Apocalypse Tyrant

The lecture hall sinking into silence without even a breath at the raw curse.

I turned my body like that and dragged the zombie corpse sprawled in front of the lecture hall door.

Thud—!

Kim Areum rolled on the floor from my shoulder pushing her body standing stupidly in front of the door.

“……”

A pitiful gesture pushing the floor to avoid the corpse I started dragging without even a small scream, just with a pale white face.

She was grasping her sprained wrist trembling budel budel— even at such a moment, as if the pain was still clear.

I threw the zombie corpse making a clear sound of being dragged jiljil— right in the middle of the group of women.

“Kyaaaak—!”

A high-pitched scream bursting out for the first time, breaking the silence.

The women’s formation split like the parting of the Red Sea centered on the zombie corpse.

Uweeek—!

Then the women’s dry heaving following in succession.

Thick stomach acid flowed jiljil— onto the floor at the corpse’s state too miserable to be seen even in gore movies.

“Any bitch who closes her eyes from now on dies by my hand.”

The bitches who had their eyes tightly closed opened them very narrowly to the point of being invisible at my warning.

Uweeek—!

Then they started dry heaving again while bowing their heads.

“It’s really fucking funny. You bitches are leisurely regurgitating stomach acid at the zombie I threw now, but—”

I continued speaking while pointing at outside the lecture hall door.

“The bastards outside are running away in panic or holding crude weapons.”

“That’s what it means for corpses to rise again. The meaning of people dying becomes ambiguous.”

I thoroughly scanned the zombie corpse’s limbs sprawled chuk— on the floor.

An appearance with not a single intact part remaining already.

But even in that state, the monster called a ‘zombie’ doesn’t die or stop.

It doesn’t cease rushing towards prey until its head is smashed.

“Dozens, hundreds of zombies with that kind of appearance are wandering outside.”

I let out an empty laugh after recalling the scene at the main gate naturally associated with the word outside.

“Not just that, there’s a monster that doesn’t even look like a zombie firmly positioned at the main gate.”

I tapped tok— tok— my temple while looking at their pupils trembling parureu—.

“You still don’t grasp the situation even after I’ve said all this, you fucking bitches?”

I pointed at the zombie corpse with my iron pipe.

“What can bitches who have seizures at a dead zombie corpse do in this fucked up world?”

“What can our female college students who studied very hard for ten years to enter university do—!”

“What, are you going to be fucking private tutors or something?!”

The group of female students deeply— bowing their heads at the shout echoing on the ceiling as if intimidating.

“What you’re seriously misunderstanding now is— This isn’t a transaction where you and I exchange something, you fucking bitches.”

Their bodies trembled again at the rough voice bursting out while scratching my throat.

“Now you just need to decide whether to accept the minimum goodwill I can give as a fellow human or not, that’s all.”

“……”

The group of female college students just deeply— bowing their heads with wet eyes.

I closely stared at them trembling del del— like strangely docile sheep.

This atmosphere probably formed by the combination of fear correction from the specialization ‘Tyrant on a White Horse’ and ‘Vulgar Dignity’.

However, I slightly shook my head while recalling the strike team member’s words that she begged to be let out after I disappeared.

Doesn’t that mean those women might do something if I disappear somewhere again?

As expected—

An example was needed.

Really— There was never an easy case without an example.

Step— step—

I felt the gazes of the women with their mouths tightly closed gathering on me at the footsteps quietly echoing in the lecture hall.

“Hey.”

I spoke while looking down at Kim Areum still not leaving and sitting on the floor.

“What are you doing still not leaving here?”

Thud—!

Kim Areum moving backwards while pushing the floor again at my foot lightly touching her leg.

An empty laugh involuntarily burst out at her actions exactly opposite to those needed to leave this lecture hall.

“This bitch is really funny.”

Her face coming closer as my waist bent slightly.

Her black pupils shaking violently left and right on her snow white face with all blood drained already.

“Telling her to wait inside so she says she’ll leave, then telling her to leave so she crawls back inside.”

Thud—!

I spoke to Kim Areum again, startled like a rabbit at my foot hitting her leg again.

Hey.

“What do I look like to you?”

Her lips just trembling badel badel— even at my question.

“Do I look like horny department oppas who want to fuck you?”

“You think if you act all troubled I’ll listen to whatever you say and buy you drinks at night?”

Kim Areum’s psychology that could be known without even looking at her underlying psychology.

No, I already knew well the psychology of all the women here now.

The shitty collaboration of decision paralysis that all women typically have and dependent personality disorder of ‘wishing someone would solve their problems for them’.

A very childish tantrum popping out in between.

“Why? You were so scared and wanted to run away anywhere, but suddenly seeing the zombie corpse knocked some sense into you?”
“……”
“If you don’t answer my words from now on, I’ll rip that mouth apart as is.”
“…Y-yes.”

Kim Areum’s mouth finally opening at my warning.

“So are you leaving or staying?”
“…I-I-I’m sorry.”

Another empty laugh formed at the words her stuttering lips barely spat out.

It was an abrupt apology, but I could clearly understand roughly what kind of apology it meant.

“I take responsibility for bitches who’ll obviously become zombies or starve to death on the streets within a day, and end up in this fucking situation.”
“……”
“How many minutes of my precious time have you wasted because of your tantrum that changes so easily?”
“……”

Thud—!

I asked again while roughly kicking her leg.

“How many minutes, you fucking bitch.”
“…5, 5 minutes? 10 minutes? I-I’m not sure, I-I’m sorry—.”

Kim Areum answering in a goat-like voice full of moisture at my urging.

“Looks like you know you did wrong since you’re saying sorry?”
“Yes— I-I’m sorry—”
“Then you should be punished.”

Kim Areum becoming mute again at my following answer.

I spoke to her pupils while looking down at her face right from above.

“You said you won’t leave so you’re my camp member. My camp members receive appropriate punishment when they do wrong, any complaints?”

A shrug of my shoulders bursting out to mean speak if you have complaints.

“……”

She faintly bit her lips as an expression of anxiety but didn’t voice any objections.

I nodded at her answer then straightened my bent waist.

And I stretched out the leg that was hitting her leg and trampled her face.

Thud—!

Kim Areum’s upper body touching the floor in a straight line in an instant and a shallow impact sound leaked from the back of her head.

Her face distorting unsightly following my footsteps lightly trampling left and right.

“Eubp— eup—”

Her startled scream spun in place, blocked by the sole of my shoe.

I smiled faintly while watching her ponytail pressed to the floor shaking messily in several strands.

“Bitches who can only suck my food like pigs holding their heads up stiffly.”
“Eup— eubbeup—”

I trampled her head while putting a bit more force into my kick.

Her both hands moving in a fluster trying to grab my foot, not knowing what to do as the kick gradually increased pressure.

“If you move even a little while being punished, your head will be crushed as is.”

Those hands slowly going down trembling badel badel— at my warning.

I bent my waist a bit more and looked down at her eyes half revealed, covered by my foot.

Why.

“You think I can’t do it?”

Her face already a mess of tears desperately shook her head left and right at my question.

“I told you not to move.”
“……”

Kim Areum stiffly straightening her neck while desperately holding back the crying about to burst out at the following whisper.

“Eubp— beup—”

I looked towards the lecture hall door while trampling her face as if drawing a circle.

A swollen face quietly watching this scene in front of the strike team members.

“Hey, Bang Daehwa.”

Bang Daehwa arrived in front of me in a fluster at my finger beckoning while calling his name.

My palm pulling back again towards his bluishly swollen cheek.

Zak—!

“You should have managed the lecture hall on your own when I was gone.”

The bastard who fell to the ground with that one gesture hurriedly got up.

Zak—!

“What’s with the state of the lecture hall, are you throwing tantrums like the women too?”
“…I-I’m sorry—!”

Zak—!

Bang Daehwa getting up again even while rolling on the ground from the palm continuously striking down.

The female students’ eyes tightly closed every time he rolled on the floor, as if their unique empathy ability activated.

Thud—!

A stream of blood flowing in one line between his lips as if his cheek burst again.

I tapped thud— his cheek and pulled him close.

“Why do you seem okay with your precious juniors being fried now?”
“…I’m sorry.”

I alternately stared at Kim Areum with a distorted face under my foot and Bang Daehwa whose collar I was grabbing, then took in the group of female students again.

“I’ll give you exactly 5 seconds for the very last time.”

Those who’ll leave, leave, and those who’ll stay, stay.

“Bitches who don’t need the minimum goodwill I’m giving can just leave. If anyone tries to stop you, I’ll take care of it so leave on your own until I finish counting to 5.”

Five fingers shown to them while releasing Bang Daehwa’s collar.

I looked around the entire lecture hall while folding my fingers.

Female students just trembling badel badel— as if their legs were frozen, and one miserably shattered zombie corpse in front of them.

And me showing one female student and one male student as examples a bit further in front.

An empty laugh involuntarily leaked out at the scene of no one stepping forward.

I told them to make choices from the start, not to refuse.

“……”

I withdrew my fully folded fingers while looking at them stopped as if nailed in place.

Thud—!

“You get up now too.”

Kim Areum got up from her spot staggering at the light kick hitting her head.

Her small and pretty features glistening with tears and foreign matter from the sole of my shoe.

I gently caressed the black something and tears thickly stuck on her face while getting a bit closer.

Her just clenching her fists and trembling budel budel— even at my touch.

“You won’t do anything deserving punishment from now on, right?”
“……”
“You have to answer, Areum.”

Kim Areum was heard barely opening her stuttering lips to answer ‘Yes—’ at the low question.

I pushed thud— her back after finishing wiping her face.

Her ponytail kept swaying bitdeul bitdeul— as she walked slowly towards the group of female students while staggering greatly at my touch.

“What are you doing— Line them up in roughly 2 rows.”

Bang Daehwa immediately moved as if his tail was on fire at the order given while waving my hand towards the female students.

The female students, no, now my camp members, lined up in 2 rows somewhat clumsily following the strike team’s command.

“Good.”

I lightly nodded while briefly scanning the camp members finished preparing to depart.

“Now we’re moving to the place that will be your new home.”

Squeak—!

The lecture hall door opening lightly along with the dry information delivery.

I looked around the lecture hall one last time while watching the camp members hurriedly moving their feet to follow.

Scented candles still flickering with faint embers and lecture hall walls with cracks from the iron pipe.

And I left the 2nd floor general education lecture hall while gesturing with my eyes at Sung Jonghyun’s corpse now barely visible since it was sprawled in the aisle beside the lecture hall.

Step— step—

The footsteps echoing behind were very noisy while I descended the stairs swinging kkatak— kkatak— the iron pipe.

The camp members’ breaths and groans exclaiming at the zombies’ traces spread all over the walls.

A sigh involuntarily burst out and my head rose to the ceiling at the vibrations of those slender legs trembling parureu— vividly felt even from here.

The strike team hurriedly urging the female students in panic at my appearance like that.

Even so, there were many female students covering their mouths with both hands and shedding tears at the bloodstains lavishly decorating the 1st floor corridor.

The university scenery now so familiar to me seemed to be evidence of the most shocking disaster to them.

Zombie corpses sprawled in the 1st floor corridor.

I descended the familiar stairs again while hearing the camp members’ breaths urgently inhaling at seeing those corpses.

The exact opposite direction from where I ran to scout the main gate.

I lightly jumped over the parking lot wall where Ko Janghun had grabbed my hand while groaning behind the College of Humanities.

“One by one in order.”

The camp members started tightly grasping my hand with both hands trembling dal dal— at my instruction.

I scanned the surroundings while pulling them up onto the wall one by one similar to Ko Janghun.

Zombie bastards still not revealing themselves to me.

Thanks to that, quite a peaceful transport continued, but it didn’t seem so for them.

A very deep and sticky silence where not even bird cries could be heard.

The female students were busy constantly examining the gloomily changed university with eyes full of anxiety.

I stood at the front of the camp members again after pulling up Bang Daehwa who was at the very back onto the wall.

Step— step—

The forest path between the College of Humanities and College of Education where not even insect sounds could be heard.

While walking down the very well-maintained walking path—

‘Weeeng—’ I slightly furrowed my brows at the noise making my body involuntarily itch even after hearing it several times.

“Uweeek—!”

And retching sounds starting to pour out from behind.

The camp members who saw the quite severely decayed zombie corpse started pouring out a full stomach of gastric juice making their esophagus sting again.

“Keep moving your feet whether you vomit or not.”

An indifferent voice quietly urging them regardless of whether there was chaos behind or not.

I sprinted down the walking path at a constant speed while carefully scanning the surroundings.

Like that, we encountered the College of Education new building again after passing the sign guiding to the College of Education and central library.

I jerked my chin at the camp members towards the line of vehicle barricades welcoming us like a red carpet.

The camp members briefly stopping their feet upon discovering the long line of vehicle barricades.

Their pupils slowly going up that barricade road with mouths slightly open without realizing settled on their new home.

The view of the library protected by two lines of vehicle barricades and blackout curtains.

I let out an empty laugh while walking towards the library main entrance, the only place not surrounded by vehicle barricades among them.

A cunning face peeking through the slightly parted blackout curtains to examine outside.

Because I discovered those slit eyes widening greatly upon seeing me.

Ko Janghun disappearing behind the blackout curtain in a fluster, startled.

“Aigoo— Directoooor—!”

Soon after, Ko Janghun popped out like an arrow through the wide open main entrance.

“Aigoo— I was so worried all night wondering if something might have happened, Director!”

The bastard’s face sniveling while hurriedly bowing in front of me.

I quickly turned my eyes away as it wasn’t a very pleasant sight to see.

“What worry. Did you do what I told you to?”
“Hehe— Don’t worry about that. We just scraped up everything that looked usable from the College of Education new building, hehe—”

Ko Janghun rubbing his hands together with his original cunning face restored at my question.

“More importantly, please come inside quickly. The camp members who stayed up all night due to the Director’s absence are waiting for the Director with their necks and eyes about to fall out, hehe—!”

Ko Janghun kept bowing and pointed at the main entrance with both hands without the 20-some new camp members standing behind even in his mind.

The gazes of the new camp members looking at him with very round eyes showed not a single moment of wavering in his expression.

I lightly shook my head while realizing once again he was a crazy bastard deserving only admiration.

“Director!”

A somewhat unfamiliar scenery welcoming me as I entered the library lobby through the main entrance.

Furniture and food that seemed to still remain, not yet transported upstairs.

Boxes filling the lobby and camp members waiting for me fully settled in my view.

The moment my eyes met Cha Seolhee’s looking at me while hugging her knees in the center of the female camp members—

Ding—

Messages saying the camp members’ ‘submission’ status was updated to ‘obedience’ cluttered my view along with notification sounds overlapping in an instant.

The new camp members looking around the lobby with blank eyes when I turned my head.

It meant they were convinced my words weren’t lies only after seeing evidence of their real existence.

[Someone with special power obeys your commands.]

[The one nicknamed ‘Tyrant’ responds.]

[You have obtained Military Authority (兵權).]

[From now on, all Military Authority commanded by ‘Tyrant’ will be integrated into Royal Authority.]

[Royal Authority: 130 -> 160]

Messages popping out the moment I stared at Bang Daehwa looking at the lobby with a swollen face.

I smiled slightly at the discovery of a new element affecting Royal Authority.

Come to think of it, I remembered there was a part called unidentified elements in the message list after fully obtaining the library.

[Command more subjects, secure more territory, and command more troops.]

The status window message now replaced with a sentence representing ‘Military Authority’ instead of unidentified elements.

I beckoned forward with my hand while holding the smile not disappearing from my lips.

“Kim Woojung!”

Kim Woojung running to me with the same bright smiling face looking at me at my call.

Tuk—!

Kim Woojung naturally maintained a low posture by slightly bending his waist as I lightly put my arm around his shoulder.

“Seeing you still alive and well, I guess you can handle one or two zombies without me now?”
“Uh uh— Thanks to you so gratefully cleaning up the new building before leaving, I haven’t met any zombies since then yet.”

An awkward smile along with a habitually nodding and bowing gesture.

“What, then did you work hard moving stuff?”
“Ah! Of course! I really worked so hard my back almost broke!”
“You bastard trying to break your back just from a little praise—”

Thud—!

Kim Woojung grinning and bowing his head at my shoulder lightly hitting.

I slightly bent my head and smiled back at him.

“If you worked that hard, it’s time for me to keep my promise.”

His lips involuntarily opening at my subtle voice.

I gently turned my body while grasping his shoulder with the hand around his shoulders.

Like that, we faced the new camp members together with Kim Woojung.

Kim Woojung’s eyes looking at those camp members sparkled too brightly.

Like a child greeting Christmas presents.

In contrast, the complexions of the new camp members meeting Kim Woojung’s gaze like that were dark.

Faces feeling relieved yet somehow anxious while looking at the library lobby.

Camp members who sensed something but just kept their mouths tightly shut.

Looking at their faces, the face of the only man I didn’t bring somehow came to mind.

Professor Ddeolpali, Sung Jonghyun.

His face shouting unreasonableness saying there was no reason to kill him while looking at me suddenly wouldn’t leave my head.

Also, one question flashed by comparing to that face.

I killed him right away then thinking it was just nonsense babbling, but—

I was a bit curious now.

If I had asked him what rationality was in the first place, how would he have answered?

‘But conversely, there are histories we can only understand now that science has advanced and people’s basic education levels have become very high. Before exploring the oceans, when the Earth was thought to be flat……’

Thud—! Thud—! Thud—! Thud—!

Sung Jonghyun’s lecture cut off by the sudden zombie intrusion.

I continued that lecture and finished his words for him.

Just as those who thought the Earth was flat before exploring the oceans realized that wasn’t true.

Just as they realized the Earth is round, and a speck of dust in the vast and distant universe.

Logic and reason have changed their own masks to fit each era every time.

Rationality putting on new masks for new facts every time.

Kieeeeek—!

It was no different this time.

The zombie that forcibly ended Professor Sung Jonghyun’s class.

That undeniable new fact appeared and—ity must start a struggle as a species never experienced before.

“What are you doing?”

Kim Woojung’s pupils hurriedly raising his head and staring at me at my question.

I stared into those eyes and smiled faintly.

As always, rationality puts on a new mask for new facts.

Not so grand, not so righteous—

But heavier than life itself for the fifty-some survivors in here.

A new one that only I can present.

“Choose anyone.”

Age of Rationality.