The Secretary's Awakening

I headed straight to the shelter the moment we returned to the apartment.

I had to feed the secretary zombie the cure.

I was hoping she'd wake up right away and start working.

As expected, she stirred for a brief moment before falling right back asleep.

The exact same pattern as Chaei.

Would it take her as long as Chaei to regain her sanity?

Looks like I'll have to handle everything myself.

If I didn't want the subspace storage capacity information leaking out, I had no choice but to organize it personally.

It wouldn't be physically difficult, but it was going to be a pain in the ass.

"Hey, Hana. Can you watch Chaei for me?"

"Sure. You got something to do?"

"I need to sort the food and supplies."

"Want some help?"

Hana had to be exhausted too. She should rest.

"No, just keep an eye on Chaei. That's enough."

"Got it. I'll chill with her then. Call me if you need anything."

"Yeah."

"Ung!"

I waved at Hana and Chaei as they walked away.

'All second-class residents, assemble.'

Let's get this over with quickly so I can rest.

The actual organizing wasn't hard.

I started with the first floor where the food was stored.

I pulled the Frost Gate out of my inventory and simply kept my hand on it.

With my free hand, I just touched the items the residents had brought. That was it.

As long as my hand stayed in contact, I could deposit and withdraw everything with nothing but a thought.

The first-floor space that had been taken up by food was now filled with other supplies instead.

Even using the Frost Gate, it still took a full hour.

The secretary would handle this from now on.

Yeah, bringing her back was definitely the right call.

"Ughhhhhhng!"

I stretched hard before stepping into the shelter.

Damn it. If she'd just woken up with her mind intact, I wouldn't have had to do any of this.

The secretary zombie was sleeping peacefully in one of the shelter rooms.

When is she going to wake up?

I wanted to go rest already.

Suddenly—

"Whoa! You scared me."

Without any warning, the secretary sat bolt upright.

She stared at me with dazed eyes, then—

"...Where am I..."

She spoke.

Why was she talking?

Had her sanity already returned?

"Why am I here... I was definitely... ugh!"

She clutched her head as if suffering from a severe headache.

I stayed quiet and waited for her to calm down.

I was curious how she'd react after turning back into a human.

Her reaction is completely different from Chaei's.

Maybe it varied from person to person.

"Um... excuse me, but who are you...?"

"I'm Kim Suhyuk."

I knew she wasn't asking for my name.

Still, if she was going to work under me from now on, she needed to know it.

"I'm the leader of the survivor group based out of Suyeon Apartments. I also serve as the raid commander."

"Excuse me? A survivor group...? What do you mean by raid commander?"

I'd answer her questions later.

"How much do you remember?"

"I was in the car... ugh!"

She grabbed her head again, still clearly suffering from a migraine.

Looked like I'd have to explain everything myself.

But first—

"Shouldn't you introduce yourself too?"

"I am..."

She paused for a moment as if organizing her thoughts.

"I am Kim Hyunseor, the new secretary to Executive Director Park Dohyun of the KZ Group."

So she was a new secretary. That explained why she looked so young.

"I'll explain what happened to you."

"Yes."

"You were bitten by a zombie and turned into one. I fed you a cure and turned you back into a human. In simple terms, I saved you."

Her eyes swam with confusion.

It seemed she was recalling the situation from back then.

"I'm not entirely sure, but... you saved me. Thank you so much. I will definitely repay this debt."

Even though she had to be disoriented, she adapted quickly and expressed her gratitude.

"There must be a reason you saved me. May I ask what it is?"

She was sharp.

I liked her calm demeanor too.

I really had picked up someone useful.

"I want you to work for me. Lie down."

She immediately lay down on the mattress at my command.

"Roll over. Sit. Do push-ups."

She followed every order instantly.

"Um... may I ask what exactly you're making me do?"

She sounded cautious, clearly flustered.

"Ah, don't worry about it. I'm just testing something."

I was checking whether she would obey commands with complete submission like in WAW, and how responsive she was.

"Take off your clothes."

"Wait! Why would I—!"

Her previously cool and composed attitude crumbled in an instant.

As she removed her blood-splattered blouse, her bra-covered breasts came into view.

Compared to the women around me who all had massive chests, hers looked relatively small.

Actually, maybe they weren't that small?

"Please stop this!"

Kim Hyunseor's hands moved without hesitation.

When she slid down her H-line skirt, her lower body was revealed, wrapped in dark brown pantyhose.

She was tall with wide hips, which made her legs look especially striking.

I couldn't claim I had no ulterior motives, but this was purely a test.

I was deliberately giving her orders that would cause humiliation.

I needed to determine whether she was just pretending to obey or if she was truly bound by the commands.

"If you don't want to, you can just stop. There's no need to follow my words, right?"

"It doesn't work like that. My body moves on its own!"

So it was forced movement.

If it was this thorough, she'd be quite useful.

Kim Hyunseor didn't stop there. She even tossed aside her bra.

Her pale, soft-looking breasts and light brown nipples were fully exposed.

"Ah! Please stop!"

Despite how embarrassing this had to be, she remained surprisingly rational and composed.

Most people would have begged me not to look, but she accurately understood the cause and effect and demanded that I stop.

The sight of her peeling down her coffee-colored pantyhose was incredibly erotic and pleasant to watch, but...

That was enough.

"We're done. You can get dressed again."

The moment I spoke, she frantically gathered her clothes and rushed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

I could hear her getting dressed outside.

Knock knock.

"Are you dressed?"

"Yes. What exactly were you trying to do?"

I opened the door and answered.

"I was just confirming whether you'd follow my orders. I tested you with things you wouldn't normally obey."

Only then did her complexion relax a little.

Had she thought I was going to assault her?

"Don't worry. I tested you because the work I'll be assigning you requires absolute secrecy."

"That's a relief."

Her gaze was quite sharp.

"Would you rather fight zombies instead?"

"What?!"

"Judging by your eyes, you look like you'd be good at it."

Unfortunately, Kim Hyunseor's skills weren't very impressive.

"No, sir. Please assign me my duties. I will do my best."

Her face was filled with terror.

She must have remembered getting bitten by the zombie.

I hadn't meant to scare her.

Her previously sharp demeanor had vanished, replaced by an obedient kitten.

"First, you'll help Yeonhee Nuna. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Second, you'll manage supplies and keep records. Your duties must remain strictly confidential. This is an order. You will obey it without fail."

I began giving her her official assignments.

But why is it so different?

Chaei still hadn't regained her sanity.

Yet this secretary had come to her senses the moment she woke up.

What could possibly be the reason?

There were a few possibilities I could think of.

Maybe the problem was that I'd kept aggro on her for too long, constantly stimulating her zombie instincts.

In contrast, the secretary had barely received any aggro at all.

When I'd hugged her from behind, she hadn't even been aware of me.

It could also be because of their skills.

If Chaei's skill was exceptionally powerful, that would fit.

The secretary's skill was practically useless.

Perhaps the stronger the skill, the longer it took to regain sanity.

I didn't have enough samples to draw any conclusions yet.

"Suhyuk, are you done?"

"Yeah. Thanks for watching Chaei. Huh?"

Chaei was calmer than I'd expected.

She came over a little late and wrapped herself around my arm.

But unlike usual, she wasn't clinging tightly.

"Ung."

What was this?

Could it be that her sanity was almost fully restored?

"Was Chaei well-behaved while she was waiting?"

"Yeah! How'd you know? She was unusually quiet."

"Looks like her mind is about to come back."

"That's great!"

"Right?"

It was a shame, but if she stayed like this, it wouldn't be good for Chaei.

She needed time to adapt if she was going to level up.

More importantly, we didn't have the luxury of relaxing.

With the patch coming, we had no idea when something might go wrong.

We needed to prepare for that too.

"Representative, I have finished the inventory assessment."

She'd already finished checking the inventory?

"Huh? When did she wake up? She's completely fine already?"

Hana had a similar reaction to mine.

It really was different from Chaei.

"She woke up a little while ago. Unlike Chaei, she regained her senses immediately."

"I see. That's good."

As she spoke, she elbowed me in the side.

"You must be disappointed, Suhyuk?"

"Huh?"

What was she talking about?

"Because she doesn't cling to you like Chaei."

Hana glared at me with eyes full of suspicion and doubt.

"Ha, come on! Do I really look like that kind of guy to you?"

Even if she didn't cling, I could just order her to.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Lee Hana."

"Nice to meet you. I am Kim Hyunseor."

A smile bloomed on both Hana's and Kim Hyunseor's lips.

It was nice to see two beautiful women talking to each other.

"Here is the ledger recording all the supplies."

"Yeah."

Why was she only so stiff with me?

Hmm, her handwriting is pretty too.

The handwritten ledger was neat even to my eyes.

As expected, my judgment in people was spot on.

"Good work. You can go rest now."

"Yes. I will take my leave."

Kim Hyunseor bowed deeply and withdrew.

I'd assigned her a first-floor unit.

It had been vacated after we moved the food into the Frost Gate.

It was close by, so it would be convenient for work.

"You should get some proper rest too, Hana. You worked really hard today."

"Yeah. You too, Suhyuk. And thank you for this."

She smiled brightly and showed me the ring.

It really was pretty.

Knock knock knock.

"Suhyuk?"

"Yeah, Nuna. I'm here."

Click.

The moment I opened the door, Yeonhee Nuna threw herself into my arms.

I carried her inside while supporting her butt.

"Suhyuk-ah, I missed you."

Chup.

Nuna gave me a light kiss.

"Me too."

Just having Nuna welcome me washed away all my fatigue.

I felt like I might start laughing from how good it felt.

"You must be tired, right?"

"No. It wasn't that bad."

Nuna stroked my back.

"I felt so lonely without you, Suhyuk-ah."

"I'm sorry. It was too dangerous to bring you along."

Feeling Nuna's body heat after so long made me get hard instantly.

I'd hold back just a little longer.

"Still, I was thinking about you the whole time, so I brought you presents. Ta-da!"

"Wow, what is all this?"

I pulled a shopping bag out of my inventory.

Inside were beautifully wrapped luxury bags, clothes, perfume, and cosmetics.

She opened each one, then smiled and kissed my cheek.

"Our Suhyuk must have thought about me a lot, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠huh?"

"Yeah."

Her hand stroking my thigh and that seductive smile.

It was getting hard to hold back.

"And this too."

I took out a box I'd wrapped myself and handed it to her.

"What is it? Can I open it?"

"Yeah."

Nuna was already familiar with items.

I'd shown her plenty of them before.

"Wow!"

Nuna stared into empty space, reading the options.

Then she immediately put it on.

"This is amazing!"

She was as delighted as a child.

I'd made the right choice giving it to her.

"Wearing that should keep you cool even when you're cooking."

"Hehe, thank you."

She must have been hot standing in front of the stove all the time.

The gentle breeze from the item would help her stay cool.

"But you should wear this one, Suhyuk. You can't get hurt."

"Huh? I'm already wearing something else. Look."

I pointed at the Skin of Mangjong.

"Still. Wearing this would make you even safer. It's hot outside too."

"You're the one who gets hotter, Nuna. You're always sweating from cooking."

I whispered into her ear.

"I'd prefer it if you only sweated when you're with me."

"Pervert."

"You'll be comfortable all the time now. Just thinking about it makes me feel refreshed."

Unlike my laughter, Yeonhee Nuna's face suddenly turned sorrowful.

Chuu. Chuu. Chuu. Chuu. Chuu.

As if her emotions had swelled up too much to contain, she showered me with quick little kisses.

"Ah, Chaei was here too. I got a bit too carried away."

She noticed Chaei clinging to my arm a little late and pulled back.

Nuna's face flushed with embarrassment.

"If it weren't for that day, I wouldn't have let you sleep alone tonight."

"Ugh!"

Nuna whispered and lightly brushed her hand across my cock.

"Suhyuk, this isn't the only thing."

"Huh? There's more?"

"I prepared a lot for you, Nuna."

"I only need you, Suhyuk. Hehe."

Seeing her giggle like that made me want to pin her down right then and there.

Why did it have to be that day of all days?

'Come to room 502.'

I called Kim Hyunseor over.

I needed to introduce her to the Frost Gate and have her help Nuna.

I pulled the Frost Gate out of my inventory first.

"This is it."

"Amazing. The item looks like a freezer?"

I couldn't help but smile at Nuna's wide-eyed expression.

"It's the other way around. The freezer became an item."

"Ah, I see."

"Touch it. You'll be able to see how spacious the inside is and what's stored in there."

"Wow..."

She had the innocent expression of a child seeing magic for the first time.

"Cooking will be much easier now. You were always running back and forth before."

Since she cooked such large quantities, carrying ingredients must have been exhausting.

It would have been even worse when she had to go all the way to the first floor.

I'd told the residents to do it for her, but Nuna had always brought everything herself.

"Suhyuk-ah, thank you."

"Don't cry."

Her eyes had grown misty, and now tears were falling.

I wiped them away, and—

"Hehe."

She smiled brightly again.

Knock knock.

"Ah, she must be here."

"Who is it?"

"I decided to store all the raid members' food in here. It'll save electricity too."

"That's perfect! The inside is incredibly spacious, so there'll be plenty of room."

Nuna's energy shot up as if she'd never been crying at all.

"That's why I needed a secretary to record everything."

"Makes sense. If you're storing food for all the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠residents, you'll need proper ledgers."

"So I brought someone perfect for the job. She'll help with your work too, Nuna."

"I'm fine on my own."

I opened the door.

Kim Hyunseor bowed her head and introduced herself.

"Hello. My name is Kim Hyunseor."

"Ah, yes. Hello. I'm Lee Yeonhee."

Nuna seemed slightly frozen by the polite, somewhat distant tone.

"I will be assisting you from now on, Yeonhee. Please let me know anytime you need anything."

"Ah, yes. I'll be in your care."

They exchanged greetings and briefly discussed work.

"You can go rest now."

"Yes. I will take my leave. I look forward to working with you tomorrow, Yeonhee."

"Yes. Take care."

Nuna smiled and saw her off.

Then, a moment later—

"I won't get jealous."

"Huh?"

Where was this coming from?

"It's enough that you truly love me, Suhyuk-ah."

"Huh? Of course I truly love you. But what are you talking about?"

Why was the conversation suddenly going in this direction?

"Hmph! Never mind."

Nuna stuck her tongue out and headed to the kitchen.

Then she peeked her head out again.

"Are you hungry? I'll make dinner right away."

"Huh? Uh..."

What the hell just happened?!

Can someone explain this to me?!

Chaei simply clung to my arm and stared blankly.

After dinner, I checked my status window.

My level had already gone up thanks to the dungeon boss.

Reaching level 12 in the first wave was something even I had never heard of.

It almost felt too good to be true.

Oh! The new structure has finally finished forming.

I'd been checking my skill window when I noticed it late.

Skill points, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Random Tower Summon stacks, the Core of an Impure Water Spirit, and zombie cures.

After using so many resources, the structure that had taken a full 48 hours to create was finally ready to be checked.

I opened my skill window, and the name of the structure appeared.

This is...

I had a feeling.