Chapter 25: Search.

As I went down in the valley to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the starry crown
Good Lord, show me the way
O fathers, let’s go down,
Let’s go down, come on down
O fathers, let’s go down
Down in the valley to pray
In the valley to pray…

A Mutant.

Called a Special Zombie within the System, it’s an evolved, higher-tier version of a common zombie. Each possesses unique special abilities, potentially leading to differences in their appearance. At least, as far as I know, the Screamer and Hunter look practically identical to regular zombies.

But here, a zombie that breaks that mold is standing before me:
“H.Hello?…”

The star of the show is the Charger – a Mutant who brought about the downfall of this broadcasting station, which had stubbornly held out even after the zombie apocalypse.

[Charger

-Unlock Condition: STR 30+, CON 20+, DEX 15+

-Increased muscle mass, capable of exerting more force than ordinary zombies.

Special abilities: Push, Slam

-Unlockable Higher Entities: Titan or Juggernaut]

A hulking figure with a bulging right arm, like a muscular monster ripped straight from a drama – the kind who’d constantly bellow about protein.

The first impression he made on me was…

“Krr!!!”

A display of power, of sorts.

“Eep…”

With one swing of his colossal right arm, the information desk next to me collapsed into splinters.

“Uh… You’re not going to attack me, are you? Since I’m a zombie too?”

Just recalling the simple stats, his base minimums for Strength and Constitution are 1.5 times mine.

Moreover, considering the increased stats he must have, given his significant role in the fall of this broadcasting station, it might be 2 times, or even 3 times more.

Even putting aside the mere stats, clearly visible on this towering body – easily over 2 meters tall – are the lingering marks of a hail of bullets.

With the K1A submachine gun in my hands, I might just provoke him further, rather than inflict any real damage – the worst-case scenario was about to unfold…

“Krr….”

Still, fortunately, it seems like he also considers me some kind of “kin” unless I provoke him first.

“Sorry for being noisy earlier? Then I’ll be on my way?”

“Krr….”

s*ave Unit 1, no, I’ve been using the Hunter well as a porter using the Lure skill, so maybe this guy could be s*ave Unit 2…

No, I might be able to use him as a tank, but that seems a little beyond my abilities.

‘Tap’

‘Thud!’

At least I can easily subdue s*ave Unit 1 with my strength, but this guy is absolutely impossible to handle.

‘Tap’

‘Thud!’

He might be a huge help when destroying hostile survivor groups, but conversely, he could be a disaster in places like the orphanage group that I’ve already passed by.

‘Tap’

‘Thud!’

It’s also a problem that there are restrictions on vehicle movement, although there are no problems when moving on foot.

s*ave Unit 1 has almost no difference in physique from ordinary zombies, so I can just cram him into the back seat of the jeep, but

To accommodate this guy’s physique, I would need a truck or bus. Even if I load him up, it’s questionable whether the car can even run due to exceeding the transport weight.

‘Tap’

‘Thud!’

Ah, but…

‘Tap’

‘Thud!’

“Krr….’

Why does it feel like this guy has been following me all along?

I haven’t even used the Lure skill, does the Aggro skill have a hidden additional function that I don’t know about?

“Are you following me because you’re worried about me? Just a minute…”

Even though I usually tend to move while mixed in with the zombies, I’m still hiding that I’m a zombie as much as possible with items such as makeup and perfume, lenses, etc. in preparation for survivors who I might encounter.

Ordinary zombies still recognize me as “kin” and don’t attack me, but just like the Hunter thought I was a survivor and attacked me when I first saw him, if this guy is still suspicious of me, I need to clear up the misunderstanding.

“Well, you know for sure now, right?”

“Krr….”

Now you can go your way.

The elevator won’t work, so I’ll have to go up the stairs.

‘Tap’

‘Thud!’

Now I’m slowly starting to feel uneasy in a corner of my heart.

‘Tap’

‘Thud!’

I don’t know why, but it’s certain that this guy is obsessed with me.

‘Tap Tap Tap’

‘Thud! Thud! Thud!!’

I took a deep breath, “Haa, Hoo…”

‘Clunk’

I came out to the emergency stairs leading to the second floor, and after s*ave Unit 1 followed me in, I closed the door right away.

“Whew, now you won’t follow me.”

s*ave Unit 1 is looking at me with a dissatisfied expression as if saying, “Why? I’m different from him, you know?”

The second floor is the Viewer Center and Ra…

‘Crash, Bang!!’

Without saying a word, I went up as quickly as possible.

Please stop following me so much…

‘5F – Radio Technical Bureau, Voice Actor’s Room’

Somehow, I ran up the stairs to the 5th floor as quickly as possible.

“Ah, but what should I do to go down now…”

Thinking about the guy who will be waiting on the 1st floor makes my head ache for no reason.

“Grrr…”

s*ave Unit 1 is looking at me with an expression that seems to think I’m pathetic, Ugh, I want to just punch you! Ugh…

“Let’s focus on the purpose of coming here for now, if it’s the Radio Technical Bureau, there must be something.”

Let’s put aside the useless thoughts and focus on the main task.

I opened the door to the radio room, where the emergency broadcast was broadcasted until the end.

‘Rustle’

Various electronic devices and corpses that had been overturned and fallen at random in the radio room, cartridges and scattering piles of paper.

‘Click’

Just in case, I pressed the recording playback button on the radio rolling around nearby, but there was no response.

The words on the piles of paper soaked with blood between the floor and the corpses were severely smudged or erased, so I couldn’t read them at all…

The only phrase written on the relatively intact paper was useless information that contained guidance texts recommending survivors to take refuge and evacuate.

‘Clunk’

The other rooms in the radio technical bureau are the same, if not worse, there is no place that is less.

In order to grasp more useful information, I’ll have to search the places that so-called “higher-ups” like the president’s office on the 6th floor would have been at.

‘6F – President’s Office, Executive Office, Secretary’s Office’

“Krr!!”

I forced myself to ignore the roaring sound coming from downstairs of the stairwell and came up to the 6th floor.

The other floors were full of corpses and cartridges, but the number of corpses had significantly decreased from the 6th floor.

Judging from the fact that the number of cartridges scattered on the floor was gradually decreasing, the situation at the time, when they were cornered to the point of being on the verge of annihilation, is naturally reenacted in my head.

‘President’s office’

In front of the president’s office, which was cleaner than expected, I opened the door and as expected, a corpse welcomed me.

However, this time, it’s not rolling on the floor, but two corpses sitting on the sofa.

Except for the papers scattered haphazardly on the floor, the condition is much better than the messy floor right below.

On the table in front of the corpses on the sofa, there are also a few document files that can resolve my curiosity.

Roughly grasping the situation that was here, these guys are…
“They committed suicide.”

The rank insignia on the collars of the two corpses are captain and lieutenant respectively, and there is a K-5 pistol dropped on the floor.

One A4 sheet was placed between the files on the table, is this their last will and testament?

’20XX, May 27th.

I’m leaving behind the last record and journal here.

It’s been 2 months since I was dispatched here after the zombie incident, I came knowing that supplies were impossible in the first place, and there has been no news from the higher-ups since the last communication 2 weeks ago.

The force of a company has changed to a squad at one time, and eventually food, water, ammunition, and fuel have all run out.

With that monster breaking through the defensive line and even taking over the inside of the building, we can’t even retreat anymore.

The broadcasting station officials and civilians who helped with the broadcasting were evacuated by the broadcasting station helicopter, and we have completed the last broadcast prepared before they left.

There is no longer any hope for the survivors.

It’s been 2 hours since Lieutenant Hwang led the last suicide squad down,

We have been defeated.

I hope that this all has been resolved when someone comes and discovers this article.’

The ashtray with only the remains of burned cigarette butts left in a corner of the table adds to the sadness.

But the sadness is only up to there, I put down the will and picked up and unfolded one of the disorganized piles of files.

‘Trends in Global Infectious Virus Infections’
‘Declaration of Martial Law and Military Movement Plan’
‘Mutant Capture and Special Action Guidelines’

Yeah, this is exactly what I was looking for.

I finally found the first clue to unravel the mystery of this world.