Apocalypse Tyrant

King of the Library (4)

As humans accumulate experience, they naturally pursue efficiency.

Long-range striking tools that are not easily found in everyday life.

In unavoidably forced close combat, blunt weapons focused on striking become more familiar than bladed weapons requiring more specialized techniques.

“Kieeeeek—!”

That’s why defense and evasion were more important than attack.

The head, zombies’ only weakness.

To accurately apply force to that tiny target, a kind of small “turn” was needed.

Anyway, the zombie’s final destination is oneself right in front.

Deprive the zombie of its turn through defense and evasion, and strike that opening with maximum concentration.

That was the hunting method Park Taeha and the search team were realizing as they personally experienced zombies.

Splat—!

So, they couldn’t understand the scene before their eyes.

No— perhaps they may never understand.

Crunch—!

The center of the 6th floor dimly lit by flashlights.

Zombies were rushing like moths to a flame towards the rest area surrounded by round tables with computers.

“Kieeeeek—!”

And the man who had become their common prey.

Splat—!

Attack, attack, attack.

The man’s iron pipe filled only with attacks cuts through the air incessantly.

Woosh—!

The heavy sound of wind seeping even into the space where the search team was standing quietly.

Park Taeha quietly stared at another zombie whose head had been turned to mush by the iron pipe Han Segye swung.

“Kieeeeek—!”

Another zombie rushing in to fill the gap left by that zombie.

The characteristic broken pupils staring intently at their prey, unconcerned with their comrade’s death.

Goosebumps naturally rise on the nape of the neck at that grotesque obsession.

Park Taeha naturally understood the situation Han Segye would be facing before their eyes.

Even more so because the search team had faced zombies multiple times under the pretext of practice.

The natural reaction appearing in prey faced with predators rushing at them as food.

The already dazed head is endlessly tangled and strangely continues to crave oxygen.

Actions repeatedly drilled stumble and the body freezes automatically.

But he was different.

Splat—!

He showed no hesitation or fear whatsoever.

There is only speed greater than the emotions that make people hesitate.

Splat—!

Strikes persistently targeting the zombies’ heads.

Their predators were being shattered like straw dolls.

A strange scene where just watching seemed to dilute the fear of them.

“…Crazy.”

Park Taeha turned his head to look at Kim Woojung.

His pupils blankly staring straight ahead with his mouth stupidly open.

And only after seeing the search team members looking ahead with similar eyes to Kim Woojung did he realize.

That he too would be watching this scene with eyes not much different from them.s somehow send ugly jealousy towards those they feel could become like themselves—

But they express overflowing respect towards those they are certain they could never become like.

Especially for men genetically craving strength, there was no clearer and more distinct hierarchy than that overwhelming violence right now.

Awe towards Han Segye naturally remains in the space where zombie fear has been diluted.

Crunch—!

Han Segye threw the desk he was holding in one hand at the zombies aiming for his blind spot.

Then he slightly twisted his shoulder while glancing at the zombies being crushed under the desk.

“Kieeeeek—!”

The zombie that failed to grab Han Segye thanks to that slightly twisted shoulder.

A fierce wind pressure rushes in front of the face of the zombie that was about to barely brush past him.

Splat—!

The zombie crashing straight to the floor thanks to the fist planted in its face.

“Kieeeeek—!”

The roars of the remaining zombies gradually sound different.

More like a somehow sorrowful cry than joy at finding prey.

Thud—! Thud—! Thud—!

A series of blunt weapon strikes cleaning up the zombies that had been crushed under the obstacles Han Segye had thrown incessantly.

A back slightly bent towards the zombies flailing their hands while pinned under desks.

A particularly dark spot on the ceiling dropped towards that back as its target.

A sudden ambush plunging down before the search team distracted by the refreshing massacre on the ground could react.

But the mutant’s fall plunging down with both arms spread wide like a flying squirrel stopped midway as if time had frozen.

Thud—!

Han Segye turning his body and grabbing the mutant’s neck as if he had known.

“Kieeeeek—!”

The mutant, only now realizing it had been caught, resisted by shaking its body mercilessly.

The mutant desperately reaching out both hands towards Han Segye.

“……”

Han Segye just silently looked at the mutant with grotesquely thick fur on its back.

“Kieeek—!”

Crunch—!

The noisy alarm stops along with the sound of hands being bitten.

The mutant going limp like a robot with its power turned off.

Thud—!

Only then did Han Segye release the mutant from his hand and look around.

A gesture of shaking— shaking— the iron pipe he had moved to his left hand and now moved back to his right hand.

“……”

Gulp—.

A blatant swallowing sound was heard at his gaze silently looking at the search team.

A battle between dozens of zombies and a single human.

But the being standing at the very end was the single human.

Shake— Shake—

He who was observing the 6th floor center now steeped in silence again while habitually shaking the iron pipe lightly gestured with his chin to the search team.

The search team and Park Taeha lifting their frozen feet at the silent instruction to keep moving.

They quietly followed Han Segye who made no footsteps to a strange degree.

Clang—! Clang—! Clang—!

Han Segye’s iron pipe continuing to call zombies nonchalantly.

Objects hit by the iron pipe swung carelessly screamed and stimulated zombies.

“……”

However, there was no reaction on the 6th floor after the mass of zombies that had welcomed the search team from the start.

Clang—! Clang—! Clang—!

No zombies coming out to greet them even as the search continued from the rest area to the seminar room and then to Reading Room 1.

The tension becomes even tighter at the much fewer zombies than expected.

The search team carefully followed Han Segye while deliberately gripping their table shields and weapons even tighter.

Like that, passing through the spacious Reading Room 1, past the male and female sleeping rooms, to the quietly open Reading Room 2.

The iron pipe swung again at the scene not much different from Reading Room 1.

Clang—! Clang—! Clang—!

An attractive bait calling hidden zombies.

“…Who’s there?”

A somewhat unfamiliar fish took that attractive bait.

“W-Who’s there?”

The search team’s footsteps naturally stopped at the soft voice pitifully echoing through Reading Room 2 while trembling.

The search team’s eyes widening as if about to pop out and naturally starting to murmur.

“I-I-I-It sounds like a person?”

Kim Woojung backing away while stammering as if he was more surprised.

Park Taeha quietly swallowed dry saliva at the search team’s agitation not much different from Kim Woojung.

“Hic—! Who’s there?!”

It was just a woman’s voice, not at all unfamiliar, but the location was the problem.

This wasn’t the 2nd floor where survivors were gathered, but the 6th floor they had set foot on for the first time.

“…I-It sounds like a woman.”

Park Taeha glared at the search team member blurting out something anyone would know just from hearing the voice and looked ahead again.

Anyway, Park Taeha didn’t need to judge anything.

He just had to follow Han Segye’s instructions.

Like that, he who looked ahead to follow Han Segye’s instructions narrowed his eyes without realizing.

“Sob— sob— sob— W-Who’s there.”

Han Segye was already running towards the voice filled with fear.

Han Segye who had rushed to the source of crying filling Reading Room 2 swung his left hand.

Crunch—!

A reading room desk flying away as if torn at his touch.

And a woman with black straight hair curled up in fear is seen inside.

A silhouette clearly visible even from afar.

Towards her shrugging her shoulders while revealing large sideboobs that naturally tempt people’s gazes—

Splat—!

The iron pipe was rushing like lightning.

Thud—.

I shook— the iron pipe while watching the woman collapse onto the reading room floor.

“Right— I was wondering why they weren’t coming out.”

Ding—!

[You have killed the mutant ‘Siren’.]

[You have acquired 10 points.]

And the status window message turning my expectation into certainty.

I quietly scanned the abnormally long straight hair and breasts a size rarely seen in Korea while staring at its face.

The mutant’s face that couldn’t be seen due to its curled up posture.

The mutant that died with its eyes not even closed from the sudden ambush.

The characteristic broken pupils of zombies were in its eyes.

Plus the clear sense of incongruity felt as soon as you see the face.

A mutant with an attractive backside and a zombie’s face.

A quite annoying type of trap that makes human voices.

“Right— I was wondering why such a likely bastard wasn’t coming out.”
“……”

I gestured to the search team still gaping and alternately looking at me and the mutant corpse.

I kicked the mutant corpse to show its front to the search team approaching awkwardly.

“Hiiik—!”

The search team immediately letting out a shrill sound, probably feeling the zombie’s face too.

I suppressed the anger boiling up inside at their stupid faces while tapping my temple with my finger.

“Think a little, you idiot bastards.”

Thud—!

I kicked— the mutant corpse again while tilting my head sideways.

“What do you think a living woman would do if she suddenly heard a strange sound until now?”

Thud—!

“Would she cover her mouth so not even breathing could be heard, or start whining for help like spreading neighborhood gossip?”
“……”
“The whining bitches have all been eaten by zombies already, you bastards.”

Haah—.

I let out a big sigh that finally burst out while scratching my forehead.

The bastards’ shoulders flinching even more, perhaps because I had just scared them by beating up zombies.

I quietly recited while meeting the eyes of Park Taeha and the search team members waiting for my words one by one.

“Always be suspicious and act. This world is no longer the world we knew.”

Thud—!

Finally the mutant corpse rolling towards the search team from a slightly stronger kick.

I slowly confirmed there was nothing on the ceiling above and swung the iron pipe again.

Clang—! Clang—! Clang—!

“……”

Reading Room 2 no longer showing any reaction to my iron pipe swinging.

I quietly narrowed my brow at the quite unconvincing sign.

There were too few zombies, even fewer than I had thought.

The 6th floor was one of the floors with quite many hiding spaces among the floors in the library.

The existence of multiple seminar rooms and male/female sleeping rooms divided up precisely was an example.

But— the number of zombies is too small compared to what I thought.

It doesn’t seem like there are survivors left either—

“……”

There aren’t many escape directions humans choose when disaster strikes.

Either staying frozen in place like a dead mouse, running straight down to escape, or—

“…Up.”

Escaping to the very top.

I quietly smiled while looking at the 6th floor ceiling.

The rooftop.

A likely refuge we hadn’t confirmed yet remained.

“Follow me.”

I gestured to the search team and hurriedly quickened my pace.

If survivors or zombie bastards are gathered on the rooftop, it makes sense that there are fewer zombies than expected on the 6th floor.

Well, the thought also occurred that it was High Queens’ filming day and so there may not have been many students who thought to come study in the constantly bustling library—

But anyway, it was clear the rooftop was a likely refuge so we had to check.

Creak—!

I opened the internal stairway door and climbed the last remaining stairs.

At the end of the stairs, a sturdy gray iron door greeting the flashlight beam along with a small corridor.

Thud—!

When I lightly turned the doorknob, as expected, the door was blocked by something and wouldn’t open further.

I let go of the doorknob and glanced at the search team behind.

“Step back.”

We had to be careful since we couldn’t know for sure if what was behind this door was zombies or people.

After confirming the search team widening the distance backwards bit by bit, I also lightly swept my right foot back a little.

Then I held my breath and thrust my foot at the gray iron door.

Crash—!

A huge roar impossible to imagine as the sound of opening a door.

I quietly scanned the severely dented iron door rolling on the rooftop and the chairs and tables that seemed to have been blocking the door.

Whoosh—!

Along with the quite strong rooftop wind, the view opened up.

Unlike the Humanities College that only maintained appearances with outdated facilities, a quite proper rooftop garden greeted us along with bright sunlight.

“……”

And contrary to expectations, the rooftop surrounded by the same silence as the 6th floor.

Thud—!

I calmly looked around while stepping over the rooftop doorstep.

Greenery sufficient to refresh students tired from studying.

Green landscaping regularly soothing to the eyes and an open view.

Plus many rest areas to slowly appreciate that view.

I stared at the only area catching my eye while stepping over the dented iron door and chairs and tables that seemed to have been blocking the door.

One person lying quietly in the center of the rooftop.

No, one corpse already quite decomposed was placed there.

And torn clothes and miscellaneous items scattered messily around that corpse as the center.

A low whisper is heard from the search team quickly following behind me after realizing there was no particular threat.

“S.O.S……”

The regularity of the messily scattered miscellaneous items.

A desperate distress signal placed large towards the sky.

I slowly looked down at the clothes and miscellaneous items still slightly swaying in the wind and moving away from each other while gesturing to Park Taeha.

Park Taeha quickly standing behind me and making his presence known.

I frowned at the corpse with maggots crawling all over it and hurriedly instructed Park Taeha.

“Tell the eunuch that securing up to the rooftop is finished so start organizing from the upper floors now. And take the kids down, come back wearing gloves or something, throw this corpse outside, and bring up all the buckets and things that can collect rainwater.”
“Yes.”

Park Taeha quickly leading the search team down at my instruction.

I quietly raised my head while watching the search team leave the rooftop.

Whoosh—

Healthy sunlight felt after quite a long time and the still blue sky.

A pleasant wind gently tousling my bangs and—

Buzz buzz buzz—

The flapping of flies raising goosebumps on the back of my neck.

“…Fuck.”

I slowly moved away from the corpse at the disgust automatically making me curse.

I put my hands behind my back as if taking a stroll and looked around the rooftop once more while waiting for the search team bastards to come up.

A rooftop with not a single survivor, let alone zombies in sight.

No, I couldn’t help but frown at the sight of just one corpse placed alone.

Now there are no more areas in the library where we can expect survivors to be.

Even on the rooftop which had some possibility, there’s just one quite decomposed corpse and a strange distress signal.

Thud—!

I lightly kicked a fragment of the distress signal that seemed to have been made by tearing clothes while looking down at the large distress signal.

Chairs and tables, clothes, miscellaneous items, backpacks, writing utensils, etc— a distress signal made using literally everything that could be used.

Whoosh—

I picked up a notebook quietly swaying in the wind among them.

[Understanding Biology, Survival Diary]

A line struck through what looked like a major subject name and a new notebook name attached after it.

“…What a pretentious thing.”

I snorted at the corpse already being eaten by maggots and looked down at the notebook again.