The Proper Mindset
"They're coming!"
"What the hell were you thinking, leaving a gap...!"
"You idiot! Don't back away—stand your ground!"
Arrows sliced through the roar of Group B.
Whoosh!—Thud!—Bang!—Swish!—
The targets were the leading edge of the zombie horde. Unlike usual, they aimed for the legs instead of the heads.
"Kyaaah!"
"Grrraaagh!"
"Kruk!"
The gap at the entrance was barely wide enough for a single zombie to squeeze its body through.
"They're inside!!"
"Can't we just block the entrance with shields?!"
They were already terrified before the fighting even started.
"No. If we do that, they'll climb right over the shields."
"I'll pull aggro. Aim for the heads!"
The veteran fighters were handling it with practiced skill.
"Uh, hey? Somebody deal with this one first!"
The newbies, however, were completely lost when zombies latched onto their riot shields.
"You deal with it! Is that thing in your hands just decoration?!"
The number of zombies that had slipped through the entrance had already passed five. If the limping ones hadn't jammed up the gap, the flood would have been instantaneous.
Watching Group B cut down the zombies with fierce efficiency, I turned to Group A.
"You'll be joining the fight soon too, so watch closely."
Their faces drained of all color.
"U-us as well?"
"We've never fought before…."
"This is insane. How are we supposed to—"
"Shut up."
The air froze solid at my words.
"If you don't want to fight, then go outside."
I looked at each fear-twisted face one by one.
"How long are you going to keep thinking only about running? I already told you—eventually you won't be able to avoid it."
The residents lowered their heads, avoiding my gaze.
"The longer time passes, the more dangerous it gets and the stronger the enemies become. How long do you honestly think you can last?"
Right now we only had to deal with zombies. Yet they still tried to avoid combat. These people would regret it bitterly once the wave truly progressed—the choice they avoided even when leveling up was still easy.
Of course, my own growth couldn't stop either. With the nearby zombies cleared, I needed fresh prey. That was why I had deliberately drawn in such a massive horde.
"Anyone who's finished steeling themselves, rotate with the exhausted Group B members."
"Yes…."
"Understood."
A few of them walked forward with expressions closer to resignation than resolve. Those who still hadn't decided only broke out in cold sweat.
By now the zombies pouring from the entrance had surpassed twenty. Still, we had breathing room. After all, we had over a hundred combatants.
"Aaaagh! I got bit, fuck!"
"Snap out of it, you idiot! You're wearing guards!"
"Support the left side!"
Even so, they were barely maintaining balance. Without the towers cleaning up, the line would have collapsed instantly.
Having the residents fight wasn't only to raise their levels. It was because of the zombies' nature. Zombies prioritize humans as their primary targets, but when an obstacle blocks their path, they destroy the obstacle first. If we sealed the entrance like before, we wouldn't last long. The scale this time was on a completely different level.
So I left a deliberate gap. The difference between having a path and having none was obvious.
Just looking at how much less strain the Wooden Watch Tower is under proves it.
The Group A members who rotated in took the equipment from Group B and joined the fight.
Lee Geonwu's party is holding their own too. So this is the difference with WAW users?
Lee Geonwu's party was a little passive, but they were solidly defending their assigned sector. Among them, Lee Hana stood out the most. Her sharp rapier pierced straight through vulnerable eyeballs, killing in a single strike. Her lightning-fast movements suggested she had gone all-in on agility.
If she can keep this up, we'll be fine.
The rotation cycle began to stabilize.
It was 7:30 p.m. The sun had already set.
"Find me someone with Charge or Push."
"Yes!"
I gave the order to the resting Group B members. It was about time to wrap things up for the day. Charge required the Bash tree, and Push required Swing.
"We found someone with Charge!"
Since Charge was the superior version of Push, it would do nicely.
"You called?"
It was Lee Geonwu.
"When I give the signal, take your shield and push the zombies between the watch towers outward."
"By myself?"
"Find others who invested in Strength and push together."
"Understood."
I redirected every tower's attacks toward the entrance. The instant the area around the gap was temporarily clear—
Grrrrrrrrrind.
"Clean them up."
Gwoooooong!—Thud!Thududud!Crunch!Crack!
The moment the Wooden Maul Tower swept through the zombie pack, I signaled Lee Geonwu.
"Haaaa!"
"Push now!"
"Clear the corpses on the ground too!"
Zombies struck by the charge flew backward as if hit by a truck. The ones bunched behind them toppled like dominoes.
The momentarily emptied entrance.
Resummon.
I resummoned the Wooden Watch Tower, completely sealing the gap once more. Then I sniped the individuals that had already spotted humans. Before long, the horde that had lost its human targets became noticeably passive.
"We're good!"
"Damn… I really thought I was dead…."
"How am I even still alive?"
"You're wearing full protective gear and still whining."
Not everyone survived unscathed.
"I told you not to let your guard down, damn it!"
"That idiot… why the hell did he rush forward…."
There were casualties among the new recruits. The survivors who had joined us from outside suffered the same fate.
"Everyone worked hard. Burn the zombie corpses first, wash up, then gather again."
""Yes.""
I summoned the Altar in the central clearing and scouted the perimeter. Black shadows surged like waves. The streets were once again packed with zombie hordes, as if they had never been cleared. We wouldn't need to replenish prey for a while.
The ones who joined before this massive horde arrived were lucky.
Because the horde was so enormous, barred windows shattered under the weight. Old houses had their walls collapse from the sheer mass. The survivors hiding inside were being slaughtered.
Time to try summoning a new tower.
I had deliberately saved up the Random Tower Summon stacks. I had felt it when I unlocked Flame-type Tower Summon—there was something special about ten consecutive summons. If I exaggerated, the entire skill tree might exist just to lead to this moment.
Let's find out. Random Tower Summon.
I dumped all ten stacks at once.
Grrrrrrrrrind!
Grrrrind!
Familiar shapes appeared—Spike Towers and the others I already knew.
But why isn't this one summoning?
It wasn't even classified as a tower like the Altar.
A trap that slams enemies with a log accelerated by falling momentum.
◈ Attacks once every 120 seconds.
◈ Automatically activates when enemies enter range. (Can be switched to manual.)
"A trap, huh…."
I moved the red summoning field around until I found a valid spot—right beside the Wooden Watch Tower. Because it was an installable trap, the moment I selected the location a green blueprint-like diagram appeared clearly.
The rope connected to the log was anchored to the Wooden Watch Tower.
Switch to manual.
I tested it immediately.
Tap.Whooooooosh—
The rope fixed to the watch tower released. The log dropped and began swinging like a pendulum.
Whoooong— Whooong—
"Not bad at all."
It could kill zombies with raw physical force and also shove them back, giving us time to reorganize. I could use this in tomorrow's battle.
I placed the newly summoned four Spike Towers, two Sling Towers, one Wooden Hammer Tower, and one Wooden Spear Tower in optimal positions. The Wooden Watch Towers that weren't needed yet were dismissed.
I upgraded every tower that had reached max level.
After washing up, I shared a light kiss with Auntie Yeonhee and came downstairs.
"Is everyone here?"
Everyone who had participated in today's battle had been integrated into Group B.
""Yes!""
They all looked haggard, faces dark with exhaustion.
"You all worked hard today. Keep it up tomorrow too."
"Yes…."
"Understood…."
Group B answered in tired, reluctant voices.
"And tonight, eat and drink your fill."
"Huh?"
"Eat and drink?"
"But we don't have much food left…."
"Look, they're bringing something."
Those who hadn't fought were carrying food over. It was the barbecue and alcohol boxes I had asked Auntie to prepare.
"There's plenty of meat and alcohol, so eat as much as you want."
The people who caught the scent of grilled meat shouted with excitement.
"Whoa, fuck, smell that meat!"
"We can really have samgyeopsal with soju?"
"No way."
"Damn… Minseok left without getting to eat any…."
The Group B members rushed to the prepared tables and grabbed chopsticks. The refreshing hiss of canned beer being opened raised the mood even higher.
Those who hadn't fought only watched in silence. Tonight's drinking party was reserved exclusively for those who had paid for it in blood and sweat.
Blatant preferential treatment. I needed to make it crystal clear: you get as much as you fight for.
If you want something, seize it—whatever it is.
I left the drinking party behind and returned home.
"Suhyuk, you worked hard. You must be hungry, right? Come sit down quickly."
"Thank you, Auntie."
What I had seized. The reason I had to keep fighting existed right here.
"Here, say 'ah.' Ah~."
"I can eat by myself."
Auntie sat right beside me and wrapped ssam for me. As I accepted the bite, I slid my hand around her waist. Slipping it under her clothes, I felt soft, warm skin.
The aftermath of battle had left my lust swollen. I needed to eat quickly before desire overpowered hunger.
Chomp.
But against my better judgment, my hand kept drifting to her thighs.
"Aang, eat your food first."
Her coquettish whine gradually paralyzed my reason.
Ha, shit. Eat first… after eating…
Conflict raged inside me every second. Despite my resolve, the fire kept growing hotter. The reason I still couldn't stop eating was simple—the grilled meat and side dishes Auntie had made were simply too delicious. And the loving way she watched me finally made me snap.
"I can't wait. Let's do it first and eat afterward."
"Aigoo, the food's going to get cold."
"It's fine if it gets cold. But first—Auntie!"
Auntie pointed between her thighs with a finger.
"This place won't get cold even if you eat it later…."
Then she playfully stuck her tongue out just a little.