021
021
What kind of existence are the Looters to Kang Mu-yeol?
I'd heard the rough story that he ended up drifting into this villa because of the Looters.
The world had become harsh, and the Looters were running rampant.
Look at Nam Hyun-sik's family; they ended up drifting here precisely because they were targeted by Looters.
Of course, I'm absolutely not saying that just because others were looted, he should just let it slide.
It's natural for someone who has been victimized by Looters to feel anger toward them.
Even I, who haven't been looted, get angry when I hear that someone has been threatened by them.
However, Kang Mu-yeol seemed to be a bit more furious than the others.
If the Looters are operating out of a medium-large mart, one can expect their scale to be quite significant.
According to Kang Mu-yeol, who saw the mart himself, they had enough manpower to send out four-man scouting parties and even post guards.
Yet, Kang Mu-yeol suggested we strike the Looters while they were in the midst of chaos.
It's not that Kang Mu-yeol was wrong.
It's obviously good to root out Looters.
They are like the cancer of this apocalyptic world.
Life is already tough enough as it is, and if you happen to run into Looters, it becomes extra tough.
I understand Kang Mu-yeol's feelings, of course, but...
"No matter how you look at it, I think it'll be tough for you alone, Kang Mu-yeol-ssi."
"Hmm...."
It seems he just blurted it out first.
First of all, our villa doesn't have many combat personnel.
If you count the Slingshot-user who doesn't leave the house as combat personnel, that makes two of us, including me.
Or, it's just Kang Mu-yeol alone.
He's going to storm a food mart occupied by Looters all by himself?
I can't easily imagine Kang Mu-yeol getting beaten up by those Looter scrubs, but that didn't guarantee he would win either.
Losing Kang Mu-yeol would be a huge blow to our villa's combat power.
I'll obviously utilize his strength when needed, but I shouldn't force him to do something reckless.
"For now, why don't we leave those Looters alone? Kang Mu-yeol-ssi, you already slammed a horde of zombies, including the Spider and Siren, into the mart. It'll probably take them quite a while to recover."
"That is true. It was their first time dealing with a Zombie Wave, so they were running around like headless chickens. Stupidly."
"We've bought ourselves some time. Let's strengthen our internal stability in the meantime. It wouldn't be bad to recruit a combat-type Tenant, either."
The current situation at the villa isn't bad at all.
In fact, the quality of life was quite high.
Im Ji-ah makes meals for the tenants every day.
Im Do-young crafts equipment.
Nam Hyun-sik maintains a clean environment.
Nurse Ju Hye-kyung is always on standby.
Plus, the hot water works well, there's no shortage of ingredients, and the 4th floor, our living area, is even a Safe Zone that zombies can't invade.
This is all thanks to the System.
Every morning when I wake up feeling refreshed, I shout, 'System, thank you,' in my heart before getting up.
However, compared to our infrastructure, our combat power is lacking.
Kang Mu-yeol is strong enough to eat a few Looters for breakfast, but the headcount is the problem.
Just one.
There is only one combat personnel: Kang Mu-yeol.
Either I make him capable of taking on a hundred men alone, or I find a new tenant with a combat job.
New tenants aren't something you can just find whenever you want.
But I can make him capable of taking on a hundred men alone.
Hwaaaaaak!
Kang Mu-yeol's body shone brilliantly.
"...Sajang-nim!"
"Just a moment."
An emotional Kang Mu-yeol called out to me, but I didn't pay any mind.
Instead, I raised Kang Mu-yeol's level by one more.
8 Coins and 9 Coins. It cost a total of 17 Coins.
A price comparable to a whole fried chicken.
A fried chicken and 2 levels cannot be compared.
The cold, unfeeling System doesn't know how much power a single level difference makes.
And yet, a whopping 2 levels for a price cheaper than chicken?
You'd be a fool not to do it.
'Maybe the chicken is just expensive.'
Kang Mu-yeol's level became 10.
He won't be getting beaten up anywhere, right?
I was thinking that, but...
「Level 10 reached!」
「You can promote.」
Promotion?
What is a promotion?
Promotion was a new technique I hadn't seen before.
'It seems you can promote once a Tenant reaches level 10?'
I can't pass up a Tenant promotion.
Doesn't the name alone sound like it would make them much stronger than just raising a level?
Perhaps he might even be able to take on a group by himself.
I tried to promote Kang Mu-yeol.
「100 Coins required.」
「Insufficient Coins.」
"Huh?"
I doubted my eyes.
It cost 8 and 9 Coins to raise his level.
But it costs 100 Coins to promote at level 10?
A price difference of over ten times.
Still, I have to promote him.
It seemed that was the only way to level up further.
However, unfortunately, I was short on Coins.
'I've spent a lot here and there recently...'
100 Coins isn't exactly pocket change.
'I guess I need to go out and hunt zombies? Not me, of course.'
It should be fine for him to earn the cost of his own promotion, right?
I told Kang Mu-yeol that he needed to hunt zombies.
I told him that if he did, we could go together to crush the Looters.
"Then I'll be off. Hahahahaha!"
As soon as Kang Mu-yeol heard that we would go to crush the Looters, he regained his motivation.
It was incredible tenacity.
Naturally, the option of going together didn't exist.
I told Kang Mu-yeol to move within the range of the CCTV as much as possible.
"Hahaha, understood."
Not long after Kang Mu-yeol left, Coins started trickling in.
It seemed he was doing a good job of separating zombie heads from their bodies.
「You have acquired 1 Coin by defeating a zombie.」
「You have acquired 1 Coin by defeating a zombie.」
「You have acquired 10 Coins by crafting new equipment.」
「You have acquired 1 Coin by defeating a zombie.」
"...Eh?"
There was a strange notification in the middle.
A whopping 10 Coins came in, too.
Knock, knock, knock.
I heard a knock.
Since the 4th-floor hallway was now a Safe Zone, there was zero chance a zombie had come calling.
Coins were coming in, so it wasn't Kang Mu-yeol either.
"Who is it?"
-It's me! Im Do-young. Please open the door!
What is Im Do-young doing here?
I opened the front door.
As soon as the door opened, Im Do-young squeezed through the gap.
He was holding a large paper bag in his hand.
"Did anyone else come?"
"Just me. More importantly, there's something important."
Im Do-young tugged at my sleeve.
I was dragged all the way to the living room.
It seemed the strange notification that gave me 10 Coins in the middle was the result of something Im Do-young made.
If it's equipment crafting, it has to be Im Do-young.
"Now, please do the drumroll."
"Drumroll."
"That's too short. You have to keep doing it."
"Drumroll, drumroll, drumroll, drumroll."
"Ta-da!"
The item Im Do-young pulled out of the paper bag was... a Slingshot.
The design had changed slightly.
Rubber was padded onto the handle, and leather was padded onto the part where the steel ball is hooked.
The convenience had improved quite a bit.
Actually, convenience wasn't the biggest change factor.
The biggest change factor was actually the size of the Slingshot.
It looked like it would be four times the size of the Slingshot I was currently using.
"Can I... use this?"
"Try pulling it once right now. I made it after watching your usual pulling strength and posture, so this should pull well too."
I might say I pull it with the Slingshot Skill, but Im Do-young made a Slingshot that fits me just by watching my habits and posture.
I carefully took the Slingshot.
I took a steel ball out of my pocket and hooked it onto the rubber part of the Slingshot.
The grip was much better.
I pulled it all the way back, and it didn't feel like it would slip.
Furthermore, I could feel that the rubber band was much firmer.
The good thing about the zombie outbreak was that I could test weapons at any time.
I went up to the rooftop with Im Do-young.
A wide-open view greeted us.
I greeted the zombies.
I aimed at the closest zombie.
It definitely took less effort.
Swaaaaaaek!
However, the power was stronger.
Less effort, but stronger power?
The zombie's head was completely destroyed.
One more shot.
This time, I hit the zombie's torso.
A large hole appeared in the torso.
A hole that looked like it would suck you in.
Even if I aimed for the body, the power was beyond imagination.
However, I steeled my heart.
With the mindset that I must always blow up the zombie's head.
I'd shoot the torso if push came to shove, but that probably won't happen.
"I'm satisfied."
"Really? Please keep using it from now on!"
It was a gift I quite liked.
However, there was still a worry remaining.
"Um, by any chance... can you upgrade Kang Mu-yeol-ssi's weapon?"
"Kang Mu-yeol-hyung-nim?"
Actually, I was satisfied with my weapon.
But the person busy fighting right now was Kang Mu-yeol.
Since he's still busy slitting zombie throats.
If Im Do-young makes new equipment, Coins come in as a bonus.
Truly an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
"Hmm... what kind of weapon would be good? I haven't seen Kang Mu-yeol-hyung-nim use any weapon other than a baseball bat..."
"Then how about upgrading the baseball bat?"
"...Oh!"
Im Do-young started running simulations in his head.
I quietly waited for Im Do-young to finish thinking.
"For starters, shall we wrap it with sharp wire? It's a basic modification, but the effect is pretty decent."
"Wait a second."
"I'd like some sharp wire and a tool kit, too. I left the ones I used to use at my old house..."
Wire...? Is that okay?
Would it be on the supply list?
I looked through the supply list on the System window.
It's not there. There was no wire or tool kit.
Is it not there because it's not a consumable?
Even if it's not in supplies, it might be in the Shop.
I searched for wire and a tool kit in the Shop.
Fortunately, both items were in the Shop.
"...50 Coins is too expensive?"
Now, the cost-effectiveness of chicken started to look very good.
It seems I'll have to go to a hardware store.
Of course, not me, but Kang Mu-yeol.
It's his own weapon upgrade, so that much should be fine, right?