41st Death - The Slaughterer

"Alright... I was just worried," Daniel muttered, rubbing his eyes as he leaned over his phone. The morning light seeped in through the window, pale and indifferent.

[... Okay.] Her voice came through flat, distant.

"You can always come back if you want," he added, voice hoarse. "I meant what I said, Eunhee. I... I want you to be safe."

[... Okay. Thanks.] Another deadpan reply. [Bye, Daniel.]

The line went silent.

Daniel stared at the screen.

Then—

"FUCK!" The phone slammed against the wall with a sickening crack, denting the drywall. It hit the ground, face down.

He clutched his temples, breathing hard. A deep sigh escaped him as he staggered over to the fallen phone.

Cracked screen. Still working.

'...Shit.' His teeth clenched. 'Shit...!'

He scrolled through his contacts. Jiho's name hovered under his thumb—but he couldn't bring himself to look straight at it.

He kept scrolling- then stopped.

He pressed dial.

"...Hey." His voice barely carried.

[What do you want?] A sharp, bitter voice answered. Feminine—but hard. A far cry from Eunhee's softness.

"Come over." He called, his tone flat.

[You're really something, you know that?! Still ordering me around? No. FUCK you. I did what you asked. I owe you shit right now—"]

"Please..." His grip tightened around the phone like it was the last thing tethering him.

[...]

[...Fine.]

"Thank you," he whispered, the tension unspooling from his lungs. "...Sarah."

— A FEW MINUTES LATER —

A knock.

Daniel didn't move at first. Still hunched on the edge of his bed, phone dead in his hands, screen dim.

Another knock.

He slowly stood, dragging his feet to the door, peeking through the eyehole.

There she was.

Tall and slender. Taller than Jiho ever was. Roughly Daniel's height. Black hair, tipped with blonde. Short denim shorts, a white fitted tee, piercings lining her lips and brow—just enough makeup to look like she didn't try too hard, but still turn heads.

The same girl Jiho used to greet at school. The one who waited for him each morning.

She looked sharp. Annoyed.

Daniel opened the door with a sigh.

"Thanks for—" he started, but she bumped past his shoulder without a glance.

"Let's get this over with," she muttered, clicking her tongue.

Daniel's jaw flexed. He gripped the doorknob a second longer than needed before quietly shutting and locking it.

"You brought something to eat, at least?" he asked, following her toward the kitchen.

"Yeah. Dumplings and kimbap. I know you keep nothing but shit in here." She dropped a white plastic bag on the counter like it meant nothing.

Then, with a practiced flick, she pulled out a pack of Marlboro. Her hand paused mid-motion. She glanced at him.

"Ah. Forgot. Still keeping your little prize here, right?" she said with a half-smile, half-grimace.

Daniel cleared his throat and looked away.

"...You can smoke if you want," he said flatly. "But give me one too. I threw out my pack weeks ago."

Another sigh. She handed him a cigarette without a word, lit his first, then hers, exhaling a thick plume of smoke while eyeing him from across the room.

"Didn't know you quit," she muttered.

"Yeah, well. Now you do." He leaned back on his worn, stained couch, watching the smoke drift upward.

"She hated smoking. I didn't want to lie to her about that, so I stopped smoking instead of trying to hide it." He added.

"Sounds like an excuse you thought about in the shower if anyone asked," She chuckled bitterly. "Acting like you care about that poor girl. That's the kind of shit people do out of guilt."

Several moments passed in silence. Smoke curled between them as Sarah studied his face. Daniel didn't respond.

"...Anything else?" he asked, eyes locked on the blank TV screen.

She bit her lip, clearly annoyed. Then she looked away, inhaling from her cigarette.

"Nah. Then I'd be too cruel." She exhaled. "Even I've got limits. You let me smoke, so I get the picture."

A pause.

"She left you, didn't she?"

"Yep." Daniel answered flatly.

"Why? She find out?"

Daniel's face twitched. That image of Jiho—the one Eunhee saw after quarantine—flashed across his mind.

"...Yeah. Something like that." His exhale was sharp now. He snubbed out the cigarette with force, grinding it into the table.

He looked at her. His gaze, now impatient.

She held it for a moment, then sighed.

"...Let me just finish this," she muttered. She smoked it down to the filter in silence.

Then they went to Daniel's bed...

Afterward, Sarah sat naked, eating a dumpling. Daniel lay on his back beneath the blanket, staring at the ceiling.

"The reason she left," he said suddenly while Sarah kept eating, unfazed.

"Apparently," he rubbed his forehead, "she thinks Jiho's alive."

Her heart jumped at the name. Still, she chewed. Swallowed.

"Then she's grieving." A small laugh. "You could use that to your advantage. Let her come running back once she realizes the boy she loved is still dead. It'll work out for you."

"Just shut the fuck up." Daniel's voice cracked—then exploded. "Holy shit, just shut the fuck up!"

He slapped the wall. She didn't flinch, just sat with her back to him.

"I LOVED him!" he screamed.

"Yeah." She tilted her head back, eyes on the ceiling. "I bet he's grateful."

Daniel's fists curled over his face, shaking, teeth grinding.

She shook her head, her voice strained and bitter.

"He didn't deserve to die like that... Not him."

Silence settled again. Then, a memory stirred—flickering across Sarah's mind; at the thought of Jiho, someone else surfaced.

"...An old friend of mine lived in the NOW quarantine zone. Moved in there with his uncle after he left the suburbs," she said quietly, eyes fixed on the ceiling. "Wonder if he made it out... probably not, though."

"Maybe he did," he replied, voice low. "There were a lot of evacuations."

"Yeah..." Her breath caught. She nodded a little too quickly. "Thanks."

"Why won't you just check if he's—"

"I said thanks." She cut him off—sharp, abrupt.

A beat.

"Why does she..." She hesitated, swallowing hard. "Why does she think he's alive? That girl."

"Forget it," he said flatly. His voice shut like a door. "Something stupid."

He sat up.

"You heard anything from that Joon-Seok prick?"

"Nope." She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Not since you scared the shit out of him. He hasn't tried anything."

"I see," he murmured behind her, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. "I'm glad."

She looked back over her shoulder—mocking, eyes laced with cynicism.

"So that's why I'm here, huh?" she said, brushing his hand off with a lazy flick. "She bruised your ego when she left, so now you need someone to crawl back to. Someone to remind you you're still a special boy."

Daniel's fists clenched. His heart thudded, a bitter pressure building in his chest. His eyes narrowed into a glare.

"At least I didn't make you do anything against your will," he snapped.

Her face hardened. She stood without a word, still nude, and began dressing.

"Asshole."

She slammed the door behind her.

Daniel sat there for a long moment.

"I'm the asshole," he muttered with a bitter chuckle, shaking his head. Then slowly, his voice dropped.

"Yep. I'm the asshole..."

ELSEWHERE...

[QUEST: COMPLETED!]

[REWARD: EXP GAINED!]

[YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!]

[CURRENT LEVEL: 37]

"Awesome..." the man grinned, standing amidst the broken bodies.

"Please..." a man wheezed, his voice barely a breath as he was held by the throat, "Spare... spare m—"

Snap.

The neck cracked like dry wood. He let the body drop to the floor with a thud.

"Now... all stat points from that level-up into Intelligence," he said lazily, stepping over bloodied limbs as he staggered toward the sofa. He collapsed onto it, sprawling out as if it were a throne—his arm hanging off one side, his foot resting on a corpse.

He opened his status window and barely glanced at it.

[QUEST: SLAUGHTER THE SURVIVORS' OUTPOST — COMPLETED.]

'Too easy... and after a dozen of these, I only level up once? This is getting exhausting.' He sighed. 'All my class skills are level 8 or higher. Aren't I already the strongest bastard in this bitch?'

"Hey, System," he called out, switching on the house's television while kicking aside the curled-up corpse of a mother clutching her son. "Give me a harder quest. Better rewards. You know my class—it'll be a breeze either way, no?"

He dug into his teeth with his nail, pulling out a string of muscle fiber.

'Shit... went too wild again. Hate when that happens.' Another sigh. 'Should I just grind humans? They give the best exp anyway...'

[Certainly! Generating a more challenging quest tailored to your performance metrics. Please wait kindly.]

'Annoying piece of shit...' He grunted.

[NEW QUEST AVAILABLE!]

[REWARD: UNIQUE SKILL — TIER: EXCLUSIVE]

[WARNING: HIGH RISK DETECTED!]

"Ohh... that's more like it." He grinned, eyes gleaming as he leaned forward. "Show me the quest already!"

Then—'...?'

His eyes narrowed.

"Who's that?" he asked, bored. "And where can I even find her?"

[I'm sorry! Unfortunately, that information exceeds my access level at this time.]

[Target location is classified under restricted system parameters.]

'Tch. Figures…'

[However!]

[A link to the target has been identified within system access scope.]

[Would you like me to proceed? 😊]

His eyes lit up.

"Finally. Yes! You know what I can do—so why didn't you start with that?!"

[Understood! Here are the available details:]

[Name: Jiho An]

[Age: 17 years old]

[Location: The newly constructed Pineapple School]

[Caution: Target is a registered player.]

"Pfft. Who cares? I've killed a few of those already." He rolled his eyes and stood up, cracking his neck.

'Well then… sorry, Mr. Jiho An,' he thought, brushing gore off his coat with a lazy hand. 'I need some exp. Let your mommy be slaughtered for that, alright?'

And with that, he strolled toward the exit—grinning.

[Would you like a route planned for you on your mini-map...?]

[Mr. Joon-Seok?]

"Nah," He dismissed the system. "I'll manage."

'Hmm... Maybe I'll visit Sarah, too.' He licked his lips.

--------------------

[8:45 AM] Jang lazily glanced at his status window.

'... I need to ask those french fucks for access to the quarantine zone. I feel uneasy.' He narrowed his gaze.

'One thing's for certain. I ain't going to that school. FUCK THAT.' He spat. 'That bitch's so strong now? He can handle it on his own. I'm done with him. Fuck if anything happens to him.' 

[Status Window - Jang Seung-Jae]

[Name]: Jang Seung-Jae

[Level]: 34

[Title]: Corpse Wrangler

[Class]: Necromancer

[Sub-class]: Commander (of the Damned)

[HP]: 4000/4000 (+500 Due to title)

====== STATS=========

[Strength]: 15

[Agility]: 13

[Vitality]: 40

[Perception]: 30

[Intelligence]: 98

[Skills]

[Zombie Army – LV.8]

Effect: Raise a personal army by reanimating fallen enemies into undead soldiers. Stronger corpses have a higher chance of revival at higher skill levels.

Cooldown: 18 hours

Command Radius: 80 meters

Max Controlled Undead: 80

HP Cost (Activation): 10%

[Soul Drain – LV.7]

Effect: Absorb the soul essence of a defeated enemy or an expended undead minion to restore HP.

HP Recovery: +40% HP per body

Cooldown: 20 minutes

[Corpse Explosion – LV.9]

Effect: Detonate a fallen corpse or active undead minion to inflict massive area-of-effect damage. The blast only affects designated targets within range.

Explosion Radius: 5 meters

HP Cost: 0.5% per corpse detonated

[Plague Aura – LV.6]

Effect: Emit a lingering miasma that weakens living enemies within range. Undead units are immune—and receive a boost while within the aura.

Radius: 6 Meters

Effect Strength: Reduces living enemy stats, buffs nearby undead

[Shadow Call – LV.9]

Effect: Summon a previously stored undead soldier to fight alongside the user.

Current Capacity: 3 / 20

Cost per Summon: 3% HP

Sustain Cost: 100 HP/s while active

[Passive Skill – Commanding Presence – LV.9]

Effect: Instills fear in human enemies and boosts morale among allied undead. Enemies who meet the user's gaze suffer weakened strength.

Note: Only affects non-player characters

'The new Shadow Call's solid. Versatile... The Sustain Cost is lower than my regeneration rate, so I only end up with reduced regen while the skill is active. But I should've packed in more corpses when I had the chance... whatever.'

His stomach growled.

He glanced out the window—toward Jiho's house.

'...I wanna eat her cooking again. Fucking damn it.'

His jaw tightened.

'Guess I'm ordering in today.'

----------------

[CHARACTERS]

SARAH

Not much is revealed about Sarah throughout the story, but a few key facts stand out. She was Jang's childhood friend and once his closest companion—until she started dating Joon-Seok, the very person who tormented him. Though she wasn't aware of Joon-Seok's cruelty at the time, the fallout strained her connection with Jang beyond repair.

Years after her and Jang's final goodbye, she met Daniel—and became indebted to him. That debt led Sarah to become Daniel's reluctant accomplice, helping him spread damaging rumors about Jiho. She didn't do it out of malice, but out of obligation. Sarah is the kind of person who honors her debts, no matter the cost.

As the outbreak loomed, her conscience began to stir. Aware that the truth would eventually surface and hurt Jiho, she made it her quiet mission to wait outside the school gates each day—ready to console him when everything came crashing down.

JOON-SEOK

Jang's tormentor.

Why do people wish to hurt each other?

One thing's for sure—Joon-Seok wouldn't say he hurts anyone.

He'd say he educates them.

Tough love, he'd call it. And like any loving person, he'd do it with a smile. Joyfully.

Even when it leaves them paraplegic.

Even when it costs them their only friend.

Even when he gets them expelled from school, disowned by their parents.

Even when he kills their dog in cold blood.

Even when he turns cigarettes off on their skin.

Recently, he got something new:

A system. He, like Jiho and Jang - is a sentient zombie with abilities and skills.

As well as a new quest.

And a reward.

Kill Ji-Yeon An — Jiho's mother.

But the system seems to be leading him straight to Jiho instead.

How considerate.

------

Note: Jang's skills and stats have been slightly adjusted since their initial appearance—some to reflect his natural progression, others to better serve the story's flow and consistency.