Chapter 4
Chapter 4
After my first meeting with Lee Su-ah.
I returned to the first floor and slept on a random bed.
There were no zombies, and after a quick dusting, it was actually quite comfortable.
"Ugh....."
It's 8 AM now.
My eyes open automatically.
Looking around, Zombie 1 and 2 were standing guard very well.
"Grrr...."
"Yeah, yeah, good job."
Now that it's morning, I need to think about my goals.
First, the biggest goal is to build a hideout.
That will make survival easier.
Second, ability growth.
Time will help with this.
Third.
The convenience store warehouse.
"Gotta go get it."
Skill: Dark Room.
It was a planned goal the moment I got this.
After all, in an apocalypse world like this, food is absolutely the top priority.
"Shall we go?"
That was the moment I got up in a good mood.
"Where are you going?"
"Gah!"
A voice comes from behind.
It was Lee Su-ah.
Her tights and ponytail are quite the eye candy again today.
However.
When she pops out like this, my heart races for a different reason.
"You scared me."
"Really? Sorry."
"Sigh...."
I'm screwed.
Should I just rob the convenience store warehouse and leave here?
As soon as I thought this.
As if she had been waiting.
"Trying to run away? It's useless. I've already branded you."
"...What?"
"Nah. A gold nugget appeared right in front of my eyes, I can't just leave that alone."
"...You're going to treat me like an object?"
"Object is a bit harsh, how about someone to make a companion? Can we see it like that?"
"Hmm...."
Honestly, well.
It wasn't bad for me either.
Having an assassin as a companion is reassuring.
However.
I wanted to make the hierarchy clear.
This is a must when you're in a survival crew.
Otherwise, you end up making stupid choices in life-threatening situations.
I nodded and said.
"Fine. But, treat me as an equal. I need to be able to trust you too."
"Sure, why not."
Lee Su-ah shrugs her shoulders as if it's no big deal.
She soon changed her expression as if curious.
"By the way. Where are you going?"
"...The convenience store."
"Convenience store? Is there one still left?!"
"Yeah. There was one warehouse that hadn't been looted."
"Awesome! I'm coming too!"
".....Why?"
"Just because? It's been a while since I went out!"
She's such a space cadet.
Outside is covered in zombies.
It's dangerous.
Yet she says she's going out just because she hasn't been out in a while.
She's out of her mind.
"....Fine, whatever. But as long as you're following me, you have to follow my lead."
"Okay!"
It's a bit unsettling, but....
Since she could be my first companion.
"I should... trust her, right?"
We stepped outside.
We immediately started moving slowly, using makeshift hideouts here and there.
Of course, it was easier thanks to Zombie 1 and 2.
If I tell them to find zombies, they go and fight on their own.
It was basically auto-hunting.
'My experience points keep going up.'
But I'm still too weak to send them on auto-hunt.
'At least 3 of them.'
Once I can handle that many, that's when I should start auto-hunting.
While we were walking for a while like that.
"Kyaaaak!"
A mutant zombie appeared.
It was the kind of creature that spews intestines from its mouth to tie people up.
"Chureureuk!"
"Grrr?"
Zombie 1's neck got tied up by the creature's intestines.
"Chareureuk!"
As it retracted its intestines.
"Ujijik!"
Its neck twisted.
However.
At the same time.
"Seureung...."
Lee Su-ah, who was behind, approached in an instant.
"Seogeok!"
She sliced its throat right then and there.
"Oh...."
That was incredible speed.
It was a speed I couldn't even react to.
As I was admiring her.
"Hmph!"
Lee Su-ah smirked.
'Look at this?'
She challenged me, as if to say she was better than me.
'Can't lose to her.'
I immediately released Zombie 1 and 2 and started auto-hunting.
Basically, the zombies I control kill normal zombies very easily.
Because they are the same kind, the zombies let their guard down.
I use that moment to launch a surprise attack.
"Keueoeo!"
"Keuaaa!"
"Go!"
I cheered for Zombie 1 and 2.
They seemed to be competing with each other, trying to catch even one more.
And then.
[Skill Name] : Corpse Control Lv.2
[Cooldown] : 10 minutes
[Max Cost] : 4
"Ohhh!"
Finally, the level went up.
Furthermore.
The "controllable number" thing disappeared.
It meant I just had to match the cost now.
"Let's go!"
I immediately started controlling 4 normal zombies.
Then.
"What the!"
Lee Su-ah looked at me, surprised.
I smirked at her expression.
'See that? This is the power of a Necromancer. This is it.'
Then.
"Hmph!"
Lee Su-ah increased her speed, as if she couldn't lose.
Dozens of zombies were sliced away in an instant by her dagger.
"Whoa...."
The difference between us is clearly felt.
If I'm F-rank, she was D-rank.
"Damn it."
But it's okay.
Because I can grow more.
"Alright, let's go, zombies."
Daejeon.
There was a crew there.
They were cruel.
A bloodied man.
His arms and legs were tied, and his whole body was covered in blood.
"Ugh...."
His head, which was groaning.
"Grab."
There was a man grabbing it.
It was a man who looked like a punk with a mohawk.
"Hehehe, it spins, it spins."
He grabbed the man's head and shook it playfully.
But the bloodied man didn't even have the energy, just moving as he was shaken.
"Hmph, not fun."
The mohawk guy turned his head and shouted.
"Boss. This guy isn't moving, should I go hang him up again?"
"....Do whatever you want."
A one-eyed man with a long scar on one side of his face.
He was looking into the distance with his arms crossed.
The mohawk guy, hearing his words, seemed excited and dragged the bloodied man along.
"Hehehe! It's a necklace!"
He put a rope around the man's neck and headed straight for the signpost.
"Keo...keohuk!"
The mohawk guy lifted him up and hung him on the signpost.
The people hanging by their necks near the signpost were their handiwork.
"Finally filled 13!"
Besides the mohawk guy, there were other crazy bastards.
None of them looked normal.
They were also laughing like crazy people.
Then.
"Let's go."
The boss's one word.
The guys who were laughing like crazy went quiet in an instant and boarded the bikes they had ridden.
Before I knew it.
Time passed quite quickly.
Because most zombies were no match for us.
We were safe thanks to the fact that strong mutant zombies hadn't appeared yet.
"Is this it?"
"Yeah."
A broken window and a dusty TU convenience store sign.
The inside of the convenience store was full of normal zombies killed by the mutant zombie.
The warehouse was firmly closed.
It was exactly as I had seen it before I left.
"Click.."
I opened the iron door with a key and went in.
"There's a lot."
"Wow...."
I used the Dark Room skill.
A black space appeared, and it swallowed every single drink, snack, and canned food inside the warehouse without leaving anything behind.
"Wow! What is that?!"
"I have my ways."
"Being stingy and not telling me, huh?"
Isn't that obvious?
Why would I tell you this?
We're not even companions yet.
Lee Su-ah puffed out her cheeks, then snatched a drink.
"Hey!"
"Just give me this one."
"Sigh...."
What kind of woman is this?
Anyway, if it wasn't for that Stigma, I'd run away right now.
"Are you done?"
"Yeah."
Before I knew it, the convenience store warehouse was completely empty.
Just as I was about to head outside with satisfaction.
"Wait!"
Lee Su-ah suddenly blocked me.
Judging by her serious expression, she wasn't joking.
I asked her, whispering.
"What's wrong?"
"Can't you hear it? The sound of bikes."
I listened to her words.
"Woo...vroom...vrooom...."
It really started to be heard.
I held my breath with her.
However.
"Vroom..."
Right in front of the convenience store.
The bike engine turned off there, and voices started to be heard.
"Boss! There are traces of people here, aren't there?"
A man's voice.
The hoarse voice was enough to give me goosebumps.
"Hmm...."
A large man got off and started approaching the convenience store.
"We're fucked, get in the warehouse!"
"Got it!"
Lee Su-ah and I immediately rushed into the warehouse.
Zombie 1, 2, 3, and 4 that I brought also quickly took refuge in the warehouse.
'The zombies inside the convenience store are all dead, so it would be weird if only 4 were alive...'
It was an unavoidable choice.
"Step...step...step..."
Someone slowly entering the convenience store.
But then.
[Trading cooldown has completed]
Nice timing!
I immediately posted a message.
[Guys! Urgent! Need to hide, don't you have a skill like that?!]
I posted it, but Mangsaeng or Jingyeok didn't reply like before.
Instead, one entity replied.
└[No. 20]: I have one skill. It makes you feel smug. It smiles.
"You have it?!"
Then it's an immediate trade.
[Is there anything you want? I'll give you everything I have!]
└[No. 20]: I want the bones of a living person.
└Not that! Anything else?
└[No. 20]: Something shiny!
Just in time.
Something catches my eye.
It was a cheap necklace that was in the convenience store warehouse.
"Will this work?"
I immediately uploaded the item.
Then.
-Bid: [No. 20] - Night's Veil.
└[No. 20]: Shiny! It smiles!
I was satisfied.
Even the value of that imitation was equal to this skill!
The situation was very good.
I immediately used the skill I obtained.
"Night's Veil!"
"Saaahk..."
As if wearing a black cloak.
Something like a piece of cloth covered Lee Su-ah and me.
At the same time.
"Crash!"
The entity called the boss entered the convenience store ignorantly and started rummaging through it.
"Hmm... there are traces, but where are they?"
We held our breath.
He was looking for us.
"Hehehe."
And soon, he looked into the warehouse.
"Are you in there?"
He tore the iron door off entirely.
'What the hell is that guy?'
Is he an Awakener?
Without even a moment to be surprised.
The boss, who entered the warehouse where we were, saw Zombie 1, 2, 3, and 4.
"Damn it."
He blamed himself, as if he had seen wrong.
"These vermin."
Zombie 1, 2, 3, and 4 fell at once from the boss's fist.
And then they didn't move.
'He's fucking strong!'
He was an opponent with tremendous monstrous strength.
Even his body durability seemed quite high, enough to break glass shards with his hand.
"Ptooey! Fuck! My luck is shitty!"
He spat, and the boss left just like that.
As soon as I heard the bike sound leaving.
"Phew...."
"Sigh...."
We let out a sigh of relief.
At the same time.
I had a question.
"Do you know those guys?"
As soon as she heard the question, Lee Su-ah nodded slightly.
"They're a crazy crew in Daejeon. Crazy bastards who hunt living people."
"....Really?"
"The people hanging on the Daejeon Metropolitan City signpost are all their handiwork."
Lee Su-ah shook her head as if it felt disgusting.
It seemed she didn't even want to talk about their disgusting behavior.
"Anyway, let's go."
"Yeah."
So we stepped out of the convenience store.
Their bike tracks were clearly left behind.
As I was looking at it with a slightly wary expression, Lee Su-ah urged me to come quickly.
It felt uneasy, but well.
What else could I do?
'There are quite a lot... about 20 people?'
Since there were that many, I felt like I needed to prepare for when we meet someday.
"Yeah, let's go."
We immediately started walking.
First of all, since we had cleared out some zombies on the way to the apartment, the way back was quite comfortable.
But then.
"Gwoooo...."
"Guaaak!"
A strange sound is heard.
The sound of something fighting.
As I turned my head toward it.
Mutant - Armored Type Zombie - 2 Cost
Mutant - Skeletal Species Zombie - 2 Cost
"Oh.... they're fighting."
It was a huge gain.
I happen to have 4 cost left over, right?