Surviving the Apocalypse as an All-Time Best Overpowered Necromancer - Chapter 69

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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 69
69. The Zombie Horde from the West (5)
“Bone Weapon Crafting!”
[Sufficient materials for crafting are available.]
[Here is the list of craftable items.]
– Bone Sword × 2
– Bone Dagger × 4
– Bone Axe × 2
– Bone Spear × 1
– Bone Club × 2
The notification before his eyes was identical to what he’d seen the first time he used the skill.
Was that why?
Lee Gang-hyuk found himself wondering if the cricket’s core wasn’t being used in weapon crafting, and a vague unease crept in.
‘Still, something should be different.’
With that thought, he deliberated briefly on which weapon to craft.
Then he decided to make a Bone Sword that Seo Hwa-rin and Seo A-rin—and himself—could all use.
[Crafting Bone Sword.]
[Your Dexterity will affect the crafting.]
[Your Dexterity is too low; some of the abilities embedded in the material will be damaged.]
[Abilities will be adjusted to match your Dexterity.]
[Will you use the Mutated Zombie’s Core as material?]
“Use it.”
Reassured by the next notification, Lee Gang-hyuk accepted it and continued the crafting.
Squelch.
Crack-crack.
The cricket’s corpse dissolved, revealing bare bone, and soon the bones needed for the sword began fusing together.
Just as he thought the sword would be finished soon.
[Some of the abilities embedded in the Mutated Zombie’s Core are incompatible with the Bone Sword.]
[Some of the Core’s abilities will be damaged.]
“What the…”
At the notification that some of the core’s abilities had been damaged, Lee Gang-hyuk’s expression crumpled.
It seemed that only abilities suitable for an item could be used from each core.
If that’s the case…
There was no need to craft a Bone Sword specifically.
He tried to stop the crafting, but the Bone Sword’s form had already taken shape, so he had no choice but to continue.
[Crafting successful!]
[You have crafted a Bone Sword.]
[Bone Sword]
– A sword made using the Core of a Mutated Zombie.
– Agility + 2
– On attack, there is a 10% chance that movement speed increases by 30% (cooldown: 20 seconds).
– The sound generated when wielding the sword is reduced, making surprise attacks more effective.
– Some abilities were damaged due to incompatibility between the Mutated Zombie’s Core and the weapon.
‘…This is actually decent.’
Because some of the core’s abilities had been damaged, he’d worried he’d ruined it completely.
But examining the finished sword’s performance, it was far more excellent than his worry suggested.
That made him all the more regretful.
If he’d crafted an item suited to the core instead of a Bone Sword, he would’ve made equipment with even better performance…
The regret remained, but it was still the finest weapon he’d crafted so far.
On the other hand, since it also raised Agility, if he created a True Assassin wielding this sword, his abilities would be even higher than now.
Moreover, if the True Assassin used the sword, he could approach enemies faster and more silently, then strike.
‘Nice.’
Satisfied enough, Lee Gang-hyuk rested while watching Seo Hwa-rin and Seo A-rin, then handed them the sword he’d just made.
“This is quite a fine weapon.”
“Really? Oh! It raises Agility and movement speed!”
“Seriously? Let me see, let me see too. Wow!”
The two women were busy marveling as they confirmed the Bone Sword’s performance.
Watching the two of them rejoice lifted Lee Gang-hyuk’s spirits, but suddenly the mention that the Zombie Horde that attacked Yangju City Hall came from the west came to mind, and he realized something, studying the map carefully.
‘West of Yangju City Hall…’
That would be Janghheung. And that was where Seo Hwa-rin and Seo A-rin’s Shelter was located.
Which meant?
‘The Zombie Horde that attacked the Shelter where the two of them were—did it move toward Yangju City Hall?’
It wasn’t an impossibility.
If the brawler who’d been leading the Zombie Horde released zombies there, then came to Seoul and formed a new Zombie Horde…
Perhaps the existing Zombie Horde, not subjugated, continued wandering that area before moving all the way to Yangju City Hall?
‘If that’s the case, it’d be the worst scenario…’
It wasn’t certain yet, but if the Zombie Horde that attacked Yangju City Hall was the same one that attacked the Shelter where the two had been…
If that were truly the case…
It might be teeming with Mutated Zombies.
“…”
At the thought that suddenly occurred to him, Lee Gang-hyuk’s expression hardened, and the two women examining the Bone Sword approached his side.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“…Where exactly was the Shelter you two were in?”
“Yes? Ah…”
As Lee Gang-hyuk showed the map and asked about the Shelter’s location, Seo Hwa-rin’s expression also quickly hardened.
She’d grasped why he was asking.
“…So the Zombie Horde that attacked Yangju City Hall was indeed the one that attacked our Shelter.”
“!!”
Shocked by the words that followed, Seo A-rin trembled, unable to speak.
Her eyes filled with fear and anger.
It seemed worse because of Seo Do-gyeong, whom she’d seen days ago.
Lee Gang-hyuk then made eye contact with Seo Hwa-rin with a bitter expression and continued.
“I’m not certain, but the possibility is very high.”
“…”
Seo Hwa-rin couldn’t answer.
Like Seo A-rin, the faces of her dead colleagues came to mind.
“Sigh.”
After confirming the two women’s state, Lee Gang-hyuk exhaled a quiet sigh as if regretting something.
He should’ve kept quiet about it.
The ones who attacked Yangju City Hall weren’t even coming this way, so hadn’t he spoken too hastily?
He hadn’t failed to anticipate their reaction either…
He felt sorry for having said only what he wanted to say.
Was that why?
Lee Gang-hyuk quietly observed the two standing in silence, then decided it would be better to return to the Safe House and give them time to collect their thoughts, so he spoke.
“…Let’s head back for now.”
* * *
“Then get some rest. You both worked hard today.”
After returning to the Safe House, Lee Gang-hyuk, having carefully escorted them to the front of their residence, spoke gently, and Seo A-rin managed a smile and bowed her head.
“You worked hard too! I should get some sleep. Gang-hyuk, you get plenty of rest today too!”
Saying that, Seo A-rin immediately went inside.
Then Seo Hwa-rin hesitated as if she had something to say before expressing her gratitude.
“Thank you. For not hiding it and telling us.”
“…I still wish I’d hidden it a bit.”
When Lee Gang-hyuk spoke with regret, Seo Hwa-rin shook her head with a firm expression.
“No. If you had, I would’ve felt hurt. Of course, I’m not one to say that since there’s something I haven’t told you either…”
Then, remembering that she’d contacted Seo Do-gyeong early on without mentioning it, her trailing words faded as she bowed her head, then forced a smile and continued.
“Get proper rest today. Don’t go to Banghak Station alone—let’s go together tomorrow.”
Lee Gang-hyuk, who’d been planning to sneak there alone anyway, quickly denied it, feeling embarrassed.
“I had no such intention, but now that you mention it, I should get proper sleep tonight too. Ha ha…”
Though his awkward laughter was unconvincing, Seo Hwa-rin chose to believe he wasn’t the type to lie and smiled.
“Understood. Then rest. Today was…truly appreciated.”
With that, Seo Hwa-rin also went inside, and Lee Gang-hyuk, left alone, was about to head to his own residence when he shook his head and climbed to the 30th floor instead.
“Coming home early for once, are we?”
The Man had apparently recognized him by footsteps alone and spoke mockingly.
So Lee Gang-hyuk responded in kind.
“Yeah. Someone kept whining for me to come back early.”
Not particularly bothered by the sarcasm, the Man watched Lee Gang-hyuk’s expression through the gap in the door and clapped.
“From the look on your face, you’ve unlocked a Category.”
“Right.”
When Lee Gang-hyuk answered straightforwardly, the Man asked as if confused.
“Then you’ve grown stronger. By the way…you created a Skeleton not long ago, but it seems it unlocked faster than expected. Did you already have it before?”
“Well…you seem to know everything anyway, so I won’t deny it.”
“Ho? Your voice has gotten noticeably softer. So you want another tip?”
“…”
When Lee Gang-hyuk closed his mouth, the Man’s expression fell.
“There isn’t. Beyond that…”
“…I see.”
At the words that followed, Lee Gang-hyuk smiled bitterly and asked the Man.
“If you released them in other regions like you mentioned before, what would you do?”
“Huh?”
At the sudden question, the Man’s face, which had been wearing a bitter expression, contorted.
“Why’re you asking that?”
“Just wondering?”
Though he said it was just wondering, Lee Gang-hyuk was thinking whether he’d been too harsh about the incident caused by misunderstanding.
The Man, hearing Lee Gang-hyuk’s words, answered immediately without hesitation.
“Then I’d find my way back here somehow.”
“…I see.”
Rather than leave to find his own path, he’d come back to find this place again.
For a moment, Lee Gang-hyuk’s resolve wavered, but he decided there was no need to create a risk factor and steeled his heart.
The Man then chuckled and continued.
“Don’t misunderstand. It’s not to kill you—it’s to protect that child, Seo A-rin.”
“Huh?”
Not revenge, but to protect Seo A-rin?
Could this actually be Stockholm Syndrome, which he’d only heard of?
“Why?”
At Lee Gang-hyuk’s bewildered expression, the Man shrugged.
“That child…gave me a reason to live when I’d lost all purpose in life. And she genuinely comforted me. So I vowed to protect that child myself. That’s all.”
“…”
He’d cast the Man in the role of good cop, but the situation had flowed in an entirely unexpected direction.
Perhaps Seo A-rin’s empathy was simply exceptional.
But he couldn’t simply release the Man based on his words alone.
With many thoughts weighing on him, Lee Gang-hyuk thought of Seo A-rin, who would be struggling with memories of her dead colleagues, and spoke to the Man.
“Then…this time you should comfort her instead.”
“What?”
In that instant, the Man’s expression hardened automatically.
“Why! Did something happen while you were out!”
Then he began expressing anger in a way unlike his usual self.
A fierce display Lee Gang-hyuk had never seen before.
Seeing this, Lee Gang-hyuk realized that what the Man had said was sincere, so he told him what had happened earlier.
“So that’s it…”
After hearing the reason, the Man collected his emotions, exhaled a sigh, and asked.
“What about the Zombie Horde’s movements?”
“I haven’t checked.”
“Good job. Not being sarcastic—I mean it sincerely. Checking might’ve gotten dangerous. Of course, not for you, but for that child.”
At the way the Man was mentioning Seo A-rin to avoid another misunderstanding, Lee Gang-hyuk shook his head as if exasperated.
“I understand without you saying it.”
“Oh? Smarter than I thought.”
“Huh?”
Seeing him mock again, it seemed his worry about Seo A-rin had eased.
He’d handle what came next himself.
With that thought, as Lee Gang-hyuk stood to leave, the Man grabbed him.
“Release me. I’ll go check it myself, and if it looks like they’re coming this way, I’ll try to lure them in another direction.”
Release him?
On what grounds?
He couldn’t simply release the Man based only on his word that he’d vowed to protect Seo A-rin.
“I can’t do that.”
When Lee Gang-hyuk flatly refused, the Man pressed again.
“If what you’re saying is true, there must be many Mutated Zombies among those at Yangju City Hall! And people who escaped from there might have followed too! If we don’t take action before it’s too late, the situation will become extremely serious!”
“…”
Lee Gang-hyuk fell silent, seeming conflicted.
Honestly, the Man wasn’t wrong.
The existence of Mutated Zombies.
Hadn’t he suspected as much himself?
Moreover, with only the Stealth Ability the Man possessed, luring the Zombie Horde to another region wouldn’t be difficult.
But what if, contrary to his promise, the Man brought the zombies from Yangju City Hall this way?
There was no guarantee he wouldn’t.
Was the Man even someone he could trust in the first place?
Lee Gang-hyuk, who until moments ago had been thinking about releasing the Man, now found himself doubting him again, sighed, and spoke.
“I can’t release you right now.”
This time too, Lee Gang-hyuk refused firmly, then thought of Seo Hwa-rin and Seo A-rin and continued.
“This isn’t a decision I can make alone. I’ll consult with others tomorrow and let you know. Wait until then.”
“I hope it’s not too late.”

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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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