Surviving the Apocalypse as an All-Time Best Overpowered Necromancer - Chapter 27

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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 27
27. Deceiving the Union (2)
“The bait team’s coming. Stand by……. Now! Begin the assault!”
“Fireball!”
“Flaming Rock!”
“Howling Wind!”
“Chain Lightning!”
Near Gongneung Station, on the Jungnang River Bridge, the Jungnang-gu Union had constructed barricades using buses and automobiles, and now unleashed a torrent of skills upon the zombies the bait team had driven toward them.
“I’m sick of this.”
Even as flames ignited, whirlwinds swept through, and lightning flashed, cutting down zombies, one man let out a sigh of discontent.
He was Jang Man-ho of the Myungmok-dong Shelter, the sworn younger brother of Shelter Chief Kim Tae-sik and search team leader of the Myungmok-dong Shelter. An Awakener with the Fighter class, specializing in wielding a massive Greatsword, he had accomplished much until now.
But one thing.
Whenever he drank alcohol, he had a tendency to act recklessly, so he had stepped down from his position as search team leader and was currently under Disciplinary Suspension.
Because of this, he hadn’t touched a drop in days, fighting zombies the whole time—and Jang Man-ho’s frustration knew no bounds.
His subordinate, sensing his mood, forced a smile and spoke up to comfort him.
“Well, with the schools and apartment complexes around here……. At least your level keeps rising steadily, doesn’t it?”
“Tsk, if only we weren’t sharing Experience Points with those bastards, it’d be so much better. If I had my way, I’d just smash their skulls in…….”
Upon hearing his subordinate’s words, Jang Man-ho growled while looking at a group to his left.
They were Awakeners from Kyunghee University Shelter, whom Jang Man-ho had gotten into a dispute with not long ago.
Of course…….
Even then, Jang Man-ho had been drinking.
However, it wasn’t Jang Man-ho who had started the trouble—it was someone from Kyunghee University Shelter.
But perhaps due to all the incidents he’d caused up until now?
Kim Tae-sik had flown into a rage and ordered Disciplinary Suspension, which was why Jang Man-ho had ended up here.
So that’s why?
His subordinate flinched at what sounded like another trouble-making comment and quickly tried to stop him.
“Please, don’t say such things. If the Shelter Chief finds out, you’ll really be expelled this time. Expelled.”
“Expelled? Hah, even my older brother goes too far. How could he treat his younger brother like that…….”
“What’s too far is you getting into a dispute with a Kyunghee University Awakener while drunk.”
“What kind of bas——”
At the sudden voice, irritation welled up in Jang Man-ho. He furrowed his brow and turned around.
And in that same moment…….
Upon spotting a handsome man in a familiar Leather Jacket and Leather Pants, wearing a Hood over his head, he appeared flustered, scratching his cheek and stumbling over his words.
“W-what brings you here, smaller brother…….”
Park Mu-jin of the same Myungmok-dong Shelter, commander of the vanguard strike force and another sworn brother of Jang Man-ho.
Was it because he’d appeared so suddenly without warning? Or because of what he’d just said?
As the flustered Jang Man-ho stammered, Park Mu-jin shrugged his shoulders to reassure him.
“The Shelter Chief sent me. He figured you’d be like this and told me to comfort you.”
“Hehehehe.”
At his words, the man who had been full of discontent moments before suddenly found his mood lifting, and he laughed in a peculiar way.
“That’s funny.”
Amused by his expression, Park Mu-jin chuckled and patted his shoulder, then asked with a puzzled look.
“But that aside, why is the Shelter Chief suddenly rushing the Subjugation? He said we needed to stabilize the Shelter for a while.”
“I heard it was something about a Fighter they killed days ago—apparently they’re looking for whoever reported it.”
“……Just that?”
The damage from the zombie swarm brought by the Fighter hadn’t even been fully repaired, yet they were mobilizing the Union’s Awakeners just to find one person. He found it hard to understand.
He was even beginning to doubt whether this decision truly came from Kim Tae-sik.
So then?
As Park Mu-jin’s brow furrowed involuntarily, the startled Jang Man-ho waved his hand.
“What would I know? I’m under Disciplinary Suspension—if the Shelter Chief says go, I go; if he says come back, I come back. If you’re really curious, why not go ask him directly? You’re in the middle of your reinstatement anyway, aren’t you?”
“If you know you’re under Disciplinary Suspension, then act like it.”
“…….”
Left speechless by his response, Jang Man-ho closed his mouth and pouted his lips in meek protest. Park Mu-jin chuckled loudly and nodded.
“I’ll ask him directly then. You take care now. If you need my help, call for support anytime. I’ll come running.”
“Ha! Unless it’s a lair, there’s no way I’d need to call you to a place like this.”
At his remark, Jang Man-ho snorted and puffed himself up, and Park Mu-jin smiled.
“Right. Look after the people who came with you too. That way the Shelter Chief will think you’ve gotten serious and lift your Disciplinary Suspension. And stay away from alcohol for a while!”
“Your nagging…….”
Having said his piece, Park Mu-jin left Jang Man-ho behind and leaped down beneath the bridge. He led the subordinates who had been waiting below and headed back to the Shelter.
And so…….
As the vanguard strike force disappeared from view, Jang Man-ho suddenly sighed and clicked his tongue.
“Tsk. Let’s hurry up and fill our quota, then head back.”
“Yes, sir!”
Until now, under Disciplinary Suspension, he’d only followed orders, but after conversing with Park Mu-jin, even Jang Man-ho had become curious about the reason.
So he decided to hurry back as soon as possible, told those who’d come with him to move faster, then.
Without even scouting the area, he raised his massive Greatsword to hunt only zombies and fill the Quota.
Tap.
Clack—!
“Haaah! Rampage Crushing Strike!”
Whoosh.
Bang—!
Following this, Jang Man-ho charged at the zombies the bait team had driven in and brought his Greatsword down. Sparks erupted, and the zombies within the impact zone were sent flying.
“Protect the leader! Fireball!”
“Ice Arrow!”
“Hehehehe. Keep up the pressure like this!”
“Attack!!”
Those around him poured skills onto the downed zombies to cover him, and in moments, Jang Man-ho had killed a dozen or more and, laughing strangely, charged toward his next prey, swinging his Greatsword.
* * *
At the same time.
Bang!
Crash!
“…….”
Lee Gang-hyeok, who was sweeping through the area near Nowon Station, ducked at another loud boom.
It sounded different from the sound he’d heard just before, so he instinctively concealed himself.
Crash—!
‘Are they planning to continue Subjugation there for a while? Setting up barricades every day would certainly take that much time……. We have a few days of breathing room.’
But soon, a similar-sized explosion sounded again, and realizing they weren’t moving and were still hunting in the same location, he felt relieved and stood up.
‘Let’s hurry.’
Just then, he spotted two people sweeping through a building across the road. Lee Gang-hyeok sent a hand signal to hurry, then quickly entered the next building.
“Shriek!”
“Shriek shriek!”
The moment he entered the building, four zombies inside snarled and rushed at him.
In that instant.
The zombies Lee Gang-hyeok had tamed stepped forward with raised shields, blocking their path.
Bang—!
“Shriek!”
Whoosh.
Thud, crack—!
As the zombies’ charge was halted, those positioned behind brought down Bone Axes, crushing their heads.
If Electricity had been here, those zombies would have been dealt with before they even advanced.
But since he’d assigned her to support those searching on the opposite side of the road, he was left commanding only the shield-bearing zombies armed with Bone Axes.
“Nothing here. Move immediately.”
After dealing with the zombies inside the building, he gave it a cursory search, then headed to the next building without bothering to cover his tracks.
When the Union arrived here, he hoped they would find the zombie corpses and follow the trail elsewhere…….
As he processed zombies and examined buildings this way, nothing worth taking remained—it had clearly been picked over already.
‘What in the world…….’
If it were one or two places, he could understand, but from Changdong Station to Nowon Station, all he’d obtained was barely one bag’s worth of provisions.
Worse still, the zombies and other supplies remained untouched, yet mysteriously, only food was missing.
‘Zombies present, but no food? Could there be a Stealth-type Awakener in the Union? That would be troublesome…….’
The thought suddenly crossed Lee Gang-hyeok’s mind, and his brow furrowed involuntarily.
It was a suspicion bordering on certainty.
There was no way someone could walk through buildings without killing zombies and selectively extract only food—so it was nearly certain that a Stealth-type Awakener was operating nearby.
The problem was, he had no way to determine whether the person was part of the Union, an independent operative like himself, or part of another organization.
“Sigh.”
At this, frustrated Lee Gang-hyeok let out a sigh and scratched the back of his head irritably.
An unforeseen variable had emerged, making his mind cluttered and agitated.
‘This is dangerous.’
If by chance he encountered this person, and if that person was malicious, there was a possibility of being caught separately. So Lee Gang-hyeok immediately approached the two others.
“Is something wrong?”
“Did you finish already?”
He’d approached without any signal, so the two showed bewilderment.
Seeing their tilted heads, Lee Gang-hyeok explained his assessment.
“It’s not certain yet, but there seems to be a Stealth-type Awakener operating nearby.”
“I knew it……. Now that you mention it, it was strange how only food never appeared—it must have been because of the Stealth-type Awakener.”
As soon as he spoke, Seo Hwa-rin immediately agreed.
She had been puzzled too.
“In any case, since they seem to have taken all the food, let’s gather only what we need, leave the trail heading to Sueraksan Station as planned, and return immediately.”
“Yes!”
The two didn’t object to his words. Though they weren’t certain about the Stealth-type Awakener yet, they could encounter him at any moment without warning.
So it was more prudent to hurry back and prepare a strategy rather than linger unnecessarily and increase the chance of an encounter.
If a Stealth-type made up his mind to ambush them, there would be no way to stop it.
“Let’s go.”
The three, having revised their plan due to this variable, moved quickly while processing zombies.
Meanwhile…….
A man observing the three from a nearby rooftop stroked his chin.
“A Necromancer……. If I stay close to him, she might show herself.”
The man, speaking words without clear meaning, gazed up at the sky for a moment, then clenched his fist.
“I will have my revenge.”
With those words, the man began to rapidly pursue the three as they killed zombies and headed toward Sueraksan Station.
* * *
“Grrrrrrr.”
“Shriek! Shrieeeek shriek shriek.”
“Grrr.”
After revising the plan, as they left traces heading toward Sueraksan Station, the zombies’ snarling suddenly intensified.
Something was there.
‘A zombie swarm? A Mutant Zombie?’
But he couldn’t tell exactly what it was.
“Hmm.”
Sensing unease, Lee Gang-hyeok stopped hunting and examined his surroundings, furrowing his brow.
Then, as if by magic, the zombies’ snarling ceased.
‘Just my imagination?’
No.
Something was definitely there.
Or rather, had been there.
‘It’s not a zombie swarm, and a Mutant Zombie? Surely not…….’
A swarm would have been visible by now.
Yet no matter how he looked around, all he saw were zombies snarling while trapped in buildings and the ones he’d just killed.
Judging it was either a Mutant Zombie or a Stealth-type Awakener, Lee Gang-hyeok sent a discrete signal to the two.
‘Something’s there. Can’t confirm. Move fast.’
Nod.
The two, having received the signal, answered with a silent nod, then moved quickly toward Sueraksan.
At the same time, the zombies snarled again.
‘We’re being followed.’
Through this, Lee Gang-hyeok understood someone was pursuing them, and he now felt certain it was a Stealth-type Awakener.
Unless it was an entity more intelligent than the spider they’d caught in the valve chamber before, there was no way a Mutant Zombie would adjust its distance like this to track them.
If such a being existed, it would need to be killed without hesitation. The higher the intelligence, the greater the casualties would be…….
‘Better to deal with him before returning to the hideout.’
Though his intentions remained unclear, given that they’d deliberately left traces toward Sueraksan Station, he couldn’t expose the hideout’s location.
If the man continued pursuing even after they entered the mountain, Lee Gang-hyeok had decided to eliminate him. He sent another signal to the two, then disguised the zombies as corpses.

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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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