How Zombies Survive in the Apocalypse

“Hmm…”

Behind the trees leading from the riverside to the forest, Roman lay on a mat, concealing his body with fallen leaves.

In front of him, a .50 caliber military sniper rifle, aimed at the upper reaches of the river, was laid out.

To anyone observing, it was the appearance of an excellent sniper.

However, his gaze wasn’t sharp, slightly dimmed, revealing a sense of lethargy rather than tension.

Embedded in it was more languor than tension.

Roman, who took on the role of a sniper, didn’t believe Aiden’s words about bringing the cougar here.

“…”

Roman scanned the riverside.

This place was not far from the city, and Roman knew this location well.

The riverside formed a long gravel field along the straight river.

Above it, the bushes hardly grew, ensuring visibility for hundreds of meters, making it perfect for sniping.

However, the cougar was a clever one.

In terms of prey and even zombies, it understood firearms at a primitive level.

That was the problem.

In a place like this, where there was no obstacle to block bullets, the cougar would never reveal itself.

Even the narrow road through the forest required an excessively cautious approach, confirming safety and crossing only after a long search.

Therefore, Roman was highly skeptical of Aiden’s plan.

Even if there was bait, Roman had almost no expectation that the cougar would easily reveal itself on this riverside.

However, still, Roman didn’t stop Aiden.

The reason was simple.

He just didn’t want to splash cold water on those who were working for him.

“…”

Roman thought about Aiden and his companions.

To put it bluntly, they were strange people.

Aiden, a man who didn’t show his face, was one of them.

A girl named Arian, who he thought resembled his granddaughter, but after a brief conversation, seemed to be living in a completely different world.

Sadie, a little girl, was the only one who seemed normal and cute.

And Roman didn’t dislike them.

Although they had only been in hiding for three days, the feeling was surprisingly good, as if it had been strange for so long.

Roman was puzzled by the reason for this emotion.

Was he… so lonely?

He had been alone for only a little over a year.

During that time, was he really so unable to move because of the kindness of others?

“Huu…”

When his thoughts reached that point, Roman let out a sigh of resignation.

Loneliness was an exaggerated tantrum for him.

He had things to do.

The screams of Olivia, who had still been dragged by the cougar, echoed in his ears, a moment that had been repeated dozens of times already due to nightmares, never forgotten or blurred.

Before he knew it, the memory of that time vividly resurfaced, and Roman came to his senses.

Intense anger and regret enveloped him.

At that moment, the contemplation and loneliness from a while ago disappeared as if they had been swept away by a whirlwind.

“What is this nonsense…”

Roman grumbled quietly.

He didn’t believe Aiden’s words, but lying quietly here now made him feel pathetic.

So, he decided to stop the nonsense.

Instead of wasting time like this, it was better to find traces of the damn cougar.

As he was about to get up, a beast’s cry came from afar.

Hearing it, Roman’s eyes widened to the point that it seemed as if they might pop out.

Surely – it crossed his mind for a moment.

It was unmistakable.

This was the roar of the cougar, an unforgettable sound from his dreams.

Roman swallowed his saliva.

Instinctively, he aimed at the direction where the cry came from through the scope.

And in the silence, he opened up his senses.

Suddenly, the doubt that had been full just a while ago was hiding its traces.

Without allowing himself to contemplate his capricious self, he felt a faint tremor in the ground.

The cougar was running towards him with powerful strides.

And then

“…!”

Hundred meters away, on the other side of the river, the cougar truly revealed itself by snapping a small tree in half.

After several months, Roman saw the face of the creature again.

Roman’s heart raced at the sight.

However, Aiden was nowhere to be seen.

The cougar, as if being chased by something, rushed along the riverside towards Roman.

Roman didn’t know why the creature was behaving like that, but he didn’t care.

He focused on the scope he was looking through, the gun supported by his hands, and the trigger he was gripping.

“Kughh-“

The cougar, with a rough pace, approached Roman along the river.

A crazy sprint, as if being pursued by something.

Impatience filled Roman’s heart.

It seemed like the creature would immediately leave the riverside and return to the forest.

However, it wasn’t the right time yet.

Roman calmly evaluated his sniping skills.

It was still too far to pierce the head of the creature that moved so noisily.

He needed to get closer.

So, Roman waited for the creature to approach even more.

“…No!”

Before that distance was filled, the cougar’s head finally turned aside.

Looking at the cougar about to run into the forest, Roman’s finger on the trigger didn’t know what to do.

Bang!

Then, a dry gunshot echoed.

Roman didn’t fire it.

The bullet flew from the forest where the cougar was heading.

Gunshots continued to echo from the bushes.

Was it Aiden?

He had that thought for a moment, but Roman’s consciousness quickly refocused on the cougar.

“—–!”

The cougar’s direction turned toward the river again.

The creature, which had run along the river, rushed toward Roman again.

The distance, which was hundreds of meters, rapidly narrowed.

“Huff…”

A hot breath escaped from the old man’s mouth.

With excitement shaking the muzzle, Roman gripped the gun with all his strength.

The scope followed the creature’s head, moving incessantly.

And slowly, the fingers holding the trigger exerted pressure.

“Grrrraa!”

Finally, the cougar recognized Roman’s presence.

At the moment its head looked at Roman.

Bang!

A .50 caliber bullet, capable of shattering an elephant’s skull, shot out at an unimaginable speed.

Pulling the trigger, Roman thought he had hit it for sure.

However.

Pow!

The cougar twisted its neck in an impossible direction, barely avoiding the trajectory of the bullet.

The lower part of its head grazed the bullet, and its jaw and snout were blown away.

The critical hit that made it impossible for the creature to eat prey again.

If it were a normal cougar, Roman would have ended it right there.

“Kuhhh!”

However, it was not an ordinary cougar but a zombie.

The mutant Beast finally spewed out a bestial rage toward Roman, who had taken away its jaw.

The creature was no longer cautious or cunning.

It was just a monster that surrendered itself to instincts and madness, running towards Roman.

Roman’s face was filled with despair.

A future where he would be mercilessly torn apart by those claws rushing toward him was depicted.

However, there was a flying figure in front of him.

“You-!”

It was… Arian.

Roman was shocked to see her.

More intense despair distorted his face than when he glimpsed his death.

But before he could say anything,

An unexpected and horrifying scene unfolded before his eyes.

Chwak!

Once, a black-haired girl who resembled his granddaughter.

The girl was slashing the front paw of the cougar with a bloody machete.

“Koeeo-“

The cougar, having lost one leg, slammed its head onto the ground along with a wail.

Arian looked down at the crippled cougar arrogantly.

Her gaze was eerie yet extremely cold.

“…”

Roman stared blankly at the scene.

It was an unbelievable event.

He couldn’t comprehend what had happened or why.

In his confusion, when Roman was lost in thought.

Arian turned her head and looked at him. The red eyes that had returned to normal were gently gazing at the old man.

Seeing this, Roman swallowed his breath and opened his eyes.

He thought her eyes were reprimanding him.

“Why aren’t you shooting right away? What was that about betting your honor and making sure to hit it?”

It felt like his granddaughter complaining to her grandfather, so Roman clenched his teeth.

Again, he brought his eyes to the scope.

The cougar with one leg was on the ground.

For a moment, he felt a pleasant sensation at the pitiful sight of the creature.

The trigger was pulled.

This time, he pierced the creature’s head.

After successfully hunting the mutant Beast.

Roman wept for a long time in front of the cougar’s corpse.

Aiden and Arian couldn’t say anything to Roman and just waited.

They already knew that this old man was carrying a heavy burden, so they didn’t attempt to offer any awkward comfort.

The intense sobbing, which seemed never-ending, gradually subsided as time passed.

After Roman’s crying stopped, it took a little more time before Aiden spoke to him.

“Are you okay?”

Aiden asked Roman.

Roman’s gaze, which had been fixed on the shattered head of the cougar, slowly turned towards Aiden.

His eyes had returned to normal, seemingly without him realizing it.

“…Thank you.”

Roman’s first words were expressions of gratitude.

He didn’t ask Arian where she suddenly appeared from or why she had such strength. He simply bowed his head in front of Aiden.

“Really… thank you.”

“There’s no need for that. This was a deal. If you pay the reward, that’s it.”

“Yeah, that’s right. But still, thank you.”

Roman, staggering, rose from his seat.

Then, he approached the corpse of the cougar, or more precisely, its head.

Staring intently at it, Roman wrinkled his face.

“Originally, I should preserve the head of the prey… but it seems difficult.”

The cougar’s head, which had been hit three times by .50 caliber bullets, no longer retained its shape.

So, instead, Roman grabbed the lower jaw that had fallen off.

From there, he pulled out the fangs of the cougar.

Enormous, almost like a weapon, the fangs were close to knives.

Roman stared at such fangs with a complex expression, then raised his head.

“…Let’s go back now.”

The group that had finished the hunt returned to their hideout.

However, Roman, with only one fang in his possession, immediately left the hideout again.

Aiden tried to dissuade him from going by saying it would be good to rest.

But Roman couldn’t be stopped when he said about going to the family’s graves.

And some time later, as the time for the sunset approached.

Roman returned to the hideout with eyes full of tear marks.

Although he looked quite tired, his face seemed much more relieved than before.

“Is everything finished?”

“Yeah, it’s all done.”

Roman smiled widely as he spoke.

“Thank you. It feels like I’ve finally put down a heavy burden.”

With repeated thanks, Aiden only nodded.

Roman seemed to notice that he kept saying the same thing, so he chuckled.

“It’s already time for dinner. Wait a moment. I’ll prepare tonight’s meal.”

As Roman was about to go to the kitchen, he suddenly looked at the adjacent room.

There was a warehouse where he had collected various weapons for hunting the cougar.

Once, he had desperately gathered each of them. But the gaze of the old man looking at the warehouse seemed to be looking at an empty room.

“Ah, right. You needed weapons, didn’t you?”

Roman turned to Aiden and asked.

Aiden nodded.

“Take as much as you want. I don’t need them anymore.”

Having said that, Roman swiftly entered the kitchen.

At those words, Aiden, unusually, felt a slight confusion.

Take as much as you want.

It was the first time he heard such words since becoming a junk dealer.

“Hmm…”

With a sigh, Aiden began sorting the items displayed in the warehouse.

The warehouse contained not only throwable explosives like grenades but also installation-type bombs like claymores and mines.

There were also perfectly equipped weapons, including .50 caliber bullets and guns capable of firing them.

However, Aiden already had a .50 caliber gun.

He had kept the large sniper rifle he used in Pittsburgh in good condition.

But he didn’t have the bullets for it, and coincidentally, he found bullets of the same caliber.

So, Aiden carefully selected his share among the weapons in the warehouse.

Only the appropriate amount for what he considered fair compensation.

Although Roman said he could take everything, it was a matter of Aiden’s principles.

“Now, let’s eat. Everyone worked hard today.”

Later, Roman returned with ample food.

Arian, Sadie, and Roman sat together for a meal.

It was the second meal they shared since the first day.

But this time, Aiden did not join them, and Roman, who brought his share, asked him.

“Aren’t you eating again today?”

“Yes.”

“…Disappointing.”

At the unexpected comment, Aiden looked at Roman.

Roman spoke again.

“You’re leaving this place tomorrow, right? Before that, at least let me see the face of my benefactor.”

“…”

It was a direct request.

Aiden, Roman, and even Arian and Sadie, who were eating, looked at Roman.

Then Roman unexpectedly grinned.

“Why, did I say something I shouldn’t have?”

It was just a request to show his face.

If you thought about it normally, it was nothing strange.

So Aiden thought about it for a moment.

Even if he did what Roman wanted, he judged that there wouldn’t be a big problem.

“That’s not a problem… but you might be surprised.”

“Surprised? Just by looking at your face? How ugly are you?”

“It’s not about that; I am a zombie.”

At Aiden’s plain confession, Roman furrowed his brows.

“W-what?”

“Still want to see?”

At first, Roman thought it was a joke, but soon he realized the serious atmosphere around him.

So he nodded seriously, and Aiden lifted the visor of his helmet.

Roman’s mouth dropped open when he saw the face inside.

“No, how… huh…”

Surprised, Roman stared at Aiden, then slowly shifted his gaze to Arian standing next to him.

The fact that Aiden was a zombie was shocking enough.

But as much as that, this girl named Arian was also an incomprehensible existence.

What on earth were their identities?

Thinking about it for a moment, Roman soon shook his head.

That was a story that didn’t matter either way.

Right now, he just wanted to treat his benefactor to a meal.

“…Well then. Does it really matter that much? More importantly, until now, didn’t you eat separately to avoid showing that face?”

“That’s correct.”

“Alright then, come and join us. You have your share too.”

With a smile, Roman spoke.

Aiden didn’t refuse Roman’s invitation.