Apocalypse Tyrant

Jenga (8)

“Haah—.”

I sat down in front of Cha Seolhee who was desperately trying not to cry and reached out my hand.

“…”

Ko Janghun not responding perfectly to my gesture for the first time.

When I turned my head, I saw him alternately looking at the metal pipe lying on the floor and his bag.

“Bandage.”
“…Ah!”

At my answer, he finally exclaimed and handed over the white bandage from inside his bag.

I roughly tied and covered her bitten area with the white bandage from the library’s first aid kit.

After tearing the bandage and tying a short knot, I stood up and held out the remaining bandage to Ko Janghun.

Cha Seolhee still sitting down even at such a moment.

I swept over the rotten zombie blood and flesh bits all over my body and opened my mouth again.

“Stop being pathetic and get up, Princess Cha Seolhee.”

Cha Seolhee finally flinching at my voice full of sarcasm.

Seriously— She said she didn’t want to be treated like a princess before, but now I have to treat her even better than a princess.

“Get up quickly. Let’s go home, you lump of baggage.”

Cha Seolhee finally slowly getting up at my more direct words.

Tsk—!

I gestured to the search team while watching Cha Seolhee flinch at the loud tongue clicking sound echoing through the bathroom.

Thanks to that crazy bastard’s trolling, securing the 3rd floor had to be postponed to tomorrow.

…

Clang—!

A short noise ringing through the center of the 2nd floor library camp.

Park Taeha blankly looked at the monkey wrench thrown at him, then slowly stood up.

“Park Hyoeun acted like a retard and died like a retard.”

Park Taeha picking up the monkey wrench with quite a calm look despite being told so dryly that the one who borrowed the weapon had died.

He too was slowly getting used to someone’s death.

“I express my condolences.”

I casually concluded the Park Hyoeun matter and nudged thud—! the figure next to me.

Cha Seolhee awkwardly stepping forward at my gesture.

“The monkey wrench and Cha Seolhee. Confirmed they both quietly returned to camp— anything else?”

Park Taeha’s gaze lingering in one place as he indifferently looked at Cha Seolhee as if not hearing my question.

The white bandage on Cha Seolhee’s right hand that she was awkwardly trying to hide.

“…You, Cha Seolhee.”

A spark flew in his hazy eyes.

“…Were you bitten?”

Park Taeha slowly straightening his bent back while gripping the monkey wrench.

“…I was bitten.”
“…”

Park Taeha, who had regained his original bear-like aura with eyes full of certainty, took a deep breath.

“Everyone run far away quickly—! She was bitten—! Th-th-that bitch finally went outside and—”

Pueoeoeok—!

Park Taeha’s body that had been loudly calling the camp members suddenly tilted sideways.

Kuwung—!

Park Taeha, who was sent rolling on the ground from the sudden kick, felt a strange pressure on his neck before he could come to his senses.

Keudeudeuk—!

Someone’s foot suddenly squeezing his windpipe.

A foot with a disgusting sticky sensation on the sole was faithfully pressing down on Park Taeha’s windpipe.

“Keek—! Kek—!”

I quietly looked down at Park Taeha urgently gasping for breath and spoke to all the camp members who would be watching this scene.

“I’ve already taken appropriate measures for Cha Seolhee.”
“Keek—! Ke-kek—!”
“So Cha Seolhee won’t bite you or become a zombie like that Gwangil bastard or whatever.”

At my declaration, all the camp members’ gazes turn to Cha Seolhee’s right hand.

Cha Seolhee shrinking more and covering her right hand at those gazes.

“So the moment anyone touches even a finger on Cha Seolhee—”
“Keeeeek—! Kek—!”

I meet eyes with Park Taeha who was now whimpering and grabbing my shoe with a face that had turned bright red.

I stared intently at him trying to somehow avoid my eyes even while desperately needing oxygen and enunciated each syllable.

“I won’t overlook it anymore either, Taeha.”
“Keeeeek—! Keheek—! Heek—! Heek—! Haak—!”

Park Taeha raising his upper body and urgently inhaling as soon as I removed my foot from his neck.

I looked at him and the camp members watching this scene trembling—

And Cha Seolhee still covering her right arm and lowering her head, then turned my steps towards the temporary shelter.

Jjigeok— Jjigeok—

I quietly turned my head while listening to the shoe sounds still sticking to the floor with strange noises.

Camp members awkwardly backing away from Cha Seolhee slowly trying to enter the camp.

I smiled slightly at that sight and turned my head again.

Exterior severely dirtied from close combat with zombie bastards.

Thanks to that, I finished something like a light shower with the bottled water I had been quite cherishing and quietly sat down leaning my back against the library wall.

Moonlight illuminating the library that didn’t have much left to shine now.

Looking at the window at the unexpectedly quite bright light, the full moon was sprinkling soft moonlight from the center of the night sky.

At times like this, Ko Janghun should always say in a sycophantic voice “Since it’s a full moon, the night is really bright, hehe—” with a silly voice, but not today.

Thinking that the camp numbers were gradually decreasing a lot, I made several spaces similar to the temporary shelter I’m in now.

Ko Janghun and the search team, and the An Sejun couple would be trying to sleep in their respective temporary shelters.

We can’t keep sleeping in the same space rubbing shoulders with men forever after all.

“…”

I quietly looked at the full moon for a while and organized today.

The appearance of a mutant I really never expected and Cha Seolhee’s infection.

I remembered the status window message saying I killed a ‘Fur Wheel’ and slowly let out a hollow laugh.

Of course there were definitely signs.

Park Hyoeun had whined looking at the ceiling all day.

If there was something up there like he said was true, it was a mistake if anything to think there would at most be a zombie hiding on top of a bookshelf.

I really didn’t know at that moment that a zombie bastard crawling on the ceiling would fall down and launch a surprise attack.

This was, how should I put it—

Rather than lacking caution, I lacked imagination.

“…Ha.”

Right.

I lacked imagination.

It was good that I recognized the existence of other competitors with my ability, but I didn’t think at all that there would be special ones among zombies that gained special abilities like humans.

“…Isn’t just being a zombie itself a fucking special thing already.”

I whispered lowly with a hollow laugh and continued my thoughts.

Right, from now on I just need to be more careful.

Now that I clearly recognize there are mutants among zombies, I just need to conduct searches more carefully from now on.

Moreover—

Woowoong—!

I smiled brightly while looking at the faint golden light shining brilliantly in my hand.

Today was a day I gained something rather than lost something.

Not just gained, but gained a lot.

Woowoong—!

The golden light blooming more richly as if agreeing with my emotions.

Ding—!

[Partial Incapacity (部分無能) Lv.2]
[You are the Monarch of Incapacity.]

The true ability of my skill gained through a reckless attempt I wouldn’t have tried if not for Cha Seolhee.

The ability to nullify something didn’t work on zombies, but it clearly worked on humans being infected.

So—

This skill was at least a ‘half elixir’ if the infection cure was considered an elixir.

“…Crazy.”

A situation where curse words of joy come out just from thinking.

If this ‘Partial Incapacity’ skill can be used continuously as long as the Royal Authority allows—

The benefits I can gain and actions I can take expand immeasurably.

Woowoong—

I withdrew the golden light from my right hand and smiled more deeply.

This wasn’t the end of what I gained.

A harvest as joyful as finally knowing the use for ‘Partial Incapacity’.

Thud— Thud—

I smiled at the very familiar footsteps heard from far away.

Weak footsteps with hesitation thickly underlying compared to that day’s footsteps.

Thud— Thud—

Feeling the footsteps finally approaching me despite that, I quietly stared at the gap in the temporary shelter.

This time without even knocking, the face I had been waiting for poked its head through there.

Very different from the confident face then—

Delicate features desperately trying to appear nonchalant.

The face naturally shining in the moonlight stares at me waiting for her.

The bandage still on her right arm as she carefully enters through the gap.

And her left hand tightly grasping as if to hide that bandage.

“…”

She entered the temporary shelter and was silent for a while.

I patiently waited for her as she just lowered her head deeply and stared at the ground.

Her body illuminated by moonlight was trembling very faintly, barely visible even to my eyes.

Well—

Even she would have found it hard to endure any longer.

There’s no greater stigma in this world now than the mark she’s so desperate to hide.

She’s probably being ostracized by camp members who have seizures as if nearing death.

In just one day—

The top idol that everyone was desperate to get close to.

I subtly smiled while looking at the bandage that was much more effective than expected and blatantly scanned her.

I was really angry to my fingertips in that urgent moment, but now that it’s turned into a blessing in disguise, I fully understand her actions.

A hell-difficulty quest of having to save her younger sister while avoiding a blatantly revealing would-be rapist.

It was a situation and despair where anyone other than Cha Seolhee would have had to drink the bitter cup of failure.

But even in such moments, she was more composed than expected, tried to be dignified, and made efforts.

Maybe Cha Seolhee thought.

That she was playing a very precarious Jenga game between me, a ticking time bomb of a would-be rapist, and Cha Hayan’s rescue.

She probably thought she could achieve what she wanted by carefully removing blocks one by one, precarious and risky like Jenga.

But that was her misconception.

She wasn’t a player standing opposite me,

She was Jenga itself.

To survive, and so to save her younger sister—

She very carefully removed parts she thought were unnecessary.

Money that was enough for her, and common sense that the dead don’t rise—

And even the principle that if someone sexually harasses you, you should report it to the police and retaliate.

The blocks she removed one by one to survive sway very precariously like that.

Swaying precariously like that and finally—

‘…Hayan, I’m sorry.’

Collapses with a crash.

The world, common sense, and principles that made up who she was.

All of that collapsed without a trace, but she’s still alive despite that.

So—

Whether she wants it or not, the game must continue.

“…How much.”

A very dry soft voice seeped into the temporary shelter.

Cha Seolhee who had very quietly raised her head was looking at me with a pitiful face.

Now that a new board has been laid out, new blocks must be stacked.

A new world must be built.

New laws and common sense, and principles must be stacked.

“…How attractive of an offer do I need to make for you to save my sister?”

I quietly smiled at Cha Seolhee who had finally given the answer I wanted.

Like—

Jenga.