Chapter 14

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 14

Chapter Title: Zombie Apocalypse (11)

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Kim Na-eun was lying on the bed, scrolling through her smartphone.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"What are you looking at?"

I walked over and asked, and she answered.

"I asked my friends how they're holding up, and most of them have joined groups. Not many people prepared food like we did."

If you're not wandering around with a clear goal in mind, you'd naturally run into familiar faces and form groups that way.

Our goal was to hunker down, and since we had plenty of supplies, we'd been avoiding contact with others.

Fortunately, Na-eun was actively cooperating with me on that front, which I was grateful for.

"Want to ask if any of your friends are with the mart group?"

Come to think of it, the mart was close to the university.

Would any young female college students wanting to join a group be turned away?

Na-eun's friends were all pretty attractive, living up to the stereotype of clique-y beauties.

"Oh, there might be. Hold on a sec."

Maybe it was hard to use her phone lying down, because she sat up on the bed and started messaging her friends.

A moment later, one friend sent a long message detailing the mart group.

"She says there are. Almost 60 people at the mart? But they're split into six groups, not one big one. They're sharing one side of the mart and taking turns on guard duty?"

Six groups were too many, just like how too many cooks spoil the broth.

It would be better if the 60 merged into one well-coordinated group and planned countermeasures for zombie drops, rather than staying divided.

"The fact that they couldn't unite means trouble's brewing later."

"Yeah... probably...?"

Na-eun murmured softly, worried about her friend.

I gently stroked her back and said,

"Problems might arise, but it could just end in minor squabbles. Everyone's aiming to survive 30 days right now, so as long as they have supplies to last that long, things won't get too heated."

In situations like this, a firm leader to establish order was ideal.

Someone here seemed to be stepping up as leader to gather officetel survivors, but I had no intention of following.

Given the quest's direction, I needed to keep killing zombies, and the more I did, the more I'd become a threat even a leader couldn't handle.

Better for me to be the leader than live under envy and jealousy.

As those thoughts crossed my mind, my stomach growled.

"Heh heh. Even the guy who one-shots zombies gets hungry?"

Na-eun giggled at the sound, poking my belly, and I covered it as I said,

"Looks like one nutrition bar isn't cutting it. Let's eat something."

I could keep eating nutrition bars until my stomach shrank to adapt, but I needed to eat the stuff that required cooking while we still could.

"Yeah, I'm hungry too. What should we have?"

"Chicken breast?"

At that, Na-eun looked at me like I was some weirdo.

It was a perfectly logical suggestion, though.

"Other frozen foods are pre-cooked, so they just need to thaw fully to be safe. But chicken breast absolutely needs cooking. We can't thaw and then grill or steam it without fire, so we gotta eat it quick."

My one-room only had an induction cooktop.

If we had a portable gas burner, maybe, but all we'd gotten from the camping store was a lantern.

"So, eat the hard-to-cook stuff first? But make it tasty. Let's slather it in gochujang and cook it up right."

"I wasn't planning on health food anyway. Gotta make it delicious."

"We've got lots of cucumbers for veggies. Just slice some and eat with it?"

"Gochujang chicken breast with cucumber..."

Our diet was degenerating faster than I'd expected.

Na-eun got up, apparently planning to cook, and started gathering ingredients. She grumbled a bit about the cramped kitchen due to all the water.

"Sian, we have way too much water stored."

"After the survivor meeting, we should stash some supplies in empty rooms."

Seeing Na-eun start cooking without even an apron made me suddenly think of Seo Yeon.

Seo Yeon had cooked delicious meals every day when we lived together, beaming when I enjoyed them.

Who'd have thought the image of Seo Yeon cooking with premium ingredients would overlap with Na-eun making survival food from leftovers?

I shook my head slightly to clear thoughts of Seo Yeon and stood up.

"Sian? You can just sit and wait. I can handle this much."

"I'll clear any zombies nearby. The resident meeting's in the front yard, so better to tidy up beforehand."

Na-eun froze at my words.

"You planning to make me cook and head out alone? Your stomach was rumbling from hunger."

"It's fine. I'm used to zombie hunting now. I'll be back quick without a scratch, so make it tasty."

Na-eun sighed deeply after a moment's hesitation.

"I'm not the type to just wait at home like some housewife. I'll allow it just this once today, so absolutely don't get hurt. Got it?"

I knew she was the type to jump into violence if needed.

Calling her a homemaker wouldn't fit.

I waded through the obstructing water jugs, approached Na-eun, and gave her a quick kiss.

I tucked cardboard boxes under both arms, grabbed my baseball bat, and headed out.

Just catch three and head back.

With that mindset, I stepped outside—and spotted a man coming up from the second to third floor.

This slightly shaggy-haired guy saw me with my bat and approached with a brightened expression.

"Hello! Room 302?"

"Yes, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠302."

"Did you see the notice I posted at the entrance? Officetel survivor meetup?"

"Yeah, I saw it. What room are you?"

"104. You'll come tonight, right?"

"Yes. Gotta check how many survivors there are."

"Please do. I'm going around because some might not have seen it if they haven't gone out. Have you seen anyone else still in the officetel?"

"One in 303; they said they'd come later."

"Great. So at least five of us now."

"You've checked floors one and two?"

"Yeah. Including me, just three left. Wonder if the others will come back by sunset... Did you see the residents who went toward the department store? They headed that way during the day."

Was 104 one of the people who'd followed us earlier?

Mentioning the department store suggested he'd tagged along with that group, gotten separated, and survived.

"Zombies at the department store. If they don't make it back by evening, assume the worst."

"Ah... I see... Understood... Heading out for more supplies?"

"Just patrolling for nearby zombies."

"Patrol! Important work. Hope to see you at the survivor meetup."

The guy from 104 headed past 302 and 303 toward 304.

If there were more on the fourth floor, we might have nearly ten people.

I went downstairs for my original zombie hunt.

'It's been about 24 hours since possession.'

The first semester at Global Academy had been tougher physically and mentally, so how could the power gained in one day here feel even stronger?

This was ridiculous. Even with Survival Rules added, I was leagues below Lee Sian.

I was growing through events here, but the pace was glacially slow.

Should I focus on my original body's growth even while possessing this one?

Two extra skills, and combat power still in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the double digits? Unacceptable.

'Gotta smash more zombies.'

Strengthening Survival Rules might push it to triple digits.

I quickened my pace toward outside the officetel.

No zombies on the main road, so maybe try a narrower alley?

Even before sunset, a low growl echoed from a shadowed alley.

"Grrraaah..."

Anything could burst from nearby shattered shops, so I scanned carefully as I slowly approached the zombie.

Sensing me, it whipped its head around.

A bluish, corpse-like zombie—not an infected, but one summoned by the Plague Lord.

"Kwaaaah!!!"

Its black eyes flushed red, and it charged with arms raised.

Even then, I checked surroundings once more.

Confirming no others, I raised the bat high.

Thwack!

The zombie's head I'd aimed for perfectly exploded on impact. I scanned again.

"So this is what Na-eun was handling."

I'd thought solo wouldn't differ much, but now spots to watch felt multiplied.

Just two more, then back.

Deeper into the alley was an option, but too much info for my brain to process.

I exited the dark alley with my filthy bat.

This time, toward the back of the officetel.

Zombies clustered at the gas station explosion might have dispersed.

Sure enough, several shambling zombies came into view.

Could skip two and hunt more?

I spun the bat lightly, gripped it two-handed.

Strike them down before they group.