in spaces where people can’t hide like this.

I checked the signpost erected in the middle of the forest path while crossing the forest path that was quite spacious compared to the Humanities Building.

[☜ College of Education, Central Library (0.1km)]

Our destination pointed to and emphasized straight ahead there.

I turned my head to confirm Ko Janghun was following well, then hurried my steps.

Chairs and small pavilions coming into view as the unseasonably lush green forest path gradually ended.

A bit more to the front, the College of Education welcoming me with a much more modern design than the Humanities Building and groups of zombies loitering around it were detected.

I gently lowered my body and turned my head to the left of the College of Education.

There, the destination, the library reflecting the sunlight that had now poked out its head could be seen.

Even the pile of corpses with flies buzzing around, the abandoned ladder behind it, and the open 2nd floor window.

Rustle—

I heard Ko Janghun’s presence as he hid his body tightly in the forest path behind me.

I slowly turned my head and met eyes with Ko Janghun.

Ko Janghun hurriedly taking out a coin from his pocket as if he perfectly understood my look.

I gripped the 500 won coin Ko Janghun handed over, then slightly raised my body and aimed at a white Morning car abandoned in the parking lot in front of the College of Education.

Shwik—!

The coin leaving my hand quickly pierced the front windshield of the white Morning precisely.

Honk—! Honk—! Honk—!

Then it started crying out very loudly compared to the wound.

“Keeeeeek—!”

Zombies starting to run while going berserk at the sudden noise.

I quietly raised my head and observed the zombies accumulated in the surroundings gathering towards the white Morning.

As soon as I confirmed there were no more zombies hindering our entry direction, I reached my hand back.

Ko Janghun hurriedly handing over the black bag as if he understood what I meant without me saying anything.

It was important to reduce Ko Janghun’s weight rather than mine because we had to run at full speed from now on.

I received and slung on the black bag, then met eyes with Ko Janghun and jerked my chin to point ahead.

Ko Janghun hurriedly regulating his breathing at my instruction, then quickly standing up.

Rustle—!

The fallen leaves stuck in front naturally fluttered in the air at his sprint.

I watched the white Morning while backing up Ko Janghun who had started running at full speed.

Numerous zombies still unaware of our existence and busily venting their anger on the Morning.

We crossed the crosswalk that was barely visible due to vehicles filling the road to the extent it was unclear how many multiple collisions had occurred—

Completely ignoring the front of the library and sprinting diagonally towards the smoking area.

Swish—!

A single zombie caught in my field of vision as I ran quickly without even time to breathe.

It seemed to be blankly looking at a zombie corpse thrown out from the 2nd floor.

I moved my feet faster to overtake Ko Janghun while waving the metal pipe tick—.

As agreed on the rooftop in advance, Ko Janghun will drag the abandoned ladder behind that.

What I need to do in the meantime is clear the surroundings.

It was the action I had done most diligently and become most proficient at so far.

Splat—!

The metal pipe mercilessly striking the back of the zombie’s head.

I quickly looked behind while glancing at the zombie collapsing on top of its already dead companions.

Ko Janghun running over with his teeth clenched while dripping sweat all over his face.

I took over the ladder he was holding and set it up right in front of the open 2nd floor window.

Then I handed the bag I was carrying back to Ko Janghun and looked around.

“…”

The surroundings very quiet as even the car alarm of the white Morning had ceased by now.

Still, everything up to now had been carried out very smoothly according to the plan from the rooftop.

Now if just the two of us climb up the ladder, the plan will end perfectly without any problems.

“Keeee—”

But there are always bastards who try to spoil things right at the end like this.

A zombie walking leisurely towards the smoking area, perhaps having come out of the library main entrance.

The guy who reached the smoking area while letting out low monstrous sounds let out a roar upon seeing Ko Janghun climbing up the ladder.

“Keeeeeek—!”