In the House (3)

I looked around the apartment-like residential area. Perhaps because it had been neglected for three years, a desolate, ruin-like chill hung in the air.

"How many people lived here?"

—Eight hundred households. If you count the crew, probably around three to four thousand.

Eight hundred households was the size of a large apartment complex.

During the Defense Labyrinth, there were only two hundred people.

"That's a lot."

—Our ship is the Egomos. Its primary purpose was civilian housing.

In simple terms, it was an apartment spaceship.

"Are there ships with other purposes?"

—Many. In the Cosmos, ships with different purposes pair up and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dock here temporarily. Mining ships, battleships, civilian ships...

"Roughly how large is it?"

—If you combine all the ships in the Cosmos, it's about 8.4372 square kilometers.

8.4 square kilometers. Exactly the size of Yeouido Island—meaning a whole island was drifting through space.

I'm in for a rough time.

"It's quiet. You'd think a residential area would be crawling with zombies."

I had been walking with extreme caution, but there was absolutely no sign of any zombies.

Julione, speaking through the Truck, said as she followed me,

—No. Actually, it's the opposite. Most of the zombies in the residential area swarmed toward the center.

"They went looking for food."

—That's what I thought too, but according to the server logs, they moved as if they were possessed.

Possessed, toward the center.

It was a clue.

"It probably has something to do with the Substance we need to retrieve."

The progression and story development felt very game-like. If I had to classify this labyrinth's genre, it would be sci-fi survival horror set in space.

"Shh."

I stopped abruptly. I had just caught a faint sound near my ear.

I quietly took cover. The Truck also hid behind a decorative tree.

There was a zombie standing near what looked like an apartment entrance. Its entire body was bloated.

—Let's just bypass it,

the Truck whispered softly.

"No."

Back when I was a shut-in, I didn't just play MoMo; I immersed myself in almost every game.

In games like this, farming is crucial. You need to fill your inventory to make the late game easier, and this apartment looked like it had good loot or rewards.

I drew my pistol. I charged my mana.

However, the impact zone couldn't be a single point. It had to be a wide spread.

Since I couldn't modify the pistol itself, I formed a barrier right in front of the muzzle. It acted as a filter to adjust the size and power of the magic bullet.

I aimed below its knees and pulled the trigger.

Swoosh—!

The magic bullet shot out like a crescent-shaped blade of light. A brilliant blue wave cleanly severed both of the zombie's legs.

Splat!

I fired a second shot at the fallen zombie's head. This time, an explosive round.

Boom!

Brain matter and flesh splattered.

Even if it regenerated, it had no eyes or ears, so it would be easy to avoid.

—Was that pistol always capable of that?

"I upgraded it a bit."

I observed the zombie's condition from a distance.

Julione diagnosed it first.

—It's in suspended animation.

"The one in the lobby was multiplying. Is it different for each zombie?"

—Yes. They undergo different mutations, so their traits and characteristics vary. But they're all equally immortal. It'll stay in that state until it recovers its energy.

"Good to know. Let's go inside."

I walked past the zombie. Julione hesitated at the threshold.

"Come on. It won't take long."

—...Tsk.

The Truck followed, rattling reluctantly. Its small wheels carefully dodged the splattered zombie flesh.

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

Valuable items emit unusual wavelengths. Items with highly concentrated mana, items where the natural order of mana has accumulated over time, or items artificially enchanted by a mage usually do.

I used Sequence's radar to expand my senses and search.

"...Found it."

I found a desktop. A piece of equipment I would have missed if I hadn't farmed. I connected the desktop's cable to my wrist.

"...Huh?"

No Hacking skill. It seemed the obtainable skills from each desktop were random.

Since I couldn't get hacking, I might as well level up Duct Tape.

The Truck rattled closer.

—Did you grab everything?

"Yes."

I looked at the items laid out on the bed. I picked up some clothes.

"Turn around. I'm changing."

—...How fussy.

The Truck turned around. I changed both my top and pants.

They looked like ordinary athletic wear, but their performance was extraordinary. Auto-stretching, self-cleaning, and even thermal insulation. They practically had the specs of a spacesuit.

Next, four Xenon Batteries.

"These batteries..."

I wondered how to use them, then reread the description of Duct Tape.

Lv.2: Allows the user to bind, repair, combine, or merge items together using Duct Tape.

"Hmm."

I picked up my pistol. Placing a Xenon Battery against the barrel, I wrapped it tightly with duct tape. *Riiip.* I channeled mana into the pistol.

Whirrrr—

"This feels much better."

The battery's power was added to the mana magazine.

This Duct Tape skill seemed much better than I thought. Good enough that I wanted to turn it into a permanent spell formula and take it out of here.

...Take it out?

A sudden flash of inspiration. A possibility occurred to me.

With Sequence, it should be entirely possible.

I could definitely store this Duct Tape skill in my mind as a spell formula using my Flame of Cognition.

—Does wrapping it in tape actually ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠upgrade it?

Julione asked. It seemed she didn't know what this Duct Tape skill actually was, even though she was the one who helped me get it.

"Yes. Think of it as my unique technique."

—Be careful. Xenon batteries are extremely volatile.

"It's fine."

No need to worry.

This is a strong candidate for my second Cherished Item. Apologies to AC-0308, but when it comes to familiarity, a gun is far more natural to me...

I walked through the park of the Esmos, checked out a cafe, walked along the promenade, and subdued another zombie.

Egomos bound for Cosmos

Leave the earth behind, head for heaven!

Move-in discount! A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

"Talk about dark comedy."

I chuckled dryly at the billboard covering the wall.

—Well, they certainly went to heaven.

"Great sense of humor. Let's keep moving."

I ate an energy bar as I walked. I hacked vending machines along the way. Julione also kept sending food back to her main body.

"You're going to hoard three years' worth of food at this rate."

—Exactly that much would be ideal. If I want to pilot the ship alone, I have to wake up from cryosleep frequently.

I reached the final gate of the Esmos. It was a passageway that couldn't close completely. Skeletons were jammed in the door.

A mad rush to escape, a bottleneck, and then the zombies caught up—a recipe for disaster.

That was probably how it went.

"Is it a different ship from here on?"

—Yes. The Escort. A security ship.

"Let's go in."

I stepped inside. The atmosphere was completely different from the residential area. It was grayer, colder, and the dark, metallic sheen of steel lining the corridors felt particularly ominous.

As we walked tensely...

"......"

—Gaaah!

I held back a scream with all my might, but the Truck let out a screech.

"What are you doing? Don't keep your mic on all the time. Is there no push-to-talk option?"

—...Sorry.

The Truck dejectedly lowered its volume.

But it was already too late.

Not because of Julione, but because the sound of the hologram had drawn a zombie to us.

A security guard zombie. A shield was attached to one of its hands.

"It's coming. Just in case, watch my back. How many railgun shots do you have?"

—One. It takes an hour to recharge.

The Truck powered up with a whir.

"Alright. Then—"

Whoosh—!

Suddenly, the zombie's arm stretched like rubber. Its claw, sharp as a kitchen knife, stopped right next to my temple.

To be precise, time slowed down.

It was Sequence. An instinctive, unconditional reflex triggered in a life-or-death crisis.

My world became dazed, as if submerged in water.

This zombie could stretch its body. A mutant variant, clearly different from the norm.

How to dodge?

A barrier was still too difficult. It was a surprisingly complex spell formula.

I could manifest one, but its durability would be so low that both the barrier and my head would shatter together.

The best way was to dodge.

I just needed to duck. But with my physical capabilities, I couldn't move fast enough.

The only thing I could move freely right now was my mana...

Wait.

If I can move mana, can't I use that mana to control my own body?

Physical movement is ultimately dictated by commands from the brain. It is an electrical mechanism. It was well within the realm of what mana could replicate.

In other words, I could directly stimulate my central nervous system with my own mana!

Crackle—

The sound of sparking electricity. I channeled mana into my nervous system, sending a reflex signal to my body.

Duck.

Slip.

My upper and lower body tilted smoothly. The zombie's arm grazed past in slow motion.

I sent a similar command to my hand, raising the pistol. I pulled the trigger. Blue sparks flew.

Bang. The explosive round pierced the zombie's forehead and detonated inside its skull.

Immediately after, time returned to normal.

"...Ugh."

I had discovered a new application for Sequence.

The problem was, it put a severe strain on my muscles. I had only ducked, but my entire body ached.

"Julione, do you have any painkillers?"

—Heh.

Julione chuckled. As if she had expected this, the Truck presented its rear. A vial and a syringe were taped to it.

—Use Ecote. It's a painkiller and recovery agent with no side effects.

"Thanks. This is perfect."

I injected the Ecote. The pain subsided immediately.

It synergized incredibly well with one of my traits, A Body that Responds Well to Medicine.

—Now, let's go.

Julione seemed to have relaxed a bit. The Truck's wheels bounced cheerfully, as if she was glad to be of help.

"But where are we going?"

—To the server room. The Escort ship doesn't just handle policing; it also manages security. That means its servers are linked to the other ships. If we restore them, we'll be able to monitor a significant portion of the Cosmos.

"Understood. Let's go."

I walked.

Zap! Crackle!

But sparks kept flying near the ceiling. It was current leaking from torn wiring.

Zap!

"Ow, that stung."

Just as a tiny spark brushed the back of my neck—

Clank, thud. Clank, thud.

Something appeared.

It was a robot.

"What is that robot now?"

—A police robot. Its nickname is Security. It's a nuisance.

It had a drum-like body with only arms and legs attached. It was definitely less cute than Aro.

The robot approached.