I Reincarnated Into a Healing Game… and It’s a Zombie Apocalypse?! - Chapter 94

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 94

In the town square, a winter festival blending various cultures was in full swing.

The vigorous songs of minority ethnic groups harmonized with the elegant dances characteristic of the Kingdom of Belmore on stage, while colorful lanterns crafted in the styles of different nations hung in rows all around.

Under the light of lanterns draped everywhere, the sweet scent of snacks mingled with exotic spice aromas and spread through the air.

The night market was packed with all kinds of food and miscellaneous goods, and people’s laughter mixed with merchants’ calls filled the night air with even more vitality.

Nana looked at the scene with a strange expression.

“Why do you look like that? Are you not enjoying it?”

Ishanka carefully asked while studying her face.

“Oh, it’s not that. It’s just much more lively than I expected.”

Ishanka tilted his head and sent her a questioning look.

“Actually, the entire continent is currently blackened with corruption, and terrible zombie hordes are wandering around in this devastating situation, right?”

Of course, this place Ratnagara enjoyed this miraculous safety thanks to regularly offering rituals to the Fragments of Aibanu, but the fundamentally doomed world hadn’t been saved.

“Yet seeing people laugh, chatter, and enjoy the festival like this makes me think that humans ultimately find a way to live on no matter what situation they’re in.”

Realizing she sounded overly sentimental, Nana awkwardly scratched the back of her head.

After a moment of silence, Ishanka spoke up.

“When I was young, we held a festival during a particularly harsh winter. Hunting had failed day after day, and our food supplies had run out. Then we finally managed to catch a herd of wild boars, but instead of storing the meat, people threw a festival.”

“A feast when food was scarce?”

“Yes. I didn’t understand it at the time either. But my father told me this.”

‘We face cold and death every day, so our spirits are quickly worn down. In such daily life, laughing and enjoying ourselves through festivals is a way to store up strength to endure the hardships to come. Don’t think of this moment as wasteful. This is about blessing and celebrating being alive itself.’

Deep longing seeped into Ishanka’s voice.

“So I think this laughter-filled festival is also about gathering strength to survive in this despairing world.”

Nana felt him wrap his hand around hers.

‘We’ve been holding hands for more than a day or two, so why is my heart suddenly pounding?’

Nana’s face flushed red as she turned her gaze away. Fireworks were still bursting endlessly overhead.

“So we should go store up some strength too. But before that…”

Ishanka pulled something from his coat. It was a mask with delicate decorations, commonly used at festivals.

“Why the sudden mask?”

“If you and I walk around with bare faces, we’ll just become a spectacle.”

He skillfully put on his own mask, then helped Nana put on hers as well.

Even though the mask covered half his face, his beauty was still evident from just his jawline and lips. No, the hidden eyes stimulated the imagination, making him look even more mysterious and dangerous.

“Why are you staring?”

“Oh, nothing. It’s nothing.”

Nana felt embarrassed for no reason and averted her gaze.

“I’m hungry, so let’s hurry and go buy something to eat.”

As she tried to hurry along, Ishanka firmly grabbed her hand and stopped her.

“Wait a moment. During festivals, you must hold hands tightly while walking around.”

“Why?”

“I heard it’s a tradition that lovers do at festivals.”

“…Isha, they say if you get caught lying, your wrist gets cut off.”

“Who said that?”

“Someone did. Some famous gambler said so.”

“If my wrist gets cut off, I won’t be able to hold your hand, so I should be careful.”

“See, I knew you’d gotten cheesy.”

Despite saying that, Nana didn’t let go of his hand.

Continuing their playful banter, the two found their steps heading toward where the food stalls were gathered.

The sizzling sound of oil accompanied spice aromas that filled the air. The streets were piled high with skewers, bread, and fried foods, and among them, a spicy scent caught Nana’s attention.

“Those who like spicy food, you’ll regret it if you just pass by! Freshly stir-fried ternuga! Try some!”

A merchant’s vigorous call rang out.

Nana suddenly remembered the grilled paishan that Ishanka had made for her before.

That dish had also contained a spice called ‘ternuga,’ which had a distinctive spicy and pungent taste very similar to hot peppers.

“That looks delicious. Will you eat some too, Isha?”

“No. I’m fine.”

Did his shoulders flinch for a moment, or was it her imagination? Nana tilted her head briefly but soon dismissed it as nothing important.

“One ternuga stir-fry, please!”

Soon, steaming food was served on a paper plate. The merchant playfully winked.

“It’s quite spicy intestine stir-fry, will you be okay? Even men can’t handle our house’s version!”

At first, it was hard to tell because of the red sauce, but looking closely, it had a unique shape different from regular meat.

Intestine stir-fry. Even better.

“I won’t ask for a refund even if I cry from eating it, so don’t worry.”

“Haha! How bold. Here, I’ll give you a little extra so you can share it deliciously with your lover.”

Finely ground ternuga like chili powder was mixed with intestines, giving off a rich spicy aroma.

Nana picked up a piece of intestine with a skewer and took a bite.

A spicy taste that seemed to set her tongue on fire spread throughout her mouth.

“Ah, this is the taste!”

“Is it that delicious?”

Nana nodded while chewing the intestines. Spicy intestine stir-fry after such a long time. It was one of her favorite foods from her previous life too. What more could she say.

Ishanka, who had been watching her, quietly spoke up.

“May I try a piece as well?”

“Sure, here…”

Nana was about to hand him a spare skewer when she suddenly smiled mischievously. Then she picked up a large piece of intestine and thrust it toward Ishanka’s mouth.

“Come on, say ‘ah.'”

At her gesture of offering it like coaxing a child, Ishanka’s expression strangely stiffened. An unreadable look of surprise or confusion crossed his refined face.

‘Should I stop here?’

Just as Nana was about to pull back the skewer with a suppressed laugh, Ishanka’s hand moved faster, grabbing her wrist and biting into the intestine without hesitation.

Nana’s eyes widened at Ishanka’s sudden bold move. But that was only for a moment.

“…!”

Ishanka’s confident momentum didn’t last long. Without even being able to chew a few times, his face instantly turned bright red as if it would burst.

“Cough! A-Adrien. How on earth do you…”

Helplessly defeated by the spiciness, he frantically grabbed a water cup and gulped it down.

The merchant watching this scene laughed heartily and offered a ceramic bowl.

“Oh my, it wasn’t the miss who cried but the young man. Here, yogurt drink. It’ll neutralize the spiciness a bit.”

Ishanka couldn’t even say thanks and took the bowl, gulping it down.

“Isha, you can’t handle spicy food?”

“This might sound like an excuse, but… ternuga stir-fry is one of the spiciest foods among minority ethnic dishes. Even people who handle spicy food well struggle with it.”

Ah, so that’s why he flinched earlier?

He answered with a sighing voice.

“How can you eat this while even humming?”

“Even if you ask how… it’s not that spicy to me?”

“…”

“Want to try another piece?”

“No. I respectfully decline.”

The sight of her casually devouring the ternuga stir-fry was amazing enough to inspire respect.

Indeed, Koreans’ love for spicy food was remarkable.

After finishing her simple snack, Nana headed with Ishanka toward the street where market stalls were set up.

The main street that had seemed quiet and deserted during the day was now crowded with people, leaving no room to step. From the stalls lined up on both sides of the street, merchants’ calls rang out endlessly.

“Come see goods from the Eastern Continent that are now hard to find!”

“Come see our fragrant spices!”

Nana was half-listening to the bustling calls when she unconsciously stopped in front of one stall. The merchant didn’t miss the opportunity and quickly gestured.

“Miss, come look at these pretty accessories!”

The display spread on the ground was filled with accessories like necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.

The jewels caught in the lamplight all sparkled and drew attention, but Nana’s gaze naturally settled on a necklace placed in the corner.

It was a simple ornament made by drilling holes through round gemstones and threading them with string.

“You have a good eye. This jewelry is made from precious gemstones that only come from the Western Region—.”

The merchant poured out praise for the necklace with smooth eloquence as if his tongue were oiled, but none of that flashy sales talk reached Nana’s ears.

From the beginning, there was only one reason her gaze had settled on this necklace.

“Do you like this one?”

“Yeah, it’s exactly the same color as your eyes.”

The roughly processed gemstone shone with the same light purple color as Ishanka’s eyes.

“We have the same taste. I liked this one too.”

He picked up a sky-blue necklace of the same design that was beside it.

“How much for both?”

The merchant emphasized that they were rare gemstones and called out quite an expensive price, but Ishanka didn’t bat an eye and held out a gold coin. It was several times the value of the necklaces.

“…!”

For a moment the merchant’s eyes widened, but like a seasoned trader, he quickly changed his expression to a smile.

“What a lovely young couple you make. Here, this is a gift. It’s a charm wishing for your love to last forever.”

What the merchant pressed into Nana’s hand was a small scroll neatly tied with a leather cord.

Nana left well-wishes for good business and departed with Ishanka.

After that, Nana and Ishanka enjoyed the festival to their heart’s content, playing archery games and challenging themselves at the minority ethnic groups’ traditional game of throwing sticks into wooden buckets ten steps away.

And to add to that, Ishanka swept up high scores in every game he participated in and collected all the prizes.

The fact that this made the merchants wear long faces was another behind-the-scenes story of the festival.

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