* * *Yeomyeong’s manner of fighting was far from glamorous.It wasn’t like the desperate struggle typically seen in zombie stories, nor did it have the grandeur of overpowering force.His fight was more akin to labor.A fight like… how back-alley janitors silently moved their hands as they cleared all the filth for a mont of cleanliness.It started off with swordsmanship. Yeomyeong raised his sword and struck the head of the first zombie rushing at him.- Kyaaaaaccckk!The voice spilling from its rotten vocal cords was cut off, and rotten bodily fluids and flesh splattered everywhere.anwhile, another zombie opened its mouth and went for his arm, but Yeomyeong didn’t dodge. Instead, he threw a punch and crushed the zombie’s head.More bodily fluids, flesh, and bone fragnts soaked the floor of the cave. The first school uniform he had ever worn in his life beca mottled, like a butcher’s apron.It was a brutal sight, but the zombies, lacking the intelligence to comprehend it, continued swarming in, and Yeomyeong’s sword didn’t stop either.Then, after cutting down over a hundred zombies, his sword broke pitifully.One of his quick-witted companions—probably Seti—tossed him another, and he continued fighting.He had to switch his swords like this three or four tis before the weakest mber of the party, Soe Miri, was unable to endure it any longer and was forced to retreat.With the rear mage gone, the weapons they had seized from the attackers dwindled down quickly, and the party’s stamina began to wear thin.The Saintess, who had run out of bullets, squeezed her mana to the limit until she collapsed from exhaustion. anwhile, Miss Gemini lost consciousness after being bitten by a zombie.Wesley was the next to fall. He tripped over a zombie with only its upper body remaining and it only took a few seconds for the zombies to pin him under.And by the ti Yeomyeong pulled him out of the hoard of zombies, he was already in a dire state.The priests-in-training at the shelter poured mana into him, barely keeping him alive, but his injury was too severe to rejoin the fight.In the end, only three remained before the hole in the shelter: Jeon Yunseong, Seti, and Yeomyeong.All three were skilled and fit enough to fend off the zombies. However, none of them could fend off ten with just one hand.- Kyaaaccck!- Damn it, mages fall back!So of the zombies managed to bypass the three and enter the shelter.Although the students could handle one or two zombies by themselves, the number of zombies entering the shelter after getting past the three kept increasing with each passing mont.At this rate, even the exhausted Saintess and Soe Miri would be in danger.Yeomyeong stopped grappling with the zombies and leaped into the cave.“Yeomyeong?! Where are you going all by yourself…!”Soe Miri’s startled voice ca from behind, and almost imdiately, dozens of zombies turned their gaze toward him.Yeomyeong pulled the Handle of Uragan from his pocket.[O Vir—no, O Inheritor! You have finally co looking for ! Oh, zombies! You sure get entangled with the undead often! Where are the curses and magic that I need to block?]So it no longer called him ‘Virgin’? Yeomyeong felt a strange emotion as he replied in his mind.Forget the protective shield. Just shine so light right now.[… Light?]A light bright enough to draw the attention of the zombies will suffice. You can do that, right?[…My first task after being inherited is to beco a flashlight… I’m sothrilled,I could cry!]Despite its grumbling, the unicorn imdiately emitted light. All the zombies crowding the cave turned towards the light and looked at Yeomyeong.Then, the next mont, Yeomyeong landed right in the middle of the cave, surrounded on all sides.Bang!His unleashed mana caused the cave floor to hollow out. And soon, the zombies in the vicinity collapsed, creating a space around him.Yeomyeong pressed down harder against the ground and clenched his fist.“Alright… let’s do this.”A blue haze shimred around his body.
* * *A literal mountain of corpses was piled high in front of the shelter wall.
Seti caught her breath and spoke.“Whew… Uh, Cheon Yeomyeong-ssi?”Yeomyeong opened just one of his closed eyes to glance at her.“Are you okay?”Despite her light tone, her face was filled with concern.And judging by her expression, she wasn’t worried about anyone else because she was facing Yeomyeong with her back to everyone else in the shelter.On the contrary, Yeomyeong, facing the entire shelter, naturally responded with a cold expression and tone.“Why? Does it look like sothing is wrong?”It was all an act to hide the fact that they knew each other.While Yeomyeong felt awkward enough to make him cringe, no one suspected his behavior.Even the Saintess, who lay flat on the ground, mumbled sothing like, ‘See, see that rude jerk…’ while pointing at Yeomyeong, so there was no need to say more.Anyway, Yeomyeong and Seti exchanged a few words to check on each other’s condition.They spoke about things like the na of the martial art that emitted a haze earlier, about his life as a rcenary, and who among them had been the most helpful— a conversation important for the two of them but of little value to anyone else, went on for quite a while before the shelter door began to rattle as the lock was being released.- Just wait a little longer! We’ll rescue you right away!The mont the voices of adults could be heard beyond the door, the disheartened students finally let out sighs of relief.However, there was no noticeable cheering or joy because Yeomyeong and his party had already dealt with the terrorists and zombies threatening their lives.Perhaps because of their lukewarm reaction, the voices of the adults on the other side of the door grew more urgent.- Please wait! We’re almost there!Just as it seed that the lock on the shelter door would break due to the force being used on it, Yeomyeong slowly rose from his spot.“…It’s finally over.”He sighed as he brushed off the filth on his uniform.…To end up looking like this on the very first day of wearing a uniform… I guess uniforms and I aren’t ant to be.And with that useless thought in mind, Yeomyeong glanced around, only to be surprised on seeing that he was the only one standing on two legs.Seti and the others who had fought alongside him were all too exhausted to pick themselves up from the floor, and the other students were all gathered at a distance near the shelter wall.Just as the strange stares were becoming unbearable to him and was about to reach out to another party mber…Click.The large door swung open, and the adults entered the shelter. Most of the ard adults appeared to be academy staff.Except for one person.Click.A man holding a small cara. Having encountered plenty of reporters back in Manchuria, Yeomyeong was able to guess his identity pretty easily.“…How did a reporter get in here?”As if he was possessed by sothing, the reporter continued to photograph Yeomyeong.Being quite familiar with caras, the Saintess reflexively flung a gun at the reporter, but the last person to enter the shelter caught it mid-air.“…Ah.”Even the students who were rushing towards the staff stopped in their tracks and simply stood there with their mouths gaping due to the woman’s overwhelming presence.She glanced at the hole in the shelter, now blocked with zombie corpses, then grinned and strode towards Yeomyeong.Yeomyeong began to adjust his clothes unconsciously. As soon as she stood at eye level with him, she poked his forehead with her finger, snickering.“Long ti no see, mate.”“Yes, it’s been a while… Holy Sword.”Holy Sword.The students, who were still uncertain upon seeing her, widened their eyes in surprise. Especially Baonic, who had been hiding behind the other students, looked as if his eyes would pop out at any mont.And, as always, Holy Sword ignored the stares of the spectators and spoke her mind.“Didya use the thing I gave ya well? Judging by what happened in Manchuria, it looks like ya already mastered it.”“…Yes, it was very helpful.”“Reaaaally?”Her lone uncovered eye subtly scanned Yeomyeong up and down.“What’d he say, eh? Bet he’s stoked to have finally found a proper successor, yeah?”“Uh…”Yeomyeong held back his words, recollecting the final request of the Cot within the Cot Sword.- When you et Freya Cahn, be sure to return the dagger. I-I’m begging you.Recalling the desperation in the Cot’s voice, Yeomyeong carefully hid his expression.Although he felt sorry for the Cot Sword he had left back at the dormitory, but it seed nigh impossible to return it now.“…Can we talk about him later, just the two of us?”“Heh, ‘course. It’s a tough ask, eh? We’re both successors of the Cot, after all.”Holy Sword laughed lightly as she patted Yeomyeong on the shoulder.And that sight was pretty shocking to those who knew her well. And what she did next was enough to even shock those who didn’t know her on a personal level.“Oi, and you—getta pic with .”“…A picture? Isn’t that man already taking pictures?”Yeomyeong said, glancing at the reporter who was still frantically clicking the cara shutter.“Not those sorta pics. Let’s set up sothin’ really intense.”“…”What the hell was she talking about? While Yeomyeong was still bewildered, the Holy Sword began lifting his exhausted party mbers.“Let’s grab a solo pic of ya… What? It’s already done? Alright, then let’s snap one with your mates sprawled around here.”Looking sowhat honored, the party mbers took her hand and got to their feet.Only the Saintess coldly rejected Holy Sword’s hand and grabbed the hem of Seti’s skirt instead. Sighing, Seti helped the Saintess up.In any case, even the Saintess didn’t refuse to take a picture.The Holy Sword called the reporter over and began taking pictures of the party with the zombies in the background.From artificially staged battle-concept photos to natural poses of resting.While everyone was bewildered by the sudden photoshoot, Yeomyeong asked her cautiously.“…What’s the point of all this?”“Just adding a bit of flair beforehand… Nah, it’s just so political thing, ya don’t need to stress too much.”“…”“You’ll prolly’ thank in a few days.”Hearing her voice filled with confidence, Yeomyeong didn’t bother asking what exactly he’d be grateful for.In fact, he couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of aftermath the academy attack incident would bring about…
* * *Beyond the Dinsional Portal, was a country known as the Empire.
Once upon a ti, it was the mightiest and greatest nation in the world.Now, it was rely a shell of its forr self.Those who called themselves wise consoled themselves, saying that at least the shell remained, untouched by the capital, technology, and ideologies spread by Earthlings…However, the third prince had a different opinion.As the old Earth saying went, even when a rich man falls, his wealth lasts three generations.Even though it was just a shell of its forr self due to the mistakes of his father and grandfather, the Empire was still the Empire.As long as the great bloodline and will remained, the Empire would one day reclaim what it had lost to Earth and restore the glory of its past…The third prince often voiced such thoughts.Upon hearing it, his wet nurse would fret that saying such things would end up causing great trouble, but the third prince thought differently.Wasn’t it natural for soone born of imperial blood to harbor such ambitions, unlike those of lowly birth?Even his older brother, the crown prince, would simply shake his head at the third prince’s ambition, but the third prince didn’t stop at re words.I will prove that our bloodline is superior to Earth’s.Defying all opposition, the third prince crossed over to Earth and enrolled at Lord Howe Academy.On the day he left the imperial palace, he held his wet nurse’s hand tightly and swore to prove the superiority of the imperial bloodline.And since that day, the third prince had not forgotten that pledge he had made a year ago.He kept pushing himself relentlessly, working hard and striving even harder. And as a result of that, he retained the top rank in his class throughout his first year.There were students who could match him in various fields, but… in the overall rankings, no one could surpass him.Perhaps because of that, the prince fell into the trap of arrogance during his second year.He began to take the praise he received for granted, and advice to remain humble seed like envy from those who were less skilled.And because of that, the prince frequently skipped classes, without permission.Especially those damned joint classes—He didn’t even bother attending them.Why should soone as noble as himself have to sit in a classroom with the lowly?It was a pointless and futile exercise—at least, that was what he thought.And so, the prince confidently skipped the joint class today as well.But he shouldn’t have done that. At least not today.…- Kyaaaacckk!!The third prince fled from the zombies, regret gnawing on his mind.If only he hadn’t skipped the joint class.If only he hadn’t ignored the warnings.If only he had listened to the broadcast instructing them to head to the shelter.They were all useless thoughts, yet he couldn’t help but feel regret.It was hard to believe that he was on the verge of death just because he had skipped a few classes.He panted, gasping for breath, as tears stread down his face.“Gasp… Gasp… Soone… please, s-save …”He wanted to live.At first, he thought the zombies were nothing to worry about, but it didn’t take long for him to realize that it was just foolish bravado.It was impossible to face hundreds, thousands of zombies all by himself. It was already a miracle that he sohow managed to escape before he was surrounded.“Sa-save … soone, please…!”Those damn zombies didn’t tire and kept chasing him relentlessly.And perhaps because he had run around the school to avoid being surrounded, his stamina and mana had depleted a while back.“Is anyone there?! Save ! Please!”He eventually reached the faculty office in the main building.He hoped there might be a teacher inside who could save him, but all that greeted him in the office was gloomy silence.“Ah…”Is this how I, a prince of the Empire, will et my death?He let out a hollow laugh as he heard the footsteps of the approaching zombies echoing through the hallway.“Please, soone, anyone; just save … Imperial Father… Nanny…”Just as he was sinking down to the floor of the faculty office, on the verge of giving up on life, soone opened the office door and stepped inside.“Oh, soone here already.”Fortunately, it wasn’t a zombie… but the person’s appearance was hardly better than one.His entire body was drenched in blood, and it dripped with every step he took.If it weren’t for the familiar second-year uniform, one might have easily mistaken him for a crazed murderer.However, the third prince was in no position to be picky. Even this grueso figure now looked like a lifeline bestowed upon him.“H-Hey! Save !”The third prince spoke with urgency as he heard the footsteps of the zombies drawing closer to the office.“I am the third prince of the Empire! I can grant you anything you desire!”The blood-soaked student stared at the prince with a look of contemplation, before slowly getting down on one knee.In his hand was a sword, though the prince didn’t know when he had drawn it. The posture he assud, with the sword held forward and one knee on the ground, was one the prince was very familiar with.“A-a knight of the Empire…?”The guardians of the Empire, which had been disbanded by force by the Aricans.The very stance was how a mber from this long-forgotten organization would take when swearing loyalty to the Emperor.“I greet Your Highness, the Prince.”“A-are you perhaps…”The prince stared at him with disbelief.Upon closer inspection, even the sword in his hand was a genuine artifact of the Empire’s Knights—not so crude imitation made by Earthian, but one that flowed with mana.“Is this a dr-dream? Is this one dreaming?”Tears welled up in the prince’s eyes. He had never thought that he would encounter the glory of the Empire in a mont like this, in a place like this.“This is no dream, Your Highness.”Said the blood-soaked student as he slowly rose from his kneeling position. He used his blood-stained hands to help the prince stand up.“Your Highness, could you remain hiding inside the faculty office for now?”“Y-You’re going to fend off all those zombies all by yourself? No, perhaps you should carry , and we can escape together…”The prince expressed his opinion cautiously, but he eventually fell silent. The knight’s eyes, looking down at him, glead like snakes’.“You need not worry, your Highness. These zombies are no match for .”“I-If you say so, then I shall trust you.”The prince swallowed hard as he thought to himself.Was there a student like him in the second year? And why is he in the faculty office at this mont?However, those thoughts did not last long. The zombies had already sward into the faculty office and began banging against the door.Terrified, the prince clung to the knight. Raising his sword, the knight pushed the prince away, and headed toward the faculty office entrance.And just before he opened the office door, the knight seed to rember sothing and turned to the prince.“Your Highness, could you retrieve a wooden box from Mr. Morrison’s desk drawer while I’m fighting? It’s a finely wrapped red wooden box.”“…Are you asking to steal a teacher’s belongings?”“Steal? It was mine to begin with.”“…”The prince nodded quietly. It didn’t seem like the knight was lying. And even if he was, the prince had no choice but to believe him.“And just in case, it would be best if you remain in the office.”With those parting words that sounded unclear whether they were a threat or a request, the knight stepped outside the office.Amidst the sounds of zombies and sothing being smashed, the prince, now alone, crawled toward Mr. Morrison’s desk.
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