029
029
The Looters were bitten by zombies and died.
To be precise, they turned into zombies.
I watched their end until the very last moment.
I needed to be ready just in case the Safe Zone suddenly deactivated, or if they managed to escape the crisis in some bizarre way.
Because if things went wrong, it could have put the tenants of our villa in danger.
Fortunately, they turned into zombies quietly, without any variables.
There was one fact I learned during that process.
「Name: Gyu-myeong」
Clearly, the name was visible properly right up until they were bitten.
However, the moment they were bitten by a zombie, a change occurred in the status window.
「Name: Gyu-myeong (Infected)」
There's no way they suddenly caught a different disease right before dying.
Since they were bitten by a zombie, it was reasonable to assume they were infected with the zombie virus.
That was it.
I could distinguish people infected with the zombie virus using the status window.
Gyu-myeong and his gang turned into zombies not long after the 'Infected' mark appeared next to their names.
The Looters were all taken care of.
Now, all that remained were the zombies filling the stairs and hallways.
It wasn't a concern.
Thanks to killing many zombies, I gathered 100 Coins, and used those coins to promote Kang Mu-yeol.
Kang Mu-yeol was promoted to Berserker.
Berserker.
At first glance, it looks strong, but there was a problem.
What is a Berserker?
I imagined an image of surrendering one's body to instinct and unleashing a storm of attacks.
Doesn't it feel like they would just accept minor injuries?
That was the problem.
Now that it's a zombie apocalypse world, even a minor injury could lead to the worst outcome.
Turning into a zombie.
Even a slight bite could turn you into a zombie.
I watched how Gyu-myeong's gang turned into zombies.
They turned into zombies after being bitten.
Berserker? That's all fine.
If you fight while keeping your distance, whether you're a Berserker or not, it's all fine.
But as soon as Kang Mu-yeol became a Berserker, he jumped right into the middle of the zombie horde.
Not content with just using his baseball bat, he smashed zombie heads with his fists.
He shoved his fist into a zombie's mouth without even wearing gloves!
He didn't listen when I told him to fight carefully.
Of course, thanks to using his whole body as a weapon, he quickly suppressed the zombie horde.
He even took care of the Spider that was a nuisance.
The result?
He returned covered in scratches all over his body.
With a bright smile, as if his stress had been relieved.
Red haze rose from Kang Mu-yeol's body.
His eyes were bloodshot red.
The air grew hot as Kang Mu-yeol approached.
I checked Kang Mu-yeol's status window.
「Name: Kang Mu-yeol」
There was no 'Infected' mark.
I clearly saw teeth marks.
Gyu-myeong's gang got infected as soon as they were bitten.
Kang Mu-yeol was not.
'...What? Why?'
Does it have something to do with the red haze?
Is it because he's a Berserker?
Or are tenants immune to infection?
I can't experiment on other tenants.
Anyway, the status window said he wasn't infected.
"What will you do if you get infected?"
"Haha, don't worry. I don't feel like I'll become a zombie today. That's just how I feel."
The system was saying he wasn't infected, and he said he felt fine, but this time, I couldn't fully trust the system.
Because the bite marks were clear.
Instead, I decided not to tell the other tenants.
It might be uninfected just like the system shows, so there was no need to make the tenants anxious by saying anything unnecessarily.
"There's something Kang Mu-yeol-ssi needs to do for me."
"Tell me anything. My blood hasn't cooled down yet."
"Then go secure Room 301 before your blood cools down."
Let's isolate him in Room 301 for a bit.
Actually, I could isolate him on the rooftop, but then the other tenants wouldn't be able to use the rooftop.
I feel a bit sorry, but he should have at least pretended to listen when I told him to fight carefully...
"What happened to the guys I sent to find Seong-ju? Why is there no news?"
Moon Byeong-dae pressed Lee Jae-jeong.
Lee Jae-jeong was just baffled.
He sent them to find the missing guy, but they disappeared too.
He had to answer Moon Byeong-dae's question, but he was at a loss for an answer.
"Did you eat honey or something? Why aren't you answering?"
"That is...."
"It's not like I sent some random nobodies. Gyu-myeong isn't the type to be taken down easily, is he?"
"You're right. I'll look into it."
"Neither Seong-ju nor Gyu-myeong are the type to disappear without a word. Something definitely happened. There must be something over there...."
Both of the two who disappeared were gang members who had been with Moon Byeong-dae since before the zombie outbreak.
They were loyal guys.
They weren't the type to disappear without a word.
"I don't have anyone else to send...."
Moon Byeong-dae was in a position where he had to lead the organization.
The subordinates sent with Gyu-myeong alone were nearly ten people.
Furthermore, Gyu-myeong's skills were excellent.
They sent ten people plus Gyu-myeong, and they still failed?
He was in a position where he'd have to send more than half of the Mart personnel.
"That won't do. It can't be helped. Just leave it for now. Instead, tell the guys on guard duty to stand guard properly. If anything happens, report it immediately."
"Yes, understood."
"And don't send any guys that way for a while. The apartment complex isn't bad, as it turns out. Send them that way. Get out."
"Yes."
Lee Jae-jeong bowed and left.
Left alone, Moon Byeong-dae thought of the two guys who hadn't returned.
"Tsk."
「Room 301 has been secured.」
「Reward is being provided.」
The reward was 12 Coins.
Kang Mu-yeol caught two zombies and secured Room 301.
It must have changed into a house with a clean interior again.
I was curious about how it changed, but it was impossible to go see it yet.
Because the 3rd-floor hallway is not a Safe Zone.
I'd have to secure everything up to Room 304 for the hallway to become a Safe Zone.
Just like it was on the 4th floor.
Thanks to gaining the Communication Skill, I was able to communicate with Kang Mu-yeol, who was on a different floor.
"Are you okay?"
-Ah, is that you, Boss? I caught two zombies and secured Room 301.
"You've worked hard. Just stay there for now. Half a day should be enough."
-If necessary, I will continue to stay here.
"It's not to that extent."
I just need to check if he turns into a zombie or not.
Gyu-myeong's gang turned into zombies not even a few minutes after being bitten by zombies.
In fact, it was already past the time Kang Mu-yeol should have turned if he were going to.
Since he hasn't turned yet, it seems like he'll be fine, but since I'm waiting anyway, I might as well wait a little longer.
Just until mealtime. We have to eat together.
Im Do-young is still remaining at the hardware store.
There was no one to go save him.
Because Kang Mu-yeol, the only combatant, is self-isolating.
And I can't go.
Clear a path by catching zombies with a slingshot from the rooftop?
It's not easy.
Because there might be zombies remaining inside the villa.
Because floors other than the 4th floor might be dangerous....
Later, once I'm sure Kang Mu-yeol isn't turning, I'll ask him to bring Im Do-young from the hardware store.
So, I have to end Kang Mu-yeol's isolation before mealtime.
"Boss? Have you seen my younger brother by any chance?"
"He's still at the hardware store. Kang Mu-yeol-ssi will bring him later."
"Didn't Kang Mu-yeol-ssi come here a while ago? I think I heard his distinct laughter."
"He came and went. He's a busy person."
"That is true...."
"Go inside and wait. When Im Do-young-ssi comes later, I'll send him straight to your place."
"Okay. Please take care of yourself."
I reassured Im Ji-ah and sent her back.
I went up to the rooftop.
Will I be able to see Im Do-young?
Im Do-young was not visible.
It seemed he wasn't visible because he was inside the hardware store.
It would be nice if even communication were possible.
The only tenant capable of communication was currently Kang Mu-yeol.
It seemed communication was only possible once a tenant reached level 10.
"Hmm. It wouldn't be bad to level him up now, right?"
Anyway, I have to raise the levels of the other tenants too.
Since Kang Mu-yeol, the only combat class, has reached level 10, it's now the other tenants' turn to be leveled up.
It wasn't like there were any inferior jobs.
They just didn't fight; each and every one of them was an important job.
Nurse, Repairman, Chef, Cleaner, Collector.
First, in terms of priority, Repairman seemed to be the highest priority.
It wasn't a job that only did repairs, like the name suggests.
As much as he is crafting my slingshot, he also had expertise in crafting.
If I leveled up Im Do-young and he made me a better slingshot, it would be perfect.
Because good equipment is a problem directly linked to my survival.
Actually, I'm also curious about what he's doing at the hardware store right now.
"But I might be a little short on Coins to hit level 10?"
I had gathered as many as 100 Coins, but now it was close to zero.
Where did all those coins go?
They all went into Kang Mu-yeol's promotion.
Thanks to Kang Mu-yeol securing Room 301, I got about one-tenth back.
"If I look around the hardware store with a higher level, my eye for things might improve, and I might discover something."
No need to think further. I'm going to level up all the tenants anyway, so doing it now isn't bad.
If it were a Nurse, I might have agonized over it a bit more, but Repairman was a very necessary job even now.
「You have raised 'Im Do-young's' level.」
「You have raised 'Im Do-young's' level.」
「You have raised 'Im Do-young's' level.」
As expected, I was a little short on Coins.
No, I was quite short.
Still, Im Do-young must be bewildered right now.
Because his level suddenly skyrocketed.
Still, it wasn't level 10.
If it were just 10, he would feel a new world.
Now that Kang Mu-yeol is self-isolating.
Was there a place to earn coins?
「Room 302 has been secured.」
「Reward is being provided.」
"Huh?"
What is this now?