Surviving the Apocalypse as an All-Time Best Overpowered Necromancer - Chapter 11

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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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Episode 11
11. Winter Arrives (5)
Seo Hwa-rin and Seo A-rin.
Before the two entered the Elevated Highway.
Lee Kang-hyuk, who had exited the Building and was observing the pair, stroked his chin thoughtfully.
‘Both of them are Awakeners. And their bond looks quite strong.’
That much, at least, was reassuring.
He’d never met a bad person among those willing to stake their lives to protect family.
Especially not in a crisis like this.
‘That said, I can’t trust them completely. But I can’t just leave them to die to the zombies, and I’ve no intention of killing them myself—that would give me a Chaotic Alignment.’
He’d made his decision to save them; he wouldn’t betray it. And even if they were good people, goodness alone didn’t warrant blind trust—nor did prudence demand their deaths just to avoid future complications.
The moment Lee Kang-hyuk watched them enter the Elevated Highway, his eyes gleamed with purpose.
‘If they’d run downward, it’d be hopeless. But up there—that’s perfect for managing the horde.’
The Elevated Highway where the two were heading had considerable height, but the road itself was narrow.
Abandoned cars scattered across the asphalt made it even narrower still.
If he could push the zombies down from here, he could kill them all, even if it took time.
“Move out!”
The moment Lee Kang-hyuk made his decision and charged onto the Elevated Highway with the zombie horde, the two sisters spotted them and clenched their fists, as if bracing for a final stand.
But their eyes held a mixture of terror, fear, and resignation.
Their Mana was depleted, their legs were injured—they knew better than anyone they couldn’t win.
“Big sister, I’m sorry I’ve caused you so much trouble.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t get stronger. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.”
“Sister.”
“A-rin.”
As fresh zombies drew close, believing this was the end, the two sisters exchanged words they’d left unsaid and clasped each other’s hands.
In that moment…….
Lee Kang-hyuk’s voice cut through, sounding embarrassed.
“Um…… would you mind moving aside for a moment? I need to deal with the ones on the other side before things get worse.”
“!!”
“!?”
Startled by a human voice, the two sisters spun to stare at Lee Kang-hyuk.
Their eyes held caution.
There was something about that gaze.
It was the look of prey animals—herbivores, almost.
And people with eyes like that rarely intended harm.
Betrayal at worst?
Or indifference?
Either way, killing them would only raise his Chaotic Alignment—pointless.
“Our kids won’t bite. So don’t worry—just move aside.”
“Y-yes! Yes!”
“Ah, understood!”
With that, Lee Kang-hyuk sent the zombies charging forward. The startled sisters quickly pressed themselves against the railing, huddling low.
Yet anxiety still flickered in their eyes.
Could this be some kind of pervert lulling them into false security before attacking?
Reading the worry in the eyes of the two as they clung to each other, Lee Kang-hyuk sighed and barked another order.
“Focus on pushing them down below the overpass!”
Using Electric, stationed nearby as a relay, to issue instructions to all, Lee Kang-hyuk approached the two.
“How much Experience Points until the next level?”
“Huh? Oh! Experience Points. W-well, about halfway there…….”
“Tsk. Then focus on recovering your Mana. Wait—you’re an Attribute Awakener, so it’s a Core, right?”
“Y-yes. A Core…….”
Lee Kang-hyuk didn’t bother replying to what came next.
Whether it was a Core or Mana didn’t matter; the point was recovery.
“And you—use this. It’s not quite a crutch, but it should serve well enough.”
“A shovel……? Oh! Thank you so much!”
Having brought the Bone Shovel specifically for her injured leg, Lee Kang-hyuk handed it over naturally. Seo A-rin was startled at first, then expressed her gratitude.
At the same time, Lee Kang-hyuk continued.
“So stop standing around—join the attack. Whether her Core recovers or her Mana does, let’s thin their numbers as much as we can before you two have the strength to escape.”
“Yes!”
As Seo A-rin nodded at his words, Lee Kang-hyuk stepped back slightly.
They might be good people, but he couldn’t have those he’d just met watching his back.
Whether they understood his caution or not.
“Water Ball!”
Splash—!
Following Lee Kang-hyuk’s instruction, Seo A-rin unleashed her skill against the zombies.
‘Water, huh…… surprisingly good compatibility. I’d recruit her in a heartbeat if she proved trustworthy.’
The power to create water.
In a disaster scenario, that’s an SSS Tier ability.
He’d need to verify more before trusting her completely, though.
After all verification was done and he judged her sound, Lee Kang-hyuk thought, she’d be the first recruit. He turned to Electric and gave his order.
“Electric, Spark.”
“Graaaagh!”
Crackle—!
At the command, Electric unleashed electricity, and the two sisters’ eyes went wide.
“H-how is a zombie using a s-skill…….”
“It’s a mutant zombie. I was lucky enough to tame it.”
“Oh!”
Because he didn’t trust the two completely.
Lee Kang-hyuk kept the truth hidden as he surveyed the zombies crowding the opposite side.
“I’d love to ask you both many things, but for now let’s handle these first. Questions can wait.”
“Yes! Thank you so much. Oh—Aqua Barrier!”
In response to his words, as his zombie was surrounded by enemies, Seo A-rin cast a defensive spell to shield the creature.
Thud—!
Boom.
The water-made barrier bounced attacks away, knocking the zombies backward.
“Krraaagh!”
In that moment, without Lee Kang-hyuk even commanding it, Electric deployed Lightning Bolt on its own.
The Lightning Bolt materialized in midair in an instant, surging toward the enemies—but then.
It shifted course sharply, flying straight at the zombie wrapped in the Aqua Barrier that Seo A-rin had just cast.
Moments later…….
The Lightning Bolt struck true, and strange crackling sounds echoed as electric current flowed across the water barrier’s surface.
“C-combination magic? How is a zombie…….”
“Because I ordered it to.”
“Pardon?”
Electric’s earlier deviation was a quick test—Lee Kang-hyuk had recently realized he could issue orders to it through willpower to a certain degree.
“Aqua Barrier!”
Not realizing this, Seo A-rin nodded, thinking she simply hadn’t heard him give the command, and cast Aqua Barrier on the allied zombie again.
Then she immediately looked at Electric.
Water Ball attacks were useful, but channeling current through the Aqua Barrier was far more effective.
Moreover, as the electricity conducted through the parked cars, the zombies couldn’t advance any further, crashing into the barrier and tumbling down below the overpass instead.
Yet their numbers were overwhelming.
Each time a zombie fell, Lee Kang-hyuk used Corpse Control to replenish his forces, barely holding on—but as time wore on, he was falling behind.
Above all, if he was to lure them elsewhere so they wouldn’t chase him back to his shelter, he’d need to move before his Mana ran dry.
“How’s your recovery?”
Concerned, Lee Kang-hyuk asked Seo Hwa-rin, who answered hesitantly.
“Just a little longer…….”
“Give me a precise time.”
“F-five minutes!”
“You can recover while we move, can’t you?”
“Yes!”
With each question, her tension eased slightly.
Perhaps she’d realized he meant no harm.
Seo Hwa-rin nodded forcefully. In just that short span, her strength had visibly returned.
“Then we move now. Down from here, we head that way. I’ll stay in back—it’s my job—I’d just be a liability up front. You understand?”
Nod, nod.
“Alright, let’s go. I’ll give directions as we move.”
With that, Lee Kang-hyuk turned back with Electric. Seo A-rin suddenly pointed at the zombies in alarm.
“W-wait, what about the zombies? Aren’t they coming with us?”
Had she already grown fond of them?
Or was she worried they’d meet other zombies without these ones and be in danger?
At her question, Lee Kang-hyuk nodded reassuringly and opened his mouth.
“They move too slowly. If we took them, we’d fall behind. But having them here buys us time to escape. Besides, I can tame more whenever I need to. For now, let’s think of our own survival.”
“Ah, I understand.”
In response, Seo A-rin looked back at the zombies and bowed her head.
As if expressing gratitude. Observing her gesture closely, Lee Kang-hyuk absently stroked his chin.
‘If that wasn’t deliberate, then at least she’s not the type to betray me. But the older sister…….’
He was uncertain.
She’d been too focused on recovering her Mana and Core strength to read clearly.
He couldn’t know her true nature, but the fact that she hadn’t abandoned her sister—that she’d protected her to the end—spoke to decent character.
The problem was that goodness might extend only to her own family.
Others could die for all she cared, as long as her family survived.
If her family went hungry, she might loot from others to feed them.
In other words…….
her alignment might be exactly that selfish.
So perhaps…….
‘Damn, did I really do the right thing? What if I made a mistake? What if the moment I’m not paying attention, they attack? With no zombies around, I won’t be able to respond…… Maybe I should take them with me? Or lock them somewhere safer? That’d be best for security, actually…….’
As Lee Kang-hyuk made his way back to his Building, he churned through scenarios, turning possibilities over in his mind.
Of course…….
he didn’t forget to tame new zombies along the way.
He carefully avoided wild zombie encounters—he needed these tamed ones to subdue the sisters if necessary—and returned safely to the Building.
* * *
“You can stay here for the time being.”
“Th-thank you.”
“Wow…… thank you so much!”
Back at the Building, Lee Kang-hyuk offered the two sisters an empty flat on the 23rd Floor to rest comfortably.
He’d chosen a high floor specifically because it made surveillance easier.
For Lee Kang-hyuk, still unable to trust them fully, it was a compromise between the survival instinct warring inside him and basic decency.
For Seo Hwa-rin and Seo A-rin, his kindness felt uneasy and suspicious—born of a stranger’s unexplained generosity.
And so…….
even as mutual distrust hung between them, Lee Kang-hyuk sighed and continued.
“I’ll bring you essentials shortly. As for hot water…… the plumbing is inadequate, so for now you’ll have to collect water and heat it yourselves.”
“Pardon?”
He’d already given them a flat; now he was offering supplies too?
Seo Hwa-rin’s eyes widened in surprise.
But only briefly.
“Oh, and when I’m gone, try not to leave your room if you can. I’m not forcing you anywhere, but I’ll post watchdog zombies on this floor.”
“What do you…….”
At the warning, Seo Hwa-rin’s expression hardened.
Observing her reaction, Lee Kang-hyuk spoke again, as if the answer were obvious.
“You can’t trust me, just as I can’t trust you…… but leaving an injured person to their fate seemed wrong, so I’m offering you my space. Rest well while you recover. And whenever you want to leave, just tell me. I won’t stop you. Now I’ll go gather a few things for you both.”
“…….”
Despite his explanation, her expression remained guarded. Then Seo A-rin, gauging the mood between them, suddenly smiled brightly and expressed her thanks.
“Thank you! We survived because of your help!”
“It’s nothing. Rest then.”
With that, Lee Kang-hyuk stepped outside.
At the same time…….
he glanced back at the closed door and shook his head.
‘The younger sister has better social instincts than the older. Well…… if I’d had a sister, maybe I’d be like that too.’
He understood.
In such a harsh world, protecting a sibling made everything seem suspect…… how could it be otherwise?
‘Still, Water Attribute Awakeners are rare.’
Fire Attribute Awakeners were rare too, just not as scarce as Water.
He’d already solved his immediate water needs with the Rainwater Storage system he’d built on the Rooftop.
But to maintain the fields and grow crops, he’d need far more water.
He’d originally planned to haul it from the nearby river.
But if he successfully recruited a Water Attribute Awakener…….
farming would become far simpler.
‘I don’t know their true nature yet, but they’re indebted to me now…… I should observe them a bit longer.’
With that conclusion, Lee Kang-hyuk gathered supplies for the two sisters.

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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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