The Returner Chapter 188

(Also not edited. My editor hasn't been feeling unwell, and i couldn't get this chapter ready on time. My apologies to everyone.)

So, the thing was - a zombie was basically an infected person.
It was just that, the person was not infected with some virus or poisonous substance, but by dark Mana, instead.
Once humans get tainted by this dark Mana, they would lose all their reasoning and their bodies slowly transformed. In the process, they would grow weaker, but at the same time, they would also grow stronger, too.
What did that mean, exactly?
The strength displayed outwardly would increase, but the sturdiness would decrease - that's what it meant. Going by a rough example, say a certain character possessed a balanced ratio of 5:5. The moment this person got infected by the dark Mana, this ratio of shift instantly to 9:1. Somewhere about there?
Of course, the movement speed would also decrease so it was a bit vague to say the attacking power had truly increased, either.
So, which all means!!
It means, a regular joe infected with dark Mana will end up possessing enough strength to break the arms of other regular people, that's what!
But, what would happen if ability users become infected by dark Mana? (Yi Ji-Hyuk's inner monologue)
Kwrurururu!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a look at that house-sized flames burning above the zombie's hand and spat out a lengthy groan.
Indeed, that was the inevitable result.
The level only Seo Ah-Young among the human ability users managed to achieve had been easily reached by a regular, run-of-the-mill ability user.
"Uh-whew…." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
In Berafe, one would never encounter a situation where a powerful being was turned into a zombie.
Not only was their innate resistance high to begin with, even if they were somehow infected, a passing-by priest flicking a vial or two of purifying water would utterly get rid of the offending infection anyway, so which self-respecting warrior or wizard would wait around until they transformed into a zombie?
That was why Yi Ji-Hyuk didn't really think about this sort of eventuality, but now….
"Wait. Where have they been hiding all this time?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he knew such zombies existed, then maybe he'd have come up with a plan or something beforehand, but them jumping out into the fore without any warning meant he was really caught with his pants down on this one.
But then again, there were a million plus zombies out there, so even if there were a handful of ability user zombies hidden in the mix, it wouldn't really become that apparent, either.
Whether they were formerly of ability user humans or not, one would find out only after clashing against them. Indeed, it was an impossible ask to search and locate ability user zombies among that wave of humans…. no, wave of zombies.
Which all led to them arriving here completely undetected.
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head.
"Okay, fine…. What should I do now?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
These ability user zombies had to be suppressed without them being injured in the slightest so they could be showered on with divinity, but would such a task as easy as these words made it out to be?
"Can't we, like, call those guys exceptions and just eliminate them?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk asked Choi Jung-Hoon, and the latter formed a serious expression as he looked at Christopher McLaren. Even at a casual glance, anyone could tell subduing such those zombies without hurting them would be an monumental task.
"What on earth are you even talking about?! Ability users are US citizens, just like everyone else!!" (Christopher McLaren)
"Hey, come on, dude. You got plenty of citizens, so one or two shouldn't be a problem, right?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"Of course it is a problem!!" (Christopher McLaren)
Flames were lit up in Christopher McLaren's eyes.
"This uncle and his inflexibility. Gimme a break." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know, you shouldn't be too obstinate about this!
If this was back in Korea, the government there wouldn't even hesitate to bury two, three bodies! In any case, these Americans and their morals! (Yi Ji-Hyuk's inner monologue)
"A nation exists only for her citizens!" (Christopher McLaren)
"Really? What's up with all those Gates you guys are guilty of, then?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"What do you mean? We have no control over Gates, don't you know that?" (Christopher McLaren)
"Well, there's the Zipperga…" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"STOP." (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren formed a flustered expression and cut Yi Ji-Hyuk off there.
Why couldn't that guy even control his pants and end up becoming a source of national embarrassment like this?
"That isn't important right now, is it?" (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon's urgent words sobered both Yi Ji-Hyuk and Christopher McLaren up instantly.
The latter grunted out in unhappiness and turned his head around. Talking to this d*mn guy would only lead him further down into the quagmire. Indeed, there was no such thing as ‘progress' with this man.
"That ahjumma…. Doesn't she look quite heated up?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the newly-developing situation and grinned ominously.
"Oho?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The front bangs of Seo Ah-Young whipped around in the wind.
A zombie wielding flames was an act of insolence in itself, yet said flames being rather large was poking at her pride.
Sure, the flame wielders were the most common types of ability users out there, but why did one of those just have to become a zombie, and why did said zombie oh-so ironically have to stand before Seo Ah-Young like this?
"You dare to call that flames, ah?!" (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young's brows shot up as she glared at the zombie, and Kim Dah-Hyun nearby spat out a long, long sigh.
Don't get competitive against a dang zombie, please!!
A human should compete against another human…. Ah, should I treat that zombie as a person too? (Kim Dah-Hyun's inner monologue)
Just as Kim Dah-Hyun fell into a deep contemplation at how to go about navigating this rather subtle distinction in a politically correct way, Seo Ah-Young began lighting up her own flames.
RUMBLE-!!
Her flames were at least twice the size of what the zombie managed to create. Seeing that spectacle, Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke in a serious voice.
"Couldn't she, like, run a power station all by herself?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"………"
Choi Jung-Hoon was about to throw a ridiculing retort of "Please, stop with your nonsense" but shut his mouth up.
When he thought about it some more, didn't it sound rather plausible?
With her firepower, spinning the turbine shouldn't be much of an issue, and as for raw materials such as fuel, they would only need food, so…. Wouldn't it prove to be fare more efficient this way?
‘What the heck?! What rubbish am I even dreaming about here??' (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon was quick to reflect on himself after getting sucked into Yi Ji-Hyuk's pace. A human being should think like a human, so what on earth was about that just now?
"Wait, could there be a nuclear fission ability user somewhere? Wouldn't it be super if you grab someone like that and let that person run a power station?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"….Not nuclear fusion but nuclear fission? That'd be like walking, talking nuclear warhead, so such a person would have been killed already or a country somewhere probably have been blown up to bits by now." (Choi Jung-Hoon)
"Kyah, I guess you have a point there. What a miss." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head helplessly.
Just what had to be in your brain to come up with stuff like that? Besides all that, shouldn't he at least possess a modicum of respect for human rights?!
"Huh? She shouldn't be throwing that around, don't you agree?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk's voice sobered up Choi Jung-Hoon right away. He quickly cried out.
"You mustn't!!" (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If Seo Ah-Young attacked with everything she had, then just the after-effects alone would wipe out at least ten thousand zombies in one go. If that happened, turning the situation around would become utterly impossible!!
"Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!!" (Choi Jung-Hoon)
"Aigo~, that ahjumma and her temper tantrums!!" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didn't say anything else, leaped up, and practically flew to where Seo Ah-Young was.
"Wow!" (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon was stunned by that speed and began looking at Yi Ji-Hyuk in renewed light.
Because he was so unwilling and lazy in his everyday life, it was hard to remember that if this guy did run seriously, he was capable of producing speed that put Kim Dah-Hyun's to shame.
That man…. He says he's not a body reinforcement type, but really now, you can't tell just how his Status points have been distributed, no? (Choi Jung-Hoon's inner monologue)
While Choi Jung-Hoon was swimming in his flustered state, Yi Ji-Hyuk had already arrived in front of Seo Ah-Young to grab her arms.
"Hey, ahjumma!! Wake the hell up!!" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"What the heck?! Didn't I tell you to not step up today?!" (Seo Ah-Young)
"Then, don't create situations where I have to step up, okay!! Can't you just pull that off once in your life?? You're supposed to take care of this all by yourself, so why are you trying to make it worse?!" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"When did I?!" (Seo Ah-Young)
"You're really hopeless." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Tsk, tsk. Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
Sure, the current situation had devolved somewhat, but that didn't mean he could let those curable people die like this.
"How annoying!" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and glared at the ability user zombie.
"Hey, you. Can't you just…." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unfortunately, even before he got to say what he wanted to, the zombie's flames flew towards his and Seo Ah-Young's location.
"Argh, dang it!" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He quickly hugged her and dodged the incoming flames.
Rumble!!
The flames rumbled up when they landed on the ground and spat out waves of such high heat that his skin was shuddering from its intensity.
"I really can't figure this out. D*mn it." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth.
He understood full well why lifeforms of Mana would get a power boost when they got infected by dark Mana. Well, technically speaking, dark Mana was a type of Mana at the end of the day, wasn't it?
Didn't matter what the type was, it was only obvious that those people using Mana would get stronger if more Mana got injected into them.
But then, these zombies weren't lifeforms of Mana, now were they?
No, these things were not Mana based but lifeforms of Ether, so how could they get stronger with injection of dark Mana?
"Where are guys like Eracio when you need them?!" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, if only there was a true, bona fide wizard specialising in research present here, not someone like Yi Ji-Hyuk who solved everything with his fists, then explaining away this strange situation would be beyond easy!
Yi Ji-Hyuk's head spun faster than anyone else's when it came to tormenting other poor souls, but when it came to the academic side of magic, well, he remained a dumba*s for the past thousand-plus years. If he possessed a studious mind to completely memorise a single grimoire, for instance, then he'd have probably hastened his escape from Berafe by at least over three hundreds years!
"Who say you can hug me without permission?! Let me go, now!!" (Seo Ah-Young)
"Did this gal lose her mind or something?! Why are you shouting at your saviour?!" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"Saviour?? I could've just blocked such pathetic lighter flames!!" (Seo Ah-Young)
"….Corrections. Not you, but I just saved countless people, instead." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk's expression crumpled as he dropped Seo Ah-Young on the ground as if he was discarding her.
"Ouch!!" (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young landed on her butt and glared back at him.
"So, what's your plan, then?" (Seo Ah-Young)
"Well, I guess…" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk redirected his gaze towards the ability user zombie, currently surrounded by other ‘normal' zombies.
"Well, yeah, things would become so much easier if we subdue those ones first, so…." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was still more than generous amount of leisure to be found on Yi Ji-Hyuk's expression.
Things might have been going down a wee bit strange path right now, but still, this wasn't what he'd call a difficult situation.
First of all, these zombies possessed a pretty serious drawback called their lethargic speed, and secondly, they couldn't move in organised fashion because they lacked any tangible intelligence.
A zombie army of million strong could have become a horrifying force to deal with if it was led by a demon king or at least a superior grade demon. But, them wandering around all over the place without a leader to guide them, well, these zombies were nothing more than some annoying critters to deal with now.
As long as those ability user zombies were taken care of, the rest would be purified away eventually even if the whole thing might take some time.
Chii-eeck
It was then, someone's voice began leaking out from Yi Ji-Hyuk's smartwatch device.
– "The condition of the first purified victim has been confirmed. The purification is a success."
"Ah!!" (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young was genuinely excited to hear that, but Yi Ji-Hyuk remained not that impressed by the news.
Because, it was an obvious thing, anyways.
Obviously, the purification would work. If not, there wouldn't have been a need to bring that insane b*tch over here in the first place.
As far as divinity is concerned, she was among the top ranker in Berafe, after all.
If I were to think about someone else possessing just as great divinity as her, then it's probably that stinking Dioreh the First? (Yi Ji-Hyuk's inner monologue)
Well, Dioreh the First was a pure cheat character that not only was blessed with enormous amount of divinity, but also enjoyed minute and exact control over his own powers, not to mention he was a genius when it came to applying his powers as well. So, someone like Roabell couldn't even hold a candle to that man.
"….Old man, you died way too soon." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If only that Dioreh the First was here, he'd have avoided all these headaches. Probably, that man wouldn't even have broken sweat over a million zombies.
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly recalled that horrifying barrage of divine powers back then and his body shuddered involuntarily. Because it was him and not someone else, he somehow managed to endure that incredible baptism of holy powers. Any ol' high-ranking demons would get cleanly killed off in one hit from that barrage.
Indeed, that Dioreh the First was the history's greatest cleric who'd be able to raid a regular demon king without a single sacrifice if he was accompanied by an army of holy warriors.
That would be the servant of Latrel, Dioreh the First in a nutshell.
But then, such a dude had died already….
"Yup, a person's life can be really meaningless and hollow, you know." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"Excuse me?" (Seo Ah-Young)
"Nah, it's nothing." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
"Well, that's not important right now, anyway." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It's not practical to use something you don't have, so one should use the tools at disposal to resolve one's current situation! (Yi Ji-Hyuk's inner monologue)
"I'm getting fed up with this nonsense." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just how much of the valuable time did those zombies waste up until now?
He wanted to get off work already!!
Indeed, he wanted to go home now!
"Wait a d*mn minute!!" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Flames began erupting out of Yi Ji-Hyuk's eyes.
What time was it now?
Since when did his concept of going home on time disappear?
Yi Ji-Hyuk began shuddering where he stood.
And they said that the new employees would initially display their rage against the unfair and illogical South Korean culture of ignoring proper time to get off work, only to become assimilated by it sooner or later!!
Wasn't Yi Ji-Hyuk's situation exactly it?
He had become that frog getting slowly cooked within the gently boiling pot of water! Not just anyone, but this Yi Ji-Hyuk!!
"You abominable sons of b*tches…!!" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jet-black flames of Mana burst into life within Yi Ji-Hyuk's hands!!
"I'm going home, you stinking b*stards!!" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Getting off work on time made one a better, stronger person.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was about to prove this scientific fact once and for all.

< 188. Do I look like a honourable person? -3 > Fin.

Chapter end