<Episode 5>

I tapped the spot on the map where our hut was located with my index finger.

“Right now, we’re at the East Shelter.”

In the Sacred Zone, these huts were referred to as shelters, and there was one in each of the cardinal directions—east, west, south, and north.

The shelters were places where the families of the deceased could honor their loved ones with the temple’s permission. Most of the deceased were from the upper class, except for the commoner soldiers, so the shelters were well-maintained.

They were stocked with high-quality, magically preserved food, clean bedding, and even spare clothing.

“Our plan is simple.”

First, we’d use grenades to secure a safe zone in the center.

Then, we’d break through the zombie horde and reach the safe zone.

Finally, we’d cross the “Rifted Ground” in the central cemetery and head to the northern Sacred Forest.

The Sacred Forest, by the way, was protected by a barrier, making it a safe haven from the zombies.

After explaining the plan, I met the Crown Prince’s gaze.

“Let’s divide up the tasks. I’ll gather the supplies from the East Shelter. I’ll give you a lightweight magic kit so you can dismantle one side of the hut to make a raft bridge. This place is on the verge of collapse anyway, so it’s safe to use the materials.”

“A raft bridge?”

The Crown Prince’s voice was filled with curiosity. I glanced at him and then pointed with my finger to the central cemetery, about 200-300 meters away from the East Shelter.

The center of the cemetery was surrounded by graves and split into four parts by deep chasms, what we called the “Rifted Ground.”

“The closest place to the East Shelter is this Rifted Ground. We’ll use the raft bridge to cross it.”

The ground had split during the earthquake, leaving a gap of about 2 meters.

Even with good reflexes, crossing that gap after a battle, with my strength depleted, was going to be risky.

“I see,” the Crown Prince nodded, studying me intently.

His gleaming golden eyes reminded me of the original story.

In the novel, Redria steals the supplies from the East Shelter, fleeing to a dimensional cave.

Left alone in the shelter, the Crown Prince gets trapped after the fence collapses and ends up hiding in a storage room.

He barely escapes after three days, but the trauma leaves him with a severe case of claustrophobia.

There was no guarantee that I wouldn’t end up trapped in the East Shelter like the Crown Prince, sharing his fate.

The thought made me swallow hard.

Kuueeek!

The zombie’s wails echoed from outside the hut.

The Crown Prince and I exchanged glances, both of us understanding the same unspoken truth.

From this point on, we would have to move as if our lives depended on it—because they did.

* * *

We split our tasks and got to work without a word.

The Crown Prince worked quickly, finishing the raft bridge in no time.

Meanwhile, I miniaturized the food and supplies from the shelter using the kit and packed them into my backpack.

When I stepped outside after we were both ready, I saw the Crown Prince waiting ahead.

Kuueeek!

He stood facing the zombies beyond the iron fence, with the raft bridge secured to his back by a rope.

I walked over to stand beside him.

Facing the zombies across the fence, it felt like a scene straight out of a zombie movie—grim and intense.

I glanced at him and asked, “What are you looking at?”

“I’m assessing.”

“Assessing what?”

“Whether we can take down the zombies to the east.”

“…Why the hell would you go on a zombie hunt, you lunatic…”

The Crown Prince must have sensed my exasperated look because he chuckled while keeping his gaze fixed ahead.

“Such an irreverent look you have, my lady.”

I had only been with him for a few hours, but I already felt exhausted.

With a sigh, I ran a hand down my face and pulled out my hammer from my belt.

“When you’re fighting, aim for their heads. That’s their weak spot.”

“…Their what?”

The Crown Prince turned to face me, his expression one of pure confusion.

‘Oh, right. They don’t use the term “뚝배기” here.’

Tl/N:“뚝배기” is a Korean colloquial term that literally means “earthenware pot,” but it’s often used as slang to refer to someone’s head, especially in contexts involving hitting or smashing it. The character realizes that this slang isn’t recognized in the world they’re in, so they correct themselves by using “대가리,” which is another way of saying “head,” though it’s more direct and less colloquial.

I tapped my temple with my finger.

“Their heads.”

The Crown Prince let out a laugh, seemingly both amused and incredulous.

“You certainly have a way with words, my lady. How refined.”

“Thank you,” I replied dryly, feeling his eyebrows raise at my blunt response, but I ignored him.

Crooooaaak—!

Just then, an eerie groan sounded much closer than before.

I looked up to see a zombie pressed against the fence, its head tilted awkwardly as it was pushed forward by the horde.

Clang—!

Finally, the zombie tumbled over the fence, falling headfirst into our area. As I watched two more bodies topple over, I instinctively reached for my hammer.

But before I could react, the Crown Prince stepped in front of me, strolling toward the zombies with a casual gait.

“You said the head was their weak spot.”

His steps were unhurried as he approached the skeletons, and then his hand gripped the spear, which extended to full length.

He swung it quickly, with such speed and precision that the wind it created caused the fence to rattle and sent the skulls of three zombies flying.

Crack!

The skulls hit the ground and shattered into pieces. The remaining bones collapsed, arms and legs falling apart as they crumbled into a pile.

I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh as one of the skulls rolled toward me like a ball.

The spear hadn’t even touched them directly. He’d taken them out with nothing but the force of the wind.

The Crown Prince rested the spear on his shoulder and turned to look at me, a deep disappointment evident in his gaze.

“That’s it? How boring.”

What was he expecting?

‘…I knew he was crazy when he seemed excited about fighting zombies.’

At least he’s powerful.

I pressed my lips together, feeling a mix of relief and irritation, and headed for the door.

The Crown Prince followed me, as nonchalant as ever.

Standing by the fence, I pulled out a deep green grenade.

It was a high-explosive device that my eccentric brother Hayton had modified, with a lethal range of about 50 meters. The metal fragments would shred through the zombie’s bones.

I held it up in the air with a smile.

“I’ll handle the safe part. Who wants to throw it?”

The Crown Prince gave me an incredulous look. It was just the two of us here, so obviously, it had to be either him or me.

“I’ll do it.”

With smooth efficiency, the Crown Prince took the grenade, pulled the pin, and without a word of warning, hurled it into the middle of the zombie horde.

‘You lunatic! You’re supposed to give a heads-up before throwing it!’

I watched in shock as the grenade arced through the sky, my mouth slowly dropping open.

‘It looked like he just threw it carelessly, but how far did that thing go…?’

The grenade flew at least 80 meters before landing amidst the zombie horde.

Boom!

The explosion was followed by a slight delay, then the ground trembled from the blast’s impact.

The number of zombie groans decreased significantly, and through the dust that spread from the explosion, I could see a wide-open space where the zombies had been.

‘Good, we’ve secured the safe zone.’

But my relief was short-lived.

Kuueeeek—!

Just like in the original story, the iron fence began to split in two under the relentless pressure of the zombies.

I turned to the Crown Prince, quickly pointing at the fence.

“Your Highness, kick the fence down!”

Clang—!

The Crown Prince reacted instantly, kicking the fence with all his might.

The fence toppled backward, and the zombies collapsed like dominos.

My heart pounded with the realization of how close we’d come to being overwhelmed.

‘If we had hesitated any longer, we would’ve been trapped in the hut, just like in the original story.’

But there was no time to dwell on the narrow escape.

I bit my lip and glared ahead.

Kuueeeek!

The weight of the fence had crushed some of the zombies, but others were already pushing their fingers and heads through the gaps.

Some were crawling out, abandoning their trapped legs, while others dragged themselves along with broken spines.

‘Damn it…’

Suppressing my frustration, I nodded toward the spot where the grenade had landed.

“Your Highness, I’ll take the lead to that spot. Please cover the rear.”

I suggested leading the way because it would be easier to take down the zombies that were just starting to get back on their feet.

“If that’s what you prefer, then go ahead,” the Crown Prince said, keeping an eye on our surroundings.

I muttered the spell to enlarge the hammer in my hand.

As I gripped the now heftier weapon, I could feel my dormant instincts starting to awaken.

‘This is just the beginning.’

It was only then that the reality of diving headfirst into a horde of zombies hit me.

Just as I was about to make my move, the Crown Prince, still glaring at the zombies, spoke up.

“Shall we make a bet, my lady?”

“What kind of bet?”

His casual tone grated on me, and I snapped back, annoyed that he was bringing this up right before we were about to fight.

“Let’s see who can take down more zombies. If you win, I’ll grant you one wish.”

“…I already took down over a hundred before you woke up. Does that count?”

“Ha.”

My eyes sparkled at the challenge, and the Crown Prince let out a small laugh.

“Well, fine. That makes it even more interesting.”

Interesting, my foot. I shot him a glare before bracing myself and shouting:

“Let’s go!”