Surviving the Apocalypse as an All-Time Best Overpowered Necromancer - Chapter 98

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 98
98. Yu Ha-neul, Yu Bit-na (4)
“That said, why were you trying to go to Pyeongtaek?”
Once the mood had brightened, Lee Gang-hyuk asked.
From Chuncheon to Pyeongtaek.
Even with a Hot Air Balloon, he was curious why the children had wanted to go there.
Yu Ha-neul answered right away.
“Oh? I heard it was safe there.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes! There’s a big wall at the American military base, so zombies can’t get in, and people on the community said it’s safe. Plus, I heard Awakeners don’t do any special screening and basically accept everyone, so we were planning to go there.”
Had his guard dropped after fighting alongside Seol-in?
Yu Ha-neul spilled things he wasn’t even asked about.
“True enough—there’s nowhere safer than a military base.”
As Lee Gang-hyuk nodded in agreement, Yu Ha-neul’s eyes sparkled with a bright expression.
“Will you come with us, hyung? And your sisters and uncle? Since you’re an Awakener, they probably won’t object too much there!”
At the sudden proposal, Lee Gang-hyuk glanced at Seo Hwa-rin and Seo A-rin’s expressions for a moment, then smiled and shook his head.
“Ah, I’m fine where I am. Things are good here.”
“…Is that so?”
In that instant, Yu Ha-neul’s expression darkened.
Not because his proposal had been rejected, but because he genuinely worried for them.
And with good reason.
While in Chuncheon, he’d seen many people who couldn’t get into a Shelter and died.
That’s when it clicked.
A Shelter meant safety. Outside meant danger.
So he’d proposed going to the American military base in Pyeongtaek, known as the safest of all Shelters.
He’d made the suggestion because he wanted these people—who had saved their lives—to be safe too.
But hearing them choose to stay in a dangerous place made him worry they’d be at risk, darkening his expression.
‘Well, back then he didn’t know that people could be scarier than anything.’
Seeing Yu Ha-neul’s expression, Lee Gang-hyuk understood why he’d made the suggestion and, laughing, ruffled the boy’s hair.
“Don’t worry. Didn’t you see earlier? These sisters here could handle hundreds of those creatures without batting an eye.”
He meant to reassure Yu Ha-neul, but Seo Hwa-rin and Seo A-rin, hearing this, voiced bewilderment and added their own comments.
“…Lee Gang-hyuk is even stronger than us.”
“Right. Last time, he alone took down a hundred zombies.”
“!!”
“A, a hundred zombies?”
As the two of them chattered away, Yu Ha-neul and Yu Bit-na’s eyes widened.
He’d killed a hundred zombies alone?
Was that even possible?
Seeing the shocked children’s wide eyes, Lee Gang-hyuk sighed and shook his head.
“My Level is the lowest here, isn’t it?”
“W-well, that’s true, but…”
As he emphasized his low Level, at a loss for words, Seo Hwa-rin scratched her cheek while Seo A-rin and Kang Pil-doo shrugged.
“It’s more about the Job, right? Lee Gang-hyuk’s Job is overpowered.”
“Yeah. In a world overrun by zombies, the ability to command them? That’s incredible.”
Lee Gang-hyuk didn’t respond to the two of them, just shook his head.
“Is that why you’re staying? Because you don’t need to be in a Shelter?”
“Well, something like that.”
“Wow…”
He’d felt it even fighting Seol-in, but he never thought it’d be to this degree.
As the astounded Yu Ha-neul stared at him, Lee Gang-hyuk suddenly felt awkward and hastily changed the subject.
“Anyway, make yourselves at home until we find the Hot Air Balloon. Oh—you’ll need a place to stay for a while. I’ll arrange something as we go.”
“Yes!”
* * *
After spending a pleasant time at the sauna, Lee Gang-hyuk emerged and, true to his word, arranged a place for the children to stay.
The location was the 23rd Floor.
Right next to where Seo Hwa-rin and Seo A-rin lived.
“You can stay here for now. If you need anything, I’ll bring it right over.”
Though there were no zombies and the place had been empty from the start, it had enough furnishings in its fixtures to suit the children well.
Perhaps because of that?
“Wow… Is this really okay?”
“Of course it is.”
Yu Ha-neul looked at the clean apartment with wonder and asked again, and Lee Gang-hyuk, pleased by their innocent reaction, nodded and smiled.
Shortly after, Seo A-rin, who’d brought items for Yu Bit-na to use, pointed to the side.
“Your older sisters are right next door, so if you need anything, come over anytime.”
“Okay!”
“And you’re hungry, right? Hwa-rin is preparing something next door, so clean up and come over.”
“Understood!”
With that, Lee Gang-hyuk and Seo A-rin left the children alone and stepped outside.
At the same time…
“Brother! Which room are you going to use?”
“I’ll…”
Hearing the excited voices inside, smiles bloomed on both their faces.
“It’s good they seem to like it.”
“Yeah, it is.”
Just then…
Kang Pil-doo, who’d been standing in the corridor, approached.
“…”
The children were one thing.
But he stood silently, apparently feeling it would be shameless to ask for a place to stay for himself, and Lee Gang-hyuk clicked his tongue.
“Tsk. Come on.”
“Alright.”
Lee Gang-hyuk then took the stairs down one floor and, like with the children, pointed to an empty apartment.
“That’s where you’ll stay from now on. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Much obliged.”
Kang Pil-doo, who’d been uncertain what to say, expressed his gratitude briefly.
“Don’t mention it. I’m just paying back a debt. And here—”
Whoosh!
Hearing him say this, Lee Gang-hyuk clicked his tongue again and pulled out a Pendant from his pocket, tossing it.
Thunk.
“Hm?”
As Kang Pil-doo caught the Pendant and raised an eyebrow, Lee Gang-hyuk shrugged.
“I don’t think I’ll be needing it anymore.”
“…”
Kang Pil-doo said nothing.
He only looked down at the Pendant.
There was no need to say more, and Lee Gang-hyuk had nothing particular to add, so he simply relayed what Seo A-rin had said.
“Anyway, we’re eating soon, so don’t be late coming up.”
“Got it.”
* * *
“All we have is instant ramen. What do we do?”
Though Seo Hwa-rin said she was preparing a meal, all she could manage was boiling instant ramen. With a wry smile, she handed over bowls of it, and the children’s eyes sparkled as they let out delighted cries.
“Honestly, ramen is what I wanted most!”
“Me too!”
Even as the children said ramen was their favorite, they didn’t eat first but waited.
Yet no one asked why.
Without needing to be told, they understood—if asked, they might awkwardly remember their parents and grow sad.
“Let’s eat.”
Instead, Lee Gang-hyuk said briefly and picked up his ramen, then glanced at Kang Pil-doo.
“…What?”
At the sudden attention, Kang Pil-doo frowned and questioned him back, and Lee Gang-hyuk mirrored the frown.
“You’re the eldest here. Don’t keep the kids waiting—eat up.”
“Huh? What’s a few years between us?”
Taken aback by being suddenly treated as the senior when it had never happened before, Kang Pil-doo snorted, and Lee Gang-hyuk chuckled and pointed at himself.
“I’m the hyung.”
As he spoke, he extended his hand toward Kang Pil-doo.
“And you’re the uncle.”
“…Damn it.”
Unable to retort, Kang Pil-doo grabbed his chopsticks in irritation and ate his ramen, while the children held their breath and giggled before slurping down their ramen as if they’d been waiting for this moment.
The children finished a whole bowl so fast it was almost like drinking it.
“Why? Aren’t you eating more?”
When Seo Hwa-rin asked this, puzzled, the children quickly waved their hands.
“What? Oh… We’ve eaten plenty!”
“We’re full.”
But despite their words, the children’s eyes kept drifting to the pot of ramen.
“Hmm.”
Seeing this, Lee Gang-hyuk sighed quietly and pushed the pot forward.
“Don’t be shy and eat a lot. You should eat when you can.”
Survival rule number one: eat when food is available.
The children would be heading to the American base once the snow stopped, so he hadn’t taught them survival rules directly.
But to convey the sentiment anyway, he spooned more ramen into their bowls and continued.
“You have enough food to eat three meals a day until you’re adults, so don’t worry about it.”
The children’s eyes widened again.
They hadn’t realized their food supplies were that abundant.
Yet still, the children didn’t change their minds and spoke as they’d intended.
“…It feels like we’re just taking favors without giving anything back.”
“What’s wrong with that? Kids are supposed to. Right? Adults also rely on others when they need to. The important thing is becoming someone who doesn’t take that for granted and knows how to repay that debt later.”
“…”
Repay it later. But they were leaving this place soon.
If it were before the disaster, it would be different.
In this world, Seoul and Pyeongtaek weren’t a distance you could easily travel back and forth.
Perhaps because of this?
Yu Ha-neul, thinking he couldn’t accept a debt he couldn’t repay, was about to open his mouth when—
Lee Gang-hyuk chuckled and spoke again.
“In that sense, your help earlier was huge! So I’m considering that debt paid. And the ramen I made won’t go back in its package if you don’t eat it, right? So eat it before it gets cold.”
At his continued words, Yu Ha-neul and Yu Bit-na exchanged glances.
Just as a wordless question of what to do passed between them—
Growl.
“Ah…”
At the embarrassing sound from her own stomach, Yu Bit-na’s face turned beet red.
“So eat up. You can finish it all.”
Finally unable to hold back, Seo A-rin even handed over her own bowl of ramen, and the children at last began eating.
“Showing off with food I collected…”
Kang Pil-doo grumbled, and Lee Gang-hyuk shrugged.
“What can we do? It’s ours now.”
Chuckle.
Speaking with shameless laughter, Kang Pil-doo let out a helpless laugh.
“You’ve got nerve.”
“Take it as a compliment.”
“To be precise, what I gave wasn’t to you—it was to Seo A-rin here.”
“Whatever you say.”
When Lee Gang-hyuk replied without sincerity, Kang Pil-doo’s brow twitched.
“Damn it, you never give an inch.”
As if nothing had happened—
Slurp.
—Lee Gang-hyuk simply continued eating his ramen, and finally everyone burst into laughter.
“Pffft.”
“Haha.”
* * *
“How are the children?”
“They seemed tired and fell asleep as soon as they lay down.”
As night deepened, Seo Hwa-rin returned from the next apartment, where she’d gone to settle the anxious children, and smiled. Lee Gang-hyuk nodded and asked Kang Pil-doo.
“What happened? What’s this about a Hot Air Balloon?”
“After luring a swarm of zombies to Soyang Lake and escaping by boat, I ran into it. It was a place I used to visit often, and I’d ridden the Hot Air Balloon before, so I remembered and taught the kids various things until the snow stopped.”
Leaving out the story about his injuries, since Seo A-rin was present, Kang Pil-doo explained plainly and, with a wry smile, took a swig of beer.
“Ah, that hits the spot.”
Used to visit often.
Though he didn’t mention a lover, Lee Gang-hyuk caught the hint and nodded.
“You’ve been through a lot.”
“Don’t be like that.”
The two of them, saying this with a chuckle, drank their beer again.
“I’ll make armor for you tomorrow. In the meantime, you help her. Have you done farm work before?”
“More than some country bumpkin from Seoul.”
“Look at you—got a house and everything.”
“It’s not like I’ve come up in the world more than someone who was always renting in Seoul.”
“A jeonse, then?”
What started well grew increasingly sarcastic, and finally unable to bear it, Seo A-rin growled at the two of them.
“Stop it, you two, and just drink your beer. You’re not kids—are you going to keep bickering like this?”
“…”
“…Alright.”
The method that had worked on the children didn’t work on Seo Hwa-rin and Seo A-rin, and embarrassed, the two drank their beer in silence.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————