Surviving the Apocalypse as an All-Time Best Overpowered Necromancer - Chapter 33

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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 33
33. Job-Exclusive Quest (3)
‘Nice!’
With the level gain, his depleted Mana recovered completely.
Lee Gang-hyeok immediately set about breaking in the zombies.
Only Bulldozer had fallen.
Many zombies still remained below.
He couldn’t rest or continue searching until he’d killed every last one of them.
With his Mana restored, he decided to deal with them right then.
Of course…….
Bulldozer, having lost both its eyes, had thrashed about so violently that it cut the zombie count nearly in half.
In any case, the helplessness he’d felt at first had vanished, and now convinced he could kill them all, he sent the broken-in zombies forward and swept through the horde with brutal efficiency.
A short while later.
After succeeding in wiping out every zombie that came at him, Lee Gang-hyeok felt a crushing wave of exhaustion wash over him—he let out a long sigh and simply collapsed where he stood.
Electric, too, seemed to have burned through its core energy. Judging by how it had also crumpled to the ground like him.
“And you’re supposed to be a zombie…….”
“Grrgh.”
When Lee Gang-hyeok grumbled at the sight of it, Electric rumbled back in a way that seemed to ask for a little understanding right now.
That was almost funny, but he couldn’t afford to rest much longer, so he glanced at the hourglass in the upper left corner and checked his Quest status.
[Quest Status]
Zombies Hunted: 69/100
Bone Armor Crafted: 5/20
Four hours remained. If he killed 31 more zombies and crafted just 15 more Bone Armor pieces, he’d succeed in the Quest……but.
‘Is that enough time?’
His brow furrowed as he reviewed the status.
Worry crept in.
And for good reason…….
Because he’d broken in the zombies the instant his level rose, he’d run short on Mana.
There was still a long way to go before his level increased again.
His level had only risen because of the Bulldozer hunt.
As a result, his plan—to keep crafting Bone Armor, then hunt zombies to raise his level when Mana ran dry, then finish crafting—had fallen to pieces.
‘God, my life’s absolute hell right now.’
A sigh came unbidden.
But if the Bone Bracelet’s effect triggered, it seemed possible after all. After a brief rest, he reached toward the corpses of the zombies scattered all around.
“Let’s do this!”
It wasn’t impossible.
Let’s just try.
With that thought, his hand flashed.
After that, Lee Gang-hyeok spent his recovered Mana on crafting armor whenever the Bone Necklace’s effect replenished it, and whenever the Bone Bracelet’s effect triggered, he’d clench his fist and shout loudly—all to lure nearby zombies.
But the creatures that could have approached from nearby had already swarmed over during his fight with Bulldozer.
No matter how much he bellowed and shrieked, not a single zombie appeared—not even an ant.
Instead, the Bone Armor crafting that had seemed doomed progressed smoothly, but as the hunting lagged despite his earlier confidence, his heart grew impatient.
‘It’s fine. There’s still time.’
Two hours and fifteen minutes remained.
He’d crafted fourteen Bone Armor pieces so far.
Having made nine in one hour and forty-five minutes, he should easily manage six more.
‘This won’t do. I’ll have to craft the rest on the move. Otherwise I’ll fail the Quest.’
The fact that no zombies appeared despite all his shouting meant the local zombie population had dried up.
‘Could it be because of that bastard?’
The fighter who’d been luring zombies earlier came to mind. That one must be why the area had so few creatures.
“Hah.”
Should he be grateful that searching had become easier?
Or resent that he might fail the Quest because of it?
Caught between conflicting feelings, he sighed once more, then descended from the building and stared hard at Bulldozer’s corpse.
The broken-in zombies immediately swarmed it and began burying it.
Though he doubted anyone else would find it, he hid it anyway just in case.
‘I’ll come back to it on the way home.’
Turning Bulldozer’s corpse into accessories could wait until after the Quest. Finding equipment for welding could too.
Time and Mana were both running short…….
“Find me some zombies!”
“Grrraaagh!”
Soon after leaving the Garage, Lee Gang-hyeok gave orders to his broken-in zombies.
The ones who received the command scattered in all directions, and as he watched them go, he suddenly shook his head in bewilderment and disbelief.
“Never thought I’d live to see the day I’d be hunting for zombies. Life really is long.”
Such was the strange turn of fate. Thinking this, Lee Gang-hyeok chased after his zombies.
* * *
“Do you think he’s all right?”
Three hours had already passed since Lee Gang-hyeok set out to search.
Though it seemed he was fine since there were no messages, Seo A-rin asked this while eating with her sister, her worry plainly written beneath the surface.
Seo Hwa-rin, who was concerned about Lee Gang-hyeok despite not letting it show, answered with an unbothered smile.
“He’ll be fine. Even if his level is lower than ours, his skill is the best.”
“Better than you? Doesn’t your level run higher?”
“Even so, if he truly committed to fighting, I don’t think I could stop him.”
“True……. If he just kept sending zombies at us from hiding, there’s not much we could do.”
At her sister’s words, Seo A-rin exhaled in agreement and scratched her cheek.
The image of Lee Gang-hyeok, hidden inside the building while only sending zombies out to hunt, flickered through her mind.
If…….
If he turned into an enemy, what would happen?
“Ugh.”
Just imagining it left her drained.
She hastily shook her head to clear away such thoughts, then sighed—and Seo Hwa-rin smiled softly.
“Having someone like that as an ally is incredibly reassuring!”
“Right!”
The memory rose of that moment—not quite a prince on a white horse, but someone who’d suddenly appeared and saved them when they were being hunted and losing hope.
‘He said our kids wouldn’t bite him, didn’t he?’
A laugh bubbled up unbidden.
Honestly…….
Watching his behavior these past few days, what he’d said back then hadn’t been to reassure them trembling in fear—it had been a terse command to move aside, she was sure of it.
But perhaps because it was the moment they escaped danger?
Something about his words felt strangely cool, and flustered by the thought, Seo Hwa-rin looked at Seo A-rin and asked hurriedly.
“S-so how about the field? Is it okay? Making progress?”
“Still the same, really. But if I keep tending it, I’ll see results eventually. Speaking of which, I’ll go check on it after I finish eating!”
“R-right.”
The moment those words left her lips, Seo A-rin sucked down her ramyeon like water, then flashed a bright smile and headed for the rooftop.
She must have been eager to check on it.
‘That’s nice.’
Peaceful.
Before the disaster, she’d been the kind of child who’d lose track of time observing plants. Watching her now, that season drifted naturally back into memory, and her heart grew calm.
All of this peace existed because Lee Gang-hyeok had saved them.
‘Please let him be okay. At least send word…….’
Gripped by an unnameable anxiety, she gazed out the window and found her lip between her teeth.
* * *
“Damn it……. Shit.”
Whoosh—!
Crack!
Where there’d been barely an ant before, dozens of zombies came pouring out of the Recycling Center, giving Lee Gang-hyeok a hard time.
It seemed to be because of the Soccer Field right next door.
He’d started to use a Skill, but afraid he’d run short on Mana for crafting Bone Armor, he stopped himself and swung the Bone Axe instead.
At the same time, his broken-in zombies rushed to surround him in protection, and as if they could read his intent, they slowly moved toward the Soccer Field.
Fences enclosed it on all sides, allowing him to funnel the zombies’ attack into a single line.
Moreover, military treatises stated that defense could hold against three times the attacking force.
Using the fence as a palisade to face the zombies would be far more effective.
“Form ranks! If you can’t switch positions, pass the shield! Lower your stance! Don’t give ground! Hold the line! Win!”
Soon after reaching the Soccer Field, Lee Gang-hyeok commanded his zombies to form up, then bellowed loudly.
‘The time…….’
He knew well that time remained before the Quest ended, yet his eyes kept drifting toward the hourglass.
That much impatience crystallized his anxiety.
‘One at a time, slowly now.’
Compared to his earlier panic when there were no zombies at the Garage, the situation had improved.
Of course…….
That was only once he’d killed all the ones here.
As he continued attacking the swarming zombies using the fence as a bulwark.
Boom—!
“!!”
A sudden loud crash from somewhere made Lee Gang-hyeok flinch, his body drawing inward instinctively.
He’d worried that another mutated zombie might be hiding elsewhere and was reacting on reflex.
But once he realized it was the sound of Alliance Awakeners he’d been hearing constantly lately, irritation flashed across his face.
“Those damned bastards aren’t helping a damn bit.”
Startled by his own reaction, he’d tensed up—then blamed the Alliance out of annoyance. He continued swinging the axe, grumbling.
Even as he fought, whenever his Mana recovered, he crafted Bone Armor from the zombies he’d just killed.
Kill.
Craft.
Kill again.
Craft again.
How many times did he repeat this cycle?
Just as the hourglass was nearly empty, he succeeded in slaughtering every zombie that had swarmed him.
But…….
[Quest Status]
Zombies Hunted: 98/100
Bone Armor Crafted: 20/20
Because he’d crafted Bone Armor at every opportunity while fighting, he’d achieved the crafting objective, but he’d only bagged 98 of the needed 100 zombies.
And all the creatures from the area had seemingly swarmed him, because again—not a single ant in sight.
No time left, and no zombies to be found.
The frustration lasted only a moment.
“This won’t work.”
Lee Gang-hyeok sighed and released control of the two broken-in zombies.
The creatures that had been protecting him moments before bared their fangs and lunged—only to be killed by the others surrounding him.
And simultaneously…….
A notification appeared before his eyes.
[You have completed the Job-Exclusive Quest.]
[Please select one of the offered rewards.]
1. Job-Exclusive Skill
2. Job-Exclusive Stat + 4
3. All Physical Stat + 4
Joy flashed through him at the completion notice, but at the reward selection screen, his hand unconsciously moved to stroke his chin—a habit.
‘The Stats are surprisingly generous.’
Honestly, if the offered Stats had been underwhelming, he’d have chosen the exclusive Skill without hesitation, but the unexpectedly high numbers had deepened his deliberation.
‘Long-term, Stats are better, but right now, gaining a new Skill isn’t bad either…….’
Skill or Stat—that was the question.
After a moment of consideration, he nodded as if he’d made his choice.
Survival Principle Number Twelve: at the moment of choosing between two paths, select what ensures survival in the present.
“Immediate survival matters more than the future. I choose option 1. Job-Exclusive Skill.”
Had this been a game, he might have chosen physical Stats instead.
In a game, competition with others matters, so at equal levels, high Stats beat multiple Skills.
But this isn’t a game. So preparing for competition with others matters far less than figuring out how to survive right now.
That’s why Lee Gang-hyeok chose Skill.
And simultaneously…….
Upon seeing the notification that appeared, his expression turned oddly inscrutable.

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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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