Surviving the Apocalypse as an All-Time Best Overpowered Necromancer - Chapter 26

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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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Chapter 26
26. Deceive the Union (1)
“The wheel is smaller than I expected. Will it be alright?”
As planned the day before, Lee Kang-hyeok voiced his concern the moment they secured the wheel from the washing machine to reinforce the bridge.
The size was indeed smaller than he had anticipated.
At this, Seo Hwa-rin continued speaking to reassure him, as if there was nothing to worry about.
“It won’t hold anything heavy, but it’ll easily support one person at a time crossing. Since we three can just leap over using the bridge as a foothold, it doesn’t matter if the zombies have to take their time.”
“I see. Then let’s get started right away.”
Truthfully, with the three of them’s physical abilities, they could have jumped to the next building without even connecting a bridge.
Yet they’d built and connected it because the goal was to make it easier for the zombies to move across.
Just as Lee Kang-hyeok nodded in understanding—
Boom!
Bang!
Suddenly, an explosion echoed from somewhere.
“!!”
“What’s that? Let’s head to the roof!”
“Yes!”
Startled by the unexpected situation, they quickly recovered.
To find out what was happening, they nodded at his suggestion to go to the roof and followed him up.
“That’s…”
“The place where the zombies were yesterday!”
As they reached the roof, black smoke billowed in the distance.
Someone had deliberately triggered an explosion.
Moreover, the direction from which the smoke rose was exactly where they’d found the zombie horde the day before.
Which meant…
“It seems the Jungnang-gu Union has moved to exterminate the zombies.”
Upon confirming the direction, Lee Kang-hyeok’s explanation of the situation prompted the two women to exhale in relief.
“I see. That takes a weight off our shoulders.”
“Good thing too. For a moment I thought something else had happened. From how quickly they’re moving, it looks like they’ve got quite the numbers.”
Despite the two women’s relief, Lee Kang-hyeok’s expression hardened, his brow furrowing.
The larger the Shelter’s territory, the smaller his range of activity became.
Of course, if they maintained contact with the Shelter, it would help significantly with survival.
But what if, by any chance, they coveted the resources he owned and sought to take them by force?
The three of them alone couldn’t stand against the Union.
They viewed him as a benefactor thanks to his tip about the zombie horde, but that was only because they didn’t know what he possessed.
No one could predict when or how human greed might change.
So one had to remain vigilant and cautious at all times.
That applied equally to Seo Hwa-rin and Seo A-rin.
In fact, that was the main reason he hadn’t invited them to his home on the fifteenth floor, despite accepting them as teammates.
Was that why?
Not entirely pleased about the Jungnang-gu Union’s expansion or the prospect of encountering them, Lee Kang-hyeok responded to Seo A-rin’s comment about their scale and expressed his concerns.
“They’re a union, after all. More than that, if they advance this far, they might strip the area of all its supplies.”
“Ah.”
“True enough. To maintain such a large operation, they’d need a steady supply of resources.”
Though the Jungnang-gu Union was clearing out zombies, Lee Kang-hyeok’s expression remained grim—something the two women found puzzling. Yet they understood his point and nodded in agreement.
If they hadn’t known about the Shelter—and the Union’s existence—they might have hesitated.
But having learned of the Union’s presence and having chosen to remain in this location, the prospect of having their supplies taken was far from welcome.
So it was no surprise that—
Their faces darkened as well.
“Before they take what’s ours, let’s move! We can bring everything and hide it away. We have plenty of places to store it anyway!”
Seo A-rin even cried out that they should gather everything before the Union could seize it.
Lee Kang-hyeok was caught somewhat off-guard by their reaction, but he soon smiled—a look of resignation—rather than objecting.
“Very well. We’ve already laid out the fields and spread the fertilizer, so rather than reinforce the bridge today, let’s shift our plan to securing as much of the local supplies as possible. Since they’re using Jungnang-gu as their name, they should be at considerable distance from here. If we move quickly, we can secure resources before they arrive. However, since our Hideout’s location could be exposed, even if it’s risky, let’s venture to the midpoint and gather supplies. We’ll create a buffer zone to obscure our true position.”
According to Lee Kang-hyeok’s survival principles, one should choose the safest path whenever possible.
So venturing to the midpoint and securing supplies, despite his concern about the Hideout’s location being discovered, was uncharacteristic of him—yet—
Seo Hwa-rin, even as she understood his reasoning, considered whether he might be interpreted differently and asked to confirm.
“So you’re creating a buffer zone like a backfire to mask our location.”
Knowing she would understand immediately, Lee Kang-hyeok simply nodded, and upon seeing this, Seo A-rin raised her hand eagerly.
“Then I’ll go grab the Bone Armor!”
* * *
Securing resources at the midpoint without running into the Union as they cleared zombies.
Easy to say, that is.
But stepping outside, the zombies that had flowed in from Jungnang-gu the day before were far more numerous than expected, making movement extremely difficult.
Yet they couldn’t simply hunt them down.
Based on the traces left by the Jungnang-gu Union’s hunting, they could track the Union’s movements, so they had to minimize hunting and focus on displacement.
Still, whenever they drew aggro, they quickly eliminated the zombies and used their Crafting Skill to erase all traces.
And so…
How many minutes had they walked?
The sisters who’d left the building empty-handed now carried swords and shields forged from zombie bone.
“It looks like you’re barely bothered by them anymore.”
“…Does it really look that way?”
“…”
It was meant as a joke, but their faces had turned from white to an sickly blue.
Likely due to the appearance and texture of the bone weapons, but when they actually fought zombies, they swung them effortlessly.
‘Well, the more you use them, the more natural it becomes.’
To remain alongside him, they had to grow accustomed to bone items.
It was necessary for survival.
Since the two understood this and used the items despite their discomfort, Lee Kang-hyeok decided to stop teasing and lifted his head to confirm their position.
“We’re approaching Changdong Station. There’s a large shopping center nearby, but it’s not a place I’d recommend.”
As Lee Kang-hyeok unwittingly slipped into the explanatory habit he’d developed while streaming his zombie game, he warned them of the dangers, and the two women nodded as if they’d already heard this before.
“We heard about it often at the Shelter. Large shopping centers, department stores, and densely populated areas like apartment complexes or mixed-use buildings are all dangerous. That’s why our Shelter used the term ‘Den’ to refer to such places collectively.”
“Right. I heard some Dens have thousands of zombies in them.”
Den.
This was a term from the zombie game Lee Kang-hyeok played.
Learning that the Shelter where the two women had been housed had users who played the same game, Lee Kang-hyeok smiled and rubbed his cheek as he spoke.
“Den. The word fits naturally. Let’s adopt it for ourselves going forward.”
“Yes!”
“Sounds good.”
At his words, the two women smiled, as if touched by nostalgia for their former Shelter.
They hadn’t shown it in front of Lee Kang-hyeok, but they clearly missed their old comrades.
‘I hope they don’t insist on bringing their found comrades to the Hideout later…’
He hoped they wouldn’t push such a thing.
“So then, around this area—”
Bang!
Boom!
Before Lee Kang-hyeok could continue, a familiar booming sound echoed from somewhere nearby.
It was the sound of Awakeners from the Union using their skills.
“…”
When the boom sounded, Lee Kang-hyeok halted and quickly unfolded the Map he’d brought to pinpoint where the Union might be.
That was when—
“Lee Kang-hyeok, look at that.”
Seo Hwa-rin suddenly called to him.
He looked up from the Map, wondering what had happened—
And upon seeing what she was pointing at, he nodded in understanding and gestured toward the rear.
It was a signal to withdraw.
The three of them stepped back and hid their bodies in an alley, exhaling in relief.
“Because of the apartment complex, there are so many zombies. I think we should avoid that direction and just gather supplies from around here before returning to the Hideout.”
“Yes. That’s best.”
Having just encountered the Den they’d spoken of, the three decided to gather supplies from a point slightly short of their original midpoint target.
After that, Lee Kang-hyeok spread out the Map and examined it from various angles, drawing lines.
At the same time—
Seo A-rin, who’d only heard stories of Dens at her former Shelter and now saw one for the first time, appeared deeply shaken, murmuring with a vacant expression.
“My goodness… I never imagined there’d be that many zombies. I only heard about it, but a Den is really something else. And the Union that’s clearing out creatures like these… just how many Awakeners do they have?”
She was startled to see so many zombies crammed into the Den, but she seemed even more astonished by the power the Union was demonstrating in clearing them.
To address her confusion, Lee Kang-hyeok explained, even as he continued drawing lines on the Map, the method of subjugation he’d deduced from the sounds alone.
“They’re probably setting up makeshift barricades, then luring the zombies in to concentrate firepower and eliminate them in one sweep.”
“How did you figure that out just from the sound?”
“The direction of the booms hasn’t changed much since earlier. And the way the loud explosions happen once then stay quiet for a while—it all fits that pattern.”
“Ah, now that you mention it…”
If the explosions had been continuous, it would’ve been different.
But realizing now that they came only once every few minutes, just as Lee Kang-hyeok said, Seo A-rin admired his observational skills and began to think she wanted to learn from him.
And yet, even as he spoke, Lee Kang-hyeok continued drawing lines on the Map. Soon he nodded in satisfaction, called the two women over, and spread out the Map for them.
“Now, would the two of you take a look at this? I’ll show you the route we’ll take as we farm for resources, the direction we’d flee in case of emergency, our first rally point, and the path back to the Hideout.”
“…So that’s why you’ve been drawing lines on the Map this whole time.”
“Yes. There are a lot of apartments in this area. Getting resources is important, but ensuring we return to the Hideout as safely as possible is what matters most.”
At his explanation, the eyes of both women lit up. Convinced there’d be no impulsive actions, Lee Kang-hyeok relaxed and pointed to the lines he’d drawn on the Map.
“First, we’ll farm from Changdong Station all the way to Sanggye Station, then create a trail heading toward Buram Mountain Station, and return to the Hideout via Surak Mountain. That should take roughly six to seven hours, including the farming and movement.”
“Mm.”
The explanation was relatively brief.
But the moment Seo Hwa-rin heard it, she touched her chin as if something troubled her.
‘Is there a problem?’ he thought—only for a moment.
“Is there a particular reason for detouring through Surak Mountain?”
When she asked, Lee Kang-hyeok answered immediately.
“The terrain isn’t steep and there are no zombies there, plus there’s a path connecting directly to the Hideout. Does that answer your question?”
“Yes. I never would have thought to use a mountain path like that. Thanks to you, I’ve learned something new.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Boom!
With that, Lee Kang-hyeok concluded his explanation and, leaving the booming sounds behind, began loosening his shoulders.
“Assuming nothing unexpected happens, we won’t have any reason to split up, so let’s set out without worry.”
“Yes!”
Having stepped outside their secure Hideout and into the streets, the women had been slightly anxious, but his reassurance put their minds at ease, and they nodded in agreement.

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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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