TAVBZ 59

Chapter 59

As I stepped closer to Idorian, my vision spun.

When I got close enough to feel his faint breath, every cell in my body shrieked in chaos.

Bite him. Right now.

Hss—

I hurriedly gathered every last bit of self-control and held my breath.

Maybe if I stopped breathing, even without stepping back, I could block out the scent of blood.

But my heart was already pounding wildly, and all I could hear was the thudding of my own pulse.

The grip of the arms holding Idorian tightened.

Step, step.

I carried Idorian—whose head rose two whole heads above Penelope’s—with long, heavy strides.

Holding my breath quieted the dizzy buzzing in my head, but the thirst grew stronger.

To have blood right in front of me yet be unable to smell it—

It felt like something was burning inside me.

A strange sensation crawled up my throat, and my fingertips tingled.

I carried Idorian into the entryway, setting him down at the foot of the stairs—then finally, unable to endure, I inhaled.

That really was my limit.

Thud.

I put Idorian down in the first-floor hall.

I thought I’d set him down carefully, but the sound echoing in my ears had been pretty loud.

The realization hit me only as I rushed outside, but I firmly shut the door without checking on him.

Bang—

So that his scent wouldn’t leak out.

The violently closed door still trembled faintly.

“Haa….”

Only then did I take a deep breath.

Idorian’s blood scent lingered in the air—very faint, but present.

Thud, thud, thud.

And already, zombies were gathering from the forest, crashing against the castle gate as if desperate to get inside.

Their low pounding shook the gate slowly but steadily, the impact ringing louder each time.

If I left things like this, every zombie in this forest would gather.

“…Ha…”

My head throbbed. I dragged my hand down my face—

And rough, lumpy textures scraped against my palm.

It wasn’t Penelope’s original skin anymore.

That’s when my hand came into view.

The veins on the back of my hand were swollen grotesquely.

It seemed my awakened state had lasted quite a while.

Thud, thud, thud.

The scent and sounds were gone now.

But once zombies’ attention was caught, they kept reacting to any noise they themselves created.

Thud, thud, thud.

Waiting for Idorian or Heresdon to wake up would only let the noise continue.

“……”

But calming these swollen veins came first.

I didn’t know when Heresdon or Idorian would regain consciousness.

People inside the castle were asleep, but heading to the water channel outside seemed wiser.

Rennier had said he’d wake before the day ended.

That meant the drug would last until the evening—but whether that applied to Idorian or Heresdon was uncertain.

Even during my awakened state, I couldn’t push Idorian away.

Their physical abilities were already far from normal humans’.

So trusting Rennier’s words and relaxing wasn’t an option.

Wandering around the castle like this, I risked being seen.

I circled the castle and reached the back garden, then threw myself into the water channel, just like last time.

Clear the zombies at the gate next, then check on everyone.

Time was short.

Even now, zombies were still slamming themselves against the gate.

And that wasn’t the only problem.

After awakening, fatigue always hit me hard.

Last time, when Idorian went to fetch Lumi, I’d fallen asleep while moving a desk to block the door.

The thought that I could faint at any moment made me anxious.

“Haa…”

I filled my lungs with air and submerged myself completely.

By the time the cold water made my jaw shiver, I finally climbed back onto land.

The bulging veins on the back of my hand and across my face had vanished.

Only after checking my chest to ensure the heartbeat had settled did I stand up.

My water-soaked clothes hung heavy, so I tied them up roughly and hurried up the watchtower.

I scanned the surroundings—and immediately spotted a bow propped against the wall.

I grabbed it without hesitation.

It’s my first time using one… can I even manage?

If I’d known something like this would happen, I should’ve asked to learn archery before running or sword basics.

I pulled the bowstring with all my strength, but it was stiffer than expected.

Even drawing it halfway made my hand tremble from lack of strength.

The bow shook in my grip, the arrowpoint long since drifting off target.

Thud, thud, thud.

The only silver lining was that as long as that noise continued, I wouldn’t fall asleep.

Narrowing my eyes, I drew the bow again.

The arrow barely flew forward, landing weakly nowhere near my target.

“What am I supposed to do…”

Was it lack of strength, or lack of technique?

The second arrow hit one zombie’s shoulder, and that was it.

Zombies didn’t feel pain—they didn’t react at all.

No, more accurately, their instinct to bite humans overrode anything like pain.

So unless I hit the head in one shot, it was useless.

How did Idorian do this so easily…?

He and the others made it look ridiculously simple. I hadn’t expected it to be this difficult.

If only I’d shot this while awakened…

Sweat covered my palms, making my grip slippery.

Ignoring my tingling wrist, I drew again, but I had no confidence.

Six shots missed already.

I wasn’t even sure I was improving.

“Just once…”

But I was alone.

Idorian and Heresdon were asleep.

Lilia, Lumi, and Uben as well.

So I was the only one who could guard the gate right now.

Steadying my breath, I nocked another arrow and slowly drew the bowstring.

This time, I tensed my body not to let it shake.

The moment my fingers released the string, I heard the arrow slice through the air.

“…Got it.”

The arrow pierced a zombie’s head precisely.

And at that moment—

The zombies slamming the gate all stopped moving.

Sensing improvement, I hurried to nock another arrow—but the thudding and eerie groans outside the gate abruptly faded.

“…What?”

A sudden change.

I pressed down the tension in my chest and looked down from the wall.

The zombies had frozen in place—like time itself had stopped.

Then, with unnatural motion, all their heads turned at once.

Not toward the gate—but toward the forest.

Their hands clawed uselessly at the air.

Their clouded, pale eyes focused on the forest.

And as I realized this, one zombie staggered, changing direction.

Then another. And another.

Soon, all of them were turning toward the forest.

Their noses twitched faintly.

“…They smelled something?”

I didn’t know exactly what was happening in the forest—

But one thing was certain: zombies had detected the scent of blood.

Someone from the Rettern territory is bleeding in the forest.

Some zombies began walking—

Then abruptly broke into a vicious sprint.

Their staggered steps shifted into a predator’s charge.

My grip on the bow tightened.

Even I could sense the metallic tang of blood drifting from the forest.