ZFS Chapter 10

Their truck sped along a road shrouded in darkness, entering Euljiro. Before long, a large sign reading “Bangsan Market” loomed into view.

 

“Let’s park the truck here for now.”

 

“Alright.”

 

The two whispered as they exited the vehicle, moving cautiously with each step. They surveyed their surroundings before entering the market and inspecting the shops.

 

They passed by places labeled “Baking Supplies” and “Candle Specialty,” ignoring them as they ventured further in. Eventually, they spotted a sign that read “Sambo Food Mart” and quickly approached the store entrance.

 

The lights inside were still on. Peering through the glass windows, they studied the interior. True to its name as a grocery mart, sacks of rice were stacked near the entrance, alongside large displays of fresh produce and rows of shelves stocked with general food items.

 

Tae Yujun carefully pushed the door. To his surprise, it opened without resistance.

 

“…it’s open.”

 

It seemed the shop owner had fled in a hurry, leaving the door unlocked. Silently giving thanks to God, Tae Yujun stepped inside. The mart was larger than he had anticipated.

 

While it wasn’t the size of a corporate hypermarket, it was expansive enough to be considered a specialty store. From the entrance, the far end wasn’t even visible.

 

“We should check for zombies first. Better safe than sorry.”

 

Won Hyuk whispered softly.

 

“You’re right.”

 

The two decided to split up to sweep the store. Tae Yujun’s nerves sharpened, his senses on edge. If a monster appeared here, it could spell the end of their supply run.

 

Moving cautiously down the aisles, Tae Yujun scanned in all directions—straight ahead, diagonally, and deep into the store.

 

The right-hand side, which he was assigned to search, was stocked with a variety of cooking tools. The items appeared to cater to restaurant owners picking up supplies, offering additional convenience.

 

The shelves held professional-grade cutting boards, knives of varying sizes, scissors, meat tenderizers, and stainless steel trays. Reaching the end of the aisle without spotting any zombies, he maintained his vigilance as he returned to the entrance to meet Won Hyuk.

 

“The right section had cooking tools. I didn’t see anything unusual.”

 

“Same here.”

 

“It seems safe enough to start gathering supplies.”

 

“Alright. One more thing—we need to figure out how to transport everything back to the truck.”

 

At that moment, Tae Yujun spotted a pushcart nearby, likely designed for moving goods within the store.

 

“How about using this?”

 

“It might be too risky. The noise could attract attention. If zombies show up, it’ll be trouble. Remember, they can’t see well, but their hearing and smell are sharp.”

 

“How do you know that?”

 

“They don’t have eyes, do they? When one sense is weak, the others compensate.”

 

He mimicked poking his eyes with his fingers, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

 

“For now, let’s focus on gathering supplies. I’ll handle this side—you take the other.”

 

With that, Won Hyuk moved toward the opposite end of the store. Tae Yujun turned to the shelves, carefully inspecting the items. Cup noodles and instant rice caught his eye, but they required boiling water, which wasn’t practical. Instead, he focused on ready-to-eat retort foods that didn’t need heating.

 

As he was selecting items, the sound of approaching footsteps made him turn around.

 

“Did you already finish gathering—”

 

His words trailed off as he dropped the five-minute curry pack he was holding.

 

“H-How…”

 

A monster had entered the store. Though slower than the one he’d encountered at the monastery, it still moved fast. Before Tae Yujun could react, it leaped, nearly hitting the ceiling.

 

“Grahh!”

 

The screeching zombie was dressed in a Sambo Food Mart uniform.

 

Do you really want to clock in for work right now?!

 

Tae Yujun thought in disbelief.

 

“Grrraaaah!”

 

The zombie landed heavily on the floor, crouching as it extended a long tongue, licking its lips as though craving food. A chill ran down Tae Yujun’s spine. He bolted, sprinting through the store in a hurry.

 

The zombie, who wore a store clerk uniform, pursued him relentlessly, slamming into shelves with loud crashes that sent goods tumbling to the floor.

 

“Huff, huff.”

 

Tae Yujun deliberately weaved through narrow gaps between the shelves. The zombie was strong and agile but appeared to lack intelligence. He hoped this tactic would work to throw it off.

 

As he circled the store, the zombie clumsily slammed into more shelves, repeatedly injuring itself. Eventually, Tae Yujun found himself back at the cooking tools section.

 

“…!”

 

But the monster had caught up, blocking his path.

 

“Graaargh!”

 

Because the monster had slammed into the shelves, its arms were mangled, hanging below the elbows, the joints flayed and torn. Yet its teeth still gleamed, razor-sharp. With a sickening sound, it opened its mouth—twice the size any human could manage. Tae Yujun felt desperation grip him. He couldn’t let himself die like this.

 

Back off, monster. Satan!

 

If only he still had a bit of his supernatural power from before. That fleeting thought made him focus his mind, hoping something might happen. But nothing did.

 

Of course, nothing would. The “current Tae Yujun” was just a normal human. All he could do now was pray.

 

God, grant me courage.

 

Tae Yujun stretched his hand toward the shelf, grabbing whatever was within reach. His fingers closed around a massive kitchen cutting board. It was large and solid, like a shield.

 

“Kaaah! Keeh!”

 

The monster let out a spine-chilling scream as it charged. Without hesitation, Tae Yujun swung the cutting board down onto its crown with all his strength as it rushed at him recklessly.

 

“Gyaaah!”

 

The monster howled in pain. Tae Yujun flinched. Despite its grotesque appearance, it had once been human. Striking it filled him with guilt, but he had no choice. The monster cracked its neck with a grotesque noise and opened its jaws wide once more.

 

Crack. This time, he aimed at its Adam’s apple, striking it with the edge of the cutting board. The monster staggered violently.

 

Did it work? Did I defeat it? A brief wave of relief washed over Tae Yujun. But it wasn’t over yet. The monster pounded the floor, then leaped high into the air. Tae Yujun could barely react.

 

“Ugh!”

 

In an instant, the monster tackled him to the floor. The impact forced the cutting board from his grasp. Pinning him down, the monster let out a strange, guttural sound that resembled laughter. Its putrid breath filled his nose. The monster tried to press its mouth to his nape as its tongue flicked toward his neck.

 

No… I can’t die like this…!

 

Thrashing desperately, Tae Yujun dodged the monster’s snapping jaws. Pouring every ounce of strength into his limbs, he reached for a sashimi knife that had been removed from its packaging. Just a little further… almost there…!

 

At last, his fingers closed around the knife. Acting on instinct, Tae Yujun slashed at the monster’s throat.

 

Without even a groan, the monster collapsed on top of him with a heavy thud, lifeless. It didn’t move again.

 

Tae Yujun’s entire body trembled. The oppressive weight of the monster’s corpse, the damp, decayed feel of its face against his neck, the sticky blood dripping onto him, and the putrid smell—all of it was unbearable.

 

As Tae Yujun lay stunned, Won Hyuk approached and extended a hand.

 

“Get up.”

 

Tae Yujun reached out with a trembling hand, grasping Won Hyuk’s. With a firm pull, the stiff corpse rolled off to the side, and Tae Yujun managed to rise to his feet. His legs shook uncontrollably.

 

“Don’t be too nervous, Father.”

 

Tae Yujun glanced down at his blood-drenched chest. Unlike the white sweatshirt that had soaked up Antonio’s blood from before, his current black clothing revealed no stains. It was absurdly ironic. No matter how much blood splattered, it wasn’t noticeable.

 

“Haa…”

 

His face twisted, the corners of his lips trembling. Fear clawed at his insides. It was terrifying. Being so close to the monster made him feel sick.

 

He had killed someone who had once been human. With his own hands, he had swung a knife.

 

“Huff… sniff.”

 

Clear tears streamed down his cheeks, gathering at his chin before dripping onto his cassock.

 

The cassock, which had absorbed blood earlier, soaked up the tears just as easily. It was so black that no trace seemed to remain.

 

“Ugh… uuugh!”

 

Tae Yujun writhed in anguish, rubbing his face roughly as he sobbed. Blood smeared across his cheeks. He beat his chest, choking on his cries. The sticky blood clung to his fists.

 

“Don’t cry, Father.”

 

“Sniff… I killed it. I—!”

 

Tae Yujun wailed.

 

The monster had been grotesque and terrifying. But the most horrifying thing of all was that its body had a warm feel, almost like a living human being.

 

---

 

“Looks like we need to clean up your hands and face. There should be some wet wipes around here. Hold on.”

 

Once his crying had subsided, Won Hyuk returned with a large pack of wet wipes. Tae Yujun pulled out several sheets to wipe his face and hands.

 

However, with so much blood splattered, even ten or twenty sheets weren’t enough. Tae Yujun ended up using more than thirty sheets to clean his face, neck, and blood-soaked hair.