010
010
I had fully grasped the power of the slingshot.
The combination of steel ball bearings and the slingshot was satisfying.
It was the handiwork of Level 3 Im Do-yeong.
'Doesn't that mean if his level is higher, he could make an even better slingshot?'
I raised Im Do-yeong's level.
I asked him while returning the slingshot.
"You can upgrade it further, right?"
"I'll definitely do it!"
"Just... don't overdo it."
All the tools were in Room 402.
Im Do-yeong returned to Room 402 under Kang Mu-yeol's protection.
Only Im Ji-ah and I remained in my house.
Im Ji-ah was preoccupied with planning the menu.
It seemed like progress wasn't going as well as she thought.
She was scratching her head with a pen while filling out the daily menu.
"Is it not going well?"
"I'm trying to plan a week's worth of meals, but it's not easy. I've never really had to plan a full week of three meals a day before...."
I raised Im Ji-ah's level.
Im Ji-ah became Level 4.
Light burst from Im Ji-ah's body.
"...Huh?"
When a level-up occurs, a Status Window appears for the person involved as well.
Of course, you can tell just by the light.
When you level up, your job stats increase significantly.
"I've got the hang of it!"
The menu chart started filling up much faster.
It seemed that a 1-level difference was definitely significant.
Im Ji-ah, who had been struggling, quickly filled out the week's menu.
"Done! I also wrote down the necessary ingredients here. Should I show you?"
"Just leave it on the table, I'll check it in a bit."
"But...."
Im Ji-ah asked hesitantly.
"Is it really okay for you to just level us up like this?"
Sharp.
It seemed she guessed that resources were consumed for level-ups.
Her guess was correct.
"Don't worry. I didn't push myself to raise your level. Besides, having a good menu is never a bad thing, right?"
"That's true. Still, thank you for looking out for us."
"Don't mention it. I'm looking forward to your cooking."
"I'll do my best."
Kang Mu-yeol, who had gone to escort Im Do-yeong, returned.
I felt bad asking him right after he arrived, but it was time to escort Im Ji-ah.
"Could you take Im Ji-ah-ssi home?"
"Of course. It's not a difficult task. I'll be back."
It was just when Kang Mu-yeol and Im Ji-ah were about to leave the house.
"Wait a moment. Don't go."
I called out to the two who were about to leave.
"Is there something left to do?"
"No, that's not it. Kang Mu-yeol-ssi, I think you need to bring Im Do-yeong-ssi back. Right now."
"Understood."
Kang Mu-yeol left immediately without even questioning it.
I was left alone with Im Ji-ah in the house again.
"Did something happen? Your expression...."
"It shouldn't be anything major. For now."
The System sent a message.
My expression must have stiffened after seeing the message.
It was understandable.
「'Kim Jae-sik' has visited.」
「'Kim Myung-soo' has visited.」
「'Lee Sung-joo' has visited.」
It was because visitors had arrived.
I pulled the curtain back slightly to check outside.
Just as the Status Window said, three people were loitering in front of the Villa.
They were carefully examining the zombie corpses scattered on the ground.
Each of them was carrying a lethal weapon.
As the visitors got closer, a Status Window popped up.
「Name: Kim Jae-sik」
「Job: Looter」
「Level: 3」
「Name: Kim Myung-soo」
「Job: Looter」
「Level: 3」
「Name: Lee Sung-joo」
「Job: Looter」
「Level: 4」
"Ah...."
I frowned.
"Do you know them?"
"No. Not really...."
Just in time, Kang Mu-yeol returned with Im Do-yeong.
Kang Mu-yeol was quick-witted in these situations.
He knocked carefully so that the sound wouldn't leak outside.
I couldn't take my eyes off those uninvited guests right now.
I signaled to Im Ji-ah.
Im Ji-ah opened the front door.
Kang Mu-yeol and Im Do-yeong entered.
Im Do-yeong stuck to Im Ji-ah's side with a worried expression.
Kang Mu-yeol glanced out the window and said.
"They don't look friendly."
"Yeah. They're Looters."
Since the world changed, Looters had started to run rampant.
Since there was no public authority to suppress them, it was perhaps a natural result.
Especially in these outlying areas far from the centers of public authority, the spread was even faster.
"It looks like they're going to enter this Villa."
Kang Mu-yeol said.
I was feeling the same way.
They didn't come to collect ownerless supplies.
If that were the case, it would have been normal for them to turn back after seeing the pile of zombie corpses.
Because it meant there was a survivor or group nearby strong enough to slaughter zombies.
"They aren't backing down."
They were different.
They were actually licking their lips.
"We might end up clashing."
If they enter the Villa and start searching, it's only a matter of time before we run into them.
They are definitely guys who have swung weapons before.
Even at people.
The only person we had who could be considered combat power was Kang Mu-yeol.
Besides, the opponents aren't zombies, but humans.
No matter how strong Kang Mu-yeol is, can he handle humans?
"Kang Mu-yeol-ssi, have you ever dealt with people before?"
"Hmm...."
Kang Mu-yeol hesitated before speaking.
"Actually, the reason I ended up drifting here was because I beat up some Looters who broke into my house and ran away...."
"Oh."
"Since that day, I don't see Looters as people. I'm not the type of person to use violence against others. I hope you don't misunderstand."
"I don't misunderstand. If anything, it's reassuring."
Kang Mu-yeol's past isn't that important.
As long as he's not a criminal.
Besides, since Kang Mu-yeol is a tenant in my building, he can't harm me.
Which means there's no reason for me to feel threatened.
What's important right now is that Kang Mu-yeol has experience beating people up, and also that he has a grudge against Looters.
"It would be better to fight in a narrow hallway than in a wide open space. Should we just wait for them to come up?"
"I think that would be best too."
The hallway is too narrow for two people to walk side by side.
Judging by their levels, it seemed Kang Mu-yeol could easily hold them off.
"Still, just in case...."
Light burst from Kang Mu-yeol's body.
Level up.
I raised Kang Mu-yeol's level to 7.
The highest level among the uninvited guests was 4.
A whole 3-level difference.
Even a 1-level difference is huge, but a 3-level difference would likely be a level where they wouldn't even be a match.
After raising Kang Mu-yeol's level, I glanced out the window.
The Looters were entering the Villa building.
Lee Sung-joo, Kim Jae-sik, and Kim Myung-soo cautiously entered the Villa.
Lee Sung-joo said.
"It's probably not a group. If it were a group, they would have secured the Villa properly. Like setting up fences or traps. They might have even made it obvious that a group is in the Villa. But there's nothing like that. They're alone, so they don't have the capacity."
There were only piles of zombie corpses, but the Villa's defenses were lax.
"Still, it's definitely someone who knows how to fight. Don't let your guard down. As long as you don't let your guard down, we can definitely kill them."
"Oh, as expected of you, Hyung-nim."
"Shut your mouth and focus. We'll search from the top floor down."
The three climbed the stairs, listening for sounds.
"There are no zombies in the hallway either. Looks like they cleared them out."
It was when they arrived at the 4th floor.
There was a sign of life from the house at the very end.
"Shh. That's it."
Unit 404.
Lee Sung-joo signaled to Kim Jae-sik, who was holding a knife.
Kim Jae-sik pressed his ear to the door.
That was when it happened.
Bang!
The door swung open violently.
Kim Jae-sik hit his head on the suddenly opening front door and slammed into the wall.
"Jae-sik!"
Kim Jae-sik couldn't regain his senses.
Lee Sung-joo and Kim Myung-soo raised their weapons and glared at the front door.
A large man walked out of the front door leisurely.
He was holding a baseball bat.
"So you're the guy who cleared out the area around the building."
Even though his colleague had collapsed, Lee Sung-joo spoke calmly.
Lee Sung-joo scanned his opponent with his eyes.
He waved the knife in his hand.
To be ready to strike at any moment.
The large man looked down at Kim Jae-sik, who had collapsed on the floor, and grinned.
"One down."
He swung the baseball bat at the collapsed Kim Jae-sik.
It was before Lee Sung-joo and Kim Myung-soo could even react.
Thwack!
Kim Jae-sik, who had been hit by the baseball bat while unconscious, convulsed and then stopped moving.
"Jae-sik!"
"This bastard, while someone is talking...."
Lee Sung-joo raised his knife.
"Myung-soo. Show him."
He planned to send Kim Myung-soo first to drain his stamina and then finish him off with the knife.
Since all his attention was focused on the large man, he didn't expect anyone else to come out of the house.
Someone poked their head out of the front door.
They were pulling the slingshot back tight.
It looked like they were about to fire at any moment.
Thwip—
They released the slingshot rubber band that they had been pulling to the limit.
"What the hell!"
Lee Sung-joo ducked.
A heavy steel ball grazed past Lee Sung-joo's face.
"Hup!"
Thwack!
A dying scream was heard from behind.
Lee Sung-joo didn't have the luxury of looking back.
Still, a slingshot is a slingshot.
He might be injured, but if he just stalls for a bit, he'll recover.
"Are you okay?"
Lee Sung-joo asked without looking back.
There was no answer.
The expression of the guy who fired the slingshot was also strange.
He looked more surprised than anyone else, even though he was the one who fired it.
A sense of unease washed over him.
Lee Sung-joo glanced back.
There was a corpse with a blown-up head.
I just planned to neutralize one guy to make it easier for Kang Mu-yeol to handle them.
"Uh...."
I didn't mean to blow his head off.
The Looter's head hit by the slingshot had exploded.
Lee Sung-joo, who looked back, frowned.
Then he raised both hands.
"I'll back off."
"Who said you could?"
"You should think carefully. I have many colleagues behind me. If they find out I died here, they'll bring the whole gang and storm this place. Instead, if you let me go, I'll keep what happened here a secret."
Kang Mu-yeol looked back at me.
It meant for me to decide.
My hands were trembling because I had killed a person for the first time.
Even so, the reason Kang Mu-yeol was asking for my opinion.
It meant he considered me his superior.
I have to decide.
"What a load of bullshit."
It was such bullshit that it cleared my complicated head instantly.