Chapter 18

To conclude, no survivors were found at the high school.

Just to be sure, I checked the rooftop as well, but there were only a few zombies standing there.

What was concerning was that there were signs of life on the rooftop, and one of the zombies appeared to be unharmed.

After blowing off its head, I took the liberty of removing its clothes to examine its body, but I found no significant injuries.

Perhaps I had overlooked a head wound.

For a person to become a zombie, in an alternate world, they must generally receive a curse from a zombie.

The curse spreads through the body, leading to death, or the cursed body dies, and then the curse spreads—either order is acceptable. However, in any case, one should not become a zombie without being attacked by a zombie.

As an exception, necromancers and the like can infuse corpses with magic to control or undead them.

Incidentally, if one has enough magic to counteract the zombie curse, they will not be affected by the curse even if they are injured.

The skill I had, "Status Effect Immunity," works similarly.

Priests or clerics, like the holy maiden Eris, can also dispel the curse and heal before death if they do not have such skills.

According to Kaede, her mother, who was only bitten on the arm, turned into a zombie from night to morning, probably within about six hours.

I think this is quite fast for the curse to spread.

In the case of the video, assuming that the syringe contained a poison that would cause immediate death, it is understandable.

The curse spreads quickly in a body that has died and lost resistance.

Indeed, upon calm reflection, the zombies had several visible bite marks and injuries, both on their skin and through their clothes.

Even if the clothing was thin, considering the timing of the pandemic, there were also thick leather items like leather jackets.

These were also torn, leading me to believe that magic was involved.

Unless the body is strengthened by magic, it would be strange for human teeth to tear through such items without first falling out.

However, the zombies in the alternate world I know of are slightly physically enhanced by the magic emitted from the curse.

Moreover, the "Battlefield Presence" aura detection clearly recognizes these zombies as "Undead."

If so, they are already factually dead, and the possibility of a virus seems unlikely.

I don't think anything other than magic or a curse can animate the dead.

However, regardless, why was there an unharmed zombie on the rooftop?

Despite my doubts, I finished exploring Kaede's high school and hurried to the next destination.

+++++

There was another school on the way to the city hall, so I stopped by, but the situation was no different from Kaede's high school.

The shelters must have made a fatal mistake at the outset.

If even one person bitten by a zombie was among the evacuees, it would be the end.

According to Kaede, there were already many zombies outside, making it difficult to escape from the shelters.

Given this, it's unfortunate, but I can't expect much from the city hall...

"Hm?"

Just as I was about to run through the main street to reach the city hall, I suddenly hid in the shadow of a nearby building.

There was a reaction to my line of sight detection.

It was not from a zombie but from a living person.

Unlike aura detection, line of sight detection and danger detection have a very wide effective range even with my meager magic power.

It's more accurate to say that the detection reacts when the line of sight or danger is directed at me and reaches me.

"Was I seen...?"

In this darkness, I doubt I can be distinguished from the zombies around here, but I feel a growing unease.

At the same time, I was relieved to know that there were still survivors.

The line of sight was coming from the direction of the city hall I am heading to.

For now, I will proceed more cautiously from here.