025
025
Now, eating together on the rooftop had become a habit.
Nam Hyun-sik's family of three, the Im Ji-ah siblings of two, Kang Mu-yeol, and me.
A big family of seven people.
Since seven of us sat face-to-face for meals every day, we became as close as if we were a real family.
Of course, since we weren't actually family, there was a slight sense of distance, but if we had just been neighbors, we might have gone without even a single word of conversation, let alone meals.
We were a family created by our environment.
"Uhm, Sajang-nim. Are the bad guys not coming around these days?"
Nam Hyun-sik asked.
He seemed worried.
Nam Hyun-sik's family had a home they originally lived in, but because Looters broke in, they had to flee as if escaping.
In the midst of that, they discovered this villa and became Tenants.
For me, it was a welcome meeting.
It was because Nam Hyun-sik's wife, Ju Hye-kyung, was a nurse. Her level was even a whopping 5. 5 was a quite high level.
There was no reason not to recruit her. Just the fact that she wasn't a Looter was a passing factor.
That's how they came to live in this villa. I thought Ju Hye-kyung, the nurse, would be more active, but so far, Nam Hyun-sik had been more helpful.
Nam Hyun-sik's job was Cleaner. I wondered if a Cleaner was necessary in a world ruined by zombies, but that doubt was quickly resolved.
The zombie corpses that had been scattered near the villa had disappeared without a trace, who knows where.
Furthermore, the corpses of Looters also disappeared quickly.
How he cleaned them up was a mystery that would make a ghost cry.
Anyway, Nam Hyun-sik's family hated Looters.
It was a righteous hatred.
Looters are beings that deserve to be hated.
Looters threatening this villa was something that must absolutely never happen.
"They come occasionally, but they aren't threatening. Probably because Kang Mu-yeol-ssi is here."
"Haha. You're too kind."
Kang Mu-yeol said with his mouth full of rice.
Although the rooftop was a Safe Zone, Kang Mu-yeol always kept his baseball bat within reach.
"It's all thanks to you, Sajang-nim. My physical condition is very good these days. Even if not just a Looter, but a Looter's grandfather came, I could handle it easily."
I don't know why a Looter's grandfather would come, but his physical state definitely looked good. It seemed like he could handle even several Looters.
"But wouldn't it be insufficient to block them alone?"
Nam Hyun-sik pointed out. It was a valid point. In a narrow, single path, Kang Mu-yeol alone could block a crowd, but in a wide, open area or a place with many entrances, it could be difficult even for Kang Mu-yeol.
A place that physically requires two or three bodies to block.
Unless more combat personnel were added.
If Kang Mu-yeol is the only combat personnel, it becomes difficult the moment Kang Mu-yeol gets tied down.
"It would be good if more Tenants were added."
"I agree. Should I try to go out and look around?"
"No. The outside is actually more dangerous."
"Or what do you think about me learning combat skills? While we're at it, it would be good if all the Tenants learned self-defense."
Nam Hyun-sik suggested an idea. Actually, it was quite useful. Self-defense, huh.
There are many people here who need at least minimal self-defense.
"Actually, back in the day, I did this and that."
Nam Hyun-sik took a pocket knife out of his inner pocket.
Was it a balisong? Setting aside why he has something like that.
He repeated putting the blade in and taking it out while flicking it around.
"Ah!"
Then, he cut his hand on the blade part and dropped the balisong.
"Hmm... It would be better to stick to our own jobs."
Because everyone is good at different things.
Kang Mu-yeol and Nam Hyun-sik always kept the area around the villa neatly organized.
Thanks to that, seeing zombies around the villa was quite rare.
Especially after the special zombies, Spider and Siren, disappeared, it became even harder to find regular zombies.
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"Of course, absolutely. Although it does seem like special zombies are a bit more dangerous than regular zombies."
I was watching the CCTV screen.
Originally, it was all I could see, nothing or maybe one or two zombies that had wandered in.
But this time, it was different.
I saw three sturdy men approaching together.
If it were just one place, I would have told them to send Kang Mu-yeol to clean it up, but.
The opponents weren't three.
Three caught on another camera.
Three caught on yet another camera.
A total of nine people were loitering near the villa.
They were all different people, but their attire was similar.
The weapons they were holding were the same.
Furthermore.
Their jobs were all, without exception, Looters.
As they say, old habits die hard.
The Mart sent them.
Otherwise, who would know the exact location of this villa and send people?
It seemed like they had made up their minds and sent them. They must have been very angry.
'Level 7, huh.'
The level of one of the Looters was considerable.
Kang Mu-yeol's level is 10, but that's because I forcibly raised his level with my Tenant management ability.
It meant that the guy named Kim Do-gyeom on the screen had achieved 7 even though no one had raised his level.
'Is it pure talent...?'
He was holding an object wrapped in white cloth.
Just by looking at the curves, I could tell it was a sword.
A short sword.
It was a dangerous weapon.
The other party members' levels weren't low either.
Most were level 4, and there were also level 5s.
I knocked on the wall to call Kang Mu-yeol.
There was no answer.
I knocked again, but as expected, there was no reaction.
I hid behind the curtain and carefully looked out the window.
Hardware store.
I saw Kang Mu-yeol inside the hardware store.
And there was someone else too.
'Im Do-young.'
Our Slingshot maker, Im Do-young, was in the hardware store with Kang Mu-yeol.
'This is bad.'
Three were approaching the hardware store.
Fortunately, it wasn't the level 7 swordsman's group.
Besides, the hardware store was also a Safe Zone.
Since they were about to encounter the enemy, I couldn't just stay still.
I went around the hallway and told the people in the houses never to come outside.
They were startled but nodded.
And I went up to the rooftop.
There was no better place than this for sniping.
Looking down from the rooftop, Kang Mu-yeol and the three Looters had already met.
"Who is it?"
"Oh, a baseball bat. Just as I heard. Nice to meet you."
Kang Mu-yeol narrowed his eyes and glared at the opponent.
He seemed to be inferring the opponent's identity.
I have to help.
I pulled the slingshot rubber band.
The target was one of Kang Mu-yeol's opponents.
Ting, swishhhhh!
The steel ball flew.
The flying steel ball made a hole in the back of one guy's head.
I never got used to seeing it.
But my Tenant was more important.
The sudden death of a comrade.
Who would grasp the situation first?
Kang Mu-yeol was one step faster.
As soon as the opponent in front slumped forward, he glanced up and looked at the rooftop.
Our eyes met.
A smile spread across Kang Mu-yeol's lips.
Crack!
Kang Mu-yeol's baseball bat turned the Looter's head into a turtle's head.
It went right inside. Instant death.
I had reduced the number by one with the steel ball, but this was a kind of signal.
A signal that the people in front of you are Looters, so it's okay to kill them.
Kang Mu-yeol understood my crappy message perfectly.
"W-wait!"
"Where is there a 'wait'?"
Bam!
It was nearly impossible for level 4s and 5s to beat a 10.
Two of the three people faded into light along with Kang Mu-yeol's flames.
One remained.
He suddenly turned around.
Is he trying to run away?
Bam!
Kang Mu-yeol's action was faster.
'I've seen enough.'
There were still two groups left.
Kang Mu-yeol's side must have been cleared for sure.
I need to keep track of how the two groups are moving.
I turned my gaze to the other side.
One group was trying to enter the villa.
It was that group with the level 7.
Since only the 4th floor was a Safe Zone, they could freely enter the villa entrance.
'Oh no.'
If they enter the villa, I won't be able to track their location.
CCTV is installed, but I couldn't see the computer screen.
Let's go to my house.
For now, let's go and watch the situation.
It didn't take long to decide.
I went straight down to the 4th floor.
"...Huh? It's a person!"
"Eh?"
Didn't you just come in?
The three Looters, including the level 7, made eye contact with me.
How could they come up so fast?
Did I think longer than I thought?
"I don't see the baseball bat?"
"Is that important? Just catch him and ask him!"
The level 7 Looter got angry at his colleague.
The two colleagues moved reluctantly.
However.
The 4th floor was a Safe Zone.
Looter scum can't even get close.
I stood opposite them with the transparent barrier in between.
They swung their weapons in a surprise attack, but they were blocked by the transparent barrier every time.
I gave them a smile.
Because the Safe Zone barrier is sturdy?
Of course, that's the first reason. But the reason I smiled was because of another factor.
"Ugh, so tiring."
Everyone was startled by the voice heard from behind.
The owner of the voice didn't care at all about the others' reactions.
The owner of the voice, Kang Mu-yeol, intended to take out the level 4 Looter closest to him first.
Kang Mu-yeol raised his baseball bat and brought it down.
That was when.
The level 7 Looter, who had been still, stepped forward.
He thrust the equipment wrapped in white cloth at Kang Mu-yeol's bat.
Deflecting. A method of adjusting the weapon's angle so that it takes no damage from other weapons at all.
"Huh... This actually works."