I’m In A World Infested By Zombies… But I Have Special Perks As A Formerly Isekai’d Person!

Chapter 3: The Rampant Zombie Virus

As Hayato left the school, he witnessed the strange state of the city.

Despite it being daytime, there were no cars on the roads, and no sign of any people.

There were cars parked on the side of the road and motionless zombies, confirming the records he had read at school were true.

—With sacred magic, I could treat them. But only if they haven’t turned into zombies yet.

The zombie virus, which used magic energy, could be eliminated by using sacred magic to manipulate the magic energy.

However, zombies were already dead, and even if the virus was removed, they would only return to being corpses.

The time between infection and death depended on the extent of the bite.

If bitten once, it could take anywhere from one to two days.

If bitten multiple times, it could take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of weeks.

“I could cure them before they turn into zombies, but I might end up being locked up for life.”

If the government were to find out about Hayato, they might lock him up on Izu Oshima and force him to treat zombies endlessly.

Being expelled from the Black Empire of the Other World and then being imprisoned by the Black Government of Japan—was this an improvement in his situation?

If it were a game of doctor with only beautiful girls, he might have some reservations.

But he didn’t want to say to a middle-aged man, “Please roll up your sleeves.”

Doctors were probably saints, being able to do something like that.

Thinking such rude thoughts, Hayato firmly resolved not to offer his services.

—First, I’ll stop by the supermarket and see if I can find anything.

According to the records, looting had become rampant, so the chances of finding any food were slim to none.

The only possibility was if zombies had packed themselves into the supermarket.

Hayato hesitated to eat food from such a place, but if it were canned goods, he might be able to force himself to eat them.

Fortunately, the contents of his spatial storage were safe, so he had plenty of food and water.

He had stored enough food and water for 1,000 soldiers of the Imperial Army to march for a month, and there was still about a third of it left.

Water buckets, salt bags.

Rye bread, cheese, dried meat, and dried fruit in wooden boxes.

100 spears, 300 bows, 300 bow cases, 300 quivers, and 4,000 arrows.

260 sets of 4-person tents and 1,040 blankets.

1,040 oil lamps and plant oil (enough for 10 days of use at 8 hours per day).

And Hayato’s personal belongings from the other world.

If someone were to ask him, “What are you fighting against?” he would reply, “The Demon King’s army.”

But there was no candy or chocolate among his supplies.

—-If someone had asked me to trade my spear for it back then, I might have smuggled a few out.

On the battlefield, if a few spears went missing, it would be assumed they were consumed in combat.

The armies of medieval-level nations were like that—they didn’t keep detailed records.

The area around him was quiet, and there were no zombies walking about.

But if he made a noise, he would attract zombies, so Hayato moved quietly, trying to keep his footsteps silent.

Eventually, he came to the entrance of the supermarket.

The shutter had been broken, perhaps by a car crashing into it.

“It’s like the end of the world.”

Hayato stood at the entrance of the supermarket and took a deep breath.

Inside, the supermarket was dimly lit, and the signs of looting were evident.

Hayato gripped his spear tightly and stepped quietly into the interior.

“It seems there are zombies hiding here.”

As he moved down the dimly lit aisles, he saw several zombies wandering between the shelves.

Hayato stopped in his tracks, surveyed the store, and confirmed the new battlefield.

He counted the number of zombies between the shelves and memorized the positions of the shelves that were in the way.

“Four of them.”

Hayato checked his grip on the spear and gauged the distance between him and the zombies.

Then, holding his breath, he ran forward in the next moment.

He quickly swung his raised spear and smashed the first zombie.

A loud noise, “Zugan,” echoed through the store.

Several zombies, reacting to the sound, let out groans and advanced toward him.

Hayato took a backstep, readjusted his grip on the spear, and swung it again and again.

The sound of the spear cutting through the air and the impact of shattered skulls tore through the silence.

“It’s too narrow.”

The space was too cramped to swing his spear.

Hayato swung his spear from above, careful not to hit the shelves, and struck the zombies.

Three years ago, he might have hesitated to attack, but the knowledge and combat experience he gained in the other world allowed him to mercilessly crush the zombies, who still retained their human form.

After defeating the last zombie, silence returned to the supermarket.

“If there were zombies here, maybe there’s something left behind.”

Hayato sheathed his spear and used his oil lamp to illuminate the dimly lit store as he looked through the shelves and counters.

The shelves were completely empty, and it was obvious that nothing was left.

There was no sign of any food, not even disposable chopsticks, paper plates, cooking utensils, or plastic wrap.

The only thing he found was a few cleaning supplies that were left behind.

Cleaning supplies were not edible, and they didn’t consume much.

Considering the priority of taking them back, they were probably things looters didn’t want.

“I can take them back, but I wonder if they’ll be of any use.”

Hayato hesitated but decided to put the cleaning supplies, which he had never seen in the other world, into his spatial storage.

There was nothing else among the other goods.

“I guess I’ll go home.”

Hayato muttered and turned around, exiting the supermarket and breathing in the air, which was better than the air inside the store.

While the Earth was in a dire situation, Hayato had also been through a lot.

He was the only one among those summoned to the other world who had survived.

Without any help from Earth, he had managed to survive on his own.

It would be ungrateful to ask Earth for help now, but he couldn’t bring himself to think, “I’ll become a Japanese-made zombie virus removal drug!”

“I wonder what I should do.”

It was his first day back from the other world, and he hadn’t decided on his future plans yet.

Although he thought his parents were probably not alive, he decided to head home first.

If his parents were there, he would tell them the circumstances. They wouldn’t sell their own child just because he had gained power through interworld transfer.

If they weren’t there, there was nothing he could do.

“Even if they’re at an evacuation center, I don’t know if I should join them.”

Hayato, troubled by his thoughts, made his way through the abandoned vehicles and arrived at his home.

His home, which he hadn’t seen in three years, was not as he remembered it.

The key was in the lock, but the window glass was broken, and there were signs of a break-in.

Was this a punishment for breaking into the supermarket?

However, in terms of chronology, he had been broken into first.

“I’m home.”

Hayato took the house key he had possessed three years ago from his spatial storage and entered the house.

As he walked through the first floor, he saw signs of obvious looting.

The refrigerator door was wide open, and all the condiments had been taken.

Fortunately, his zombie-turned parents were not at home.