Chapter 119 – Zombie Apocalypse 2 (27)

Even after I finished meditation, it was still the middle of the night, so I lay down next to Naeun.

He was sleeping next to me when I was sleeping earlier, and he slept for a long time today.

To recover my right hand, I chose to take combat sleep rather than meditate once more.

*

The morning of the 10th day of the zombie outbreak dawned.

I heard the news that half of humanity died on the 9th day, but I didn’t feel it.

Even though 5/6 of the officetel residents where I lived were away, I thought they were in other shelters.

Have I confirmed the death of four people with certainty?

My hands trembled a little when I thought about one of them dying in my hands.

I never thought the difference of 5% in assimilation rate would be felt like this.

Anyway, I wanted to find out how other countries that contributed significantly to population decline were doing.

But would anyone have the spirit to use the Internet in a country like that?

What. There must be. It’s an era where even if there’s a fire, we start by taking photos.

“Sian, are you awake?”

“Yeah. Are you wrapping a bandage?”

“It’s all dried out. I’ll just roll it up and use it again when I need to use it again.”

Naeun rolled up the bandage she washed yesterday.

And when I looked next to it, it seemed like the clothes we had washed yesterday had all been folded.

Naeun woke up early and did the lyrics.

I tried opening and closing my right hand, but it wasn’t completely better.

Thinking back to the last time I seriously injured my arm, I broke my bone, so I need to rest for three more days, but since I can use mana now, I think it will be completely healed by tomorrow.

“How’s your hand? Are you feeling better?”

“It’s still a little awkward. It would be better to keep the bandage on.”

“Okay. Give me your hand.”

I didn’t think I would need a splint, but Naeun even put a splint on me and started wrapping bandages.

Naeun, who knew that the condition of his right hand had improved, said as he bandaged it more comfortably than yesterday.

“It seems like it’s only used as camouflage now.”

“If I say I’m sick, that’s it.”

“You’re faking an illness. That’s right. Let’s not go out today and get some rest, shall we?”

“Weren’t you going to the gym today?”

“Are you going to go outside with those hands?”

“We need to get supplies quickly.”

“It’s probably not materials, but weapons. Sian, is there anyone we know there?”

“I don’t have anyone I’m particularly close to. I just saw their faces as I came and went.”

I pay for 6 months of PT and receive it 3 times for free, so I don’t know any trainers properly.

Because Naeun had a pretty appearance and body, many men came to tell her when she was exercising lightly, but she used me as an excuse to reject them all.

When I think about it, would it be okay for me to go to a place full of men like that without being perfect?

It must be full of people who are stronger than ordinary people.

“But Naeun, is there anyone still exercises there?”

“Isn’t it possible when you think about muscle loss? Right now, I think it’s good to take care of your body while exercising because it helps you survive.”

If you’re a gym addict and have basic survival supplies, wouldn’t you love the time when you can just work out at the gym without going to work?

‘I guess it’s not that bad.’

When we went outside after packing up our belongings in the office, we met Lee Du-jin, who was coming out to water the garden.

I came out with a spearman to protect me, as if he knew that I was not in good health, but the spearman who looked annoyed changed his expression when he saw me and Naeun.

He’s a spearman who went hunting zombies like yesterday.

“Are you providing escort for Lee Du-jin?”

“Yes. Mr. Sian got hurt, and we have to prepare for something like yesterday.”

“It doesn’t take long to water the garden, so please be patient.”

“Yes! By the way, Mr. Xian, are your hands okay?”

“It looks like it will be difficult for a while.”

I lied like that and entered the mart through the still open entrance.

Yesterday, I went to the place where the supermarket supplies that I hadn’t thought to look into were being organized.

Last time, I looked around with a focus on food, but when I went to check on supplies brought in from other places, there were quite a few medicines as well.

“As expected, I robbed it at the supermarket.”

“There are a lot of things you can use as simple medicine. Do you need anything?”

“Paste? Can I put a patch on the broken bone?”

“Then let’s take just one.”

Naeun, who knew that he was taking the pas to show off, took out only one.

Then, while we were waiting for breakfast at an empty spot in the supermarket, the Park siblings approached us.

“Brother. Are your hands okay?”

“Okay? Are you okay with life at the supermarket?”

“Yes. Starting today, I will also join the patrol team.”

“Then I can give you a real fight, so stay alert.”

“Yes! I’ll be careful!”

In a few days, Jaeyoung’s harshness from when he first saw her disappeared.

However, I think I’m taking the actual fight too lightly. I hope you don’t get hurt.

I saw Eunseo every time she ate, so she was a little more familiar with her face than Jaeyoung.

“Hey. If your brother gets hurt, how strong is the evolved zombie?”

Eunseo asked me with a face full of curiosity.

“It’s best not to meet until you can use a gun.”

“But haven’t we met you twice already?”

“I was unlucky. I don’t like three times either.”

“I understand.”

It seemed like he heard what I wanted to hear and then went to help distribute the food.

Jaeyoung also followed Eunseo when she went, and Naeun said as she saw the two of them.

“If you think about it, I was unlucky too, right? I also encountered evolved zombies twice, right?”

“You should consider yourself lucky that you were with me.”

“Is that true too? I think it’s true.”

Naeun leaned on my left arm and I wrapped my arms around his waist slightly.

I moved my residence to the office so that others wouldn’t notice this kind of affection, so it doesn’t matter.

*

When Jaeyoung first went to work as a patrol team, her face became completely frozen the moment she put on her protective gear, which was different from what she showed me.

It feels like you are going to kill real zombies.

Eun-seo, who was watching her older brother Jae-young preparing, was worried as she stamped her feet, but since the swimmers are now veterans, I think she will do well and come back if there are no other variables.

After watching the search team leave, Naeun and I returned to the car wash and decided to grab our weapons and go to the gym.

It would be nice if I didn’t have to fight with people.

Naeun brought a baseball bat and I brought a cost-effective spear made by wrapping a kitchen knife with tape.

A spear is a difficult weapon to use unless you have two hands, but with the strength I had, I was able to swing it enough to keep it in check.

Of course, stabbing was possible, but the best thing was not to fight.

And just in case, only the fingers of the right hand were tightly tied with bandages so that it could be used at any time.

“We went to the gym together every day.”

“It felt like we went home after working out or broke up.”

“It’s been a little over a week, but it feels like it’s gone too far.”

The path from the supermarket to the gym is familiar.

It was a familiar road, but it had a different feel, as all the surrounding shopping malls, especially the first floors, were empty or damaged.

There was trash lying around and the corpses of zombies were scattered here and there.

As I walked, recalling memories of her time with Naeun, I arrived at the gym.

The gym we went to was on the 6th floor, and I felt reluctant to use the elevator.

“Should I take the stairs? For some reason, I feel like it would be difficult to get out of the elevator if something happens.”

“I was a little like that too. Think about when we went to the department store.”

The battle that took place on the escalator at the department store remains in my memory.

“While we’re out, should we go to the department store? It would be nice to be able to pack more clothes.”

“Yes. That’s why I brought my bag with me.”

One of the two gym bags we had was completely destroyed while I was fighting an evolved zombie.

And Naeun naturally carried the remaining one whenever she went out.

If I find a good bag, I’ll have to carry it again.

There were restaurants on three of the five floors below the gym on the sixth floor.

In some ways, it can be said that it is an unsuitable building for a gym.

But now, it seemed like a bounty with plenty of early survival supplies, enough reason to choose this building in the early days of the zombie outbreak.

There must be a high probability that there will be people in the gym, which is on the highest floor.

When I passed the empty floor and went up to the 5th floor, the stairs were blocked.

“Look who’s up there.”

“That’s right. I didn’t know it was blocked like this.”

It is a form that completely blocks entry of other people.

I blocked it with a stair handrail and a large object, similar to a band used when exercising, and I had the feeling that no one else would receive it.

It was unfortunate that it seemed like we made a mistake, but we confirmed that there were survivors.

‘If you want to check, you can use presence detection.’

I only increased Lee Sian’s assimilation rate by 5%, but it felt a bit creaky.

It didn’t come naturally to me to use skills like usual.

I used the skill link well last night, but the natural use of the skill seems to have weakened.

If you keep your assimilation rate high, you will be fine.

In order to clearly find out the status of the gym, I used skill link-boost and mixed fire flame magic with presence detection.

As the presence detection wave spread around me, I was able to read the movements and temperatures of things around me.

‘There are about eight people on the 5th and 6th floors. Six of them are working out at the gym.’

I thought to Naeun that if I cut off ties with the world and exercise for a month, I would become quite healthy.

“Naeun, let’s go down. Shall we go to the department store?”

“I was thinking about going to the gym, but I’m sorry for making you miss out.”

“No. Let’s just assume that there are places like this and move on. If the department store is in this state, I have to apologize. And you came here to find a weapon for me to use, right? Let’s just pretend that we took a walk to a place of memories.”

“I think it’s okay to think that way.”

When Naeun and I came back down to the first floor, we made eye contact with armed people walking down the street.

Four people wearing thick clothes and holding long weapons slowly approached us and spoke.

“Where do you guys come from?”

“I came from the car wash.”

“Car wash…? Are you talking about the one next to the supermarket?”

“Yes. That car wash. Then where did it come from?”

They didn’t answer my question and just kept talking amongst themselves.

These rude children?

From what I’ve heard, it seems like they’re from the mart, so they’re telling me not to touch them, but what are they going to do if they’re not from the mart?

“Let’s go. It looks like you don’t want to answer.”

“Okay. Let’s go.”

While using presence detection, I turned my back and headed toward the department store, but I felt the men following me while keeping their distance.

I don’t want to fight, so I’d like it if you follow along and then leave.