Investing in My Harem in the Apocalypse Makes Me Stronger
Chapter 9: The University Hospital

Chapter 9: The University Hospital

Jack’s eyes immediately lit up.

He then stepped forward.

"I’ll take that one."

Cain looked at him and reminded, "Kill it as soon as possible."

Jack rolled his shoulders.

"Don’t worry."

He brought both fists in front of his face.

"I’ll finish it within a few moves."

The Bulky Zombie released a deep growl and charged.

Its footsteps struck the road heavily.

Jack did not retreat.

He waited until the zombie swung its right arm before leaning backward.

The thick hand passed in front of his face.

Jack immediately stepped closer and used one of his skills (Iron Jab).

His left fist shot forward.

Bang!

The metal plate covering his knuckles struck the zombie’s mouth.

Several teeth flew from its lips.

The creature stumbled half a step, but its swollen body remained standing.

It then swung again.

Jack moved to the side and drove another jab into its ribs.

The Impact Gloves increased the force behind every strike.

A dull crack came from the zombie’s side.

Jack did not remain in front of it as he shifted away before the creature could grab him.

The Bulky Zombie turned and charged again.

Its strength was far greater than an ordinary zombie, but its movements were slow and easy to read.

Jack avoided another heavy swing, then delivered a fist to its nose.

The creature’s head snapped backward.

Jack lowered his body and punched its stomach.

The swollen flesh sank beneath the impact.

The Bulky Zombie tried to catch his shoulder, but Jack slapped its arm away and stepped outside its reach.

Cain watched quietly.

Jack’s boxing experience was obvious.

He did not attack without reason, because every movement placed him at an angle where the zombie struggled to respond.

The Bulky Zombie roared and raised both arms.

Jack planted his foot, then twisted his hips, transferring the force through his entire body as he used his (Crushing Cross) skill.

His right fist struck the center of the zombie’s face.

Bang!

The Bulky Zombie’s head burst apart.

Bone fragments scattered behind it.

Its large body remained upright for a brief moment before falling onto its back with a heavy thud.

Jack lowered his fist, blood slid across the metal plate protecting his knuckles.

He looked at the gloves with a satisfied expression.

"These really are good."

Cain approached the corpse.

He inspected the ground around it, but there was no light or dropped item.

"Nothing?"

Jack looked down as well.

"No orb."

Cain did not appear disappointed, as he knew that they don’t drop every time.

Even if the corpse had not provided an item, Jack had gained experience and tested his new equipment.

The group continued toward the hospital.

The trees soon opened into a wide paved area.

The university hospital stood ahead of them.

It consisted of three connected buildings arranged like a reversed letter U.

The main building stood at the rear, while two long wings extended toward the road. A courtyard occupied the space between them.

Each building had five floors.

A covered walkway connected the upper sections, allowing staff to move between the different wings without returning to the ground floor.

Several ambulances had been abandoned near the entrance.

One had crashed into a concrete pillar.

The driver’s door remained open, but nobody was inside.

Blood covered part of the windshield.

Cain stopped at the edge of the courtyard as he noticed dozens of zombies wandered around the hospital grounds.

Most wore university uniforms. Several wore white medical coats or patient clothing.

Cain unsheathed his sword.

"We’ll separate here."

Elara turned toward him.

"Wouldn’t it be safer to stay together?"

"It would take too long." Cain pointed toward the three buildings.

"We need to clear every floor and search for survivors. If all six of us enter the same building, the other sections will remain unchecked."

Jack looked toward the right wing.

"I’ll take that building."

Cain nodded, then assigned one of the male students carrying a javelin to Jack.

Elara would search the left wing with the other javelin user.

Cain looked at the female fencer.

"You’re coming with me."

The woman nodded obediently.

Her name was Maya.

She was slightly younger than Elara, with shoulder-length blonde hair tied behind her head. Her white fencing uniform had been stained with blood near the sleeves.

Among the three students Cain had brought, Maya was the weakest.

That was why Cain chose her.

If she encountered danger while following him, he could protect her immediately.

Cain looked between the groups.

"If you meet something you can’t handle, quickly retreat and shout as loudly as possible."

Jack tapped both fists together.

"I doubt that’ll be necessary."

Cain ignored his confidence and continued, "I’m serious."

He looked toward Elara.

"The same goes for you. Don’t try to hold back something stronger than you alone."

Elara nodded.

Cain turned toward the central building.

"Let’s move."

The groups entered the courtyard from different directions.

Several zombies noticed them.

Cain rushed forward first.

His sword cut through the leg of an infected nurse.

He followed with another slash, separating a male zombie’s body below the chest.

Maya quickly finished both.

More zombies approached from the main entrance.

Cain disabled them without slowing down.

Maya followed behind him, driving her Mana-covered fencing sword through their eyes.

By the time they reached the glass doors, she had already killed five.

Cain pushed the entrance open.

The hospital lobby was wide. Rows of seats occupied one side, while a registration counter stretched across the opposite wall.

Wheelchairs had been abandoned near the elevators.

The smell of blood was much stronger inside.

Several bodies lay near the entrance, but none of them moved.

Cain looked around.

The main lobby was connected to two corridors.

Both extended deep into the hospital.

A staircase and several elevators were located beyond the registration counter.

Cain tightened his grip on the sword, then he drew a deep breath.

"CAIN IS HERE, YOU ZOMBIE BASTARDS!"

His voice echoed through the entire lobby.

"COME AT ME ALL AT ONCE!"

Maya stared at him, her mouth opened wide.

For several seconds, she could not think of anything to say.

Low growls soon came from both corridors.

Maya finally recovered, then she asked. "Why did you do that?"

Cain looked toward the left corridor.

"To attract the zombies."

"I can see that." Maya tightened her grip on her fencing sword. "But why would you intentionally attract all of them?"

"It’s faster than searching every room while wondering which corner they’re hiding behind."

He glanced toward the ceiling.

"It also lets the survivors know that someone has arrived to save them."

Maya’s eyes lit up when she heard the second reason.

"That actually makes sense."

"Of course it does." Cain smiled faintly.

Maya looked at him with a confused expression.

"But why did you shout your name?"

Cain shrugged. "It sounds better than yelling, ’I’m here.’"

"That’s your reason?"

"What else could it be?" Cain raised an eyebrow.

A zombie charged from the left corridor.

Cain casually swung his sword.

The infected doctor’s body was cut diagonally from shoulder to waist.

It fell onto the floor before reaching him.

Maya looked at the zombie.

She could not deny that Cain had enough strength to behave as arrogantly as he did.

A sudden idea appeared in her mind.

"Can I shout too?"

Cain raised an eyebrow, then replied. "Sure."

Maya stepped forward.

She drew a deep breath, a faint wave of Mana gathered around her throat.

"EVERYONE STILL ALIVE INSIDE THE MAIN BUILDING, STAY WHERE YOU ARE!"

Her voice exploded through the hospital.

The glass doors behind them rattled.

Cain flinched at how loud that voice was just now.

Maya continued shouting.

"WE’RE CLEARING THE BUILDING! SHOUT WHEN YOU HEAR US NEARBY!"

Her amplified voice traveled through the corridors and reached the upper floors.

Cain slowly turned toward her with a curious expression.

"How did you shout that loudly?"

"One of my Skills amplifies my voice." Maya touched her throat.

Cain stared at her.

Maya became slightly uncomfortable.

"What?"

Cain looked as if he had found a valuable treasure.

A skill capable of spreading her voice throughout a large building was extremely useful.

She could guide survivors, send warnings across long distances.

More importantly, she could gather every zombie in the area without forcing Cain to damage his own throat.

’She will be extremely useful for gathering zombies.’ Cain paused. ’I mean rescuing people.’

Maya noticed the strange look in his eyes.

"Why are you smiling like that?"

"Don’t worry about it."

"That makes me worry more."

The footsteps inside both corridors became louder.

More than ten zombies appeared from the left side.

Another group came from the opposite direction.

Maya raised her sword.

Cain prepared to move, but at that exact moment, an uncomfortable feeling appeared in the back of his mind.

It was faint and he could not explain where it came from.

His body simply warned him that something dangerous was approaching.