Marauder of the Apocalypse

Chapter 4: Prologue [4]

Day 3 of the zombie outbreak.

I, who had fled into the mountains to escape the police, painfully realized that I had to live in the city.

***

"..."

I sat in a ramshackle shelter made of branches and banners. It's a crudely constructed skeleton of long branches, haphazardly cut and draped with banners warning of forest fires, and covered with dirt and leaves.

In other words, it's a dwelling that an ordinary person couldn't last more than a few days in.

"To the city... No, but for now the mountain is the best option."

I muttered as I scratched my head, then quickly wiped the hair oil on my hands onto the tarpaulin banner on the floor.

Even though the current situation is not good, I have to hold out in the mountains until the police are paralyzed by the zombie apocalypse.

The situation was not good in many ways.

I couldn't properly prepare. Due to my identity, I couldn't build a proper shelter and stockpile supplies. I had to avoid leaving any traces that could be passed on to the police through phone calls or card records.

Fortunately, I had the luggage I had brought with me from my risky venture yesterday.

Rustle-

"Let's have a chocolate bar for breakfast."

I rummaged through the duffel bag and took out a chocolate bar, popping it into my mouth. It was sweet. I felt the sugar rush to my head, lifting my mood.

Crunch, crunch, the crunchy nuts embedded in the chocolate bar.

I carefully checked the items I had brought with me.

After escaping the police station yesterday, I had risked going back to my home to gather these supplies. The duffel bag was bursting with clothes, a few bottles of water, and the chocolates and cereals I had stockpiled to eat while writing scenarios.

There were also tools like scissors, a hammer, and a kitchen knife.

Suddenly, my appetite disappeared.

"It's really lacking."

This is a pathetically meager equipment to survive the zombie apocalypse.

I suddenly turned my head to look at the entrance of the shelter. As I pulled back the tarpaulin that let in the sunlight, the densely packed city came into view.

The concrete buildings crowded the city.

In the end, I have to go down to that city.

I tapped my fingers on my knees, reviewing the scenarios I had stayed up all night writing.

'Zombie apocalypse. The city.'

If logistics stop, the city's resources will gradually dry up, but even then, there will be more than enough resources for people to live on for years.

Just as primitive humans roamed the fields and hunted animals, I will have to wander the city, fend off zombies, and scavenge for food from convenience stores, supermarkets, and other people's homes. Not only zombies, but people will also become survival competitors.

I clenched my fist.

"I have to gather weapons first."

Because with just force, food can be obtained anytime. First, I need to obtain weapons to kill people and zombies.

Weapons like slingshots, crossbows, machetes, or axes, and protective gear like helmets and rider suits. I also need tools to open locked doors. I think I saw a news report about using a stun gun to open door locks.

'No, not this.'

I suddenly burst out laughing. I thought of a group of humans I'd seen in a zombie movie, and I thought of characters like me now.

"I'm a looter, aren't I?"

No matter how I think about it, it's a criminal mindset, but there's no help for it. I'm not the strange one - in an apocalypse situation, everyone will become like this.

Primitive humans competing for their lives in the concrete jungle.

Once I set the character, many scenes came to mind. I wrote scenarios in my head.

How to survive as a looter in a zombie apocalypse. Dark and gloomy imaginations kept arising without end. How to harm people. The inspiration was surging.

I suddenly sighed with regret.

"Ah, I wish I had written these scenarios before!"

***

Time doesn't pass.

I brought an old-model phone without a USIM card, but of course there's no WiFi signal in the mountains. And there's nothing else to pass the time with.

Out of boredom, I idly swung around a hammer or kitchen knife, but the moments just stretched on endlessly. The sun seemed nailed to the sky.

Hesitantly, I stepped out of the shelter.

After crouching in the cramped shelter, all my joints were stiff and about to break.

Carefully stepping out of the shelter, I let out an exclamation.

"The flowers have bloomed."

It's the season when spring is approaching. Flowers have started blooming all over the mountains. While the human era is about to fade, nameless flowers have burst open their yellow and white buds.

Also, tufts of fresh green grass have poked up from the brown floor of fallen leaves and soil.

I quietly looked down at the grass tufts.

Can I eat them?

"...No. I can't."

Without access to a hospital, I shouldn't recklessly eat strange things and get sick. I poked the weeds or wild greens with my toe.

A regretful thought crossed my mind.

'If only I had the capability, living in the mountains wouldn't be so bad.'

The steep, rugged, and undulating mountains. The terrain is perfect for fending off zombies. Good for setting traps too.

But the reality is, I don't have the skills to survive on my own. If I stay in the mountains, I'll probably starve to death. I can't even distinguish edible wild greens, and I shouldn't even touch mushrooms.

And the bathroom issue is a problem too. When the apocalypse comes, the city will be the same...

Gently rubbing my aching stomach, I returned to the shelter.

***

Day 5 of the zombie outbreak.

The water has run out. I've finished all the bottled water I brought. I blankly stared at the empty plastic bottles. Maybe it's because of the sunset light in the shelter, but my face was reflected on the plastic surface.

Hollow and dirty. My nose is numb so I can't tell, but I probably reek. I've never gone this long without a wash. My head is itchy, my body feels stuffy, I feel like I'm going crazy.

I had an impulsive thought.

'Should I go down the mountain once?'

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There is a public restroom at the entrance of the hiking trail. That should be enough...

A rational logic was built up in my mind. Reasons why I should go down.

I have no water. Humans cannot live without water. It's an immediate survival issue. If I encounter zombies in a weakened state from not drinking water, it will be a big problem.

"Let's go."

So I put on a mask, pulled down my hat, and slowly got up. It's a weekday and not many hikers come to this mountain anyway.

The crinkly chocolate bar wrappers I had scattered around rustled. I had thrown them around at night to keep a bit warmer. I felt a bit uneasy leaving the shiny wrappers near the shelter.

Holding a few plastic water bottles, and with a hammer tucked into my roomy hoodie pocket, I went down the mountain.

"..."

As the sky turned navy blue, I descended the mountain.

With a dubious expression, I carefully approached the public restroom.

In front of the public restroom, there was a heavily tinted camper van, and a yellow cord stretched from it to the restroom entrance. But the cord was swaying. A person's shadow was also swaying at the entrance.

My hand automatically went into the hoodie pocket. I gripped the hammer.

'Is it a zombie?'

I silenced my footsteps. I stepped heel-first, approaching slowly.

And then I saw a person.

"Whoa!"

It was a man wearing expensive-looking athletic clothes. The short man was struggling to plug a charger into a high-up outlet near the restroom entrance, and glared at me.

The situation became clear.

An electric car. An electricity thief. Trying to charge an electric car using the public restroom outlet - an unethical and immoral person.

The strength in my hand holding the hammer loosened. Whatever that person was doing, I just needed to quickly wash my head, wash my face, and fill up the water bottles.

But the electricity thief looked at me with a contemptuous gaze and muttered in a scolding tone.

"What a homeless person."

I don't feel angry at that. I am a homeless person. My clothes are covered in fallen leaves and dirt.

Shhh-

First, I fill up the water bottles. Over the sound of water, I hear the electricity thief's mocking laughter and the sound of him walking into the restroom.

Thud, the stall door closed.

As I was quickly washing my hands with soap-

A sound was heard. I turned my head. It was the sound of the electricity thief watching a video on his phone.

Gurgle-

After turning off the faucet, I listened closely to that sound. It's precious news from the outside world. Even though the muffled sound is frustrating, I can't miss it.

- The incubation period is 3 to 4 weeks... Transmission starts from the 1st week of incubation...

- The number of drone-infected people has exceeded 10,000... The number of incubation period infected is at least 100,000... The possibility is high that it's even more...

- Strong social distancing measures...

Because of the unclear audio, my body naturally leans towards that direction. I furrowed my brows and focused.

The electricity thief spewed out curses.

"Damn it. Stop with this kind of news already. Who doesn't know the situation is bad?"

The sound of him roughly tapping on his phone. It seems he changed the video, as a different voice is heard, an excited voice.

- "Everyone, do you remember COVID? You should buy stocks now! It's a chance to buy them cheap, you know.

I clicked my tongue softly.

Looks like the world hasn't gone to complete ruin yet. Hearing him talk about stocks. It should have gone even further down.

- "I don't recommend masks or hand sanitizers. They've already gone up enough, right? I'm not a pharmaceutical company either. You need to change your mindset to make money. Go for companies that make camping gear and sell them. Like axes and stuff!"

That's when it happened. My movement stopped. I slowly turned my body. A dark light flickered across the pupils reflected in the mirror.

'Camping gear... If I play this right now.'

There's a camper van outside, isn't there? That treasure goblin, no, the electricity thief's outfit also gives off a camping vibe.

- "There's a company I've seen, and I'm telling you this in secret, just for you all."

I muffled my footsteps at that voice. I went outside and approached the camper van. If the door is open, it won't be a big deal to handle.

I pulled the door handle. The sliding door smoothly opened. I widened my eyes.

The door to the treasure trove has opened.

"..."

I suppressed my exclamation.

The interior of the camper van is brightly lit by the streetlights. There's a dining table, sofa-like seats, chairs, a microwave, and a small kitchen.

No, that's not important right now. I crouched down and went inside.

'What I need now is speed.'

I'll gather only the necessary items and flee. Being a petty thief is just about right for now.

I quickly looked around. Selecting what to steal.

'A bag with food. I'll take that. What camping gear can I take? A folding chair? No. A sleeping bag? I'll take that too. A pot?'

That's when it happened. Something came into my field of vision. A wood-burning stove? A stove? Anyway, a tool to light a fire with logs. Next to it, a bundle of logs tied together.

And an axe.

I quickly grabbed the axe first. It didn't feel stable. Anyway, this is not a real weapon like a hammer. Crossbows or slingshots, those are the truly human weapons.

'No, don't think, just hurry up and gather!'

Just as I reached for the sleeping bag, a roar came from behind.

"You thieving bastard!"

I slowly turned my body. The electricity thief who came out of the restroom is approaching with a flushed face, taking big strides.

I also stepped out of the camper van with big strides, gripping the ax. The electricity thief stopped. His fierce demeanor disappeared, and his eyes were fixed on the ax.

I adjusted my grip on the axe. The blade is facing my way, and the axe head is facing outward. The axe has a leather sheath, and I need to undo that to expose the blade. And that moment of undoing the sheath is a weak point.

It's better to just strike with the ax head. Even a person would get hurt if hit by that.

"Uh, well."

The electricity thief trembled and tightly gripped his phone. I raised the ax and said,

"Phone. Throw it on the ground."

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