16th Death - Pulse
"JIHO!!" Amelie screamed, her face pale with fear.
"DON'T WORRY, IT'S JUST A SCRATCH..!" Jiho called back, facing the zombie head-on.
"N-Non..." Amelie murmured to herself, her gaze fixed on him, trembling.
"This... is a problem," Marcel muttered under his breath, his forehead slick with sweat as he glanced at Jiho. "He's infected now...! He's done for whether he kills that thing or not!"
As Jiho's mind raced to figure out a way to defeat the zombie, the message prompt appeared in front of him.
[Boyo. There's something I want to ask.]
'NOW!?' Jiho thought, frowning at the sudden message.
[Most people in your position would've taken my help without a second thought.] The message prompt's words hovered before his eyes. Jiho tilted his head, gulping.
"What's wrong with him!?" Amelie shouted, panic in her voice.
"I'm not sure... I think he's trying to figure something out," Marcel replied, scrutinizing Jiho. 'It's almost like... he's distracted? He couldn't be daydreaming at a time like this, right?' Marcel thought, perplexed.
[They would be like: "Heh... A Zombie System? Ridiculous. But I'll take it. I'll take it if it means growing stronger... devour the system, blah blah, make an omelette with it, stuff it in a sandwich and eat it all up, level up, blah blah, heh, new skills, heh, easy,; become the strongest] the Message prompt continued, mocking. [Let's be real, I don't know who hurt you, but you seem like the type who'd do just that.]
"..." Jiho remained silent, his fists clenching.
[So why don't you just accept my help? After everything that's happened, you can't seriously think this is just a hallucination from the infection. And who knows? You could become so strong, no one could ever hurt you again. All you have to do is accept my help.]
"... Fuck off," Jiho growled through gritted teeth. "I'll never accept your help."
[...]
"I'll never rely on someone else's strength again," he hissed, tightening his fist. "I did that my whole life..."
"That strength isn't yours, Jiho," Daniel's mocking voice echoed in his mind. "You can't do anything by yourself."
"Only Daniel has real strength. He's a real man, unlike you."
"And I JUST GOT FUCKED OVER!!" Jiho shouted, his voice rising in anger. "I GOT SPAT AT FROM EVERY DIRECTION!! JUST BECAUSE HE WANTED TO FUCK EUNHEE, HE THREW AWAY ALL MY TRUST LIKE IT WAS NOTHING!!"
Amelie and Marcel watched in stunned silence as Jiho raged, their eyes narrowing in concern.
'Is he delirious from the infection...?' Marcel wondered, clutching his injured arm in frustration. Amelie glanced at him, her lips pressed tightly together, a soft look of pity crossing her face.
"So, I won't trust anyone ever again. I'll only trust myself. That way..." Jiho gulped, looking past the message prompt at the approaching zombie. "I'll never be betrayed again."
[Okay, I understand.]
[Well, until you're done with all that, or die, I'll be here.] The message prompt's final message appeared, the tone calm, yet condescending. The words ignited a spark of irritation in Jiho's chest.
'Done with all that...!? This fucking system thinks I can just be done with it? It can go screw itself!!'
Shoving aside his fury at the message prompt, Jiho focused back on the situation. He glanced down at his lacerated chest and stomach, blood dripping from the shallow but painful wounds.
[ZOMBIFICATION: 79%]
'I don't have time for that..! I survived it before, I'll do it again somehow!' He thought as he ignored the message prompt, looking at the zombie again. 'That aside...'
'I didn't know these things could fight like that...! And while it wasn't deep, they hit hard...!!' His breath quickened, his vision narrowing as the blood continued to seep from his wound.
'How long has it been... Since I bled from a fight...?' He raised his gaze to scrutinze the zombie, which began to tumble its way toward him.
'It's coming... Now what do I do!? I'm used to them attacking in a singular pattern... I... I don't know how to fight!' He thought. And just then, a memory flashed before his eyes.
------------------------
"Hey, Daniel," Jiho asked as he watched his friend finish up a Close-Quarters-Combat sparring session in the school gym.
"Yeah, what's up?" Daniel replied, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"How can you fight so good?" Jiho asked, his voice tinged with awe. "The way you can... Like, see when he's gonna throw a punch or a kick, and already ready to defend beforehand? I just curl up whenever we play-fight..."
Daniel shrugged, giving a slight smile. "All experience."
"Experience?" Jiho echoed, tilting his head.
"Yeah, forget it, Jiho," Daniel said, his tone matter-of-fact. "I've been fighting since I was a little boy, against thugs and whatnot. It's not worth it."
"But you're so strong... Can't you teach me more seriously, maybe? It'd be nice to be this strong, maybe I can protect you and Eunhee someday!" Jiho asked, his eyes hopeful.
Daniel shook his head. "Don't try to drag yourself into it. Especially since you're not that strong to begin with. Fighting's just a waste of time... I fought because I had to, and then I just carried that with me to high-school."
Jiho frowned. "But what if I need to defend myself or you guys? What if—"
"Look," Daniel interrupted, his voice firm but not unkind. "Trust me, it's not something you want to get good at."
Jiho looked down, feeling a mixture of disappointment and confusion. "But... Why?"
"Just focus on what you're good at, Jiho. Fighting... it's not worth it. It's not as glamorous as you think."
"Besides... What are you so worried about?" He said lightly as he tapped his shoulder, as the two began walking away from the gym together, "You have me, don't you? I'm the knight and you're the strategist, aren't we?"
"Haha... I... Alright, Daniel. Then... I'm counting on you."
------------------------------------
Jiho clenched his fists on the metal pipe pieces in anger, his knuckles turning white as he remembered Daniel's dismissive attitude; the pipes bending under his strength.
'Motherfucker... Thinking back, that was just your way of further cementing me as a wimp, so that you'd have more control over Eunhee and everyone else. You told me I don't need that... You meant you don't want me accidentally impressing her more than you do, huh!?' Jiho's thoughts were seething with rage as he tightened his grip on the sharp metal pipe pieces in both his hands. 'You made me weak just so you could play the hero in front of her, years to come. You never wanted to help me...!! You just wanted to keep me down, so you could have her all to yourself...!'
'You were never my friend... You were just a manipulative bastard,' Jiho thought bitterly. The image of Daniel, always so confident, always so in control, loomed large in his mind.
'But now, it's different,' Jiho thought, the anger fueling his resolve. 'I'm not the same weak kid you used to know. I've survived things you couldn't even imagine!!! STREET FIGHTS!!!? I'M FAR ABOVE YOU NOW, BOY!!!'
[ZOMBIFICATION: 85%]
"Something's wrong..!" Marcel blurted as he noticed Jiho shift; he tossed the metal pipes away.
"JIHO!" Amelie called as she noticed him tense up, and growl.
"FUCKERRRR!!!!!!!!!" He roared, his fear, and his instincts blinded by anger as he charged with all of his might. The zombie then swiftly swung its hand once more.
Landing a deep triple laceration stretching across Jiho's cheek, down to his neck and down to his chest. His blood spurting out.
But Jiho didn't relent in the slightest.
A PULSE.
His fist was so clenched, he dug his fingers into his palm, and blood began to spurt out as he swung his fist at the zombie's face, but due to his overwhelming rage; his aim was off. His bloodied fist was now moments away from landing on the zombie's chest area.
'He missed!!' Marcel thought as he looked at Jiho.
It was then that the pulse emitted by his heart spread to his arm. Like a thruster with immense power, his hand was sent forward in inhuman speed.
At the same time, Jiho had a thought in the ocean of wrath he was drowning at.
Jiho felt that he hated Daniel. He knew that by heart.
Yet, his mind remembered that despite Daniel betraying his trust... Daniel was strong.
-----------------------
"Why you punched him from below?" Jiho asked as he looked at Daniel after a spar.
"Because strength comes from the legs. And if you punch someone from below, it generates more power. You just shift your legs like this, and then throw a punch, and it becomes super strong. He stood no chance."
------------------------
And Jiho, at that moment, wanted a strong punch.
Just before Jiho hit, he shifted his body, his punch, instead of bulleting from above, he lowered it, and had it come from next to his belly.
'He just... Changed his punch!!' Marcel thought as the punch slammed against the zombie's ribs.
A loud thud noise reverberated throughout the hallway. The fist sent a shockwave coursing throughout the zombie's body. Soon after Jiho's hit landed, the zombie's blood vessels began spurting out of its skin, starting from the ribs, and spreading downwards and upwards as the zombie flew backwards. Eventually, the zombie's entire upper torso splattered with blood as the zombie's body flew away from Jiho's fist.
"Hee!" Amelie gasped, placing her palms on her mouth again, watching alongside Marcel in shock as the zombie slumped to the ground, covered in blood before Jiho's feet.
"Just what... was that?!" Marcel murmured to himself, as Jiho looked at his palms in slight confusion, inspecting them as if they weren't his own.
Jiho's breath came in ragged bursts, his chest rising and falling as the rage that had fueled him just moments ago slowly began to fade. His hands trembled slightly, blood dripping from his knuckles. His vision blurred for a moment as the adrenaline drained from his body.
'That pulse... just now... And this strength,' His heart pounded as he panted 'What was that? I felt like my whole body was on fire! It happened just as I...'
'... Got angry.' He realized with a gulp.
The surge of anger that had driven him through the fight began to fade, leaving behind a strange, unsettling calmness. Jiho stood over the lifeless corpse of the zombie, its black fluid and streaks of reddish blood pooling at his feet. The adrenaline that had clouded his thoughts slowly ebbed away, the haze in his mind lifting with each breath.
He flexed his fingers, trying to regain feeling in his hands, which had gone numb from the intensity of his grip. Blood still trickled from the cuts on his chest and cheek, but they didn't hurt as much as they should have.
'So... it's anger?' He pondered as he took a deep breath. His mind, which had been racing with thoughts of betrayal and fury, began to slow down, grounding him. 'I just have to get angry to draw that power out?'
A faint, almost satisfied smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he clenched his bloodied fist. 'That won't be a problem at all—'
Suddenly, Amelie's voice cut through his thoughts, snapping him back to reality.
"JIHO!" she called, her voice shaky with concern as she tapped his shoulder.
Startled, Jiho's body jolted.
"Lady Amelie!" Marcel called, noticing she had moved closer to Jiho.
"A-ah..." Jiho's attention snapped away from his bloodied palms, turning around to face Amelie.
Amelie's eyes widened as they settled on the blood streaks across his chest and face.
"Oh, this is nothi—" Jiho began to speak, but his voice faltered, suddenly quieter as he noticed the genuine concern in her gaze. His words caught in his throat. Before he could finish his sentence, Amelie whipped around to her butler, shouting:
"MARCEL, VITE - IL DOIT Y AV—"
"Wait, wait a minute!" Jiho interrupted.
"It's alright," he began, "It stings a bit, but really, it's alright. It didn't hit anything important, or even that deep. Let's press forward."
'Press forward?' Marcel thought as he scrutinized Jiho, 'He survived these two days, surely he knows he's infected if he's bitten or scratched by these hellspawns, right!? Then... Does he want to lead us out of the building before he turns?' Marcel thought with a gulp.
'How admirable. Despite his clearly cluttered mind, for a boy his age to show such bravery and nobility... Such a shame.' He frowned, 'Such a shame he will die. He still seems very impressionable. He would have been a fine addition to My Lady's regime. I understand, young man.' He looked into Jiho's eyes, 'We shall make sure your family hears of your bravery!'
"Very well," Marcel said as he approached Amelie and Jiho.
"M-MARCEL?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING, WE NEED TO FIND A MEDICAL KIT AND TEND HIS WOU—" She started urgently in French, but then Marcel gently placed his palm on her shoulder.
"My lady. You mustn't delude yourself. This brave young man is going to die. He wishes to lead us out before he does... You must understand there is nothing more we can do for him." He said in French as he looked at Jiho.
'... I wonder what they are saying,' Jiho thought, puzzled.
"But..!! To just leave his wound like that...!" She countered as she glanced at his chest and cheek.
"My lady... No bandage can undo the infection. You know this. If we place a bandage on him, he will simply be a hellspawn with a bandage on itself. We must press forward, before we find ourselves in a most dire situation." Marcel pressed.
Amelie's lips pursed as she glanced at Jiho again, who narrowed his eyes in curiosity at their conversation in French.
'They look sad. Should I tell them I'm immune?'
'... No. I don't think it's safe to shout that I'm immune to everyone I'll meet. I'll just figure out what to say later,' Jiho thought.
"Then," Amelie said to Marcel, "Let us find his family after we're out of here, and tell them about his endeavors!" She said, her brows knitting in sadness.
"Indeed we shall," Marcel concluded as he finally turned to Jiho.
"Well, lead the way, young man. We are merely a few meters away from the elevator, are we not?" He said with a light smile.
"... Yeah," Jiho said as he turned around and walked ahead of the group. The message prompt showing to him.
[ZOMBIFICATION: 55%]
'Huh... It's lower now.' Jiho thought as he glanced at it.
========== ELSEWHERE =================
"Hoo?" He spoke as he opened his status window, his entire surroundings covered with zombie corpses. "I leveled up again... Nice,"
[Status Window - Jang Seung-Jae]
[Name]: Jang Seung-Jae
[Level]: 11
[Title]: Devourer of Flesh
[Class]: Necromancer
[Sub-class]: Commander of the Damned
[HP]: 1100/1100 (+200 Due to title)
====== STATS=========
[Strength]: 10
[Dexterity]: 10
[Defense]: 10
[Speed]: 10
[Intelligence]: 65
[Abilities]
[Zombie Army - Level 2]
Effect: Allows the user to raise a personal army of the undead from fallen enemies, converting their bodies into reanimated soldiers. The higher the level, the higher the chance for you to animate stronger foes!
Cooldown: 48 hours
Command Range: 20 Meter radius
Max Undead Controlled: 20
HP USAGE: 50%
[Soul Drain - Level 2]
Effect: Absorbs the soul essence of a defeated enemy/Undead minion to restore HP.
HP Recovery: +20% HP per body.
Cooldown: 2 hours.
[Corpse Explosion - Level 2]
Effect: Detonates an undead minion or fallen corpse, dealing massive area damage to all enemies nearby.
Explosion Radius: 2 meters
HP USAGE: 2% PER CORPSE
[Plague Aura - Level 2]
Effect: Releases a miasma that weakens living beings within a certain radius around the user. Undead units are immune and become stronger within this aura.
HP USAGE: 5% HP per minute
[Passive Abilities]
[Commanding Presence - Level 3]
Effect: Automatically boosts morale of allied undead and reduces the strength of human enemies who meet his gaze.
[Zombie Army]: Seung-Jae summoned an undead horde, their twisted bodies responding to his every command with absolute obedience. They had no need for food, no fear of death, and no remorse—just endless, unyielding hunger.
Seung-Jae smirked as the system prompt appeared before him. Unable but to chuckle.
"Heh... A zombie system? Ridiculous." His voice oozed with disdain as he raised an eyebrow. "But I'll take it. I'll take it and crush everyone in my path. Level up, devour the system, tear it apart limb by limb... until I'm the strongest, until every last one of you bows to me. Heh, I'll even make an omelette out of it and stuff it in a sandwich... Eat it whole."
His fingers twitched, and dark energy pulsed outward as he walked.
"Now... Doom Baby," Seung-Jae smirked as he reached out to tap the towering 2-meter-tall zombie beside him. Its hulking form bristled with muscle, its monstrous presence looming over the others like a dark sentinel. The zombie groaned in response, a low, guttural sound as it awaited his command.
He grinned wickedly. "Let's climb this building. The first step in dominating the world... starts here." His voice dripped with ambition as he turned, pacing forward with a sharp gleam in his eyes. "We'll take over this building, then the entire street. And from there, we'll form our own city in this quarantine zone."
Seung-Jae paused for a moment, his gaze flicking back to the towering zombie, then to the other 12 undead soldiers that flanked him. "The world comes afterward...!!"
He moved with swift purpose past the hulking zombie and the remaining soldiers, his eyes fixed on the stairwell at the end of the 4th floor.
A slight click of his tongue echoed through the silence. "Tsk... Only 40 hours until I can reanimate the rest of the horde." His expression twisted in mild frustration before a sly grin replaced it. "No matter... Twelve is more than enough for now!"