Episode 13.

I piloted the drone to explore the surroundings further.

Among the shops, I found a hardware store and a power tool shop. The signs were clearly visible. I would be able to get power tools there. That would make making arrows much easier.

I checked the route to the target location and returned the drone.

I started moving with my bow drawn and an arrow nocked. I moved with quiet but fast steps.

As I passed the first alley, I saw two zombies.

Swish, swish.

Two arrows flew in a rapid burst, both piercing their heads accurately.

The bow is also quiet. The sound of the arrows piercing their skulls with a pagak sound is actually louder.

There were three more in the next block.

I activated Hawk's Eye and fired three shots in rapid succession.

In the slowed time, the arrows flew and pierced their heads one by one, and all three collapsed. Since I shot from a close distance, there was no chance of missing.

It's easy. It takes longer to pick up the arrows than it does to kill the zombies.

I continued to quietly deal with the zombies and headed toward the target point.

I hid my body in the shadows of buildings and moved while minimizing noise.

Hunting in the city had a different kind of tension compared to the countryside, but it was also efficient. I felt like I had already caught nearly ten of them while moving a short distance.

The hardware store sign got closer.

I examined the inside through the glass door of the hardware store. Three zombies were standing together.

It was bizarre to see them standing still, facing each other inside.

I took out three arrows, held them between my fingers all at once, and prepared for rapid fire.

I opened the door slightly and went inside.

Shook, shook, shook.

Three arrows flew in succession and pierced the heads of the three guys in order. They collapsed without even a chance to react.

I retrieved the arrows and looked around the interior. True to a hardware store, all sorts of tools and parts were packed onto the shelves. Although dust had accumulated, most of the items were intact.

Ordinary people probably only took shovels or hammers to use as melee weapons anyway.

I started grabbing what I needed.

First, I found an angle grinder. It's also called a disc grinder.

I had seen it used in videos online to make arrowheads. Although it's a tool I haven't used even once yet.

It's a size that can be held with one hand, and it can be used to cut or grind metal. I also grabbed several replacement discs. I need both cutting and grinding ones.

I also found a set of files. Large and small metal files were contained in a case.

It will be useful in an emergency since I can shape metal without electricity. I also threw in a few whetstones. I can use them to sharpen axes and knives, and also to shape arrowheads.

Next, I looked for arrowhead materials.

I gathered as many pieces of scrap metal as I could find that were suitable for arrowheads.

I also grabbed a vise. If I fix it to a workbench and clamp the metal, I can work with both hands, which increases efficiency. It was a bit ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠heavy, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it was a necessity.

My backpack was full in no time. I found a duffel bag and put the rest in it. I came outside carrying the luggage in both hands.

About six zombies were wandering around near an electric scooter, having drifted in from somewhere.

From a distance of 50 meters, I put the duffel bag on the ground, took my position, aimed the bow, and fired.

The arrow, which was flying in an arc, fell far away due to the wind that suddenly blew.

A group of zombies rushed at me, letting out strange noises.

About six of them isn't difficult. I quickly took out arrows and fired six shots in rapid succession, taking them all down with headshots.

I looked around again while pulling the arrows out of the pierced zombie heads.

No people walking on the streets were visible.

A large number must have turned into zombies, but it wouldn't be all of them. It was clear that most of them were hiding in front of their homes.

Even when I glanced at the apartment balconies and windows, most were covered with curtains, so I couldn't see the people inside.

I rode the scooter back to the camper, dropped off the luggage, and started again.

I still need to catch about 30 more to reach the goal of 100 kills.

I rode the scooter back to the original city center and quickly started hunting zombies again.

I saw a group of dozens of zombies in a distant vacant lot. Roughly 50 to 100?

As long as I avoid groups larger than that, the rest are no problem at all.

I mainly hunted the zombies scattered here and there in the city with my bow.

"Wow! Big brother is the best!"

At that moment, a young voice was heard from somewhere.

From a window in the direction the sound came from, a small child was visible, and a woman who appeared to be the child's mother quickly took the child inside and closed the window.

I saw a few zombies moving in the direction the child had shouted, but fortunately, they didn't swarm toward me.

I looked around while pulling out the arrows stuck in their heads.

Before I knew it, dozens of zombie corpses were lying around.

After returning to the camper, it was late afternoon, so I started the work of making arrows with the tools I brought.

First, I fixed the vise to the table in front of the camper. It was much more stable now that I had a workbench.

I shaved the piece of wood I had cut from the dining table leg with an electric planer. With a wing sound, wood chips flew out.

It was incomparably faster than when I carved them one by one with a carving knife. After going back and forth a few times, a roughly round shape was formed.

I clamped the arrow shaft into the drill chuck and held sandpaper against it while spinning it at low speed. The surface became smooth quickly. Digging the groove and drilling a hole in the front was done in an instant.

Next is the arrowhead.

I clamped a piece of scrap metal in the vise and picked up the angle grinder.

When I turned on the switch, the disc rotated with a sharp noise. Since it was a tool I was using for the first time, I carefully brought it to the metal plate.

Sparks flew and the metal was cut away. After roughly cutting it into a triangle shape, I changed to a grinding disc and sharpened the edge. It wasn't as difficult as I thought since I did it just like I saw in the video.

Anyway, whatever the shape of the tip is, it just needs to pierce into the head.

I inserted the finished tip into the arrow shaft and wrapped it with fishing line to fix it. I attached three plastic fletchings to the back and waited for the glue to dry.

The first arrow was completed. It took about 30 minutes.

From the second one, I got the hang of it, so I could make one in about 20 minutes. Thanks to the power tools, my hands hurt less, and above all, they were made with uniform quality.

When I carved them by hand, the thickness of each arrow shaft was slightly different, but now they came out in almost the same shape.

I didn't stop working even after the sun set and darkness fell. I turned on the camper's exterior lights and kept making them.

I made 12 arrows in almost 4 hours.

Counting them together with the existing arrows, there were 30 in total.

It was more than the number of arrows I had when the apocalypse first started. This is the first time the number of arrows has increased.

Good. If I keep producing at this speed, it seems like I won't run out of arrows. As long as I secure enough materials, I can make as many as I want.

I finished the work, organized the tools, and launched the drone to scout the surroundings one last time.

I played my favorite jazz music softly and took a shower to melt away my fatigue. I should refill the water tank tomorrow too.

Since the electricity is cut off, I wonder if the water supply is also cut off. Usually, there is water in the water tank, so there was a high possibility that it would still come out.

After that, should I make a water purification device or something?

After finishing my shower, I lay down on the bed. As soon as I closed my eyes, I fell asleep.

That night, I had a dream again.

A green meadow was spread out, and a huge presence was felt from the endlessly high sky. It was a familiar sight now.

A voice rang out.

- Congratulations on the achievement.

- Now, when you use Hawk's Eye, your eyes will be able to see further.

See further? I didn't understand what it meant right away. But before I even had a chance to ask, the huge presence was already moving away.

- Kill 200 zombies.

A new condition was heard. 200. The number was getting bigger and bigger.

I opened my eyes. I could see the ceiling of the camper, and the morning sunlight was shining through the curtains of the window.

I got up from the bed and looked out the window. I could see trees in the distance. It was an ordinary landscape.

It said I could see further. How do I use it?

I concentrated just like when I use Hawk's Eye. I looked at a distant tree and strained my eyes to see it closer.

In an instant, my vision was pulled in.

"What the... is this a zoom-in function?"

The leaves of the tree that was far away looked as clear as if they were right in front of my eyes. I could even see every single leaf vein.

It was like looking through a telescope. No, it was clearer than a telescope. It felt like my vision was approaching, not a lens.

When I concentrated more, my vision was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pulled in further, but at that moment, fatigue rushed into my eyes. It seems like it puts a strain on them if I pull too much.

When I released my concentration, my vision returned to normal. I blinked a few times and checked my senses.

I think the maximum magnification is about 10x zoom-in.

It's fine if I use it moderately, but if I concentrate too much and pull it to the maximum, I felt like the fatigue in my eyes would rise rapidly. I'll have to adjust it appropriately.

Still, this is a crazy ability.

A laugh came out.

Until now, there was a limit to long-range sniping ability. Unless I'm a professional archer, accurate shooting at a long distance is bound to be difficult.

But with this ability, I can aim accurately even from a much longer distance.

I slow down time with Hawk's Eye, and pull in my vision to see long distances up close.

Of course, the variable of wind is unavoidable, but at least I've become able to aim perfectly.

I ate a simple breakfast and made a plan to fill the camper's water tank.

Since I've been showering and washing dishes for a few days, the water had decreased almost entirely. It would be better to fill it up before the water runs out.

I launched the drone and scouted the vicinity. I looked for detached houses with yards.

If it's a house with a faucet in the yard, I would be able to connect a hose and fill the water tank.

I found a house that looked decent about 700 meters away. A faucet was visible in the large yard, and there were no zombies around.

I drove the camper and moved. I arrived in front of the house and went into the yard. I checked the outdoor faucet and turned it on.

Fortunately, water came out.

Although the electricity was cut off, it seems there was still water left in the house's water tank. I don't know how long it will come out, so I should fill it up as much as possible at times like this.

I took the hose out of the camper, connected it to the faucet, and started filling the water tank. It would take some time to fill the camper's 300-liter water tank to the brim.

While waiting, I searched inside the house.

The front door was open, so I could enter easily. The inside was messy.

Drawers were overturned, and clothes were scattered on the floor. It was a trace of someone running away in a hurry or someone having looted it first.

I opened the refrigerator, but since the electricity was cut off, a rotten smell came from inside. I closed it immediately. I also searched the cupboard, but there was no useful food. Not even a single bag of ramen was left.

I came out empty-handed and checked the water filling up. It was almost full. I disconnected the hose, turned off the faucet, and cleaned up.

Water tank full. 300 liters. With this much, I won't have to worry about water for a while.

I got on the camper and returned to the original location. I parked the camper as if hiding it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠between the trees and turned off the engine.