Surviving the Apocalypse as an All-Time Best Overpowered Necromancer - Chapter 77

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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 77
77. The Onset of Severe Cold (1)
From the moment November began, the snow that started falling never stopped through mid-month, and in that time the entire world became blanketed in white.
As time went on, the amount of falling snow only increased, the north wind grew fiercer, and people’s survival was threatened.
Because of this, Lee Gang-hyuk’s planned visit to Kyunghee University, which had been discussed at Bulamsan, was postponed to spring.
Even using the railway for movement, penetrating the severe cold weather to reach Kyunghee University was essentially impossible.
Thanks to this, Lee Gang-hyuk was relieved of some burden.
On the other hand, it was frustrating that he would no longer be able to obtain the iron weapons manufactured by the Jungnang-gu Alliance.
But it was a problem that would be solved once spring arrived.
The three people, who decided to focus only on survival in the meantime, headed to the sauna to warm their frozen bodies during their work.
“This is a problem. The snow needs to stop soon.”
“We’ll have to pray it stops. Speaking of which, how’s the field doing, A-rin?”
“Thanks to my sister continually melting the snow, both the field and the vinyl greenhouse are safe, but I’m worried whether the barley can actually survive.”
No matter how cold-resistant winter barley is, if this much snow falls, rot becomes a concern.
Still, they had to save the barley.
Thanks to bringing the food stores from the Man’s safe house, they had no food worries for now, but in the long term, a barley harvest was absolutely necessary.
“For now we just have to manage it as best we can. Starting tomorrow, I’ll help too.”
“Really? Have you finished manufacturing already?”
At the surprised question, Lee Gang-hyuk scratched his cheek awkwardly.
“Not quite. I’m out of materials.”
“Ah…….”
He had been manufacturing items to equip zombies and skeletons for some time, but the bones he’d accumulated had now run out.
While he could get more quickly by hunting, since he didn’t know when those hiding in the snow might suddenly jump out, he decided to stay inside for a while.
That’s why he’d promised to help Seo A-rin for now.
Seo A-rin, who had been briefly pleased by the news, soon wore a bitter expression.
“Um, by any chance……. The Man still hasn’t made contact, right?”
“No, nothing.”
Five days ago, contact from the Man, who had said he would lure a horde of zombies, cut off completely.
Based on the content of the last note he received, it seemed the Man had led the zombie horde into Chuncheon, but when contact suddenly ceased, it was unsettling.
Maybe the story about going to Chuncheon was a lie, and he was actually gathering zombies to attack them.
Or perhaps he’d slipped in the sudden snow and been killed by the zombies.
He couldn’t tell what had happened, and since his first concern might become reality,
Lee Gang-hyuk seriously considered relocating the safe house and let out a small sigh.
“He should contact us soon. Anyway, we’ll just have to do what we can.”
“……Yes.”
“It’s okay. There’s definitely nothing wrong.”
At Lee Gang-hyuk’s words, Seo A-rin exhaled worriedly, and Seo Hwa-rin comforted her with a reassuring pat on the back.
“…….”
Just as Seo Hwa-rin said, hopefully nothing was wrong.
The three fell silent for a moment.
Soon after, Seo Hwa-rin, whose eyes met Lee Gang-hyuk’s, shook her head with a bitter smile.
It meant to trust and wait a little longer.
Since so much snow was falling, relocating the safe house immediately was impossible anyway, so Lee Gang-hyuk nodded subtly.
* * *
After that day.
The three spent most of their time melting the accumulated snow on the rooftop.
If they left the snow unmelted, the building might collapse.
And so…….
While melting the accumulated snow on the rooftop for several days.
The feared event finally happened.
A building nearby couldn’t bear the heavy weight of snow and collapsed.
“……It really does collapse that easily, doesn’t it.”
At Lee Gang-hyuk’s words, startled by the sudden sound, Seo Hwa-rin exhaled.
“It was probably a storage building, not residential. Still, if the snow keeps piling up, residential buildings won’t be safe either.”
At her explanation, Lee Gang-hyuk and Seo A-rin stared silently at the collapsed building, realized their safe house could suffer the same fate, and hurriedly cleared away the snow.
“I wish winter would end soon.”
“Me too…….”
When winter came, he’d thought the weather just got cold.
He hadn’t expected it to be this severe.
After clearing the snow from the rooftop and the adjacent building, the three people headed to the sauna, watching the unending snow.
Just then…….
A note arrived from the Man, from whom contact had been cut off.
[My apologies. I sustained injuries and couldn’t contact you for a while. The mission was completed. Fortunately, people nearby rescued me, so I’m alive, but I’m not in a state to return yet, so I’ll need to stay here for a while.]
‘Injuries?’
At the unexpectedly arriving note, Lee Gang-hyuk’s brow furrowed.

[I’m fine. Fortunately, it wasn’t from those creatures. Anyway, once my body recovers, I’ll move out, so please look after that girl and the Pendant until then. I told the girl the roads are cut off because of the snow, so you can let her know that.]
“Hmm.”
After reading the Man’s note, Lee Gang-hyuk unconsciously let out a groan.
The mission was completed and he wasn’t infected—that’s fortunate.
But with this much snow, how could he properly return?
‘What…….’
The moment he recognized the pointless worry, Lee Gang-hyuk’s brow furrowed again.
At the same time…….
Seo A-rin, apparently having received a note from the Man, immediately reported it to them.
“I just got a note from the Man. He apologizes for not replying, saying the snow makes it hard to find a way back.”
Seo A-rin explained that the Man couldn’t return because so much snow was falling, and Lee Gang-hyuk smiled and nodded.
“At least he’s safe.”
“Right!”
As Seo A-rin smiled, Seo Hwa-rin approached quietly and asked,
“But that’s not all, is it? What else did he say?”
She seemed to sense something odd about his silent smile.
‘This woman……. She’s worse than a ghost, I swear.’
Seeing Seo Hwa-rin reading his mind so plainly, Lee Gang-hyuk answered honestly.
Of course…….
Without letting Seo A-rin hear.
“He sustained injuries. Fortunately, he wasn’t infected, and people nearby rescued him, so he’s recovering.”
“My goodness……. Still, thank heavens.”
Perhaps thinking it was less serious than expected, Seo Hwa-rin exhaled in relief and approached where Seo A-rin had gone ahead.
It was to change into comfortable clothes before entering the sauna.
Lee Gang-hyuk also returned to his place, changed into comfortable clothes, and was heading to the sauna when a notification that a note had arrived appeared before his eyes. It was from Park Mu-jin.
[We’ve discovered a new type of Mutant Zombie on our end and are sharing this for information purposes. The Mutant Zombie discovered this time has been designated as a “Yeti,” and its abilities are……. (omitted)……. Please be cautious.]
‘Yeti?’
The moment Lee Gang-hyuk read Park Mu-jin’s note, his expression turned rigid.
Yeti.
A legendary monster said to inhabit the Himalayas.
True to its name, this new creature is a special ability type that attacks using snow and ice.
However, its physical abilities are weaker than Mutant Zombies and slightly stronger than normal zombies.
He’d thought this much was manageable.
But the moment he read that its skin is as white as snow, making it adept at ambushes, Lee Gang-hyuk’s brow furrowed.
A new zombie appearing in this severe cold weather…….
‘This is serious.’
Ever since the warning notification appeared to all Awakeners, the world had grown more hostile.
As if…….
Now it was time to die, naturally and quietly.
‘That won’t happen.’
No matter how the world crumbles, he would survive by sheer persistence.
Like a cockroach. To the very end.
If everyone died and humanity faced extinction…….
Lee Gang-hyuk stared out the window for a moment, believing he would be that last person, then smiled at the cloudy sky and gave it the middle finger.
‘F*** this.’
* * *
As November drew to a close, the relentless snow eased, entering a lull.
But the north wind remained fierce, and the number of newly discovered Yetis continued to increase. Many people who went outside seeking food were consumed by them.
Perhaps because of this?
Posts on the community also decreased accordingly.
Whether people died unable to withstand the severe cold.
Or starved to death from depleted food supplies.
The cause was unknown, but the survivors who lived on busily moved about, searching for Shelters that would accept them.
“Today it’s just posts about looking for Shelters again.”
“That must mean everyone’s struggling just as much.”
As Lee Gang-hyuk, warming himself while accessing the community, sighed, Seo Hwa-rin expressed sympathy with a bitter look.
Simultaneously, Seo A-rin, who was also checking the community, asked with a puzzled expression,
“But surprisingly, there are quite a lot of people who lived without a Shelter?”
“Probably people as cautious as I am. While it’s more comfortable when people gather, you never know what might happen.”
“I suppose…….”
As she nodded at his words, Lee Gang-hyuk clapped his hands and spoke.
“Then let’s get moving. Clear away the remaining snow before sunset, and let’s finally get some good sleep.”
While the snow had been falling relentlessly, the three had to take shifts clearing the accumulated snow on the rooftop like a constant vigil.
Because of this, they couldn’t sleep properly, so their physical recovery and core strength grew slower, and their fatigue never lifted.
But once the snow stopped, there seemed to be no need for constant vigilance, so the three, finally able to sleep deeply, headed to the rooftop.
And so…….
While clearing the remaining snow for sweet sleep.
A scream came from below the building.
“Kyaaaagh!”
“Dodge! Fire Ball!”
Boom—!
“!!”
At the ensuing voice, realizing it was a survivor’s scream, not crickets, they hurried to the railing and surveyed the situation below.
Five survivors were visible.
But in the three’s view, the creatures threatening them couldn’t be seen.
“Fire Arrow!”
“Stone Hammer!”
Whoosh.
Boom—!
Yet they used skills against empty air as if something were there.
They wouldn’t all be insane.
The moment they realized something invisible was there, they understood it was a Yeti.
‘The skin’s white, they said…….’
It was indistinguishable from this distance.
‘Should we help? But there are five of them. What should we do.’
Lee Gang-hyuk’s brow furrowed in alarm, and then the survivors’ formation collapsed rapidly.
It was because the Yetis, approaching from behind without their knowledge, had ambushed them.
“……It’s too late to save them.”
A moment of hesitation led to total annihilation.
Actually, even if he’d gone down immediately upon spotting them, the situation likely wouldn’t have changed much. Staying put was the wise choice.
If they’d rushed out without knowing everyone was dead, they’d have suffered the same fate as the Yetis’ victims.
It was unfortunate, but unavoidable.
Lee Gang-hyuk, as well as Seo Hwa-rin and Seo A-rin, couldn’t speak and only exhaled sighs.
In that moment…….
Those killed by the Yetis rose to their feet.
Then they vanished in an instant. As if they’d never been there.
Had there not been blood spattered around, he would have thought he’d seen an illusion.
Most likely, the dead transformed into Yetis, and their white skin made them appear as if they’d disappeared.
“……So they’re infected that way.”
Lee Gang-hyuk murmured, having grasped the reason upon seeing the situation, and Seo Hwa-rin also seemed to understand now.
“That’s why there are so many Yetis now?”
“Do they transform the same way if they’re attacked by zombies?”
Seo A-rin asked next.
They became Yetis the instant they were attacked by Yetis.
That meant if attacked by other zombies, they could similarly transform into zombies. Was this the Infection mentioned in the alert?
“It’s possible…….”
Lee Gang-hyuk, saying so, fell silent for a moment.
The enormous zombie he’d witnessed not long ago came to mind.
What if he died to that creature?
Would he transform into an enormous zombie as well?
‘The very thought is horrifying.’
At the suddenly intrusive thought, a chill ran down Lee Gang-hyuk’s spine, and he slowly continued,
“……We can only hope it’s not.”
Hopefully, what they just witnessed was unique to Yetis…….
Lee Gang-hyuk deeply exhaled, praying that this time, at least, his fears would be wrong.

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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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