Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: The Miracle of Recycling
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There were three new skills available.
"Which one of these..."
It was a tough choice.
The skill names were Impenetrable, Recycling, and Self-Repair.
Those were the three options.
"Is there no description?"
I couldn't just click on one carelessly, in case it locked in the acquisition right away.
For my very first skill choice, all I could do was guess from the names.
'...First up, Impenetrable.'
The meaning was clear: a fortress that couldn't be breached by any assault.
It was probably some kind of defensive effect for the base.
That was all I could figure out. I couldn't even imagine the specifics.
Still, one thing was certain.
I didn't need a skill like that right now.
'Zombies keep everyone away anyway.'
Just eyeballing it, there were hundreds of zombies shambling around here.
Maybe even thousands.
It was a rough estimate, but a horde that size would run any soldiers' ammo dry before they could clear it.
And if zombies ran low, I could always gather more.
'Next... Recycling?'
An English word meaning to reuse.
Why switch from hanja to English all of a sudden?
The naming sense was pretty arbitrary.
Anyway, the second skill was Recycling.
'...Recycling, huh.'
I had no clue exactly how it would recycle things.
"For now, skip it. Next... Self-Repair."
The ability to fix itself.
Since it was a base skill, it probably let the base repair itself, just like the name said.
That raised a question.
"Does it fix electricity too?"
Or maybe restore the water supply so I could use it.
That seemed too far-fetched, though.
Electricity and water weren't something a department store could generate on its own to begin with.
'...But with fantasy superpowers like this...'
It just might.
A flicker of hope stirred in me.
"......Ugh, what should I pick?"
If they'd just handed me one cleanly, I'd have taken it without complaint.
But with options laid out, I had to be careful.
No guarantee I'd get another skill anytime soon.
The two I was mulling over were Recycling and Self-Repair.
I stared at those two skills, hemming and hawing for a good while.
"...Alright, this one."
After about twenty minutes of agonizing, I finally made my choice.
The skill I picked was [Recycling].
Self-Repair had been tempting, but something else piqued my curiosity more.
This Recycling skill.
Would its effect really be what I hoped...?
[You have selected a base skill. The selected skill is 'Recycling.']
Clicking it selected the skill as expected, leading to the next message.
[Base LV. 2
Base Location: S Department Store Basement 1st Floor
Base Skill: Recycling
- Reproduce consumables within the base on a daily cycle.
Current Skill Level: 1
Reproduction Amount: 1]
"This is insane...!!"
A status window popped up with the base's info.
My hands shook as I read the detailed explanation of the new skill.
My shiny new base skill, Recycling.
I'd dared to hope from the name.
And that hope had hit the mark perfectly.
'If this skill does what it says, I never have to worry about food again!'
It reproduced consumables inside the base.
That probably included medicines and oils, for example.
If I'd gotten this in a regular house, the effect wouldn't be huge.
But my base was the grocery section of Seoul's biggest department store.
Meaning every bit of food on this floor got reproduced.
[Activating base skill – Recycling.]
[Skill effect: Reproduction amount is 1.]
I confirmed the activation and headed straight somewhere else.
To the canned goods aisle where I'd been sourcing food lately.
"...There it is."
A can of tuna that I'd definitely cleared out a few days ago was back in its spot, fresh.
"Even the bottled water, drinks... and snacks, all exactly as described."
One of each, just like it said.
'In a regular house, it'd probably just restock whatever you'd used from the fridge...'
I looked around.
Spots I'd emptied here and there from multiple uses were all freshly filled.
And then.
"...Fuck, vegetables too?!"
It was so shocking, a curse slipped out unbidden.
Even the fresh foods I hadn't touched were reproduced, one each.
"Not to mention Two Plus Hanwoo, pork belly, and tuna sashimi..."
It suddenly hit me—why was I getting such conveniently tailored powers?
At this rate, it felt like the heavens themselves had decreed I live easy.
One thing came to mind.
A message from the status window I'd seen before.
[Player's desires confirmed. Referencing data while configuring system.]
It was just a hunch, but maybe these powers were designed around my desires.
'No, this isn't the time for that. Focus on the now.'
I gazed at the fresh foods lined up before me.
This was a miraculous skill.
And by applying it to the department store, I'd become a god.
In this zombie-apocalypse world,
I was now one of the only humans who could eat gourmet food beyond canned crap.
。 。 。
'Mister, you're late...'
Yuhayun swung her legs from the bed, waiting for Lee Seoho who'd left saying he had work.
She wanted to help him, but he'd turned her down.
"...I wish there was something I could do."
She hated just lounging around, burning through the precious food he brought.
Sure, he hugged her whenever he wanted, like it was payment.
'But that feels good for me too, so it doesn't count as helping...'
Yuhayun enjoyed sex with Lee Seoho.
If anything, she got more pleasure out of it, making her feel like the one receiving, not giving.
"......Ugh, again."
━Drip.
Thinking of sex with him, she felt wetness overflowing between her legs again.
It had been like this lately.
Just recalling him, or touching him, got her aroused on her own.
Her body eagerly prepared, leaking fluids.
"Eating, fucking, sleeping... eating, fucking, sleeping..."
'What kind of animal life is this?'
Even living this comfortably brought guilt.
Just days ago, she'd starved alone in her studio, waiting for death.
Now a sturdy man protected her, fed her, and held her warm.
"...Seriously, ...I have to do something."
At this rate, she'd sink below livestock.
She absolutely refused that.
Above all, she didn't want him seeing her as some beast who just ate, fucked, and slept.
'...Alright!'
Yuhayun hopped off the bed.
If he wouldn't give her tasks, she'd find her own.
"First, tidy up here."
Her first job: straighten up their bedding corner.
It was sorta livable already, but the zombie outbreak had trashed it.
Turn this into a proper home for her and Lee Seoho.
That was the goal.
"Hmm... this bed. It's kinda off."
Tidying small stuff, she noticed the bed.
Its position felt awkward.
It was displayed for sale, so lying on it felt like using a showroom piece, not a room's bed.
'...Can I move it alone?'
The king-size bed looked insanely heavy at a glance.
'Yeah, let's try.'
She clenched her fist.
He pulled off impossible food runs daily.
She couldn't whine over a heavy object.
Yuhayun rolled up her sleeves and gripped the bed.
"Nngh! ...Huh?"
━Grind.
"...It moves super easily."
Way easier than expected.
Like it had wheels.
But checking the legs, no wheels in sight.
'Then that wardrobe...'
She eyed a distant wardrobe.
Placing it around the bed could make walls, turning it into a room.
"......"
Half-doubting, she pushed the wardrobe.
━Grind.
Sure enough, it slid smoothly.
And Yuhayun barely felt the effort.
"Wh-what's happening to me...?"
Pre-outbreak, she'd been a typical girl who couldn't open a tightly capped soda alone.
Typical girls couldn't move a wardrobe solo.
Even guys would struggle.
Yet Yuhayun repositioned it in seconds, not even winded.
'How is this possible...?'
Superhuman strength overflowing unbidden.
Bewildered by the unknown cause,
But thanks to it, she easily remodeled the bedding corner into a room-like setup.
"Oh, whoa. Remodeling?"
Right on cue, Lee Seoho approached with a huge load.
"Ah, Mister!"
Spotting him, Yuhayun started toward him but hesitated.
"What? What's wrong?"
He'd expected her to rush into his arms, but her anxious face puzzled him.
'...Something happen?'
Did she suddenly resent him? Nah, the vibe wasn't hostile.
She seemed reluctant to approach him.
"Mister... I, I might be..."
Biting her lip, Yuhayun looked up at him with teary eyes.
"I might be infected...!"
。 。 。
I'd finished my tasks, grabbed a new skill, and returned to the third floor party-laden with food.
But Yuhayun was acting weird.
'...Ah, right. She got the Body Enhancement trait.'
Hearing her out, I recalled her servant entry.
The trait from our first creampie.
Body Enhancement.
I'd wondered what an S-class trait did.
"Hic, M-Mister, look! I must be infected, see!"
She hugged a fridge like a teddy bear in front of me.
'How much does a fridge weigh?'
No need for exact numbers—her strength clearly defied common sense.
A cute college girl sniffling while lifting and shaking a fridge.
Unimaginable.
"Don't worry. You're not infected."
"B-but this is definitely weird! If I'm not turning zombie, how else do I explain this power!"
Fair, if she didn't know my abilities, zombies would be the obvious suspect.
"If you get close... you might get infected too, Mister."
Tearing up, she pushed away as I approached.
Never bitten, yet convinced she was infected—so she figured contact would doom me too.
'Is it time to explain my powers?'
I hadn't planned to reveal that much yet.
Thought I'd train her as a slave more, until she couldn't leave, then spill.
'Well, with this food, she'll figure it out anyway.'
Looking at the premium beef and goodies in my haul, I decided.
First, calm the panicking fridge-shaker.
"D-don't come closer! Hic, you'll get infected too...!"
"Yeah? Guess no choice then."
I nodded at the scaredy-cat freaking over nothing.
Unsure why I'd agree so quick, she blinked her teary eyes wide.
Watching her, I pulled something from my load.
"Then I'll have to eat this Two Plus Hanwoo alone..."
With exaggerated regret, I sat on a nearby chair and set up a portable gas burner.
"...Eh?"
Thud.
Seeing it, Yuhayun's eyes widened more as she dropped the fridge.
Tears gone; now drool pooled in her mouth.
"Quit the nonsense and come here. Party time today."
For my slave No. 1's welcome bash, I laid out veggies, Hanwoo, and premium booze on the table.
"Eat and drink your fill, then I'll pound you till you collapse. Get ready."
Blushing at my grinning words, Yuhayun swallowed hard.