I Became The Necromancer In The Post-Apocalyptic Zombie World

Chapter 12

—–CROW—– 

Leaving Yoo Ha-yeon asleep on the bed for a while, I went up to the department store’s rooftop. 

Or rather, it was more of a terrace.  

I was on the top floor, where the upscale restaurants and a large cafe were located.  

Past the door leading to the terrace was an outdoor space resembling a small garden, designed like a promenade.

“…Haa, it’s so high up.”

Naturally, the power was out, so the elevators and escalators were unusable.  

That meant I had to take the stairs.  

The problem was that climbing eight floors by stairs wasn’t something I wanted to do often.

‘There has to be a better way.’

Of course, I didn’t have much reason to use the upper floors. 

 Most of what I needed was on the lower floors, and the upper floors only had things like a movie theater and restaurants, which were currently useless.

“Please, let this work on the first try.”

I adjusted the rice I’d brought from the basement grocery section and the butterfly net I’d grabbed from the 4th-floor kids’ section.  

The animal I was going to catch was a pigeon.  

The most common animal in this human-dominated cityscape.  

It was the perfect test subject for my skill, which only worked on animal corpses.

‘Good, there are a few.’

I’d caught pigeons a few times before.  

Why would a modern-day office worker have experience catching pigeons?  

It was right after the zombie outbreak, when I was trapped in the dormitory and running out of food. 

Back then, growing anxious about our dwindling food supplies, someone suggested catching pigeons. 

We happened to have some leftover rice, which was difficult to cook without electricity.

“Here you go~  Food~”

I sat on a bench on the promenade and scattered the rice I’d brought.  

The pigeons commonly seen in the city, despite being wild animals, had little fear of humans.  

Of course, they’d fly away if I approached directly, but if I offered them food, they’d ignore me and come close, busy eating.

-*Coo, coo, coo.*

It was the same even now, after the zombie outbreak. 

After a moment of hesitation, once one pigeon started pecking at the rice, the others rushed in to join the feast. They looked like chickens.  

Even their plump bodies made them resemble chickens.

Once they were this close, the rest was easy.  

I just had to carefully and swiftly scoop them up with the butterfly net.

-*Flap! Flap!*

“Easy.”

As soon as I caught one, the others, without a shred of loyalty, flew away.  They reminded me of the survivor group that abandoned me when I was chosen as a scout back in the dormitory.

“Poor thing, don’t worry. I’ll give you a new life, just like I was bitten by a zombie.”

-*Flap! Flap!*

Naturally, the pigeon, unable to understand my words, continued flapping its wings.

“…How do I kill it?”

Now that I’d caught a pigeon, I had to figure out how to kill it.  If it were a chicken, I’d wring its neck.  But I didn’t need pigeon meat.  I needed a zombie pigeon revived by my skill.

‘If I injure it, it’ll become useless…’

The zombies outside were a prime example.  

Some had broken legs, or were missing their lower halves entirely.  Others had broken jaws and couldn’t bite.  

In those cases, they were nothing more than useless chunks of meat.  If this pigeon’s wings were damaged when I killed it, it would be truly useless.  

It would just end up walking around like a chicken.

“Ah! That’s it!”

A good idea came to mind, and I immediately went downstairs.  Yoo Ha-yeon was still asleep in the bedding section on the third floor.

‘It’s probably not a good idea to let her see this.’

No matter how much she trusted and followed me, seeing me kill a pigeon could make me look like a psychopath to someone who didn’t know the context.  

I might lose the trust I’d built.

So, I went down to the basement, to the grocery section.

“Alright~  Time for our little pigeon to have a drink.”

I poured a few bottles of water into a container, creating a small pool.  

Then, I dunked the pigeon’s head in, holding its wings securely so it wouldn’t struggle.

I started giving it a “face wash,” and after a while, the pigeon’s struggles subsided.

‘Just in case, I’ll leave it like this for a few more minutes.’

This way, I could kill it without damaging its body.

*Drip, drip.*

After a few minutes of complete stillness, I pulled the pigeon out.  It was motionless, only dripping water.

“Yes! See? Success!”

-Groooooan….

Finally obtaining an animal corpse to test my skill on, I spoke to a nearby friend lying on the floor, filled with joy. 

I didn’t know its name, but it seemed happy too, groaning in response.

‘Let’s test it right away!’

I sat down, ready to test the skill, but then I remembered something from the skill description.

‘It mentioned something about possession.’

Possession. 

 As far as I knew, it meant having one’s mind overlaid onto another. 

 Did that mean my mind would enter the revived corpse?

‘Then what happens to my body?’

The conclusion was that it would be left defenseless.  So, I moved from the grocery section to the bedding section on the third floor.  I sat on the bed where Yoo Ha-yeon was still sleeping and placed the pigeon’s corpse on the floor in front of me.

‘…Okay, then.’

After a few attempts, I figured out how to use the skill.  It was just a matter of thinking about the skill name.  I didn’t have to open the skill window every time, which was convenient.

[Using Moving Corpse LV 1.]

A helpful message informed me that the skill had been activated successfully.

*Woooong.*

I felt something leave my body, and a blue light enveloped the pigeon’s corpse.

*Creak, creak.*

The pigeon, which should have been dead, rose up, its body twisting grotesquely.  A moving corpse, in the truest sense of the word.

“…Fucking awesome.”

I saw zombies every day, but seeing an animal I’d killed come back to life felt different.  The fully revived pigeon simply stared at me, motionless.

━*Ding.*

[Moving Corpse successfully used on species ‘Pigeon’.]

[Individual Name: None.

Species: Pigeon.

Traits: Flight, Avian Vision.

Current Status: Good.]

A message confirming the skill’s success and a brief overview of the pigeon’s stats appeared before my eyes.

“Why isn’t it moving?”

I’d revived it as a zombie pigeon, but it wasn’t moving.  Was it because it didn’t have any food?

‘Wait, what if it attacks Ha-yeon?’

The thought of food reminded me that I hadn’t considered Yoo Ha-yeon’s safety.  Fortunately, it showed no signs of attacking the sleeping Yoo Ha-yeon.

‘Does it respond to commands?’

My class was Necromancer.  A class that revived the dead and commanded them.  That meant the pigeon I revived should also obey me.

“Uh… hmm…  Give me your… hand?”

Like training a dog, I extended my hand.

Then…

*Flap!*

The zombie pigeon lightly took flight and landed on my hand.

“Whoa! This is amazing!”

A zombie that obeyed me.  Not a mindless zombie wandering around outside, but a living corpse that followed my commands.  In a way, this skill was even more useful than a slave like Yoo Ha-yeon.

‘If I level up this skill, can I turn humans into zombies…?’

And if I could increase the number of controllable units…  Then I could create a zombie army that followed my every command.

‘…I was wondering how to get back at those soldiers.  This is a good skill.’

The soldiers had a large number of guns and plenty of ammunition.  Those were their priorities when they raided the military base, even over food.  I wanted revenge, but in my current state, I couldn’t beat them alone.  My only ability was immunity to zombies.  If I went after them now, I’d be riddled with bullets and game over.

‘Increase the number of slaves and develop my abilities.’

And then, when I was powerful enough to make their guns look like toys, I’d go after them.  The thought of them begging for their lives brought a smile to my face.

“But what’s this possession thing?”

Looking at the pigeon on my hand, I tilted my head in thought.  The skill description definitely mentioned possession.

‘…Possession.’

━*Ding.*

[Do you wish to possess species ‘Pigeon’?]

As I looked at the pigeon and thought about possession, a message immediately appeared.

“So convenient.”

Without hesitation, I pressed [Yes].  I’d locked the entrance to the third floor with a padlock and chain to prevent easy access.  It would be safe even if my body was left defenseless here.  And Yoo Ha-yeon was here too.

[Beginning possession of species ‘Pigeon’.]

Following the message, my consciousness began to fade.

***

‘This is fucking awesome.’

-*Whoosh!*

I was flying. I’d felt like I was flying during sex with Yoo Ha-yeon, but this wasn’t a metaphor. I was literally flying.  As a pigeon.

‘I never thought of this… this skill is incredibly useful.’

High in the sky, I soared freely, looking down at the cityscape of Seoul.  Even at high speeds, the pigeon’s eyes picked out every detail with sharp clarity.  I could even see almost everything behind me.

‘This is like a drone.’

A drone I could control directly with my own eyes.  Unlike a drone, which could only observe, I could physically interact with the world as a pigeon.  For example, like a carrier pigeon from the old days, I could carry messages and communicate with people far away.  In this situation, where cell phones were useless due to the zombie outbreak, long-distance communication was an enormous advantage.

‘Good, they’re still alive.’

I flew over the dormitory where I’d hidden and checked on them.  I landed on a nearby branch and peered through the window.  I couldn’t hear their voices, but I could see what was going on.

‘I was wondering how to check on them. This solves it.’

The survivor group was still struggling with a lack of food. The soldiers were taking turns with the slut, Shin Joo-ha, to satisfy their urges.  And finally, Chae Su-ah was sucking the company commander’s dick.

‘They haven’t changed, those bastards.’

I wanted to mess with them right then and there.  But I held back.  The right opportunity would come eventually.

‘…Did their numbers increase?’

I noticed a few unfamiliar faces. Young men and women.  Judging by their appearance, they were around my age… probably college students.

‘They must have been hiding nearby and joined the group.’

Knowing those soldiers, they wouldn’t have taken them in without something in return, especially with food being scarce.  There must have been some kind of deal.  Perhaps the new survivors had a considerable amount of food.  A trade for safety.

‘What should I do about them later…’

They had nothing to do with me.  But being part of that group meant they’d be caught up in my revenge eventually.

‘Doesn’t really matter.’

It had been a cruel world for a long time, a world where only I mattered.  If they suffered for being part of that group, it would be their own fault.  It had nothing to do with me.

‘…But where are Ryu Da-hee and Han Mo-ah?’

The only two in that group who had treated me well.  I wanted to bring them into my fold somehow.  Even though I ended up in that mess because I helped Han Mo-ah.  They were the only ones who took my side and secretly helped me.

-*Flap!*

I took off from the branch and circled the dormitory, surveying the surroundings.  Then, I spotted a group gathered in the backyard.

‘That bastard Seo Il-soo…’

Sergeant Seo Il-soo and a few soldiers were there.  And Ryu Da-hee was shielding Han Mo-ah, standing protectively in front of her.  I immediately understood.  Those bastards had been eyeing Han Mo-ah for a while now.  They must have been waiting for an opportunity and decided today was the day.

I immediately swooped down from the sky.

-*Whoosh!*

I flapped my wings powerfully and pecked at those fucking soldiers with my beak.

“What, what the fuck!  Kyaaak! Get, get away!”

“S-Sergeant Seo! That pigeon, i-isn’t it a zombie?!”

Private Kim Seok-ho, the most jumpy of the bunch, pointed at me and yelled.

“W-What?!”

I probably didn’t have any zombie-like wounds.  But they must have noticed something was off about a pigeon suddenly attacking people, and its unnatural movements.

“Aaaaaak━!!”

“A-Aren’t you infected?!”

“Bullshit! Where’s that professor?!”

Sergeant Seo Il-soo, his face pale with fear at the mention of zombies, frantically flailed his arms and ran inside the building.

‘Idiots. Serves them right.’

They’d be shitting their pants for a while, wondering if they were infected.

After chasing those bastards away, I stopped flapping my wings and landed on a nearby wall.

“D-Da-hee…”

“It’s okay. It’s calm now…”

The two women, the soldiers’ original targets, were watching me warily.

‘They both didn’t have boyfriends, right?’

That was what I remembered.  Of course, they were college students, twenty-four years old.  Even if they weren’t dating anyone at school, they could have had boyfriends outside.  Still, there was a high chance they were virgins.

I needed two things to enhance my abilities: a virgin’s blood and slaves enhanced by my semen.

‘Just wait a little longer. I’ll come for you soon.’

Looking at the frightened Han Mo-ah and the wary Ryu Da-hee, I made up my mind.  And those breasts that looked ready to burst.  Both of them were quite impressive.

‘I look forward to fucking them.’

After rescuing the two, my future slaves, I leisurely flapped my wings and soared into the sky.  Leaving the two women staring after me, I flew away.

‘Phew, I think that’s enough skill testing for now.’

It was my first skill, after all. I was initially disappointed that there was only one and that it seemed underwhelming, but after using it, I understood. It was an incredibly useful skill.  The ability to freely move to places inaccessible to humans and physically interact with the environment was amazing.

‘Should I give it a name later?’

My first zombie, the commemorative pigeon.  It felt strange to keep calling it just “pigeon,” so I’d have to think of a name.

Having successfully used my first skill, I leisurely returned to the department store.  Then…

‘…What’s that?’

I spotted something below me, also flying in the sky.  I immediately descended and approached the flying object.  At first, I thought I was mistaken, but the pigeon’s eyesight was impeccable.  That was definitely…

‘…A drone.’

An electronic device created by humans to freely navigate the sky and observe the ground.

—–CROW—–