Chapter 9
Chapter 9
I entered the living room and spread out the items I'd obtained from catching the Remote Control Zombie on the floor.
"Wow... so this is why people keep talking about mutants, mutants."
On the floor were 2 jars full of Peanut Butter, 2 legs of the Remote Control Zombie, 1 heart, and 1 eyeball.
"Ugh... it was gross even when I saw it in the game, but..."
But I forced myself to endure it because I knew how precious these items were.
[R Zombie's Thigh]
Info 1: Permanently increases Agility upon consumption.
Info 2: Permanently increases Stamina upon consumption.
"Uh... this is... yeah..."
I knew the effects, but I never thought the day would come when I'd have to eat a zombie's leg in real life...
'If I ask Mom to cook this, I'll probably get smacked on the back, right...? But Mom has the Chef skill...'
Click.
"Son!? What is all that!!!"
"Ah... Mom, um... I'm just asking, but... could you... cook this leg for me...?"
Slap!!
At my words, Mom made a face like she'd seen something she shouldn't have and delivered a full-power back-smash to my spine.
"You child! Is that something to say!? How can you cook with something so gross?!"
I explained the whole situation to my agitated mother and told her that we had to eat food made from this leg if we wanted to survive.
At my repeated requests, Mom slowly opened up, and...
"Ugh... I'll grill it in the yard, so... eat it and come back in!!"
"Th-thank you, Mom."
Slap!!
Mom slapped my back again before heading out to the yard.
"Ouch... I don't want to eat it either..."
I took the burner and frying pan from the kitchen, along with the Remote Control Zombie's body parts, and went out to the yard.
To cook safely, Mom had roughly cleared some weeds in a corner of the yard to make space and was waiting for me.
"Sigh... really... it's a world that's hard for people to live in..."
Listening to Mom's lament, I set down the burner and placed the frying pan on top of it.
"How are you going to grill that all at once!! Bring a cutting board and a knife too!!"
"Yes..."
When I went back inside and brought the cutting board and knife, Mom sighed and started carving up the Remote Control Zombie's leg.
"Ugh... really..."
Thwack!! Thwack!! Squeeeak... Thwack!
Mom dismantled the leg piece by piece like she was butchering a chicken and started grilling it using cooking chopsticks.
Sizzle sizzle...
"Hm...? The smell... is good...?"
"Uh... yeah, it is..."
Unlike how it looked, the Remote Control Zombie meat gave off a smell even better than beef, which I hadn't even touched since this whole incident started, and Mom became increasingly focused as she grilled the meat.
Watching the meat grill, I also checked the information for the heart and eyeball.
[R Zombie's Heart]
Info 1: Permanently increases Stamina Regeneration upon consumption.
Info 2: Chance to acquire a new skill upon consumption.
[R Zombie's Eyeball]
Info 1: Permanently increases Eyesight upon consumption.
Info 2: Permanently increases Night Vision upon consumption.
'Ugh... I can grill the leg meat, but the heart and eyeball... should I boil them...?'
Back in the days of the Ruined Game, countless people said mutant zombies tasted good when eaten, but there was no telling if that taste carried over to reality.
'Still... from what I remember... the heart tasted like apple... and the eyeball tasted like strawberry... I... I should probably eat them before the meat finishes grilling, right...?'
If I ate the eyeball and heart after the meat, which looked delicious to anyone, I felt like I'd throw up the meat I'd just eaten, so I decided to eat these gross things first.
Gulp...
'Screw it!! If I die, that's it!!'
I put the eyeball in my mouth and bit down, and it burst with a pop! sound.
Chewy... slimy... chewy...
Chewy...?
Crazy... it really tastes like strawberry?!
The texture of the eyeball was slimy and disgusting, but the flavor was incredibly sweet and tasted like delicious strawberry.
I was confused by such an unbalanced combination, but since it was better than it tasting bad, I let out a sigh of relief.
"Phew..."
[R Zombie's Eyeball consumption confirmed]
Permanently increases Eyesight.
Permanently increases Night Vision.
'Oh! Jackpot!'
Maybe because the eyeball's effect had kicked in, the yard, which had been dark until just a moment ago, felt a bit brighter, and my vision swam.
I took off the glasses I was wearing, and the dizziness vanished.
'Crazy!? I only ate one eyeball, but did my eyesight improve from around 0.1?!'
It was still blurrier than when I wore glasses, but it was definitely better than my eyesight in the past.
I hurriedly checked my Status Window.
[Status Window]
Name: Kim Geum-seul
Level: 5
Free Points: 2
Eyesight +1 / Night Vision +1
I could see the added text in the previously empty Status Window.
'Jackpot... so this is why the veterans were so crazy about mutant zombies...'
Anyway, I can't buy glasses now, so...
"Son!! It's all grilled... The smell is good, but... I can't guarantee the taste?"
"I-it'll be fine, Mom."
I picked up the zombie thigh with the cooking chopsticks Mom handed me and bit into it like I was eating a chicken leg.
Crunch... Slurp...
I was startled by the overflowing juices as I chewed the meat, and I was startled a second time by the deep flavor that filled my mouth.
"Mom... thish... ish delishush..."
Gulp...
"Mom, you try some too!"
After saying that, I focused entirely on the meat, and Mom, with a suspicious expression, picked up a small piece with tongs and put it in her mouth.
Gulp...
"Oh my? Why... is this so delicious?"
"Hehe, there's still one more piece left, so eat up!"
"You child! I grilled it all for you, so why are you acting like you did me a favor?"
"I'm the one who got it, hehe."
"That's true."
That night, we ate our fill of the zombie leg meat, and I also ate the heart as a tasting.
Burp...
Not long after dinner, I had overeaten again, so my stomach felt like it was about to burst.
Hehehe...
"Still, looking at this Status Window makes even my heart feel rich..."
[Status Window]
Name: Kim Geum-seul
Level: 5
Free Points: 2
Eyesight+1 / Night Vision+1 / Stamina Regeneration+1 / Agility+1 / Stamina+1 /
Unfortunately, I failed to acquire a skill, but I felt much stronger.
"Whew... if I eat the cucumber side dish Mom made and head out to hunt, wouldn't I be invincible for an hour? Hehe."
I extended the electricity, which was about to cut off, by 1 day, and then washed up cleanly with the gushing water.
Phew... to enjoy such luxury in an apocalypse world...
"Mom! I'm going to sleep first!"
"Okay! Sleep well."
Mom was sitting in the living room reading a book about farming, and I went up to my room on the 2nd floor and lay down on the bed.
"Whew... it was a really tough day..."
Day 2 since the world became a zombie apocalypse.
Outside, the screams of people and the cries of zombies could still be heard.
To think I'd get used to this so quickly...
Was I perhaps hoping for this kind of situation to happen...?
Slap!!
"Don't think weird thoughts for no reason, just think about how to live well from now on!"
That's right, reality is more important than the past.
I stared blankly at the turned-off light for a while.
I unconsciously waved my hand to open the system window, and while rummaging through this and that, I was able to discover the remaining Free Points.
"Right... I had 2 Free Points..."
I got up from the bed, sat cross-legged, and started to ponder.
'First, Blessing +3 is essential. It's the best for butter farming...'
I first consumed 1 point to strengthen the Blessing skill.
[A] Blessing of All Things +3: Can check detailed information and weaknesses of all beings in this world, and can disassemble them.
Great, now I can farm without a magnifying glass.
And I started to worry about where to use the remaining 1 point.
'Should I unlock a magic spell while I'm at it...? No...'
Low-level magic only had abilities like a lighter-sized flame or a cup of water, so I gave up quickly.
'Should I act crazy and invest one more into Manmulcho?'
It was a skill that had shown cheat-like abilities so far, so I could trust it, but I hesitated because it lacked area-of-effect or movement skills.
Screw it.
I closed my eyes and consumed the point on Blessing.
[A] Blessing of All Things +4: Can analyze all beings, and can disassemble and copy them.
'Copy...? What does this mean?'
To cast "Money gets copied?!", I took out the Peanut Butter in my inventory and tried using Blessing on it, but unfortunately, it didn't copy.
"Eh... that's a shame."
I put the jar back in my inventory and instead took out my bag for going out and started rummaging through the contents.
'Something good to copy... water... would that work?'
I took out a half-drunk water bottle from inside the bag and used Blessing on it.
Twinkle!
Thud! Roll...
Crazy?!
Even though the water bottle was still in my hand, a water bottle appeared in mid-air, fell to the floor, and rolled around my room.
"Craaaazy?!?! Water gets copied?!?!"
I was so surprised that I tried using Blessing on the water bottle again, but...
[Copy Cooldown: 23 hours 59 minutes 41 seconds]
I learned that there was a one-day cooldown.
"The cooldown is fucking long... but it's better than nothing!!"
I'll have to copy what I need from now on.
I was satisfied with the awakening of my new ability.
"Ugh... time to sleep..."
Thanks to the cucumber, my physical fatigue was relieved, but I was mentally exhausted, so I fell asleep as soon as I lay on the bed.
==
Ding-a-ling-a-ling~ Ding~
"Yaaawn..."
I woke up to the sound of the smartphone alarm that only worked inside the house.
Crack... crack.
I sat on the bed, loosened my neck, and got up while stretching.
On the floor, the water bottle I copied yesterday was rolling around due to the wind coming in through the window.
Gulp... gulp... Phew!
"From next time, I'll copy skill books or items that raise stats and milk it for all it's worth."
When I went down to the living room with the empty bottle, Mom was preparing breakfast in the kitchen.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Hm? You're up, son. Mom always gets a good night's sleep~"
I used the water purifier to fill the empty bottle with water and stored it in my inventory.
"Are you going to eat and head out again today?"
"That's the plan."
"Okay, you must always be careful?"
"Don't worry, Mom."
I went out to the yard while waiting for the rice to cook.
My goodness?
The lettuce Mom had planted just last night was already growing lush and green, enough to be eaten by tomorrow.
"Uh... the Farming skill really is great..."
Gulp...
Seeing the large amount of lettuce occupying a corner of the garden, I recalled its effect.
"Stamina enhancement... sigh, I'm a lifelong virgin, do I even need stamina..."
I shook my head and opened the front gate.
Bang! Creeeak.
Since there was nothing to do at home, I took the half-broken Trifoliate Orange Shears out of my inventory and held them in my hand.
Stab!
Graaaar...
"Good morning, you bastards."
I started a new morning.
[Yeah, it's a good morning.]
"Gasp?!"
I scanned my surroundings at the alluring voice echoing in my head once again.
At the end of the alley stood a beautiful woman wearing only underwear that barely covered her massive breasts and buttocks, just like I saw yesterday.
"Damn it!!"
Slam!
I hurriedly went inside the house and closed the door.
Rustle... rustle... rustle...
As the sound grew louder, I moved away from the front gate and gripped my spear tightly.
Gulp...
Ting, ting, ting.
Knocking on an iron gate, has she lost her mind?
I maintained a combat stance due to an incomprehensible sense of fear.
I didn't react to her actions at all, and...
"Why are you afraid of me?"
She opened her mouth first.
"In this... crazy world, isn't it normal to be on guard when there's a scantily clad woman?!"
Damn it! My hands and legs started to tremble...
"Heh... is that so? But in this crazy world, common sense from the past doesn't apply. You know that too, right? Remote Control Zombie Hunter-ssi?"
That woman... she knows I caught the Remote Control Zombie yesterday... Is her goal the dropped items...?
"W-what to do? The... the byproducts of the Remote Control Zombie were all~~ eaten up yesterday?"
I unconsciously used informal speech and provoked her.
What are you doing provoking her at a moment like this, you idiot!!
"Oh my? Don't tell me you think I came here to rob you?"
"Th-then why did you follow me!"
"Can't I tell you that once I'm inside? Zombies are starting to swarm, you know~"
Damn it! The best choice is just to chase her away... but the other party is a woman who looks like a veteran... I might be able to get information...
I hurriedly opened the My Home system window, and...
Here it is!!
Invite Guest 1 person: 5 jars of Peanut Butter.
It's a waste, but... it can't be helped.
I purchased it immediately and slowly approached the front gate.
"I... I purchased the Guest Invitation. So, p-please tell me your name and I'll open the door!"
"Ah, how sad~ To think I had so little credibility~"
At the woman's playful words, I said in a loud voice.
"Please tell me your name quickly!!"
"Alright~ My name is Ha-rang, An Ha-rang."
I immediately manipulated My Home to enter her name, and...
"Oh my? An invitation arrived~ I'll accept it~"
Ding!
[There is a guest registered in My Home.]
[The guest cannot perform any hostile actions in My Home.]
Bang!
Only after receiving confirmation from the system did I open the front gate.
"P-please come in."
"Thanks~ Oh my! You're handsome up close~"
A sexy beauty wearing only pure white underwear entered our house.