Chapter 4: Riverside and Outskirts (4)

One by one, the lizardmen emerged from behind buildings, from the underbrush, from the shadows. Each of them was identical to the two we’d just fought.

A quick glance told me there were at least ten.

“Hey, hey, this, this…”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“If only it were a joke.”

No fewer than ten monsters, coming from every direction. Some were barely ten meters away, already blocking the narrow paths we could use to escape. Their mouths opened and closed in slow, lazy movements, as if they were just out for an after-dinner stroll—but there was no mistaking it. They were heading straight for us.

“Alright, listen. No screaming. Don’t bolt. Got it? Walk slowly.”

Clearly, these things moved slowly most of the time. But when they attacked, they pounced. If we broke into a run now, it might trigger a full-on group assault.

“Got it.”

“Understood.”

“Mm…”

“If you understand, then follow me to the left. Slowly.”

Carefully gripping the butcher knife—blade just under 30 centimeters, wooden handle, a bit rusty but still sharp, the kind used to slaughter livestock—I nodded toward a cluster of buildings to our left. They were all two stories tall. One of them had a tall ladder propped against the wall, reaching all the way to the roof.

“Over there, that ladder. Nice and slow.”

They all nodded.

The four of us began to inch toward the ladder in small, cautious steps. The monsters, too, crept steadily closer, tightening their encirclement. Their gaping jaws opened and closed like they were inspecting meat at a market.

“Don’t… rush…”

I wasn’t even sure who I was saying that to—maybe them, maybe myself. My heart pounded so hard it hurt. My hand was drenched in sweat as I held the knife. Felice followed my pace exactly, mimicking every step. Vaclav’s hands trembled as he clutched the broken pitchfork. Jelena, unarmed, instinctively crossed her arms in front of her chest like a shield.

“Jelena and Felice first. Then you, Vaclav. I’ll go last. Got it?”

““Huh?””

“Now go! Hurry!”

I shoved Jelena forward. She stumbled but managed to lunge for the ladder.

“Climb! Hurry up!”

“I know!”

Jelena scrambled upward in a mess of flailing limbs—awkward but fast. And that was when the monsters all surged forward at once.

“Felice!”

Before I could even call her, she was already moving, following Jelena up the ladder. Her body, which had seemed so weak earlier, now moved with strength and purpose. She climbed even faster than Jelena.

“You’re next! Vaclav!”

“But the—”

“Drop it!”

Vaclav flung away the pitchfork like it burned and reached for the ladder, scrambling up with a speed born of desperation. Last was me. I tucked the butcher knife into the back of my belt and grabbed the ladder.

“—!?”

A jolt ran through my right arm.

It was faint, just a small patch of numbness, but the arm felt heavy, sluggish.

No time to worry—climb!

The instant I hauled myself up, claws slashed the air just beneath me. My sock tore as one swiped my foot. I kicked the monster in the face, sending it stumbling back, then clambered up with hands and feet. The snarling behind me faded—no, it didn’t. I looked down.

The first monster was climbing the ladder.

“Faster! Hurry!”

Jelena, now on the roof, was shouting down. Felice stood beside her, watching anxiously. Vaclav wheezed as he pulled himself over the ledge. I was last. Thankfully, the roof was sturdy, made of proper brick tiles, not thatch or anything flimsy. At least it could hold our weight.

“Finally…”

I hauled myself onto the roof. Jelena immediately reached for the ladder, trying to push it over and take the monster with it.

“Wait!”

“Huh!?”

“There’s something I need to check first.”

I brushed her hand aside, crouched low, and steadied my grip on the knife. The rooftop felt solid beneath me. My right arm still tingled faintly—I remembered now. When I’d stabbed the monster in the mouth earlier, my arm had scraped against its teeth. It hadn’t broken the skin, but some saliva or fluid had touched me.

I shook the knife—no problems. Then focused on the ladder—or rather, on the monster about to climb over.

“What the hell are you doing?! It’s almost—”

“Shh…”

I motioned for them to step back.

Then came a clack—its claws gripped the edge of the roof.

Now!

From the earlier fights, I’d figured out a rough strategy. Their weak spot was the head. The inside of the mouth was especially soft. They weren’t agile. They couldn’t adapt to surprises. Despite how terrifying those teeth looked, their flailing claws were actually the greater threat.

The best way to fight them—

“—is to attack their heads when their claws are occupied!”

Its head rose over the edge, both claws still gripping the ledge for balance. That was the moment. That split second.

The blade carved a cold, grey arc through the air, plunging straight into its open mouth with no resistance.

Squelch!

Ugly-colored blood sprayed as the knife pierced deep into the skull. A perfect, fatal strike. Its weight sagged.

And in that instant, I grabbed its hand and yanked upward.

“What are you doing? It’s dead already!”

“Exactly! That’s why I want to examine it! Help me pull it up!”

“No way! That’s disgusting!”

Jelena balked, but Felice stepped up without hesitation, grabbing the other arm to help me drag. Seeing that, Jelena let out a defeated sigh and helped too, shivering the moment her hands touched the coarse hide. Vaclav joined in. The four of us pulled the corpse—only slightly heavier than an adult man—onto the roof.

“Now can we, please, kick the ladder down?”

“Don’t.”

“But they’re climbing up!”

“It’s fine. Lend me your jacket.”

“Eh? Huh? Uh—sure…”

I quickly took Vaclav’s jacket—thankfully long-sleeved and tough—tied one sleeve securely to the top of the ladder, knotting it tight. Below us, another monster was less than two meters from the top. Its claws, sharp as they were, clearly weren’t suited for gripping narrow objects like a human arm. It barely clung to the rungs.

“Hold my coat from the back, please.”

“You’re not seriously—”

“Wait—”

“Just do it! Or I might fall!”

I grabbed the other sleeve and yanked. Solid. Good. No hesitation—I kicked the ladder hard.

It toppled away from the wall.

At that angle, it was impossible to climb. The monsters’ claws weren’t made for grasping narrow rungs. As it fell, they shrieked and tumbled like dry leaves, crashing to the ground. The ladder was clear.

“Guh—!”

The jacket-turned-safety-rope went taut, yanking hard. Nearly pulled me down with it. I braced my foot in the roof’s gutter as the others grabbed my coat tails from behind. Harder than expected, but together, we managed to pull the ladder back with a heavy clunk onto the rooftop.

“Alright, pull it up!”

The ladder was made of some sturdy, unknown wood, reinforced with metal. Heavy. I couldn’t lift it alone, but with their help and some serious effort, we dragged it up.

My limbs were shaking with fatigue. I collapsed beside the ladder, panting. The others were no better. Honestly, none of us were exactly in peak physical shape.

At last, a moment to rest—

“Help! Help me, please!!”

—only to be cut short by a sudden scream.

We all stood up at once.

From the adjacent rooftop—a flat terrace instead of tiles—a man covered in blood burst out of a small door, scrambling out in panic. Right behind him: another one of those damn monsters.

“Fuck! Help!! Oh my god, people!? Hey! Over here!”

The moment he saw us, the man shouted and waved like he’d just found salvation. Never thought we’d need the ladder again this fast.

I dragged it to the other side of the roof and propped it up.

Perfect. It just reached the terrace, forming a makeshift bridge between us.

“Come on! Quick!” I shouted.

“Holy shit! You’re a fucking lifesaver! Thank you, badass!”

Our roof and his terrace were about ten meters apart. The man crawled across the ladder belly-down, clinging like a squirrel. I could hear him muttering the whole way—“God please God please this ladder better be fucking solid don’t look down don’t look down oh my god they’re everywhere down there damn it”—was this guy a rapper?

As he made his way over, I quickly yanked the ladder back to prevent any monsters from following. The man helped haul it up. One monster did try to leap after him, but only made it a few meters before plummeting.

I exhaled in relief. Their jumping ability was limited.

***

Now there were five of us, collapsed like jelly on the rooftop, gasping for air.

“Motherfucker. Thank you, bro… I was about to die like a goddamn extra.”

“No need… haah… haah… This roof’s high. The wall’s vertical. No balconies to land on. Without the ladder… we’re stuck up here.”

“So that’s why you insisted on keeping the ladder?” Jelena asked, still catching her breath.

“Not just that, look… these houses… the spacing’s tight, and they’re all about the same height. And this building’s surrounded down below… If we use the ladder… like a bridge… we can move from rooftop to rooftop… Avoid the monsters entirely… It’s more work, but way safer.”

“You thought all that from the beginning? That’s amazing,” Vaclav said, full of admiration.

“It’s nothing, really.”

“…” Thumbs up.

Felice didn’t say anything, but she gave me a thumbs-up. Was that… a smile? Vaclav, sitting beside her, looked stunned.

“You guys are exaggerating…” I muttered, suddenly feeling flushed.

“No, no, bro… you’re a great fucking badass.”

“Uh…”

I know “badass” in English is kind of like “awesome” in Chinese, but what the hell is the fucking part? An intensifier? Anyway, it’s not like I did anything crazy; it was pure desperation.

At last, peace.

No skylights, no climbable walls, the monsters couldn’t reach us. For now, we were safe.

Our breathing slowed. We could finally catch our breath.

“By the way, big brother, what’s your name?” Vaclav asked.

“Me…? I’m Zhou. Zhou Yuhong.”

I’ve never liked that name much. Don’t know why, but something about it always sounded off.

“Zhou Yuhong… You’re Chinese?”

“Yeah. And you guys speak Chinese really well.”

“Chinese? You’re the one who speaks Czech perfectly. Are you all foreign language majors or something?”

“Huh? What Czech or Chinese? I only speak English, man. Fuck.”

“Yeah, we’re speaking English.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Wait, wait, wait—hold on!”

Rubbing my temples, I tried to think.

“First, let’s clarify… where is everyone from? And can I ask your ages, too?”

#####

New Equipment: Long Ladder
 • Type: Special · Oversized Weapon
 • Weight: Heavy
 • Background: A long and heavy ladder made of sturdy material. Primarily used for reaching high places, but with sufficient strength, it can be wielded as a weapon.
 • Acquisition: Found leaning against the side wall of a tall building in the town
 • Attack Methods: Swing, Smash
 • Special Ability: Can be used for climbing