NOVEL NEXT Chapter 24
Chapter 24: Quite Impressive
*
It was the first time Gang-ho had seen a party end with everyone, except for three people, completely wasted. It had been such a satisfying event that everyone had truly enjoyed themselves.
‘Thank goodness Lisa got drunk at the end; phew.’
Gang-ho pressed his chest, which was still fluttering. He had almost misunderstood her feelings as genuine.
He could still picture her swaying blue eyes and plump red lips before his eyes.
– How do I look?
Once more, he felt relieved that her flirtatious confession was merely her drunken words.
“Thank you.”
At the sound of Inder’s voice nearby, Gang-ho shook off his unnecessary thoughts.
“It’s not me who deserves your thanks. It’s more like—”
He glanced at Satoshi, who was grinning widely, clearing empty bottles and tidying up.
“Shouldn’t we thank that guy?”
“Hmm, good point. Haha.”
When did he collect that much alcohol, anyway? Seriously, why bother gathering drinks when life-and-death was on the line?
Nonetheless, thanks to him, they could enjoy drinking without holding back. Especially when he made a mix of beer and soju, he was almost worshipped like a god.
Moreover, Satoshi surprisingly took the drinking and entertainment seriously. He wasn’t prompted by anyone, yet he danced and sang, boosting the party’s vibe. Thanks to his efforts as a mood maker, everyone enjoyed the party even more. And that meant he was also one of the few who remained sober.
“By the way, Doctor, did you intentionally avoid drinking?”
When Gang-ho asked Inder, it was Satoshi who answered from a distance.
“He didn’t drink a single drop.”
It seemed they had already discussed this topic beforehand.
“Really?”
Gang-ho’s reaction made Inder chuckle.
“I hear that a lot. You’d think I could drink like a fish at first glance. Haha.”
And he certainly looked the part; he matched the typical image of an Indian heavy drinker.
“I didn’t drink, but I’m definitely feeling tipsy. It’s been ages since I could relax like this…”
He placed a friendly hand on Gang-ho’s shoulder.
“Don’t try to carry everything on these broad shoulders. Everything will turn out fine.”
Gang-ho smiled back at his warm expression.
“I’ll take your words to heart.”
He then turned his gaze toward the fence.
“Still, we have to take care of business.”
At that, Inder also turned to follow Gang-ho’s line of sight.
“What’s up? Is there something weird…?”
“No, just,”
Gang-ho reassured Inder first before asking.
“I was just thinking alone a moment ago; could you add your thoughts?”
“Go ahead.”
It had been two days since encountering the Lich, and after carefully observing the town, he felt confident it was safe. Hence, he had boldly allowed the party to happen. Yet, upon reflection, he was reminded of the dual nature of safety.
“I thought about the contrast between safe villages and the relatively dangerous outskirts. Where is it we should go?”
Inder understood the implications of his words.
“Even for you, it’s dangerous to go alone.”
“……”
There was no immediate answer, but he seemed to have his own thoughts on it.
Just as he expected, Gang-ho lightly smiled and replied.
“Well, that doesn’t mean we can just not go, right?”
He reassured Inder once more.
“I’ll only circle around the area.”
And then,
“Satoshi. You’re coming with me.”
Having nearly cleaned up the area and overhearing their conversation while trying to act casual, Satoshi jumped in surprise.
“Wha—?! You mean me?!”
Seeing his reaction sparked an unexpected determination in Gang-ho.
“Grab your tactical backpack and follow me.”
He ended that statement and confidently marched ahead.
‘Ah, I should have just gotten drunk instead. Why did I have to dance and sing?!’
Satoshi sighed inwardly and bowed his head to Inder.
“I’ll be back soon.”
*
It wasn’t long after the two stepped out of the armored vehicle that they spotted a group of undead.
“Seems like we’re in the wrong place, huh?”
Satoshi muttered as he pressed his body against the wall, sighing heavily.
Gang-ho knelt on one knee, staring into the distance as he replied.
“Well, I’d say it’s more of a lucky break.”
He truly meant it. In a situation where any clues about their movements or any kind of evidence were necessary, encountering them like this was fortuitous.
‘They weren’t around during the day. Could they have been hiding somewhere until night fell?’
After all, undead beings were the dead. While they weren’t strictly limited by the light of day, they were innately nocturnal.
So, encountering them at night wasn’t unusual. However, it did raise some questions.
Grrrrr.
Thud. Thud.
Clatter, clatter.
To the southwest of the town center, slightly beyond the outskirts, was what used to be the starting point of a walkway—Apartment Central Park.
There, dozens of undead zombies were scurrying about. Some were pulling carts loaded with stones, while others moved thick timber. At a casual glance, it hardly seemed different from a human construction site.
“What are they doing?”
Satoshi seemed just as curious about that.
“It looks like they’re building something.”
In truth, Gang-ho had a suspicion. He recalled seeing their living arrangements described in the Disaster Manual.
‘They’re trying to establish a stronghold. If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be an underground structure but a fortress.’
While observing their actions, he gradually expanded his sensory range, checking for any stronger presences nearby or sensing more entities.
The reason was,
“Satoshi. How close can we get if you go stealth?”
After a moment of silence, Satoshi quickly formed his judgment.
“As long as they’re not clustered together, I can get right behind them. I can manage around three meters back with two or three of them.”
Gang-ho nodded quietly. Satoshi was often full of gaps, but when needed, his focus was sharper than anyone else’s. That’s why he was a reliable ally.
As Gang-ho simulated several strategies in his mind, he turned to Satoshi.
[Name]: Satoshi Hanzou.
[…]: ……
[Traits]: Ninja.
[Level]: Lv. 15.
[Enhancement]: 80%.
[Attributes]: Surprise Attack. Shadow Protection.
[Special Skill]: Stealth, Throwing Techniques. (New) Critical Strike.
[Basic Effect]: (New) Unseen Edge.
[Auxiliary Skills]: Scouting, Tracking.
[Limit Effect]: Vanish.
Perhaps due to his trait as a ninja, he had become impressively silent. Looking back, his contributions always shone through at pivotal moments.
However, that was often unnoticed due to his secretive movements.
‘He’s definitely developed into something formidable. And now, he’s more than capable.’
In Gang-ho’s plans, Satoshi needed to become the attacking resource going forward. Knowing that experience greatly reflected growth, it seemed like the right time to assume a new position.
“Satoshi. Do you remember the attack patterns that Lisa and Reina have used until now?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go with that strategy.”
“……”
The reply didn’t come right away. There were no questions. He understood, yet it seemed he wasn’t fully convinced.
“The plan is simple. While I keep them occupied, you need to quickly reduce their numbers.”
“I haven’t done that before…”
It appeared his inexperience was a concern.
“Just adapt as you go.”
After a brief moment of contemplation, Satoshi nodded.
“Understood.”
Gang-ho met his gaze and nodded back, signaling the start of their operation.
‘If what I’ve observed is correct, there should be around thirty zombies here in total.’
As long as there were no reinforcements or Liches, Gang-ho believed two of them would stand a good chance.
Pah!
Swish, swish.
The electricity buzzing from Gang-ho’s shoulder blended perfectly with the dark night.
“I’ll stir things up, and you follow behind.”
“Ready.”
“Here we go.”
Tap-tap-tap.
Gang-ho began to run. At the same time, Satoshi instantly vanished into the shadows.
Swish.
As they closed in, the zombies were the first to sense Gang-ho’s presence.
Grooarar.
Hiss aaah.
While their language differed from human speech, they had their own way of communicating. The sudden howls from all directions indicated that their alert system had kicked in.
‘I’ve wanted to try this out, and it seems like a perfect opportunity.’
Gang-ho leaped towards the center of the sprawling undead horde.
Whooosh!
The instant his feet hit the ground, he soared into the air like a rocket with a delightful crack of sound.
“Oof.”
He jumped significantly higher and faster than he had anticipated. As he reached the peak of his jump and felt a brief pause in the air, he looked down.
The zombies were all staring up at him.
‘Got it.’
He had successfully captured their attention. With their focus on him, luring them in wouldn’t be too difficult.
Woosh!
Gang-ho’s body quickly descended towards the ground. The leap itself was a skill, and there was almost no impact during the descent and landing thanks to his high position. Still, the sound he made was powerful.
Boom!
In this moment before battle, a dangerous atmosphere hung in the air, but Gang-ho couldn’t help but smile.
‘Quite impressive indeed.’