Chapter 31

Chapter 31

A dark dawn in which the moon in the sky can be seen covered by low clouds.

In the slums where the poor had fallen asleep after an exhausting day, a sharp shout echoed.

“Kyaak! M-monsters!”

At the same time, in the darkness, corpses began to raise their bodies one by one.

Reanimation that cannot possibly be explained in words. Have the dead really returned on the ‘Night of the Dead?’

Because of the sudden commotion in the middle of the night, the townspeople watched the scene with a mixture of curiosity and fear.

But soon.

“Argh! L-let go of me!”

Onces the bodies of the dead began attacking the residents, only screams became rampant in the town.

“Get lost, bastards! Don’t come this way!”

Bang–! Bang–!

Several cartel members with weapons in their houses resisted using their guns, but…

Not long after, the bullets inevitably ran out and they were attacked by the monsters.

Soon, the residents attacked by the monsters turned into monsters themselves and began attacking people around them.

“Kruaawr! Keuk! Keuh!”

“G-go away! Go away! N-no!”

The undead son gnawed at his mother, and the father attacked his undead daughter to survive.

In no time, the scene of the town turned into chaos.

And…In such a hellish landscape, a beastman girl was lying down under her bed, holding her breath.

Boom–Boom–

Someone unknown knocked on the door. A dull echo like hitting stiff wood.

She prayed that it was a drunk person who had come to the wrong house.

Boom–Boom–

However, the sound of knocking on the door grew louder and louder. Not long after, the door, which had been flimsy from the beginning, broke down.

Thud–Thud–

The sound of someone’s footsteps resonated in the narrow room.

She held her breath with sweat all over her body. The sound of footsteps was approaching closer and closer.

‘P-please don’t come this way!’

And…

Finally, someone’s feet were revealed between the gap in the bed. Beastman feet with long toenails and red manicures.

As soon as she saw that, she covered her mouth with her hands.

‘M-mom?’

After her father, who was a member of the Turbak Brotherhood, died a few months ago, she had been living alone with her mother.

It was hard to even have a meal day by day, but she was able to endure it because of her mother. It was the same mother who went to work late every night and didn’t return until dawn.

She wanted to welcome her mother home each night, so she would quietly open her eyes at this time of day.

However…

Her mother, now, with her eyes turned upside down, was looking at her while lifting the bed.

“Keuaak, kruaawr!”

“M-mom…Don’t do this…”

She stepped back from her mother who had turned into a monster. But her mother, as if she didn’t recognize her, bared her teeth with droop dripping.

The wide open mouth exuded a terrible rotten smell. And there was unknown blood smeared around the open mouth.

“N-no…”

She sensed her end as she watched her mother inching closer and closer.

The moment she closed her eyes,

Awoo–

A wolf’s howl came from somewhere.

And in a blink of an eye, the walls of the house were broken, and at some point, something of a huge size was biting her mother’s entire body.

Crunch–Crunch–

The girl slowly looked up at the figure. It was a wolf with black fur as dark as the night.

Ptooey–

The wolf spat out the body it had been chewing onto the floor.

The torn body of her mother, whose shape had become unrecognizable, sprawled out on the floor.

Then the wolf looked down at her. She met the wolf’s mysterious violet eyes.

“Ah, ah…”

Her body stiffened and she was unable to move. She felt like it would chew her with those big teeth at any moment now.

However, the wolf seemed not very interested in her, as it snorted and ran somewhere, breaking the walls of the house again.

Before she knew it, her pants were damp. She seemed to have wet herself without realizing it.

It had been three years since she last wet her bed, but now she doesn’t even care about that.

Everything just felt like a dream.

Strangely, even when she looked at her mother’s body lying on the floor, she didn’t have any feelings.

In her head, she knew that she should be sad, but now, only the appearance of a huge wolf that saved her a moment ago replayed in her mind.

‘W-what in the world…’

The wolf, was it the guardian deity of the Turbak tribe that her father had told her about since young?

As soon as she thought that, more people jumped into the open house. They were children who seemed to be of similar age to her.

“You there! Are you okay?”

“U-uh?”

Each of the children held guns that were large enough to cover their bodies in their hands.

One of the children spoke.

“We’re in the middle of a cleanup operation, so you need to evacuate to where the other children are over there.”

After saying that, the children were about to head somewhere. The girl looked at the children and unknowingly shouted.

“W-wait! T-that big wolf just now. Did you see it too?”

Then the children looked back at each other, smirked and laughed, and soon spoke in a very proud voice.

“Well, you’ll find out soon enough.”

When the girl heard that, she nodded as if possessed.

* * *

“T-thank you. Thank you so much.”

Pumpkin looked at the back of the child who had thanked him and was leaving.

A beastman girl that was about to be attacked by her mother who had turned into a monster.

And she would have become the same monster if Noah hadn’t come forward and helped in time.

‘How many times is this?’

So far, Noah and the children have saved countless people from the monsters in this town.

– Thank you…Thank you so much.

– You guys are my saviors.

– T-thank you, Pumpkin. I won’t forget this grace…

People bowed their heads and thanked them each time a monster was killed.

And the moment Pumpkin received such praises he would feel a deep pleasure.

‘I saved these people!’

Even adults, who usually ignore them and point fingers, nodded their heads in a servile manner in front of their guns.

He was no longer useless. Unlike what his father always said, he wasn’t just trash that was wasting rice.

‘With Noah-nim…I can do anything.’

All of this was the teachings that Noah had given him.

Noah gave not only himself but also other children who were in a gutter the strength to live on their own.

Unlike the hypocrites who come to do volunteer work just to show off from time to time, Noah was concerned about the children and had taught them how to catch fish themselves.

Noah was younger than him, but he didn’t care.

Rather, being so capable at such a young age, doesn’t it prove that he was a special person?

‘As expected, he’s…God!’

If Noah isn’t God, how can he turn into such a huge wolf?

And he himself was the first child chosen by God.

‘Noah-nim left the children to me.’

Pumpkin looked at the children fighting with a solemn look. The order given by Noah was to make sure that the children are never hurt.

‘What sweet and compassionate words.’

It was his mission to carry out the order.

“Everyone, back up! Move in the closed formation that Noah-nim taught us! Pie! Especially you! Don’t move by yourself!”

“Kyaak! It’s okay! Noah-oppa said I can do whatever I want!”

“Keuk…Still! Be careful!”

“Okay, okay.”

Thus, Pumpkin led the children and continued to hunt the monsters.

There were times when it was dangerous, but each time, Noah, who had turned into a huge wolf, would kill the monsters.

With just a kick, the evil monsters were purified instantly.

It was an overwhelming strength.

‘Ah…We have to publicize this greatness.’

For a while, Pumpkin looked at Noah’s figure with a dreamy look.

* * *

I’ve been constantly looking at the messages that come to mind for a while.

[The effect has activated.]

[Favorability has increased.]

Why does this keep popping up?

I was just hunting, but I keep getting the message that my favorability has increased.

Of course, I unintentionally saved several people in the process, but I didn’t understand this degree of increase in favorability.

It came up a few times when I was suppressing the terrorists in the hotel, but it wasn’t this many…

I glanced back.

Then, I saw the number of people that had increased to nearly 30 following me.

And most of them were children of a similar age to me.

Hmm…Do kids like warriors?

Each one of them held a weapon in their hand.

“Understand?! From now on, all answers will be unified with a ‘Yah!'”

“””Yah!”””

Next to them, Pumpkin and Pie were educating the other children as if imitating a war game. Perhaps because of the large number of people, their form looked quite passable.

Thanks to this, the countless weapons that were used to arm the army were gradually decreasing at a visible rate.

Well, it doesn’t matter since I’m growing stronger…

But the problem was the possibility that these guys might be included in the Challenge.

[Challenge – Guide the Lamb.]

Condition: Protect the children until ‘Night of the Dead’ is over.

Period: 3 days.

Reward: 1x Random Box (Medium).

I don’t have to protect all of these other children, do I?

It felt a little ominous, but I wanted to believe it couldn’t be.

But just in case… For now, I better make it clear.

“Pie and Pumpkin, come here for a second.”

They ran to me without looking back. Their eyes sparkled to the point I felt uncomfortable.

“You called? Noah-nim.”

“What is it, oppa?”

Looking at them, I made sure that these brats didn’t misunderstand.

“If possible, hyung and the children of Hairy’s house fight in a safe place. In fact, it’s uncomfortable for other people to get hurt, but first and foremost, these members mustn’t get hurt.”

Then suddenly, Pumpkin and Pie began to tear up.

“N-Noah-oppa…”

“Keuk…N-Noah-nim…Yes Sir! I’ll definitely complete this mission.”

“…”

It seems these guys were getting weirder and weirder. In particular, that punk Pumpkin’s eyes were suspicious.

No way…He’s not a gay, is he?

If that’s the case, regardless of the Challenge, I intend to give up here.

Because I don’t make friends with gays.

As soon as I thought that, a message window popped up in front of me.

[The level of favorability has reached a certain level.]

[You’ve met the requirement to recruit ‘Pumpkin’ and ‘Pie’ as a companion.]

[Companions cannot betray you once they’ve joined your party.]

Hmm…I don’t think it would be a good idea to use these punks as companions.

Frankly, Elizabeth could be an SS-Rank level talent later on. Compared to her, I couldn’t carry these two in the party.

I refused to recruit them without any regret. Then another message window popped up in front of me.

[Recruitment rejected.]

[‘Pumpkin’ and ‘Pie’ will be registered as warrior’s followers.]

[Any target registered as a follower will not betray the warrior and can be converted to a companion at any time.]

Oh?!

I never thought there would be a function like this.

If a companion is like a party member, then is a follower the same as a guild member?

I won’t benefit from or , but it was enough that they won’t betray me.

If it’s like this…maybe they’ll be of use after all.

I think it would be convenient in many ways if I can make connections that won’t betray me while working as a hero in the future.

This is good.

Looking at the punks who were still tearing up, I smiled.

* * *

“Keuk!”

Wick, who was injecting mana into the mask, collapsed on the spot and spat out blood.

There was a bloody mess all around him. He tried to reach out and grab the mask again.

‘N-no…’

Four altars have already been destroyed. At this rate, Pero’s body will disappear before the end of today.

Wick squeezed out his strength and opened the incubator.

Then, with a terrible rotten smell, decomposed gas spread in all directions.

Pero’s body had already decomposed to the point where its shape had turned mushy.

“P-Pero…!”

Tears flowed down his wrinkled eyes. He finely sutured the scattered flesh with a surgical tool.

And then he added vitality to Pero’s body by infusing his own life.

His appearance, which was otherwise already old, had now turned dry like a crumbly old man on the verge of death.

“Heuk…heuk…”

He breathed heavily. Because of what he had done, Pero’s body has returned to a state that could be maintained for another day.

‘The last altar…I have to protect it.’

Malice swayed in his eyes.

He didn’t know who was playing this wretched trick on him, but he had no intentions of letting it go.

‘Even if I die…I’ll never let your soul rest in peace…’

He picked up the mask that was placed next to the incubator.

Then staring at it for a while, he took a deep breath and wore it.

Soon after, the negative energy of the dead exploded from the mask and it began to dig through his body.

“Kuaaaak!”

He screamed in pain.

The skinny flesh attached to his body suddenly fell off as evil magic filled the empty space around it.

After some time,

“I’ll make you regret messing with my dog.”

From the eyelids that were hollow, a green glow began to sway.

== Translator’s Note ==

1. Please report any typos, grammatical/spelling errors, sentences you find weird, and other etc…in the comment section .