<h4>Chapter 96 </h4>


    There was no way of telling how many forces the members of the Family had gathered up in Gwangjin-gu.


    Considering that there were four dong leaders and an officer, and all the underlings they could control… I assumed there would be well over five thousand of them.


    I knew that we would be overwhelmed by their numbers if all of them raided Seongsu-dong at once. That’s why I nned to wear them down a little by attacking their camp before they could attack us.


    I was certain that the dong leader of Guui-dong would react first if I attacked Jayang-dong.


    Counterattack, or bolster their defenses? That was the question.


    I nned on making sure the dong leaders had to make tough decisions at each juncture.


    I wanted to sow chaos.


    The dong leader of Guui-dong would have to adapt to the new situation. And just like a zombie should, the dong leader had better live up to the nasty fight I was bringing him.


    I took a deep breath, then gave orders to the underlings behind me.


    <i>''Everyone, advance.''</i>


    <i>GRRR!!!</i>


    All of my underlings, who had been hiding in the surrounding buildings, poured out into the streets, filling the air with their throat-rending cries.


    I walked into the middle of the main road, over a thousand zombies at my back.


    <i>One thousand and two hundred and fifty zombies.?</i>


    Among them were five stage-one mutants.


    I had all my underlings with me, except for one hundred that were managing the zombie prison, and another one hundred that were defending Shelter Hae-Young.


    I had no clue what this dong leader of Jayang-dong was like, but I knew that they had to brace themselves for what was about toe.


    * * *


    As I approached the border of Jayang-dong, I began to sense a chill in the air, whichplemented the dreary atmosphere.


    Amongst the thickyers of dust and shards of broken ss, unrecognizable objects were scattered all over the ce.


    There were absolutely no traces of people, and all I could see were marks of pain, indicating just how much devastation this ce had gone through.


    My glowing red eyes red, and I heightened my senses. I became acutely aware of my surroundings.


    I leaped onto the rooftop of a four-story building in front of me to get a better vantage point, crouching down as I scanned the area. My eyesnded on a crowd of zombies that were about four hundred meters away.


    <i>A thousand? No… Fourteen hundred of them?</i>


    The zombies that filled the street were all glowing red, and two zombies of a different build were conversing in the middle of the crowd.


    Although I couldn’t hear their voices, they were nodding and exchanging hand gestures, which suggested they were zombies with glowing red eyes.


    <i>''One must be a dong leader… But then what about the other one?’</i>


    I assumed that there would only be one zombie with glowing red eyes, but an expected guest was there as well. I decided to monitor the situation instead of attacking. I guessed that the other one might be a signaller, who was reporting back to their officer.


    I crept as silently as I could into the darkness, trying to get close enough to hear their voices. After passing a pile of stinking garbage, I headed further into the dark alleyways of the city.


    I made it as close as fifty meters,ying t on the ground and focusing all my attention on my hearing.


    “Said…"


    "Then… When they… We should…”


    Even though I had heightened my hearing as much as I could, their conversation was notpletely audible. The only thing I could hear clearly was when either one of themughed at the top of their lungs.


    Judging by the way they wereughing, I assumed that they weren’t preparing an imminent attack on Seongsu-dong. I couldn’t help but grin as I watched them with their guard down.


    I entered the building on my right and examined the surrounding terrain.


    To the north was a middle school, and at the southern end, I saw Ttukseom Park, which was at a lower elevation.


    The fact that they were waiting on the southern side of Neungdong-ro made it clear that this was the vanguard that would be attacking Seongsu 2-ga, 1-dong.


    There were two enemy leaders,manding about fourteen hundred underlings.


    I was surprised that there were two zombies with glowing red eyes, but it wasn’t too much of a hindrance to my n to intercept the vanguard before they attacked.


    I gave orders to my underlings that were waiting at the border of Jayang-dong.


    <i>‘Stage-one mutants: move south to Ttukseom Park. First, second, and thirdpany: wait for my orders.’</i>


    After giving them orders, I could sense and visualize them moving along their respective routes. When my mutants arrived at Ttukseom Park, I gave them additional orders.


    <i>‘Mutants, advance north along Neungdong Road. Kill all the zombies that look red along the way.''</i>


    After receiving the order to advance, the mutants roared out throat-rending cries and advanced along Neungdong-ro.[1]


    The building I was in gave me an overview of the whole area. I noticed the two members of the Family looking toward Ttukseom Park once they heard the monstrous cries.


    The mutants leaped over buildings using their long limbs and crashed into the enemy lines, moving swiftly on all fours.


    Having been caught off-guard, the forces of the Family tried to respond to the threat without even having the time to get into formation.


    Even though I was the one who gave them the order to attack, I was still surprised by the amount of force these stage-one mutants could bring to bear.


    Since one mutant could easily take on fifty zombies, it was difficult to envision just how overwhelming it would be for the enemies to handle five mutants together.


    Zombie limbs flew into the air, and the main road was sttered with zombie blood.


    I quickly snapped my attention back to what I had to do, and urgently gave orders to the rest of my underlings.


    <i>‘Firstpany, join the mutants and secondpany head north, all the way to Achasan-ro. Tell me when red zombies appear from the east side. Thirdpany, stay where you are and kill all the zombies that try to enter Seongsu-dong.’</i>


    As I gave the orders, eachpany moved off in unison.


    I had five hundred underlings in eachpany, but the thirdpany was only at half-strength. Therefore, instead of throwing the thirdpany into battle, I used them as guards to secure my territory.


    I held back from entering the fray and continued to observe the situation.


    As soon as the firstpany joined the fight, The forces of the Family rapidly began to decrease. My five hundred underlings, with the mutants leading the charge, easily overwhelmed the one fourteen hundred enemy underlings.


    When I noticed that the scales were tipping in my favor, I snuck in behind the enemy’s main forces.


    If the leaders knew what they were doing, they’d probably order the retreat at any second. I was nning to go after the leader’s head as they pulled back.


    <i>GRRR!!!</i>


    <i>KWAAA!!! KWA!!!</i>


    <i>KIAAA!!!</i>


    The cacophony of zombie war cries echoed through the dreary streets.


    Neungdong-ro, which had been covered in dust, began to flood with zombie blood.


    The two zombie leaders noticed that they were fighting a losing battle and started to flee. It seemed like they were abandoning their underlings and retreating before it was toote.


    I did not let this chance slip by, and raced out of cover to stop them.


    The two of them halted as I appeared in front of them, blocking their path. They exchanged uneasy nces.


    I charged toward the enemy leader to my right. As I hurled a punch toward the enemy leader, it reflexively bent its upper body backward.


    <i>''It avoided my punch?''</i>


    Doubt crept into the corners of my mind. I quickly stepped back and observed their movements. The two of them controlled a total of fourteen hundred underlings. If that were the case, then given their physical capabilities, it would be difficult enough for them to even follow my movements with their eyes.


    <i>But how in the world…</i>


    The two looked back and forth nervously. Then the zombie on the right spoke to the zombie on the left.


    “Report back to the seventh officer.”


    "Roger."


    The zombie on the left quickly jumped onto the roof of a building.


    The signaller.


    I couldn’t let that zombie go.


    As I tried to chase the fleeing zombie, the zombie on the right shed toward me.


    It reached me in an instant, and I quickly dodged to the side, my eyes widening at its sudden movement.


    <i>Smash!</i>


    Its fist went through the wall behind me.


    Its arm didn’t break even after destroying the wall, which meant it had to be a leader that couldmand at least a thousand underlings.


    Right then, I finally understood the situation.


    One zombie was here to act as a signaller, and was not apanied by any of their own underlings, while the zombie in front of me was the dong leader of Jayang-dong, and was controlling the fourteen hundred underlings.


    I looked straight into its eyes and asked,


    <i>''So you’re the dong leader of Jayang-dong, eh?''</i>


    “Ha! This bastard shows up from the middle of nowhere and tries to fuck me up?”


    It looked me up and down.


    “Wait a minute. It’s you, huh. The one that killed the dong leader of Majang-dong and Seongsu-dong.”


    <i>‘Don’t you worry, you’ll be joining them soon.’</i>


    “Judging by your movements… I don’t doubt that.”


    It epted its death somewhat easily.


    I furrowed my brows at its reaction, and it continued with a smile,


    “It’s kind of obvious, if you think about it. The dong leader of Seongsu-dong was stronger than me. And if you beat the dong leader of Seongsu-dong… I don’t really stand a chance, don’t you think?”


    <i>''Then stop trying to fight back.’</i>


    “No, no, no. Given how things stand now… I think the only chance for me to survive is to keep you in check for as long as I can.”


    As I frowned and red at the dong leader of Jayang-dong, it sneered at me.


    “The guy that just ran away is going toe back with the dong leader of Guui-dong and the seventh officer. Till then, you’re gonna have to deal with me.”


    <i>''Well, that’s not part of my n.’</i>


    I sprung from the ground, my red eyes shing.


    I charged toward its torso in an instant and shattered its ribs. It coughed up blood and flew into the building behind it. I followed up with punches to the face and chest.


    The zombie leader coughed out dark red blood and hurriedly covered its face with its arms. I tightened the muscles in my legs and kicked its arms.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    My strike shattered its arms, and my shin drove straight into its Adam’s apple.


    The zombie leader let out a strangled cough, and its pupils dted as if its eyes were going to burst. Tears of blood flowed out the corners of its eyes.


    It slumped against the wall of the building, croaking out a final few words.


    “You… You… Bastard.”


    As I raised my right fist, it looked at me with eyes full of fear.


    "Ate… ck… ck creature…”


    The zombie leader slumped to the side before it could finish its sentence.


    It died before I could evennd my final blow.


    I wondered how it could tell that I had eaten a ck creature without having seen my regenerative ability.


    I shook my head violently and stomped on its lower body with my right foot. I knew that it wasn’t the time to be distracted by these useless thoughts.


    I let out a deep breath and gave orders to my underlings.


    <i>‘Firstpany and mutants, hide yourselves in Ttukseom Park. Everyone else, hold your position.’</i>


    <i>KRRR!!!</i>


    I jumped onto the roof of a building, hearing my underlings’ confident replies. As I looked around, my eyes fell on the signaller, who was already a fair distance away.


    I had to catch it.


    I couldn’t let it escape, no matter what.


    I ground my teeth audibly and channeled all my strength into my legs. I felt my Achilles tendon lengthen, and my thigh muscles bulged as if they were about to pop.


    My focus was totally on the signaller’s back. The surroundings around me blurred. My eyes were locked onto my retreating prey. My pupils narrowed, and my zombie instincts, which had been suppressed by my rational mind, took over.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    I leaped forward instantly, using the guardrail on the roof as a tform.


    The more I focused on my prey, the faster my blood began to circte throughout my body. All my senses sharpened like never before.


    <i>Whoosh–</i>


    The sound of wind rushing past my ears got louder and stronger, and each step I took was filled with such force that it seemed as if I was trying to smash a hole in the ground each time.


    Even though I wasn’t injured, steam leaked out from my mouth. I felt a tingling shudder run through my body.


    This feeling, this thrill… It felt like joy to me.


    Before I knew it, I had caught up to the signaller, and its head was in my palm.


    It took in a sudden breath and screamed at the top of its lungs.


    I smashed its face against the outer wall of the building in front of me, steam streaming out from my lungs.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The dreadful sound of a human skull being crushed echoed through the dreary streets.


    I… I could not calm myself.


    Even though I had gotten rid of the enemy, the tingling feeling inside me had no intention of going away. Instead, my zombie instincts cried out for more prey to hunt and ughter.


    Unable to shut off this thrill I felt inside, I began to feel angry.


    I clenched my fists to regte my emotions, but it was difficult to tamp down on the heightened emotions in me, and the constant ringing in my head only amplified my killer instinct.


    I covered my mouth with my trembling hands.


    I had to calm down somehow.


    I had to suppress my zombie instincts.


    I had relied too much on my instincts to catch the signaller.


    I bit into my right arm with my sharpened teeth. My flesh tasted fishy. I ground the bones in my hand between my sharp teeth. I tightened my grip and closed my eyes tightly. Only then did my heightened emotions slowly begin to subside.


    I sighed and slumped to the ground.


    Descending into madness to kill my enemies… That was something I could do when the officers showed upter on.


    But right now, I had to stay rational and hold on to my consciousness.


    The real fight was just about to start.


    1. The suffix ‘-ro’ indicates a road or street in Korean addresses. In this case, they are advancing along Neungdong Road. ??