Apocalypse Tyrant

Show of Force (4)

…

An atmosphere that plummeted through the crust to the mantle with a single word.

The vice president who had furrowed his face as much as possible stupidly asked back.

“…What?”
“I said I don’t want to, you idiot bastard.”
“What the fuck did you just say, you bitch?”

The vice president approaching with thundering steps and an intimidating physique.

I quietly watched him approach while waving the metal pipe tick— tick—.

An overwhelming physique that would be at least 2 weight classes apart in normal combat sports.

Just a week ago, I probably would have felt weak in the knees at his approaching appearance, but now I felt nothing, which was strange even to myself.

A heart much calmer and quieter than when a zombie was running at me.

Perhaps it was a very natural thing.

Compared to the zombies I had beaten to death so far, one adult man was far too easy a difficulty.

It’s not like I’d be game over right away if bitten—

Whether an arm breaks or a leg flies off, he’s not a monster full of only thoughts of biting into prey.

No matter how big his physique, he was just an ordinary human no different from that man under the bookshelf who fainted from unexpected damage.

“Senior—! Just a moment—! Taeha senior—!”

A desperate hand gesture pulling back the vice president who had been approaching me while exhaling snort— snort—.

It was the female college student who had been interrupted twice by the vice president.

The female college student who the vice president had clearly called ‘Yeri’ urgently got up from the woman who had been sobbing and pulled the vice president.

“Senior, wait a moment—! This isn’t right—!”
“What’s not right! That bastard just now when someone’s talking nicely—”
“It’s not like he suddenly acted like this! Why are you so eager to fight among ourselves when we should be fighting zombies?!”

The vice president stopping his steps and exhaling a sigh full of irritation at the female student’s restraint.

“Why should survivors fight each other when we’re already short on fighting zombies? Please try to calm down for a moment!”
“…Haa— Fuck—!”
“You too, put away that unpleasant metal pipe and back off! You didn’t come here to fight, right?!”

At that restraint that the parties involved didn’t seem to want much, the people behind the vice president belatedly grabbed him too.

Suddenly a wall of people stood between the vice president and me as if everyone was clinging together to stop a fight like in school days.

Ko Janghun who had subtly blocked in front of me whispered with an awkward smile.

“Our side doesn’t look good compared to them. In case you might feel embarrassed, hehe—”

Crazy bastard.

The vice president’s eyes widened as if they would pop out at the hollow laugh that burst out thud—.

“Why is that bastard suddenly laughing and going crazy—”
“Senior!”

The vice president’s boiling anger turned towards the female student who had restrained him again.

“Then what are you telling us to do—! Are you saying we should just accept and protect bastards we don’t know where they came from or who they are?! There are already plenty of hungry and anxious people without those bastards!”
“It’s not like we’ll run out of food with just those two people added—! Moreover, it’s already been several minutes since we saw those two people and they’re still normal people without any problems—! They’re not people who were bitten somewhere!”

The female student called Yeri whispered towards the vice president while pointing at us confronting in front of the window.

“Besides, they’re people who came from outside the library. They might know information we don’t know.”
“What use is information when we might starve to death at any moment—”
“We need it, senior.”

The two people suddenly lowering their voices and whispering busily.

It seemed they intended for us not to hear, but their whispers were reaching my ears that had become more sensitive without filtering.

“There’s also what Seolhee-ssi asked for.”
“We need to solve the food problem first before that—”
“We also need to join up with Doyun senior.”
“…Haa.”
“Whatever it is, we need experienced people. To increase our chances of survival even a little.”

Tsk—!

The sound of clicking a tongue echoing loudly in the library as if meant to be heard.

The vice president who had been glaring at me with sharply narrowed eyes shifted his laser to Ko Janghun.

“Hey, you!”
“…Yes?”
“If you do anything unnecessary or I hear any strange words from people, you’re out immediately. Got it?!”

Ko Janghun turning his head to check me at the vice president’s threat.

Ko Janghun nodded his head while looking back at the vice president at my appearance of lightly shrugging my shoulders.

“Yes, I understand.”
“…Fuck! We’re already busy enough with the water being cut off—”

The vice president unilaterally delivering words to Ko Janghun as if I wasn’t visible and turning his back.

The 2nd floor library survivors disappear in a crowd following him.

Seolhee turning her back surrounded by a group of women and the female student called Yeri who had been looking at me for a while then following the vice president.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the appearance blatantly expressing ‘Are you avoiding poop because you’re scared? I’m avoiding it because it’s dirty.’

What is this supposed to be now?

Not firmly kicking us out, but not generously accepting us either—

It was literally an ambiguous response.

Even considering this might be the first time for that vice president guy in this situation, this can’t help but be an idiotic response.

Well, if the guy who clearly looks like the leader is at that level, it’s a benefit if anything to me, definitely not a loss, so it wasn’t a very important matter.

…

The window front soaked in silence again as if the explosive atmosphere had been an illusion.

I jerked my chin at Ko Janghun who lightly exhaled “Whew—” and moved to a corner of the 2nd floor.

Probably the corner that looked like the bottom right vertex of the 2nd floor Humanities Reading Room.

Reading desks placed at regular intervals along very long windows come into view.

And several bookshelves blocking the area that seemed to be the exact opposite of where we are standing now.

It clearly looked like that was the area where the 2nd floor survivors were mainly staying.

While scanning the area with my eyes like this, I newly felt that the space was incomparably larger than the Humanities Building rooftop.

A spacious size that could accommodate not only 100 people but even 200 people without any discomfort if the areas were well divided.

Well, just the 4-person tables set up along the walls for students’ study space would easily exceed 50 people’s worth, so that much is natural.

I looked at the fire extinguisher placed in the corner once, then put my hand on a bookshelf placed at regular intervals.

Screech—!

The bookshelf’s position is readjusted with the sound of it being dragged on the floor.

The bookshelf set up again like the wall of a small room.

Ko Janghun who had been behaving obediently set the black bag containing food against the wall when he saw me nodding my head as if this much was enough.

Anyway, since it’s a wall made of bookshelves without a door, after making a gap for one person to slip through and leaning against the wall to sit down, Ko Janghun followed me and sat in the opposite seat.

Ko Janghun’s face flushed for some unknown reason.

I lightly nodded my head after confirming there was no sign of anyone around.

“Wow—! This is really fun! It feels like we’ve become some kind of secret agents—”

A mouth that starts blabbering instantly as soon as the seal is released.

I smirked and shook my head back and forth while looking at the guy who was the same as always.

“But anyway, it seems to have gone according to what we thought on the rooftop. Of course, I did get a bit angry while talking in the middle and did some method acting—”

As Ko Janghun said, this current state was indeed the most ideal situation.

It wouldn’t be bad to subdue the charging vice president and swallow up the camp in one go, but it’s not a more ideal situation than this current one.

Right now, the only person I can trust and use is just one Ko Janghun.

It’s good to take over the camp, but there’s a severe lack of manpower to maintain it.

Of course, there would be no problem if I did the maintenance, but the real problem is that I have no intention of being stuck in the camp.

‘Stats’ and ‘Status Window’.

This special ‘ability’ that makes the vice president who charged at me like a wild boar look pathetic.

This specialness shines more the more zombies I dispatch.

Once I’ve tasted the drug called ‘growth’, I can no longer tolerate staying still now.

To raise the Royal Authority needed for that growth, I needed to belong to a camp with numerous survivors rather than the Humanities Building.

But I don’t want to waste time and take responsibility for maintaining and repairing the camp within it.

An outsider position belonging to the 2nd floor survivor camp but not belonging.

In other words, ‘pleasure without responsibility’ was the best for me.

“In terms of movies, we’re filming ‘007’ or ‘Mission Impossible’ right now, right?”
“…’Parasite’, more like.”
“Aw~ That wording is too negative. It’s not like we came with that intention—”

Just—

“Hmm— Some kind of righteous ship mutiny? Unavoidable regime change? Impeachment?”

I changed the topic while looking at Ko Janghun who started spouting nonsense again.

“By the way, you spoke well to that junior club member, right? It would be very troublesome if he pretends to know us or shows any signs.”
“Of course. I already finished talking to him well via KakaoTalk.”

A cunning face thrusting out his chin with a proud expression as if saying to just trust him.

Yeah, I’m sure he did it well on his own.

Now that we’ve arrived on the 2nd floor of the library without any resistance, it’s only a matter of time before we take over this camp.

Rather than hurriedly devouring it and getting sick, it would be more efficient to eat it cut into small pieces.

“Ah—!”

Ko Janghun who was standing up together when he saw me getting up from my seat let out a short exclamation.

Ko Janghun pointing at the black bag with an anxious face.

“By the way, where should we hide that bag? Is there any space to secretly hide it somewhere?”
“Leave it as is.”

Ko Janghun who had been turning his head this way and that asked back with a slightly surprised expression.

“…Pardon? If we leave it like this, someone might steal it.”
“Just leave it.”
“…Yes sir.”

Ko Janghun nodded his head with a disgruntled face at my firm answer, then hurriedly followed behind me.

I took in the black bag standing conspicuously against the wall like a treasure someone had dropped, then turned my head again and started looking around the 2nd floor.

The 2nd floor of Banseok University Central Library with a structure like a ‘ㄷ’ shape attached symmetrically.

I walked from the temporary dwelling to the window we had entered through and slightly— lifted the blinds.

“Keeee—”

Zombies were still wandering around the pile of corpses while making monstrous sounds as if lamenting their lost prey.

I slightly furrowed my brows at the not-so-good scenery, then drew the blinds again and walked forward.

That path the 2nd floor survivors had left as if avoiding poop.

It was the path that could be called the center of the Humanities Reading Room connecting the ‘ㄷ’ structures.

Various guide notices attached to the wall and book search stations.

I walked while carefully examining the internal stairway door and elevator that seemed to have been firmly blocked by the survivors.

Bookshelves packed tightly with books were blocking the iron door and elevator like a barricade.

Trudge— Trudge—

Passing by the wide open 2nd floor office that looked like its insides had already been completely stripped bare, and the blood-colored check-out/return desk indirectly showing the hell of the first day.

“…Oh.”

The main entrance of the 2nd floor Humanities Reading Room encountered like that.

Ko Janghun let out a low exclamation as he looked at the glass doors meticulously covered with newspapers and torn books.

The 2nd floor interior perfectly hidden from zombies affected by visual stimuli thanks to that cover.

Swoosh—

And the sound of water pouring was in full swing from the 2nd floor bathroom.

2nd floor survivors moving buckets full of water while grunting.

They were filling almost all miscellaneous items they could find with water in preparation for the water being cut off.

Clear traces that this was now the 2nd floor survivors’ area based on the 2nd floor main entrance.

Books thrown all over the floor and bookshelves moved here and there immediately catch the eye, perhaps to make it easier to move bookshelves.

I carefully scanned the survivors moving around urgently here and there.

Survivors doing their own work while completely ignoring us as if we were non-existent people.

But the clear wariness and anxiety in their eyes couldn’t be hidden.

Those pitiful footsteps trying to get away from us quickly somehow while grunting and carrying buckets full of water.

A faint laugh leaked out at the heads constantly gauging the distance between themselves and us while pretending not to.

“Ugh— We probably won’t be seen well from here.”

Ko Janghun suddenly bowing his head slightly towards me and whispering.

Ko Janghun armed with his characteristic sly smile whispered to me again.

“As I said then, they said they’re going around as if they belong to some student council. They’re probably hiding in a corner being treated like princesses.”
“You finished organizing your luggage quickly.”

A familiar voice approached as I was watching Ko Janghun’s eyebrows moving dramatically as if he knew everything.

When I turned my head, that female college student who had blocked the vice president and me was walking towards us.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ku Yeri, 20th year Public Administration major. I’m in charge of the administrative office in the student council, but as someone said, it’s a pretty useless position.”

Ku Yeri extending her hand to me freely while sniping at Ko Janghun.

I carefully scanned Ku Yeri while shaking her hand.

Appearance that wasn’t outstanding, but not particularly angular anywhere either.

A cheerful atmosphere that could be immediately sensed from her unique tone, and the gentle smile she was still giving us now.

She was the type of person you could tell right away just by looking.

‘A 7 woman’.

A term referring to women who enjoy the highest ranks of university life unexpectedly compared to their looks.

As if showing the round and smooth personality I had thought, Ku Yeri who lightly shook hands to end the handshake opened her mouth first once again.

“By the way, you said you came from the Humanities Building?”
“…”

I quietly stared at Ku Yeri without any answer.

Just a month ago, there would have been a me who stuttered at such a friendly response.

Even someone like Ku Yeri was a tree I couldn’t climb.

Of course, I don’t feel it that much in terms of looks after seeing such an another level earlier, but her looks would probably make quite a few men cry even at that level.

No, that’s not what I wanted to say.

It was clearly an ordinary greeting, ordinary small talk.

Even though it was clearly a first word that anyone would think was normal—

Strangely, my chest started boiling.

This is, how should I put it—

Yes.

“…Excuse me?”

Arrogant.

A clear emotion that surprised even myself.

This Ku Yeri pretending to be bold in front of me right now was really too arrogant.

A new person appeared in front of Ku Yeri who was looking at me strangely as I gave no answer.

Ko Janghun blocking between me and Ku Yeri like a bodyguard.

“Please speak to me, Ku Yeri-ssi.”
“…Ah, yes. You said you came from the Humanities Building?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“There’s quite a distance from the Humanities Building to the library, you must have encountered zombies on the way?”

Ku Yeri’s eyes watching me while in conversation with Ko Janghun who was blocking in front of me.

“Yes, that’s right. Is there a problem?”
“No. If it’s not rude, may I ask if you avoided zombies or fought through them on your way here?”
“…Half and half.”
“Ah, that’s a relief.”

Ku Yeri nodding her head with a gentle smile and continuing to speak.

“As you probably roughly know, we’re very short on food compared to our numbers. No, in fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to say we have no food.”

Ku Yeri said while scanning the library people moving busily here and there behind her.

“Moreover, we received an emergency alert this dawn saying electricity will be cut off soon. If electricity is cut off, water will naturally be cut off too.”

And when that happens—

“Naturally, you two who will share our fate will also be in a very difficult situation, right?”

Ha.

A small hollow laugh circled in my chest.

As I followed her story, the next words seemed clear as if I could hear them without listening.

“We were planning to secure the store on basement floor 1 before the electricity is cut off, so this is very fortunate.”

For all of you, and for us.

Does the Ku Yeri smiling brightly— at me now know?

“We’d like the two experienced people who were able to break through the zombie field from the Humanities Building to the library to help us secure the basement store today.”

That she’s leaving the fish store to the cat right now.

Show of Force.