Chapter 16

Chapter 16

“Hey, is nobody there?”

His cold voice hit the cave walls and echoed back.

The tone was familiar.

[Clever] reminded me who the speaker was.

…Zenit.

He was the knight who picked fights with us several times on the way to the village.

But something felt strange.

Austin had ordered everyone to spread out and gather supplies.

And there had been no one inside the building we entered.

He came looking for us on purpose.

I repeated his words in my mind.

It was a question spoken with absolute certainty that someone was there.

A breeze brushed my cheek even though no wind had blown moments earlier.

I felt a bad premonition.

I whispered to Talleon who stood beside me.

“It seems to be a knight.”

“Then it’s not an enemy, right?”

“No, we don't know that.”

It was a cliché that showed up in every zombie apocalypse game.

Humans were enemies too.

It’s just they threatened you with swords and magic instead of guns in this world.

The world had become lawless to the point where criminals walked freely.

And nobles were even more petty than modern politicians.

So were knights.

“Leave this to me. If it looks like something will go wrong, be ready.”

“Ready for what?”

“I mean be ready to fight.”

I pointed at the axe in his hand.

He shook his head with a troubled expression.

“They are not monsters. They are living people.”

“Your rose-colored glasses are still on huh. Listen carefully. Humans who can think are far more dangerous than mindless monsters. They sweet-talk you so they can stab you in the back, or they stab you in the back without warning. Humans will do anything to fill their own stomachs.”

“But Sir Joshua, you saved me.”

“That is because I am extremely kind. So be good to me.”

A human silhouette reflected in the torchlight ahead.

He held a torch.

Thanks to [Nocturnal], my night vision worked well.

I sensed his presence growing stronger and knew we would face him soon.

“Why don’t you come out now. I know you are there.”

He had sensed my presence.

As expected, the title of knight was not for show.

I slowly stepped into the middle of the passage.

“Sir Zenit, what brings you here?”

“I followed because I was worried about you.”

“You mean you, who wanted to beat up Talleon earlier?”

“I want to apologize for that. Where is your companion? You are not alone, are you?”

Zenit approached.

Metal clattered loudly from the armor he wore.

“That is far enough, Sir Zenit.”

He stopped.

The eyes visible through his helmet were cold enough to freeze someone.

I gripped my club tightly.

“What is that stance supposed to mean?”

“Hm, what do you think it means?”

I thought ahead.

Could I persuade him to change his mind?

Impossible.

A hot-blooded knight like him would never bend his own will.

‘He has to be eliminated.’

Even in the apocalypse, living with some humanity mattered.

I would try to keep my morals.

But that did not mean I intended to become a saint.

I steadied my breathing and raised my mana.

There was no longer any reason to keep up the mask.

“Let us drop the pretense and speak honestly.”

“Hmm?”

“How come you don’t have anything with you yet?”

Austin had ordered Zenit to look for supplies.

And Zenit had entered a different building from us.

It was strange for him to return empty-handed.

Even carrying a bottle of water would have been natural.

The answer was simple.

Zenit had been focused on something entirely different from the start.

“You did not follow your orders I see.”

“Wow, look at you. Sharp as a knife. No wonder Austin decided to let you live.”

Zenit did not bother hiding his killing intent anymore.

When he drew his sword and stepped forward, scorching heat wrapped around my body.

“Right before we left the dorm, he warned us. Even if we reached the village, we should focus only on our task. He told us not to bother you guys. Hah, that retarded bastard. What did he think you would find here for us to just leave you alone?”

He stretched both his arms out to the side.

“Just look at it. You already found a tunnel like this one. Looks like an underground shelter the villagers made. There must be something useful hidden here. And hey, that backpack on your shoulder looks heavy huh? It is sagging a little.”

His eye for detail was impressive.

The backpack held the food Talleon had divided for us.

If Zenit discovered that, he would torture us to learn where the rest was.

“Won’t you show it to me? If you do, maybe I will spare you.”

“If you are curious, show some sincerity. Do not try to freeload in this situation.”

“Oh, bold today, aren’t we? You must think you can take me on huh?”

“You were planning to kill us even if I showed you anyway.”

Zenit grinned with a vile smile.

The NPC madness I had only seen through a monitor now felt vividly real.

My body trembled.

It was not an artificial emotion.

I was experiencing the gap between reality and the game.

“Damn, that gave me chills. Correct answer. Once you are gone, everything in this village will be ours after all.”

I brushed my hair back.

He was a knight.

Judging by his power level, he was a Vetus, a sixth-rank fighter, three full tiers above me.

If this were an arena duel, I would lose instantly.

But this place had no rules.

That alone gave me enough of a chance.

“Why not go back up quietly to the surface with me? You should follow the leader’s orders.”

“You call that a threat?”

“It is advice.”

“Hah, you have got to be kidding me. Do you think I am scared because Austin hit me a little? He is calling himself leader for now, but once I see a chance, I am taking his spot. Watching him work makes me want to scream.”

I exhaled lightly.

I had stalled for long enough.

[Cool] had already analyzed his equipment.

He held a torch in his left hand and a longsword in his right.

There was a small wooden shield on his back, but he would not pull it out.

If he dropped the torch, he would lose all vision in the dark.

‘He has no bow or arrows. The dagger at his waist is a throwing knife. It needs to be avoided. His armor covers most vital areas, but his elbows, backs of the knees, and ankles are exposed. He has no potion. He must have used everything on his way here.’

I checked the cave structure once more.

The passage was narrow left to right, but tall enough for sword swings.

There was nowhere to hide or dodge.

Retreating led back to the open square, and fighting in open space was too dangerous.

The instant he gained the advantage, that blue blade would take my head.

“You are thinking hard. So what does that smart brain of yours say your winning odds are?”

“It says one hundred percent.”

“Haha, you crazy bastard.”

Zenit lunged and swung his sword.

Boom!

I swung the club and met his strike head-on.

[Steady Nerves] kept my eyes locked on his.

Every time our weapons clashed, a dull shock rattled my wrist.

It felt like my joints were splitting apart.

After just a few exchanges, my whole body screamed in pain.

[Patience] suppressed the pain.

I slowly retreated, drawing him toward the gap in the rocks where Talleon hid.

“Damn you! You are no knight.”

The boy burst out with a fierce cry.

Without hesitation, he swung his axe at the knight in front of us.

Talleon, who normally overflowed with admiration for knights, had overheard our earlier conversation and changed completely.

“Too obvious.”

Zenit counter-slashed and sent the boy flying until he hit the wall he had emerged from.

His strength was impressive enough to inspire awe.

Talleon quickly jumped up and tried to take the front line between me and Zenit.

“How long do I need to hold out?”

“As long as you can.”

“What? I feel like I’m going to pass out right now.”

“Don’t be so weak. You said you wanted to become a knight. The great senior is teaching you firsthand. Opportunities like this are rare.”

Talleon whimpered but somehow kept his guard up.

But he could only block.

He could not read Zenit’s moves.

An experienced knight outmatched him entirely.

Zenit kept closing the distance, and his swings grew faster.

‘Endure a few more seconds.’

I clenched my fist.

[Clever] finished calculating the spell.

I raised the cross I had been carrying and a fierce light filled the cave.

It was [Flash], something I had practiced before coming here.

“Argh!”

Anyone unprepared would lose their sight.

Both of them screamed at the same time.

“Arrgh!”

“S-Sir Joshua, my eyes!”

Facing it directly, Zenit was blinded instantly.

Talleon, who had been turned away, was affected too.

I ran out, grabbed the dagger I had taken earlier from the square, and drove it hard into Zenit’s left arm, the one holding the torch.

“Aaagh! My hand…!”

Blood sprayed upward.

Unable to bear the pain, he dropped the torch.

I stomped on it and then kicked it away with all my strength.

The wooden torch rolled across the ground and the remaining flame died out completely.

Darkness came.

For the first time, darkness felt welcoming even though it would normally bring fear.

Now Zenit would taste the fear of being hunted in the dark.

“What the, where is the torch? I swear, I am going to kill you both!”

Even a trained warrior could not withstand the terror darkness brought.

He lost vision.

He grew overly sensitive because he had no idea where I was.

Zenit swung wildly.

His blade cut nothing but air.

“Can you see yet?”

I grabbed Talleon’s shoulder tightly.

“Yes, I can see a little.”

Since he had turned his back earlier, he recovered faster than Zenit.

I pulled him along toward the square.

“Stay close.”

“Isn’t the square dangerous?”

“He will die before we reach it.”

We reached the edge of the square.

Zenit still pursued us without giving up.

He screamed curses and charged blindly.

Swish! I pushed Talleon down and crouched myself.

Something silver cut through the air in the dark.

Throwing knives.

He had thrown them not to aim, but to hit anyone unlucky enough to be in their path.

There were six knives.

The metallic clatter as they struck the stone walls told me how many he had used.

“All are thrown.”

He had nothing left now.

Blood loss in his arm was severe.

Even if he tried to run away, he would collapse on his own. At this point, I could win even in a direct fight.

But I chose the safest and most certain method.

Boom!

A thunderous crash shook the cave as if it were collapsing.

The ground vibrated so hard my knees nearly buckled.

Dust poured out of the passage behind him, and I pushed forward.

“Huff, huff.”

Zenit was pinned under a boulder.

A massive rock had crushed his lower body.

“...A trap? Why is there a trap here?”

“Ever heard you should always check the bridge before crossing? You should’ve been more careful.”

“You bastards set this up?”

“No. The villagers did.”

“Damn it! Then why did you not get caught?”

I crouched down and met his eyes.

“When you start in Dormitory Four, searching Triden Village is the standard route. Naturally, you check what is in the village, what strategies exist.”

“What nonsense are you spouting!”

“This is why newbies never understand even when you explain it.”

I had no intention of making him understand.

If things had been reversed, he would not have shown us mercy.

What would he have done?

Based on my gameplay experience, he would have tortured me.

“Hey, you know I was joking earlier, right? Please, get this thing off me.”

Zenit suddenly changed his tone.

I picked up his broken longsword from the ground.

“Is there anything the other knights are plotting? Tell the truth.”

“None! At least not that I know of.”

“Keep talking. Prove that your life is worth saving.”

“Fucking hell! You are toying with me aren’t you?”

“You catch on quick.”

Zenit spat at my feet with the last of his strength.

I placed the blade against his throat.

“I will make it quick. This is my final mercy.”

I cut Zenit down with the sword.

It was the first time I had killed a person since arriving in this world.

It was self-defense.

Even so, a faint guilt gnawed at me.

[Cool] comforted me, acknowledging my choice.

“This will not be the end.”

A bitter smile escaped me.

As the guilt faded, the relief of surviving washed in.

Zenit lay motionless.

He was dead.

I had killed him.

This was only the beginning.

So I could not allow myself to linger in remorse for long.