"Help..." A kid cried quietly. "Please... Please help me..." He whimpered as he bled on Jiho's shirt, looking up at him with blood dripping from his mouth, a broken tooth, and bruised eyes. Three older boys charged at him from behind. The kid's hands clawed at Jiho's shirt, desperate, as Jiho stared down at him impassively, momentarily confused...
... Just like Amelie was now.
"Marcel... Jiho... Marcel..." she murmured, the only words she could muster in both Korean and French. Tears streamed from her eyes, pooling on Jiho's black shirt as she clung to him. The two zombies that had held her down under Jang's command lay defeated beside her—obliterated by Jiho after reaching the lobby floor.
She kept repeating those names like a broken record, her fingers digging into Jiho's shirt. Would she apologize if she knew how to say it properly? Jiho wondered, watching her as she pointed weakly toward the basement door, where Jang had dragged Marcel after beating him to a pulp. Marcel had tried to stab Jang, a failed attempt at killing him.
Jiho's thoughts stilled as he gently pried Amelie's fingers from his shirt. Without a word, he walked past her, heading for the basement. His movements were mechanical, his expression blank.
As Jiho descended the stairwell, his eyes fixed ahead, Daniel appeared beside him.
"I'm disappointed in you. Weren't you set on making her yours? Weren't you dead set on never trusting anyone again, on not making that weak, pathetic mistake of exposing yourself? Guess your character really is that weak." Daniel's voice echoed through Jiho's mind as he kept moving down the stairs.
[ZOMBIFICATION: 60%]
"...What's the point, Daniel?" Jiho suddenly asked, his voice quiet as he glanced at the apparition, his footsteps the only sound in the stairwell.
"Hm?" Daniel tilted his head with a curious hum.
"Why are you here? To mock me? To insult me?" Jiho muttered.
"What else? I'm here to protect you, just like always. Well, the real me is probably off somewhere fucking Eunhee, or dead... But you get the point," Daniel sneered. "If I don't push you to man up and leave, you'll never do it yourself. Face it—you lack the balls, Jiho. It's a fact, not an insult or a mock."
[ZOMBIFICATION: 60%]
As if struck by a spell, Jiho's mind flooded with memories—Eunhee trusting someone else, her eyes never seeing the turmoil inside him. Then came the memory of Daniel, slapping him, the sting of it repeating like a broken record, like a zombie gnawing at his heart.
Jiho looked down, feeling the memories pour over him like rain, relentless and cold. They reminded him why trust had become meaningless, why the bonds he thought he'd made with his two only friends only ever ended in betrayal.
"I wanted to hate you," Jiho whispered, the words barely escaping his lips.
"I... I wanted to hate you so much. I wanted to kill you. To rip into your neck, just to see if it would hurt you the way you hurt me," Jiho said, his voice low, strained.
Daniel's expression flickered, his gaze sharp and piercing. "So why don't you?" he asked, voice soft yet dripping with venom. "Go back. Make her yours. Forget that pathetic butler—take what should be yours."
Daniel's eyes darkened, his words becoming heavier, more deliberate. "Be like me. You wanted to be like me, didn't you? Get what you deserve, and fuck everyone who stands in your way. You hate me, right?" His voice lowered further, "Then don't resist it... Go back. If you do, you'll never be betrayed again."
The memories kept flashing through Jiho's mind—repeating, grinding into him, demanding to be heard.
But there was one image, more powerful than the others. Amelie's eyes, filled with tears, her hands clawing at his shirt. And, somewhere behind it—Daniel's younger brother, bleeding and crying on Jiho's shirt, begging for help all those years ago.
"You know, I thought I couldn't trust anyone anymore," Jiho began quietly, his voice steady. "Especially after what you did. And I'm not a kind person. Not really. But back then... just like with your brother... I thought... A kid shouldn't be left alone like that." He said as he recalled his father leaving, his grip on the knives he brought with him tightening.
"I don't know that girl, Amelie, or care where she came from... But at that moment, she just looked like your brother,"
"I'm sorry, Daniel," he murmured, "I can't be like you. I'm not saying your way is wrong. Maybe it's more real than anything I've ever believed. Maybe more real than anything my mom ever taught me."
As he spoke, Jiho's thoughts flickered back to the past, to the faint touch of his mother's hand, gently prying the hammer from his grip after his father had left, leaving him standing over the bloodied dog.
"But..." Jiho whispered as he lifted his hand, his gaze fixed on the faint bloodstain on his palm that wouldn't come off earlier, now more visible than ever.
"... I bet to that Amelie girl, that old man down there... is like what my mom is to me," Jiho murmured.
"... Jiho. Don't be late, okay?" her voice echoed faintly in the back of his head. A question, from the type he trusted that she'd always ask, no matter what he did or answered.
[ZOMBIFICATION: 59%]
"Don't worry, Mom..." Jiho murmured to himself, as the visage of Daniel flickered and faded, "I'll come back home."
With that, Jiho descended the final steps of the stairwell, his focus narrowing at the doorway leading into the basement.
"Corpse Explosion," Jang's voice muttered in the darkness as Jiho stepped into the basement.
Jiho's gaze snapped downward just as the body of a nearby zombie detonated with brutal force, point blank.
The explosion slammed him against the wall with a sickening crack.
"GRAAAAAHHH!!!" Jiho cried out, pain exploding through his body as he hit the hard surface, the impact sending tremors through the room as he dropped the knives he came with.
Jiho gasped for air, his chest tightening as he struggled to push himself off the ground.
"H-hhaa...aHH...!!" Jiho wheezed, each breath a battle.
The sharp sting of bone fragments still lodged in his flesh sent jolts of searing pain through his body, but he forced his legs to steady beneath him. His vision blurred for a moment—blood dripped down the side of his face, trickling into his eyes—but he blinked it away, his breath still ragged. He glanced at his zombification meter, the number 97 glaring back at him. If only it were at 100, his body would heal, strength would surge back into him... but at 97, he was stuck, powerless to do anything but endure.
The pain was nearly unbearable, but something deeper than survival instinct kept him moving. His mother's face flashed in his mind. Shortly after, his breath began to steady itself.
Marcel's head snapped sideways as he lay next to Jang's feet on the cold concrete, surrounded by zombies.
'... Was that... Monsieur Jiho...? He's still alive!?' Marcel thought in disbelief, staring at Jiho slumped against the ground.
'And that explosion was point-blank... How... How is he even still on his feet!?' Marcel's thoughts raced as he watched Jiho's struggle to stand.
"Ohh...?" Jang murmured, a hint of amusement in his voice. "To think you survived a point-blank [Corpse Explosion]... My interface said it deals heavy damage. Took out the other zombies like they were nothing... So, just who the hell are you?" He asked as Jiho finally stood, breathing hard, holding his shoulder, his pants heavy with exertion.
[ZOMBIFICATION: 59%]
[ZOMBIFICATION: 66%]
[ZOMBIFICATION: 84%]
[ZOMBIFICATION: 97%]
Jang raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over Jiho's battered form. "What the hell? Are you a femboy or something?" he spat, his lips curling. "With that face, I could put you in a dress and add you to my harem," he sneered, his gaze lingering mockingly over Jiho's injuries.
'... So he survived that...' Jang thought, part of him relieved, the other part deeply irritated. 'Why do I feel relieved...?' His lips twitched into a smile. 'No, not relief... I'm happy. Happy that I'll have more fun tearing him apart!'
'What... What the hell was that...?' Jiho panted, his chest heaving, eyes drifting down to the burns and punctures covering his body. His shirt hung in tatters, his skin charred and pierced by fragments from the exploded corpse.
'The moment he said "Corpse Explosion," it went off in my face... Is he like me...?' Jiho's gaze locked onto Jang's confused, yet aggressive stare.
"Heh. I knew something was off the second I sensed..." Jang paused, "That two of my zombies were down. I was waiting for you. Did you think you could surprise me?" he taunted as he met Jiho's gaze.
'... But still, there's no way he survived that without something protecting him... No, I don't see a vest...' Jang thought, his eyes scanning Jiho as he grunted, pulling sharp bone fragments from his body and tossing them aside.
'Wait... No... No... No, no, no, NO!!!' Jang's thoughts spiraled, his mind racing as he clenched his teeth and grabbed his head with both hands. 'I'M THE ONLY ONE IN THIS WORLD!!! I'M THE ONLY ONE WITH A SYSTEM!!! I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO'S SPECIAL!!! HE'S JUST A NOBODY WHO GOT LUCKY AGAINST ME!!!'
[ZOMBIFICATION: 80%] flashed across Jang's vision.
"Shut the fuck up!!!" Jang roared at the message prompt, causing Jiho to narrow his eyes in confusion.
Without missing a beat, Jang extended his arm, grabbing one of his zombies by the wrist.
"Doom Baby..." Jang growled, his voice low and menacing. "Kill."
The towering zombie obeyed, smashing the skull of the zombie Jang held by the hand.
[ZOMBIFICATION: 70%]
[8 MINIONS LEFT!]
"What the...?" Jiho muttered, his confusion growing as he watched the towering zombie's brutal attack.
'He can... control them...?' Jiho thought, his eyes widening slightly.
Jang looked up at Jiho with a twisted grin, 'Shocked, aren't you? I found a workaround in this system. When Doom Baby or any of my horde kills a zombie, the zombification meter doesn't drop. I have to be involved in its death directly, somehow.'
'Turns out,' Jang continued to gloat in his mind, 'all I have to do is lay a hand on them while they die. I don't even need to waste my strength on them. This is me, devouring the system. I found a bug all by myself. I'm better than all of you combined!'
Jang gritted his teeth at Jiho as he repeated the process, commanding four more zombies to be killed.
[ZOMBIFICATION: 30%]
[4 MINIONS LEFT!]
'That damn thing goes up so fast,' Jang thought as he looked at his Zombification meter, frustration building again. 'If only I had a way to track what makes it grow. It feels so random right now... So fucking annoying...!'
Jang's internal battle raged on, but Jiho's words cut through, snapping him back to reality.
"I don't know what your deal is," Jiho said, regaining some composure as he watched Jang's anger-fueled actions. Jang's attention snapped to Jiho as he spoke. "But I just came for the old man. Hand him over, and I'll be on my way. No need to make this a big drama."
[ZOMBIFICATION: 98%] flashed across Jiho's vision.
"M-... Monsieur Jiho...!" Marcel murmured weakly, his voice strained as he looked at Jiho.
'He... came back for me?' Marcel thought in disbelief, his body aching from the pain. 'He must have saved Lady Amelie too... Since he wouldn't have known where I was otherwise. There's no other reason he would've come to this basement... He could have left... And after what I've done to him, he had every right to... Monsieur Jiho, even if I spent my entire life trying, I could never repay this act of kindness!' Marcel thought, gazing at Jiho in awe.
"Oh?" Jang replied with a twisted grin. "This old man?" he said as he stepped on Marcel's arm, causing a sickening crack to fill the room, and Marcel winced in agony.
'... The arm he dislocated earlier,' Jiho observed, his eyes narrowing at Jang's action.
"No," Jiho muttered aloud, glancing at Jang. "Never mind," The sound of Marcel's suppressed groans filled the air as he gritted his teeth in pain.
"Never mind?" Jang echoed mockingly, raising an eyebrow. "What's the matter? You came here to save this old piece of shit, and now that you've seen how strong I am, you—"
"No," Jiho interrupted decisively, walking closer to retrieve the knives he had brought with him. "I just know how bullies act," he said coldly, his gaze fixed on Jang as he gripped the knives in his hands.
Jang clicked his tongue at Jiho's words, his eye twitching slightly in irritation.
"I can talk to you all I want, but you still won't let him go, will you?" Jiho said, his voice cold, piercing through the tension. "No, you just like hurting anyone and anything you come across. It doesn't matter who they are—you're always looking for something to break, without caring who gets caught in the crossfire."
A moment of silence passed, unreadable expressions flickering across Jang's face, before his lips twisted into a wide smile. "A bully, huh...? Nah, I'm not that small-time," Jang replied, forcing a grin.
"I'm a fucking villain, baby. The main character villain," he repeated, emphasizing on the latter part of the sentence, "I'm going to rule this world...!!!" He said, spreading his arms wide at Jiho as he looked at the damp, bloodstained ceiling, his echo returning to him, "So, I guess that makes you the self-righteous, hypocritical hero, here to stop the big bad villain... only to embarrass yourself in front of everyone—especially the heroine!" He finished with a sneer, "The BIG EVIL JANG WHO WILL BECOME A ZOMBIE GOD!!"
As Jiho listened to Jang's words, he focused on his dark pupils, partially obscured by the sleek jet-black hair falling over his face and the long dark jacket that billowed as he moved. An odd compulsion stirred within Jiho—a need to keep talking.
"More than several times, I've beaten my dog to near death," Jiho said suddenly, his voice low, causing Jang's gleeful expression to falter, his eyebrows knitting together.
"Don't get me wrong," Jiho continued, his tone steady, "I'm not righteous. I'm not a hero. But you know why I came here. I asked for the old man, and that's it. If you'd just handed him over, I'd have walked away. But you stepped on him just because you could."
Jiho's eyes narrowed, his voice cold and sharp. "In short... I'm not facing you because I'm some hero."
"I'm facing you because you're the seventh biggest douchebag I've ever met in my life."
Jang's smirk twisted further, his jaw tightening. "Just the seventh? Alright, that does it." His voice lowered into a growl, "So be it. Come at me, you wannabe fucker!" He snarled as he prepared to give orders to his zombies.
Then, silence. Jiho stood still, gripping his knives tighter, watching Jang's reaction.
'Are we really going to fight? This is it... My first fight in the apocalypse...!' Jang thought as he assessed the situation. 'I bet this guy has mad experience points once he's down... Just like in those manhwas. I REALLY AM THE MAIN CHARACTER, aren't I?' Jang thought, staring intensely at Jiho.
As for Jiho, he had expected his battle instincts to kick in. Maybe think about a tactic, a way to beat this new threat, just as he did when facing the hitting zombie...
... But Jiho's stomach twisted, instead. An uneasy feeling settling in. 'So... what? I'm just going to run up to him and kill him? A human? Just like that?'
Jiho hesitated, looking at Jang. And as he scrutinized him, another memory from his childhood flashed before his eyes.
Before he met Daniel and Eunhee, Jiho used to dig holes in the sand, a simple pleasure. But after meeting them, going to the park to do that felt pointless... so he stopped.
And instead? He read comics. Lots of them.
Now, as he stood there, the realization hit him. 'I've been feeling it for a while... The way he talks. Talking like he's the villain. Mentioning "harems" after calling me a "femboy"... Throwing in "heroine" and making me out to be the self-righteous hero who embarrasses himself in front of the main character who is a villain... Those are manwha tropes!'
[Manwha = Korean Comics]
Jang's four zombies surrounded him, and Marcel watched the scene, confusion clouding his face. The tension hung thick in the air before Jiho suddenly blurted out:
"Uh... just a question," Jiho said, looking down, causing Jang to flinch.
"What's... uhm..." Jiho continued, his gaze still downward, causing Jang's eyes to narrow as he focused, his teeth clenching. 'What's he trying? A distraction!? I'm ready for anything, you son of a bitch!'
Jiho finally lifted his head slightly. "What's... What's your favorite manhwa?" he asked, his voice trailing off awkwardly.
Jang froze. For a moment, his body stiffened and loosened at the same time, sweat beading on his skin. "What...?" he murmured weakly, blinking. "WHAT... WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY!?" Jang screamed, his voice cracking with disbelief.