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Min-jun and Kang Mu-yeol left.
Im Do-yeong, left alone in the room again, stared quietly at the slingshot.
He had definitely thought he'd created a masterpiece until Min-jun arrived.
He had proudly shown the slingshot to Min-jun.
Of course, since it was a slingshot carved from meager materials, he couldn't expect much power.
It would probably just stop a zombie at best.
Still, he thought it would be helpful to Min-jun.
Something changed after Min-jun arrived.
To be precise, it was after the Status Window appeared before his eyes saying he had leveled up.
Min-jun had suggested trying to make a slingshot strong enough to be used in actual combat.
'I don't think it'll be easy to make a better slingshot than this...'
At first, Im Do-yeong thought so too.
It was a slingshot made by pouring in all his capabilities.
There was no way he could make a better one so soon, right?
However.
Around the time Min-jun left after leaving words of encouragement.
Im Do-yeong started to see the slingshot differently.
He had definitely thought it was the best slingshot he could make right now.
But now, it looked like he could boost the slingshot's performance even further.
Flaws he hadn't seen earlier started to appear.
Improvements were visible as well.
'Maybe I really can make a slingshot that can be used in actual combat?'
Im Do-yeong started working.
He picked up a carving knife and whittled the slingshot.
'I shouldn't carve too much. It might break.'
He carved the parts that absolutely needed to be carved while maintaining the slingshot's original form as much as possible.
The body of the slingshot became a little thinner.
He added more rubber bands, as much as the body could withstand.
It was roughly finished.
He had improved everything that could be improved.
Im Do-yeong placed a pebble he had collected beforehand onto the rubber band.
Perhaps because the tension had increased, it didn't pull back easily.
"Ughhh...!"
When he pulled it as far as he could, his arm trembled.
Then, he let go of the rubber band.
Pa-ang!
The pebble that had been on the rubber band flew off with force.
The pebble that hit the wall turned into powder.
"Ah, oh no!"
Im Do-yeong checked the wallpaper.
The wallpaper was torn.
"Sigh... how do I cover this up?"
It's a new house he just moved into, too.
"Whatever, let's just show him first."
Im Do-yeong ran out of the room and put on his shoes.
"Where are you going?"
He answered Im Ji-ah's question absentmindedly.
"To see the boss!"
I was sitting on the sofa, resting.
I didn't have much to do, but for some reason, I was tired.
Just then, I heard the sound of another house's front door opening, along with footsteps.
It wasn't a zombie.
Zombies can't open front doors on their own.
You could tell just by looking at how they were trapped inside empty houses.
Knock knock.
Someone knocked on the front door.
It was different from Kang Mu-yeol's knocking.
Kang Mu-yeol had louder footsteps and a louder knock.
It might be a Looter attack, but I wasn't particularly worried.
This house was a Safe House, after all.
Even if a Looter suddenly swung a weapon, they wouldn't be able to harm me since I was inside the Safe House.
At least, that was the expectation.
It was the sound of a door opening from a nearby house, and they didn't drag their feet like a zombie or keep knocking at regular intervals.
Kkiiik—
I opened the door.
A man shorter than me was standing in front of the door.
A tenant of my Villa who still hadn't shed his youthful look.
It was Im Do-yeong.
"Hmm? What brings you here?"
"I've brought my masterpiece. I recommend you prepare yourself mentally, as you might be surprised."
"Is the slingshot already finished?"
"Wait, how did you...?"
Because he was making a slingshot...
As expected, Im Do-yeong took the slingshot out of his pocket.
'I can't really tell what's different from before...'
Was Level 1 not enough?
Or are there details I'm unaware of?
Knock knock knock.
A knock stronger than Im Do-yeong's was heard.
It was Kang Mu-yeol.
I opened the door.
"Kang Mu-yeol-ssi, what brings you here again?"
"I heard knocking, so I came to see if something had happened. It was Do-yeong-ssi."
Kang Mu-yeol also spotted the slingshot in Im Do-yeong's hand.
"Is it finished?"
"Yes. It's a slingshot I poured all my abilities into. I wanted to show it to the boss right away, so I came immediately."
"Then, why don't you try using it, Boss?"
Kang Mu-yeol urged me in a subtle tone.
It seemed Kang Mu-yeol was curious too.
"Okay. Boss, please try using it once. And let me know your thoughts. If there's anything to fix, I'll fix it."
I received the slingshot.
"Hmm..."
Honestly, I was at a loss.
I had never fired a slingshot before.
How many people these days have ever fired a slingshot?
"You just pull it back and let go. It's easy."
"Since I can't fire it inside the house, let's try firing it out the window."
It was the window I had opened only once, when I saved Kang Mu-yeol who was surrounded by zombies after the zombie outbreak.
I hadn't opened it even once since then.
This was the second time.
I opened the window and looked outside.
Kang Mu-yeol had already cleared the area around the Villa once.
Still, I could see a zombie or two, though I didn't know where they came from.
A zombie or two was actually a good thing.
This way, I could test the new weapon.
I aimed at a nearby zombie.
I placed the small pebble Im Do-yeong had handed me and pulled back the rubber band.
"This is quite... difficult."
Perhaps because my arm muscles had all atrophied, or because the rubber band's tension was high, it took quite a bit of effort just to pull it back.
My arm started trembling immediately.
Im Do-yeong and Kang Mu-yeol looked at me with expectant eyes.
I needed to live up to their expectations.
Tak.
Swaaaaek!
I let go of the rubber band.
The pebble flew off with force.
Ttak!
The pebble failed to reach the zombie and hit the ground.
It lacked power.
The zombie that had been in a dormant state slowly lifted its head.
"You have to pull a slingshot with your back, not your arms. Could you try again as if you're opening your chest and squeezing your shoulder blades together?"
Kang Mu-yeol advised.
Had Kang Mu-yeol ever fired a slingshot before?
I thought he only used a baseball bat.
Accepting the tenants' opinions well is also a virtue a landlord should possess.
I actively incorporated Kang Mu-yeol's advice.
I took the pebble Im Do-yeong handed me, placed it on the rubber band, and moved my muscles around to try and pull it with my back.
It pulled back further, and it took less effort.
My arm didn't tremble.
The zombie that had woken up from its dormant state was slowly moving toward the Villa.
Tak.
Swaaaaaaaek!
This time, the pebble flew in an almost straight line.
Pak!
The pebble struck the zombie's head.
The zombie that got hit by the pebble staggered.
The hair on the spot where it was hit fell out in a clump.
However, it only staggered and didn't die.
"That's a shame..."
Im Do-yeong said dejectedly.
I couldn't respond to Im Do-yeong's words.
It was because a new form of Status Window had appeared.
「You have acquired a new skill.」
「Slingshot Level 1」
"Skill...?"
Originally, the Status Window only had my name and job; there were no such things as skills.
But when I pulled the slingshot with all my might, a new skill was created.
Furthermore, the skill name itself was Slingshot.
It means it's a skill that makes me good at handling a slingshot.
'This is actually good.'
In the first place, I have no intention of leaving the house.
If I have to go out, I'll send the tenants.
Kang Mu-yeol is skilled, too.
To me, a slingshot that can intercept zombies from afar was a truly useful weapon.
"This might actually be possible."
I placed a pebble again and pulled back with all my might.
It was much more stable than before.
The zombie that had broken out of its dormant state was walking slowly toward the Villa.
I had to kill it before it entered the Villa.
I placed the pebble on the rubber band and pulled back with all my might using my back.
The rubber band stretched much further.
I didn't aim for long.
My arm muscles were all gone, so there was no way my back muscles would be in perfect shape.
It wouldn't be strange if my hands started trembling at any moment.
Tak!
Swaaaaek!
The pebble left my hand.
The pebble struck the zombie's head accurately.
The body of the staggering zombie turned into powder and disappeared.
「You have leveled up.」
"Oh! You're hitting them well!"
Three shots, two hits.
The accuracy is good.
It's a success.
"You went through a lot of trouble making this."
I praised Im Do-yeong's efforts.
Im Do-yeong smiled awkwardly, as if embarrassed.
I caught a zombie with a ranged weapon.
It's even a weapon made by hand.
That alone was a huge merit.
However, the performance was a bit lacking.
Of course, I didn't tell Im Do-yeong.
He went through the trouble of making it, so I couldn't just pour out complaints.
And actually, the balance of the slingshot itself was good.
It felt like it fit perfectly in my hand.
But the ammunition was the problem.
It wasn't easy to pierce a zombie's head with the pebbles I picked up.
"By any chance, do you have anything like steel balls?"
"St-steel balls?"
Im Do-yeong looked around, reading the room.
Was it an unexpected request?
If the ammo were just stronger, I feel like I could easily pierce a zombie's head.
"I haven't prepared anything like that yet..."
It would be stranger if he did have them.
Steel balls aren't exactly easy to find.
I asked without expecting much, either.
"Anyway, thank you. I'll use it well."
"I'm the one who's grateful. I'm glad I could at least repay your kindness a little bit like this."
"What kindness, it's nothing."
Im Do-yeong and Kang Mu-yeol left.
Opening the window and shooting zombies was fun, but it wasn't practical yet.
Even when I hit the zombie in the head, I couldn't kill it in one shot.
To be precise, it could die in one shot, but it required a bit of luck.
I couldn't just keep holding onto the slingshot.
I've collected coins, so I need to use them.
「You can modify the list of supplies to be received.」
「Receive new supplies right now!」
"Huh?"
I can change the supplies I receive?
"Ah. I guess a new feature was unlocked because I leveled up earlier."
Now I don't have to eat the same menu.
Wait a minute.
If so...
I could check the list of supplies to be received through the Status Window.
"Oh, it's here!"
「Would you like to receive a 'Bundle of Steel Balls' from the next supply drop?」
The exact supply item I needed was there.