ESMLT 25

Chapter 25

I looked down.

A few steps away on the ground, a rabbit was stuck like chewing gum, tears streaming down its face.

It was crying pitifully.

“Come here.”

“Whimper…”

The rabbit flapped its long ears and rushed over, leaping straight into my arms.

At this point, it seemed to recognize me as its master.

I stroked the rabbit’s head, then opened my pouch again.

It looked like it was finally time to use the item I had given to the male leads.

I’d hoped to avoid using Hayton’s magitech items as much as possible.

The more I exposed them, the more suspicion there would be about my intentions and the source.

I reached deep into the subspace, feeling around for the item.

Rustle!

Something stirred in the forest.

Leaves swayed and shadows flickered.

Could it be zombies?

Honestly, the fact that I hadn’t run into zombies until now was pure luck. Of course, the shifting terrain had played a part in that.

In the original story, zombies could sniff out humans like ghosts, even if you stayed quiet and hidden.

I knew it was too quiet to last.

I slowly stood and pulled the hammer hooked to my belt.

With the weapon enlarged, I tightened into a battle stance.

My palms were slightly damp with tension.

Rustle!

The bushes shook.

Rustle—!

Again, they shook.

Whoosh!

The moment something pushed through the bushes, I swung the hammer without hesitation.

Huh?

But then I locked eyes with a pair of gray ones—and froze.

Navy-blue hair rippled lightly in the breeze.

“Duke Jaeger?”

Those gray eyes glared straight at the hammer aimed at his head.

“Lower it.”

I quickly withdrew the hammer and gave an awkward smile.

“You startled me. I thought you were a zombie.”

“And who do you think was more startled? Are you exacting revenge for the dagger you threw at me the other day?”

Jaeger’s voice dripped with coldness as he brushed off his jacket.

So, he knows throwing the dagger was wrong, huh.

And yet, he only blamed me—how absurd. I shot him a sidelong glare.

“Where are His Highness and the Tower Master?”

“Looks like we’ve been scattered.”

Jaeger frowned, looking troubled.

I sneered inwardly, hooked the hammer back on my belt, and dug into the pouch again.

Before long, my fingers caught on something round and blunt.

Ah, found it.

It was a brooch set with a yellow sapphire, framed with golden thread.

“That’s the one you gave to everyone else, isn’t it?”

Jaeger pulled out his own brooch, which bore a blue sapphire, demanding an explanation.

This was one of Hayton’s magitech items. If you picked a brooch with a different gem, it could track the location of the bearer.

By tapping it, you could also communicate within a 200-meter radius.

I explained it briefly to him and urged him to wear it.

“……”

After fastening my own brooch, I watched him pin his onto the white jacket over his chest. Then I asked:

“By the way, doesn’t this place feel haunted?”

The question was really to test whether he, too, had encountered the former Tower Master.

“……”

He paused mid-motion, staring hard at me.

“What?”

“…Are you still afraid of ghosts?”

His tone wasn’t mocking but probing.

Still afraid?

I blinked.

“Was I afraid of ghosts?”

Jaeger narrowed his eyes, watching me intently, gauging my intent.

“I’m serious—I don’t remember.”

He abruptly turned his head and finished fastening the brooch.

“…You were. To the point where you couldn’t even sleep alone.”

…?

Couldn’t sleep alone?

How would he know that?

Screeeech!

But before I could ask, a shriek rang out.

My ears twitched instinctively.

Jaeger and I stood side by side, peering into the darkness. Even the rabbit, trembling, clawed at the back of my knees.

Sorry, no time to hold you now.

I expanded the hammer’s size again.

Jaeger reached behind him, drawing out the flail strapped to his pack.

Time crawled.

Then the ground began to tremble.

Not like an earthquake—the kind of tremor that came from pounding hooves.

I raised a lightstone, casting its glow into the darkness. Something was bounding toward us, slowly but steadily.

Thank goodness.

I relaxed slightly.

Zombies didn’t run.

Which meant it might be Sien and Rihad.

Wait. But could a person make that rattling noise while running? And wail like that?

Jaeger snatched my lightstones and shone them forward.

“…Now that I think of it, the western shelter has a stable.”

“Really?”

I replied casually, narrowing my eyes.

Then my perception of living beings sharpened—and my eyes widened.

Three pale horses came galloping, strands of sticky saliva lashing like whips.

“There are three retired warhorses from an elite cavalry unit kept there.”

Their manes whipped in the wind.

Their hooves thundered against the ground.

Whinny—!

And their eyes glowed with the crimson hue of zombies.

“…Those are zombie horses.”

“……”

Jaeger and I locked eyes.

And then I bolted.

Damn it! You could’ve mentioned that sooner!

Huff, huff.

We dashed down the forest path, guided only by the faint light of the stones.

Thankfully, the infected horses couldn’t reach full gallop, so they weren’t gaining on us quickly. But the fact they could still run at all was problem enough.

But there was an even bigger problem—

I glanced back.

Whinny!

Damn it!

The sight of horses barreling toward us, jaws gaping wide as if to devour, was terrifying enough to make my skin crawl.

Cold sweat slid down my spine.

I glanced under my chin. The brooch’s light was bent at a sharp angle.

We’re moving farther away from the others.

On top of being winded and chased by horses.

I can’t just keep running like this.

I racked my brain furiously.

Grenades?

No—that would draw every zombie in the area.

Flashbangs?

Same issue.

Smoke bombs?

No point—what good would smoke do in this pitch-dark place with only one lightstone?

“Whimper…”

I turned toward the sound near my shoulder.

At some point, the rabbit had clung to me, ears flapping desperately to hold on.

What about Jaeger?

A sidelong glance showed him running effortlessly beside me, like he was out for a jog by the Han River.

Great. I’m the only one panting like a dog.

All that training back at the mansion—and still, cramming could never beat steady self-study.

Still… at least I wasn’t alone.

Scree—

I skidded to a halt, kicking up dust.

Jaeger stopped as well.

“Let’s split them up. You take two, I’ll handle one.”

Jaeger seemed to understand there was no avoiding the fight. He instantly shifted into combat stance.

“Why are the horses rampaging? I thought only skeletons could be infected.”

Panting, I swallowed hard against the dryness sticking in my throat.

“I told you. If a zombie bites someone, they turn too. After that, all they want is to bite people like crazy.”

Even though they didn’t have stomachs to digest, their hunger was insatiable.

Jaeger tilted his head, loosening his shoulders.

“So as long as we don’t get bitten?”

“Exactly. Just don’t get bitten.”

Whinny!

We didn’t have long.

Within seconds, monstrous hooves pierced the darkness.

Clang—!

Jaeger swung his flail crosswise, blocking a horse’s jaws.

Snort—!

The zombie horse flexed its thick hindquarters, shoving against him.

“Damn it,” he muttered, then whipped the spiked chain around the horse’s head. With a surge of strength, he hauled the beast over his shoulder and slammed it to the ground.

Thud—! Whinny!

The horse thrashed in the dirt, legs flailing.

Jaeger didn’t waste the chance—he drove his dagger straight into its skull.

Snort—!

Another horse burst through the darkness, shrieking.

“Redria!”

Startled, I reflexively swung my hammer.

Crack—!

Perfect timing.

The blow ripped the lower jaw clean off.

Thud—!

For good measure, I smashed the fallen beast’s skull until it went limp.

Thwack—! Thwack!

Finally, its movements ceased, and its body sagged lifelessly.

Only then did I let out a sigh of relief.

“Phew…”

I wiped the sweat from my brow and lifted my head when—