Author's Note:
Dear readers, your favorite writer is back! I sincerely apologize for not posting any chapters recently. I was dealing with some personal matters regarding college admissions and moving, but now everything is settled. I'm ready to continue the novel once again!
Thank you for your patience and understanding, and I truly appreciate your continued support. Your encouragement means the world to me.
Now, please enjoy the chapter!
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Disclaimer: This novel is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real events, people, or places is coincidental. The author does not endorse or promote any harmful or illegal activities, including violence, discrimination, or harmful survival practices. The novel's content is intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as a guide for real-life survival or preparedness. Always prioritize safety, respect, and well-being in your actions and decisions.
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Min-su and Hana began by surveying the outside of the school, the crunch of gravel beneath their feet the only sound breaking the silence.
They noticed a small shed behind the main building, adjacent to the playground, its metal roof rusted and worn. "This must be the storage room for sports equipment," Min-su remarked, his voice low and even.
As they entered the shed, the air thick with dust and cobwebs, three zombies suddenly attacked, their groans and snarls filling the air. Hana swiftly took down one zombie, her knife flashing in the dim light, while Min-su dispatched the other two with ease, his movements swift and deadly.
As they explored the shed, the musty smell of decay and rot filled their nostrils, and they stumbled upon a treasure trove of sports equipment, the smell of sweat and leather lingering amidst the chaos.
Min-su's eyes sparkled with excitement as he spotted a generator in the corner, its metal surface gleaming in the dim light. "We strike gold, Hana!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing off the shed's walls.
Hana's curiosity was piqued, and she asked, "What happened? What did you find, Oppa?" Min-su's face lit up with a bright smile, "Haha! We found a generator! Now we don't have to live in darkness."
The musty smell of the shed gave way to a sense of hope and possibility. Hana's eyes widened, but then she raised a practical concern, "But it needs gasoline to work."
Min-su's smile faltered for a moment before he replied, "You may not know, but I've stocked up on gasoline, hoping to find a generator."
After this, they made their way to the main building, ready to face whatever lay ahead. Min-su and Hana stepped into the main building, their footsteps echoing down the deserted hallway, the only sound in the oppressive silence.
Suddenly, three zombies emerged from the shadows: a teacher and two students, their eyes vacant, their skin gray and decaying.
Min-su swiftly gave Hana orders, "Take care of them, and check the classrooms on the right side. I'll cover the left side." Hana nodded and charged forward, her knife flashing in the dim light, the sound of her footsteps echoing off the walls.
With swift and deadly precision, she stabbed each zombie in the eye, their bodies crumpling to the ground. As she checked the classrooms, she found two more zombies, their moans growing louder as she approached.
The classrooms were in disarray, benches and chairs overturned, some broken, others scattered across the floor. Meanwhile, Min-su searched the left side, his footsteps quiet on the dusty floor.
Despite the eerie silence, he found no zombies, but the classrooms were in a similar state of disarray, as if the chaos had been sudden and violent.
As they met at the entrance, Hana turned to Min-su with a puzzled expression. "I thought there would be many zombies, but why are there so few of them?" Min-su shrugged, his eyes narrowing in thought. "I don't know, but let's search the upper floors."
They trudged up the stairs, their footsteps creaking on the worn steps. On the second floor, they methodically searched each classroom, their flashlights casting eerie shadows on the walls.
Inside one classroom, they stumbled upon a group of zombie students, every zombie's attention fixed on them with unsettling intensity.
Meanwhile, from the classroom at the other end of the building, a student's voice carried down the hallway, "Miss, they're here! They entered the classroom at the other end. I think they're going to search every classroom on this floor. Should we go out and tell them about... "that" thing?"
Another student objected, "No! Don't! We don't know what their motive is. And do you think we can go and save them from "that" thing?"
The students' hushed voices seemed to tremble with fear, their words hanging in the air like a challenge. Min-su and Hana exchanged a knowing glance, their hearts pounding in unison.
They charged forward, dividing the group of 13 zombie students between them. Hana struggled to keep up with the sheer number of awakened zombies, despite her superior strength.
They closed in on her from all sides, their jaws snapping wildly, their fingers grasping for her flesh.
She dodged and weaved, her speed allowing her to avoid their attacks by mere inches. But with each narrow escape, her breathing grew more labored, her movements more desperate.
Meanwhile, Min-su carved through the zombies with ease, his katana slicing through their undead bodies like a hot knife through butter.
His decades of experience and tremendous speed made him a whirlwind of steel and death, leaving a trail of severed limbs and shattered skulls in his wake.
After several minutes of intense fighting, Min-su perched on the teacher's desk, his eyes fixed on Hana as she struggled to fend off the remaining zombies.
She was surrounded by four of them, their eyes fixed on her with ravenous hunger. With a surge of adrenaline, she plunged her knives into one zombie's temple, but before she could retract them, another zombie knocked her to the ground.
The three zombies closed in, their jaws open wide, ready to tear into Hana's flesh.
But just as all hope seemed lost, Min-su intervened, his katana slicing through the air with deadly precision. The zombies' heads fell to the ground, their bodies crumpling beside them.
Min-su offered Hana his hand, helping her to her feet. Her face was etched with disappointment and frustration. "I think I'm not suited for fighting," she said, extracting the Nexarion from the zombies' bodies.
Min-su's expression was reassuring. "You're just inexperienced, and you're not suitable for fighting in closed rooms," he said, helping her extract the Nexarion.
As they cleared room after room, the pattern continued - three to two zombies in each. "Only three more rooms left to check, then we'll head to the next floor," Min-su said, collecting the Nexarion. Hana asked, "Oppa, can we mutate by ingesting these Nexarion too?"
Min-su wiped his katana clean. "No, we need a Level 2 mutant's Nexarion to reach Level 2. These are just for storage and future team members." Hana wiped the black blood and brain matter from her hands. "Why collect them, then?"
Min-su explained, "Everyone needs to upgrade in order. To reach Level 2, we need to start with Level 1. These Nexarion will help us regenerate mana too."
Next, they entered a room with a giant grey zombie, its hands clasped in a praying posture. Min-su chuckled. "Hana, meet your new punching bag. Use him as your training dummy." Hana's eyes lit up with excitement as she began to circle the zombie, her knives at the ready.
Meanwhile, in the room at the end of the hallway, the students whispered among themselves. "Miss, they've entered that room. What do you think will happen to them? They've been clearing rooms full of zombies without a scratch. I think they're a rescue team, maybe military special forces. We should ask for help."
The teacher hesitated before responding, "Let's wait and see if they can defeat 'that' thing too. If they succeed, we'll go."
The students nodded in agreement, their eyes fixed on the door, hoping for a miracle.