Marauder of the Apocalypse-Chapter 51: Recapture

The indoor farm was bustling with activity. First watering the lettuce, turning on grow lights, updating villa district people on the situation, watching zombies.

The unknown street person was most enthusiastic. They even got out candles stored in the farm, going to the trouble of double-boiling white paraffin to attack zombies.

"Die!"

Glancing toward the window, I saw zombies jumping around covered in melted paraffin.

Several had already been hit - zombies wearing hardened white paraffin like masks wandered the street flailing their arms.

"Wow."

Hadn't thought of using candles as weapons. Better than expected for defensive warfare. Water was safer and more efficient, but paraffin had considerable power.

Above all, I liked how it looked. Perfect for horror movie aesthetics.

'Could probably upgrade the crosses too? If we pour melted candle wax...'

While rubbing my chin thinking this, Do-hyung put the brakes on creative applications.

"Look, I get it, but please save the candles. We'll need them for light when electricity cuts out."

That was true. With working water supply, water was practically unlimited - using water instead of candles was more economical.

But now wasn't the time for such concerns. Trapped by zombies, time to make them suffer as much as us. Had to share our pain with fierce determination before those zombies would withdraw.

I summarized these thoughts:

"Tomorrow doesn't exist. Forget resources, tormenting zombies comes first."

"This person's lost it again."

Do-hyung shook his head in disgust and focused back on work. Carefully distributing fertilizer to the lettuce.

Having no interest in such boring tasks, I tapped the street person's shoulder.

"I'll handle the water throwing."

"No. This is-"

"Take a break and help with that work."

The street person holding the bowl of melted paraffin slowly nodded. They had a conscience.

Wasn't it unfair to keep the fun work to themselves? I'd risked danger coming here and suffered through lettuce watering work - I deserved enjoyable tasks too.

Excitedly holding bowls of melted paraffin and hot water, I looked down at the entrance area.

'Please come out. Ah, there.'

A zombie poked just its face out looking up. I quickly poured hot water first, but the zombie swiftly pulled back its head avoiding the water before darting out.

Though the movement seemed calculated for delay, humans have two hands. I immediately splashed the melted paraffin.

"Kreeeek!"

Barely missed. Only hit the crown and back of the head. The zombie jumped repeatedly before fleeing past the street without looking back.

Just like whack-a-mole. I grinned while refilling the cup with hot water, focusing intensely on the entrance area until my eyes hurt.

"Must still be lots of zombies?"

Time passed. Reclaiming the villa district from zombies progressed slowly. Rather than wiping them out at once, it was a process of slowly tormenting zombies until they had no reason to stay.

Hot water rained from throughout the villa district. Following quickly spread information, everyone used efficient weapons.

Zombies casually entering the villa district were soaked with boiling water and fled in panic.

Even zombies inside villa buildings started showing signs of withdrawal.

"Kreeeek..."

Craning their necks to look up, zombies running away in confusion.

They'd even learned to work together, lifting dead people or zombie corpses as umbrellas for defense. Though fortunately just for escape, I clicked my tongue.

"Isn't their patience too weak?"

If they trapped people inside, they should be prepared to be trapped too. Running away just from some water splashing. Could they even call themselves zombies?

I pointlessly threw water toward the entrance. Though no zombies emerged, it was a warning and threat.

You can't leave, it said. If you try, be prepared for injury.

"Watering's done, fertilizer's applied. Can we go to the other houses now?"

"Now? Think there are still zombies outside the entrance." freёwebnoѵel.com

Park Yang-gun and Do-hyung's conversation. Park Yang-gun came beside me and glanced down at the street, tilting his head.

"Was gonna climb the gas pipes to enter through windows. But would zombies learn from watching?"

"They probably would."

I quickly waved my hands stopping Park Yang-gun. This was scary. Zombies learning to climb gas pipes and enter through windows? Would be horrific if any appeared.

'Surely there aren't already zombies like that? No, there might be.'

When humans found ways to deal with zombies, zombies watched and learned. Like zombies throwing bricks during the church siege.

If they watched parkour athletes crossing the city and learned those movements and routes...

"Oh."

A zombie appeared. I instinctively twisted my wrist pouring hot water but missed the sprinting zombie.

At the same time, zombies remaining in the farm villa burst out running. Like being chased by a bear, they sprinted desperately.

"No, ah."

No water left. Though I hurriedly refilled from the kettle, the zombies had already fled. No more emerged from the farm villa.

No more came either. Zombies just entering the villa district saw the fleeing ones and stood blankly before turning away.

The villa district grew quiet again.

We'd reclaimed the street from zombies for now. A moment of peace arrived.

I dropped my hands in disappointment.

The zombies that trapped us, ruined our lettuce farming, destroyed the rewards of my efforts - we hadn't properly revenged ourselves...

At that point Do-hyung pressed his ear to the entrance door, then attached the safety chain and opened it slightly before taking out his phone.

"This is the farm. All zombies withdrew. Other people can come water crops now."

Saying to call people to manage crops since zombies had withdrawn.

I sighed deeply. Fun revenge like today would be hard to get again. Couldn't do it once water, gas and electricity were completely cut.

Anyway, trying to be satisfied with surviving, I melted several candles.

'Let's upgrade the crosses at least.'

As I poured paraffin over rotting crosses in the street, villa district people started appearing one by one.

Some approached carefully looking around with each step, some dragged corpses while swinging bloody weapons having found remaining zombies, some walked cheerfully with bright eyes.

But they all briefly stopped walking when they saw me.

"Uh, what are you doing...?"

"The crosses' effect was wearing off so I'm upgrading them. Someone from that villa gave me the idea."

"..."

Though they seemed to subtly move away from me, it was probably because they wanted to quickly reach the farm.

Then I suddenly noticed an empty spot.

My tied-up zombie. The virus generator. It was gone. Whether other zombies freed it or rain loosened the ropes, nothing remained where the zombie had been tied.

"Not dead though. Escaped? ...Had it a while anyway."

Well, if it escaped we could just catch and tie up another.

After roughly reinforcing the crosses, I stretched wide before returning to the farm.

---

Entering the house full of presences, people were gathered messily with dark expressions.

The man held his notebook, marking with his pen.

"So many dead."

Peeking at his notebook showed a personnel list. Black lines crossed out names on pages listing villa district people.

From the grandfather who died of heat exhaustion in the first zombie attack to the two who died entering the farm.

Not a small number had died. Looking around, all villa district people gathered in one house but were very few. Especially young working people had decreased greatly.

Such a gathering should have felt suffocatingly crowded, but comfortable distance remained between people.

'Good. Still have people to farm, and resources left from the dead.'

Decent results overall.

The man darkly fiddled with his notebook before suddenly turning his head. Looking toward the children's mother. His voice came out strained:

"The children...?"

"Contacted the school, they're alive. Even talked to them on the phone."

The mother spoke brightly with relief before quickly changing to a heavy tone after reading the atmosphere.

Either way, news of living children was welcome even in this situation. People made various relieved comments.

"Good thing we sent them to school."

"They have soldiers and police. Better than here."

A hopeful mood of surviving another day.

They looked around before checking the crops. Lifeless leaves that hadn't gotten water.

"Oh dear. No strength at all."

"Let's water them quickly."

People moving busily. I slowly withdrew. I'd performed the most dangerous task of accessing the farm. Time to rest.

Leaving the man and Do-hyung contacting other groups behind, I returned home.

The road soaked with rain, our water, and paraffin. Quiet as if zombies had never come, with hot sunlight and humid air clinging sticky to skin.

Looking up suddenly, broken windows from wind and rain were visible. Not just ground floor glass within human reach, but windows high up had started breaking too.

Like people dying one by one and the world gradually rushing toward ruin bit by bit.