Chapter 13: The Day of Reckoning
Translated by Vine | Proofread by Lust
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The Promised Day Approaches
The day Yuna had promised was finally upon the camps of Gyeongju. Using the cult she had taken control of, she had spread the word far and wide. Her bold proclamation had attracted a significant number of onlookers, many of whom had come to see for themselves if she would truly keep her word.
Most of the onlookers were scouts sent by the survivor camps to gather information about Yuna and the zombies, or opportunistic informants looking to sell the information to other cities or even other countries. There were also those Yuna had personally convinced, who now waited with tense expressions on rooftops, contemplating her promise.
Some were eager, some skeptical, and as the appointed time drew closer, Yuna finally stepped into view.
“Is she really going to keep her promise? This is dangerous.”
“It’s a suicide mission.”
Reactions varied as Yuna appeared in the open field. Those who sighed and lamented her actions were at least concerned for her wellbeing. High atop one of the buildings, the sisters Lee Hyuna and Lee Sua watched Yuna with worried expressions.
“Look at that, Jo Sun-do. There’s our volunteer for a suicide mission,” one man remarked with a smirk.
“Such a shame. She has a face I wouldn’t mind seeing more of,” Jo Sun-do replied, his voice tinged with disappointment.
“Were you planning to take advantage of her?”
“She’s young, but she’s well-developed, isn’t she?”
There were those who ogled her mysterious beauty through their binoculars, whispering crude jokes. They viewed Yuna’s promise as nothing more than a foolish spectacle to be mocked, a rare source of entertainment in these dark times.
“Can she really pull this off? Does she really have the power to overcome this?”
A few held out hope, albeit cautiously. They wondered if Yuna might have a trump card hidden up her sleeve, judging by the confidence she displayed. Even Jung Dong-geon, who had been gaining influence in Gyeongju, couldn’t help but feel a hint of anticipation as he watched her through his binoculars from atop a building.
“I can feel all their eyes on me. Perfect. No need to go overboard from the start,” Yuna murmured, smiling as she stood on the stage of her proof.
For her, the most important thing was to demonstrate her power—or rather, the power of the god she served. With so many people watching, this was the ideal moment to prove the existence of her deity to all the survivors in Gyeongju.
Feeling the weight of countless gazes upon her, Yuna slowly raised her hand toward the sky.
“Taunt Fire.”
A burst of flame shot into the air, exploding with a brilliant flash visible throughout Gyeongju. The fireworks-like display drew the attention of both the survivors and the zombies alike. As the sound echoed through the city, the undead lifted their heads towards the sky, captivated by the sudden spectacle.
“Gwaaaargh!”
“Gweeeh! Gweaaaah!”
The zombies, seeing the light, began to rush towards the source without a moment’s hesitation. Those who could not run, walked. Those who could not walk, crawled. The mindless undead seemed frenzied, driven to madness by the light and noise. They trampled over one another and collided with obstacles, their bodies breaking as they surged forward.
“What the hell is happening?”
The sudden movement of the zombies filled the survivors with dread.
“Are they heading toward the place where the fire was launched?”
Soon, it became clear to the survivors where the undead were headed. Despite the presence of nearby survivor camps, the zombies were fixated solely on the direction of the flames. It was as if an order had been forcibly imprinted into the minds of the creatures, directing them to the source of the light.
“Grrrrraaagh!”
“Kaaaaaaagh!”
This even applied to the mutated zombies, which had regained some level of intelligence. The variant zombies led their hordes with a vicious determination, more ferociously than the other undead. The sight of these stronger zombies moving as a unified force toward the light did not go unnoticed by the camps. It was clear that the magic Yuna had used had a potent allure, even for the mutated zombies.
“If used right, that’s an incredibly dangerous power, isn’t it?”
“It’s some kind of spell that draws the zombies’ attention. Luckily for us, it was cast outside the city, so now the zombies are all heading outwards.”
“I’m jealous.”
With some strategic planning, Yuna’s magic could be used to redirect zombie hordes toward a rival camp or even drive them to cause mass destruction. Though Yuna had cast the spell outside the city, drawing the zombies out, the same magic could be used to summon them back, potentially devastating any area.
With zombies from all over Gyeongju converging on a single location, the sheer scale of the horde was staggering.
“Could we really have had this many zombies in our city?”
“What if they come back this way when this is all over…?”
Those who didn’t belong to any camp, the weaker survivors, felt a wave of despair wash over them. Life was already a daily struggle, and now there were thousands, if not tens of thousands, of zombies being drawn out of the city. If the horde were to return after Yuna’s event, there was no way they could handle it.
“No, I believe! I believe in her! If she’s gone this far, there must be something she can rely on!”
Others clung to the hope that Yuna might perform a miracle. Though their faith was born from desperation, they hoped Yuna’s victory could secure their own survival. If she failed, they would be the first to be hunted down.
As they watched with bated breath, Yuna began to chant.
“The time has come for my god to appear. Please, show these people your might.”
[…Very well.]
With that declaration, Yuna prepared to summon the great dragon that lay dormant within the sacred grounds. She poured all of her magical energy into the summoning ritual, forming an enormous magic circle in the sky for all to see.
And from that magic circle, a brilliant light began to descend.
“What…?”
The light was so intense that the onlookers reflexively shut their eyes or turned their heads away. The accompanying roar reverberated throughout the entire city, overwhelming the senses of the survivors.
The awakened survivors quickly regained their composure, but their expressions soon turned to shock.
“What the hell!”
The beam of light shot forth from the magic circle, striking the ground with immense force. The spot where the light touched down left nothing but a massive crater in its wake. The horde of zombies that had been surging toward Yuna was obliterated in an instant.
The sheer power on display made even the most hardened of the awakened doubt their own eyes.
“This isn’t over yet.”
“Right, that was just the opening move.”
Indeed, not all the zombies had been destroyed. The horde was still vast, with tens of thousands remaining. It was still difficult to believe that Yuna, no matter how powerful, could handle the entire swarm alone.
“What… is that?”
As the survivors continued to stare at the spectacle in awe, they noticed something else. The magic circle above was not disappearing; instead, it was growing even more distinct.
In the pitch-black night sky, the circle began to coalesce, and dark clouds started forming around it. The survivors feared that the flashes of light emerging from the circle might soon be directed at them. Some camps ordered their mages to analyze the magic, but…
“Ahahaha!”
“What’s happening!?”
“It’s like staring into the sun! It hurts! It burns! Ahahaha!”
“Get a hold of yourself!”
Feeling the overwhelming magical power emanating from the circle, some mages found themselves unable to continue their analysis, overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of the energy. Even seasoned awakened individuals began to lose their nerve.
“Ahaha! It’s just like the cult said! The end is upon us! There’s no resisting this! We’re all going to die!”
“Have you lost your mind!?”
Camp leaders struggled to keep their composure as their mages broke down. The situation was spiraling out of control as the fear spread.
Moments later, the reason behind the chaos became apparent. The magic circle seemed to reach its peak, and a series of thunderous booms echoed across the city. Lightning crackled through the air as the circle shone with a blinding light.
“What’s coming now!?”
Instead of another beam of light, something massive began to descend from the magic circle, streaking toward the earth like a falling star.
The object gradually unfolded its wings as it slowed its descent, and with a resounding crash, it landed gracefully near Yuna.
[In accordance with the contract, I have arrived.]
The great creature’s form became clear to all who watched.
“A dragon?”
Indeed, standing before them was none other than a colossal dragon.
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