Outpost (1)
"Here you go."
Jeong Suhyun handed over the papers he was holding. Each one listed an individual's Status Window, identical to the ones he'd noted down before. Earth designation, suitability, infection rate, job, even skill lists.
Strength Enhance (E): Doubles your strength. Mana Cost: 1/hr
Heal (E): Heals minor wounds. Mana Cost: 1
Fruit Summon (E): Summons 500g of one desired fruit. Mana Cost: 2
'...So that means my Status Window is the only one that's different.'
I let out a sigh. It didn't reveal anything new anyway. Right now, the issue was how to make use of these three.
'Let's see.'
I examined their skills one by one. Jeong Dojin: Strength Enhance. Kim Yunjin: Heal. Choi Yuri: Fruit Summon... Fruit Summon?
"Is this right? Choi Yuri's Fruit Summon."
I frowned at Choi Yuri's Status Window. Strength Enhance and Heal made sense, but Fruit Summon?
"It's true. Check this out."
As I voiced my doubt, Jeong Suhyun pulled something from his pocket and handed it over.
"...This is..."
A banana. A perfectly ripe yellow one, without a single brown spot.
"Yuri summoned it. 500g, so she went with bananas at first."
He peeled it and showed me the flesh inside. It was genuinely a banana—one that should've lost its form by now, over two weeks into the apocalypse. That proved it was a skill.
'But what kind of skill summons bananas?'
"She can summon once every two hours, so no more scurvy worries."
As I stared blankly, Jeong Suhyun popped a piece into his mouth and offered me one.
"Tastes great. Want one, Junyoung?"
"...Nah."
I shook my head. I wasn't hungry enough for a banana, and without water, it'd just make me thirsty. More importantly, I was curious how the others' skills worked.
"Anyway, abilities like this exist. So what about Jeong Dojin's Strength Enhance and Kim Yunjin's Heal?"
"Oh, right."
Jeong Suhyun snapped his fingers and explained.
"Dojin's Strength Enhance does exactly that—boosts strength. Before sending him to the front gate, I had him lift the second-floor fridge. He picked it up one-handed like nothing."
"That good?"
"Yeah. Seems like it straight-up transcends human limits."
It sounded lame at first, but surprisingly practical. Maybe essential for survival in this world. More strength meant carrying more gear, fighting zombies or enemies better.
"And Yunjin's Heal does just that—heals. Minor wounds, she says, but it even clears your head."
He joked, "My head was fuzzy, but it cleared right up."
"Plus, Dojin and Yuri had bad injuries, but she's improved them."
"They were hurt?"
"Yeah. Kidnapping and... all that shit."
It made sense. They'd been abducted today, and suffered horrors from that Kim Kwonyong bastard.
'Lucky they survived.'
Jeong Dojin and Choi Yuri probably had countless bruises and wounds under their clothes, even if they didn't say.
'Condoms...'
Choi Yuri's internal ejaculation worried me, but knowing wouldn't fix it.
"How serious can she heal?"
"Bruises and scrapes, at least. Took multiple casts, though."
"Got it."
Looks like Jeong Suhyun had tested the skills roughly. I nodded and continued.
"Any conflicts between them?"
"Nah, they get along fine. They keep asking about your personality—seem anxious. Kinda watch you carefully."
"Fine. That's it then."
Not bad at all. Watching me? Natural, maybe. We'd known them less than a day. With Jeong Suhyun mediating, things should smooth out.
'And right now, something more important.'
I glanced at the empty road to Our Love Church. We hadn't secured it as our base yet.
'Deal with incoming stragglers first, then block the front gate somehow.'
Ice shields, cars, debris—block the gate. An alarm ability user would be ideal, but with only five people, better to seal the gate, fortify the second floor as living quarters, turn it into a fire door.
"What was that even better news, by the way?"
Suddenly I recalled Jeong Suhyun mentioning good news and better news.
"Oh, that..."
Jeong Suhyun's expression hardened.
"What? Why so serious?"
It's the better news, I said. He scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"My skill and job—you know."
"Yeah."
Watcher class, Clairvoyance skill. Sharper vision, night like day. Perfect for him.
"What about it?"
"Seems there's more to it."
"Huh?"
More abilities? But his next words shocked me.
"I can see other people's Status Windows."
"What?"
Other people's personal info.
"No way—how? What does it look like?"
"After noting the trio's windows, I tested the skill. As soon as I used Clairvoyance, their skill names popped up."
"Just skills?"
"Yeah. Maybe 'cause they're E-rank—only skills showed."
That explained his grin.
"Helped build trust. Knew they weren't lying."
"I see."
"Yeah. Their windows match mine, so they're sincere. No future issues."
Wonder how I look to him. Curiosity hit.
"What about me?"
"Uh, well..."
He hesitated, grimacing.
"Weirdly, yours doesn't show. Not the skill, not your usual Ice Spear."
"Nothing?"
"Yeah. You sure you have a Status Window? Not some secret mage?"
"Come on."
"Hey, it's suspicious it doesn't show."
"Maybe my abilities are too OP."
"Haha, then leveling my skill should fix it. Clairvoyance... saying it feels childish."
His eyes reddened as he chuckled. He didn't take it seriously. To him, I was just a comrade—no need to dig.
But I was different.
'As expected.'
My Status Window is unique. We all shouted "Status Window" and awakened, but mine has extras: only my name, job, skills visible to me; quests and Proclamation alarms absent for them. And new paths for more powers, untested.
'No clue.'
I sighed at the Proclamation tab. Head ached. Zombies, family search—now monsters, ability users, damn Status Windows. Earth ID, suitability, infection—maybe useful info, but who knows.
'Sigh...'
Info. Always the problem. Why zombies? Who gave Status Windows? Why mine different? Who’s the savior in my quests? What are Ruin Fragments and Remnants?
'Enough.'
Digging deeper felt like sinking into abyss. Right or wrong, not the time.
"Jeong Suhyun."
"Yeah?"
"What now?"
"Now?"
I eyed the downhill path from Our Love Church's back gate.
"Regular folks get abilities too, right?"
"Yeah? Makes defense easier. Our southbound plan too. Just wipe the church remnants."
"Sigh..."
"Why the sigh?"
He looked genuinely puzzled. Fair enough.
I explained slowly. "Think army or organizations. Oppressed soldiers suddenly get asymmetric powers."
"Oh."
"Our old saying: enemy’s the officers. Army’s fate is obvious."
Would our troops obey? Early-20s newbies, repressed—but naive, so dangerous.
"Yeah, no clue on family, won’t sit still."
"Right. Patriotism? Duty? Yeah, right."
Even I'd desert with my powers to find family.
"And crime syndicates, gangs, dealers—think Our Love Church."
"...Private militias of ability users?"
"Yes. We're already one. See the problem?"
Now watch out for civilians, kids, women, elders. Jeong Suhyun's face hardened.
"We're fucked."
Contacting survivors gets risky.
"Serious now. Meeting anyone’s a gamble. Imagine facing an Ice Spear user like me."
"Worst case. What do we do?"
Not worst, but.
"You have that skill."
"Ah."
If it reads windows, workable. But.
"Can't drag you everywhere."
"True."
We sighed in unison. Silence fell. Jeong Suhyun broke it.
"Anyone come?"
"No."
Annoying. Waiting, no shows.
"Need them to plan."
Can't stay safe without clearing remnants.
"Tricky, no ETA."
"Wait till night. Handle remnants first."
"Agreed."
Kim Kwonyong's gang who kidnapped Jeong Dojin, Choi Yuri, Kim Yunjin. Eliminate them to decide next moves.
"Sigh... come sit."
"Sure."
We waited in the back gate guard post to ambush returning stragglers. Yuri and Yunjin handled inside, Dojin front gate—no issue.
But.
"Why aren't they coming?"
"8 PM—see anything?"
"Nope."
Past 6 PM, two more hours—no stragglers, no one at Our Love Church back gate.
"...Hey."
"Kim Yunjin?"
"Uh, thought you left? Yuri made grapes—have some."
We waited till 10 PM for night ambush, but no one came—not even when pajama-clad Kim Yunjin brought grapes.