Surviving the Apocalypse as an All-Time Best Overpowered Necromancer - Chapter 3

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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 3
3. Survivor of the Ruined World (3)
The 4th Survival Law: always watch your back.
“Grab it!”
“Grraaagh.”
Lee Kang-hyuk, having decided to clear the zombies inside the building, made his way to the thirtieth floor while hunting every zombie in sight.
To turn the building itself into a safe shelter, he had to clean the places where no one set foot first—otherwise trouble would follow.
Of course there were zombies inside the apartment, but since they lacked the intelligence to open doors.
It wouldn’t be too late to check after dealing with the ones wandering the corridor first.
So Lee Kang-hyuk, having decided to climb to the thirtieth floor by catching those on the staircase, then descend floor by floor, approached a zombie held by its limbs by the ones he’d tamed.
Only at first had it been tense and difficult.
After repeating this task three times already, he no longer hesitated when swinging the hammer.
Thwack!
Crunch!
“Grrk…….”
As he grew accustomed, he also reduced the number of hammer strikes needed.
He’d learned where to strike for the best effect, but his increased Strength from leveling up had also played a role.
The moment he killed the zombie, another one from above apparently heard the noise and approached where Lee Kang-hyuk was.
“Grraaaagh!”
It shrieked excitedly at finding prey after so long, but as expected, its speed was quite sluggish.
And what’s more…….
In its excitement, it mistepped while coming down the staircase and tumbled.
“Tsk.”
Seeing the creature’s pathetic state, he could only find it absurd.
To think he’d spent all this time running from such stupid things…….
It was exasperating, but he still had to catch what needed catching.
“Grab it.”
“Grrr.”
At his command, the zombies swarmed over the fallen one and seized its limbs.
“Screech! Shriek!!”
Pinned face-down with its limbs held, the creature still growled that it would consume Lee Kang-hyuk, baring its sharp teeth.
“Not a chance!”
Whoosh—!
Crunch!
“Crack…….”
One shot, one kill!
With all his strength behind it, one blow was enough to finish it.
As a result, he’d conserved stamina as well.
“Not bad.”
The moment he thought he should kill them this way—pinned down—in the future!
[Congratulations. Your Level has increased. All physical attributes rise by 1.]
[You are granted 1 Ability Point to distribute.]
[This point may only be distributed to your Job Trait abilities.]
[Your depleted stamina and mana are restored.]
Another level-up notification appeared, and his stamina and mana were restored.
“As expected, levels come quickly at the start.”
The reason he’d hunted zombies before securing food was precisely this.
As with all games, the lower the level, the less experience points required.
And the faster the levels rise.
To become safe from zombies, he needed to raise his level as quickly as possible to strengthen his abilities.
Securing food came second.
Besides, once he cleared the building, all the food inside would be his anyway.
“Still, supposed to be a Necromancer and all—how long must I keep catching these things myself?”
His decision to continue hunting lasted only briefly.
Lee Kang-hyuk stared at the zombies standing idle without direction.
Their movements and attack speed were too slow, so he was handling all the attacks himself.
But this method only worked for taking down one zombie at a time—if more swarmed at once, he could be in danger.
“As slow as they are, I need an effective way to strike.”
To deal significant damage at once, he needed to arm the zombies he’d tamed.
And making weapons was entirely feasible.
The only issue was…….
‘Should I invest the distribution points in Dexterity? Or put them into Charisma to tame more zombies?’
Lee Kang-hyuk rubbed his chin as he looked at the 2 points he hadn’t yet distributed.
He was torn.
Investing in Dexterity would make crafting much easier.
Investing in Charisma would let him control more zombies.
And hunting would become easier accordingly, but acquiring good equipment was also important for survival in its own way.
Which was better?
‘The sun will set soon anyway. Let me make a weapon first, check its performance, and decide then.’
After a brief deliberation, Lee Kang-hyuk decided there was no point in dawdling further and used a skill on the zombie he’d just killed.
“Flesh Melting!”
Sizzzzle—!
Pop, splat splat.
“Ugh.”
As he used the skill, the zombie’s flesh melted away and began emitting a foul stench.
“Good thing I didn’t use this in front of the apartment.”
Lee Kang-hyuk held his nose against the stench from the melting flesh, grateful he hadn’t used it in front of the building.
Soon after, seeing the corpse with only bones remaining, he used the next skill.
“Bone Weapon Crafting!”
[Sufficient materials are available for crafting.]
[Here is the list of available items.]
– Bone Sword × 2
– Bone Dagger × 4
– Bone Axe × 2
– Bone Spear × 1
– Bone Club × 2
‘So that’s how it works.’
As he used the crafting skill, the available items scrolled before his eyes.
At the same time, he rubbed his chin as he saw the numbers next to each available weapon.
‘Does this mean I can craft all of these? Or only the types listed?’
He wasn’t sure.
He’d figure it out better once he tried using it.
“A Bone Axe seems like it’d be powerful. Crafting Bone Axe!”
Flash—!
The other weapons looked good too, but an axe seemed best for compensating the slow zombies’ attack power.
As he selected the Bone Axe, another notification appeared and brilliant white light poured from the corpse he’d designated as material.
[Crafting Bone Axe.]
[Your Dexterity influences the crafting.]
[Crafting successful!]
[Bone Axe crafted.]
[Achievement unlocked!]
[Craft Equipment.]
– You have successfully crafted equipment for the first time.
[You are granted bonus experience points for achieving this.]
[Bone Axe]
– An axe crafted from someone’s bones.
“The skill crafts it automatically?”
As the corpse’s pelvis and femur vanished and a bone axe appeared beside it, Lee Kang-hyuk smiled in satisfaction.
He’d thought crafting meant he’d have to make it himself, but the skill crafted it automatically.
“This is Number One—you use it. I’ll make the others shortly. Bone Weapon Crafting!”
[Sufficient materials are available for crafting.]
[Here is the list of available items.]
– Bone Dagger × 4
– Bone Axe × 1
– Bone Spear × 1
– Bone Club × 1
As he used the skill again, the available items had diminished.
‘The Bone Sword disappeared entirely—that means both femurs were completely used. Choosing the axe was the right call.’
Even if he didn’t know the sword’s power, right now it was better to arm as many as possible.
Of course, to do that, crafting daggers would be more cost-effective…….
“But an axe is more threatening than a dagger, anyway. Crafting Bone Axe!”
Next, Lee Kang-hyuk crafted another Bone Axe and handed it to Number Two, then used the skill again to make a Bone Spear.
Only the Bone Spear remained in the final option.
‘The femurs are the most heavily used material, it seems. Then what about armor?’
He’d wanted to craft armor next, but a notification immediately appeared saying materials were insufficient.
That was fine then.
“Well……. This creature isn’t the last zombie in this world anyway.”
He felt no particular regret.
The building still had plenty of zombies to serve as material.
He just needed to catch them and craft.
“So now…… shall I test how powerful they are? Let’s go.”
“Grraaagh.”
Now that weapons were made, he had to put them to use.
Hoping the zombies’ attack power had increased, he climbed upward through the staircase.
“Grraaagh.”
“Grrr…….”
Stomp stomp.
“…….”
As he climbed two more floors and arrived at the highest one, he heard the sound of zombies growling as they roamed the corridor.
The count was three.
If the zombies had been scattered far apart, he’d have lured them one at a time, but.
Since all three were bunched together like companions, it seemed he’d have to hunt them all at once.
“Hmm.”
After confirming the situation, Lee Kang-hyuk peered down through the stairwell.
Fortunately, no zombies seemed to be climbing up at the sound.
‘Since I’ve been clearing from the fifteenth floor on up.’
With his back secure, Lee Kang-hyuk positioned the zombies armed with Bone Axes in the rear and ordered them to charge at the ones in the corridor.
Of course, he himself remained hidden in the stairwell, out of sight.
Perhaps because of this?
“Grraaagh.”
“Grr?”
The creatures roaming the corridor didn’t react at first when his tamed zombies approached, continuing their patrol, but.
Once they received attacks while defenseless, they finally lunged at his tamed zombies.
“Screech!”
“Shriek!!”
Their charge started with good momentum, but only briefly.
Intending to help his zombies, Lee Kang-hyuk poked his head out and used Flesh Melting.
“Flesh Melting!”
Sizzzzle—!
Splat.
Thud!
As he used the skill, the leading zombie’s thigh completely melted away, and it fell forward.
The remaining muscle having melted, it no longer had the strength to stand.
Right after, Number One and Number Two, positioned in the rear, brought their Bone Axes down with all their might on the fallen zombie.
Crunch—!
Thwack!
Their attack speed was no different than before.
But their attack power was far superior.
Without weapons, they’d been so slow he wondered if they’d ever actually kill anything.
Now they finished a zombie in just two strikes.
Admittedly his assistance played a role, but satisfied with their greatly increased attack power, Lee Kang-hyuk melted the thighs of the remaining zombies and pressed the assault.
Once the remaining zombies were all dead by Number One and Number Two’s hand, Lee Kang-hyuk immediately crafted more Bone Axes and equipped the rest.
“Good. Shall we head back down then?”
Since he’d cleared the interior areas where no one ventured.
Now it was time to descend floor by floor and clear every zombie in the building.
Unlike the past when he’d risked his life climbing the stairs in secret from zombies, now he actually hoped they’d appear.
So he could level up.
And craft more equipment.
“In just one day, the situation has changed so much.”
Was this what they meant by a changed world?
As memories of those past days—when he’d had to spend most of his time cooped in his apartment, except for the times he’d risked his life going outside to find food—suddenly flooded back, emotion welled up and tears seemed on the verge of spilling.
Of course, that was just how it felt; no actual tears fell.
Only…….
He wanted to clear the building as soon as possible and make it a safe shelter.
So as he descended from the thirtieth floor, checking each level carefully in case he’d missed any zombies, Lee Kang-hyuk made his way down.
Twenty-ninth floor. Clear.
Twenty-eighth floor. Clear.
…….
Fifteenth floor. Clear.
By the time he reached the floor where he lived, no zombies remained.
It seemed that thanks to those who’d been lucky enough not to mutate and had survived, having escaped outside when fleeing from the zombies in the corridor, they hadn’t found their way back in.
But the real problem was ahead.
The lower the floor, the more zombies there were.
There was a horde of those that had chased the fleeing survivors, plus the zombies that had pursued Lee Kang-hyuk not long ago.
Compared to that, the number of zombies he’d tamed was only five. To tame more, he’d have to invest his unallocated points into Charisma.
“Hmm, can’t be helped.”
He’d decided.
For now, the Bone Axes alone provided sufficient attack power, so increasing the number of zombies he could tame was far safer.
He could raise Dexterity after securing the safe shelter.
Lee Kang-hyuk invested all his reserved Job Trait points into Charisma.
– Charisma: 5 > 7
Now he could tame seven zombies.
Plus, as he continued hunting while descending, his level would rise further.
By the time he reached the first-floor Lobby, wouldn’t he have at least ten tamed?
‘With ten zombies, getting food would be much easier.’
His eyes gleamed with anticipation for the future ahead as Lee Kang-hyuk headed downward.

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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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