ESMLT 06

Chapter 6

Pop—!

At my shout, we burst forward.

“Kuuaaaak!”

Crack—!

I ran while swinging the hammer wildly.

“Argh!”

Crack!

I smashed away the zombie arm that lunged at my side, then brought the hammer down on its skull.

The zombie’s limbs fell off one by one before it collapsed in a heap.

Smack! Crunch! Thud!

Ugly, nauseating sounds echoed from all directions.

The corroded bones we stepped on shattered easily at random.

At one point, I nearly slipped over scattered bones while running.

‘Are they keeping up?’

When I glanced back, the Crown Prince was chasing after me, his dark wine-colored hair streaming behind him. His eyes glinted like flecks of gold between the disheveled strands.

‘As expected, it’s reassuring when he’s fighting seriously.’

Feeling relieved, I kept running while smashing through zombies. Thanks to cutting straight through those closing in from both sides, we safely reached the empty space created by the grenade blast.

“Huff… huff…”

After sprinting at full speed while swinging a hammer, I was out of breath.

For the moment, the zombies couldn’t close in, so we had a bit of breathing room.

Crack! Crunch!

But it didn’t last long. Realizing the safe zone was shrinking, I started forcing a path toward the cliff again. The cracked ground ahead looked like a lightning-shaped sinkhole.

It was terrifyingly deep just to look at, but with a raft bridge, it was crossable.

‘First, we need to secure the northern safe zone.’

Zombies from the northern area were falling into the abyss, leaving no place to step.

I pulled out another grenade.

BOOM—!

After throwing it and securing the area, I turned back.

“Your Highness, now the raft—”

Huh?

The Crown Prince wasn’t there.

Sensing something was wrong, I whipped my head around.

And then I saw him.

The Crown Prince was still in the middle of the zombie swarm.

Zombies that had escaped the fence were gathering, climbing over one another as they closed in around him.

When our eyes met, he smiled as if amused.

‘Damn it! This is not the time to smile!’

Just as my chest tightened, the zombies completely swallowed him.

“Your Highness!”

At that moment, a spear swung wildly through the mass.

Whoosh—!

A violent gust blew through as bones shattered, sending zombies flying and clearing the dusty air.

“Whew.”

When the dust settled, the Crown Prince stood there, exhaling deeply as he brushed back his wine-colored hair and surveyed the fallen bodies.

I was still stunned when one of the fallen zombies stretched out a hand toward him—its skull still intact.

“Behind you!”

At my shout, the Crown Prince reacted instantly.

“Tch.”

He grabbed the zombie’s head with one hand as it lunged at his side.

Kiiiiek—!

Blue veins bulged across the back of his hand.

Crack!

The decayed jaw split, then shattered completely.

Bone fragments fell to the ground.

I let out a hollow laugh.

‘He crushed it… with his grip? Even if it’s rotten, that’s still bone…’

Before I could recover from the shock, the Crown Prince ran over and laid the raft bridge across the gap. While watching our rear, he gestured to me.

“Go first, my lady.”

“Follow right after me.”

He nodded, and just as I stepped onto the bridge—

KRRRASH—!

“Ugh!”

The ground shook violently and began to split.

I hurriedly stepped back as the bridge tilted and started to fall.

‘I’m falling!’

My vision filled with the dark abyss—

“Lady!”

The Crown Prince grabbed me roughly and yanked me back.

Gasping for breath, I leaned against his chest as the tremor finally stopped.

I barely avoided falling to my death.

Then realization hit.

‘What just happened…?’

Why—

‘Why is there an earthquake when the Saint hasn’t even appeared?’

In the original story, earthquakes only occurred when the Saint descended and her holy power clashed with the zombie zone.

Which meant something was very wrong.

I looked up at the Crown Prince in confusion.

He looked just as shaken.

“Tch… damn it.”

Muttering under his breath, he slipped an arm under my thighs and lifted me up.

I wobbled and grabbed his shoulder for balance.

When he stopped and muttered that this distance should be enough, a bad feeling crept over me.

“…What are you doing?”

“We need to cross.”

“You’re going to carry me?”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Then what?”

“Have you ever jumped while carrying a grown woman?”

“Are you scared?”

“I asked if you’ve done it before!”

Crash!

He kicked away an approaching zombie and glanced at me.

“…Not really.”

Great. He hadn’t.

At that moment, he wrapped his arm tightly around my waist.

“Hold on tight.”

Tap—!

He sprinted and leapt.

“Ah!”

‘You lunatic! What am I supposed to grab?!’

I panicked and grabbed a fistful of his hair.

Every sensation felt vivid midair.

The wind lifted my hair before slamming us downward.

Thud.

We landed heavily on solid ground.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the zombie-infested northern land—our safe zone.

‘I… I lived.’

All strength drained from my body.

“Let go.”

A cold voice cut in.

I turned my head slightly.

The Crown Prince was glaring at me with icy eyes.

Both my hands were still tangled in his hair.

I quickly let go, a few red strands drifting down.

I awkwardly blew them aside and smiled.

“Did that hurt?”

He laughed incredulously and set me down, raking a hand through his hair.

“I’ve lived a long life, but this is the first time someone’s grabbed the Crown Prince by the hair. Truly fitting of a savage noble lady.”

Crunch!

I smashed a nearby zombie and shot him a look.

‘Why should I feel guilty? He’s the one who picked me up without asking.’

Still, we had made it across.

I gestured toward the forest.

“Your Highness, we’ve lost too much time. Let’s move.”

“Agreed.”

He nodded and started cutting a path forward.

That was when—

Rumbleeeee—!

The ground shook violently again.

Even my brain felt like it was rattling.

‘Why another quake now?!’

In my shaking vision, I saw the Crown Prince tilting toward the cliff.

“Your Highness!”

I reached out, and his golden eyes widened beneath his swaying hair.

Strangely, he looked calm—almost curious—rather than terrified.

Thud!

I fell to my knees but managed to grab his arm.

I dropped my hammer and clung to him with both hands, but my body kept sliding forward.

My grip slipped from his arm to his wrist, then barely to his hand.

My fingers turned white as I clenched desperately.

‘Damn it…!’

“Kuaaak!”

Zombies closed in from behind.

If I let go, he’d fall.

A total disaster.

“Hey, my lady.”

His voice reached me—oddly calm, like he’d just woken from a nap.

“W-What?! Drop the spear and grab my hand already! Don’t tell me you’re out of strength?!”

My voice came out sharp, panic overtaking me.

My arms felt like they were about to tear apart.