There Is No World For ■■
Chapter 164: Ghosts Of The Past, Connections Of The Present (3)

* * *

The dead in the surroundings were resurrected.

Not like the holy miracles depicted in the Bible, but the disgusting type of resurrection that seemed to have come straight out of a cheap horror movie.

The first to rise were the corpses that were buried recently.

Bodies that had been buried roughly or left abandoned in the past few days started to claw their way out, their decayed muscles wriggling as they emerged onto the streets.

The reactions of the citizens who saw such undead were divided into two: they either screamed and ran or grabbed weapons and fled.

Unfortunately, with countless corpses buried beneath the surface of this city with a long history, there was no safe haven present.

- Goooooohhhhhh

A missing neighbor rose from the backyard.

The ones secretly buried under the roadside trees began to crawl through the roots, and bones concealed beneath the stone walls of the well rattled.

Countless undead crawled out from around the crematorium, the result of bodies being buried there discretely to save a few coins on cremation fees.

Zombies sprang out from alchemy workshops, hospitals, and even the foundations of old buildings. The corpses even broke through the walls of some places.

And at the peak of it all were the sewers.

A place where countless fools hoping to stumble upon a big score ended up becoming corpses themselves.

“If we just take a headcount, they must be in the tens of thousands.”

On the roof of the armed inn, Neti said, shuddering.

Her gaze was fixed on a nearby sewer, from which the undead were emerging endlessly.

Though they were not in hell, it looked like the entrance to hell. What on earth was going on?

Yeomyeong, who was firing a machine gun beside her, chimed in a moment later.

“This isn’t the end. If more people end up dying here… they’ll just be joining the undead.”

“…Then fighting the Rat Beastfolk will make it even worse.”

Almost as if to punctuate her words, a massive explosion echoed from the far side of the city as soon as her voice trailed off, sending a pillar of fire into the sky.

It was an unmistakable sign that the Rat Beastfolk legion and the undead had begun clashing in earnest.

Why did bad predictions never miss?

While Neti shook her head in dismay, Yeomyeong sank into thought.

How to reach the underground armory.

The entrance beneath the Western Count Palatine’s building would have surely been sealed, and any attempts to find a new entry from the sewers in the midst of the battling zombies and Rat Beastfolk were nearly impossible.

That left only the mysterious entrance used by the Southern Count Palatine and Kahal Magdu… but where exactly was it?

As he sunk deeper into his thoughts, an orc carrying a box of machine gun ammunition emerged onto the rooftop.

Yeomyeong ceased firing and turned to the orc.

“Balagu, how are the defense preparations coming along?”

“We just need to block off the front entrance. Also… everyone from the tent village has been evacuated into the inn.”

Yeomyeong nodded at Balagu’s report.

As soon as the corpses began to rise, Yeomyeong ordered the immediate evacuation of all the women and children from the tent village into the inn.

Leaving them outside would only ensure they became part of the undead.

As Yeomyeong handed over the machine gun to a burly man, Balagu added.

“There are about forty women and children altogether. Four of them know how to shoot, so they’ve been assigned to the defensive line. The rest are helping barricade the place using furniture and sandbags.”

Joseph had undoubtedly orchestrated the barricade work, likely intending to use the tent villagers as human shields.

It was a grim reality, but neither Yeomyeong nor Balagu voiced it. After all, the present situation did not allow them to volunteer to protect them.

After handing over the machine gun to the burly man, Yeomyeong turned and headed downstairs.

As he descended to the second, Balagu spoke again, his tone tinged with unease.

“Uh… about the tent villagers… they believe you’re the Southern Count Palatine. So, they’re praising the name of the Count Palatine as we speak.”

“…”

“If it bothers you, please don’t take it too harshly.”

Was that even something to get upset about? Yeomyeong dismissed the thought lightly, but then something suddenly occurred to him about Balagu.

An orc who had been castrated and forced into slavery under a mage, only to later escape.

Strangely, he knew much, was familiar with the Southern Count Palatine’s knights, and even had connections throughout the city.

Not to mention how he adapted to Yeomyeong’s impersonation of the Southern Count Palatine rather easily…

Stopping midway down the stairs to the first floor, Yeomyeong turned to Balagu.

“Balagu, were you… the Southern Count Palatine’s slave?”

The blunt question caught Balagu off guard. He hesitated briefly before nodding slowly.

“…Yes, my former master was the Southern Count Palatine, Audrion.”

He looked at Yeomyeong nervously, like a dog caught doing something wrong, though Yeomyeong’s thoughts were elsewhere.

“I-I didn’t mean to hide it, I just—”

As Balagu began to stammer out an explanation, Yeomyeong cut him off.

“Ah, that’s fine. You didn’t have to tell me. What I want to know is… Balagu, do you still remember the layout of the Southern Count Palatine’s palace?”

“…What? Oh, yes. Of course, I do.”

“Then do you think the layout would have changed much while you’ve been living as a nomad?”

“Well… I’m not sure. It’s a really old building, so it probably hasn’t changed much since I escaped.”

Hearing Balagu’s reply, Yeomyeong clenched his fist tightly. He hadn’t really expected a breakthrough like this to be within his reach.

“Then, could you draw me a map right away?”

Yeomyeong extended his fist toward Balagu, thinking that it was fortunate that he’d brought him from the desert.

* * *

The first floor of the inn was noisy.

Of course, it was far from the usual hustle and bustle of an inn.

The sound of gunshots aimed at the undead approaching the inn, mixed with the screams of frightened women and the whizzing bullets, made it feel like a battlefield.

How long did that commotion last?

Seated at a table on the first floor, Yeomyeong pointed to a specific part on the map that Balagu had drawn—the place where the underground storage of the Southern Count Palatine’s palace and the sewer system met.

“The only approachable place that might connect to an entrance to the underground armory… is here.”

The reactions of the group, who followed his finger along the map, were varied.

“That… if this map is accurate.”

Those were the words from the one-armed elf, Finel.

“Ugh, we have to force our way through a sewer where the zombies and Rat Beastfolks are fighting.”

Neti commented, holding onto her weapon bag.

“If they know where we’re heading, that skeleton will definitely try to interfere. We’ll have to go as stealthily as possible.”

Finally, Seti shared her concern while massaging her forehead as if trying to shake off her exhaustion.

After listening to the group’s opinions, Yeomyeong thought for a moment, then rolled up the map and said.

“Finel, you stay back. Seti, Neti, and I will go.”

“…What? You want me to stay?”

Finel furrowed his brow, glancing alternately at Neti and Yeomyeong, clearly puzzled.

The look in his eyes seemed to ask, ‘Why leave me behind when I’m stronger than her?’

“To prevent any outbreaks, at least one Superhuman must stay in this inn.”

“…Then isn’t it even more unnecessary for me to stay?”

Yeomyeong dismissed his look with a single sentence.

“Have your wounds healed completely?”

The wounds caused by the Eastern Count Palatine and his Rat Beastfolk legion.

Unless he had an abnormal Regeneration ability like Yeomyeong, it was impossible for his wounds to heal in just two days.

Unable to find a reply, Finel shut his mouth. After a moment, he spoke as if sighing.

“I never thought I’d end up fighting to protect humans alongside the castrated orc.”

“…”

“It’s true that my body isn’t in perfect condition… Alright, I’ll stay at the inn. But I don’t have the sense of camaraderie to die with them—at least leave an escape plan before you go.”

Having expected this response, Yeomyeong nodded and gestured toward Balagu, who was carrying weapons.

As soon as Balagu approached him, Yeomyeong cast the Blood Tears’ illusion on his face.

Mana shimmered across the orc’s face, the familiar face of an old human nobleman appeared in an instant.

“…The Southern Count Palatine?”

“If things go wrong, just use that face. Whether it’s to call the guards or go to the Southern Count Palatine’s palace… Balagu and Joseph will handle the rest.”

By the time Yeomyeong finished his explanation, Finel nodded, seemingly understanding.

Now that the party and the destination were decided, it was best to act quickly.

Yeomyeong immediately grabbed the weapon bag and stood up, extending his hand toward Seti.

“Will you accompany me?”

“…Gladly.”

Seti took his hand and stood up, Neti trailing behind them.

The three of them crossed the inn’s fence, with Balagu giving Yeomyeong a slight bow as they left.

* * *

The city outside was filled with chaos.

Fires breaking out all over the place, and zombies attacking people endlessly.

- Squeak! Squeak! Stop, stop it!

- Fire! Fire! If we burn them, they’ll die too!

- S-Save me! Aaaagh!

Even at the safer strongholds, Rat Beastfolks and zombies were constantly fighting.

“Let’s just avoid everything and go.”

Suppressing their presence as much as possible, Yeomyeong and the two sisters quietly descended into the sewer, away from all the chaos.

Since the Southern Count Palatine’s palace was not far from the inn, the group quickly reached the underground storage.

However…

“…It’s too quiet.”

As Neti said, there were neither any zombies nor Rat Beastfolks in the sewer leading to the underground storage.

Only deep darkness and sticky silence existed in the place. Unlike the city, this place was eerily quiet. It was as if someone had swept everything away.

Yeomyeong immediately thought of the word ‘trap.’

Had Balagu deceived him? No, the chances of that happening were slim.

If that was the case, then someone who anticipated that Yeomyeong would return to the armory must have set the trap…

“Oh, so you really came.”

As expected, someone was waiting for them. Someone so skilled that they were able to sense Yeomyeong even as he was suppressing his presence.

Yeomyeong drew his sword, and Neti immediately donned her Invisibility Cloak.

Soon, the door to the underground storage opened, and a woman walked toward them with heavy steps.

A stunning beauty exuding decadence, wielding a massive spear taller than herself.

“…Ekatherina?”

“Oh, you know my name? Well, I’ve been quite conspicuous since I arrived in this city.”

“…”

“Well, whatever. You’re the one called Cheon Yeomyeong, right? The Earthian Kahal Magdu desires.”

She said as she stepped closer to the group, but Yeomyeong didn’t respond. Since she had personally confirmed that she was indeed a companion of Kahal Magdu, no conversation was necessary.

All they would share here was violence.

Bang!

The quick-witted Neti fired her gun at the same time Yeomyeong charged forward.

“Oho! I was hoping to have a little chat.”

Tilting her spear slightly to deflect the bullet, Ekatherina used centrifugal force to swing the spear at Yeomyeong.

!!

The enormous spear collided with the sword. While Ekatherina’s weapon was overwhelmingly heavy, Yeomyeong’s strike was more powerful.

This either meant that the difference in martial arts and mana between the two was negligible or that Yeomyeong had the upper hand. Ekatherina smiled wryly.

“You little—!”

However, without giving her a chance to finish her sentence, Yeomyeong stepped forward, thrusting his sword.

Another person running their mouth in the middle of a fight—Kahal Magdu was enough.

Ekatherina raised the handle of her spear and struck, parrying Yeomyeong’s sword. Sparks flew as metal clashed with metal.

Even as he was pushed back, Yeomyeong channeled strength into his waist and performed the Flying Kick technique. The mana-infused soles of his feet kicked the spear’s handle and Ekatherina’s chest simultaneously.

THUMP! It sounded like two cars colliding. While Yeomyeong landed gently, Ekatherina was pushed back.

“Damn, that bastard never mentioned you were this strong.”

The spear that blocked his Flying Kick technique rang as it vibrated. She held onto it tightly, suppressing the vibrations, then laughed incredulously.

“Motherfucker, this is the first time I met someone like you after Mara… Ah, didn’t you kill Mara once?”

Instead of responding, Yeomyeong’s sword dug into Ekatherina’s chest and her spear reacted immediately.

The spear tip aimed to stab Yeomyeong but then spun, changing its trajectory in the middle. Broken fragments fell as the sewer walls and ceiling were destroyed in the process due to its massive size.

Crash!

Yeomyeong dodged the spearhead flying toward him and struck the spear’s shaft with his sword.

The massive spear didn’t break but bent like a whip. Using the rebound, Ekatherina tried to swing it back at him.

However, Yeomyeong’s body, greatly enhanced by the World Tree’s mana, showed the beauty of simplicity. As his sword suddenly accelerated, slicing downward in a straightforward motion along a diagonal line, speed became power.

In that split second, Ekatherina’s instincts, honed to the level of a master, screamed out.

You can’t block it, dodge!

Baring her teeth, she ignored her instincts and pulled her spear back instead.

And in the next moment, Yeomyeong’s sword pierced the spear a fraction of a second faster and then, it cut deeply into Ekatherina’s chest.

The spear was a beat too slow, and the splattering blood two beats slower.

“Ha!”

Regardless if Ekatherina was laughing or bleeding, Yeomyeong didn’t stop. After cutting through her chest, he swung his sword to sever her left shoulder, then drew an arc and slashed through her throat.

It was a combo strike that would have killed any human instantly.

However, Ekatherina swung the spear with her remaining arm and pushed Yeomyeong back.

Yeomyeong didn’t finish her off at that moment due to an inexplicable sense of unease, a foreboding that Kahal Magdu’s ally shouldn’t be defeated this easily.

So, he created some distance and shook the blood off his sword.

“Fuck, how are you so strong at that age? Did you sell your soul to the devil?”

“…”

Despite the gaping wound in her chest and the blood flowing from her neck, Ekatherina smiled nonchalantly and spoke.

“That meticulous skeleton bastard sure has good taste… Ha, now I want you too.”

A deep red light began to flow from Ekatherina’s eyes the next moment.

Was she attempting some sort of doping, like the Blood Flow Acceleration?

Just as Yeomyeong squinted to analyze her mana—

Bang!

Seti, who had been behind Yeomyeong, fired her gun—a sudden, and therefore more effective, ambush.

Puhak! Ekatherina was unable to react in time and took the bullet directly to her forehead.

With a hole in her head, she collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut, hitting the sewer floor.

Surprised, Yeomyeong turned around and saw Seti shrugging her shoulders.

“Why are you even listening to something like that? We have more people on our side.”

“…”

“Hurry up, let’s go. We need to get there before Kahal Magdu arrive—”

Seti’s words were cut off abruptly.

It was because Ekatherina, with a hole still in her head, suddenly jerked her torso upright.

“You bitch… where do you get off shooting during a sacred one-on-one duel?”

Was she resurrected? No, her wounds were still the same.

Her left arm was still missing, and blood continued to pour from her neck and chest.

Even so, she wasn’t dead. She was grinning as though she didn’t feel any pain in the first place.

“You love team battles so much, huh? Damn it, how about we have one right now?”

Ekatherina swung her spear the next moment, striking the door to the underground storage behind her.

Rumble. Rumble!

The entire sewer shuddered as the ceiling and walls cracked open.

The cracks spread quickly to the ceiling and walls around the underground storage, causing the building to collapse.

While the cracks didn’t reach Yeomyeong’s position, dust and debris flew toward him, hitting straight in his face.

In that split second, the collapsed view of the underground storage was revealed.

It was a room filled with massive containers surrounding a small staircase leading below.

As it was nearly dawn, a faint light shone through a hole in the ceiling, illuminating the word ‘Walmart’ written clearly on one of the containers.

“…”

The stairs leading to the underground armory, the containers bought from Earth, and the Southern Count Palatine who purchased the dinosaur bones.

The moment Yeomyeong deduced the true nature of those containers, the doors of the containers opened simultaneously, revealing enormous bones hidden inside.

Massive reptilian bones—so large that anyone unfamiliar with them would have easily mistaken them for dinosaur bones.

“Dinosaur bones? How tasteless.”

Yeomyeong unleashed dozens of ice spikes as the gigantic bones began emerging from the containers.

“Hey! It’s cheating to attack mid-assembly!”

“Bullshit.”

Just as Yeomyeong pushed off the ground, Ekatherina raised her spear to swat the ice spikes.

The bones began to reassemble in mid-air.

A reptilian body, with wings spread wide behind the shoulders, and a long tail connecting seamlessly.

The skull had a long snout, with horns that grew like a crown behind it.

Crash!

The massive body broke through the ceiling and stomped on the containers, standing tall.

It was at that moment when the Undead Dragon, Kahal Magdu’s true body, had descended upon this land.

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