I Became a Game Character in the Apocalypse

Chapter 4 –
Sitting on the terrace, I waited quietly, feeling like a dead mouse.
The sound of zombies’ cries had faded away.
If my memory served me right, in the first episode of the Safe House, the zombies’ abilities
weren’t very impressive.
Outside the fog, they couldn’t use their sense of smell, so as long as I didn’t make any noise
or get noticed, I could avoid them easily.
The problem was being trapped here.
At night, the fog would rise up to the second floor, so there was no guarantee of safety even
here.
Below the railing, there were zombies that had fallen.
Some of them might still be alive, so trying to go down on a bed sheet like before would be
suicidal.
There was no other option. I turned to the glass door behind me.
The curtain blocked the view inside.
After several deep breaths to steady my mind, I cautiously knocked on the glass door.
Knock, knock.
No response.
Could this room be free of zombies?
I carefully opened the door and pulled back the curtain with my left hand.
The foul smell and the stifling heat brushed against my cheeks.
I scanned the room thoroughly but found no traces of zombies.
It seemed that no one had been in this room when the fog spread.
If that was the case, maybe there was food left behind?
I opened all the drawers, but even the most basic snacks were missing.
Feeling disappointed, I walked out to the hallway to check the situation.
There were no zombies in the hallway.
The fog had likely spread at dawn, and people on the second floor had probably been infected
while they were asleep.
It was dangerous to rush out again like last time, so I began mentally preparing for any
possible situations and checked the contents of my bag.
Was there any tool I could use as a weapon?
After looking through everything, the only potential weapon I could find was a 1-meter long
wooden club.
A cutter knife wouldn’t do much damage.
Somehow, I had to deal with the zombies and score points, but the target of 20 zombies felt
like an impossible task.
Surviving was already difficult enough; I couldn’t even imagine confronting zombies head
on.
In a game, I would have sharp blades or chainsaws, but in reality, things looked bleak.
I sighed deeply, rubbing my forehead in frustration.
Then suddenly, I remembered an announcement from the dorm supervisor fifteen days ago.
It was about the noisy renovation work on the second-floor bathroom, which had yet to be
completed. Perhaps I could find a metal pipe or something useful.
Since I also needed to replenish my water supply, the bathroom would be my next stop.
I cautiously checked the hallway again and slowly opened the door, careful not to make any
noise.
Ka-ka! Ka-ka! Ka!
I heard strange cries coming from rooms 204 and 202.
According to the settings in Last Ark, the zombies wouldn’t be able to smell me yet because
the fog hadn’t reached them.
I lowered my posture, moving as quietly as possible, like walking on thin ice.
Holding my breath, I headed towards the bathroom at the end of the hallway. As I neared, I
sensed movement from inside.
Grrr…
The sound of a zombie’s throat gurgling.
I peeked inside and saw a zombie shuffling in front of the sink, dragging slippers on the floor.
It was staring at its reflection in the mirror and rocking its body back and forth.
Nearby, I noticed construction debris, including pipes and a monkey wrench, still scattered
across the floor.
If I could take care of this zombie, I’d be able to get a metal pipe and a monkey wrench.
I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths, reassuring myself that I could do this, before
standing up.
I gripped the wooden club tightly with both hands and sprinted toward the zombie.
Before it could scream, I inhaled deeply and swung the club.
Thwack!!
The sound of splintering wood echoed as the zombie’s nose collapsed.
I didn’t stop there. I kept swinging the club relentlessly, like a mad beast, eyes wide open as I
struck the zombie’s skull again and again.
Smash!
The wooden club snapped in my hands, and I jammed the sharp end into the zombie’s head.
Blood pooled on the floor.
The zombie’s arms trembled and then went limp.
Huff… huff… huff…
I gasped for air, wiping the blood from my face with my sleeve.
The flattened, lifeless body sent a shiver down my spine, as if insects were crawling all over
my skin.
I shook my head vigorously, rubbing my arms to shake off the feeling.
I had to hurry. The noise might have attracted more zombies.
I swallowed dryly and scanned the hallway.
Scratch… scratch… thud.
The sound of zombies scratching and pounding on doors echoed from inside the rooms.
I need to get out.
I quickly grabbed the metal pipe and monkey wrench, filling a 500mL bottle with water, and
checked the hallway again.
Grrraaaaaah!!
Thud! Crash!
The sound of zombies’ cries and the thumping on doors came from all directions.
The 20-meter distance to the stairs felt like an eternity.
With the tension rising, my heartbeat quickened.
The zombies seemed ready to burst through the door any moment.
I steeled myself, forcing my trembling legs to move and lowering my body as I made my way
toward the stairs.
Since the zombies couldn’t smell me yet, if I avoided their line of sight, they would quiet
down soon enough.
But there was still the chance that zombies from the first and third floors might approach, so I
held the pipe tightly and stared at the staircase railing, waiting.
One minute… two minutes… three minutes…
***
About 7 minutes passed.
The zombie cries began to subside.
Fortunately, no zombies appeared on the second floor.
I exhaled deeply, rubbing my stiff neck.
Even though the zombies’ vitality was tough, with a metal pipe, it would be much easier to
deal with them compared to the stick.
As the tension melted, I wiped the sweat from my palms on my pants, re-gripped the metal
pipe, and slowly made my way down to the first floor, which was still shrouded in fog.
It was eerily quiet.
It felt like all sounds had been swallowed by the fog, and the silence was almost deafening.
The fog limited visibility to just 5 meters, with everything beyond that barely visible.
The air was thick with a rancid odor, and the humidity made breathing difficult.
I knew there was a risk of infection from the virus in the fog, but I also had confidence.
I had inherited the abilities of Adam White.
The key characters in Last Ark were immune to the fog, and not only that, they had special
abilities.
Gabriel could see clearly in the fog, Danny had telepathy, Rachel could heal, and Rose had
increased equipment proficiency.
I moved cautiously through the hallway, careful to avoid detection by the zombies.
No zombies, no sounds of pounding doors.
Was the area clear of zombies?
Licking my dry lips, I carefully moved toward the exit.
ROAR!!!
But just as I expected, I heard zombies from the manager’s office next door.
Had they detected my scent?
At the same time, I heard pounding from every room on the first floor.
I didn’t hesitate. I ran full speed toward the dormitory entrance.
Even though going outside seemed dangerous, the fog first spread at around 3 AM.
Since it was far past curfew, there likely wouldn’t have been anyone wandering outside
except the staff.
It would be safer to leave the building than stay inside.
I ran to the exit and pushed the glass door with all my strength.
But it was locked tightly.
“No way…”
Caught in the desperation to survive, I realized I had forgotten my student ID.
I had packed survival essentials, but I’d left my student ID inside.
ROAR!!!
The zombies’ cries grew louder.
The window in the manager’s office shattered, and the zombie manager half-crawled through,
flailing its arms.
I gripped the metal pipe and struck the door with all my might.
Bang!
The door, though glass, didn’t break easily.
Was it reinforced glass?
I struck again and again, but it wouldn’t give.
After the security incidents at the dorm, they had certainly reinforced the security.
The zombie manager was trying to force its way out through the glass shards.
Seeing her, a mix of emotions stirred within me.
The manager, who had always scolded me with her sharp accent, had been one of the few
people to show me care during my time away from home.
• Jae-hyung! Did you drink again?
• You missed curfew again, didn’t you? 10 points off!
• Didn’t I tell you to eat on time? I’ll let the cafeteria know, now go and get some food.
Now that caring woman was trying to kill me.
I bit my trembling lip as I looked at her.
The master key around her neck.
I shut my eyes and swung the metal pipe toward her skull.
Crack!!
The sound was deafening and horrifying, as if something was breaking inside her.
With her skull half-crushed, her frenzied movements started to slow.
“I’m sorry.”
I muttered under my breath, then swung the pipe again.
Her spine snapped with a sickening crack, and her body slumped like a wet rag.
Shaking, I removed the master key from her neck and bolted toward the exit.
I tried inserting the key into the reader, but there was no response.
I tried several times, but the door wouldn’t open.
Was the power out?
Why would the door still be locked if the power was down?
There wasn’t time to waste.
In a panic, I looked around, and then I saw the stairs leading down to the basement.
There was a side door to the underground passage, wasn’t there?
Without further thought, my body reacted.
I hurried down to the basement, where I had once seen a side door.