Chapter 6

Becoming a Game Character in the Apocalypse Chapter 6

When the first episode reaches its midpoint, zombies with developed cognitive functions start to appear among the horde, and these are called resonant zombies.

Zombies that open their vocal cords wide and resonate at a certain pitch.

These creatures can transmit sound over long distances, alerting all nearby zombies to the location of prey.

It's a way to pressure survivors with sheer numbers.

This moment, without any resonant zombies, was Adam's last chance to grow stronger.

He walked to the door, peeled off a corner of the newspaper, and surveyed the corridor.

The scene was much the same as yesterday.

With a deep breath, he cleared the shoe rack and cautiously headed down the corridor.

Five corpses lay piled up in front of the stairs.

They were the zombies he had dealt with when he first entered this place yesterday.

The stench from the corpses would buy him time even if zombies appeared from the third or fifth floors.

He organized his thoughts and headed for room 402 next door.

Grrrr...

Two zombies were wandering inside the room.

They hadn't noticed his presence yet, only swaying their heads from side to side and emitting eerie moans.

He gripped the iron pipe and swung it at the upper glass of the door.

Clang!!

Roar!!

The agitated zombies began to scrape their throats and rushed towards the door.

Zombies in other rooms also started to scrape their throats upon hearing the noise.

Don't get tense.

Stay calm, just like yesterday.

He stabbed the eyes of the zombies that poked their heads out with the monkey wrench in his left hand, then entered the room and swung the iron pipe.

-Current number of zombies eliminated: 12/20

The zombies that had seemed terrifying yesterday now felt easy to handle.

Is my body gradually adapting to the beating?

Or is it just that my confidence has grown?

My hands still tremble, but I no longer feel the confusion or hesitation that used to sap my strength.

Starting from 402, he continued to eliminate zombies in 403, 404, and 405.

When he was about to clear 406, he noticed a flashing yellow light in the upper right corner of his vision.

-Current number of zombies eliminated: 20/20 (Complete)

-Collect points and receive the next order.

-Remaining points: 2

If the background of Last Ark is the same, I should receive 2 points for every 10 zombies.

But now, it's only 1 point for every 10 zombies.

Why?

Has the difficulty increased, reducing the points given?

"Are you kidding me..."

It's already hard enough to survive in the early stages, and now the points given are halved.

Muttering to himself, he fell into deep thought.

Where should I invest?

The most needed stats are obviously strength and stamina.

I should increase my strength first.

I often felt the limits of my muscles when climbing down the quilt and swinging the iron pipe.

Without hesitation, he invested the 2 points entirely into strength.

-Allocating the given points to strength.

-Stats: Strength 5 (+2), Stamina 5, Reflexes 5, Dynamic Vision 5, Mental Strength 10

-A new order has arrived.

-Current number of zombies eliminated: 0/50

-Remaining points: 0

At the same time, he felt a hot sensation throughout his body.

Like when you feel a part of your body heat up during strength training, his muscles felt taut.

He involuntarily frowned at the sudden stimulation.

After about a minute, the heat gradually subsided.

He repeated deep breaths several times, checking his body's condition.

His arms had thickened.

He clenched and unclenched his fists, focusing on the movement of his muscles.

The tautness in his forearms.

The tightness in his thighs.

His body felt much lighter.

The heavy iron pipe also felt lighter.

While the value of 2 might seem minor, his strength had effectively increased by 1.5 times.

He refocused and checked his player information again.

The number of zombies to eliminate had increased from 20 to 50.

When playing Last Ark, it was always fixed at 20.

Eliminating 50 would earn him 5 points, but the survival rate would inevitably drop before then.

There's no mid-game exchange, and points are only given when the target is met.

Although it's frustrating... what can I do?

No one will listen to my complaints.

'Should I try an experiment?'

If I've gotten stronger, I should start with an experiment.

He walked straight to 407 and broke the upper glass of the door.

Roar!!

Zombies poking their faces through the narrow gap.

The moment he stabbed the zombies with the monkey wrench, he felt a different sensation at his fingertips.

It felt as soft as piercing through soft tofu.

'Is it really this different?'

Well, if you consider the numbers, it's like someone who could lift a 20kg dumbbell can now lift a 30kg one, so it's perhaps natural.

The fear in his heart was replaced by a sense of pleasure.

I need to fill 50 here where it's safe.

A smile spread across his face as his confidence grew.

Rumble.

But no matter how strong he became, he wasn't immune to hunger.

With no food left, he drank some water.

'I need to secure food soon.'

The nearest food storage is the dormitory cafeteria and the convenience store.

Since there's no power, the cafeteria's freezer is useless.

But the convenience store should have snacks, dried foods, and canned goods.

The cafeteria and convenience store are about 50 meters away from here, across the road.

The left part of the 'L'-shaped building is the cafeteria, and the right part is the convenience store and various facilities.

To go outside, I need the strength to face the threats.

So, first...

"Zombies."

He gripped the iron pipe and headed for 408.

* * *

At midday, thanks to his continuous movement, he managed to clear the fourth and fifth floors.

I thought it would take forever to eliminate 50, but he had already taken care of 36.

So far, there were no difficulties, and everything went smoothly.

Perhaps because it's a dormitory with only double rooms, the pressure from the zombies wasn't intense.

He headed to the bathroom to catch his breath and have a drink.

He wiped the blood from his face and calmed his rough breathing.

"Phew..."

He sighed deeply, holding the sink with both hands.

Looking up at his reflection in the mirror, he saw a wild animal.

In just two weeks, his cheeks had become gaunt, and his hair was unkempt.

Scratching his itchy head, all sorts of impurities stuck to his fingernails.

I can't remember the last time I washed my hair.

There's probably zombie blood on it too...

Holding the cutter knife in his right hand and grabbing his tangled hair with his left, his right hand trembled.

Maybe it's because it's the first time I'm cutting my own hair, or maybe the aftereffects of killing zombies.

Without a barber like in the movies, he cut his hair as short as possible with the cutter knife.

He gave up on his beard, lacking the courage to cut it.

'Ah, was there shampoo in 504?'

Thinking back, he remembered finding shampoo in one of the rooms while eliminating zombies.

Entering 504, he found two unopened bottles of shampoo.

Not knowing when or how they might be used, he put one in his bag and took the other to the shower room.

The water wasn't warm, but the weather was so hot that the cold water felt lukewarm.

How long has it been since I last showered?

He felt a strange sense of relief as his tired body and mind relaxed.

Should I change clothes this time?

There are many rooms and plenty of clothes to choose from.

Wearing only his underwear, he thoroughly searched each room.

Most of the clothes were either too small or too large.

After much effort, he found clothes that fit his 182cm frame.

Maybe because I just showered?

The scent of the clothes was vividly noticeable.

"Thank you for the clothes."

Though no one was listening, he whispered a thank you and headed straight to the lounge.

He filled his starving stomach with the remaining snacks in the lounge, sat on the sofa, and drank water while thinking.

When I thought of zombies as terrifying beings, I couldn't do anything.

But once I faced that fear, a path opened up.

Even if it's slow, I need to progress step by step and achieve the ending.

'Should I go to the third floor next?'

The floors where I can move safely are the third and above.

The first floor is dangerous because the fog hasn't cleared, and the second floor is somewhat risky as the fog rises at night.

The third floor is fog-free, so I'll rest a bit and then clear it.

Once the third floor is cleared...

'I can fill 50.'

He gulped down the water and walked to the bathroom to fill an empty PET bottle with water.

He wrapped the handle of the iron pipe with box tape to prevent it from slipping due to zombie blood or a weak grip.

After all preparations were complete, he took a deep breath and headed to the third floor.

Where should I invest the 5 points I'll get after filling 50?

The current strength is enough for the first episode, so I'll invest the 5 points I get later in stamina.

I get tired too easily, which restricts my activities.

With a calmer mind, he descended to the third floor.

Grrrr...

He heard the sound of zombies scraping their throats in the third-floor corridor.

Gripping the iron pipe, he cautiously peeked into the corridor.

Bang!!

A sudden explosion of sound hit his eardrums.

Even though no one was grabbing him, the dull sound echoing in the corridor made him instinctively flinch.

'What is it?'

He couldn't bring himself to peek and held his breath, gripping the iron pipe.

Did they sense my presence?

No way.

It's outside the fog, and I didn't make any noise.

Roar!!!

A deafening roar echoed through the corridor.

He froze, trying to calm his confused mind.

Zombies don't make such sounds unless they're stimulated.

The one making such a noise...

Could it be a...

'Leader zombie?'

No way.

Resonant zombies haven't even appeared yet, so how could a leader zombie be here?

Confused, he couldn't move a step.

Resonant zombies have basic cognitive functions, while leader zombies have both cognition and reason.

Being able to think means they can hunt humans strategically.

Leader zombies are supposed to appear in the second episode.

I haven't even found my teammates yet, and a leader zombie?

This is a balance break.

'Doesn't matter if I live or die, is that it?'

The game's creator, GOD.

Last Ark is a high-freedom roguelike game.

No matter how high the freedom, it's still a game.

It has to follow the program.

But since this is reality, any variable could occur depending on the situation.

A leader zombie is one of those variables.

I planned to clear the third floor and check the convenience store, but what should I do now?

'Don't get tense. There must be a solution.'

Even in reality, the basic framework is Last Ark.

According to Last Ark's settings, leader zombies have superior senses compared to regular zombies.

They can move freely outside the fog and have highly developed senses.

The most dangerous thing about leader zombies is...

Their special ability to command regular zombies.

If I encounter a leader zombie while securing food at the convenience store, it's over.

Thinking this far, the only thing that came to mind was to get out of here.