This Is a Debuff

Wait! Something's wrong! Why... why were there suddenly more sounds coming from downstairs...

The same footsteps! The same low, heavy breathing!!

I held my breath and listened to the sounds reaching my ears...

One, two, three... No! At least five... seven or eight?

What was going on? Why was this happening?

Why were all these Zombies suddenly coming upstairs for no reason?

I hadn't made a sound! There wasn't anything else that could attract Zombies, either!

Wait! Wait! Calm down and think it through!

Why was this happening?

Had I made a sound?—No! I hadn't. Even though I'd been in such a hurry to get upstairs and stop the helicopter, I hadn't

made any loud footsteps, because

I'd been on guard ever since I left.

Was it the helicopter?—That couldn't be it, either! The helicopter had already flown off into the distance. If anything, the Zombies should've turned around and gone back downstairs!

Then what was it!!!

Just as I was wondering, I suddenly felt it... that sticky sensation that had been bothering me for two whole days, slowly flowing out from

down below...

Blood!!

"Chapter 50: This Is a Debuff"

"It's blood!!"

The period that had been making me so anxious these past few days had ambushed me at the worst possible moment!!

I never would've thought... No! I must've unconsciously ignored it!

Was it because I instinctively rejected what my body did after transforming?! Or...

No! This wasn't the time to think about that!!

The footsteps downstairs drew closer, one step at a time. Even on this bright, sunny morning, goose bumps rose all over my skin! The air after the rain

was damp and cold, pouring in through the windows in the stairwell. In an instant, it sent a chill through me.

What should I do?

Should I fight? But the moment I did, if that Zombie let out a cry, I'd be as good as dead!! There were quite a few Zombies gathered downstairs

these past few days. I hadn't gotten a good look, but there had to be at least thirty or forty!

If I got trapped in this cramped stairwell by a whole horde of Zombies, I'd have no way to put distance between us. There was no way I'd escape!

The footsteps drew closer, and the breathing grew clearer. It sounded... like snoring, but it wasn't coming through the nose. It was a hoarse, eerie noise made by a completely useless windpipe!

I could only watch helplessly as a head came into view... its scalp completely gone, coming up from around the corner!

Should I fight?!

Should I not?!

What... should I do?!

I didn't want to fight... because the moment I started, I'd have to activate Superhuman Mode... In my practically exhausted state, I'd still have to deal with my shoes and collect the

airdrop. It was far too dangerous!!

But! Now... I had no choice!!

I steadied my breath... focused my attention... yes... yes!

This was it...

The "buzz~" in my ears lasted only a second. The next instant, the feeling vanished completely, leaving only the footsteps drawing closer by my ear

and the heavy breathing that seemed to echo right beside me!!

It didn't work!!! Superhuman Mode didn't activate!! Why? What is...

Suddenly, a pain unlike anything I'd ever felt shot through my lower abdomen! I instinctively put a hand over it, and my legs gave way. I nearly fell to my knees!

"Ugh..."

The pain came far too suddenly! And... the knife-twisting sensation caught me completely off guard. It hurt so much that... I couldn't help letting out a groan.

The Zombie whose head had already come into view suddenly turned toward me. A pair of blood-red eyes stared straight at me from its completely skinless face. The look in its eyes was just like a predator sizing up its prey! A chill shot up from my feet!!

"Damn it!!"

I blurted it out, and a dozen voices immediately answered from the stairwell. The whole place echoed with Zombie roars!!

Run!!

There was no other choice!

Without Superhuman Mode, there was no way I could fight so many Zombies in such a narrow stairwell!!

I turned and ran! But the pain in my lower abdomen made me falter for an instant. In that brief moment, the Zombie was already right behind me, grabbing the strap of my knife sheath!!

"Here!! Take it!!"

Feeling the strap pulled taut, I grabbed its buckle and undid it almost instinctively!

"Grrr!!"

The Zombie clutched the strap and started biting it. Taking advantage of the opening, I raced upstairs. Thank goodness I'd already taken the military knife in hand. Otherwise, now... all I could do was wait to die...

There was no time to think about that now!!

In the blink of an eye, I reached the fourth-floor landing and charged straight up to the fifth without looking back! I was so glad I hadn't tossed the ladder aside when I'd gone upstairs to chase after the helicopter!

I grabbed the ladder and held back the pain in my lower abdomen. My legs could barely support me, so I shoved the military knife into my mouth, clenched the handle between my teeth, and scrambled upward!

The strength in my arms seemed to have vanished. My whole body felt impossibly heavy... My strength had actually dropped!!

Was this all a perk of having my period!!!

As I desperately hauled myself upward with both arms, I looked back down. The Zombie was fast. It paused at the landing, but then charged straight up at nearly a human running pace and lunged at the ladder beneath my feet!!

There was no time!!

The top of the ladder was secured by a metal rod embedded in the concrete, like an iron bar bent at both ends and stuck into the wall!

And below... the Zombie had already grabbed the ladder...

No! I didn't want to die! I didn't want to die in a Zombie's mouth like this!

"Gaaah!!!"

I used every last bit of strength I had! I couldn't care less about the pain in my lower abdomen anymore and jumped straight up from the ladder!

"Smack!"

My left hand missed... and hit the concrete wall!

"Ahhh!!"

I shouted and reached out as hard as I could with my right hand. At last... just as I started to fall, my fingers hooked onto the lowest metal rod!

"Gaaah!!!"

...It hurt!

It felt as if my fingers were about to tear apart!

And below me... I'd kicked the ladder away too... The military knife fell from my mouth and clanged against the stairwell floor, the metallic sound ringing out as it

slid down the stairs and stopped at the landing between the fifth and fourth floors...

The Zombies below... were jumping up nonstop, trying to grab my feet!!

I couldn't... I couldn't let go! If I did... I wouldn't just fall into the mouth of one Zombie!

Five or six Zombies appeared at the fourth-floor landing, roaring as they charged upstairs. They slammed straight into the Zombie that had been jumping up and sent it flying!

The next second... one of them leaped up and grabbed my pant leg!!!

"Gaaahhh!!!"

The tearing pain in my fingers made me groan. How badly I wanted to let go... Only my index and middle fingers were hooked onto the metal rod!

Those two fingers had to hold up the weight of two people, not to mention that this Zombie was trying to drag me into hell!!

"Ahhh!! I bought a damn watch last year!!!!"

I poured every bit of strength I had into those two fingers. By now, I couldn't care less whether they actually broke!!

I could only use all my strength to pull myself

up!!