Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Real Zombies
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Player awakening detected. Would you like to start the tutorial?
Player awakening detected. Would you like to start the tutorial?
Player awakening detected. Would you like to start the tutorial?
"Uwaaaah...!"
Within my hazy consciousness.
A mechanical voice, like some TTS program, drilled straight into my brain through my ear canal endlessly, jolting me fully awake.
The creepy sensation of it churning through my head chased away any lingering sleepiness in an instant.
When I opened my eyes, I was lying on my bed.
My last memory was zoning out on the floor before my consciousness snapped off like a cut thread.
'I think it cut out right when that "Player detected" message popped up in front of me...'
To be precise, it had been: "Player detected. Activating System."
'Player? System? Nothing like that was in the original story... Even in Ajeol, after the opening hologram countdown, there was never anything game-like again.'
It was a classic zombie apocalypse tale that stuck faithfully to the genre, so this was completely out of left field.
And then suddenly passing out?
I had no idea how much time had passed, but in the zombie apocalypse world, letting your guard down meant death.
Blackout the moment you enter a world like that? Might as well be a death sentence.
As my head grew more tangled with those thoughts,
that same voice from before my awakening echoed in my mind again.
Player awakening detected. Would you like to start the tutorial?
A flat, emotionless mechanical voice, just as before.
I instinctively knew this was the culprit that had knocked me out and woken me up.
"Did you knock me out?"
...
No response came.
Having essentially muttered to thin air, embarrassment welled up, and I scratched my cheek before trying a different tack.
"Start the tutorial."
If it doesn't answer when called, maybe say what it wants to hear.
It was asking about starting the tutorial, so I gave it the answer.
And that was correct.
Player acceptance confirmed. Starting tutorial.
This time, the message was definitely different.
With the tutorial starting announcement ringing in my head, I waited quietly to see what would happen.
'...?'
But nothing happened beyond the words echoing in my mind.
'Is it messing with me?'
As that doubt crept in, the change finally arrived.
A sensory feeling like my thoughts were linking to somewhere.
Then, it was like the cold drip of IV fluid I'd felt in my hand during a hospital stay, but this time flooding into my brain.
Chills ran down my spine, and I patted my head frantically, but there was no needle or anything actually stuck in there.
Still, the unpleasant sensation lingered inescapably.
The bizarre experience lasted about five minutes, and during it, I realized this was the feeling of knowledge pouring in.
'Usually, this kind of knowledge dump comes with pain.'
Recalling those manga scenes of agony-filled info injections, I let out a sigh of relief.
I wasn't confident I could stifle a scream from the pain, so this was a blessing.
I hated pain anyway.
Once the tutorial's knowledge infusion ended, I finally understood everything that had happened to me.
Following the implanted knowledge, I extended my hand and muttered,
"System."
—Ding♪
A clear bell chime rang out, and a translucent hologram window appeared before my eyes, just as expected.
It looked exactly like the character status screens from games.
Name:Jin Yuseong
Title:None
Gender:Male
Race:Human
Status:Normal
Special
⮕ Buffs: None
⮕ Debuffs: None
Unallocated Points:10
Skills
⮕ 《Nameless》
⮕ 《Survival》
This was the so-called status screen showing my current condition.
The top four lines were my basic info.
Status indicated overall health.
Special covered things like diseases, poisons, buffs, and debuffs.
Below that were game-like stats and skills, with unallocated points to boost abilities.
Skills could be detailed by clicking or thinking about them.
All that info was already in my head, so I calmly examined the status screen.
'Good, no issues with my body. Physical stats average around 4, so this is decent.'
The standout Spirit and Intelligence varied wildly between people, so no big surprise there.
More disappointing was Magic Power at 0.
As a fantasy fanboy, I'd always dreamed of magic.
'Well, can't do much about what's not there.'
I shifted focus from the lack to having two skills already.
Focusing on the skills and willing their details brought up a small new window over the status.
Skills
⮕ 《Nameless》
Embodies non-existence.
Enter stealth state for a set duration.
⮕ 《Survival》
Embodies resistance to nature.
Grants bonuses to survival actions.
"Holy shit..."
I couldn't help but marvel at the skill descriptions.
What I desperately needed right now.
It was handed to me in skill form, solving it in one go.
No wonder I was so shocked.
Nameless's stealth would protect me from zombies, and Survival's bonuses would make thriving easier.
In simple terms, freedom from zombie threats and an edge in survival.
Even untested, the descriptions alone made them feel rock-solid.
'Things might turn out better than expected?'
I felt that good.
Not flashy or overpowered, but satisfying enough, and I knew how to roll with what I got.
For now, the changes to my body seemed complete.
The tutorial had only taught me how to open the status screen and what each part meant, so I knew nothing more.
'And no more mechanical voice since opening the status.'
I had no clue why this game-like power appeared after Ajeol's prologue in its classic zombie apocalypse setup, but it was given, so I'd use it to survive.
Just like how I'd adapted to becoming an orphan, I'd adapt here too.
That was my way of life.
With my thoughts sorted, I got up.
Headache sorted while sitting, now time to move.
'Check the outside situation first.'
An eerily quiet world.
My one-room apartment, which should buzz with passing footsteps, was silent as a tomb.
I crept to the window and peered down at the street.
Through the modest one-room window, the third-floor height came into view.
"Fuck..."
The curse burst out automatically—
No, it was a horror-struck gasp.
My body froze solid.
My pupils dilated as I couldn't tear my eyes from the street's nightmare.
Corpses.
Corpses.
Corpses.
Corpses.
Corpses.
The grotesque, gory streetscape assaulted my retinas, invading my brain and carving trauma deep.
Bodies like mangled dismemberment victims.
Limbs torn off raggedly and strewn about, torsos and faces riddled with huge bite marks.
The street stained red with flowing blood, some corpses still warm enough to spurt fountains.
Guts spilling, eyeballs rolling, heads tumbling whole.
And things burying their faces in those corpses, making the street bloodier and more reeking of iron.
No spark of life, yet moving like beasts—they triggered primal disgust and terror in me.
Crunch... munch munch—
Something sitting calmly, savoring the corpse like a gourmet.
Snap—!
"?!!"
It whipped around like it sensed me, and I ducked below the window just before our eyes met.
"Hah— hah—!!"
My heart pounded wildly, breath coming in gasps.
'D-did it see me...?'
The shocking sight tensed every muscle.
Back to the wall, I slid down, strength draining from my limbs.
Those were real, living corpses.
Zombies.
The actual zombies were even more monstrous than I'd imagined.