I Became The Necromancer In The Post-Apocalyptic Zombie World

Chapter 37

—–CROW—– 

As they were finishing their meal, someone banged loudly on the front door.

“…That’s, from the front door.”

Startled, Min-ah paused, then gasped.

“O-Oh! It must be my husband!”

She jumped up, convinced her missing husband had returned.

“Wait, Min-ah-ssi. Something’s wrong.”

“What do you mean? The only people who would knock on our door are you and my husband…!”

“No, listen carefully.”

“…Huh?”

He stopped Min-ah, who was rushing to the door, and silenced her.  The knocking came again.

*Bang! Bang, bang!*

A normal knock usually had a pattern.  A rhythmic tapping that announced someone’s arrival. If it was Yoon Kang-hyun, he would have knocked similarly. But it wasn’t Kang-hyun.

The two zombies he’d used to reach the ninth floor were at the door. They were following his orders to return and knock.  Unlike a human, the zombies knocked erratically, creating a strange, unsettling rhythm.

“…T-Then, who’s outside?”

Min-ah, who had felt relatively safe in her ninth-floor apartment, grew pale.

“Let’s stay quiet and wait. They won’t keep doing this forever.”

Zombies were sensitive to noise, especially human voices. They were more drawn to the sound of human voices than the noise of a car.  It was their instinct.  Min-ah, Hyun-seo, and he held their breath and remained silent.

“This is awkward…”

He, of course, felt no threat from the zombies. He was just pretending to be tense. He’d instructed the zombies to knock a few times and then leave.

After a period of silence, the unsettling knocking slowly faded away.

“……Haa.”

“Ah…”

“A-Are you okay?”

The tension released, Min-ah’s legs gave out, and she collapsed.  She grabbed his arm for support, and he steadied her.

“Y-Yes, I was just… so scared.”

Min-ah’s hand, clutching his arm, was trembling. Her large breasts pressed against him, but she was too shaken to notice.

He gently helped her sit down and placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t worry. I’m here now.”

“S-Seo-ho-ssi…”

She had subconsciously believed that she was safe as long as she was inside her ninth-floor apartment.  But the incident had shown her that her home wasn’t entirely safe.  Her desire for someone to protect her and her daughter would have grown stronger.  And with her husband gone, she was feeling that void even more intensely.

—*Ding.*

[‘Baek Min-ah’s’ intimacy has increased.]

The expected notification appeared as Min-ah grasped his hand on her shoulder, a relieved smile on her face.

“Almost there.”

The side quest progress message displayed [68%]. Just a little more, and he could likely reach 70 or even 80%.

He calmed Min-ah, stood up, and slung his bag over his shoulder.

“I’ll check on the zombies on my way out and deal with them if they’re still around.”

“…Y-You’re leaving?”

Min-ah’s eyes widened with anxiety.

“Yes, we’re done with dinner, and I can’t leave those zombies out there.”

He extended his hand to Min-ah, helping her up. He held her hand and smiled.

“I’ll take care of it, so don’t worry. I promise I’ll be back.”

Min-ah’s hand trembled as she took his. Her face paled, as if a traumatic memory had surfaced.

“……Then.”

He released her hand, bid Hyun-seo farewell, and headed for the door.

“W-Wait…!”

Min-ah grabbed his arm, stopping him. He turned back, feigning confusion. Min-ah bit her lip, then lowered her head. Hyun-seo, having dropped her game, was also clutching Min-ah’s clothes, her face full of anxiety.

“…Daddy, too… said that, and he never came back.”

Hyun-seo’s trembling voice broke the silence. Min-ah’s grip on his arm also loosened. Her anxiety was palpable.

“Her father had said the same thing and never returned.”

His actions were mirroring Kang-hyun’s departure. She believed Kang-hyun would return, but just like him, what if he didn’t?  She was afraid that she was going to lose the only person she could rely on. But she couldn’t bring herself to say that he might not return.  She didn’t want to acknowledge the possibility that Kang-hyun was dead.  She just looked at him with trembling eyes.

“…I’m sorry, Seo-ho-ssi.”

Her hand on his arm moved down to grasp his hand.

“…I know this is a lot to ask, but if it’s okay with you…”

Tears welled up in her eyes, conveying a fear that was not about the zombies, but about the prospect of losing him.

“Could you stay the night?”

She was asking him not to leave. He smiled, feigning reluctance, and nodded.

“If it makes you feel better, I’ll stay.”

The anxiety on the faces of the two women vanished, replaced by relief. As if his decision had solved everything.

“Then, can we play games all night with Mister? How about Pokemon?”

“Yes! Let’s play together!”

Although the intimacy notification only came from Min-ah, Hyun-seo had clearly become very fond of him. She who had been hiding behind the door now sat beside him, chattering away happily. Min-ah watched them, a strange light in her eyes.

—

He and Hyun-seo played Pokemon, a pirated version, until late into the night. The game had lifted the heavy atmosphere caused by the zombie incident.

“Thank you, Seo-ho-ssi. You must be tired, but you played with Hyun-seo so late…”

Min-ah gave him a blanket after he put Hyun-seo to bed. He smiled warmly as he accepted it.

“It’s nothing. I enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere. I almost forgot about the zombie apocalypse.”

“Hee hee, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. It’s been a while since we felt this, right?”

“Yes, seeing a child laugh makes you feel alive.”

Min-ah’s expression softened, and she blushed slightly. She sat beside him on the floor, her own blanket in her lap.

“I don’t know how long it’s been since Hyun-seo was so happy.”

She began to speak quietly.

“Even when my husband was here, we were always worried about food and the monsters.  It was always a dark atmosphere. And then, he went out to search for food…”

Min-ah’s face darkened, and her hand tightened around her blanket.

“Hyun-seo was looking for her dad, and she’d get bored being trapped inside. It was hard for her to endure this environment.”

She glanced at him. Her previously dark expression brightened, a soft smile on her lips.

“It’s all gotten better since you arrived, Seo-ho-ssi. You bring food… and thanks to the game, Hyun-seo had so much fun today. I haven’t been able to think about her boredom at all.”

She moved closer, her shoulder brushing against his.

“I guess I’ll never be her real mother.”

Min-ah lowered her head, her expression sorrowful. He gently covered her hand with his.  She flinched, but she didn’t pull away.

He spoke softly, offering comfort.

“Anyone would have done the same in this emergency.  Even Yoon Kang-hyun-ssi, her real father, would be similar to you.”

“……”

“And I can see that you care for Hyun-seo more than anyone. You’re not even her biological mother, and you’re so responsible. That’s not something anyone can do.”

“……Seo-ho-ssi.”

“So don’t blame yourself. You’re doing great.”

Min-ah’s eyes, glistening in the moonlight, shone as she looked at him. He smiled playfully.

“And I’ll keep helping you. You can take some of the burden off your shoulders. I can definitely take care of us all.”

—*Ding.*

As he finished his sentence, a familiar notification appeared.

[‘Baek Min-ah’s’ intimacy has increased.]

[‘Baek Min-ah’s’ intimacy has reached its maximum.]

He felt Min-ah’s hand, which he was still holding, grasp his tighter.  Warm and soft. Even though she was acting as a mother, her essence remained that of a woman in her twenties. He could feel her nervousness and excitement through their joined hands.

“Seo-ho-ssi… you’re such a good person.”

She blushed and smiled, glancing at him.

“You’re so kind and I feel so relaxed next to you… it’s strangely making me nervous.”

Her shoulder pressed closer to his.

“It’s late. You should go to bed, Min-ah-ssi. I’ll keep watch by the door.”

“……”

He said this, checking the time, but she hesitated, then spoke carefully.

“Can we talk a little more? I… I’m okay with it.”

He smiled at her, but his smile held a different meaning. They talked for a while longer. Min-ah eventually fell asleep, her head in his lap.

He looked down at her peaceful face, a smirk on his lips.

“Just the last piece of the puzzle.”

When the time came, he would learn if she was a virgin. He stroked her hair, admiring her curves, and fell asleep sitting beside her.

—

The next morning, Min-ah woke up with her head in his lap. She brushed her hair, looking shy.

“S-Sorry. I fell asleep without realizing…”

Her expression had shifted from the burdened mother to a young woman with fluttering heart.

“It’s fine. I slept well thanks to you.”

“…Hee hee, I’m glad my mistake was helpful.”

The human heart could not be controlled by will. Even if she loved Kang-hyun deeply, she couldn’t help but be drawn to someone who extended his hand when she was on the verge of falling.  She wasn’t fully aware of it yet.  But her primping and fussing over her appearance was a welcome sight.

“I’ll be leaving for real this time.”

“……Yes, please be careful.”

“Of course. I have people to protect now. I promise I’ll be back.”

Min-ah blushed at his words. Hyun-seo was still asleep, so leaving now would be the least disruptive. He left Min-ah’s apartment, heading towards the National Library.

He went there for one reason.

“…Look at these guys.”

He needed to verify if the zombies had correctly carried out his orders.

“They’re all gathered.”

He arrived at the National Library and saw a large group of zombies, just like before.  They had formed a circle, leaving an open space in the middle. He pushed through the crowd and reached the center.

A man’s lifeless body lay on the ground.  He compared the corpse to the photo in his pocket and smirked.

The body, surrounded by zombies, was Yoon Kang-hyun, Hyun-seo’s missing father.

—–CROW—–