Surviving the Apocalypse as an All-Time Best Overpowered Necromancer - Chapter 52

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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 52
52. A Silent Prayer for the Zombie (2)
‘Protection…’
Lee Gang-hyuk’s eyes trembled involuntarily as he confirmed the information on the completed Dual Rings.
One large ring and one small ring.
Twin rings that seemed one yet two—they held a mother’s heart, a fierce determination to protect her child even in death.
Was that why?
Lee Gang-hyuk glanced back at the alert he’d skimmed past, then looked toward the corpses of the mother zombie and child zombie that hadn’t been used in the crafting.
“Lee Gang-hyuk…”
“…Are you all right?”
The moment he’d finished the ornament and turned to gaze at the mother and child zombies, the two women sensed the reason and spoke to him with comfort in their voices. Lee Gang-hyuk extended a hand with a bitter expression.
“The rings I just made. Please, take a look.”
Receiving the Dual Rings, the two women checked the information as he said, then gasped in surprise.
“Ah…”
“Oh, this is…”
Left speechless, the two turned back to look at the mother zombie and let out a heavy sigh.
Swish.
Swish.
Lee Gang-hyuk carefully pressed the mother zombie and child zombie—separated during the process of crafting the Bone Dual Rings—back together, murmuring softly.
“The heart that sought to protect the child…it reached us as well.”
The moment the two women understood his meaning, they began stacking firewood they had gathered earlier in silence.
A short while later.
The three of them placed the mother zombie and child zombie on a hastily made altar and set it alight.
Whoosh.
Crackle.
“…”
As the flames caught the altar, all three fell silent and offered prayers for the eternal rest of the dead.
It was their first time.
In a world brought to ruin, with zombies swarming everywhere, holding a funeral for strangers.
Even more—giving last rites to those who had become zombies.
The three stood in an awkward yet peculiar silence, unable to speak, only breathing out soft sighs.
It was then.
Lee Gang-hyuk, who had been bowing in silence, turned to look at Seo Hwa-rin and Seo A-rin, then opened his mouth with a bitter expression.
“There may be situations like this in the future—ones we haven’t anticipated.”
He knew that if they encountered other zombies in circumstances similar to those they’d witnessed today, the memory of this night might breed hesitation. So he decided he had to speak plainly, and continued.
“But we cannot do this every time. So today only—just today—we offer our prayers for their eternal rest. We’ll conclude by offering prayers in advance for those we met today, for those we’ve encountered until now, and for those we will meet in the future.”
His tone was resolute.
Words that might sound cold to some.
Yet the two understood it was true—that forming emotional attachments to them was a danger neither could afford if they were to survive.
So they nodded quietly, understanding the gravity of his words.
* * *
The next day.
The moment dawn broke, the three of them opened their eyes and immediately set to work sealing every entrance to the warehouse and surrounding buildings before returning to their main hideout.
Fortunately, the other entrances had manual shutters they could lower, so they rolled them down and stacked desks and tables inside to finish those off. Their plan was to reinforce the warehouse entrance and make it look inhabited, but…
An unexpected situation unfolded.
The Vanguard Strike Force from the Myeonmok-dong Shelter approached them as they worked.
“We meet again.”
“…What brings you here?”
As Jeong A-ram, with whom they had a passing acquaintance, approached, Lee Gang-hyuk’s expression twisted at once.
This was troublesome.
To encounter them before the bait hideout was even complete.
“Who…?”
“They’re members of the Jungnang-gu Alliance.”
Lee Gang-hyuk answered Jeong A-ram with a sharp tone, then turned to the two bewildered women and replied more gently, as if to reassure them.
“I see.”
Rumble.
The moment she heard this, Seo Hwa-rin nodded and lowered the warehouse shutter that they had raised for work.
It was naked wariness.
Her sharp bearing, nearly hostile, mirrored Lee Gang-hyuk’s own.
“…”
Jeong A-ram stared at Seo Hwa-rin for a moment, then smiled reassuringly.
“I understand your caution, but let me clarify—we were searching to count the number of zombies in the Dobong Station area before raiding the lair there, all for your safety.”
Jeong A-ram pointed to the apartment complex located nearby.
Indeed, the place she indicated was the lair.
But the lair was mere pretext; their true purpose was clearly to discover where his hideout was located.
Lee Gang-hyuk frowned, annoyed and irritated by their visit.
“If you only needed to check the lair, you could simply go and return. Why come here?”
“Last night, we received a report of light leaking from this place. It occurred to us it might be someone sent by the Chungmuro Alliance, so we came to investigate.”
“Captain.”
“Hmm?”
Just as Jeong A-ram finished speaking, the man beside her seemed to realize something and whispered urgently in her ear.
What was he saying? Had the bait hideout been discovered? Or had they found the hideout and were planning to deal with it?
The question lasted only a moment.
“Smell?”
Jeong A-ram’s eyes widened in surprise as she repeated the unexpected word back.
‘Smell?’
Lee Gang-hyuk immediately grasped the meaning of her raised voice and deduced the reason for the man’s whisper.
As Jeong A-ram’s gaze turned toward the warehouse, Lee Gang-hyuk instantly understood and spoke with a low growl.
“I appreciate your efforts for my safety, but I’m not in the mood to face you with a smile today. We held a funeral last night.”
Hearing this, Jeong A-ram realized the source of the cremation smell, and with an awkward expression, she bowed politely in apology.
“I had no idea… I’m truly sorry. Though unintended, I’ve troubled you during a difficult time. We’ll take our leave now. May the deceased find eternal rest.”
So the light they’d seen in the night had been the funeral of someone close.
Now understanding Lee Gang-hyuk’s sensitivity and sharp attitude, Jeong A-ram apologized, offered prayers for the dead, and turned to leave immediately.
Their purpose had been to find Lee Gang-hyuk’s hideout.
There would be no problem if they simply left now.
In fact, it was better than making Lee Gang-hyuk uncomfortable and worsening the situation.
Just as they turned without hesitation—
“Ah! One more thing, please.”
“Yes?”
Lee Gang-hyuk called out to stop Jeong A-ram, who responded with a questioning look.
As Jeong A-ram tilted her head curiously, Lee Gang-hyuk pointed toward the apartment complex.
“As you can see, there’s a lair right next door, so I’d prefer if you didn’t come looking in this manner. I don’t want to draw unwanted attention.”
“But the lair is…”
Dangerous.
He’d chosen a hideout so close to a dangerous lair, yet worried about attracting attention? Wouldn’t it be safer to move somewhere else? Just as Jeong A-ram’s thoughts turned in that direction, Lee Gang-hyuk continued.
“It may sound paradoxical, but precisely because there’s a lair nearby, we’ve been safe from marauders. I have no desire to abandon our territory due to external concerns.”
Safe because of a lair, due to the threat of marauders?
Unable to quite understand, Jeong A-ram’s words caught in her throat, but then the phrase “fighting poison with poison” came to mind, and she nodded.
Seeing that Jeong A-ram seemed to understand, Lee Gang-hyuk pressed his point forward like a display of goodwill, hoping to discourage any future visits.
“If you wish to meet with me, please send a note in advance. If you do that, I will meet with you anytime.”
“Understood. I’ll report it that way.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Send a note and he’d meet them anytime.
Satisfied not only by discovering the hideout but also by Lee Gang-hyuk’s cooperative attitude, Jeong A-ram expressed her gratitude and retraced her steps.
As the Vanguard Strike Force disappeared into the distance, Seo Hwa-rin let out a relieved sigh and shook her head.
“Phew. Now I understand why you said what you did. To think they’d come this far in just two days… Still, in a way, it’s fortunate we were here when they arrived. They’ll believe this is your hideout now.”
The moment he had that thought—that he hoped they would believe this was indeed the hideout—Park Mu-jin’s face suddenly flashed through his mind.
‘He’s the one who needs to believe.’
Whether or not Jeong A-ram believed wasn’t particularly important.
What mattered was the man she called captain—Park Mu-jin.
Would he truly believe this was Lee Gang-hyuk’s hideout after hearing Jeong A-ram’s report?
‘Hardly likely.’
They’d only met once, but from their first encounter, Park Mu-jin seemed like the type who wouldn’t be satisfied until he’d confirmed things himself.
So he’d come to check the moment he heard the report. But since Lee Gang-hyuk had already spoken his warning, Park Mu-jin would observe from a distance without revealing himself.
Then?
“He’ll likely come to verify whether this is truly the hideout, so I’ll place some sentinel zombies in the vicinity and set them up.”
“Sentinel zombies?”
“Yes. I’ll bind them with rope and position them in various spots.”
“All right. We’ll continue with the work, so please be careful.”
When the two heard the term “sentinel zombies,” they looked puzzled, but the moment Lee Gang-hyuk explained they’d be bound with rope, they nodded in understanding and resumed their work.
* * *
Two hours later, having completed the bait hideout, the three returned to their main hideout.
“Please rest! I need to check on the garden.”
The moment they reached the 23rd floor, Seo A-rin rushed off, saying she had to check on the garden.
It was possible something had happened overnight.
But Lee Gang-hyuk, understanding she was simply worried as someone responsible for the garden, shrugged and pointed upward.
“Then I’ll go check on that man. Hwa-rin, could you organize things here?”
“Of course. Take your time.”
The moment Lee Gang-hyuk approached to check whether the man they’d confined on the 30th floor had attempted to escape, the man, sensing his presence, shouted.
“Where the hell did you lot go? Why are you just getting back now!!”
“You don’t need to know that. At least you stayed quiet.”
Lee Gang-hyuk replied with a tone of surprise at the man’s outburst, and the man snorted.
“Ha? The way you talk, you practically begged me to escape.”
“What if you had?”
“Then you’d have done something foolish.”
He answered the question and then chuckled.
Had he gone mad from being locked up so long?
The thought passed quickly.
The man, who’d been laughing mockingly, asked in return:
“So how long are you planning to keep me locked up?”
“…”
When Lee Gang-hyuk didn’t answer, the man continued in exasperation.
“If you don’t want to become chaotic, and you don’t want the hideout’s location exposed, just blindfold me like you did when I got here and dump me in a different area, right?”
The moment the man spoke, Lee Gang-hyuk replied as if he’d already considered this.
“Because you could always come back. And I can’t exactly break your legs for no reason.”
“…You’re one cautious madman.”
“I won’t deny it.”
When it became clear there was no sign of release, the man shook his head in resignation.
“Do whatever. Winter’s coming soon anyway, and I’ve got no intention of escaping. If anything, give me plenty of water for cleanup. Christmas is coming up, so shouldn’t we do good deeds so Santa Claus brings us presents?”
“Then you’d better behave and not cry, so Santa brings you a present by releasing you from there… Don’t tell me you’ve already cried? That would be a shame.”
Lee Gang-hyuk shot back at the man’s mockery, and the man, amused, laughed with satisfaction.
“Good news then. I haven’t cried yet.”
“Then you’ll be freed soon.”
“If Santa exists, that is. Anyway, are you planning to keep standing there? If you’re done checking, maybe go?”
“What?”
At the man’s words, Lee Gang-hyuk furrowed his brow in disbelief, and just then, Seo A-rin came down after checking the garden.
“Is something wrong?”
“You’re here? No, nothing’s wrong.”
Seo A-rin asked, and Lee Gang-hyuk shook his head.
The moment the man heard Seo A-rin’s voice, his tone softened considerably.
“This punk still believes in Santa Claus, apparently.”
“Would I believe such nonsense? I can’t even laugh at how ridiculous it is.”
Lee Gang-hyuk expressed his disbelief at the gentle mockery, and Seo A-rin, who occasionally received teasing herself, scratched her cheek and nodded.
“Hehehehe.”
The man’s laughter continued, apparently finding the whole situation amusing.
“…”
If he engaged further, only he would tire himself out.
So Lee Gang-hyuk shook his head and pointed upward.
“How’s the garden?”
“It looks good. As long as we get through winter, we should be fine.”
“That’s a relief. Well then, let’s head down. It seems this man too will be fine as long as we get through winter.”
The moment he said this, the man grumbled, but Lee Gang-hyuk ignored him and descended to the 23rd floor where Seo Hwa-rin was.

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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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