SWNOVELXO C19
Chapter 19: People Who Witnessed Miracles
Naturally, a zombie apocalypse requires a lot of zombies.
And to secure those zombies, I needed a special kind of zombie.
“Of course, Earth’s apocalypse zombies are the best.”
There were two types of zombies in the dungeon.
The first type was ordinary zombie monsters summoned through monster draws.
The second type was adventurers who were bitten and turned into zombies by the Earth apocalypse zombie head sent by Kang Ha-yoon.
The first type of zombie monsters posed no risk of infection. They were simply individual monster entities that served as a threat.
The zombie head sent by Kang Ha-yoon, however, was different.
At first, I wondered why she would offer something like that, but it turned out to be incredibly effective.
‘Exactly, a zombie must be infectious to be considered a real zombie.’
If it can’t infect others, is it even a zombie?
It’s just a walking corpse.
Thanks to this, two adventurers who ventured into my dungeon had the honor of being bitten by Earth-born zombies.
Clicking on the screen, I saw zombies wandering around.
Groooarrr!
Compared to the summoned zombies, the Earth apocalypse zombies appeared far more active and aggressive.
‘Even sending just those two out should suffice.’
It felt a bit lacking, so I decided to send the zombie head along with them.
I commanded the zombies to retrieve the zombie head from the mimic.
However, the zombie head resisted fiercely.
Kuaaa! Kuaaa!
Despite being just a head, it refused to leave the mimic’s confines.
Was it more comfortable inside the treasure chest?
“I guess there’s no choice.”
In that case, I’d have to move the mimic along with it.
Thus, a bizarre monster party was formed—two zombies and a mimic containing the zombie head—ready to leave the dungeon.
Though few in number, the fear of zombies lies in their unlimited ability to spread infection.
Right now, there were only two, but it wouldn’t be long before their numbers grew.
“Alright, let’s go.”
The zombies’ destination was a city.
After all, the foundation of this game was dungeon management.
Whether I managed this dungeon or turned an entire city into a dungeon by infecting it with zombies, wasn’t it all the same?
I immediately began maneuvering the monsters.
[Please select the target destination for your attack, Master.]
Simultaneously, a map appeared on the screen.
My first target was a city.
‘The closest city from here is Kverndel, but….’
Kverndel was the city I was set to govern.
Even in a game, I didn’t want to fill the city that would become mine with zombies.
That’s just how gamers think.
Besides, what had the residents of Kverndel done wrong?
It was entirely the fault of my elder brother, the Crown Prince, for wanting to send me away.
‘So, my target is you, Brother Raiel.’
Fortunately, heading southwest from Kverndel would lead to another city.
‘Balderheim.’
Looking at the city of Balderheim marked on the map, I paused to think.
“This city is managed by Duke Crest, isn’t it?”
And who is Duke Crest?
He is the father of Irena, the current Empress of the Exion Empire.
In other words, Balderheim is the maternal home of my elder brother, the Crown Prince.
And most of his main sources of income came from there.
With his maternal grandfather being a duke, imagine how much support he’d receive.
“But Brother, I shall claim that city for myself.”
This petty revenge, striking at my brother in the game for trying to send me to a dungeon—no, it’s not petty at all.
He’s openly trying to send me away; wouldn’t he stab me in the back someday?
A small act of defiance like this was practically adorable, wasn’t it?
“This is what makes games so satisfying.”
Dopamine started flowing in my brain again.
It felt like the thrill of choosing South Korea in a war game and pillaging neighboring countries.
‘China, come at me! Japan, come at me! From now on, this is our land!’
To think I could feel such nationalistic pride here.
“Games truly are great.”
I nodded as I watched the zombies move southward.
The biggest issue with this Dungeon Master game was that real-world time and game time progressed at the same rate.
‘How long will it take to reach Balderheim by foot?’
It’s not just a matter of days, is it?
‘Hmm.’
There was no other option.
“You all, just run there.”
Zombies are already dead bodies, so it’s not like they’ll get tired, right?
I kept tapping the screen, and the zombies began running.
The sight of two zombies carrying a mimic containing the zombie head as they ran was nothing short of grotesque.
At that pace, they should reach the city within a week.
And that was enough time.
‘Take over a city with just the current numbers?’
Not a chance.
Even if the mechanics allowed it, would a duke’s city fall to just two zombies?
With the current number of zombies, I couldn’t conquer Balderheim, let alone fend off adventurers.
So, I decided to increase the zombie count before reaching the city.
‘Infect everyone you encounter on the way.’
Following my command, the zombies began biting everyone they met along their path.
[You have infected a person with a zombie.]
[Reward: 10 points obtained!]
Oh?
[You have infected a person with a zombie.]
[Reward: 10 points obtained!]
“This is great!”
Earning points just by infecting people with zombies?
I couldn’t resist.
The number of zombies, which had started at just two, began to grow noticeably.
After finishing class, there were dozens.
By the time I had dinner and checked my phone again, there were over a hundred.
This was incredible!
By the time they reached the city, I might have a few hundred zombies.
Moreover, Earth zombies were notoriously resilient, making adventurers’ attacks ineffective.
Swords aren’t working?
Leaving those words as their final testament, the adventurers joined the zombie horde.
[You have infected a person with a zombie.]
[Reward: 10 points obtained!]
“Hah!”
Zombies, you’re the real MVPs!
While Kang Ha-yoon might see zombies as despair, here they were nothing less than loyal cash cows.
Shortly after, the zombie procession encountered a group of humans.
Previously, it was just lone adventurers or small groups, but this time there were dozens of them.
“Nomads?”
Or perhaps slash-and-burn farmers.
‘Heading toward Kverndel?’
The zombie procession was still within the northern region. Judging by their direction, they were likely headed for Kverndel.
The group included young men and women, even children.
‘Is the whole village on the move?’
Absorbing this group would instantly increase my zombie numbers.
However, I wasn’t willing to sell my conscience.
Besides, they could become my future citizens.
“Alright, you all can pass.”
I tapped the screen to command the zombies to move aside.
Following my orders, the zombies bypassed the group.
And then, something unexpected happened.
[The villagers fleeing witnessed a miracle. Title ‘Performer of Miracles’ acquired.]
[As a result of the title ‘Performer of Miracles,’ a hidden reward has been granted.]
[The game ‘Village Building Tycoon’ is being installed.]
[10,000 points -> 0 points deducted.]
[App installation in progress.]
“What?”
The 10,000-point game was now being installed.
The sky, completely free of clouds, was nothing but blue.
The group trudging across the barren land resented that serene sky.
“Mom, I’m cold…”
The child’s whining voice made the woman bite her lip.
She wanted to comfort the child she carried on her back, but all she could muster was a single, tired sentence:
“Just…hold on a little longer.”
At the front of the group, the elderly village chief clenched his fists as he overheard.
They were once simple folk, living peacefully in a mountain village.
But in a single day, they lost everything and became wanderers.
Their tranquil village was reduced to ruins by a monster attack.
“If only it weren’t for those monsters…”
A young man walking beside him ground his teeth in frustration.
On his back was a bundle of belongings hastily gathered from the village.
The load was heavy, but heavier still was the weight of loss sitting in his heart.
“Chief, does God really exist?”
Eventually, the young man turned his resentment toward the elderly chief.
Living deep in the mountains in isolation, they had only one being to place their faith in—the God of the Sky.
They had offered rituals to the heavens and made food offerings.
They had prayed sincerely to their deity, and yet, what had become of them?
The monsters burned their village to the ground, and now they were forced into the humiliation of wandering the land with their infants, searching for a new home.
Their path led them northward.
Initially, they had planned to head south toward more fertile lands.
But having been discovered by monsters, their old home was no longer safe, and they had to abandon it.
Yet, the fertile lands to the south were already full of settlers.
Even if there was land, it belonged to nobles or was already developed with villages.
“They say there’s habitable land up north.”
“Even if it’s cold, as long as we can farm…”
And so, they turned their steps toward the less populated north.
The chill in the air might be harsh, but if they could find livable land, they were determined to make it work.
However, they didn’t realize just how unforgiving the north could be.
“I-It’s too cold…”
The villagers’ conditions worsened as they walked.
The farther they went, the colder it grew.
It wasn’t even winter, yet they had never experienced such cold.
But turning back now wasn’t an option.
“Let’s keep going just a little further. Surely God will grant us a good land.”
The chief looked to the sky and closed his eyes in prayer.
Following his words, the group pressed onward.
At last, they came upon a vast plain.
It was an isolated area with no villages or people nearby.
Yet, their expressions were anything but hopeful.
“The ground…it’s frozen solid…”
The chief muttered in despair.
The earth was so frozen that even footsteps left no impression.
If only the land were arable, they could grow crops that could survive the cold.
But this ground was barren, its viability for farming doubtful at best.
This harsh reality was the price of their uninformed choice.
“How can we live in a place like this?”
A sigh of frustration rippled through the group.
It seemed impossible to farm, let alone build shelter here.
“Ah, God…”
The chief fell to his knees in despair.
The villagers were too exhausted to consider moving elsewhere.
The women were worn out, and the cries of children grew louder and more desperate.
Even the men had long since dropped their shoulders in defeat.
The sun was already setting in the west.
They needed to find shelter before nightfall.
“Chief, maybe we should head somewhere else…?”
A man’s voice trailed off into the wind. But his words were cut short.
“Grrroooarrr—!”
A terrifying howl shattered the chilly silence.
At first, it was just one cry.
Then another, and another—until dozens of howls overlapped in the air.
“W-What’s that? Monsters?”
Everyone froze in terror.
The trembling arms of the women holding children, the men clutching sticks and scanning the surroundings—all were paralyzed with fear.
The blurry shapes in the distance gradually revealed themselves.
Zombies.
“Undead!”
A horde of staggering corpses advanced toward them.
Rotting flesh oozed a foul stench, and exposed bones scraped the frozen earth as they approached.
“Waaaah!”
Children wailed, and the adults’ eyes filled with dread.
“O, God of the Sky…”
The chief’s voice trembled.
Was this truly the end?
Monsters had taken their homes, and now it seemed they would lose their lives to them as well.
They couldn’t run—exhaustion had robbed them of their strength. Nor could they hide; the barren plains offered no refuge.
“Grrraaah!”
Death loomed just before their eyes.
“Ugh…”
The chief shut his eyes tightly.
This was truly the end.
He braced himself to be bitten.
“…?”
But nothing happened.
Curiously, the chief cautiously opened his eyes.
What he saw shocked him.
“!!”
The zombies were walking right past them.
For a moment, it seemed as though the entire group forgot to breathe.
Not a single zombie bared its teeth at them.
The corpses moved as if the living humans before them didn’t exist, silently passing by.
“How…How is this possible?”
Someone asked, but the chief didn’t have an answer.
This…this was nothing short of a miracle.
The chief, dumbfounded by the sight of the passing zombies, felt something hot roll down his cheek.
“The God of the Sky…”
His wrinkled face trembled.
The zombie horde marched on, disappearing into the distance.
The movements of these monsters were far too orderly to be random.
It was as if they were marching under someone’s command.
“The God of the Sky is watching over us!”
The chief dropped to his knees.
The ground was cold and unyielding, but that didn’t matter.
As he pressed his forehead to the frozen earth, others followed suit, kneeling one by one.
Hot tears spilled onto the icy ground.
When the last of the zombies had passed, the chief slowly rose to his feet.
In that moment, he understood.
This was a miracle, and the being responsible could only be the God of the Sky.
The deity was telling them something.
‘This land is sacred.’
The ground beneath their feet was none other than the site chosen by their divine protector.
There was only one course of action left.
“We will settle here!”
If their God watched over them, what did frozen ground matter?
The chief silently offered his gratitude to the heavens once more.