Chapter 17. Adaptation

Chapter 17. Adaptation

Stepping into the living room, I saw Seonyoung in black leggings and a black tank top bra, deep in her yoga routine.

Gayoung was in the kitchen, eating instant porridge.

“Good morning.”

“Oh. You said you had body aches. Do you have a fever too?”

I placed the fever reducer I’d brought out onto the dining table.

“Yes. I have a slight fever and a bit of a headache. It’s not severe, but I feel weak.”

“Eat slowly and take your medicine. Getting plenty of rest is the best thing you can do.”

Sitting across from Gayoung, who was still eating her porridge, I opened the map app on my Cell Phone.

From here, if you follow the road northeast for about 350 meters, there’s a pharmacy.

It’s a complex with a bank, a Starbucks, restaurants, and various other shops.

‘There’s even the J Broadcasting Station Building.’

Alternating between normal mode and street view, I simulated the round trip, familiarizing myself with the route.

While I was at it, I surveyed all the surrounding geography within about 500 meters of the apartment complex.

‘It’s probably best to get a mental grasp of the area beforehand.’

Thankfully, I have a good sense of direction.

“Is there anything I can help with?”

“No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it and just rest.”

“Alright. I’ll head back in then.”

After finishing her meal, Gayoung went back to her room, leaving me alone in the kitchen to continue memorizing the map.

It would be easy if I just went there once, but memorizing it purely from the map was a bit difficult.

A moment later, Seonyoung, having finished her yoga, tidied up her mat and took a bottle of water from the fridge to drink.

“I was wondering what you were up to, turns out you were looking at the map?”

“Yeah. I’ve never been to this area before. But it’s not sticking in my head very well. Are you done?”

“Yes. I’m not sure if it’s okay to be this relaxed.”

Seonyoung’s exposed skin glistened with sweat.

‘Yoga makes you sweat that much, huh?’

I’d never tried it myself, but watching Seonyoung, it seemed like you needed a strong core.

Seonyoung appeared to have not only great flexibility but also an excellent range of motion in her joints.

Once again, I felt the allure of a woman who had diligently worked out.

“In a way, you’re not just being idle. Physical prowess will probably become more important in the future, won’t it? Working out is a form of preparation.”

“Hmm… now that you mention it, you’re right. Zombies don’t discriminate between men and women… I should really work on building up my stamina too.”

I’d heard somewhere that people from ancient times had much better physical endurance than modern humans.

Perhaps that saying came about because modern people spend so much time sitting.

From now on, we’ll need a level of physical fitness far beyond what’s required for a healthy daily life.

Anyway, how long will Seonyoung keep switching between informal and formal speech with me?

It seems she finds it difficult to speak to me informally.

I spread a large towel on the master bedroom bed and had Seonyoung lie down.

It was time for the promised massage.

I could probably skip the stretching and go straight into acupressure.

I planned to massage her from her toes to her head for about an hour, following the routine I used during my part-time job.

I draped a towel over Seonyoung’s upper body and moved down to her feet.

“I’ll head out for a bit this afternoon after lunch.”

“Huh? Oppa, by yourself?”

“Yeah. I just need to check the route to our building and the commercial complex we passed. I’ve already mapped it out, so I should be back quickly.”

“Then let’s go together. It’s still dangerous to go alone.”

As we talked, I took Seonyoung’s feet in my hands.

Her feet were larger than I expected.

And she had a few calluses.

I’d seen her sweating, but there was no odor.

Instead, I thought her natural scent was pleasant as I diligently massaged her feet.

“I’ll be careful, so don’t worry and just rest. That way, we can go together next time.”

Perhaps judging her own condition wasn’t good, she finally agreed after my persistent persuasion.

In return, she repeatedly urged me not to overexert myself.

I also had no intention of taking risks without Seonyoung’s Shield.

Because if I got bitten, recovery or anything else would be over.

‘Will a Zombie vaccine ever appear?’

‘Surely someone must have started research, right?’

‘Or the government, at least.’

Thinking about a vaccine led me to ponder my own abilities.

I wondered if continuously raising my Body Reinforcement might make my skin tougher.

Then I wouldn’t even need a vaccine.

“Ah… that feels good. Ugh… so refreshing.”

Lost in various thoughts, my massage moved past Seonyoung’s lower body and waist, up to her back.

As I massaged her shoulders, Seonyoung made a sound like an old man, clearly enjoying it.

The pressure was quite strong, but she didn’t complain of pain.

“Is there anything you want for lunch?”

“Oh, there’s plenty I want to eat. I’m craving some Jokbal, and I also feel like something spicy. What about you, Oppa?”

“I’m not really a picky eater. I eat a lot, but I don’t often crave specific foods.”

“That’s right. You eat anything, Oppa. At the company, whenever someone suggests food, you always just say ‘okay’.”

My father had passed down to me a sturdy stomach and an unrefined palate.

Racking my brain, I could only recall getting indigestion once in my entire life.

Perhaps my sense of taste was a bit dull, as I wasn’t one to enjoy gourmet food.

Because of this, even though I ate a lot, I never had trouble with food since I could eat anything.

If I had to pick a preference, it would be meat.

“Then, how about I rummage through the fridge and prepare lunch myself?”

“Sounds good.”

I massaged Seonyoung’s entire back, then moved up her neck, finishing with a thorough scalp massage.

After about an hour of massage, just as planned, a slight sweat began to break out on me.

Normally, this level of exertion would have me dripping with sweat, but I could feel my stamina had improved.

This must be the effect of Body Reinforcement.

It felt like Resilience increased the efficiency of stamina recovery, while Body Reinforcement improved stamina itself.

“Ah~ that was amazing. I think I’m getting addicted.”

“How was it? Feel refreshed? I’ll do it again next time.”

“Hehe, you promised! What’ll you do if I pester you for massages every day? It’ll be a bother.”

Seonyoung, seemingly satisfied, stretched her body repeatedly as she headed out to the kitchen.

‘I wish someone would give me a massage too.’

“How is it?”

Slurp.

“It’s delicious. Really.”

I gave Seonyoung a thumbs-up and continuously slurped down the broth.

Since there were clams in the fridge, Seonyoung made Kalguksu for us.

I asked if Kalguksu wasn’t difficult to make at home, and she replied that it wasn’t.

Seonyoung said she could make it as long as she had the ingredients, but it was a dish I’d never even attempted.

“Wow. The broth is so refreshing and good.”

“It’s top-notch, isn’t it? Should I wake Gayoung up to eat too?”

“Let her be. When you’re sick, it’s best to sleep a lot. If she gets hungry, she’ll wake up and come out on her own.”

‘Was this exquisite flavor concocted by several doctors?’

‘There’s a share for those who leave, but not for those who sleep.’

‘It’s absolutely not because I wanted to eat another bowl.’

“Oh, right. I watched a video earlier.”

While eating, I told Seonyoung about the survival bag.

She said she’d pack her own bag in the afternoon.

“I should study too.”

“Study?”

“Mhm… I need to know the routes too, if we’re going to move around together.”

She meant she’d prepare so she could go out with me starting tomorrow.

She said she’d study by familiarizing herself with the surrounding geography and gathering information after I left.

She truly was a good partner.

After finishing lunch, I rummaged through the clothes hanging on the rack.

I didn’t consider design or function, just looked for the largest clothes possible.

For pants, I found another pair of sweatpants with an elastic waistband, and for a top, I chose a generously sized windbreaker.

Even though the sweatpants with the elastic waistband were a bit small, there was nothing I could do about it.

‘Oh? This isn’t bad?’

There were several neatly folded poncho raincoats in one drawer, so I pulled one over my clothes.

They probably belonged to Gayoung’s parents, used for hiking.

I put on the backpack I’d packed earlier in the morning and tightened the chest and waist straps until they fit snugly.

‘It might be good to bring an additional small utility bag.’

Finally, I grabbed the blood-stained bat… no, the Baseball Bat, in one hand and left the room.

“I’m heading out.”

“Oppa. Take this.”

Seonyoung handed me a mask and a digital watch.

I couldn’t remember the last time someone saw me off like this when I left the house.

‘Hoo… I can do this.’

A slight tension crept in, realizing I was going out alone for the first time.

I reminded myself not to be too nervous, to stay calm, since I’d already mapped out the route.

Click.

I’d removed the batteries, so I could open the door without the door lock making a sound.

Keeping the safety chain on, I checked outside the door.

Just in case there was a Schneider’s Cat-like creature out there.

Confirming the hallway was clear, I stepped out of the apartment.

I gave a reassuring smile to Seonyoung, who was watching me with a tense expression, then closed the door.

The apartment building was said to have 20 floors, so I had quite a climb ahead of me.

I pulled out a hand mirror and began ascending the stairs, checking my surroundings as I went.

I’d climbed over 10 floors, but there wasn’t a single Zombie.

It was strange, but considering the intelligence of the Zombies I’d seen so far, I figured it was possible.

‘Zombies opening doors and coming out… that’s probably too much for them.’

We didn’t have a way to open locked doors ourselves, so we’d completely given up on apartment Farming.

‘Even if a Zombie transformed inside a home, wouldn’t it just stay quietly inside?’

Grrr…

Finally, as I stepped onto the stairs leading to the top floor, I heard the distinctive growling of Zombies.

Carefully checking with the mirror, I saw a total of three Zombies on the stairs leading to the Rooftop and in the 20th-floor hallway.

The door to Apartment 2001 was clearly splattered with chaotic bloodstains.

The most noticeable was a Zombie in a suit.

Its clothes were a mess, and one arm seemed to be barely hanging on, dangling loosely.

Given that it was the only one in such bad shape, it seemed that the suit Zombie had met its end here while trying to escape.

Though it was all just speculation.

‘Three Zombies… Is it possible?’

It was a bit ambiguous.

More than thinking it was impossible, the pressure of knowing that one bite meant the end held me back.

I slowly ran a simulation in my head.

If I got behind one and took it out with a surprise attack, two would remain.

The problem was them rushing me simultaneously.

There were no obstacles to impede the Zombies’ movements.

‘If I just had enough time to swing the bat, it would be fine.’

As I pictured myself swinging the Baseball Bat, a hollow laugh suddenly escaped me.

‘I really must be stupid.’

In my imagination, when I swung the bat at the Zombies, my swing was always the same.

I was only simulating with the stance that had become habitual in my body from my days as an athlete.

Naturally, the movements were large, and it took a long time to recover my stance.

‘I’ve already experienced this once.’

I’d already faced multiple Zombies simultaneously in front of the Fitness Center.

Back then, I didn’t just swing; I also thrust and used brute force to smash their heads.

The impact needed to take off a head was 10, but I kept thinking of hitting with 100.

‘From now on, I need to think about efficient movements.’

‘I’ll be able to conserve more stamina too.’

‘I’m having a lot of realizations today, aren’t I? Hmm… Is this the Day of Enlightenment?’

Just then, I saw the back of a Zombie that had turned away, so I quietly ascended the stairs.

I sent a silent warning to the Zombie that had shown its back.

‘Always watch your back.’