002
002
"Ugh...."
The zombie outbreak happened.
I thought the government would be able to solve it quickly.
I happened to have bought a week's worth of groceries.
I expected that if I just held out for a few days with the groceries I bought, the city would return to its former state.
"To think they'd fail...."
They even mobilized the military, but they failed to suppress it early.
The infection didn't discriminate.
Soldiers were infected, and politicians were infected.
A politician who went out to the streets and ranted about how the Republic of Korea wouldn't collapse got bitten by a zombie and became a zombie just like them.
That scene was broadcast live on the news.
Because the scene of a politician turning into a zombie was broadcast live, nationwide chaos ensued.
Large marts were looted and engulfed in flames.
Even the President's address to the nation couldn't stop the chaos.
It became a mess.
I didn't go outside.
I didn't dare go out to the streets where zombie hordes were walking.
I had a week's worth of food, so there was no need to go out.
The risk of going out for no reason and getting bitten by a zombie or looted by humans was too high.
I started by sorting my food.
It's a week if I assume I eat heartily.
If I ate sparingly, it was fully possible to hold out for two weeks.
After holding out for about four days on a meager diet, my appetite spiked.
I kept thinking, "There's plenty of food anyway, should I eat a little more?"
I resisted.
Fortunately, electricity and water kept running.
It seemed like things were still functioning.
Drinking water was also sufficient.
It was thanks to buying a large quantity of 2-liter water bottles a few days before the zombie outbreak.
Ten days passed.
"Hmm.... Should I go out?"
The fridge, which was full just ten days ago, was empty.
Drinking water also kept decreasing.
A sense of crisis that I might run out of food and water soon washed over me.
The government still hadn't managed to contain the situation.
On TV, only safety guidelines and the President's address telling us to stay safely indoors because they would calm the situation soon were repeated.
"Let's hold out as long as possible."
If I went out impatiently for no reason, my lifespan could be shortened.
The food I have now can be divided further.
I can hold out for three or four days even without eating anything.
It's not time to go out yet.
It became day 14.
I divided the food even more, but it eventually started to hit rock bottom.
Every time a 2-liter bottle of water disappeared, my heart tightened.
The number of channels not showing on TV increased.
The dried bloodstains on the street visible outside the window increased.
"I wonder if there are any survivors left in this building?"
I couldn't hear any daily living noises.
I couldn't go out to check either.
There was a zombie that knocked on the door early in the outbreak.
That zombie might still be in the hallway.
It became day 20.
I divided and divided, but eventually, the food hit rock bottom.
There was more drinking water than food.
Compared to food, there was plenty of drinking water.
However, if the drinking water ran out, it was truly the end.
"If worst comes to worst, I'll have to boil tap water to drink."
Water wasn't lacking, but it couldn't replace food.
Eventually, I have to go out to get food soon.
I ate the Choco Pie I had left over after eating half yesterday.
Now there was no food left.
The nearby Mart or convenience stores must have already been looted.
If the house next door was empty, it seemed like I should search there first.
Rather than blindly going to a Mart or convenience store, it seemed better to search this building first.
「Congratulations! You have succeeded in guarding your house alone for a long time.」
「You are changing your class to Housekeeper.」
"Huh?"
A strange window popped up in front of my eyes.
「The house you are currently staying in is designated as a Safe House.」
「1 Coin is granted as a daily reward.」
"Ehh?"
I doubted my eyes.
Have I been seeing things because I've only been eating just enough to barely keep me alive for the past few days?
What if I am seeing things?
For nearly a month, there had been no new stimulation.
The hallucination itself was a fresh stimulation.
"Status Window!"
I had no choice but to shout.
「Name : Kwon Min-jun」
「Class : Housekeeper(EX)」
「Level : 1」
"Oh. It really works."
I was just eating away at the food I bought because I was scared to go outside, and I got an ability like this.
"What's a Coin?"
It said 1 Coin was granted.
Judging by the name, it's definitely currency.
How do I use it?
"...Shop?"
Then, another window opened in front of my eyes.
Items appeared in a list, but there were no items I could purchase due to level restrictions.
「Supply Refill : 1 Coin」
"Only this one works."
There was nothing I could buy anyway, and the price was exactly 1 Coin.
I touched Supply Refill with my finger.
My vision darkened for a moment.
"Uh?"
When my vision returned, there was a box on the dining table.
"What is this."
I looked inside the box.
The items I had bought at the Mart about a month ago were inside, just as they were.
"What is this!"
My body moved automatically.
I moved frozen goods to the freezer, refrigerated goods to the fridge, and room-temperature goods to the side of the table.
"No, what the...?"
The food was refilled.
With trembling hands, I picked up bread and tore open the packaging.
I carefully pushed the bread into my mouth.
"It's delicious!"
The sweetness of the red bean paste spread throughout my mouth.
I could feel the texture of the fluffy bread just as it was.
"It's delicious!"
I chewed the bread voraciously.
My throat was choked, but I didn't even touch the water.
I wanted to feel the original taste of the bread as it was.
When was the last time I stuffed bread into my mouth?
I couldn't even remember.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
I finished one bread.
When I went to drink water, the water was also refilled.
"Even the water...!"
I opened a new water bottle and gulped it down.
I felt my body being recharged with hydration.
"This is insane...."
If it was replenished after I held out for nearly a month with the food I bought at the Mart.
Even a simple calculation led to the conclusion that I could hold out for another month.
I lay down on the sofa and enjoyed the feeling of fullness.
"But how do I earn Coins?"
If I can just replenish Coins, I can hold out for months.
"Do I have to catch Zombies...?"
Zombies... can I catch them?
I never skipped meals, but because I ate sparingly, my stamina decreased.
Actually, even if I were in top condition, I doubted I could catch a zombie.
Zombies only go straight.
It's not easy to subdue someone who charges at you with the resolve to give up their flesh to take your bone.
"There's no need to go out just yet."
Supplies had just been replenished.
I don't need to worry yet.
It won't be too late to think about it again when the replenished supplies are half gone.
I started humming to myself.
I can hold out, can't I?
"Geugeugeugeugeuk!"
I slept soundly for the first time in a while.
It was partly because food became abundant, but there was another reason.
The phrase that the house I'm currently staying in is designated as a Safe House.
Safe House.
Doesn't it literally mean it's safe?
I interpreted it to mean there's no worry about sudden external intrusion while sleeping.
Of course, no one had attempted to intrude during that time.
Whether it was a zombie or a person.
Even so, I always fell asleep wrapped in anxiety.
Because there was no guarantee that no one would attempt an intrusion while I slept.
However, the moment I saw the phrase that it was designated as a Safe House, the remaining anxiety completely disappeared.
As a result, I greeted a refreshing morning for the first time in nearly a month.
"Oh!"
A window popped up in front of my eyes.
「1 Coin is granted as a daily reward.」
I wasn't sure, but it seemed like it gives 1 Coin as a daily reward.
"I don't have to worry about starving to death, right?"
I took out packaged seaweed soup from the fridge to heat it up and took out frozen rice to microwave it.
While the rice was microwaving, I took out braised quail eggs and transferred them to a bowl.
Seaweed soup, rice, and braised quail eggs.
It was a plentiful breakfast.
"Delicious...."
Before the zombie outbreak, I used to skip breakfast or eat it roughly.
Now I've learned the happiness of breakfast.
I won't be able to stop for a while.
I put the remaining dishes in the sink after eating.
The water pressure had become weak a while ago.
I had to do the dishes after piling up a few, by filling up water.
Furthermore, the fluorescent light started flickering.
Seeing that the fluorescent lights in all rooms were flickering, it didn't seem like a lifespan issue.
"...Wait a minute."
Didn't it say it became a Safe House?
Could it be that water and electricity are also supplied?
I turned on the sink water, just in case.
Swaaaaa!
Water came out refreshingly!
When I turned it to the hot water side, steam rose from the sink.
I couldn't even dream of warm water.
"This is a chance."
A golden opportunity to remove grease!
I immediately put on rubber gloves and did the dishes.
The sink where dishes were piled up became clean.
Taking advantage of the momentum, I even exercised.
I had minimized movement to conserve energy for a while, but now there was no need for that.
Food is replenished, and water comes out well.
I can fully feel the sensation of exercising and showering.
It's time to bring my physical condition back up.
I did push-ups and pull-ups until I was slightly sweaty and went straight into the bathroom.
I turned on the shower water with slightly nervous hands.
Hot water poured out.
"...Wow."
I stood blankly for quite a long time while being hit by the warm water.
Laundry had piled up quite a bit in the laundry basket.
I put all the laundry in the washing machine and ran it.
It would make quite a bit of noise, but I decided to trust the power of the Safe House.
Eating a hearty meal, exercising, showering, and even running the washing machine made me feel alive.
Still, apart from the daily reward, no Coins were coming in.
"Do I really have to catch Zombies?"
I slightly pulled back the blackout curtain and looked outside.
I saw zombies on the street.
As a result of observing for the past few days, the zombies stood still without moving if there was nothing to attract their attention.
Are zombies also conserving energy?
They enter sleep mode.
I thought today would be the same.
The zombies that had their heads bowed suddenly lifted their heads.
They weren't looking this way.
The zombies' gaze was directed straight ahead.
I also looked at where the zombies' gaze was directed.
"Uh?"
A man holding a baseball bat was being chased by a group of zombies.
A zombie in front blocked the way.
The man bit his lip tightly and swung the bat.
The front zombie's head was smashed.
The man pushed away the zombie with the smashed head and ran.
He fights well.
To think he could smash another zombie's head even with a whole bunch of zombies behind him.
「Will you accept 'Kang Mu-yeol'-nim as a Tenant?」
"Huh?"
What is a Tenant again?