Episode 04
To kill it, you have to go for the head.
In the novel, it was explained that being bitten by a virus monster meant infection—followed by transformation into a grotesque creature.
Those who turned into monsters were particularly troublesome to deal with. Depending on their physical condition before infection, some mutated into enormous brutes with overwhelming strength, while others gained speed so absurd it defied common sense.
Still, they all had weaknesses.
Their eyesight was poor, but their hearing was extremely sharp. Which meant one thing—loud noises could easily be used to lure them.
On top of that, they were vulnerable to intense heat. Remembering a method I’d seen in movies, I’d prepared Molotov cocktails as well. I poured kerosene into wine bottles, stuffed cloth inside as a wick, sealed the opening, and all that was left was to light it. Simple, but effective.
As my main weapon, I’d bought an axe. I slid it into a holster strapped to my back, then pulled on a loose robe to conceal it.
When it appears, I throw the Molotov to scatter it—then strike the head with the axe.
A perfect plan.
While thinking that, I spotted a figure in the distance and immediately held my breath.
At a glance, it was clearly a woman. She was wearing a robe and carefully scanning her surroundings—just as suspicious as I probably looked myself.
Is that Aurora?
In the novel, the reason Aurora came all the way to number 61 was because she’d received an anonymous letter.
[Come to Notium Street, Number 61.
If you do, I will tell you the truth about your birth.]
That was roughly how I remembered it.
Aurora, the female lead, had lost her memories at fifteen and was adopted as the duke’s daughter by the House of Lancaster. Duke Lancaster and his son, Eden, had surrounded her with love—but even so, anyone would be curious about their origins. A very protagonist-like backstory.
Unfortunately, because the novel was discontinued, her birth secret was never revealed. Nor was the identity of whoever sent that letter.
“Ah—!”
A light scream snapped me back to reality. The robed woman approaching the mansion had slipped and nearly planted her face into the ground.
She barely managed to steady herself, then hurriedly looked around—checking to see if anyone had witnessed her embarrassing moment.
She’s kind of a klutz… cute.
Judging by how she was lingering around the front of Number 61, that woman was almost certainly Aurora.
This is dangerous.
She was the protagonist, so she probably wouldn’t die or get seriously injured—but still. A virus monster was about to appear here, of all places.
After a brief moment of hesitation, I decided it’d be better if I went into the mansion myself. After all, the Elphinus herb was supposed to be stored inside.
I’ll climb the wall.
Lowering my posture, I slipped into the alley beside the mansion, staying out of sight as much as possible. The wall wasn’t very high, and all the lights inside the mansion were off—it didn’t look like anyone was home.
I carefully placed the Molotov bottles upright inside my belt bag so they wouldn’t spill, then vaulted over the wall. Landing safely in the garden, I checked the bottles. Thankfully, none were broken.
The mansion, dark and silent, felt eerily still. Which meant I had to be even more cautious—monsters loved to attack when you let your guard down.
Slowly, I approached the front door. The tightly shut entrance looked like the mouth of a tiger’s den.
No—worse than a tiger’s den. A monster’s den.
My lips were dry. Sweat pooled in my palms as I reached for the doorknob.
I wished—desperately—that someone else had already taken care of the monster.
But miracles didn’t happen.
I turned the knob myself.
Click.
It wasn’t locked. The rusted hinges groaned as the door creaked open with a chilling sound.
Beyond the doorway, the first-floor lobby lay in darkness. Cold air clung to the space, making it feel as though no one had been there for a long time.
No. That’s just what it feels like.
If I remembered correctly, the infected person had survived alone in this mansion for several days. The novel never explained how or where they’d been infected.
Seriously, how did this story get axed with nothing explained?
Grumbling internally, I scanned my surroundings again. Either way, the monster hadn’t eaten anyone for days.
Stay sharp.
I gripped a Molotov cocktail, ready to pull out my oil lighter and ignite it at any moment. Thank goodness this was a 19th-century European-style setting with developed industry.
Yeah… a world without guns is kind of perfect for dealing with zombie-like things.
Distracting myself with pointless thoughts, I stepped further inside.
Two staircases leading to the second floor stood in the lobby. I paused, trying to figure out where the Elphinus herb might be stored—where to search first—
Thud.
Something small fell at my feet.
My heart nearly stopped.
It was a small box. On its surface was an illustration of a plant shaped like an insect.
An insect-like plant.
This is it.
It matched the novel’s description perfectly. The Elphinus herb box I’d been searching for.
What—where did this fall from?
I quickly stuffed the box into my belt bag and looked up.
That’s when my eyes met a man’s, staring down at me from the second-floor railing in the darkness.
Holy—! You scared me!
His eyes widened.
“W-Wait! Please, wait!”
He screamed and ran down the stairs—then missed a step midway and tumbled down.
Boom—!
He collapsed right in front of me.
“What—what is this?!”
“Please—help me! Save me!”
The man scrambled upright, panicked. His right leg looked broken; even standing, he staggered badly. But there were no bite marks. No blood.
I pulled him behind me protectively, then reached into my bag for the lighter.
That’s when—
Boom.
The floor shook.
Holding the Molotov, I looked around. I couldn’t tell where the sound came from—it felt like the entire mansion had vibrated.
Then—
Drip. Drip.
A thick green liquid splashed onto the floor near the toe of my shoe.
Damn it.
Slowly—like a broken machine—I tilted my head upward.
That’s when I saw it.
Three massive eyes stared down at me from the ceiling.
The creature clung to the chandelier, its arms and legs stretched long like a spider’s. Its bloated body looked waterlogged, its head twice the size of a normal human’s.
Its mandible-like fangs resembled pincers. Green saliva dripped steadily from between its lips.
Disgusting.
Was this what I’d have to keep facing once the world truly ended?
My entire body went rigid, frozen in disbelief.
The monster didn’t move right away.
Hiss—hiss—.
It made an unfamiliar sound, watching us cautiously.
Without taking my eyes off it, I whispered to the man behind me.
“Have you been bitten?”
“W-What? Uh…”
“Answer me properly. I’ll help you. Did it bite you?”
“N-No. When I came here, that thing was tied up in a room. My younger sister stopped responding days ago, so I came to check and then—there was a monster…”
Tied up? Then someone had restrained it.
“Anyone else here?”
“No. No one. Nobody.”
The monster slowly shifted its legs.
I lit the Molotov’s wick.
At the same moment, it lunged.
I hurled the burning bottle.
Fwoooosh—!
Flames engulfed its body as it screeched and crashed to the floor.
KRRRAAAAGH!
It writhed in agony.
“Help me!”
While it burned, the man—dragging his injured leg—bolted through the front door.
Good. Run. You’d just be in the way.
I pulled the axe from my back and moved in to finish it.
But the monster, quicker than expected, bolted straight for the open door.
“Damn it! No!”
I chased it across the garden toward the gate—
Straight toward where Aurora was.
“Get away! It’s dangerous!”
I shouted with everything I had.
The monster smashed through the gate—
—and I swung my axe.
THUD.
I missed the head.
But the blade sank deep into its torso.
KRAAAAGH!
The monster collapsed.
“AAAAAH!”
The woman—Aurora—screamed and fell to the ground in front of the gate.
…I’m screwed.
