Chapter 7: I Became a Game Character in the Apocalypse

Right now, the leader zombies are too busy arguing to pinpoint my location, but if they catch my scent, I won't survive.

Regular zombies can be evaded if I leave the fog, but leader zombies will chase their target until it's dead.

Dealing with those two and moving on is a daunting task.

I might be able to handle one, but two are dangerous.

If the leader zombies have subordinates, they'll swarm me the moment I show myself.

In the end, I have only one choice.

I swallowed hard and cautiously took a step.

Instead of going up, I went straight down.

Though my heart was racing, I had to remain calm.

I carefully examined the stairs as I merged into the fog.

Grrrr...

The moans of zombies from the first-floor hallway.

Can I escape without being noticed?

If a zombie in the hallway spots me, it will surely scream.

That would alert the leader zombies.

There's also the possibility that the leader zombies have scouts.

Countless scenarios.

I licked my dry lips and shook off the distracting thoughts.

The important thing is one.

Survive without being noticed.

Judging by the moans, the zombies weren't close.

Roughly 30 meters to the right.

If I move to the opposite side, I'll reach the first-floor bathroom.

If I exit through the bathroom window, I won't have to fight the zombies.

I peeked out, trying to spot the zombies.

The fog made it impossible to see where they were looking.

They haven't caught my scent yet, but I can't be complacent.

Zombies have superior vision in the fog.

As I was deep in thought, a thumping sound came from the end of the right hallway.

The sound of something hitting a door.

That means they're not looking this way.

I quickly moved to the left hallway.

The 20-meter stretch to the bathroom felt like a pitch-black tunnel.

My neck tingled, and I held my breath, moving like a cockroach.

Fortunately, I reached the bathroom without being noticed.

I leaned against the wall and exhaled a heavy breath.

My mouth was dry.

I turned my gaze to the bathroom window, which was covered by blinds to prevent visibility from outside.

I gently pulled the blinds aside and looked outside.

"Ah..."

Bars.

The bathroom window had bars to prevent burglars.

What a dog's life.

There was no way my body could fit through the gaps.

I was trapped in the bathroom.

The dorm's main entrance was too close to the zombies, and the bathroom window had bars.

What am I supposed to do?

Is the sky wishing for my death?

My face flushed with frustration, and I clenched my teeth.

Calm down.

Getting angry won't change anything.

After much thought, I came up with a plan.

Just because there's an entrance on the first floor doesn't mean I have to go out that way.

I checked the hallway again, but the zombies were too far to see.

Only the unpleasant sounds from a distance indicated their presence.

Coming in was scary, but going out again was even scarier.

Suddenly, I noticed the bathroom tool cabinet.

The smelly mop and bucket.

There was no other way.

What can't you do to survive?

I couldn't do anything about the zombies' vision, but I had to mask my scent.

I covered myself with the smelly water from the bucket.

I rubbed it all over, even between my scalp.

I had just showered, but that didn't matter.

I had to survive.

A foul smell emanated from my body.

I held back a sneeze from the stench and took several deep breaths to calm my racing heart.

No one knows what this choice will bring.

My life might end soon.

But if I stop here out of fear, I can't do anything.

I recalled the feelings I had during the two weeks I was trapped in the dorm.

Helplessness.

I didn't want to feel that way again.

I couldn't live like a plant, barely breathing.

'I can do it.'

I whipped my weak heart and stepped out into the hallway, careful not to make a sound.

I couldn't see anything, but the enemy could spot me with a mere turn of the head.

I took each step carefully, like walking a tightrope.

Grrrrrr.

The sound of something hitting a door disappeared, and the sound of a zombie's throat became clearer.

Is it looking this way?

I quickly entered the stairs and leaned against the wall.

I held my breath, my heart pounding.

Thud, thud.

Footsteps.

A zombie is approaching.

Did it notice me?

No.

If it had, it would have screamed.

The zombie didn't notice me because I masked my scent.

I didn't look back and climbed the stairs.

My heart was racing, but I had to be quiet, so I crawled up the stairs on all fours.

As soon as I reached the second floor, I checked the left hallway.

Fortunately, there were no zombies, and no unpleasant sounds.

Going into the second-floor dorm would be crazy, so I lay flat on the floor and headed for the bathroom.

I wanted to make a rope from sheets to go down, but that would alert the zombies.

So, I had to jump from the second-floor bathroom without any safety equipment.

As soon as I entered the bathroom, I pulled the blinds.

Fortunately, there were no bars.

I carefully opened the window and threw my bag onto the flower bed below.

I took a deep breath and put my right foot out.

I didn't want to stay here for even a minute.

I hung from the window frame and carefully checked the ground.

I used to prepare for physical education, so I was good at landing.

This was the second floor, not the third.

To avoid injuring my ankles and knees, I counted one, two, three in my head, pushed off the wall, and jumped.

"Whoosh!"

I quickly changed direction and rolled to the side.

I missed the timing slightly due to the lack of depth perception, but I landed without major issues.

My right shoulder was slightly numb, but it wasn't a big problem.

I picked up my bag and pulled out the steel pipe, checking my surroundings.

I couldn't see any zombies, but the faint sounds of zombies increased my tension.

I couldn't stay in the open for long.

After confirming there were no zombies nearby, I quickly moved to the kiosk.

The distance to the kiosk was 50 meters.

The blurry vision made me anxious, and my palms were sweating.

Soon, the long wall of the kiosk came into view.

A low wall that reached my throat.

I peeked over the wall, and fortunately, there were no signs of zombies.

I quickly climbed over the wall and headed for the kiosk.

Creak.

The door was locked.

I expected it, but my heart raced when the door wouldn't open.

Zombies could jump out at any moment.

My neck tingled, and I swallowed hard, checking my surroundings.

Should I go to the cafeteria?

With no other choice, I circled to the left and headed for the main gate connected to the cafeteria.

As soon as I reached the main gate, I lowered my upper body and peeked through the transparent glass door.

Despite it being midday, the inside was as dark as evening.

The power was out, and the fog made it impossible to see anything.

I carefully pushed the glass door with my palm.

Fortunately, the door wasn't locked.

Should I go in?

What if there are zombies inside?

As I was conflicted, a chilling sound came from the left.

I quickly turned and raised the steel pipe, spotting a zombie with half its side missing.

Grrrrrr...

It hadn't noticed me yet.

Did it wander here aimlessly?

'Can't smell me?'

Is it because of the smelly water?

The zombie, which had been wandering, wrinkled its nose and slowly turned to look at me.

Without hesitation, I clenched my teeth and swung the steel pipe.

The pipe hit the zombie's temple with a thud, caving in its skull.

I continued hitting its head until it was mush.

I looked around.

In the distance, I could faintly see a dozen figures.

Were they the ones chasing me from the pond yesterday?

I had to hide, so I quickly opened the glass door and entered the building.

Since the inside of the cafeteria was unexplored, I didn't go to the left but entered the gym between the cafeteria and the kiosk.

No one would use the gym during the fog.

As expected, the gym was covered in dust.

Footprints appeared on the floor with each step.

I leaned against the gym wall, drank some water, and checked the corridor leading to the kiosk.

I couldn't sense any zombies, but the thick fog and darkness made me feel psychologically oppressed.

I took a deep breath, gathered my strength, and cautiously headed to the kiosk.

Fortunately, the glass door to the kiosk wasn't locked.

I carefully opened the door and entered, hearing a rustling sound from the counter.

The sound made my hair stand on end.

I opened my eyes wide and raised the steel pipe, spotting a person crouched on the floor, covering their ears with their hands.

I stared at the man in bewilderment, and he looked up at me with wide eyes.

An awkward silence fell.

We didn't say anything, just observing each other.

Realizing I was human, the man's eyes widened, and he stammered.

"Y-You're a human?"

"..."

"Don't attack me. I'm human too."

I didn't know what to say.

I relaxed my arms and looked around.

"Are you alone?"

He nodded vigorously, looking shocked.

I sighed and asked, "Why are you here?"

"Well... there's food here..."

I looked at the shelves, which were already more than half empty.

The kiosk was small, but did he eat all this alone?

I examined the man closely, and he didn't look like he was starving.

He must have eaten well, as his jawline was barely visible.

Grrrrrr...

The moans of zombies from outside.

To avoid being spotted by the zombies, I lowered my upper body and asked the man.

"How did you get here?"

Was it a difficult question?

The man looked perplexed and glanced around.

His expression made me feel uneasy.

Why is he being cautious?

Seeing my suspicious expression, he quickly spoke.

"Well... I came to get food."

"So, how did you get past the zombies?"

"What about you? How did you get here?"

"I killed the zombies on my way."

"Me too."

An obvious lie.

I kept my distance and asked again.

"Do you have a weapon?"

"W-Weapon?"

He was flustered.

It's impossible to get here without a weapon.

I looked around the kiosk again and asked the man.

"Are there any other people?"

Click.

Footsteps came from the storage area.

I opened my eyes wide and turned to the source of the sound, seeing another man peek out.

"Wait, wait, wait!"

He waved his hands and slowly walked out.

I alternated my gaze between the man at the counter and the one from the storage.

Neither had weapons, but I couldn't let my guard down.

They had lied to me.