A Korean Office Worker Who Became a Nuisance Villainess in a Zombie Story - Chapter 76

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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There’s a zombie movie from the early 2000s that features a scene like this.
(I apologize that I’m not on Earth right now, so I can’t rewatch the film and explain the details accurately.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me anytime.)
A sealed underground research facility after a viral outbreak.
Four armed soldiers unlock the mechanisms of a thick vault door and enter.
There are doors on both sides, and the interior is a long, narrow corridor.
Much like the place we’re in right now.
At that moment, a heat-sensing camera on the ceiling flickers, and the door they’d just opened automatically slams shut.
Beep beep beep beep—beep beep beep beep—
A blaring alarm sounds.
The man who hacked the system to open the door frantically fumbles with various controls, but nothing works.
Soldiers trapped in the narrow corridor, guns raised, scanning all directions.
Then one of them stares at the door ahead and speaks.
[What the hell is that?]
Beep beep beep beep—beep beep beep beep—
The hacker’s hands typing frantically and the protagonist’s face shouting “Hurry!” alternate on screen.
Beep beep beep beep—beep beep beep beep—
Zzzzzt—
A brilliant green laser beam, stretching horizontally across both walls at about forehead height, surges toward the four trapped soldiers.
[Aaahhh!]
[Aaahhh!]
The soldiers quickly drop to the ground, evading the laser.
But one soldier, who’d been watching the direction they came from and only turned his head too late to see the laser—
[Argh!]
Another soldier lying on the ground, screaming as he watches his own severed hand, while yet another soldier pounds on that soldier’s chest, shouting something.
When they turned to look back.
The soldier who couldn’t escape in time.
Slice.
Squelch.
The scenes that follow are rated for mature audiences only, so I’ll spare you the details.
Why am I suddenly telling you this?
Because that’s exactly the situation Praha and I are in right now!
“Watch out—”
Before I could even finish speaking, Praha scooped me up and pressed my head firmly against his chest with his massive hand.
Even in this alarming situation, he remains composed, ducking smoothly and effortlessly leaping over the blade cutting toward our ankles.
Terrified my ankles might be severed, I quickly wrapped both legs around Praha’s waist. As my crossed ankles pressed against his back, he flinched slightly.
‘If this is what it comes to, wouldn’t it have been better to be born a koala?’
“Has it passed?”
“…I believe so.”
“Is this uncomfortable for you? Am I holding you too tightly?”
“…No. Please remain as you are.”
“What on earth is that…?”
“A device modeled after ancient torture apparatus. I’ve seen something like it in a book before.”
Praha explained.
“At first, only one or two blades come at you, easy enough to dodge like now, but they’ll grow denser as we go. Eventually, the entire room will be covered in a grid pattern of flying blades.”
“This is already difficult enough…. What do we do?”
I desperately hoped that book had included a method to overcome this.
Before I could hear his answer, a second crisis emerged.
Zing.
This time, the blades formed a 三 shape.
Praha stepped back, calculating the timing as the blades approached at different speeds. He glanced up briefly, then cried out in alarm.
“There are blades coming from behind too! At Your Majesty’s shoulder height!”
“Yes.”
‘Don’t answer so calmly!’
Since Praha had no eyes in the back of his head, I had to watch behind and warn him, but the fear was driving me mad. I felt certain my face would be sliced in half.
Praha managed to evade again, but at this rate, it was only a matter of time before our bodies were sliced into sixteen pieces with a sickening crunch.
And there was another problem.
Zing. Thunk. Zing. Thunk.
The blades that Praha dodged while carrying me were striking the entrance we’d come through, creating noise.
Fortunately the door was locked, but if the zombies swarmed it, who knows what would happen!
Die by the blade, or die bitten by zombies…. Pick whichever is better!
‘I hate both!’
“Your Grace.”
“Yes?!”
“Could you perhaps check the button near the exit?”
Praha, still holding me against his body like a koala, spoke.
Even as he spoke, a 〉〈 shaped blade passed by.
“Ugh….”
I barely managed to turn my head.
Somehow we’d reached the middle of the Corridor. It was thanks to Praha skillfully advancing one step at a time while evading the blades.
Sure enough, just as Praha said, there was a red button near the exit handle.
“Yes! I can see it!”
“It’s an emergency stop button for the magical device. Press that button as many times as the number of blades you last dodged, and the device should stop.”
“Yes!”
“When an appropriate moment comes, I’ll send you past the blades. Run over and press the button. Can you do this?”
“Yes!”
There was no option to say no here!
For just a moment, I thought: ‘Why do we have to do it that way? If he’s strong enough to throw me, couldn’t Praha and I just jump over together?’ But.
The next blade was already flying toward us.
“Now.”
What happened after that, I couldn’t say with certainty.
My body tumbled over to the other side by some method beyond my comprehension, rolling once across the floor before landing.
A cool sensation as several strands of hair were severed.
I counted the number of blades rushing toward Praha before sprinting forward.
My feet slid badly across the ground, nearly sending me sprawling as I jabbed the button.
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
If it’s a # shape, that should be four times, right?!
But the blades didn’t stop.
Whirring.
“Why?!”
Is # not four times?!
Could it be ten times?!
Panic-stricken, I spun around to look at Praha.
Between Praha and me, a blade gleamed with lethal intent.
Praha, watching the blade bearing down as though it would cleave his body in two, twisted his frame without hesitation.
And his side was laid open with a long, deep gash.
A sickening sound.
At the same moment, the mechanism ceased its operation.
“Praha!”
I rushed forward in shock.
Praha, his right side pierced through, gazed down impassively at his own blood falling to the floor.
I supported him as he attempted to stanch the bleeding himself, his expression never once contorting.
Seeing my twisted face, Praha spoke.
“You did well.”
“Well?! What do you mean well!”
I couldn’t even count a single number correctly, and look at this mess!
“What do I do, really…. If only I’d done it right….”
“No. You pressed correctly. The condition to deactivate the mechanism was simply not singular.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“To deactivate the mechanism, the button must be pressed, but a certain amount of blood is also required. It won’t stop unless it senses blood.”
“Then….”
“Yes. I injured myself intentionally.”
Praha, pressing down hard on his own side where flesh seemed to have been torn away, smiled faintly.
“Are you unharmed?”
“Is that what you should be saying right now?!”
So he’d injured himself deliberately without telling me, just to stop the mechanism!
This insane bastard!
I wanted to bite his nose off, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it for fear of sending him into shock.
“What do I do, there’s so much blood….”
I pressed my bare hands against Praha’s bleeding side to try to stem the flow, then cupped them as if trying to catch the streaming blood, before realizing I was spiraling into panic.
Praha, who had been watching me work on the broth, leaned his shoulder against my forehead.
Only then did I come to my senses and pull out a clean cloth I’d gathered from somewhere earlier, pressing it against Praha’s side wound.
“You could have mentioned that the mechanism disengages this way!”
“If I’d told you I’d blow myself across to the other side, you wouldn’t have listened anyway.”
“….”
I seated Praha, who was leaning against me, in front of the door.
I was terrified the mechanism might restart and launch blades again, but there was no other choice.
Up close, Praha’s cheeks were ashen—that sickly pallor unique to someone who’d lost a massive amount of blood in one go.
“Keep pressing down.”
What was I supposed to do in a situation like this?
Disinfection? Should I use alcohol or something? Where would I even find alcohol here?
Liquor? Disinfecting wounds with alcohol only happens in movies.
In reality, it causes infection!
‘And I don’t even have any alcohol right now!’
Why wasn’t I a doctor?
“It’s fine. At least I’m not crippled.”
“Be quiet.”
I frowned deeply, staring at the wound. Fortunately, no organs were protruding. But he was bleeding so much….
“I’ll wrap the cloth around it like a bandage. I haven’t disinfected it, but it’s clean cloth, so it should be alright. Once the bleeding stops, we’ll go.”
I started treating the wound without waiting for a response.
Resentment welled up at my own helplessness.
Why was I so useless?
Can’t fight, don’t know ancient languages, no medical degree…!
Both my hands were soon soaked in blood. Praha, eyes half-closed, mumbled deliriously. His handsome forehead glistened with cold sweat.
“I’m thirsty.”
“Hold it. You can’t drink water when you’re bleeding.”
“You were calling my name earlier.”
“I don’t remember.”
“I remember.”
“For heaven’s sake.”
Watching the blood surge from the wound, then his pallid face, I felt anger rising in me too.
Why did you have to go this far?
You’re the one who brought me here safely.
You could have asked me to make this sacrifice instead, just this once.
Why didn’t you even tell me, just accepting injury as if it were inevitable?
You slice open your own side and don’t even worry about yourself first.
I compressed resentment, unfairness, frustration, and that strange amalgamation of all of it into my hands, tightening the bandage firmly.
“Ugh.”
I asked Praha, who let out a quiet groan.
“Was it worth it?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Praha didn’t hesitate.
“Because you’re safe.”
“Ha….”
I exhaled a long breath and draped his thick arm across my shoulders.
“Can you stand?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
I gathered strength in my knees and rose to my feet.
‘I can’t live with debts unpaid.’
If I borrowed, I must repay.
Whether it’s coin or a life debt.
Now it’s my turn to save you.
Fortunately, opening this door alone would lead to the 1st Floor.
[Mount Prome: Basement Level 1 Connecting Corridor]
– Yusara, Praha (Survived)

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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