The Post-Apocalyptic Survival Journey After Becoming a Beautiful Girl Chapter 9

I even held my breath. To be honest...

I didn't dare!

The sound of panting grew closer, and the next second, I clearly felt something press against the door. The wooden door shook, and that heavy breathing was...

right in my ear!

No! Not like it was in my ear—it was in my ear. My ear, pressed against the door, heard that breathing with perfect clarity.

At the same time, the corner of my eye caught...

a dark shadow blocking that small window!

What... the hell was that thing?!

I couldn't make it out, because I didn't dare move. The door was already slowly being pushed open. To keep it from closing again, I had to brace my body against the wooden door, resisting the force pushing from outside!

That thing was pressed right against the door!

Heavy!

I didn't know if it was a zombie or something else, but the force coming through the door was undeniably heavy.

I didn't know how long passed. My finger on the trigger had gone numb. Only then did that coarse breathing gradually leave

the door panel. At the same time, those strange

footsteps came again...

"Slap... slap... slap..."

Even after the sound had nearly faded away, I still stood frozen against the door. I shuddered violently, and only then snapped back to reality. In that instant just now, I'd even had the illusion that I was about to die!

Sliding down the door, my body slowly crumpled to the floor. I finally let out a long breath... but what I never expected

was that, because that thing had left

and I was leaning against the door, the object blocking it from behind couldn't bear my weight. Slowly, it...

opened!

"Creak~~~"

I felt like I'd been thrown into a barrel of ice water in the middle of summer. Cold shot from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head. Goosebumps rose all over my body!

'Shit!!'

Only two words remained in my mind. At the same time, the strange footsteps I'd thought were gone rushed back this way—

no, ran back!

I wished I'd grown two extra legs. I scrambled and crawled. I didn't even know how I moved so fast.

That thing was incredibly quick. I only heard

a few short footsteps before I saw the shadow cast through the doorway.

A... black shadow.

I only managed a single glance before I dove under the bed. The gun in my hand was already clenched tight.

The footsteps paused outside the door, as if observing something. Then, that black shadow slowly began to move. Now, I could

clearly hear those footsteps...

"Slap..."

It really did sound like a wet foot stepping on the ground, but there was still something strange about it. The sound seemed...

sticky.

Gradually... that figure took a second step. I took a deep breath, held it, and stared fixedly at the corner of the doorway...

A... webbed foot.

'Green!!!'

Horror surged through me—I didn't know how to describe it!

That wasn't a human foot! It was... green, with webbing!

And under that webbing, there seemed to be some kind of slimy substance. Every time that thing took a step, it would...

A distinct trail of slime was left on the ground!

Then, another foot stepped in—and this foot was actually human?!

'Mutation!!' My mind could no longer be described by mere shock. There were actually things like this!?

No wonder the rhythm of that 'plap' sound had always seemed a little off. So this thing's other foot was still in human form!

I bit my lip and let out a faint breath, so light even I couldn't hear it myself. I glanced at the gun in my hand and suddenly felt a wave of unease.

Guns... were they really any use against these things?!

And that green foot was drawing closer!

"Plap... plap..."

The heavy, ragged breathing began to echo through the room.

Step... another step... It! It was approaching me!

All I could do was watch helplessly as that green, webbed foot slowly came nearer, not daring to move a muscle.

Right... in front of me!!

I could even clearly see the lines on the webbing, smell the faint stench of rot, and hear the heavy breathing from above!

God!!

My hands had started trembling, but the webbed foot stopped right before me. The heavy breathing above came and went, sometimes near, sometimes far. It seemed like... this thing was inspecting the room?

It had intelligence?

Just as I was thinking this in despair, that green foot, accompanied by a 'squelch... squelch' sound, slowly moved away!

Seeing this, I finally let out a sigh of relief. My eyes, which had been staring at the webbed foot, were also aching, so I couldn't help but reach up and rub them.

"Huff... huff... huff..."

What is this!!! No! Impossible!!! Hadn't it already left?!

Why!!! So close!

My hand suddenly froze!!

Right in front of my forehead!! No! The sound of that heavy breathing had already blown against my hair strands!!!

"ROAR!!!"

The next second, I snapped my eyes open!!!

I didn't know how to describe this thing. On its face, two different colors each occupied half. One half looked almost like an ordinary person—except that its eyes had only whites, with no pupils. Aside from that, it was basically no different from a living human!

But... on that other half of its face!!

Black, grotesque things covered the green half of its face, and on top of those black things, eyeballs like snakes' were all staring at me!!

"AAAAHH!!!"

Almost instinctively, I screamed and raised my hand, pulling the trigger hard!

"Click!"

...The safety?!

The safety! It wasn't off!!!

The next second, that thing suddenly reached out its hand. That big green hand was also covered in a layer of webbing!

Almost by reflex, I hurled the gun in my hand straight at that face full of eyes!

"Smack!"

"GAA!!!"

With a strange shriek, the hand that had been reaching for me suddenly stopped and quickly withdrew to protect that half of its face!

But before I could even crawl out from under the bed, that thing flipped the bed over with a violent jerk!

No—it sent it flying!!

Such immense strength!

The bed soared through the air and slammed hard into the wall!

"CLANG!!"

With nothing in the way anymore, I instinctively tried to stand up, but in the next second, a green blur flashed before my eyes!

"THUD!!"

My vision went black, and then my back slammed against the icy cold wall. Only at that moment did my sight finally return!

That monster actually had a thick, powerful tail!!

And at the same time, a stifling pressure hit my chest—that impact nearly knocked the breath out of me!

But that monster clearly wasn't done with me yet!!

Before I could even steady myself, it came bounding over with wet, squelching footsteps, covering the distance in just two strides. Its green hand reached straight for me!!

A chill shot through my entire body. I ducked down almost by instinct, and the next second, a searing pain tore across my scalp!

It had grabbed my hair!!

And then that monster yanked me by the hair and flung me away!!