Chapter 55 – 55. A Bird With Broken Wings

Kang In-ho decided to quickly check out his newly acquired skills by running down the stairs with his flashlight. Since she had gained quite a lot of skills, he needed to check in advance.

Among the skills, there will definitely be skills that are activated at all times, which means that in addition to the skill effect, the penalty will also be activated at all times.

‘From the status window..’

[Place of Origin: Earth]

[Name: Kang In-ho]

[Survival rating: 7]

[Physical ability: 10]

[Strength: 13][Stamina: 13]

[Vitality: 10][Sense: 10]

[Durability: 8][Resistance: 6]

[Points held: 0]

[Sanity level: 100/100]

[Health level: 67/100]

[Abilities: Stealing Skills (1), Steam Engine, Bioelectricity, Crushing Blow, Ability Seeing, Bullet Weaving, Trace Observation, Human Skin Orb, Point and Blood Strike, Blocking Vision, Tracking Body Odor, Blade Reinforcement, Constitution Improvement, Iron Fist , Taeryun Strike, rapid sleep, trauma healing, noise suppression, photosynthesis, flame bullet, recovery of reason, thought sharing, Samjae sword technique, gender change, fear resistance, inventory, summoning Hyojo, strong wind release, ice release, cardiorespiratory strength, presence detection, Spiritual and physical transactions]

[Status abnormalities: extreme fatigue, extreme hunger, body muscle pain, paresthesia]

His status window with a huge number of skills registered. Kang In-ho felt like his head was spinning just by looking at the status window.

At least I had checked the skills up to noise suppression, so there was no need to look at them again. I just had to look at the skills after that.

‘I just saw the spiritual and physical transaction… It’s no joke..’

He felt a little discouraged when he realized that his condition was not very good. Because wounds usually hurt more when they are discovered. Fortunately, my sanity level reached 100 thanks to sanity recovery, so I didn’t feel much mental fatigue.

It’s just that my body is tired and tired.

‘Let’s check it quickly and go home.. I don’t know about the labyrinth.. I’m taking a break today..’

Thinking that he wanted to rest for a day, he checked the skills in reverse order, starting from the skills he had gained by killing the nameless gangster who was standing next to Won Min-sik.

[Presence detection (A)]

[Effect: Detects the presence of a target in an adjacent distance.]

[Handicap: You must keep your eyes closed while using the ability.]

[Penalty: After using the ability, you will say what you.]

“Oh..! This is good..!”

The skills of Won Min-sik’s kkobong were quite good. Being able to figure out the other person’s popularity first means that it’s good for a surprise attack. Regardless of whether it was behind a wall or on another floor, it was possible to detect people as long as they were within an adjacent distance.

“I should use it right away.. In case there is someone hiding there..”

Kang In-ho kept muttering to himself due to the penalty for observing traces, and closed his eyes when he detected signs of presence.

“There is no one.”

As a result of presence detection, no signs of presence were found in the adjacent streets. Kang In-ho checked the following skills, feeling fortunate that someone was not hiding.

[Cardiopulmonary strengthening (B)]

[Effect: Strengthens cardiorespiratory endurance and makes breathing faster and more stable.]

[Handicap: Always activated.]

[Penalty: The amount of food increases by about 2 times.]

Cardiopulmonary strengthening was a skill that allowed you to run longer by increasing your cardiorespiratory endurance at the cost of doubling the amount of food you ate. He checked the next skill, thinking it was a good skill to use around all day.

[Ice plate injection (A)]

[Effect: If you place your hand on the floor, you can turn the floor in front of you into ice. Binds the feet of those standing on the ice.]

[Penalty: Every time you use a skill, your body temperature decreases. If used continuously, there is a possibility of freezing.]

“Should I give this to Hyuna..?”

It was a skill that laid down ice and tied the feet of those on the ice, regardless of whether they were enemies or enemies. It is a very useful skill depending on how you use it, but the penalty is quite strong.

“The temperature of the entire body decreases…”

Kang In-ho thought what it would be like to use a steam engine together. She seemed to be quite suited to the increase in body temperature when using a steam engine.

[Strong wind release (B)]

[Effect: Extends the palm and shoots a strong wind forward.]

[Handicap: You may be pushed back by the force of strong winds.]

[Penalty: If you fire more than 5 shots in succession, scars may appear on your palms.]

To put it simply, Strong Wind Release was a skill that strongly pushed enemies away with the wind. It seemed like a good way to break through the siege of zombies.

Also, if used well during battle, it was a skill that could easily break the opponent’s balance and cut off his or her head.

[Summon Hyojo (A)]

[Effect: Summons a crow that understands the owner’s words.]

[Handicap: If a crow is killed by another person, it will suffer mental shock.]

“What is this..”

Now, summoning skills have appeared. Kang In-ho resisted the urge to call him out right away and just continued down. He didn’t have time to call the crows and take a look.

“To the annex..”

Before he knew it, he had arrived on the second floor of the main building. Now, all you have to do is go to the annex and find Lee Hee-jeong, who is hiding.

“I haven’t confirmed yet… Seven skills… I really gained a lot…”

Even if you check and recheck, the skill continues to appear. I killed about 70 people at Dongyeong High School and gained 17 skills, so it was worth it.

In the first place, most of Kang In-ho’s skills were obtained by killing the bullies at Dongyeong High School, so in reality, Dongyeong High School was a treasure trove for Kang In-ho.

“Huh? There is also inventory..”

The skill next to Hyojo Summon was inventory. It’s the same skill that Saeyeon Yoo has. In response, Kang In-ho could not control his excitement and quickly checked his skills.

[Inventory (B)]

[Effect: You can store 5 items under a certain size.]

[Handicap: Living creatures cannot be included.]

[Penalty: Sanity decreases by 10 each time you put an item in and take it out.]

“Wow..”

Although the grade was much lower than Yoo Sae-yeon’s S-grade inventory, it was still quite usable. Even though she could only carry 5 weapons, it seemed like they would be very useful in cases like this where she had to sneak in without being seen with a weapon.

“It’s geography.”

Kang In-ho was thrilled by the fact that weapon swap was possible.

[Fear Resistance (C)]

[Effect: It becomes difficult to feel fear. Fear disappears and courage rises.]

[Penalty: On days when Fear Resistance is activated, you will have a panic attack for 4 minutes at 4:44 PM.]

“Panic attack?”

This was a pretty lame skill. It’s good that the fear disappears, but I didn’t like the fact that I had to have a panic attack for 4 minutes a day at a certain time.

At least I could escape quickly thanks to sanity recovery, but it was a skill I wondered if I really needed it. Because fear increases prudence.

[Gender Switching (A)]

[Effect: Gender can be changed with mutual consent.]

[Handicap: The subject whose gender is changed becomes infertile for six months. Gender can be changed only with mutual consent.]

“What is this really…”

It’s a skill that can change someone’s gender. He could even change his gender her.

‘It makes you sterile for six months. It means you can use your own contraception. I could use this on the women in the auditorium.’

The reason Kang In-ho tried to give up all the women in her auditorium was because he thought they might have become pregnant by her bullies. Because handling 30 pregnant women is too much.

However, with this skill, you could turn them into men and nullify their pregnancies. If you keep those who want them as men and only return those who want them back, they will be infertile anyway, so there is no reason to abandon them.

‘Ha.. I guess I’m destined to take them all with me.. Is it time to move base..’

Kang In-ho thought that although it would be possible to accommodate all 30 people in the apartment, it might be a good idea to look for another base. He decided to quickly check the remaining skills.

[Samjae Sword Technique (A)]

[Effect: If you are holding a sword, you will master cutting, stabbing, and blocking.]

[Penalty: The durability of the sword decreases quickly.]

“Somehow.. I was using a machete and I saw a way out and my hand started moving on its own… It’s completely martial arts..”

Although the durability of the sword decreases quickly, the penalty could be erased by maintaining quality. Kang In-ho smiled, thinking that it was a fairly good martial arts skill.

He continued to feel good after regaining his senses.

[Accident Communication (B)]

[Effect: You can now send the thoughts you want to convey to the registered target.]

[Handicap: Registration is only possible for one subject. You cannot move while using the ability.]

[Penalty: You become blind for 30 seconds.]

Kang In-ho thought it would be a good idea to give Yoo Sae-yeon the message of thought. He thought it would be good to use him as a contact point in case a crisis arises when he enters the labyrinth or is away from the team.

In dangerous moments like the Dongyeong High School attack, it would be good to be notified right away. However, I was a little disappointed that I had no choice but to send it unilaterally.

[Restoration of Sanity (A)]

[Effect: Quickly recovers lost mental strength. My spirit does not break down easily.]

[Handicap: When your rationality level is 100, your personality becomes overly optimistic.]

“This has been controlling my mood..”

Only then did Kang In-ho realize why he was a little excited. This was the reason why his spirit was clear even though he was in a difficult and tiring situation to the point of losing his mind.

Also, the reason everything seemed strangely good was because of the restoration of reason.

‘With this, the inventory penalty is virtually non-existent..’

He thought it was a pretty good skill.

“Now for the last time..”

Kang In-ho has already arrived in front of the bathroom where Lee Hee-jung is hiding. He confirmed the last skill.

[Flame Bullet (B)]

[Effect: Consumes calories to fire a fireball forward quickly and strongly through the index finger.]

[Penalty: Each time you fire a bullet, the temperature of your hand increases. If you fire more than 10 shots in succession, you may suffer burns.]

This was a fire attribute version of Kim Hyuna’s ice bullet. The moment Kang In-ho saw this, he thought he could give it to Kim Hyun-ah. I tried to focus on Han Jun-ho’s fire attribute, but it seemed like this skill could erase the penalty if used alternately with ice bullets.

“Hey! Heejeong Lee! Come out! It’s all over!”

Kang In-ho called Lee Hee-jung, who was hiding in the bathroom.

However, there was no answer. Only then did Kang In-ho sense something strange and use presence detection.

“Huh…?”

There was no sign of anything in the bathroom. No, it seemed like there was no one on the second floor of the annex. That meant it wasn’t even on the adjacent first and third floors.

‘Could it be that he ran away alone..’

Kang In-ho traced Lee Hee-jung’s traces. Lee Hee-jung’s bloody footprints were left from the bathroom back toward the music room.

“Uhm…”

Lee Hee-jung’s younger brother, who had been tied to a chair, was lying flat in a corner of the music room. It seems that Lee Hee-jung was hiding and then came out, freed her younger brother who was tied to her chair, and then moved to another location.

“Oh my…”

Only then did Kang In-ho realize that Lee Hee-jung was about to make her extreme choice. He kept looking for traces of Lee Hee-jeong, but no matter how hard he searched, he couldn’t find any.

The footprints and blood stains were too mixed up.

“Ah..!”

At that time, he discovered a handprint that appeared to be Lee Hee-jung’s on the wall of the stairs going up. There must have been blood on her hands when she pulled her brother down from her chair.

Kang In-ho jumped to the roof of the annex.

-Rattle!

In a corner of the annex rooftop, Lee Hee-jeong, who had crossed over, was standing shabby. She was staring into space. As if I’m going to jump at any moment.

“Hey!!! Heejeong Lee!! Stop!!!”

Kang In-ho shouted. It wasn’t that I felt affectionate or anything like that. She didn’t have time for that, and she didn’t have many moments to form a deep connection.

However, Kang In-ho was reluctant to let Lee Hee-jung die because she was a survivor with a more righteous mind than he thought. Among the survivors, the number of awakened people is smaller than expected. And most of them are enemies and abnormal people.

That’s why Kang In-ho didn’t want to let Lee Hee-jung, who had expanded vision, die. He kept thinking that combining vision expansion with vision blocking would be amazing.

Because it will be possible to block the enemy’s view from a long distance. It was possible to force the enemy into a dangerous situation.

Anyway, Kang In-ho, who found his own reasonable reason to save Lee Hee-jung, slowly approached Lee Hee-jung.

“Ah.. Uncle.”

“Hey, wait.. Why are you like this? Come over here quickly.”

“Uncle.. I.. Even if I lived.. I don’t think it would have much meaning..”

“What?”

“The only family left was my younger brother… But now I am alone…”

“Hey, that’s… “

Kang In-ho had nothing to say. If he hadn’t met Yoo Sae-yeon on the first day and Baek A-yoon and Kim Hyun-ah on the second day, he might have felt that life was meaningless and made a similar choice.

Moreover, if he had known that winter and night would come within a month, he would have most likely committed suicide.

It is a difficult time to live without hope.

At a time when everything is being drawn into a vortex of destruction, suicide was never a bad option.

Most of humanity was in a similar situation.

Will I struggle a little longer and die, or will I just quickly escape from the pain of life?

In the face of the vicious Lee Ji-seonda, Lee Hee-jung chose a comfortable death.

“Wait!”

“I’m sorry.”

Lee Hee-jung soared.

A bird that loses its wings falls down, down.

“Haa.. Haa.. Fuck…”

“Let go of this..! “I don’t like it anymore… It’s all meaningless… “

“Shut up. “Stay still..”

“Uuuuu the man… I can’t live anymore… What am I doing alive? Everyone’s dead… What am I doing left? Please let me go..!”

“Hey.. Noisy.. Haha.. You’re a bit tired right now, aren’t you? So.. Just stay still.. I don’t have the power to comfort you..”

Kang In-ho barely succeeded in catching Lee Hee-jung, who was trying to jump.

Thanks to this, the fatigue accumulated in his body finally reached its limit, and Kang In-ho collapsed, hugging Lee Hee-jung, with almost all strength in his body his his gone.

Lee Hee-jung struggled to get out of Kang In-ho’s arms her, but she soon realized that she could not escape him with her own strength. She buried her face in his blood-soaked arms and began to sob.

She sobbed like that for a long time.

Kang In-ho closed his eyes a little.

And in the meantime, the sun rose high in the sky.

Soon, Baek Ayun and the rest of her colleagues will flock to Dongyeong High School. Because I said I wouldn’t wait any longer when the sun rose.

‘Ha.. I want to go home…’

Kang In-ho just quietly closed her eyes and caught her breathing.

It was a very long night. It was a night so long that I just wanted to sleep.