Surviving the Apocalypse as an All-Time Best Overpowered Necromancer - Chapter 97

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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 97
97. Yu Ha-neul, Yu Bit-na (3)
“It’s dangerous if you stay here.”
“We can fight too!”
“We can help!”
In response to Lee Gang-hyuk’s worried words, the two children spoke up with as much confidence as they could muster.
Their expressions were assured.
Just moments earlier, while eating together, these same children had been cowering in fear—but seeing their newfound boldness, Lee Gang-hyuk reluctantly nodded his head.
“Stay close to my side. Don’t stray.”
“Yes!”
A wind-attribute Awakener.
And a healing-type one.
Both were long-range fighters, so as long as they didn’t get too close to the Yetis, they’d be safe.
“Bone Shielder!”
Thwack!
With that in mind, Lee Gang-hyuk positioned the children behind him, surveyed the Yetis, and summoned one Bone Shielder.
He attached the other to Seo Hwa-rin and Seo A-rin to protect them.
He then dispersed the melee skeleton minions to scatter the Yetis in all directions.
Lee Gang-hyuk turned back to the children and asked:
“What are your names?”
“I’m Yu Ha-neul.”
“I’m Yu Bit-na.”
Once the children gave their names, Lee Gang-hyuk nodded and continued.
“I’m Lee Gang-hyuk. Listen carefully to what I say from now on. Bit-na, whenever you see Gang Pil-du, heal him with your light. Ha-neul, you attack the Yeti I point to, along with these creatures here. Got it?”
“Yes!”
“Oh, I understand! Healing Light!”
The moment Lee Gang-hyuk finished explaining the strategy—more like briefing them than giving orders—Gang Pil-du appeared, and Yu Bit-na immediately used her skill.
“You two… thank you!”
As the familiar energy wrapped around him, Gang Pil-du spun around in surprise, then let out a quiet laugh and vanished into concealment once more.
Was it gratitude for healing him?
Or for protecting the children?
Either way, watching Gang Pil-du dart across the battlefield while cloaked, Lee Gang-hyuk himself let out an amused snort in acknowledgment and extended his hand.
“Attack.”
Creak-crack.
Twang!
At the command, the Bone Archers nocked arrows and drew their bows.
Soon, two arrows embedded themselves in the Yeti’s shoulder, and Yu Ha-neul immediately triggered his skill.
“Wind Cutter!”
Shaaaack!
A translucent green aura streaked forward and cleanly severed the Yeti’s arm.
……
At the same moment, Yu Ha-neul bit his lip.
‘That wasn’t where I was aiming.’
Despite landing a valid attack, Yu Ha-neul seemed dissatisfied, so Lee Gang-hyuk, understanding the source of his frustration, turned and spoke.
“If you can, attack horizontally instead of vertically.”
“Huh?”
Confused by the sudden instruction, Yu Ha-neul asked for clarification, so Lee Gang-hyuk drew his finger horizontally and explained again.
“Sideways, not up and down. Aim for the body rather than the neck. The legs work too.”
“Oh!”
Once the explanation was clear, the boy nodded.
“Again.”
“Wind Cutter!”
Shaaaack!
Understanding now, Lee Gang-hyuk pointed to the same Yeti, and the green translucent aura crashed down upon it—this time the right flank split open with a wet crack, and internal organs spilled out.
“Ah…”
Even though the target still wasn’t precisely where he’d intended, Yu Ha-neul let out a frustrated sigh.
But Lee Gang-hyuk gave him a thumbs up.
“Well done.”
“But…”
“This isn’t a game where you need to hit the exact spot. What matters is incapacitating the enemy, no matter how many tries it takes.”
“A game… incapacitating…”
Repeating Lee Gang-hyuk’s words, Yu Ha-neul muttered as if he’d understood something.
That was enough.
As long as he’d grasped something, that was sufficient.
“Then let’s keep going. Attack!”
Satisfied that the boy understood his meaning immediately, Lee Gang-hyuk pointed to another Yeti.
Arrows from the Bone Archers flew first, followed by the green aura that severed the Yeti’s right leg.
As the leg-crippled Yeti collapsed, Yu Ha-neul cried out in delight.
“Yes!”
With the Yeti’s mobility drastically reduced by this attack, Yu Ha-neul now perfectly understood what Lee Gang-hyuk had meant.
Enemy incapacitation.
Until now, he’d been fixated on severing zombies’ necks in one blow to kill them instantly. He’d needed to—to protect his sister.
But there was no need to be so rigid. Incapacitating enemies was enough to escape, and depending on the situation, you could still choose to kill.
“Should we keep going?”
“Yes!”
At the question, Yu Ha-neul’s eyes sparkled and he nodded vigorously.
“Brother…”
Seeing her brother’s energetic demeanor for the first time in ages, Yu Bit-na’s heart eased, and she smiled faintly while searching for Gang Pil-du.
She wanted to be just as helpful as her brother.
When Gang Pil-du appeared nearby, she immediately used her skill without hesitation.
“I’m counting on you.”
“Yes!”
After using Concealment repeatedly, his Mana dropped below forty percent, so Gang Pil-du threw himself at a nearby Yeti without using a skill.
He needed to keep enough Mana to avoid dizziness and continue fighting.
‘If I were alone, I would have stopped and fled by now.’
When he fought alone, he never overextended himself.
He had to survive to avenge his lover, so whenever his Mana ran low, he’d either hide nearby to recover or give up and flee as fast as he could.
‘But these kids—young as they are—give me such peace of mind.’
With Yu Bit-na constantly healing him even when he had no wounds, Gang Pil-du felt secure. His face brightened with satisfaction as he swung his blade.
That’s when it happened.
“Ten left! Gather them in one spot!”
Seo Hwa-rin, who had been dealing with Yetis on the left flank, shouted loudly enough for everyone to hear.
Ten Yetis remained.
She seemed to think they could finish them in one blow.
Seo A-rin was the first to react.
She summoned a massive water serpent that coiled around nearby Yetis, herding them toward a single point.
In response, Gang Pil-du lured the Yetis directly toward the massive serpent.
That instant…
“Sir!”
Chomp!
“Ugh!”
The moment the remaining Yetis gathered in one place, the massive water serpent bit Gang Pil-du and retreated from the battlefield at tremendous speed.
“Fire Wall!”
Whoooosh!
Seo Hwa-rin’s clear voice rang out, and a wall of flames erupted.
“Burst Burn!”
Crack!
Whoosh.
“Kyeeeeeeek!!”
Without pausing, Seo Hwa-rin unleashed another skill, her bombardment beginning as the Yetis’ shrieks filled the Apartment Complex and Experience Points climbed steadily.
Then it happened.
……
Yu Ha-neul, who had only used Wind Cutter until now, suddenly closed his eyes in concentration, then thrust out his hand and shouted:
“Cyclone Field!”
Wheeeee…
As the skill activated, a tailwind swept across the field, and a massive cyclone formed, enveloping the wall of flames.
Simultaneously…
The fire wall rotated with the cyclone, soaring skyward as a massive tornado of flames materialized.
‘A firestorm?’
Shocked by a scene straight out of a novel where an archmage cast a spell, Lee Gang-hyuk stared at Yu Ha-neul.
“This… this actually works?”
Sensing the gaze, Yu Ha-neul panicked slightly, laughed awkwardly, and scratched his cheek.
“Have you ever combined skills with someone else before?”
“Huh? No… I just thought if there’s more oxygen, fire burns better, so I tried it… but I didn’t know it would be this strong.”
“Right. You did well. Very reassuring.”
“Yes!”
The fact that they achieved such extraordinary synergy without even knowing what a Combination Skill was…
‘If we train them properly, they’ll become incredibly strong.’
For some reason, ambition stirred in Lee Gang-hyuk as he watched the two children, stroking his chin.
For the children’s future, sending them to the American military base in Pyeongtaek would be best, but recruiting them as a team to survive together seemed appealing too.
‘Though that’s just my own selfish desire.’
Which would be better for the children?
Troubled by the thought, Lee Gang-hyuk sighed as he watched the firestorm’s intensity diminish, but when he spotted the blackened, charred Yetis, he shook his head with regret.
‘In that condition, I’m not sure if I can craft anything. Well… at least the bones are intact, so I can make something.’
Having settled that thought, Lee Gang-hyuk gazed at the group gathered around him and opened his mouth with a smile.
“You all did well. Let’s head back for now, and we’ll come search for the Hot Air Balloon later once the snow clears.”
“Understood.”
The snowfall was growing heavier, making it impossible to predict where Yetis might appear next.
Searching for the Hot Air Balloon in these conditions would be courting death.
Everyone agreed with Lee Gang-hyuk’s judgment, and Yu Ha-neul quickly bowed his head.
“…Thank you. We’re alive because of you.”
At those words, Seo Hwa-rin, Seo A-rin, and Gang Pil-du all turned their gaze to Lee Gang-hyuk.
As their leader, it was his place to respond.
Though Seo Hwa-rin and Seo A-rin made sense, Gang Pil-du too? Lee Gang-hyuk expressed his bewilderment, shrugging his shoulders.
Under their expectant stares, he turned to face the children and raised his thumb.
“You did great work. Your skills are impressive—thanks to you, we finished much faster.”
“What? Oh! Th-thank you. It’s all because you taught us!”
“Taught? I thought you called me ‘sir’ before?”
At Gang Pil-du’s aggrieved protest, Yu Ha-neul quickly answered.
“Then I’ll call you ‘uncle’ from now on.”
“…All right.”
Not the answer he’d wanted, but deeming “uncle” better than “sir,” Gang Pil-du reluctantly nodded. He then turned to Lee Gang-hyuk and offered the Cricket Core Sword.
“Anyway, thanks for letting me use it. It’s a fine blade.”
……
As Gang Pil-du straightforwardly offered the sword back, Lee Gang-hyuk’s mind grew clouded. He stared into Gang Pil-du’s eyes, seeming to reach a decision, then pushed the sword back and shrugged.
“Keep it. It suits you better than me.”
“You…”
Realizing this wasn’t just a gift—that Lee Gang-hyuk had accepted him as a comrade—Gang Pil-du’s eyes flickered with emotion.
“I see. Yes. I’ll do my best.”
“Enough talk. Let’s head back before it gets any later.”
“Right.”
Sensing Lee Gang-hyuk’s awkwardness, Gang Pil-du smiled.
That’s when Seo A-rin, unable to contain herself, shouted:
“Then let’s hurry back and warm up in the warm sauna!”
“A sauna?”
“A sauna?”
“…There’s something like that?”
“Of course!”
At the unexpected mention, Gang Pil-du and the children asked back, while Seo A-rin led the way with a triumphant expression.
* * *
“Wow…”
“…This is nice.”
Upon returning to the hideout, they changed into comfortable clothes and entered the sauna, where the children gasped in wonder, their eyes sparkling.
“Here I was locked up in a bathroom this whole time…”
“A bathroom?”
“Why a bathroom?”
Gang Pil-du’s grievance brought confused questions from the children, so he pointed at Lee Gang-hyuk.
“That wretch locked me in the bathroom.”
That moment…
Splash!
“You shouldn’t say such things in front of the children.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Struck on the back by Seo A-rin, Gang Pil-du apologized in alarm.
“…Is that the kind of person he is?”
“Are there mosquitoes in this sauna? I hear a buzzing sound somewhere.”
Lee Gang-hyuk expressed his bewilderment at the scene, and Gang Pil-du immediately fired back.
……
……
As the two men glared at each other and furrowed their brows.
Seo A-rin struck Gang Pil-du’s back again, while Seo Hwa-rin pinched Lee Gang-hyuk’s back, applying silent pressure.
“All right, we get it.”
“…I’ll control myself.”
At the restraint from the two women, Lee Gang-hyuk and Gang Pil-du withdrew their gazes and nodded, prompting the children to giggle.
As the atmosphere improved considerably, Lee Gang-hyuk and Gang Pil-du’s eyes met.
Smirk.
Both realized they’d been thinking the same thing.
That was enough.
Lee Gang-hyuk brushed away the lingering anxiety in his heart and began to enjoy the sauna.

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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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